Mummy's been busy!

Hi everyone. Well, mummy's been very excited to finally get our old family movies transfered from super 8 reels onto DV tape. This meant mummy could edit them, add music, take still shots, and make copies. It has taken ages as we have no manual for the editing programe so mummy just has to try different things until stuff works. This is mummy and uncle Peter (her brother) . I know everyone thinks I have more Casey likeness, but watching uncle Pete as a baby, he sure looks a lot like me sometimes. Back to the future and here is Jazz playing peek a boo with Brodie. The kids were squeeling at each other, it was really cute.

I joined in of course and was cacking myself everytime we did boo.
This is Steve, Peter and Dave at one of our breakkies recently. Jarred was there too but magically disappeared whenever the camera came out.
Me taking a picture of mummy taking a picture

All dressed up to help daddy and mummy in the garden, daddy was using the wipper snipper so I had safety glasses on too. Mummy thinks my tiny gardening gloves are just too cute.

(All point in reverend awe at the Damien/Damian paving/stone/border area and please emote accordingly)

We did shaving cream pictures recently, and I wanted to stir and play with the leftovers, so mummy stripped me off and put me in the bath with it. I had a fab time making as much mess as I wanted, then we just washed it all away :)

Daddy has been notified that his Train-ing was sucessfull so stand by for further news on this. We have had Grunk staying with us this week and he reads to me and watches DVDs with me, I love having him around. Mummy has started a group physio rehab programe to strengthen her back and neck and was finally able to go back to bowling today. She bowled very well and everyone was soooo pleased to see her back - it was really lovely! I have had a yukky cold this week and missed my swimming lesson and one day of day care. I have a little friend at day care, her name is Angelee and we have lots of cuddles and she looks after me if I get sad when mummy goes. She is soooo lovely and always comes to say hi to mummy and asks about our dogs.

Our dear Big ears has told us that his dad has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is about to endure 5 weeks of daily radiotherapy and chemo before an operation early next year. We would really love it if you could keep him in your thoughts, pray for him if you're religious, otherwise send him your positive healing thoughts. His name is George. Thank you!

That's about all, except to wish our November birthday babies a happy birthday in advance:

Ben, Caroline, Filiz (who were all born on the same day)

Cindy, Jessica, Riley, and Lis

Hope you have a fantastic day everyone.

Love and hugs to you all - hope you are all happy and well. xoxo
Kylin. :)

Guess Who?

Hiya everyone, Hope you are all happy n well.

We have been flat out lately and have lots to write about. We all went out to the local pub for dinner last night and I was so good, Mummy brought my dinner with us, but I sat up and ate it all and stayed in my chair the whole time, I had great fun reading out the keno numbers on the telly, although they dissapeared too fast sometimes. I invented a game with the coasters and I was squeeling with laughter when Mummy or Daddy joined in. First big rain for the season and this year I have a new umbrella to go with my puddle investigation ensemble.
The people down the road had this pidgeon hole thingy sitting out beside their bins. Mummy had called and left a note in their letter box asking if they wanted to sell it. Weeks passed without hearing anything, meanwhile it sat out in the weather. Finally, they called and said we could buy it. It hasn't been affected by the rain at all, it was covered in webs, full of dirt and leaves but really solid and so heavy that Mummy couldn't budge it at all. Malay, our Samoan friend from across the road got his trolley and carried the thing -BY HIMSELF - up the road and into our garage for Mummy. Mummy got me my own sponge and brush, and together we cleaned it all up. I love it and put all of my toys away by myself now - I think I have a little bit of Mummys insane neatness genes! It is all so organised and Mummy just drools over it :)
(Editors note: yes I can almost hear you rolling your eyes big ears xo)

Our luscious Marisol is due to have their little boy on the 30th November, and last week Mummy went to her baby shower. Their was loads of food and lots of great people, it was an ace morning.

FINALLY!!

Just when mummy thought that she'd been gyped and sold weeds. My Great Nanny's rememberance poppies flowered. For all of you down south yet to plant them, they really do look like weeds, These were planted when mummy came back home from the funeral. She has now tied them up on a stake and they are much more aesthetically pleasing.

