dampsponge

10 days old

November 30, 2009

Little man Tate has settled in beautifully at home and sleeping/feeding well. Ava is a great big sister helping out with nappies, bath time and giving him lots of cuddles. She loves her baby brother so much and has told us a couple of times that she’s going to marry him! Hmmm, maybe if we were Tasmanian!!!

Ava gives Tate a cuddle for bedtime stories

Great-grandmother Marjie & Tate

Last week Ava went on her first kinder excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens for a picnic lunch, Xmas carols and some exploring. She had a great time and made a potpourri bag to bring home for mum.

Emotional

November 20, 2009

It is a rare privilege to be at the beginning of another persons life. See them come into the world. I guess it is a job for obstetricians and other health care professionals so it could become just a job for them. What an honour to be there at the birth of our son yesterday afternoon. What a happy moment to see it second time around. When Ava was born it was definitely one of the most amazing days of my life. Due to it being my first it was surreal and I was in dreamland for most of it.

Yesterday as a seasoned veteran I think I was able to appreciate and actually take in what was happening. From waiting to go into see Marnie after her epidural, to seeing Tate appear from Marn, to cutting the chord, to holding him for 15 minutes on my own, only 15 minutes into his life, the whole day was very special.

Also being able to tell Ava that she had a new baby brother, seeing Tate rest on Marn for the first time and seeing Ava meet her brother and hold him. All very special. Probably will be lost in the passage of time to some degree. What an absolute amazing day.

The work is ahead now to bring Tate into our lives. An enjoyable time ahead to see another little person grow.

Welcome Tate Addison Hough. Happy 0 Birthday.

Port Douglas ‘09

November 10, 2009

Our annual trip to Port Douglas has been & gone. 12 superb nights at the Portsea resort - great weather and a great group of friends to head away with. We had 15 adults and 12 kids in total so needless to say there was always someone to hang out with either at the pool or down the street. Ava loved every second of the holiday and having all of her friends to play with all day. We did a few touristy things - a day trip out to the Low Isles of the Barrier Reef, breakfast with the birds, the Sunday market and a train ride through the town. All in all a wonderful family holiday which hopefully we can repeat next year!

Ava & Megan drinking sugar cane juice at the market

The girls with their hair braids

Ad & JJ in their snorkelling gear at the Low Isles

Ava getting some air over Jakey (her favourite holiday photo!)

Having fun in the pool

Another year and the pancakes still taste just as good

Ava and a blue tongue lizard - concentrating not to drop him

Making sandcastles on the 4 mile beach

New One Large singlets

October 22, 2009

Finally after 9 years or so we have new singlets. Check them out. Our basketball skills just need to live up to the hype.

Relaxing

October 11, 2009

Well most our immediate friends are away with us, for those still stranded somewhere else
on the planet, we are having a great time at Port Douglas. Ava is learning a great deal of things about being a grown up and managing her own feelings. She is starting to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around her which is a rude awakening for any child. I think this holiday will be good to help her realise that.

Beach is in order tomorrow after a big day at the market (gotta love the sugar cane jucie and the guy Jason cuttin up the coconuts for drinkin) and in the pool. Kids everywhere. Red emporer fish for dinner. Flake is substandard. Get into good quality fish.

Another run tomoz but need to look after the calves. The iPhone is the answer.

Home work

October 6, 2009

What do most people do when the footy is over? The things they haven’t been doing all winter…like the garden. We got stuck into it on Saturday and got the gardens all cleaned and preened ready for Spring. Ava was a great help when cleaning the cars, although the kiddy cds start to wear on you a little with the vacum cleaner going full bore.

Sunday was a beauty of a day and we spend dinner around at Corky and lyns to watch the Storm beat the Eels.

A productive weekend. Always bubbly when you know holidays are around the corner. Port Douglas on Thursday.

Marn’s roses

The abode

Grand Final 2009

September 28, 2009

We had the usual grand final day for 2009. Pretty good game to watch although I missed the start as I worked my magic with my excel grand final sweep calculator. If I had of known it was going to take an hour to put in all the selections then I would have drawn names from a hat. Next year I will need to build in a random player selector for each entrant.

The day after the granny, you could walk on the MCG turf. JJ and I took the girls and although I don’t think they grasped the enormity of what they were doing or where they were they did have a good time running around. Ava did get bowled over by a 35 year old collingwood supporter who was trying to kick goals from the boundary line from 50m out. What would you expect?

Chris Judd and his daughter

Future stars

Dad and Ava

Almost footy legends

Girls on the cats emblem

Until next year when the bombers pants the blues in the grand final….

Run done

September 13, 2009

Well I did complete the half marathon. I actually broke the 50 minute mark for the first 10km and then came in at about 1:47 for the 21km. I was hoping to break the 2 hour barrier and go close to 1:50. So very happy with the time and felt aerobically great during the run.

Calves were cramping slightly at the halfway mark and it took a few weeks to get them back. The course around the Yarra was excellent and there were plenty of people to push me. I tagged onto a few people and was able to force myself to keep the pace up.

Now for the marathon next year. Will get serious after xmas about planning that one. Cant have the legs cramping at the 12km mark when there is still 30 kegs to run.

Really enjoyed the run and it was a focus for about 7 weeks to get me in shape. Dropped 12 Kgs while training (with the assistance of fatslotto).

JJ also got through the run. A good effort seeing he had a limited preparation. The distance is really big. Great satisfaction from finishing.

Run forest run

September 12, 2009

Well it is crunch time. Half marathon tomorrow. I feel like I am ready. Hoping to crack 2 hours and hopefully closer to 1:50 or even under. I wouldn’t say my training has been ideal but I have done enough to get me through.  I am really looking forward to it. It is a 5km course so not sure how that impacts as you pass the same landmarks over and over. If this goes well then there may be a marathon in me yet.

Lets not get too carried away but I would like to have a good go at the marathon.

Got to the footy last night to see dogs and lions at the MCG. Dinner at the MCC was great as usual. Semi final that the dogs won by about 50 points. Warm but blustery night. A few bevies so need to carbo load tonight to get ready for the run tomoz.

Haircut and beard removal today to give me that “light on my feet feeling and morning by myself while Marn takes Ava to her dancing concert. Will update after tomorrows run. JJ is stepping up to the plate as well and Nicky from work is taking on the 10km run.

Till tomorrow.

Ahoy there

August 26, 2009

Last weekend Ava, Shae & Milla went to a pirate party - last minute costumes ended up a great success and the kids all looked fantastic.