Today is Father’s Day. Today it was seven years ago I went off to hospital to have the twins. It was more like waiting a week to have them but it was on Father’s Day that it all happened. It makes me wonder when it will all happen with this baby? Will it be Christmas Day? New Year’s Day or will it be on time? Who knows. The only thing that has been happening is that whoever is in my belly is jumping around and is very active. I must have a trampoline in there?? It feels like that is the case at times.
The kids and I have secretly put all hubby’s surprises on his desk.
Father’s Day Presents for HubbyArtwork to celebrate Father’s Day
What did we get him you ask?
I decided to make him something as I did not see really anything that he could use or might want. One of the girls who was with me picked out a special cookbook that came with cookie cutters.
Star Wars Cookbook that hubby got for Father’s Day
One of the girls helped me with picking something from the cookbook to make for daddy for Father’s Day. She picked Chewy Chocolate Cookies. We got all the ingredients and then made our big batch of cookies. The reciepe made heaps of dough so I had heaps of cookies to make.
The kids are rather taken with Star Warslately. They know many of the characters and like the action and the stories.
One child also purchased some Anzac Biscuits at the school Father’s Day shop. I think daddy will have plenty of snacks to eat and of course more to cook in his cookbook.
We are taking hubby out for lunch to celebrate Father’s Day. I have not booked anywhere so I hope we can get in. I did not think to make a reservation and just hope that we are lucky to get in for lunch where we like or at least somewhere else.
What are you doing for Father’s day? Did dad/hubby like their presents?
As you might already know I am attending Problogger this year. I am very excited to learn new things, network and of course have some nice me time. Currently I am racing around the house packing and trying to make sure that I have thought of everything. I am concerned about not being too hot and also making sure to pack cardigans in case I get a bit cool. However it being the Gold Coast I am hoping that the temperature will remain warm and pleasant not like the current freezing temperatures in the Blue Mountains.
Packing for my trip to Problogger. Think I am nearly finished.
I did want to attend Problogger last year but it was not to be. So this year I am lucky that the moons and stars aligned and that things have worked in my favour. The big thing is that I need someone to mind the kids. My mum was kind enough to be able to come and stay for a few days so that has allowed me to be away.
I know this has been said before but being away on my own for 3 whole days is terribly exciting! No kids to ask me questions, no dinners to cook, no washing to do (well until I get home that is) and I can have the bed to myself and aside from the conference and other things I can do what I wish!
Are you off to Problogger this year? What are you looking forward to learning about this year?
In 2013 I was lucky enough to attend my first Problogger conference and it was amazing. My head was spinning with information, ideas and just the energy of the event made it all worthwhile. I left with ideas for my blog and ways to attack content and keep your creativity flowing.
Read some posts about blogging conferences and ideas below:
As you all might know we have a new TV and now we have fixed the issue of not getting free to air television. For a long time we have not been able to watch shows like the news, or say the ABC. It has been very annoying indeed. A couple of weekends ago I was out and hubby organised some people to come and look at the antenna to determine what the issue was.
The aerial was okay, the transmitter was okay however the cable connecting it all was not. The cockatoos had eaten through the cable and it all had to be replaced. Once the new cable was installed, we got free to air television. At last, a connection with the world. News, shows, and all sorts of things! Yippee!
Now I can bore the kids with the news when they don’t want to go to bed.
Watching cartoons
The twins have now figured out how to put the TV on, and they know how to put the station onto ABC3. I asked what about ABC2 but they told me that is for babies mummy!
Now this is one clue that they are growing up. The cartoons and content on ABC3 is a little bit more grown up but still for kids. ABC2 is for a younger audience. Although they still watch some shows on ABC2 , they are now totally obsessed with ABC3. They don’t want to watch anything else, unless it is the end of children’s programming and they might watch or do something else.
What has your child or children done or said that made you think gosh they are growing up? Let us know.
My girls have not lost a tooth yet. Many of their friends have lost more than one and of course rave about the money they got from the Tooth Fairy.
This of course creates annoyance with the twins. They ask me when they will lose their first tooth. I tell them it will happen soon but you cannot control when your body tells your baby teeth to fall out.
I off course was late at losing teeth and maybe the kids take after me. I think I lost mine in the second grade but it could have been near the end of first grade. I do remember being annoyed at the other kids coming to school with their toy that was purchased from the money the tooth fairy left. I was in tears about this as well. The same is happening to my kids.
I have told both girls that your baby teeth fall out when your body is ready and it cannot happen unless the body signals that the tooth is ready to fall out. Some people lose theirs early and others it takes more time.
