For a long while the kids have had wobbly teeth and it is the same tooth for both kids. I was thinking they would have them forever until one kid was extremely determined to twist it, wobble it and more!
At about 4am Lillian’s tooth fell out. Her first tooth to come out! It was a big occasion and one that then caused sadness, anger and crying in Julia. She wanted her tooth to come out too. Lillian was so excited she came in to wake me up and tell me about her tooth and how it had happened. I congratulated her, hugged her and sorted out a little cup for the tiny little tooth that came out of her. It is a big gap but super small tooth. I wonder how that works?
She is so happy her tooth finally fell out. The red lippy was for a disco birthday party the kids were off to on the weekend.
After convincing her it was too early to put the telly on and that she really needed to go back to bed, she finally did.
Saturday night we had our first visit from the Tooth Fairy, as you can imagine we had one very excited girl.
The Tooth Fairy left red glitter sparkles. It is some of her magic that is left.
Lillian wanted to keep her tooth to show friends and family so asked me to write a note to the Tooth Fairy. Lillian signed the letter and we put her tooth in the little cup so that it did not get lost. (I cannot think of the hysterical outcome that a lost tooth would bring.)
The letter to the Tooth Fairy and the little gift bag and money that she left for Lillian. See the small little tooth. It is tiny isn’t it!
Have your kids been late in losing their teeth. Most of the kids in the twins class have lost more than one tooth, this is the first for Lillian and soon to be for Julia.
How did you handle the upset that one lost a tooth before the other child? I have comforted Julia and told her that it will happen soon and it won’t be long.
The tooth is very wobbly so the Tooth Fairy will be visiting us again in a matter of days I think (well I can only hope.)
Do you start to worry when winter approaches? Do the kids get colds and the flu easily? Does it happen more now that they go to school or day care? I have had my fair share of sickness with the twins and being exposed to more germs at school can make things harder for the whole family.
So how do you all remain healthy in cold and flu season?
Make sure you teach your little ones about proper hand hygiene techniques. I’m sure you are already telling your kids to make sure they wash their hands after eating, the toilet and so on. I know I do.
This hand wash is fab as it smells divine and of course gets rid of the nasty germs.
Parents are teaching their children about proper hygiene but it can fall down when they are at school or elsewhere. Do you know if there is a policy to wash hands after eating or playing? I don’t, but will definitely ask now.
The lovely people at Dettol sent me this care pack so we can not get sick this winter. It has helped and with us getting a cold while on our holidays I have used this to ensure we don’t get anymore nasties.
The simplest and cheapest way to make sure you don’t spread germs on your hands is to wash them well with soap.
To help get the message across to little people Dettol have teamed up with Tina Harris, who stars as Lah-Lah from Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band and she has created the below song to help encourage kids to wash hands and to stay healthy this winter.
Dettol has also created a free initiative available to all primary schools in Australia. It has been developed alongside the “NSW Department of Education and Training to provide teachers with a range of curriculum aligned resources to help students stay happy and healthy.” If you wish to recommend that your school take part download the letter and give to your school or email Dettol to be part of the program now.
In my pack from Dettol I have a laminated card. This will be put up in the bathroom once the renovations are complete. It lists all 5 tips to ensure you have really well washed hands.These handy wipes are so great. They help make sure the counter tops and any surface is clean and rid of germs. Dettol Surface Cleanser Wipes are great to keep with you for any emergency.
Have you succumbed to the flu or a cold during winter? Or have you managed to dodge any germs so far? If you have what do you do to remain healthy during winter?
Thanks so much to Dettol for sending me a care package. It has come in very handy.
Today we woke to snow everywhere. Yes we were snowed in. The depth of the snow was about 15cms and 30cms in parts. Very deep for up here. The whole area has been blanketed by white bright snow. As I write this the snow is slowly melting and we are all enjoying a hot cuppa, well the kids are having a hot Milo.
Our snow filled streetThe other end of the street. Covered in snow and it felt like a magical playground today.
School was closed, the roads were closed and we could not go anywhere. Hubby could not get to work and was able to enjoy the snow day with all of us. Most times when it snows he misses out so it is finally nice to the whole family home on this occasion.
