Reflection and Further Lala Pictures

Somewhere when I was reading about gait (because the only time I'm not reading about dogs is when I'm reading about chooks...) I read that running is essentially nothing but a perpetually suspended fall - that is, we're in the motion of falling but the forward movement essentially keeps us upright. I think that really sums up this year for me... it went by so fast and with so many different things and quite frankly I'm amazed that I just kept running through it instead of splatting onto the ground in a spectacular fashion.

• The stress of selling, looking, several houses falling through, being in transit and officially without an address for a month, pulling this house out of thin air and less than 24 hours later signing the papers, setting it up, attempting to fix things.
  
• With the dogs there was trying to learn about showing, endless worrying about Hope's front and if she will or won't turn out as a show-dog and the future plans for either outcome, delight at how clever she is as I know she'll be awesome at sports, wanting to get her into classes (new years resolution: I WILL, I WILL, I WILL get her in!!!), Verity's arrival and she is just the brightest little joy I don't know what I'd do without her and an offer to "borrow" some other dogs to show as well in the future which is very nice.
  
• The chooks which are just brilliant fun. It's shocking how much I'm taken with the whole thing... I've had chooks before but they were just generic chooks and without knowing anyone also into them. I've met so many wonderful new friends through them and have so much fun working out all the genetics "stuff" involved! *huggles everyone* The damn fox taking Blossom, Petal and Basil.
  
• Sheep come/born/taken away/offer for more on the horizon.
  
• And of course... Laurent, who would merit a small novel to illustrate the challenges, joys and overall growth!
  

It feels like an endless ride of plans made, changed, fallen through and achieved - though rarely in the format I intended to. Sometimes I wonder if making plans at this point isn't a bit like trying to map out a path from the inside of a hurricane... it might make me feel better but cannot be expected to be straightforward! I'm not entirely sure if not being straightforward is delightfully fun or dreadfully annoying though. Sometimes I also think maybe I ought to try to make life proceed a liiiiiidddddllleee bit closer to plan but then again half the fun is in the spontaneity of finding out what comes up unplanned. ;-p

In the midst of all this we'd planned to start TTC #2 in January or March. (Now looking more like March.) I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of being a mum to two and the concept of having a toddler AND a baby. I also fervently wish you could have babies without the awful necessity of being pregnant for 9 months.

On days like today when Laurent is demonstrating the "terrible" two's I wonder how the heck I am going to deal with his moments of toddlerness while pregnant and later with a newborn. Or heavens forbid... two tornado toddlers if the second is like him. (Dear heavens... that's a terrifying thought!!!) Nic and I looked at each-other in the middle of an hour long tantrum today and sighed, "How do you feel about another puppy instead of a second child?" ;-p

On to the pictures from today! After last weekends not-so-great trip to the city Nic wanted to go for a second try today. I was not keen but I felt bad because I know he's a city-boy who hasn't done the city thing lately and he's gone to every dog show, trial, herding day and chook event I've asked him to without complaint. (<-- guiltguiltguilt) So after the long train ride - most of which was spent with a red-faced tantruming La (we made the mistake of saying, "No La, you can't push the buttons they've got for the handicapped to contact the driver") we had our coffee and I repeated last weeks sin and indulged in a chai latte and a red-bean bun. After Justin had to leave back to work, we took La for a walk and saw the big sparkly green tree...

Now you'd think being a BIG, very GREEN tree this would be up his alley. Nup. The only thing he was intested in was the pigeons. Mou. In the world according to La, the sole interesting thing in the City is the pigeons!

After chasing pigeons and watching them he also managed to ham it up for the Japanese tourists who were cooing over him and taking his photos which allowed me to get my own pics. (He is such a flirt!) The city had a very nice Santa with a not-too-long line and no gimmicky "if you won't buy a $50 photo package your kid can't see Santa" (and by implication, you don't love your child enough to give them this essential childhood right of passage you lousy cheapskate...) so I decided to push my luck. I had my doubts but y' know it was just such a tempting photo op and and Santa had lollies to tempt him (read: shamelessly bribe compliance with) so maybe he'd be okay today? Maybe? Possibly? (Okay, delusionally...)

Or not.~_~'

This was the closest we got to a nice photo. Poor Santa, he was such a nice guy but the lolly was promptly shoved back at him with a wailed, "Nooooo!" before Laurent resumed his tantrum and demands to be released, "wanna CHEEP CHEEPS!!!". He was NOT scared of Santa but BRASSED we'd stopped him from pigeon chasing to see ol' Santa. (Dear Santa, can I have a normal kid for Christmas??? One who is more interested in chocolate than chasing winged rats?)

After we slunk away from Santa with mumbled thanks and apologies, La went back to happy chappy after chasing the pigeons about trying to call them over to give kisses. I snapped this one and cracked up... he looks like a little pro flagging down a cab! LOL

To wear him out we took him down to the RBG for a romp and got this (much more typical, classic La) shot! Running around, pretending to be Hope and panting! (Check the tongue hanging out...)

Faking normalcy... a nice picture of him walking through the lavenders.

As all at playgroup know he is obsessed with vacuuming and pretends to vacuum everything constantly. Well here's the other half of that obsession - pretending to sweep. He spent a good 10 minutes sweeping the dirt with a palm frond. LOL

Finally some slightly more portraitish shots... La with his Dada.

And one Nic snapped of me with La without me knowing (omg I need a haircut!!!) watching the swans in the pond. Swans aren't quite as neat as ducks or chooks but they're at least as cool as pigeons and one of the few things that keeps him STILL for two seconds!

Now... *FLOMP*