Peer Pressure

Hi there, If you've popped across here because you've clicked the link in Lisa's post today under the misguided impression that you were going to be taken to a site all about Australia's vast beauty and desolate nothingness then I'm pretty sure the first post you see shouldn't contain huge amounts of ranting about the fact that my son wont poop so I thought I'd better get something else on here quick smart!

If you have come across from there please make yourself at home and start cleaning up a bit, the washing needs to be taken out of the machine, the dishes need to be loaded in the dishwasher, and the lounge room needs a good clean... leave a comment.  I'm pretty okay with most of this blogging stuff but I just can't figure out that stat counter thingo and how to tell who came from where and all that sorta stuff so please say hi, even if you are so scared by my rantings that you are never ever going to return.

If you would like to know about Australia might I point you here to see some of our local wildlife.  If you would like to learn the language my Australia Day posts from last year and this year may totally confuse you help you out.  Info on crocodiles that may or may not be accurate can be found here and here.  Feel like being thankful you don't have our spiders?  then go here.  Want to meet some more of our wildlife and find out about our day to day interactions with them? then this is the post for you.  One last little known beast that calls Australia home can be found here.

So, I hope you have fun finding out about our beautiful country.  One exciting piece of news is that we seem to have a man eating bird making his home in our back yard.  We are strangely excited by this.

Here's the big boys pointing to him (what? he's a man eating bird, not a boy eating bird!) under our poor little mango tree.

and here is a really rather dodgy close up of him.  He looks ferocious doesn't he?

So, kick aside the dried up bodies of our beautiful native green tree frogs and Barra frogs that have managed to get inside the house and not back out again (or perhaps had their insides turned into milkshakes and sucked out by those freaky spiders) and pop out onto the back patio to check out the lucky one that I rescued this morning, lovingly removing the dust bunnies from him and leaving him sit in a little dish of water to revive... or possibly leaving him sit in a dish as a meal for a snake.  (this link will bring up all the other snake related posts for you... you're welcome).

So, I'm sure this was all a part of some devious plan by Lisa to get me to do a new post and I have given in to the peer pressure by recycling all the old stuff and disguising it as new... clever aren't I?  She'll never notice.  Perhaps one day I will get a chance to do a post about our other native animals but everyone knows about our beautiful ones.  The Koalas, the Kangaroos, the Emu and the Cassowary.  Did you know Wombats poop is square?  Oh, man, I've turned it into another post about poop.  Time to go.

Let me tell you a tale...

Imagine, if you will, you are cruising along with your children in an unknown world.  You are carefully navigating each twist and turn and you come to a dead stop.  You can't move until the way is cleared and it isn't safe to get out of your vehicle just here.

You are safe in your car though... right?

WRONG...

All of a sudden a velociraptor bounds through your open window, it grabs your firstborn by his hand and starts to devour him right there in the car.  There is nothing you can do, you will need to get out of the car to get to your child and kill the creature but you can't do that here without risking your own life... after what seems like an eternity with a ravenous beast devouring your child you are allowed to proceed and you quickly pull over where it's safe and tear open the back door and beat the velociraptor to death with one swift blow.  You console your children, kiss the velociraptor bite so it's all better, hop back in the front and drive off.

Could you hear the children in the car shrieking and screaming with fear?  Could you see their tears streaming down their little pink cheeks?  What if I told you this really happened?

Though to make it entirely truthful you may want to change a few things... like we were driving home from grandma's... we were stopped at a traffic light... oh, and that velociraptor...


it was a mosquito.



Thank you Queensland Health.  Because of your "Defend Against Dengue" ad campaign, my kids are now totally freaked out by mosquitoes.

In other news Dragon saw a hideous beast in our house this morning... no, not mummy in her pre-showered state... He had been snuggling in our bed for what seemed like an eternity with a wiggly little boy and we finally got up and were walking to the lounge room when he rounded the corner ahead of me and started screaming uncontrollably, it was enough that i thought he was about to pass out from fear.  He managed to point at something I couldn't' see, just around the corner.  I cautiously crept forwards and peeked around the corner to see....

