floating world

charming

So, somewhat ironically considering all my rants about nasty plastic toys, the current favourite thing around here is a pink plastic dolls house.

Every day now Ali wants to "play dollies".

The dollies act out all sorts of adventures such as going to the supermarket and the beach, and I love watching Ali recreate things we have done together. Last week, after we visited the Tatzu Nishi installation at the Art Gallery the dollies were very surprised to find a horse on their bed. And much time is spent lining up the little animal vehicles in the garage at the back.

The Charmkin house was mine when I was little, my grandmother gave it to me for Christmas when I was 6. I wasn't particularly into dolls as a little girl, but I loved this house because of the clever way it folded open and closed, and so mum kept it for me. It makes me very happy to see it being enjoyed again, after 20-odd years in a cupboard.

Does anyone else remember Charmkins? They weren't as popular as Care Bears and Cabbage Patch Dolls and Rainbow Brite, but I think quite a few of my friends had them in the 80s. I had lots of different ones, so they must have been easy to find.

purple haze

For a couple of weeks each spring Sydney is sprinkled with luminous purple  when the jacaranda trees flower. It's the closest we have to cherry blossom. The trees go from looking like dead sticks over winter to gorgeous purple clouds, and then just as quickly the flowers drop and turn into hazardous brown sludge.

Sydney University has a jacaranda in the quadrangle, and although it wasn't quite in full bloom* yet it was very pretty when we walked past last weekend. Ali always enjoys roaming around the uni - there is lots of open space, and a mixture of old and new buildings. And it can be combined with a trip to feed the ducks in Victoria Park.

He calls this one "the castle".

And has discovered the joys of lying on a cold stone floor on a hot day.

   

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*Writing this reminds me of the Japanese news bulletins during cherry blossom season, where they would report what percentage of flowers were in peak bloom (満開 ) in each region. And there were elaborate maps showing the "cherry blossom front" moving up the country.

(It's amazing the random Japanese words I remember... but can I remember useful ones? No)

lake tahoe

The main reason for our trip to the US was Mark's brother's wedding, and after our week in New York the festivities kicked off. We flew back to San Francisco, picked up a hire care and Mark's mum, and drove to South Lake Tahoe for the bachelor / bachelorette (aka bucks and hens) weekend. Lake Tahoe is slightly odd; the California side feels really rustic and woodsy, and then the second you cross the border into Nevada you're surrounded by massive lurid casinos. The whole bucks/hens shebang was booked at one of them. I'm not a gambler, but the hotel was very comfortable and great value, so it worked out well and the room felt positively palatial after our little studio in New York. Celebrations were pretty civilised - dinner by the lake the first night, a cruise for all non-toddler-wranglers the next day, and then the the separate (mostly - hard when there is only one decent club in town) Bachelor and Bachelorette dinners, drinks and dancing on the Saturday night.

Unfortunately we woke up to a very hot and feverish toddler the next day. He'd been babysat by Mark's mum the night before, and must have developed a temperature overnight. We took him to the local doctor and he perked up as soon as the Tylenol brought his fever down, but it was awful having to hold him down to have his throat swabbed. He didn't test positive for flu or "strep throat", or seem to have an ear infection, so it must have been some kind of mystery virus.

We've been very lucky with Ali and he hasn't been sick much at all (touch wood), but every time he is it makes me realise how awful it would be for anyone whose child was properly sick with something longer term and or more serious - it is just the worst feeling in the world to see your baby limp and quiet and miserable. Luckily he was much better within 24 hours, and we decided that if he had to get sick on the trip Tahoe was the best place for it to happen - we were staying in a nice hotel, and there was a doctor and pharmacy close by. And we felt very grateful for modern medicine and travel insurance.

afternoon tea in the park

The small person turned two this week. How did that happen? It really seems like no time at all ago that he was this big. We had a little afternoon tea in the park to celebrate, with cupcakes and sausage rolls* and jelly oranges. Ali woke up at 2am with a wet nappy on his actual birthday (the day before the party) and Mark made the fatal error of whispering as he changed him, "It's your birthday today". All of a sudden the drowsy eyes snapped open and we were met with a list of demands. "Downstairs! Happy birthday cake! Smartie on! Mummy make pretty!!" Obviously the mothers group cake made a lasting impression. So, bearing in mind the need for smarties, I made a simple carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a tin rented from the local kitchenware shop. Nice and easy. The AWW cake book can wait for next year.

