On the Fourth Day of Christmas

two kidlets had 'sick eyes' and stayed home. Egad. Friday is a one-kid-day normally. The little miss brought home sick eyes from kindy and gave it to bubby Biff. He seems to have suffered more though and looks very sad. They both *do not* like the drops and I nearly have to wedge open their eyelids with toothpicks to get a fragment of medicated drops anywhere near the eyeball.

Next to the chemist was this little beauty in a window. I got one and some kids stickers and I also got me a stubbon little tired girl who wanted to push me to the limit. Sigh. Thankfully they both went to sleep in the car (for a little while).

I had fun putting this up (its just inside our front door to give us a bright and Christmassy greeting awwwww) but straight is something that defies me.


Caleb has gotten some really cool presents in the last few days. Today he got a water colour painting book. Nice! I haven't played with water colours for ages. He had a bit of a go and then moved on to decorating a painted Christmas tree that needed finishing. When I was able to shove them out the door to play in the backyard (oops did I say shove?) I grabbed an easy page and had a go. I have never been good at painting - huge problems keeping the paint brush under control and perhaps a little too shakey. What a cool present though. The hard thing will be keeping it safe from Zali.

Friday evenings seem to go way too quickly.

On the Third Day

the kids were up *before* 5am and ready to decorate the tree. Egad.

I let them do it on their own. There was no way my anal-ness (is that a word?) was going to be able to share the job - I decided for my own sanity to just let. them. do. it. Egad.

I set them up with a chair each and handed over the decorations. The biggest rule: only the top half to be decorated! This is the norm for our tree over the recent years . . . to keep all those little terrorist fingers away from the eye candy.



They were pretty chuffed with their handiwork. When I inspected (there was only one bauble within Griffy-reaching distance!) I noticed that each side of the tree had a 'collection' of items . . .obviously the reaching part of the equation wore thin quite quickly.

Snapshot of a half decorated tree. Tinsel you say? It drives me a little nuts. Or should I say the little bits laying everywhere after it gets dragged around the house or worn as a necklace or used as a tug-of-war rope. Maybe when they are teen-ragers we can invest in tinsel. Maybe.

Note: twas only the afternoon when there was a disagreement (with one of my *favourite* decorations) and a breakage. Gasp. Sigh. Sniff.

Second Day

of Christmas involved going to Big School!

Orientation Day this morning at Mayfield SS where we learnt what is needed for next year and expectations of the first day of Prep. Caleb handled himself very well, a huge improvement from the Fun Day in October where he totally shat himself with the overwhelmingly huge crowd!

Straight after that we had a meeting with Caleb's Prep teacher, the current teacher at Little School and some support teachers who will be involved when he commences his official school-age programs (ie begins Prep!)

We ducked in to the uniform shop first up to purchase a bucket hat. He thought it was pretty neat to have part of his uniform and was wearing it around (with the tag on!) happily. The main point of the hat was 'show and tell' at little school. I wanted him to be proud and have ownership of 'his' new school. He raced in with it telling all his friends and teachers about his new hat - pretty neat indeed!

After Griffy and I dropped him off at little school, we scooted home for some lunch and play. Poor little Griff - those nasty teeth are still going hell for leather. I am pretty sure at least two are trying to come through. There is 4 teeth still growing with only a tiny incy bit of white protruding from his little red gums.

In the afternoon when Caleb leapt off the school bus he wanted to know when we were getting the Christmas tree out and decorating it. It is bad that I was trying to get out of doing it, is it?

Anyway it is up and we will all decorate it in the morning - we needed to wait for Zali to get home from kindy (& then I was too tired and a little unmotivated . . . but it was good bribe material . . . if you want to help decorate the tree, blah blah blah . . . . )

On the First Day of Christmas

my true love up and went at 6am for an out-of-town job. Hmmpf. Grandma left before 7am for her job.

Tra-la-la-la-laaa, la-la-la-laaa.

I was left with 3 loads of washing, 3 hungry mouths and 3 cuddles-in-waiting who were all wanting to go first. I hadn't even got myself showered yet.

Got Zali to kindy about 9.30am when everyone was just sitting down for morning tea - good timing Mummy!

Got Caleb and Griff to CP League Skills for School/Playgroup Xmas Party 2009 right on 10am, phew . . . made it!

Annabelle, the Early Childhood Teacher extraordinaire, had set up the room with activities, toys galore and a craft table. I wanted to play with the craft stuff, but I resisted.

Morning tea was a rippa with Christmas food and a nice cup of tea.

A chime of bells echoed down the hall and this rockin Santa came to visit and deliver some cool presents to the kids . . .

When Santa called out for Caleb, he had a look of fear in his eyes and wanted me to accompany him. I had my trusty little picture-taking-device in hand and didn't want to sway from my good vantage point. Vicki (the Speechie) was able to walk him up, where he then proceeded to through himself up on Santa's lap - he was comfortable pretty quickly, all hesitation evaporated.



Being a good big brother, Caleb tried to 'carry' Griff up to Santa (again Vicki was able to help?!) for his turn and Caleb willingly jumped upon Santa's other knee - basking in present heaven. Griff wasn't exactly liking it and the bottom lip dropped. I don't think he liked the rest of the crowd all looking at him, but he warmed fast and sat on his designated knee holding the present with his little legs crossed.

Santa had a present for Zali. She opened it up when she got home from kindy. A cute My Little Pony with long luscious hair ready for the brushing - including a tiny hair dryer and an assortment of clips. It was a hit straight away. She took it to bed tonight.

