K.I.S.S

Today we kept it simple. My husband and I had grand plans to go into the city and walk around some markets before then catching a river ferry across the Brisbane river and go off exploring. While it would have been great, we just thought we'd have some adventures closer to home for the day. So then we decided it would be nice to venture down to the local farmers markets for the morning, but again we didn't get there. The morning just seemed to vanish before us. We all hung out and just kept things nice and simple. We didn't have to go anywhere, no-one was rushing off to work. It was quite nice. As per usual we did do bucket loads of washing. It still astounds me every day. My husband and I planned our lives again. It's always reinvigorating to touch base with him and make some great plans. It was a very successful exercise.



Brandon & Bailey having breakfast in their Billy Cart

 Finally my 3 men and I dropped into the shops to check our lotto ticket. No big news about a win. Unfortunately, and typically, we didn't even win 1 cent.  $20 million would have been exceptionally nice. We moved on. We visited the lolly shop so that Bailey could get another Thomas & Friends Pez dispenser while Brandon bought a Ben 10 lolly bag. He doesn't eat the lolly pop, but just goes straight for the Ben 10 alien toy. Once Bailey had a belly full of sugar and Brandon was quiet about Ben 10 for 1 second, my husband and I rounded the boys up and headed for the chemist. I just bought some roll on kids sun scream. It's getting harder and harder for me to convince them to put sun scream on, so whatever I can do to make the process interesting and easier is always a good thing.

Bailey wearing his Thomas singlet over his pyjama top, at his insistence.

The afternoon again just flew by. My husband folded what appeared to be every single item of clothing that all 4 of us had that had just been washed, while I created more washing by changing every ones sheets. Such a good team effort. I cooked the 2 boys a lovely dinner which Brandon willingly threw his down into his stomach. Bailey, on the other hand, is utterly impossible to feed. More food ends up on me or on the floor than actually in, or anywhere near, his mouth. It truly astounds me. Brandon said this evening just after dinner "Everyone loves me because I make good decisions". How cool is that! He is such a smart cookie. Two days ago when the 2 boys and I were in my car travelling, I started singing Incy Wincy Spider, as you do when the car radio doesn't work. Before I'd finished the first sentence, Brandon told me to stop singing. Thinking it may have been my actual singing disturbing him, I was very surprised when he asked if I could sing it in Italian. Well no I couldn't so I asked him to and he did. It blew me away.

Brandon's cupcakes to the left, Bailey's to the right

Keeping with the theme of the day, I found it surprisingly easy to put Brandon to bed tonight. Apart from reading nearly every book we physically own to both the boys, Brandon jumped into bed and said goodnight mum. He told me that when I needed to go and have dinner I could leave his room and go and eat. He then proceeded to tell me to go and have some dinner. I asked him if I could sit in his room for 2 minutes just while he settled down. He counted to 2 and then told me to go. I was out. As a result I have just cooked up a beautiful dinner for myself and my husband. I realised today that if I just keep things a little less complicated in my brain and in my life, everything does work out. My husband and I are going to attempt to simplify things, and fingers crossed- keep it simple!

I Can't Believe It

I can't believe how different a few hours can effect the outcome of a day. Yesterday was horrid, while today was fantastic. I'm not sure what happened today to make it all gel. I wish that I knew because then I'd bottle it and use it everyday. It was just glorious.

My husband went to work early this morning so the 2 boys and I spent the morning hanging around at home. Brandon watched Ben 10 Alien Force on TV while Bailey and I played outside. Eventually Brandon joined us and we played and played and just had a fantastic time. I also managed to do 5 loads of washing by this stage. I was on a roll. I swung Bailey on the swings for what felt like hours but must have really only been about 30 minutes. He just loves it. We listened to heaps of different birds and each time we heard and saw a different bird on our roof, Bailey would yell out "Hello bird".

Once we had finished playing, I took the 2 boys briefly to the chemist and then on to Bunnings to get a few little things. As it turned out we ended up buying half the garden shop. Both boys chose their vegetable plants. Brandon chose beetroot, strawberries, and some geraniums. Bailey chose beetroot, carrots, and strawberries. I picked up some lettuce seedlings, a tomato plant and some soil. We also picked up another night light for the hallway for when small children get up to go to the toilet. We had a great time. The 2 boys were like angels from heaven all morning. I was in disbelief and sheer amazement.

