Love At Large FAMILY

Love At Large  FAMILY

Thursday 15 March 2012

Packing,Wet seaon and OMG it is almost Easter!

Another week almost down.Can not,I repeat NOT believe it is Friday already.Friday,and one week until we move.
EXCITING!

Looking forward to the new area,excited to be with in the estate so the kids have footpaths to ride their bikes on and parks to play at that do not require driving to.
And also it means we can begin the process of setting up the class room and decorating the house :-)
We need new furniture in the form of new dining chairs and some rugs and buffet/hutch and kids book shelves,so we are going to get right into that once we settle.

On to the part of moving that is not my favorite...packing,yes you guessed it!
I have successfully packed...1.5 boxes!I conclude 1.5 boxes because only one is taped shut.I have a garage full of folded boxes that require filling and with all this rain set to hang around for a few days I guess this weekend is as a good a time as any to start.
Sigh.

4 kids inside all weekend...double sigh.
BUT a positive,yes there is one,I won't be doing it on my own.Always nice to have a husband handy to assist with entertainment!!!

Hoping Oli sleeps every day over the weekend like he has today.Going over 3 hours now and it is lovely.Nick is due home soon as he finished work early today.Means I don't have to go pick the girls up from school in this rain,which I will add has been dripping between heavy and very heavy all day.Nonstop.
The rainy season is here!Albeit it is late and didn't see the need to ease us into its arrival but it is here,grateful for the rain,lack of flooding and considerably safe driving I was a part of this morning.Yet to pass a accident so hoping none took place.

So other then packing I assume our weekend will consist of coffee out in the morning with the family,and then home to pack/bake/clean and pack.

Week ahead looks much the same.
Bear with me in the next few weeks.Between moving,beginning of school holidays and Easter we will be very busy.Oh My Goodness-Easter,really?
Knowing myself as I do I am sure I will find time to come and catch you up on our activities,or lack there of.
Have a fantastic Friday,and happy start to the weekend everybody!
xx





Monday 12 March 2012

Oli,our little screamer.

Yesterday was an emotional day.
It started out great.I had all the kids clean,dressed and lunches made for school and bags packed by 8am.We were leaving early to go to the shops before school drop off.
Within moments of being in the car and on our way Oli lost it.He just began to scream,and scream,and scream.
And then continued to scream some more.
Once at the shop he screamed until I allowed him to walk,and then I had to chase him through the shop with the girls to keep tabs on him.
Then home after Lilly tipped her milk all down her school dress.Thankfully we have a spare in the car :-)
Then off to school we went.And once back in the car Oli began to scream again.The.Entire.Way.

It was painful.
Once there a quick kiss and a hug and Amber took Lilly to class for me.There was no way Oli was leaving the car that day.We had enough public exposure for one day,and it was only 8:45am.
 Back home we went with Oli screaming still in the back.
Once home he stopped right up until he was placed in his cot.He had woken at 4am,and it was now 5 hours later and he REALLY needed a nap.
Rocking a 21 month old to sleep who squirms is not the easiest task,but he was happy to snuggle and after a few minutes asked to go in his cot.He was not able to get comfortable in my arms long enough to fall asleep.

He slept for 2 hours.It was bliss.
Did I clean?No.I did some research on Home schooling and went on Facebook.I had already mopped floors and done washing.My work was done.
Oliver waking in a brighter mood sure did lighten mine and with us out of our morning funk we went on to do some baking,and built some towers and bridges for a while.

Our ''not so good at mowing'' lawn mower man came.He mowed our lawn finally after being  weeks late.He mowed it badly,as usual.
So when we move I told Nick to either find a new and better mowing company,or buy a mower and do the job yourself.Safe to say he is sourcing a new mower man.
We move next weekend,so in 10 days.It is coming up so quickly,and I have only packed 2 boxes.You can just imagine how many more a family of 6 with four bedrooms,2 living spaces and all the other rooms has to pack.A LOT.
But next week I will confront that.Right now I am putting it off,and off and off.

We happened to be out late last night so we ended up eating out,and broke on of our rules,which was to not waste money on junk food.But it just worked out to be convenient.

Today's Tuesday,and my washing machine is calling me as I write this.So off to prep kids for school and after drop outing,if I don't do it now..someones likely to leave this house naked!



Sunday 11 March 2012

A moment in parenting:a Fathers way.

So it's the last day of the weekend,and the kids have just been so ''manic'' in behavior today.A every moment of today,someone was on the time out mat,in their room on their room for quiet ''think about what you did time'' or being talked to about the ''right kind'' of behavior.They just didn't manage to get along.Poor Nick.

