Too Tired, Too Much And Only So Much I Can Do

Well it's late again and I have finally got Bailey to sleep. It took me a little while to get Brandon to sleep also but eventually he stopped wriggling enough to fall asleep. I was up at 3am this morning dealing with Brandon's bed wetting again. That made it 3 times last night he wet his pants.So at 3 am in the morning I can tell you that it is still dark outside. By 4am though it's light. By 5:30am I'm showered, dressed and really wishing that I could go to sleep. That's why now at 9pm I'm truly too tired and feeling like the world is a bit too much. Sitting on a tropical island with my feet in the water would make me feel better though.Then all I would need is a personalised chef and the ability to sleep uninterrupted for 1 whole week, and someone to do all my paperwork.

I think I spent most of my day making food for the 2 boys. Pre-breakfast I spent what seemed like an eternity trying to make morning tea and lunch for Brandon fit into 1 lunchbox. Mission Impossible. What made it even harder is that the Kindergarten have requested that we provide a "litter free" meal for the kids. So everything has to go in plastic containers in the lunch box, taking up valuable room in my opinion. Anyway I did it, although I did stuff 1 packet of biscuits and a bar into the lunchbox at the end. Let's just hope that I can replicate the whole thing again tomorrow.

Bailey and I dropped Brandon off at Kindergarten with a wave goodbye. I still stood there in the middle of the kindy dumbfounded because I keep thinking there should be more to it. I snapped out of it, picked up Bailey and off we went.One of my friends was dropping off her little boy too so we organised to meet up at the indoor playground near home. 20minutes later we met up again. There Bailey and I and my friend and her little boy played for several hours. Eventually Bailey and I headed home. I was so excited that Bailey would have a sleep and then I could relax for a bit. I even contemplated watching some daytime TV. He didn't sleep.

So out came all the food again and I made lunch for the 2 of us and then afternoon tea for when we pick Brandon up. I was 100% sure he would ask for food once he was sitting in the car. And so he did. When we walked into the kindy to collect Brandon he was just sitting on this tiny blue chair with a Spot the dog book in his hands looking so very little and lost. The first words out of his mouth were "Mummy, I was so worried about you" It just broke my heart. He was just tired and I think a little bit flat. Off home we went with both boys munching away on an orchard of food.

Daddy was already home by the time we arrived home. I rushed off to work while daddy entertained the boys. Once I finished I cooked some dinner for the little people and fed them outside. We bathed and dressed them for bed. This whole process seems to take absolutely hours. Anyway, I'm going to try and find something for dinner because I don't have my personal chef just yet. Cheese toast is looking like a good option for someone so tired. Sweet dreams.

Fruit Salad

I was determined to have some nice dinner cooked for everyone tonight and so by 6;30am this morning I was cooking up lasagna. If I waited to a more reasonable time it just would not have happened. Brandon wasn't quite his normal effervescent self upon waking this morning so I just thought I'd keep an eye on him throughout the day. The first thing he did say to me was "I want a hippopotamus game". Not something I expected to be greeted with but then you just never know with kids.

The 2 boys and I cooked up some very yummy biscuits this morning while we waited for daddy to have a shower and get ready for the day. The boys love the process of cooking just not necessarily the end product. So the biscuits looked great and were a roaring success with daddy and I. Eventually we managed to get all 4 of us out of the house and into the Ute. We headed to the fruit and vegetable markets. We shopped smart and sensibly and purchased heaps for only $20.19.  I was very satisfied. Everyone was very hot and Brandon was started to wilter. He kept saying that he wanted to go home, which he never says. So home we headed. Bailey fell asleep in the car and once we got to our suburb, daddy and I drove around a little in the car thinking that Brandon might eventually go to sleep. On our journey we came across the display village having a special day. Not that we are looking at building again right now, but daddy and I love the building process and all things property. As we drove past the display village we flippantly said to Brandon that there was a petting zoo of farm animals if he was interested in going. His eyes just lit up. Suddenly he was sitting up straighter in his car seat and he was wide awake. We did a U-turn and back we went. Bailey woke as we got to the animals and he was off. He wanted to be in there too with all the animals. I was hoping that he was actually awake enough to manage ducks and goats and  a calf. The boys loved it. Brandon was hoping they would have a dog so that he could get one. The farmer didn't. Brandon was the first one to actually say he wanted to get out. Very surprising. He wanted an ice cream (not surprising) and when he only had 1 mouthful and told me he had finished, I knew he wasn't well. Actually I just thought he was tired because it was very hot and we had been walking everywhere.

Daddy, the boys and I farewelled the farm animals and headed for the display village. There is 50 new display homes in our suburb and we wanted to have a look at a few of them. Daddy and I have been living in Queensland now for just over 6 years (previously living in the arctic-nearly!!) and we have never ever accidentally bumped into people that we knew up here. This afternoon was a different story. Everyone was there-walking the pavement of the display village. It was quite entertaining. So while we thought we would just duck in to look at a few new homes we ended up being there for several hours. The 2 boys appear to love looking at display homes. For daddy and myself it is very hard work because they are running everywhere and opening everything. When 3pm came around we decided it was time to go home. We were all exhausted.

