tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92007232024-03-22T21:31:01.081+11:00Hughes of BalmainAnna & Chris post their latest news for relatives and friends around the world.Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-43739242188953697672009-04-02T07:31:00.002+11:002009-06-13T07:53:52.715+10:00Thanks for all the fish<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157619654441630/" title="Last Days"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3409609226_54593ae2ff_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Last Days"/></a></p>
<p>As many of you will know, we've planning for a little while to move to the UK, and today we're boarding the flight to make the long journey. We've all thoroughly enjoyed the last five-and-a-half years or so living in Balmain, and we'll all miss the many friends that we've made here.</p>
<p>In the last few days and weeks, we've been trying to cram in many of the things that we always meant to do, but never got around to doing - such as finally managing to do the <a href="http://www.bridgeclimb.com/" title="Coat Hanger">Bridge Climb</a>, which was very good (although a little expensive) - as well as organising for the removalists to pack up all our stuff and ship it to the UK.</p>
<p>Ironically enough, our last full day was a bit wet, but Caitlin & (especially) James leapt at the chance to throw themselves into the big puddles that had formed in <a href="http://www.playgroundfinder.com/playground.php?playgroundid=60&pgf=11928f610bb879a2f24f60104914b30f" title="Tumbalong Park">Tumbalong Park</a> - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/3409613622/in/set-72157619654441630/" title="Splash">see the splashing</a>...</p>
<p>Of course, moving out of Balmain also means that “Hughes of Balmain” is no longer a very accurate destination so, if you're struggling to sleep at night you could always head on over to <em><a href="http://hughesofwarwick.blogspot.com/" title="New Blog">Hughes of Warwick</a></em>.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-22165261978432633332009-02-09T21:14:00.002+11:002009-03-28T13:58:44.750+11:00New Zealand<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/collections/72157613627048010/" title="Flickr Collection"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3266835126_9cf2a4b7b1_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Flickr Collection"/></a></p>
<p>After 3 weeks touring in New Zealand, starting in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland" title="Wikipedia Entry">Auckland</a> and finishing in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenstown,_New_Zealand" title="Wikipedia Entry">Queenstown</a>, we made it back into Sydney on Saturday evening to be welcomed by high-30s heat; and it wasn't until the following day that we heard of the terrible bush fires in country Victoria.</p>
<p>All-in-all, the trip went very well - once Caitlin & James had settled into the rhythm of the trip, and we had gotten used to navigating around the motor-home. We only had a couple of rainy days but, unfortunately, one of them was on the day that we were visiting Fox Glacier.</p>
<p>I'm not sure exactly how much of it the kids will remember in months and years to come - I suspect not much apart from trampolines and <a href="http://www.jumpingpillows.co.nz/">jumping pillows</a>, but they certainly had plenty of fun anyway!</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-6162725409857804202009-01-02T22:24:00.000+11:002009-01-02T12:25:33.113+11:00Featherdale Video<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/46928cc51133af17/495d6cc30b5a8656/46928cc5552b8140/a56c46fe/widget.js"></script>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-27888400850718338792008-12-05T21:43:00.002+11:002008-12-05T22:29:36.142+11:00In the Red Centre<p><a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/index.html" title="Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park"><img src="http://www.environment.gov.au/includes/parks/images/uluru/bg-navigation-image.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park"/></a></p>
<p>After some debate about the best itinerary, we spent last weekend on a 3-day trip to visit the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, to see the famous rocks. The schedule we decided to go with was pretty hectic but, rather than having the kids bored/time-to-think, we opted for the “no sleep till Sunday night” plan of:</p>
<ul>
<li>Friday morning - fly from Sydney to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayers_Rock_Airport" title="Wikipedia Entry">Connellan Airport</a>, and catch the 10-minute bus ride to <a href="http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/" title="Resort Information">Ayers Rock Resort</a></li>
<li>Friday afternoon - take a guided tour of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kata_Tjuta" title="Wikipedia Entry">Kata Tjuta</a>, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157610641560389/" title="Flickr Set">watch the sun set</a></li>
<li>Friday evening - enjoy a catered barbecue, with amazing views of the night sky, before settling into bed not much before midnight</li>
<li>Saturday early morning - up at 3:00am in time for the three-and-a-half hour coach trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Canyon_(Northern_Territory)" title="Wikipedia Entry">Kings Canyon</a>, taking care to avoid the camels wandering across the road</li>
