Toilet training

I hope that one day in the distant future Dragon will forgive me for posting this photo.

Battling on

Lately Mr Sunshine and I have had our share of trouble. Not our relationship nor or children or grandchildren. Not our health either. So we really have a lot to be grateful for, don't we?

Sometimes when you hit rough times it is good to remember that many others are worse off and yet still manage to stay cheerful. So as I was scrolling through my thousands of photos on the computer and I found this photo of my Aunty J and her grandson JT(that makes him my cousin, once removed, I believe) I decided to do a post about her.

Aunty J was a bit of a live wire in her younger days and a very upbeat lady. She married an alcoholic who gradually drank himself to death, but not before they had 5 children. The youngest, D, was 16 when his Dad died. Only 9 years later one of her sons, B, died at the age of 27 after a short illness and 2 years later his little brother, D, took his own life at the same age as B when he died. For the next 3 years Aunty J battled on in her own cheerful way and at some point, I'm not sure when, her grandson JT came to live with her and keep her company. He had had a marriage breakup and suffered badly from depression.

The next blow was when my cousin T, the youngest of the 2 girls was diagnosed with breast cancer. For about 13 years T battled the disease with amazing courage. Then her brother, M, was also diagnosed with cancer - in his stomach. Within a few weeks of his diagnosis, M's wife was also diagnosed with breast cancer. M went downhill fast, but also with amazing courage and played down the illness for as long as he could. My cousin, T, who had been in and out of hospital managed to get to her brother's funeral, but it was the last straw and she spent the next 10-12 weeks in hospital before finally passing away. M's wife is battling on with her breast cancer.

Now with only one of her 5 children left alive, Aunty J lives on but is often dependant on bottled oxygen because her own health is failing. She grew more dependant on her grandson JT for company. A few months ago she went to wake up JT for breakfast and he would not wake up, he had died in his sleep from a brain inflammation. Aunty J now lives alone. Her only child, my cousin D, rings her often and visits and helps where she can. My other Aunties also visit when they can, but they are not young anymore either.

Aunty J battles on.

My troubles pale by comparison.

Not for long

It's hard to believe. It doesn't seem very long since the first little McTavish made his dramatic entry into the world. Then there was his little brother and now it will all change again. Only a few short weeks to go and we will have to get used to another one. It's not easy. All that cuddling and those big eyes and sweet smiles and giggles. I don't know how we take it.

Mystery Man

I have a confession. Mr Sunshine is not the only man in my life. In fact, I have many. Not only that, but I am not ashamed of it. Quite the opposite. The bloke in the photo was one of the first. Long, long before Mr Sunshine. Mr Sunshine knows that I still see him occasionally and he is okay with it. He's very understanding like that.

We are both going to see him this weekend. His wife is okay with it too. It's all very cosy and friendly, which is good because we are family.

The mystery man is my little brother. Except he is not little any more. He is soooo not little that he turned 50 last Friday and we are going to party and celebrate in Brisbane this weekend. I should think up a nom de plume for him but my mind is not being very creative today.

I was going to post one of his baby photos but I couldn't find them since I rearranged all of my computer files last weekend to free up some disc space. Still although he is not a baby any more, he has kept his youthful good looks pretty well I think. That photo was taken only a couple of years ago.

Did I say that he was always cute and good looking? The little girls at school thought so too. If I start reminiscing this could be a very long post. So back to the present... he deserves heaps of praise and prezzies for his birthday because he is a great brother and a great person.

Happy Birthday little brother.

P.S. You might guess which one he is in the photo in this post.

The Deep North

Late afternoon and 25 centigrade with a gentle ocean breeze and this is mid-winter. Gee we do it tough here.

Once again we were fortunate enough to get away for a few days. This time to the very touristy city of Cairns. I don't really like Cairns, but my favourite department store is there and it is a good base from which to see heaps of beautiful beaches and rainforests of World Heritage significance. We were really here for work, but we tacked the work on to the end of the week and stayed for the weekend.

Unfortunately I forgot to pack my joggers, so Mr Sunshine left me sitting on the beach with my camera for company while he took a walk at Yorkey's Knob.

One day I hope to find out how it got it's name and was it intended to be a double entendre.

Dragon, Little Bear & the Bubble Party

Here is the video from the Little Bear & Aunty Mummy McTavish birthday celebration.

Dragon is such a party animal!

Life's a Beach

Blessed, aren't we? So much beach, so few people. It's almost like having your own personal tropical island, but it is only 40 minutes from Townsville. And don't forget that this is winter. It was a 'cool' 27 degrees centigrade for most of the day. To make it even more ideal for toddlers, the water stays shallow until you walk out for meters and meters.

All we have to worry about are crocodiles.