Gone Troppo

Well Master Mike thought that a 35km ride to nanas place was a big trip, and then a 70km tootle to the airport, then a 100km run to great-great aunty Win, but now he's left all them girly-short distances for dead in-so-far-as tootling is concerned.

He (and we) are in Cairns.

As in Cairns, "3000km away as the crow flies" Cairns.

All in the name of attending a huge international work conference for mum (Saturday to Friday inclusive, 8am to 6pm, 9 (as in n.i.n.e) parallel sessions).

The trip up, of course, entailed the boys first plane flight, which he did manfully. Even if he did have to bump another baby from the bassinet seat (cos Master M was younger). The flight went great - right up until the last 10 minutes when he screamed like, well, a baby. Damn cloggy ears. Even breastfeeding at a rapid rate didnt help until we were safely on the ground and there was a bit less noise and excitement. (Though we may have started him a litttttle early.) Then he acted cool, suave and nonchalant, and had half the plane ooohhhing and aaaahhhing as they disembarked past us.

"Arent you a beautiful boy then!"

...said the lady sitting behind us who had to listen to him scream 5 minutes before (and who dad eavesdropped on her story of how in her youth she acted in a film with Chips Rafferty near Alice Springs, and how he picked her up from the airport and made her sit on the bench seat of his ute and "spread em girly" round the gearstick, revealing her blue-bowed suspender belt... ohhhh errr....)

Still the family arrived safe and sound and will be here til this coming Sunday. The boy is loving all the attention (from half the conference attendees as well it would seem), hating the uncomfy baby-seat in the hire car, racking up tropical beach and jungle experiences, successfully avoiding bitey things (including crocs - well trained by lotsa singing of the "never smile at a crocodile" song), and sleeping better through the warm and very humid nights than dad, and amazingly, mum. Who would have ever guessed!

He's had lots of firsts, quite apart from the plane flight... but they, and the pics, will have to wait till another day. We've all gone troppo. Print this post