Squibblog

toy du jour

There are many times as a parent that I have worked very hard and been unappreciated by my children. But this time, Soy and I picked the mood and our hard work was rewarded. This thing strapped to Zac's arm is the Ben 10 Ultimate Omnitrix, aka the coolest toy in Zac's universe. Walk into any large retailer and ask for it, you will be told that they can not keep them on the shelves for longer than a day. The fact that we managed to track one down (thanks eBay) and have it delivered before the big day was a miracle.

When Zac first became obsessed with the phenomenon of Ben 10, I was pretty appalled. It doesn't get any more commercial than a Manga-inspired cartoon with 10 different alien characters. There's fighting and evil aliens and lots of running around shouting. Plus they have dreadful names like Rip Jaws and Up Chuck.

But I've watched Zac talk to kids in playgrounds about this stuff, make friends with total strangers because they have Ben 10 shirts on or are speaking in cartoon code words and I realised that when he's a young adult, this is the stuff he will remember from his childhood. These are the TV shows that will define his generation.

So I continue to dislike the show, but I indulge his obsession because I want him to be a child of his own time. And if you saw him playing with the Omnitrix, using it to turn himself into a range of super-charged monsters, you would smile too.

seven year-old Zac

The weekend was dominated by Zac's birthday party. We spent Saturday making a cake, shopping for the party and filling lolly bags. And then, just to add a little pressure, I made a pair of shorts for him to wear on the day because all his shorts or too small or too 'boring'.

Yesterday would have been relatively stress-free in that we out sourced party entertainment by hiring a rock climbing gym for the party. But our stress levels were topped out by mid-morning with Zac asking what time it was every 10 minutes from 7.30am. By the time we actually left at 11.30 Soy and I were ready to scream!

Memo to self: lots of children in a confined space is a recipe for extreme decibelage. We rushed through the hot dogs, chips and cake pretty quickly and then set the kids loose on the climbing walls. Although it's a parent intensive activitiy - a parent needs to be there to belay each kid - it is also increbily energy intensive for the kids and after 45 minutes they retired to the fooz ball table leaving us to recover.

lost and found

Last Tuesday Soy lost his bike. More accurately, his bike was stolen. Chained to a bike rack outside a take-away shop in Stanmore, some bastard came along with hammer and chisel and knocked the lock away. Not before he had assured the shop owner that he had lost his key (it was a combination lock!). Pretty bold theft which took place in broad daylight.

To make matters worse, this wasn't Soy's workhorse: the three year old $300 Malvern Star mountain bike. It was instead his very expensive road bike, which he rode because it makes him so happy.

He was sad, I was sad. The internet bike community rallied, keeping a lookout on all Sydney roads and bike shops and promising a whip-around to buy him a new bike. *sigh* Bike people are an amazing bunch. The response was heart warming and I was quite teary thinking about people giving something to someone they had never met.

Anyway, on Saturday Soy took Nell to her ballet class which is two doors down from quite a famous bike shop in Marrickville. He wandered in and low-and-behold, there was his precious racing bike. He ran home, recovered his serial number and warranty, and went back to claim his bike. Hooray!

He went straight out and bought a lock and helmet (from a different bike shop, not wanting to give custom to the fencer of stolen goods, however inadvertent that may have been, Mick) and I updated our insurance to include the bikes.

Conversation with GIO:

Customer Service: "You want to insure the bikes?"

Me: "Yes"

Customer Service: "Well they're already covered under your existing policy. Unless you take them outside the home. Do you want to take them outside the home?"

Me: "Well...yes. I mean sometimes we ride them around the house, but most of the time we like to use them outside. On the road. They are bikes, you know."

strawberries

These came off our four plants during the week, and there are more ripening every day. As most of my garden writing is about growing food, I'm writing it over at Home Green Home. I've also put up a new banner image which features Zac this time.

10 years

Ten years ago last Saturday, Soy and I stood up in front of all the people we love and promised to love and cherish each other forever. Our wedding was rather hastily planned, but our marriage was always based on solid ground. Maybe it was the solid ground that gave the rushed (let's call it 'spontaneous') wedding such a wonderful feeling of joy, but many people have commented fondly on that day over the years.

And, of course, Soy and I often think of it. It was the happiest of days.

Wanting to remind ourselves of that lovely experience, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with friends and family last weekend. We picnicked at very spot where we got married, at the same time, with many of the same people. Even the weather repeated its threat of rain, which was kind of spooky for November.