It was quite hot by the time we left Bunnings to head home. We were nearly home when out of the corner of my eye I caught a sign by the side of the road. I thought it said 'Give away. Billy Carts x 2' and then a phone number.  I did a u-turn and drove past the sign again. We pulled over, wrote the phone number down, then headed home to call the number. We piled out of the car, removed the forest of plants from the boot of my car, before heading inside, calling the number, piling back in the car and checking out the Billy Carts. We arrived to the grandpa's house where the 2 carts were. One green and the other one pink. Brandon grabbed the green one while Bailey jumped into the pink one. They both loved them. However, the young granddaughter who owned the pink cart saw Bailey playing in it and then changed her mind. Suddenly it wasn't on the market anymore which was fair enough. It must have been hard to see something that your granddad had made for you disappearing.

The grandparents giving the carts away were lovely. Because the green one was a little 2 big for Brandon, the gentleman offered to fix it up for him. He was going to saw it and drill it. I felt a little overwhelmed with their kindness. It was amazing. They were even going to drop it off to our house later that afternoon once they had finished fixing it. I offered to give them some money but they declined. They just wanted them to go to a great home with kids that would enjoy them, especially since the gentleman made them himself. So on our way home, the 2 boys and I ducked into the supermarket to buy the Billy cart folk a box of chocolates. We also bought some more mini cupcakes as they went down a treat yesterday.

Back home the 2 boys and I had some lunch and then before we knew it, the door bell rang and the Billy cart was ours. Everything was dropped, and we all headed down to the park to have a ride and a play. As we left, daddy arrived home. I think that he was sceptical that I could handle Bailey on his bike and Brandon on the new Billy cart. I just shrugged off his concerns. Silly, silly me. We got to the park and then the 2 boys went off in different directions. We didn't stay there for long. The 3 of us were getting very tired as it was 4pm by now and we had been on the go all day. Brandon had also been talking non-stop from the moment he woke up and as a result so had I. He asks thousands and thousands of questions. It's great because I can see that Bailey is learning too. I actually talked to the 2 boys a lot today about Stranger Danger- what to do if someone tells them myself or my husband can pick them up so they should go with them, what to do if someone tries to pull them into a car, and what to do if they get lost. Both boys listened so well that when I asked them some questions Brandon recited his response back to me almost word for word. I was so incredibly proud of them. I will never forget how proud of them I felt.

I have just lost all the end of my post for the day which was another 3 paragraphs and I'm not too happy. It takes me long enough to write here as it is. However, the 2 boys and I had a fantastic day. I truly can't believe how different one day can be. Today was the complete opposite from yesterday. I look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. I can't wait.

We Made It!

There were many times today that I didn't think that I would make it through the day with the 2 boys. I don't know what happened today, but the 2 boys were just feral. I'm sure they thought I was feral too. Maybe it's a full moon. Maybe they had taken a feral pill without me knowing. Whatever the reason, it wasn't good. Let's just say that when the 2 boys and I ventured out briefly to buy some nappy wipes and a whole box of nappies, I wondered why I had even bothered. I can't even begin to describe how ridiculously naughty the 2 boys were.

I just had a momantry pause while I had a very little sleep here on the lounge. My husband is sitting beside me snoring away. I think that the best thing to do for today is simply to say goodbye to it. See you tomorrow when everyone has had a good nights sleep.

Green Glitter & A Strawberry Tantrum

The 2 boys and I had a busy day doing all sorts of great things. Bailey managed to spend the whole day with green glitter glue on his forehead. I had gone to brush my teeth this morning before our departure from the house, when upon my return from the bathroom, I discovered the 2 boys were playing with their new glitter glue tubes. When they had received them as a present yesterday, I told them to only use it on paper, but I think that was met on deaf ears. Bailey had the green glitter all over his head and that's where it stayed all day. I tried to remove it at every possible chance, but he would not let me. So there it stayed.

The 2 boys and I raced off to the bank to grab some money out before Karate started. We needed money for karate and then for our plans to go and pick strawberries. We actually made it to karate on time. Thanks boys for running with me, not that you needed any encouragement. Brandon went really well at karate. I think that he is too old to be in that class anymore. There are a lot of new kids that have just started and the are very young. They are the same age as Brandon was when he started- 3 1/2.

I dressed Brandon in normal clothes in the Karate car park. The instructor leaves straight away after the lesson so you can't use the facilities. Luckily it was a very warm day with no breeze. I just would have gone home otherwise. The 2 boys and I drove up the highway to call in and see daddy at work. It was great timing because he was just about to stop for some food. The 2 houses that he's painting look good, not surprisingly. We left daddy soon after, otherwise the 2 boys would have been running through the job site. We continued up along the highway until we arrived at the Strawberry farm.