Once home I cut up huge amounts of fruit and we all sat in the living room with the air conditioner on eating the fruit. Evidently we had a quiet hour to dinner time. We wrapped up dinner and baths and reading and then bed quite early because it was just time for 2 little boys to finish the day. I plan on eating more fruit soon and then folding copious amounts of washing. The weekend just goes so fast. Brandon is meant to be at kindergarten tomorrow but he had a very high fever earlier of which we dealt with. I have also given him some natural medicine so that tomorrow he wakes up with a smile on his face, and hopefully no wet pants.

"Mummy, I Need To Go To The Toilet"

Brandon said this to me this afternoon. My response depends solely on where we actually are when he says this to me. If I'm at home then all I need to say is "That's great sweetheart. Off you go". If we are at the shopping centre and he tells me this then I might say "Hold on and we'll go straight to the toilet". And again it's fine. No dramas. However, when we are at the supermarket and I have half the shopping on the conveyor belt and in bags and Brandon says this to me, my reaction is "Hold on really tight. We will get to the toilet in a minute." What I am really thinking is -" Holy crap. We are stuffed. This is not going to end well." And it's about this point in life that everything seems to stop or at least go in slow motion. The cashier slowed down and I felt like I slowed down putting groceries on the counter. Then the flood gates opened and out came the wee. It wasn't in slow motion. Poor little Brandon, he was so sad. I scooped him up and he was OK. He asked to eat some jelly beans that we had bought, so he was definitely OK. The cashier gave me some paper towelling to wipe it all up which I managed to do while consoling Brandon and continuing to unpack the trolley. I did my best cleaning it all up. Luckily we were buying some hand sanitiser because it got a workout even before I paid for it.

Anyway, back to the beginning. This morning the 2 boys wanted to jump on the trampoline. They looked out the window and must have both decided it looked cold because they put the strangest clothes on. Anyone would think that we were at the snow the way the 2 boys carried on about the weather. I think they must have forgotten that we live in tropical Queensland. Anyway, with their big jumpers on and a Bennie on Bailey's head they jumped and jumped.

Daddy and I thought we would go out this morning and do some fun things and then hang out at home in the afternoon. Instead we ended up weeding and gardening most of the day. Surprisingly we got most of it done. Now it looks like a suburban garden and not a suburban jungle. It should keep us going to Easter. As our garden bale was already full of gardening rubbish we ventured out to the Tip. I packed daddy's Ute until it was absolutely jammed packed with palm fronds. The Tip was flat out. once we got there. Then we came home and put Bailey to sleep. Brandon and I then went off and did our food shopping. Brandon talked the whole time. Not just a little bit, but the WHOLE time. By the last aisle of the supermarket I said to Brandon "You don't have to talk all the time. Sometimes it's nice to have some quiet time" His response "Mummy I don't want quiet time. I want to talk all the time'. And off he went.

The afternoon was spent outside jumping on the trampoline, bringing in washing, dealing with 2 wrestling boys and digging in the dirt, The boys had dinner outside tonight because they seem to eat more when they eat outside. And again, the boys jumped on the trampoline. Hooray to that trampoline. It was a fantastic investment. Doesn't make us any money but the pure enjoyment it provides makes it a worthy purchase.

It's amazing how much fun you can have in the day without spending any money.

Pelicans, Pelicans. Where For Art Thou Pelicans?

We were on the lookout for Pelicans this morning. The 2 boys and I had ventured down to the beach where the local tourist information centre feed the pelicans every day, pelicans pending, at 10am on the dot. There was a collection of other interested people accumulating but still no sign of the pelicans. The lady with the bucket of fish arrived and mentioned that since the Brisbane floods the pelicans hadn't been seen since which is a bit sad because they have been coming for years and years. She was optimistic they would return. So the 2 boys and I went to the nearby park and had a very big play.

Strangely there was absolutely no other kids there today and none turned up while we were all playing. Once the boys realised that they were the only 2 kids playing the boys actually got in and played together. They still managed to put a lot of sand all over each other. Bailey decided that he would have a rest in the sand. The only problem with that was that he laid down face first. He was covered in sand, especially because he was also covered in sunscreen. It was very hot today and the 2 boys and I were starting to fade so we headed home.

We all sat in the cool for awhile before the boys started going crazy. Daddy came home and after some time the 2 boys and daddy went and jumped on the trampoline. I had a busy afternoon at work and in fact didn't finish work until just after 7:30pm. As the boys were so very excited to see me they didn't go to sleep until another hour later. By that time the boys had sent daddy crazy so while daddy was recollecting his sanity, I put both boys to bed. Daddy did his customary Friday night event- through sheer exhaustion he fell asleep on the lounge, so I had a quiet little night. I paid bills.

