its the little memories that make a lifetime

I voted

2010-08-21T22:23:00.000+09:30

Today I am proud to say I voted

I know we have compulsory voting here but even if it werent I am confident that I would be moved enough to participate in the ultimate democratic right that so many people past & present have fought for.

Although I am looking forward to my tv ads returning to 'normal' after a 5 week political campaign, I am glued to the ABC tonight hanging on every prediction that is being made.

Today I helped to shape the future of this fantastic country & its looking like such a close race that we will have to wait till tomorrow to find out who will lead us for the next 3 years.

QLD here we come - Pt 1

2010-08-10T20:15:00.000+09:30

Kent decided to marry the love of his life Callie, but more on that later.

The important thing for this post is that they decided to tie the knot in QLD & there was no way we were missing it.

We made the somewhat ambitious choice to drive the 2100kms from Adelaide to Brisbane. So on Saturday 9th July we piled the kids & all our summer clothes into the car & were on the road by 9am. By 11am the DVD player was on & we were praising the brain that invented such a life saving device.

Our first stop was Pinaroo for lunch.

Our first night on the road was spent in West Wyalong which is about 900kms from Adelaide which was further than we had hoped to make it on the first day. We slept in the only accomodation that the caravan park had available.... an old railway cart. It was long, annoying to navagate but pretty cool.

Xander was kind enough to time a nappy stop with a drive through Parkes so we took the opportunity to stretch our legs at "The Dish" (made famous in The Dish).

Our second night on the road was spent in Warwick which was just 2 hours out from Brisbane,. Notice the t-shirt in the middle of winter, oh QLD how I love your winter weather.

We were originally planning to do the trip in 3 days but because the kids did SOOOO well we were able to do it in 2 with just an extra 2 hours on the third day. I love the adaptability of those kids, I must remember to commend their parents for a job well done in that respect!!!

Since the kids were such troopers on the drive we decided to head straight to Dreamworld but there are a whole lot more photos for that so I might save that for tomorrow.

Uganda & Neil

2010-08-09T20:24:00.000+09:30

A couple of months ago Neil was given the opportunity to apply to join a group of 8 other professionals on an aid mission to Uganda to build a house 8 orphans & a house mother. As well as building the house their aim was to take toys, books & clothes for the communities & provide aid at the ground level.

So after much thought he applied & was successful - YIPPEE!!!! Kain C+C are the fantastic organisation behind this.

One of the things that Neil was most interested in/excited about was meeting and helping an Australian woman who has a "walking medical clinic" that takes medical aid into the communities for those that would otherwise not get any medical attention because they are unable to get to a doctor.

The agreement was that his firm would cover the cost of flights & accomodation but Neil had to raise atleast $2000. So as his main funraising event he organised a bike ride. You could choice 1 of 3 distances to ride (40, 60 or 100 kms) & pay a registration fee accordingly. All donations and ride sponsorships were also accepted & all funds raised go directly to the cause.

Neil did the 100 kms & almost $4000 was raised - PHENOMINAL EFFORT!!!!! Fun was had by all & luckily it wasnt a race.... This is us waiting, waiting, waiting for Neil & Brian to come in, by this stage almost all the 48 riders had left, even Phil, who was following behind in a car incase anyone needed help, had given up and come back for a drink.

They finally came in & despite the late hour we were all really proud of him & ALL the other riders.

However, the trip is not to be... yet. He was meant to leave saturday just gone (7th Aug) but the Somalians have got their knickers in a knot about something and have the bombs to prove it so the trip has been postponed until next year but all funds raised will still go to the cause since it is such a fantastic one.

the first of many update posts

2010-08-08T22:10:00.000+09:30

my intention is to do 1 post every day until I am up to date.

let me start with 22/6/2010:

On an impulse I decided to get the kids hairs cut by a professional, this goes against everything inside me that says "They want how much to cut a childs hair. Ingrid, you can do that yourself!!" but I know that in the past there have been times where Olivia has had to put up with some pretty bad hair. She had finally grown out her fringe to a decent length & Xander's hair was way past his "glasses" (neils test to determine if he needs to visit to the hairdresser). So I made the appointment & then prepped Olivia for it. She was OK with it as long as Xander could go first.

So he did go first but everytime the scissors went anywhere near him he would turn his head to get away so the only thing I could think to do was feed him while the hairdresser cut his hair. 5 minutes later the boys hair was respectable again.

Then is was Olivias turn, at first she wasnt too sure & I thought she may need some coaxing but then she started feeling like a big girl & loved the feeling & attention. She had about 3 inches off (since when do I think in inches) & now her "fringe" is the same length as the rest of her hair & it looks soooo much better.

Doesnt everyone love a trip to the hairdressers...

So....

2010-06-30T22:24:00.000+09:30

Olivia has an Expressive Speech Disorder.

That does NOT excuse her behaviour in relation to hitting (please ground swallow me up & let me hide from the shame of it), horrible noises instead of speech & tantrums at 6 am because she is not getting what she wants (I realise that no one is thinking rationally at this unearthly hour).

That does NOT excuse my breakdown at OT today after I had to put Olivia in timeout for trying to take a headband out of my hair & refusing to quit it despite my best "calm yet authoritative voice". It was just the last straw on a difficult week.

There have been many times when I have left a situation, turned around or put my dark sunnies on to shed a tear or 2 for MANY different reasons, but I could do none of those things today. I fear that my 10 year old niece now knows how unstable I am.

I love you Lolly girl, tomorrow is another chance for us to get it right.