A huge snake

A MASSIVE spider

A pack of wild dogs

A grasshopper.

Yes, a grasshopper was in our house.  Probably 5cm long (2inches) if you looked while it was stretching out or something.  I herded Dragon back to our bed for some cuddles and got Wolf to catch the ferocious beast and put it outside.  We had a chat about what grasshoppers eat and how Dragon is safe since he doesn't look like a lettuce leaf.  I think it was just the shock of seeing something so unexpected in our house first thing in the morning that it caught him off guard and caused the meltdown.  But boy oh boy did he meltdown!

I hope you are safe from velociraptor mozzies and boy-eating grasshoppers today.

Perth Puggles

Do you need a smile today?

Click on the picture to go to ZooBorns to see more photos of these sweet little Puggles born at the Perth Zoo.

I love Australian Animals. They are a really motley bunch of creatures. Mammals that lay eggs (monotremes, like these echidnas), giant flightless birds, bears that aren't bears, lizards with massive frills, creatures that poo cubes. What's not to love?

I know they aren't the most attractive creatures on earth at this stage of their life but there is something pathetically irresistible about them. I'm sure their mummy Echidna thinks they are the most perfect babies on earth and is so very proud of her little Puggles.

I often call my kids my Puggles. They think it's great. Lion most of all, he has a thing for Echidnas and often calls me Mummy Echidna. I am very proud of him right now. As I was writing this he came up and said "I know what that word says, it says ZOO, it has too 'O's' and one 'Z'". I just turned and looked at him, not sure what to say. Finally I realised he was looking back at me to check if he had it right and I got all excited and told him yes, it did say ZOO and he is so clever for picking it out and that I'm proud of him for finding a word he could read in all the writing on the screen... I wonder what else he can read and isn't telling us.

Hope you got a smile from these sweet little Puggles. Make sure you click that photo, there's heaps more photos!

PS. Just in case you're wondering about the animals I referred to - Monotremes are the Echidna and Platypus, Emu's are our Giant flightless bird, Koalas aren't a bear, Frilled Neck Lizards are another of our favourites and Wombats poo cubes!

Up What Creek?

Saturday we had a little family trip. We dumped the kids in the car and took off to Alligator Creek*... Or rather, Alligator Rocky Creek Bed. I realised it's been a while since I've been there. Wolf and I were trying to figure it out on the way there, we think for both of us the last time we were there we went together but it was before we were dating so it's around 10 years ago... it's only 20 minutes out of town and it's been 10 YEARS! Oh well. Some things were the same, no change to the overall layout of the area, lots of rocks to climb over, scrub turkeys to chase, wallabies to hunt, stuff like that. Some things were different... like... there used to be water! I am sure it will come back in the wet season which starts soon but I have NEVER seen it with whole dry sections.

I remember times it was flowing so fast when we were there with friends we all had to wear life vests and the dad of the other family tied a rope from one side to the other and we had to stay up-stream of the rope so we could save ourselves with it if the current got too strong (MUM, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LETTING US GO IN LIKE THAT???). I remember other times that it was flowing so fast the ranger had closed it! Today there was just a sign saying the swimming hole was stagnant and swimming is not recommended. There was spots like this all over the place too...

Still, after I got over my initial concern about where the turtles and eels are living while there is a severe shortage of suitable homes for them we had fun clambering about on the rocks.

The boys straight away wanted to climb up on the biggest rock around... Mean mummy insisted that Daddy go up there with them... I don't know what I was worried about??

I made sure Wolf got some proof that Monkey and I were there as well. This is how the littlest McTavish spent most of his afternoon

The extra muslin around the outside was his shade cover, I would tuck it in up at the shoulder strap when we were in the sun and he would whinge and chuck a fuss and then when we went back in the shade I'd take it down and he'd go back to sleep. Dragon asked me "Mummy, are you a kangaroo with a pouch?" He was very interested in spotting some little wallabies and hopefully one with a joey in it's pouch.

