Happy Mothers Day...

For some reason and to add great confusion Mothers Day in Australia is on a different day than that in the UK! Just as well Alfie being an Aussie didn't forget and managed to get Mummy a nice gold necklace, some other gifts and a card. He put me in charge of the catering... I said leave it with me!



Everything was in place, food, portable stove, new gas ready for pancakes on the beach. As Mothers Day dawned it dawned on me it wasn't beach cooking weather. Still we soldiered on making the best of some typical UK weather by cooking out in the open!



Mum had a good day, made even more special for the decision to postpone my football match in the afternoon!

Two years on...

A couple of weeks ago we returned to the John Hunter hospital for a two year check up. When Alfie was born he was lucky enough to be invited to take part in an ICE trial. The trial was to research the effects of cooling the body of trauma victims. Often adults who suffer trauma are cooled to limit the pressure and swelling on the brain which can occur up to three days after the event. Alfie spent three days in his chilled crib.

The hospital are now following up with babies that were offered cooling on those that were not. Alfie spent a good two or three hours. He was physically checked as well as tests to check his development in many different areas. He seemed to quite enjoy the puzzles to solve and the games he had to play. He also had to look at books pointing to specific objects and do some role play with cups, spoons and blankets etc. Beth and I were willing him to correctly answer the questions. We really wanted to help him out particularly when the words used in the questions were not those we use at home. He doesn't know what pants are but understands trousers (... we speak Queen's English here you know!)

He seemed to come through with flying colours. We were actually very surprised with some of things he could do when not asked by either of his parents!!! While we do not have the detailed results we were relieved to hear the words "normal," which when you consider his start in life is nothing short of amazing.

An update...

It seems that everytime I get around to posting on here that I start with an apology for not updating much. The Ivey household continues to be a very busy one with both Beth and I out working full time and Alfie continuing to enjoy family day care (... just as well!) Our days now start around 5:50am with the car running, loaded and ready to go by 6:50am. We try to let Alfie sleep as long as we can and so sometimes he is whisked from his bed in dressing gown and slippers!



Beth has been working with me at school all this term and has been given a contract for the remaining six weeks. The money is certainly useful and we are hoping that this block of work will allow us to build the extra room on the house. It's been quite strange to be working at the same school again, not that we actually see each other for anything other than the drive up and back!

On other school related news the school has announced that it will be making four of the ten teachers currently working on contracts permanent. Applications, presentations and interviews will follow before July. Getting a permanent job here in Australia would be a huge coup and could make our break our life down under. All I can say is, with hand on heart, that I've given everything in my eighteen months there. I hope that I will be rewarded for that... keep your fingers crossed and watch this space!

Birthday Party ...

It would seem that every time we invite people around to our place we get some typical English weather, and Alfie's birthday was no exception. Luckily for us we had already decided to celebrate his birthday at a local indoor soft play centre.

The adults and kids all seemed to have a great time. Adults enjoying some relaxation time, coffee and food, while the kids were happily playing. The adults even managed to get on some of the equipment, only to supervise the children you understand!!!! The big kids and Liam and Joel also managed to get kitted up for the climbing wall.

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With hindsight it was a great venue, as it meant we could do all the things we wanted to do, and not have to worry about the food and/or the clearing up. Beth made a great job on the fairy cakes... the kids did a great job polishing them off!

Happy Birthday Alfie ...

Alfie had quite a second birthday with a continuous stream of gifts arriving on the doorstep. There was a definate wheels theme with most gifts encouraging Alfie's love of anything with wheels, more than that the Disney Pixar film Cars has become something of a favourite, with now daily showings, and so there were many "Kerchow"s from Alfie during the day as he unwrapped his gifts.

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We would like to thank everyone near and far for their gifts. He is certainly a very lucky and much loved little boy!

More Wiggles...