See this one looks like the big tooth is pushing up to get rid of the baby tooth. It is very swollen and looks very sore. This little girl is excited she might lose the tooth soon.
You can imagine that this explanation is not helping the kids with the fact that they have still not lost one single tooth. All they hear is it is not happening and you have to wait. Unfortunately there is not much to do other than wait.
However the waiting game might be over soon. One kid has been complaining the last week or two of her gum underneath one of the bottom front teeth. She says it is throbbing and really terribly sore. I had a look and it is all swollen, red and looks very painful. You can see the adult tooth in the gum coming up and pushing the baby tooth. Currently the baby tooth is not loose or wiggly, but it won’t be long.
She is in a lot of pain and upset. The only thing I can do is to give her some painkillers to help ease the pain and discomfort.
What is really interesting is that her sister looks like she is getting the other tooth on the bottom front. Just the one on the right, and the one that is in pain is getting the one on the left. Maybe this is a twin thing?
This little one says the tooth that is next to the one her sister is having issues with hurts. You can sort of see the big tooth in the gum coming up but it is not as red and swollen as the other one. Maybe this will happen in time.
If you have twins what teeth did they lose first? Was it directly opposite like it seems with my kids? How did you handle the pain before the tooth falls out? Let us know.
Some great links that might help you and me as well:
The girls have always wanted to have a sleep over at their friends place, however they were either too young or it was never the right time. Now finally 6 and half or well over, they have had their wish granted.
Saturday morning was like every other, although I managed to have a sleep in. It was rather a relaxing way to start the day. I got up, got kids breakfast and for myself as well. I then went to do some work on the computer and of course checked my mobile to make sure there was nothing urgent I had to deal with.
Kids playing and having fun
I then noticed that one of the kids mates mums had texted me asking if it would be okay if they slept over that night. I told hubby. He then asked if she knew what she was getting herself into. I said I was not sure but I thought she would have some idea. Both hubby and I thought that this was a brilliant idea, it would give all kids involved some time together and us a much needed break. Very nice of this lovely lady to offer and to look after two extra kids for most of the weekend.
We got kids organised with their overnight bag, pillows, and teddies. I also made sure to include some food that I knew they would eat and to help out since there were two extra bodies to feed.
Kids got dropped at their friends after 2.3opm and we had the night to ourselves. How amazing! How weird, and unheard of. What should we do?
First things first…. we made a booking at one of our favourite restaurants and after dinner we went to the movies to watch a film. Yes a show for adults with another adult. Fancy living at its best! And how relaxing it was. One relaxing thing about dinner was that we just ate our food. No getting upset at someone playing with their food and not eating. It was just us and we ate what we were given. It does get super exhausting to have to be at someone to eat what is on their plate, and especially when you pay a fortune for meals when you go out.
Sunday the kids got picked up at about 1.00pm and they were so happy that they had their first sleep over. They felt so grown up. What big girls they are. Since they had a party weekend with their mate the girls were super tired on Sunday. We tried to make sure they had an early night although they wanted to stay up longer. Due to school the next day, staying up all hours would not be a wise move. I can imagine the teacher wondering what we got up to if kids were falling asleep. Thank goodness this did not happen.
When I picked up the kids I gave this lovely mummy a present. A nice bottle of red wine as a BIG Thank you and to let us know when we can return the favour.
How old were your kids when they went to their first sleep over with a friend? The girls have had sleepovers with family but this is the first one with a friend from school.
If you have organised a sleep over what games and activities did you have on offer? As I might be having an extra kid over soon I need to be prepared to keep the little ones entertained.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
One kid in our house has named a toy lemur Timothy. When it first happened I referred to Timothy as a him and a boy. This was corrected quickly and with attitude, “Timothy is a GIRL mummy!” “Okay”, I said. However I did point out that Timothy is a boys name and that is why I thought the toy was a boy.
Timothy’s close up. She is a natural with the camera.
I do love this creativity and difference naming her toy and did not want to crush this. She then asked if it is okay to name her toy Timothy, and I said you can name your toys whatever you wish, it is up to you. After this she had a big smile on her face.
Have you had a child name a toy a boy/girls name to then find out that the toy in question is the opposite sex for the name?
Last night the kids had a big meltdown and it was over Timothy. One kid said Timothy is a boys name and the other who named the toy said Timothy is a girls name. She was an hysterical mess that I had to calm her down. It did not help that her sister kept on saying it’s a boy, and she was yelling and screaming she is a GIRL! Gosh talk about drama!
