Christmas Day Games

The kids all got lots of bubble blowing paraphanalia so we took advantage of the last of the sunshine and spent the afternoon hanging out in the back yard blowing lots and lots of bubbles. We also played football, tether ball, t-ball, table tennis, and ten-pin bowling.

Merry Christmas Alex

Now that Alex can read his own name, it didn't take him long to sort through the presents and realise that the biggest box belonged to him. He got a new Hot Wheels track and various new cars and Hot Wheels accessories. Who says boys don't like to accessorise?

Ella Gets A Bike

Merry Christmas Ella. She seemed more impressed with the bike helmet which was adorned with Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy - characters from In The Night Garden, a favourite tv show.

Before Unwrapping Began

This picture was taken early in the day, before the unwrapping carnage began. Charlotte took a little while to realise how this whole Christmas malarky works, but eventually she realised all she needed to do was pick up a present, take it to Daddy and he would reveal the treasures beneath the paper. A Christmas miracle.

Happy Birfday Grandma

Here's a little birthday song for you, Yvonne. Ella asked if you could come over. We miss you and wish we could be there to help blow out the candles today. Lots of love from all of us.

Happy Halloween

Yesterday was the big birthday bash for Alex's 4th and Charlotte's 1st birthdays. We had a bunch of good friends at our house to help celebrate. The kids play house was transformed into a spooky, spider-infested scare house and the kids all dressed as their favourite scary person. At the end of the party we took the kids trick or treating around our small street. Phew, I'm glad that is over for another year!

Bill Returns

Bill is home, hence the no-show for the last few days. Tomorrow is the big halloween party so I'll have a picture or two to post, but I will probably slack off for a little while. Sorry, but with Bill being home, I'm more likely to be cuddled up on the couch than sitting in a hard-backed wooden chair swearing at my computer.

Another Birthday In The Mason House

Alex turned 4, but if you ask him he'll tell you that he's 58. The kids all spent last night at Nanna and Grandad's place, spent the day hanging out with Nanna, went to swimming lessons, and Alex got to open his presents and fight with Ella to be allowed to play with them. He asked for a circle cake with chocolate and strawberry and blue sprinkles on top. His request for dinner was macaroni and cheese. I did everything I could to pander to his every whim. Lucky kid!

Birthday Cake Number 2

We celebrated Alex's 4th birthday and Charlotte's 1st birthday with our friends at playgroup. I'm holding up my cell phone because Bill is on the other end of the line singing happy birthday too. He won't be home in time for Alex's birthday, but we've got our fingers crossed that he'll be home for the halloween party next Saturday.

I've got a funny little story to tell. Today Alex was giving me an anatomy lesson. Apparently our brains reside just below our heart, in our chest. That's where the the food and water go that we drink and our brain turns it into poo and wee. Alex also told me that if we get water from the shower in our brains then the doctor has to get it out with a big net. Alex wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Ella wants to be a train driver.

Ella & Charlotte's First Up-do

I have purposely kept the girls' hair short so that I don't have to fuss over it in the mornings or even brush it some days (most days, actually). This week Debs put Ella's hair up in a 'horsey tail', as Ella called it, so silly me bought some hair ties at the shops and today we played hair dressers. Even Alex wanted in on the action and has decided that he wants to grow his hair long so that he can tie it up. I never thought Ella or Charlotte could get any cuter. It seems piggy tails send the cute-meter through the roof!

Superhero's Day

Wednesday was Superhero's day at kindy for Alex and Ella. Alex was Superman and Ella was Princess Dora. They were the best dressed kids at kindy!

A Star Is Born

Another day - another day with Debs, Gus and Joe. Today we went to their place. Ella showed us her awsome tallent, singing and playing the guitar. We stayed for dinner, baths, and came home with all three kids asleep.

Happy Birthday To Me

She turned one today. We had a few friends come over for a little celebration and a bit of cake. We're having a big birthday party on halloween for both Charlotte and Alex, who turns 4 next Monday.

