Australia Day 2011

It's Tricky's first Australia Day so in true bogan style his Perth Nanna gave him a "Aussie Aussie Aussie" tshirt.

Perth Nanna (my mum) is slightly Aussie-obsessed. She has the stickers, the flags on the car, you name it.

I have inherited this Aussie-obsessive gene. My claim to fame is that I could sing, by heart, the national anthem from age 3 - it's on tape. I'm your go-to gal if you ever need help with the lyrics. I even know the second verse.

I'm sure some of you are now thinking "there is a second verse?!". Yes there is. And it mentions that we have "boundless plains to share". Something to think about when so many are jumping up and down about asylum seekers. (Check out the fantastic Rethink Refugees site that dispels some common, media driven myths)

See I don't care if you were born here or if you don't "look" Australian (I have no effing clue how can you look Australian anyway?). If you call Australia your home then that's all I need.

In celebrating tomorrow I recognize what we have become as a nation... even though we might not have had the best of starts.

I celebrate that we have universal health care - it meant Tricky could have his operation without it costing us thousands of dollars and remortgaging the house.

I celebrate that we have democratic elections, even if it takes a week for the results to be known.

I celebrate that even though 49% of the population are unhappy with those elections there is not mass rioting and looting, just grumbles at the dinner table.

I celebrate a nation that pulls together and takes care of those less fortunate by raising millions of dollars for the flood victims.

I celebrate a nation that realizes the importance of mothers and has paid maternity leave.

So tomorrow when I'm having a picnic lunch in a national park with a dozen of my friends and the three dozen Anzac bikkies I made today (that's a good ratio, right?), I'll be celebrating the Australia that Tricky will grow up in.

How do you celebrate Australia Day?

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Meet Glowless at the Aussie Bloggers Conference thanks to

Healthy Chart and Baby Goes Retro