We're very lucky. Jack is the sort of child we all assume we'll have when we decide to have children, and the sort of child less experienced parents congratulate themselves for. Current All of 2006 January and February 2005 March and April 2005 May and June 2005 July - December 2005 January and February 2004 March and April 2004 May and June 2004 July and August 2004 September and October 2004 November and December 2004 Enter your Email Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz Blogs we read: Blogroll Me!

Sept. 7-26, 2005 - Multiple correspondants Update: September 25, 2005 The guys are on their way home now. This will be my last post to this section of the blog -- oh, I can't wait to see Rod and Jack again!! Update: September 24, 2005 A note from Auntie Karen! We went on a bus trip onto town yesterday (Saturday) and back, and Jack walked to the bus and back with his back pack on. He was getting a little weary by the time we were walking home, and thought sitting for a rest on a �Jack sized� stone fence was a good option. It would have been good to get a photo of that. (I think now I can see how easy it all works I will make getting a digital camera one of my next goals). One of the real blessings was Jack being prepared to go outside now without his father. We went out and fed the birds � found a couple of slices of bread to throw around the back yard, but for some strange reason (ha) the birds did not see fit to come and eat while Jack and I were sitting quietly (well�.. I suggested �quiet�, but�) the birds flew across the yard, landed on the roof, and in the trees, but did not actually come down onto the lawn until we had gone inside � they did, however, come down later and eat. We also played with a ball for a while, with Mormor as well. So Jack is now much more relaxed about being out of sight of his father. Mamma's notes: -- I'm glad Jack is finally relaxing. That has to take the pressure of everyone. Clearly, though, Jack has been mislead by the local ducks and geese, about how birds behave. They will happily come and knock him down for bread he's holding, no matter how much noise he's making! I also had a chance to chat with Mormor on the phone and she told me that Jack has behaved well for the most part and that she has been astonished at how he has developed and matured in the time he has been with her. It's going to be fun to see the changes. She also warned me that I will have my work cut out for me when Jack gets home in cleaning up his language, because various uncles and cousins have delighted in coaching him to say...inappropriate thing. Oh dear. Dad also tells me that Jack has been good about remembering his "please and thank you" and has said them nicely all through the trip. Update: September 23, 2005 More photos!!! This is Jack, his Dad, and his older brothers Mike and Joel, taken while Jack and Rod were visiting Adelaide last week. Jack has seen pictures of Mike and Joel since he was very tiny, and always listed their names when he talked about brothers -- but I'm very glad that now they're more than names. From the photos, it looked like they got on well. I have actually talked to Rod, Jack, and Wenche several times since my last post, but it always came down to post, or sleep. Sleep kept winning I'm afraid. So, anyway, the guys got back to Melbourne (well, Bell Post Hill, actually) on Tuesday and I finally caught up with them Tesday night my time and Wednesday morning theirs. They had a wonderful time and saw just about everyone. We talked and talked and talked...and really I can't remember much but the warm feeling! Most of it was of little consequence. Except the part where jack got on the phone three times to remind me that he wants me to have black cake and strawberries for him when he gets home. I'm too tired to make sense...but I have discovered that I can now post through e-mail so maybe, just maybe, I'll get better about updating more frequently. At least when work is dull. ;) Three days and counting... Update: September 19, 2005 PHOTOS!!! I got some photos from Auntie Karen! I am so excited! I've been asked not to share photos of the other children online, so I can't shar all of them -- but here's one of Jack with George, the dog who plays ball! Rod also let me know that al;l has been well -- and it turns out that we've just been very good at crossing wires. He's called, I've called, but we've either called at the wrong times, or ..well, something. But we spoke for almost two hours last night -- Jack got on the phone to remind me at least three times that he needs me to get strawberries for him for his breakfast whe he gets home! It was wonderful to talk to my lovely guys. Jack seems to have grown up a lot -- he speaks a lot more clearly than he did and ahs a lot more to say. Given that I thought he was amazingly verbal before...well, that's almost scary. Jack spent Saturday at a zoo, patting koalas and wallabees and kangaroos and checking out the Emus. (I'm not sure one can pat an emu -- they didn't seem very touchy feely the one time I met them. Kind of standoffish and with really bad haircuts. Evidently Uncle Trev has successfully taught Jack to chant Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oy, Oy, Oy! Well, sort of anyway. Jack's rendition goes more like Aussie, Oy! Aussie, Oy! Aussie, Oy! I was amused. Granted that it's been more than 24 hours (I was exhausted when we finished and went pretty much straigh to bed, and then woke up on the run