TOURIST IN MY OWN CITY: BRISBANE CITY CAT

With no immediate travel plans, I thought I would include in my Tourist Tuesday a series from my home town. I was born in Brisbane and as much as I love to travel, the beauty of Brisbane still holds true, for me. While it is not as cosmopolitan as say Melbourne or Sydney, there is a charm to Brisbane for local and visitors to appreciate.

Brisbane is built around its river so what better to start of this series of Tourist Tuesday, in my own town, than with a journey of the City Cat.

The day was overcast and the threat of rain was strong, however we set off, for a journey on the river. Jarvis has always loved the City Cat, and loves being outside with the wind in his face, there is also the inside air-conditioned comfort for those who prefer it.You can catch the ferry to the city, South Bank, or many of the stops along the river, or just enjoy the journey for it self.

We traveled the river stopping off for hot chocolates and then journeyed back, with a tired but happy little man who waved at all of the passing river traffic. It is a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and a great way to show any tourist a glimpse of our city.

The Story Bridge 

 There is lots of other traffic on the river

 Jarvis loves the wind on his face

 You pass a lot of Brisbane's other attraction on your journey.

History of the City Cat

* River Connections was established in August 1991, and was originally responsible solely for the Council's CityFerry fleet.

* The first four high-speed CityCat vessels were introduced in 1996, when River Connections had its contract with Brisbane City Council renewed.

* On 1 August 2004 Brisbane City Council's first "New Generation" CityCat, named Beenung-urrung (indigenous term for Highgate Hill), was launched and entered service one week later.

* Fast forward to 2013 and Brisbane City Council has 19 new generation City Cats in place, and has been awarded the highest international standards in Quality Environment and Safety.

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I love watching Jarvis and Justin play together. It shows me the man that Justin has become and glimpses of the man Jarvis will be.

There are a few, Portrait a Week options out there. A lot involve taking a portrait of your children each week. Jodi over at Che and Fidel has inspired me to pick up my camera and turn the focus inward. Since I already take 100s of photos of my children each week, so I thought I would twist the idea a little. What I never seem to get is group shots, images of the family together, whether it is my two children, Tamika and Jarvis, or me with the kids, or shots of Justin and I. So I am going to challenge myself to get one image of "my family" per week.

Playing catch ups, This is last weeks. 

LOOKING AT THE POSITIVE

It was a week of hospital visits (yes more than one). Doctors visits (with not so good test results for myself and someone very close to me). A week of a sick toddler, who then gave it to his Dad and I (love how gastro attacks everyone in the family, even Tira vomited). A week of a broken computer. A week basically filled with injury, illness and stress.

I was having a woe is me kind of day yesterday, but then a few things made me stop and think of how lucky I actually am, and instead of looking at the negative in each situation to find a positive. So here I am being honest and turning my negative into a positive.

I may be really broke, but I get to stay at home with Jarvis every day, something I did not get with Tamika. I may have a broken, on its way out, computer, but I have a clever partner who googled how to fix it and this old thing is now working again.

It is only gastro, and each time Jarvis farts/sharts he laughs, yes what a boy I have who already finds farting funny.

The doctors’ results are harder to turn into the positive, my good friend has been trying for ages to fall pregnant, and I finally convinced her to see the fertility specialist I saw. Her results have come back good for her age, but her partner has being diagnosed as infertile. My heart goes out to her, I know how hard it is to want a baby and not be able to have one, or in my case another one (or six). Yes call me crazy, but it fiancés and my body would let me I would have a dozen babies. Yes this scares Justin.

I got my results back; two were okay, one not so good. But a little more cutting and it should be all good. A pertinent reminder to cover up and slip slop slap.

I have already spoken about Jarvis’s fist ambulance and hospital visit, however on Monday we had a second visit to emergency. Justin, Jarvis, and I were playing in the park and Jarvis tripped over busting not only his knee, but his nose open again. But it is okay, Jarvis now thinks emergency ward is a place to play with other kids.

So, yes I have had a crappy stressful week, but sometimes you need these to think of how good your life normally is and to make a point of looking for the good. The first image is of a rose I found in our garden, I did not even know we had a rose bush until I tackled the over-grown side of the house that I always avoid. But I cleaned it up and look what I found!