But while you sleep tonight I will attempt to make a pact with you - if you dont wake me before 7am I promise to have more patience tomorrow & maybe, just maybe, instead of time outs & escalating arguements you can ride your bike to the park & tell me a story along the way. (BTW - I will take sleepy silence as agreeance)

QUACK

2010-06-25T00:22:00.001+09:30

I take too much for granted. Sure its all relative. My good days are someone elses bad & vice versa.

But QUACK is a big deal is this household, or atleast it was tonight.

I'm sure ducks take their "speech" for granted but in this house, tonight, any duck would have been proud of my 4 year old who until now has not ever been able to form her mouth into K.

We have sat in front of the mirror repeating it over & over again so that she can see how I form my mouth & then how she forms her mouth to try the same sound. I have tried to hold the front of her tongue down while she attempts the sound. I have tried to explain how to make the sound (give it a try some time, it is extremely hard).

But for some reason it just clicked with QUACK this evening (& only this word). Then she lost it again for about 5 minutes, so we pushed on & she gave up so I pushed some more & then it returned.

Smarties were handed out & many praises sung. The fact that it was at the end of the word was the icing on the cake. For the last 5 months we have been concentrating on sounds at the start of words but in the last 2 weeks we have moved on to the end of words.

So for her to get this sound at the end of the word is well deserving of a little happy dance & a smartie.

a post full of things I want to remember always

2010-05-31T20:38:00.000+09:30

firstly.... yesterday was Ailish's 10th birthday so we all went up to her house for dinner (burgers were awesome Kristie, thanks). We had just finished dinner & the kids were all running around when all of a sudden there is a crash & Olivia has tripped over *NOTHING* & her head has broken her fall by colliding with a metal suitcase (you know, the ones that your ancestors took to war...). We all jumped up & Neil was the first to reach her. Apon inspection of her forehead it was obvious that we would be leaving & on our way to the ER very shortly.

So we left the party & took ourselves down to Womens & Childrens hospital where we were seen straight away in a "see & treat" area where they literally glued her skin back together & we were on our way back home.

I was really proud of her. Despite the fact that she would not allow me to touch her head to even mop up the blood & the fact that she screamed ALL the way down the freeway right until she started to fall asleep when we were just about there, she let all the nurses & Dr's have a look & fix up her wound. We were sceptical & warned everyone to expect the worst so they brought in an extra nurse to hold her down if they needed too. But it wasnt needed in the end. I lay on the bed with her & 1 nurse lightly held her face still while the Doc applied the glue. She was soo brave.

See that tongue... she sticks it out when she concentrates, just like her Dad.

So, while we were waiting for the nurse to come back in the room last night we were singing songs & playing games to distract Olivia. Olivia & I were clapping and Xander decided that looked like fun & started clapping too. It was the first time he has managed to co-ordinate his hands enough to do it. It was a bit exciting & we were all suitably impressed. (I wish I had a photo of it).

The last thing (for now) I want to remember always is this:

I hope its obvious who wrote it.... She did it this evening while I was preparing dinner. It was the first time she has written her own name all by herself (can you see the little l between the O & i). We have been practising for a little while & although I had written it out for her to copy she really didnt refer to it. She loves being able to write her name & gets so excited when I suggest that we practice. i love it!!!

another time maybe...

2010-05-20T15:30:00.000+09:30

2 days before I was due to fly off to New York I went to the docs, Xander's nose had been very mildly runny that week & I wanted to make sure he was OK before we went to the states. Well as it turns out he had an ear infection & the docs recommendation was that I not risk the 28.5 hour flight so that was the end of that trip.

So I missed.... the inflight movies, the experience of an entirely new (to me) continent & country, wearing a bathrobe at a heated rooftop bar, a broadway show, central park zoo, times square & I dont even want to know what else.

Instead I.... got to have mothers day with BOTH my kids, celebrated Lolly's 4th birthday, got to see my friend raising money for charity by standing in underwear in a shop window (very modest I promise), made sure that Lolly got to have kindy photos

This photo was taken the day before we were meant to fly out, (ignore the horrible pink slipper in the background), notice how he doesnt even have the decency to look sick!!!!

Happy 4th Birthday my first born love

2010-05-13T22:16:00.000+09:30

Yesterday, 12th May, my baby girl turned 4. She celebrated the day with many of her favourite things, an early morning bike ride (on a brand new bike), a morning at kindy (with a marshmallow caterpillar to share), a picnic in Botanic Gardens with Nana, Grandad & Auntie Mandi (with the requested giraffe cake), followed by an afternoon at the zoo (where the 2 wombats were the star attraction).

This last year has been a big one for her, she has firstly adjusted to being in childcare full time, followed by being home full time & then having her mum time rudely interrupted by a little brother who seemed to take a while to get the message about who runs the show around this place (dont worry he has learnt that lesson many times over now). The introduction of Xander to this family was initially welcomed but after the honeymoon period of about a week she realised he was here to stay & thats when the "issues" started. Oh not much, just pushing his head into his seat if we were going out, or pushing/hitting him when I was feeding him, or taking stuff away from him so that he didnt have anything to play with. When I think about it, Xanders place in our car is very representative of his place in Olivia's heart. Before he was born we asked her where she wanted the new baby to sit, "next to me" came the reply, once he had been here for a few weeks she demanded that he be moved so that there was space between them, once he had been here for a few months the request came to move him back. The other day I caught them sitting silently holding hands. He is now firmly implanted in her heart & her in his. They do so love each other.

