hi everyone, I'm new to this board, but been around BB a few months. I'm so glad i found this thread, we have all the same issues as my boy is the same age. My name is Lara, I have an Indonesian husband, we live in Brisbane with our son, Olly.

I love the suggestions on how to keep them entertained..It's surely an issue that grows as they do: I'm gonna try the chalk for outside writing. I'd be lost without playgroup and daycare once a week- he loves the interaction with little people and the routine. When xmas break comes along I'll have to make much more effort to get us out and socialising. Otherwise we bum around at home- we moved house so he has a backyard now, it's so good! we got him a giant beach ball (bigger than him); it floats in slow motion when you throw it around. great investment. I try and get out as much as possible - we swim at the pool fairly often. i discovered that if he's wearing a floaty vest (or inflatable tyre) he will happily hang on to my shoulders and ride on my back while i do laps. It makes me sink a bit so sometimes i put his tyre under my belly (I'm 35 weeks pregnant so it fits around the bump). but getting out is harder as i get bigger... its gonna be much harder when the new one gets here. Wilson you'd be in the same boat, yeah? Have you done alot of stuff to prepare yr boy for the new arrival? We have given olly a big boy bed, and now he stays on it all night (he spent the first week rolling off onto carpet).

Kaydee, glad to hear you might be moving back to oz next year. We lived in Indonesia till olly was 9 months old, then DH got his PR visa and we moved... best thing we ever did! But it sounds like germany is well set up to support you raising kids. NOt so Indo. I'm loving the support, the clean air, the lack of mosquitos, the freedom to walk down the street, the anonymity of being normal, the parks and playgroups and backyards that we never had there. we speak Indonesian at home so Olly'll be bilingual... it might take him a bit longer to get started speaking but that 's ok.

PrincessT - wow yr DD helps out in the kitchen, that's awesome! Olly can mop up spills but i haven't tried him helping wash up or anything. I'm sure he'd love it, will have to give it atry.

nice to meet you all!