The 2 boys and I were both very excited because we absolutely love strawberries and this farm is fantastic. As we walked into the shop's entrance to pick up some strawberry baskets, Bailey saw the individual chocolate coated strawberries on a skewer and went into overdrive. As I tried to talk to the farmer, Bailey was dragging chairs over to the counter to get up higher to reach the chocolate strawberries. I bought 3, one for each of us, and this was when Bailey's tantrum began. He had to choose the strawberry, but he was just about to put his hands all over all the other chocolate strawberries there, so he was not impressed when I grabbed one for him. As a result, he screamed and yelled, walked out of the shops door and proceeded to throw his strawberry on the gravel farm road. There was no coming back from that point- for the strawberry or for Bailey.

We still managed to pick 2 kilograms of delicious strawberries. There was a time when Bailey did stop crying, but it was intermittent, and I could probably count the minutes on 1 hand. We wrapped the farm visit up quicker than normal. As we went back to the farm shopfront to pay for our produce, Bailey decided to have a tantrum again, or maybe it was just a continuation. I bought our strawberries plus 2 strawberry ice cream tubs for the kids as well as a chocolate coated strawberry for Bailey again. As I was paying, within a split second I heard Bailey say "Bin" and then he closed the bin lid. I couldn't work out what he had put in the bin as I had made them leave all their toys in the car. It wasn't until I returned my gaze back to our purchases when I realised that there was an ice cream missing. Needless to say,  I ate the chocolate strawberry.

Bailey's tantrum continued into the car, but as I started the engine, he fell asleep. He slept for a further 2 hours at home while Brandon and I played and did some chores. My husband finished paid work for the day and upon his return I started. I only had 1 client this evening which was a nice early mark compared to last night. As I returned to the mad house of the 2 boys, my husband went off to the gym. I washed and I washed and I scrubbed and I scrubbed Bailey's little head until finally I removed that green glitter. It finally succumbed. There was no further tantrums for the day. There could have been if I hadn't read the same book 3 times to Bailey. My husband arrived home just in time to put Bailey to bed. Love that great timing. Not surprisingly, most of the strawberries have been eaten. My boys just love them. We probably need to own a strawberry farm ourselves just to keep up with our own personal consumption.

I Am Married.

Well I haven't seen much of my lovely husband of late because he is painting 2 display homes doing really long hours and I'm working all the time in the afternoons. I'm hanging out with the 2 boys and his parents while he's working and working. So my blog will be very short tonight because I'd really like to spend some time with him. In summary our day went as follows:

* Nanny & Poppy A departed at 8am to catch another plane to see more of their other boys located in Queensland.

* The 2 boys and I finally got things together and went out to Spotlight to buy Brandon a Ben 10 water bottle and Bailey a Thomas water bottle.

* We stocked up on fruit from Aldi. Got to love the cheap fruit. Delicious.

* Came home and played outside. Had lunch, hung out washing, enjoyed the sunshine, pushed the 2 boys on the swings over and over again.

* My husband came home and pushed the 2 boys as well.

* I went straight to work and didn't finish until 8pm.

* Sat on my butt wishing that I had a chef just for me to cook me anything I wanted at any time.

* Wrote my blog and then woke up my husband who'd fallen asleep putting Bailey to sleep.

Goodnight.

A Minuscule Moment Of Serenity

Amongst the chaos and noise of today I did manage to experience a tiny moment of serenity. I enjoyed every moment of it. Bailey and I were out at a park near home, the sun was shinning, the grass was luxurious and green, and all the bird life in the bushland were singing. I could feel the warmth of the sunshine on my back and I felt calm. And that was my minuscule moment of serenity for the day. That would make a good idea for a blog-commenting on my tiny moments of serenity throughout the day. That's got me thinking.

The day began early with the 2 boys awake and drawing. Nanny & Poppy A had bought pencils and textas and glitter glue for the boys so of course Brandon and Bailey had to use them all. Today was grandparents day at kindergarten so my husband, Brandon and Nanny & Poppy A headed off to enjoy the morning with each other at kindergarten. From what I can gather everyone had a great time. Apparently Brandon sang some songs with the other kids and they played outside. My husband ended up bringing Brandon home with him once the morning tea had finished. Otherwise we would have to have gone back and got him by the time someone returned home. He got an early mark.