He is learning to be patient.He currently has nil patience.It is a work in progress.
So this afternoon the kids had passed the point of no return.Dinner was due and they were attempting to ''play nice'' together.Fail.
So in order to just tune it out Nick got inventive.
 And here you have it!My husband having had enough of tantrums and fights,knowing he is reaching breaking point and not wanting to be ''mad'' at the kids put his heavy work wear ear muffs on.People use these to block noise from the machines that hammer at concrete....so it is safe to say they worked.
It kept a semi level of peace,and being honest I can handle the kids going crazy,but I can't handle the husband going crazy at the kids.

So the afternoon has calmed down.Kids have been tucked into their beds with stories and some giggles and I am in the progress of finishing some cheese and bacon rolls.

Interesting conversation with Lilly took place at bed time.
She was all wrapped up in her blanket shes had since she was 4 months of age.
She asked me ''Do you know what I am mum?''
I answered ''No Lilly''
''I am a cucumber'' she told me.

''A cucumber?'' I asked ''Are you sure?''
She giggles..''Yes mum'' I sigh (this is not a odd conversation to have with Lilly).
''And soon I will be a beetle'' she goes on to inform me.
I am lost,but only for a moment.
''Oh,your in a cocoon?'' I ask.
''Yeah mum that's what I said''
And then she giggles some more.

I can always guarantee a good laugh from my Lilly.
And if you are wondering where that came from,she is currently learning about the life cycle of meal worms.


There is still plenty to do to put this household back to rights so some form of order takes place tomorrow morning.
I look forward to the day we no longer have to rush to put shoes on and pack our bags to get out the door.
Homeschooling July 2012 can not come fast enough!

Saturday 10 March 2012

While I Blog

This is how you will find my 21 month old little man occupied whilst I blog.These were in the back yard,but we move in less then 2 weeks,and Nick decided we would make good use of them till we put them in the back yard at the new house.Not sure I want to put them back outside now :-D

Vision Board

Many of you may of heard of a Vision Board.

I had heard of this from my mother in law about 4 years ago.But it was just on paper,on your fridge.We didn't take much notice of it and never gave it another thought.

Now we are planning to put ours together.
Basically a Vision Board is made to suit your own self or family.You project all the ideas,desires and goals for the year onto a canvas/poster etc using pictures cut out from magazines etc and paste them.You also use words and phrases that are inspirational to you and your family and draw or paste them on,how ever you like.
The rule is,if you like it,paste it.Because it means something to you,even if you don't know what.

Then right in the middle,surrounded by all of these items,you place a picture of yourself,or your family.Then once completed you place it in a frequently visited room,where you can see it daily and meditate over it.
Give it a part of your day everyday to remember what you want to gain,why and what your doing to get there.

In doing this you allow the universe to bring you these new experiences/dreams and desires.

Materials you will need to gather before beginning your Vision Board:
. Magazines
. Scissors
. Glue
. Canvas
. Textas
. Family or self portrait

I intend to begin ours this week.
I will document each stepwith photographs and then post about it later in the week.

Very excited to hang this in our new home.Just deciding ''where'' to hang it will be the hardest part.(I hope).




Homeschooling

For a while now,talking in terms of weeks,I have been at war with myself concerning wanting to homeschool our children verses keeping them enrolled in the Qld school system.
I firstly ignored the calling to Homeschool not possibly believing I could do it.Or that I could take my kids out of school.

So I had some point I wrote down once I realized the idea was still tugging at me.

 10 points on how we reached our decision.

1. Yes my kids have great teachers this year,but I can not guarantee it EVERY year,I consider us very lucky to have received these teachers for my daughters.
2. My daughters ARE affected by school.They do come home seeming more like aliens then my children,and I only glimpse my kids on weekends.
3. I feel they are not being taught to their individual abilities.I feel and believe I can do that for them.
4. My kids do not benefit from being one of 20 odd something kids in a classroom vying for their teachers attention.
5. I can control WHAT they are leaning,when and for how long.So if I dont think they understand it yet,then we can keep at it for as long as is required.
6. Lilly sometimes gets overstimulated,and can cause her to have emotional break downs.It is hard to send her to school like that and I know I can make sure her day is more suited to her when that is the case.
7. My girls are excited at the prospect of being at home,even if Amber's is due to the fact she can use shiny pencils :-) .
8. Nick and I are excited!Since deciding on this we have felt at peace with the decision and feel we are doing something special for our kids and our family.
9. Being able to take my kids out into the world to explore their surroundings as tools for their development.
10. As a family,we will learn,grow and blossom.What more can I ask for?

So.When do we begin?
We are in the process of moving home.We will have the girls enrolled in their school for term 2,then we will withdraw them and begin homeschooling on July 10th,then beginning of Term 3,semester 2.
I have a room in our new home waiting to fill with learning tools.I have found and decided on our supplier for their curriculum materials.We have made contact to fill out all paperwork required to make it official and legal with QLD Government.And I have reached out to the Homeschooling QLD community to meet other families walking this path so our kids still have social interaction.