I remember this rock being underwater when I was REALLY little. Then a cyclone changed the way the creek went a bit and it was out of the water anywhere from a few centimetres to a metre.

Now it's almost entirely surrounded by sand and rocks and is about 2.5 metres high.

We headed back up to the picnic area to see if we could spot some wallabies... we saw one from the track as we were walking up, we saw one as we got up there UP ON A BBQ! I got some really bad photos of that on the other camera but they are REALLY bad. There was one little girl who wanted to be browsing the picnic area but didn't want to be near us so we pretended that we didn't see her as we posed for photos...

and then when she was feeling a little more comfortable we got some shots of her...

I think she's a Pretty Faced Rock Wallaby. Her face markings weren't really prominent though. Unfortunately she wasn't fond of being photographed and took off. So I took some photos of that too :)

I love the way they jump!!!

There was another visitor after we finished our box of Tiny Teddies... He just sat and watched for a bit, I was starting to get concerned he thought my Monkey was a little morsel of food for him to snaffle.

This is a Blue Wing Kookaburra, BEAUTIFUL! These guys only have half a laugh and apparently they need two of them to laugh... but I am pretty sure we have just one that laughs for us at horrible early morning hours in the tree outside our house.

I think I was feeling kind of wonky on Saturday because all the photos I took seem to be on a bit of a lean, one way or another. Could have been the little joey in my pouch tipping me off balance too.

It was a lovely afternoon, I can see us here in a couple of years when all the kids are walking, Wolf and I on camp chairs reading, the kids traumatising rock wallabies and scrub turkeys. It was nice to be away from the smoke that has engulfed our house and annoyed my sinuses (on top of the cold I've picked up) and in spite of the horrible high temperatures we've been having it was nice and cool in the shade... We will be back... before another 10 years passes!

*It's just a name, we have no Alligators in Australia (not in the wild anyway). There are Crocodiles further down stream from here but this is a safe swimming hole... or so we are lead to believe.

Well that's logic for ya.

Wolf is outside whipper-snipping again... Our yard has NEVER had the edges done 2 weekends in a row... although he is just keeping going where he left off last week since it was more than one weekends worth but I'm not complaining. The boys wanted to go outside and help him but since Wolf was on the snakey side of the house I said no they couldnt go out with him. Dragon burst into tears "BUT I WANT MY DAAAADDDDYYYYY"

We did go out after Wolf scared off any snakes in the side yard. After that passionate plea I couldnt say no.

I just weeded the sandpit for the boys. It's not so hot now so they are enjoying staying outside for longer stretches and I felt guilty for neglecting their sandpit for so long. I got all the weeds out and all the broken toys and all the dead grass that was flicked in from last weekends whipper-snipper extravaganza and I got it all looking nice again.

I finished up and went to go back inside to grab some washing for the line when Lion asked if I could help him and Dragon build their roads. "Not at the moment, I have to get some other stuff done" he kept pleading... "We didn't put in a sandpit for mummy to play in. It's for you boys to play in"

"Well, if Dragon and I bought a sandpit for you to play in WE would help YOU build some roads in it!"

And for all those that may need a reminder (like my little Dragon)...

THIS

is why we don't leave our boots sitting on the patio.

YUCK, toad's will make their home anywhere.

Here chookchookchookchook...

Here comes the chicken, here comes the chicken, chicken down the road...

We went and saw the chickens. Good to my word I took the boys to visit the chickens at the produce place yesterday avo. I had told them there would be baby chicks there and I was a bit concerned because we did a lap and didnt see any. I have never been there and there's been no chicks so I felt sure that telling the boys we'd see some chicks would be fine, I was starting to get worried. Second lap I heard the tell tale chipchip, chipchip of some chicks and we followed it and found 24 little chicks. Lion asked what the sign said "Hold for...." and I explained that someone had bought the babies and was going to come and pick them up later to take home. "What does that sign say mummy" *Meat Chicks $3.50each* "that just tells you how much they cost darling". He is just starting to make the connection between the animal and the food and it is very worrying for a little boy that often pretends to be an animal! On our second time going back to look at the chicks one of the ladies that work there got one out for the boys to pat. Lion was right in there straight away giving it a very gentle stroke on the head. Dragon was standing back until mummy had a little pat. Then he didnt want to let her put it back.