Jumped In The Car

It felt like the 2 boys and I were continually jumping into the car today. Our day started with myself and Brandon playing some educational preschool games on the laptop, at Brandon's request. Then once Bailey woke I fed the boys and finally managed to get them dressed before then jumping into the car. First place of business was Brandon's karate class. He was fabulous. He gets so very tired though because he does so very much. Then we jumped back into the car and came home to meet the pest controllers who we had booked in for 10am. So the 2 boys and I jumped back into the car and headed up towards the nearby supermarket to fill in some time while our house got sprayed for bugs. I had a change of mind and we ended up at the display village looking at 2 houses, 1 of which I would like to build somewhere for investment. It just has a house plan that works well on a small lot. The 2 boys loved it. It was such an adventure for them. Then we jumped back into the car and went to the supermarket to get some milk and a few other things. Hurried the boys along as we jumped back into the car to go home to pay the pest controllers. Once home we stocked up on some food and then jumped back into the car. This time I put the DVD on for the boys thinking that we would drive straight to the stationary shop to get some things for work. Instead first I had to get petrol. Again jumping into the car with the air conditioner on full we headed off to our next stop. Traipsed out of the car into the office supplies shop, asked a sales assistant if they had what I was looking for, paid for it, and we were jumping back into the car not even 5 minutes later. This time we were heading home for the day .I was tired of driving and it was hot. The afternoon was spent watching cartoons before daddy jumped into the car and took the 2 boys out to the shops to get some stamps. It took them 1 hour. No more "ducking in" anywhere with kids. I had a client picking up a gift voucher this afternoon so once she had departed I actually watched "The Bold & The Beautiful". I was fascinated because I haven't watched that show for nearly 5-6 years, and all the characters were the same. Cooked boys dinner in anticipation for their imminent arrival. They crashed and banged through the door on their return. The 2 boys ate outside and then again insisted they jump on the trampoline. Jumped with them for awhile until Brandon kicked me in the chest and then it wasn't fun anymore. Boys so tired from jumping in and out of the car all day and then finishing their day jumping on the trampoline that they are now both asleep and it's only 7:30pm here. Hooray!

Australia Day

We did a few things today that represent the wonderful country that we live in. I think the most typical activity we did was enjoy the glorious sunshine while feeding the 2 boys sausages. We also played and played outside.We certainly didn't have an eventful day but it was a busy day.

This morning the 2 boys and I drove up to the local shops to buy some yummy ingredients for breakfast, only to discover the shop was closed. Then we travelled up to the big shopping centre where no-one was open at all. There was quiet a few cars in the car park so I knew a shop had to be either open or about to open. We waited and waited and the boys and I ran through the shopping centre as there was hardly any people around. Brandon and Bailey loved it. Eventually Coles opened so we rushed in and out very quickly getting breakfast essentials. Once home the 2 boys woke daddy up and we had some yummy breakfast.

The rest of the day I spent washing and washing and cleaning. Daddy took the 2 boys to the shops where they played in the playground and enjoyed the huge jumping slippery slide in the food court playground. I achieved so much with the cleaning of the house. I also intensively cleaned the boys rooms and moved furniture around to accommodate all of Brandon's books.

Later in the afternoon I took the 2 boys down to the park at the end of the street with their bikes. They were very tired and hot and there was a lot of kids and a big Australia Day party already at the park. Needless to say we weren't there for long before things started going down hill. So home we went. The boys jumped on the trampoline silently for awhile. They were so tired apparently that they couldn't talk. I cooked up a very early dinner of which they absolutely shovelled in to their mouths - hot dogs with Parmesan cheese and Tomatoe sauce. I just kept the food coming and they kept eating it. I'm surprised that they are not 2 metres tall already. As the boys had eaten dinner outside they decided they must jump on the trampoline. No amount of reasoning would make them understand that they needed to let their food settle before they jumped all of it up.

The boys ended up playing outside for nearly 1 hour. They are such outdoor boys. It makes them so very happy. Once we rounded them up and bathed them they were ready for bed. Bailey ate so much more food while Brandon went straight to bed. Once Bailey finished eating for a small country I put him in bed and he was snoring before his head hit the pillow.

Happy Australia Day.

Todays Itinerary

Here's an overall summary of what we did today. I only took 2 photos this evening because we were so very busy that I didn't have time to take photos. Or should I say I didn't have time to remember to take photos.

(Note the absolute trail of destruction in the background of the 2 photos.)

* Firstly I managed to get myself showered and ready for the day. Now it was 5:30am and I was sort of ready for children to wake up. They were still asleep so I continued on.

* I made lots of food for Brandon to eat at Kindergarten. Thought now that it's day 2 he may eat a little more. I also packed his kindy bag and then moved on to organising things for Bailey's swimming lesson. As he is too little to swim on his own I have to be in with him. So I then organised swimming things for me.

* Re-checked that we had everything for the day and then put it all in the car. We are usually racing out the door late so I thought if I put all the bags in the car now it might save us some time.

* Kids woke up and I prepared breakfast for the 2 boys and I. Sometimes it does my head in with all the constant menu planning and making of food.

* Dressed us all and managed to get suncream on everyone. While doing so watched the traffic report to see what the traffic situation might be in the peak hour traffic we were just about to join. Not looking good. 2 out of the 3 roads available were still closed.

* Bundled the kids up and drove down the driveway. We were off.

* Realised 1 minute later that we needed petrol. Found the nearest petrol station and filled up alongside half the population of Brisbane. The other half of the population were sitting in a giant traffic jam so we joined in.

* Somehow, someway the 2 boys and I managed to get to Brandon's kindergarten 30 minutes early. Suggested to the boys we wait a little bit but Brandon was not interested in that idea. He insisted he go in right now. Didn't fight it. So off we went.

* Dropped Brandon at kindergarten where Brandon suddenly developed "Can't see you or hear you mummy-itis". So taking the hint Bailey and I left. 

* Bailey and I drove on straight to the local swimming pool near home. As we were a little early for Bailey's swimming lesson we played in the outdoor kids water area.

