The Pasha Bulker - Update

I know that the Pasha Bulker the coal ship that ran aground on Nobby's Beach in Newcastle has captured lots of your imaginations as it has here!I went to buy milk and bread and the guy behind the counter was watching the live feed on the Internet of the attempted refloating! So I thought I would update you guys.

If you're interested you can take a look at http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/NobbysBeach.htm although bear in mind that we are nine hours ahead of your so you'll need to time your visit carefully to see anything other than Nobby's at Night!

From the local news...

The bulk carrier that is stranded off Newcastle's Nobby's Beach in NSW has only moved 6 to 8 degrees in the first attempt to refloat the ship.For salvage crews trying to move the Pasha Bulker, high tide was make or break time, one of the cables attaching the ship to a tug snapped and will need to be reattached.

The state's Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said it had moved just 6 to 8 degrees, despite two of the three tug boats pulling the ship operating at 70 to 80 per cent of power.The Minister said the movement was good, especially considering one of the cables connecting a third tug boat to the ship broke.

"So far so good, we're very happy with the progress to date," he said.

Newcastle Port Corporation CEO Gary Webb said earlier that he believed it would be the first of a few attempts to refloat the Pasha Bulker.

"It would have been a miracle if it moved off on one tide, we've always said it may take a number of tides," he said.

"This is a slow and careful process, with heavy wires, surf conditions, and a vessel that for the first time in three weeks, is in a buoyant position where it is trying to float."


Looks like they'll try again during the Friday night high tide around 7pm (10am UK time)

Persistent Postman....

We are amazed that we are still getting gifts and cards for Alfie that require the Postmen to come knocking in the afternoons. We really have been touched with all the kind words, love and gifts that we have been showered with, it's been quite a humbling experience. Hopefully by now you will have received your Alfie announcement card (...thanks JP for sorting the design ...:0) ) although we are still posting them out as things come in. If your announcement card doesn't make it drop us an email and we'll send you another.

Thanks again! Everything you have sent through, brought around or given to us without exception is getting used... unless you bought things for a rapidly growing Alfie to grow into!

2months ... 2 jabs ... throat 2 sore 2 cry!

As Alfie reached two months today he continues to show the same British Bulldog spirit (or should it be Aussie determination) that got him through the early weeks. His progress has been fantastic and the fact that the only thing that is really worrying us at the moment is his awful cold shows how far he's come!

He continues to be all bunged up and finds it hard to feed without gulping air... which has devastating side effects... the stomach pains he gets are a painful warning of whats about to come! He has a cry at the moment that he's using when unsettled which is barely audible his throat is so sore... and he put that to good use today!

This morning we trooped off to the Doctors knowing what was lying in wait! Today Alfie had his injections one in each leg. He has now been immunised against seven diseases many of the same ones that babies are immunised against in the UK, along with some more exotic ones! With Alfie lying on the bed having had his chest, joints, eyes and ears all probed, along came the nurse for the two pronged attack. With mum distracting, daddy holding legs and the Doctor and Nurse having a leg each it was over very quickly. Alfie obviously felt it and did his whimpering cry which blended seamlessly into his "I'm hungry cry!"


"Hi there!"...

Mum knows what's coming...

"Oh a nurse ... hold on a minute, what have you got in your hands?"...

"ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!" ...

"Thats better now where's me lunch?"...

Introducing Barnaby.. Alfie's Furry Friend!

There was a knock at the door yesterday and a special package arrived (no not more of Beth's Internet shopping!)all the way from England from the Cole's family. Don't want to make them blush.. but they are a fantastic family that Beth and I have kept in touch with since our days in Exminster, I guess we have an extra special bond with them and Esme because she was taught by both Beth and I. They created Barnaby (even giving him two hearts! - one inside from Esme one from Evie)kitting him out with bear boxer shorts, shin pads, boots and all the kit ready for a kick about with Alfie.



I think that by the looks of the picture he quite likes his new pal!

Thumbsucker...

We mentioned in earlier posts that Alfie has discovered he has hands, and is now spends most of his time trying to eat them, in fact I think he told you himself! :0)

He can now single out his thumb and suck it independently of the rest, which is useful ... have you tried getting your whole fist in your mouth... it's not easy!