<li>Saturday morning - take Caitlin & James on the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157610707549786/" title="Flickr Set">“Rim Walk”</a></li>
<li>Saturday afternoon - after a well deserved lunch, we take the return coach trip, stopping off for an ice-cream at Curtin Springs station, near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Conner" title="Wikipedia Entry">Mount Conner</a></li>
<li>Saturday evening - dinner, then off to bed for another early start</li>
<li>Sunday early morning - up at 3:30am in time for the half-hour trip to watch the sun rise over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru" title="Wikipedia Entry">Uluru</a></li>
<li>Sunday morning - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157610716634624/" title="Flickr Set">tour around Uluru</a>, and see the great rock up close</li>
<li>Sunday afternoon - fly back to Sydney</li>
<li>Sunday evening - fall asleep while eating dinner, while Anna goes off to orchestra!</li>
</ul>
<p>We were pretty lucky with the weather - although the temperature didn't dip much below 37°C while we were there, it was not humid at all: so was very manageable as long as you had plenty of water. All in all, it was a great trip and both Caitlin & James were better behaved than we feared they might be.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-81730137381505248362008-10-17T21:58:00.003+11:002008-12-05T21:42:54.975+11:00Sold<p><a href="http://www.ch.com.au/pol/property/search.asp?f_propertyID=874363&xsl=2041" title="Sold House"><img src="http://media.hubonline.com.au/agents_folder/2041/2041_874363_20081001104831_6_sm.jpg" width="115" height="75" alt="Sold House"/></a></p>
<p>The house went on to the market for its first public inspection on Saturday and, just in time for the 12:00pm timeslot, the clouds cleared so that the sun was shining down on us. Speaking to the agent later that afternoon, he was pretty bullish as he reported that he had seen around 35 groups come through the property (including one group that had sent a building inspector through the property the day before); and predicted that it would be a “busy Monday”.</p>
<p>Come Monday, it became apparent that there were two parties who were looking to make an offer on the place, and that afternoon we ended up accepting an offer from a couple who were keen to exchange contracts, without any cooling-off period, as soon as possible. So it was that, by the end of Tuesday, not only had we accepted their offer: but the exchange of signed contracts had also taken place.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-18959038571279687212008-10-10T20:27:00.001+11:002008-10-11T20:52:56.471+11:00The report of my death was an exaggeration<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain" title="Mark Twain"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/MTwainAppletonsJournal4July74.jpg/180px-MTwainAppletonsJournal4July74.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Mark Twain"/></a></p>
<p>To state the obvious, it's been a while since we got round to updating the 'blog, so what follows is a pretty brief synopsis of the last few months but, in response to a couple of emails, no we haven't died!</p>
<p>In May, Anna, Caitlin & I were invited along to the Leichhardt Council Offices to attend our <a href="http://www.citizenship.gov.au/resources/ceremonies/citizenship/index.htm" title="Ceremony">citizenship ceremony</a>, which means that we are all now dual nationals - James got dual nationality when he was born, as we were already permanent residents. Anna and I spent the day making sure we could remember the words to the National Anthem but we needn't have worried as, to save any embarrassment, you're provided with a copy of them to sing along to.</p>
<p>Anna, in discussion with a few of our friends, then decided to start training for the Sydney Marathon. Her schedule meant that, from 18 weeks before the date, she needed to be doing training runs during the week, with longer runs at the weekend. As we're both busy working all day and looking after Caitlin and James in the evenings, it took a lot of commitment to then venture out and pound the streets around Balmain, and I'm really proud to say that, on the day, <a href="http://webcast.trcsasia.com/au/blackmores/brf2008/index.php?id=7120" title="Video Finish">she completed the course</a> in a very creditable 4:43:49.</p>
<p>Finally, for now, we've also been very busy getting our house ready to sell, including moving into a rental property, so that we could get it ship-shape. It <a href="http://ch.com.au/pol/property/search.asp?f_propertyID=874363&xsl=2041&f_st=1&f_ct=1,4&f_ps=2" title="Old House">looks really nice now</a>, and has just gone on the market, so hopefully the hard work pays off and someone is prepared to pay a reasonable price for it. Our new, rented, house has three bedrooms and a bath, so Caitlin and James are thoroughly enjoying splashing around together before bed.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we'll update you again soon...</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-7233976153491208032008-04-11T22:09:00.001+10:002008-05-30T22:18:47.510+10:00Last Weekend<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604735984264/" title="Ballet"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2433914152_c746e2efb7_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Ballet"/></a></p>