While the troops were out, Bailey and I went to the local library. I had forgotten that Tuesday mornings see 100's of mums and bubs turn up to the library for baby singing and music. I took Brandon there when he was born for the first 22 months of his life. He used to love it. I stopped when Bailey was born-when Brandon was 22 months old. Once I had sorted out the whole concept of juggling multiple children, we did eventually venture back, but it was never the same. I had been one of the first mums in the original group, and upon our return it just didn't have the same vibes. Also by this stage, Brandon never stayed still and Bailey crawled everywhere. So when I realised it was on today as we climbed the library stairs, I was interested to see what Bailey thought. He didn't like it one bit. He just wanted to play with a truck and walk around. I realised how grown up my 2 boys are (to a point) after looking around and seeing all these brand new mums. Two is enough for me.

With Bailey actually bored, we headed off to a nearby park. This is where I took a moment and enjoyed the serenity. It was relatively easy to do because there were no cars, no people and just a whole lot of quietness, except the birds. I loved hearing the birds. I actually felt like I stopped to breath. Bailey and I had a lovely time together. He is so very chatty and so well spoken. He has fantastic language, even though at the moment sometimes all he wants to say is "Poo Bum. Fart Bottom. Poo Bum". He says it with different emphasis on certain words. He says it with different volume levels, but the one thing that remains constant is the actual words. He says it over and over and over again. Guaranteed.

Bailey and I headed home and soon after everyone else returned too. The 2 boys and I, alongside Nanny & Poppy A, played for ages in the backyard. Then somehow Bailey materialised with a bucket load of paints and paint brushes. So art and craft was set up and the painting began. There was mess and paint and 2 small boys everywhere. The 1 day that saw me choose to wear white. The 2 boys painted and painted and eventually ran out of paint, although the mess continued. Brandon and Bailey moved on then to their playground in the backyard where they played and played and played. By this point I said farewell as I was meeting up with my friend Mell for a hot chocolate. We caught up for 2 hours before then waving goodbye only to return to a relatively clean house. Nanny & Poppy A had tidied up and folded loads of clean clothes, fixed up the kids pirate chairs and table that were becoming wobbly, and washed up. Thank you.

Bailey was asleep as I walked in the door to return home, as did my husband and Brandon. They had been at the shops to get some food. Again chaos prevailed and I fleetingly remembered that minuscule moment of serenity I'd experienced earlier today. I read Bailey a book tonight and then put Brandon to bed. Just as I thought my minuscule moment of silence was fading into a distant memory, Brandon who was snoring quietly, woke up, said to me "Mummy I love you so much", and then continued snoring. Another moment of serenity. Thanks sweetheart.

Introducing Grandparents To Our Lives

Today Nanny & Poppy A got a snap shot of our little lives. Firstly they witnessed the chaos that is the morning before we venture off to kindergarten. Next Poppy A experienced the joys of Ben 10 on television with the 2 boys.  Then the long haul into kindergarten began. It was lovely to see the joy on Brandon's face when Nanny & Poppy came into see his kindergarten. He loved it. I wasn't so keen to leave Brandon there this morning. I just wanted to hang out with him. He was definitely feeling better today because he was talking all the time and I mean all the time. He wasn't even drawing breath.

We drove out to Bunnings to take Bailey to art and craft and to show Nanny & Poppy again the adventures of the 2 boys. It was very quiet at Bunnings so we didn't stay there as long as normal. Bailey still played in the Bunnings playground and had a good time. We bought a few things like a hose, gardening gloves, and a hose rack. The 4 of us then headed towards home but first we ducked into the supermarket. We also visited the bakery and bought a few yummy things. Before stopping into the bakery, I asked Bailey if he would like a sausage roll and he responded with a no. He said "cup cake" as clear as day. When I also asked him what he would like to do he said "bookshop". He was so cute. Anyway, after our trip to the local shops, Bailey, myself and Nanny &Poppy came home. We hung out outside for a while before then going and picking up Brandon from kindergarten. Poppy stayed home but Nanny and Bailey and myself were glad to see Brandon. The 2 boys fell asleep as I drove up the driveway to home. As I stopped the car they both awoke.

Once daddy arrived home everyone got dressed in their finery and we all went out to dinner at the local tavern. The kids ate more food at the restaurant than they do at home normally. They played in the playground there as well, then returned to eat some more dinner. Home we came and to bed the boys went. Bailey was asleep before I had even closed his door. Brandon was a second later. I think everyone is a bit worn out and tired. Let's hope that tomorrow the 2 boys aren't blessing us with their company at such a ridiculously early time. Tomorrow it's Grandparents Day at kindergarten and Brandon gets to show one set of his Grandparents a part of his little life.

