My blog has moved!

To find my new blog, click here.

By the end of May I'll have (retrospectively!) blogged my latest skills I've attained and the cutest things I've done at the NEW michelleandglenn.com website.

You can still read my blog using your favourite RSS feed too.

Love,

Zoë

Yay! On holidays!

Hi all. It's 10.15 and we're at Windsor on holidays. We'd be further down the road except I spewed at Campbelltown and we had to stop later to fix my Thomas the Tank Engine DVD.

Love zozo via email on daddy's phone.

I made my own sentence today

Hi all,

While I can write blogs really well, until now I've only been able to speak in sentences that I've learned verbatim from others.

But tonight over dinner when daddy was singing this stupid, stupid song I put together some words from different contexts and made this sentence from scratch: stop yukky song, Daddy!

You see, "Stop" is something I'm always told to do. "Yukky" is how mummy describes my poo-ey nappies and "song" is what Daddy does badly. So I put it all together. I am so clever, aren't I?

Zoë

I'm having a holiday in Sydney

Hi all,

Mummy had a specialist appointment today and Daddy had a meeting at church on his day off, so Mummy decided she and I would have a little holiday. Since Daddy couldn't be with us, we came up on Sunday night.

I minded Nanny while Mummy went to church at West Pennant Hills on Sunday night, and on Monday night I caught up with my friends Jessica and Sophie. Monday night I had dinner with Grammima and Grandpa, and today I caught up with my friends Anna and Grace.

I've had so much fun!

Love, Zoë.

All tuckered being two

Hi all,

I'm talking, singing and dancing.

I love Thomas the Tank Engine and the songs on my Thomas DVD, especially "Snow".

But after a few rounds of singing "Snow", I ran out of batteries.

Being two sure is a busy time!

At the moment I'm learning to say please and ta in the right order.

I know how to say "Zoë do it" and things like that.

I know how to ask for toast, cheese, sauce, fruit, apples.

And when Daddy sings songs I like to smack him over the face and say, "No song, Daddy!".

Love, Zoë

I'm nearly 2!

Hi all, it's been a long, long time since I last blogged, but hey, blogging is so passe these days!

I'm starting to talk really well now, so my talking is catching up with my computer literacy.

For Christmas I got the toy oven visible over my left shoulder. My good friend Nicole is 17, so she's just that bit older to teach me BAD IDEAS!

She taught me I could put water (or my milk or juice) into my toy pots and pans for make believe cooking. I worked out I could add biscuits and stuff, and voila! Messy loungeroom!

Love,

Zoë

I've got a new swing!

Hi all!

Mummy couldn't wait to spend Daddy's tax return, so here is the result!

A new swing set for me.

Mummy's friend Kate helped Mummy to assemble it.

Note the change to lighting conditions as assembly "progressed".

They called stumps when it got very dark.

Oh yeh, they asked daddy to help too.

Another pic

Further to my last blog, here's another one of the bush dance, this time showing me dancing!

My big night at the bush dance

Last Friday I went to the bush dance at church and I got to stay up late.

I did lots of my own dancing, and I got very tired.

But it was loads of fun!

Love, Zozo.

I went for my first train ride today!

Hi all,

I went on a big train from Bombo to Bomaderry, then we got a bus across the river to Nowra. It was fun. I especially liked how I could change seats without being strapped in to my baby seat, and how I could hang out with mummy and daddy without them being strapped in to the front seat.

The wackiest thing was these 4 or five funny things which daddy called a tunnel. One minute it was daytime, then the outside went away. Then after a few seconds (how long it was changed all the time!), the outside came back again.

You can see my photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19103&l=d166e&id=663031232


Love, Zoe.

Needle time!

Hi all,

Well, next Wednesday I'll turn 19 months old. Can you believe how fast it's all gone??? I certainly can't, and neither can mummy or daddy!

My latest thing is to get them to read to me - and I actually pay attention. Formerly I would bring them a book, then want to turn the pages before the story did anything.

The other thing I like to do is to tell you that the bear goes "raa raa" and the train goes "toot toot".

When I turned 18 months I was due for this thing my parents call an immunisation. But 'coz I was sick the doctor said I had to wait until I was well again. So today they held me down and jabbed me. Daddy couldn't even be there to comfort me 'coz he was visiting another doctor 'coz he collapsed and blacked out yesterday. He said he'd fill you in on his blog about that.

