January's Journal

Jason, Jacob & Bella at The Thomas Expo

Well who can believe that January has been and gone and 2011 is truly underway?  So here is a brief outline of what the Taylors got up to in the first month of the year.

The year got off to a very quiet start for us all this year.  With the lack of babysitting volunteers available on New Year’s Eve, it can be difficult for parents with young kids to celebrate (or be bothered to celebrate) New Year.  Jason usually always heads out somewhere but for some reason this year he decided to stay home.  We were supposed to have a few people come round for a mini party but with a few hours to go we decided that we just couldn’t face it this year and were too exhausted to bother, so we were very unkind friends and pulled the pin but like the true friends they are they appreciated our reasons.  Jason and I ended up tucked in bed and asleep by 9pm.

So we were a little boring but it was nice to wake up on New Year’s Day to a Non-hungover Jason.  New Years Day was pretty quiet and relaxed too.  We visited Jason’s dad (Rob) and then had Jason’s mum (Lib) around for a roast dinner.  That turned out rather amusing when we got her to read Jacob’s Scottish story book to him, it was so funny but we were all laughing with her and not at her.

A few days later and it was time for Jason to return to work but we did have a great festive holiday and it’s always nice to have Jason home in the day.

Happy Birthday Jacob

On the 9^th we celebrated Jacob’s Birthday which I won’t go into too much detail about here as I already have a whole Blog post dedicated to it.  We paid a visit to Southbank in the rain and had a picnic, who could foretell that this would be our last visit to Southbank for a while as a few days later the area would be underwater along with a rather large percentage of Queensland.

It’s impossible to recap the month without mentioning the floods although I won’t harp on about it, as we have all seen the news reports and know the devastation that it caused.  I am thankful on a personal note that nobody we are related to or know was directly affected by the floods although clearly there is a knock on impact for all of us.  Below I have cut and pasted a few facts from Wikipedia regarding the Economic impact of the floods on Queenslanders.

·    Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser said it was not possible to put a figure on the damage; "other than to say the damage bill is going to start with a b and not an m".

·    The floods will cost the Australian economy at least A$10 billion.

·    The price of food across Australia will go up.  The floods will cost supermarket chains 10's of millions of dollars.

·    The persistent wet conditions also caused health problems for livestock. There was severe damage to roadways in forestry plantations across wide areas of the south of the state.

·    Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that her government would impose a flood levy to fund reconstruction works.

On a positive note the floods  brought some amazing community spirit to our lives with more than 55,000 volunteers registered to help clean up the streets of Brisbane.

Jacob & The Fat Controller

So what else did January bring for the Taylors?

There was Australia Day which was just a fantastic family day for us.  We started bright and early and were out the house by 7am.  We headed to Manly’s Bandstand Park for a morning of free entertainment.  Sausage sizzle and pancakes for breakfast.  Face painting and rides for the kids.  Live music for the kids to dance along to.  Pony rides, which were Jacob’s favorite part of the day.  Snow cones for the whole family and a colouring in competition for Jacob to enter, which he didn’t win but had a very good attempt at.

After a few hours here we headed to Lib’s to say hello and then to the hospital to see Rob, who was a little tickled to see the kids with their Australia Day tattoo’s and dress up.  Then it was home to cool off on the deck with the kids water spray on their cubby house and a few much needed beers and bourbons for Jason and me.  It was truly a fabulous day.

We ended the month with a visit to Ipswich to see the Thomas the Tank Engine Workshops at the Railway Museum.  The kids really enjoyed the afternoon, especially the play pit were there was a mountain of Thomas toys to play with.

So that was pretty much everything the Taylors did in January that is worth mentioning.  Apart from Jason, who FINALLY managed to get a few 20/20 cricket matches in this Summer.  Below is a brief individual note on each of the kids.

Australia Day Jacob

Jacob

Well as you know Jacob turned 4 this month and said “Goodbye” to his senior kindy class and “Hello” to Preschool.  This has excited him so much and he has been asking to go to kindy EVERY DAY since. 

He was a very brave boy when he went to get the final 2 vaccinations he needs until he starts High School.  I thought there may be a few tears but Jason informed me that he couldn’t stop talking to the nurse for long enough to cry.  He was too busy telling her about preschool and the new kids in his class.

Jacob’s favorite pastime at the moment is playing his Lego in particular his Police Lego.

He weighs 19.4k and stands 104cm tall.

Australia Day Bella

Bella

This month saw Bella learn how to climb on to our dining table. Seriously that girl is a handful and NEVER gives us a minute but she is adorable with it.

