Well, it's been a very busy week doing not a great deal, excepting the weekend! Crack and I continue to venture out by ferry, shopping, hitting the playground and exploring the city before heading home for nap and swim. Pie (hubby) has been working hard catching up on time lost in Singapore and through jet lag!
On the really hot days, we've waited until the afternoon breezes arrive before venturing out, because 32 degrees is a bit too hot to be pushing prams uphill, or running round playgrounds, even if they are in the shade!
Visiting a playground is a daily occurrence now. Crack amazes me with his confidence and co-ordination. Not only are stairs no longer a problem, this morning he climbed a 4 rung ladder to get to a slide! Of course, as I am paranoid, I was ready to catch him, but he did really well.
The same is true of his swimming - not long ago he didn't want to stand up and jump in. Now that is all he wants to do, but he doesn't just step off the side, he bends his knees, gets ready and then jumps up in the air and in. Sometimes he plummets straight down and sometimes he manages a textbook bellyflop! Either way, he's like a different kid to a couple of weeks ago....perhaps it is swimming everyday that does it?!
This photo is zoomed in on the top of Story Bridge, high above our nearest playground. Those nutters are doing a bridge climb! Good job Crack's too small, or I know someone who would try to persuade me it would be great fun - looks dangerous and very scary to me!
Crack has taken lots of opportunities to help out around the house, from hanging out the laundry, to unloading the dishwasher, to helping sweep the balcony (dont worry there is glass behind him, not just an 11th floor drop!) or assisting Daddy with his work!
We've started potty training with a pretty impressive opening streak (and, no, that isn't a euphemism!). The smarties are definitely helping, as is good timing! After morning bottle and after his nap seem to be the best times, and it certainly has been worthwhile buying a more comfortable potty - success is vastly increased when you can persuade him to sit on it! Crack has been attached to this potty from the beginning - he cried when I took it from him for the cashier to ring up, and he carried it on his lap for 1.5km and a ferry ride!
We also bought Pie a present as he's been having withdrawal symptoms from his collection of hot chilli sauces at home.....I suspect these wont be hot enough for him, but at least he's got a few to try!
Lovely walk home through the city botanic gardens alongside the river.
Friday night we ate early and took the ferry down to the South Bank to catch the last of Brisbane Festival's Laser Light Shows. They were running late due to technical difficulties and I think we weren't quite in the right spot for the best view but here are a few pics, including a v tired Crack in his pjs and hoody!
Found a couple of links on YouTube that do it more justice! Best if you can listen with sound:
Saturday we woke up to rain! An unexpected and rather damp surprise on the day of "Riverfire", the spectacular firework display that closes the Brisbane Festival! Luckily, it was forecast to clear later on and as we were up early, we took the ferry to the South Bank for breakfast. A short (pretend) car ride and a trip to the playground later we headed home as Crack was tired from the previous evenings adventure and needed an early nap!
We thought it was slightly sinister to have a Candyman car, but heh it was outside a sweet shop and Crack certainly won't have nightmares!
That evening, as promised, the weather cleared and we headed to the roof, 24 floors up, with some of the other residents from our vertical village - Riverfire time! It was a long and brilliant display with fireworks going off from barges moored all along the Brisbane River, the roofs of skyscrapers and from Story Bridge - a panoramic display! A few photos below, the first few just showing the night view from the roof and then a few with the fireworks going off.
Anyway, once again, these pics don't do it justice. If you want to see a better representation, watch this:
Which gives just a few highlights, and it only shows Story Bridge, not the whole river, but it does give you a bit of context!
Or have a look at this one - short but high on impact.
I don't even want to think how much the fireworks must have cost! It went on for about 20 minutes. Quite a spectacle and something, with our amazing vantage point, that I'll never forget! Not sure about Crack though, after he first couple of minutes he wanted to get down and walk up and down the stairs (we didn't let him cos we didn't want to miss out!), until the last big finale, when he started shouting "more more!".
Sunday was sunny again, so we headed out to the D'Aguilar Range NW of the city. At the Visitors Centre they had a wonderful collection of native wildlife, Crack loved it and we spent a couple hours watching birds in the walk thru aviary, wombats and wallabies sleeping it off and one manic little platypus(who wouldn't stay still enough for a photo!) After lunch at the cafe, we took the Tourist Scenic Drive through the range which is beautiful - dry eucalypt forest on one side and wet sub-tropical rainforest on the other!
Tawny frogmouth
Bush Stone-Curlews
Common brown wombat, sadly not so common anymore.
Today was much cooler, peaking at about 26 degrees, so whilst Pie struggled with email programme meltdown, Crack and I walked across town to the Roma St Parklands. We went because the guidebook said it had a great playground: they forgot to mention the road train, fountains and fabulous gardens! Both Crack and I were very happy!
Count the Eastern Water Dragons in this picture! I reckon I can see at least 6 but it was closer 10 in real life....perhaps they like the gardening/rotivating action as it disturbs insect prey!?
On the way home we accidentally passed Queensland's oldest surviving building, a windmill (minus sails) built in 1828 to process the crops being grown to feed the prisoners of the Moreton Bay penal colony (that's just for you Becky ;-)
Oh, and we also passed this......a bit bizarre....
Sorry this has been such a mammoth update, we took the night pics on the camera hoping they'd come out better than on the phone, but then it means downloading to Pie's laptop, uploading to photobucket and finally downloading to iPad before I can stick them in the blog! Must try to do this mor regularly....should become easier as routine develops........ and less happens!
In other news, looking forward to catching up with Tom and Ali, whom we used to live with in St Andrews, and meeting their two boys this weekend. Also booked our flights for visit to west coast, look out Jon, Jen and family, let's hope Perth is ready for us!
