Christmas Day ...

Well that's it for another year, all that planning, preparation and spending and its gone in a flash. It's always such an enjoyable time of year but it does leave you (... well me anyway!) feeling a bit flat afterwards.



Alfie certainly seemed to be more aware of what Christmas was all about, from a present opening point of view anyway. I think that Santa may need to conceal any presents he drops off early a little better next year!!!



Christmas day started around 6am with some present opening and then breakfast. Alfie seemed to want to play with each present as it was opened and so the gift unwrapping stretched long into the day and was finally completed on Boxing Day.



After an early sleep (... for everyone I think!)it was off to Matt and Sharron's for an Al Fresco Christmas dinner which we finished as the first drops of rain started to fall (... its been raining ever since!!!). It was great to catch up with Beth's family and this year was made even more special with the arrival of Sharron's parents from the UK. 2010 could well be an Ivey family Christmas ... so watch this space!



Far too much food and drink was consumed (... I think I put on 3kg in two days!) but the leftovers are being worked through and the fridge has something of a normal appearance again.



Alfie has a new bike which he seems to have taken to. It somehow managed to cost more than any bike I've ever owned, but it was worth it for the smiles. Here is the test drive ...



Beth ended up with some clothes that she can actually fit into, a new phone and some other bits and bobs, while I ended up with a much needed new drill and some budgie smugglers, kick board and goggles as I want to get into some swimming!

We hope that you all had a fantastic Christmas. We would like to thank everyone for their gifts and cards that have made the arrival of the postman on his scooter a most welcome sight in the afternoons.

Next year with another Aussie Ivey to buy for we're asking people only to buy for the kids if they feel the need as it just gets so expensive. We thought we'd ley you know now as we know that some of you will have started Christmas 2010 shopping already!!! Only 363 shopping days to go... ;0)

Christmas Eve ...

With a less than seasonal weather forecast looming (... I can hear the tears from the UK as I type!) of wet weather for three or four days as the tail end of a tropical storm tracks through we decided to head out to the beach.








We had a scramble on the rocks, did some digging in the sand and jumped some waves. The Aussie Christmas still takes a bit of getting used to... its thirty plus degrees outside but there are still inflatable Snowmen and the signs of Winter everywhere! But where ever you are this Christmas we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Happy Familes ...

This Sunday we were all dressed up with somewhere to go - to see Santa! Before setting off we decided to take some family pictures... just as well because getting pictures with the Christmas man proved slightly more problematic as our turn at the front of the queue synchronised perfectly with Alfie's less sociable needing a sleep time... we might try again later in the week!


... surely one of us would have to go home to change!! This picture followed several minutes of "Thats my shirt!" ... "No its's my shirt!"



... out in the garden with Mummy, Nanny and Gramps!



... Me and Mummy!



... Mummy, Daddy, Bump and me!

It's in the post ...

... Christmas cards are sent on their way!

Now you see me ...

... now you don't. Hide and seek a timeless classic... maybe we should have bought Alfie a pile of scatter cushions for Christmas?!?

Hair today ...

.. gone tommorrow. A rare hair cut for Alfie this week. He was pretty good once we got him on the chair and got the basket of toys out. Much smarter for Christmas. What do you think?

CHEESE ....

Camera appears .. out comes the smile!

Beach Bum and Mum...

Here comes the Summer...

Active Alfie...

With two extra people around to entertain Alfie is very active at the moment, keeping everyone on their toes... out playing in the garden or inside being crafty... happy family times.


... Play Dough!

... Scooter!


... anyone for tennis?

Mummy's little helper ...

You've already seen how Alfie was able to assist (... term used loosely!) in the hanging of lights outside with the help of a 30ft ladder... which apparently is a man's job (... Beth is excused this year!) Well it would seem that arranging the tree is certainly a woman's work although Alfie did manage to get in on the act.



Again there was much excitement and cries of "WOW!" from Alfie as each box was unpacked.



.. one set of lights failed to work but it wouldn't be Christmas otherwise! ;0)

Christmas came early ...

With Summer Holidays approaching it was time to start winding down, spark up the BBQ and have a beer or two.



Nan and Gramps presented some early Christmas presents and if Alfie's reaction was anything to go by then his second Christmas will certainly be a memorable one.



It was actually good to sit outside to eat at the end of a very hot day in the low forties. It was a rare day with the air conditioners on for us... The weather has been very changable of late ... today was wet and about twenty degrees cooler!

The Log Cabin...

Alfie is developing quite an imagination and is always wanting adults to get involved with his games. A favourite trick at the moment is to remove all cushions from the sofa, collect up all the pillows from beds and put them on the floor to roll on! However yesterday we decided to act out the three little pigs ... however as the Big Bad Wolf (played by moi!) I was unable to huff and puff and blow down this construction!

Alfie Month by Month ...

Deck the Halls ...

With Christmas approaching faster than Santa on his Sleigh it's time to get those Christmas decorations up... luckily for me I have Daddy's little helper.



... Just got to find the one bulb that doesn't work!



... Thats my dad up the ladder I know.........



....... I'll hammer the ladder!



... Too me ... too you Daddy!


... Can we fix it ... yes we can!

Nan and Gramps Walker ...

It seems that I start every blog post with the words "Sorry its been so long but we've been busy..." and this one will be no different. Its been fairly flat out in the Ivey household for the last ten weeks or so. Beth worked all of term four at the local school up the road, I've obviously been at my school while Alfie has made daily trips to family day care. Not an ideal situation but as Beth nears the end of the pregnancy, the extension plans being with council and Christmas around the corner the money has sure come in useful.