Her speech has come on in leaps and bounds with a long way still to go. Even at the start of this year she would miss a lot of words out of sentences and would only say the main sound in each word (generally the vowel). After a lot of work on her part she now has "d" "p" "f" "l" "t" "th" all down pat, the next thing to do it work on shortening the gaps between that sound & the rest of the word. But progress is progress and I am so proud of her every day.

Kindy is the other big thing this past year. She started in Jan & has been excited to go every day since. Within the first few weeks she was invited to an exclusive party by a girl at kindy & that gave me so much hope for her time there. It took her an entire term to really get comfortable enough to start talking (even to the adults) but now even the kids have told me "she is talking lots more now". Her eyes light up each day when she is has something to show me for time there & her "hard work" is paying off, she can almost write her own name unassisted & she drew an animal for the first time the other day which had a definate head, body, legs, eyes & mouth. It was the day of her birthday so she was also able to show Neil her fantastic drawing & that was her present to us for the day. I am a little anxious at the thought that she may get into a special speech & language kindy program for term 4 and then have to more centres and build brand new relationships only to do it again 3 terms later for school but hopefully the benefits outway the anxiety.

Each day she is a gift to us and can make me laugh or cry at the flip of a coin but I dont ever want to do anything else or be anywhere else other than here with her.

Now for some photos of the day:

mastering her first "real" bike

everyone at kindy ready for some marshmallow

getting smoked out by the sparklers

(notice the non donkey/thyroid horse/wombat-iness of the cake this year)

We love you Lolly-girl

life is good

2010-05-13T21:18:00.000+09:30

Xanders trick of the moment is pointing. When Neil picks him up in the morning the first thing he does is point at the door, when we put him in bed at night he points at his cot. From morning to night that boy is pointing.

Except tonight. Mum had come with us to the shops & when we got home Amy informed us that Xander had fallen asleep, turning the car off caused the interior light to come on & woke the poor little man. Just as we were saying "aaawwwww" he looked at us, grinned the biggest grin & stuck out his thumb.

Life certainly is good.

yay, all is not lost

2010-05-05T17:25:00.000+09:30

apparently all i needed to do to get my elements back was "upgrade" my template, yippee for that button!!! now to solve the rest....

i'm just having one of those days/weeks

2010-05-05T17:17:00.000+09:30

this week i decided that I was a bit tired of my blog look so I went looking for a different template. I found one I loved & took the plunge & used it. Well it seems that its better then devil you know.... I lost the nav bar at the top so everytime I want to "sign in" I had to go to the kitchen comfort blog & sign in from there to be able to do ANYTHING on my blog. I also tried to change the photos at the top but they were massive & all you could see was a tiny little piece of the top of each photo.

So today I decided to go have a play around to correct it & am totally regretting it. In the end I just wanted to take it back to how it used to be but now I have lost all my "elements" and cant add them back in & I cant seem to change my template again. oh man this is the last thing I need today....

I am going away on Saturday & am feeling a bit anxious about the flight with Xander & the fact that I am leaving my Lolly-girl & Ron Ron behind. I am going to miss Mother's day, Olivia's birthday & there is a good chance that Olivia will miss her first ever "school" photos because of my trip. I have found a million things this week that I should be spending the money on rather than a frivilous holiday & I feel like other aspects of my life are running out of control with no clear direction of the best way to resolve it.

to top it off, after a couple of solid months of word games I have lost motivation to play the same games twice a day with Olivia, i dont even have the energy to deal with her frustration when i try to correct her speech in conversation. She NEEDS the games & my attention for her speech to improve & she has come such a long way since Jan. however, this week mummy is starting holidays, so tv is going back on & you can eat as many "treats" as you want & drink as many warm milos that your little belly can handle.

i will deal with the consequenses of this week when i get back from NY & hopefully the week away is exactly want i need to restore motivation & get back on track with the blog & the life....

So for now blog, you have won but I promise that you have not seen the last of me!

Oh I almost forgot. I finished my first ever quilt. Olivia's first quilt was made by my Nana but she unfortunately passed away in May 2007 & so I wanted Xander to have something as well. I love it & so does he....

I could not have done it without Amelia or Kristie, fantasticly talented women to learn from, thanks.

I'm just hoping this is going to work

2010-05-03T22:29:00.001+09:30

bear with me while I play around with my blog....

oh to be almost 4

2010-04-22T10:00:00.003+09:30

when not running into your friend on the trampoline is the biggest thing you need to worry about...

proud as punch

2010-04-02T20:06:00.003+10:30

See all those buttons on my baby girls pyjamas - well just imagine there are 4 little pink ones all in a row right down the front, next time I will remember that she is holding "baby".

2 days ago she achieved undoing them & I thought that was a proud moment but I now realise that was nothing...... tonight this little munchkin mastered doing them up, now I know what it feels like to be asked to be the first person to walk on the moon - PROUD PROUD PROUD!

Well done Boo Boo Ba Loo, I hope you never realise how difficult it used to be.

just a few photos cause I can

2010-04-02T11:37:00.004+10:30

any girl can be a fairy or a princess but it take real power to be a super hero. She was the cutest Superman (who had a cape resembling more like Little Red Riding Hood) at kindy.

And after a fantastic suggestion by Kristie we now have 2 super heros in the house

Neil came home early from work yesterday & we just love it when he surprises us like that

And this is how we have spent Good Friday so far, painting with our fingers

And our noses

now we are off to the zoo.

blog envy

2010-04-01T14:59:00.003+10:30

Sometimes I feel unworthy compared to those surrounding me, but then I remember that I dont have to measure up, I just have to be the best me for myself & my family.

