Talking baby and talking fish

Amelia J now has a few more words besides “bir”. Daddadadaa, Mummmm (still very rarely), du (asking for her plastic ducks in the bath) and “THA?”, or sometimes “Was THA?”, accompanied by a wild pointing action to something in the nearby vicinity. Of course, you have to congratulate learning and curiosity by telling her what “THA” is each time… even if she really doesn’t care which I can tell because she will point to something and say “THA?” without even looking at. Friday she spent all day shouting “THA?” while I tried to answer her with equal enthusiasm but by the end of the day the best I could muster was a kind of flat monotone from an almost comatose state; “Couch, wall, chair, book, teddy, wall, scratch on the wall, another scratch on the wall” and then when we went out walking “tree, tree, bird, magpie, tree, dog, tree, fence, errrr… sky, sky, sky… dirt”. Children are apparently sponges after all, so perhaps she is storing up an incredible vocabulary and will one day soon astound us with perfectly formed sentences.
The holiday cards are back from the printers and look as spiffy as I could have hoped so that’s pretty exciting. I am planning on getting them up on sale around October 10. Don’t forget to sign up (by sending a blank email when clicking here) to be notified of their release. Now it’s time to work on that business plan.

We saw Finding Nemo last weekend and I loved it. I agree with some of the harsher reviews that the film was a little sentimental at times, but the animation was exquisite – the character design was flawless and the colours (inspired surely by Mary Blair herself) were to die for. For almost all of last week I was convinced that I was going to have to reinvent myself and become an animator and move us all to California so I could work for Pixar (because I want to work somewhere that sounds like this (via ben) — but who wouldn’t really?). I can’t tell you how many times I have flicked to this interview in the last 7 days for a little vicarious living. I have calmed down a little since then and decided that I will just order the movie on DVD and add it to my collection of all time favourite movies… and perhaps work out how to use Flash to do a little homemade animation in the mean time.

You may also like...

18 Responses

  1. The brother of my sister-in-law’s friend works at Pixar and was the Character Art Director for Nemo. Read more about him (for inspiration) at: http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/rickynierva/interview.html and http://members.cox.net/komikasa/MtoQ.htm. I hear the job pays very well too. He earns more than his three siblings’ combined income (a doctor, a nurse and a flight attendant). But of course that’s not really what interests you isn’t it?

  2. Thanks for keeping talking to Amelia. It really helps children to learn and to grow their intelligence. The other day, I saw a couple of very young people on the train from Maitland to Werris Creek. They didn’t talk to their sons, and so did they, despite the fact that they were already four and five years old.Greetings from Brisbane!

  3. Ohhhh… EVERYONE dreams of working for Pixar. At least once a day, I sigh wistfully about it and dream. 🙂

  4. chloe@iprimus.com.au says:

    Saw LoobyLu.com in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday. Did you know you are there? You’re a ‘Top 20 must see Blog’. Congratulations!

  5. When I saw the headline I thought ‘I wonder if loobylu will be there?’, and sure enough, there you were!

  6. stef@stefmike.org says:

    never stop dreaming, you might get there one day 🙂 you have the talents!

  7. silusGROK@mail.com says:

    On Nemo… it’s a bit macabre, but I think you’ll get a kick out it anyway.
    : )

    Congrats on the good print run! Can’t wait to buy! buy! buy!

  8. silusGROK@mail.com says:

    Curses… it stripped out the link.
    Here, then, in all its ugliness :

    http://gabeanderson.com/life/2003/09/26/nemo_found.php

  9. campose99@htomail.com says:

    I say, go for it. You’ve definitely got the talent.

  10. emma@callit.com.au says:

    Congrats on the SMH Claire! Im proud to be able to share in your unique thoughts and words…

  11. Thanks! The SMH article was a bit of a buzz! I better start updating a little more frequently.

  12. I used to work in HR for DreamWorks animation. All you have to do to apply to all the studios is send in your portfolio for them to review and indicated what kind of position you’re looking for (ie character, effects, in-betweener, etc.) Many animators are from overseas and they help with relocation. There’s always a few projects “in the pipe” so they’re always reviewing submissions.

  13. Why not start your own studio there in Oz and do film festivals and tv?No reason at all why you cant create your own empire that others will want to flock to…

    But of course there is all the delicious California weather…

    I always dreamt of moving to Japan.

  14. melissaprit@hotmail.com says:

    I’m not a parent, but my mate Andy is, and something about this entry rang a bell. I went back in the blog he’s doing for his son, sam, and sho’nuff here’s the entry that’s appropriate:http://www.sixpacksam.com/archives/yr02/year02_01.html#wk59

    – it IS worth pointing things out, according to andy.

  15. Best online pharmacy, providingcheap valium, cheap klonopin, cheap diazepam, for anxiety attacks, insomnia cures, depression and others. Offers drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Viagra, Ambien, Ativan, Lorazepam, Diazepam, Ultram.

    Worry free with drug information, secure ordering and unmarked packages

    http://www.atlas-pharmacy.com

  16. Best online pharmacy, providingcheap valium, cheap klonopin, cheap diazepam, for anxiety attacks, insomnia cures, depression and others. Offers drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Viagra, Ambien, Ativan, Lorazepam, Diazepam, Ultram.

    Worry free with drug information, secure ordering and unmarked packages

    http://www.atlas-pharmacy.com

  17. International phone cards. Long-distance calls.