Today is Beth's last day, I have a couple of days at school on a course to go and then that's it for the year. We can look forward to Christmas and a long Summer Holiday.



Something else we were looking forward to was the arrival of Nan and Gramps. It's certainly great to have the extra pairs of hands around the place, particularly when number two comes along in eight weeks or so! Alfie seems to have picked up where he left off with them, taking advantage of extra play partners. I know that he will appreciate them being here as much as we will.

Bumpwatch...

Due to popular demand here's a 28 week bumpwatch update.



A very hard working and tired Beth says

"I'm feeling pretty good and the baby is kicking lots."

Alfie Month by Month ...

Here's an update of Alfie's Month by Month slide show.



Its scary to think how fast he's growing up... we actually received an email about him starting with me at school next year. We decided to put his start off in the Pre- School until January 2011 as Beth thought it would be nice to have Alfie and Jnr at home together for a while!

Bar Be Gone ...

With the arrival of the Walkers from the UK within the next two weeks preparations are under way to transform what has become the Bar back into a bedroom, also much further down the line (... after the Walkers have vaccated the room I might add!) the room will be demolished as part of the extension in the new year. Therefore we are currently packing all the bar bits and bobs into boxes ready for storage!

Here's a little slideshow of the bar before it moves...



The bar is something of a collection of tat collected since we've been here, the odd painting and alcohol of course. A lot of the furtniture we've picked up from roadside collections after skidding to a halt and reversing. Only a couple of weeks ago we stopped to pick up another peacock chair! When the extension is complete house guests and drinkers will be treated to much larger accomodation in the room which is now our bedroom... Alfie's room will also become our office which will leave our back room looking much less like Steptoe's Yard. That's the plan anyway...

Hot Hot Heat ...

As I sit here and do this blog entry (... not something you've done much of recently I hear you cry) a breeze blows softly across the keyboard! Sound perfect you might think!... well this breeze feels like one leaving an oven that I've got my head inside! Things have been a little on the warm side for the last few days as warm air gets sucked out from the interior towards the coast. We've had three days with temperatures in the low forties! For the most part we've opened up the house and had the ceiling fans whirring! Alfie's had his air conditioner on for day time sleeps but that's about it. As I type Beth is in the shower making those strange noises that people make when the water gets really cold!



With all this heat there has been no better weekend to catch up with Amy and Mitchel our neighbours, something we've not done for a while. We had a splash in the pool followed by some BBQ'ed lunch. Alfie seems to be gaining in confidence in the pool, so much so that he's now more of a danger to himself as he has the perception that he can swim on the surface, or more often than not under water!



Here is a weather related article from the Sydney Morning Herald. There is a cool change on the way tonight however which will make Monday twenty degrees cooler than today! ... this coincides with my day at the beach with my class lifesaving ... typical!



... Alfie makes friends with a Preying Mantis!



... Budgie Smugglers... quite fetching!

Masters Games Photographs...

I always check out race pictures, I'm usually moving so fast that simple point and shoot cameras fail to capture the poetry in motion! I was therefore delighted when Beth told me that she had managed to point me out to an official photographer at the event, who then with dollar signs flashing in his eyes set about capturing my every move.

After a couple of weeks checking the photographers website and finding nothing (... I think that the website couldn't cope with the numbers having a look!) I was chuffed to see so many of me. If the guy who won the race takes a look at the gallery and sees the two pictures of him, he'd certainly be left wondering who on earth this other guy with the glamorous wife was.... I had fifteen to choose from!

Here are the three that I ordered which turned up today...



... Nice and relaxed!



... Nothing nice here!



... All smiles!

Run for Research....

Another busy weekend passes us by! It all started on Saturday with a trip to the Gym ... no not more Ivey rabbiting on about fitness... this time it was Alfie's turn. He is going back to Gymbaroo this term on Saturdays with daddy. He got off to a good start and joined in with most of the activities... we were actually pleased considering how tired he was from cousin Joel's birthday the night before which resulted in lots of running around, a late night and a very tired little boy.

The rest of Saturday was taken up with gardening, grass cutting and food shopping and those other things that need to be done like clearing out the kitchen cupboards and finding all the lids to the plastic containers ... I kid you not!!

On Sunday it we were up bright and early... although it was more early than bright as rain threatened. We went along with Alfie, Amy and Mitchel to the AVON Race for Research in town. This years 5km race attracted over 3,000 runners and walkers to raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer.



... Amy and Beth set off from the back of the back and were last at one stage... although with encouragement from Alfie, a lengthy stride from a pregnant Beth and Amy scuttling along behind soon saw them move through the crowd. Alfie was interested in checking out all the other strollers and dogs along the way before sitting back for an in-flight movie!!!




... a strong finish!



Mitch and I managed to find our way to the front at the start and therefore had a much clearer route. Mitch will regret being introduced to some of my running buddies who dragged him around on a few warm up laps of the park. Mitch said that he thought the first 1km was for warming up!!!



... I ran most of the way with my mate Dave who finished in 3rd place in the Seniors category (over 50's!) I was fairly pleased with my time compared to the same distance on the track. Rumour is that the route was about 300 metres too long and it did turn out to be quite a warm morning .... Enough excuses for now! ;0)



A great day for a great cause...

UPDATE...

The results are in I finshed 20th while Beth and Alfie finshed a very impressive 676th, an impressive placing out of the 3000+ runners when twenty four weeks pregnant and pushing a stroller!