*40 minutes later the 2 of us were swimming. Bailey was a bit unsettled. Again I am putting it down to the absence of his big brother so I tried to make it as fun as possible. He wasn't really interested. Dried and dressed the little man and then headed home so that I could change. Have tried too many times to get dressed in the pool change rooms with the boys, only to have them run away while I get stuck half undressed. 5 minutes of sitting in the car in wet swimmers is much more enticing than running nude through the swimming pool chasing the 2 boys.

* Home. Made Bailey some much needed lunch. I returned heaps of phone calls to clients and then got properly dressed, changed Bailey's nappy and then we left 20 minutes later. Never comfortable with the way I put Bailey's nappy on after swimming. Never completely convinced it's secure.

* Picked up Brandon who looked and sounded tired. He had had a good few hours at kindergarten. His little friend from yesterday wasn't there today but his other good friend was. It was Isaac's first day today so I think Brandon may have taken him under his little wing and shown him around.

* The 2 boys and I went into the huge shopping centre nearby to stock up on some food. Very obvious that everyone was tired because I actually had to take the stroller in of which both boys actually sat in. Left as soon as possible.

*Had heard through the local grapevine that one of the flooded bridges was now open. That was the short way home so thought I would give it a try. Successful. Got home in record time.

* Both boys asleep. Moved them from the car to their beds. Just wanted to sit down but still had to put all the cold things in the fridge, tidy up all the destruction left behind in the house after our morning departure, and get ready for work.

* Eventually decided I was falling into a heap. Stopped. Grabbed a huge tub of ice cream from the freezer, sat on the lounge and proceeded to feel much better. Consuming whole tubs of ice cream makes the world a much more coherent place.

* Woke the boys up so that they would sleep again tonight. Daddy home. Organised all of Brandon's swimming lesson stuff and an array of distraction items for Bailey as Daddy was taking both boys to the pool for Brandon's swimming lesson.

* I said goodbye to the 2 boys and daddy as they went to the pool and I went to work. I went well. Think daddy got a bit stressed at the pool because Bailey just wanted to get back into the water instead of watching Brandon.

* Cooked the kid's dinner between my first and second clients so that it would be ready for when they came home.

* The 2 boys and daddy crashed and banged once home. They had dinner, a bath, went silly and did several nudie runs. I put Bailey to bed. Brandon wasn't interested in sleep just yet. He had a fridge full more of food. Put him into bed where he eventually slept.

* Now I wish I had some more ice cream. My lovely husband just bought me an ice block. He just knew.

The Proudest Mummy Ever!

It was Brandon's first day at kindergarten today. I am so very proud of my little boy. He did so very well. Even though I told him several times this afternoon how proud of him I am. I hope that he knows how truly fantastic I think he was.

The 2 boys and I arrived at kindergarten very early because I did not want Brandon to miss out because of all the road works. So we sat in the car for some time before walking up to the kindergarten gates. Daddy was still not with us so I convinced the boys to wait a little bit longer although when Brandon grabbed the kindergarten gates and started shaking them and saying "Let me in. I want to go in there." I thought it was silly not to let him in. At least he wasn't crying and running the other way. As we were about to walk through the gates and down the pathway to the kindergarten, parents kept lining their kids up next to the kindergarten sign to take photos. I asked Brandon if he would like me to take a photo and he said "No. I just want to go to kindergarten". We made way for a set of parents coming out of the kindergarten who were absolutely bawling. So we went in and ploughed through the front entrance. Both boys were off.  I managed to show Brandon where his chosen locker was to put his bag in. I also showed him that I was putting his lunch in the fridge, his drink bottle in the trolley and his hat on the hat rack. Daddy turned up then and Brandon showed him what I had just told him so I knew he had been listening. And that was it. Daddy and I said goodbye to Brandon and we got a flippant response. Daddy and I just looked at each other and thought -Is that it? So we said goodbye again and left.

Daddy went back to work and Bailey and I went to the nearest park. We stayed there until it was time to pick Brandon up at 12:30pm. At the park Bailey was a lot quieter. I could see that he missed Brandon. He was a bit lost I think without his guiding light. I have to say that it was so unbelievably quiet with Brandon at Kindergarten. While Bailey is quite chatty and noisy, compared to Brandon he is as quiet as a mouse. The 2 of us played on the flying fox and we rode around on special bikes on tracks. Bailey climbed rock walls and slid down slides.He had morning tea and actually didn't run too far. It is so incredibly weird only having 1 child with me. Usually with the 2 boys they always run in opposite directions so it was so strange to be able to concentrate solely on Bailey.

When we picked up Brandon once he saw me he ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug in the whole world. It was so very special and wonderful. He told me all about his morning at kindergarten and the kids that he met. Apparently he made a great friend called William. His little friend Isaac will be there tomorrow of which he is excited about. He is going to introduce Isacc to William so that they can all play.

The 2 boys and I went to the gourmet ice cream shop on the way home to celebrate Brandon's achievements. Bailey had fallen asleep in the car after we left kindergarten and remained so even in my arms in the shop and then when I put him back in the car and then at home into his bed. He was a tired little boy. Brandon gobbled all his ice cream up while in the car and then spent the reminder of the car trip trying to convince me that I should give him a "little bit" of Baileys. That wasn't happening.