<p>It was our last weekend with Anna's Mum & Dad visiting us, so we packed in as much as we could:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ballet on Saturday morning,</li>
<li>A <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604736009674/">trip to the park</a>,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604407813453/">Amelie's birthday party</a>, and</li>
<li>Anna's latest performance with Balmain Sinfonia on Sunday</li>
</ul>
<p>Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, Claire lost her mobile phone. We tried to locate it at each of the spots we'd been to, but all to no avail. Hopefully, it will turn up somewhere soon...</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-52950326157359827042008-04-04T21:55:00.002+11:002008-05-30T22:08:09.428+10:00The Big Push<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604739982973/" title="Trip to Manly"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/2433872106_0fd5fa9fb1_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Trip to Manly"/></a></p>
<p>While I was puting in a few extra hours at work on Saturday, everyone else headed off for a trip to the beach at Manly. It turned out to be a lovely sunny day, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed messing around in the sand.</p>
<p>On Sunday, we all headed out to Centennial Park, and tried our collective hand on one of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/2433070773/in/set-72157604739971405/">six-person bicycles</a> for a couple of circuits - I think it was harder work than any of us had expected when going up the hills.</p>
<p>Fortunately, all the long hours at work paid off as we launched the Today Network sites successfully on April 1st: <a href="http://www.2dayfm.com.au/">2DayFM</a> and its state counterparts.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-77766492369822972152008-03-28T21:32:00.001+11:002008-05-30T21:52:45.210+10:00When Wildlife Attacks<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604656886067/" title="Jervis Bay"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2430322161_d337de6e2f_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Jervis Bay"/></a></p>
<p>After our lightning-filled trip down to Jervis Bay, we found our accommodation pretty easily and managed to get unpacked fairly quickly. The <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2430318921_503ce491ec.jpg?v=0">place we were staying</a> turned out to be plenty big enough for us all, and being only 100m from the beach was very well positioned.</p>
<p>Although the weather was a little changeable, we managed to get out and about to see pretty much all of the local attractions including the Botanic Gardens, National Park beaches, dolphins, Lady Denman etc.</p>
<p>On our last full day, the weather cleared up nicely so that we could have a relaxing beach day; or so we thought! As James was settling down for a little doze on the beach, we heard some rustling in the bushes and out poked a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-tongued_lizard">blue tongued lizard</a> to see what remnants of food were available. Then, when we were sitting down for dinner later, one of the local kookaburras decided he'd like to join us, if there was any meat available...</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-75225221814345451412008-03-21T22:30:00.002+11:002008-05-01T22:52:48.746+10:00Riders on the storm<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604736067692/" title="Sydney Wildlife World"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2432997669_4774d61769_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Sydney Wildlife World"/></a></p>
<p>On Saturday, we joined Anna's parents doing some sight-seeing around Sydney. It's funny how you can live in a place for years and never see many of the things that tourists do - one simple example of this being that I had never visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_House,_Sydney" title="Government House, Sydney">Government House</a> before, although I've been past it many times. We also risked a trip on the small tourist train that runs through the Botanic Gardens - lucky that no-one had seen <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mini-tourist-train-overturns/2008/03/09/1204998265702.html" title="Tourist Train overturns">this story</a> about the train overturning the week before!</p>
<p>On Sunday, we all went to <a href="http://www.sydneywildlifeworld.com.au/" title="Sydney Wildlife World">Sydney Wildlife World</a> for a look around their collection of deadly (and otherwise) inhabitants.</p>
<p>After a short week at work, we then all jumped into a car on Thursday evening for the drive down to Jervis Bay; where we would spend the Easter break. Sydney, being that bit closer to the equator, seems to put on spectacular electrical storms during the summer - and so it was that, at the start of the drive, we found ourselves driving down the Princes Highway with forked lightning seemingly crashing into the ground only metres away from us. Judging from the quiet in the car, I think everyone was very glad once we had made it through the storm.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-63501474935726596602008-03-14T22:15:00.003+11:002008-05-01T22:29:49.795+10:00Visitors, visitors everywhere<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604740129673/" title="Around Sydney"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2433800920_546b4bc5ee_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Around Sydney"/></a></p>