Our snowed in letterbox. No mail today!Look at how thick the snow was on my car.
I know this might be cold for most of you but the temperature has just hit 2 degrees so it is slowly getting warmer (well it was when I started writing this post at about 2ish this afternoon). I did see a big black cloud on our walk with the neighbours to the local oval and was told that we might get some rain this afternoon/evening.
The kids and I with their first snowman
I do like the snow but due needing to pick up tiles in Penrith tomorrow having it melt might allow the roads to be reopened and for us to get them. We were lucky and the roads opened up late this afternoon and we managed to pick up the tiles so no need to worry.
After we got home from getting the tiles, Hubby helped the kids build a second snowman. Hope it is there still in the morning.
I must say today was a magical adventure and it was lovely that we could all be here to witness the snow and be involved with it. It was also nice that the kids and hubby were not at school or work and we all had a great day together.
Did it snow at your place? I heard it snowed in Queensland as well. Apparently this is the biggest fall of snow we have had since 1984. Yes, amazing isn’t it!
Hello. I do apologise for not blogging sooner. Here is what has been happening lately.
We had 10 days in Ballarat and Melbourne, flew home to then fall in a heap. Before we left for our holiday hubby got ill with a bad cold. I then got sick with it while away and thought it was gone but have a few things still lurking. All okay but just annoying, and does not help when I feel tired already.
Now I have a lot of laundry to do, and due to kids deciding to wear nearly everything and get it dirty. The pile is not going down. Although I have left the lounge covers to do later as they are not urgent, but make the laundry basket have clothes over flow. Not good really. It all should be organised soon.
Washing and more washing!
On top of making sure that we are all sorted like we were before we left for holiday, we are having renovations start next Monday. They are long waited for and much needed, but trying to race around to move things and create space is just annoying.
We need to move things around so that one room can be worked on and that means moving all furniture and items into one room and that takes a bit of planning.
I know I will love the after effect of the renovation and it will all be worth it but trying to get it all done when you are:
1. Constantly tired
2. Every time I bend over I feel like I’m going to be sick
3. Need to go to the toilet nearly every 5 secs
4. Thirsty and then I need to do point 3 more often
5. Hungry so need to eat, which then leads to the feeling of being sick even more
Is so hard! I suppose it could be worse, I could be 8 months pregnant and doing this. Currently I’m only 15 weeks.
Looking forward to the finished product.
The kids went back to school on Tuesday and they were super excited to see all their mates. Julia was so excited about being a big sister she asked her teacher if she could have some time to tell the class some special news. The teacher had no idea and from what I heard Julia was very proud and beaming when she told everyone about the impending little sister or brother on the way.
We have gone back to our regular routine. School and then after school activities, Karate and Swimming and then home. It has taken it out of me this week, it was so nice to not have to be anywhere or make lunches for kids.
Are you feeling it this week? Have you been more tired due to school going back?
As I write this I am thinking a nap might be nice, but I need to do some work to make it easier for us to move things for the renovations. I do think the bed sounds like a great idea at the moment.
Maybe a cup of tea might help me wake up a bit and then get to it.
How are you coping after holidays and school going back? Let us know.
Learn about all the fun places we went in the Winter 2015 School Holidays.
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We have been keeping very busy and have been out most days exploring. Below is a list of the places we have visited and you can learn what we did there and see some of the photos from our visits.
We all had a great time at the Wildlife park. Kangaroos, emus and the like are free to roam. They seemed quite tame but I did remind the kids that they still have big claws and are still wild animals.
The kangaroos let the kids pat them, feed them and be very close. They seemed very used to human contact and were very good around children.
Show times below are for weekdays and if you wish to find out weekend show times, just click here
1:30pm Reptile round.
2:00pm Koala round.
2:30pm Wombat round.
3:00pm Crocodile OR Alligator round.
3:30pm Tasmanian Devil and Quoll round.
4:00pm Eagle Show
As you can see shows are every half hour. So this will keep you busy and make sure that you are not waiting around for hours to see one show.
There is plenty to do at Sovereign Hill and you will not be bored. If anything your feet and legs will be very tired from walking around all day.
