Our Mama Went to DPCON12...

Our Mama went to the Digital Parents Conference (or DPCON12 for those who know!) and all we got was...

Well there were about a billion other things in the swag that we haven't even had a chance to look at but these were our instant favourites.  We can't wait to log on to Club Penguin again and actually have a real membership to try out, perfect timing for the holidays.  We may just need to hide all of the cleaning products in case mum wants us to try them out too!

Sometimes it is really great that mama goes to all kinds of crazy and interesting places!  I wonder when she will go to another blogging shindig and bring home all kinds of loot for us spend time with all of her lovely bloggy friends?  It is even better when she brings home delicious, or should we say di-licious treats!
Love AJ and Milla

Not really a Tornado!

With a name like Tornado, you would expect a cat to be pretty wild and crazy wouldn’t you?  Well our cat Tornado can be pretty wild sometimes but most of the time he is the snuggliest and most pliable cat in the entire world.  He let’s us move him wherever we want to get him to pose for photos.

Isn’t he the coolest cat in the world!

Love AJ Pickle 

Found Her!

So mama has been really really busy but that isn't always a bad thing, sometimes when she is super busy she does crazy things, like she did last night.  Apparently she couldn't sleep so she got up in the middle of the night and made some choc-chip biscuits.

I think she must be a little bit too tired to think now because she said YES when I asked if I could have one for breakfast before she ran out the door on another crazy adventure to the Digital Parents Conference!

Love Princess George

Missing in Action

So mum is pretty busy these days doing all kinds of crazy things like travelling to India to learn about different communities, training to go trekking in Kokoda again soon, as well as work and all of the home stuff with us.  

The things that she is doing are really cool but we haven't seen much of her this year.  We really hope that all this busy means that she really will get to have some time off in the holidays to hang out with us.

Love AJ and Milla

2IC

I've been promoted.  Look what I was awarded at Cubs tonight - a seconder badge.  That means that I am the second person in charge of Black Six.  Cool huh!

Love AJ Pickle

Second!

27-Mar-2012

Tonight at Cubs I was promoted to Second.  That means that I am second in charge of our six.  It is a pretty big responsibility but I know I am ready for the challenge.

Sometimes, second is a great place to be!

Love AJ Pickle

Celebrating Harmony

How did you celebrate the diversity in your community?  

I went to a picnic where I could share delicious food from all over the world.  The picnic was delicious but even better than the picnic was the face painting.  

How cool is this?

Love Princess George

At the zoo with Sonal

Remember how mum went to India at the start of the year?  Well some of the friends she made in India came to Melbourne to learn and explore.  We were lucky enough to be able to spend time with Sonal at the Melbourne Zoo.

Of course we had to visit the Australian animals to make sure that Sonal had a chance to see them all before flying back to India… 

but mum also insisted that we visit the tigers as she didn’t get to see tigers in the wild when she was in India.  

I hope that one day I can go to India to visit Sonal.  Perhaps we would be lucky enough to see a tiger in the wild.

Love Princess George

What if... Multitasking and a bathroom scenario

Dear Children.

What would happen if you or any other child were to multi-task?
  a)  Would more than one thing actually get done simultaneously? OR
  b)  Would there be mess and mayhem that required even more time and effort to restore?

Ideally option A would be the desired outcome but that would take time, practice and persistence, something desirable to achieve, something that I am happy for you to work on achieving.

Of course some things just aren't meant to be multi-tasked.  For example, you really shouldn't multi-task when using the bathroom.  For starters, it is kind of gross but other than that,  some things take a little more concentration than others, particularly if you are required to stand whilst using the facilities.   Now we could take this one step further and provide a more specific example - you shouldn't try to drink a glass of water whilst peeing.  Not only is it unhygienic, there are likely to be adverse consequences to your actions.  What happens when you concentrate on your aim?  There is a fair chance that you will spill your drink as you concentrate on guiding the stream to the bowl.  Then, if you make it through step one safely, what is likely to happen when you need to shake?  I predict that as you shake one thing, you will shake the other and the inevitable outcome is liquid ending up where it shouldn't be.  Realistically in this scenario, option B is likely to be the outcome and there would be liquid that requires cleaning.  I know I don't like cleaning and I am pretty sure you share that view.

So there you have it Dear Children, I would love for you to multi-task, but not everything all the time.  Some tasks are individual, independent tasks that require concentration.  I would like you to concentrate, cleaning up the mess or listening to me nag as you clean up the mess is not fun for anyone.

This scenario may or may not have happened, but lets set the ground rules now!
Love your Mama

Industrial Cooking

Why oh why does AJ need to wear ear muffs when he is cooking?  

Oh well, I really shouldn’t complain, I should just enjoy the cookies!

Love Princess George

A Special Night Out

Now normally we don't go out at night and if we were to go out, it is really really unlikely that it would be a Sunday night, that is the night that mum and dad try to convince us to go to bed early ready for another week of busy.  When mum suggested that we might go out On A Sunday Night, I knew it must be something really special.