 Must remember to clean this section of the garden more often.

 How pretty are passion fruit flowers?

 I have passion fruit! Does anyone know when they are ready for picking?

ONE THING BECAME ANOTHER

So yesterday started off one way and ended in another. The morning was a productive hive of energy in the garden, Dad came over, and while I mowed and whipper sniped, He dug up garden beds and re-arranged planters. Jarvis got in on the act with his wheel barrow and pottered around collecting thing. Tamika sat on the door step drinking tea and taking photos.

It was a beautiful sunny autumn day, we discussed what we were going to plant and where. Dad wants to build even more garden beds as he thinks we have grown way too many seedlings. We were over near the passionfruit vine discussing how full of fruit it was, Jarvis was beside us digging in the dirt, an activity he loves, when our day changed.

(For those who have a squimsh tummy may want to stop reading)

Jarvis feel off the garden bed, not a big fall about twenty centimetres, but he fell face first into a metal garden spike. He was silent when I picked him up, I am not sure if it was my scream that made him cry, or the pain had set in. But I could not help myself, when I picked up my baby his face was covered in blood and it was spurting out of his face.

I ran upstairs with Jarvis in my arms, to get a clean cloth to put pressure on the bleed, and to try to wipe away some of the blood. By the time I got upstairs I was covered in blood and it was dripping off my arm. When I saw my baby’s blood dripping off me in a puddle on the bathroom floor I lost it a little.

This is Jarvis, after we had washed away the blood, This wash blood that was fresh and would not stop. This is the 'best' photo we have, as in the least amount of blood.

Tamika was amazing; she called the ambulance and helped Jarvis into the bath. The triple 000 operator told us to wash him down to find out where the source of blood was coming from and to apply firm pressure to the site. While Tamika was on the phone to triple 000, I called Justin. I do not want to think of how fast he rode his bike from the Valley to Camp Hill, but he arrived about the same time as the ambulance.

They were amazing, I have always said I could never ever be an ambulance worker, these two were so good. As soon as they, and Justin, arrived I felt calmer. I held Jarvis while they tapped his nose back together, and then dressed him as quickly and as gently as I could. I then turned to the ambulance lady and said we were ready to go. She gently told me to go wash myself up a bit and change my clothes. Tamika and I looked at each other and both realised we were covered in blood and looked like something from a horror show,

The ride to the Mater Children’s was so quick, but once there it was a long long wait. On arrival we were assessed and told Jarvis would need a plastic surgeon. Jarvis was such a good boy, no tears, no misbehaving, the only time he got cranky was when he saw other people eating. How do you tell your starving 16 month old they cannot have anything to drink or eat because they may have to have surgery?

Finally we see the surgeon, it was only a three hour wait but it felt like forever. I think we got the nicest doctor ever. She was so gentle and calm. Her assessment: Jarvis’s cut was extremely deep, however because it was such a clean cut and he did not chip into the bone, plus because he was so well behaved she thought she could get away with gluing his face back together rather than having to put him under and stitch his face.

So end of the story we have a little man with a glued face. Who came home and climbed the furniture as if nothing had happened.

I want to say a huge thank you to the two ambulance drivers, (I did ask their names, but cannot remember) the staff at the Mater Children’s Emergency Department, and to the amazing doctor. Thank you for helping a woman covered in blood, mud, and cow poo remain calm, and most of all thank for looking after my little Man. Jarvis you were so well behaved yesterday, I am so proud of you.

Photos were all taken by Tamika. 

ALLERGIC? ALLERGIC TO WHAT?

As I got Justin to remove the bandaids off my stitches last night, I was thinking “who is weird enough to be allergic to sticky bandages? Oh wait that weirdo is me!” I can be mildly allergic, to highly allergic to the adhesive in bandaids. At its worse it causes welts, itching, blisters, and oozing. According to a doctor, it’s not just the latex, but some sort of gel used in the plastic type of adhesives.

I have passed this oddity on to Tamika, and we find the only type we can use is the surgical paper; however this has to be moved on a regular rotation. So when ever I have anything that needs to be covered, I normally end up in more pain from the covering than the original wound. Oh, you should have seen my C-section, the plastic covering they put on that was such a blistery bubbly joy to observe.