School Photos.
School photos are coming up.We have decided we will NOT be getting them done.Instead I am going to purchase a snazzy camera and get the girls to 'pose' for Homeschooling photos.
I am purchasing some plain colored polo shirts from Kmart and having the kids names monogrammed on the front so when we leave the home for a school excursion(planning for 1 a week min) we can create routine for the kids,so they know they are in ''school mode''.
We will have all 4 kids enrolled in swimming lessons,and a sport of their choice.The library will become a weekly drop in for us.
The internet will become my best friend,just as Google has.

To put into words just how buzzed I am about this is impossible.But I really am.
There is a lot for us(me) to do in the next few months,but I am determined to make it possible,and fun and I am determined to do it well.For our kids.

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Hump Day

Managed to get Amber and Lilly to sort and tidy their bookcase of books before dinner..what a feat!It looks wonderful now and was long overdue.
I was able to spend that time getting dinner made,and going back to basics with meals has made cooking so much easier.Also having the new meal plan to follow is a life saver as almost every night there is some form of ciaos causing everything to not go as I planned.

We have a wonderful tropical storm tonight.Very overdue,with it being our wet season and this being the first solid rain we have had almost 4 months into the season.Lilly was woken and upset by the storm so much it cause her to get a nose bleed.Not very nice but she was fine once we calmed her.

Lilly is going through what I assume to be a growth spurt and mental development.It's around the right time for her and she is more emotional,eating more and sleeping till 8am,when usually she is up at 6am.Also adjusting to the routine of school and making all these new friends and going to parties is getting the best of her.
Second attempt at Oliver being in his bed today.He required being rocked to sleep which is common with him,but only for his day naps.Once he was sleeping I placed him in his bed,and he slept only for an hour before he came out of his room all proud that he was able too get out of his bed on his own!I know it means less sleep but he was in such a good mood that it didn't bother me so much.

Other then that we enjoyed a rather full afternoon of baking scones,cleaning and then the usual night time routine.
Was a fufilling day and night,but the rain has made me even more tired so I am off to bed.Goodnight.

Monday 5 March 2012

Growing up,dramatics of Miss 5 and It's still Monday

So it is now only 6 hours post my blog this afternoon,and I am sitting down for the first time since I posted that blog,so 6 and a half hours ago.

School pick up is not so relaxing now that Oliver isn't sitting in his pusher.He prefers,and will scream if otherwise,to walk around with Heidi and the other kids and play.He eagerly awaits his 2 older sisters coming out of their rooms every afternoon.
After school was the usual change from uniforms,have a snack,play,tidy up do homework,then dinner bath teeth,story time and bed.
Lilly is giving us a rough time tonight.Sleep is not coming easy for her and she is just in an emotional way.Lilly is naturally emotional.She wakes pretty much every day in a bad mood.I jokingly say its because her beds against the wall so she only has one side to get up on and it must be the ''wrong side''.
 Lilly is not always like that though.Here is a wonderful happy version of Lilly,this photo taken in pre friend birthday party excitement over the weekend.She can be the happiest child,or the saddest most unhappy child.Either one can hit at any moment.
In saying that,this girl is so amazing.
She is 5,and has the most unique personality.She is a dinosaur obsessed,flower people making,tantie cracking,break dancing,drama queen!We always say she will make a great actress one day.

Lilly can make or break your day,but when she makes it,she really make it good.

And on to Oliver.This is the little guy that keeps me running on my toes,literally.This was him at school this afternoon waiting for the girls to finish.Anyone that knows him understands my excitement for many reasons in taking this photo.
Reason 1-he is standing still..following me around where I was going as instructed,no sooking or running in the other,and usually wrong direction.
Reason 2- He is wearing shoes!Oliver since the age of 12 months when we introduced him to shoes has had a strong dislike for them.This morning I placed these on his feet and told him to walk.He did.Not once did he complain or sit and rip them off as he usually does.It was a real step for him.And a relief for me.SHOES!!!!

This is me.And in my hands is my version of liquid gold.I love,love,love truly love coffee!It is a life line to me on mornings following no sleep or little sleep.And Nick just happened to come across this amazingly adorable little place called Bistro One that has the nicest coffee in town.I have had many a nice coffees over the almost 3 years we have lived here but this one took the cake.So we drove into the city to grab this before going shopping,and it was glorious.My love of coffee was made even greater by this and my love for my husband greater because we will go there for breakfast every Sunday. :-)


This passed weekend was a big one for me for many reasons.I feel sometimes like I don't have enough time in the day let alone a week to actually sit and watch each child and see changes in them.They really do change almost over night,and Saturday morning Amber was just chilling on the lounge in their play room playing Ps2 with Nick.She was so involved in her game of snowboarding that she didn't notice I was just there watching her.The other kids were doing their things quiet nicely so I got a bit lost in focusing on Amber.She then turned to me and smiled her 100 watt smile.And did this little smile sign she has taken on as her token thing.She is growing up.That is my conclusion.I sense the changes in her more then seeing them.She is just blossoming right now and I feel saddened and proud and full of love for this lovely little lady that is growing into a young lady more each day.
I see in her a girl that has so much potential and I hope we are fostering everything in the right way just for her,so she reaches that potential one day.I know as parents Nick and I both struggle with her dramatics and sometimes over board behavior,but most kids go through it....and just seeing this picture reminds me that it is really all worth it.


