Bad Habits

I have been naughty. Teaching my daughter bad habits.

I will start by saying I continued with (normal) good habits during today's swimming lesson. Caleb needed to wee and wanted to go to the toilet. He was all wet and plodded over to the facilities. Back to swimming and all was good.

After swimming lesson . . . we went out to the heated 'baby' pool, 0.2m deep so Caleb and Zali could have a splash and run and pretend the were swimming champions (burn off more energy so sleepy time would be near!). I had just gotten Sage to sleep in the sling, the kids were both saturated and I wasn't sure where the nearest toilets were.

I need to wee, says Zali.

Sitting on a metal chair and exploding with enthusiasm and energy (not), my eyes roll into the back of my head and I slowly suck in some oxygen. Aka: you gotta be freakin' kidding me type-of-thing.

Just this time, I say coyly to Zali, do it here. I mean, a baby pool has gotta have a wee bit of wee in the mix, yeah? Fine. I did say bad habit above, didn't I!

I should have just shot myself then.

She walks to the edge of the baby pool and starts to pull off her 'kini bottoms. Noooooo, I call with my eyes bulging . . . gosh darn it doesn't she know about doing it sneakily and quietly and . . . not making a scene.

'kini bottoms staying on, she stops again at the edge of the baby pool and, legs apart, prepares to do the deed. Nooooooo, I call with my eyes bulging, get down Zali.

She squats with legs apart. Nooooooo, I call and this time lodge a tooth pick in my eye cavity so they remain bulged, get *in* the water!

She steps in, standing up with legs apart . . . yep, get *in* in the water.

She half squats . . . . *down* Zali, get down in the water. Which I repeat two more times. That's it, *right down* in the water.

Sitting in the water, we finally get the mission complete.

Honestly, I should have just taken her to the loo.

Little Bits

On Wednesday it was a quiet day. Just Sage and I.

I got a few photos while I could put her down and not have three little people hanging around like flies. I adore little feet, I always need pictures of little feet.

This saggy large outfit? A size 000 onesie. There wasn't really any way I could pull or arrange it differently to look not-so-big. Perhaps next time a different outfit. Ok.



Speaking of size though, it is hard to fully appreciate size when you get close up photos. Close ups of all those precious little perfect bits. I put my hand in the photo (a self taken shot!) to get a real life comparison. Looking at this now, I think if I was green I may be a female Shrek! Forgot dainty Princess Fiona.

Sage has big hands and long fingers. I can stare at them for ages.

Going for a Walk

Thought I would be brave and go for my first walk since I last had my stomach sliced open. Wound is healing well and I wanted to tire the kids out. I have grand plans until things get underway and my thoughts change to . . . what the hell was I thinking?

Griffin is belted in the pram to eliminate an escape. Two small excited dogs are clipped to a lead. (an excited) Caleb and Zali hold an excited dog each. A bathed and fed Sage is left with Daddy and off we go.

Sigh.

At the first corner Bubbles eyes another dog, walking with its owner, that obviously screamed out in doggie language - quick! come here and play with me! She gives a pull, Zali trips over a piece of cement (?) and Bubbles is running off as free as a bird.

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. Zali is laying flat on her belly on the ground looking at Bubbles as she escapes. Escapes onto a busy road. Gulp.

Across the road the man with the other dog stops. Bubbles comes to her senses, her hearing kicks back in and she hears us screaming, calling, squealing, leaping (and that is just me!). As she turns and heads back across the busy road, Caleb starts walking out on the road with Buttons. Did I mention that the oncoming car had stopped, giving plenty of distance to this comical show happening in front of it?

My eyes pop further out of my head. What is he thinking?

Gulp.

Bubbles, come here. Zali, stop squealing you are scaring the dogs. Caleb, off the road, now. Now! Bubbles, come *here*. I wave and mouth a 'thank you' to the stopped car and sing out thanks to the bloke who stopped walking to help the crazy lady with too many kids and dogs.

At this point I was ready to roll my eyes with a 'what was I thinking'. The eye roll took over and they pretty much rolled back in to my small brain. Pretty handy since I was about to poke them back into their sockets anyway.

Did I mention this was at the first corner of our walk?

Rush

4.28am Sage lets out a squeak.

4.29am Griff is moving - can hear the thump of his womboots hitting the floor.

4.30am Husband has relocated to the kids room. I have returned from toilet and got Squeaky loaded for an early breakfast.

Our early morning rush hour.