today) but even though we spoke for 2 and a half wonderful hours, I really can't think of much else that came up -- except that Jack has had a blast, but has done an excellent "Velcro Boy" imitation, nonetheless. I think it's completely understandable, but I think Rod will be glad to get home and "off duty" for a week. Rod also mentioned that he'd shown his friends Traci and John this blog and he suspects that they're the ones who accounted for almost 100 hits fro Adelaide in 24 hours...if that's the case: "Hi, Traci and John! Welcome!" OK, I'm off to bed. I hope to have more to post soon, now that we've arranged for specific times to try to touch base. Update: September 15, 2005 No word from the guys for a while. I would guess that the phone card ran out and it's still 24 hours to pay day. But there is evidence that they've been checking on the blog...{laugh} We're at the half-way point, and I think I'm gonna make it. I still miss the guys terribly, but now the anticvipation of seeing them again is rising and overwhelming the sadness of being apart. I'm such a wuss. They will be returning to Melbourne on Monday. If I don't hear from them before then, I hope to get caught up on Tuesday. More as I hear it... (tired of that phrase yet?) Update: September 12, 2005 I heard from the guys this morning just before work! It seems that the largest reason for the silence is that Rod had come down with a stomach flu and while it was short lived, it was brutal. It's hard to say whether Jack came down with it, or just went into sleep mode to cope with his Dad's illness. He didn't vomit or have diahrea like Dad did, but he whimpered a lot and slept for the better part of two days. My poor guys. Dad did mention that Jack is having fun, but is being extremely cautious, lest Dad get out of sight again. Not surprising, I suppose. At two, the only person you know well is rather more than a lifeline, no matter how loving and wonderful kin you've just met may be. I expect he would have taken it better, either if I were along, or if he'd been awake to be told "I'll be back in one hour." Waking up and finding Dad gone without explanation (never mind that he was supposed to sleep another couple of hours...) might have been alarming. Dad also tells me that while Jack has plenty of oppostunities to watch television, he is cheerfully unimpressed by the televised offerings. Mamma is so pleased! (Yeah, I admit, I have a fixation.) Jack and Uncle Trevor have evidently worked up a routine that amuses the family no end. I didn't get the details, but it sounds like Uncle Trevor gets right in Jack's face and chants something that sounds like "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" in his face in attempt to get Jack to say something charming. Jack watching his uncle with a bemused smile, and when Tevor retreats to regroup, Jack enthusiastically applauds Uncle Trevor's performance. What a pair of goofballs! I so wish I were there! I hope that now that thjeir health is better, I'll hear from the guys more regularly, but the odds of getting pictures before this time next week are slim. (Few accessible computers in the Adelaide branch of the family.) Meanwhile, it's late and time I was in bed. I hope to have more to post tomorrow! Update: September 10, 2005 1:30am (or 3:30pm, depending on your locations) Jack�s Adventures as related to Aunty Karen Since Jack�s adventures getting off the plane and onto a truck, there have been other transport delights, or surprises. A bus ride into town with MorMor and Dad was pretty good, but one further delight was Aunty Trudi coming over and picking up Jack, Rod, and MorMor to take them over to her place for a meal and to spend time together. Trudi drove the car, Rod got in beside Trudi, Jack was in the back in his car seat on one side, Trinity (Trudi�s 5 yr old granddaughter) was on the other side in the back in her car seat, and MorMor was squeezed into the middle seat in the back. So, where oh where was George the Dog going to fit? George the Dog did not have a problem with that. Much to Jack�s surprise, George jumped straight into the car and onto MorMor�s knee. She knew exactly where to travel! Then there was the day Dad disappeared �� Rod and Jack had both been having a sleep. Well, in theory it seemed like a good idea, but Jack woke about ten minutes after Rod left ... And was not impressed to find that his Dad had gone off without him! No o o o! MorMor did some quick thinking, and off they went to water the plants, �.and water the plants �.. and water the plants�.. and fill up the birds drinking water �. and fill up the water dish for visiting cats or dogs, and splash some water on Jack�s bare feet ( a warm spring day � who needs shoes?) and splash some water on his hands, and water some plants, until MorMor decided there just wasn�t another plant to be watered! So then it watch one of Trinity�s videos, which was almost, but not quite, No o o o! not quite enough to take his mind off the fact that Dad wasn�t there. (Mamma's note: Television. Oh my.) And then, of course, there are the early mornings. I was concerned before Rod and Jack arrived because they are sleeping very close to out living area, and Mum and I are both early risers, me because I have to go to work, so I can�t change my habits. Well, I needn�t have worried. I had forgotten that sleeping-in is not a kid thing, especially if the child has gone to bed at 7.00pm exhausted � well, 3.00 am is going to seem a pretty good time