Another surprise was this beautiful hybiscus flower that Daddy found on one of our previously unproductive bushes. We have 2 other red bushes but have never seen these ones. To see the colors in this one for real, is just stunning.

More bbq updates, Dan used to work on Green Island and Bindi would take him to the boat on Sat mornings so now he has a new job, they joined us with their scrumptious little Brodie at muddies for breakfast and a bit of a soaking. Mark and Dave Rennie joined us too and Rick came with the kids later on.

We invited our neighbours Malay and Mauritsa, and their 6 kids over for a bbq breakky on Sunday morning. We had explained to them that we had enough sausages and loads of bread, fruit drink and stuff for all of us and that we'd have breakky together on our front lawn so the kids could play. Hmmm they didn't turn up. We were a bit worried we had offended them somehow, but Mummy saw Malay yesterday and they were very apologetic but they didn't come because they had no food to share with us. Here we were with loads of food, and they had none but they still didn't come over. Their culture is a bit different to ours and they refuse to do stuff like that unless they can contribute too. OOOPPSS! We didn't realise that.........no matter, we will next time!

We secretly want to give them food or vouchers somehow but don't know how to do it without hurting their pride - any suggestions?

After the bbq, we got into racing mode and tested out the racing track before everyone arrived for Bathurst. Mummy and Daddy had put it together the night before to make sure it all worked and Daddy ingeniously used my wooden spoons for bridges.

We put up flags, did a racing hamburger menu, arced up the telly and away we went. Mark and Dave arrived with prawns and lots of yummy cheese and nibbles, they helped us chop up the stuff for the hamburgers, then Dan, Bindi + Brodie arrived with savory breads and a platter of nibbles as well. There was more food than people! We saw the start of the race and then it was outside to eat, jumping in the pool, or challenging each other to slot car races. We had a great day, I think the visitors did too! Mummy just had an idea, we should have done stroller races!

Mummy got to go to the movies for the first time since she went with Daddy in the UK. She went with Filiz and Daniella to see Hairspray and had a very escapist afternoon. I have started swimming lessons again every Monday morning, and I really like it so far. On Tuesday Mummy was hanging onto the pool fence with her back to the pool and stepped back to let me past, so her heels were both over the water, her feet both slipped and her whole body weight landed on her shins on the edge of the tiles. Mummy cried. Mummy is very bruised. Mummy is very lucky she didn't break her leg! Do not try this at home! She hasn't been able to bowl for the last 3 weeks either cause of her shoulder, but after an early physio appt in the morning, hopefully will be able to play tomorrow. Daddy needs to trade mummy in!

On a brighter note, another shop in town has agreed to stock mummy's clothes. Mummy is wrapped and has been madly dying clothes so she has heaps of stock now. (and purple fingers) She is also printing her own swing tags so that will save about $400- in printers fees each time.
Mummy gave the kids across the road a singlet each. They really love them, and the colors really suit them. They all wear them together and it looks like a rainbow when they play in the street. We took the last dyed batch over and sat on their driveway with them and let them help untie them, they were fascinated and got really excited each time one was untied. We also got some paint pens and did dot paintings on a huge palm leaf - that was ace fun cause we started dotting each other :) (naughty mummy)

My Daddy has achieved another step closer to his train-ing - one more step to go - very exciting!! My Grunk is arriving next week for a couple of weeks, I am getting very excited to see him again.

Ok we have waffled on enough now we are all enjoying this fantastic weather before the humidity and full on rain starts (which mummy still loves anyway) Hope all in your world is well.

Happy birthday to Debbie, Bella, April, Alex, Lee, Mat, Damien B, David R, Luke B, Peter + John and Oliver who are all having birthdays in October - Hope you all had/have a great day!

Love and Hugs and paint dots - Kylin. xoxoxo

It's getting hotter!

(Warning Vicky- there is a spider picture)

Hello again everyone here are a few photo's of our new Saturday BBQ spot at Muddy's. It's a waterpark / playground on the esplinade. There's heaps to do and loads of big shady trees. This is one of my favorite bits, it's a stream with bridges and a little gate to change the flow of water. This bit is great for leaf boats!

