Seaworld

Last Friday, Jane and I both took the day off work to take MacK to the Gold Coast and Seaworld. The weather was pretty ordinary, but that was never going to stop intrepid travellers like us! On our way to the coast, we took the opportunity to "dob in a dickhead". We saw a bloke driving a car with three kids in the back seat who thought it was ok to drink bourbon while driving at 0930 - dickhead!

However, we made it, and the weather largely held off for us. MacK had a great time at the park, although the puddles were every bit as much of an attraction as the dolphins, polar bears and dinosaurs.

The photographs that follow are a snapshot of some of the more memorable moments of our day:

The pelicans were one of the very first animals that we saw

"Look Mum - its a pelican! Just like in Finding Nemo!"

MacK was mesmerised by the dolphin show

The polar bears are majestic. MacK's feet are a little like theirs, in terms of proportion...

Am I really allowed to jump in the puddles???

Looking for sharks (and Nemo) in the underwater viewing area

Can't see Nemo, but we have found Dory!

I was lucky enough to get a toy at the Dinosaur shop, and I am not going to let it out of my sight!

Still got Chompy!

We also have a couple of other photographs of MacK that are too cute not to share:

MacK and Jane putting puzzles together

MacK with a new schoolbag, and the McGlinchey's birthday beanie!

MacK helping out around the house... it is also his first day in 'big boy' undies. Have to say, getting him out of them at the end of the day was a bit of a struggle!

A boy and his Dad, Saturday morning

MacK and I go swimming at stupid o'clock on a Saturday morning (0630) which is good on a couple of fronts. We don't have to break up our weekend, and Jane gets to have a sleep in. He is pretty good about getting up for swimming, and we are developing a couple of family rituals (it has only been a couple of weeks, but we are getting there!).

Last Saturday was good fun. We had our lesson, and I took MacK into the change rooms for a shower. I was VERY happy to discover that they have infrared heaters, so was able to ensure MacK didn't get cold while I dressed him. It was a filthy morning, so we made sure he was well rugged up. By the time the lesson is finished, and we are showered and dressed it is far too early to go home. Especially if Jane is to have any kind of sleep in. Mack and I went to a local cafe for a morning cappuccino, which was great fun. We pulled into the car park outside the only open spot, and I nearly pulled out again. My first impression was of an old fashioned coffee shop, and I just didn't see anything that suggested this place was modern/funky/special (not that I am a hospo-snob at all). With nothing else open, and the purpose being to get MacK a baby-cino while Jane slept, we chanced it. 

I love it when I am wrong (truly) - the coffee was one of the best I have had in Brisbane, and MacK's baby-cino was perfect. A cup full of steamed milk, so that he could handle it without making a mess. I also bought a hot chocolate for Jane as a wake-up gift (being the good husband that I am...), and the whole lot came to a princely $9.00. Definitely going to go back there each weekend!

MacK being very grown up with his 'cino:

Some people really are gullible!

Last week I had to take a drive for work to check out a couple of locations. We stopped at the Forest Glen Bakery on the Sunshine Coast (it does FABULOUS pastries, if you are ever in the area) for a must needed coffee and cake/pie stop. In the car park opposite the bakery, we spotted the business opportunity as pictured below:

Yes - those are rainwater tanks behind the 'water for sale' installation, and they are attached to the building! We couldn't quite believe it - but I am sure there are people out there happy enough to pay as much as $0.50 per litre for rainwater! 

Looks like it will be the front row after all!

Jane has for some time laboured under the delusion that MacK might one day play rugby in the backs. If she were honest with herself, she would already be able to recognise that he is both too intelligent and good looking to play anywhere but the front row.

We had a little bit of confirmation yesterday, when we measured MacK... He is 93 cm tall, and a little over 16 kg. According to the charts, that puts him in the 15th (ish) percentile for height, and well over the 97th for weight. Perfect genetics for heavy lifting, and the dark arts!

At some point Jane may have to agree that the percentiles would have to reverse for MacK to be a winger... Not that there is any reason for him to want to do so!

Livestock are the answer

It was never my intention to use this blog as anything other than a means of keeping in contact with friends and family. Outside of that, we print out the blog as a diary that we hope MacK and future siblings will get a kick out of as they get older. We certainly have no pretensions as to the literary value of the musings in this blog, but do see it as a bit of a time capsule. I would like to look back on this blog in twenty years time, and hope that the message in it has been acted on.

I ask that you watch the video below. It will only take 22 minutes of your time, but might give you an insight into a philosophy that just might be enough to change the world. Allan Savory is a genius who needs to be listened to. I hope that you are as affected by the message as I have been, and push this video out for widest dissemination. 

Savory has identified (over the last 40 years or so) a counter-intuitive method of reversing decertification that has produced results on both the African and American continents. He mimics nature, and natural wildlife movement using herds of livestock. His results are phenomenal - but please watch it for yourself.

Savory suggests this is the one way that humanity can reverse climate change, and secure planet Earth for our future. 

MacK's birthday celebration

It was too much to hope that MacK might give us a sleep in today. As usual, he was up and at 'em by 0630, with far too much energy for that time of day. We had a bit to do to get ready for his party, including baking the cake. 

We had a small afternoon tea for his party, with the Aleksiuks, Dad, Tyson and our next door neighbours over. We sampled a few bottles of the current brew batch, and had a really nice tea. The menu we served was:

• Sourdough with air cured sausage, olive and gherkin mayonnaise and hommus
• Chocolate, prune and espresso sourdough
• Tomato, asparagus and feta quiche
• Pork, apple and caraway sausage rolls, with tomato relish
• Potato latke, with smoked salmon and dill and caper mascarpone

I thought we had cooked heaps of sausage rolls, but discounted the appetite of Dad and Tyson when faced with something they like the taste of! Still, there was plenty of food for all, and we finished with a chocolate butter cake. 

MacK pushing the truck Tyson gave him. Everyone seemed to work within the same construction type theme, so he now has more trucks than he can possibly cope with.

Zara testing out the 'big rig'. Good to see she is wearing the hard hat!

MacK's construction site cake. All the kids were particularly fond of the 'rubble' (made of Crunchies) - and the big kids too!

MacK getting an early start on the 'rubble'

Zara, MacK and Lachie, waiting for cake!

MacK with his Uncle Tyson

When Jane was last in Canberra, she took some beautiful photographs of MacK with a couple of friends running around the lawn. As the photo below shows, he didn't end up with a lot on... The pics are great, but not for widest dissemination. The pic below we do like, as it shows his obvious desire for modesty!