At home once Bailey had woken up and had some food, the 2 boys and I went outside so that the boys could slip and slide over the detergent covered wet tarp. As usual things moved over to the trampoline, including the detergent and the water. So the afternoon was spent with the hose connected to the water tank and 2 small boys jumping on the trampoline in their swimmers wet and soapy. Perfect recipe for a whole lot of laughter. Eventually I thought that I better get ready for work even though daddy still was not home. In fact daddy walked in the door about 90 seconds before my client did. I hope that I never have to do that again.

The evening was spent reigning in 2 small children and getting them into bed.. Both boys did so very well today. I am truly the proudest mummy ever!

To The Beach We Go.

Our day began with all of us heading up to the Caloundra for the day for daddy to do a quote for work. The 2 boys and I accompanied daddy so that we could make an adventure of the day. We were going to go to the beach while daddy did his quote but it was raining so the 2 boys and I just stayed in the Ute with the boys watching a DVD and eating chocolate Easter eggs. Yes I know that it's still January but there is something about Easter egg chocolate that is the best chocolate around.

The rain stopped and daddy finished his quote so we then headed up to Mooloolaba to have some lunch. Although it's the last official day of the holidays the coast was absolutely packed. First thing we did was buy 4 freshly squeezed juices at the juice bar. Pre-children daddy and I would always buy a juice there first up. That's probably the only thing post children that we have continued to do. Everything else is so different. Another example of activities differing between pre and post kids is the fact that daddy and I now don't (or can't) sit down for lunch. We bought lunch at the bakery and then wandered over to the beach to find a shady seat. Once we had set the boys up with their lunch on the park bench daddy and i put sauce on our pies and then the boys ran, Bailey in particular. Brandon was still covered in tomato sauce from his opening of the sauce. I wiped sauce off Brandon, the park bench and myself using almost all the nappy wipes, while daddy ran to catch Bailey. Bailey got to the park and absolutely refused to move so Brandon and I went and joined them. The 2 boys made some wonderful friends. There was 3 big kids that befriended the 2 boys. One must have been about 16 and the other 2 maybe 12 years old. Brandon was in his element. He just talked and talked and the big kids kept asking him questions. There was also 1 other little boy there who must have been a tiny bit older than Brandon. Anyway, he started bossing Brandon around and Brandon didn't want any part of it. So he told him so and then he walked away. We gathered everyone up and went to another bigger park a little further along to give the kids some variety. By now the boys were quite tired so we headed back to the car. Of course little Bailey did a poo in his nappy so we dealt with that before we left the coast. We put the back of the Ute down layered several beach towels down and a blanket for a pillow and proceeded to change his nappy. We had 1 nappy wipe left, after wiping up tomato sauce, to clean up the biggest poo possible. Luckily daddy had loo paper in his car and I had a bottle of water. Nothing was shifting so I improvised by plonking him on the kerbside grass and washed him. Gross I know but desperate times call for desperate measures. He was clean enough and somewhat more comfortable enough to put back in the car.

The boys slept in the car almost straight away, although they both woke up as soon as we drove into our suburb. The rest of the afternoon was spent outside in the backyard jumping on the trampoline. That trampoline was such a good investment. I jumped with the boys for ages. Daddy cooked dinner for the boys of which we both feed them outside. Both boys started by eating dinner standing on the chairs before then moving to alternative positions. Bailey went onto the swing while Brandon walked around and climbed on the play equipment. If we served up the dinner to them they did eat it. We all came inside for about 10 minutes to all eat ice blocks before we all went back outside and jumped on the trampoline again. The whole time the boys were laughing and having the best time. We are so very lucky that they play so extremely well together. They are really very good friends.

Hopefully daddy will get the job that he quoted for this morning. It will make today an even better day. Finally the 2 boys are asleep. Tomorrow is the first day of kindergarten for Brandon (and mummy and daddy). Stay tuned.

Back To The Mud

Over the past few days the 2 boys have gravitated towards mud again. Today was no different. I suppose it's unavoidable as we are always outside playing. Since the lawn bugs ate our lawn the grass hasn't quite regenerated itself completely yet so as a result mud materialises quite quickly in our yard.

Firstly the morning was spent with me working until about 1pm while daddy took the 2 boys food shopping. Apparently everyone behaved and didn't eat half the trolley of food before daddy had even had a chance to pay for it. Normally by the time we get to the checkout there are just empty boxes and bags of food left in the trolley so the lovely cashier simply scans the empty packets and then puts them in the bin. Got to love the appetites of growing boys.



(Both boys are smiling because they have just squashed their toy trains into a cupcake.)



Once all my lovely relaxed clients had departed for the day daddy went off to do several work quotes while I played with the boys.We went straight outside and there we stayed for the next 3 1/2 hours just until daddy came home. The 2 boys and I started on the trampoline and then moved to the climbing ladder and the slippery slide. Bailey absolutely flies up the ladder now. He is so confident and fast. He has to be a quick learner because Brandon is tearing after him trying to catch him and squash him as he goes down the slide head first.  Then the 2 boys and I moved on to dig in the dirt. I always know that as soon as the boys are playing in the dirt about 5 minutes later one of them wants me to conveniently do something with water. Today Bailey had the urge for me to wash his dump trucks. So the mud play began. The 2 boys love it. I love watching them having fun in the mud. Then the thought it might be fun to jump on the trampoline with muddy feet occurred to Brandon. Although I told them not to, they still did it, especially Brandon. Then Brandon had a tantrum that went on for what felts like forever but was probably only 20 minutes. The tears flowed and I patiently waited them out. I think he will be very good at drama when he goes to school. He certainly knows how to put on a performance for everyone in the neighbourhood to hear.

