Oh No, it's Over!

Can you believe it, the Commonwealth Games are over already?

I had so much fun, watching the athletics at the MCG, going to all of the fantastic events in the city as well as watching the Opening Ceremony on the big screen.

Last night we went back in to the city to watch the Closing Ceremony on the big screen. Lots of other people found out about how much fun it was to watch the Games in at Alexandra Gardens, so this time it was packed and there were millions of people there. Luckily some of my friends came along too and Ethan, Tahlia, Amelia and Zac had a picnic with us.



As we waited for the Ceremony, we listened to Paul Kelly sing some songs so that we could all have a dance. Then after the music, we had races in between all of the people. We had heaps of fun, and even when we ran really far away from the adults we didn't get lost!

Finally it was time for the Closing Ceremony to begin. We could watch all of the singers and performers on the big screen, as well as watching the fireworks as they exploded into the sky. It was pretty amazing.

Unfortunately I had run around way too much already and used up all of my energy. Milli and I both fell asleep before the really big fireworks. I didn't really get to see much of the ceremony at all, but I still had a great time.

How many sleeps until the next Commonwealth Games? I hope it isn't too long, I can't wait.

Love AJ Pickle

Can I sleep here until the Games begin again?

And the Games Continue...

Did you know that my mum went it to see more of the Commonwealth Games without me? And to make things worse, she took Sharni and Nanna Pat with her!

How rude!

At least she took heaps of photos to show me all the things that I didn't get to see.

Love Princess George

The Aussie girls after the 4 x 400 relay, happy winning Silver, ecstatic when they won Gold when England were disqualified!

Look, Kym Howe is really amazing.

She jumped really, really high on her way to win another gold medal and a new Commonwealth record for Australia!

The first baton change of the 4 x 400 men's relay - on the way to gold!

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...

Today we went to the Commonwealth Games. It was fantastic.

We caught the train in to the city, and then another train to the MCG. We were right in to the spirit of the Games, carrying Aussie banners and wearing Aussie tatoos on our faces (even mum and dad had tatoos). I had my very own Australian flag to wear as a super-hero cape. When we got the the 'G', they gave us all 'Thunder Sticks' to make even more noise when we were cheering for the Aussies!

We sat right near the top of the MCG and we could see everything that happened during the mornings athletic session.

We watched the high jump qualifying rounds, the 400 metre heats, the 15oo metre heats, the seated shot-put for Elite Athletes with a Disability, as well as the sprints, shot-put and long jump rounds of the decathlon.

Did you know that the people in the high jump could jump 2.15 metres high - that is higher than me when I sit on dad's shoulders!

They could jump more than 7 metres in the long jump - longer than our car! It is amazing to watch elite athletes perform.

I even saw visually impaired runners in the 100 metre sprints. I couldn't work out how they can run in a straight line when they can't see properly; I can see and can't run in a straight line!

I just don't know what activities I should do...maybe I should become an elite athlete as well as a circus performer and go to the Commonwealth Games. Milli's favourite part of the day was watching the TV cameras zoom over the top of the MCG on wires! Maybe one day she will be on TV, reporting my races at the Commonwealth Games?

Love AJ Pickle

The Festivities Continue...

WOW, can you believe it, we are half way through the school holidays and I haven't even had a chance to miss kinder. I have been pretty busy. I have been in to the city 2 days in a row, to enjoy all of the Commonwealth Games and Festival Melbourne 2006 activities. There is so much to see and do, that I won't get a chance to see everything unless I go in to the city every day.

I have seen so many totally amazing performances. Yesterday I saw Strange Fruit perform

- dad didn't know what I meant when I told him that mum and Sarah took us to see pole dancers in the city. I think I confused him when I said they danced on bendy poles!

Today I went into the big top to see a circus. The circus was called 3wAyXchange, and it was the best circus I have ever seen. It was fantastic, there were kids from 3 different circus groups - Zip Zap Circus School (South Africa) the Flying Fruit Fly Circus (Albury/Wodonga) and the Brewarrina Youth Circus (NSW). They did some really amazing tricks; on the giants swings, the trapeze, on unicycles, juggling, as well as your everyday type of acrobatics - flips, handstands and tumbles. It was amazing - the performers were only kids and they were fantastic. Maybe I should join a circus one day soon.

After the circus, we sat on the Central Lawn to relax. I watched a huge choir Singing for Water. There were heaps of school kids in the first choir, the second choir was all adults from all around the world. Mum and dad were really excited because Paul Kelly played.

On the way home we decided to stop so we could see a funky band called Wicked Aura Batacuda at the beach. It wasn't a real beach, it was more like a huge sandpit just outside the Arts Centre.

Oh yeah, guess what else I did today - I met Mark Skaife.