You can try your hand at decorating candles, watch gold being poured, see lollies being made, try your hand at gold panning in the creek and have a ride on the stage coach.
Just one thing to remember:If you purchase a family pass make sure to get it validated. If you do this you can come back for a second day. We did this and it helped as our first day we arrived at about 1pm so that we had plenty of time to see the sights and then stay for the lights that evening. We promised the kids a coach ride with the horses but missed out the first day. We managed to do the promised horse coach ride on day 2 and all was happy then.
I also did not know that with the price of the family ticket to Sovereign Hill we also got an automatic ticket to the Gold Museum for everyone.
Holiday Program open till 30th of July 2017 so you have a few days to get there if you can.
One of the girls is chasing the lollies that are falling down the building
See a train go across a building.
A view of main street with the snow and the lights.
After our first day at Sovereign Hill we went to the Gold Museum. The museum is in the same complex as Sovereign Hill so if you are there for one you may as well see both.
The museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm every day except Christmas Day. Last entry is 5.20 pm.
One exhibition that I was amazed by was the photographs of the whole of Ballarat. I have forgotten the photographer but he climbed up to the top of the town hall and took a 360 degree view of Ballarat at the time. The images were amazing and so sharp so that you can see every detail.
On Sunday we went off to the Daylesford Markets. It was a lovely sunny day and a welcome relief from the overcast days we have had. The drive was not too long from our hotel and was a pleasant drive through lovely countryside.
Once we arrived to the markets we walked around and looked at all the stalls. It was your typical markets, trinkets, clothes, and the like.
The kids got their faces painted while at the markets and then we went off to lunch at a local pub.
After lunch we visited The Amazing Mill Markets. These markets is a huge warehouse complex that houses many stalls of antiques and collectibles.
The kids new clothes
If I had heaps of money and did not have to post all my purchases back I could have gone crazy. I did purchase a jumper and a scarf for one kid and the other got a coat and a scarf also. I must say that the kids look rather stylish in their new clothes.
We wanted to come into Melbourne to see the Museum and catching up with friends that have decided to move to Melbourne was a great excuse to spend the day there and to see some great exhibits.
Dinosaur Bones at The Melbourne Muesum
It was a HUGE day as we had a bit of a drive from Ballarat to Carlton and also to back to the hotel.
So what did we see there?
Well we learnt about the human body, saw the real Phar Lap, dinosaur bones, and of course a giant squid. There was so much more. The museum was enormous and it was so well done and we were super impressed.
Phar Lap at The Melbourne Museum. I did not realise that he was so tall!
The building was just amazing and the facilities were impressive compared to what we are used to. Some of the museum’s in Sydney are in older buildings and are limited for space. The museum in Melbourne seemed purpose built and has the space they need for all exhibits.
If you book online for tickets you get a great deal. You don’t pay for kids that are under 12.
Also for parking if you book online you pay $20 for a full day of parking. What great value is that.
I hope this gives you some ideas on where to take the kids on the holidays and the weekends.
We are flying home tomorrow and the kids cannot wait to see their teddies again. We have all had a fabulous time and wish our holiday could last forever but we have to go home to our life and jobs.
What have you done these school holidays? Have you had a great experience somewhere that you would love to share? Let us know.
Monday we started our Ballarat/Melbourne trip. We flew to Melbourne and then hired a car to allow us to drive to Ballarat and then explore the surrounds.
We were surprised that the airport at Sydney was not jammed packed with school holiday travellers. Maybe many were going to a warmer climate compared to visiting a cold Ballarat in Winter. Today was freezing and the wind did not help!
Our trip started of with us planning to be on a beach, somewhere warm and not cold like home is. However this was not to be. I looked at many options as we had already paid for the accommodation component and had certain areas within Australia, New Zealand and Fiji that we could visit. As mentioned all dates for our trip were full in any warm area. Some places were great for us but the kids would be bored out of their brains.
I decided on Ballarat due to the proximity to Melbourne, and the fact that there is a lot to do for families in Ballarat and surrounds.