Oh yeh, speaking of Daddy, he's a bit cranky 'coz I lost his mobile phone. If I remember rightly I think I was seeing how it looked in the kitchen rubbish bin. Not my fault he took out the rubbish without checking for things I put in there! At least he found the pictures he'd taken of mummy before they were married--I hid them in his office rubbish bin. It's such a fun game...

Anyways, I've got a sore arm from the needle, so off to bed now.

Love, Zoë.

What I like

Hey there, Zoë here.

Just a quick note to say that although this blog is, like, so yesterday, I'm still around.

I'm now 17 months old. Like wow.

At the moment I have a cold while I am getting my eye teeth... I've got one fully through and the other three are nearly here.

Here's what I like at the moment:
I love hanging out with Daddy. I still love mummy more than anything but I've discovered it's fun too to hang out with daddy. He does silly things. I'm very privileged to have daddy working from home. I like that.

I like drawing with chalk on my chalkboard... and with pens on the couch and daddy's books that he calls his "theological library"... I just call them good drawing books.

I like being outdoors, especially on my swing.


I like sticking my fingers in Jensen's nostrils. He's my 11-month old German Shepherd. He seems to like he because he keeps letting me do it.

I like my cat. He doesn't seem to like me that much.

I like getting up in the middle of the night and playing while mummy or daddy try to stay awake.

And at the moment I like using my finger to point at mum or dad when I'm angry. I learned it from mummy. I frown and point my finger and say, "You sit". That's what she tells me when I eat a nana. I ask for nana when I want food, but usually when I say "Nana?" I get a banana.

At the moment my favourite fruit is mandarin (banana is so yesterday) and my favourite vegetable is snow pea.

Everything else I "accidentally" drop on the floor for Jensen to eat.

I'm in Dubbo and I'm not sure I like camping...

Hey everyone,

I'm on holidays with Mummy and Daddy in Dubbo.

I hate camping. If I run outside I get sharp bindie-type things in my little feet. I hate being indoors. I hate being strapped in the car seat for hours on end. I hate sleeping in this dumb cot where Daddy's snoring wakes me up.

But apparently Mummy and Daddy are "relaxing". I'm doing my bit to try to stop that, rest assurred.

Hang on, we've just pulled into a place called "KIDZOO". Here I'm having lots and lots of fun. Mummy and Daddy paid just $7 for me to play here all day, and sometimes they play with me (although I left daddy in the enclosure while I typed this into his laptop. Kidzoo has free Wifi and broadband).

Maybe this holiday thing is not so bad after all. Tomorrow they're talking about something called "Western Plains Zoo".

Love to all,

Zoë

Happy New Year! I'm walking

Dear all,

Happy new year from me and my mummy and daddy.

I'm just starting to walk. But I'm annoying mummy and daddy because I took my first steps at Mr and Mrs Thomas's place on Thursday 28 December and then while Mr and Mrs Smidlers (aka Nanna Nards and Uncle Brucey) minded me. Mummy and daddy went to visit another church on New Year's Eve while Nards and Brucey tried, in vain, to get me to sleep before midnight.

Here's a link to the vid of me walking to Nanna Nards:



Love, Zoe.

I saw snow today!!!

Today mummy and daddy took me to Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Thredbo. We saw snow and I played in it at Perisher. We caught the chairlift at Thredbo to Australia's highest restaurant, and then we came back to the caravan for a twilight bike ride on the lakefront. I'm not too sure I like being in the bike seat!

Zoe.

PS My cold is getting better and my top two teeth are through so I'm a little less grumpy. But still a bit grumpy, and I won't let mummy or daddy out of my sight nor am I as friendly to strangers as normal!

It's been a long time...

Above: Daddy checking out our two puppies at weeks old, with their brothers and sisters (9 in the litter).
Above: Eating an ice cream while camping at Jervis Bay. Aren't I cute?

Hi everyone, Zoe here.

My, hasn't it been a long time since I last blogged at you all? I've been a very busy girl and so has Daddy trying to keep up with things, so he hasn't been able to help me to blog.

What's happened since my last blog? No particular order.

1. My bottom two teeth are growing nicely!
2. My top teeth are pushing through. One has surfaced, the other one is making me grumpy as it tries to cut through.
3. I am trying to walk. I am standing up wherever I can find something to pull myself up on, and I get this cheeky "aren't I clever" grin on my face.
4. I had my first haircut.
   
