The tiniest protestor
My mother and sister were both arrested today.
Last week a new Migration Bill was passed granting extraordinary powers (including a great deal of secrecy) to the Immigration Minister. The following day, the government used its new power to begin the procedure of deporting 25 asylum seeker babies that were born here in Australia. Eight of the babies are from the Rohingya people group, who are not recognised as citizens by their native Myanmar. They are persecuted on that basis, and women and children have been killed (both by institutions and by mobs) simply for being Rohingya.
Australia helped to write the Refugee Convention that made it illegal to send people back to a place where it was likely they’d be tortured or killed. This new Migration Bill overturned it, making Australia a willing and knowing accessory to crimes against humanity.
I want it to be illegal to send people back to a place where they’re likely to be harmed.
I want total transparency on all refugee cases taking place in Australia.
I want all asylum seekers processed in Australia (so they have basic human rights protection), by people who are politically neutral, with reasonable speed and a clear time-frame (as opposed to indefinite imprisonment without trial, as too many are now suffering).
I want all refugees deemed safe (by a neutral body) to be released into the community – there are dozens of individuals and organisations that have volunteered to take them, which would save Australia millions of dollars.
I want Temporary Protection Visas to be used only until cases are processed, and then converted into true security for the men, women, children and babies who need a home.
So basically, I’d like asylum seekers treated as humans in genuine need until proven otherwise.
That is why I attended the protest today at which my mother and sister were arrested (I was in the outside crowd, which was never at risk of arrest). And that is why TJ attended – representing the 25 Australian-born babies that our government is trying to get rid of.
Together
Sleeping in the same room is actually motivating Louisette to go to bed more easily at night. TJ doesn’t always sleep through, but having Louisette there or not doesn’t seem to be a factor.
I’m sure that at some point they’ll be joining forces to stay awake, and that Louisette will soon realise how potent her power to wake TJ is. We do have a spare bed in the girls’ room for use when we need it.
So, hopefully all will stay in pretty much this arrangement until Louisette is old enough to need her own room (possibly 10 or so; we’ll see).
The Kids’ Room
As of tonight (7 December) Louisette will be sleeping in TJ’s room. She’s already had a successful nap – actually going to sleep (then staying asleep as TJ had a smaller nap in the same room). She’s delighted by the change, and TJ is young enough to be oblivious – so I think it’ll go well. Her old room is now the “girls’ room” – my desk is already back in there, as well as any Louisette toys that she/we don’t want TJ playing with.
Six Months Old!
We had a pancake party to celebrate (none for TJ, of course 😛 ). It devolved into a ball pit party. This was not a bad thing.
Painting
4 Dec
TJ’s first artwork (to send to the godparents in Hong Kong), his somewhat Scrooge-ish reaction to his first carol night (he was probably disappointed there were no active fires in the vicinity), and his continuing progress towards crawling. TECHNICALLY he does move forward sightly (hence my placing the ball in front of him) – with adorable rests as he flails – so technically he can commando crawl. Just. Sometimes. Yay? 
Almost Christmas!
Yep, it’s December – so I brought out the tree and nativity and Christmas outfits with much glee. The bad shots are at least as good as the good ones, as TJ did his level best to devour his sister.
I asked Louisette to explain Christmas to TJ (curious how much she’d absorbed of our early religious education!)
“It’s a tree! The star is ’cause it’s Jesus’ birthday today. Yes. ‘Cause he made us. God is a kind of friend today. We have to wait until our Christmas is at our house. And I just need. . . [she goes and fetches a toy for TJ].
At Christmas, he was a tiny baby. He slept in a cot with some hay.”
Felicity Banks 