I definitely find it hard to believe that this little girl is my baby girl.Heidi has always been our baby girl,and now she is 3 1/2 and really coming out of her shell.She is a zany live wire and just the sweetest little soul.I am very sad she will be off to pre prep next year.Maybe because that means she is almost in school like her sisters makes it that bit harder,I don't really know,but imagining her in a uniform heading off to school seems so fat fetched a possibility yet it is really just around the corner.How will I survive?Only 1 child at home???
Photos are my way of looking back through these last 6 years and seeing all the changes our family has undergone.I am one to look back in order to help me look forward.I have no regrets now that I see we seem to be doing alright with raising these kids.They are turning out okay as we pack a bag and send each one to school.

This weekend was a big one for me emotionally.I see that my family is growing up.My babies will always be my babies,but in literal terms they are growing into young people.Its going to make for a very big change and adjustment for us.Hope your all here to help us enjoy it!

Sunday 4 March 2012

Monday

It is now Monday afternoon,but I am blogging about my Monday so far in general.
I was in fact impressed with how my day began.
I woke before any kids did,so that is to us a sleep in of sorts.One by one kids began to ''rise and shine'' and by 630am everyone was up,Nick had left 15 minutes earlier for work and breakfast was being handed out to the kids.
After that I believe it was the later then usual start to the morning that got us behind,but 750am I was not dressed and the kids needed shoes and hair done.
Thankfully we have that down to a art form and with constant coaxing to Amber to hurry it along we were all dressed,ready,lunches made,and all bags packed and out the door by 830am.
It does not end there though.Getting in the car take at least 5 minutes,maybe more..lots more.
Kids fight about pretty much everything,Oli screams for water and Heidi searches for her pink gumboots.
Once we are all strapped and seated I look around and realize I REALLY need to tidy the car.Preferably before we move.

Getting to school after 830am means we missed out on a park nearer to the entrance,so we have to use the pram for Oli,which he hates,and walk down to the school.Once there I show love to Amber before she goes off to class,and decided I will be brave and stay for Lillys ''Goodbye Song'' her class sings to the parents every morning.Never had the chance with the younger 2 wanting to attack the classroom,but they seem better lately.
So convincing Oli its time to leave is no fun,he screams and tries to escape being p;aced back in the pram.I win.

Off home to do some housework and after a morning of cleaning and feeding kids Oli needs to go down for a nap.It used to be night sleeps that were a hassle to put him down for,but now it is his day naps.
I attempted right away after school drop as he has liked the 9am bedtime of late but this morning he screamed No,so I left him up.Come 1130 he needed that nap,so some snuggles and love and 10 minutes later he was sleeping soundly,and I am now blogging 2 hours and 15 minutes into his nap.I had hoped he would sleep right up till we left to collect the girls,and he is.Yay!
OOhh spoke to soon,as hes now awake!That is all for now.

Saturday 3 March 2012

Tecnology and Friendships

I was late to join the world of Facebook.But happy I did join it I am.
In 2010 we became pregnant with our youngest child Oliver.Like with all the girls before him I would go online to the site Birth Center,where I could get informed on everything baby,toddler,birth etc.
Also on there I came across a Birth group segment,where we could interact online with other mums due at the same time as me.
It became a big part of my day.I was able to see how they were doing,hear some funny and at times not so funny stories,and we were able to share our pains and laughter together,all this being online.
After the births of our babies we managed to find Facebook as a good tool to keep in tough more easily,and we now have our own group there.

Most of these friend ships have blossomed on line alone.Some of us have met up,others are too far and wide for that.But we are able to find out way to our little group online and be a constant support to one another concerning any issues.
Its a breath of fresh air.
I had no success in a actual mothers group where you meet up weekly.But with this,we can talk to one another daily,anytime,someone is usually there to help,or they help in their only quiet time after the kids go to bed at night.