5. Sometimes I can actually stand on my own, but then I fall on my nappy. I'm thankful for the padding it gives my little bottom.
6. Mummy and daddy got their two German Shepherd puppies, called Jensen and Piper. They are growing very fast and are much bigger than me now!
7. Mummy and daddy just took me on a camping holiday to Jervis Bay where we camped with Aunty Linda, Nicole, Kelly and her friend Emma, and also Mr and Mrs Gray and two of their kids, Emily and Ben. Aunty Robyn and Uncle Gareth came down for the day on Thursday (they're like Aunty Linda-not my real aunty and uncle).
8. Now I'm writing this from a motel room in Goulburn as we're on our way to Jindabyne to stay in the on-site caravan owned by someone from Daddy's church.

I promise to stay up to date with my blogs now!

Love, Zoe.

Teeth, crawling, sleepovers, it's all happening

Hey all,

It's late and I'm grumpy. My first little toofy is poking its little head through my lower gum and I'm not a happy camper. But boy can I move now! No more of this pushing up onto my head. I've got a real little commando action (elbows and knees) going. Soon it'll be hands and knees I reckon. And fast! Mummy and daddy can't keep up with me!

Last night I stayed overnight at Aunty Linda's. We had a girlie sleepover - just me, Nicole, Kelly and Aunty Linda. It was the best fun. Tonight I'm back with boring old Mummy, Daddy and BJ!

Love, Zoë.

I'm learning to crawl!

Hey everyone I visit,

Lock up your cupboards, hide your unsafe bits and pieces. Zoë (that's me) has gone mobile, and that doesn't mean I've got a new phone!

Click here if you have broadband or here if you use dial-up to see my first efforts at moving around. (Unfortunately both of the batteries in the video camera were flat so the video cuts out when the last battery ran out... sorry! Dad.)

It ain't pretty, but it's effective. My mummy says to tell you that I am much more efficient at getting around when I want to, but not when I'm being made to for a silly video camera. I love being up the front in a live show (like at church), but I'm not much good in front of a camera.

I practised my getting around in the cot. Mummy and daddy put me to bed one way and when they come to get me later, they find I've totally relocated to the other end of the cot. Pretty groovy, huh?

So what's this mean for the Farrell household? Firstly, daddy and mummy have new headaches as they unpack from the BIG MOVE: now they have to keep things out of my reach. They've had to fit a gate at the top of the stairs (where the video camera was sited when filming me), and stuff like that. For me, it means INDEPENDENCE. (Yeh right - dad).

By the way, I'm a big girl now. Yesterday was my six-month birthday. Daddy says I'm growing up too much for he and mummy to enjoy, but I can't wait to get my licence, go to uni, get a job, etc, etc. (Daddy - not until you're 45, ok).

Love Zoë.

My daddy is the new minister at Jamberoo

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and it'll be a while before we put some photos up.

My baptism went really well, and was well attended. Uncle Simon and Aunty Erin came down from Wee Waa to join Aunty Linda as my godparents. It was very special.

I cried and cried - I was a bit tired - but once Mr Rienits took me up the front I enjoyed being the centre of attention. Funnily enough neither mummy nor daddy are like that (despite daddy's up-front job) so they don't know where I get it from. Maybe I just get it from me?

Since then we moved house. I like my new house but mummy and daddy are very, very tired unpacking and making a nice garden for me to look at out my bedroom window.

Last Saturday was daddy's institution as curate-in-charge for the parish of Jamberoo. Some people in the church think that means he's just an assistant minister and they can push him around. But I know my daddy better... But most people are very excited (as are mummy and daddy) about this opportunity to serve God.

This week they've been busy unpacking boxes and hosting people for coffee in groups of 10-12 (counting us Farrells). That's a bit tiring for mummy and daddy and they're a bit sick. Oh yeh, I nearly forgot, I'm a bit toothy too so I'm not easy to get on with. But I still smile cutely, so they never get cross at me. They just take it out on each other .

That's all for now.

Love Zoë.

I've started to eat like a big person!

How did this photo get to be upside down?


Food! Yummy food!

I don't like spinach too much but when it's mixed with carrot and potato it's ok.

I love my apple and pear.

But I only like the stuff mummy makes, not that stuff they buy at the shops!