We also saw a large duck that Lion kept calling a swan. I think I saw it's chest puff up a bit at that :) it's cage wasnt closed and both boys had to have a little stroll into the cage to see what it felt like to be in the ducks cage. There was lots of different chickens and roosters. Lion said one had a scarf on (it did have a very fluffy neck) and some others had pompoms on their feet and some looked like they had bubbles on their heads!! Then we moved to the cage birds... Budgies, Finches, Pigeons, Cockatiels, Peachfaces, Doves, and some other sort of parrot looking thing. We saw a forklift filling the hopper for the bags of feed they were filling, we saw an old rusty shoot off a harvester type thing, we saw and old wringer and petrol pump, mummy found the hay stuff she wants for her taters, we saw a chicken cubby house that Lion wants to get when (if) we get chickens, we saw some little nesting boxes and we bought some fruit! The boys thought it was great and didnt want to leave! When I finally got them into the car I asked what they thought of patting the chick. "yeah" says Dragon (standard answer) "oh mummy, it was soft... and it was warm... and it was... oh it was beautiful!!!!" says Lion, what a darling! I had joked with Lion while we were there about putting him in one of the cages, at dinner when we were filling in daddy with everything we had seen Lion told me "I wouldn't put you in a cage mummy, because I love you too much". Hmmm, can we say "guilt trip"!!!!

Oh, I forgot to tell you we also SANG to the chickens!!!!!! They got a very dodgy rendition of "Chicken Talk" because that is what they were doing, and Lion was asking why they had just put their eggs on the ground and I reminded him what the song says so he wanted us to sing it for the chooks. LUCKY CHICKENS!

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I have been meaning to post this one... We were in the car and Lion was reading the spotlight catalogue. He got very excited over something and I asked what it was "it's a quality, low cost, pirate dress up" um, I think he sees too many Budget Car Insurance ads.

Not to be dramatic...

Do you ever have those days when you think that animals that eat their young have got it right? That thought has crossed my mind a few times lately. I have mentioned this to mum before and told her that probably the only thing that stops me is when Lion looks up and me and says "Guess what mummy Lovebird" "what Lion Lovebird" "I love you, mummy Lovebird" "I love you too, Lion Lovebird" (insert current creature/machine we are pretending to be where it says Lovebird). And then I have to do the same thing back to him... "Guess what Lion Lovebird?" it must be the same every time.


I think being Lovebirds is my favourite, we might be Lovebirds today because Lion is feeling sick and is a little bit extra cuddly.


Anyway, I dont think I would eat my young because I know where they have been. There has been a few posts lately with Dragon's finger up his nose so I thought I would add this one to the mix. It is a bit out of focus, the camera is really starting to have trouble in low light, it's 5 years old now, I think that is actually a long life for a digital camera, it's been good to us and has seen the world (bit's of the world anyway) with us, I wont be getting rid of it too soon though, it's going to have to do worse than this before I give up on it.

Then what do you do once you have boogers on more than one finger????

You shove them all in you mouth!!!!

Dragon often walks around with his whole fist in his mouth. One day we will have to take him to the hospital to get it removed (removed from his mouth that is, although removing the whole fist would solve the problem...) It's really gross when you are carrying him and you feel the drool drip onto your foot in between your toes as it comes down his arm and off his elbow. I'm not sure if it's a security thing, or his teeth are regularly causing him issues, or what. I can pull it out over and over and over again, he doesnt even wait for me to turn away before he shoves it back in. Although, this time it was just to get the joy from mum's reaction when he licked off all the boogers!