Can you believe it - I actually met Skaifey. I think that today was the only day that I didn't wear my Skaifey hat, but luckily he signed a different hat for me to keep. I am so lucky!

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday in Melbourne. I am pretty exhausted though, and the Games have only just begun! Do you think that if I ask really nicely, they will have the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne every school holiday?

Love AJ Pickle

PS - if you have any spare time these holidays and you happen to be in Melbourne, you should go to the Commonwealth Games or see some of the amazing things at Festival Melbourne 2006. http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Festival+Melbourne2006/Performances/

Let the Games Begin!

Last night was the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Mum and dad wouldn't buy us ticket to watch it at the MCG, but they did let us go in to the city to see what was happening.

It was sooooooo exciting, there were people everywhere.

(Look at how many people are waiting to watch the Opening Ceremony

- this was before it got busy!)

We saw the giant fish floating on the Yarra River, watched the footy blokes carry the Queens Baton along the floating platform towards the MCG and watched all of the fireworks during the ceremony. We did all this as we were having a picnic with Macs in Alexandra Gardens, in front of the biggest TV that I have ever seen.

I think that the Commonwealth Games will be heaps of fun. We are going to go and see the athletics on Monday. Maybe, when Nan and Pop come to visit next weekend, we will go and explore some of the live sites and see more of the games. I can't wait.

Love AJ Pickle

WOW - look at the fireworks, they are fantastic!

The fireworks are fantastic, they are also really, REALLY loud!

Isn't Melbourne beautiful? (I am glad we are back.)

At the Zoo

Today we went to the zoo. We haven't been to the zoo for ages, so it was great to go back and visit all of our animal friends. Some of our people friends also came to the zoo with us - Amelia, Zachary, Graeme, Paula and Bec and Darren. We didn't know what animals to visit first, so instead we headed to the carousel playground.

Eventually we decided that we would visit the seals and watch them being fed. We saw all of our favourite animals; the giant tortoise, the tiger, the elephants and of course, the butterflies. We ran out of energy before we had a chance to visit all of the birds and Australian animals. Hopefully next time we go to the zoo, they will have finished renovating and we will explore some more.

Love AJ and Milli

Happy Birthday Ellen

Even though you live in Japan, we still remember you and your birthday - and of course we always celebrate with chocolate cake.

Today we celebrated your birthday by getting naked (again) and making you a birthday cake. Our cousin Zoe is really good at making chocolate cakes, so she helped us to cook.

We tried to meet health regulations by having a big bath before we began to cook. Although we were clean before we began, we were all chocolate monsters before the cake was cooked. YUM - we love chocolate cake.

We sang happy birthday to you over the telephone, and you are magic and helped us to blow out the candles all the way from gin-Japan!

We hope that you had a fantastic birthday. Next year, we hope to celebrate with you.
Love AJ and Milli

A Day at the Races

Today we went to the races at Flemington with our friends Ella and Taylah. It was our first ever day at the races. We had so much fun, well most of us - Taylah ate too much food and was a little bit sick, so she went home early. Other than that, we still had fun. As well as cheering for the horses as they ran around the track and eat lots of yummy food, there were heaps of other things to do. We could play with the animals in the little farm area, ride ponies, play golf, do paintings or play football!

I think that going to the races is heaps of fun, thank you Ella and Taylah for taking us to the races with you.
Love AJ and Milla

AJ the almost-pro-golfer

Milli the princess

AJ riding his pony 'Pal'

Ella, Milli and AJ watching the farm animals

Kinder Time

Today is Friday, and that means that it is Big Kinder Day. Mum drops me off at Kinder early in the morning and then she takes Milli to music. I stay at kinder all day long, well almost all day long - until 2 o'clock. Sometimes I am a bit sad when mum says goodbye, but not today.

Today mum and Milli came back extra early to play at kinder with me and my friends.

We had lots of fun building towers and castles together. Look at the huge tower that I built with Michael and Darcy, it is huge...even bigger than we are!

Milli did hundreds of paintings.

I had heaps of fun when mum and Milli came to kinder to play, I hope that she will visit again some time soon.

Love AJ Pickle

Babies everywhere.

There are new babies everywhere, it is fantastic.

Renae and Richard are finally parents. They have a beautiful little girl called Georgia Alice. Can you believe it - she is a week old already, and I still haven't met her. Sure they live forever away, and I need to pack a cut lunch (and probably a sleeping bag) to go and visit, but that is no excuse. Hopefully mum will find time next week to take me to visit little Georgia.

Love Princess George

PS - Do you know what is fantasic about all these new babies, well apart from them being totally adorable? Two of them were named after me, Milla George! As well as Georgia Alice there is my cousin Henry George. It is pretty awesome sharing my name with such cool babies!