Love Zoë

I'm a gunna get myself baptised!

Hi there everyone.

I'm very excited, because mummy and daddy finally found me the jersy I've been asking for ever since I was born.

You see, mummy was born in Canberra and she goes for the Canberra Raiders (and she's nuts about them). Daddy was born in Epping (which is really Balmain's area) and he's a fan of the Eels (but not as nuts about the Eels as mummy is about the Raiders).

But I was born in Wollongong and so I'm absolutely nuts about St George-Illawarra Dragons.

And today they finally found me a 00-Sized St George jersy (they've been looking for months, and I've been hanging out for it).

Here I am trying it on tonight!



When my daddy baptises other people's kids, especially when they don't go to church normally, he says in the sermon, "My wife goes for Canberra. I go for the Eels. Our daughter is being raised to go for the Dragons. But what chance has she got? We can encourage her as much as we like, but if we're modelling that we go for the Raiders or Eels, she will most likely choose one of them rather than the Dragons! And when you promise you'll raise your child to know and love the Lord Jesus, what chance has he or she got if you don't show them that you do it in your lives?"

Well, my daddy is a minister so I hope he shows me in his life that living for Jesus is the right thing to do!

And he's getting his boss, Mr Rienits, to baptise me on July 2. If you want to come I'd love to see you there. It'll be at St Paul's Shellharbour at 10:30, a special baptism service following our regular 9:00 service.

Mummy and daddy, plus Aunty Linda, Uncle Simon and Aunty Erin are promising God that they believe in him and follow him, and that they'll do their very best to help me to grow up to do the same. They make no promise about helping me to grow up to follow the Dragons. How do you think I'll go with both of these things? Please comment!

Hope to see you at my baptism,

Love,

Zoë

PS Because the Dragons won tonight I will get to wear my new jersy to church tomorrow! Yay! I am so excited I can hardly sleep!

Hello! My first winter has begun

Hi all,

Well, despite being born in summer, I'm not a great fan of the heat.

I was not sure about this cold, windy, wet weather at first, but I love being snugged up in my rugs, lying on the floor or in my cot watching the wind and the rain outside.

And it makes me very cuddly too, this cold weather!

Mummy and daddy are busy getting ready both for mummy's next operation and for their big house move. I'm still busy making smellies in my nappy - gee my fluffies reek! It's so funny watching mummy and daddy screw up their faces.

Love, Zoë

I went to hospital tonight.

I spent 3 1/2 hours in casualty tonight waiting to see
a doctor about a rash that arose so fast it went from virtually clear skin
to blistering before mummy's and daddy's very eyes.

Daddy took me to casualty where the triage nurse said it's not one of those awful fatal rash disease things and that it was probably an allergic reaction to something. Because I was low priority I played with daddy for a while and then went to sleep so he could write his sermon for Sunday and scripture lesson for tomorrow. Mummy was there to help too.

After the 3 1/2 hours, daddy remembered that our family doctor is in the "Wollongong Radio GP" housecall network and called for a GP. The radio operated doctor arrived at our house not long after we did.

Daddy undressed me for the doctor and surprise! No rash!!!!!

Apparently just being near the hospital had cured me. Some doctor there is saying to herself, "But I felt the power go out of me..."

The doctor, and some of daddy's friends, and daddy, and mummy and nanny and dad all think that it's because I had my first drink of formula today instead of breast milk from mummy. Formula is made from cow's milk so maybe my little body doesn't like that.

Mummy thought of it first.

Love, Zoë

Mummy had a big operation today.

Hi everyone,

My mummy had a big operation today. She had two impacted wisdom teeth removed (you know, the ones that bury themselves in under the other teeth roots), and she had a steel plate removed from her head that was put there about 8 years ago.

So while that was on I minded nanny and da, and I had fun watching them dancing around trying to entertain me. It was very entertaining. he he he.

Mummy is coming home soon to see me at Nanny and Da's, then Grandma and Grandpa are coming.

Byeeeeeee,

Zoe.

We're home now

We're home now - after seeing mummy's aunty Lyn and uncle Craig in Canberra, then we dropped in to Windang to see aunty Pauline and uncle Greg and my cousins. But I was very tired and not a little grumpy!

Will post photos soon.