Pop Up Ice Skating Rink
Our first full day in Ballarat was Tuesday. I had organised tickets to the Pop Up Ice Skating Rink in the main part of Ballarat town centre. The kids were so excited to go skating but that did not last long. I joined them but was concerned about falling over. Julia had a bit of a fall but was all good, however she was upset and in need of cuddles. Both kids then decided that they did not want to skate anymore and would like to try the tobogganing. This was a huge hit and we all had a go.
The Tangled Maze
After our time at Winterlude we decided to go to the Tangled Maze. We all had lunch before we tackled the maze and that was a good move. There were many things to find to answer the questions in the maze and we were there for a while.
The kids racing around The Tangled Maze.One side of the maze. It was all created out of hedges and flowers. It would have taken ages, it also looked very pretty.
The maze really tired out the twins. They had fun, found the answers to the questions that we were given and managed to get out of the maze without having to be saved.
The kids having a fab time running around the Tangled Maze
Kyral Castle
I had no idea that there was a castle in Ballarat! But there is. Kyral Castle has a draw bridge, a moat and of course a dragon.
The kids and I outside Kyral Castle
“In 1972, Keith Ryall began building the castle, which formally opened 2 years later primarily as a tourist attraction but also as an educational, conference and function facility with ‘royal’ accommodation and a wedding chapel.”
The fire performer at Kryal Castle.
There were so many things to do for kids at Kryal Castle.
Here are some of the events from the Kryal website:
The daily program consists of:
10:15 – Roving performers
11:30 – Mounted Skill at Arms
12:00 – The Storyteller – Grab a seat and join The Kryal Storyteller by the fire in the rotunda.
12:30 – Roving performers
1:30 – The Joust of the Flame – In the land of Kryal there is an ancient tradition. In the darkest depths of winter, when the snows fall, the moat turns to ice and people hide away indoors against the fearsome winds from the west, they are visited by a dark and powerful force.
We did do the maze at Kryal Castle but the kids needed to be rescued. They were fine and all worked out well. So if you do the maze with the kids make sure they stay with you.
The dragon at Kryal Castle
If you are ever in Ballarat make sure you visit Kryal Castle. You will have a great family day out.
Stay tuned for more of our holiday adventures.
Hope you are all having a great time these school holidays. What have you been up to so far? Let us know.
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.
The article puts all the emphasis onto women. It does take two to make a baby and men are part of this issue as well. Why are men not being mentioned or told to consider having kids earlier as well? They have issues with age as well and both men and women can have fertility issues when older. It is not just down to the woman to organise all this on her own.
I must say that men before 30 generally are not thinking of babies and the same for women. Some do and that is great, but others are out building a career, studying and the big thing that no one has mentioned is that the women that are being told to race off and have babies probably has not met the right partner to do this with yet. What do you do if you have not met the one yet?
I met my husband in my early twenties but we did not have kids till I was in my mid 30’s. We had a good life, I studied, worked at great jobs and was building my career. We did not want to have babies without firstly being married, having a house and enough money to allow one person to be out of work while looking after kids.
I find it rather interesting that the whole focus is on the woman and not looking at men as well. I did float the idea of having kids earlier but due to hubby wanting to make sure we were married first it got delayed. We waited a while to get married. I think we liked the idea of a long engagement and making sure it all went well.
Girls and women have so many more choices now than to instantly get married and be a mother. You can be a career woman and then a mother, and also both at the same time. I know that doctors are making sure that we are aware that our window of fertility will not last forever and of course if you wish to have children it is a good idea to think about when that might happen. However if you have not met your mate yet, how are you to get busy making the next generation?
Boys need to be taught that they need to look at this issue seriously as well. Women don’t need to take the whole responsibility for fertility for a couple, kids and family. It is something that a couple should do together, not a woman on her own.
When is there going to be high profile articles about men talking about not to delay fatherhood?
I do think that it is easy to think you have plenty of time and I thought that too. As said I was telling hubby that I wanted to have kids and that I did not want to wait. I even suggested having a kid before marriage! Yes this was terrible to mention to him. Oh well… we were lucky that we got married, and the kids did come.
