Brotherhood

Brandon and Bailey have the best time together. I'm glad that we ended up having 2 boys that are only 22 months apart in age. It means that they can hang out together and are able to do similar activities. The 2 boys and I started the day with Brandon's karate class. I can't wait until Bailey turns 3 next year so that he can start Karate too. He just so desperately wants to join in with the class. In the mean time, the 2 of us will just keep doing Karate over to the side while Brandon has his lesson. Brandon did really well today. He didn't get tired and actually completed every activity requested off him from his instructor with vigour.

From Karate, we drove about 400 metres up the road to the huge indoor playground. It was still fairly quiet at the playground but that didn't last for long. Before we knew it, there were kids everywhere. Both boys had a great time. They always have fun. It's big and it's secure and they have blue slushy drinks, of which Brandon insists are made from potatoes. I don't know where he got that idea from but he is adamant they are. The 2 boys played together and frequently Brandon helped Bailey up a bit of the playground that Bailey just couldn't manoeuvre himself. I was so very proud of the boys.

We stayed at the playground for nearly 2 hours before I attempted to round up 2 unwilling boys. Then I bribed them with the prospect of chocolate and that worked a treat. They were in the car before I knew it. Fortunately Bailey did have a sleep, although somewhat extremely brief, while Brandon and I melted chocolate and made our own special treats. We made dinosaur chocolates and underwater ones, alongside some Easter chocolates. They were delicious. I can guarantee that!

Strangely, I am at a lose for words to write about tonight. I keep falling asleep sitting here in front of my laptop. I should just go straight to bed. I've just taken action to stay awake. My solution to exhaustion-fill a bowl up with ice cream and chocolate sauce and devour. I'm guaranteed to stay awake now. Once we had finished making chocolates one of my friends dropped over with her 2 little boys to say hello and to collect some things her son had left at Kindergarten. I'd like to say that the remainder of the afternoon and evening was spent relaxing on a tropical island with a daiquiri in hand, but in reality I went to work. While I do love work, I love a tropical island and a daiquiri more.

The 2 boys had a nice day together. They laugh and talk to each other all the time. They also chase each other and wrestle and run around in circles around me. Daddy and I have really concentrated on teaching the 2 boys about looking after each other and I know that it has really sunk in for Brandon, although sometimes I have been known to query that. Overall, they are great friends and I hope that they always stay that way. Love you boys. xox

Was There Really 24 hours In The Day?

I'm looking for at least another 4 hours in the day. I have so very much still to do so this is going to be short. Today was Kindergarten day and today's theme was Blue day in support of kids with Autism. The kids wore blue and did everything involving blue. They had blue sand in the sand pit, blue balloons and streamers, they cooked blue biscuits and Brandon even had blue undies on. He had a great day.

Bailey and I went and looked at several display homes. We met an agent who said that he'd pass on our details to his clients looking to buy an investment property as we build them. Cool. We then went home and played with trains and all Bailey's toys. Daddy came home very early because he got rained out from work and then we all went into Kindergarten to pick up Brandon. He was most excited to see us all.

I worked all afternoon and evening while daddy played and fed the 2 boys. Once I finished work I continued the process of getting the kids to bed while daddy went off to shop for some much needed food. If anyone knows where I can find another 4 hours in the day please let me know.

Once Upon A Time....

Once Upon A Time there was a lovely maiden and a gorgeous prince who had 2 very lovely but cheeky little princes. On such a fair day like today the lovely maiden spent the best part of the morning making breakfast for her 2 beautiful boys. Then she embarked upon the lunches for the day. In fairytale land I'm pretty sure there should be a maid, a personal cook, and a chauffeur. The lovely princess continued to search for what would be such wonderfully appreciated help, but alas, her search was to no avail and eventually she came to the conclusion she would just do it all herself.

The beautiful maiden (hee hee!) ushered the 2 little boys into the horse and cart and drove along the highway with the headlights on in the pouring rain. Ten minutes into the journey to Kindergarten, the princess realised that all 5 umbrellas that she possessed were all collectively at home sitting on the floor in a neat pile to put back into the horse and cart for said occasions. So the lovely princess smiled and adopted an extremely positive attitude that it would stop raining so that herself and her 2 charges wouldn't get wet. As it turned out, the rain got heavier and heavier the closer Kindergarten came. Alas, with now an extremely determined positive approach that the rain would stop- low and behold it did. Not only did it stop as the royal horse and cart drove into the Kindergarten street, but the clouds actually parted and the sun shone. The princess and 2 princes were very grateful and had a mighty big laugh.

Upon eventually leaving Master Brandon at Kindergarten for his adventurous day, both the fair maiden and her youngest child went into a nearby shopping centre to do some chores. Uneventful activities prevailed but nearly 2 hours passed before they were off home. Master Bailey had played with lots and lots of other girls and boys in the shopping centre playground so he was ready for home too. The lovely princess was also convinced that he needed a sleep because he had been awake since 5:15am. Fair enough that his parents were well and truly awake then, but his adoring mummy wasn't convinced that children needed to be up at that time.

Master Bailey and his lovely mummy played with trains and did lots of jigsaws puzzles all afternoon before they were again back in the horse and cart collecting Master Brandon. Travelling along a rickety road and over a rickety bridge, fending off peak hour school traffic, all the while hoping that it doesn't rain again, saw the lovely family visit the fresh food markets. Delicious. The health conscious princess stocked up on lots of fruit and veggies and of course a bag of mixed lollies. Everyone arrived home safe and sound with not a moment to spare before the lovely maiden raced off to work literally while the very handsome prince came in the door. According to the princess's laughter odometer the 3 royal men had a roaring great time jumping on the trampoline for quite some time. So much so that it's only 9:30pm and everyone except the beautiful maiden is asleep in the royal castle. Alas, she has returned to the possible endless (maybe fruitless) search for a maid, personal chef and that elusive chauffeur. Maybe they are in another fairy tale. Once Upon A Time.....

I've Changed My Mind!

Brandon and Bailey had a great sleep last night so this morning they appeared to be feeling a lot better then they were yesterday. They have been watered, fed and had some decent sleep. Brandon said that he didn't want to go to Kindergarten today because he was still so tired so I spent the next 1 1/2hrs double checking that that was definitely how he felt. At 9am this morning I thought I won't ask him again because he's already told me numerous times he doesn't want to go to Kindergarten. At 9:01am Brandon declared that he now wanted to go to Kindergarten. He was there by 10am.

 So Bailey and I went to the lake just down from where we live and had a play at the playground. We also went for a walk around half of the lake and looked at the baby ducks and all the baby swans. Bailey had a huge 3 hour sleep today which gave me the opportunity to make 101 phone calls to the accountant, clients, and almost every other business person I knew. Daddy surprisingly picked Brandon up from Kindergarten today which was wonderful.

The 4 of us then ventured out to a new park that I had discovered earlier today. It was great fun but it was just about to bucket down with rain so we didn't stay too long. As we ran dripping wet to the car, with the boys perfectly dry, we then headed off to get some petrol for daddy and then up to the supermarket to stock up on the very basic essentials. We spent the evening feeding kids before then bathing them and rounding them up and steering them into bed. I thought we should get them into bed quickly before Brandon changed his mind again.

What Clean House?

My family were returning home today and I was really looking forward to it. But first I wanted to finish the cleaning, which is what I proceeded to do for the next 2 1/2 hours. Eventually I stood back, appreciated the lovely clean, sparkly house I had before me before I sat down for a short while to recover. I knew it would be awhile before the house was ever this clean again. It's truly amazing what you can achieve without children.