Thought I better have a catch up on the blog. As I mentioned earlier we've been very busy. A couple of weeks ago Alfie had a second taste of the Wiggles, this time in our home town. This venue had no seating and so with everyone sitting on the floor (and Daddy at work!) there was plenty of space to dance and Wiggle. This time Ben and Elliott came along...


... to the left ... to the right!



... robotics!



... put your hands up!



... Alfie reacts to the suggestion that its not a real octopus!

Alfie month by month...

We've been really busy with both Beth and I out working full time. We woke up on Wednesday morning and thought we had been burgled... then we realised that the room looked just like it did when we went to bed on Tuesday night!

I'll upload a slide show of Alfie birthday pictures soon... until then here's an update of the Alfie month by month album.

Drinks...

On the Thursday we had a rare family meal out. Its always something of a worry where to go for something to eat with a nearly two in tow! You do worry that you'll get seated next to the couple out for a quiet romantic meal for two! As it happened Alfie was great and enjoyed tucking into his fish and chips, he was also made a special "small" chocolate milkshake, I guess small because it only contained four cookies and two scoops of ice cream! He quickly attached himself to the straw and didn't release until finished... he then tried to scoop out the bits on the glass with his straw!!!





Mum and Dad took advantage of the half price drinks on offer during the Happy Hour before the short walk back to the hotel.

Taronga Zoo...

On Thursday Alfie had his first trip to the Zoo and had a great if tiring day at the Zoo. After sleeping in til gone 8am (exhausted from Wiggling the day before!) we managed to get up and moving to catch the ferry to the zoo. It was a lot quieter than I had expected and a lot more relaxing than my previous experiences of leading up to thirty kids around who want to know when lunch is and when they can go to the shop!

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I wouldn't like to say which animal was his favourite but he did join in with the monkeys. He also liked the Bird and Seal shows. A great family day...

Sydney Harbour...

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Alfie was quite taken with his ferry ride across Sydney Harbour which we took to get to the Zoo, so much so that he wanted his return trip right away!

Hotel on Darling Harbour...

We managed to find some serviced apartments in a great position on Darling Harbour. They had everything we needed, even a dishwasher and laundry. More importantly the room also had a sliding door to the bedroom which meant that Beth and I didn't need to sit motionless in silence with the TV off while Alfie went off to sleep



We saved a heap on the going rate by using our Entertainment Book. Most schools seem to sell the Entertainment Books as a fundraiser with the school getting a cut. The book is filled with vouchers giving you discounts off almost everything you can think of. The book is valid for a year and costs $60, but we have already saved far more than that so well worth it!

The Wiggles...

We've just returned from three action packed days in Sydney. Primarily the main reason for going there was to see the Wiggles which are something of a phenomenon here in Australia and most other places around the world too.




We went down for the Wiggles with Ross, Sara and Noah, and had a great time. It was pretty busy around the theatre and parking was tricky so we dropped of the better halves (Bonus points eh Ross!) and the kids and went off to find a park, which we managed to do without too much trouble, although the sight of two grown men (one wearing a Lightening McQueen backpack!)with no children in sight was slightly concerning.



Here's a flavour of what the Wiggles are all about...

Onwards...

I'm often asked "Why Run?" It's a good question that I try not to think about too much. I'm really enjoying my running again, going off to explore new places and get the whole family out of the house. Beth went for a run too and we took turns in making the workout that much more difficult by pushing Alfie in the stroller! On today's run I had a wonderful run through a conservation area, over boardwalks, bridges, rocks and stones. Not really sure where I was going, just taking the next track and running ... Onwards! A little like this up coming Nike ad. Enjoy...


Onwards from akqa on Vimeo.

Any likeness between me and the yellow fella is coincidental!

Swimming...

We took a trip down to the local swimming pool this week, slightly worried about the crowds of kids that might be there during the Easter holidays.

... we needn't have worried!

Cheeeeeeeeeese!

Here are some pics of Alfie in the bath, performing a "Cheeeeeeese!" for the camera...



Here he is showing his serious side...

Running ...