One thing I did make sure to do with hubby when he was still the boyfriend: I made sure he wanted to have kids eventually. I did not want to be with someone that did not want children. It was important to me and if he did not agree then I told him that I could not date him. It sounds terrible to say, but you don’t want to be in a long term relationship and think that they share your views and thoughts, but only to wake up one day and realise that they never wanted children, But you do!
It is tough to figure out how you fit it all in. Kids, life, work and so on. It just works out whatever age you have children. Things just work out. You cope, you make do and you manage. I do think it wise not to leave it too late to have kids but the tough part was the timing with the partner and making sure they were on board with the next steps. If it was all down to women and we could have kids by ourselves then we can fixate on just them.
However I feel that part of the issue is that men are not on the same page as their partners or as said before you have not met the person who will father your children yet, and who knows when that will be.
What do you think? Do you think that men need to be part of this issue?
Do you think that it needs to be part of boys/girls education to understand about fertility and not leaving it too late if you wish to have kids? I do!
Women should not be the only sex that deals with this issue.
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.
Yesterday our new TV arrived. We were all very excited. It arrived in a very very BIG box. I am sure it was not that big? Did I just forget what the size actually was? I’m sure it is just the box and it has padding. The HUGE box worried me. I was not sure we could fit it in the room.
Our old TV died a long time ago and before it finally gave up its last show it was flickering and just not looking well.
When it finally went to black we had to have a replacement. We used one of my computer monitors. Yes we went from a HUGE screen to a tiny one. Hubby and I took it carefully out of the box and thank goodness, it is smaller than the box!
We finally have a new television. Now we need to figure out how to work it.
Well it would not have been tiny when I was a kid, it would have been huge, however since we were all used to something enormous it was weird to suddenly have a smaller screen. The kids were shocked when we produced the monitor for a stand in until we replaced the television. I could not understand why they were so upset, but then I figured it out. They had never known a smaller screen.
Now we have the reverse happening. The new telly is 3 inches bigger than the old one. We have decided to rearrange the living room a bit for a change and to create more space. Now every time I walk past and see the TV it is MASSIVE! JUST HUGE! It will take me some time to get used to it.
Has this happened to you?
When we purchased the TV we went to look at all different makes and models. There was one that was GIGANTIC! It would have taken an entire wall to put it on. To have this telly you would have to have a very big house as well. We got one that was still big but not something we cannot fit in our house.
Plus the GIGANTIC telly cost nearly $12,000 so that is not the price we wanted to spend on a television.
I am very happy that we finally have a new TV but since it is new we have not figured out all whiz bang things that it comes with. It will take us some time to learn what buttons to press, and what to do with it. I managed to watch Clarke and Dawe and Portlandia on ABC’s iView today so that is something.
Before I pick kids up from school I need to get some cables that will hopefully allow me to watch free to air television again. I have not been able to watch regular telly for a long while now. It stopped working and we think it might have had something to so with the old telly not working and communicating with the aerial. I hope this is the case. If not it is an aerial issue. Hubby did look on the roof and thinks all looks good.
Fingers crossed that the magic cables I buy make the television all work.
Today was Mother’s Day and I’m sure you called your mum, did family things with the kids and spoilt the wife, and just had a great day. We did a bit of this. I had a very early wake-up call due to one kid wanting to help finding some My Little Pony toys. She even tried to wake me up by waving a crystal above my head, thank goodness it did not hit me.
I eventually got up and got the kids breakfast. Hubby then woke up and I got to open my gifts that I have been curious about for a few days now. One gift in particular I told hubby I wanted so Julia and Daddy went off to the post office to secure the book I wanted. The rest of the gifts were things that the kids purchased from the Mother’s Day stall at school, and hubby got some things at the shops the other day.
My Mother’s Day Gifts – I wonder what the kids got me?
So for the curious, I got the following for my pressies:
2 lots of sunflower seeds from the girls
1 magnet meal planner for the fridge from the girls
1 book about all things to know about sewing. This book tells you how to do all things you have said, “I wonder how you do that?” Now I will know and have the book to tell me. Yes, I am armed with the info I need. Now I just need to magically find the time and space to do what I want and all will be right with the world.