Kicking Back At The Beach

We rounded up the grandparents and the 2 boys, with daddy and myself, and headed off to the beach at Bribie Island. It was a beautiful sunny day, although a little fresh with the sea breeze, but just perfect weather for winter. We wouldn't want to live anywhere else. In fact, the sunshine and warmth was one of the big factors that saw us relocate our lives here.

We all played at the beach for some time before Brandon started getting a little tired. Both Brandon and Bailey have colds again so they aren't their usual bubbly selves. Our boys have never been so consistently sick before as they have this year. The big reason I think they keep getting sick is because Brandon's at kindergarten and this is the first year that he has constantly been around other sick kids. I've always been able to move the boys away from the situation previously if people were really sick. At kindergarten though it's just not possible or practical. This time around strangely, it was Bailey that got sick first. Fingers crossed my sore throat will disappear by tomorrow and I'll avoid getting sick.

At the beach we went to a great takeaway and ate chips and hamburgers, wedges and chicken nuggets. It was delicious for beach food. Once we all had full tummies we ventured around the corner and had an ice cream each. Now that was delicious. By this stage we were completely full but the 2 boys still had to play in the park. My husband and I were hoping to head straight home, but we ended up playing for awhile.

Home we came. The washing continued because the washing fairy never made it to our house while we were away. Shame about that. Dinner for the 2 boys was quick and easy. They both jumped in the shower and sort of straight into bed. We all had a great day. Looking forward to our adventures tomorrow.

300 Posts!

That means I have 65 to go! I said that I would write in my blog every day for 1 year, and I can't believe that I am so far into it. That's really only 2 months left. Wow wee!!

Photo of Bailey taken by Brandon when he ran off with my camera

Well this morning being a Saturday it was my turn to work. My husband looked after the kids which was great. Unfortunately all 3 men are sick with a cold. Once one of them gets sick, the other 2 go do within hours. This time was no different. So I worked for several hours this morning while my husband took the boys to the petrol station, the supermarket, and the bakery. They only just made it home in time because not even 5 minutes later Nanny & Poppy A arrived on our doorstep. They were coming to visit us for a few days. Plus Brandon also has a grandparents day on at kindergarten on Tuesday, which means that he needed some real grandparents.

I left everyone some 40 minutes later to go and enjoy a massage. Not just any massage but a 2 hour massage. It takes me at least 1 hour to relax so by the time my appointment was up I had managed to relax a bit. While it wasn't in any way a fantastic massage, at least I was taking some time out. It was reintegrated to me today that I don't do relaxing well. I'm going to keep trying though.

Photo of Brandon's shadow taken by Brandon

I was greeted by an empty house upon my return home. I knew straight away that everyone would be down at the park at the end of the street. Low and behold the family were all there. Everyone played around for quite some time before eventually wrapping everything up and heading home. Bailey returned home without issue while Brandon, however, was a very different story. He had a huge tantrum because he just did not want the fun to end. At last we got everyone home and inside. I cooked the kids some dinner and showered them while Nanny A dried and dressed Brandon and I did Bailey. My husband had fallen asleep on the lounge earlier this afternoon and that's where he sayed until I woke him up at about 8pm. Bailey didn't want to go to sleep. He kept repeating "Nanny, Poppy, Nanny, Poppy, Poo Bum." That's how his conversation went for about 40 minutes.

I'm tired now so I'm off to bed. Farewll everyone. See you all tomorrow.

What Did I Say?

My whole day consisted of me saying these 3 words to the boys. It must have been children crazy day today and someone forgot to tell me! Both Brandon and Bailey lost their ears today. Neither boy listened to me from the moment they woke up to the moment they fell asleep. The 2 boys and I had another home day today. That makes it 2 in a row. I think that is the longest we have stayed at home. It sent me crazy and I think that was a big contributing factor to the boy's craziness. We spent the day inside and outside and then inside and back outside. My cleaning continued all day intermingled between the boy's constant desire and demand for food. They simply eat all the time. I should have had several conversations with the wall today. I can guarantee that it would have been more responsive than either Brandon or Bailey. Hopefully a good nights sleep will see them regain their ability to listen tomorrow.

I forgot to mention yesterday that Bailey took himself off to the toilet, put the special child's seat down, jumped up and did a poo. All on his own. What a good boy. What a big boy. For the past 2 days neither boy has wanted to wear pants. Bailey has been nappy free while Brandon just walks around in his undies. I can talk until I'm blue in the face and ask the boys to put some pants on while we are outside in the wind. No. Neither of them even showed the slightest sign that they had heard me. No wonder they both have the sniffles.