The Birthday Triangle

Have you ever tried to take a photo of a number of small children, none of whom have their listening ears on? Here are our friends who came to help celebrate Charlotte's 1st birthday.

Ice Cream Baby part 2

After a morning spent at the park we went to MacDonalds for lunch and ice creams. Charlotte wanted to feed herself but wasn't all that accurate with her aim.

Rocks Riverside Park

Pardon the pun, but this place rocks! It's a public park where they have built a little river with small pools and lots of rocks. Alex and Lachlan used Lachie's thongs (or flip flops) and let them float down the river. The kids had a ball - they always do.

Land Ahoy!

Playgroup this morning where we made binoculars and then hanging out at Debs' place - again. It's been great having Debs to look after us while Bill's been working in Melbourne.

Walkin On Sunshine

Here is a picture of Midget wandering around in our back yard. We went to kindergym this morning, then the park afterwards with our friends Debs, Gus and Joe. We came home and the kids crashed out and I baked banana bread.

There's Something About Charlotte

This kid suffers from the worst case of bed-head that I've ever seen. Even when it's 5pm. Even when she's had a bath and I've washed and brushed her hair. It has a mind of its own. So does she.

Here Comes Summer

We had a splash in the back yard today.

Proof They Can Share!

It's not all screaming and fighting when you are brother and sister. Here is a rare moment of "Can I try yours and then you can try mine." It warms my heart.

The Hammer Throw

Here is Ella practising her hammer throw with the bouncy ball and an icy pole. She managed to knock herself over but didn't lose her icy pole. We stayed home today and played in the back yard.

Dressing For Dinner

Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle to dress her before she sits down and spills half of her food over herself.

This Lion Will Sleep Tonight

Yesterday our big outing for the day was to Bunnings - a massive hardware store. I wanted to buy more veggies for my vegetable patch and the kids got to play in the playground. Charlotte thinks she is a big kid. She was climbing the steps while the bigger kids jumped over her to get up and down on the fort. Ella got her face painted. It was a challenge to get the paint off her face at bath time.

A Day At Seaworld

Yesterday we went to Seaworld for the day. This is a picture of Alex and his friend, Gus, watching the dolphin show. We saw the dolpin show, the sea lion show and the Sesame Street show, as well as went on a few rides and ate ice cream. It was a very busy day and I was too buggered to blog last night.

The Things We Do To Our Kids

At playgroup today we did bellybutton prints of all the kids. We painted their bellys then pressed a piece of paper onto it. It made some great pictures with little bellybutton holes in the middle. Very cute.

Ice Cream Baby

This is Charlotte's first attempt at eating an ice cream. She pulled some funny faces at the beginning of it and, if you watch this, also at the end. She enjoyed it, though. I ended up with the last bit which was covered in broccoli bits and bits of meatball. Yum.

Hauling A Cranky Load

Today we went to the library in the morning for story time then to our local park which has recently undergone a facelift. Check out the expression on Alex. I guess he could use a facelift too.

Yellow and Purple and Blue and Red Submarine

We spent today at home - all day. I gardened like a crazy woman! I've realised that there is a downside to being industrious. We have two big bins and I've filled them both. Plus bin day isn't until Friday. We had lots of fun building submarines, playing with playdoh, the kids and I planted sunflower seeds. It was a full-on, lazy day at home.

Jump In My Car

Without Alex and Ella, Charlotte and I did lots and lots and LOTS of chores. First we spent an hour or so in the garden - at 7am! Best time of the day for it, though. Eating all that leaf litter and dirt must have been too much for Charlotte because she went down for her morning nap far too early for my carefully planned day. So I cleaned and she slept. Then we went shopping for groceries, came home to see our old timber furniture get taken away - finally - and then Alex and Ella came home to tear up the house. We watched the football grand final while playing doctors which turned into tackling Mummy on the living room floor. After that the rest of the night gets kinda hazy....

Oh, yeh, the picture. Without Bill here I have to start his truck to make sure the battery dosn't run flat. Charlotte had fun sitting in the front seat.

