A rocky road

My Pa loved rocky road. I made it for him a few times. We made it today in his memory. He died yesterday. He has been unwell and deteriorating in a nursing home for nearly 3 1/2 years. He was 91. He was an Irish citizen although he left there at 6 months old. He could be stubborn and unrelenting perfectionistic and detailed. He softened as he aged as a grandfather. He struggled with mental health issues. He was loyal and loved his wife his entire life. He was always, always interested in his grandchildren and what we were doing. He was a great baby sitter of grandchildren and dogs. He bought into any crazy projects I dreamed up and helped me make them happen. He helped me make a fibre glass heart with led lights showing the path of blood thru the heart. He made a horse out of a bobbin for a gold rush diorama. He made earrings out of a silver coin for my year 12 formal to my exact specifications. He was mr mend and make do - which sometimes we would shake our heads at- making a new pillow case out of two old holey ones.
We have watched him deteriorate over the last years and grieved the Pa he was over that time. My mum has been caring for him thru this difficult time with grace and gentleness. She is a credit to him. I loved my pa- I have missed him and will miss him.



-written from here

How we roll

-written from here

Rock pools

Richard took this picture of sebastian while they were up In Caloundra last week, Seb spent a lot of time looking in the rocks pools and really enjoying it.


I didn't get to do that with him * but love that he had a great time doing it. - it was one of my favourite things to do on holidays meandering along the rock platforms and seeing what lived in the pools. Urchins and anemones were my favourite. I hope we get to do this lots together in the future. On the last day, Richard and sebastian went downtown the rocks pools together and stood staring out at the sea together. It reminded me of a favourite Pamela Allen book grandpa and Thomas - I used to change the words to sebastian and grandad, I read it too him a lot when he was little.swish shwash swoosh went the sea.














Just what I'm sure happened

* babies who are trying to either crawl or mountain climb are not conducive to a wander along the rock pools, he will be bigger soon and I'm sure will enjoy the swish swash swoosh of the sea too

- I wrote this somewhere

$5 well spent

I told sebastian tonight if he pulled out his tooth I would pay him $5. He had been wiggling the tooth for about 4 days non stop and it was sitting at a jaunty angle for at least two of those days. Every time I looked at his sweet little birthday face my stomach lurched. I couldn't stand it any longer. With a$5 motivation he set about getting it out. He flicked it out with a tech deck skateboard, at church. So that makes 2/3 teeth have been lost at church. Either we spend a lot of time there or by the end of two full days of a weekend with wiggling teeth I've had enough and will them out!


He's got that great gappy look now that speaks of a certain age.
When growing up starts and baby ness is lost.
How many more teeth to go?
I have not the stomach for all this! Then there is still two more full heads of teeth to go! Arregh!

-written from here

Happy birthday

The day started off like this.


-written from here

Now and 5 years time

We got Sebastian's school photos today. It came with an advanced feature a time machine photo where they photo shop your child to what they will look like when they are 12.
Here he is now




And here he is at the end of primary school



-I'm just kidding I have no idea what happened there but isn't that freaky! He looks like a different child!
I'm wondering if I should call the place and ask to see the original I'm sure they have done something to that picture he doesn't look like that !
- written from here

The reluctant homeworker

The photos from this post got lost in the ether sorry. They were photos of seb looking very grumpy doing homework on holiday. So.un.fair.

Is it unfair to make him do homework when he is on holidays during term time?



Here are some of the excuses he has come up with
It's just that all the ideas I have are bad ideas and when I think of them then I forget them
She said we only have to do it if we want to and I don't want to
It's just that Elliot keeps on waking me up and I'm tired
I want to be lazy
I keep thinking of everyone else's suggestions and I can't think of my own ideas
I want to watch cartoons
My hand is hurting
But I don't have to hand it in this week
I want to think about it overnight and do it tomorrow
... More to come

-written from here



-written from here

Superheroes

A clever clogs sister made this for the boys at Christmas it has just found its way up here.