Out of Facebook I also met some very wonderful women I love dearly.My closest friends.
 Jessica is my longest friendship..we have been fast friends since 2009.But before that we went to the same high school,and even though we did not spend time together then we came to find we shared a lot in common and a friend ship formed,online,very fast.Jessica has 3 daughters now,and our kids bar my eldest Amber are all very similar in age.We have met up once since our friendship really began in 2009 in 2010 and it was an amazing day.Wasn't long enough,but it was what we needed.Jessica is always there when I need her,and that is what friends are for.
Tash-who commented on the same topic I did on a Facebook group called Circle Of Moms.We found out we had ALOT in common.Same age,month of birth,husbands in same field area of work,due with a baby on the same day..the list grew as we came to know each other better.The main and hardest downside is that the friendship is essentially a online friend ship.It does make it hard,there is o little visits to one anothers home a few times a week for tea and kids to play.We catch a phone call when we have the energy,we chat online when we have the time and we try and I mean really try to keep up with our friendship,making sure it keeps growing as we change.Distance is hard,but when you find these real friends I think it is safe to say I don't care where they are,just that they are a part of my life.
So now almost 2 years after meeting and having met in person with our families once,in December 2010 we continue to be friends and I love being a part of her family.
Then there is my newest by very loved friend Pauline.She is also a mother of four,and her youngest son was born 2 days after Oliver.And we live many hundreds of kms apart from one another,yet we are very good friends and can rely on each other to pick the other ones mood up when we feel sad and low.It is a wonderful friendship that also includes our families,with both our 6 year old daughters sharing a friend ship even though they too have never met.Our families and Pauline and I will meet for the first time in Brisbane at a very much awaited joint family holiday..we are all so excited!
 Friendship online means the firsts are always hard.''First Phone call'' ''First Skype date'' ''First meet up''.It is harder but really these friendships are my most rewarding,and I cherish these women.Their a part of my family,and I am honored to be a part of theirs.

Friday 2 March 2012

Dining In

Even with just 4 kids,sometimes getting everyone dressed and ready just takes all the fun out of going out to dinner.Add the fact we are in major saving mode and we did not have the desire(okay I lie the desire was there for me,but Nick stuck to his word with words like ''I am putting my foot down'') to go out for dinner tonight like we have many times in the past on Friday nights.

So rather then sit at home and sulk about not having a nice not made by me meal I decided to gather my smarts and get into the kitchen.Friday nights for us are ''mish mash'' dinners.We basically have a easy nights meal whether it be home cooked or a treat of eating out.Either way it is always something special.
But considering we are on this new diet that allows very little for dinner other then chicken or fish and rice and veg and salad I was brain storming how to make it work.And work it out I did!
So some yummy seasoned chicken breast with home made wedges as a treat and then beans,lettuce and rice and OOH  it was perfect!Kids ate almost every scrap of it and I was not disappointed we had stayed home afterward because if we had of gone out the kids likely would not have eaten every scrap of food on their plate.Basically the same as what we have but minus the wedges every night.

So even though sometimes we really do want to do something it was not the right time but we made the most and likely had more fun.I know the kids had a blast and my husband was very pleased.But moving hurry and be over with!!!!

Thursday 1 March 2012

Kidlets and Baking

Miss Amber is a avid cooker!She loves baking and even made this lovely dinner with minimal aid from me or her father.She was given a cook book from my much loved friend Tash and LOVES it to bits and bits.It is read just for fun,and we have her cooking dinner as a reward for good behavior.
And above are the cookies Amber and Lilly helped me make a few days ago.These were such a fun item to bake and I know undoubtedly that decorating them was the winning event!I found them fun to make,and we can use the many shape cutters we own and basically armed with a paint brush,some yummy edible decorations and icing make anything we desire.Very good practice for the 4 birthday parties coming our way.

School holidays,a Speeding year and Naptime!


I feel like these 2 little souls just went back to school.Amber at the top is in year 1 and Lilly above is Prep.And in 3 weeks today our school holidays for Easter break begin!!I am in shock at how quickly this year is passing.I mean I know they say it tends to go very fast when your busy but there are days in the last 3 months that I have done NOTHING and yet here we are,March.

I need to begin stockpiling art supplies for the holidays especially as we are always at threat of it being a wet lot.Rain season is still very much with us and it can be blaring heat one day and dark clouds and raining the following,tropical living at it's very best.
School holidays are looked forward to buy 3 people in our home.Me,and Heidi and Oliver.Me,because I don't have to leave the house if we have not planned a daily outing,so NO school drops and pick ups,YAY!
And Heidi and Oli because they both love playing with the 2 older girls and some days seems a bit lost with out them around.
Last year Amber was counting down her return to school and Lilly asks me every day as it is if she is going to school tomorrow so it's a given she will want to return asap too.
Nick is not phased.He comes home at the same time every day so if they have not been at school or have makes no difference to him.

With the new school term beginning in April we will have passed into the 4th month of the year in record time and then we have the 2 month countdown to Olivers 2nd Birthday!As I pre mentioned,this year is just zooming right by me.I feel like I am standing here waving back at the memories even though it feels like we were just experiencing them.

