Party for Rosie

Today we celebrated Rosie's 4th birthday. She turns 4 on Monday so 10 of her buddies, 9 of their siblings, and 7 extra parents squeezed into our back yard for a PARTY. (We're very thankful it was fine so we didn't have to squeeze 29 people inside). We played musical statues, hit the decks, pass the parcel, and pin the tail on the donkey. And no one cried! At least, not for very long. One of the highlights for Rosie (apart from friends) was the Barbie doll cake, which took me a good few hours work so her delight was a just reward. Amazing what motherhood can prompt you to! It's lovely to see how far God has taken us as a family in 18 months - the great crowd of friends and neighbours he has blessed us with, despite leaving home and family in Brisbane. It's still hard to be away from them of course - I particularly missed both our mums in the lead-up to the party, (they would have been asking what they could do to help!). But we're thanking God for friends, for (comparatively) healthy kids, and for being our provider in all things.

What I love about the little man

I've been inspired by Naomi at Seven Cherubs to record feelings and thoughts about my own two cherubs. Sam's turn tonight. It's been challenging to see either of them as cherubs lately! For two weeks one year old Sam has had big sad eyes, with teething, then a vomiting bug, followed by an alarming rash (Monday night; Birmingham riots - ambulance ride to Children's Hospital - we're thanking God it ended with the all clear). He makes me laugh with his crawling - stopping every now and then to rest his little head on his arms in a little nap on the floor, and then taking off again so seriously. When he's held he wriggles and squirms and jiggles to get down, only to break into angry wails at being put on the floor! We do get lovely head-on-the-shoulder cuddles however, and his wee Bob the Builder jumper from Great Grandma in New Zealand makes me chuckle. When Sam grins, with just the first 8 teeth out, he looks like a cheeky little monkey and you can't help but smile with him. He says hello by pointing at you; that's the sign for 'tickle dingers' (fingers) too, and he gets a huge kick when we pretend to be tickled by him. My loveliest moments with Sam lately have been reading 'Guks'. We sit together in the rocking chair at bedtime and devour baby books - Sandra Boynton's 'Moo Baa La La La' is currently a big favourite. He turns the pages, sometimes impatiently, but always wants more. When it's time to sleep he reaches out for his snuggle blanket (which my mother-in-law bespoke when his daddy was still a teenager!), and cuddles it as he falls asleep. I love his smile, his cuddles, his strength and determination. And I'm looking forward to watching his world expand exponentially as he gets more and more confidant on his feet. Ooh, and I love his huge mud-puddle eyes ... even when they're sad.

Jolly well and truly there

There, and some. It's been 9 weeks or so since we arrived, to the accompaniment of lashings of lovely white snow, skidding vehicles and Brits, Brits everywhere. I must confess to some surprise, despite being forewarned of the 'peculiarity' of the Brum accent (to put it politely). If I find myself saying, sometime in the future, "Oi doin't thoink yoye can have a loylly nowe", please remind me to shoot myself in the foit. Today there is a vast blue sky and hot English sun (who would have guessed it existed?). No sign of the foreboding cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that has effectively stopped many European travellers, Brits among them, in their homeward or holidaying tracks. The woe has not spread to Moseley, Birmingham, as far as I can see. No, the check-out fellow at Somerfields still launches my groceries across the till (as I mutter Aussie-toned curses under my breath at having to pack my own shopping) as if Paris, Rome and London were not at a newsworthy standstill. Life goes on. Oh, and Happy Birthday mum.

To Birmingham, then!

Not being sure where to start the Fawssett journey, I thought the official 'day' was as good as any! This is also key because we love coffee. We hope there will be lots of good coffee in Birmingham, where, God willing, we're moving in almost exactly 6 months time. Mid-Feb '10 is the plan ... and off we will go, into the gray, rainy yonder. Prior to that, we're hoping to catch up with all of you, pack, find tenants for the house, find someone to love Bessie our anxious staffy, loose about erm, several kilos each (so we're not referred to as "You know, those fat Australians!), and have plenty more coffees. Possibly skinny espressos.