Having said that I so badly wish I had the ability to write like my cousins wife (even writing that sentence took me 5 minutes to think of the right words). She says everything I wish I knew how in relation to her gorgeous kids & husband. Everytime I log onto my blog & see that she has posted something, my eyes immediately start welling up because I just know she is going to fill my heart with love for hers & my own family.

Maybe being married to a Smylie is better than actually being one......

This is her blog & I do hope her blogging energy remains once that new baby girl of theirs has settled in.

if its Superman you want, then its Superman you shall have

2010-03-29T21:45:00.004+10:30

Tomorrow is the end of term for our kindy & to celebrate the 2 weeks off we are having a party. Kids (& adults, I guess, if you so choose) are allowed to dress up as their favourite "character". When I asked Olivia today what she wanted to dress up as she answered with a resounding "Spiderman". hmmmmmm.

Well that was never going to happen, I wouldnt know where to start & I didnt even know she knew who he was, so I tried to talk her into Koala Lou (her favourite book), a fairy or a ladybird. After vetoing all my fantastic suggestions & a little more thought her counter answer was "Superman". Well that I can sort of think about doing.

So, off to Spotlight we went for red, yellow & blue (which we didnt end up using) fabric & we are now the proud owners of a Superman cape.

I hope she likes it.......

I also finally finished off the "twirly skirt" that I started a little while ago, I know its not very superhero but I am hoping she will agree to wear it with her cape tomorrow..

Now to that little man, this is how he wakes up 9 times out of 10. After a little chat with himself & a giggle he is ready to start his day, or his morning, or his afternoon.

you can still call me Ingrid

2010-03-17T19:37:00.004+10:30

Today I was elected as President of the Governing Council at kindy.

I went to the AGM thinking that I might put my hand up for secretary but that was not to be my fate today. When it was suggested (yep thats right I didnt even have to beg) that I be nominated for the Presidents role I could think of no reason other than "I dont want to" to not do it, and I didnt want to seem like I had the same intelligence level as the little ones that we were ultimitely there for.

So for the next year, or until we maybe leave this kindy for another program, I will also answer to El Presidente.

it will probably never happen again

2010-02-25T08:11:00.002+10:30

Yesterday the near impossible happened.

I blogged

Dee blogged

Kristie blogged

& all 3 of us contributed to the food blog as well (Kristie took the photo on the florentine post)

oh & I discovered how to link to other sites so now I'm going link crazy.

we've been busy

2010-02-24T19:36:00.003+10:30

The kids have been busy amusing themselves with the smallest things...

drool & all

where's the disco?

its a good friends, little boys birthday party on the weekend & this is what I have been working on for him (I hope you arent reading this before sunday Em):

Olivia saw me making this over the last couple of days & would always ask "mine?" everytime I explained that is was for Lucas I felt bad that I wasnt doing anything for her so I promised that I would make her one next week. I hope she doesnt understand 'next week' cause I cant see myself keeping that promise at this stage but I will definitely be making 1 for Lolly & Xander, I just know they would love it!!!

no amount of baby-sitting will ever re-pay the debt

2010-02-16T19:49:00.005+10:30

and all I have at this stage to re-pay the debt to my brother-in-law (Mick) is babysitting. You see he has done something that I never thought possible.... our old computer died & I thought we had lost all photos of Olivia from birth to about 1 year old. I know, I know we should have backed our stuff up but we never did. But Mick knew just what to do & now we will never have to have this conversation:

Olivia: can I see a photo of me when I was a baby?

Me or Neil (probably me): well, I'm sorry Boo but we dont have any anymore

Olivia: why?

Me: we took more photos of you than you would believe, everytime you moved we had a camera in your face but Mum & Dad were very silly and the computer broke and we lost all your photos

Olivia: I knew you didnt love me!!

THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU Mick, I cry at the pure relief of having them back.

Olivia 6 months old:

Xander 6 months old:

Now, onto other news from our family.

I spend all day with my 2 favourite children and it takes Neil 10 minutes after getting home from work to discover that Xander is cutting his first teeth. Both of his bottom front teeth can be felt and one of them is even a flash of white if you look close enough. Again, he is such a trooper and hasnt even so much as groaned to indicate that he may be in any pain as a result of these pearly whites.

Grow little Toofys grow but please make sure you dont cause my baby any harm.

you'll always be my baby girl

2010-01-28T21:44:00.004+10:30

with a slightly improved photo...

Its not a very good photo (in relation to the light & set up of the shot) but its the only one I took that shows how proud she was yesterday to be marching down to kindy for her first day. I was apprehensive...

how would she go around soo many new children (my girl is not always the most sociable)

would she keep all her clothes on when she went to toilet (she has a tendancy to come back from the toilet needing help to redress)

does she remember that I will come back for her (does she know that I am counting down the minutes until I can walk back to pick her up)

will anyone understand her when she finally comes out of her shell (or will the other children look at her like she is strange and walk away)

will she want to go back next week and the week after and the week after (for the next 6 *yes 6* school terms)

as it turns out she didnt miss me or need me to be there to shield her from the world but I am on guard and prepared to put my protective arm around her should she so need it at ANY time.

He's just a litle bit proud of himself...

2010-01-22T21:45:00.006+10:30

& so are we!!

Xander is well & truely sitting by himself now & he loves it. Olivia also loves it because she now thinks he is capable of playing 'row-row-row your boat' & I let her do 1 round but then have to put a stop to it because he is not that steady yet. But it is soooo nice to see them "playing" together.

The only thing that Xander loves as much as sitting right now is trying to crawl. He gets up on his knees & hands but cant quite hold it long enough to figure out what to do next. I love watching him try.