PJs from hubby (very happy with this as I needed some new ones)
After the grand opening of my amazing gifts and putting a movie on for the kids, hubby got busy making me and his breakfast. Well, mine was breakfast in bed to be precise. So what did he cook me?
Hubby made me Sticky Apple Pancakes and that’s not all, he made them all heart-shaped for me. Yes that is amazing don’t you think! Thanks to IGA for sending me such a lovely gift box for Mother’s Day.
Ingredients ready to make Sticky Apple Pancakes – All from IGA
Ingredients:
40g unsalted butter, cubed
2 pink lady apples, cut into thin slices
40g sultanas
½ cup maple syrup
375g Greens Original Pancake Shake
Method:
Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
Add apples and cook for 5 minutes then add sultanas, maple syrup and 1/3 cup water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are translucent and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
While apple compote is cooking, prepare the Green’s Pancake Shake according to packet instructions. Cook pancakes as directed.
Spoon the apple and sultana compote over the pancakes and serve immediately.
Creating the apple and sultana compoteThe finished product – all ready to eat!The girls serving me breakfast in bed with daddies help of course
After we had our yummy breakfast, we got all rugged up and headed out to see the sculptures at Scenic World. It was a very cold day and we have had over 70km wind gusts so about 5 layers helped me feel warm.
We all walked over 4km, went on the railway, cableway, the skyway and the walkways. No wonder I am so tired.
On the walkway trying to spot the next sculptureThe kids on the glass floor in the skyway. It is opaque and then becomes clear.
What did you end up doing for Mother’s Day? Did you stay in due to it being freezing? Or venture out with the family? I was lucky we got to see the sculptures as today was the last day they were on. Some were very interesting and others were rather odd and morbid. We all had a great day and it was nice to be out and about. Getting some exercise was a good thing for everyone to be doing, we all walked a lot today.
I hope you had a great Mother’s Day.
If you wish to cook this yummy recipe that hubby made for breakfast or something different, you can visit theIGA Recipesfor more inspiration.
Thanks again to IGA for my fab Mother’s Day gift box it was yummy and made my day!
Nearly seven years ago I became a mum for the first time. The twins came early like many babies do. We were ready as much as we could be. I had my bag packed ready to go. I never left the house without my neonatal card so that wherever I was I had it at the ready.
When the babies were born they were whisked away from me, due to being premmie. I of course was still attached to machinery so a nurse had to assist with all this. Hubby went to the NICU with the babies. After all was organised, I was placed in a wheel chair (as I could not move my legs from an epidural) and hubby escorted me to the NICU to see the girls.
After I saw the babies, I then went to my bed upstairs in the ward. All other new mums had their babies with them, this was a fact that was obvious by the screaming and seeing the little of bundles in the cots next to my room mates for a time.
Mum and her baby
It might sound strange but I had a disconnect going on. I was so tired, sore and just needed rest. I managed to get some sleep and then got woken up by nurses and other noises at the hospital. I lay there in the bed thinking, did I just have babies? It felt so odd, to have babies and not be with them. It was like in a weird way it did not happen. It could just be the fact of not sleeping for 30 hours plus did this.
I made sure that I worked on getting the babies breast milk and visited all day and nights as well. I even changed nappies in a humidicrib! This is rather difficult as the nappies were so tiny and so were the babies. Plus you can only have hands go in a certain area of the crib. You will know the awkwardness if you have done this task. NICU nurses should get medals for these amazing feats.
What was your first experience of motherhood? Were your babies premmie? Did the same thing happen to you? It was a strange feeling suddenly to be someones mum. I did have practice with my wonderful cat, but it is not the same is it? Well there are similarities but very different on the whole. The similarities is that you have to feed, take care, and give heaps of cuddles. One difference is your cat does not talk back and your child will.
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
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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.
The last few days I have been a bit lax, yes I started with great intentions to do my stretches but things got out of hand.
Headache,
Kids not getting ready for school,
Headache,
And then helping at school for home reading.
I love helping at the school but it does mean that when I come home, that my wishful early start to the day was not to be.