This is the main water bit, with heaps of jets and rain curtain coming off the roof. The jets turn on and off which sends the kids crazy.
There are loads of play stuff too so I just run from one to the other all morning. When it first opened on Saturday I had the whole place to myself.
The BBQs are just under the wavy roof thingys, so they are really close, the whole area is fenced from the road and the esplinade walking / bike track, with loads of free parking just outside the gate. This week we were joined by Rick and Brian (a new BBQ recruit) we also ran into Dave Vehlo who may join us next week as well. There was no sign or sound from Mr Taylor who remains AWOL to this very minute.
This was my first go on a flying fox, I loved it sooo much I didn't want anyone else to have a turn and screamed the place down with delight everytime I hit the end.
These are my two new little birdies, they are zebra finches and I have called them 'Tweety' and 'Furry' (for those Monty Python fans - they are the birds who say 'Ni' - we are the keepers of the sacred birds)
I have started having showers now and mummy has made me some special soap. I even try to wash my own hair which is such a relief because I have to be held down in the bath to have my hair washed and my screams can be heard down the end of the street.
Daddy was very very brave on Saturday morning, this spider was heading for the bird cage. It was so big that daddy had to jiggle the bug catcher to fit it all in. That is a large moccona coffe jar that it's 'resting' in and that's a 50c piece we are comparing it with. It's not very well now. Ewww!
On Wednesday night we had Rick, Mark, and Dave Rennie over for dinner, however we all ate too much as usual but everyone seemed to enjoy the evening. On Friday night, mummy's team put up a fantastic but unsucessfull fight for a spot in the AFL grand final next week. Mummy's friend has almost guaranteed tickets and had promised to fly mummy down if Collingwood got a spot - bugger! Oh well, there's always next year. We are being inundated with tomatoes and are waiting for a scrummy sauce recipe from Frank's mum so we can cook em all up. Mummy's neck is almost better finally. Daddy is doing well and keeping busy at work. It is really getting warm here now, and we have been in the pool twice this weekend, it's a bit chilly but it won't be long now before it's like a bath. I am really doing well at day care and there are no tears when mummy leaves now which is such a relief. The girls are fantastic with me and have really made me feel comfortable and safe. I am answering the phone at home now so if you ring, don't be surprised if I answer and start chattering away to you. I even left a message on big ears answering machine.
Well that's about it I think, I hope your world is fab and that you are all happy and well. Love and hugs - Kylin. xoxoxo

Water Works

Hello again everyone, we have lotsa photos again for you so here we go. This is me at the pirate ship last week, I was having a D & M with Rick, but made time for a quick pose.

Once we got home, I then helped daddy wash the car, I have an obsession with hoses at the moment.

I woke up the next day with a very bad limp. we then all spent 3 hours in casualty until someone saw us (there are no drs surgeries open on a sunday here) I had a torus fracture in my ankle, which was explained as a "fold" in my bone. So really, it wasn't a fracture as such but I did damage a bone which laid me up for a short while.
Mummy found this ace bubble machine for $15 at woolworths (safeway for the southern states) it is absolutely fantastic, and just fills the room with bubbles. The water isn't really that color, I have red and yellow food color in the water (we have colored baths in our house)
Mummy read somewhere that putting smiley faces on my hands when I go to day care can help me remember that mummy is coming back to get me, this has helped a lot and so mummy made a special smiley face t-shirt for day care too.
Our friends Louis, Shinobu and Aya came to our breakky BBQ last Saturday. Shinobu used to work at the hotel where mummy worked and Lois is the next in charge after the head chef in the kitchens so having a Saturday off was a huge bonus for him. Apparently he can look after his own breakfast. Damian's friends Dave Rennie and Andy Hamilton came along as well and seemed to enjoy the experience.
We are having Mark, Rick and Dave over for dinner on Wednesday night. This is Aya. Lois and Shinobu's daughter. She is just beautiful and is getting a brand new baby brother for xmas. This is Louis's 2nd job, as a horsey. He has the best knees in the business. He also had Kylin on the back just before I took this photo.
I found a tree that I could climb all by myself, I do so have my mummys genes 'cause I gravitate up any tree that looks remotely climbable.Today we went to Muddy's. a water park along the esplinade. We met Rick, Erin and Ryan there. I had the best time and daddy has suggested we come here every sunday. We ran into one of mummy's ex work mates Justin who was there with his daughter. Unfortunately, we had to just say a quick hello and go cause I was wayyyyy past my bed time and chucking a spaz.
I loved it, despite my shying away and squeeling
After a while I got really hungry so I ate most of mummy's sandwhich and a bucket of fruit.
Then we all got into dry clothes and I had a big turn on the swings.
So that's what we've been up to, plus mummy's team are another week closer too the AFL grand final - yayyy. sending you all love and squishes until next time. xoxoo

