Jack and Jeans

We went to storytime today (for the second time this week - there's a reason for that which I shall explain soon) where we were pleased to see Jeans aka the Professor. We had a lovely time watching Jack scratch in the dirt like a chicken (all the kids were doing it, not just Jack) and then Michael fed some children to a Boa Constrictor. Fun. Sorry no photos of that.
Then we had a play in the park and ate some of Amy's (from the library a true DG in the Nigella mould) raspberry swirl cheesecake (yum) and lemon and almond cake (you see what I mean? delicious).
We saw some ducks (still a little bit scary) and Jack poked a puddle with a stick and we found a playground. Jeans and I did the tag team thing at the top

and bottom of the slide to stop any flinging that Jack might have been contemplating. What fun! Having two of us there also meant that I could have my photo taken with Jack (for all those people that complain that this doesn't happen enough. I think it's quite good really....

Sunday afternoon treat

What to do after you've been to the Junee Show?What is there left to do except maybe have a play under the sprinkler and an ice cream (ice cream is a sometimes food). Lucky supervised the whole procedure but unfortunately (as far as he was concerned) was not allowed to taste the ice cream.

Going,

going,

gone.

The Junee Show

Today we went to the Junee show. We thought Jack would like it (he went last year but was of course considerably younger) and I wanted to see how my entries had gone.You see on thursday I had a bake-a-thon and made Blackbottomed cupcakes (Belinda Jeffrey's wonderfully evil recipe), Elise's White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut cookiesand Garn's Lemon Cake. Unfortunately the lemon cake imploded and I didn't think it was worth entering in the show with a huge crater in the middle (though it still tasted good). The cupcakes and cookies were judged to be up to standard and I whisked them over to the showground on Thursday afternoon. The deadline was 5pm and they are VERY strict about these things, so strict in fact that when I got there at 4.29 there was no one there to receive my entries. The only people around were volunteers assembling the displays. After some head scratching and general discussion it was decided that I should leave my cakes and cookies in the office (not safe in the pavilion - the 'show people' might eat them) with my details and entry fee (twenty cents).
I also tried to enter a quilt and a toy elephant though I had a feeling I was pushing my luck. The sewing deadline had been the day before, but when I tried calling the steward's phone number I got a fax machine. I left them there just in case with more twenty cent pieces and notes on scraps of paper.So the first stop today was the pavilion where we found Narelle, Jack and Josh and my entries proudly bearing their certificates. The cupcakes (that I dodgily entered as muffins - well they were cooked in a muffin tin and people do insist on calling them muffins, which to be honest I find annoying but decided to overlook just this once for the sake of the competition) won first prize. Narelle and S both suggested (and quite uncharitably I thought) that maybe there were no other muffins entered in that category. And the cookies (yes, biscuits I know) won second prize in their section.No sign of the sewing, but I half expected that due to the lateness of my entries. Last year when we went to the show there was a dearth of craft and cookery items were pretty light on as well. It seemed not many people had had a go and in the cookery it seemed to be the same one or two women competing in each section. This year was much better. Lots more quilts and toys and cakes and a much better vibe.After the pavilion we had a look at the rides. Jack really wanted to go on the bungee trampoline and the woman who was running it assured us he'd be safe but we decided against it. He had a go on a boat ride which, whilst looking almost bored, or maybe nonchalant is a better description, while riding and steering his boat, he screamed blue murder when it was time to hop off. Maybe he was just taking his steering duties very seriously, if only he'd been driving the Pasha Bulker, the Ex-xon Valdez or the Titanic....
He liked the look of the dodgems (next year?) and definitely didn't like the look of the pony, even though they were introduced and the pony was really quite friendly as far as ponies go (ie. he didn't bite). Jack had a go at sideshow alley (not the shooting...next year?) but I opted for the mickeys and not the clowns. My issue I know, but an issue shared by many, many people all over the world. He won a fairly crappy little plane but seemed quite pleased.We gave the showbags a miss (though I did contemplate getting the Bob the Builder one for Dad) thereby saving ourselves a lot of money, and headed over to the animals. We had a brief look at the dogs which were really just like that funny movie Best in Show. Great Movie. There was a very excitable Alsatian pup who took a while to settle down so he could trot around the ring, then just when things were looking promising and the judge was nodding her approval, he stopped to poo. His owner looked mortified, but the judge couldn't resist a chuckle. We ducked into the poultry pavilion (!) and saw some prizewinning cocks (sorry about that) and then wandered over to the the cattle, some lovely Murray greys and Herefords, and then on to the vintage cars and baby animals. There was a goat (Jack was not impressed) and some chicks and these puppies. I liked the sign more than the puppies, who were of course very cute.
After a banger sanga (aka sausage sandwich) and another boat ride for Jack, it was well and truly time to go. We didn't enter Jack in the Junior Junee Showman as we didn't think it was fair on the other kids and one blow-in in the family winning prizes was more than enough.

Lucky and Jack

There's a new video on youtube. You can just click on the top picture on the video bar on the blog. Yes, that's the one to the left of this post.
Jack and Lucky playing together is very amusing. Luck starts jumping around and then Jack giggles. I think it's worth watching the vid just for that laugh, but then I am biased.

Uncle Andy visits

It was really warm yesterday so Jack persuaded his uncle Andy to get out the hose and play. It was very funny and anyone in a 2 metre radius ended up drenched. Jack (and Andrew) had a lovely time.