I drove off to the airport to wait the arrival of the 2 boys and daddy. Daddy had taken the 2 boys way down south to his country hometown so that the boys could spend some time with their nanny & poppy A and their great nanny & great poppy A. Finally they arrived. I was so very excited. In fact I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I started crying. I finally had all my boys back.

Needless to say that the afternoon was spent with my family, although I did duck out to get some petrol and a bit of food to get us through for a few days. Brandon looks and feels like he his getting very sick. His temperature is through the roof. I am hoping that when he wakes up in the morning he will be OK. From what I can gather, the 2 boys had a fantastic time away. Apparently they loved hanging out with all their family that they met.

So now the 2 boys are tucked happily into bed. The 2 boys and daddy have been home now for a few hours and as I sit here on the computer looking around at the house, I have to question - What clean house????

Renovation Queen

Today my plan was to clean inside the house all day. I am still family free so I utilised that and began cleaning quite early. I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned until I eventually realised that I wasn't going to have as much time to clean absolutely everything that I wanted to clean. I just wanted to have everything done and perfect but by 12:30pm I realised I wasn't having much fun. So I showered in my nice clean shower, got dressed and then headed into the shops. As I'd been away from any civilisation for a few days I'd forgotten how extremely noisy and busy the shops were. I bought some superglue, silicon, light globes and a host of other items before having a long discussion to a builder in the shops about investment.

Once home, I put up my feet and had some lunch. After about 30 minutes I just got too bored sitting on the lounge so I got up and began stage 2 of the cleaning. I tried to stop and relax but I'm not very good at it. So I got into my daggy clothes, grabbed the turps and the tube of silicone and decided to re-silicone the shower. It took me a bit longer than I anticipated but it was my first time fixing a shower. Mission complete. Now I went and grabbed a ladder, a whole heap of down lights and began changing all the lights in the kitchen. Now we have lights!

It's nearly 8pm and I'm about to embark upon dinner. I'm looking forward to seeing all my boys soon. In fact I can't wait. I've had a productive day today and strangely enough my most favourite part was doing my renovation work on the shower. Truth be told that's what I love and renovating  and building is all I want to be doing.

Mummy The Landscaper

I slept in today until 6:30am. No-one woke me up to tell me they had done a poo in their pants. In fact I was gardening by 7:30am. It was a beautiful day and it was going to be a very hot day. I spent the next 5 hours gardening which meant I did every part of our garden. I was so very proud of myself as I had been wanting to fix the yard up for a very long time and now that the kids weren't here with me I got the chance to. I ventured to the The Salvation Army store to drop off 2 bags of beautiful clean toys and clothes before then heading to the tip to drop off a huge garden bale full of weeds. Upon my return home I continued gardening only to fill up another 2 garden bales. I even sprayed any remaining weeds left behind. I had allowed all day to do the gardening but I finished early so I showered and had a delicious lunch. I even watched Oprah before contemplating whether I could have an afternoon sleep. But I jumped up and did some washing before then starting on cleaning our study/office. I'm glad I started it this afternoon because it took me many hours. I threw out so much paper. Such a satisfying feeling. Having a huge clean up makes you realise just how much paper you accumulate. Strangely enough when we receive the paper it all seems so very important at the time.

After mass cleaning of the study, I spoke to my mum on the phone for awhile before grabbing a wine and walking around my beautiful landscaped garden. So lovely. So quiet. So tranquil, well at least for a bit longer yet before the boys arrive home. So now it's 6:30pm and I'm just about to eat dinner. It will be only the second time in nearly 4 years that I've had dinner so incredibly early. I don't have much else to say except that I am absolutely exhausted. My arms are very sore from pulling out millions of weeds. Tomorrow I'm cleaning the inside of the house. Can't wait!

10 Things To Do When You're Child Free

As I waved goodbye to my family at the airport this morning, I realised that I haven't been child free for nearly 4 years. So I've compiled a list of things I did today that I haven't done in ages. While none are eventful to an observer, to me they are monumental.

1. As I waved goodbye to my family I enjoyed not having to coax a small child to keep moving or having to pick them up and carry them huge distances while juggling with car keys and food and bags and another active boy.

2. Without children present I could turn the music up in the car as loud as I wanted. I had no idea of any of the songs playing on the radio because all I ever sing in the car is Incy Wincy Spider, Humpty Dumpty and Baa Baa Black Sheep, but that wasn't going to stop me.

3. I ate a chocolate ice cream. While that sounds trivial, the amazing thing is that I actually ate the WHOLE ice cream and I ate it uninterrupted.

4. I watched the news. Again trivial but again I actually watched the WHOLE news and I watched it uninterrupted. 

5. I hung out washing when I needed to, not 6 hours after I had washed it. It took me 5 minutes to hang it out instead of the 45 minutes it usually takes as I fend off small children with muddy hands away from copious amounts of freshly laundered white towels.

6. I worked during the day. I usually only ever work in the afternoons but today I had clients back to back during the day.

7. I went to the shops to buy some food just for myself. I "ducked in" to the shops. Now I haven't "ducked in" anywhere for nearly 4 years. I must admit I was a bit lost.

8. Dinner at 6pm was delicious.

9. Having the kitchen cleaned and all washed up miraciously by 7pm was a feat upon itself.

10. Sitting on my butt with my feet up watching TV flipping between all the channels whenever I want to. Deliberately avoiding anything remotely looking like a cartoon or a kids programme.

Overall though I miss my beautiful family. I hope you're all having a great time. Love you xoxox 

So Very Hot!

It was a very hot day today so I tried to keep the kids as cool as possible. The 2 boys and I didn't go any where until quite late this morning and then we really didn't venture that far. We just went into Kmart. We had to get some shoes for both boys- another pair of sandals for Bailey and then a pair of sneakers for Brandon. The 2 boys and I spent some time in the shops. I can't really remember what exactly we did but again at the time it was important. I move on quick. Anyway, we left the shops several hours later with the best thing in the whole world according to Brandon- a pair of Ben 10 sneakers that flash red when he walks in them. He was very happy. We also bought 2 bottles of bubble bath for the kids to have some fun with later in the day.

No-one slept today which was fine because I wasn't trying to frantically get ready for work at the same time. Although I miss out on the income, it worked out really well not having clients this afternoon. As it was so very hot today I took the 2 boys outside and onto the trampoline which was now in the shade. They poured their bubble bath all over the trampoline and then I turned the water tank water on and then the squeals of delight began. And so that became our afternoon. Brandon did a wee on the deck (charming sweetheart) which he thought was hilarious as he was covered in bubbles from the bubble bath and therefore so was his wee.  He said "Look at me. I'm doing a wee. Look I'm doing a bubble bath wee". Just wonderful.

The 2 boys continued playing outside for ages before Brandon eventually headed inside while daddy made dinner for the boys. I stayed outside and played with Bailey. We jumped on the trampoline, Bailey swung on the monkey bars, slid down the slide, climbed the ladder and was just having heaps of fun. He didn't eat any dinner though while Brandon did really well with his. The tireder the 2 boys are the longer it takes them to get to sleep. It is a very hot night so hopefully the boys sleep well.