I spent the evening getting everything ready for the kid's bedtime before I then went off to work. My husband had come home from work and then almost immediately went out again to do the food shopping. I made the boy's diner and dessert and then had to go to work. By the time I returned, my husband had both Brandon and Bailey in bed asleep. Am off to design my website. See you tomorrow.

Going With The Flow

The 2 boys and I had a relatively low key day, although I hardly sat down for most of it. It was a nice day. The only place that we all had to be at was karate this morning at 9am. Brandon was a bit crazy in his class. He was completely distracted by another boy that was going super mad. Brandon's instructor said that it might be time for Brandon to move up a class with the bigger kids. I think, and obviously so does the karate instructor, that Brandon's starting to get bored with the kindy karate and needs something a little more challenging.

The rest of the day was spent at home with the 2 boys playing and myself cleaning. We are having Nanny & Poppy A come and visit us on Saturday for a few days so I thought I should start making the house resembling some sort of cleanliness fit for visitors. The 2 boys were just fantastic today. The whole day just flowed. Wherever the boys moved to I cleaned and wherever I moved to the boys followed while I cleaned. Either way I cleaned. While not the most glamorous of activities I also managed to spend a lot of time playing with the kids. Brandon and Bailey interacted beautifully today with each other. Bailey sounds like he is getting a bit sick. The 2 boys and I had a great day. Everything just flowed unassumingly.

In Brief

I have just finished work. All my clients wanted to come late tonight but at least they all came. As a result, I am a wee bit tired and extremely hungry. Luckily I knew it would be a latish night so earlier today I made gourmet pizzas for everyone. Mine and my husband's are in the oven currently cooking. Can't wait. Brandon went off to kindergarten while Bailey and I ventured into the supermarket to stock up on some essentials. We checked the PO Box and then jumped back in the car and headed home. Once home Bailey and I made our pizzas, hung up washing, played, organised bedding and pyjamas, and made heaps of phone calls. I had told Brandon's kindergarten teacher that I'd be picking Brandon up from kindergarten before their rest time. So Bailey and I were there at 1 pm to pick him up. He loved it. I'd already OK'd it with him so he was very excited. We all travelled home where the boys' became more and more frustrated with everything. They were both so very tired. I went to work while my husband took the 2 boys up to get their hair cut. About 1/2 hour after the boys returned home, and while I was still working, I heard an all mighty big Bailey cry. Between clients I came out to discover that Bailey and Brandon had thrown a metal toy train at each other and Bailey now had a big bleeding gash in his head.  Not good. Just had a delicious dinner now I'm putting my feet up and having a chat to my husband. See you.

Duplication

Several times a day I wish that I could easily duplicate myself. Imagine how great that would be. One of me could hang up and address the 20 loads of washing that it feels like I do each day, while the other one of me could sit, read a book in the sunshine and eat chocolate. Having 2 of me would also mean that I could truly keep on eye on the boys. As an example, I have just put Brandon to bed tonight. Just before I did I was in the kitchen filling up the boy's water bottles to take to their rooms. 1 minute later when I walked into Brandon's room I discovered that Bailey has tipped a yoghurt ALL over Brandon's floor. Now this is the lovely clean carpet that has most recently been professionally cleaned. If there had of been 2 of me that might not have happened. Another example of how beneficial it would be to have two of me in my life was last night when Bailey jumped out of the bath, I dried him and then he ran nude to his room. By the time it took me to walk about 7 metres, Bailey's bedroom floor was completely covered in powder. And I mean completely. Add this to the sports drink that he had earlier squirted over his floor. How can 1 small child possible get up to so much mischief???? Where does he learn how to do these things?

So our day involved a run out to kindergarten again. This week Brandon is there 3 days which means that I end up doing 12 trips to and fro from kindergarten and home. No wonder it feels like I'm always in the car, although it's probably nothing compared to some people. At kindergarten today there was a Dr Joe's Science Show. Brandon said he enjoyed it. When Bailey and I left this morning, it looked like there was some very interesting things being set up for all the kids. I'm sure I'll see some photos sometime. Bailey and I came straight home as we had someone coming to look at a Futon bed that we were selling. On the way home Bailey fell asleep. I always secretly hope that he might have a sleep sometime throughout the day, or at least once a week, but today when he fell asleep I was a bit lost. It was only 9:30am. Yes that's right, 9:30am! The simple explanation is because he woke up at 4:30am, and that's what happens to any respectful person when they are up way too early. Bailey slept for 3 hours. I couldn't believe it. If I was duplicated I could have finished my website, done washing, had a massage, read a book, picked up Brandon from Kindergarten, sat in the sunshine, bought property, cleaned the bathrooms, and the list goes on and on. The point is- I could have done twice as much.