I know I should get with it, and get up early. I am planning this for next week, so that I can focus on me and have my time without any interruption. Once I have done my exercises I feel great. The stretches from Body Beyond Birth really do make a massive difference to my mood and how my body feels.
Did I mention the headache?….Well I have had one for a few days now, and I find that when I get to that time of month or before, I get bad headaches. Do you suffer from this as well?
I like to get out in the fresh air and to change my environment. A bit of exercise somewhere different can make all the difference. Having kids stay over at relatives for the whole weekend can have the same calming and happy effect. Pity that the latter is not happening although I have been wishing and praying.
I was on a roll and was doing my stretches and exercises online. I charged the iPad and have done them in the garden, the bedroom and the living room. Sounds kinky but it is just me with the iPad doing my exercises. Yes boring but they make me feel amazing and so tall!
I just love this stretch. What is your favourite stretch or exercise to do?
Having an exercise program that is portable is great for me and other busy people. I would never have been able to do my stretches in my garden if this was not so.
After I have done my walks (on both days I have done well over 10,000 steps thanks to my FitBit for this info) I did some of the meditation videos that are on the Body Beyond Birth’s program. This allowed me to relax, refocus and just be. It helped me feel better.
Do you find that meditation is helpful? I do! It really helps me and makes a massive difference. I feel lighter and just calmer. Very helpful as a parent to two energetic kids or anyone that is feeling stressed or tense.
I will do my stretches tomorrow before I leave the house and have the option to pick a yoga work out or maybe another meditation video.
Feeling relaxed with meditation.
Due to hubby and the kids wanting to go to the pancake place for breakfast I might need more than stretches tomorrow. I might have one, yes just one…. I promise!
After they have had their fill with pancakes, I’m off to the shops to get ingredients for some of the yummy recipes that Becky and Jackie have on the site. Once sampled I will showcase them on the blog.
How are you going trying to fit in your exercise into your day? Do you get up early to make sure you don’t miss out? Or do you love doing it in the afternoon? Let us know what is working for you? Send in your comments.
It took the girls well over 40 minutes to get dressed and organised for school this morning!
Yes that is a long time, especially when it should only take about 10-15mins at the most!
Do you find that your little one takes ages doing tasks that should not take forever? I do!
Due to the super long time taken to simply put on a uniform, socks, shoes and brush hair I of course was getting very annoyed. I’m sure if I said, c’mon we are going to the movies, swimming or somewhere fun, they would have magically gotten ready in record time. I have seen it happen so I know they can do it!
After nearly 15 minutes of the kids still being in their birthday suits, I gave the kids an ultimatum. If they were still like this when we had to leave, this is how they would go to school!
This picture shows how this morning went. Giggles, games, and silliness and no getting ready for school!
Yes I would have had to put two naked kids in a car and drive to school, but I was prepared to do this.
I would have clothes in the car for them if this did eventuate, but they were lucky that they got with it and managed to get dressed although super slow.
As I was getting upset and angry about this, I took deep breaths and kept on reminding myself. If they don’t get dressed I will leave as promised, and they can deal with it in the car or at school.
I think they saw how annoyed and angry I was at the progress, and realised mummy would follow through with her threat. Scary if they had not dressed well or at all!
I was thinking maybe it is our morning routine that gets them out of sorts. But thinking about it our morning routine is a good one. We get up, eat breakfast, kids pick out their uniform, have a shower, get dressed, get bags sorted and leave for school.
The girls were full of beans and had the giggles which did not help. Maybe I need to have them in separate rooms in the morning to speed up dressing? Have you had to do this? Did it work for you?
Have you ever ended up taking a non-dressed child to school or somewhere else due them not being ready? Let us know what happened.
What is it like at your house? Do the kids muck around and take ages getting ready for school? Or are they good and get ready quickly?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
I AM TRYING TO WORK ON SOMETHING THAT IS RATHER IMPORTANT AND NEED TO CONCENTRATE! CAN DADDY HELP YOU?
I told hubby before being bothered that he had to sort dinner and everything else. He was happy to do it as I was busy. Great I thought, until the Weet-Bix meltdown began.