So this little man is Oliver.He is responsible for being capable of clouding my extra organized mind.Like any typical toddler,the mood he wakes to the day with spells out how the entire day plays out till bed time.Crazy it may sound but true these words are.He is known for burst of screaming,usually it will begin before we even make it into his room when he first wakes,and if that is the case it usually goes on most of the day.If we stay home that is all I hear,but if we go on an adventure outside the home he is right as rain!Go figure?!
Being a almost 21 month old in 4 days is considerably hard work and I would think Nap time would be vastly looked forward to,I know it is for me.Yet for Oliver it seems to be on the lowest of his list of things to do every day.Just today,nap time happened an hour and a half later then usual and took place in my arms for 15 minutes before I bravely placed him in his bed.Night times use to be this way,but the switched clicked and he now loves bed time and goes to sleep at night just fine,no supervision or hugs required.Just keep chugging I guess.This way is better then no naps at all.All 3 of his big sisters quit naps at 2 years of age and rarely went back into having them less they're ill.So I will just take what I can get! :-D

Saturday 25 February 2012

Decluterring 7 years of life!

This weekend has been about out with the old and in with the new.
We have gotten all the cupboards fully cleaned out,sadly amongst that we had to be rid of some of our kids treasured art works,but we kept the most amazing and I shall store it in a folder some point in the future.
Doing this with kids is interesting,and when you want to throw things your husband does not it takes even longer,but as of this afternoon we are successful!
We have taken a lot of the kids toys to Salvation Army and given some to our friends with 6 month old twin girls who came over for a play this morning for a few hours.Was wonderful to have a lounge arrive and our house in shambles and they did not mind in the least :-)

After cleaning bags of linen,toys and other items out we have stack rubbish items in the garage so we can dump run it all next weekend.It feels good to do this.It's only taken us a few years,like 7.

Our new lounge suite is wonderfully comfortable.I just need to keep it clean for 31/2 weeks.Then it will be in the new house and in the loungeroom blocked off from the kids.
The kids play room has a lot less toys for the kids to choose from,but with a tub of blocks now amusing them for the last 2 hours I would say we are onto a winner in making that decision.

I still have washing to do while we have no rain,and washing to fold.But a bonus is that the cleaning company we are hiring has advised us we don't need to do anything when we move.They do it all!!I can handle that.
Looking forward to being in our new home.

Other then my immensely enjoyed 3 hour veg on the lounge last night watching Smash the new tv series and a taste of green tea that made we want to vomit we have enjoyed this weekend.It is going to be a busy time over the next few weeks so I shall enjoy the quiet of what's left of today before it's gone.

Hope everyones enjoyed their weekend!

Thursday 23 February 2012

Still learning to love ''Those Days''

Today was not the end to the week I had planned on.But the end is still near!!!
Planned to do grocery shopping after a coffee daate this morning which did not happen.Coffee date did but groceries did not.
Oliver decided screaming and tantrums are the new Hollywood way to behave and he was just in no mood to go shopping for food he could not eat right away!
 Before we headed home I took a detour to our new home...it is in a lovely area and so peaceful and quiet in our new street.My love for it has grown.

Home we went and he slept till I got a phone call that Lilly (miss 5) was unwell.
Got to the school and she had been taken back to class by her teacher aid that she adores who managed to console her and when I got there she was reading a book.

So she seems fine,we went and did a quick grocery shop which while it was not peaceful and as usually we draw looks and attention it got done in record time with cheese as bribery!
Home again (just so back and forth today)but not for long.We go to have a walk through of the new home at 3pm today.Nick will collect Amber a bit early from school and we will meet there so we can be sure inside suits us 100% and is set to what will work for our busy family of 6.

Then I believe a quick dinner prep and bed time!!No homework tonight as it is the weekend tomorrow.I do not mind doing the kids homework but I do look forward to weekends of none as much as the kids do :-)

Anyway food is baking for our late lunch early afternoon tea and kids are biting at the heel to eat so off I get to prepare that.

So EXCITED to move!

So the process to move has been at lightening speed.We went from having the pre vacation inspections yesterday afternoon to finding a house today.
Now we have a month till we actually move.But in saying that we have things to do before then.Like buy a new microwave-cause ours is zapping at us :-/
A new dishwasher cause ours is old,and leaking so we got rid of it and now I am the dish maid again and dislike it.
So 24th March we move!!!We hire a huge truck and do two trips and have all our stuff over at the new house in 1 day thanks to the man power of Nicks work mates,and using beer and my cooking to bribe them into giving up a day of rest.

Then I sprinkle my magic dust and when Nick wakes Sunday morning the house is pretty much unpacked :-)
I want the Monday to be like any other school day for the girls,and also so I can take Heidi and Oli for a ride to our local park to have a play,and maybe make some new friends.

I am excited,I get all jittery and Nicks laughing at me,but being a mum who loves being a homebody the house is a huge part of feeling ''at home'',even more so when you move a bit.Nowhere we have lived yet has been my ideal dream home,but this is pretty close.
Just little things like the kitchen space,which is AMAZZZZZING and so good for baking with the kids.
The lay out is kid friendly and big enough to fit us all comfortably should we have to spend rainy days crammed indoors.

