narrating kayoz

Still happy, but a bit frustrated too...

So who were all the idiotic people who voted for ALP in the house of reps, but still voted for the Libs in the Senate? In Canberra for instance?!

Yippee!!!

Woohoo! Yay Australia (and about bloody time).

But seriously, Canberra, Gary Humphries for the Senate again? Have we learned nothing from the past three years?

Edited to add: Howard has apparently conceded defeat by phone to Rudd and left Kiribilli House. :)

Edited again to add: meanwhile I feel like I must be the only left wing voter sitting at home alone, without even my husband (who's in Sydney) to celebrate with. This is the first election in my adult life where the government has changed for the better (IMHO) and therefore the first time I really would like to be at a party somewhere.

Still, I'm pretty damn relieved. Even though I really thought Kerry Tucker would get that Senate seat, or that it would at least be close.

Kaely and books (brief baby book note)

At sixteen months Kaely is finally developing an interest in looking at books. Up to now she's been to frustrated by her inability to turn the pages easily on board books, and none too gentle with paper books. Now, finally she's looking at the pictures and pointing things out. I'm happy.

Sibling fun

I love that Liam frequently says to Mikaela "Kaely, Kaely, do you want to come and play in my room?"
They are starting to have some jealousy between them (over Mummy-time), but still, Liam is really into her. And she adores him.
I just wish I could bottle this time for her, so that when in a year or two she is tailing after him and his friends and he is telling her to "Go away Mikaela!", she could take a swig of it and feel all better again.

Today we had our first school fair as actual parents at Orana

We've been to the Orana Spring Fair most years (maybe every year) since Liam was born, but this was the first one as bonafide members of the school community - with jobs to do and everything.

The fair went from eleven to three, and we got there between 11:30 and 12:00. Next year we will get there right at the start. Even though there was a freezing cold wind and Mikaela hadn't had a nap, we filled the entire day and felt like we hardly did any of the fair activities. And Mikaela, tired as she was, had a ball.

We did go up to see the puppet show in one of the kindergartens. Which is to say, Liam went in and watched the puppet show, while Chris and I hung out admiring the playground with Mikaela. The Orana school grounds are all gorgeous and currently full of flowers, but I think the kindergarten playgrounds are the best. There are four kindies with two enclosed playgrounds (ie two sharing each playground), and they have created just wonderful environments for five year olds to play. These photos (taken on my phone) don't do it justice at all - especially they don't show all colours of the roses and campanulas and all the other flowers are that are in bloom right now. But you get a rough idea.

Aside from that we saw some of the Maypole dances, bought a few books and plants, plus of course some yummy food, and then spent the last couple of hours hanging around the children's activities, where I was rostered on to help. I don't know that I was a lot of help except with the pack up, but I learned to make a god's eye, and someone else helped Liam make a garland and a fishing pole (with magnet on the end). He had a go at a godseye too, but it didn't turn out as beautiful as mine :)

Usually I go to the plant stall at the end and buy lots of plants when they're all 50c each, but I couldn't do that this time, being rostered for packup elsewhere. However, we did score a bag of kids clothes free. They had an end of fair special of $5 for a bag full, which my Mum kindly took advantage of for us, but by the time she went to pay they'd packed up the money! So that was a nice little bonus for the day. I do love free clothes. We are still getting quite a few handmedowns for Mikaela, but not so much for Liam these days.