schuyler daycare

This is the first of no doubt many instances where Charlie gets unwillingly roped into playing a role for Schuyler in her games. This game appears to be "Day Care" where Alexandra (the doll) and Charlie are Schuyler's charges. You'll note that, although they both get a blanket, Charlie's hanging toys (shown in the middle photo) get quickly stripped (he's not allowed TOO much fun). This kind of sums up their relationship at the moment: She loves playing with him and cooing over him and imitating the way we babble to him but she likes to put him in his place and let him know who (currently) rules the roost. Don't worry, Charlie, when you are six foot four and she is a mere six three, she won't mess with you anymore. In the meantime, good luck kid and keep that tolerant, easy-going attitude - it'll serve you well with a big sister like this.

snack size and bite size

dancing on the ceiling

Charlie gets his groove on in this Lionel Richie classic

feeding time

We all want to be loved. We all want to feel included. We all want to feel special. Accordingly, Schuyler wants to feed her baby when Mama is feeding hers; wear a diaper because her brother has to wear one; eat the food we are eating; and basically do what we do... except when it comes to, say, flossing.

These are difficult times for all of us but rewarding.... not rewarding in the same way that, say, chocolate cake is rewarding.... more like rewarding like a hard workout and a big salad. You didn't enjoy some parts of the experience but the overall reward is huge and earned. We love you guys.

seating

Charlie test drives the Big Seat... with moderate success.

Schuyler test drives the Bigger Seat.

Here we see a rare moment of calm and tranquil companionship in the car. Normally, there is a very strong effort to keep Charlie from getting more than a minute's sleep.

fresh...from the freezer

The Dairy is open once again and Mama Cow is back on the machine when she doesn't have her cub attached. We have, once again, bought another (small) freezer to store the burgeoning supply. Charlie, I hope when you are fourteen and testing boundaries and arguing with your Mum, we can bring up all the hours she has spent ensuring you have the very best nutrients nature can provide. If appropriate, I shall also bring up the hours I have spent washing and sterilising the equipment after use.

sharks

Lucy has been teaching Trystan and Schuyler about the sea. To this end, they have made an underwater scene at T's house complete with full sized cut outs of themselves wearing masks pretending to be underwater. This theme carried through to the culinary classes where cupcakes became shark cakes. Yum. Although by the end of the meal it looked like Schuyler had feasted on a village of Smurfs.

magic & charlie

What colour are these eyes going to turn, Charlie!?

sunday stroll

You can barely make them out in this photo but Schuyler and her mum are actually trying to see some ducks. Unfortunately, the ducks aren't as keen - especially with a ferocious dog barking at them. Strangely the ducks terrified our little cub who jumped into her mother's arms shouting "Keep me safe!".

We all headed out for a walk at Ferry Point Park but were cut off by a squall. So we turned the car around and headed to the botanical gardens where the squall found us again. So a short walk covered in blowing rain at the end.

saturday snapshots

Just a glimpse of some typical Saturday moments in our house. Looks nice and peaceful doesn't it? Well...its much harder to wield a camera when you're battling a tantruming toddler or rescuing the infant from a dangerous sibling. It might be good training for a career in war zone photo journalism though.

storytime

gardening

Our neighbours being the wonderful people they are (having already lent us everything from eggs to a bike pump to a hack saw without any probing questions), offered us carrots from their garden. This meant that Schuyler got to wake up an pluck her breakfast from the ground, clean it and eat it all before 8am. I wish the idea of vegetables in the morning made me as happy as it made her. Still, a great memory... maybe Schuyler will grow up thinking it's normal to have fresh vegetables from a garden. Scary to think how rare that kind of thinking will be then.

chatty charlie

This first video features Charlie chatting a bit while his Mom tries to stop his sister from causing bodily harm through "affection"



Charlie is really chatting us up these days. Mostly vowel noises but he is trying his best to get out a consonant. We attempted to capture some of his cute little cooing on video...Schuyler quickly became involved and the whole session turned into something very different. Watch the beginning of the second video carefully...!!

our 3rd bedroom...

Once upon a time, we had a third bedroom. Sure it was an office and sleeping in it made you feel a bit like you were guarding a nuclear silo but still it was somewhere we could put you all when you came to stay. Now, "Charlie's room" is interchangeable our beloved office meaning that the only time we can meaningfully spend any time working on our computers is daytime on the weekends. It's been an adjustment. Now more than ever we want you all to come and visit and yet we can only offer a surprisingly comfy sofa. We have to figure something out. Also, Schuyler YouTube fetish took a turn for the worse with her discovery of the "We will rock you" version by the tough girl triumvirate of Pink, Beyonce, and Britney.

pigtails

I know I will say this for the rest of her life but I can't believe how grown up my little girl is sometimes. As she put it, she was so recently a "little tiny baby actually". She's so often like a teenager these days: she talks back, deliberately challenges almost every parental wish, and doesn't like to be awakened in the morning. I already think of her wedding and the toast i'll give to her and some guy who will never be worthy of my little girl. Schuyler is a strong-willed little person who definitely knows what she wants. Her favourite colour appears to be purple. She's really loving Where The Wild Things Are which both she and her Dad discovered for the first time ("I like this book, Daddy. Yes, I really do."). She really digs yoghurt. And green beans. Sometimes together. Any interesting shaped bread attracts her (eg. hot dog buns). She'll eat spoonfuls of olive tapenade on its own. She takes care of her dolls Dee Dee and Alexandra. She builds forts and loves playing hide and seek.

tummy time for two

Schuyler shows her little brother how it's done in a Tummy Time face off... apparently they have found something they both love: their reflections.