I have also passed onto Tamika my allergic reaction to garlic. Depending on the amount of garlic in a dish I can get reactions from swollen tongue and lips, to swollen glands with difficulty in swallowing.

I am lucky that they are both minor and easy for me to contain, on myself and as a parent for Tamika. I am sure there are a lot of people far worse off than me. Both of these allergies have left me wondering will Jarvis also inherit them. When do I test him? What allergies do you and your children have and how do you control them? 

NOTE: I normally do not like showing my boobs on the internet, but wanted to show my reaction. Please ignore the boobs and just look at the skin.

NOTE: I got three moles removed; this is why I have stitches

NOTE: I am aware Bandaids is a brand; however I have used this generic Australian term for all adhesive bandages.

NOTE: Yes that is mashed vegetable smeared on me and my singlet, I am so glamorous.

This post could also be used as a friendly reminder to get regular skin check ups and always, always Slip Slop Slap! I tried to remember how many moles I have had removed but lost count around thirty.

MOCE FIJI

Our last two days in Fiji were spent being as lazy as we possible could. I have never had a holiday that was just relaxing, every holiday I have ever been on was spent exploring and adventuring, so it was a lovely change of pace, to just relax beside the pool, read my kindle, walk on the beach, oh and eat, eat a LOT of food.

Justin shouted himself and me a massage, and this was the most energetic thing I did. She really had an issue with my butt. Do not think I have ever had anyone ever spend so much time massaging it. All the while I was thinking am I going to end up bruised? And Lady that butt is never going to look like a twenty years old behind ever again, Don’t both with that much work, get back to my shoulders!

The journey home took most of a day, we were picked up from our hotel at 10 am and we got home to Brisbane around 8 pm that night. Exhausted and shell shocked to be home.

As I sit here in Brisbane typing this and looking the sky and the last of the photos, Brisbane is getting a big storm with the sky turning green and I think Fiji you were an amazing country to visit, with the friendliest people, I would happily go back any time I could. With the free hotel upgrade and free room upgrade we also got totally spoilt with the luxury.

Thank you Fiji for reminding me how to relax and not stress so much.  

Photo bomb by Jarvis while I was trying to take a photo of the Day Spa

 How amazing does this Day Spa look?

We went in the rainy season, but even on the 'bad' days it was still gorgeous

At night Justin enjoyed sampling many of the free cocktails from the many bars. I think this one was called a traffic light.

 Jarvis got to enjoy a rice cracker and a straw

I enjoyed cuddles and a stunning view

 The closing of the day and the welcoming of the night ceremony

 After cocktails we went for night walks on the beach and Jarvis played with the local children

 Doesn't the swim up bar look fabulous on sunset?

 Our last morning was spent relaxing

Jarvis and I had a last minute swim before we started the long journey home. While Justin had his last extra nap

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I know I posted a few of the images from this shoot yesterday, but I was looking at this image and thinking about how very much I love my children. My children are my heart, they encompass so much of who I am; watching them grow and learn has taught me so much about being an adult. About being a woman. I look at these two amazing beings, and still am amazed that they were both once in my tummy.

 A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.  Agatha Christie quote. 

There are a few, Portrait a Week options out there. A lot involve taking a portrait of your children each week. Jodi over at Che and Fidel has inspired me to pick up my camera and turn the focus inward. Since I already take 100s of photos of my children each week, so I thought I would twist the idea a little. What I never seem to get is group shots, images of the family together, whether it is my two children, Tamika and Jarvis, or me with the kids, or shots of Justin and I. So I am going to challenge myself to get one image of "my family" per week.

MY LOVE IS BLACK AND WHITE

I was not going to post any more pj photo shoots, but then how can I resit my two babies in their matching pyjamas?? I love these two so much, sometimes it hurts.

 Jarvis tries to copy everything his big sister does

 Even when it is strange

 Jarvis now does push-ups

 Tamika often gives her brother the 'look'

But with in moments he has her laughing

And rushing to him when he falls over

Jarvis waiting for his sister so he was the stand alone model to test the lights