<p>It's been a busy week of arrivals, which started with some of our friends from the Bristol Hash visiting Sydney; on their way to <a href="http://www.interhash2008.com/" title="Interhash 2008 in Perth">Interhash 2008</a> in Perth. We organised a baby-sitter for Saturday night, and showed them a few of the many pubs in <em>The Rocks</em>, and had them pop round for a quick visit the following afternoon.</p>
<p>Later in the week, Anna's Mum & Dad arrived from the UK, to spend a few weeks in with us. As we (and they) weren't 100% sure whether their trip was going ahead, awaiting the doctor's approval following Claire's operation at the end of last year, we're both going to be at work for much of the time they're here; but I'm sure they will be able to find plenty to keep themselves busy.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-32144007406941551722008-03-07T21:28:00.001+11:002008-03-26T21:58:58.082+11:00Busman's Holiday<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/2322794327/in/set-72157604041375839/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2068/2322794327_e684c58dfb_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Beach Heads"/></a></p>
<p>We finished off our trip with a couple of days in <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=torquay+victoria&t=h&z=13">Torquay</a>, and the weather was good enough that we could enjoy the time on the beach; rather than dashing around.</p>
<p>Predictably enough, at the start of our Great Ocean Road trip, Anna got a call to ask if she was available for some freelance work. Of course, we weren't going to cut our trip short, but it transpired that they would have some additional work the week after also - so, Anna is back at work again this week.</p>
<p>Finally, here's a little <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6622828000911667673">video of our trip to Anglesea Golf Course</a>.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-89912791332491460972008-02-29T22:32:00.000+11:002008-03-26T21:26:13.514+11:00Great Ocean Road<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157604041375839/" title="Great Ocean Road"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2310135436_323f4af4a3_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Great Ocean Road"/></a></p>
<p>On Saturday morning, we flew down to Melbourne and headed out to the depot to pick up our <a href="http://www.maui.com.au/australia-motorhome-rentals">Maui Motorhome</a>, which was to be our home for the next 8 days.</p>
<p>Rather than drive all the way around to Adelaide, we decided to focus our time on the stretch of the <a href="http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/">Great Ocean Road</a> from Geelong to Warrnambool; so that we didn't spend too much time driving, and Caitlin & James could enjoy the scenery. Our itinerary worked out to be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Saturday & Sunday nights in Anglesea</li>
<ul>
<li>Sunday was spent on the windy beach, and walking around before an evening trip to the <a href="http://www.angleseagolfclub.com.au/">Anglesea Golf Club</a> to see some of the many kangaroos that make the fairways their home</li>
</ul>
<li>Monday & Tuesday nights in Apollo Bay, stopping along the way to see</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lIGhtS/VIC/Aireys%20Inlet/Split%20Point%20Lighthouse.htm">Split Point Lighthouse</a></li>
<li>Lorne town centre</li>
<li><a href="http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1process_details.cfm?place=139">Erskine Falls</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Wednesday night in Port Campbell, via</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lightstation.com/">Cape Otway Lightstation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.otwayfly.com/">Otway Fly</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Thursday night in Warrnambool, having seen</li>
<ul>
<li>What remains of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles,_Victoria">Twelve Apostles</a></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ard_Gorge">Loch Ard Gorge</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Friday & Saturday nights back in Torquay</li>
</ul>
<p>All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip - especially once we had figured out the best arrangement of beds so that the kids slept reasonably well.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-8073783401689702622008-02-22T22:14:00.002+11:002008-03-11T22:31:28.233+11:00Fairy Birthday<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603942138717/" title="Face Painting"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2276304939_634235be78_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Face Painting"/></a></p>
<p>We decided to hold Caitlin's birthday party on Sunday, in and around the rotunda at Elkington Park. As we've been to quite a few kids parties, we had the opportunity to pick up on those things that seem to have worked well - the main one being to have someone help keep the youngsters entertained (aside from eating lots of sweets). After a bit of searching around, we decided to go with a fairy party courtesy of <a href="http://www.fairygoodtimes.com.au/fairybirthday.htm">Fairy Good Times</a>.</p>