We then explained again that Timothy is a boys name but told her she can call her toys anything she wishes. She still thinks Timothy is a girls name and that it is not a boys name. If this is her thinking at six years old, I wonder what she might name her kids if she has any when older. I do think it is down to age and that she has just picked a name for her toy and decided it was a girl. Simple as that.
Timothy showing her side view model pose. She is in the backyard, but she calls it the jungle. Timothy is available for modelling jobs. Just email me.
However if you come and visit and this kid has her toy lemur with her, it is a girl and it is called Timothy!
It is not a boy and anyone that says this will be not favoured by this child.
You can learn the hard way or just deal with the six year old strangeness.
What have the toys in your house been called?
Anything like Timothy for a girl lemur? Let us know.
#TimothyTheGirlLemur
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Has your child said something funny? Was this funny thing clever as well? We had a full weekend of witty and smart comebacks. One could not help but laugh. At one point I was in hysterical laughter.
Saturday we went out for lunch. One child was eating her chips instead of the fish. Hubby said that a fish died to feed her and she should eat it up.
This child then said, “The fish is dead! It can’t feed me!”
Fish and Chips. However a dead fish cannot feed a person well physically that is.
Yes this is very true a dead fish cannot physically feed a person and of course a smart arse kid. She then went on to tell us what other things cannot feed her.
The same child on Sunday said something else clever and funny. I heard banging and a noise in the backseat of the car. I asked what it was. It sounded like she was doing something funny with the seat-belt. Of course she denied it, so then hubby piped in and said we can hear it and know what the sound was. Hubby told her that we are not silly and know what is happening due to being able to hear it and knowing what the sound might be.
Then this child replied…
“Daddy you don’t know the sound of a butterfly flying! You don’t know all the sounds in the world!”
She then went on to tell me that we only know the sounds we know and are aware of. We don’t sounds that we don’t know… you can’t know everything in the world.
Do you know what sound a butterfly makes when it flies?
Well this little person is a smarty pants isn’t she. Are you dealing with a child that has witty responses? What have they said to you that made you giggle?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Many people assume if you have twins you must have had IVF. Worse still, total strangers think it is perfectly fine to ask you to confirm just how your children’s conception came about.
Friends who are “older” – including those without twins – complain about attracting the same curiosity from people they barely know.
And same sex couples (“who is the father/mother?”).
The answer oh curious stranger is, “none of your business!”
Cute little baby. Who cares how you were conceived you are wonderful and beautiful.
Perhaps when I receive such questions, I should respond in kind by asking the stranger if he/she had sex to have their child/ren?Maybe I could throw in some other up close and personal curly questions such as their medical history and maybe what they earn?
For the record, I never answer questions about how our girls were conceived.
The reasons are simple.
I don’t want to set up a “natural versus assisted conception” thing
It is not just my story to tell – it’s a story shared by my family
And It just doesn’t matter
Do you get asked if you used IVF? Would you feel okay asking a complete stranger if they had to have medical intervention to have their kids?
Why would I share such intimate details with a complete stranger? I don’t see any benefit in having this discussion.
Of course I would have to be living on another planet not to know couples that have used IVF due to one or both parents having an issue with fertility, or one parent having a congenital issue they don’t want to pass on or because they are a same sex couple in need of an egg or sperm. Or for whatever reason. There is certainly no shame in taking advantage of the wonders of medical science but it is damn personal stuff.
I sympathised with Nicole Kidman when she was forced to justify to millions of strangers all over the world her use of the term “gestational carrier”. Sure it sounded a little unusual but I think she was just saying, “hey this baby is my precious child and the technology involved is not the focus”.
It does not matter how you conceived your children as long as they are here, happy and nurtured. Whether the journey started with fours years of trying, one night of passion, or IVF, AI, GIFT or whatever is irrelevant.
It is no one’s business but yours. If you choose to tell family or friends that’s up to you. In my book, being asked by a stranger how you conceived your kids is just weird.
Have other parents of multiple birth children encountered such a question? Are we particular magnets for such inquiries or have single bub parents heard them too? Maybe the assumption is that all twins and triplets are IVF babies? Hey, prior to the first IVF bubs being born in 1978 people did have twins and triplets you know.
Has the frequent use of reproduction technology created a new social acceptance about quizzing people about how their much loved children came about?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Yes it is that time again where romance blossoms, you get wined and dined by your lover.
Getting romantic on Valentine’s Day?
I mentioned to hubby that this Saturday was Valentine’s Day and he looked shocked, upset and worried.
I have interpreted his reaction to mean; He had no idea, he was not planning anything, and he forgot.
