Posts Tagged JJ
Written on March 18, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal
This time a year ago we caught the tram into the city to go to the Adelaide Fringe.
This area doesn’t look like this any more. There is now an overpass going over the road to supposedly make the traffic on South Road flow better. Don’t know that it’s happening yet but it’s apparently part of a long term plan.
The new overpass officially opened the other day and we thought we’d go and check it out. We had extra incentive because they had a sausage sizzle happening and we were pushed for time to get dinner as I had a zumba class to go to at 7pm.
We also had a look around and I negotiated with JJ that we’d catch the lift up to the platform and take the stairs back down.
I really like the photo below. It shows my boy in a very happy mood, or a silly one. Sometimes it’s hard to tell by looking at photos like this.
The tram line has also been extended west from the city and now goes to the Entertainment Centre and The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. This makes me happy because it means that it will be easier to get to the Gov from now on when I don’t feel like driving there.
Written on February 20, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting, Photos
When he starts complaining that I never do anything for him I’m going to point him to this post I’m about to write and to the last one about going fishing.
After a particularly late and overindulgent night out at an Elvis party I drove us up to the foothills to see our cousins baby rats. I knew of their existence thanks to Facebook and commented that JJ would love to see them. It was so arranged and off we went. Remember that I was feeling quite tired and a little bit seedy and he was lucky I didn’t cancel and just stay in front of the tv or lie in bed.
Once we got there, however, it was good to see the baby rats. They hadn’t quite opened their eyes yet and all they do is sleep on top of each other and feed.
Their mum and her mate were quite cute too and very inquisitive. This one loved my camera case.
JJ loved observing them and holding them and didn’t hassle me as much as I thought he might to take one or two home. I’ve nothing against pet rats, I just don’t want any more responsibility for living creatures. And I don’t know how Monty would take it.
Once these little ones are old enough they’ll go back to the pet shop. Lots of people must have rats as pets.
Written on February 18, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting, Photos
JJ still continues to really enjoy cub scouts and the other night they went on a fishing excursion. I realised a few days beforehand that our $7 fishing rod was broken so with a borrowed fishing rod off we went.
The aim was to have a bit of fun and to earn a badge so with a bit of extra homework JJ has to do hopefully he will have earned his first badge. I’m not a very pushy scout mum when it comes to badge earning.
Fishing doesn’t really do it for me but I must admit it was lovely to spend a warm evening down by the beach. I wish I’d taken my bathers to go in for a dip though – a bit further down from the fishing crowd of course.
Even Scout Larry came along and enjoyed himself despite being tied up.
I even had a bit of a go at casting out myself and all of them were at an angle.
While observing JJ I could see how at peace he was while standing there holding his fishing rod. Looking at him be at peace made me realise what the fishing fascination is with so many people. I’m kind of getting it.
Unfortunately we didn’t catch anything but them’s the breaks.
Even though all he wants is money to buy electronic games for his birthday I reckon a fishing rod would be just the ticket too.
Written on February 11, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Parenting
JJ has a thing at the moment about being kidnapped. He brings up the subject pretty regularly and talks about ways of coping with it if someone tried to kidnap him, ie physically trying to get away from them.
I keep telling him it’s really unlikely that he ever will be kidnapped but he obviously thinks about it a great deal.
Last night he woke me up by telling me he’d just had a nightmare. He was pretty distressed and even though my sleeping has been abominable over the last few nights due to the heat I asked him what he’d dreamt about. He told me that he’d been kidnapped and that Nana and Pop had been killed. I don’t think the two events were related but he was pretty upset.
He hopped onto my bed (not into because it was too hot to worry about bedclothes last night) and we had a hug while I tried to reassure him. After some reassurance I was able to send him back to his own bed and he was fine for the rest of the night.
Because he’s worried about kidnapping I wondered if other kids fear the same thing, and sure enough, they do.
I found a couple of articles that talk about children’s fears and strategies for dealing with them.
Just as well we’re not Haitians – child kidnapping is rife there at present.