We didn't have the same Thai red curry pies or the tiny shots of Laksa, nor did anyone get leglessly drunk within 15 minutes of the party starting (all of which happened at our wedding) but there was pink champagne from Peterson House and a delicious cake from Simmone Logue. And lots of bubbles.

I look back on the photos of our wedding and think that we look so innocent - like we'd done nothing in our lives. While it feels like only yesterday that I was wearing that bright yellow dress, it was a lifetime ago.

Actually, two lifetimes ago, because of course Nell and Zac weren't with us then.

After our wedding ceremony, my uncle Nick said that he'd never heard children mentioned so many times at a wedding. If he'd been there on Saturday (and we missed you, Nick) he would have seen how many children we have in our lives now. And declared that it was good.

But to really see the passage of time, you have a look at one of the kids who was at our wedding. My nephew Joshua on our wedding day and on Saturday.

celebrating lettuce (and soon, other things)

When I have time to post properly, I will write about our celebration weekend, but for the time being, I am linking to my homegreenhome post on the joy of lettuce - our number one garden staple at the moment. Crunchy, zingy, healthy lettuce makes me smile everyday I'm in the garden. I had no idea that lettuce was so hardy a crop, but this year we have self seeded lettuce growing out of the compost heap, in the lawn and in the cracks between pavers! 

economic stimulus trousers

Today I went shopping. I had a little work to do in the morning, a long way from home. So while I was out, I went to Westfield Bondi Junction, that Mecca of consumerism, and converted yesterday's optimism into cold, hard clothes.

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to shop for clothes, and longer still since I've seen much to buy. Today the planets aligned. I had some spare cash, courtesy of me never getting out to the shops, a range of summer clothes on the shelves and a sad need to refuel my wardrobe. I have hardly bought anything new since Nell was a baby and all my clothes have started to look 'lived in' (ie are developing holes).

That's no excuse for visiting the gorgeous Bettina Liano, though, and spending way too much money on jeans. But I tried them on and they looked fabulous. How often does that happen? Not nearly often enough, I'm telling you. So I lay my shiny (hardly used) credit card on the counter and did my bit for stimulating the economy. And then I threw in a white peasant blouse, beige capris and skinny belt for good measure.

hope

I watched the US election coverage with, at first, trepidation and then relief. They didn't choke on the racial issue, they just elected the guy who looks like he can do the job. I was surprised, and delighted, to hear Obama's victory speech, though. To speak not only to the people who supported McCain, and vow to lead for them, but to the people around the world who have been sweating on this decision, I felt that we were seeing a leader who truly understood what the US Presidency was about. And then I felt even more relief, and more than a little hope.

tense times

Today I am feeling very tense indeed. While I'm supposed to be working, proofing our magazine, finalising copy, still reviewing gadgets, I am keenly watching the US election coverage. At lunchtime Soy and I gave up any pretense of working to join his Mum's (American) partner, Lynn, in watching the election coverage on the BIG screen at their house. Helen served up giant Reuben sandwiches and Dr Pepper, followed by brownies, and we all cheered as we watched states called for Obama. Once Ohio was in the bag, we decided we could summon enough concentration to come back to work.

Aside from the political excitement, we are planning a party on the weekend to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I am also starting to organise Zac's birthday party, which means that we have social commitments every weekend day between now and Christmas. 

from the mouths of babes

Nell and I went to the art gallery to see the Monet exhibition. I had armed myself with the gallery's guide for children and a pack of Textas, and primed Nell with the idea that she would have activities to do in each room.

Nell was a bit of a hit with exhibition goers who, on a Tuesday afternoon, were mostly Seniors and tourists. She carefully reviewed each image in her book, considered each of the paintings in the room and settled herself in front of the picture in her book. She then drew flowers or houses or whatever those clever art gallery education experts asked her to do, while I wandered around the rest of the exhibition. She only threw one tantrum, when someone asked her to move from in front of a painting so they could maneuver a wheel chair into that spot and look at that picture. I know I'm biased, but I was pretty affronted. Why does someone in a wheel chair take precedence over a 4 year old? Do they think her art appreciation is less important? She was a bit miffed as well but she recovered.

After we'd seen every painting, browsed the shop, eaten lunch in the cafe (they have kids packed lunches which are Nell's favourite) we were walking to the car. In front of us were a group of people off to a Melbourne Cup lunch, dressed up in frocks and heels and stupidly elaborate but tiny hats. Nell looked up at one lady, whose hat was more stupidly elaborate than the others and said: "I like your flowers and feathers and the spiders web in your hair."

Everyone in the party burst out laughing but Nell was mortified because she wasn't trying to be funny.