Okay, it's a blog post!

Um, well, that year went by pretty quick! The reason I originally started this blog was to keep my brother and SIL up to date with what was happening while they travelled for a couple of years. They returned late last September and since then I got slack on the blog front. I think that the ease and interactiveness of Facebook has seen me using that as an alternate photo catch up place.

Anyway, Melissa is forcing me to blog, so blog I will!
My brother and SIL got to meet a 15 month old Lucy in the flesh for the first time, she was suprisingly receptive to these perfect strangers and applied a lovely embrace to them both at the airport.

A short time later 7 kids + 5 adults took a two week trip to sunny Queensland. As all parents that holiday with kids can attest to, a holiday with children is ... interesting. The days started very early and were very very tiring, but the most important thing is that all the kids brought home such great memories.

Charlotte and I in Queensland

Lucy
My middling turned 4 and had an awesome birthday and great Christmas. Four is definitely her age. I didn't really realise until we left 3 behind just how crap the Year of Three was. She is a fantastic kid, clever and caring and deliciously different. She started kindy at the beginning of the year and took to it like a duck to water. She fit right in and is as happy doing crafty work as she is rolling in the sandpit. She is a mixed bag, you can never really tell which Charlotte you are going to encounter on waking each day. The snuggly buggly lovey one, or the ... other one.





She also started ballet this year, like her sister before her, she is not a natural, but what she lacks in grace she makes up for in enthusiasm and I look forward to seeing her perform onstage in a few short months. Charlotte also became an unofficial Girl Guide, alongside Ella. They are not meant to start until they are 5, but her behaviour and her listening skills are exemplerary at Guides apparently, so each week my two big girls go along and do all kinds of Girl Guide things together.


First fireworks

My baby powered through some big milestones. Toilet training at the ridiculously early age of 20 months has meant that she has just seemed so grown up for such a long time. Her cot is gone now, the cot I remember sanding back to raw wood and painting it purple whilst pregnant with Ella over 7 years ago. Raff slept in in when he was a baby. There are few remnants left of us having had babies in this house - no highchair, no baby toys. I'm just surrounded by big girls. Lucy, I sewar she thinks she is 10 years old. She is smart and sassy and bossy and funny and wise. And cute. Cannot forget The Cute.



My eldest and my youngest with birthdays only 11 days apart, saw the middle of the year pass us by very quickly. Ella turning seven was very cool. I look at her and see all the little girlness has melted away. She tall and lithe and lean, growing into the young lady she will be. She has astounded me by powering her way through the first 6 Harry Potter books. I remember myself devouring them all such a short time ago, so I am just rapt to be able to engage her in some really interesting discussions about the characters. She is a third of the way through the final book and is already in that dither that only heavy duty readers understand - to read through the book as fast as possible to reveal the story, or to meander through it, with long pauses to soak it in, knowing that you will never be new to these pages ever again.


I put this one in of Ella, because I think she looks so much like my (favourite) cousin Lee.
Her party inspired me to do something cool for their parties each year. It was such a magical day, with such great kids and a truly appreciative daughter. We had a Pirate theme and it was just so much fun. It took a lot of planning and organising, but the end result rocked.


So, that brings me to me. What have I been doing this year? Well, in March I bit the bullet and replied to an ad in the local paper requesting volunteers to assist seniors with some basic computer skills. I was nervous beyond anything you could ever imagine. I am not a natural born speaker, I am more of an observer, so I really trod out of my comfort zone. I now put in 7 or so hours each week helping people demystify computers. We start with 'This is a mouse, this is how you click' It is that basic. So to sit back and watch 3-4 people at a time wandering through the www on their own steam, Googling whatver they want and shooting emails off to children and grandchilden has been fan-freakin-tastic. It feels good and I love the things I have been involved in.

I highly recommend this sort of volunteering to anyone that feels like they need to be doing something a bit more fulfilling than the daily housework grind. The things I have taught, the things I have learnt, the laughs we have had, the generations we have crossed. To see the joy of success, the conquering of fear, the successful wrangling of new terminology for all.

Raff is heading for some change also, some of that change may require me starting to help with this money earning thang and I am seriously thinking of starting up a little business on the side teaching skills. It seems I have patience and a way with words that can cut through the complications for people. I would love to spread this far and wide.

Assorted things

Ella at the Gawler Show

Charlotte at the Gawler Show

Lucy at the Gawler Show

Puddles!


