This is a photograph of the tool board in my father's workshop.
Most of the tools here are more than 50 years old, and few are less than 30 years old. I was taught that if you look after things they'll last. Dad's workshop proves it.
The skills I have in making, repairing and constructing were learnt at my father's elbow.
And now Edward gets his first lesson on sawing wood from his Grandpa.
Down at Mosman, near Balmoral Beach there is a statue of Billy the dog, who was well known as the companion to Inky the street sweeper from 1959 to 1978.
In July 2005 we took a photograph of Ed with Billy and again today, three years later. How quickly they grow up.
The statue of Billy is by Denis Adams, according to Mosman Council, however the artist is much more likely to be Dennis Adams..
Last week Edward asked to go to the Powerhouse Museum, which if I had to categorise it, I'd say is a museum of technology, science, decorative arts and design. So today we made the trek to Ultimo and met up with Ben and Lauren and Edward's cousins Thomas and Eloise.
We especially got Ed excited about visiting the zero gravity simulator which is part of the Space exhibition.
The Zero-G simulator is comprised of a stationary platform upon which the astronauts (kids) stand surrounded by a cylindrical shaped mockup of the inside of a space station. The cylinder slowly rotates to simlulate a space like experience. To the astronauts, nothing much seems to be happening, but when you walk out onto "earth" again, it is quite disorientating. Thankfully there is a rest area, which I suggest you use.
On the way to the Zero-G experience, then kids also had the chance to be photographed looking like space travellers as they stuck their heads through the painted backdrop. An oldie, but a goody.
Later the boys had the chance to dress up in astronaut costumes. There were alien costumes too, but they didn't have the same attraction.
Apart from these obvious novelties, they had some great fun in the Experimentations area which displays pratical examples of some of the fundamental physics of electricity, light, and magnetism. In this pic, Edward is using a hand cranked generator to power a toy electric train and send it around a small track in the enclosure.
I know that when Ed said last week that he wanted to go to the Powerhouse Museum, he had in his mind seeing the steam engines on display. The museum includes on permanent display Locomotive No. 1, which was the first steam locomotive in Australia. Made in England by the Stephenson works, it was transported to Australia by ship and put into use in 1855. I see from the nameplate data, that it was in fact No. 958, as far as they were concerned.
There is also an engine built in 1882, Locomotive No. 1243 on display and Edward was able to stand on the footplate and operate a few controls. the display is interactive, and as buttons are pressed the voice of a driver or fireman explain the workings.
There's a section called Zoe's House, which is a contruction and building activity for kids aged 3 - 6. Ed, Thomas and Eloise all loved this.
The Powerhouse Museum is well set up to light the imagination of children, and as you can see has lots of things for them to do, see, and in which to be invovolved.
But there's also rareities to interest military historians like me.
This enigma machine is part of an exhibition, and was used to create coded messages by the German Army in World War II.
Breaking the codes made by these machines was a turning point of World War II.
There are two other known specimins of these machines in Australia. One is held by the Australian War Memorial, and one held by the government information security (cryptological) agency Defence Signals Directorate; although both are owned by DSD.
To see inside an Enigma machine, you can check this series of photographs (not from the Powerhouse Museum)
The children all enjoyed taking a break in the courtyard cafe which has some state of the art play and climbing activites, including this giant climbing frame which can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, including this 40ish man who could not resist climbing to the top.
I managed to control the climbing impulse.
Now, it wouldn't be a visit to a museum if we didn't manage to find an error in a curatorial plaque, and here's the result from today.
There's a display about the work of violin maker William Auchterlonie (perhaps part of the famous golfing family?) and the plaque says that," This page is open to 1924, the year the violin on display was made."
But it is clearly a page from 1934.
He had been using a day-to-a-page diary from 1930, and the day for that page, Tuesday January 28th, 1930 is crossed out. Auchterlonie's note begins, "Started in 1934 Beginning of November ..."
SUMMARY:
Edward asked to return to the Zero-gravity simulator, and the engine Locomotive No. 1243 - so I guess they must be the best things in the museum today.
