Hello - another update at last and less than 40 days to Christmas. So, what has been happening (everything! I hear you cry). I will keep it concise to cover the ground.

A recent development is that David is now using his table and chairs, and sitting down to read his books. He has been much more interested in the books for about a month now, and started sitting at the table to read them over the last fortnight. Importantly, he goes to it himself, and gets in his chair and turns over the pages in the books. He also gets out the books in his room to look at them.

The table & chairs set is a Christmas present from Nanna and Granddad, which is getting an early start. We still haven't painted or stained it, but David doesn't seem to mind. We bought the set a few months ago because the Pine Warehouse which stocked them closed down after being in business for approx 20 years. Well made, and will support an adult's weight easily.

David has also started swimming lessons. He had his third today. No photos yet, because I have taken him by myself the last two weeks, and no opportunity to take photos when I have my hands full keeping him under control. The first week of lessons it was cold and rained! The lesson went ahead, and the pool was warm(ish) but it was a short lesson because the babies started to shiver. There are probably another 6 or 7 babies in the class. They range from around 8 months to David at 13mths. Lots around games and getting used to water over their head & face - learing to stretch out and kick. The aim is water safety - flopping off the wall (like Humpty Dumpty) and then learing to turn, kick back and climb out. Well, David has already mastered climbing out when he gets to the edge. The climbing leg goes up and he is out - today he was aout 3 times, which meant I had to climb out and run after him. He climbs out when we do "monkey arms" supposedly along the edge of the pool, or when he gets too much water in his eyes or nose, and reaches out to the edge. He does love the water though. We are both exhausted after the half hour lesson. The last two weeks David is asleep by the time we get home and has slept for 3 hours.

David is definitely going to have curls - see attached bad photo of the back of his head. His hair is getting longer, and is curly when damp.

David has been to his first gallery showing - not counting popping into the Washhouse, or visiting Newspace gallery. The Degree Show for 2006 at the Sydney University School of Art, in nearby Callan Park. It was opening night, with all the guests and David had a wow of a time saying hello to lots of people. We dropped in on David's last walk before bed.

David also went to his first boardroom lunch last week - at a major law firm in Sydney, silver service and David was very impressed by the waiter offering him his own bread roll. He was able to wander around the (small) Boardroom, and rampage up the corridor when he slipped past the waiter. Much better than a restaurant, and David was the star attraction for my two (female) collegues who wanted to see how much he had grown.

Yesterday I took David for photos to mark his one year birthday, and they went well. More later when we see the prints.

We have been having weird weather in Sydney - as well as the cold and raining Saturday to start November, this week we had the coldest Sydney November day since 1905, with major bushfires in the Blue Mountains at the same time. We are expecting a warmer than usual summer - last summer was th hottest on record on the Eastern seaboard. Quite a bit of rain (and snow) about this week but not in the catchments - It is good to see that finally the politicians are starting to acknowledge that global warming is real and affecting the climate.

Lots happeingin internationally - the Nairobi conference on global warming, APEC in Vietnam, G20 in Melbourne, Iraq, Palestine, riots in Tonga, worries about the melting ice caps, enormous icebergs off NZ, Bono campaigning for an end to world poverty and U2 and Kylie touring. We are just trying to get enough rest and keep well and clean the house. It does all suggest that while there are many dangers, there is also hope for the world, which is excellent in the lead up to Christmas. Catch up with you later.