I am sure you will read many posts mentioning or dedicated to this move,and come the day after we move I will be bursting with joy...or sleep deprivation.Either one.

Hope Thursdays treated you all well.Mine has been exciting,but minus the house hunt and gold mine find of a home it was pretty basic.

Took the kids to our local play center for a play,and we enjoyed a morning there.Oliver caused trouble by throwing those little plastic colored balls at other kids.I spent some of my time apologizing and picking them all up.
I love going there with a good girlfriend because they do a wicked play group with art activities for Heidi and Oli can be rough with his friend and usually hurt noone else.Also no mess(usually)for me to clean at the end!

Tomorrow is end of the week!I am checking out a dance school for Heidi.She is a budding dancer,mostly ballet and I hope this school is going to be suitable,as distance from the new house is excellent.
I will ''ATTEMPT'' grocery shopping too.Oliver is a pain in the behind to shop with as he wants everything I buy right now and that is not how I planned my list!!!

Hope this weeks been good to you all xx

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Wednesdays

Wednesdays really aren't as bad as they are made out to be.
At least mine wasn't.Today I cleaned parts of this house that I never...I mean NEVER ''find'' the time to clean.And mind you Nick came home before the inspection and did not notice....bummer.
Inspection went well.I was missing majority of it,having taken the kids across the street to the park area to ride scooters,play soccer,roll down hills,do running races and eat ice blocks...and also do a bit of cheerleading for some fun.
We will be able to start looking for a new home tomorrow.

Today Amber accepted her 'Student of the Week' award and yes I was super proud,just seeing her wide smile up there was a real treat.
Mind you while I attempted to photograph Amber accepting her award I was also half monitoring Oliver and Heidi.Heidi is no issue.You say sit and color and the girl doesn't budge.Oli is great,till you turn your back and suddenly every BIRD in a 100m area has his attention and he is off and running,laughing all the way.

Kids are all settled in bed for the night,Oli earlier then usual after dismissing his day sleep like it was bad food.
He was out like a light by 430pm and had actually opened the fridge,taken his drink out and was walking to his bed.I had to allow him to drink his bottle in a half lay down stand position in the shower to wash him while he attempted to fall to sleep.After a quick dry and dress he was settled and drifting to the land of nod.

Now I can relax.There is a basket of washing asking to be folded,but I have no plans to get to that tonight.
A load of washing I ''HAVE'' to hang out as it contains uniforms for school tomorrow.Otherwise I will be requesting a cup of tea from Nick as soon as it is all done and putting my feet up....or most likely I will be on Pinterest searching and searching since I am addicted!

All in all we had a great day.I love these days,they make the not so great ones worth it.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Our Kids

So some light reading on our kids.

Amber,(girl) aged 6-She is loud,adventurous,a bookworm and a Art fiend.
She is always so go go go and when she sets a goal she always reaches it.She is determined and proud and very emotional.She is athletic,wants to do martial arts with her dad and gymnastics or ballet.Desires to be a police women.Amber is level headed like that of a 30 year old and so involved in style and fashion it puts me to shame.She is a leader,and a good friend and listener.

Lilly(girl) aged 5-Lilly is Lilly.Once you know her that will make more sense to you then it does right now.Lilly is capable of anger and tantrums out of this universe!She is crazy,and goes through phases of who or what she is at the same rate she changes clothes.She loves music,sings like a bird and can listen to a song once and know it almost word and tune.She is fun,hilarious to the core and our most embarrassing child.Her imagination is on over load 24/7 and when she loves she loves BIG!When Lilly grows up she wants to own worms...she is still young.

Heidi(girl)aged 3-Heidi Heidi Heidi.....oh she is so sweeeeeeeeet.Truly really is my living doll.She is a dancer,a noise maker,a belly laughing silly billy that is obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake and dancing like a ballerina.
Heidi is the play pretend game inventor extraordinaire!She wears clothing that does not match and looks adorable and is and always will wear pink gumboots every day.She wears rain coats on hot days to the shops and like sparkles and glitter.She is our diva and tops that off with wanting to be a princess when she grows up.She can loose her temper like no one else and is high strung and VERY emotional.Being the youngest of our girls we still see her as our baby and she milks that for all she can.

Oliver(boy)aged 20 months-Oli is how we all know him.He is 2 June 6th and he is our only boy and youngest child.Oli is a boisterous child.He is outdoing,charming and funny.He loves attention and will even dance for it :-D
He is brave and has no fear.Seems to favor heights and has been in hospital many time due to his lack of ''watching where he is going''.
Oli is growing fast and fitting like a glove into our family.He is my worst sleeper till last month and he is ever so full of energy,and most definitely my most physically draining child of all.Having a boy is something like having an alien child for me.But I feel blessed I even get this experience.
He is a joy,a wonder and a treat.
As the saying goes ''Boys will be boys'' and mine most certainly will be.