Another Day In The Water

We spent the day with Nanny Barb, Angela, Dave and the kids. The water was pretty cold and my kids didn't venture off the step - which meant that I didn't have to get into the pool, so I was more than happy with their decision. Ella didn't even get into the water! My dad came over this evening and took Ella and Alex home for a sleep over. I have a list of things that I hope to achive tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Splash!

We spent the day at our friends' house - Debs (mum), Gus (3 years old) and Joe (1 year old). The kids had a tea party in the back yard. They got a bit heavy handed when pouring the 'tea' which left a great little puddle of water for Charlotte to play in.

Greg Is In The Building

This is what greeted me this morning as I drank my first coffee of the day. I heard the 'pat pat pat' of feet coming down the hallway and turned to see this walking toward me. He then wore the wig to our friends' house for the day. Coupled with a trendy yellow shirt and he is the spitting image of Greg Wiggle.

Playing Swords

Whacking your sister with a plastic golf club is not just for brothers to do. Charlotte is fair game now. She just has to learn how to run away if it all gets too violent.

Wattle Like A Penguin

I tried to get Alex to sing a little song that he learned at kindy. The video is quite dark and Ella has joined in with her version of the song so it's hard to hear the lyrics, but if you listen carefully you'll hear Alex 'put his hand out flat and wattle like a penguin'.

Another Day At The Beach

Another beautiful day, another day perfect for the beach.This is the fourth time this month that we've gone to Paradise Point. The kids had a great day. We've all come home a little bit sun-kissed and rosy cheeked. I think Alex has had enough of sun and sand, though. Today he declared that next time we go to the beach, he's going to stay at home. He also said to me later when we were at home that he likes his house and he likes his toys. Maybe we've been too busy lately.

A Day With The Nortons

Today our friends came to our house for a sleep over. Braeden gate-crashed the party for the day. The kids played outside for ages and when things started to go a bit haywire we all moved inside to play Wii when things went REALLY haywire. Everyone had a great day.

Real Bowling

I've been promising Alex all week that he could go bowling with Grandad on Sunday. So we did. He wanted to make sure it was real bowling and not Wii bowling. He was winning for the first four or five frames thanks to a spare early in the game, but I soon caught up and beat him - but only just. Ella, on the other hand, was more interested in just rolling the ball down the ramp. Anything after that was above her attention span.

The Entertainers

Yesterday, Saturday, we went to Queens Park in Ipswich with some very good friends Debs (mum) and Gus (3 years old). They have an awsome playground and also a zoo with wombats, emus, kangaroos, bilbys and lots of snakes and lizards. We passed a small and empty stage which practically called out Alex's name and said "come and do a show for us, Alex". So he did. Gus, was breakdancing in the background while Alex sang Hot Potato and then Ella made up her own special song and dance. It was very entertaining. We had a great day. All the kids fell asleep on the way home and Ella didn't wake up again until 3am. Thankfully she went back to sleep - eventually.

I didn't get to post this last night because Alex had comendeered the computer while I watched the football. Today we're going bowling - real bowling, not Wii bowling - so I will post another picture tonight. I promise.

They Call Me Aunty Toni

My brother, Damien, and his girlfriend, Choong, had their first beautiful baby boy on Thursday morning. He is about 7lb 12oz and not a red hair to be seen! As you can see, he's gorgeous. Both mum and bub are doing well.

One, Two, Three, JUMP!

We spent the day with the Nortons. This is a picture of my little boy doing big boy tricks. He idolises his friend, Lachlan, who is 6. Alex and Lachlan were jumping from the big trampoline, onto the little trampoline, and then back to the big trampoline. I couldn't watch.

Charlotte's First Steps

She walks! She took her first step a couple of weeks ago and now she will walk across the room -- when she feels like it. She climbs on everything, too. Today Alex and Ella went to kindy so me and Charlotte hung out together for the day. I had my hair cut, cooked a dinner which the kids ate after lots of encouragement (mostly encouraging in a loud, cranky voice), and watched a movie. God I love Wednesdays!