So we came inside and then daddy came home. Daddy cooked the boys dinner while I bought all the washing in. Certainly not entertaining. After the 2 boys had their dinner and then an ice block for dessert, I thought I'd take them back outside for 5 minutes to have a run around before bath and bed. 45 minutes later I finally got them back inside. I chased them around on the trampoline and they love it when I bounce them and they fly into the trampoline safety net or fly through the air to the other side of the trampoline. Both boys reluctantly went to bed. Bailey ate heaps and heaps more food so hopefully he will sleep solidly through the night. Brandon should too through exhaustion. Tomorrow we are off to the beach while daddy does another quote at the coast. I am sure we will find mud somewhere.

Choo Choo. Toot Toot.

Bailey and I played with trains first thing this morning. He absolutely loves anything to do with trains. Yesterday morning he even woke up with these strange red circular marks on his face and then I realised he had gone to sleep with some toy trains. Once Brandon woke up the 2 boys played and played together. After eventually getting the 2 boys to have some breakfast we headed off to the first swimming lesson for the year. Let's just say that after the lesson of which Brandon only stayed around for 10 minutes of, Brandon said he never wanted to go to swimming lessons again. We had a problem. He had never ever said that in all the time we had been going to lessons. I wasn't at ease with Bailey's teacher so when we arrived home I had a chat with Brandon and then I rang the swimming pool people and changed swimming days and swimming teachers. Now everyone was happy. Brandon was back in with the same teacher that he had last year. Hooray. The tears and tantrums had stopped. Problem solved.

We had a busy day today. The boys weren't interested in sleeping today so we headed up to the local bakery and bought some lunch. The 2 boys and I found a big wooden seat at the shops and the boys drank their popper juices while eating gingerbread men all the while watching a painter in a cherry picker fill in some holes in the roof. The loved it. So we sat there for nearly 30minutes before then heading home to eat the rest of our now cold lunch.

I told the 2 boys that after lunch they would need to have some quiet time while I get all my work things ready. Didn't happen. Brandon even said to me "Mummy, what's quiet time?" Well there you go. So it really didn't happen. Instead I ended up putting swimmers on the boys, grabbed some bubble bath, grabbed our blue tarp, and my camera and outside we went. Once the hose was connected to the water tank pump the boys had giant bubbles on a big wet tarp.They laughed and laughed, although I could see that little Bailey was getting tired. He just walked around with his swimmers on holding onto his trains. Eventually though Brandon worked out that if he put shampoo directly onto his feet and then quickly jumped onto the trampoline he could slip and slide and have even more fun. Bailey's face lit up and onto the trampoline he went. He definitely wanted a part of that. There was laughter galore.

I managed to catch 1 slippery child at a time and put them in the shower to wash off all the mud that had somehow found its way to the boys legs and feet. Once both boys were now clean and dressed I headed off to work with the suggestion that the boys have an early dinner and go to bed. I am sure that tomorrow when I go to work, daddy will play with Bailey and all his trains. Choo Choo. Toot Toot

Our Eventual Foray Into Kindergarten

For 1 hour today we had been invited to attend Brandon's kindergarten for a play date. It was for the kids to meet their teachers again and to choose a locker while also meeting all the other kids. So with 5 minutes to go before the play time started while just having sat in 40 minutes of traffic, the 2 boys and I came across a sign to say that all south bound roads were closed  as a  result of the floods. I rang the kindergarten to let them know we would be late, still confident that there surely had to be a way to get there. Daddy drove up behind us soon after we had  all been detoured. There was 1 way but it would have taken almost 90 minutes to get there and even then we didn't know if it too had been closed. So we resided that we just couldn't humanly get there. Brandon was devastated to say the least. So we said goodbye to daddy as he returned to work while we then travelled to the shops. I felt so bad because we were all mentally prepared to go.

At the shops we only had to do 2 things.
        1. Buy nappies
        2. Get copies of my wedding certificate certified.

While that was all that we did, it took us SO long to achieve it. Things truly weren't working out for us this morning. We missed the kindergarten orientation, got stuck in a lot of traffic, got every single red light, had to wait nearly 1 hour to get 2 pieces of paper certified by a JP and then deal with 2 boys that just wanted to run outside but were instead in a trolley. It was just disastrous. When we eventually got back to the car Brandon started absolutely bawling as he was so incredibly upset at having missed the kindy play this morning. I was sweltering as were the kids and I thought I've had enough. Surely life would be easier if we just packed up and moved closer to family. I even attempted to text my husband to let him know what we should be doing. But as I went to send my message my phone went flat. Thinking about it I realised that living closer to family is too cold an option weather wise and also that really living closer to my parents is not going to guarantee that I won't get stuck in traffic again and nor will it certify that I only ever get green traffic lights.

So I drove to the kindergarten. While there was no kids there Brandon's 2 teachers were. Hooray!! We stayed for about 20minutes playing with trains and train tracks. Brandon seemed to like it. He chose his locker and got his name tag. We looked at the toilets and the little miniature sinks and ran through the procedure verbally. Bailey was excellent. He did everything that Brandon did. He played with everything that Brandon played with. He just loved playing with Brandon.