It's becoming " all the same" again

Just for Big ears

Hey everyone, things have been hectic but getting back to normal slowly. We have tons of photos for you so lets get into it: This was taken on our way home from Brisbane. was looking at the view in the next pic and turned around to see the full moon in our tree, so snapped that as well.
You might have to click and enlarge some of these photos - there is a blanket of mist at the base of the hills, it was a gorgeous sunrise. I did a memorial garden for Damian's dad, it's a little corner with a special chair so Damian can go and have a beer and have some quiet time with his dad's memory. There is a picture of Denis on the fence and a bronze plaque has since been added underneath. There is a bird feeder on the fence and I planted some paw paw seeds in the pots by the shed as Denis loved these also. My friends Damian, Di and their kids came back from the Cape and spent a week in Cairns, so we got to catch up with them quite a bit during their visit which was just lovely. They have headed back down south now but it was fab to have them with us for a little while. Here Kylin has all but eaten Scotts punnett of tomatoes of which Scott salvaged - none! This is just a funny kid thing - Kylin loves this sign and tells me all about what's happening in the pictures - no grown up drink, he doesn't understand the cigarette one, then the black man does this and the black man does that, then you put on your big boy pants, hold mummys hand and walk the puppies. hahahahaha (you will have to click on the photo to enlarge it and see the detail) Craft morning, after making shaving cream pictures, we did pasting - he just loved all the dab dab dabbing with the paste brush. Daddy, Scott and Boo. Scott has sailed for about 3 months so we had him over for dinner before he left. He is so good with Kylin, he reads in silly voices, plays games and generally just gets kidnapped when he comes here. He doesn't seem to mind though. Kylin looooovvveeesss tomatoes, he will sit on Marisol's "wobbily chair" and if I let him go, will eat 4 or 5 tomatoes before I stop him. Which is why we started to grow our own, they got "blossom end rot" which somehow seems to have cleared up when I chopped all the leaves of the plants?? anyhow, they are going quite well now.......... As are our herbs, we now have basil, flat leaf parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, and corriander. We have that much in fact that we are now supplying the local butcher with herbs for their sausages, rissoles and other yummy stuff. On fathers day, Damian and Kylin went out flying the kite, (you might have to click on these ones as well) with daddy's help, Kylin managed to run and get the kite in the air quite a bit. the kite has a hawk like design on it, and there were two hawks circling above us and came down quite close while the boys were playing with the kite.We were invited out to lunch at the hilton by Auntie Marie, who is the Auntie of our dear friend Sooz. We hadn't seen her for ages and it was so lovely to catch up with her. She had some of her friends there as well and although it was quite breezy down by the water, it was a perfect day with fantastic company. Today we had our end of season bowling lunch, and I got ANOTHER trophy!!! yayyyy Damian came to lunch with us and Kylin was very well behaved despite having to sit for a very long time. This is my team mate Karyn who is a complete ratbag although she looks relatively normal. :) Bowling wouldn't be half as much fun without her. So that 's it for the news, we hope you are all happy and well. It is 175 days until Big ears gets here - yayyyy - snot face is very excited. Look forward to hearing from you all. Love and hugs -Karen, Damian and Fluff magnet xoxoxo.