FINALLY we saw another tooth this month it has been a LONG time since the last one and she now has 7 with only 13 more to go.

Her favorite pastime at the moment is eating.

She weighs 10.5k and stands 72.5cm tall.

Louise's Rant #3

Last week I lost a Facebook friend, oh they didn’t die or anything serious like that they just unfriended (or is it defriended) me.  My rant this week is not about being unfriended, clearly there is no drama there.  I myself have unfriended a few people over my Facebook years, for various reasons.  My annoyance is that Facebook doesn’t send you a notification telling you that you have been unfriended by “so and so”.

I went from 91 friends to 90 Facebook friends and for the life of me I CAN’T figure out whom it is that I am not friends with anymore and that REALLY REALLY annoys me.  It’s not the first time Ihave been defriended and I have set up a little process in my head to figure out who it is that has deserted me.

Firstly I make sure it’s not hubby and that I am still listed as married, well you never know what I may have done to upset Jason, check.  Then I do the 7/8 people that I converse with on Facebook regularly with, check.  Then the dozen or so family members, check. Next I do the 4 Facebook friends I have never actually met in person, check.  Then I do primary/secondary school friends, check.  Ex-colleagues, check.  Finally I do “others”, check.

So last week I went through the process several times and still I could not figure out who it was that decided that the no longer wished to be friends with me.  Okay so if I can’t even fathom out who it is then I suppose it’s no BIG loss to my life and really it’s just my curiosity getting the better of me but if I knew who it was who unfriended me I could make an assessment as to why.

So to conclude this rant I think it would be a fabulous idea if Facebook sent out notifications to inform you that you have been unfriended by ______________ for the following reason(s) ___________.  It would make life so much easier.

Every Picture Tells a Story

Ever picture is supposed to tell a story and this picture tells the story of my children.  Jacob acts silly; Bella watches him intently with admiration in her eyes and inspires to be just like him when she grows up.  I have so many photos of Bella gazing at Jacob, taking in his every move but this is one of my favorites.

Decision Made - Dual Citizenship for Louise and the Kids

So it’s something I have often thought about since Jacob was born.  Should I become an Australian Citizen?  Most people probably don’t see it as a significant decision to reach but our citizenship is part of who we are and where we have come from.  If we are honest we are all a little patriotic and feel a certain pride in our nationality, so ask yourself, is your citizenship something you would really want to relinquish?

For me the answer was quite simply “No”.  I may no longer choose to live in Scotland due to the path circumstances have lead me along in life but I am Scottish (Okay so OFFICALLY I am British) and I love being Scottish.  My heart just wouldn’t allow me to forfeit that.

However, I plan to spend the rest of my life here in Australia and my children are Australian Citizens so I believe that it is only right I should have the privileges of a person who was born here.  I already live by Australian values, so it’s not like anything really changes but I will be able to be part of decision making processes that have an impact on my family’s life.

So I want to play an equal role in the community I live but I don’t want to give up my Scottish passport.  Therefore I am going to have my cake and eat it.  I am going to apply for Dual Citizenship, the best of both worlds.  I will still be able to travel freely around Europe on my British passport but will enter Australia on my Australian passport (this will make it so much easier for our family when returning to the country from overseas trips, I will be able to stay with Jason and the kids unlike the last time when we had to split up on re-entry). I will also have all the rights and responsibilities of every other Australian.

The Immigration Department likes to believe that it is the step you make to be able to say “I am Australian”.  Well in all honesty I don’t think I will ever class myself as Australian but  I think I will be making a statement that I love and respect this country and am living my life by its values and beliefs.

So that’s me sorted but what about the kids?  I have decided that I am going to organize Dual Citizenship for them too.  If they decide to go travelling around Europe when they get older then everything will be in place for them to make it easier.  They won’t need to worry about Visa’s or work permits or arranging their own dual citizenship it will all be there for them ready to go.  And at the end of the day, they are 50% Scottish (SORRY British) and I want that to be something they celebrate.

So I will be getting the ball rolling in a few weeks and the process takes around 3-6 months so who is coming to my citizenship ceremony to see me take my “Pledge of Commitment” and of course the party and drinks afterwards?

Louise's Rant #2

Well I have been spoilt for choice this week on irritations that I could rant about, must be my “time of the month” as it seems the smallest of things have annoyed me.  Never mind I will store them all up for future rants and stick to the one topic this week that has REALLY irritated me and that is door knockers.  No not the ones that are attached to doors that people knock so you know they are there but the people who walk around knocking on your door to talk to you about something or another.