Charlotte at Ella's school disco

Trying to get a nice photo for Real Nappy Week

A rather gratuitous breastfeeding photo of my nearly 15 month old toddler! It was Breastfeeding awareness week back in August, so just a plug for sustained breastfeeding

Moon Lantern Parade

Ella has been busy at this school during Indonesian lessons creating wire and tissue paper lanterns. It all came to fruition on Sunday night with the lovely Moon Lantern Festival, as part of OzAsia at the Festival Centre.
After a wet and windy start to the day, it was clear and calm when it was time to walk. There were hundreds of very excited children, with about 10 from Ella's class. She had a lot of fun, and was goggly eyed at everything. Our kids very very rarely get to see nighttime, so just being out after 7pm was excitement itself, let alone the added buzz of the Parade. Lucy had obliged us with a 4 hour (!) sleep during the day, so I was relaxed and content that the late night wasn't going to kill anyone :)


The lantern by the light of day




It's dark now!


Full moon

2 x 3

It has been such an experience witnessing Sophie and Charlotte growing up together (for those not aware, Sophie is Charlotte's youngest cousin 6 months younger than herself) They are both extremely 'old' children with the wisdom of 4 older siblings overlaying all that they do. Watching the games they play and the way they interact is pure gold.
It is common for me to have Sophie here for a day, as Rachel gallivants around the place, doing lunch and revelling in massages. Today she made her eldest wag school. Those poor children :p
Charlotte, before we headed off to school this morning, had collected about 8 sticks of assorted lengths, that had blown down in yesterdays winds. She had them all laid out ready to play the 'stick game' with Sophie. Sounds like fun, huh? Two 3 year olds and enough sticks for everyone to lose an eye!

So, we all agreed on a few ground rules - sticks must stay below our elbows, sticks must always point at the ground and no hurting each other! Of course, within minutes of the 'stick game' starting, Sophie had a scratch right near her eye. Unintentional on Charlotte's behalf, so a cautious hug rectified the tears. (hugs are always cautious between these two, as it is fairly common for the wounded one to turn on the other one and lash right back at them, even if the incident was accidental, and the attcker was genuinely remorseful)

So, I was lsitening for them, as I was doing housework, and they were chatting away ion the driveway, then I here them running to the back door and they both invited me out to watch the show. The sticks were now balancing beams, as an intricate winding pattern was laid out all over the driveway. The started with the obligatory 'Ladies and Gentlemen' and then they giggled their way ofrom start to finish, with much cheering on completion.

They then went on to something else - creating an obstacle course - after watching them clamber over two chairs placed back to back on our concrete path, I suggested that they put the chairs on the lawn, as I could see what was coming, with all that excitement.
We had a lot of rain yesterday, so the chairs sunk nice and deep and tight into the back lawn, so they clambered over these back and forwards. Not long after, they came galloping inside to collect assorted dolls and books and back outside to set up this.




Theirs is a pretty fiery relationship. They always want to be at each others house, or in each others company, but gosh! they are volatile. It can be very very wearing having the two of them together. They are like a finely tuned slapstick routine at times, you can see that the sideways glare from one is enough to set up the domino effect for the rest of the day.

Thankfully, the planets were aligned today and there was only one short incident, that I only became aware of because I glanced out the window and saw them both sitting, with arms crossed and scowly faces, far away from each other. No pushing, no yelling. And a quick 'who wants some watermelon?' was enough to break it open.

Some of my favourite things

A few online things that are keeping me interested at the moment are a friends website/forum called Celebreast It is a very positive pro breastfeeding site, with some lovely positive stories.

I am also having fun trawling around babblebaby Another friend of mine writes articles here and it always a bit exciting seeing her name up there!

Though, my biggest plug has to go to the most enlightening parenting book that I have come across (and I have read more than a few!) It is called Parent Effectiveness Training I have got a lot out of it and I do recommend it for anyone that is a parent! I actually think that it is extremely relevant to all relationships.

School photo time

That year went very quick! Ella's second lot of school photos came back this week.
She looks rather unkempt, but delightful.


She is really happy at school and we can't go anywhere without hearing 'Hi Ella!' everywhere. She is such a friendly, happy, eager to please child. We have parent teacher interviews next week, which should be enjoyable.

Speaking of next week ... it is my birthday on Wednesday. 32 years. I have always been a bit gobsmacked about how quickly the last decade has passed, and have been quick to shoot down the passing years, but in a moment of acceptance this week, decided that 32 is pretty fine and dandy.

Ella is a very fluent reader now, and my most favourite sight is to see my two big girls snuggled up in bed together with the book light clipped to the novel of choice, with Ella reading out loud to her sister. Charlotte will sit and listen to Ella for hours. Ella has just taken a big leap in to just writing for the sake of writing, without continually asking how to spell words. So now I am continually stumbling across notes from her from "I love you" written in my diary, to intricate labelled pictures of all manner of things.
This morning I drove Raff's car to school and when I returned home rummaged around in the back seat for the kids' long lost drink bottle and found the following note.