Once Bailey awoke and we had lunch together, we piled back into the car and picked up a tired and weary looking Brandon. The 2 boys gobbled up more food on the drive home and once home they took it easy and played with trains while I got all the swimming things ready. My husband was working late so I took the 2 boys off to swimming lessons. Again, if I was replicated, I could have watched Brandon and enjoyed his swimming, while the other me could have been in the pool with Bailey. I think that Bailey is almost at the stage where he may not need me in the pool with him for much longer. He swam about 3 metres on his own. I was so proud of him and of Brandon. Well done my beautiful boys.

Thankfully my husband was home by the time we returned home with dinner for the 2 boys on the table. Thanks sweetheart. Much appreciated. By this stage both boys were cranky and tired. They were both throwing things everywhere and in particular at each other. It ended in tears. Once I'd bathed them my husband and I put them straight into bed. There were loud protests that books hadn't been read, and toys hadn't been played with, but they were way too tired to function so to bed it was.  Now I need another me to clean the kitchen, make dinner, write my blog, massage my feet, unpack all the wet swimming things, hang out the 2 loads of wet washing already in the washing basket, and then get ready for tomorrow. The power of 2.

Magic Hands

I've just put my little angel to bed. Bailey fell asleep almost immediately. He was so tired once he actually got to bed. He had to eat huge amounts of yoghurt before bed. I put my hands on his little head once he was lying down and he was off to slumber land. All my clients say too that I can make them fall asleep as well. Must be my magic hands. Plus my many years working as a massage therapist.

This morning we were back into the swing of kindergarten. I seemed to have everything quite well organised this morning as it just flowed beautifully. We were still 5 minutes late arriving at kindergarten because I hadn't remembered that I had to get petrol until I was in the car. We arrived and Brandon seemed very happy, although a little reserved. Bailey was in no hurry to leave as per usual. Finally we departed and Bailey and I went off to do art and craft at Bunnings. Today we made a pot person. Bailey made a fantastic one and I made one for Brandon. I had promised him that I would make him up something and I did. Bailey and I had morning tea and Bailey played in the playground. We  then went to look at the plastic ducks in the Bunnings duck pond. Overall a great little morning.

Bailey and I came home and played with trains. The things that you do. He had the most beautiful smile looking up at me all day, and while I had a lot of things that I needed to be doing, the most important thing was playing with Bailey. The 2 of us then had lunch and jumped back in the car to pick up Brandon. It sounded like he'd had a great day. He was absolutely covered in paint, including his feet, so I can only imagine what they were painting. My first client was a no show so I didn't end up starting until quite late. My next client was snoring so very loudly by the time his appointment was drawing to an end. I always have a smile when people fall asleep under the touch of my hands. My job is done.It makes up for all the pain they tell me I inflict upon them earlier in their appointment. Good times. See you tomorrow.

Recharging The Batteries

 I spent 4 hours by myself this morning. My husband took the 2 boys and himself off to the paint shop and then to the park at Sandgate. I packed them lots of food and a whole loaf of bread for the ducks just to encourage them to stay and enjoy the park a little longer. I highly encourage the boys spending time with their daddy. I planned to clean and wash and cook while they were all away, but instead I actually designed my website. I bought my business images and a template so now I just have to put it all together.. I used my time productively, although somewhat guiltily that I hadn't cleaned the house. There's always tomorrow or next weekend.  I do believe, though, that we might be having some visitors on Saturday. Nanny & Poppy A are blessing us with their company. Should be good fun.

It was nice when all my men arrived home. My husband had a sleep on the lounge through exhaustion while I took the kids outside and played. Customarily, we jumped on the trampoline. We dug in dirt, and I even think that Bailey may have eaten some. Bailey made mud by squirting his pineapple juice from his drink bottle into the dirt. In fact, he squirted it in the dirt, on the deck, on the outdoor chairs and on his feet. It was exactly why I had said no to him having any water from the tap.

They boys gobbled up dinner. No matter how much they get in their mouths to eat, there is always twice as much left behind on the floor. I am still astounded as to how that happens. We bathed them, ran around with them again, read to them and then off to sleep they went. What good boys. I've just managed to cook up a gourmet dinner which I am about to devour. Fortunately for me I know how to eat food without it going on the walls, doors, windows, and floor. I feel recharged and ready to go again for the week. Looking forward to it.

