Daddy and Joel

Just love this photo :)

Joel at 20 Months

More photos of our cute little boy who loves to get out in the back yard with the big kids, his favorite spot is behind the shed....only because he knows he is not allowed there....

Christmas 2009

We invited Mum and George to spend Christmas with us and they arrived Christmas eve. We also had a BBQ so we invited some friends around to celebrate. We had all 5 kids Christmas eve so it was really nice to be surrounded by family.

The kids didn't have a late night...about 9.30pm and they were sooo excited. We on the other hand didn't get to bed until 2 am and only then did Santa get to visit our house..

5.30am Christmas morning there was a very excited knock on our bed room door "SANTAS BEEN"...yep we were awake....just...

We managed to keep the kids calm until 8 am then we told them yes you can go wake Gran and George...

Then the present opening started...love this bit....the girls all got a R4 chip for their DS....each has over 80 games and you can delete and add. They also got a fluffy pillow each and some new clothes...

 

Matthew got a worm farm and  from Gran and George the kids got a crazy crab each....happy kids

At about 10.30 Megan went home to her Mum and the girls were picked up shortly later....the house was a lot quieter...

The afternoon was quiet, we had a bbq and I made my first Christmas pudding which turned out yummy...

The boys were tired and went to bed very early...but very happy

Lots and lots of bubbles....

Talia being her beautiful self and thinking of others bought a bubble machine for the little kids.

Joel was fascinated by the amount of bubbles that were coming out, we often blow bubbles but this machine filled the room up.

 

Look mum trying to catch them

Watching the bubbles come out of the machine

Joel at 19 Months

Time is flying by and our baby isn't a baby anymore...he is growing up fast...even though he is not walking yet he is extremely fast at crawling...he is also pulling himself up to stand and pulling himself up onto the coffee table and lounge...

His favourite song is catch a falling star and loves to play open, shut them...

The end of the school year

Matthew finished school on Wednesday but the girls finished today. They have slowly been bringing home work books, art and all the various projects they have done during the term. I love sitting down and looking though all of it. I always keep some and the rest goes into recycling or rubbish..

They also bought their reports home...Talia has done extremely well this year and we were blessed to have such a great teacher for her, with all the trouble Talia has gone through this year with one particular girl I am grateful she has made it through. There is also news that that girl wont be going back to our school next year. Talia has learnt many lessons this year and not all of them were academic...I am so proud of her. Year 7 here we come

Eloise's report was surprising, she is a bright girl however she has struggled with her reading and because of this Maths. This year things have slowly started to come together for her. Her reading is 100% better now we just need to work on fluency. I am just hoping that she gets a teacher next that she gels with as this will make all the difference in year 4 for her.

Matthews Kindy Concert

The Kindy kids have been practicing their Christmas songs so that they could perform for us parents.

 

They sung the ABC, and sung Rudolf the red nose reindeer...I video taped the whole thing. Each child was also presented a Kindergarten diploma....

After the concert the kids sat down and had a small party to say good bye to Kindy and their friends for the holidays.

Matthew can't wait for Pre-primary...

November 2009

I had my case conference with Matthews Kindy Teacher, speech therapist and head master today about where to place Matthew next year...if he should stay at the language centre or go to main stream school.

I was really hoping that he would stay at the LDC...and yes he will be...he is doing really well apart from his attention or lack of...we will speak to the pediatrician about this before next year...

So he will be going to pre-primary at the LDC and be reassessed at the end of next year again..he will also be taking the bus to school...they pick up and drop off at our house. No more driving ...YAY

I also applied for passports for both Matthew and Joel...they arrived and we have booked a holiday to Bali for next April....just before Joel turns 2...saves us paying for him...I am so looking forward to it....

Joel is starting to cruise the furniture now..the physio wants his hips and knees to get a bit stronger before he walks ...so lots and lots of cruising

 

Joel is now 18months old..he is 10kg and 81cm long.....

Halloween

For the first time ever we let Talia go out trick or treating with some friends...she decided to go as a  dead cow...

She came home with quiet a stash and very happy...there were quiet a few groups of kids out and we even had a few witches and vampires at our door...

Aladdin

This year at Talia's school the year 6 and 7's did a stage show of Aladdin..after 6 months the night was finally here...

Each of the cast was given their own T-shirt.

The show was fantastic..Talia was one of the harem girls and over the 2 nights it was a sell out show...

I wasn't able to take any photos of the performance but took these before she left home

She wanted her hair straight...and it took me hours...

October 2009...

Summer is coming...the warm weather is here. We managed to get outside and enjoy some of the warmth...

Joel is finally pulling to stand...though on very wobbly legs...

He loves to be outside with the kids and chucks minor wobblies if he is stuck inside.

Daddy got him a small paddling pool to enjoy

he is just sooooo cute....17 months have gone really really fast

September 2009

I keep looking at my blog and saying that I must update it and then another week goes past and it still sits there neglected.

No more......

I used my blog as a family journal, when I get around to scrapping my photos I look to my blog for the relevant story around the photos...my memory is useless....

So I need to get back into the habit of blogging again

September 2009....

The only thing that has happened this month is that I got another basal cell carcinoma removed from my forehead...by golly did it hurt...

here are some photos

 

I still have 2 more to be removed but will have to wait a while for this to heal...

So please please please cover up in the sun...remember to slip, slop and slap....

A change is in the air...

There have been a few changes in the house hold, I am not sure how they will affect things I guess only time will tell.

I went and saw the girls dad on Thursday, he is only home 2 days during the week and they girls miss him on their weekends with him.

I wanted to discuss the options for High School for Talia and a few other things. Together we came to the agreement that we are going to try and put Talia into a Private High School, there are 3 possibilities and we will have to apply to each of them and then go onto a wait list. $55 for each application and if we are successful a down payment, usually equivalent of one term fees to secure a place. I think we are too late but we can apply and cross our fingers. One of the schools you had to apply before year 4 for a year 8 intake....So if and once we get Talia into a school we can put Eloise's name down and not have to worry about the stress of if she can get in.

The other thing is that Eloise is no longer going to go to her dads, she really does not like going and her dad and Sue understand, though a bit hurt. I am sure over time she will go back. Talia on the other hand loves going there and from the end of this month will be spending one week here with us and then the next week at her dads. I am going to miss her like crazy.

Matthew has been going to Private speech once a fortnight for a while now, I have decided to stop, not only will it save us $90 a fortnight but It doesn't seem to be making any difference to his sounds. We are seeing his gov speech therapist in Oct so will see if she notices a difference.

Joel is doing well with his physio, he is finally pulling himself up to stand, with my assistance though he has done it once by himself. His physio wants lots more crawling as he is quite weak in his upper arms and shoulders...

And lastly me, I went and had my hair cut the other day, it was way too long so I told the hairdresser to cut it so it just sits on my shoulders and only just long enough to put up....I had about 25cm cut off. I didn't realise that it was almost to my waist....

I am still struggling with my weight, though I have managed to lose a few kgs over the last few weeks, I need to get back into exercise now that this rotten cold has gone.

Well that's a wrap up. Off to try and tidy the house...

Today....

I have been neglecting my blog again, not because I want to but because nothing has been happening, we are all sick again. So I have borrowed this from a friends blog, thanks Riss

Outside my window…
Rain, rain and more rain....I am trying to get the washing dry without using the dryer, no luck.

I am thinking…
That I really need to reorganise my life to be more productive, I say this all the time and I know inside what it is I want to do but I never seem to quite get there...

I am thankful for…
The roof over our heads and the food on the table

From the kitchen…
I am trying to live more simply, cooking from scratch and sticking to a menu plan. All has been going really well until the bowl broke on my mix master, not happy.

I am wearing…
jeans, jumper and runners, only because I have to take Joel to the physio, pick up Matthew from Kindy and take and fetch Talia from Aikido other wise it would be trackkies....

I am creating…
A number of scarves...one for each child, not getting far....and I have tried to get back to scrapping. I did a few pages last week.

I am reading…
Chosen, a house of night novel by P.C and Kristen Cast

I am hoping (praying)…
That we don't have to move again this October, all depends on if they put the rent up again.

Joel gets over his cold real soon, I need some sleep

That the 3 skin lesions the dermatologist found yesterday come out easily and are only Basal Cell Carcinomas....

I am hearing…
The washing machine on spin, another load done. The radio on and Joel coughing in his sleep, I really wish there was something I could give him...

One of my favourite things…
A clean house.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Tomorrow I need to go and talk to the girls dad, Eloise doesn't want to go and stay with him anymore and Talia wants to start staying one week here and one week there. Not sure how all of this is going to go down, Its going to be interesting.

Friday is swimming lessons in the morning for Matthew and Maths in the afternoon for Eloise and then the girls are going to their dads for the weekend....

Were going to the Zoo...

School holidays are here and the girls bought home fantastic mid year reports...

We drove down with Aunty Jenni and Talia bought her friend Lia along for the day

Eloise and kathryn

 

Matthew and Eloise

The not so small tiger cub

Tricia the elephant taking a walk, Matthew thought that this was the best thing....

Happy 9th Birthday Eloise...

Ok so when did she go from this

to this

My baby girl is 9....sigh

I made her a chocolate cake and we sang happy birthday. The family bought her a new radio and 2 ds games...

Gran sent a butterfly t-shirt and some goodies all the way from Queensland.

More the merrier....

 

Jenni has come over from Melbourne for a visit and it is great having her here...and she looks bloody fantastic with all the weight she has lost..

While she was here we organised for Dad, Allison, Miss, Al, Jacquie and the kids to all get together for a birthday come any excuse bash

 

Dad and all the grand kids - minus Bec

Eloise and Matthew blowing out the candles on the birthday cake

Aunty Jenni- told you she looked good

Grand dad and Joel

Dad and his 3 girls....

Joel in July...

Joel is now 14 months old.....

He has just hit the 10kg mark and is only just started to commando crawl....off to physio we go.

He like Matthew has poor muscle tone and flexible joints but thankfully not as bad as Matthew. A physio session every 3 weeks and he will be caught up in no time....well that is the plan.

Cheeky Monkey

With my dad....

Happy 5th Birthday Matthew

Its hard to believe but Matthew is 5, this years seems to be flying by.

We organised a small get together with all the kids and had a cake and sang happy birthday

The birthday cake, I didnt mean for it to look sooooo pink but hey, pink is his favorite colour.

blowing out the candles

cheeky face

 

opening some pressies

He got a parking garage from the family which he loves....