I asked for a hint and the only clue I was given was 'music'.  Hmmm, I wonder what that could mean, where would we go to hear music?  I knew it couldn't be to a Taylor Swift show, my friend went to her show last week and I knew she wasn't in Melbourne any more.  What could we be doing?  I was completely stumped.  I am lucky that AJ was with me, he kept guessing.  It only took him minutes before he guess the answer - I was going to get to go to see Coby Grant again.  That is so much better than going to see Taylor Swift!

I first heard Coby sing when I was little and saw her perform at the Vic Market.  I have seen her perform heaps of times since, I have a copy of all of her albums and EPs and pretty much know all of her songs off by heart.  I have missed Coby, she has been in Europe for ages, impressing the rest of the world with her amazing talent.  I didn't realise that she was back in Melbourne for a little while to record a new EP so when mum said that she was taking me to the studio where she was recording the show live I was crazy excited!

We arrived at the Wick Studios in Brunswick at about 6 o'clock and our timing was perfect.  There was still a big comfy couch free so we had somewhere really comfy to sit, right up the front of the studio and the first singer was performing.  I hadn't heard of Al Parkinson before but I hope that I get to hear her sing again, she was awesome.  We sat on the couch snuggling and munching on snacks.  Charlie, that is Coby's beautiful dog was running around the studio and spent time snuggling on the couch with us too.  After Al sang, Tom Tuena took to the stage and he was really great to listen to as well.  By this stage, it was getting late and Dad and AJ joined us after the Grand Prix and we snuggled together on the couch.

Finally it was Coby's turn to perform.  What can I say other than WOW - I love you Coby!  She sang even better live than I remembered.  I sang along quietly, not wanting to have my singing so loud that you could hear it on her recording, and enjoying every second of the performance.  I especially loved it when Coby sang my favourite song ever - When I Was Young.

It was really really late (well in 8 year old Sunday night time!) and I was so tired that I started to doze off on dad's lap as Coby was finishing her set.  It was beautiful to drift off to sleep listening to such wonderful songs.


I was sad when it was time to go, it meant that Coby's only performance in Melbourne was over and soon she would be going back overseas.  I  know that she will continue to wow the audience in Germany but I really hope she gets a chance to come back to Melbourne soon.

Miss you Coby,
Love Princess George

PS - even AJ had fun, even though he said he wouldn't have fun listening to music that wasn't Classic (bogan)Rock!

Boy's Day Out!

The Grand Prix is in Melbourne again so you know what that means... hanging out with dad and his friends watching the race from an apartment overlooking the track!

My favourite part of the day was the fly-by.  The formation flying was awesome.

Then when the jumbo went by, it was so close you could almost touch it!

Ah, life sure is tough!

Love AJ Pickle

Race Time

So as Milla is at home 'resting' so she can go out tonight, I am out enjoying the noise of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and it is awesome!  I love car races but I have never been to see the Formula 1 before.  A few years ago I did watch the V8s race at Bathurst with Nan and Pop but Formula 1 racing was completely different.

When I went to Bathurst we went camping and wandered around the track area, we even checked out the pits.  Watching the Formula 1 cars race was completely different.  Instead of being down on track level we were in luxury, hanging out on the balcony of a friend's place that overlooked the entire track!

Now this is the best way to watch the F1 Grand Prix!

How cool is it to be able to see and hear the entire race without being smooshed by all the other people wanting to watch the race!  Even better, we had the perfect view for the flyovers.

I really can't decide if I like Formula 1 or V8s best.  Perhaps I had better go back to Bathurst again to help me decide!
Love AJ Pickle

I survived camp :-)

Well I am exhausted from a weekend at camp.   It was good to know that AJ was there but even better to knowing that he had his own friends and that they would be too busy doing heaps of cool things that they wouldn't annoy me!

I had a ball playing on the beach, hanging out with friends, making new friends and sleeping in a tent.  I had so much fun that I want to know when the next camp is.  I think that mum wanted to get photos of me after camp but I was too tired and filthy.  I tried to have a shower but I don't really like cold water showers.  I would love to write more about the fun of camp but mum promised that if I have a rest this afternoon she will take me out for a surprise tonight so I am off to bed!

Love Princess George

My First Cub Camping Trip

Friday afternoon is normally the time that I get to hang out with my friends and run about the neighbourhood playing but not this afternoon.  Instead I was busily checking off the items on my packing list and filling a giant backpack with everything I would need for a weekend camping with my cub pack.

I am only going camping for 2 nights but I am pretty sure that it is going to rain all weekend so I packed more clothes than the list suggested.  I figure that even if I don't get wet and muddy, I am pretty sure I will get changed more than I need to!

I am a little nervous about going camping without my family but I know I will have fun.

Excited and just a little bit nervous!

I am sure that AJ will look after me if I get a little bit sad or lonely when I am on camp.  Even though I won't tell anyone at camp, I am glad that he will be there with me.

All packed and ready to go.

Let's go!
Love Princess George

Riding

It seemed like a good idea to go for a ride on the bmx track.

It also seemed like a good idea to wear my favourite top.  

Clearly I didn’t think about the track being muddy!

Oh well, time for a shower and to throw my clothes into the wash!

Love Princess George