Also, I just wanted to share this photo because Neil & I love it so much that we make Olivia show everyone that enters our home. She painted it while we were camping at Edithburgh just after new years & it lives on her bedside table.

But we just adont know what to call him, if you ask Olivia every dog is Jetty....

tampeen

2010-01-19T20:04:00.004+10:30

Today Olivia & I were playing on the trampoline & I had a housewife moment where I was thinking of all the things I could be doing while Xander was sleeping, so I told Olivia that I had to go do other stuff. She did not like this idea at all (& she was playing so nicely with me) so I promised that when Poppy came over tonight we could eat dinner on the trampoline, she decided that this was a great deal & let me hop off.

When dinner was ready this evening I asked both the girl to take their clothes off cause we were having pasta & it can get messy, especially when you dont have a table to eat off of (& quite frankly what child doesnt like to get naked). As we were walking out Poppy kept saying over & over again "tampeen, tampeen, tampeen". I think it was a hit!!!

In other news, Xander is finally big enough to go in the Jolly Jumper, I have been waiting for this because I remember how much Olivia LOVED it & Xander did not dissapoint. It must feel so effortless and free to be up on your feet after being at foot height for 5 & a half months. Oh the joy!!

I also have to say that my little man is an absolute trooper. Every time I change something on him he laps it up & takes it completely in his stride without skipping a beat. This last week has seen him start solids & he sooo looks forward to whatever is served up to him, infact if I dare to take a break to feed myself he gets quite impatient. I also stopped wrapping him for sleeps in the last week & you wouldnt even know that anything has changed, he goes to sleep just as easily as he always has & sleeps for just as long.

just testing...

2009-12-29T20:02:00.002+10:30

let me know what you think of my brand new signature

picture this....

2009-12-18T14:09:00.002+10:30

Woman comes home & lets dog in the house, but although the front screen door is closed it is not locked & the dog somehow instictively knows this & seizes this opportunity to make a run for it. Right out the front door and door the road, on the hunt for only he knows what. The woman is right behind him calling his name, yelling STOP, BAH, SIT, STAY & anything else that she thinks may momentarily distract him from his goal, long enough to just get a hold of his collar. Behind the running woman & the disobedient dog is a crying, screaming 3 year old & inside the house is a 4 month old who has been unceremoniously dumped on the couch (probably should have been the floor).

The woman thinks she is in luck on 2 seperate occasions when someone stops to pat the dog, but to her amazement neither of them take hold of the dogs collar despite the obvious chase that is ongoing. Halfway down the road the woman starts to think about the impact of just letting the dog run without being chased *would he just stop & come home on his own* *if he didnt come home would his real family mind too much* *surely they havent grown attached to him in 5 years*, but no she decides to continue despite the image in the back of her mind of the 2 screaming children.

So across roads, down the street & around the corner the chase continues until they reach a small "park" where the woman decides to change her tack & pretends to have a "treat" for the dog (hey, it works when she wants the 3 year old on her side).

Finally the dog heads towards the woman & she is able to take hold of his collar. From that moment on the treat is forgotten and the dog is lead home by his collar. Every now & then he decides to rebel and get away but there is no way that the woman is letting him get away now. They are almost home & she can hear the children still crying just around the corner when the clip on the collar gives in, this is the last straw, she picks up the dog & carries him the rest of the way, glad that he was put on a diet recently.

Once they get home the dog is sent out into the back yard & the woman then turns her attention to recovering. She is unable to talk when her mother calls & needs to strip off her t-shirt & lay on her bed with the ceiling fan on full blast to try & cool down & get her breath back. Water, she needs water!!!

Awww, but I cant stay mad at little Jetty Boy.

ps: incase there was any doubt.... a maternity bra is NOT appropriate attire for running

i can just feel the excitement, can't you?

2009-12-18T10:58:00.003+10:30

This is the closest that either Poppy or Lolly got to cracking a smile when the firetruck came to visit us at Playgroup. Neither of them were very impressed!!!

we love him as if he were our own

2009-12-18T10:40:00.002+10:30

Yesterday we took in a temporarily homeless Beagle. Jetty is his name & tracking down food is his game. He is my sister, Kristie's dog and we are looking after him for a little bit while they go on holiday, personally I wish I was going on holiday instead of having Jet but he really is the next best thing.

Olivia is just beside herself with excitement everytime he walks into the room (i hope she gets over that soon) & has already mastered "BAH" to tell him off. But hasnt quite figured out when to say it, she says it when he is snuffling through the dirty clothes on the floor in the laundry but happily stood by & watched him eat the wafer sticks in a container in the lounge room without saying a word. Maybe she was just in awe of his bravado cause she never thought to just take one without asking......

We do love you Jet. But dont expect to see Amy for the next couple of weeks.

oh my poor baby

2009-12-08T19:43:00.002+10:30

Xander had his 4 month immunisations yesterday & I am blaming this event for his mood this afternoon & his runny nose. After a great day with friends, he woke up from his afternoon sleep & was beside himself everytime I put him down. He worked himself up so much that he was able to produce his first ever big fat tear. Being the loving, doting mother that I am, do i pick him up to comfort my 2nd born.... oh no, I run for the camera to record this historic moment.