For the last couple of days the kids have not been feeling well, and one is coughing and had a slight temperature. The other had a bit of a temperature also, but it was nothing to worry about. So we did the normal fluids, painkillers, kisses and cuddles and that was it.
The kids of course requested to have Weet-Bix for dinner. We thought fine, they are not well and at least they are eating something.
When the twins are feeling unwell they like to have Weet-Bix for dinner. Yes this could be a parenting fail. But I think if they are sick, it is better that they eat something than nothing.
Just to explain: I’m the mum who gets the interest of the worried doctor due to kids looking thin and underweight. My kids have always been at the bottom 3rd percentile on the graph in the blue book you get when you have a baby.
I know my kids are fuss pots with eating, however they were on track for their milestones and have been ahead for some of them. This was good as one doctor we saw in the early days was convinced the twins might be delayed, so wonderful this was not to be.
So as you now understand if my fussy eaters, when sick desire Weet-Bix, we let them.
Hubby prepared the Weet-Bix but was not prepared for the outcome.
This is how it all unfolded:
Hubby brings Weet-bix to children.
One kid takes a look at the Weet-Bix and starts screaming and crying.
She says, “That is not how you make Weet-Bix!!!!” “Mummy does not make it like this!”
This child was so upset and annoyed by the way the Weet-Bix was, she had to physically remove herself away from the food and could not touch it as she was in such hysterics.
Not the way Weet-Bix should be! Daddy why did you do this she said!
Hubby also got told:
“How could you?”
“That’s not how you do it!
This is not correct!”
All of this was accompanied by waving of arms, crying and putting hands on face in major disappointment.
Due to hubby’s loss at what the issue was, and of course dealing with a traumatised child, I piped in and said,
“If you don’t like it, you can fix it. Go to the kitchen and do it the way you like it”
She took the matter into her own hands, left the room and went to the kitchen.
She returned with a bowl of Weet-Bix created in the way she likes and wanted in the first place.
Weet-bix made by the child in question and just the way she likes it!
Daddy said that she reacted like he had given her a pooh sandwich.
Have you ever done something for the kids to have a hysterical reaction to what you did?
What was the thing that made the child/children so upset? Was it as simple as not organising the Weet-Bix like the child wanted?
Note: Daddy put the flakes of Weet-Bix in the bowl as well as the last biscuits. He was being thrifty and good to use every last part of the box. However if you use too much of the end flaky bits it makes it clump and just be a big mess. I think that this is what the issue was.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Have you said something silly? That makes no sense? Or it could make sense but not at the time of day or the place when you said it?
Well I have! And it is happening more due to kids, being super tired and on the go all the time!
The other day hubby said this:
“I vacuumed the backyard and it is looking good”
Now I don’t know about you but most men or women don’t use a vacuum to mow their lawn. A mower is the tool of trade and it does the job quite nicely.
Maybe hubby knows something we don’t. The vacuum must put the finishing touches on his perfect lawn and makes it look amazing.
As soon as this came out of his mouth the kids could not stop laughing and I of course got the giggles. He was obviously very tired to be saying this.
Or maybe he wanted to vacuum as well? I will not stop someone who wishes to do more housework.
Daddy vacuuming the backyard! Yes that is the way he keeps the place looking a million bucks. You should try it! Man vacuuming by Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net, but grass added by me.
Earlier this week after I got home with kids from school I said the following:
“Get your luggage out of the car”
Then I got this reaction.
Lillian told me, while laughing.” Mummy you are tired! They are not our luggage, there our school bags!”
Maybe I was tired, but it does feel at times that I have heaps of luggage in the car.
Kissing and cuddling your daughter to then tell her “Good night” but this was at school drop off. Now I need to have more sleep if I’m doing this! Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
And there is this one that I said when kids started pre-school and sometimes still do it now and they are in grade one:
Saying “Good night” when dropping kids at school.
Yes I know they are at school but maybe I have wishful thinking. Maybe I will get a nap or they will have a rest too? It does show that I am tired or brain is elsewhere.
Have you done this too? What is the weirdest thing you have said to the kids or someone else? Did you think it was a sign you needed to go back to bed? I do at times.
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