In reality I am not that fussed and would appreciate the following:
“Honey, you sit in the living room. Here is a glass of red wine to sip while you watch your favourite show. I’ll organise dinner and don’t worry about the mess, I’ll tidy up as well!”
It is hard to get whisked out to a dinner or to a surprise event when you have kids. I suppose the kids could come as well and I am not opposed to this. However if kids did come it could cramp our style or not allow the magic romance to bloom if you get what I mean!
Valentine’s Day is a special day for me. It was the day I found out I was pregnant. I was under the impression that I was having one child at the time not two. I did not find out I was having twins until we had our seven week ultrasound. Now that was a pleasant shock!
I am not sure if hubby has anything up his sleeve… and it does not matter. Maybe a dinner or simple show of affection is okay with me.
What are you doing this Valentine’s Day? Got anything planned?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
“I have two children who are so close in age it’s like having twins.”
Really? You know what? I reckon having twins is the only thing that is like having twins.
Lately, I’ve had a lot of mothers say that although they don’t have twins, they understand what it is like. Bless you, all but what the?
I am not taking anything away from the hard yakka of having kids whether they are 15 months apart or five years. It’s just that having two children of different ages is not like having twins. Having twins is the only thing like having twins.
The girls at a little over 2 months.
Like all mums of twins, I had two kids instantly – and I was a first-time mum. I had no choice but to dive in at the deep, deep end. I had to get used to it quickly and woman up. Yes I said woman up.
I carried two bubs for nearly nine months then kapow, out they came. Two babies to breast-feed, two babies to cart everywhere, pack for, strap in the car, unstrap, nappy change, bathe, dress, calm, entertain, fret about. And all when you are one person.
I fed the twins at the same time every three hours or so. I woke up both babies to feed them burped them, change their nappies and then put them back down for naps. I felt like a robot with so little sleep. Most new mums are sleep deprived but make mine a double!
Breastfeeding just one bub at a time? How amazing would that be? I can only dream!
You would not imagine all the things I had to take with me to go to the park, the shops or even just a park visit. It was like I was leaving home every time I packed up the bags. Nappies, wipes, burp clothes, multiple changes of clothes, pram, bottles with breast milk in them, cool bag to keep breast milk okay and more. I felt like a packhorse!
I made sure to only leave the house after a feed and had some milk just in-case one was hungry or I got stuck. Hey, all mums do this but I just needed double of everything!
And even now when they are six and at the same level wrangling two people who want to do everything “now” or worse, yesterday because they do everything on high speed running everywhere, never walking, I wish I had an older child to help me wrangle them to a safe stop. Oh, and my kingdom for some hand-me-downs instead of having to buy two of everything – and often two of the same item but in two different patterns, colours, styles.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
Mums with kids who are 15 months or say 11 months apart have children very close in age – agreed – but they are not twins!
When you have bubs one at a time you have kids at different stages of development and can leverage that to get things done but also spend special one-on-one time with each of your kids. While one is playing with blocks or napping you can feed bubby and truly be with your baby.
Achieving one-on-one time with the girls has been a challenge. I have listened enviously when other mums talk about having that precious time alone with each of their children when they first came home. Or later when baby number two is asleep so they can play with their toddler or taking toddler to the park when their oldest first goes to school.
I have found ways to get that one-on-one time with each of my girls but it has not been easy. When just one would wake in the night I often thought it was her deliberate way to get special cuddles with mummy. I still do. Hubby and I take a daughter each to different things on the weekend to get that quality alone time but we have to wait until Saturday each week when his work week is at an end.
Julia with daddy. She was 3 months old and we flew to Coffs Harbour to visit her grandparents. Her first plane trip and she does not remember it.
Okay, okay so twins is not all pushing a bolder up a hill – or a double stroller through a busy supermarket aisle. There is no playing the noise police to ensure an older child doesn’t wake the baby. Or packing for different ages and stages when you leave the house. Or complaints about those hand-me-downs.
And I do get that siblings who are close in age can share a special bond and even be super close. Great, but they are not twins so quit saying that.
Or am I the only one that feels like this?
Do you have twins? Have you had other parents tell you they have kids that are like twins even though they are not? Do these parents think they understand how hard it was for you early on and when they are older?
Mummy with Lillian. We flew to Coffs Harbour when the girls were 3 months old. Lillian’s first trip on a plane and she does not remember.
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Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
This post has also been published on Kidspot. Discuss this issue with other parents.
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Happy Australia Day everyone! What are you up to today? We are going to a BBQ with mates later, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone.