I took this pic on the new camera while Alfie was in mid swing on his rocker using the "Take a picture of your baby while it's swinging in its rocker" Function. It has so many settings that I have no hope of using them all! :0)

Alfie is really crook at the moment with a cold. It doesn't sound like much but is heartbreaking for us (not much fun for him either!)to see him coughing, spluttering, sneezing and hearing is sad little cry. We also have to force feed him Baby Panadol which isn't nice for any of us! Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon, on a brighter note his face has cleared up really nicely.

Some sounds for Beryl!

For those of you following things on http://sled63.blogspot.com you will know that I've been thinking about doing something different for music in the beetle. I wanted to create something to play my iPod music from, the original radio passed away a long time ago, and I'm not a great fan of CD players!



I started by finding the old record player which had been flood damaged and was sadly beyond repair. I stripped out the inside leaving only the sound grille and the turntable as I wanted it to still look like a record player!



I then put out a wanted message on Freecycle. For those of you that don't know Freecycle has groups all over the world and a message board that allows you to offer things to other people or post wanted messages. The only rules are that you are not allowed to take money for any items and secondly they can only be items that would have ended up in landfill sites.

On Monday I received a message from a local man offering the computer speakers and car battery that I wanted, I then bought a battery charger so that I could give it a charge and keep charging it in the future.

Back at home I cannibalised two unwanted AV leads to make a double jack plug for the rear of the speakers and the Ipod headphone socket. Once connected I fastened the record deck back in place with screws and rested the turntable back on top, complete with the VW badge!



I then cut the two pin plug from the speakers and wired in the good ole UK three pin so that I could make use of my old power inverter (used for laptop Djing while camping ... before the need for bigger speakers, lights, smoke machines and lazers necessitated a hook up or generator!)

I then hooked up the inverter to the battery after removing the cigarette lighter fitting and that as they say is that...

Record Player £ 0
Speakers £ 0
Battery £ 0
Plug from Beths hairdryer :) £ 0
Repro VW badge £ Got given it when we bought Stan!
Power Inverter £ Already had one!
AV Leads £ Already had them!
Ipod £ Already had one!
Battery Charger £ 8.32

Total £ 8.32



Was a bit gutted to have spent some money (could have Freecycled again I guess!) but all in all a fairly cheap bit of kit! :)

Check it out...

Son in the Sun!

Under my intensive ICT training regime Beth gets better on her computer by the week. I think that being here has forced her into the twenty first century, embracing modern forms of communication! However with her all new message board log in, lengthy emails, Skype and Facebook page comes risk, Beth has discovered that there are many ways to shop online without even leaving the house. Late yesterday a parcel arrived (not uncommon - normally for Alfie!) and it was for Beth (..but contents for Alfie!)

Look what was inside!




A lack of a dreadlocks wig in the bag suggests that this isn't part of a Stevie Wonder fancy dress costume they are in fact baby sunglasses! I guess we do need to take protecting his eyes seriously (hard to while he's wearing them!!!) ... they are actually looking to make sunglasses part of school uniform here in many schools.

I only have two points to make:

i, "When I were a lad...." I never had sunglasses and the sun was much hotter and shone all the time in those days.
ii, Swimming goggles would have been more useful with the weather as it is at the moment. :0)

SHAKE the RATTLE and ROLL

Well almost...!



Alfie despite hardly being able to breathe what with his stuffed up nose and chesty cough continues to amaze, seemingly learning something new everyday and being mighty proud of it with huge smiles.

In this clip Alfie shows that he has a good grip (hands now much more open and relaxed than before!) with his newly discovered hands. ... Alfie says thanks for the rattle Auntie Tanya! :0)



... interestingly he'll only do it with the right hand. Does this mean he is right handed, both Beth and I are????

On the rolling front we are working on it, he is showing some signs of attempting to roll so we are helping him out a little. We know that he has a few more weeks to go but we are desperately trying to keep up with the Jones' or at least the aBeckett's and Graham's! ;0)

The world according to Alfie...

G'day Blog readers,

Thought I better get off my nappy and type another message for you guys, its hard finding the time in between feeds, nappy changes and sleeps! Well what have been up to ?

Tummy time... argh... what is it with my olds that makes them think that lying face down on the mat is time well spent! ... Makes me madder than a frog in a sock. Although I've now managed to get my neck working so that I can keep an eye on what they're up to!

Smiling - I've tried a few smiles while mum and dad have been around, to be honest waiting until they were out of the room became too much like hard work! They delighted with that, although less so after I wee-ed in their bed!

