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SWMBO was very firm. Very firm indeed. We were getting four fish for the aquarium. No more, and certainly no less. Which is why there are five goldfish swimming around in it now.

Those who know me know that my fingers aren’t very green. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve neglected a large number of plants over the years and my gardening skills are limited to hacking at the grass with a mower or a strimmer. In an effort to cultivate my, err, love of botany SWMBO bought me a herb garden for Christmas last year. Sometimes I even remember to water the plants and generally they ’re doing suprisingly well. Apart from the Basil. I’m already on my second plant and this one doesn’t look like it’s long for this world. The leaves are looking somewhat dessicated. If I can get my act together I’ll take a photo and post it up here.

After a short interlude the daily photo is back. Here’s JFGP enjoying a quick coffee at a cafe in Manly. If he doesn’t get his daily caffeine fix he can be a right bugger.

I don’t know why, but I love the expression on JFGP’s face in this photo. It was taken at Mahoney Mansions (guys, if you’re reading this, you owe us a phone call) last year. I’ve only just uploaded this photo which is why it may not be entirely chronologically in keeping with the rest of the photos of the day. I haven’t been attentive to this journal as I might have been over the last week. My only excuse, and it’s quite a feeble one, is that I have been rather busy at work.

It’s been a long while between daily photos. But I’m human, and quite busy to boot. JFGP received a gift this weekend. It was a bit late for Christmas, but his Mum bought him a (handmade) chair of his own. We could tell it was popular because he wouldn’t get off the blooming thing all afternoon. As you can see from this photo he insisted on eating his tea in the chair - whilst watching the Wiggles naturally.

As promised, more baby news more of the time here at What’s Doing. Last week we went for our twelve week check up. This involves blood tests, an ultrasound scan and an associated nuchal translucency test (try saying that when you’ve had a couple of glasses of Chambourcin). In summary, all is well, and Todd Too even managed a wave or two during the ultrasound scan. Bets are now being made about gender. I’m staying out of it but SWMBO is convinced that we’ve got another boy on the way. Ciaran’s helpful suggestion was to phone the local radio station Nova. Their sports reporter can allegedly tell a baby’s gender by asking it’s mother random and meaningless questions. My response to him included a couple of choice words. We may find out the answer at the eighteen week scan in (come on now …) five weeks but I probably won’t announce it here. That way people who wish to remain in the dark can do so.

JFGP got some building blocks from Christmas. I’ve been building towers for him to knock down ever since. The other day I made a nice looking cow shaped creature. It got knocked down too.

We got a new bookcase. JFGP decided that it would be much better used as a chair. For him. He still thinks so, whenever I try and put some books or CDs on the shelf they inevitably end up on the floor.

Welcome to the inaugural Todd family Christmas photo. As you can see this year’s theme is comedy head gear. I will be firing up the digital camera over the festive season, so expect to see more badly posed pictures in the next couple of weeks. As a double bubble, if we haven’t sent you a Christmas card - or, more likely, it’s lost in the post - please accept our heartfelt good tidings this festive season. As a famous hippy once said;

We’ve got a christmas tree. It’s real. It is over seven feet (two metres) tall. There are fairy lights, and presents underneath it. What possibly lets the side down is the five (count them) ornaments gracing it’s branches. We really should do better than that.

One good thing about living a long way away from family is receiving presents through the post. This shows Alex gratefully receiving his Christmas present from the Perry family of Reading. Thanks awfully.

Congratulations to the Buck clan on the addition of their newest member. Say hello to Rory Lancaster Buck. All we know at the moment is that he was born in deepest, darkest Sussex at half past midday on the 29th of November and that mother and son are doing fine. Good work Cathy, Chris and Ethan. Welcome little one, just watch out for that nutbag called “Dad”.

A rather belated picture from our house warming last weekend. Uncle Ciaran is showing off his baby caring credentials by trying to keep his beer bottle away from Ely Palmer. He scores extra points for drinking proper (i.e. Belgian) beer. Although it does look like he is putting more effort into pulling a funny face than keeping the sweet, sweet beer away from the baby. I suspect he needs more practice looking after children. Are you free to look after a very well behaved young boy this weekend old bean?

Whilst I managed to take a couple of half decent photographs at our open house yesterday this one, taken this afternoon, pips them all to the cute post. It’s a picture of everyone’s favourite little boy (who had share his cubby house with eight girls yesterday) sitting on the sofa with Baa, his favourite soft toy. Why is it named Baa? Well it’s a sheep of course.

From the left - Milly Reeve, Elena Palmer, JFGP and Alice Reeve. I have it on good authority that they were all smiling because Robyn was outside the window doing star jumps. Sadly I can neither confirm or deny this because I was at work at the time. Whatever the ladies were doing has obviously worked though, as none of the ankle biters are crying or beating each other up. Definitely a good job all round.

The essential Northern Beaches accessory - a three wheel “sports” buggy that’s about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Which is irrelevant because JFGP absolutely loves sitting and being pushed around in the bloody thing. I won’t mention the fact that it’s too wide to fit through the checkout lanes at the supermarket or too unwieldy to take on the escalators at the mall and thus requires an enormous detour to use the lift because that would be churlish. And I’m not like that. I’m just a grumpy bugger.

I’m running a bit behind with my daily photos. This is actually the one I intended to show on Sunday. It does, though, demonstrate the comedy stylings of Alexander G. Todd. He is pictured here taking his ease at Cafe Beltree at Margan Family Wines in the Hunter Valley. As you can see he’s demonstrating the humourous potential of a muslin square. Or, as it’s called Chez Todd, a woobie. The boy is a proper comedian.

Yes boys and girls, we’ve bought a new car. Here it is, taking the sun at Cypress Lakes at the weekend. The eagle eyed will have spotted that it is sporting the same window sticker as our last car. It’s probably the only vehicle in Australia with a back window advertisement for Aylesbury’s finest. Something I’m sure the 70’s throwback will applaud whole heartedly. For the technically minded it’s a Honda Accord Euro luxury in graphite pearl with a go faster roof rack.

The small boy is now officially a toddler. He has developed a balancing technique which involves holding his hands out in front of himself, as you can see in the picture. The trouble is that it makes him look like a zombie. This idea has caught on around Reeve mansions and every time JFGP climbs up on his hind legs to perambulate around the lounge a chorus of “Brains, I eat Brains” goes up. Well, it makes me smile anyway.

This is the last mention of the rain, honest. Whilst on holiday we did manage to get out of our room between downpours. On a couple of those occasions we lounged around and in the hotel pool. Here you see SWMBO and JFGP taking the waters. Those strange blobs on the surface of the pool, by the way, are rain drops. You didn’t think it had stopped for long did you?