For these things I am thankful

2009-11-26T21:26:00.003+10:30

being surrounded by great family & friends all year round
2 fantastic, loving & lovable children
a husband who I adore, cherish & love
a home that we feel safe & secure in
being able to spend the first years of my childrens lives with them, without interruption
the freedom to live my life as I choose
being able to try my hand at a crockembouche and being slightly proud of the result
my first ever thanksgiving dinner
Nana's pumpkin pie

I can feel Christmas coming

2009-11-25T21:17:00.002+10:30

So this year we made our own advent calendar, now I cant wait for 1st Dec.

how time flies when you are having fun

2009-11-07T20:04:00.003+10:30

I cant believe that Xander is 3 months old. Its feels like the little man has always been a part of our lives. Whatever did we do without his giggles and unconditional love...

& then there were 6

2009-11-07T19:43:00.002+10:30

Introducing (L to R) Darcy & Noah, Olivia & Xander, Huon & Sascha.

I met 2 great women at mothers group some 3 years ago who at the time each had 1 great child the same age as Olivia. Maddie & Melissa have since become great friends of mine.

3 years on & we have each had our second child within 6 months of each other. Whenever I think about this too much it blows my mind (doesnt take much I know), but what are the chances of meeting 2 fantastic women at the same time who then go on to have children at the same time as me a second time round.

I know a lot has happened in that 3 years & it hasnt always been easy but I know that these 6 children will go on to be great friends & enjoy the comfort & effortless friendship of people that have known each other, effectively, since birth.

Heres to great friends, the ones we have as children & the ones we have as adults!

the lollipop fairy went a visiting

2009-11-04T16:19:00.002+10:30

But I have no idea who was responsible, her disguise looks too good!!!

A Public Apology

2009-10-16T13:16:00.002+10:30

Last night Neil was away at a seminar and my sister Kristie invited myself & my 2 sometimes trying children over for dinner so that I wouldnt go crazy by myself. Well it worked & I appreciated the company of family & the fantastic meal. However, it wasnt till during the night after Olivia had woken me up & I couldnt get back to sleep, that I realised what a terrible dinner guest myself & my children had been, these are just a few of the reasons why:

1. I brought potentially day old cake for dessert.

2. I walked in, proceeded to play with kids & read magazines without offering to help right till dinner was almost ready.

3. My child was the one that didnt eat her dinner & caused a scene at the table.

4. I never cleared away my dinner dishes or that of my childs.

5. I never offered to do the dishes or clean a single item of crockery.

6. I made my sister change my childs nappy & get him in his pyjamas.

7. I brought the plague into their house (sorry Ewan).

8. I used all their medication & I dont remember putting the themometor back in the cupboard.

For all these things (& for anything that I cant remember) I am sorry. But I love you & thanks.

and the winner is.....

2009-09-20T13:17:00.002+09:30

This is what lazy sundays are for.................. arm wrestling?!?!?!

Surprisingly Neil was no match for the super human strength of a 3 year old

when good times go bad

2009-09-18T22:23:00.004+09:30

Today was shaping up to be a great day, we had someone coming to fix our heater (just in time for the nice weather) so we had nothing else planned. Olivia stayed in her bed all night so, as promised, we made playdough, we even fancied it up with a bit of glitter.

We took our lunch outside for a picnic on the lawn to enjoy the nice day and then we stayed outside and played with out freshly made playdough. We opened up the sand pit and threw/kicked the ball around. It was great just to enjoy the effortless company of a contented 3 year old.

It was when we came inside to feed the little man that things turned ugly, I was feeding Xander after setting Olivia up in the same room with her beads. She was finished playing and wouldn't listen to me when I asked her to leave them for me to pack up. Of course they went flying everywhere!!!! Being the sensitive child that she is Olivia's first reaction was to drop to the ground & cry, but on the way down she hit her head on the wood of the rocking chair which of course made the situation worse. After placing Xander on the floor, giving Olivia a cuddle and finding the egg already forming on her head I ran to get a cold pack (aka frozen corn wrapped in a tea towel), only then did I grab the camera to record a terrible end to a fantastic day.

It sure is the best job in the world!!!

our royal show experience in pictures

2009-09-18T21:53:00.006+09:30

well mainly pics of Olivia & completely out of order of actual events....

I think I need to learn how to use photobucket....

its different when its your child

2009-09-18T21:40:00.003+09:30

I used to laugh at Rowan & Callum when i would see them engrossed & often fighting over a Toy World catalogue. Well today I busted my own child reading a Toys R Us catalogue at the kitchen table & at that moment I was grateful that she was quite content to look at all the branded merchandise (paying particular attention to Dora) without feeling the need to actually own any of it.

out with the old & in with the new

2009-09-09T20:34:00.003+09:30

This week we finally got new carpet, YIPPEE!! We have lived in the house for 2 years now & atleast once a month Neil tells me how much he hates the carpet & wants to replace it. Although we still dont know if we are going to bulldose the house in a couple of years, the carpet is worth it just to stop groundhog day for me.

1 roll of the old carpet out the front of our house ready for Neil's mum to use as the base of her no-dig garden bed:

ahhh fresh new carpet, there are few things better in a house (new oven is higher on the list for me, I'll be sure to blog about it when/if that ever happens). This is our lounge (Kristie, can you see a bubble?):

So, whats the first thing you need to do on new carpet?? Carpet angels of course!! This is the carpet in the bedrooms:

Hoping out of bed to feed my little man at 2am has never been nicer.....

it was a B-E-A-U-tiful morning

2009-09-02T13:55:00.004+09:30

it was such a nice morning that it would have been a shame to spend it inside, so we took to the back yard and played around with the camera...

I have come to 1 conclusion from today..... my babies are growing up WAY too fast!!!

its true...... we had a boy......

