Waiting to go to sleep

It's Christmas Eve and I'm waiting to go to sleep. All the presents are wrapped and where they should be. The cake left for Santa is dutifully eaten. The sense of anticipation is building.
So 'twas the night before Christmas....
I just read the verse from Luke 2
“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

I bet Mary was just sitting there awake looking at her brand new baby son, feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of what she had done in delivering a baby, and in who this child was, she must have looked at his face full of hope and held that like a snapshot in her heart for evermore.

I know I will cry singing Christmas carols tomorrow as I think about Jesus and who he is and what he means to me, I will hold my baby tight and remember the Christmas when I had a tiny baby lying in a cradle.

Merry Christmas dear friends.


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I forgot about the 22 cookie monsters

Elliot was sick again and missed his last day of kindy for the year. Not only was this sad cause his two best buddies are going to prep next year but it was his birthday week, I had those 22 Cookie Monster cupcakes to take.
I had 22 Cookie Monster cup cakes in my fridge People,and a truck load of left over blue butter cream frosting.
We called kindy and they said we could come down and have morning tea with his class. There was just one hitch for poor Elliot. It was chucking -the night before in the car park (station car park not church car park) he had chucked all over himself and the carseat, we missed carols and nowhere was missing his cupcake day.
We went but he was under strict instructions not to eat the cupcake. The teachers quarantined one he blew out a candle and the cam was wrapped up for him to take home. Poor guy, not even able to eat your own birthday cake. There was much whinging and complaining and falling on the floor, but he got to enjoy it the next day once the danger of seeing it a second time had passed.
How good do Cookie Monster cakes look? I totally ripped it off another blog - boy the Internet makes some things easy.

Golf

Derek has had a bad week. A nasty virus has knocked him around. He has had awful conjunctivitis in his eyes and sleep has eluded him.


This morning, though, he got to play golf with a friend using his new drivers and a Driver as a caddy. Looks like a nice morning to be teeing off.

Birthday continued

Some fabulous bunny ears and tail from a friend who knows Elliot well!






-a Kai cake, both my older boys want to change their names to Kai because of this cool red ninja. And seriously the easiest cake I've ever done. Ready to roll red icing from the cake shop. A few drops of yellow in the white icing eyes cut out of licorice and a mini marsh mellow cut in half - hey presto a cake to knock the socks of four and six year olds alike.


Cake cuttin' time.






Mmmm delicious




The outdoor cinema - smurfs was playing
sleep was not had til 10.30 but as far as first sleep overs go i dont think that was too bad.
Elliot is cheeky, feisty determined, generous and kind beyond his years. He is a loyal friend and he is growing everyday into a lovely boy. He is our delight. Happy birthday to him.

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The look

Every time I get the camera to take a picture while he is smiley I get this look



Maybe hes not an apple fan? (blasphemer! )

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Happy birthday my little buddy!

An early morning with lots of exciting presents ( thank you all!)




A well intentioned helper!


Too much to choose from



All tuckered out after a swim at the pool


Look at those eyelashes. It's good to be 4



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A connection

These two haven't really paid much attention to each other yet. But the other day carnaby noticed Tristan and decided he was lickable
She sat and licked his feet for a good 15 min. Where he gooed and gaaaahed at her smiling and trying to get her ears. I think they will be friends
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The last newborn nappy.

My we are getting bigger



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Early mornings

1st day of school holidays, hooray for not getting in an out of the car for school drop off and pick up!




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It's just about birthday to time

We made cupcakes today for sending to kindy on Monday. I'm feeling a bit bad about it no other kids in his class have to share Christmas party day with their birthday. He missed last week cause he was sick, so cakes have to go on Monday. So I will ice 22 Cookie Monster cupcakes tomorrow.


Such is life when you birthday is 6 days before Christmas.

We enjoyed licking the bowl and wishing that our families were here to share it with us.

Just incase you were wondering where Tristan got his face from

-
It was here




#fromthesamepeapod

A quiet moment

On Monday I went to paddington. I had been given a lovely gift voucher for my birthday and I went to spend it. Thank you again to those who put it. What a shop, what a choice! I ended up with these silver earrings


A teapot - cause I don't have enough already! And some more plates for my wall collection. Lovely!
Tristan came with, but was little help in making decisions other than staying peacefully asleep in the Bjorn. I also treated myself to a homemade ice cream sand which with biscuits like Florentines either side of delicious espresso icecream. I think coffee icecream is one of my favourite icecream flavours and takes me back to being 7 years old and mum making frozen iced coffee for me as a special treat when the others were having iceblocks.
It was a nice morning in paddington.

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Cuddles with mini me

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Cheeky monkey gets a yellow belt

I don't know if you can zoom in but check out the serious grin on mr I'm a yellow belt now.


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Sick sick sick

Poor Elliot is sick - today we went to the dr he had a temp, and has post viral tonsillitis. We raced into Woolworths - next to the chemist while his prescription was being filled to grab some bread and milk to keep going for a few days. He vomited all over himself and the floor- trolleys do nothing to contain vomit. I had Tristan in the baby Bjorn and nothing to catch vomit in- no choice but to let him chuck on the floor. The poor lady who had to clean it up didn't cope very well. I was thinking at least it wasn't on my floor or bed or in the car! Vinyl floor at woollies much easier to clean! Not that I advocate taking vomiting children to shopping centres!