Love, Zoë

The snowy is not snowy yet

Today we went to see the snowy scheme but couldn't go on the tour because i'm too little and dad said 'one in all in' . Them we drove for 40 km on a 27 km shortcut to Batlow througl the bush and over the mountains. We got lost which is why it was so long. Them we walked along the river in tumut. Now mummy and daddy are watching a chick flick before tea. Tomorrow... Canberra and them home. Love Zoë.

No room at the inn.

Hi all, we travelled today to tumut but there is a rodeo on in town. We got the last room in town but they are really looking after us. Two nigh here. Tomorrow we go to see the snowy mountains scheme and other tourist things. Monday we head home via canberra to see mummy's aunty lyn and uncle craig. Then home and see aunty pauline. Love Zoë.

Off the boat today

Dear all, we left the boat today at 10 am and drove just two hours to Corowa, the home of federation, where we caught up with aunty linda and nicole and kelly who are holidaying with linda's sister rhonda. Tomorrow we in to tumut... Hopefully to see snow and hopefully to get a room else daddy says we sleep in the car. He sang the place where we wanted to stay but they were booked out! Love Zoë.

Upstream

Hi all Blog-readers, well we sailed most of the ex with long moorings for breakfast and lunch. We sailed right through Echuca then 4 km upstream and have moored here for the night. Grandpa and grandma have had loads of fun with me while daddy enjoyed being ship's captain. Mummy enjoyed being on the top deck in the banket nanny made me (it's a bit chilly in the wind). Grandma gives me back to mummy more when i cry but we still have fun together. Tomorrow we Disembark and in to corowa to see aunty linda, nicole and kelly who are also on holidays. Love Zoë.

Today on the river

We had a nice slow start today. Even i slept in. During the night grandpa and grandma took pics of the moon. At lunch we camped by a billbong them drove for a few more hours down stream. Daddy is now cooking a stir fry in his wok over a fire he made. Love, Zoë.

Moored for night

Here we are moored for the night 1697 km from the mouth of the mighty murray and 9.7 km from Echuca. Yay ! Love Zoë

We've loaded the boat

Because i'm a baby and that means lots of junk, the nice people let us loafall nurtue

(Daddy added a few days later: Sorry about that. Zoe is submitting her blogs from a mobile 'phone and the 'clear' and the 'send' buttons are too close for her little fingers. Here's her intended message:

Because I'm a baby and that means lots of junk, the nice people let us load all our junk onto the boat early. Then they took it and emptied the sewer and fueled it up.

)

We're here

Hi all. We're at Moama across the river from Echuca. Daddy and mummy recommend bridges on MERINIYA to stay at. I'm not getting to sleep but i'm very happy. Daddy reckons i'm excited just because they are even though i might not know what to be excited about. Zoë.

We're at Yarrawonga

We're nearly at faitaa

(Daddy says: Zoe can't type on a mobile 'phone very well. She means:

We're nearly at Echuca.

)

Still at home

Mummy and daddy are still fussing around. Daddy says we will get away in ten minutes.

Getting ready to go

It's 7am and I let mummy and daddy sleep in to a bit of a respectable hour - but they are keen to get away.

They are about to pray with me that we will have safe travel and that we will have a good time. The Bible says always to be thankful, so they are going to say a thanksgiving prayer for holidays and stuff like that too.

Mummy and daddy say I am in a "remarkably good mood" today so they are remarking about it here via me.

When I woke up instead of crying for breakfast, I just lay there talking to my stuffed animals and calling out in baby talk to mummy. Then I had a shower with daddy (I likes my showers and baths), but instead of crying uncontrollably when I got out, I just smiled and goo-ed and gaa-ed to mummy. Daddy sang some of his lame made-up songs to me and I even smiled!

Anyway, the road awaits.

Zoë

Mummy and daddy are preparing for our big trip

Hi all,

 

It's 1am in the morning and mummy and daddy are fussing while I've been asleep (daddy woke me up so I thought I'd log on and post this message). They're leaving about 7am or when I wake them up, they bath me and we all have breakfast. We hope to make Echuca by the end of today - but daddy says we might get too tired and have to stop somewhere like Albury. Mummy is going to help drive but daddy says I can't help.

 

A nice man called Matt, who works part-time for daddy, is minding BJ and our house so no one comes and steals all my cool things (and so BJ doesn't get too hungry or pooey!).

 

I'll update you so long as I have mobile phone coverage.

 

Zoë.