There appears to be 3 types of door knockers.  There is the RELIGIOUS NUT who wants to either brainwash you into believing in their “religion” or get money from you to support their “religion”.  Then there is the kind hearted CHARITY WORKERS who want you to support their cause by donating some money.  Finally there are the SELLERS who quite simply want to sell you their product.  Almost on a weekly basis I experience a visit from at least one of the fore mentioned door knocker.  I want to share a few of these experiences with you.

The Religious Nut

I recall the time I received a knock on the door from the religious nuts.  There they were standing together (as we all know they always work in pairs never alone, this may be for protection reasons as I for one have often wanted to give them a slap) wearing their smart suits with their neatly groomed hair.  So before they have a chance to get a word out I not so politely say “No thank you”.  The female replies “but you don’t know what we wish to speak to you about”.  Well now she has my back up and has presented me with the chance to get stuck in.

“Hang on a minute, you are standing with your friend on my door step with your smart suit and lovely groomed hair.  There is another 5 pairs of walking up the street knocking on people’s doors.  Yes I know EXACTLY what you want to speak to me about but guess what I don’t care for anything you have to say.  I don’t knock on your door spouting my religious beliefs so DON’T come knocking on mine.  So take your friend and your propaganda pamphlets and leave me alone.  Goodbye”

I really wonder why the religious nut wastes their time and other peoples time door knocking.  I can’t truly believe they have ever converted anyone.

The Charity Worker

You can’t really be irritated by the charity worker as they are generally good hearted people trying to do their little bit to make the world a better place.  However I want to make a few points.

1.      I hate their choice of wording.  They ask you “If you would like to help by making a donation.”  If you say “No” you look like a truly heartless bitch.  When what you really mean is “Yes I would love to help but I am not really in a position to donate money to every single charity that is around as wonderful as most of them are, so no unfortunately I won’t be making a donation today."

2.      Just because they have an identification card around their neck with their picture on it does not prove to me that they are legit and work for a registered charity, anyone can make these up on their home PC.

I would like to point out that Jason and I do donate to 2 charities on a regular basis.  They are charities that we feel passionate about and have chosen to support.

The Seller

I have endless stories I could tell about The Seller door knocker but as I am getting a little bored now I am going to restrict myself to one.

When we stayed at our old house in Carina we would get monthly door knocks from Aussie Dairy Farmers.  They are basically a home delivery service that delivers fresh bread, milk, fruit and veggies.  Every month a little Irish girl wearing an Aussie Dairy Farmers polo shirt would knock on the door asking if we wanted to sign up for their service and every month I would tell her “No”.  I actually quite liked her so I always refrained from being bitchy and I would let her get her little spiel out.  However after 7 or 8 months of this going on enough was enough.  So as I see her approach the top step I simply yell out the door “No thank you” and back came the typical door knockers reply of “But you don’t know what it  is that I want”.  Well of course that just set me off on one.  “You have knocked on my door every month for the last 8 months and every time you have given me the same spiel about your service and every month I have told you no thank you so yes funnily enough I know all too well what you want so kindly P**s Off.” That was the last I ever saw of The Irish Aussie Dairy farmer.

I think my next move is going to be to get a plaque made up and attached to the door that says “NO DOOR KNOCKERS PLEASE”.  If they still come knocking then my response will be to quite simply point to the plaque and ask them “Why would I want to stand and have a conversation on my door step with someone who can’t even read?”

So door knockers my message is to go away, leave me alone and knock on someone else’s door or even better “GO GET A PROPER JOB”

Louise's Rant #1

I am becoming increasingly frustrated at going out to eat at places and there being no highchairs available for Bella.  Parents out there will understand how difficult it is to get a one year old to sit at a table to eat without the aid of a highchair to restrain them.

Usually the problem can be overcome by just using the pram but Bella is part of our family and when we go out for a meal we want her to be included instead of sitting in her pram where she gets frustrated because she can’t really see us and has to be fed rather than feeding herself as there is no table for her.  Not to mention the mess it leaves behind to be cleaned off her pram.

In small privately owned eateries it can ALMOST be excused but is even more annoying at large international chains which are aimed at the family market.

Recent culprits I have come across are AMF Bowling Capalaba, Hungry Jacks in the city, Wynnum Manly Bowls Club.

Oh and another annoyance of mine is places that do provide highchairs but never seem to clean them.  My advice to parents is whilst out eating if you use a highchair, DO NOT return it to the places storage area as this is why they don’t get cleaned.  Leave it at the table then the waitresses will clean them before putting them away.

