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November 21, 2003
an icon in a parcel
There's nothing better than discovering a parcel waiting for you in the mail. Well there is one thing. And that is an unexpected parcel! Yesterday, while showing Jacob the stairs, ("this is Gutters landing and here are Gutter's coats, this is the mirror, this is Herman's landing, here is Herman's junk mail-pile.......") we discovered a parcel from Colleen and Dominic in Katoomba full of presents for Jacob. Besides a card, some cool socks with non-slip stars and some much-needed slobbertjes, (bibs) there were also some Bonds Chesty singlets! Soooooooooo cool!
Posted by Faith at 10:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
creative dilemas
I've started the Christmas-card-project for 2003. As is usual with these things it becomes steadily more complicated. I didn't want to use the "photo-of-baby-with-santa-hat" thing so decided to use normal cards but with a Jacob Christmas stamp instead. The drawback is that TPG Post only provide these stamps for use within Holland. So the Australians miss out. Australia Post on the other hand do provide personalised stamps for use in both Australia and overseas. Which would involve my brother Ben taking all the Christmas cards back to Australia with him so that they can be posted back to Holland!
Just to complicate things even further while working out some ideas for Jacob-art for the rellies I started to lean towards using Jacob on the card as well after all. But maybe in a more abstract
manner. Decisions, decisions, decisions! And all to be made before Christmas!
Posted by Faith at 03:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2003
neefje
Jacob heeft en neefje!
Mark and Bianca, Ron's brother and his wife, have had a baby boy. Joost was born last night, (Thursday) at 10.58pm weighing 4120 grams and is 52 cms long. Bianca and Joost were back home within a few hours and both are doing well. So it will be "blau muisjes" in Ijsselstein tonight!
I love the name Joost (say it as "" Yoast") but it would never work for us with all the Australian rellies having no idea how to pronounce it.
Posted by Faith at 10:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 14, 2003
Friday on my mind
On Wednesday I went to work to show off Jacob, find out about the merger between my company and another that happenned since I've been on maternity leave, and discuss the possibility of working four days a week when I return instead of five.
So now its official, I will be working four days a week with Fridays free from January 1st! Jacob and I have big plans!
Posted by Faith at 03:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 12, 2003
Uncle Benny
Yesterday Jacob's uncle Benny arrived from Australia via Vietnam. From 30 degrees in Saigon to 5 degrees in Amsterdam was a bit of a shock. Lucky we are having such a mild autumn. Three weeks in Vietnam has prepared Ben for the crowds, high-density living and dirt. But not apparently for the size of our bathroom!
After our daily trip to the Albert Cuyp Ben has already proved himself a deft hand with the Bugaboo. And since the Ollieballen van has resumed its usual autumnal spot on the Cornelistroost Plein it seemd a good opportunity also to expose him to some Dutch culture.
In return Jacob is hoping to spend his summer holidays staying with Uncle ben and swimming in the Kiewa River, catching fish and frogs and maybe yabbies in Ben's dam.
Posted by Faith at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2003
the melbourne cup
Yesterday the Melbourne Cup was held in Australia. Makybe Diva won and as usual there was a feelgood story (or two!)attached. 18 months ago the winning jockey, Glen Boss, had been facing paralysis after a nasty fall in a race. And like (nearly) all Melbourne Cup winners, the horse is owned by a tuna fisherman, thus the average bloke wins again! Except of course, he doesn't own it, he heads a syndicate who own it, and since when have Tuna fisherman had "average' incomes? Have you seen the price of tuna in Japan, which is where most Australian tuna goes?
Still, its all part of the myth of the Melbourne Cup. It was nice to hear that the 122,736 strong crowd gave Clare Lindop, the first woman to ride in the Melbourne Cup, the loudest acclaim at the introduction of the cup jockeys.
Sigh........Melbourne in springtime, sunshine, rain, jasmine, men in frocks and the Spring Carnival!
Posted by Faith at 10:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 04, 2003
Dee dee daa daa
Last night we went out for the first time without Jacob. We saw Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Concertgebouw. The programme was mostly Kurt Weil numbers and she and the band were amazing. Her encore had the stalls of the Concertgebouw dancing in the aisles, and trying a bit of scat!
Jacob meanwhile, was having his first babysitting experience. He spent an "gezellig avond met Edmee" and is looking forward to doing the same again. Soon!
He's just not sure if the bikie should come too next time?
Posted by Faith at 03:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 01, 2003
st kilda pier
I can't believe St Kilda Pier kiosk burnt down yesterday. Unlike the extravagant architecture of English piers it was the very domesticity of St Kilda Pier kiosk that gave it its charm.
When I lived in St Kilda, sleepless summer nights could be spent sitting in the dark on the breakwater behind the kiosk, talking to the penguins, watching and waiting for the cool change to come over from Williamstown. I hope the penguins cope!
Posted by Faith at 10:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack