Our little boy has been doing things early. Yes he is keen to stand, walk, sit up and do everything. He has not got the memo that he cannot stand, walk or sit up yet, but it does not stop him from trying.
Alexander is talking and telling us very important things. Some things he gets very worked up about and his chats go on for ages. Some chats are short and they consist of umming, blowing raspberries and trying out new sounds. Some chats end with him in a fit of giggles, maybe he has just told me the best joke in the world and he cannot control himself. Pity I don’t know the language to know if it was a fabulous joke or the winning lotto numbers.
He has laughed, and smiled before experts say he should have (Smiles and big laughs have been had since he was about a month old). He has big chuckles with things…. I think he has a great sense of humor already. He is a very happy baby (Obviously if he is in pain or annoyed he is not happy)
He has rolled over well before he was three months, at nine weeks he was trying and partially sit up. At about two and half months I noticed he was drooling, putting his fists in his mouth and just wanting to chew everything. He loves chewing the sleeves and the front of his outfits, of course this makes everything wet due to the baby drool (Many outfit changes later to ensure warm and dry clothes – I think he is giving the twins a run for how many outfits he can wear in one day)
Of course I thought he was teething and then dismissed it. He is too young. It cannot be happening now.
Drool and fists in mouth persisted and of course then upset baby that needed mummy cuddles.
Alexander having tummy time and also to putting his hands in his mouth to soothe his gums. I just love his fab hair, it looks so stylish and funky.
I checked gums and did not see anything until he forced my fingers into his mouth and then I felt the teeth working their way through the gums. My little boy is indeed teething and has been for a while now.
This was really silly of me to not see the signs. I just thought he was too young. I should have known better after having two kids that have gone through the same thing, although years ago now.
I must say that the twins from memory were good regarding teething. I just took the edge off with some painkillers and some bonjella and they were good. Although out of sorts but not screaming the place down like our little man is. He has some medicine when he needs it and then cries and needs mummy cuddles and attention until he falls asleep. We all know mummies cuddles fix everything don’t they.
The baby does see the twins race around the house and I can see that he is wanting to join them. I do understand that children learn by seeing others, and therefore thought that my third child might be quick with some things. However I did not think he would be teething so early. I mentioned this to nurse at the local medical centre and she told me that it could still take a while to see a tooth. We have not had a tooth erupt from the gums yet and not sure when it will happen, I’m just amazed that the process has started so early.
This milestone chart from BabyCentre UK lists some of the things that our new baby has done… so that is not too far off when it happened for us. According to this table we are on track. However other sites say that it all should happen later. I know that every baby is different and this kid is unique and an individual. He will do things when he is ready, it does not matter if it is early or later, just as long as they happen is all I am concerned with.
One person I know who also has three kids told me that his third child did everything much earlier than the first two. He believes it was the fact that he saw his siblings do everything and wanted to be like them. Did this happen to you? Did the first kid/s help the other children do things earlier?
Last week we had the best adventure. We were invited to Sydney Aquarium before it opened to see their new exhibit: “Jurassic Seas”. This new exhibit showcases animals that have outlasted the dinosaurs.
The kids, my mum and I had to be at the aquarium for 8.30am, yes that is super early when you live in the Blue Mountains. Although it was a very early day it was a highlight of the school holidays and the kids and I as well as my mum were looking forward to our adventures.
Kids and adults alike can learn about evolution and find out about lungfish, mudskippers, and much more.
One creature that the kids and I had never seen before was the nautilus. This creature has been around for 500 million years. Yes it is that old. We were extremely lucky to see the nautilus get fed as the staff at the aquarium do this before the centre opens. See the feeding of the nautilus below:
You can see the nautilus a bit better in the video below:
The nautilus does not like lights or noise so therefore it is best to feed it before the place gets too noisy and also with many people with their smart phones.
You can even feed the deadly Plesiosaurus using the aquariums state of the art technology based game.
The kids had a great time at the Jurassic Seas exhibit and we then went to explore the rest of the aquarium.
Nana and Alexander checking out the penguinsLillian looking at the penguinsAmazed at such bright and colourful fishOne of the dugongs at Sydney AquariumThe dugong came up for a close upThe girls and Nana on the Shark WalkAlexander and Nana looking at the bright and colourful fishAlexander was amazed. Not sure how much he took in and mind you he is only three months old but he seemed interested.
The girls were lucky to be able to feed some fish before the aquarium opened for business:
One of the favourite things to do at the aquarium was the “Art Aquarium”. At first I dismissed the kids wanting to colour in the print outs. I told them we can colour in at home, I was thinking that we had so much to see and do at the aquarium that coloring in worksheets might be a waste if we missed out on seeing some interesting creatures.
Amazed by the Art Aquarium
I did see the video wall with the fish and creatures but did not put it all together.
Checking out our art
The twins were telling me that they wanted to draw so that it could go on the wall.
Gosh….. what???? I took another look and then realised that the fish were coloured in by kids. They had names and you could see that they were scribbled with crayons and the like. How amazing and clever.
It was a brilliant and fabulous interactive exhibit that really got the kids involved. Once we figured out that there was more than just simple colouring in the girls got their creations happening, scanned in and we saw their creatures come to life on the art aquarium wall.
Once you have coloured in your work of art, you then scan it in so it will show up on the video wall.
The new activity is available daily and is included in aquarium admission, so if you are going to the aquarium this is a must do! You will all have a blast with this activity. Trust me, we stayed here for quite a while.
The girls also had fun at the Discovery Rockpool, this is an area that allows kids and adults to touch and to learn more about the creatures. The girls patted starfish and a sea cucumber, they also got to hold a shark egg.
The girls having fun at the discovery rockpool at the aquariumJulia holds a shark egg. I had no idea that it was like this. It feels like hard sea weed and it is formed like a spiral that allows the shark to have it slide into the sand easily.
Would you love to take the kids to the Aquarium for the holidays or just for the weekend? Well find out all the great deals for tickets here
THANKS:We all had a blast at the aquarium and would like to thank those that made it possible. Thanks so much for our invite and the lovely walk around before the aquarium opened. It was amazing and made us feel very special indeed.
I just now need to win the lottery. Bring it on!
Since it is a big drive and kids get a bit stir crazy in the car for a few hours I like to give the kids time to run around and get some of their energy out before our huge drive home. We love to go to the Darling Harbour Playground, the twins love it and they have a fabulous time in the water park area, climbing, playing on the huge slide, getting dirty in the huge sandpit and much more. It is an amazing space. Just make sure you pack some towels, a change of clothes as kids get wet and of course dirty while having some serious fun at this playground.
Climbing and having funWatching my big sisters have fun at the playgroundWe are going to get dizzy on this
All the different things that make water move, stop or go through are amazing.More of the path of where the water travels in the water park at Darling Harbour
Have you had a great time at the aquarium? Did you also have fun at the Darling Harbour Playground. Let us know.
Hope you are all having a fun time these school holidays. If you have not gotten to the city to have fun like we have maybe you can make a weekend of it or do it next school holidays.
This became evident the other week when she had a HUGE meltdown getting ready to go to the pool.
Each child was getting ready to go to swimming lessons and then one had a screaming fit.
“Why are you wearing that dress? That is the one I want to wear!”
“I want to be different! I don’t want to look like you!”
Then screamed at the top of her lungs…
“I DON’T WANT TO BE A TWIN, I HATE BEING A TWIN!”
These girls have not argued about their dresses. Maybe it is coming when they are older? Did you find that? The kids were okay until they hit a certain age about what they wear.
The kid who had the meltdown got a nice dress organised and then found that her sister picked the exact same dress to wear.
I then tried to diffuse the situation by saying maybe you could pick another dress.
This was met by, “I picked it first, she needs to pick another one not me!”
Oh shit I thought this is not going well at all.
I then turned to the sister who chose the dress after the other kid had already picked it and asked if she could change her dress. I tried to get her to wear something different.
No of course she did not want to change. She told me that she likes being a twin and wanted to be like her sister.
OH NO! I THOUGHT!
This just made the whole issue much worse.
The kid who was having the meltdown was yelling, screaming, crying and just so upset.
I asked why she was so upset about being a twin. I was trying to find out also what went on that day at school and what could have caused her to be so upset.
I finally found out that all day kids and teachers had mixed this kid up and thought she was her sister. One kid that has been with her since pre-school so now that is five years including this year of schooling and she still does not know who each kid is. I can only imagine how frustrating and annoying this would be.
Hugs and cuddles were had to tell her that I know it is not right to always be mixed up with your sister. I told her that although she looks similar that she is indeed a very different person.
She is an individual and not the same as her sister. I told her that this kid at school should know by now who she is, and that she needs to correct her nicely and just leave it at that.
One kid does have her ears pierced but hair is usually over her ears so most people don’t notice. If people take the time they will realise differences and know who is who. If you don’t spend a lot of time with the girls you might not see it, but I would think teachers and school mates would be able to work it out by now.
Finally there was calm, well it was much calmer with less yelling from one child. So I would say it was an improvement. The kid who was upset decided to accessorise with jewellery to look different and wear different shoes. Phew! Finally we could leave the house to go to the pool.
I know it is a hard thing always having someone that looks like you, dresses like you would be annoying at times. Being you and having your own space is nice.
If you have twins how have you coped when they constantly get mixed up? Did one of your kids have a meltdown like one of mine did? What was the outcome of the meltdown?
Did the kid in question want to dress differently or have their hair a different style to make sure that they are seen as different, especially if they are identical like my girls?
Early this morning I woke at 3.13am to feed the baby. I fed him and he then fell asleep. Then I put him to bed, now the time was around 4am.
I walked carefully to my room. I have wooden floor boards and have to try not standing on the ones that creak and make the loudest noise. Hard to do in the dark but I manage. I then fall into bed but have heard the baby whinging to himself. I hope he will settle. I let it go and hope that the universe will align and let him settle and allow me to go back to bed.
No! Bloody universe did not do as I had hoped.
I go get the screaming baby at this stage and try and settle him. I think maybe he needs to finish the bottle of milk that was drinking earlier.
No he is not hungry.
He is just grumpy, angry and will not settle. Great!
I see from the time on the smart television that it is 3am. What the?? I had already got up at 3.13am before and now I am having another 3am start. How strange.
I had 2 3am’s this morning. I did think it odd until I remembered that daylight savings had ended.
It was odd until I remembered that daylight savings had ended and therefore the clock on the television had adjusted itself. Therefore making me have two 3am starts.
I know it was not Groundhog Day but it was very weird until I sleepy twigged to the change in our clocks. I know I told everyone about it on Facebook but at 3am you do find it hard to remember basic things other than the main thought of going back to bed.
Did you get caught out with the clocks going back due to daylight savings ending? Or did you just have an all-night issue with the baby?
Our little boy has been rather out of sorts today and has been screaming and whiny all morning.
He finally went to sleep but that has only lasted for an hour or less, or sometimes just a few minutes. Very annoying it you ask me.
I have had two days of angst! Yes I have had some stressful moments. Why do you ask?
Well, the poor little baby has had his first injuries and falls. Insert unhappy face here. Or maybe have a HUGE lie down. After Wednesday’s incident I was so drained and exhausted.
Firstly on Tuesday I was looking after the baby. I carried him in the rocker to the living room. All was good until…. He rolled out and fell head first on the ground. Thank goodness we have a nice rug that covers the wood floor. It did still make a noise when his head collected the floor and oh did he scream. I felt horrible. The only saviour was the fact that he was so close to the ground when this rolling out of the rocker occurred and it was more of a scare than a full blown injury….You can bet I was breathing a BIG sigh of relief about this.
Now to tell about his second incident.
It happened yesterday (Wednesday). I was busy getting all the rubbish out of the house for bin night and the baby was screaming the house down. The twins were in the backyard playing. I thought if the baby can see the kids and be with them he might calm down. I took the baby and the rocker out so that he could sit with his big sisters. I told the kids to leave him in the rocker and to ask if they needed any help. I was not going to be long and was soon to join all the kids so that I can do the twins reading for school in the garden. It was still nice weather and I thought it was a lovely idea. The girls had their readers ready and were just waiting till I was ready.
I was finished and had come in and was just tidying up to come out to be with the kids. I then heard a horrible scream and yell from the baby. I raced out to see what the problem was and to make sure all was okay. I see one of the kids putting the baby in the rocker and he is covered in sand. I ask the child why her brother is covered in sand. She tells me honestly (I was pleased that she told me the truth although she did something bad. She was grown up enough to tell it the way it happened. I told her that I was pleased that she did that and that I am proud of how she dealt with the situation) that she was holding him in the sand pit and he fell and now he has sand all over him. Gosh not good!
The scene of the crime. At least it was a soft area to be.
I made sure to tell the girls that this was not good. It could have gone so wrong, and we were very lucky that the baby is okay. He did not fall on cement, or on the hard wood borders of the sandpit and other things….. gosh it could have been horrible (This is why I was so drained and fell asleep while watching TV last night). I could have spent last night at the hospital. I am very grateful this did not happen.
I got a bath organised for the baby quick smart to wash away the sand from his whole body but especially his face. My main concern was his eyes. I did not want any stray grains of sand in his eyes. In the bath I had a flannel and soaked it with water to wash the babies eyes, I did not want to wipe so much but put water in his eyes so that it got the sand out. I did my best but due to the baby not understanding he tried to open his mouth and drank some of the water (In hindsight this was rather funny but not at the time). This ended up in him coughing and me changing tactics to get the sand out from around the eyes. Let me know if you have done this also.
As you might imagine, poor Alexander was hard to settle and when he finally did settle he slept a long time. I think he was stressed out about falling into the sandpit. I was so zapped of energy due to the worry and what could have happened.
After this happened it got me thinking. If you have older kids and a new baby, what have the older kids done while they were helping look after their brother/sister? Let us know.
I know the kids were trying to help. I think they now understand how the fall could have hurt their baby brother, and how lucky we are that he is okay and his happy smiley self. Maybe this is a good lesson for the kids to learn. They need to be more careful when they are with the baby.
I will too make sure that I am more careful as no one wants to have a fall out of the rocker or the first experience with the sandpit to be such a drama.
I hope that the baby is not going to be permanently scared about sandpits and that he will like them when he is older. If he has a fear of sand this will be the reason for it.
The other week we celebrated International Women’s Day. Lately, there have been many articles about women and girls; the topics range from equal pay, pocket money, women not being in leadership roles, how women manage money, and more!
Inequality is still a major issue and I’m sure I am not the only one that finds this appalling. Yes, it is 2016 and we are still not treating women and girls as equals. Why is being female such a negative thing? We are strong, we have children, we solider on just like men do, and we manage the household, we manage kids and work and also have a career to boot. Plus some of us, myself included taking time out to do unpaid work of looking after kids and family. This unpaid work is not easy as there are no holidays, sick days, or thanks for the majority of the job. However, if you don’t do something it gets noticed instantly. Have two kids sick and you are ill and struggling, you are on your own. You cannot call in and tell the boss you cannot come in that day. Oh, how I wish this was the case!
Girls and women are more highly educated than ever before and it is reflected in the workforce. More and more women are striving for the top jobs and also entering into industries that were seen once as male-only domains, such as engineering, IT and much more. I for one believe and so does hubby, that jobs should be matched on a skill basis. If you fulfil the skill and job requirements you should be seriously looked at for the role, and your gender should not be a factor to determine if you get a job, or if you get a promotion or if you get a pay rise or paid the right amount of money.
Here is my rant about the inequality that women deal with. Yes, I have my cranky pants on and I’m not apologizing for being angry. Everyone should see this as unforgivable. If you have daughters would you want or accept that they will always be underpaid and undervalued? I would hope not!
Gender Pay Gap Stats. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Why are top female sports professionals so underpaid?
The Matildas are Australia’s national soccer team. The team have been very successful in the FIFA World Cup and in the lead up to the Olympics. There has been a pay dispute with FFA (Football Federation of Australia), the team wish to have equal pay like the male soccer players.
For example, Each Matilda player got $500 in match fees for the knockout game with Brazil. However male players receive $7,500 for the same thing. (Convery, Stephanie: September 11, 2015, “The Matildas’ pay dispute could spark real change”, abc.net.au)
— $500 per group-stage tournament game, $600 per round of 16-tournament game, $750 per tournament quarter-final, $1250 per tournament semi-final or third or fourth-place playoff and$1500 per tournament final
— Plus an equal share in 30 per cent of all prize money
SOCCEROOS
— A share in commercial profits from matches played and sponsor bonuses
— $6500 per standard international game
— $7500 per group-stage tournament game. $8500 per quarter-final tournament game, $9500 per tournament semi-final or third or fourth-place playoff and $11,500 per tournament final
— Plus an equal share in 30 per cent of all prize money
— Or, $240 daily wage
As you can see a match fee for men that is $7,500 to the women’s pay of $500 is a massive difference. A difference of $7,000 is just not on at all! Not fair if you ask me. Very rude to The Matildas to not value their skill and success and not pay the same as the men are getting.
“”In my next life when I come back I want to be someone in the WTA, because they ride on the coattails of the men,” Moore said. “They don’t make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport. They really have.” (Rothenberg, Ben: 2016, March 21, “Indian Wells boss Raymond Moore says women tennis players should be thanking men”, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Serena Williams “rejected the notion that Moore’s comments could have been misconstrued.
“There’s only one way to interpret that,” she said. “‘Get on your knees,’ which is offensive enough, and ‘Thank a man’? We, as women, have come a long way. We shouldn’t have to drop to our knees at any point.”
“Williams expressed particular shock that Moore would make such comments after last year’s US Open when excitement over her Grand Slam bid caused tickets to the women’s final to sell out before the men’s final for the first time in tournament history.” (Rothenberg, Ben: 2016, March 21, “Indian Wells boss Raymond Moore says women tennis players should be thanking men”, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Graph looking at data for full-time wages and the gender pay gap. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Why is it when there is media coverage regarding Hilary Clinton’s race for the white house, the question is, “How do you feel about a woman president?”
Why is being a woman a major issue?
I understand that America has not had a female president but you don’t hear the same questioning for a male wanting to be president. I would think that they would find this line of questioning rude and not seeing their credentials for the job rather than focus on gender.
If a woman is successful in her career and life, why is it that she is singled out due to her sex? We can see instantly that she is female and that is not a major thing to notice. Who cares!!!
The only thing that should be looked at and worried about is, can she do the job? A woman needs to be noticed for her skills and achievements not just due to gender.
You never hear in the press, that we have a man in this job and it is a first. I wonder how he will do? Why are men not put through the scrutiny women are? Why are men getting more money for the same jobs?
Why is it when men don’t hit their objectives/KPI’s in their job that they still get higher bonuses than women?
Ridiculous if you ask me. Isn’t the whole idea of the reward system to reward the workers that hit the objectives and performance indicators? Not the person that does not achieve?
This could be a woman or a man, the employee just has to hit their targets to be in the running for a bonus not get one without doing so.
“Despite getting the same performance ratings as their male colleagues, women get smaller bonuses on average, according to a report from human resources consultants Mercer.
Even men who only partially met their performance objectives got bonuses that were 35 per cent larger than their female counterparts.” (Perkins, Miki: 2015, November 4, “Gender pay gap higher in bonuses, report finds”
Looking at the gender pay gap from 1995 to 2015. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
“Boys earn $13 a week in pocket money on average, while girls get $9.60, according to a survey done for the Heritage Bank and released in time for International Women’s Day this week. The bank made similar findings in 2014. (Fitzsimmons, Caitlin: March 8, 2016, “Girls get less pocket money”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
How atrocious that boys even when little still get paid more! I wonder how this works?
Why would parents pay girls less than their boys? I know I wouldn’t.
According to the article from the Herald, it says it could be down the types of jobs done by boys/girls or how the child negotiates. Or maybe the fact that girls are expected to just do housework or jobs around the house for no pay… If this is the case that is just horrible! Living in 2016 and just due to your gender you are expected to do things for no pay. Wrong I tell you! Also if this is so and the reason, showing boys that housework or other chores around the house are not to be valued and not paid is not right at all.
I don’t understand why having a penis makes you earn more over a lifetime. Maybe I need to get a fake one to improve my chances?????
Why is this discrepancy occurring? As an employer, what makes you underpay women?
Why is it okay to pay female employees less?
Women are equally deserving as men, women have the same education and skill base, women are focused and high achieving, and would like to be promoted and go places just like men. This is not something different.
Just because we are female does not make our wants and desires any different to a man. We are just working harder and for less money!
When I was working in the corporate world, I was keen to be promoted and to progress in my career. I saw the men get promoted but when I put my hand up and showed interest I always got told not now, you don’t have the skills yet (although I was already doing the job but did not have the new title and new pay to accompany it) and much more. During my time at many companies, management changed and this meant it was mostly men that took up positions of power, and therefore brought along their mates, who were of course male. I must say that there were a few powerful and lovely women who did a great job and I greatly admired them.
Why is ambition from a woman seen as a terrible trait to have? If I was a man I’m sure the outcome would have been completely different.
Ambition is a great attribute and I should be rewarded. I wish I would know what it would have been like if I was a man, would my life and career have looked different? Would I have been the CEO of a company by now? Maybe it is best not to know, if I knew how it could have been, I think it would make me even angrier.
I was always taught, that you study hard, work hard and do well, good pay will follow. Gender did not come into it. I really don’t see how your sex should determine pay.
Women live longer than men and therefore need more savings to live. Being short-changed in the earnings department means that women’s superannuation is much less than a man’s and even lower if they have had a career break to look after children or other family members.
“The gender pay gap is worst where pay is kept secret and women often find out they are being paid less than their male colleagues after years on the job,” she said.
The gender pay gap is currently at a 20-year high of 18.8 per cent, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. It means that, on average, women earn $298.10 a week less than men. Put another way, they have to work an extra 66 days a year to take home the same amount as a man. (Gartrell, Adam: 2015, August 2, “Greens call for an end to ‘salary secrecy’ to help bridge gender pay gap”, They Sydney Morning Herald)
Pay gaps are broken down by state. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Wow! Women earn $298.10 less each week compared to men! That is a lot to not be earning.
That is a loss of $15,501.20 per year in earnings.
Fancy missing out on 15K per year. That is a HUGE gap! I am not sure what industry that these figures were taken from or if this is just an average of many women interviewed and data collected from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
If businesses did not keep pay secret then women would know what men and women in similar roles were being paid.
This would help negotiation for salary and make sure that women are not being underpaid. Making pay transparent would also help everyone, not just women. Not knowing what certain roles are being paid and what you can ask for is definitely hard.
If you know what the value of roles are, you are so much more informed, plus employers will, of course, get highly trained individuals that will work hard and wish to grow with the organisation.
The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has been focusing on innovation and technology. My girls are very interested in the STEM subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Hubby and I have encouraged this as we believe that the jobs of the future will have some or all of these skills. Also if the twins focus on these subjects and are good at them, they can get a job that pays well in the future. Why are girls not participating in these areas as much as boys? Why are we not encouraging girls to give it a go?
“A recent OECD report found less than one in 20 girls from OECD countries considered careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. In 2013 in New South Wales a tiny 1.5 per cent of girls took the trio of advanced maths, physics and chemistry. Yet a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that in the future 75 per cent of the fast-growing occupations will require STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. We are locking ourselves out of the workforce. If we are going to earn the same as our pipsqueak brothers, we will have to think hard about the choices we make.” (Clarke, Ruby, 2015: June 28, “Teenage girls need to change themselves to affect the gender pay gap”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
How low is 1.5% of girls participating in STEM subjects in New South Wales! We need higher numbers. What do you think?
There is also the argument that women work in part-time roles or choose not to work due to kids and other commitments. That might be true.
However, for the women that wish to work, it is rather difficult if you do have kids as well. Juggling motherhood, career and life is tough. Not horrible but just more things to organise and get lined up to make sure everything happens.
I for one would love to work part-time or say full time. A couple of days in the office and the rest from home. My jobs have all been online and therefore can transition to work from home roles. I can put kids in care for the days that I’m at the office but don’t want to have kids in full-time care. Firstly it is too expensive and, secondly, I will never see them.
I don’t have the luxury of living near relatives and therefore I am the one that does all kid-related activities. School run, and after school activities is all down to me. Being the only one doing all this is limiting and therefore I have created my own opportunities with my blog. My own online presence, to hopefully build my empire! (You can only put it out there. You never know right?)
“Sure, if women are simply choosing to work shorter hours in lower-status jobs in lower-paid industries – perhaps because they choose to take on the bulk of the task of looking after children and the home – then there is no problem here.
But – and here’s the rub – perhaps these are not choices freely made.
Perhaps women don’t want to retire with no superannuation or other savings after all. Perhaps they would like to earn a pay-packet the equivalent of a man’s, but they’re too busy looking after those male’s kids for free.” (Irvine, Jessica, 2015: July 31, “Apples and oranges: Gender pay gap is worse than you think”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
Many women would love to get the job after kids to fit into their new lifestyle, however, many companies are still stuck with the mindset that you have to physically turn up to a job in an office.
How about job share? Part-time in the office for 2 days and work at home for 3 days. Work some hours in the day and some in the night and weekend? Flexible hours as long as the work gets done.
Understand if you need to be online or on the phone for meetings or in the office. You can always have a catch-up meeting every fortnight or month?
Depends on the business and workload.
With technology, I don’t why more places embrace telecommuting. It would save the company money and also allow them to get quality employees that will stick with the company due to allowing them to be flexible and work from home.
Think about all the women with fabulous skills that are itching to get the job that businesses are overlooking!
“Clearly society has to change in order for women to rise, but we, the teenagers of Australia, also have to change our attitudes and perceptions. Major corporations must set targets to increase women’s participation in managerial positions.
Men additionally need to take more responsibility for child care and share the load. Unionised workforces also tend to be higher paid workforces so if women join unions, their rates of pay should increase.
But. It’s also down to you and me, ladies. We need to change, too. We need to think about what kinds of lives we want. What kinds of jobs will get us more money? Are we going to be in charge of our own futures or are we going to rely on men to pay for them? If you want to work with children, how are you going to pay for a house in Sydney now the average price has hit almost a million dollars?” (Clarke, Ruby, 2015: June 28, “Teenage girls need to change themselves to affect the gender pay gap”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
When I see a role that is just perfect for me and of course will pay a full wage. Why is the money for child care seen to only be taken from my wage?
Why is child care seen as something that the woman needs to sort out in order to work?
Isn’t child care an issue for both parents?
Having an extra wage would help out the whole family and therefore it is an issue that the family need to address not just one person.
I agree that men need to take more responsibility for child care and help with this more. Some men do this and there is no issue here. However the more equal it is, the more easily women can re-enter the workforce and contribute to the family, society and build for their future as well as their families.
It is 2016 and sex is still seen as an issue regarding pay. I would have thought that this would not be the case.
I hope for my girls that this is not the case when they are older but I would have thought that it would have been already resolved by now. So I’m not holding my breath, however, I can live in hope.
As I have said before, gender is not an issue for pay. The only important issue is, can you do the job, and do you have the skills?
Pay for the role not because someone has a different anatomy than another.
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading my HUGE post about this issue!
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Alexander is now eleven weeks old. Yes soon to be three months old, Oh how that has flown by already.
As anyone with a newborn knows you get up multiple times at night and feed, settle, cuddle, and of course change nappies. I also wash up bottles so that we have more for the next feeds. Lately the baby has taken to waking up at 2.30 or say 2am to want more food. I change his nappy and get him the milk and then feed him. He then falls asleep and then I put him to bed after some lovely morning cuddles.
Having snuggles with my boy.
Alexander then wakes again at 4am. He is screaming the place down so I do all the normal things, change his nappy and get more milk ready for the next feed. However it is this time that he decides that he is not hungry and just wants cuddles with mummy. I was snug and asleep in my bed before he screeched to what I thought was a hungry cry, but turned out that he just wanted cuddles. This is lovely but to wake up to give someone cuddles seems a bit annoying. I love the cuddles but I do LOVE my sleep and to wake up to then have to fall asleep again in the living room is a bit annoying to say the least.
I do try again to feed him but he pushes the bottle away and is content to just be cuddled. I fall asleep on the lounge as well as the baby. Hours pass and I finally wake to realise that I have been sleeping with my neck and body in an odd position. No wonder my body is out of sorts and everything hurts.
I sit in the living room looking around at all the things yet to be done and think about all the other things around the house that have to be done or have not been done or even thought of or even started. Gosh I’m exhausted just thinking about it all!
Why can’t I just sit and cuddle the baby?
Why do I have to get up and get stuff for people?
It is annoying that I have to leave the house but I do. Dropping kids at school and picking them up and of course all the after school activities that the girls go to. All I wanted to do was to stay in the house with my PJ’s on and just cuddle and be with Alexander.
During these early morning moments I have thought why can’t I be more in the moment? I love the cuddles, giggles and raspberries that Alex is doing but I still find myself drawn to all the other things that need my attention. Maybe this is due to having kids already? When I had the twins I had no pressure to be anywhere, I did not have kids before the twins so I could have the cuddles and just stay at home if I wished to. Now with older children it is hard to impossible to stay at home.
In the early weeks mums at the kids school commented on how it was great that I was getting out and about. It was nice to hear and I of course would have rather have stayed at home, but with kids at school I had to venture out. I suppose it was good that the kids made me go out with the baby but that quiet time just snuggling with your new baby is so nice and a pity that I have to get up to do the more boring things, like cleaning, shopping, clothes washing and more.
Also with older kids the house is much noisier than before. When the twins were babies I tried to have things super quiet when they were sleeping. I would even put notes on the front door in case of deliveries. Yes I was trying to make sure that who ever knocked on the door knew to be quiet or less noisy than they would be normally. I of course have not done the note on the front door this time, not due to not thinking about it but just due to never getting around to do it, and thinking about sleep rather than writing notes.
Did you find that due to other kids and commitments that you are not enjoying the lovely moments of the new baby as much as you would like? Let us know.
I need to just learn to switch off and to let go. I know it is hard but I need to. I think from the state of my house you would think that I have done just that, but I have been trying to tidying and sort things but it is always hard with a new baby. I get some things sorted and then have to leave it to be with the baby, then off course I don’t get back to the pile of clothes to fold and put away. Then I have to pick kids up from school, take them to after school activities and then when home do homework, dinners and more! Yes…. I think that is about it.
Letting go about now sounds good after reading all that I need to do!
Do you have some tips to just try and let go of all the things that need to be done? If you do have some great ways to let go of things that would be great to be shared also.
I have been thinking about what a year 2015 was. I did want to accomplish more on the blog side and professionally but managed to do a bit of what I had planned.
Kids completed year 1 and did very well with reading and many other things. They have grown so much and really developed as their own person. Being in separate classes I think has really allowed each child to be what they can be without disruption or upset to each other. It allows them to be themselves and to have their own wins and accomplishments.
I went to Problogger and networked. I also learnt a lot and got inspired to do more with my blog and other ideas.
We did some much needed DIY around the house. I know have a nicer bathroom, kids in a newer room and other things fixed that I have been desperate to have done.
We were lucky to get pregnant and soon we are to have baby number 3. I was hoping to not be pregnant while writing this but I am still. Currently I’m 39 weeks and 3 days with baby number 3 and rather annoyed that he/she is still in my belly. The countdown is on little one!
I was lucky to get better after having a rough patch with being ill and especially while being pregnant it did not help. I am much better now and the only annoyance is when this baby will vacate my body.
Due to the new baby to be, the twins got moved into the bigger room and we have done up their old small room for the baby.
On a sad note we said goodbye to some good friends last year and it was rather painful due to that issue. It was a tough year due to that alone and being pregnant throughout this made it more difficult for me to deal with. I felt bad creating life while dealing with the loss. I know… they would not hold it against me but I did feel bad.