(I've just spent the last 30minutes looking for my camera cord to connect to the computer but it seems to have completely disappeared)

Just Another Day

Off to Kindergarten we go again. Brandon just loves it. Apparently today Brandon was hanging off a trapeze bar and all the kids sitting on a nearby seat were laughing. According to Brandon everybody loved  his monkeying around. Today was the first day that Brandon's Kindergarten had a library day so the library bag that I finally made for Brandon last night, or more to the point- early this morning, was put to good use. In Brandon's words "My teacher had twenty one hundred books on the floor and she called out everyone's name to go and choose a book" At the moment twenty one hundred is Brandon's favourite number.

The rest of the day entailed Bailey and I going to his swimming lesson. We were customarily late again. Just before his swimming lesson the 2 of us had dropped into the shops to buy a pair of shoes for daddy. That should help him out a bit. Back to swimming- Bailey did really well except that there is a few things he is not wanting to do. Because they do the same things pretty much each week in the lesson so that pool safety becomes second nature to the kids, it also means that for a smart little boy, he constantly knows what is up next in the lesson. He knows that when we sing Ring a Ring of Roses at the end it means that he puts his head under water and he isn't so keen to do that unless he has instigated it. Somewhat challenging. Bailey and I continued swimming for another 45 minutes after his lesson just for the fun of it. It was also very hot outside so being in the shade in a pool was the perfect place to be.

Daddy was able to pick up Brandon today from Kindergarten which was a lovely surprise for everyone. I spent the whole afternoon and evening working while daddy took the 2 boys to Brandon's swimming lesson. I think that we might change the 2 boy's lessons to another day and time because Brandon is way too tired swimming in the afternoon and Bailey just runs around the pool. Another thing that I'll organise. I'm really looking forward to spending the day with the 2 boys tomorrow. There's no Kindergarten, no rushing out the door, no massive lunch boxes to try and conquer, no timetable -just the 2 boys and myself moving through the day. Although today was really just another day, I plan to make tomorrow a very special day for the boys.

Here Come The Library Bags!

This is my positive affirmation for the evening.

I put Bailey to bed tonight, then I emailed all my clients back. Before that, I finished organising newsletter mail outs to some of my clients. Now I am sitting here eating an orange knowing full well that I have to make a library bag for Brandon. He needs it by tomorrow. I realise that I have known about it for a week, but during that week I've been doing other very important things the night before they are due. Sometimes that's just how I work.

So I'll be short and sweet here so that I will allow myself plenty of time to attempt to sew. Mind you, I'm actually having to make 2 library bags as Bailey has politely but firmly expressed his desire for one too. "Me Too" he yells as he jumps up and down and up and down. It's already 9:30pm so I better get moving.

Today Nanny & Poppy, Brandon, Bailey and myself all jumped into my car to take Brandon to Kindergarten and low and behold- the car wouldn't start. Finally we discovered to every one's delight and relief that if I used the spare car key the car doesn't start, but if I use my everyday key the car starts. Hooray! We all traipsed into Kindergarten to fare well Brandon. He was off running and playing pretty quickly with the other kids. The rest of us returned home so that mum and dad could continue packing before heading off to their next destination. Bailey and I fed and watered ourselves before then heading over to Kmart to finish buying some warmer clothes for the kids. Bailey chucked a HUGE tantrum that went for a very long time. He didn't bother throwing the tantrum in the car or at home so that he could have gotten it out of his system. Instead Bailey decided to throw his tantrum in Kmart at one of their busiest times. Thanks sweetheart. The instigating factor for today's tantrum was the fact that I had said no to Bailey having another #%$$^! Thomas DVD.

Needless to say we were stuck in Kmart a lot longer than I was anticipating. While I realise now with young kids I never 'duck in" anywhere anymore, I always get stumped because I only ever add 1 hour on to our what should be 5 minute journey, when in reality I should be adding on an extra 2-3 hours at least. Once we returned to our car, Bailey was asleep before I had even driven 10 metres. He could have conserved energy and not had a major tantrum. His decision.

Before I knew it I was waking Bailey so that we could go and pick up Brandon. If only I had the ability to be in several places at once. I took heaps of food that was devoured within the first few minutes of Brandon's return to the car. Everyone happy? Good. We were off home then. Daddy took the boys to the shops this afternoon because he is still trying to buy some shoes. Again no luck. I had a very busy afternoon working.

The 2 boys eventually jumped into their beds where they are now happily sleeping away. I still have a pile of material  and a needle and some thread looking at me. Unfortunately I hadn't been able to find anyone that sold suitable bags that could be used as a library bag which explains why I am about to embark upon the adventure of constructing one. Must remember- Here Come The Library Bags! Wish me luck.

One Day.....

One day I'll sleep in on a Sunday yet still wake up before the 2 boys do. One day I'll wake up on a Sunday without a little boy standing next to my side of the bed telling me he has just done a poo in his pyjamas. One day I''ll wake up reassured that Brandon knows when to go to the toilet at night. One day I'll own a tropical island.

This morning it was still raining from yesterday so our walk and bike ride down at the lake still hasn't materialised. Daddy decided to take the 2 boys to the shops to buy some warm clothes for the kids when he takes them down south for awhile. While they were gone, I cleaned the bathrooms, had morning tea with Mum and Dad, did some washing and made some dinner for the night. Then daddy and the 2 boys arrived home with both boys wide awake. Brandon went super naughty and forgot what his ears were meant to be used for-listening! And then the next 1 hour proceeded to go down hill from there.

Eventually when everyone calmed down, daddy took Brandon off to the shops again to buy some clothes for himself this time. Bailey and I finished watching a Thomas DVD before we then went outside and jumped on the trampoline for awhile. By then, the other 2 boys had returned home and I was joined on the trampoline by Brandon. The 2 boys and I spent the rest of the afternoon jumping and playing on the trampoline. It was hot and steamy but the 3 of us kept jumping and jumping and rolling around. Eventually I wrapped it up outside and the boys came inside to watch Brandon's favourite show at the moment "Dibo". It's about a gift giving dragon.

Both boys ate masses of food for dinner and dessert with Brandon eating more yet again before bed. Now the tired little boys are sleeping soundly. One day I will sleep in and one day I will not always have to change dirty pants. One day I will own a tropical island!

The Best Seat In The House

My day began sitting on the rug in the family room building little houses and garages out of Lego for the 2 boys. We sat there for quite some time entertaining each other. It's amazing how big the world looks when you are down very low. It's also amazing how you can also see just how many toys exactly have made their way under the lounge, under the Ottoman, under the Entertainment Unit, and well generally under any piece of furniture. 

It was raining just enough to spoil any outside plans that I had for the day so I had a brain storm and didn't come up with a whole lot of ideas. I tidied the house up a little because one of my old friends was planning to visit us just after lunchtime today with her family. I got a phone call very shortly after my little tidy up and it was my lovely friend on her way over right now. I thought it wise to get out of my pyjamas so I dressed the 2 boys and myself while Nanny & Poppy so very graciously swept the floor.

Most of the rest of the day was spent catching up with Megan and her family. She has 2 girls who play really well with our 2 boys. The all had the best fun. It was nice to see Megan and her tribe again. Brandon was most devastated when they left. He just loves playing with older kids. We all had a great time. Daddy missed catching up with them unfortunately as he was working today. Who knows when we will next see them. Even though they only live 1 1/2hours away we still rarely catch up.

The 2 boys and I had a quiet afternoon. Brandon was still upset with his playmates having to leave so he quietly sat on the lounge and watched some TV. Bailey and I hung out together in the kitchen. He did some cooking with me which was nice as we made dinner together. Nanny & Poppy had escaped again to the shops and understandably didn't return for quite some time. Daddy finally arrived home and the 2 boys were most excited. Nanny & Poppy returned home about 30 seconds later so now both boys were really excited. In fact they went into silly, tired, overexcited, crazy mode.