Sage

Welcome to our little family . . . .

I am thoroughly smitten with this gorgeous bundle. As I told her yesterday . . . I could eat her up, she is that yummy. Sage is surrounded by a lot of love with cuddles being offered regularly. If one of her siblings gets a cuddle, there is a line up of the other two wanting their fair share of loving.

Sage was born Wednesday 25 August 2010 at 7.48am weighing 6lb 6oz (2.88kg) and 47cm long.

They have Growed!

Look what happens when your camera isn't active - the little people grow and grow! A snap I got when it was bath time. Bit of a nudey rudey shot but all nudey rudey bits conveniently out of sight.

Who can spell 'cheeky'?

Hi

Holy Toledo Batman - she *is* alive!

Do you know what gave me a boost to actually reach out and drag my keyboard close enough to type?

I found my camera battery charger! (does little happy dance!)

I really needed to tidy and re-organise the bedroom which included going through a bit (heaps!) of stuff that I should have attended to a long time ago. I had previously searched everywhere looking for said lost battery charger and here the little sucker was - sitting lazily on the floor covered with dust and cobwebs and dinosaur bones (I did say a long time?). I was pretty sure it would turn up soon - I had finally caved and bought one. Being without my camera was like being without a vital organ!

Now to reacquaint myself with uploading a piccy.

Remember me?

Cripes it has been a while. I have been quite unwell and having trouble shaking it off.

Caleb is now my little Preppie boy. He started school well and is loving it. Totally trashed by the end of the week though - this afternoon he managed to get to the lounge and fell asleep for an hour.

Zali has her happy days at kindy and leaves her devilish self for home and Mummy.

My big boy Griffy started kindy last week. He is going ok. Still some tears - today he was good until afternoon tea-ish time and starting getting a bit upset. He loves his Mummy cuddles.

The husband and the kids have driven off into the sunset to spend the weekend with Nan and Pop. I am hoping to rest and sleep and take it easy and do nothing.

Enjoy your weekend!

Seat Belt

Honestly if this is how fast the year is going to go, I had better put on my seat belt. It is flying . . . and where have I been?

Happy New Year and I hope Christmas was an awesome celebration with your family, friends or on the quiet.

Not long got all the kids down, and down again, and I am in serious need of a good cup of tea. The Husband is away for work and things are taking a wee bit longer.

On the 20th Day of Christmas

I have an unwell little boy who is requiring a lot of loving (for the last few days). All other plans put on hold - drat that Christmas is so close and time is fleeing.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

16th Day

Hey Donna! Lovely to see you. Hope you have been keeping yourself inside in the air-con? I haven't worked out possible date for us to come and visit, will talk to you soon - perhaps very soon - you only have 3 sleeps to go, yeah?

Wednesday. Zali at kindy. Griff, Caleb and I went to the park - Caleb rode his bike most of the time and ended up totally shattered. His legs are getting stronger and his steering is improving and he is loving it. The 'shattered' tanty on the way home/at home was a little undesirable but he slept at least.

Griffy has turned into such a little boy now he is walking. He thinks he is so cool (and so do I!)

Off to sew, lots to do.

The Fourteenth Day of Christmas

Was very hot and very long.

We were at Carindale Shopping Centre around 9.30am to get to Santa (at David Jones) early. Basically to avoid a queue with impatient children and get 'done' before they hit their tired-uncooperative-monster-state. All three were quite well behaved, all keen to see Santa (mostly), loved eating in the food court and bounced and plodded along happily. I took my time and let them enjoy the experience instead of my usual of frazzled-ness.

This is the skirt I made - Zali loves it and had to wear it today. That was the bribe I had to use to actually get it off her when I finished it yesterday afternoon.


Poor old Griffy has had a pretty good bruise going on his cheek - now it is dirt coloured which matches the rest of him. Ha.



Ok dokes. Off to play with the skirt design.

13th Day

Wowsers December is moving along pretty fast. I am still trying to catch up to November!

Been sewing again/still. Learnt a few more skills using my over locker and I am in fabric heaven.

Hope you had a rippa weekend!

On the 11th Day

we suffered in the heat. H.O.T!

Dipped feet in wading pool and splashed around. Slept for two hours in air-con. Mucked around on the floor, flying and wrestling and growling. Drank water and more water.

Oh how I wish for a white Christmas!

A Big 10th Day

Some cutting and pinning and sewing from this busy little bee to make . . . shorts for Caleb


and a skort for Zali. Do I need to mention how hard it is to get your over-tired children to stay still for a photo?



