Giddyup daddy!

We went to Lake Monger today to feed the ducks and other water birds there. They didn't phase Ryan at all, but they gave Cyd a run for her money. She's had a couple experiences with some of the more aggressive wildlife here so she's a little wary sometimes.

Gorgeous day....it's been the wettest June in years so we really appreciate the sun when it does come out.

Cyd rode her bike around the whole lake....must have been at least 2 or 3 kilometers.

Ryan loved the pelicans, pretty much anything that moves and makes noise, he loves.

Check it out...finally enough hairs for a mohawk!

And Ryan had a bone for dinner.

Cyd with the big plate of veggies she announced she was eating for dinner. I'm usually on her case to eat more veggies, so I was surprised that she volunteered to eat all of this.....and she did. What a shiner!

The Onion Wars

Cyd passed a huge milestone today, she tasted an onion and behold, it was good! Cyd's always been a firm adherent to to the "I know I don't like it because I've never had it before" way of thinking, and it's been tough getting her to try new things. This past couple of weeks though she's added a number of new foods to what she's willing to eat, which is great 'cause it's a a real pain trying to pick the onions out of a plate of spaghetti for instance.

For all those of you who have a foot fetish.....enjoy! Hee hee!

Curious Boy

Cyd and Ryan.......everyone tells me they're starting to look alike more and more.

Despite having lived here over a year already, I'm still not completely used to the weather. Overall, it's quite nice, but it's full of violent surprises. For instance, last summer we went for a barbecue on the beach, and we were hailed out......Hailed Out! In the middle of summer! And these were decent sized hailstones too.

I'm used to mellow rainy weather where it pretty much rains non-stop for a day or even a couple of days, a nice steady downpour. Here, it gushes down in torrents for about five or ten minutes and then next thing you know, the sun in shining, followed by more cats and dogs a few minutes after that. We can see rainbows nearly every day it rains, sometimes double and triple rainbows. I think I can count the number of rainbows I'd seen before coming to Australia on the fingers of one hand.

We've had a very wet start to our winter, which is good, 'cause there's been a drought and water shortages are a big deal. So we're counting our blessings that when it rains, it truly does pour.

No Voice

I've had a cold and completely lost my voice over the past few days. It's the first time I can remember that I really can't talk at all and it's amazing what a lazy parent I've become. The TV has become a closer friend than usual. No more stories or school and only minimal discipline. No more straining my brain to answer one of the millions of "why" questions that Cyd invariably comes up with during the day, ---just a happy shrugging of the shoulders and I let her decide if it means I don't know or if I just don't know how to communicate it to her without speaking. I know I'm only giving myself a break and I'll be vocal again before I know it, but I can't help but wonder how do deaf and dumb mums do it? It's given me a new respect for the vocally impaired.

Sleep my baby, sleep.

Cydney dressed up as "Ballerina-Superhero". She watched a "Hi-5" on TV this afternoon about superheros and since she is so into ballet right now, this is the resulting combination.

I like my toes!! And don't let the pink fool you, I'm no girl, just cute enough to be one! (Mom and Dad's spare set of sheets.....Thanks Kris!)

"Welcome to the cave of wonders!" Cyd set up her playtent and invited Ryan in for "tea". He lasted approximately 30 seconds before he was booted out for "messing everything up". Poor guy, it's the story of his life at the moment.

White Chicks

Sol and I watched the movie "White Chicks" last night, with the Wayans brothers. Great stuff. I almost couldn't get Sol to watch it with me, because for some reason he thought it starred the Olsen twins. !?!?!

Anyway, in the first ten minutes of the film there's a scene where the guy comes home to his wife and she's railing at him for being late and not "communicating" with her, but the poor guy is so tired after a long day's work that he promptly falls asleep. It was hilarious, but even more so because that's exactly what's been happening in our happy home this past week. It's the end of the financial year here so Sol's been putting in extra hours at work, while it's also the rainy season which means I'm pretty much confined to the house. This lethal combination produces the exact same effect when Sol gets home, me raring to "communicate" and poor Sol just wanting to pass out. We're lucky that at least we can laugh about it together.

On another topic, what's with toilet scenes? It seems that since "American Pie" it's become the industry standard to put at least one toilet scene in every new comedy. There's only so far you can go with creativity when it comes to that kind of thing, and they're all nearly exactly the same. I guess it's a filler for a couple cheap laughs, I don't like them though. It might be prudish of me but I find them embarrassing to watch, besides the fact that it's so predictable and just plain gross.

Miss Universe 2005

I turned on the TV the other evening and the Miss Universe pageant was on. When I was 18 (and still young and beautiful) I was scouted to participate in the Japanese Miss Universe pageant, so since then I've always been curious as to who won and how far I would have made it if I'd stuck with it. So I was watching and thinking about how much older I've gotten and how gorgeous those girls are and Cydney pipes up and says, "Mommy, that girl looks like a chicken!" And lo and behold, the poor girl was wearing a dress with feathers all over and did look like something that had escaped from the chicken coop. I totally cracked up......it helped put things in perspective.

This is my fooling around on the puter. It's the closest I'll ever get to artistic expression.

Welcome

This is new for me. I've been online as long as I can remember, but this is the first time I've actually blogged. I'll have to credit my sister with inspiring me with the idea, since she's got the cutest little blog going on. I'm still getting the hang of all this so bear with me as far as templates and settings go. Hopefully this will help me be more faithful to keep everyone posted on the life and times of my little bubs. Luv you all!

Ryan's cheeky smile.

Went fishing on the Swan River a couple weeks ago. This is Cyd's classic "naughty face". If she pulls it on Sol, he'll pretty much let her get away with anything.