I woke to a rainy day but it is more like sprinkles so crossing fingers and toes it stays that way or stops all together for our day out. Another blogger said that it is raining quite heavy in Melbourne so maybe it is working its way across the county? Not sure how we would all be with heavy torrential rain, but you cannot control this so lets just hope it does not happen.
If it rains we will all still have a great time and if it does not the same so it will not impact our BBQ and catch up with friends.
How do you celebrate Australia Day? Stay at home with the family? Visit relatives? Have mates over to yours for a BBQ or a fancy lunch? Let me know.
I have wanted to post about our travels but have been either exhausted or off keeping the kids entertained.
We had great adventures while at Coffs Harbour. What did we get up to?
Traveling by Plane
Firstly getting to Coffs Harbour was a great adventure. The kids and traveled by plane without hubby and it was good that I can now take the kids with me without another adult. (When they were babies, I had to have another adult if I wished to fly. So this is good that I can travel with them if I need to)
The kids used the in flight entertainment and once they were involved with their shows it was hard to get their attention. It kept them occupied for the flight and they really enjoyed the service that was offered. We used the free Virgin App and connected to their wifi, aside from announcements the service was non stop. They paused it to make sure everyone heard any important messages.
Before we took off from Sydney Airport, the kids were busy with their in flight entertainment on the iPhone and iPad and then the alert to make sure you have your seat belts on sounded. Lillian yelled at the top of her lungs, “What is wrong! What was that!” I told her to stop yelling and that all was fine that it was just saying to keep your seat belts on. Julia signaled to me with an up arrow finger asking without talking if we were up in the air. I said no.
I was thankful the confusion about the seat belt alert did not start a panic.
The Beach
Once we arrived it did not stop raining and it was big down pours of rain! Yes we went to Coffs Harbour for a summer holiday and time at the beach to then have heaps of rain. We were lucky to work around the afternoon storms and managed to get to the beach about three times on our holiday.
I love the sea and it feels so refreshing to swim at the beach and makes me miss my childhood home, Queensland. The girls loved it and really enjoyed being in the water. The last time we were here, they did not know that the water was salt and drank some. This time they did not make this mistake. I was very pleased the kids enjoy the beach as much as I do.
Off to the Movies
Due to the rain, we all went to the movies as everything was soggy and wet. Grandma, Nana, the kids and I saw Big Hero 6 and it was a fabulous film. Very funny and entertaining. Adults will love it as much as the kids.
The kids with Baymax from Big Hero 6
Off course paying for tickets to the movies made the sun come out and we were able to go to the beach again. Yes more time at the beach!
One of grandma’s friends from work told us about a place called Spring Loaded. It is an indoor play centre with a difference. They have gymnastic like equipment and it is all safe with mats everywhere. You do have to sign a disclaimer when you enter, but I think as long as the kids are careful all should be good.
Indoor Rock Climbing
Solitary Islands Aquarium
The kids had a blast at The Solitary Islands Aquarium. They touched starfish and other animals. They caught fish and looked through a microscope. The guides at the aquarium were very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot from our visit. I had no idea that octopus lay so many eggs, thousands to be precise and that the male octopus give the sperm to the female octopus via a tube and from distance to ensure they don’t get eaten or killed by the female. Who knew!
The girls were very excited that we might see the fireworks. We stayed up and were lucky enough to see them from Grandma and Grandad’s balcony at home. How amazing was it that it was a clear night or not that cloudy to allow a better view. See the videos below as the kids enjoy the night.
Of course it was nice to catch up with the kids grandparents and to see my mum their other set of grandparents as well. It was a good trip and we all had fun. It is great to be home.
However I have a messy house as per usual to sort out, I have nearly done the washing but need to put things away and due to holidays have been trying to keep two kids busy and entertained. Yesterday we caught up with my sister and her baby. Nana and Opa were staying with them for a week so that was good that we could all catch up again. The day before due to a massive storm here I took the kids to an indoor play centre to run off some energy. Today is the only day home for a rest.
What have you been up to these school holidays?
Stay tuned for our next adventure at the Maritime Museum and our stay in the city on Friday night.
Today is New Year’s Eve. Hard to believe that it is the last day of the year. It only feels like yesterday that the kids started Kindergarten.
I am thinking of all the things I have achieved in 2014 and the plans that I put in motion that are yet to be seen and will be realised in 2015. YES big things are to happen, I just need to work more on them and I am sure they will produce great things! Personally and professionally.
What was your biggest achievement, personal, work related, to do with anything really. What is it you are really proud of?
What I am proud of in 2014:
That the girls did very well at school. Their first year of primary school went extremely well and I am a very proud parent. Yes add <Gushing and happiness here>
I finally got a groovy and fabulous new logo for the blog.
