Book Giveaway Number 1: Alexander!

A few months ago Catherine hosted a giveaway for a Arnold Lobel book and a discussion on our favourite children's books. I was rather a bookworm as a child (I was frequently found hiding somewhere reading), but my first favourite book was Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker.

In this book seven little rabbits take one long trip to visit their friend toad, but one by one they find themselves sidetracked by the need for a nap. Fortunately they find a hole (built by a mole) where they can be "tucked in bed" ("sshh don't say peep, s/he's fast asleep"). This was the book I first learnt to read - probably helped by the highly repetitive, rhyming text and the fact that I insisted on having it read to me every night. My parents (and I) can still recite the whole thing!

Part of this books charm is the illustrations (by Barbara Cooney). While the text doesn't imbue much individual character to any of the rabbits (or even the mole), the illustrations and captions impart much needed character to each of the rabbits. When we were a little older (about 6 or so) my sister and I would imagine the back stories about the rabbits and why each of them was tired.

I gave this book to Alex for his third birthday and it has already been read many times. I think we have a while to go before he has it memorized though, but I did catch him reading this to James.

I have one brand-new, unread, hard copy of this book to giveaway (with bonus bookmark!).

To enter please leave a comment below and a favourite bedtime book for a preschooler (3 - 4 year old). If you mention this somewhere else (your blog, facebook, etc) I may even be convinced to give you another entry. Sorry Australian entries only!

Entries will close Midnight Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on the Sunday, 10th October.

Book Giveaway Month

In the last few months there have been a few celebrations in our family (three birthdays and father's day). In a belated honour of this I am declaring October to be Book Giveaway Month at Cabbages and Kings. During this month I will be hosting, not one, not two but THREE book giveaways in honour of the three people who've had celebrations recently (James misses out ;-(). Hopefully there will be something to cater for everyone!

The world according to Alex

Alex loves our camera - posing for photos, watching them afterwards and taking pictures himself. He has taken to "borrowing" the camera from where ever it is (and given his ability to work the step ladder it doesn't seem to matter where that is...) and photographing EVERYTHING in his life.

So we get bizarre pictures of peoples feet, everyday objects and the things that Alex deems photographable.

• Apparently James gets photographed.

• As does dinner

• And Daddy is a looong way up!

The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

Someone lost the fight (with themselves) to not have an afternoon sleep.

Alex's saying of the day

(After bestowing kisses on every member of the family)

"Please, Mummy, I need a kiss"

(Of course I obliged!)

Temora Air Show

Last weekend we travelled to Temora (about 200km away) to attend one of the flying weekends at the aviation musuem there. One "plane/rocket/helicopter" obsessed little boy was very excited!

There were aerobatic displays and fly-passes from a range of prop-driven (mostly) WWII aircraft - Spitfires, Kittyhawks etc - as well as some jet-propelled planes (like the Sabre). We enjoyed our picnic lunch with the planes. After the flying display the allow the spectators onto the runway to talk to the pilots of the aircraft.

We finished the day with (very large) milkshakes at the White Rose Cafe - an art-deco style cafe that still has all the original fittings - including the rose pressed iron ceiling, before driving home.

Flashback Friday

The love of reading starts early.


This must have been taken some time in 1984 as well (it was in that section of my mother's photo album...) when some friend's of my parents came to visit. I think it may have been more posed than "snapped" though

Flashback Friday

Two little girls in Pink


This is my little sister (there are only the two of us) one hot riverina summer (~1984?) at the back of my parents house.

Flashback Friday

For all those out there that think that Alex looks like his Dad... Here is my Mum and I circa 1980.

What we do on our weekends away, Part V

Visit Friends and socialise

Ok that explanation is really nor sufficient - what I really mean is travel away for the express purpose of visiting friends to socialies (attend parties or events of some description). Here are some photos of the more recent trips!

Here is our little family walking down the red carpet at our brother-in-law's recent birthday party.

This party was on Sydney harbour and had the theme of the "red-carpet". They had even arranged for a photographer and a reporter with a video camera to take photos as people arrived!

And here is Alex having a lovely time playing with his cousins at a family Christmas party in Sydney


(I should point out that at this point it was after 10pm and our sleepy little boy who is normally fast asleep well before 8 was still partying despite NOT having a sleep earlier in the day.)