Growing - I'm working my way through all the things that you lovely people sent me to wear, some are now a little too snug and so I can't wear them because I'm such a big boy. I keep getting taken to see lady adults at a place called Clinic they always seem to be happy and tell me that I'm a good boy for eating up mummy's milk. How do they know?

Hands - I've got hands just like you, found them the other day!

Bathing - Now that I'm a big boy I'm allowed to swim in the big boys bath with mummy which is lovely, she does take up most of the space but makes sure that I'm safe. I've been having a good look at mummy I'm worried that she is missing some body parts!!!! ... I've checked dad while he was in the shower I think he's ok but it was hard to see through the steamed up glass!

Sleeping - Mum and dad did so well rocking me to sleep in the first five weeks that I've given them a little rest. I now go to sleep all by myself, usually after the din of the wind up music finishes ... hey I'm tryin to get some rest here!

Feeling a bit crook - Still got this cold, although I'm not moaning about it! When I cough it sounds real funny and my nose runs all the time. Mum seems to like taking my bogies, although I'm not really sure what she does with them other than show daddy! I've also got a few spots on my face, Dr. thinks that this is normal because my body is breaking down the hormones Mummy gave me when I was born... jeez thanks Mum! Daddy says that Mummy has lots of hormones sometimes and so they might take a long time to go!!!!

Daddy's new baby - I think that daddy has a new baby! He has been talking about it a lot, I think its a girl baby! Mummy doesn't seem that bothered by it and makes a funny face when he mentions it. When he's in the garage with it I hear her shouting (she is very loud!) and sometimes daddy too! I don't think this new baby is as well behaved as me as daddy says that she'll have to go to Garage again, which I think is Clinic for babies that live outside!

That's about it from me..

Lots of love and drooling...
your favourite little Aussie (...even though I say it myself!)

Alfie Jack

Tummy Time...

Those lovely people at blogger have now added video uploading (thanks for pointing that out Marianne and Dave!) so its even easier to add video clips to the page, great news for you as it means more video and saves me heaps of time.

Here's another clip of Alfie in action!

He gets at least five sessions of tummy time each day to strengthen those neck muscles that are important for sitting, crawling and walking. This is particularly important for Alfie as he seems to have several necks (rolls of fat!) covered in long strands of hair to keep them warm (more than daddy but falling out quickly as it rubs away on the bedsheets - we look more alike by the day!) ;0)

This is a good bit of tummy time as he is looking forward from a tummy position with his neck at 90 degrees to the floor - clever boy Alfie!

Splish Splash I was takin a bath....

Having outgrown the baby bath.... head hanging out at one end, feet at the other ....Alfie now has the pleasure of having baths with mum.



It really seems to have grown to like the water and now the only tears we have are when he needs to get out! We need to watch him as he seems to have no fear... quite happy ducking under or taking the odd slurp of bathwater! I'm not sure what grabbed his attention in this clip, maybe the shiny tap? The blue thing floating in the bath is a thermometer which tells us when the water is just right, we got fed up with elbow dipping and conversation that went on for several minutes afterwards "What do you think?", "I don't know what do you think?"

He really focuses on things and has taken a real interest in a coloured patterned square on a quilted blanket made for us by Lou. No matter what mood he's in he always goes quiet, settles and focuses on it! Lou can we have a sleep suit, cot blanket and two T shirts in adults sizes made from the same material please?!?!?! ;0)

Welcome into the World Tilly Dorrington....

Congratulations to the Dorrington family on the birth of beautiful baby girl Tilly. Born on Friday 22nd June she measured in at 9lb 2oz. Mum (Tash - Beth's cousin) is doing well and I'm sure that big sisters Evie and Ruby are excited and helpful already. Olly being the only man in the house you have my sympathy!!

Something to say and the odd fleeting smile!

The video camera has been left out primed ready to record the promised smile! Well the news is we almost managed it... here's a video of Alfie having a chat with mum and dad.

Unwanted landmark....

As you can see from the previous post the Newcastle shoreline still has it's unwanted landmark - the 255m coal tanker the Pasha Bulker - that seemingly ignored repeated warnings to find deeper water to ride out the storm. In the end the flat bottom boat ended up fairly undamaged on a sandbank about 50mtrs offshore. There have been people flocking from all over to get a glimpse of this truely amazing sight and new tourist attraction, you can even buy Pasha Bulker t-shirts!