<p>Caitlin was very impressed with the idea of there being a “real grown-up fairy”, and she did a very good job of magic show, balloon toys, games and face painting. Then we all gathered in the rotunda for the <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-426693927365714364">blowing out of the candles</a>.</p>
<p>The rest of the week was spent making and finalising plans for our road trip next week - as well as <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-150017385606257886">a little dancing</a>...</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-49668556232047689022008-02-15T22:18:00.001+11:002008-02-20T22:48:17.644+11:00Three o'clock<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603942138717/" title="Caitlin is Three"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2277064536_73f0cc077a_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Caitlin is Three"/></a></p>
<p>Although it doesn't seem that long since she was born, this week Caitlin celebrated her third birthday; many thanks to everyone who sent cards and gifts. For her, the main attraction of a birthday is, without doubt, the opportunity to eat cake - so we decided to make one for her to take and share with her friends at day-care and another one for her party at the weekend.</p>
<p>Anna finished up her short-term contract role this week, although the director specifically mentioned that they may well want her to come back in a couple of weeks - so she obviously made a good impression. Anna was a little disappointed that they hadn't kept her on, but understood that this is the typical cycle for freelance work - they only keep you as long as they have work/budget for you, and uncertainty with either of these is why they hire freelancers.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-73494861559332071482008-02-08T21:51:00.002+11:002008-02-20T22:14:58.090+11:00One nap or two?<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603694485762/" title="Clontarf Reserve"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2167958094_68da8c3db8_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Clontarf Reserve"/></a></p>
<p>On Monday, it was my turn to head into the <acronym title="Department of Immigration and Citizenship">DIAC</acronym> offices to attend my citizenship interview - having spent the bus journey there feverishly revising my <a href="http://www.citizenship.gov.au/applying/application-process/privileges.htm">privileges and responsibilities</a>. I was glad I had because, as expected, knowledge of these lists is pretty much the only question asked of you; aside from confirming that you have supplied all the necessary paperwork.</p>
<p>Anna's freelance job is progressing well, although we're not sure exactly how long it will continue; especially as a colleague of hers was “let go” at short notice at the end of the week.</p>
<p>Caitlin & James are both doing well at day-care, and James seems to be making the transition from two to one nap during the day. This means he is normally a bit grouchy at the end of the day but, if it means that he sleeps well during the night, that works.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-6777055919284115872008-02-01T23:19:00.000+11:002008-02-08T23:44:20.008+11:00Pre-School<p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23130315-5001021,00.html" title="Pre-School camp out"><img src="http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5865045,00.jpg" width="105" height="72" alt="Pre-School camp out"/></a></p>
<p>The excitement this week centred around enrolment for our <a href="http://www.birchgrove-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/" title="Birchgrove Pre School">local pre-school</a>, just up the road in Birchgrove, accepting applications from 9:00am on Wednesday morning. We had heard, through a variety of sources, that people often queue up for hours beforehand to try and secure their spot, so I was allocated the task of joining the line in the early hours on Caitlin's behalf.</p>
<p>Rumour had it that, last year, a 4:00am start was par for the course so, with my iPod loaded, I walked up to the school just before 2:00am. Unsure exactly where we were supposed to be lining up, I sat down close to the main office. I didn't have to wait long until another Dad came and joined me, but with the query “is this the right spot?” - good question, and one of which I was unsure as to the answer. So, promising to save each others place, he went and investigated while I sat tight.</p>
<p>Only a few minutes had passed when he returned muttering that he had found the queue, and there were already some “twenty to thirty” people in front of us. However, the ridiculousness of the situation meant that everyone was very friendly and talkative to keep each other going for the hours ahead. We won't find out until later this year whether we were successful but, odd though it sounds, it was actually quite good fun just hanging out and chatting with all the other parents in the same boat!</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-25544147360429578002008-01-25T21:24:00.000+11:002008-01-25T21:48:31.465+11:00Almost Australia-n Day<p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2216771175_5c5d5c6a8f.jpg" title="Anna"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2216771175_5c5d5c6a8f_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Anna"/></a></p>