Piratical fun at the Library

I heard a rumour that the storytime this week would be on pirates (my favourite) and so I found Jack's pirate costume (supplied by his uncle Zippy) and we set off to town on the good ship Wilhemina (that would be the Echo). Luckily the rumour was right and Jack cut quite a figure in his buccaneer garb.
Chrissie was doing storytime and she did a fantastic job as always. She sang a funny pirate song that she wrote herself and recited this parrot verse

Oh there was a pirate parrot in our little pirate store,
And it phfft on the counter and it phfft on the floor,
And it phfft on the sugar and it phfft on the bread,
And if I hadn't ducked it would've phfft on my head.

And after a very piratical craft she sang my favourite song, Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo and Jack posed for a few photos.

Fixing a leak

Jack's been freeloading long enough. It's about time he helped out around the place so this week S showed him how to fix a water leak. Unfortunately these are not a one off (due to dodgy fix it jobs with hose clamps by previous inhabitants).
Jack observed very closely and seems to have it sussed out. Just needs to work on the swearing.

Clam shell

As the weather gets warmer I've been looking at al fresco entertainment ideas for Jack. I saw a clam shell (double so it has a lid at night and doesn't become a giant kitty or possum litter) and grabbed it, though it was so large I then had problems reversing but we made it home in one piece.Jack loves his clam shell. Loved it when it was empty. Better with some water in it or some sand and both at the same time? Fantastic, as you can go back and forth between the two so you end up with a shell of watery sand and another with sandy water and lots of sand everywhere. S has been trying to get Jack sand free for days. It's a losing battle.And I also got a whole bunch of buckets and spades and assorted implements from the toy library. Hours of fun!

Little Big Day Out

Last Thursday Jack and Diane and myself headed into Wagga for the annual Little Big Day Out. It's an event organised by the Wagga City Council and so the library, art gallery and theatre as well as other peoples are involved and it is great fun. I had the privilege of taking part in it when I worked at the library and I had an absolute ball. Picture a pregnant woman in a pirate hat singing nicky nacky nocky noo to a roomful of kids and the mayor.
We didn't make it last year so I was determined to go this year. All the local mascots were out in force. DA Dog, Needles the Echidna (I think he's something to do with needle exchange or something...no really), Josie the Cow and there was a thing that looked like a mutant pineapple but may or may not have been a noxious weed. Jack met Josie the cow and nearly shook her hand but freaked out at the last second. Josie took it well.
We got Jack a balloon and he took three steps and it burst (you need to hold it up). So we got another one. He held this one up, maybe that's why he fell over, bursting the balloon. So we found another stall and got two more just to be on the safe side.We bought him a jelly with fruit in it but he was more taken with the cupcake.And we watched a band called the Jumping Beans who rocked. Lots of kids had a groove as did Josie and DA Dog etc. Lots of fun. During the singing Jack and Diane went for a wander and they found a great four wheeler council vehicle. Apparently Jack hopped on and wouldn't hop off. Just sat there playing with the switches and dials and steering wheel. When a parent said to their child,"oh well I guess we'll go try something else..." Jack simply turned and waved then went back to driving. Didn't get a photo but I can imagine it very clearly.
We had a lovely time and rounded the day off nicely by cadging some chips off some friends. Anyone reading this blog would think that we live on a diet of pain au chocolats and cupcakes but we also eat bananas.

Bogan Wheels

Yesterday the professor and I went to the growers markets in wagga where we indulged in some highly calorific offerings. We then had a bit of time to spare before our movie started (Wall-E) so I joined the Toy Library. We picked up some new wheels for Jack and some things to go with his clam for $2 each. Oh how I love a toy library. I did get some funny looks on the way to the car. A granny on a scooter was checking me out. I think she wanted to drag me.
Surprisingly Jack was delighted with his temporary wheels (how could he not be?) and has spent much of his time since yesterday hopping in and out and steering and reversing (easier than forwards apparently).
Anyway here are some pics. I didn't dress him to match the vehicle - he was already wearing a flanny. All he needs is a pack of winnie blues tucked in the sleeve. Or a 2 litre bottle of coke.

New friends

It's been a busy week for Jack and I (S is pretty much always busy in the exciting world of his phd). Grandma and Grandpa (the Mudgeegong ones - I must really have a word to Jack about coming up with some different names because it does get confusing) came back from Queensland, we both had a play date on Tuesday and also went to the marvellous Little Big Day Out (more on that later).
Last year Jack and I did a thing called Baby Bounce. Oh, that doesn't sound very good. It was a programme run by wagga library for 0-12 month olds and involved rhymes, songs and books. It was very, very good. There were a few yummy mummies, who immediately recognised that I was not one of them (was it because one week my fly was undone? babies are good for blocking that until you get a chance to zip up) but there was a nice mum also with a Jack who turned out to live not far from me. We swapped phone numbers with a plan to catch up and then never got around to it. Then a couple of months ago, after another dispiriting playgroup, I ran into them at the supermarket. Phone numbers were once again exchanged and we promised to catch up. Then Jack and I got sick and didn't call. Finally over our Papal Flu (please refer all questions about this to my father) I found the phone number and decided to make contact. Only to be beaten to the punch on the very same day. Arrangements were made, rescheduled and finally we caught up on Tuesday. Jack and Jack played inside and out and Narelle and I had a great chat. It's nice to meet a normal mum. And I think the Jacks had fun too. It just gets confusing if one plays up and gets chastised and the other gets the "what did I do?" look. We're scheduled for another play this week.

doing the watering

Jack's so fond of watering that he decided to do some at Mudgeegong too. He also got out his rake and hoe and did a bit of maintenance. It was a damp trip home in the car.