While we were there today there were several press conferences taking place as well as public addresses to the crowd. I could have taken the opportunity to get Alfie his first TV appearance by holding him up behind the speaker but thought better of it!

I think the plan is to wait for the Spring Tides next week and attempt to refoat her using four tugs, with the Pasha Bulker doing her bit by pulling on her own anchor which will be laid out to sea! We are certainly hoping (as are all local people!) that the ship can be moved and not left to rust away (like a similar ship grounded on another local beach during the last great storm during the 70's), Nobby's Beach is very much an iconic view of Newcastle.

Aunty Carina or is it Dr. Fossaaen?

With Newcastle bathing in some long overdue sunshine we caught up with Carina. She is a medical student working at the Hospital where Alfie was born. Little did she know that on her routine practical experience she would end up immersed in the whole Alfie birthing saga! She was fantastic giving us so much support before, during and after the birth, even when we weren't able to get to intensive care she would be there and come back with a smiling face and the good news of Alfie's recovery. She was able to rub Beth's back when I could rub no more (I lost my finger prints!!!) and fetch, carry and find everything we could possibly need. It's amazing how close you can get to someone after surviving just one momentus day together, we feel like we've known her for ages in fact there isn't much that she doesn't know about Beth (and her parts!!!) but I guess that goes with being a Doctor! Her daily visits during the eleven days spent in hospital were most welcome...



She has certainly shown that she has made the right career choice and we all wish her luck with the rest of her studies and a well deserved safe trip home to Norway after her recent exams. See you again in Newie soon... xxx

Whats doing down under? - It's a hit?

It seems every time we catch up with someone we bore them to tears with all the stuff they've already read about! Checking to see "What's been doing?" has become for some strange people an addiction!

We have now set up a hit counter so that we can see how many people check out the blog, so keep logging on and we'll let you know how many hits we get come the end of July!

Alfie asleep and "arkin" up!

Alfie is really quite animated at the moment and Beth and I are being rewarded with the most beautiful smiles and conversation ... we'd love to show you some of these "butter wouldn't melt" moments but we enjoy them so much that by the time we go to get the camera the moment has gone. We've now got stacks of video footage of Alfie looking bemused into the camera!

Still so not to let you down here are a couple of short clips. The first of Alfie this morning watching me work on the computer... MMMMmmmmm I'm not sure that he was that interested in what I was doing...



... who needs Alton Towers eh?!?! (Australian readers insert "Dreamworld Goldcoast"!)

In this second clip we capture Alfie during one of his rare cranky moments. We have become much better at working out what he wants by interpreting his cries. This one roughly translates as "I was smiling and talking to you.... in fact I was telling you to go and get the camera and all you did was smile back and repeat back to me what I was saying. Now I'm hungry so best you switch off the camera and sort me some milk before I get really angry!" ... or something like that! :0)



... I'm afraid that I have no idea what Beth is trying to say during this clip! :0)

"Where's the rest of it?......."

Beth made me laugh this week as she sat in the bug for the first time. You do get in and seem to keep heading towards the floor before the seat actually comes up to meet you.... it is very low to the ground!

Beth's comment as she surveyed the interior of this piece of automotive perfection was "Where's the rest of it?". It is fairly basic.. no cigarette lighters, air conditioning, drinks holders or even that little plastic tray near the gear stick where all the sweet papers and parking change go!

Cake tasting...

Have to say that apple cake thingy was delicious - maybe that was the surprise!

Well done Beth. I'll keep you posted on the results of further episodes of her cookery program ... "That's right! - Cooking with Beth!"

Clear Up Complete...

The local council have been working overtime for nearly three weeks to clear up the mess after the storm. Today the council took the tree away (or what was left after a neighbour attacked it for fire wood!), it kinda looked strange as we've got so used to it being there.

Domestic Goddesses...

Well two outta three aint bad! Sorry Beth ... no only joking that would be harsh... Delia doesn't cut it!.... "Lets be avin you...!" LOVVL.

Pregnancy affects people in different ways but both in Kel and Kate's case the nest building instincts before birth manifested themselves in home cooking. Delights were often to be had with the girls nonchalantly saying "I baked it..." and predicting that Beth would go through the same phase. I waited in anticipation .... alas nothing!

Until today....