2009-09-01T13:29:00.003+09:30

On 6th August 2009 we welcomed little Alexander into our family. He weighted 8lbs 8oz and was 54.5 cms long.

We ALL love him including Olivia. Their first kiss:

she does have other clothes, I promise

2009-08-04T09:39:00.003+09:30

I was talking to my sister Kristie the other day & happened to mention that the dancing photo in my previous blog was taken last month, she said "thats OK, shes wearing the same top". So I thought it was just luck but then I realised that my last 3 posts with photos of Olivia in them have her in exactly the same shirt (& by pure dumb luck its the same as she is wearing today). Thinking about this I believe it is because, although she does have other shirts, she is growing so fast that I dont buy too many clothes of any particular size, so the clothes she does have are washed regularly & are in high rotation.

She is 3 and is currently wearing size 7 shirts & size 5 jeans, it blows my mind (for those without kids a general rule of thumb is that age should match clothing size or there abouts). Now I reaslise that I do need to roll up the jeans & shirts a little bit but less & less each day which makes me increasingly sad that my baby is growing up.

So here is proof that there are other clothes in her closet:

this photo was taken when her cousins came over to play & i encouraged them all to climb in a tree, Olivia went up & promptly came back down landing in the bushes (hence the scratches). Once they left we came inside & all Olivia wanted to do was lie on the couch watching Horton Hears a Who, where she fell asleep. I was a little worried about concussion but it was also around the time when we were having difficulty getting her to sleep so I was more relieved to be able to pick her up & put her straight into bed.

What else is there to do on a rainy day?

2009-08-01T20:31:00.003+09:30

This past week saw us house bound with a couple of rainy days. I dont mind because we need the rain and it means that we have no reason to get out of our pyjamas.

These are just a couple of things (besides the TV) that we found to entertain ourselves:

Dancing....

Painting...

Beading...

ummm, drawing...

even though she sleeps I do redeem myself

2009-06-27T07:27:00.005+09:30

we have good days and bad but every night when Olivia sleeps I tuck her in and whisper in her ear that I love her. This quite often follows the frustration that is post-bedtime. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, its the "get back to bed before I smack your bottom" repeated over & over again until her little body gives up and she falls asleep exhausted and defeated.

Some nights it lasts longer than others but each night I feel bad for losing my temper because she is only doing what a 3 year old should. But we do love her & we tell her every day as well as her subconscience every night.

I can only imagine that when this new little one arrives my temper will be shorter but I will continue to redeem myself by whispering in her ear that I love her every night.

donkey or a horse or something else?????

2009-05-15T21:36:00.002+09:30

Its alright, I want you to tell me honestly...

I cant believe she is 3

2009-05-15T20:56:00.003+09:30

After a rough start to the day (somebody needs to tell her that the terrible 2's are over, believe me I've tried), she finished it off as every 3 year old should, with pizza, cake, presents & lots of love & attention.

Happy birthday my baby, I love you more than you will ever know.

oh & apparently being 3 makes you allergic to pistachio nuts........

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T20:48:00.005+10:30

We spent the day at the zoo. We also got a new camera for christmas and this is the first time that I have actually downloaded any of the photos from it to my computer, here are a couple from today.

Olivia also got a camera for Christmas so every poor animal was photographed within an inch of its life:

Discussing camera techniques (neil took all the photos today):

A much needed drinks break:

I hope your day was as good as mine!

WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!!!!!

2009-01-16T21:43:00.002+10:30

this is how the worst day of my life went down today, as outlined by our local paper The Advertiser:

Child rescued from locked car
A CHILD has been rescued from a locked car after being trapped inside for about 20 minutes.Police and ambulance officers were called to an ABC Learning Centre at Bedford Park where a three-year-old girl was accidentally locked in a car.
The girl's mother had placed the child in a car seat and left the keys on a seat before getting up to put something in the boot of the car.
At that point it is understood the child locked herself in the car. The mother then rang police and then the child's father who brought another set of keys to unlock the car.
Ambulance Communications team leader Dieter Scheurich said the mother was "more distressed" than the child.
"This was an accidental `lock-in'," he said.
"The mother did the right thing by calling police straight away."
Police then rang ambulance officers.
Mr Scheurich reminded parents that children should never be left unattended in cars.
"You never know how hot it's going to be (in the car) even on a (mild) day like today," he said.

I would not agree with all the facts of this report, for example, she is 2 & a half, I never went to put anything in the boot & Olivia had already pressed the lock button before I had hopped out the car but it didnt register until I had taken the keys away from her, thrown them on the front seat & then closed the door.

Olivia took the commotion quite well but who could blame a 2 & a half year old for being a little upset about being trapped in a seat, in a car while police are trying to "break into" the car & mum is also on the outside trying to hold it together.

Nikki & Jess at childcare were fantastic & I will never complain about paying taxes again because I will never get a chance to properly thank the police & ambulance staff. Oh & who can forget the knight in shining armour..... Neil!!

I love you Olivia & I'm enternally sorry that you also had the such a bad day.

(note to self: never put so much as a hair outside of the car without keys in my hand)

Zac & his sidekick (Gus)

2008-11-14T20:23:00.005+10:30

Can you figure out what he is "wearing"??

????????

2008-11-11T21:49:00.003+10:30

at 2 & a half did I fight sleep every night until I could fight no more? Did it ever take up to 2 hours for mum & dad to finally "win" the sleep battle? Were they as relieved as we are to know that we wont see our child for the next 9 hours? Is this carma biting me in the butt?

