Well it came and went and not much changed. Felix is still in bed at the moment and asking for "na-na" as always. Sarah was worried that 3 days appart may get him off side from her and maybe even get him to wean, I don't think so.
It started on Thursday. Sarah dropped him off at work, which was in Caulfiled attending the Open Source Developers Conference. He was happy to see me, gave mum and Tilda a wave and we were off. A quick bite to eat in the local food mall seemed all to expensive for the crappy food I got, but fish was the recommendation from mum. We ended getting a fried canned tuna patty or something and I got a really old soggy and almost cold burger. Felix had some with which I was not too happy about hoping that it wont make him sick.
Then it was off to another shop, the fishing shop. In between orbits to see the aquarium fish and other fish on the wall, I enquired about the prospects at the planned camping destination Waratah bay. The response was positive with the sales assistent regularily fishing there from his parent's house in Sandy point (at the other end of the bay). "just walk out about thigh deep, cast around in all directions and you are guaranteed lots of flathead" that sounded great. I picked up a tied chart and tried to justify the conversation by purchasing some soft plastic lure. I must say that I also did find out why I lacked success in Lake Tyres during the colder months, this is as the fish move up during winter, but in summer the main lake should be fishing great.
Well I thought that would be enough fishing for Felix till the weekend but this was only the beginning. We went home in the car and Felix rummaged through the bag of goodies. He was not to happy with the fish length ruler nor the fish in the regulation book. I am sure he would not be too thrilled with the weighted jig heads with which I did not take a chance with and took them aside from the beginning. His favourite were the gelly like plasitic fish bodies which go over the jig head. These where his "fishies" and they where his friend.
When we got home it seemed that he was only now set on going fishing. He came to me with the bag of artificial bait and said "stuck" meaning he wants me to open them. Plastic bait, how bad can it be? well it claimed to be 4x scented and it sure did smell a bit. It was also a little sticky and oily. I am sure the fish would love it but we are at home, I need to pack for the camping trip, and manage the todler.
He got out his shark fishing set with a motorised shark and a plastic fishing rod. I set up some toy train track to act as a "pool", we set the shark free and it went around and around following it's simple obsticle avoiding algorith of "turn right". Felix got all excited and even gave me a few moments peace. I could just sit down and look at the daunting task of packing for camping which we had not done for a year to the day now. Last time being at Jess and Damian's wedding near Jameison. Jameison, Lake Eildon, Licola and Wallhala where all options for this weekend until a big fire closed all of them down.
It was not long before Felix came to me with the bag of plastic fish and his toy rod and said "stuck" "fishy sharky". I knew what this meant. I must take him fishing, yeah I get to go and wet a line, probably something I have not done for almost a year also. I look down at him and promise that we will go down to the local lake and do some fly fishing. In fact we can have dinner down there as well. The weather is warm but a little windy and the sun will not be setting for some time yet so It will work out just fine. We just need to sit out the next hour or so of peak hour traffic and we can go. My thoughts do not seem to get across to my son, he looks at me as if I am an idiot and repeats, what seems to him to be a simple request "stuck fishy sharky". I know all too well what this means, dad get this little fishy baits out of their bag onto my plastic hook so I can go fishing for my plastic motorised shark.
In the end we managed to get all the camping gear out for the weekend, all the fishing gear to which Felix promptly upgraded from his plastic set, and we managed to have a good but unsuccesful session at the local pond and a bbq. It was a good night, Felix was exhausted. When I stripped him down to change his nappy it seemed that the poo had been there for quite a while, most of which he was seated in a carrier on my back and his backside was looking quite red. Bad parent, by now a screaming kid.
I knew now what Sarah meant when she feels she sometimes feels she ignores the kids, or feels she is not good enough for them. I sure felt like this at this time and it was a feeling I would come to know a bit better over the coming days. There I have my son very red and in obvious pain. I had to give him a quick wash. I then thickly creamed him but even this was not enough to make him happy. It was not untill I set him upright, leaning on 3 pillows of the softest feathers, nude bum on a couple of nappies and I set out to read him a book that he gave me a nod of approval, proceed dady. A few stories read about some dig-dig-diggers and we were ready for nappy and sleep.
