Happy (Australian) Father's Day 2015

Today is Father's Day in Australia.

Well, it was actually Father's Day in Australia yesterday, but it's Australian Father's Day in America today. It's already tomorrow in Australia. Damn time zones!

Anyway, today we are celebrating Father's Day. Lucky Kim gets to celebrate Father's Day twice a year as Australia and America hold Father's Day on different dates (June for America and September for Australia). Not so lucky me only gets one Mother's Day as they're held on the same day in both countries. Technically we missed American Father's Day this year as we were on a plane to Australia at the time and due to crossing the international date line we skipped ahead a whole day. We boarded the plane on a Saturday and less than 24 hours later we arrived in Australia on a Monday. The Sunday, which happened to be American Father's Day, just disappeared into thin air. Confusing, right? Even though we missed American Father's Day, the girls still treated Kim with presents and home made cards when we arrived in Australia.

For Australian Father's Day the girls also treated Kim with gifts and home made cards. They always choose a pair of socks each to give Daddy for Father's Day, because that's what Father's Day is all about, right? Socks and underpants! I love the colorful designs from Swedish company Happy Socks so the girls chose a crazy pattern each to make Kim's feet a little happier.

And here's a look at the cards that Ava and Lola made for Kim. Lola was over drawing by the time she made Kim's card so it was a little rushed! Ava's card has some interesting spelling!

A little more gardening...

Ava seems to have been bitten by the gardening bug lately.

As well as today's herb and tree plantings (which you can read about here) Ava has planted her own vegetable patch right in the middle of our lounge room. Now you might think that sounds rather messy but you see, these are special vegetables made with paper and markers. (On a side note, I really must get into the habit of using the word "marker" rather than "texta". No one here knows what a texta is. Must be an Australian brand name.)

These special vegetables popped up fully grown in the vegetable patch (a knit blanket) in the backyard of Ava and Lola's house (a fort made of chairs, tables, step stools, blankets and the couch).

Ava & Lola in their "backyard" with the vegetable patch

There are tomatoes on vines, carrots, lettuces, potatoes and even a pumpkin growing in the vegetable patch.

Vegetable patch

The girls have been harvesting their vegetable crop and making themselves salad.

Carrot, potato, lettuce, tomato and pumpkin

Delicious :)


 

A European Holiday... without leaving Berkeley!

My parents have recently taken off on the trip of a lifetime around Europe and the UK.

While Mamma and Papa, as the girls call them, make their way around Europe we will be playing along at home.

I have made up a special map to trace Mamma and Papa's footsteps around the continent. Like most things I make for the girls, this map has been made in collaboration with Ava. I provide the technical skills (using a computer, laminator and scissors!) and she provides the artistic touches.

Where are Mamma & Papa today? Let's check the map...

Keys please...

Ava loves using keys.

She loves to use the swiper at the entry to our building. She loves to open our front door with the key.

In fact she loves using keys so much she keeps asking when she can get her own set!

Seeing as my answer to this question is never the answer that Ava wants to hear she decided that she would make her own set of keys to use.

To make sure her keys "work" Ava traced around my apartment key, mailbox key and building swiper. She then coloured them in and I laminated them to make them a little more sturdy than paper.

Ava's keys and swiper