At first there was a rustling of ingredients followed by some muttering about lemons and greaseproof paper... soon the waft of home cooking filled the air accompanied by the sound of Beth delivering her own cooking program (It would appear that the hours taking it easy during pregnancy have paid off!!!). It would seem that while Jamie Oliver uses phrases like "Pucker..." Beth has developed her own imaginative catch phrase "That's right!" So Beth would talk through each stage and finish each sentence with "... that's right!" e.g.: "Put the cake in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 mins.." and say "...that's right!" as she put it in. Not sure its gonna catch on but its a start! Beth seemed really pleased with her efforts and early indications are that the finished product will be edible, although Alfie has already reminded me that he should not be introduced to solids until 6 months and that milk will continue to be a valuable source of calcium for him!



Apparently this taste bud delight is called "Apple Surprise!" ..... I know it has apples in it... but the suprise leaves me worried!



I'll post again after tasting! ...... If all goes well :0)

The new ride...

As Beth and I finally get the final stages of our applications to teach in NSW (having already satisfied the Australian Government with all the same paperwork) , after delays in us waiting for our shipped stuff to arrive, post getting lost and the Alfie factor, we have thought carefully about whether one car is enough. Working from home it is certainly hard to make friends unless you include Dr. Phil and Oprah! Beth is managing to get out and about and so a car is a vital link to the outside world, with me soon dropping everything to do casual teaching (supply!)at short notice I would hate for Beth to have to cancel plans and be tied to the house. A cheap second car would be the ideal solution... can you see where this is going?

We miss Stan (the VW Camper/Kombi Australian readers!)he was also another great way to make lifelong friends. It was only going to be a matter of time before he was replaced (but not forgotten!) Before we shipped out from the UK I had spent literally hours scouring Australian sites seeing what was about but nothing ever really took my fancy... until one day about a month ago I spotted something that was everything that I think a beetle should be, I mentioned it to Beth and we tried to talk each other out of it and thought about why we shouldn't buy it... but it wouldn't go away and at the price when compared to the UK it was too good to miss (we still earn in £'s so we are still converting everything!)

Here she is...



We really got a bit stung with Stan... he needed lots of work from the moment we got him. You'll remember we didn't even ask how long it had on the MOT...two months as it turned out, £1600 later we had another MOT pass! But he was so shiny we said, we promised never to fall for that again... so we bought this beetle without even looking at it!!!! (although I was willing to give up our deposit if it wasn't right for us!)I was going to to travel to Sydney (some two hours away!)on the train but in the end Beth and Alfie helpfully decided to come along as the support crew... she is 44 years old! (the beetle not Beth!)



The journey there was fairly uneventful although as tunnels appeared that had been built since the map was printed we soon came unstuck and was eventually talked in my the guy selling the bug using our mobiles. When I saw the car it was everything I had hoped it would be, fairly standard with the little bits that I would want to do to it already done. I have a fairly strange taste in VW's... I don't go for the super shiny or the modified suped up ones either (Don't even get me started on people who cut the roof off etc!) I like VW's that are fairly standard looking just as they did when they rolled off the production line, I don't even mind if they are showing their age faded paint maybe even the odd bit of (non structural!) rust gets me all excited! I also like them with lowered suspension and improved engines... this car has both... more on that later! People into VW's tend to have their own preferences some go for everything as standard, others for super shiny (.. put it in a garage never drive it put it on a trailer to take to a show so it makes the magazine cover!) I like what has become known at the rat look or "Hoodride." I guess Stan fell in between the two camps, he was never going to win any shows and was that little bit too shiny for the rat look... he was a little bit of nothing really but be loved him!



The guy selling the car took me for a spin and I was breathless... after sitting in 4x4 for three hours sitting in this thing was like sitting in a go kart or sled.. we were soooo low to the ground. Then it was my turn and my journey in understanding all the little pecularities that old cars have e.g.: the windscreen wipers stay on til you stop! I came back we settled up and it was ours... I have called her "Sled63" although she is Beryl Green so maybe she should be known as "Beryl?" I guess one of the names will stick...

