OH all right.

I haven't blogged much. But neither have you. Any of you. But I am interested to hear everyone's excuses. Means you've been getting on with life away from the computer, and I like that. I used to blog more when babyG slept more, or when she was asleep on my lap. She's too feisty for that these days. A kick of the Clarks sandals, and she's off the lap and running, anywhere, it doesn't matter to her. Although at the beach, she prefers to run north/to the left, as you face the ocean on the east coast.

We have been tent-shopping, to supplement our nylon housing in time for Christmas. We think we will camp at the beach, and make day trips to visit the relatives. So, we have my old favourite orange and grey dome tent, plus a bigger blue and beige (and ugly) dome tent with a "sleepout" vestibule. And a campsite booked in a tent park, tucked into a corner of the bush, away from the beach side. Keeping track of babyG will be a huge task, but hopefully everyone will enjoy themselves. Just have to work out what Christmas decorations to put up on our tents. Tinsel looks awful in the Australian bush. Solar LED lights, maybe?

I have shopped for those who I needed to shop for (thank you, Oxfam Unwrapped), and have the traditional gifts for the close rels - Dad's diary (2 Days to a Page, thank you); Mum's Calendar, a few music books and a new guitar strap for No.3, clothes and a funky red chair for No.2, and, um, I forget what for No.1. Gosh, I'll have to look for that before I go. Anyway, some new thongs for P, and some cute little bits and pieces for babyG, and a polycarbonate plastic water bottle for R, because he needed one. I think that's it. A short list, nothing extravagant, keeps Christmas from becoming "the festival of stuff".

This is a boring post, even for me. What can I say? I am in the middle of doing dishes, planning packing a bit, worried about the travel a bit, a little bit not looking forward to visiting with family because they usually end up being upset with my free-flow style of parenting (they prefer my sister's by-the-clock style, and like to tell me about it). But my brother will be there, and he likes me, no matter what I do or where I go. We don't trade in judgement. We were partners in dam-building and exploring the paddocks as children, and some things don't change.