I worked with some wonderful and fantastic brands.
I did find a fab new theme for the blog but some other wonderful blogger took it, but due to this I have found an even better one. So very happy about this. New looking blog soon!
We had some great adventures as a family and had fun doing so.
Since I am on holidays I spoke to hubby via FaceTime on my iPhone..YES it is a great tool if you have not yet tried it. I love it. You can see each other and the kids can see daddy and tell them about their day. I ended our call with see you next year… talk about weird.
Some things on my to do list for 2015:
Change the blog to the new theme and update the site with all new things.
Work with more brands.
Start writing my books that I have been thinking about for a long time.
Lose weight and tone up. More exercise… yes I need to make it more of a priority.
Make the blog be my business. I have already adopted the mindset that my blog is my job. Although I don’t get paid for it. I do sometimes get the small paid job here or there. However like everyone I would like to make what I love more of a full time job. I hope that 2015 will make that happen. More work and letting me put my ideas into action will allow this I feel.
Maybe get a cleaner to allow more time for other things… I can hope. You never know right? If things go well, a cleaner would help me to create and be more. Fingers and toes crossed for this one!
Work on getting our new house done… sick of not having enough room!!!!!
More sewing and creating. Maybe something for me and not just the kids.
2015 is meant to be a great year for hubby and I according to Chinese astrology. 2015 is the year of the goat, but some reference it as the year of the green sheep. It is just like the book, “Where is the Green Sheep“, I have found it and it is next year, 2015 to be precise. However the Chinese New Year does not start until February 19th 2015. I like to think of the year as the Green Sheep rather than the goat.
What are you doing tonight to celebrate the end of 2014 and the soon to be new year, 2015? I am having both sets of grandparents for nibbles, drinks and to watch the local fireworks from the balcony of hubby’s parents house. I hope that the clouds go away to allow us to see the fireworks and all goes well tonight.
Hope you stay safe and have fun. May 2015 be a great year for all.
Let us know what you plan to achieve this year and maybe we can help keep each other accountable and allow each other to complete long awaited goals.
The kids cooling down with some fruit and being silly. They are having a great time on their holiday.
Let us know if you wish to share. Send in your comments.
We arrived safely in Coffs Harbour but the nice sunshine was not to be. It was non stop rain for the last two days and now today sunshine has finally graced us.
It seems a pity that the sunshine picked today to shine. Today is the day due to the non stop rain that we are all off to the movies. I was not too sure what to do with the kids in the rain, and thought that a film would be a nice filler due to it being so wet. I did think that as soon as we did it, paid for tickets we would wake to a lovely day.
The kids with Baymax at the movies
I will make sure to take swimmers and towels for later and hopefully we will fit in a swim at the beach today or at the latest tomorrow.
Have you gone somewhere sunny to then have bad weather. I am grateful that it appears that we will get to experience some good weather for some of the days. However I did note that the weather report before I left predicted rain all week. Maybe it has changed? I can only hope.
The twins are racing around everywhere and finding it hard to walk. I keep on telling them to walk not run, but I get the excuse, “We are excited Mummy!” Oh it is going to be a long week if I keep on having to tell them to walk instead of running. On the plus side we are having a fabulous time and the kids are enjoying seeing both sets of grandparents.
It is very warm here and a welcome change from the cool mornings and evenings of the mountains. Even though it is summer the mountains are still a bit nippy on some days. I miss the warmth of more balmy climates and being at the beach.
Are you having a great holiday or have you had to go back to work? Maybe you are off soon on a holiday in January rather than take it now?
I hope you are having a great time with family and friends. I have to go and get myself and the twins ready to go and see Big Hero 6 at the movies, they and I cannot wait to see the film.
Today the twins and I fly to Coffs Harbour to visit their grandparents and as luck would have it we can also see my mum and step dad as well! Yes, both sides of the family will be in the one place at the same time. AMAZING ACTUALLY! This was not planned and was just a fabulous coincidence.
We were all hoping to go and visit after Christmas but hubby has to work through and only has public holidays off, so not ideal for traveling far away. I asked hubby if he was okay with me and the girls flying there to see his parents and my mum and step dad, and if we had the money we would do it. We were lucky that the stars aligned and we managed to organise it.
The twins new luggage! All packed and ready for their trip to Coffs Harbour. They cannot wait to be on the plane and the fight for the window seat has begun!