I'm not sure if I ever posted about this but Sebastian did have a moment of superheroness a few years ago.
We were swimming at a friends pool. Derek and our friend were about 1m away from the boys who were standing on a large shallow ledge. Silently Elliot got too close to the edge of the ledge and fell into the pool. Silently. Derek and our friend didn't see or hear anything, it happened in an instant. Sebastian was watching though. He reached down off the edge and plucked Elliot to safety coughing and spluttering. Hero.
There was a lot of crying and hugs all round after that, especially for the big brother who rescued his little brother.

- I wrote this somewhere

Little known facts - 4 days to go

Sebastian bites his fingernails, he has inherited a love of bangles from me - at the moment he has one band on each wrist and 2 on an ankle and one on the other ankle. He loves Spider-Man so much right now. Quality time is his thing. He struggles with greed and wanting every new toy he sees on tv, but is trying really hard to not ask everytime he sees something cool. When I asked him what he would like to give some money away towards he said he could give away his broken and boring toys... Not really the spirit of giving is it. I asked him why would anyone want his broken toys and he didn't really have an answer - I suggested that people who have nothing don't want toys but they want food and a safe place to sleep, I think he is coming around to that way of thinking.


- I wrote this somewhere

We call him the chipmunk

Sebastian has had a checked history with eating. He refused solids till 11 months old. One time he stored a chewed up chicken nugget in his cheek for 2 or more hours. Dinner times have been horrendous with food refusals and shenanigans. But now at 7 we have a boy who is adventurous with his food. Some days he likes to eat mustard sandwiches, he loves sushi and Vietnamese food, he would eat his own body weight in avocados or olives. His favourite cheese is anything French and soft. He loves junk too slushies, fish and chips, maccas, pizza, you name it.










He still stores food in his cheeks, I don't know if its about being 7 or him particularly but he will stuff his mouth full of food rather than taking one bite at a time - hence "the chipmunk"

- I wrote this somewhere

Superheroes on the trampoline

Today we had a friend over after church. There was a great lot of superhero pretend play going on. Seb is very into imaginary role playing and making up scenarios. Here Elliot has fainted


Oh and now sebastian has fainted too



- I wrote this somewhere

7 days of sebastian

It's 7 days till Sebastian turns 7. So each day I will write a post about him in celebration of the soon to be 7 year old that we adore.




When did he get so big? He has a few freckles appearing on his nose. He is wearing a band on both arms and legs, he likes his hair long and messy, he loves Spider-Man, reading, playing skylanders, eating sushi olives salt and vinegar chips pistachios and Brie. He loves wearing long pants and a denim jacket. He wants to be a video game tester when he grows up or a sports teacher he told me today cause the sports teacher at his school is called Mr H and he thought he would be a Mr H too.


- I wrote this somewhere

Washing basket

Nearly sitting up by himself. This week he has been plonked in the washing basket while I do a few things. It was all good until he tried to climb out of over balanced the basket landing head first on the wooden floor. He has his first bruise. Poor little guy.


- I wrote this somewhere

Pruning

We had a big nameless Unidentified plant growing under our steps. Derek hated it cause it was hard to mow under, I've come around to his way of thinking and this week I set my sights on this beast, down it came, to be replaced with a lemon tree and vege garden. This weeks holiday project. Tomatoes, strawberries herbs, maybe lettuce and other vege? I'm hoping I've chosen a good spot for a garden, and we will collect some manure from our friends sheep this week to get a good start. I like the idea of growing some of our own food, we will see how we go.






- I wrote this somewhere

Scrabble

To say sebastian is a little obsessed with pop songs is an understatement. Wile waiting for me to put Tristan to bed he spelled these gems out.





My particular favourite "wap it gangnam style"


- I wrote this somewhere

Boy sandwich

Toe jam, boogers, stinky fluffs, bitten nails, sweaty hair.



The twins are the bread and Elliot is nutella In the middle.

- I wrote this somewhere