Wearing Nanna's Glasses

We did nothing today, well, nothing that I took photos of anyay. We chatted to Grandma in Canada, we did a bit of gardening, went grocery shopping and got a new battery in our car. My mum came over for the last time before she heads over to Perth to meet her newest grandson on the weekend. During dinner, Alex asked her why she always wears glasses. The easiest way to explain Nanna's 'failing' eyesight was to let the kids look through Nanna's eyes.

Stickers From Daddy

The kids love getting mail and Bill sent some green dot stickers to them. As you can see, they've arrived! I'll be finding green dots on furniture all over the house for the next couple of weeks. Come to think about it, I don't think I took this one off Charlotte before she went to bed! Ooops.

Got Worms?

We were all getting into the car this morning and Alex comes around to me saying he has a new friend - Slimey. He found him in the garden. Then the stuggle began between mother and son as worms are not allowed in the car and Alex didn't have a suitable container to keep him in until we got home. We put Slimey into a box on the front patio which I am sure he's escaped from by now. Thankfully, all Alex thinks about when he comes home is which Wii game he's going to play. Slimey has been forgotten.

Alex's Girlfriend

We went to lunch to celebrate Ruth's 50th birthday today. There were lots of friends at the party, including Alex's self-appointed girlfriend, Hannah. Apparently they are going to go out together to MacDonalds where they can have chicken nuggets and a drink. Hannah's plan is to eventually get married. I'm not sure Alex has the same idea.

Funny Faces

We went to the park today. Luckily I was in a good mood because this was the third park we drove to before we had total agreement from all parties that this was a good park for a picnic. The kids played for about 15 minutes then decided that it was time for the picnic, which took an hour! Then we peed, and went home. I'm posting my blog early today because tonight I'm getting the grand-babysitters in and I'm going to the pub with some friends to celebrate the passing of another year - aka, someone's birthday. Cheers everyone!

Mum and Bub

One of the girls from playgroup took this photo of Charlotte and me. Not a bad one of the two of us, if I do say so myself.

Our Little Easy Rider

At playgroup today Charlotte just jumped onto this little bike and started pushing herself along (with a little help maybe). She's been taking her first steps over the last week and enjoys playing with anything that accelerates her upright movements. Bugger this crawling gig! And I swear she said 'bottle'. It sounded more like 'bowl' but I knew what she was trying to say.

Yoga When You're Two

This was funny. I've been getting into the Wii Fit and enjoying the yoga part of it lately. I was doing a stretch in the kitchen and Alex started to imitate me, so I showed him another pose, the Warrior. Then he showed me 'The Fighter' and, my favourite, 'The Pillow'. Ella is in the background doing the Tree pose. She's a quick learner.

Road Testing the New Couch

It passed the 'kids jumping on the couch' test. It lasted five minutes before grubby Nutella hands said hello to lovely new leather couch. Hence the choice of leather - it rubs clean with a cloth. I must find a clean cloth to wipe off the Nutella....

Is There A Doctor In The House?

Ella wanted me to play doctors with her this morning but I had chores to do, so we got out a few teddies and surgery began. First cab off the rank was Dora who needed a few needles. Ella brought her out to me later declaring her wellness. Cookie Monster and the Easter Bunny were next in line for their check ups.

Who Stole The Couch?

The transformation of our living room continues. I sold our huge, blue corner lounge suite today. They came this morning and took it away, so now we are using an old foam mattress and a bean bag as our lounging furniture. Ella nearly cried when she came home and the couch was gone. Alex ran to the tv to make sure the Wii was still there. The new couch arrives on Thursday.

A New Cake Book

Alex and Ella had swimming lessons with Nanna today so I didn't get to spend much time with them. After swimming they went to Nannas and are having a sleepover. Alex and Ella are both preparing for the upcoming birthday celebrations by going through the cake books and choosing which cake they would like for the party - one for Alex and one for Charlotte. Alex spotted this snake cake and decided it would be good for his 'Wiggly party'.