With dad trying to get fit in preparation for some more running races and something of a mid life crisis in 2010 (more on that soon!) there has been plenty of exercise going on. It has become slightly infectious with Beth and Alfie all coming along for Beach front runs and walks. Alfie has also keen to hit the exercise mat and do some sit ups with Daddy, much to Mummy's amusement.

In his first race he came a disappointing third but did give his opponents a healthy head start.



... note the "all hands" running style inherited from Daddy!

The Easter Bunny...

The Easter Bunny came Down Under and delivered some tasty treats.



Alfie now associates all rabbits, or bunnies as he calls them, with chocolate...

Down on the farm....

Last weekend we went to Oakvale Farm with Ross, Sara, Noah and the twins. It was a great experience with animals and children in all directions! Alfie seemed quite taken with the animals showing very little fear of any animal regardless of its size or danger factor... thank goodness the snakes were behind glass!

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Considering the amount of hand feeding and patting that was going on he was lucky to escape with only a small altercation with a Goose to his name... he seemed quite bemused as the Goose pecked away at his jumper! We also managed a tractor ride, some Koala patting and some very exciting rides. A great family day out with the Murdoch clan.

Alfie Month by Month...

Good Friday...

We had a very Good Friday after we got up and loaded the bikes for a bike ride. We rode for about 6km before taking a little walk. It was good to be out and about spending some time together. Alfie seemed to enjoy the ride this time, helpfully wobbling from side to side on the way back...











On the way back we stopped for a deserved Coffee and Cake.

Hopefully there will be lots more pictures of family times over the coming weeks...

Hill to Harbour...

A couple of weekends ago I ran in the annual Hill to Harbour race along the beautiful foreshore in Newcastle. There were about 3,000 runners and I came in a very encouraging 150th. I had only two full weeks training under my belt as well as the on going Ross River Fever so I was pretty pleased. I was however beaten my a colleague from work who runs very similar times to me. The score now stands at 2-2 in races, so I need to step it up!!!

We can be seen here to the left of the screen (at around 17 seconds from the start!) on the footpath (blue vest and white vest) avoiding the crowds in this video clip.

The winner of the race started off racing - and winning - the half marathon (21.1km) before being motorcycled back to join starters in the 10k race. He promptly won that as well in a tick over 32 minutes, two and a-half minutes ahead of the next best. An amazing effort in anyone’s books!

Click here for a Picture of me ... poetry in motion at 4km!

Welcome to the World Lucinda Nell aBeckett...

Congratulations to Kate and Matt on the birth of Lucinda Nell on the 31st March. The essential additional stats for women readers, us guys happy with baby, sex and name, are weight 2.96kg, length 50cm, birth process in Kates words "... easy. I feel like I haven't been through enough to have a baby."

She has been born in to a wonderful family with two fantastic parents and a great little brother. Nice one guys...



... PS: going for the second is now very much the fashion for those in our Antenatal class, so watch this space!

Bye Bye Jacob...

This week we said a sad farewell to our "Pom Palls" Marianne, Dave and Jacob. We met them while attending Antenatal Classes over two years ago and have been firm friends ever since. It has been great having some other Brits about to reminisce about the Mother Country, and marvel at the wonder and weirdness of Aussie culture! With Dave's contract completed in Newcastle they are relocating back in the UK before another adventure starts for them in Sweden!



Jacob (back) was driven to the airport by Alfie... Ben came along on the roof to wave goodbye!

We wish them all the best with the move and the new bubs on the way! We will miss them, but will stay in touch so that we can catch up with them sometime in the future.

Hunter Valley Grammar School...

Today is the first day of the two week Easter Holidays (End of Term One) and time to take a break and do some blogging. The school year in Australia starts in January and ends in December, which makes things slightly easier... no September starts here! I'm still at Hunter Valley Grammar School and enjoying my second year. I have met some great people and enjoying my teaching again.