<p>Predictably enough, with Anna & I both due to be working full-time this week, a minor illness arrived on the scene. On Sunday James developed a temperature and a visit to the doctor on Monday confirmed that he had, for a second time, developed tonsillitis - as before, the antibiotics have done the trick and he is much better now, but he did have a sore throat for a couple of days.</p>
<p>With <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day" title="Australia Day">Australia Day</a> looming, it seemed fitting that Anna received confirmation that she has completed the last-but-one step towards becoming Australian, by attending (and passing) her citizenship interview. There has been some controversy about the introduction of a <a href="http://www.citizenship.gov.au/test/practice/practice_test.htm" title="Practice Test">citizenship test</a> here in Australia, but because we applied a little while ago we only need to attend a more straightforward interview (mine is in a couple of weeks).</p>
<p>Finally, we got around to taking some video of <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6224189569510292202" title="James Walking">James Walking</a> - he's been mobile for around two weeks now, and seems to be getting the hang of it pretty well!</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-25169178512006101862008-01-18T21:05:00.000+11:002008-01-25T21:48:49.380+11:00Four-Oh!<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603747424338/" title="January Birthdays"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/2203841442_4e5c04c868_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="January Birthdays"/></a></p>
<p>We joined up with a few others to celebrate <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2203038141_d239b572af.jpg" title="Toby">Toby's</a> 1st birthday on Sunday. It was an absolutely swelteringly hot morning but the rain clouds, unfortunately, started to gather as we cut into the cake. However, the rain mostly avoided us and we managed to stay pretty dry.</p>
<p>Tuesday saw the ushering in of my next decade; I'm still in denial! Caitlin, of course, was more than happy to celebrate my birthday if it meant more cake - she was very keen to <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4758560693351047600" title="Sing-along">sing along and blow out the candles</a>, and also to remind everyone that her birthday isn't too far away.</p>
<p>Anna, meanwhile, has managed to secure a 5-week contract doing some design work for <a href="http://www.adcorp.com.au/" title="Adcorp site">Adcorp</a>, with the possibility that it might lead to something more permanent in the future. Her first day went a little askew, as the work she was originally allocated fell through, but there seems to be plenty of other tasks for her to help with.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-9299329569610177172008-01-11T23:57:00.000+11:002008-01-20T00:16:25.008+11:00Red Dress<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603698805045/" title="Piano Lesson"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/2187269232_ae60705e48_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Piano Lesson"/></a></p>
<p>The week started with a “<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/2170799923_bb8f902405.jpg">red dress run</a>” with our local hash chapter. Caitlin was obviously a little bemused at seeing us both in red dresses, as she insisted in <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2187275862_0ec18016b3.jpg">also wearing it</a> for much of the following week.</p>
<p>Caitlin was very excited to have graduated from the Brolgas room, at school, to the Jabiroos room. The main criteria for the graduation is that you can reliably go to the toilet, without making any mistakes. I'm not sure if it was because we could have toilet-trained her sooner, but Caitlin seemed to get the idea pretty quickly - although, of course, there were a couple of mistakes at first.</p>
<p>Finally, the “<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2387/2187280204_0d9b5b49aa.jpg">missing piano</a>” that Anna's parents had purchased for James' birthday finally arrived. It seems pretty clear that it got confused with some other deliveries around Christmas - both Caitlin and James are loving it.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-13509514567886003742008-01-04T23:39:00.000+11:002008-01-19T23:55:58.755+11:00Happy 2008<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603698801353/" title="2007/8"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/2186443563_72df7c9f4a_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="2007/8"/></a></p>
<p>For the New Year celebrations we headed down the road to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?ll=-33.853275,151.20007&t=h&z=15" title="Harbour View">Illoura Reserve</a>, where we met up with a few friends (also with young children) for the “kids fireworks” at 9:00pm. The harbour, as always, made for a fantastic backdrop for the festivities and we all had a very enjoyable evening.</p>