When we all came home the 2 boys were both actually asleep. I did washing and put bins out and thought that with Brandon sleeping now it may not be so good this evening. Brandon didn't get to sleep until 10:45pm tonight. So I'm going to bed now because it is nearly midnight. At least we got to kindergarten eventually, even though it was 2 1/2 hours late. At least 1 road was open.

The Ultimate Insult

"You go to the Tip mummy. You're naughty mummy. You can't watch any news on TV" This is Brandon's ultimate insult and it was being directed at me this evening because he had just realised that a piece of string he had tired around the handlebars of Bailey's little bike was gone. I told him that I had to remove it because it was getting stuck in the back tyre and it was therefore cutting into Bailey's stomach when he rode it which is all the time. You should have seen the angry response. Brandon turned from a civil 3 year old into the devil. While I don't like the intense anger behind Brandon's words, I always have an internal smile because he always says these things to me when he is either nude or just has underpants on. Tonight he just had underpants on that he had previously pulled up to almost his armpits. That picture in itself was quite funny, let alone when he is standing there with one hand on his hip and the other hand is waving profusely at me with his pointed finger. He certainly knows how to get angry when he is tired.

Brandon is so very tired because we went to the giant indoor playground today. We met up with 4 other little boys all with birthdays within days of each other. So that's how we spent our day. The amount of kids at the playground was phenomenal. I can't believe that they were still letting people in. The que to get in was nearly 70 metres long. The 2 boys had a good time. They certainly weren't their normal selves at the playground but I think that was because of the huge amount of people in the playground. At one point Brandon couldn't see me and thought he was all alone so he was screaming. I had just ducked down to play with Bailey and hadn't heard him because of the huge amount of people and therefore noise present. Fortunately several bigger kids bought him over to the table. How they knew where to take him I will never know as Brandon was too distraught to talk. We all left pretty soon after that as everyone was very tired.

Bailey slept and Brandon had some quiet time once we got home. Daddy was home soon after that which means I then went to work. Daddy took the 2 boys to the shops to stock up on some food. There is still no veggies available and very little fruit in the supermarkets as a result of the Queensland floods. Although carrots were back in supply today, alongside potatoes, black grapes, bananas and very expensive apples. That's about all there is on the menu.

According to daddy when the 2 boys and himself had finished shopping and were back at the car in the car park, a lady had parked next to daddy and was attempting to put her 2 girls in their car. Daddy held their car door open to help one of the little girls get into her seat. Apparently the mum said to daddy "Would you like to take them home? Daddy responded by saying "Would you like to swap?" Accordingly the lady said "What have you got? as she peered into our car. As she caught sight of the 2 boys, daddy said "2 boys" and the lady's immediate response was "Ah. No way!" Pretty funny stuff.

So for the rest of the evening, once I had finished work, we just focused on getting the kids to bed. It's storming outside with lightning and thunder. Let's hope that tomorrow brings a nice cool day and no-more  insults.

Let's Exercise!

My day began with my new exercise regime in place. I'm back into running on my treadmill between 5am-5:30am finishing up as daddy walks out the door for work. Once I get started I feel great and I even ran straight today for 17 1/2 minutes. By 5:30am it was hot and that's not just because I exercised. It was an extremely hot day. The boys and I were outside playing until about 8:30am of which by then it was way too hot. We came inside and the 2 boys played with play dough. Brandon was showing Bailey how to use the rolling pin. He told Bailey that it's best to flatten the play dough first with your hands and then use the rolling pin. Brandon and Bailey have always played really well together, but ever since we went away on holidays Brandon has really been looking after Bailey and always makes sure that he knows where Bailey is. They have the best times together, especially when they are nude.

We were going to go and watch the feeding of the Pelicans today on the beach and then walk to the nearby park, but being so extremely hot, we needed to go to some water. So we went to the pool. We didn't go to the local pool but one a little further away. The local pool is great for swimming lessons but not so much for recreation. The boys and I spent nearly 3 hours at the pool. Brandon and Bailey just love the water and they are so very confident in it. I think swimming intensively on holidays helped increase their confidence, especially Bailey. The boys start back at swimming lessons this Friday at a new time and with a new teacher each. Mind you I still have to ring the pool as I can't remember what time their classes are. Anyway, the 2 boys and I spent our day in the pool. Brandon met a lovely little boy and the 2 of them hung out with each other for several hours. The boy's name was Zack and according to Brandon he was his best friend. I think Zack felt the same way because he didn't want to leave the pool or Brandon once his parents had decided to head home.

The boys ate and ate and ate some more. No matter how much food I pack for the days' activities it is just never enough. I refer to a previous entry when I say that I truly need to be bringing our fridge with us every time we go out, and maybe even the pantry too.

Once home, Bailey slept for several hours while a very tired but resistant to sleep Brandon watched Toy Story 2 on DVD. I cleaned and cleaned our house as we were having a valuer around this evening which had been organised by the bank. I wanted the house to look as clean and worthy of a great price as possible. We aren't selling it's just part of the process for us to buy another property. I went to work and then as I finished the valuer walked in the door. He took photos and measured things and took notes and like always never tells you the price. That's alright, we'll find out tomorrow. I don't know why it's always so forbidden for the property owners to know.

It's still stinking hot and I haven't had a musk stick all day. I do have amazing will power once I have an achievable goal so I'm sticking to my exercise plan. Tomorrow I have organised a big play date with some of the boys' friends so it will be another day full of movement. Best get some sleep.

