Riding the TWAAAIIIN!

In honour of Chuckles' up-coming 3rd birthday, we recently went on a little day trip to a small gauge Steam Railway. I think I've mentioned his love of trains in the past. Anyhoo, we all enjoyed this outing very much. I've never seen a wider smile on the kid.




Once at our tea-room-and-gardens destination (before the return trip) the train theme continued, with Princess' wheelchair being transformed into the P.P.No.6 - Pink Princess No.6 Engine, o'course. Little Man driving, with Princess and Chuckles shovelling and stoking, as you do.


Anticipating the 'toot'.



The Station Master and Drivers gave us some old railway magazines to fuel Chuckle's obsession. He LOVES them. Thanks to all at the Durundur Railway, Woodford - a thumbs up from all of us!

The I've Been Corrected Blues

Driving with the whole family in the car, listening to Jazztrack, a favourite program of ours on ABC FM radio. A bluesy number came on and I decided to take the opportunity to educate the kids as to the sound and form of The Blues. Chuckles, the two year old, interrupted me.

"No Mum" he said, removing his dummy from his mouth and adopting a posture of authority. "Dis NOT boooos. Dis JAZZ."

And with more coolness than Miles Davis himself, Chuckles popped his dummy back in his mouth and continued staring out the window as if he hadn't spoken at all.

I wish I had even a little of that confidence.

EDITED TO ADD: This morning Darling Husband remarked upon some clever little thing Chuckles had done. "You're a cool dude!" he said. Chuckles hit back with "No, I'm AWESOME!".

Hmph.

Confidence.

He is pretty awesome though : )

Bring It On

Funny thing.

There we were, driving to a friend's New Year's Eve party, our three kids in the back seat, Darling Hubby at the wheel, and me texting felicitous messages from my mobile phone. I commented how quiet it seemed - we were the only car on a usually quite busy road. Suddenly, Darling Hubby slows the car.

And here's the funny bit. A sleek, JET BLACK CAT had decided to step out on the road right in front of us, slowly amble all the way across with its head held high and tail in the air, and having safely made it all the way across our bit of road, disappeared into the night.

Darling Hubby and I looked at each other. Not known for his optimism, DH stated "That's our year ahead, then."

Now, I don't consider myself a superstitious person in general (though I have been known to knock on wood on many occasions).

But I've decided I'm going to accept this Black Cat Crossing Our Path as gesture of goodwill. It's good luck. We didn't run it over, so that's got to be good. It looked happy enough, not sinister or ill-willed, and I've seen some terribly-mooded cats in my time. And in fact, this cat seemed to be so deliberately flaunting its black-cattedness as it crossed our path, I think it was actually saying to us, "Notice me, because I am a portent of all things good to happen for you on this eve of 2009 - a propitious future is coming your way".

And anyway, the next morning we were swimming in my mother's pool when the children noticed four butterflies dancing around us in the bright morning light. Princess rightly pointed out that having butterflies dancing around you is such very good luck, and would make any bad luck caused by any black cat go away. And Chuckles shrewdly followed up this sentiment with "Butterflies eat black cats" (well, it was more "buffwies eat bwack cat", but you get my drift).

So I'm looking forward to 2009.

2008 was a very challenging year for us. And I'm sure 2009 will be no less challenging. But I'm ready to face it with a spring in my step. That black cat didn't appear for nothing.

Not that I'm superstitious.

And I wish you all a propitious new year too.

All time favourite

While I'm on the subject of cute things my kids have said (I promise this will be the last one for a while), I may as well tell you my all time favourite, to date...

It was the day after I had given birth to wee Chuckles, and the whole newly expanded family was quite ceremoniously, if somewhat chaotically, leaving the hospital. The large glass doors at the front of the main building glided open for us to make our exit into a glorious blue sky day.

Little Man, then aged 5, enthusiastically grabbed at my arm, rendering Chuckles at more or less his eye level, and with a flourish of his arm and all the worldly experience a five year old can muster exclaimed "Look Chuckles! This is the world!"

I still tear up at it, even now.

Someone call the Cute Police

I have already mentioned that our little Chuckles is a particularly cute kid.

I don't think I've mentioned his obsession with trains, more particularly the trains from "Thomas the Tank Engine". Chuckles already has quite a collection of the little wooden ones, and he plays with them and only them, it seems. He refuses to call Thomas Thomas, insisting on calling him "Twain" instead. Lately, Chuckles has been taking his little Gordon the No.4 Engine and James the Red Engine everywhere with him - won't be seen without them!

He and I were dropping Princess off at kindy, saying our goodbyes to her as usual, when Chuckles suddenly burst out "Byyeee! I love you! And Twain and Gordon and James...(his voice petered out a little here)...and Mummy."

At least I got a mention.