I'm still on a year to year contract but have recently been given a Management Position until the end of the year which is a step in the right direction for me. If I have any regrets in my life they are that I gave up a promising career in the UK and had to start all over again with a new system. Whilst getting a Permanent Position is my ultimate aim things are certainly looking up on the job front.

Alfie is now registered to start there in a seemingly distant 2013 but will also attend the Pre School from July next year!

Hmmmm....

This picture of Alfie at day care was sent to my phone last week and provoked some household discussion....



Most other people I showed reactions ranged from cute (... females!) to scary (... males!)

Hornets Humbled ...

On another warm night in Newcastle the curtain came down on another Netball season and so to the hope of back to back championships. In a season littered with bitter rivalries between umpires and players repeating last seasons first place was always going to be a challenge. In the final the Hornets played out a game against last seasons finalists and friends. However it was not to be and the Hornets went down by ten.

The Hornets look to take next season off and take stock, although rumours that the GS and GD have hung up their bibs for the final time to concentrate on "proper sports" can not be confirmed nor denied.

by Jock Strap
Newcastle Evening Post

Bathtime Fun...

As I mentioned earlier we've had Liam and Joel over the last two weekends and they did a great job entertaining Alfie. He thought bathtime was much more fun with two nephews to share the tub and toys.

Breakfast with Buddies...

It seems like ages ago now that the old crowd got together for a breakfast one Sunday morning. Its great that the kids are starting to interact with each other and enjoy each others company (... in the most part, Alfie is happy to share most things unless wheels are attached!) Ross and Sara ventured out and found plenty of willing volunteers to hold those new babies...



... Ben in the ball pool.



... Noah takes it easy or is he stuck!



... Alfie looks on!


... Come ere often?


... on the inside looking out!



... Who us???

Alfie Month by Month...

The Hillsborough Hornets...

It's finals time again for the Hillsborough Hornets, with our Semi and Final on Thursday. We've had a fairly good season only giving up points for a forfeited game we were unable to make and the game the other week when we walked off after half time when things got too rough ... I kid you not! Don't be fooled by the pink bibs! This week looks like we'll play that team again so expect fireworks!



It's pretty much the same faces as last seasons Championship winning team with fine stand in performances from Josh, Mel, Rosco (Former Australian Mixed Netballer!) and Julie. Wish us luck... this looks like our last season for a while so we hope to go out on a high.

What's doing down under?

What's doing down under? you may ask, well the obvious answer is quite a bit, so much so that finding the time, inspiration or motivation to write about it has been a challenge. Here are my list of excuses...

Excuse One: Beth has been pretty much been working full time with me at school and this has meant some very early mornings and late nights. We were often carrying a very sleepy Alfie to the car at 6:45am to get him to childcare for 7am, before doing an about turn to get to school before 8am. School is a good thirty five minutes away and so it's something of a mission, to get everyone up and out of the door, fully dressed with everything they need for the day. having said all that the money is very useful...

Excuse Two: The blogging has also taken a backseat after our camera expired on us. We were lucky to have been loaned Amy and Mitchell's but having seen at first hand the abuse that ours is subjected to we were hesitant to make too much use of it! We found out today that our camera will be resurrected soon and so something like normal service will resume. In short pictures tell a thousand words or so we are told, and with little time and my slower than slow typing speed factored in blogging has become non existent.

Excuse Three: Weekends have also become something of a blur with all the stuff that Beth does during the week (... pretty much everything around the home!) being left until the Saturday. Football training has started and we've had a couple of great house guests in the shape of Liam and Joel for the last weekends. Busy, busy, busy...

Excuse Four: Ross River Fever. Its back and as bad as before, which is about par for the course, it hangs around like glandular fever. Not much fun and without a conventional cure or treatment, so I'm going to try and get some herbal medicines that I've been recommended. I'm constantly tired, lethargic, lack patience and sleepy.... some would say these symptoms are hard to spot in my case!

Having heard all the woes of the Ivey World that here are some much needed updates and a promise to post more often....