To Lara

2008-10-31T18:58:00.004+10:30

This post is only a means of Amy being able to write to Lara. We were looking at blogs & Amy was catching up on Lara's on goings & wanted to write a message and add a current photo of herself. So the rest of the typing is all Amy's:

hi lara do you remember me? i remember you. i work at Hands On packing things. do you work? bye amy

The birth of a cold roll

2008-10-27T19:56:00.000+10:30

Yesterday was finally the day I have been planning for weeks. It was the day I had set aside for baking and cooking.

A couple of weeks ago Neil had expanded the veggie patch in the hope that something may actually grow, I also promised Ailish that she could help "pretty it up" with paint. I was tempted to paint it white with flowers painted around it but didnt think Neil would go for that.

Last weekend when Callum, Ailish & Rowan came for a sleep over there was no way that Ailish was going to accept "maybe later" in response to "can we paint it now". The boys and Olivia helped for all of about 5 minutes & then I got to chat & catch up with Ailish while we "worked" and finished it off.

All the kids nice & safe in some old shirts:

Then it was time the reap the harvest of the littler herb garden:

And of course savour the beauty that is your own home grown produce:

And finally I get to have some fun using the home grown produce, I know it looks massive but it is on a side plate & they were on the large-ish side:

I also made 2 loaves of bread (1 of which was devoured warm at lunch time), a banana cake & 2 batches of the best spanish noodle recipe so that when I dont feel like cooking during the week I have a fall back option rather than relying so heavily on Subway.

I ended the day exhausted but content.

what a great date

2008-10-15T21:37:00.001+10:30

there was laughter, tears (of laughter), anticipation, suspense, twists & turns. Its a great movie & I am officially joining the "Burn After Reading" cheer squad. EVERYONE SHOULD SEE IT.

As if that wasnt enough, i also got to enjoy some great company. If only every day could end this way.....

You're the best......

2008-10-07T21:59:00.000+10:30

You're the best eater

You're the best pee'er

You're the best kisser

You're the best sleeper

You're the best dancer

You're the best jumper

You're the best farter

You're the best scoffer

You're the best reader

You're the best putter to sleeper

You're the best helper

You're the best 'ugger

You're the best dresser

these are just a few of the things that I hear Neil saying to the apple of his eye & its times like these that I'm glad there is enough love to go around...

But how could you not love this:

I spend atleast 7 & a half hours a day there

2008-10-01T19:42:00.001+09:30

Work!!! I love to hate it & I hate to love it.

Work for me is at BT Financial Group, I am a "reconciliations officer" but this means very little outside of my own lunch box. Basically I spend my time in front of my computer deciding what people are trying to do with their money & why they would be giving it to BT. We deal mainly with peoples Superannuation so its all rules & regulations.

I work to pay the bills & am not emotionally attached to the job but I find that I am too easily pulled into caring about what I do. I am quick to jump when someone doesnt do something that I need but am not so quick to jump when I am asked to do something but it doesnt have a benefit for me.

I am still trying to work out the work/life balance but am hopeful that this will be resolved in the coming months, I have major guilt when Olivia spends too much time in childcare. She is 2 & a half & has this whole other life that I am not involved in. To make matters worse she doesnt talk so trying to have a conversation with her & gain information about her "other life" is completely frustrating and fruitless.

On the flip side, I have a really good relationship with the people that I work closely with & they makes my days drift by. I am loud and am always up for a good laugh to break up the day so i am lucky that the people around me either tolerate me or are happy to have me there.

On that note I also feel that I am blessed to have a husband who supports any decision that I make and backs me in my choice to work or not. He is not silent on the topic, he definitely lets me know when I am working too much but at the same time is understanding of my reasons why.

Anyway, I just felt that I had to get that off my chest after a long & crazy day at the office so thanks for listening.

Ingrid

profile pic

2008-09-28T08:06:00.000+09:30

we recently had a computer die on us & it has all our photos from since Olivia was born, so I am stuggling to find any recent photos of me. So I decided to put up a photo of one of my most recent achievements - toilet training a 2 year old.

we still have a little way to go, she is refusing to do number 2's in the toilet but we have atleast acheived number 1's.

believe it or not the face on her is actually her attempt to smile at the camera, mental note 'dont ever ask her to say cheese if you actually want a nice photo of her'. this is a classic example:

Ingrid

this sure is a first

2008-09-27T22:24:00.000+09:30

Well, I have done it. I felt out of the loop that everyone else has blogs & I dont & peer pressure is as good a reason as any to start a blog.

So this got me to thinking what other firsts have I had in my life & how many of them do i remember......

firsts I remember

- first kiss with Neil
- first time I met Olivia
- first time I met all my gorgeous nieces & nephews
- first day of highschool
- first time I made a recipe out of a cookbook & it turned out exceptionally well (it was just the other day)
- first time I stepped foot on foreign ground (South Africa 2005)
- first time I realised how rough I treated my mum when growing up (parenthood makes you see things you never saw before)

firsts I dont remember

- first time Olivia called me mum
- first proper steps Olivia took
- first word Olivia spoke (it was either Mum or more)
- first drive in my own car
- first night all alone without Neil in my own house

My hope for this blog is that I now have a place to record the firsts that happen around me & I feel that this was meant to be as we just had a first that i can now record.

Olivia came walking out of her room & was obviously still asleep, she banged into a wall just outside of her room & made a noise, so we looked down the hallway & saw her. Neil marched her back to bed & now she is fast asleep again.

Well, I have high hopes for my little slice of the internet & I just hope it can live up. Now all I need is for Kristie & Dee to help me set it up properly.....

Love to all reading this.

Ingrid