Little Angels

Well we are back into the swing of things and suddenly the 2 boys, especially Brandon, are very different boys. Over the 3 weeks that we have been on holiday Bailey has grown up so much. Brandon wasn't an angry boy today. It was wonderful. Daddy went off to work for the first time for 2011 and that left the 2 boys and I at home. We all played with play dough for a very long time this morning. We made a dinosaur and a person and a whole snail family. Everyone worked and played together really well. For the rest of the day I'll just give a brief rundown. I really need to be doing several other things all at the same time.

* After play dough we all had breakfast, got dressed for the day, and then jumped in the car.

* First stop was Office Works to look for some labels for Brandon to mark all his things for kindy. Didn't have the original labels we were hoping for so we went to plan B - a DIY label maker. Was the first time in my life that I have run through Office Works. Things still look enticing even when you're running fast through the aisles to catch 2 small children.

* Went on to Spotlight to look at curtains. We are wanting a very large and thick curtain to separate my work room at the front of the house from the remainder of the house. First though we had to look at every other item in the shop. We even looked at balloons. Eventually we found the curtain section but again the whole curtain area was a blur through my eyes as again Bailey decided to run. The bigger the shop the faster he runs. So I didn't get a curtain. I did buy a few little things for the boys like- 2 balloons, a drink bottle, a Thomas lunch box and a little wooden car and aeroplane that had 4 textas for you to colour them in. The boys were actually super patient as we waited our turn in the line.

*Went to visit daddy as we were almost right next to his workplace. Was brief as everyone was very busy.

* Panicked that I wouldn't find a petrol station quick enough before my car ran out fuel but thankfully I did. We all traipsed into the service station to pay and then all traipsed back to the car. I got excited when I saw an Eftpos machine attached to the bowser so that I could pay right there at the pump and not have to unpack kids. But no it didn't work.

* Asked the boys if they would like to have a sleep. Both boys screamed a no straight back at me with huge smiles so I asked them if they wanted to go to the supermarket and they said yes. In we went. Tried to buy some veggies but there is none available because of the floods. Grabbed what fruit they had.

* Arrived home where the boys coloured in their car and plane. I made phone calls and watched the 2 little angels revert back to 2 little devils. It's a phone thing.

* We played and coloured and sang and tried to keep cool. Before we knew it daddy was home and I was off to work for 2011.

* Brandon, Bailey and daddy jumped on the trampoline all afternoon and later Brandon preceded to fall off the climbing equipment apparently.

* Brandon ate dinner while Bailey ate nothing. I managed to eventually get some yoghurt and fruit salad into him. Bath, dressed and then time for bed. I put Brandon to bed tonight and we read so many books. We just kept going and going until eventually Brandon said that he couldn't move his body because he was too tired. Then he told me he was hungry and wanted some food. He asked for some chips and before you know it he had jumped straight up out of his bed. I don't really know how tired he was then. Eventually he went to sleep.

Both boys have been perfect little angels today. Obviously they prefer their routine that we have as they are much happier. I hope that their halos stay shinning tomorrow.

Goodbye Summer Holidays

We all went to the local markets out on the beach today which was lovely. We saw the most amazing things washed up on the beach from the floods. The biggest thing we saw was a huge concrete pontoon washed ashore. It was just a massive piece of concrete. The boys jumped on the Nemo jumping castle with Brandon looking after Bailey every time they went up the stairs and then down the slide in the jumping castle. We walked around for awhile looking at all the stalls before we then bought some lunch. The 2 boys, daddy and I found a cool position under the shade of a great big tree and listened to some great didgeridoo music while we attempted to eat some lunch. I say attempted because the 2 boys didn't sit they just walked around and around while daddy and I tried to feed them and ourselves. Interesting times.

We headed home and were hoping the boys would both sleep but only Bailey did. Brandon just stayed incredibly cranky and angry. We are not quite sure what is happening in his little mind. Daddy and I think it may be a combination between seeing TV footage of all the floods and its destruction, knowing that he is about to go to kindergarten on his own, and continually wetting his bed at night. Somehow we will manage to work it all out with him. The afternoon was spent with Brandon and Bailey jumping on the trampoline with daddy and then myself. The 2 boys and I had a great time jumping. I am sure I would be so very skinny with all this jumping that I do if I just could stop eating Musk Sticks. Never I say.

So we jumped and jumped and I jumped with the boys until they decided they had to jump naked. Then I was out. They jumped together and laughed and laughed. They were having a great time. When they are nude the laughter level increases dramatically. Then the 2 boys got creative and decided to pour their apple juice out of their bottles down the slippery slide. It meant that being naked they would slide quicker, and yes they can both confirm that they slide MUCH quicker down the slide when apple juice is dribbling down it. Unfortunately the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent with Brandon angry and cranky and yelling and screaming and taking all his clothes off and hiding under the table so that we don't see him. I am sure he did it to gross my out but while under the table he grabbed a half eaten sausage that Bailey had chewed and spat out on the floor and ate it.  And that's how the night went. Again the 2 boys decided that they needed heaps more food before bed.

Well it's been 3 weeks since we started our holidays. It truly feels like an eternity. Hopefully 2011 will be a prosperous and health and happy year for us all. Maybe this will be the year that I retire and do our property development full time as planned. Well I say goodbye to our summer holidays. We have had fun.