to wake up, isn�t it? Especially if your body is still attuned to life in the northern hemisphere! As I heard a little voice chatting away in the kitchen I turned over and thought, �I needn�t have wondered if it would work out o.k. (Mamma's note: It' so wonderful to hear what Jacky's up to -- and, yep, that sounds like my boy. He has quite an attention span. (We wouldn' like tocall him "stubborn", after all. Now would we?) *laugh* And he does LOVE water! Thank you, Aunty Karen, for the update!!! Update: September 9, 2005 5:30pm OK, I've had quite enough "peace and quiet". I have no one to play with! *sigh* Update: September 9, 2005 9am Still no photos. Rod and I chatted on messenger yesterday morning, and he tried to upload a few to me, but Comcast crashed out and stoppped the download, I was late for wok and Rod was up late and exhausted, so we called it quits at that point. We chatted again briefy this morning by phone. The guys are now in Adelaide and we won't be able to have much contact until a week from Tuesday because that bunch of the family isn't hooked up to computers and, come to find out, the "local" phone line in Adelaide isn't charged local rates for the caller. Not sure what use that is, so we'll be taking it down when Rod gets home. So ... there may not be much posted for a week or so. Jack had had quite enough travel by the time they arrived in Adelaide, but overall, Rod says he's behaving well. Rod has been doing "things other than sleeping" and remains exhausted. I understand that -- he hasn't seen his family is almost four years! Still, I worry about him. A month with too little sleep is hard on a man half our age. (Scarily enough, someone half our age *is* an adult!) More as I hear it -- but not likely much until September 18 or 19, though I'll post if I hear from them. Update: September 8, 2005: Well, after much tail chasing, Rod and I have managed to talk -- and wonder of wonders, Jack told me all about his adventures, too! On the phone!!! Up to this point, Jack has loved to listen on the phone, but he nodded and smiled and was quite silent. Last night, Rod and I had an aborted phone call during which Jack spent several minutes listening to me and nodding and smiling. He did make one squeek, but his mouth was full of dinner and that was all I was going to get. (Rod has called many times and been unable to get through, either because I was out running errands, and more often, because Lingo and Comcast were down. I have tried to call many times, too, and had the same problem of our service being down much of the time I'm home. That's one reason these blogs are written offline and posted most of the time.) Today, though, Rod called me at work, and we had an excellent connection that stayed up as long as we cared to use it! It was great. So, anyway, Rod filled me in on some of the details of the trip, and then put Jack on the line. Jack started out pretty quiet -- but after a few comments from me, he started to chatter -- and he told me all about riding in an airplane and a BIG truck! (Auntie Trudy picked the fellows up in a truck, it seems.) Then he told me all about visiting a castle! (Auntie Trudy lives in a flat above a shop -- and because it has an iron staircase, it has attained "castle" status, at least in some quarters.) he told me about playing with cousin Trin and about the BIG DOG who plays ball! There was a lot more, but I couldn't hear everything he said -- nonetheless it was such a delight to listen to him telling me about his trip! Rod is hoping to upload some photos to me sometime before he leaves for Adelaide on Saturday morning -- which is pretty soon, his time! And having talked to my guys, I feel far less cut off. A little concerned because Rod is still so exhausted -- but as he pointed out, he's been "on duty" for a week and has had his share of screaming budgie and then some. On the whole, it wasn't a lot -- but between that and the mischief one expects at two, it can be totally exhausting without a break. More as I hear it... September 7, 2005: I figured I'd share with you guys whatever news I get of Jack's trip. From Rod: "Jack was extemely well behaved for all but a single hour of the flight, that single hour about three hours into the longest leg when it all got too much for him and he had to scream it out. "Considering what he faced in the week leading up to this trip, and the dystopian feel of the trip itself, I got off very lightly indeed. "He has warmed up quickly to the family (though not without reserve with each new family member met)" And from Auntie Karen: "Hello Misti "Thought I'd let you know I have had the pleasure - and indeed it is a pleasure - of meeting your son. He is a delightful person! "We have read two books thus far, one about kittens, and one about a train called Trevor who has a carriage full of sand - whcih proves useful when a car falls off the bridge and Trevor the train gets there in time so that the car could land in the sand and not have a scratch. "And I know Jack likes broccoli (but I don't know how to spell it!) "Jack and Rod are sleeping now. I think they are both very tired. "I hope you don't feel too far away from them - I am glad you could share them with us for a short time." I do feel pretty far away from them, of course -- but I'm thrilled that Jack is warming up to his Smith family so fast! More as I hear it! | previous - next Pick a Random Page Cost of the War in Iraq (JavaScript Error) To see more details, click here.