Gaskell Family Escapades

Well, here we are at the end of another year, and what a year it has been!  I'm about to try to put together a list of our achievements (in no particular order) for the year - my apologies if I leave something out.

 

Well, quite a few months have gone since last I blogged.  Some highlights:

 

Susan's first weekend away from Caitlin - I went to the Gold Coast for a seminar in early September.  The seminar was so-so but what a novelty to wake naturally in the mornings!  My sister Fiona looked after Caitlin because Tony was on a "boys weekend away" on Straddie.  (Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay)  They all took fishing rods, but luckily they all took steak as well.

 

The last week in September was Girls Brigade Leadership Course which I help run each year.  We had 23 young women in "my bit" this year - the biggest group we've ever had.  They were a fantastic group of girls and we (Caitlin and I) had a wonderful time.  Caitlin really enjoyed the company and attention and wore herself out each day climbing up and down hills.  She really is quite the explorer.  Can't imagine where she gets that from!

 

A week after Leadership course, we were visited by Nev, Naomi and Hamish for a week.  Caitlin continued to revel in the extra attention and we enjoyed the company too.  They left just in time, because the following week heralded our first (and undoubtably not our last) bout of Gastro.  Apparently it has been "going around" and the week we had it the childrens hospital had 80 children admitted with complications from the same bug.  Happily, we managed to keep well hydrated and out of hospital, but that didn't make it any more pleasant.  I found it hard to believe that such a little girl could have so much in her stomach, but the fact that I was wearing it made it hard to argue with the facts.  It took close to a week for us all to shake it, but I'm pleased to report that we are all in full health once again.

Life is moving along pretty comfortably.  I'm working Mon, Wed and Fri every week now.  Only 2 days off in a row is taking a bit of getting used to, but at least Caitlin is sleeping through really regularly now.  On Friday I even managed to wake naturally - no alarm, no crying baby - niiiice!

 

Wednesday was a public holiday this week, so at Tony's insistence I joined a bunch of our rock-climbing friends for a little jaunt up Mt Tibrogargan.  For those of you who know the Sunshine Coast, that's the mountain that looks like a gorilla.  I thought there was a track up the back of the mountain that we'd be using, because the front (ie the eastern face, that you can see from the motorway) looks almost vertical.  Well, we did use the track on the western side, but that was to come down, and instead of a whole lot of switchbacks like I was expecting, it was a scramble down a 45 degree slope, that doesn't sound too bad until you look down and it just keeps on going and going and going.  And as for going up - remember the almost vertical eastern face?  Yep, that's the way we went.  For most of the way we didn't use ropes - sort of didn't really need them because it wasn't really difficult climbing, but I've climbed once - that's 1 time - since before I was pregnant.  I'm not exactly in peak climbing condition, and all I could think was "don't look down - if I fall I want the view to be a surprise".  I'm glad I can say I've done it, but I have no intention of ever doing it again.  It will take a few weeks for the bruises on my knees to fade, until then I'll be wearing long pants in public.

 

 

Hello everyone,

There's just so much to tell you I hardly know where to start!  Mummy and Daddy keep going on about all the new things I'm doing.  I can eat all by myself pretty well now.  The spoon is still a bit fiddily, but so long as the food doesn't fall off on the way to my mouth I manage pretty well.  The key is to mix the peas into the mashed spud. 

 

Mum gets really exited when I say "umMEE".  I think she thinks I'm saying her name, but really, it usually is the quickest way I know to get her attention so I get fed.

 

Daddy loves to watch me walk backwards.  I've been working hard on this skill, and just today I've perfected a variation - I can walk sideways too!  The best fun is when Dad swings me way up high in the swing Uncle David and Auntie Heather gave me for Christmas.

 

Speaking of Dad, he took me to see a whole lot of animals at day care last week.  There was one really big sheep - must have been embarrassed about the size of its bottom, because we never did get a photo of its face.  There was a little sheep that was much less camera shy - come to think of it, it had a little bottom.

 

Mummy says I must be having a growth spurt.  I'm hungry all the time, and they never seem to put enough food in my plate - I end up having to eat half of someone elses meal to fill me up.  My ankles are getting cold because half of my trousers don't stretch far enough, and I seem to have to sleep a lot more.  My Auntie Kate reckons kids only grow when they're sleeping.  I guess they don'y have to work so hard against gravity when they're lying down.

 

I've left my most favouritest thing until last.  My sandals.  I have a pair of brown sandals.  They make the most wonderful klump klump noise when I walk on the floorboards.  I can even get my feet into them all on my own.  I just have to remember to take off the shoes I'm already wearing first.  I put them on and stomp on the spot sometimes, just to enjoy the noise.  I don't understand why I can't wear them in the bath though.  I've tried to tell Mummy a few times now that they'd sound great in the bathtub, but she insists they come off.  Spoilsport!

I forgot to tell you about our new car!  It's another Alfa Romeo, and has been quite a labour of love.  It arrived in pieces and Tony spent many many hours sanding, hand painting and reassembling.  The only disappointment is that it's only 3 inches long!  I think you'll agree that it looks terrific, and the detail is quite remarkable - not to mention frustratingly fiddly to apply.