Months back we booked the tickets and I secretly purchased luggage for the twins. Yes they now have their own luggage. Last year when we went to the Gold Coast they wanted their own luggage. I promised that the next trip we make I will get them their own suitcases. I packed up the luggage as part of their Christmas gifts and of course it was the first one that they decided to open. Once open, I asked, “Do you want to know where we are going on our secret adventure?” The kids screamed, “YES”, I told them that we are off to see grandad and grandma, and of course Nana and Opa will be there as well. They were so happy that we are going to see them! However the new luggage and news of going on a plane was high on the list also.
This is my first time of taking the kids on a plane with me, and just me! It should be fun. It is a short trip, only one hour flight so we will be there in no time. Once all our bags and extras are checked it will free up the hands to look after other things like colouring books and organising drinks and food!
As I will be flying out to spend time with family, I will not be blogging this week as much. Check my Instagram account to see what I have been up to.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and are having a nice relaxing holiday!
No more school for 2014. Kindy over and now on Summer Holidays.Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The kids are now officially on holidays. Yesterday was their last day at school. Also today is exactly seven days till Christmas and Santa arrives. Gosh it is getting exciting at our house. What about yours?
The twins have completed their first year at big school. Yes kindergarten is now done and dusted and they will go back as bigger kids entering grade one. The girls are so pleased with this and also some of their younger friends will be starting school next year and they are keen to look after then and show them around.
One thing that I did not predict was that the girls were very sad and cried a bit due to their older school buddy leaving primary to go to high school next year. It is sad but we can always see her at other times, and told the girls that one day they will also be leaving to go to high school. I know this is a way off yet, but it will happen in a blink of an eye.
I still cannot believe that they are six years old already, it only seems like yesterday they were babies.
So what have I learnt with the first year of primary school?
Notes from the school. You will find that you get a lot of notes. Don’t think your darling child will give you all these notes and some important announcements. You will need to go through their bag to ensure you have all announcements and notes from the school.
Keep some petty cash available for events at the school. There might be an excursion, stalls, fetes, cake stalls and so on. The kids need a bit of money to participate and if you have it at home it saves you going to the ATM or the bank.
Your child will lose some or nearly all of their uniform. Label everything! One of my girls lost a lunch box. Yes odd, but it happens.
If you can help in the classroom, I would do it. I loved helping the kids with their reading and assisting the teacher with this program. It was a joy to see my girls grow with their reading and be shown other things in class.
The kids school has an excellent canteen with very healthy food. If you have this option don’t worry about using the canteen for school lunches. They were cheap and gave me a break from thinking what to pack every so often. It was also a nice treat for the kids. Due to the fact that the kids go to school in the mountains and it is gets freezing in winter, having hot food options for lunches for winter is ideal and the canteen helped me then.
Change of Clothes. Due to the fact that kids are still young and in Kindy, I always had a spare pair of undies and socks in the bag. You never know if the child might have an accident or just walk in a puddle and get upset with the fact that they have wet socks. With the undies and socks, I also added a t-shirt, jumper and skivvy just in case the weather changes. In the mountains you never know so it is good to be prepared.
Hope this list helps some parents out there, my main point is to keep up with the news from the school. Make sure to read the newsletters and any updates. It is a whirlwind of info and events when you start but you become better at navigating what you need to do and where you need to be. I was also impressed that the teachers knew who each child was in the early days.
I did mention to the twins that due to the fact that the kids need to wear a uniform, teachers and others might find it hard to know who each person was. This was not true. Their teachers were amazing and figured it out. This was very impressive and made the girls very happy!
Now we are on school holidays and Christmas is fast approaching I have a number of things to get done. I have organised tickets to a film tomorrow for me and the twins, we are off to see the new Paddington film and I cannot wait. The girls have told me that they will help me tidy up a bit before Santa arrives and then the girls and I are off on a secret trip after Christmas…more info on this later!
How are you going now you are on school holidays? Are the kids super excited for the arrival of Santa? Have you got everything organised yet? I was lucky that I sorted hubby’s present yesterday, and yes I still need to wrap the kids presents but I have them.
However I just need to remember where they have been hidden throughout the house. Wish me luck I find them all!
Today the girls have their presentation at school. The kids have been practicing for weeks and weeks, singing songs, and getting everything just right. I am so excited for them and cannot wait to see what they have been preparing and practicing for.
My wrinkled invite to the twins kindy presentation. It was in their bag, and crumpled.
So what is the presentation about? Well it is the end of Kindy for the twins. Yesterday I got their final report for the year and they did so well, hubby and I are so proud of them.
I have been told that they will be singing songs and from teachers I have found out that they get a certificate for completing Kindergarten. Although not technically over, it is close. The last day I believe is the 18th of December so I have another week or so left of the kids at school. Then we are on holidays! I dream of sleeping in but I fear that they will be more inclined to wake earlier.
