I wouldn’t say I am feeling very Christmasy today. I guess nothing feels as Christmas should. I am not with my extended family (and I am missing them all), I am not at the beach, I haven’t sung any Christmas carols and Martin has left with his mum. We had a great party last night though. Heaps of food and kids and chaos and a good mix of Alice Springs’s multicultural community and we are relaxing with a quiet one at home today (well as much as that is possible with a newborn).

I feel like I should say something profound about Nina’s first Christmas and all that but I don’t really have anything and anyway to her it’s just like any other day. So Happy Christmas everyone and all the best for the new year.

On Friday Martin and I were in Kmart and we found a pool in the discount section. It was a metre deep with a 450 diametre which is big enough for us to cool down in and will be great for Nina to learn to swim in. We had been thinking about getting one for a few weeks since we saw one at our friend’s place. Anyway, it was discounted to $260 from $380 just for damaged packaging. We thought that was alright so we snapped it up. When we arrived at the counter the woman scanned it and then she said it was $11. I said, “that would be great but it’s not really $11”. So she called her superviser and he came over. He tried to fix but couldn’t so we were told to wait while he called someone. We were waiting and waiting and Nina started crying so I went and asked if it would be much longer. He assured me it wouldn’t. About a minute later he came over and said I could have it for $11. I looked at him and said, “are you serious?” And he said. “well that’s what it is scanning at”. “Okay”, I said. So we paid the $11 and rushed out before they could change their mind. I thought perhaps there was going to be something wrong with but there’s not. We set it up and it’s perfect. The girls are playing in it right now.

My dear, dear friend Carney, who has been living on this block left today. I feel very sad. Carney is truly a one in a million person and her support over this year with Nina has been so great. I’m going to miss her heaps.

Nina has become quite the little chatterbox (just like her mum hey). She truly makes the cutest little sounds ever. Her favourite words include:

a goo
a oo
iiii
ay

Monday 37 degrees, Tuesday 38 degrees, Wednesday 38 degrees.

Today Nina and I lay on the couch for a bit. We listened to music, looked into each others eyes and gave lots and lots of smiles. We studied our hands, played boo and gave lots of kisses (well I gave kisses and Nina opened her mouth on my cheek). We had lots of fun.

Nina has really beautiful hands and she loves them. She spends a fair proportion of her waking hours studying her hands. She looks at them (in fact stares), she plays with them (sometimes I swear she is counting her fingers), she sucks them and recently she started gripping on to things (like other people’s fingers and her rattle) with them. Her wonder for her hands and watching her discover what they can do has really encouraged me not to take my hands for granted. I think we should all have has much wonder for our hands as Nina.

“Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern? Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense what they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you. Avoid hurtful criticism and provocative language. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken.”

This is one of the Quaker “Advices and Queries” that I read yesterday. I have found it really, really helpful in helping me build relationship with a person I find difficult.

I was feeling pretty sad as I drove out of Sydney on Thursday. It had been a great time with everyone and I was dreading its end. And I do still feel a little bit sad to not be in Sydney with all my lovelies but driving into Alice on Sunday felt like coming home. I love the air, the quiet, the sky, the open spaces and of course the amazing people I live with. So I am happy to be back and I think Nina is too. She did so amazingly well with everything but it was pretty overwhelming for her I am sure.

I don’t think I can really write about the trip in Sydney Nina is being a bit whingy but we’re having a great time. But highlights are:
this house at Collaroy – waking up in the morning and having a swim and then mango for breakfast
Nina’s thanksgiving ceremony
catching the ferry to the city from Manly and showing Lida around Circular Quay
catching up with family in Tamworth
Leonard Cohen concert – truly the best concert I’ve ever been to
sharing it all with Nina