Luckily he’s not too afraid that it’s completely debilitating, but his fear is there just the same. What are your kids afraid of?
Written on January 30, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Music
Back in the late 1970s I heard Abba’s song SOS for the first time and fell in love with it and then heartily embraced nearly all songs Abba. Mum used to like them as well so we’d see all the Abba specials on tv, hear them on the radio etc. I loved them and because they were so popular there was lots to embrace.
When I was 21 I was given the record (vinyl) of Abba Arrival as a joke. I had a bit of a laugh but was kind of glad I had been given it because I secretly still like Abba even if it was a bit uncool. I still have the record.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and there’s an Abba Singstar game for the Playstation. It has been out a couple of years I think but we only just bought it from eBay last week and consequently we’ve been having our very own Abba revival here.
For those unfamiliar with Singstar you hook up a couple of microphones to your Playstation, select a song and the system judges you, flashing up words throughout the song like bad, awful, cool and good. It also gives you points at the end and lets you know if you’re a Wannabe, a Hit Artist or a Singstar. As I know most of the Abba songs I usually sit in the cool and good categories and get good scores – usually. You can battle with a friend and there’s some songs where one person does the lead and the other does backing vocals.
A friend came round last Friday night before we went out and we did a duet together where she was backing and I was lead. I stuffed up because I was too busy laughing at her attempt at backing vocals. We laughed even more when we played it back and had a listen to ourselves.
I’ve done singing lessons and think I’m a fairly accomplished singer but singing along to Abba is a lot harder than you might think. Those two women can really sing so there’s been a couple of nights this week that have seen me fire up the Singstar and belt out Gimme Gimme Gimme or Voulez Vouz to see if I can beat my score.
JJ has also embraced Abba and his favourite song is Mamma Mia. I now cannot stand to hear the song again. Bless him for trying though. Actually I think this is the start – finally – of him having more of a musical appreciation. Last Saturday before he went to bed he asked if he could listen to some relaxing music to help him get to sleep. I put a Deep Forest CD on for him. He’s now got a second Deep Forest CD in his room and a CD of Abba’s music done on a Hammond organ. He can keep that one. Goodness knows where I got it from.
In his unknown endeavour to embrace retro he’s also started using this lamp at night when he goes to bed.
Now I just hope to pass on my love of the op-shop to him and my work is done.
Written on January 26, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Photos, Travel
A week or so ago after we walked through the Festival Centre Plaza in Adelaide we made our way down to the banks of the River Torrens and hired a paddleboat for half an hour. I haven’t done this for a long time and JJ has never done it.
The swans are very friendly, probably because lots of people take food to feed them. They were disappointed with us, however, as we had no food.
If you’re not paddle boating on the Torrens you can go on one of the Popeye’s for an hour’s cruise.
It was a lovely day and Adelaide can look quite pretty and inviting sometimes. This is looking towards the Festival Centre.
It’s Australia Day today which means a public holiday for most people. I’ve made some lamingtons – a traditional Australian cake (my first ever batch) and we’re off to an Australia day barbeque later. Tomorrow is my first day back at work after nearly seven weeks. Sob.
Written on January 15, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Parenting
Yesterday JJ and I had a morning to kill in the city while my car’s air conditioning was being fixed. On our way to the River Torrens to have a paddle in a boat we went via the Festival Centre.
They have a bunch of blocks that are perfect for climbing and jumping on.
JJ climbed up on them easily enough.
But then he needed my help to go from one to the other. I held his hand for a little while as he got more comfortable with the process.
Then he started doing it by himself – hesitating at first.
Then he got quite comfortable and more confident and went on the slightly higher blocks and got much faster going from block to block. As a mum, I put my visions of seeing him fall inbetween the blocks and banging his head and having to accompany him to hospital in the ambulance aside, and let him go for it.
That’s my boy, getting more self-confidence all round. Can’t remember if I mentioned that he got put up a level in his swimming classes this summer. He initially didn’t want to go up a level, and no amount of persuading on my part made a difference. He had to make up his own mind to do it and in his own time. He went up the level and did very well, except for the infection he’s now got in his ear!