The weather has become very Spring like this week, so we have now have a 'no computer or TV after school' rule. Lucy is now walking pretty confidently, she wears shoes and is extremely happy to potter around outside iwth the big girls. They have been BUSY, setting up tea parties, reorganising the cubby house, creating presents for me (rose petals wrapped up in leaves), playing fencing with broomsticks, swinging around on the clothesline, kicking balls around, wrestling each other, playing chasey, making mud pies.
Last night I took advantahe of the perfect light and caught some nice photos of them all. The kids all came in filthy and with a raging appetite. Tonight there was no mention of 'screen time' they were both outside instantly, picking up where they left off last night. I really really love Spring.







I have a series of photos that is pretty funny. Of Ella storming off, because she wanted to stand behind Lucy, and then one of Charlotte crying because she couldn't see Lucy if Ella was in the way and then of Charlotte dragging Lucy off the stump, cos it was her turn to sit on it.

My three

Lucy is a wise little one, and now that she has done with cutting her seventh tooth, her mood has improved. We still are getting multiple wake ups a night, not sure what is with that. She is walking fulltime now, and really is just quite content to hang out by herself.
She loves books and shape sorters and pushing prams and riding the rocking horse. She has recently found her appetite and is eating a lot more, plus increasing her breastfeeds each day. I think she enjoys the novelty of being able to 'ask' for milk.

Just this week she has learned about 10 more 'words' and has formed a massive attachment to a stuffed bear. She calls him 'bah-bear' and really doesn't like to be far from his side. I am bidding on a replacement on ebay at the moment, as he is just getting filthy every day, so the earlier I can double up, the better, I reckon.

Ella was the same age when she formed an attachment to her 'Menna' and still sleeps with her every night and mooches around with her when she is feeling woeful. Poor old Menna is very very worse for wear. She had a big stitch up job done a few weeks ago, as her whole face was full of 'ladders'. Must organise a photo - I just went and looked and she is wrapped up so tightly in Ella's arms, I can't really unpeel her ...

Charlotte mastered writing her name this week, so many letters! so she still needs reminding about which order they go in, but pretty swish for a 3 and a half year old, I think :)


Our curly haired fairy


First piggy tails

Health Related

Okay, so this is a bit of a cheat blog, but I am going to link to two blog entries made by a good friend. She will be a doctor by the end of the year, and she is extraordinarily clever and an always wonderful read. These two particular entries have just made me want to share how precious our bodies are, and how we really ought to look after them.

http://airfirewaterearth.blogspot.com/2008/08/diabetes.html

http://airfirewaterearth.blogspot.com/2008/06/lungs.html

Heart you Jenn xx

PHOTOS

Baby + Sudocrem


Introducing the Cousins to The Sims


Lucy with her favourite boy cousin


Lucy with her first pair of shoes


Lucy enjoying some homemade pizza


Lucy is taking lots of steps, but still seems to be a fair way off 'walking' The video below is what she spends her whole day doing, taking 5 or so steps and the plonk on her bum, over and over :)

Belated Happy Birthday to Ella

A bit behind over here, the school holidays were luxuriously lazy and I felt like doing nothing much :)

Well, a couple of weeks ago Ella turned six! We had a pretty low key day, with a visit to a different playcentre http://www.cccsalisbury.asn.au/playcafe.html with the cousins, which was pleasant enough. We also went out for dinner with everyone in the evening.

Ella received some very grown up presents. A watch, a music player, a silver charm bracelet and, her favourite from Nana and Papa, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe book. A read it aloud to her over the next few days and it was really lovely, she was captivated. We have just purchased The Adventures Of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton and are doing the same with that.







She said to me yesterday morning 'Heeey, I'm six now ... Adam and Eva said I'll be six next time they see me! Are they coming home this week?'

Back to school today - it is so lovely to see her bouncing in to her classroom so happy.

Charlotte started in the Kindy Room at childcare today, and Lucy has settled brilliantly in the Baby room at childcare. She eats and sleeps for them there!

Happy birthday to Lucy

Oh, the quickest year of my life! My baby, my curly locks, my little Lu, all growing up.
It was a lovely day today, with just a handful of people. Lucy seemed to enjoy herself and all three kids were exhausted tonight.

Lucy is a marvellous creature, she is joyful and quick to laugh and adventurous and just delicious. She will be walking soon and we get to experience a whole new world then.

I just asked Raff to describe Lucy and he says interactive, cheeky, lively and fun. She is soaking up her world and roars like a tiger, woofs like a dog, moos like a cow and meows like a cat. She climbs and she rocks and she draws and she rips and she throws things and she plays peek-a-boo, and doesn't miss a thing. She will copy her sisters all day. And with a touch of gentle guidance over the last week or so, she now sleeps!

The cake


Her new wagon


The cousins