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* Made from Bianca's recipe in Mixtape. The recipe made heaps, and I considered leaving half at home thinking that there was no way they would all be eaten, but in fact they were the first thing to go.

spring things

It's feeling spring-like here, with lots of flowers and little green leaves unfolding. It's nice to feel the sun (without the humidity of summer) and spend more time outside. Ali and I had a picnic in the Domain on Friday, and then went to see the Ikats at the Art Gallery. He was suitably impressed and toddled around whispering "Special coats. Don't touch!" 

On Saturday we all went to Callan Park and taught him how to roll down a grassy hill, which was hilarious. It was probably the first time in 20 years that I have rolled down a hill.

I'm finding Ali such good company right now. I think it's because his language has got to a stage where we can understand each other pretty well, and he can tell me what he's thinking about. The imaginative play thing has kicked in too, which is so much fun to watch. We're having lots of birthday parties for his soft toys, and I bought him a tea set for his birthday because he loves the ones at kindy and playgroup. Everyone talks about the "terrible twos" so I was dreading the toddler stage a bit, but so far it's been a wonderful surprise.

cake

It was our joint Mothers' Group birthday party today, so I made a banana cake with lemon icing to take along.

Unlike last year, when he was mostly oblivious to birthday preparations, Ali was intrigued. He wanted to help stick the Smarties on the cake, and then eat it right away. He loved the party, and after the cake part was over he kept asking, "Sing Happy Birthday again?" and on the way home, "More party?" Luckily it's his actual birthday in a couple of weeks, so we can do it all again.

(Yes, that is icing on Ali's nose in the photo. Instead of letting him help with Smartie placement I introduced him to the joy of beater-licking).

super baby

This is my favourite kind of sewing project.

Although there's definitely a place for proper dressmaking and following fancy patterns, I really like quick, make-it-up-as-you-go sewing, using things from the cupboard. This was just a rectangle with a collar and a bit of applique to make a costume for a superhero party the next day.

So satisfying, especially when the little person is happy with the finished product.

vintage knitting for toddlers

Ever since I stumbled on this amazingly beautiful cardigan via Ravelry I have been looking out for the old Patons toddler pattern book that it came from. I finally found a copy, and am so excited. Not only does it have the cardigan pattern, but lots of other cute ones too.

The other vintage knitting pattern I am obsessing over is this romper / jumpsuit from the Vogue Vintage Collection book.

I thought it would look cute over a t-shirt, but others in the household say this would be a form of child abuse. Maybe it's too much for a toddler - I think it would look really sweet on a tiny baby though.

I hope I"m not turning into the Toni Collette character from About A Boy who inflicts hideous handknits on her son.

a slightly less momentous knitted item

Ali has been very interested in my scarves this winter. He swipes them, drapes them about himself and swans around the house, muttering "Ali 'carf" and twirling in front of the mirror approvingly. Which although very cute, is problematic for us both, because he trips himself up and covers the scarves in toddler grot.

So I decided to make a little, non-strangling scarf for him, from a free pattern and some leftover yarn. I quite like it, but Ali does not - he shouts " 'carf OFF!" when I put it on him. Luckily it is very soft and not at all scratchy, so if I sneak it on while he's distracted, he forgets it's there. Maybe I'll start wearing it myself, and see if that makes it any more appealing.

little golden books

What is it about Little Golden Books? I love them so much. I had quite a few of them when I was little, and now I have Ali it is a wonderful excuse to start a new collection for him.

Most of these have been picked up at Vinnies, but a couple were bought new.

It's extra exciting when I find the same ones that I had when I was little.

The illustrations are just so beautiful and intricate. Ali loves books and is happy to sit for ages talking about the different things in the pictures.

(The Bunny Book, illustrated by Richard Scarry)

(I Can Fly)

(The Large and Growly Bear)

The current favourites are Firemen and The Little Red Caboose.

We read the Little Red Caboose (or " 'boose" as it is known around here) soooo many times on the plane to Perth. Luckily there is enough detail in the illustrations that there is always something new to discover.

I remember my mum buying me a Little Golden Book in Jewel if I was good during the grocery shop, and loved lining all my books up so the spines were matching and shiny. I'm hoping that Ali will have happy memories of reading Golden Books as part of his childhood too.

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(More info on the history of Little Golden Books here and here)