As my day came to an end I found myself again sitting on the floor. This time I was in the kitchen with Bailey sitting on my lap. We were in the corner of the kitchen right next to the bananas up on the bench. Bailey was now sitting calmly eating one while I soothingly read a Thomas The Tank Engine book to him. 1 minute ago he was screaming and screaming so now his calmness is a good sign-hopefully meaning that he is ready for bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll spend even more time sitting on the floor because from my vantage point in the kitchen I can see a whole heap of toys under the oven that I thought had gone to toy heaven. I certainly do have the best seat in the house.

Missing In Action

Well I woke up this morning as a functioning human being again. Always a plus when you have kids and visitors. Yesterday was a good day up until the point where I bought a mini spinach roll, ate it, and then down I went. I won't go into details but I was sick. So today I was very relieved when I woke up without throwing up.

Bright and early this morning Brandon decided that he wanted to go for a bike ride. Ever so obligingly Poppy and I took both boys on their bikes down to the park at the end of the street. And then Brandon began his horrific tantrum. He suddenly wanted to go a different way and he also wanted to be the leader. The tantrum began because we weren't going his direction and he definitely wasn't the leader. The crying began and continued for the whole time we were at the park. Needless to say Poppy took the happy little Bailey home while I wrangled with Brandon. By now he was screaming at full volume over and over again. If anyone in the neighbourhood wasn't already awake they certainly were now. It got to the stage where I was holding onto Brandon's bike to take that home while he held on to the back wheel and pulled the other way. He is a strong kid. It took us about 20 minutes to go about 20 metres. I had sweat pouring off me. Brandon was in full tantrum impact by now. There was no turning back for him. He had to go through the full tantrum spectrum. I knew that I had about 30 minutes left before he'd come around.

About 30 minutes later things had resumed to semi normal. Brandon was no longer a devil spawn. After some thoughtful assessment I decided that if Brandon was happier that he could go for his make-up swimming lesson. It wasn't fair for Bailey to miss out. So off we all went to swimming. Both boys did really well. Nanny and Poppy C seemed to enjoy it. We enjoyed having them come to the swimming lessons with us. From here we all headed home so that Nanny and Poppy C could babysit the 2 boys while I actually ducked out to have lunch with a girlfriend. I had a great time being child free for a short time- sorry boys. Mind you we probably spent half the time talking about kids.

Upon my return home I was greeted at the door by both boys rushing at me giving me great big hugs. It was wonderful. Then daddy arrived home and rounded the 2 boys up and took them food shopping. Nanny and Poppy quietly exited the house as well while I went to work. The evening was its typical chaos with the 2 boys running around highly excited. Bailey took some convincing to sleep while Brandon was talking a hundred miles an hour and then was instantly asleep. It's so freaky but also so very funny.

Hopefully everyone has a great sleep tonight so that we are all fully functioning tomorrow and do enjoy ourselves.

A Note From My Mother

Thursday 17th March. To Whom It May Concern, this is to certify that my daughter had a very bad dose of food poisoning today and that she is unable to function. See you tomorrow.

Welcome Nanny & Poppy C

It was Brandon's last day of Kindergarten for the week which is nice for me as I get to hang out with him tomorrow, although I know that he'll make mention of wanting to go to Kindergarten sometime tomorrow. So he was very excited  when we dropped him off there this morning. Firstly though the 2 boys and I had hitched a ride with daddy to his work again so that I could high jack his Ute for the day and leave him stranded at the job site. Seriously though, daddy was very generous in letting me borrow his car for the past 2 days. I think that I added a conservative 250km to its distance in those days.

So we happily dropped Brandon off at Kindergarten this morning. He just absolutely loves it. Bailey and I then headed straight home so that I could actually clean the house a little for our visitors that were probably going to arrive very soon. I was just about to mop the floor when Nanny & Poppy C arrived. Hooray! It was lovely to see them. Bailey and I ducked up to the bakery to get some fresh bread rolls and something sweet. By the time we gobbled up our food it was almost time to go and collect Brandon from Kindergarten. When Nanny & Poppy and Bailey and myself arrived at the Kindergarten, Brandon was SO excited. He ran over to his teacher and told her that his Nanny & Poppy had come up to visit, and then he ran over to his 2nd teacher to tell her the same thing. He actually held onto her hand and directed her over to us. He was so very excited. In all his excitement he forgot to even give mum and dad a hug. And then he talked a mile a minute. Lovingly he showed Nanny & Poppy around his Kindergarten and he also showed them his Portfolio of artwork and activities that he has done so far at Kindergarten. He was so very excited that I think he might have almost forgotten to breath. Even his main teacher made a comment questioning if he had come up for air yet. His teachers actually told me today that he does talk all the time. I was wondering if was just at home or whether it was at Kindy as well. They seemed entertained by it so that was OK.

The 2 boys and I picked up daddy in his car and drove home where both boys got very excited knowing that Nanny & Poppy would be staying with us for the next few days. Mum & Dad played Lego with the boys while daddy and I slipped out to go and pick up my car. While the repair of my car cost us $153.00 it was nowhere near the anticipated and quoted cost from the Tuesday mechanic of $700.00 plus towing. Anyway, the car works and it feels like it works well. Fingers crossed.

I actually had a client this afternoon of which I kept forgetting about but managed to remember when it mattered. The 2 boys, their grandparents and daddy went outside to feed the kids and to let them have a run around. Actually I think it was only to have dinner and the kids typically added the running around part to the equation. The evening was therefore spent with Brandon and Poppy playing some sport outside while Nanny successfully fed Bailey some food. The kids had a great time. Eventually we rounded up the 2 boys and while daddy bathed them both I bought washing in and then hung some more up and then made Brandon's bed. No-one read any books as everyone was way too tired. Luckily both boys went straight to sleep where I just know that they will sleep until at least 7am!.

We look forward to spending our day with family and showing them all the things that we do in our lives.

Thanks Sweetheart For The Car

Today was much better than yesterday even though I now don't have a car for awhile. I ended up organising a Tow truck to come and collect my car and take it to the repair shop. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it wont cost too much and it might last me until at least the end of the year. Well I ended up cancelling several things today just to make the day flow a little better. So no-one had swimming lessons today. Fortunately we had daddy's car that got us through the day even though it meant that the 2 boys and I went to work with daddy at 5:30am this morning. So we dropped daddy off at the job site and then the boys and I headed home to have breakfast, pack half the fridge for Brandon's lunch, get everyone dressed and head out, successfully this time, to Brandon's Kindergarten.

Bailey and I fare welled Brandon and headed off to the shops to stock up on some food. We had a good time walking around together before we then headed home where Bailey had a nice little sleep. I ran around getting everything ready for work and then began cleaning the house for the lovely arrival of Nanny and Poppy C tomorrow. Eventually Bailey and I jumped back into the car (thanks to daddy) to pick up Brandon and then drive on to pick up daddy in the next suburb. Brandon was so very excited to see me when I picked him up. He was sitting on the rug at Kindergarten doing a jigsaw puzzle with another little girl. They were playing very beautifully. As Brandon was leaving, another girl yelled out "See you Brandon". That was nice.