On the up side, we are well, have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, have good friends and are looking forward to what 2016 will bring us. The new baby is also something we are excited about and wondering when this little person will want to join the world.
The twins are excited about being in grade 2 this year and finding out what classes they will be in. We are in holiday mode currently and filling the days to keep kids busy and rest due to impeding birth is an interesting mix.
I will endeavor to attach the goals yet to have been achieved to this year and to strive towards them. Yes, I am not giving up just adding them to the list. Have you looked back on what you have done and been happy or sad? Or just it is what is was…. that said, I did all I could do and we are all okay.
What is your major thing or goal you wish to achieve in 2016? Let us know.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I will be 38 weeks pregnant. I have never been this pregnant and as you might imagine I am getting annoyed. Annoyed at everything and everyone. Yes sad but true. I did think that the baby would have arrived by now and due to having twins early I am so over it and trying things to evict this little person from my body. However anything I do has not been met with labor starting or even waters breaking so back to waiting and getting bigger and more annoyed as the days progress.
C’mon Baby….. you have been told your days are numbered. You need to vacate my belly!
I have also had strangers put their hands on my belly and tell me what I am having due to the shape of how I’m carrying. This did not happen last time and it has taken me by surprise. I don’t like it and was not sure what to say. I know they all mean well but I just don’t understand why my belly is suddenly everyone’s property? Did that happen to you? Many have told me that I’m having a boy due to the way I’m carrying so should be interesting when we find out.
I saw that Michelle Bridges had her baby on the weekend. I thought we were due around the same time. Maybe she was a week or so ahead. I have no idea. Now I’m thinking that maybe I should have been doing more squats to make this baby come. Since hearing of the birth of Michelle Bridges little boy, I have added more squats into my day just in case. Well you never know right?
Another frustration at the moment is that I have a sore throat that I got from one of the kids. Yes I don’t feel very well on top of being pregnant. It is not that bad, just feeling generally unwell and a head cold, but it does not help as all I want to do is sleep. Annoying really especially in summer. Oh well. I have been taking vitamins, and sucking on lozenges to ease the symptoms and make myself feel better. Teas and juices as well.
All Christmas presents are wrapped and many are under the tree (I wanted to make sure it was all done just in case I was in the hospital and having the baby). The kids ones will go under the tree tomorrow due to sticky little fingers and curious minds that might spoil surprises before the day. Do you put the kids presents under the tree before Christmas Eve? Or are you like me you make sure that no one can mess with the presents?
Christmas Presents all done and wrapped. Phew!
On the excitement end we had a family friend do the ring test to see if the baby is a boy/girl. As you know we have not found out the sex. Some people think we know and are just not saying, but we really have no idea and birth will be the only clue as to if the baby is a boy or girl. This test was done at a BBQ with family and friends. The room was quiet and everyone was very curious about the test and the results. From this test it looks like we are having a girl. Not sure but thought that I was having a girl as I felt the same with the twins this pregnancy, however I did think I was having a boy last time and was very wrong, I ended up with two lovely girls.
I have done the Chinese Gender Prediction and they say that we are having a girl also….but you never know it could be a boy. We are not fussed and just hope that the baby is healthy and happy.
I put some clothes in suction bags to keep them in case, and then I could not find them. Very annoying. However I finally found the clothes. I still need to go through the draws as I need to put things in sizes so that it is easier to find. I’m glad the clothes were found as I did not buy much for the baby due to already having clothes that I could not find. So happiness all round with this win!
We are all curious about what the new little baby will be like and when it will decide to be here. My hospital bag has been packed for a while and we are all ready if it happens now. Maybe I should take my hospital bag with me on my travels for Christmas Day? Not sure, but it might be a wise idea. At least I will have it if I need it.
I have also been drinking some Raspberry Leaf Tea to make things easier for birth. I have been doing this for a while now. I suppose it can’t hurt right? The night before my waters broke with the twins I had two cups of this tea and then the next morning at 4am my waters broke (33 weeks pregnant with twins), I was hoping that it might have the same affect with this pregnancy but it has not been the case. Maybe it was just the right time for the other pregnancy and plus having more than one child would have made it happen earlier.
The kids are super excited about Christmas and the baby in their view is taking a back seat. I think due to the baby not being here it is not a reality for the kids yet. Once born I’m sure there will be much more interest. I do understand that for kids Christmas is super exciting and much more interesting at the moment.
The decorated Christmas Tree – Not mine but it looks pretty doesn’t it.
I cannot wait to see their faces when they get their presents. I do love Christmas as much as the kids. I love getting surprises, and getting up early on Christmas Day seems to happen to me as well as the kids.
Were you pregnant over Christmas? Were you concerned that you would have the baby on Christmas Day? If you were pregnant were you super annoyed and frustrated that the baby had not come yet?
We have picked names for either a boy or a girl due to not knowing the babies sex. We did the same when pregnant with the twins, we had two sets of boys and girls names ready (at least this time we only had to come up with one name for a boy or a girl) and once we knew we named them once born. I was asking my mum how she came to name me my name. She told me she wanted to wait till I was here and see what I looked like and what name suited me.
This little person is waiting to be named. I hope they like what I choose!
I know plenty of people have told me the same thing and that worked well for them. However our way ended up really suiting the children we named and we did not use this method. We just loved our names and decided that twin A would get one name and twin B would get the other name as at the time that is what they were known by.
In the end, these names that we gave our girls have really suited them and their personalities…. but we had no idea at the time.
My question really is how do you know if a name is the right fit and will eventually suit a child that you have just had or have not had yet?
I suppose the name ends up suiting your child and it becomes familiar. You chose the name for a reason, due to loving it and thinking that it would work well.
Did you wait until your baby was here to see if it suited your name choice? Did you change it if you thought it was not a match? Or just stick to it due to loving the name?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
We are not telling people our choice of names as we would love a surprise when we announce the birth. Currently 37 weeks and 2 days and hoping this little person will be here soon.
Hubby and I have been on the hunt for years for milk that tasted like it did when we were little. Creamy and not watery. For as long as I can remember milk has not tasted right. So whenever there is a new brand on the market we purchase it in the hope that it might be like what we remembered milk tasted like.
I finally found a milk that has cream on top of the lid… wow that never happens! It tastes a little better than the other brands and if shaken all the cream gets mixed up and all is good. However the twins have never experienced cream on top or in milk. They have had milk where it is all mixed in.
The creamy milk with the cream on top…. YUM!