Today marked the end of an era. Sniff. The last *ever* day of Little School. The last ever school bus ride. The last ever Lynne and Koula - Caleb's teachers who totally rock! Sure, they said come back and visit and stuff, but, no longer will our visits be regular. Next year is Big School with new friends and new teachers.


Zali, Griffy and I met the Husband in at Little School for Graduation. They sang some songs and played instruments and then came the 'official ceremony' with the Principal. When Caleb's name was called he flicked on the shy button and acted all coy - but proudly got his certificate and 2.4 seconds of glory.

We danced, we ate and we played. We packed up and came home to have a rest in the air conditioning.

Afternoon time meant splashing in a smidge of water and a good chunk of freshly cut watermelon.

We had take-away for dinner.

On the way to pick it up Caleb asks 'are we going to ABC Mum?

My tiny motor starts whirring and I am trying my best to make sense of his question.

Oh.

'No honey, its KFC'.

9th day

hi. am busy sewing. will show you tomorrow.

p.s. happy birthday janene.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

we got a new member of the family - a Second Skin arm for Caleb. Red - woo woo! Plus a motorbike - woo woo!



The kids were up at 4.40am. The Husband left for the airport at 5.30am. Grandma left for work at 6.00am. Around 6.07am I was already gritting my teeth and flaring my nostrils.

Chris our mechanic came at 7.30am to service the Carnival, I dropped Zali off at kindy and then was able to sit down to have breakfast. Around 10am Caleb, Griff and I headed off the Wesley Hospital for the Second Skin (new arm) appointment while on the phone to the Royal Children's Hospital making appointments for therapy follow up in January.

Sleeps didn't really happen. Sigh. Did a little Christmas shopping in the late arvo before I picked up Z from kindy. Then the usual crazy evening routine. I also made up some bowls of goodies for Caleb to take to little school tomorrow for his friends. If I have time in the morning I will make up Zali's stuff for kindy.

Wednesday both big kids are gone. I am really wanting to get some *good* photos of my Griffy walking. It is tricky - he still won't perform on cue. Drat it. Here is a shocker, but you get the idea.

Night.

The 7th Day

was a very challenging day. Very.

There wasn't much to photograph today. With steam coming out of my ears and cleaning/tidying/picking up after or some other tedious task that naughty children had left/caused, I wasn't very much in the mood.

Other parts you would not want to see in pictures anyway.

Like when I saw a naked 13 month boy standing at the back door. Like when I saw his nappy, which he had removed, laying in the kitchen. Like when I went to pick him up to re-nappy and the smell of what was in the deserted nappy wafted and tickled my nostrils. Like when I saw what he looked like with said smelly stuff all over him. All over him. The feet, the legs, the rudey parts, the hands and arms and even the face - he must have had an itch to scratch.

Un.Be.Liev.Able.

We had to shower ourselves clean and dry and start afresh. Afresh, that was my aim, until I saw Little Miss 3 standing at the bottom of the stairs rolling around a particularly nasty smelly piece of brown play dough - which was *not* play dough. What the?

Lets just hope tomorrow is a *much* better day. Yes?

Sixth Day

twas an early start with markets just after 5am. I couldn't get to sleep the night before and finally dropped off about 2am to be woken by the Griffster about 3.15am. Bit tired.

My little man is walking. Sniff. My baby is well and truly growing up. Sniff. He doesn't seem to perform when I have my camera - I think he does it to tease me.


Had some help with cooking - well the mixing part. Thankfully, oops, I mean, sadly I only started the baking and throwing on the M&M's part about 9pm and my sweet little helpers were up in snore-land.

Hello Mr 3-tier-cooling-rack! My new BFF. It rocks for my biscuits. A very *sweet* investment from my pals over at http://www.debskitchen.com.au/

I put my new 'cookie press' to work and created Christmas trees and decorated wreaths. These are being bundled up and shared with our teachers and carers and people like that.

Hear that? My bed is calling. Night!

On the Fifth Day of Chocolate!

Oh, headache in a box, you haunt me! Seriously, what would actually equate to a 'mountain' of chocolate? How many blocks, pieces or bits? I think this is only a molehill.



Those nice little squares have upgraded and moved in with some new friends. These roomies get on *very* well together and have a fun sugary little life. It may perhaps be a short life, but a good one while it lasts.

Tomorrow is a new day for these roomies. They all separate and find smaller square-type homes with roofs!