Finally everyone was home and I rushed off to work. Of course while I was working the Tow truck driver arrived to carry my car away. My client didn't seem to mind the noise, luckily. Once I finished work, the 2 boys and daddy were still outside at 7pm, so I knew it would be a late night getting the kids to bed. Both boys were so extremely tired that they fell asleep almost instantly, as did daddy and I. About 1 hour later, I woke up from sleeping on Bailey's hard floor before then waking up daddy who had fallen asleep in Brandon's room. Needless to say we are off to bed now.

We Nearly Bought A Brand New Car

Today nothing much happened because nothing much happened with my car. The 2 boys and I were all strapped in about to drive off to Brandon's Kindergarten, but then it wouldn't start. Oh @#$%^%!!!!! Nothing went right for any of us today. Maybe we were all just so very tired from our weekend. The 4 of us went up to a car yard in the afternoon to seriously look at purchasing a new car. The mechanic today had told me that my car was getting very old and it was on it's way out. We actually found a car that was good, and daddy loved. We even said yes to the salesman we would buy it. So we waited in the car salesman's lounge for him to organise the paperwork, and then all hell broke loose. The 2 boys lost the plot. I have never ever, ever experienced what I did with the boys this afternoon. Unfortunately for the car salesman, he kept us waiting way too long in that lounge and as a result we ended up walking out. He tried to get a deposit from us but by that stage everyone was delirious and we were out of there. The 2 boys misbehaved so badly to the point that I even wondered why I had wanted children, let alone 2 of them. So now I have to be inventive as to how to get Brandon to Kindergarten tomorrow, Bailey to his swimming lesson, picking up Brandon, and then Brandon to his swimming lesson in the afternoon without a car. Stay tuned.

Renovation 101

My lovely husband and I thought we would tackle going to the Home Show with the boys today. Let's just say that daddy and I are absolutely exhausted. We ended up leaving the Home Show at about 4:10pm and I was ready for bed at about 4:15pm so we are planning to finish the day very soon. We were going to order some dinner but both of us are way too tired to even pick up the phone again. Well to be true, I picked up the phone and then dropped it before then eventually getting through to someone who I think was answering phones in a far off country, before then being told that it would be a 1 1/2 hour wait. So now daddy and I are eating cereal for dinner. That's all I have for the night and the chaotic memories from the day.

Monet In The Making?

The 2 boys and I had an artistic day today. Each day I try and do a variety of activities that hopefully uses different parts of their brains. Therefore, our activities for the day included building Lego cars, singing, painting, running and jumping, reading, and importantly, according to the boys-playing in the mud.

This morning daddy went to work for most of the day which was a bummer being that it was a Saturday. The 2 boys and I eventually got organised to go for a bike ride and a play at the park, except Bailey seemed to be deteriorating physically and emotionally. He just cried and cried and cried and even went so far as hitting his head in frustration on the front screen door, all while sitting on his bike. Then I discovered that he had the reddest little bottom ever. He had obviously eaten something a bit dodgy because things were not agreeing with him at all. Needless to say that through all of Bailey's pain, Bailey actually pooped in the big toilet today. He instigated it all by himself which is fantastic.

Seeming as Bailey was now unable to sit on his bike, I quickly reassessed the situation and went to my Plan B. We drove out to Bunnings to buy the 2 boys some art and craft DIY activities. The  boys chose dinosaur moulds and underwater fish moulds that you had to make up with Plaster of Paris and then place little magnets in the back of the moulds to make fridge magnets. Great fun if you could manage to look past all the mess that 2 little boys created. Before we had left Bunnings though, Brandon and Bailey had a play in the playground where they actually met a few really nice kids.

The afternoon was spent painting photo frames and then all the fridge magnets the boys had just made. It's truly amazing  how far a few very small pots of paint will go. There was just enough paint in the paint pots to cover 2 small boys, plus paint a large portion of the deck and even enough left to paint the outdoor furniture. By 5pm Brandon desperately wanted to put his swimmers on and jump on the trampoline with some slippery soap to add some fun to the activity. So he did. Brandon laughed and laughed while Bailey was a lot more reserved. They played for about 30 minutes  and then we wrapped it up and they finished in the mud before eating some dinner.

Bailey is still very uncomfortable but has just finally managed to get to sleep. I have a funny feeling it may be a long night. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Apart from Bailey's obvious discomfort, the 2 boys and I had a great day. Brandon still talks and talks ALL the time while Bailey continues to destroy EVERYTHING. They make for a funny pair of boys that are truly the best of  friends. I love them so much and I love their artwork. xxooxx

One Of Life's Greatest Mysteries

Why is it that kids always need to urgently go to the toilet when you're out and right in the middle of doing something? Or should I rephrase the question to- Why do kids never need to go to the toilet when you ask them, but yet 2 minutes later they must go straight away because they are busting? Crazy!

After many hours of playing with Lego this morning, we did finally arrive at the shops where the 2 boys and I did many, many things and walked many, many kilometres before heading up to the Supermarket to do our weekly shop. Half way around the Supermarket, with a considerable amount of cold food already in the trolley, Brandon so very confidently told me he REALLY needed to go to the toilet. I scooped up Bailey from the shopping trolley, instructed him to hold on to me really well, threw the day bag back over my shoulder, grabbed Brandon's hand, found a lady and informed her we were making a dash for the toilet and that we would be back, and then we ran.

Fortunately for all concerned, Brandon made it. The things that you do. I don't think I'll need to exercise now for about a week. We eventually made it back to our shopping trolley that was so casually waiting for us. On our way back to the Supermarket, the big group of elderly people that had laughed hysterically at us some 10 minutes ago as we ran past them, were somewhat quieter on our return.

While at the shops the 2 boys managed to express nearly every single human emotion known. We had laughter and tears and then Bailey had a tantrum. I think that he made up for not having one on Tuesday. Again everyone in the shops looked to see what was happening to this poor child. Why was he simply making so much noise?  The answer: he wanted a Thomas The Tank Engine DVD from the bookshop and I just didn't have the money for it because when Bailey wants something Brandon also wants something. I simply hadn't budgeted for 2 DVDs. We eventually got the bookshop lady to put them aside for us for when we would call back later (presuming that I could find some money from somewhere!).

Let's just say that the 2 boys are very lucky to have a daddy that can materialise money from nowhere to buy something they want. So the boys spent the afternoon taking turns watching their new DVDs. At one stage while I was working, I simply forgot that the 2 boys were at home with daddy. They were that unbelievably quiet.

Again the bedtime routine continues. The constant factors are that a huge amount of food will be consumed, thousands of books will get read, and the boys will attempt to convince daddy and I that it really isn't time for bed. But it sure is for me.x

Lego Land

 Today because of our roaring success of our at home day yesterday, Brandon said that he just wanted to stay at home today. I had a few things planned for the day. Firstly Brandon went to Karate of which he went really great. Actually he was fantastic. I was really proud of him.

We traveled home so the boys could eat and eat and I could pack some food in a lunchbox to take with us for the boys so they could eat and eat later. The 2 boys and I drove off to Kmart to get some new pillows for Brandon and Bailey and also to buy a tub of Lego and pick up a lay by. We also bought 3 very small Easter Eggs, 2 of which were unwrapped before we departed the shop. Need I say more. The boys had more food in the car as we travelled to the nearest office stationary shop. It was about this time that crazed Bailey went even more crazed. At the stationary shop Bailey was off. He was running everywhere. Up stairs and around corners and everywhere in between.

