Merry Christmas!

We are now on Long Island for a visit with Marc's family. Amazingly, we all survived the plane flight (even toddling Georgie managed to sit still for 24 hours, a minor Christmas miracle). We're enjoying catching up with everyone again and enjoying the lights and traditions of a northern Christmas. Owen is beside himself about all the inflatable Santas, snow globes, and lavish light displays. Georgie probably is too, but prefers practising saying "NO" and "DON"T like it".

It's been a wonderful and (at times) challenging year, with many new friends and experiences. God has provided for us very well. We wish you all a wonderful, meaningful Christmas, and a joyful 2008. With much love, the Hildenbrands.

Hair conditioning

Now that it's getting warm, Owen asks us to put on the hair conditioning every time we get into the car. I guess he wants more body and bounce.

We've finally persuaded Georgie to accept a small ponytail in her hair. Her rejection of all hair ornaments was starting to get desperate -- her natural hair has a touch of the mad professor.

Georgie seems to be turning "2" (4 months early). We're getting a lot of push back, scrunched up faces, and inexplicable screaming. She's been such an agreeable bundle, that it's a bit of a shock to have her argue with us! Hope she behaves extra-nicely on the upcoming plane trip to the U.S....

Cup Day

Today is a holiday around here, due not to the US election but the Melbourne Cup (one of the world's richest horse races, apparently). The talk of the town is hats (large hats), fascinators (small hats) and the newly coined "hatinators" (medium sized hats). As we're not really hat people, we took a drive instead to a couple of lovely parks in a leafy part of the city.

The kids had a great time walking beside the Yarra, exploring new play equipment, and gathering leaves and suspicious-looking fruit. Georgie had so many things in her hands she could barely walk. (Notice her delightful hatinator). Owen is almost learning to smile for the camera, but as you can see from the shot below, he has some way to go.

The Melbourne Show

We took the kids to the Melbourne Show yesterday (a GIANT annual agricultural show that's a bit of a big deal around here). Foolhardy? Probably, but no-one got lost or ovewhelmed by the crowds, and we all had a pretty good time. Georgie did keep trying to leave us behind as she sped from exhibit to exhibit, but we're getting good at keeping up with her.

Highlights included the baby animals (lambs and piglets wandering around among us!), the decorated cakes, and the shetland pony steeplechase. We got to go on the train both ways, which is a treat in itself for Owen. And of course we got to eat some junk food (hot dogs! chips!) and get Owen a show bag with real live chocolate in it. He was very impressed.

Happy 4th Birthday, Owen!

We've just come to the end of a week of birthday festivities for young Owen. What with parties at school, playgroup, McDonald's and home, he looked rather jaded by the time it came to blowing out the candles on his 4th cake. Still, he had a wonderful time -- McD's being a particular highlight, what with an amazing playspace and 12 amped up kids. We parents survived too (even enjoyed it a bit), so it was all good.

Humility

In his prayers tonight, Owen asked God to make me (Serena) "righter", praps even right as often as him. He explained that I'd been wrong about something this morning and he would like God to smarten me up.

His favorite saying right now is "I already KNOW that". There's not a lot you can tell him without getting that response. Must be great to be almost 4!

We took a great trip to the zoo today. Georgie was delighted at the number of animals presenting as potential hug-ees (see her photo with the emu below: "But I just want to HUG you..."). Owen was pleased by the monkeys, but probably considered them intellectually lacking also :-).

To the farm!

We took the kids to a city farm today, because Georgie is an expert on farm animal noises. As it turned out, it was a much bigger hit with Owen. He loved milking a cow, feeding a lamb with a bottle, and meeting rabbits, pigs and kids (the goat variety) up close.

Georgie was perpetually frustrated by not being able to hug as many animals as she wanted, but she did get to spend quite a bit of time with the baby rabbits (and we narrowly managed to keep them all from being hugged to death).

Owen has announced that he wants to go back every day which is... unrealistic. As Marc always says, the best child-rearing experts tell us that you can't live at the park.