wednesday - new baby Delilah is born today

The new baby was born at 8.50am this morning, at just over 7 pounds. Will get exact statistics soon!

Tasmin was delighted and enchanted with her little baby cousin...

Isn't she sweet and what a unique name...

She looks just like her Daddy Mike, with the cleft in her tiny chin and fair hair...

She fed really well and just kept wanting to feed.

 I so enjoyed my chance for a cuddle but she cried as soon as I walked away from her mama. When I took her closer, Manda put her hand on the baby's head and she quietened straight away. She really knew her mama's voice. Manda's eyes followed her all around the room as she was taken for cuddles. It was so sweet watching her watching her mama, her little blue eyes scanning her mother's face, and its every little detail.

On the way home there was a little sun shower and we saw a rainbow. Delilah's rainbow.

tuesday midnight news flash

Very exciting news - my sister's waters broke about three hours ago, and I rushed over with my camera as theirs didn't seem to want to switch on. So! Now I'm supposed to go to sleep until we receive The News. And I'm working tomorrow night so hopefully the baby will arrive soon and we can go visit tomorrow. Stay tuned, photos asap.

day 180 - tuesday - dinosaur boy

This morning it was incredibly rainy in our hills area. I dressed Tassie in her rain jacket and put mine on too, even though it's about two sizes too small, to get her to play school this morning. And now outside my window it's very misty and foggy. The trees are making dark shadowy shapes against the white. Very spooky!

Angie has been playing dinosaurs again today. These are from the toy library but I seriously think we should get him some of his own!

day 179 - monday - koala

Today we went to the playground in freezing conditions, but after yesterday the babies deserved a bit of a play. I only lasted 45 minutes, though, it was so cold! Angie went up the stairs with a little help, then down the slide by himself today. He loves the slide.

When we returned, we were so surprised to find a little visitor high up in a tree in our backyard. Can you see the tiny lump in the top right hand corner?

It was a sweet little koala bear trying to get some rest in our tree.

We went round the side for a closer look but really only caught his furry bottom.

Tassie was pretty excited, Angie didn't know what all the fuss was about.

day 178 - sunday - Manda's baby shower

We held a little baby shower for Manda and Mike today.

There were mountains of cupcakes of course,

Mum arriving fashionably late,

and there were some beautiful new things for the baby...

manda couldn't get to them quick enough...

She seemed very pleased with it all..

As did Mike. He couldn't believe how tiny the hats and booties were...

This will be grandchild number three for Gandy.

Ian and I rather enjoyed sorting our old baby things into little bundles which we tagged by size, together with some new toys and other little bits and pieces...

Mike even found some new ear warmers for himself...

And Angie gave his approval for the baby's new things...

Tassie was on hand to help manda pack it all up.

Yes, I noticed too, they look a little overwhelmed, non?

day 177 - saturday

Tasmin and I exhaused ourselves with a big grocery shop today, as well a trip to the library for books and to the photo shop for photos. It was great to get a walk in before the rains again.

day 176 - friday - winter deck

With Tassie at Little Playschool today, and Angie with his ongoing cold, feeling bored and neglected, I decided to take us out on to the deck. We did the same on Wednesday, when Tassie was sleeping. It's great for a change of scene when it's raining outside. And cold and wintry.

Angie's discovered it's really great to pick up chalk and write on every available surface. I don't mind at all - it's outside, and it's only chalk after all!

thursday day 175 - Our first female Prime Minister!

Today started off as any other ordinary day (except Angie slept in til 9am. That NEVER happens). Tassie decided she needed some Vegas style makup on today.

then I switch on the tellie to find ABC Kids has been bumped so we can watch the emergence of AUSTRALIA'S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER!

Sorry Kev, mate, but you'll have to suck it up... (there's no dignity for an ex-PM behind the exterior of grimy kids' fingerprints on an analogue TV)...

So there, Tassie, your future is already looking brighter as a female growing up in a terrific country.

and you can show this picture to your friends in the future to prove that you witnessed history in the making.

Oh yes and Angie woke up to see the highlights...

I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR (LOL! Cheesy I know. But makes for a good scrapbook page).

wednesday day 174 - makin' cookies

I had run out of eggs so she played with flour and water but oh what a mess! Next time I think I'll give her a bit of real dough to make shapes with. Much easier!

tuesday organising scrap room

I've been having a lovely old time organising my rather large collection of unmounted acrylic stamps into these CD cases.


I recommend this as a great way to organise stamps... just stick them on the inside back cover, add an image of the stamp as the cover and add a label to the spine. I was amazed how many stamps there were that I'd either not noticed or forgotten about. As you can see above, I'm also keeping them on the shelf right beside the desk so they're easier to get to.



I also desperately needed more space so these nifty little drawers from IKEA, below, now hold my punches and inks, among other things. I used to have the inks up on the highest shelf, which is silly, for something I like to use often. So now I hope to do even more stamping in my layouts, make it a 'signature' thing.

day 172 - monday - exploring the jungle

There are some seriously big weeds in our backyard.



We went out today, since the sun was shining (briefly) and well, it was 10am, which is strictly tools down and playtime.


It was very funny watching them negotiating the weeds. Quite fearless really. We got soaking wet too, since it rained overnight. Again.

Look at Angie. He is such a little dreamer.

He's eyeing off the pretty flowers.

We can't go outside without our cool shades.

day 171 - sunday - building, Gandy fun and cabaret

Look at my brand new set of drawers from IKEA - less than $100, fits under my tiny desk and built by my mechanical-engineering expert husband! Can't wait to organise my scrapbooking supplies...



Gandy came round to check out the latest progress on Project 365 and here is the little girl, jumping up a storm and amusing her grandma. She stayed for my Lamb and Lentil soup.

and here's the best bit: My sister took me to see this wonderful cabaret performance, Mitchell Butel's Killing Time. I was so inspired. She knows him from her Sydney days, so when we met afterwards I was brave enough to ask for an autograph. All in the name of art, of course. We also had the pleasure of meeting some of his friends, including Adam Cook, brilliant Theatre Sports performer, lovely guy and now director of the State Theatre here in Adelaide. What a great evening!