Jacob's Fourth Birthday

Jacob & Bella Eating Birthday Breakfast in the Rain at Southbank

On Sunday 7 January we celebrated Jacob’s 4 Birthday.  Hard to believe my little boy is 4 already, I guess as parents we all say this.  Time with our babies goes so very fast and this makes it all the more important to make special memories that last lifetimes.

Unfortunately the day didn’t go quite as planned due to Queensland’s unseasonal weather conditions at the moment.  So we had to do a little of Plan A (dry day) and a little of Plan B (wet day).

The day started with a lovely blue sky but by the time we opened presents and got the car packed up the ever present rain was back.  Not to be deterred by a LITTLE rain we headed off regardless to Southbank to have our early morning picnic (or picpic as Jacob calls it) and early morning swim.  By the time we got there the rain had eased and we made our way to a covered picnic bench to eat.  It was a VERY yummy but EXTREMELY unhealthy breakfast of all the things kids love.

We had no sooner finished eating when the rain came down and boy did it come down.  We waited and waited to see if there would be a break but no break came.  With the car around 1.5k away it was a mad dash to get back.  Once I had absorbed as much water as my clothes could hold I gave up on the mad dash.  Bella however was lovely and dry in her pram with her rain cover for protection.

So it was off home to dry off, the girls to have a rest and the boys to partake in some serious Lego building.  One quick nap later and it was time to switch to plan B, Ten Pin Bowling.

We had never taken Jacob Ten Pin Bowling and he was more than a little excited to be going for the first time.  We had a good laugh when the assistant asked us if all four of us would be bowling today, hmmmm not quite sure how she was expecting Bella to be able to lift a bowling ball, I wasn’t aware they made them in feather weight. 

The bowling went well and Jacob scored a very respectable 99, just one off a debut century.  I am sure he could have made the 100 if he wasn’t in so much a rush to get the bowling over with and on to the arcade games, which were by far his favorite part of the day, after which it was off home to complete the Lego building and birthday cake.

As Jacob doesn’t like cake but absolutely loves Chocolate Bavarian cheese cake we decided against wasting time making a cake that he doesn’t even eat this year and opted for the simple option of a Saralee frozen cake.  Advice to parents DO NOT give one year olds Bavarian cheese cake, it makes a terrible mess coming out the other end, ewwwwww.

And that was Jacobs 4^th Birthday.

Welcome to Our Blog

Well finally I made the time to sit my behind down at the computer and set up our “Taylor Family Blog”.  I have thought for a while now that it would be fun to write a Blog but never having been the most imaginative or creative writer I refrained from doing so.  I never excelled at English when I was at school; I was more in to History and Politics.  There was also the little factor of “What could I Blog About?”

However with my increasing boredom and I have to say little annoyance at Facebook, the number one “Social Networking” site but with a need to still keep our overseas family informed on what the kids get up to, I suddenly had a brainwave.  What better subject to write a Blog about than my own family and really how imaginative do I have to be with two young children’s stories to tell?

I admit I was turning into a Facebook Whore (I can’t take credit for that term, I stole it from someone but I just LOVE it).  Some days I would update my status ten times a day and let’s be honest most of it really was a lot of crap.  I was reaching a point in my life where I couldn’t make decisions for myself before first running it past the Facebook Community.  I would even take my mobile phone to the toilet with me on midnight visits to the little ladies room and be Facebooking whilst on the loo.  Then one day as I was scrolling down my Facebook homepage I suddenly thought “Gee people moan quite a LOT on here” (sorry people but you really do).  I then turned my attentions to my profile page and thought “Hang on a minute, GEE I REALLY MOAN A LOT on here”.

So with the New Year came my new use of Facebook.  I will now primarily be using it as a photo sharing site and to check in on some of the great groups and pages that are on there.  Of course I will still be reading and commenting on my wonderful Facebook friends activities, some of your posts really have me in stitches some days and keep me sane whilst home with these two crazy, awesome children of mine.  My own activity and posts will be somewhat reduced.

So if you are reading this, then welcome to our Blog.  My intentions are to write a few posts a month informing my family or anyone else who may be interested, on what the kids have been up to, how they are progressing and any plans we may have.  I am also thinking of writing “Louise’s Weekly Rant”.  My Facebook friends have probably noticed that I like to have a moan at things now and again.  Usually these rants are in jest and just to amuse myself more than anything but now and again they have some substance (or then again maybe they don’t).

Bear with me as I find my way around the site and change my mind on layout 100 times.  And all that remains is a volunteer to teach my mother how to use the site.  Come on now, don’t all rush at once.