You never forget your first circus.
Today we took Ed to the Big Top at St. Ives showgrounds to see Weber's Circus.
This is the real deal. The arena is releatively small - which ensures that every seat has a great view of the action, although some may be slightly obscured by the solumns holding up the tent.
The local government doesn't permit the use of animals, but in every other respect there is a full range of top circus acts. Solo trapeze, aerial steel ring, clowns (non-scary), contortionist, tightrope walk, juggling, dancers, aerial silk act, multiple hula hoops, and an honest to goodness wheel of death.
Edward's attention was captured for the nearly 2-hour show.
Something he will never forget.
He told me the popcorn was good too.
The circus strikes the big top tomorrow, and then goes to give shows at St. Mary's and Liverpool. See if you can get along there. Tell them Bob sent you.
I'm a stay at home Dad. Why do I do it?
If I were much more articulate than I am, and a professor of child psychiatry, and you could edit what I had to say to give it punch and pith I would say exactly what Dr Kyle Pruett says here:
And most of all, I do what I do for Edward because I love him.
Tip from Rebel Dad.
[ Again, this is late due to technical problems ]
It's Christmas Day.
Preparations began last night with setting out a libation and a gingerbread biscuit for Santa and some water, a carrot and some magic reindeer food for his team. The pic shows Edward taking a photograph of his tableau.
Then off to bed for our boy, to try to overcome excitement and get to sleep.
On Christmas morning we opened some gifts, including this fishing game for Ed from his Uncle Damian and Aunt Sharon. It comprises a tin containing magnetic fish. The fish are caught by Edward using his fishing rod with a magnet on the end. Loads of fun.
Ed's Grandpa Alan gave him a Hotwheels kit with a hand-held launcher and a few cars. Wow.
Gabrielle and I gave Edward a bicycle, and Grandpa Roger gave him a helmet to preserve his brain. This bike is decorated with a Lightning McQueen motif, currently one of Ed's favourite movie characters.
We hosted family Christmas luncheon and of course children brought along their newest and best Christmas things. Eloise was very proud of her new swimming goggles.
When things had calmed down and our guests had gone Edward did some construction work with the wheelbarrow which was gifted by Aunt Jayne.
Later when some quiet time was needed it turned out that the wheel barrow was also a good resting place. You'll note the more than somewhat glazed look in Edward's eyes.
[ Due to technical problems inserting images - this post is a bit late to market. ]
Edward knows perfecty well which buiding is the Sydney Opera House, and a couple of weeks before Christmas he found out what goes on inside. Music!
We attended a Babies Proms Christmas concert in the Utzon Room which is dominated on one side by a huge woven tapestry and on the other side by floor to ceiling windows overlooking Farm Cove. The 16-piece orchestra was conducted by Big G, and there was a solo singer named Saskia.
A highlight for Ed was hanging his ornament on the Christmas tree at the end of the show - he's in the horizontally striped shirt in the pic.
As for the concert, it was great fun for the littlies, and well run by the Opera house team.
Today's craft activity at Playgroup was making a hand puppet out of paper baking cups and a brown paper bag. Two cups are stapled onto the bag by an adult to make the eyes. Then colouring in is completed by the child for hair, mouth, nose and ears.
If the cups are stapled through both the front and the back layer of the bag, then the space for insertion of the child's hand is made smaller and hence easier to operate as a puppet.
Ed liked his just fine.
Saturday was nephew Thomas' 4th birthday party. Ed's overseeing the present opening here. He loves wearing this yellow jacket, and calls it his "fireman's jacket".
Today we stopped over at Thomas' house to collect somethings and the boys spent a bit of time talking to each other using a garden hose telephone system.
Yesterday Edward and I went on a picnic in Davidson Park under the Roseville Bridge which is part of the larger Garigal National Park. It is about 6 minutes drive from our residence, but it is more than ten years since I've visited the park.
We had sandwiches, fruit and fruit juice.
Parked neaby was a classic Chevrolet, probably a 1956 vintage.
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