Christmas break, photos photos and more photos

The best Christmas present was my mum and dad teaching Jackson to walk - on Christmas eve he walked to me and then by Christmas morning was enjoying walking to everyone.
This is Brad's dad Bob with Jackson - making faces.
Yes this is chocolate and yes he is now addicted, just like his ma ma he has a sweet tooth!
playing with/ eating sea weed. Too cute
Bob and Vicki enjoying some down time by the beach
Thanks Aunty Pearl for my new favorite t-shirt!
Just like his Paw Paw Jackson has discovered the healing benifits of Bundy Rum (only kidding) he just wanted to drink out of the same container - so we swished it out with water and he then used this as his sippy can. What can I say but he just wanted to be a big boy - not like he isn't already - check out the piccy below to get a rough estimate of how tall my one year old boy is! Also much love to Uncle Matt and Aunty Sharon for the Harris shirt - way too cute!



Happy times.

In the best news we've had in a while my sister in law Angie gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby boy - William Christopher Harris, born 3rd of Jan. I've had a chance to speak with Angie and she is doing great - Christopher is gaining and should soon need a t-shirt similar to Jackson's in the photo's above except with "boob addict". When we are all back in the same country one day, sooner rather than later, Jackson will have a little boy just a year younger to play with which I think will be neat.

We have enjoyed having the Christmas break off, travelling to see my parents and then joining us from America was Bob and Vicki. We spent some fantastic quality time together, and Grandma Vicki and Paw Paw, Lollie and Granddad fell in love with Jackson, as did he with them. Once back in Tassie Grandma was a great play mate and spend endless hours chasing our now walking/running toddler around the house, and as soon as Paw Paw had had some morning coffee - he too was all for entertaining Jackson! or was it the other way around? I think Jackson can be pretty entertaining too.

Fun at sea

This is my Dad playing in the ocean with Jackson over the Christmas break.

Jackson's first birthday party.

"I'm so over this" - about 5 minutes before Jack fell asleep on Mahind after the best day ever!
Birthday fun
these are in random order - Basim celebrated his 15th birthday with Jackson - he was pretty excited to receive an i pod from his parents.
Samin, Jackson and Basim - brothers. I always have a hard time pulling Jackson away from them as he follows them around Mahind's house all the time - he also sits outside their room waiting for Samin to come say hello and let him play on his laptop.
All of us enjoying birthday in the park - I made Basim's cake in his favorite soccer team colours- Barcelona.
Birthday fun - Alicia has 5 children ages 5,4, 2,2 & 1! He youngest daughter Alexandra is wearing one of her many dresses from Joy.
Jackson, Oliver, Alexandra and Lincoln. Friends.
Our pick of the park - it was a great day and almost all our friends were able to make it.

Jackson is off to the moon in his new rocket - he loves just sitting in here and "reading" or hiding from Dad in the never ending game of chasey.
Baby Kate thought the rocket was pretty special too -
but she especially loved the birthday bubbles. We will miss Tim, Caz and Kate over Christmas as we each go our seperate ways for the holiday's, but will so look forward to seeing how much Kate has grown up over Christmas. Now we both have babies and we all work we don't get to spend near as much time together - but try to make sure we catch up each month for dinner.
I made Jackson's Winnie the Poo cake (the theme of the day)
Mahind's husband Behzad with some of their friends - cooking traditional Persian kebab over hot coals - Delicious!! although the ones made of heart (not so delicious). Everyone who came to the park was able to have one with some rice - plus of course Mahind cooked a whole heap of other things too. We were all so full as it was delicious! After most people left Basim and a friend of his played music (guitar and drum) and sang while we sat around in the fading sun enjoying just being all together. It was so special and memorable, we are blessed to have Mahind's family in our lives.

Happy Birthday To You!!

Jackson turned one today and what a fantastic day it was! Tim and Carolyn came over and brought Jackson his second cake (Mahind made him a cake at daycare...pictures coming soon). He will have his third cake this Saturday when we are having a BBQ with some other families.

More pictures and video to come soon...enjoy!!









Telling jokes with the God-Father.


All cleaned up and off to bed!!

With Christmas almost here, baby Kate and Jackson got into the prechristmas spirit as we shared our last free weekend together with friends Caz & Tim.

Stealing kisses

What's new

So its been a while since I let everyone know what's new with us - well at least whats new with Jackson. For starters he is navigating furniture with much more confidence - walking around holding on to each item with one hand while pointing a lot to anything and everything. Birds are his favorite to point at and say - but he also thinks flys are birds too - basically anything outside that flys. He says lots of words now but says most of them very quietly - myself and Mahind think this is because he is very smart - but I'm sure most other 11 month olds are saying lots of things too, Jackson just has to learn the name for each item in two languages - like flower/goul, come/beear I'm sure this is not the correct spelling but its how the words sound. He also shows how he understands each word in a different language - for instance if you say where is goul - he will point to a flower, and if you say smell the flower - he will point and smell the flower. I have noticed he finds saying the Persian words a lot easier than English - probably as he spends more daylight hours at Mahinds. He understands pretty much everything - especially "no no no" and he will say this and shake his head at you. When I say "Yummy yummy - he knows to try the food as it will be "yummy yummy yummy in my tummy tummy tummy " a silly song I sing during dinner time if we are trying a new food. he will also shake his head when he likes something and as he is eating he will say "Mmmmmmmm" and shake his head at the same time. Brad taught him this. Actual words he says out loud and clearly are -
Mum
Dad
Beear (come) although lately this word has been taken over by bird.
Bird
Out - everything is "out" Out with the toys, Out to go outside, Out to get out of the high chair - ect ect ect.
See Saw - he loves to play with this at Mahinds.
Samin - Mahinds eldest son.
da da (go outside in persian) differnt sound from Dad.
Bo bo - Mahinds husband Bezzad - bo bo is the persian for Dad.
Date - his all time favorite food.
Ta and please - although please sounds like pees and its not one of his best words - most likely he will choose to grunt or yell ending in a back arching cry on the floor - until I give him a date and preferably a date with a walnut inside coated in sesame seeds - as this is the type Brad and I eat and they are delicious.

Mahind has been a lifesaver this past week, I was in Canberra for work and she cooked for Jack, then later in the week she minded him at night while Brad and I went out to dinner, also she has shown me how to cook Persian rice - it is so light and fluffy and has a crisp bottom layer of potato - mouthwatering good. A few weeks ago we also had a lovely picnic with her family at the park and are planning another one for Jacks first birthday.

in recent news -

I have been struck down with a virus and can't speak, spend most of the day blowing my nose and coughing. I'm a delight to be around. Despite this we managed to co-ordinate a pre christmas picnic at the botanical gardens for Caz, Tim, baby kate and us. We were all supposed to be going camping to Bruny island, but with me and Jackson a bit unwell, and rain predicted, and Baby Kate just having her 4 month injections - it wasn't looking good. So at the very last minute we pulled out and instead enjoyed the picnic - and coming home to a nice warm bed.

Random Video

Here is another random video. We are just playing in the lounge after I came home from work...