One morning the kids decided to make their own breakfast. Yes amazing actually. They usually wake me up to do this task. I am trying to tell them they can do it themselves.
Oh well…… I was half asleep lying in bed and was very happy they were showing independence and doing it themselves. They were making their usual meal of Weet-Bix. They got to the milk part and poured it in the bowls. And then I heard….
“What is that???” “There is something in the milk! It does not look good. I think we need to chuck it out… It has gone bad!”
I got up and so did hubby. I told him about the milk issue that I was overhearing. He decided to go and have a chat with the girls and explain about cream and the milk. He explained that the milk just needs a good shake to mix the cream in and it is not bad just that it the cream is on the top of the milk. He also explained that you can mix it in or just eat it and it is all good. They did not look convinced.
Even this morning after a good shake of the milk and adding it to the Weet-Bix this morning one kid is still not keen on this type of milk. Maybe I need to get the other stuff just for them so they don’t complain? I was hoping it would not be an issue after the talk from daddy and us showing the twins that it is all good and fine to drink.
Have had something like this happen with your kids. I do understand that if they have never seen it before it might be a bit weird and they were wary of it, especially when you have never had it before. Leave a comment and let us know what has happened at your house.
I also think that they reacted just the right way. If in doubt get rid of it, it might be dangerous or make you sick. They reacted on instinct and went for survival. Although their breakfast of that day ended up in the bin I hope that we have shown them that milk with a bit of cream is okay to drink and will not kill you.
The girls have been asking to get their ears pierced for ages now. I have been quite worried how they would handle it. Would they be fine? Would they freak out? Would there be screams and crying? Would they hate it and want them out soon after? I did not know.
I have my ears pierced and had mine done when I was about the kids age. My mum took my sister and I to get them done after we had been asking for a while. My dad of course was furious when he found out that we had our ears pierced and wanted us to be older to get it done or maybe he rather wished we had not done it in the first place.
Yesterday I picked the kids up the early due to them being in a choir school performance. After I got the kids I had to go to the chemist to pick some things up. While we were there, one kid told me she really wanted to get her ears done. I checked if she was sure and if she was I was happy to have them done. I asked her sister and she seemed a bit reluctant but would like to do it as well. I did explain that it does hurt a little but it does not last. I was trying to not cover the truth and to let them know that it does get better.
We inquired at the chemist about getting the kids ears done and had to come back as the lady who did the piercing was at lunch. We busied ourselves and then came back to have them done. The child that was most insistent wanted to be first. She was very happy and got the dots on her ears to mark where the earrings will go.
She was fine until the first ear got pierced and then she was very upset. I felt terrible. I hugged and kissed her. I told her she was very brave and there is just one more ear to do and all done. She was not happy and told me that it hurt and it was not like getting a bindi (the lady that was doing the piercing said it would be just like getting a bindi). I told her it does not last and will get better very soon. She calmed down a bit, I held her hand and she got the other ear done. More crying, cuddles and kisses and she was fine. Her ears got a spray of the antiseptic mixture and soon was well. She looked upset, but after about 5-10mins she was all good.
This girl is very happy she got her ears pierced yesterday. She loves them, and cannot stop checking them out in the mirror.
Now it was her sister’s turn. It was bad that she was all ready to go and had to see her sister cry and get upset. Although she dealt with it okay it scared my other little girl. She really wanted to get earrings yesterday but she was very upset and scared so I left it. She can do it later if she wishes. She wants to wear all the pretty earrings but is not sure about the ears being pierced. Poor little thing kept on saying, “I want my ears done” and then I said are you ready and told her to be still, she then said amoungst tears, “I don’t know!” I did not want her to be traumatised by it, and she needs to be okay with it when she is ready.
So now one kid has pierced ears and the other does not. I don’t think it will be long for the one that doesn’t have them done to want to go again. I am leaving it for her to decide and not pressuring her. I made sure she knew all was okay and it did not matter.
The child that has her ears done feels very grown up with her sparkly earrings and cannot stop looking at herself in the mirror. She is very proud of herself and they are not hurting much at all now. I have taken the edge off with some Nurofen, I think that has made things easier. She is making sure she sprays her ears morning and evening so it is good to see her be very responsible in looking after her newly pierced ears.
Did your kids get their ears pierced when they were babies or older? What age did you allow your children to have their ears pierced?
Today I’m driving to my mum’s and step dad’s place. They are currently house sitting in Newcastle and we are off to visit. The kids are excited as they are having a five day sleep over… Yes that means that mummy and daddy get a break (Mainly mummy gets a break in reality)
The kids feel very grown up having a sleep over with their grandparents and cannot wait for new adventures. When the kids come back we are going to be in the city and starting our weekend adventure in the city for the long weekend.
I’m staying over tonight but the kids are staying for the week and that will allow me to do some things that I have been really wanting to get done. Some of the things that I have been waiting to do are:
Tidying up in preparation for the new baby
Blog work for the new look and also posts for the current blog
Time out for me
Sleep
Sewing maybe????
We need to pack, tidy up some places so it is not that messy when we come home, have a shower and get ready to go.
I’m looking forward to our road trip with just the kids and I. I have made sure that I am not leaving in peak hour so that our trip will hopefully not be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
Have the kids in the holidays stayed with family? Has this given you a break? If you managed to have a break what did you get up to?
Have you heard of GEOMAG? Well if you haven’t, it is a brilliant creative construction toy for kids. It could be for adults too, as they list the top age to 103 so if you wish to purchase some don’t let the fact that it is a toy scare you off.
I was sent the GEOMAG Color set to try out. This comes with the following:
Magnetic rods
Non-magnetic spheres and various accessories
About GEOMAG
Geomag is produced in Switzerland to the most stringent international toy standards. Geomag has educational benefits such as:
Developing maths
Problem Solving
Spacial
Coordination
Creative and thinking skills
What makes this construction toy so different?
It is an open ended construction toy that uses the magnets.
The use of magnets makes it easy for kids to create amazing works, due to the toy having magnets it makes it easy for all ages to construct anything you set your mind to.
It is easy for little hands to use
Due to the ease of use kids will never get frustrated
The girls loved the fact that Geomag was easy to use. I have been asked to get more so they can build bigger and higher constructions.
What other types of GEOMAG Sets are Available?
As mentioned the kids were sent a set of the classic color set. There are five colourful sets that contain between 30 – 120 pieces and start from $30 RRP.
Geomag Classic Panel which gives you different panel shapes. You can have triangles, squares and pentagons. There are five sets that contain 22-180 pieces from $20 RRP.
