Bluey blues

Sofia

Brisbane has been declared a disaster area due to the floods and extreme weather. We lost power at our house sometime last night. We've relocated to Nana and Grandad's house overnight bringing all the food in the fridge and freezer with us. I'm using Nana's clothes dryer to catch up on the washing. It's been so wet and humid nothing has been drying.

I've been feeling tired and anxious all day. The memory of the 2011 floods is still fresh. You were awake at 4am last night and I'm sure the rain and my mood is affecting your behaviour. Cabin fever has started to set in.

In the flurry of activity to pack up and drive to The Gap we left your sleepy time buddy Bluey behind. It's taken hours to convince you to go to bed with a substitute yellow rabbit I found in Nana's collection of toys. Stories, milk, lullabies, tears, explanations.

You've only ever slept without Bluey on three occasions. Tonight was not a good night to leave him at home. Weird weather, stressed mummy, sleeping away from home. It's not your usual bedtime routine. I'm sorry we overlooked your needs in the mess of adult stuff this afternoon.

Aussie Italian

Sofia

It's Australia Day, it's still raining, all outdoor celebrations have been cancelled. Floods predicted for some parts of Brisbane. Tornadoes around Bundaberg. It feels like most of the city has bunkered down at home, abandoning the usual larrikin behaviour that today brings out.

I sometimes wonder what it means to be Australian. How is it meant to feel?

I'd like you to grow up feeling connected to both my country and daddy's home in Italy. I often think about how we can help make that your reality. But I don't want you to feel torn between the two countries. Instead I hope you'll be a true citizen of the world moving comfortably between both cultures and languages.

I suspect the sacrifice we will make in order for that to happen will be larger than I realise right now. But it's not your burden. We want you to know and love both extended families. That will involve regular trips to Europe, maybe some schooling there and maybe Italian lessons when we are based in Australia.

It's going to sometimes be complicated, sometimes confusing. My ultimate hope though is that being a dual citizen will truly be rewarding.

True Colours

Sofia

It's raining outside. So the play dough has come out. You are absorbed in rolling, cutting, pressing shapes and mixing colours. All the while you commentate on what you are doing.

Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colours' song is playing, a tape from the 1980's I bought on a trip to Thailand.

I can't come to part with my collection of cassette tapes, occasionally putting one onto the tape player your Aunty Kim bought for a Christmas present a few years ago. I wonder if one day you will treasure them as I do.

Carmen, our lovely housemate from Italy, has made meatballs and tomato sauce for dinner. She is finishing off the fresh tagliatelle. Soon we will to dinner, starting the nightly routine of dinner, bath/shower, pyjamas, warm milk ("warm mummy, not hot, not cold" are your nightly instructions), into bed for three stories and then sleep. I never really understood parents who delighted in the importance of routine for toddlers, but now I'm fully converted.

You tell me you are going to make a star. The table is awash with play dough - pink, blue, green, yellow, red, purple. Mixed up with an array of colourful plastic play dough equipment that Carmen gave you for Christmas.

I watch as you swing your shoulders to Cyndi's next song. She's singing about green and blues. The song is happy and upbeat. Just like you.

Ball Skills

Sofia

This afternoon we strolled down to the park to kick around a small pink inflatable ball you have adopted recently. You decided to use a stick as a bat, despite daddy's concerns about said stick poking your eye out.

 

We later turned the sticks into drum sticks, making music on the fence, the trees, the cement and the posts. You love playing daddy's drums at home, and Nana gave you a toy drum kit for Christmas...but I always think drumming works better outside than in!

 



Why Not?

Sofia

 

Lately you have been throwing your hands up in a questioning way, shoulders raised and asking 'Why not?" whenever someone suggests that what is on your current agenda is not going to happen straight away. It is perfectly in context and always delivered with a cheeky smile.

I wonder where you learnt it?

Pink Florist

Sofia

Earlier in the spring we went for a walk up the road in Paddington. You slowed our progress collecting pink flowers and studying your surroundings with great intent and interest. It continues to surprise me how everything pink captures your attention despite all of our efforts to fight against the stereotyping. It just seems as though you are naturally attracted to pink.

Your daddy and I have made our peace with it now. Just as I loved purple as a teenager and love red as an adult we embrace your preference for pink as a little girl.

 

 

Photographer

Sofia

Modelling our example of taking lots of photos you often come up with your toy camera and ask us to stop and pose. "Cheese" is followed by "So beautiful", and off you trot to photograph something else.