Heres an unusual sight - Elliot asleep sitting up in a trolley.
Some Panadol a change of clothes and some antibiotics - he has perked right up.

A monkey for Tristan

It arrived in the post today! Thanks Paul Laura and Finn!


It's just about as big as him!

Nana nana nana nana bat baby

Tristan is finally big enough to wear the bat man suit the boys bought him when he is born. They thought it was totally awesome






So did he- super hero stance

It takes a village

We had a weekend away with our church. We went to Somerset dam camp site. I sat back on Friday afternoon while the boys swam in the pool



Watching the sun set over the mountains



I watched a lot of grown ups play with my children and be considerate of them.










And enjoys seeing my kids enjoy adults and join in games. Sebastian particularly liked the treasure hunt and trivia which he got one right for our team!
Elliot is going to have some interesting memories of the treasure hunt - women asking for his clothes, trying to steal his baby brother ( for the dummy in his mouth) and other people attacking his dad to get the shirt off his back.



It was a great weekend with a great village of people. The low light was the 40 degree temps seb and Elliot had - the three boys tag teamed hourly both nights waking up. Poor guys I knew it was bad when after 1 hr of sponging seb with Elliot's wiggles undies ( being the only thing at hand to cool him down with) he said are those undies on my head ? Yeees I said, is that ok? oh he replied yeah it feels nice don't stop.
They have both been to the dr - viral - more Panadol and fluids for them!

It's even Christmas in the bath

So we do coloured baths on a daily basis, many are horrified that I tip food colouring straight into my white bath and put my children in it, but I assure you the only effect has been they are great at primary and secondary colour mixing.
We are mixing it up at the moment being the season to be jolly an all.



Red in one end green in the other go Christmas crazy and you get.....



Reindeer poo brown. Yes everything turns brown.
However in last weeks christmas bath I got the mix just so that it looked like squashed caterpillars innards. Stomach churningly awesome.
Believe it or not - they come out cleaner than they go in!

And a few other things today

A present from Santa - no tears.


A happy baby, no chucks. ( well comparatively few)


A karate test, no chucks - yellow belt here we come.

Hatrick

This lasted for an hour after lunch today. Will it ever happen again?



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End of year concert

Today was Elliot's end of year concert at his preschool. He has been warning me and the teachers for a good month now that he was not going to participate. He felt too nervous in his tummy and he would be sick. Well today the concert rolled around. He was tired after a late night last night and had a very quick sleep at lunch to take the edge off. However it was not successful.
As we arrived the centre Elliot started to get quieter and sooky. He clung like a limpet to my legs then to Derek's as we tried to leave him to change into his concert tshirt and take our seats in the hall. He cried, he sobbed, he refused to go on stage. Derek managed to get him there but it lasted all of five minutes



Here he is crying and leaving the stage. I was all set for a winning entry in funniest home videos but it was not to be, he left before I could even turn the camera from photo to video. Nothing too funny about a sad kid leaving the stage.

This water fight is on pause to be resumed in the new year

Look out boys aunty Jen has a target on your backs



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Look how happy I am to meet my aunty Jen

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All set

We were off to a wedding yesterday afternoon, just the ceremony, not the reception. I ironed everyone's outfits, put on a lick of makeup to hide the bags under my eyes,


And just as we were nearing to leave I realised that Tristan wasn't going to stop crying. He had been at it for quite sometime and quite chucky.
So with the venue being very small, I would have had to sit outside in the car park in the blazing sun with a crying inconsolable baby.
So Derek went on his own, we all put our other clothes back on, and I sat in the bedroom, feeding Tristan on and off all afternoon interspersed with crying, glad I decided not to go, so the boys haven't gotten to wear their new shirts yet, all in a row.
Tristan has been much more settled today, fingers crossed for church tonight, at least there is somewhere to go to there.

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If only it would last

We do not have daylight saving. It is one of my major bugbears with qld. Granted we don't really have twilight here, darkness falls and falls quickly like someone tripping over a scooter left in front of the laundry door* but taking an hour from 5 in the morning and adding it to the evening would be so much better. As it stands Elliot's wake up call is 5 am the child is incapable of a sleep in. He is rising with the birds. His behaviour is like that of a three year old who is awake at 5 and doesn't sleep. Irrational, unreason able and slightly erratic.


This is how I wish it would stay til at least 6 even 630 would be nice
But no, we shall see that little cherub beside the bed at five asking if he can watch T.B.
*this may or may not have happened. Just sayin'

The army is coming!!!

We live very close to a very large army base. I did in Sydney too but their presence was never felt until the end of financial year when they would explode all their munitions to get more for the new financial year.
Here in Brisbane the army presence is very strong. We see tankers and convoys on The road
Off to training exercises, soldiers are always at the local shops wandering around in their fatigues and we know quite a few soldiers and their wives at church and school. The realities of life and families in the military are close up and personal.
Today we had a visit from the army. One of the ladies at church got her husband to come down with a truck , privates, flak jackets, helmets, war paint and walkie talkies to visit. His company had recently been in Afghanistan. Some kids were really wary, not my two charges tho, right in there!

















It was a lot of fun. I have a great respect for those who serve our country in this way, and their families that support them in that. Those wives deserve a medal