Suddenly through all the excitement we realised that we didn't know where we were, I was driving a strange old car through Sydney, we had a six week old baby in another car and the radio suggested that we get home quick as a yet another cyclonic storm with 120km winds was on the way. We headed from the suburbs towards Sydney which we needed to pass through on the way to Newcastle. About an hour later we were in Down Town Sydney, in rush hour traffic and separated. It was good to be back in the city where we got engaged but it was dark, cold, lashing down with rain and we were lost... to make matters worse the drivers door window then fell out! (This arroused little panic as Beth suggested we are now hardened to such things!)While I stubornly battled on with the street map, Beth hopped out and found someone to give directions. As it turned out we hadn't gone too far adrift and we should have taken the clue from "Bridge St" and followed it to find the Harbour Bridge. In pouring rain we sped across the bridge some 100mtrs below where I proposed nearly three years ago! However there was little to see as the rain and spray from huge trucks lashed the window and my face through the now open window!

We were back on the right track, we stopped for petrol (much fiddling here ... never opened a beetle bonnet before!) and that was about it all the way home. The rain stopped and we cruised the two hours home. It was bloomin cold... but I loved every minute of it!

When we got home it was time to navigate the driveway and get the windowless bug into the garage.. easier said than done as we have a slope. With Beth watching the exhaust get closer and closer until it scraped it was back to the drawing board. I then tried reversing diagonally and this worked with mm's to spare. It might well be that I need to raise it a little... I've seen lower but it needs to be practical too! It now sits in the warm and dry garage as I listen to yet more rain pounding on the roof of the house, a luxury Stan never enjoyed! Alfie seemed oblivious to the whole thing, although his face as I started her up was a picture!



Congratualations for making it to the end of this post! I appreciate that to most of you me telling you anything about the car is dull as dishwater, maybe others want to know more (there will be one or two!). Therefore I have created a second blog just for Beryl... if you want more about us, pictures of Alfie and the odd snap of the bug at the beach you're in the right place, if it's me fitting a new window winder that floats your boat check out http://sled63.blogspot.com/ as well! :0)

Is Beth really going to eat Alfie?

While in the office (dining room!) working I started to become distracted with the sound of cooing, slurping, sucking and kissing from the living room. I went to investigate and found a sleeping Alfie (rare during day... 7 hours at night is his record!) being smothered by Beth. They are inseparable at the moment, even had a bath together this evening (Beth says I should have videoed it... not sure it was Blog appropriate!!!!!).

More worrying is that Beth says she could "eat him" and regularly threatens him with the words "Mummy's gonna eat you up!" I've had a word with Alfie and explained that it is because mummy loves Alfie and that this is her way of showing it!

He is a real star and is settling very quickly at night and the days of having to rock him to sleep in your arms before performing the "slide your arm away slowly" trick are long gone ... touch wood!

Indoor Picnic

During a weekend where Mother Nature seemed to throw everything she had at Newcastle for a second week in a row we decided to get together and have an indoor picnic. It was good to be inside and see all the boys (big and little) all in the same place. Matt and Kate had family there too so it was something of a feast! While we were there we managed to get our first snap of all nine of us together.

Its an interesting picture:

1, There is obviously a competition taking place for who has the broadest smile. I think Brett takes it hands down!
2, Is is me or do the little boys look like their dads... same haircuts and everything!
3, Look at how pleased the girls look to have each found such a handsome, caring and sensitive man to share their baby with! :0)



The boys continue to grow and take increasing interest in what each other is doing, which is kinda cute. It was a really relaxed afternoon because so far all three are reliant on adult help to get about, however with both Elliott and Ben starting to practice and perfect the roll busier times are sure to follow!

Saying goodbye to an old friend....

Today we said a sad farewell to an old friend. Bought for Beth for Christmas 2004 it was the perfect and most unexpected gift. Beth had wanted her own digital camera and knowing her own potential to loose or damage things (Not being harsh this is fact!) I didn't go for the most expensive or advanced model... trouble is as she marvelled at the new toy I said that it was "mediocre" what I should have said it was a "lovely camera and perfect just for you!" In Beth's excitement when asked "What did you get for Christmas?" Beth replied "A mediocre camera" and so it always became known as the mediocre camera.

His health over the last year has deteriorated his shutter became lazy and would need to be opened by hand then on one fateful day his zoom became jammed on draining the batteries. Things came to a head last week when we tried to take a picture of Alfie doing something that we thought was amazing and we missed the moment as several pairs of batteries were exhausted before a single picture could be taken. It had to go...