We came home with the 2 boys wide awake and urgently wanting to play with the Lego. So we all did. I also bought in heaps of washing because it looked like it was about to bucket down rain. The afternoon was spent playing with Lego and building blocks all the while with me desperately needing to do a whole heap of work. Didn't happen. Daddy raced home and I raced to work. Meanwhile the 2 boys continued playing with the Lego.Poor daddy had a rough time with the boys this afternoon. They truly would not listen to him. Both of them lost their ability to hear.Hopefully it comes back tomorrow. So as a result I bathed the boys and fed them some supper all the while reading them some books. I got them both in bed before they then both simultaneously decided to eat. So I fed them some more. As a result of the copious amounts of food consumed by the 2 boys today, we are having to go shopping tomorrow and I am sure we will continue playing with the Lego and creating all sorts of little worlds. 

Natural Progression

Today the 2 boys and I just chilled out and hung at home. Different for us, but we did it. The flow of our activities for the day was just a natural progression- our first spur of the moment activity just flowed to the next one and then to the next one. I was pretty sure that by the end of the day though someone would be soaking wet and someone would be covered in mud. It is a guaranteed outcome on those rare days we stay at home. Who knows- today may be different.

*First activity for the day was cleaning out the boy's toy box and toy room. It's overflowing with all sorts of things. I was considerate when the boys told me not to throw things out, but after awhile some things might not have been given clearance. The toys I moved on or threw out were things like baby teething rings, rattles, soft toys and tiny little toys that the boys get from the Kinda Surprise chocolate eggs. They don't eat or like the chocolate but they like the toys. I filled 1 huge bag up with rubbish and 1 huge bag up with toys. This took us hours.

* Boys ate and ate. I kept doing copious amounts of washing and kept cleaning the toy room.

* If anyone had ever wondered how far 375ml of honey can go with one 2 year old, I can confidently report that it can almost cover, rather thickly, the first metre high of  a 5 bedroom house. Needless to say things remained very sticky for quiet some time.

* Many hours later the 2 boys and I set up outside to play with play dough. I set up their pirate table and chairs and every imaginable cutting shape, as well as rolling pins, plastic knives and their drink bottles.

* Bailey's play dough attention span lasted about 10 minutes and then he was throwing lumps of it in the grass and the dirt, at the deck, stepping in it, riding in it and threatening to eat it.

* The 2 boys wanted to now blow bubbles so we traipsed inside and found 2 bubble blowers and set up 2 cups of detergent. Under very strict instructions to not ever ever drink the detergent, we ventured outside to start blowing. Bailey lasted 3 minutes with the detergent before he realised that he could have more fun with it if it was covering a much greater area than being in a cup-so he tipped it out all over the deck. I ended up blowing bubbles for the boys and they proceeded to jump off the deck and try and pop them while slipping everywhere.

*Brandon must have realised that Bailey was onto a good thing tipping slippery detergent over the deck. He grabbed his bubble blowing detergent and added it to Bailey's on the deck. Now they had twice as much surface area covered. They then proceeded to slip and slide all over the place in fits of laughter.

*Now covered in detergent, the 2 boys naturally moved on over to the trampoline. Again in fits of laughter they slipped and slided all over it while attempting to jump. Of course then I had to start up the water tank and spray them with water while they jumped after much convincing by a 3 year old. Now the boys were in hysterics. They were covered in detergent and now they had water. Their eyes were alive with mischief.

*I turned off the water eventually and begrudgingly the 2 boys got off the trampoline and in doing so realised that now a large portion of the backyard was in 1 inch of water. They had mud. They jumped and jumped in the mud and dug in it and scooped it up so that eventually they were covered in mud. Before I knew it Brandon had all his clothes off and was trying to swing on the swing in the nude. Funnily it hurt his bottom so he jumped off.

* The boys ran through the house into their bathroom where they surprisingly rather obligingly jumped in the shower together to humour me in getting clean. After a few nudie runs by the 2 boys, I managed to get them dressed and settled with some more food.

* Daddy finally came home and I went off to work.

* I put Bailey to sleep tonight which usually takes a very long time but tonight he only ate 2 yoghurts, 1/2cup of grapes and 1 biscuit before he eventually closed his little eyes. Apparently Brandon was similar. He ate a packet of biscuit before bed and read books and books and books.

* Well I was right in expecting wet kids and muddy kids by the end of the day. Guaranteed. They wouldn't be my boys if they didn't.

"I Love You Mummy"

Thanks Brandon. I love you too sweetheart. This was the last thing that Brandon just said to me as I put him to bed. Bailey however is screaming and screaming. Everyone is very over tired today. We all need to chill out and relax a bit. We all need to go to sleep.

Well today didn't evolve into tantrum Tuesday as per usual. Everything went pretty smoothly if not somewhat fast paced. Sometimes I think that I forget to breath and upon reflection, I am surprised that I got through the day. Today was Brandon's last day at Kindergarten for the week as it's only a 2 day week for him. I like it because it makes Wednesday feel pretty special. Once we dropped Brandon off and settled him in Bailey and I raced home where I made several work phone calls and then ran around organising swimmers and towels and food for Bailey's swimming lesson. I worked very hard today in Bailey's lesson. This week it was safety week at the pool and the instructor made the parents take turns swimming side stroke before she then gave us our kids and made us swim side stroke with them. I found it such a very hard thing to do. I remember when I did it with Brandon some years ago too I was alarmed at my inability to do it for very long. To keep the kids head up out of the water is hard. It's OK for the parents to a point to have their mouth in the water occasionally because we can just spit the water out, but a toddler is such a different thing. I am going to make it a point to practice swimming with the boys in my arms regularly. When we weren't swimming side stroke with the kids today we were treading water with them in our arms. Hard stuff. I hope that I, nor the boys, are never ever in a situation that we can't ever physically or mentally handle.

Bailey and I raced home again to get dressed before then just as quickly heading out again to Brandon's Kindergarten. They were having a get to know each other parent lunch at 12:30pm. Firstly we had to go and get some petrol and then drop in to the bakery to buy something representing lunch for myself and then we were off. Lunch was good. I realised that Brandon eats the same at Kindergarten as he does at home- talking a hundred miles an hour while whizzing through the world. He just doesn't stay still. I didn't really meet anyone because I was running after Bailey as well. I suppose though now everyone is a little more familiar with each other.

The 2 boys and I returned home and then daddy wasn't too far behind us. I took Bailey to the shops to stock up on some basic essential food while daddy took Brandon to his swimming lesson. Apparently Brandon had a shocking swimming lesson. His lovely teacher Morgan is heading back to Uni so she will be unable to teach Brandon on Tuesdays anymore. His new teacher was there too as Morgan handed over the reigns to her. Brandon always has to be first at everything. He always has to be in front and the leader. He chucked a wobbly at swimming because the new instructor asked the other child in his class to go first. I am pretty sure that he will never work for anyone. Daddy and I have always thought that he'd have his own business one day or be the boss. I can't wait to see what they both do. I love all 3 of my boys so much.

"I Want To Clean The Toilet With Raspberries"

Pardon, I exclaimed as Brandon stood leaning over the toilet doing a wee as he made such strange commentary. He then proceeded to blow raspberries at the toilet bowl and then exclaimed it was clean. It took me a moment but then I realised what he was doing. Last week he had been to a public toilet where the loo water was blue to keep it clean. He had commented on its colour and I made reference that the colour was the same colour as blueberries. So he obviously now associated  fruit to a clean toilet. At least I realised that he listened to me a bit even if it was somewhat altered. I had a little chuckle.

