Our Day Over East

Today we ventured to the Eastern suburbs. I say 'ventured' because I *hate* driving over there. It's not scary or anything, it's just stupid. Nowhere to park, the streets are all crazy, people drive like they own the road and did I mention no parking?

Well it was worth it though, because I got to meet Leila and see her mum Jenny for the first time in about forever. Harry played in the playground and then I wanted to sit down to talk to Jenny - she kept asking to go back into the playground but I explained how I wanted to talk to Jenny. Then I asked her if I could take a photo of her for my challenge and she said (all sweetness and light) "I've got a great idea Mama. You could take a photo of me having fun and playing in the playground". Bwhahah! That child misses no tricks. She had some yoghurt (phew, thank goodness there was a gluten-free food option. For a moment there I was nearly about to just let her have a rice muffin which was probably only slightly less nutritious) and after a few hours we all headed home.

On the way home Harriet saw a big carpet roll being cut up by the carpet layer on the footpath. Of course such an unusual even is not something Harry would ever walk past without at least fifteen questions and a pitstop, so stop we did. Questioned the layer, chatted about the underlay and what that did and why he was cutting it up (turns out it was for the stairs in the apartment block we were out the front of). She *loves* tradespeople working. The other week she walked past some furniture removalists a few doors down from us and stayed watching for ages (and I really mean ages). The guy even ended up letting her carry stuff up into the van because she was so insistent on wanting to help. How cute is that?!

So we got to where the car was parked and I could see a little white piece of paper fluttering under my windscreen wiper. D'oh! A parking fine! But no, even greater fun was to be had. Turns out someone had witnessed the rearview mirror being bashed off the car and left their phone number and the details of the car that did it. A bloody Land Rover! What did I say about the eastern suburbs? So that's a fun little thing to work through. *sigh*

On the way home Harriet asked me if it was afternoon or evening. I replied it was about mid-afternoon and she replied with "perfect! That means we still have time to go to big park before we go home". So off we went to big park. I was so dehydrated because we forgot to take any water with us that morning, so I wasn't planning on staying very long. harriet of course had other plans - especially when we saw a boy with his own GO KART! How cool is *that*? I didn't want to tell her that when we go to Adventure World in Perth they have go karts there. I think we'll save up that piece of excitement and enjoy the thrill of her response when it happens.

And how is it that babies don't all die from sand colic before they're one? Ted is pretty good at the eating sand/bark/miscellaneous floor stuffs thing though - I only have to tell him once or twice and he doesn't persist which is a relief. On our way home from the park Ted started to just crack. up. laughing. I mean he was really losing it when Harriet was making funny sounds at him in the car. Then when we got home he just laughed at whatever we did for ages. Harry was in the toilet room and Ted and I would walk up and yell "Surprise!" (well, I would. Ted was hopeless at the surprise aspect of it and started giggling before we hit the doorway). Harriet would feign surprise and Teddy would just fall around laughing his guts out. God he's so adorable. He has just woken up while I've been writing this entry and both Jimbo and I have said that he looks taller than he did when he went to sleep. It really does happen that quickly then! He's wearing this totally awesome Space Invaders t-shirt that Claire and Ola bought for him for Christmas. He is way too cute. And turns out tired. I better go and get him ready for another sleep.