Geomag E-Motion Spin allows kids to add motion to their creations. Children have the chance to create their very own spinning top and many more dynamic constructions. These sets contain 10-38 pieces and the cost is from $30 RRP.
Geomag Glitter has glitterised rods and panels. Now this would add some sparkle and colour to your constructions. There are four sets available and has a piece count of 22-68 from $20 RRP.
If you are interested in purchasing or just checking out the Geomag range click here to find out more.
This toy is great for inside play. It kept my kids quiet for hours. I just need to buy more so they can create bigger and fancier projects.
Do your kids love constructing things? Whether it is with a toy or just play dough? Mine do.
As you already know I was madly preparing for the kids birthday party. I had also baked cupcakes for school and then did it all again the next day to prepare for the party. Last Thursday and Friday were super busy and I of course did not make it out of the kitchen other than to pick kids up from school and off course drop them off. If you did see me throughout the day I might have had to make a run to the supermarket to pick up some forgotten supplies.
I kept the party simple. Just some snacks, cupcakes and of course the cupcake cake for the birthday. See pictures below of my Lumpy Space Princess Cake, or many cupcakes that create the cake. It is a creative attempt. Kids were happy and the cupcakes turned out very well. They were vanilla lemon cupcakes with butter vanilla icing.
My attempt at making Lumpy Space Princess (LSP). I was not 100% happy with it but the kids loved it. One kid after I showed her what I had done said, that I just needed to do a picture of LSP on a cake like the rainbow one I made last year. Gosh if only I knew that would be okay and I would have done that.Candles all ready to light for birthday celebrations for the twins.
Hubby pretended to be Princess Bubblegum to run the game. Which of course created much laughter, a couple of kids yelled, “Your Princess Bubblegum” and then laughed hysterically. The game was basically Simon Says but using the character of Princess Bubblegum. It was a lot of fun.
The weather was good for us and it was very warm, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Kids ran wild with their mates in the park and were so tired when we arrived home. Due to having a small house and not much room having the party at the park is ideal for us. Less mess, more space and kids can play in nature.
The crazy chocolate that I made was magically eaten very quickly so I can only think that it was a massive hit.
Crazy chocolate for the kids 7th birthday party
As the twins had their party the day before their actual birthday, we wanted to take them somewhere special to celebrate their actual day. I booked tickets to the Stardust Circus for yesterday and it was the girls first time at the circus. They had a great time. You should have seen their surprised faces when the lions, acrobats, juggler and more did their thing. They were amazed and just so happy that we went. It was pity that I could not take pictures while inside the circus tent as that was prohibited. If I did I would be asked to delete the images, so thought best not to do it at all.
Officially 7 today. On way to see the circus for the first time.
It was a very hot day yesterday at the circus and although still spring it was about 30ºC. We were very smart to have dressed in summer clothes, kids and hubby in shorts and t-shirts and me in a dress. If it is like this now, summer is going to be a hot one.
Other than the circus the big hit of the birthday presents were Beenie Boo’s. One of their mates from school gave them one each and hubby and I got them four to add to their collection. They have liked the other presents but the Beenie Boo’s seem to be this years HUGE hit. Who knew that the little tedddies would over shadow other fab pressies. Have you had this happen to you?
We were all very tired from the whole weekend. Party on Saturday (The party was a hit and all kids and adults and a great time, so that was a good outcome) and then Circus on Sunday. Pity it is not school holidays yet, however after this week the kids will be on holidays and then we can rest.
If you made an odd shaped cake, post the picture on our Facebook Page Did the kids love it?
Did it turn out as you expected. My effort for Lumpy Space Princess was not ideal but it did the job. The one thing that has made the weekend very good here is the weather, it has been warm and just lovely, cannot wait for more of it.
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?
One kid has not been very well for the last few days. She slept in our bed last night and the night before for snuggles. I found it hard to sleep due to the snoring from said child and then getting pushed out of my own bed. I spent most of the night staring at the ceiling.
Sick child sleeping
Sick child in your bed is cute for a bit, however when they snore in your ear, hit you when they turn over, stretch and make it hard for you to have any room in your own bed. It is not fun and due to you not getting any sleep and then having to contort your body into weird shapes and positions to just get some rest (maybe if I was a contortionist, I would not have had an issue with little space in the bed). I decided that I would move to the spare room to sleep as I was being pushed out and the sound in my ear was not going to create sleep.
I did understand that the child was not doing anything on purpose and it was good that she was resting. I don’t mind if a kid is sick and comes to our bed for cuddles and some extra attention. That is all fine… it just makes it harder for me to rest as well. Do you find that? I do like the cuddles and time together with one kid and helping them feel better.
Due to moving rooms I did get some sleep and was grateful for that. The unwell child is getting better so maybe she will sleep in her own bed tonight.
What happens when a child or both kids are unwell? Do they want to sleep with mummy/daddy? How do you handle it? We end up putting the child in the middle of the bed and we try and work around that.
I sit here in my wonderful hotel room at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast and about to get ready to start Day 1 at Problogger. I arrived late afternoon yesterday and was lucky to be in time for early registration and the networking event for Thursday night.
My fabulous room at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast
However I had to share something that happened on the train on the way to the airport yesterday.
I was still making my way down the Blue Mountains and due to it be very early there were school kids on the train. One of these kids were trying to convince her friends that the Gold Coast was not actually in Australia. She was saying that ages ago the Gold Coast was not in Australia, it was on the edge of it.
I know that we had the continental shift and million of years ago all land mass was in a different position and has since moved to its current position.
She was very sure that the Gold Coast in fact was not part of Australia and a different land entirely!
What the????
I was off to fly there very soon?
I did not have a visa? Or my passport! Will I be okay?
Will I be able to get to the conference in this different land?
All of these kids mates were telling her how wrong she was and that it was a very silly idea and that the Gold Coast is part of Queensland and is in fact part of Australia and not a different country.
As this kid was most insistent one friend said, “Fine, I agree with you! The Gold Coast is a different country and not part of Australia. I just want this conversation to end! I want to stop talking about this stupid idea…. “
I did have a BIG chuckle over this, but you can imagine how funny it was when at the airport I checked in at the International Virgin Check In for my flight to the Gold Coast, which is part of Australia and not a different country.
Yep I got checked into my flight at the International Check In at Virgin. It is okay…. they were just doing domestic. However after what happened on the train it was very funny.
Have you ever overheard something funny? What was it? Was it like the Gold Coast is not really in Australia? Let us know.