The 2 boys and I raced out the door this morning to take Brandon to Kindergarten. We arrived a few minutes late but I am over worrying. It's only Kindergarten. We fare welled the beautiful Brandon and departed with Bailey to a park somewhere on our journey home. I was pretty confident I'd find a good one somewhere. That's when it started to rain. We passed a great park but I was still very optimistic that the closer to home we got, the less chance of rain there would be. I know that was a ridiculous concept but the suburb where we live seems to have its very own unique weather pattern ie- it never rains or storms when everyone else has torrential downpours. Anyway, my theory proved wrong today because the closer to home we came, the heavier the rain. So the 2 of us went into the shops to do a few things. Bailey walked and ran and ran and occasionally walked some more before then running again and again. But we managed to get a few non essential things done. It was really just filling in time because my creative side was not working today. The rain had thrown all of my ideas for today's activities out the window.

Finally Bailey had a sleep for just under 1 hour. In that time I was on the phone to several people organising some property deals and researching. Time just flew and before I knew it daddy was home with an asleep Brandon. Bailey managed to wake Brandon up with a toy mop so it took Brandon a slightly longer time to wake up properly and recover from Bailey's mop adventure.

I went off to work while the 2 boys and daddy played outside for the whole time. It sounded like they had a great time. Daddy and I eventually got Brandon and Bailey into the bed routine. Neither of them were too keen at all to sleep. Brandon made Gingerbread Men today at Kindergarten plus he also read all about Gingerbread Men so tonight he had to relive his Gingerbread experience word for word. It would surprise me if he doesn't do some sort of drama when he gets to big school. He is so animated. Bailey too talks all the time and has to be a part of everything. I am yet to work out if he will be a hurricane just like Brandon.

The Terrible Two's Again.

For the past 2 weeks Bailey has been super cheeky and it wasn't until daddy and I were just about to bath them tonight that we realised he must be going through the lovely terrible two's. His personality has just changed so much.He is learning where the boundaries are and just how far beyond those boundaries he can actually go. The memory is still so very vivid in my mind from when Brandon went through this same stage. Daddy and I better hold on for the turbulent ride ahead.

Today was meant to be a 'low key let's just hang around at home' sort of day but we still managed to achieve heaps and heaps. I cleaned the whole laundry. There was only so long that I could live with it in its disorganised state. Not good Feng Shui. So now it is sparkling clean. I even undid the washing machine and cleaned all the parts. I didn't discuss it with anybody, I just did it. Daddy and I cleaned and washed and sort of organised things to the best of our ability with 2 small children. I even managed to make dinner for us all.

Now the 2 boys are actually asleep. Considering that neither of them has slept today and we have had a busy day, I think that it's time for me to go to sleep soon too.

"I Want To Be A Superhero"

According to Brandon he would like to be Batman. I know that he would love Batman undies and a Batman singlet. We have been trying to track them down for him, but to no avail. Maybe when we do find them, he'll feel like a real superhero.

The 2 boys and I hung out together this morning while daddy went and had a much needed massage. Mummy catering went into overdrive as I made up and packed copious amounts of food for the 4 of us. When daddy returned home we all jumped in the car and went into the city to visit the Queensland Museum. They have a fantastic Dinosaur display and playground ideal for small excitable children. We spent several hours inside the Museum looking at all the displays. It was great to have daddy with us as he has never been there before. The 2 boys were having a very attached to daddy day today. Brandon cried and cried when daddy left for his massage appointment earlier and then walking through the city both boys had to hold daddy's hands. Unfortunately, the dinosaur playground was closed due to the recent floods. We then came up with Plan B which was to find a park and have some lunch. We sort of ate near the exit of the museum as there was a very big blue sculpture there that kids could play on, and so the 2 boys did. We looked at trains and buses and all the cars and so many people running through the city.

By now it was getting quite late so we headed back towards Southbank to grab an ice cream each. It was chaotic with Bailey. He just would not sit down. He just kept running over to the fountains and the water that were right next to the eatery. Finally we moved on and headed for the park that was absolutely jammed packed with kids and parents. The 2 boys ran around for awhile before the very dark clouds started rolling in and so did the rain. Daddy and I made an executive decision that we would all head home before the heavens erupted. 

Brandon and Bailey both fell asleep in the car on the way home. Daddy and I tried to wake them up upon our return but we had no success. We put both boys on the lounge asleep thinking that they would wake up in a few minutes so that we could feed and bath and change them. Low and behold they both stayed asleep so we did our best to change them and put them straight into bed. It was amazing. Daddy and I grabbed a beer and a glass of wine and I made up a cheese and biscuit platter. It suddenly felt like we were living life again pre-children. It was lovely. It lasted for not quite 1 hour and then both boys woke up and ate and ate and ate and ate. Considering that daddy and the 2 boys went shopping yesterday evening, it looks like we will be shopping again tomorrow. Brandon went back to sleep uneventfully while little Bailey decided that mummy and daddy were having much more fun than he would if he went back to sleep. So for the next 3 1/2 hours we were blessed with his presence. Now with both boys finally asleep I'm going to attempt to look at property development sites on the Internet. If I was a superhero I'd wish for a crystal ball!

Extended Warranty

Today was a fix it day. It began with the pest controller returning to respray parts of the house for bugs. Job done. The next thing we had to do was take my car to the tyre shop so as to repair one of my tyres, take off my spare and replace it with the fixed one and get a wheel alignment. While the car was predisposed, the 2 boys and I walked about 1km in the rain up to the giant indoor playground. Luckily I had come prepared with 3 umbrellas and a change of clothes for each of the boys if needed. The 2 boys and I had a great time at the playground. Brandon met a little boy that became his best friend and they played really well together.

The 2 boys and I kept playing at the playground until the torrential rain stopped and then we made a run for it all the way back to the tyre shop. Surprisingly it all only cost me $25.00 and that included a wheel alignment. Unfortunately the mechanic wasn't so positive about the remaining life of my car. Not good.  Then we drove home so as to meet the computer man that was coming around to fix both our computers. Unfortunately, our 4 year old computer is on the way out too according to the computer mechanic and I need to keep an eye on my laptop to make sure that its recent collapse will not occur again. While somewhat depressing with everything apparently "stuffed and on the way out" according to the mechanic and computer repair man, at least I am aware of the problems and can begin to fix them.

I had a busy afternoon at work while daddy took the 2 boys food shopping. It is still raining outside and I believe it's meant to continue over the whole weekend. We have a few ideas of great things to do. Hopefully over the weekend nothing else will wait to be out of warranty before it drops its bundle.

Is Anybody Listening?

Today I had more successful conversations with the walls than I did with 2 small children. I don't think that Brandon nor Bailey's ears were working, which made for interesting times. I can guarantee that my voice was audible because everyone else that I encountered today managed to respond. It must have been a very selective 2 and nearly 4 year old deafness that struck our family today.

When we began the day with Brandon's Karate class, it seemed that the 2 boys' selective deafness may have risen to the fore front here. I think it was highly nourished and encouraged amongst the other 6 little boys in the Karate class that appeared to be displaying very similar traits of selective deafness. I hope that their parents survived. Brandon ran out of puff in his Karate class to the minute as he does every week. So with a bit of a encouragement I got him moving for another 10 minutes before the class finished.