He has survived several drops, rain sodden pockets, the Summer heat of Dubai, the freezing temperatures of Bulgaria (including many Ski ralated falls!), Malaysian boat trips, two stints in Australia, numerous Weddings, Christenings, Birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs and the great flood of Bug Jam 2006! He had a good life...

.... Still life goes on! He has now been replaced by an all singing "not quite as mediocre" model which we hope will mean that we get some good pictures of Alfie to treasure.

Made in England...

You may be an Aussie but just remember you were...





... thank goodness he's not old enough to ask me what this means! :0)

Blogspot Complaints...

I regret to announce that What's doing down under? has received two complaints in the last 48 hours, I would like to respond to both:

Firstly I would like to apologise to my gorgeous and beautiful wife, who makes every day worth while and fills it with sunshine, (lots of points from the Mother in Law!!!)for any upset caused by the "Fashion No Nos: Crocs with Socks" feature and the very thinly veiled accusation that Beth gets a little cranky without sleep. Both posts were obviously in bad taste and I have taken measures to ensure that a repeat cannot happen and appointed Alfie as editor in chief .

Secondly I have been saddened by rumours that Alfie didn't create his post titled "Feelin a bit crook..." himself, there are even some suggesting that it was in fact me who typed it for him! I think that the picture below clears up this matter!

Caption Competition...

I love this picture. Captions on a postcard, stuck down envelope or just post a message. :0)

Hanging Out with his mates...

Alfie likes nothing better than hanging out with his mates. At the moment they have limited potential for getting into mischief, although a close look at these three cheeky chaps suggests that there will be plenty of opportunities in the future! Being that little bit older than Alfie its always great to look at Ben and Elliott and see whats next, although it's hard to think that Alfie will be as big as they are now in about a month!

Backing up the Blog...

In thirteen days time What's doing down under? celebrates its first birthday, it's been a fairly momentous 12months with so many highs and the odd low. Blogger (the company that manage the web logs (blogs!) for free) archives all our old posts, and when we find the time it's great to look back and remind ourselves of great times and also what we have achieved in getting here! We don't want to loose those memories and we also want to be able to share them with Alfie when as grows up.

With so much information stored on someone elses machine we have started to worry about how we would feel if one day we click on the blog and it ain't there!... yes we could start again but everything in the past would be lost. Unfortunately there is no way to save the blog so we decided to print out the lot.... after several hours of paper feeding and printer whirring we picked up the 231 pages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still at least we now have a paper copy to keep safe. We laugh now when we think back to when Beth said "What do you want a blog for?", its an excellent way to keep in touch and we know that people at home appreciate it so it makes it all worth while! It really is easy so give me a shout if you want to get your own started, when Alfie's old enough we'll certainly be encouraging him to start his own...

Feelin a bit crook...

Alfie says...

G'day it's Aflie here, Thought its about time I got off my nappy and updated the blog myself, to be honest I'm getting fed up with all this pommy whingeing about the weather! Yeah it's`been pretty ordinary but you think they'd be used to it! .... Flaming Galahs!!!

To be honest I'm feelin a little crook, think I might have caught a chill while the power was off, dad says its probably man flu and that with plenty of rest I should pull through okay. Until then its plenty of sneezin and greenies outta me snozzer.

Looks like they'll keep me in for a couple of days, so no car trips for a while, I do like the car, okay so it ain't a ute but it'll do!

Daddy sat me up in bed this morning and thought it would be funny to play "Which way's he gonna start to fall?" hey guys I'm not a toy! Although I have had fun playing games with them, "Spit the Dummy," "Watch out for the Wee!" and "Just when you thought I was asleep!" are my favourites.

Better go I'm starting to feel a little thunder down under ...

Your favourite little Aussie Alfie
xxx

PS If you have a BBQ in the next few weeks chuck a shrimp on for me!

Rockabye Baby...

In a desperate attempt to start Alfie's musical education early and avoid nursery rhymes about eggs falling from walls, stars twinkling, spiders crawling drain pies and a boy and girl going to the top of a hill (why was the well at the top of the hill anyway!?!) only to come unstuck carrying the bucket back down ... only joking he has nursery rhymes CD too! ... we bought him some Rockabye Baby CD's. Alfie now settles to a good nights sleep listening to the sounds of Radiohead, U2, Coldplay and Nirvana!... its more Smells like a Dirty Nappy than Teen Spirit but its a start! :0)

Take a listen - Coldplay - In my place (sample)