<p>We then made our way back home, so that Caitlin & James could get some sleep before we headed down the road to our local ferry wharf for the <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5467434132645964711" title="Fireworks (part one)">midnight</a> <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9151662269575735231" title="Fireworks (part two)">fireworks</a>.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-20868928055115962532007-12-28T23:27:00.000+11:002008-01-19T23:38:45.835+11:00A very sad loss<p>We learned, just before Christmas, that a good friend of ours has passed away after a long battle with cancer - our deepest sympathy and thoughts go to all of her family and friends.</p>
<p>Anna & Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-21334836896685151682007-12-21T23:13:00.000+11:002008-01-19T23:26:22.383+11:00The Goose is getting fat<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603694458274/" title="Maddie's Birthday"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2153/2157203617_671a48b2a2_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Maddie's Birthday"/></a></p>
<p>As one of her 30th birthday presents, Anna received a “coffee & chocolate tour” around Sydney (from Janet & John, I think). So, on Saturday morning, she headed off for her caffeine load, with the plan that we would meet up for some Christmas shopping afterwards. She really enjoyed the tour, and we all enjoyed the chocolates that she bought!</p>
<p>The main <a href="http://www.davidjones.com.au/stores/elizabeth_st.jsp" title="David Jones">David Jones</a> store in Sydney always does a special Christmas window display, which only added to Caitlin's increasing hysteria at the imminence of the 25th - I thought the <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7822657031782396607" title="One Green Bottle">beer bottle musician</a> was just as good!</p>
<p>On Sunday, we all headed down the road for Maddie's first birthday (the daughter of one of Anna's mothers group). We all had a good time, but Caitlin almost needed to be dragged off the mini-trampoline that the kids were trying to share...</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-52945701268959405322007-12-14T21:37:00.000+11:002007-12-14T22:05:40.787+11:00Birthday Boy<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603437420019/" title="James Birthday"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/2104043849_f0e168f58e_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="James Birthday"/></a></p>
<p>Anna made it back into Sydney on Sunday evening (as her mother is recovering well) and, having just about adjusted to UK time, once again had to re-acquaint herself with the local time. On Monday, as James & Caitlin were at “school”, she managed to have a good sleep and that helped her to get back on track.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, it was James 1<sup>st</sup> birthday, so he and Caitlin had great fun:</p>
<ul>
<li>playing with his <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6551146358317940162" title="Birthday Presents">Birthday Presents</a>, until</li>
<li>the <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6788826374392951167" title="Giraffe Attack">Giraffe Attack</a>, but they managed to recover for</li>
<li>some <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4307522323131427354" title="Backyard Birthday Cake">Backyard Birthday Cake</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Many thanks to everyone who contacted us to wish James a happy birthday - now we can start preparing for Christmas!</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9200723.post-45349529250830259112007-12-07T20:46:00.000+11:002007-12-07T21:39:04.938+11:00Unplanned Trip<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajhughes/sets/72157603282924326/" title="Pirate Party"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2060179539_1d9c8c5a4c_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="Pirate Party"/></a></p>
<p>Anna had already heard that her mother was unwell, but the situation escalated last Friday when we learned that she was to undergo surgery to manipulate two of her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_vertebrae" title="Wikipedia Entry">cervical vertebrae</a>; which were pressing against her spinal cord. So, last Friday, Anna booked a flight and was on her way back to the UK on Saturday. Fortunately, the surgery went well and Claire now has a lot more range of movement, so it looks like Anna will be making her way back to Australia tomorrow.</p>
<p>As we only have childcare organized for two days in the week, currently, I had to take a few days off work to look after Caitlin & James. Fortunately, my boss was very understanding and quickly approved my request for some “family leave” on Monday.</p>
<p>So, I've had a few days of experiencing Anna's life, when she is at home looking after the kids. Generally, things have gone pretty smoothly, but it has been pretty hard work too! The highlight of looking after them both this week was definitely when we went to the Christmas Show at their childcare centre - the performances were good fun, but Caitlin's focus was quite clearly on the bag of lollies she received at the end. We went home for dinner soon after, and when I asked her what she wanted to eat she was very clear - “I'm having chocolate”.</p>
<p>Chris</p>Anna & Chris Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060306075850382342noreply@blogger.com0