That is it for the kids who is who etc.No more to come,but I shall update very now and then as seen fit.

It has taken me a bit to get around to posting again!
But it is Tuesday night,a good week and a half after my first blog entry and I am here again,pretty good for just getting into the swing of things.Is not so easy to find the time as I thought it would be to get a blog each night posted but that is not from lack of desire.

Today was a good day.
It has been a new beginning of sorts for me.I have been through what I would call a ''week of crap'' concerning my health.I am small of stature naturally and with that comes lack of some vitamins.But rather then come on slowly my Vitamin defiencey decided to hit in a 3 week window with no warning and cause severe side affects.
For a few days there I was being tested for Stroke and MS.It was a really frightening 3 days and Nick and I were very worried I had MS,since my body was portraying 10 our of the 13 or so symptoms.
But low and behold and thank goodness it has come back on my full blood works one doctor over looked that I am full vitamin deficient and that I need B12 shots and 6 other not so lovely bile tasting vitamins a day to help.
Along with eating really well and rather strictly I should feel and continue to feel rather fantastic.Fingers are crossed :-)

After getting through that and coming up roses I felt invincible!So we decided to move.We live in a service residents,and due to circumstances recently coming to light we wish to move.
We have pre vacation inspection 4pm Wednesday the 22nd and we just hope there are some nice homes available with in the next month.

Also keeping us busy is Nick being on course with a Corp Transfer in motion.Until the first week of May he is busy busy busy.Between his course and martial arts 4 nights a week we are having fun finding quality time,but it is better then him being  ''away''.

Very good news today when I picked the girls up from school is our eldest daughter Amber recieving ''Student Of The Week'' in her class.
I'm just so happy for her as she has actually wanted this and has been her goal since they began back at school on Jan 23rd.
She will stand up at parade tomorrow and receive her award,and I will be there snapping photos on my phone and hoping I remembered to remove the very bright blue nail polish I have been meaning to for 4 days from her nails.
Lilly has been enjoying prep,and being she is more reserved when fronted with large quantities of people I am happy but also surprised she has been doing so well and adjusted better then I could have hoped for to her class and teacher.Helps her teacher Miss Sinclair is a just beautiful :-)


Our youngest pigeon pair are keeping me rightly busy during the day.Between cleaning,them and baking we have busy jam packed days.Also having a few play dates thrown in and a visit to the local library means we are out almost every day for some time in the morning.
At the moment the kids have fallen hard for Peppa Pig.The little pink pig and her family have never failed to annoy me in the past.But of recent I have converted and even come to look forward to the Oinking that so naturally follows the intro music beginning to play.Today we went to our one and only ABC store and purchased our first Peppa Pig dvd and came home and enjoyed an afternoon of PP magic!
Heidi needless to say then went on to walltz and ballet through Big W this afternoon singing the theme song to PP and snonking like Pigs loudly.She is our diva and being overly dramatic is just so easy and pleasing to her.

We are parenting in a way that allows our children to express their creativity with all their might!!And if that meant that Lilly spent the ages 2-4 acting like a dog,sniffing people and licking people then so be it.We just pre warned and made sure the ''don't lick strangers rule'' was constantly repeated.
Our kids embrace the fun in being silly and sometimes-or most times-it is down right embarrassing.But that is what having kids is.It also I've found what having husbands is,so I am slighty pre adjusted.

No matter what tomorrow may bring us,today has been a fun day and I go to bed tonight not thinking of anything I would change come tomorrow,cause I loved every bit.Good,the bad and the just plain mad,having kids is worth it all!


Friday 3 February 2012

Unofficall Blog- Intro as to why I am here!

Who am I?And why am I blogging?With my role being 100% full time stay at home mum to 4 children all 6 years and under,I rarely remember to give myself that small window of time to do what I love.And I love to write.Ever since I was a young girl,whether it be music,short stories,or as is more recent a novel,I find it relaxing and releasing of stresses from every day life to enclose myself in my writers bubble and stay there all cosy for a few hours.
I find I feel part guilt though still if I take time from my kids,so I tend to only write at night,once they are all in bed.
Right now,I want to blog about life as a young mother to 4 kids aged 6 and under.I am married to a soldier of the Australian Army,and with that comes stints of time parenting solo whilst he is off doing his job!It is not easy,but in the years we have lived this life I have made it though many a situations and come up with solutions literally pulled from a hat at the last minute,and so I wish to share that with you all,to help where I can,to make at least someone other then my husband and myself laugh at the many random things my kids say on a almost daily basis.So if you wish to follow me,you know what to do!I will be here daily(if children and husband are supportive)blogging about a bit of everything,and for my first ''official blog'' I shall introduce myself,my husband and our kids and general family life to you all!My aim is to build up my dedication to writing again minus the guilt so I can eventually do what I love:write. :-) xxx