Joyeux Noel 2012!

Papa and mama gave Luca a baseball glove and ball - yay!  His favourite present was a set of duplo from Ah Ma and Ah Kong which was a little market stall and truck with vegetables and a cat.  Also a Jemima dolly from Father Christmas who now goes everywhere with him.

Annick's favourite present was access to all the wrapping paper and empty boxes.

Jason received this handy wine preserver from Khim and Michael for all those times when we don't finish the bottle of wine.  One day it will happen!  And we will be ready!

A beautiful book of La Fontaine's fables from Nonno.

Poor Annick, Luca wouldn't let her look at the beautiful music box from Nonna.  So it begins.

Ah Kong and Luca have a cheesy Christmas portrait!

There was only a bit of food.

The now traditional roast pork and potatoes.

Ee Kiong koo and Aunty Jess try not to make Annick cry.

It was silly hats all round!

Ho ho ho!  Merry Christmas!

Annick 32 weeks, Luca 31 months

Little poppets.

Annick:
- more sickness, poor little lady, including what we thought was measles but turned out to be roseola
- didn't poop for three days then pooped six times in one day
- shakes her head 'no' all the time (admittedly does not actually mean 'no' when she is doing it)
- shrieks of delight, particularly indoors
- Grabby McGrabby
- likes eating paper

Luca:
- learning to swear like Capitaine Haddock - "Tonnerre de Brest!"
- comes out with sentences like, "Luca sit in the carosse, the babylady goes in mama"
- very taken with the sparkliness of Christmas and particularly fond of trimmed Christmas trees and street decorations
- sometimes dribbling, sometimes not
- likes singing and dancing!

Annick asleep in the Ocah.

I was at the market with her on my back selecting some apricots when an African woman appeared at one side and a Chinese woman at the other.  The African woman laughed and said, "You are carrying your baby African style!  So you can work easily but your baby is always close and can hear your heartbeat."  The Chinese woman plucked at the fabric and said, "Doesn't she get hot in there?"

I would say that this was demonstrative of cultural differences in raising children, but that would probably be specious.

Caucasians usually ask me whether it is hard on my back.

Annick deals with the NHL strike in her own way.

Luca gets down with the watercolours!  By the end, admittedly, everything was just 'black'.

I think she has enough toys.

Luca and papa enjoy the newly upholstered sofas!

Luca enjoys his first ever icy pole/popsicle.  Well, he looks like he's enjoying it but I think he thought it was a bit too cold and didn't eat it in the end.  Just licked it twice and said, "tastes good!"

Just because she's beautiful.

And so is he.

Making coffee with papa!

Waiting for her avocado toast and short mac at Caffe e Torta.

Luca's favourite thing - watching Playschool!

This week, a sibling special:

Reading together.

Sharing coco bongs.

Playing together.

Even more reading together.

Bathtime together.

Cantaloupe together.

Annick 30 weeks, Luca nearly 31 months

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Annick:
- pushing herself up onto her hands and knees!  And in the process moving backwards.
- sick :(
- sprouted her two front teeth
- standing well with support!  She may have been able to do this weeks ago, but I forgot to check until now
- much like a cat, zeroes in to whatever you are reading, then sits on it and cleans herself with her tongue reaches out to grab it for the purpose of eating it

Luca:
- also sick :(
- a little translator - say something to him in French he will do an impeccable translation into English.  But not the other way round.
- favourite song at the moment: Jolene
- favourite words at the moment: 'voila!', 'Christmas tree', 'this one'
- new big boy bed!

Annick is still enthusiastic about getting stuff in her mouth.

Another heartwarming sibling photo.

A rare all family photo!

Annick has spent much of the last fortnight with a booger sticking out of one nostril.  Or sometimes both, when particularly ambitious.

She has also been doing this!

And this!

Luca got a brand new bed!  He's only fallen out of it one time.

Mama's baby jewellery, the Next Generation

Sippy cup!

Luca helps mama put together IKEA furniture.  Might as well teach him how to do it early.

Luca and papa read Tintin on the NEWLY UPHOLSTERED SOFA.

Hello there

I think you'll find these spaghettis are mine, Ah Ma.

Luca makes gingerbread - "like Maisy!"

Rolling out the dough.

Making the pretty.

Miam!

Ah koo, Aunty Jess and Luca make decorations for the tree.

Annick does a pre-test of the pearl garlands, you know, just to be sure.

Luca Chan - tree coutourier.

We go to Scienceworks!  Luca manoeuvres the digger.

But his FAVOURITE BIT was the pretend cafe and espresso machine.  JUST LIKE PAPA.

Afterwards we had fish and chips on the Williamstown foreshore, next to the cannons.

And went to look at the boats in the marina.

Twinkle twinkle