Rub a dub dub.

Bathroom Games
Wish I could resist posting this photograph. I am sure I have posted one other photo of them both in the bath. P was giving them both a bath and I just love how he was able to capture the look of unmitigated joy on her ace. P tried to get Elliot to keep his eyes open for the shot and this is the result.

Over the years P had invented some bath games for Elliot - involving role playing where P is the Swedish bath attendant called "Mr Sven"(possibly gay so P told me) or the lovely and warm Spanish lady "Maria Sancheza" and the brusque German woman called " Fraulein Helga." P uses the appropriate accent for person and discusses personal hygiene issues and recommends the appropriate soaps and facial products. One day P asked Elliot what he thought of Fraulein Helga and Elliot started to cry and said he was scared of Helga because she was so strict.

Sometimes the only way to get him into the bath was by P pretending to be Mr Sven and Elliot would leap at the chance to have a shower with Mr Sven. In fact I recall sometimes being Mrs Sven. I know I had already established Mr Sven was gay but that was just a discussion between P and I one time after I had listened to Mr Sven's voice. Given that Elliot wasn't aware of Mr Sven's sexuality he wasn't surprised about there being a Mrs Sven.

We were in stiches one night relating to P's sister and her husband about P's bath time role playing and how it was messing with Elliot's imagination given that Elliot believed P was a strict German woman and not jut his father giving him a bath and making it fun.

After the crying episode we talked to Elliot about the role playing and he said he did realise that behind the voices and the games we were still Mum and Dad.

The other game I recall P playing with Elliot has of course involved sport and the post match (AFL of course) wrap up during summer it is the cricket wrap up and involve interviews and speeches. In a way P has started Elliot's media training and when drying Elliot P would often interview Elliot and ask him how he thought the game went etc. Elliot got right into that too.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gabriella will be meeting Mr Sven, Maria Sancheza and Fraulein Helga for bathtime soon and I think she will be getting the media training for the Olympic swimming which P has projected she will be competing in by the time she is 16.


Why is Elliot so brown?
Elliot is getting quite a t-shirt tan from his running around school this summer. He told me the other night that some kids in his class asked him why he was so brown and he told me that he tells them its "Because I have an Alasian mum."

I had never discussed my ethnicity with Elliot so I was surprised that was his answer. I didn't want to go into the finer details like I am half Malaysian on my mother's side and that we are actually 3rd generation because it was my mother's Grandmother that came from Malaysia.

I went to a family reunion a few years and there was a booklet about the family background and it was mentioned that "our family" migrated to Australia due to Krakatoa --------- I kid you not. I really don't know how accurate that statement is the organisers say they did their research but I guess being a lawyer I am also a skeptic until I see the proof to assess the credibility of the statement.

I have no doubt we migrated from Malaysia its just how and why that I question. A couple of my closer cousins (who are also half Malaysian) and I often just look at each incredulously whenever discussion arises about that particular topic - I am sure we all have the same vision of the volcano exploding in the background and our relatives packed into tiny canoes escaping from the molten lava boulders being hurled into the sea.