Happy American Father's Day, Grandaddy!

We love you!

The Gift of Light

Last night was The Gift of Light, a big community celebration that's part of the Light in Winter Festival that Daddy produces.

The Gift of Light was to celebrate the winter solstice with fun multicultural performances and art.

It started with Daddy lighting a fire (that will burn constantly for 15 days) and an Aboriginal dance and invocation.

We had fun dancing to and watching musical performances.


Vicky and James also joined us, and took Jackson to check out "Daddy's lights" (see previous post) again, and they all had fun running around together.

We also ran into Peter (who runs the garden centre in Lili's neighbourhood and who's helped us a lot with getting started in our garden) and his family.

Congratulations, Daddy, on a job well done!

Busy Sunday

We had a fun and busy day yesterday. Mama and Jackson met Granma and Lili at Federation Square, where Daddy works.

We got to see the light and sound installation, Volume, that Daddy has been working so hard to get up and running (Daddy's office is the silver building in the background).

Then we walked over to the aquarium, where we saw the new penguin exhibit and ate some chips.


After that, Mama and Granma got to hear a talk about the Daddy's work, and then we all got to have drinks and nibbles and meet the installation artists at a function Daddy also organised.

More Animal Fun

Mama, Lili and Jackson decided to go to the Melbourne Zoo a couple of Saturdays ago! We only had a little bit of time, but we got to see elephants, giraffes, tigers, gorillas, and butteflies.

Jackson had fun weighing himself on this big old scale.

Then last weekend, Mama and Vicky and Jackson decided it would be fun to take a little road trip while Daddy works round the clock on his festival and James went to the football. We went to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, where we had lunch.

We saw tasmanian devils (which are NOT extinct, Vicky!), pelicans, kangaroos, lots of birds and lizards, some ibises, platypuses, koalas, and wallabies.

Animal Days

Every Tuesday, Lili and Jackson enjoy going to "Animal Day" at the Prahran Market near Lili's house.



Afterwards, they will usually have some nice fresh chips and sauce.

And Jackson gets to ride on one of his favourite rides!

More 'Merica in April

There are lots of fun things to play with at Name and Grandaddy's house. Jackson especially loved the "big piano."


He also loved the drum that Name and Grandaddy bought for him.


He really enjoyed riding on the turtle car as well. "Whoa! Way-hey!"

USA Pop In

Mama and Jackson had so much fun on our trip to Arkansas last month. It was fun to play games like Ring-a-Ring of Roses.


We got to eat fried catfish at Mel's in Eldorado.


We really enjoyed taking walks on the farm road and around 'Name and Grandaddy's neighbourhood.

On our walks, we liked playing this game with the pram. We call the game "Funny 'Name":


Jackson also got to witness two baseball games.

Now, when he sees people doing any sort of sport on a playing field, he says....

He even tried his hand at it at an SAU picnic we attended.


Jackson especially loved seeing Name and Grandaddy's cats, Baxter and Gracie. Baxter even let him get close a few times.


More to come...

Happy Mother's Day!

Congratulations, Grandaddy!

Grandaddy was awarded the title of Honor Professor for this year, and Jackson and Mama got to sneak into the faculty meeting at SAU and see the honors happen!


Grandaddy gets to be the holder of the "mace" for the year, and he also gets a portrait made, among other honors.

We're proud of you Grandaddy!

Springtime Fun in the USA!

We've been having so much fun with Grandaddy and 'Name on our visit to Arkansas!

We'll publish more on that topic soon. We depart for Australia on Sunday.