Why is it that I have to wake them from deep sleeps to get to school but this is not repeated on weekends or holidays?
I have tidied up my iPhone a bit to help me have some room to take video and pictures of the kids at their presentation day today. Hubby is unable to be there due to work commitments so I will have to take enough footage to help him be there when he watches it.
I cannot believe how much the girls have grown up this year. I do see my little kids still but they are such big girls. Yesterday there was a Christmas Stall at the school so the kids could purchase pressies for mum, dad and other relatives without them knowing what it was. Most came home wrapped but Lillian had one that was not. She was so excited about her purchase she was practically telling me what it was. I still don’t know what it is, other than it smells nice and it is purple. So I am happy to wait for the surprise on Christmas Day.
I gave her Christmas paper, scissors and sticky tape to wrap her secret gift. She then locked herself and her sister in the living room to do the secret wrapping business! The kids pressies to us are the only ones under the tree at the moment. It is wonderful that they are so excited and grown up now to get gifts by themselves.
What have you been invited to at the school due to the term ending? Do you help out? Has it been a nice lunch or tea for a thank you? Let us know what has been happening with you. How is your kids faring with the year ending? Are they excited to move to the next grade? Mine are and of course more excited about Santa coming and the holidays, but grade one is a big deal.
Hubby and I have survived our first ballet concert weekend. Yes there were two performances. One was at 6pm on Saturday and the other for 2.30pm Sunday. The Saturday one we had to be at the hall for 5pm and the Sunday one we had to be at the hall for 1.30pm. Saturday we did not get home until about 9.30pm and kids had a very late dinner of weet-bix and then collapsed in their beds and went straight to sleep. We are all very tired from Saturday but had to repeat the whole saga again for Sunday’s matinee show.
I know I said saga, it was not too bad. Kids getting hair and makeup on, plus the much needed glitter hair spray was a chore unto itself. Making kids sit still to put on hot red lipstick is hard to do. I find it hard enough to colour in the lines myself, let alone putting it on a moving child!
Oh well, I handled this and managed to have some success. See image of the girls and I below. We are all wearing makeup and ready for the kids to do their Sunday concert (well today’s concert)
The girls and I waiting for them to do their Frozen Ballet for the second time.
I volunteered to make cakes and some cupcakes to sell for the dance teacher. I made a frozen inspired cake for the first show. The cake was a double layered marble cake of chocolate and vanilla lemon, with a layer of freshly whipped cream. The cake was topped off by some blue frozen inspired butter icing and finished off with some icy sparkles and heart sugar decorations.
Frozen Cake. A double layered marble cake of chocolate and vanilla lemon. In the middle of the layers there was freshly whipped cream and topped off by butter icing and frozen inspired decoration.
I was told by many that saw the cake or had some that it was great, inspired and wonderful. I thought that this was very nice and was grateful for the fabulous feedback. I did want to create a special treat for the first performance and also wanted to see if I could tie it in with the twins performance with their class.
I wish I had a shot of what the cake looked like when I cut it up to serve. However I never got shots so you can only imagine. Sorry everyone. Next time I will make sure to get some done.
Cupcakes were created for the second show and you can see them here with the image below.
Here are my cupcakes that I made for today’s performance (Sunday matinee show). They were vanilla lemon cupcakes with choc chips. Finished with chocolate butter icing. However I accidentally added too much cocoa and it tastes more like straight chocolate than just icing. I used organic cocoa from the health food shop. This has given such a great outcome and tastes unreal.
The girls as Elsa from Frozen for their ballet concert. This was taken at the kids dress rehearsal. They looked amazing and all the costumes for all the classes were just stunning!
The girls great aunts made the trek to come and see the kids in their first ever ballet concert. The kids had a blast and loved the fact that their great aunts were there to share the fun of day. After the girls concert today which was the last one, we all went out to dinner.
I can’t believe that I am so exhausted after this weekend. I think I need a mini holiday to just decompress and relax. I know it might sound strange but racing everywhere and doing so much with noise and such energy all around you, I am keen for quiet and doing absolutely NOTHING!
How have you managed dance concerts? Do your kids participate in them? If they don’t is there something similar that has the same affect? A sport or a hobby that takes over the family for a bit? Let us know. Do you have any coping strategies that might help me or others if we do this again next year?
I am now off to bed for some much needed rest. Pity the kids have to go to school tomorrow, a sleep in would be nice. Yes silly me, if it was holidays they would wake up early wouldn’t they? I bet tomorrow I will have to wake them up.