Once home, the 2 boys flopped in front of the air conditioner because it was very hot. Eventually I seemed to be able to organise myself and the 2 boys to go to the pool. It feels like we take half the house with us- towels and clothes and food and drink bottles and swimming vests and then the Esky and suncream, and it just continues. It was the perfect day for a swim and once we did eventually get to the pool, the nice cool water felt fantastic. Not so surprisingly, the 2 boys selectively lost their hearing and left me shaking my head in frustration. Then Brandon decided to have a tantrum in the water because the big water slide wasn't open and that's the one slide that big boys slide on and he was a big boy. So for the first 90 minutes Brandon was cranky and then for the next 2 hours Bailey did a runner. I traipsed through the pools and out of the pools. I went bush walking over the hills around the pool trying to gather up both boys, especially Bailey. It was crazy. Eventually they got me and that was it. I managed to dress them both in dry clothes, packed the stroller up and we marched off. I did get an ice cream each for the 3 of us and we all sat down quietly and calmly and ate. Some form of normality suddenly existed. I was reassured fleetingly that I didn't have crazy children and that I wasn't crazy.

I might wrap this up quickly because my computer is doing some very strange and abnormal things. Once home again we had a bit of quiet time before I happily rushed out the door to my lovely eyebrow and makeup lady. I floated away for an hour before landing happily back home. Both boys eventually fell asleep as did daddy and I before I fortunately woke up and wrapped up the night.

Take You Riding In My Car

I saw a lot of my car today. In fact it felt like Bailey and I were permanently in my car today. 

Firstly though I spent the morning packing all sorts of bags for the day. Firstly I packed Brandon's Kindergarten bag, then I packed Bailey's bag, then I packed all my things in Bailey's bag, then I packed a swimming bag and then I packed a food bag.  So I looked like a pack horse by the end of it. We also had a big box full of lots of old plastic bottles and paper and bits and pieces for Brandon's art and craft at Kindergarten. So I truly did look, and feel, like a pack horse. Surprisingly, I had everything running like clockwork this morning. Fed boys, dressed boys, plastered them both with sun scream, remembered to have breakfast my self, and then I sat down for 5 minutes and watched "Octonaughts" on TV with the boys. Then my car journey began.

We drove to Kindergarten where we traipsed ourselves and half the freshly packed bags and the box of recycled materials with us into Kindergarten. I think that I may need to buy a trolley. I'm not sure whether I'd be able to buy one big enough. Bailey and I hung around for a little while as Brandon was a bit lost this morning. His good friend Isaac doesn't go to Kindergarten on Wednesdays with Brandon as he goes elsewhere. So we settled Brandon in. As the kids were all playing outside first thing, Brandon sat himself down at a table and some chairs under a beautiful big old tree and drew. Another little boy sat down opposite him to draw. Brandon piped up and said "Hi how are you? What's your name? My name is Brandon." and the little boy replied "Max." So then they were friends. I was so very proud of him. Plus last night was the first night in months that Brandon did not wet the bed. Hooray!! So I was exceptionally proud of him today.

Bailey and I jumped back into the car and headed over to a friends new house. They are living a very long way away while their new house is getting built. So 1 hour later we arrived at their abode. It was hot, hot, hot. We talked for awhile while Bailey and my friend's little boy played together. Then as it was getting hotter and hotter we all went swimming in their pool. Time flew and before I knew it we had to get back in the car and drive all the way home to refuel on food before I picked Brandon up. Bailey slept. Not surprisingly. We came home, grabbed food and ran back into the garage all in the space of about 45 seconds, and then off we went again. Got to love peak hour traffic that goes all afternoon. Went to petrol station, jumped out, got petrol, jumped back in and now off we truly went. Finally.

Lucky enough to get a car space 1 kilometre from the Kindergarten entrance as opposed to the normal 2 km walk we frequently do. Brandon gave me the biggest cuddle once he saw me, but then something snapped inside him and he had a huge tantrum. Apparently I wasn't allowed to pick him up from Kindergarten today as daddy had to. Well that was all good if daddy had of been there. So it all went down hill very quickly. He was screaming and screaming, telling me to go. So I did. Bailey and I walked out the doors and then up the path and out the 2 gates. I stopped around the corner so that I could hear him but he wouldn't be able to see me, plus it was in the shade. I waited until I heard my cue which I knew would not be long. Maybe not even 1 minute later I heard this humongous yell "MUMMYYYYYYYYYY!!" and I returned to pick Brandon up. Strangely enough he wanted to come home with myself and Bailey.

Back through more school peak hour traffic before arriving home about 10 minutes before daddy. As soon as daddy arrived I was off to work. The 2 boys played outside with daddy for the rest of the afternoon. So now they are both well and truly tired and will sleep in to at least 7 am tomorrow morning. Optimistic? You bet!

Tantrum Tuesday

In keeping with the previous Tuesday's theme of tantrums and small children, today was absolutely no different. I can quite confidently say that I am totally over tantrums. 

Once Bailey and I fare welled Brandon at Kindergarten this morning, we headed home to get ready for his swimming lesson. It was a perfect day to be in the water. It was going to be 35 degrees today. In my mind, this was how my day was going to pan out. I had it all planned. Bailey and I would go swimming and then play in the pool for another hour at least before then picking up Brandon and then taking him to his swimming lesson and then after his lesson we could all swim in the pool until the pool closed, or it got too dark or I ran out of food for the boys. In reality it went like this- Bailey and I arrived home. Bailey chucked the BIGGEST tantrum I have ever seen or had to deal with. It went on and on and on. I still don't know what started it, but it was a whopper. Strangely enough at this stage I was still positive that we would be attending his swimming lesson, but then I realised -fat chance! So I spent his paid for swimming lesson time sitting on the floor in our front entrance while Bailey spent his paid for swimming lesson time screaming and chucking a wobbly in our front entrance.

I ended up sitting him on the lounge, turning a Wiggles DVD on and sitting next to him for 5 minutes. Then he turned the DVD off and said "Enough". It was at this stage that I thought that's it, we are going for a drive and Bailey is going to have a sleep! So we did and he slept. Hooray!!!!! I sat on the lounge for a glorious few minutes and ate a chocolate ice cream. Just lovely.

Daddy ended up surprising Brandon at Kindergarten by picking him up. Today at Kindergarten the kids had had a wild life and reptile show come and visit them. From what I can gather Brandon saw and touched a big snake, turtles, a possum and I think some crocodiles. It's very hard to fill in a lot of the blanks when Brandon just gives me the tinniest snippets of information.

So keeping with the theme of the day, as soon as Brandon arrived home with daddy, through maybe sheer exhaustion, he started wailing and sobbing and having a big tantrum all in the space of my arms. I just wasn't getting this today. I had just manged to calm Bailey down by putting on an 'Enya" CD and now I had Brandon carrying on. Daddy raced in and then raced out to the bank then the shops and then the library, while I packed the 2 boys and myself up and swimming towels and things to distract/entertain Bailey and masses of food before then heading off to Brandon's swimming lesson. It was 4:30pm and I still hadn't been in any water yet. Brandon swam well, if somewhat a little distracted by my presence, while Bailey and I drew buses and circles and played with trains.

Finally at 5pm I managed to get my feet in some water. Unfortunately I had forgotten my swimmers in all the chaos so I just walked around in the little outdoor kids pool while the boys splashed and played and then ate and ate. By 6pm we headed home to be greeted by daddy cooking dinner for the boys. Hooray!

Both boys and their 2 parents are all very tired. I read  "The Wonky Donkey" to Brandon tonight while both boys listened to the music version of it on CD afterwards. I love it. It is the coolest book. Then eventually Tantrum Tuesday was finished and tomorrow we can all wake up to Wonderful Wednesday. 

(My Laptop is still in Laptop hospital so all photos from the day are resting tonight and will (should) make their return tomorrow.)