NEW Year fashions.. a sneak peak

Ivy May Browne showing off the latest straight from the toddler catwalk

A very Dora christmas

Twas the 1st night of christmas and my true love gave to me ...

1 Dora laptop, 2 Dora pyjamas, 3 Dora dolls, 4 Dora pyjamas, 5 Dora DVD's, 6 Dora balloons, 7 Dora stickers 8 Dora blow outs and a pair of fluffy Dora undies
Muchas gracias Dora for making Ivy's christmas such a special event.

The happiest place in the world

Big Face Big Face Big face! That's right Ivy the big face is the happiest place in the world. Except of course when some smart arse kid high on fairy floss shoves past and takes the last place on the ferris wheel.
It was Ivy's first visit to Luna Park. First stop was Coney island and my favourite bit of technology ever invented. It is of course the incredible Green Ray Machine. Perhaps the only one left in the world, this machine can interpret your mind and deliver a reading in less than 30 seconds (as long as you follow the instructions)

"For a true reading insert one penny in the slot and stand in front of the green Ray. If you fail to carry out these instructions the reading will be a poor one" reads the inscription. I was first and after reading my thoughts a card was delivered.... "If you've got it flaunt it" This will now be my mantra for the next 6 months.

Ivy of course was more interested in the sex appeal machine. She put her hand in the slot and achieved a reading of .....
Just under 2. This makes her frigid and makes her daddy very happy.
The rest of the day was spent pushing over people on stilts, throwing cakes at clowns and vomiting on the rotor. What more can you ask for from the world's happiest place, big face.

The day the earth stood still

Every two years a work colleague of mine pays a window cleaner a fairly hefty sum to do all the windows in his house. That day was last Tuesday. Now referred to as "the day before Sydney's greatest dust storm". That man is welsh... need I say any more

Normally people fly to South Australia for a visit, but on this day South Australia decided to come to us. Lake Eyre apparently, or the dusty remnants of it. Waking up at 5.30 am, as we parents normally do, we were treated to the sight of something apparently no one in this emerald city has ever seen before.... Me in my pyjamas

At the zoo

It was Ivy's first real zoo adventure and it has to be said that she made an absolute monkey of herself.... sure there was a bit of of horsing round and general fishy business but ultimately it was unbearable. Much like the entrance fee of $45 per adult plus another $15 for parking and then your $4.50 for a bottle of water to look at the back of someone looking at the back of someone looking at the baby elephant. But whoever said I was a cynic? For me it was a chance to take the wife, the kid and the toy snake on a lovely Sunday adventure.

Island time

We just got back from 10 nights in Vanuatu, a parents wet dream of a holiday. 3 hour flight, only one hour time difference and two whole rooms which meant both Ivy and her parents could sleep in peace
also starring the most incredible starfish Ivy has ever seen" schhsssttaarrr feeessshhh"
Geography enthusiasts would have noticed the starfish aligned in the shape of the Vanuatu island archipelago
oops, left off pentecost island, thanks Ivy for fixing that up for me
One island to get yourself excited about is hideaway island below, famous for being hidden away and impossible to find

Our first night at the hotel a melbourne couple decided to get married in our honour
which is quite lucky as Vanuatu is famous for its cannibals, the last recorded case being in 1985
mmm and that's the last recorded case
aren't Ivy's cheeks yummy, throw in some celeriac puree, black truffles and goats cheese mash voila... Vatu's your uncle
speaking of food... it really made us appreciate what we have here
but I never said that to the guy in the above picture
the groom surprised his wife to be with the wedding two days prior to the big day. being Italian, his mum will never be able to forgive him

Ivy before we put her in the great big pot



Ivy teaching the kids about schhtaarrrfeeesh
and some breaking news from the pacific rim