Griffy got a bath basketball toy and Caleb got a flippin car (which had thoughtfully been loaded with batteries (thanks Annabelle!) and a policeman with motorbike (and a tiny walkie-talkie and speed camera!)

We have gotten two Christmas cards on this first day of December. (Crikey - some people are very organised!)

Just Needs Fuel

How early is too early to begin your chores? My nearly-walking-little-man was having a ball outside this afternoon pushing the mower around. He took it slow and steady and strong - he looked so darn cute!

Not so cute (ok, as his Mum I still thought it was cute) when the mower would reach the shed/concrete/pole/trampoline and he was stuck. Turning is another skill for a future adventure. He wasn't impressed that things got in his way.

I would change his direction and he would happily be on his way.

Until he was *thrown* and went for a full-on strop - priceless! Suppose it didn't help that he was tired and some teeth are trying to break through. Speaking of, he has just woken up again - poor little bloke is in pain with said teeth.

I was trying to set up this shot when a 'streaker' rudely interrupted the broadcast! Eeeek!

Stay cool!

Retreating

That was a big weekend - retreats are *hard* work.

I left home at 5.30am - a beautiful day and driving early was very refreshing . . . so was the loud music and my screeching (oops, singing!). A very nice drive down the M1 arriving at Darlington Beach (just north of Coffs Harbour) around 10.30am - lost the hour with daylight saving.

Michelle did a *wonderful* job making cocktails - a fruity champagne pleasure in a glass concoction - for a splendid welcome drinkies on Friday afternoon.

Enjoying our drinks: Liz, Jolene, Chelsea and Donna

There was a bit of scrapping and creating and cardmaking and laughing and eating and champers scrap shopping and late nights and little sleep. Here are all the chicks from the retreat just before some started to head home on Sunday.

Us five Queenslanders (go you good thing!) shared Gumnut Villa #2. After the craft room was shut down at midnight we would adjourn to our lounge and have some drinkies and *heaps* of giggling and chatting. Bedtime would be around 2am and then my bed buddy - we shared the king size bed - Donna and I would continue talking and giggling and talking for at least another hour before we would try very hard to go to sleep. Hence the weekend was a biggie - a few hours sleep each night after a long creative day was definitely not enough!

But it was fun. And really cool to meet some new lovely ladies with similar interests. And they liked to laugh. The only thing missing was my old scrapping buddy, wish you were there to share the fun Jill!

Off to Play

I am heading off very very very early tomorrow morning to a retreat.

sigh.

Right now I am packing up my scrap and crafty type things (ok, I am typing this, but I should be packing), will cook some dinner then pack up my clothes and toiletries and (man, I am getting more excited now just talking about it!) then I will try and catch up on some of my TiVo shows.

Up with the sun tomorrow for a quick shower and hit the road, jack. Will be cruising down the highway to a place north of Coffs Harbour to a scrap retreat put on by the lovely Chelsea at www.scrapboutique.com.au

3 days and 2 nights of scrapping and craftyness with a bunch of other like-minded ladies with all meals included - ie - *no cooking*! wahoo!

Lucky me.

Note: the three kids and one husband do not suffer, never fear. they are heading to nannie and pop's place to be spoiled and play heaps. all good.

Nice Things

It's always fun to play with new things. It's fun to bake and create (and eat, lets be honest!) and use pretty things. I played with some new pretty and useful things today I got from a new little shop www.debskitchen.com.au

I had a helper to do the mixing - obviously the head and hand moves in sync. Just a basic biscuit mix I always use and this time I was attempting to create some masterpieces using the 'biscuit cutter'. I had seen them in the shops and wondered how they would go . . . until I was reminded (been eating them for years - doh!) that my Mummy-in-law had one. A well-used-over-20-years-loved beauty. She let me borrow and play.

How could I go past a pink one? I got a silicone bowl scraper - nice and solid to hold - and scrapes quite nicely also. The big winner is that 'sheet' draped over my sink, holding said scraper. Reusable baking paper! It is *so* nice. On my big baking tray I placed the sheet and splotted all the biscuits straight on . . . and those sweet little mouthfuls glided off beautifully.

I suppose now wouldn't be the time to kick oneself after generously giving one reusable baking paper sheet from my 2-paper-pack to my big sister. The two sheets would work together - one in the oven baking and the other on my bench having more biscuits splotted on. Next time I will have to get us both a 2-pack.

I couldn't keep the pile of biscuits for long . . . there were some little fingers grabbing them and eating faster than I could re-pretty the pile.

After experimenting with the 'biscuit cutter' and having success, I think I want me one! I am sending a container of biscuits to little school tomorrow for Caleb to show off his baking and to share the love (er, calories!). It's nice to share.

The Cutey, The Fashionista & the Rock Star

Who on *earth* is this cool giraffe?


A cutey-patootie Griff. Teagan had this done for Griff's birthday - it is very cute.

A future fashionista doesn't conform to rules. She has her own rules. There can *never* be too many dots and spots . . . This was her choice to go to kindy on Melbourne Cup day, fitting but not intentional . . . little horse races don't really rate in Zali-world!? Maybe next year.

This screams 'Rock Star'! This dude has been rockin' these sunnies and getting *plenty* of compliments.

A very cool gift from some very cool people from a sweet little shop www.littlebarebear.com.au - thanks!

Time for a Nap . . .

I set up Griff in his highchair with a snack to watch ABC for Kids with Caleb . . . I was having a shower. When I came downstairs . . . this is what I found . . .

Melts my heart. I took him up to bed *after* I took the photos - how could I miss out on capturing this?