Having A Ball Of A Time

This is a photo of my 2 boys. You can sort of see them amongst all the balls. Another Saturday today where my husband worked so I had the 2 boys again all day. Next Saturday I am working for half the day and then for 2 hours in the afternoon I have a massage appointment for myself. So instead of giving them, I finally get to hopefully enjoy one. Plus it's a nice long one at that. I am so very excited about it.

Bailey-face first down a very big slide

Anyway, back to the balls and my boys. It was fairly wet early this morning outside and it was apparently forecast for much colder weather, so I took the 2 boys to the huge indoor play centre just up the road. We haven't been there for several months so the anticipation of expected fun was huge. I packed food and the 2 boys and off we went. We spent several hours there having heaps of fun. Both Brandon and Bailey play so well. Bailey attempted to have a tantrum when I wouldn't buy hot chips and lollies, but I foiled it pretty early in the process and he gobbled up the veggie wrap that I had packed with us. They boys never end up eating the food at the cafe when I buy it for them, and today I was adamant that I wasn't going to waste my money. I only ended up spending $7.00 on 3 drinks and then $22.00 for the boy's to get into the playground, which I thought was good value overall for a day's entertainment.

Getting the 2 boys to leave the indoor playground is always the hardest part of the adventure. We had a lady coming over at 2pm to look at an exercise bike that we were selling, so it was 1:15pm at this stage and I knew that it would take the remaining 45 minutes to get them back home. Actually I knew that it would take 43 minutes to get them out of the indoor playground, and then only 2 minutes to drive home. How I know my children. We arrived home and the lady rang the door bell. She bought the bike. Yippee! Now we have some more space. As soon as the bike had gone, another lady rang me about a coffee table we were also selling. She came over 20 minutes later and bought it. I was on a roll. I am still fascinated that no-one tries to negotiate on price. I would, but then I love the thrill of negotiating and haggling.

By the time my husband came home, we had extra room in the house. It was great. My husband disappeared again off to the gym this time while the 2 boys and I ventured outside. I finally put up a whole heap more chicken wire for the unbelievably expanding passion fruit vine that seems to be taking over one of our fences. That done, the 2 boys and I jumped on the trampoline. It didn't matter that it was a cold wintry day. We just kept on jumping. By 4:30pm I thought that surely these boys of ours must be getting tired. I cooked a very early dinner for them which consisted of Dinosaur shaped pasta. They appeared to love it which is always a very good thing. My husband arrived home again and between the 2 of us, Brandon and Bailey were sleeping soundly in their beds by 6:30pm.  Now it's my turn to have a ball of a time. I am planning to cook up a very delicious dinner and gobble it down probably in record time. While tempted to buy some takeaway for dinner with my new found cash from furniture selling, I'll be sensible and keep it for our big Christmas holiday that is drawing closer and closer. Farewell. Enjoy your night.

How Time Flies

Today just disappeared. It was 2:30pm before I knew it. The 2 boys and I just played around the house for most of the day. I changed nappies, wiped up spilt juice, attempted to feed 2 small kids, ran after 2 small kids, helped the kids roller skate around the house, and mediate between 2 small kids. Bailey continued with his tantrums. It's only because he gets frustrated easily, understandably, because he comes from the same DNA as myself and my husband.

My most favourite part of today was when the 2 boys and I raced around the house lap after lap chasing each other. Both Brandon and Bailey were on their bikes while I was on Brandon's scooter. We did so many circuits. It was great fun, plus it was excellent exercise. Then the 2 boys moved on to rollerskating. We only have 1 pair of kids roller skates so Brandon and Bailey took turns. They both thought they skated better if they stuck their bottoms in the air. What made it look even funnier was that Bailey only had underpants on and had black pen all over his left leg, drawn on care of himself.

Eventually once we had run out of nappies for Bailey, I thought we'd all go for a little drive and replenish the supplies. So the 2 boys and I went up to the local shops. We ordered some hot chips at the fish & chip shop first up, then while the food was cooking, we all ducked into the supermarket to grab nappies and nappy wipes.. We then went next door to the bakery and bought some cupcakes and then headed to the next shop to pick up our hot chips. Home we went to gobble up our yummy but incredibly un-nutritious food. It filled the void. By now it was time for me to go to work just as my husband walked/ran in the door. Work went well. I have a very sore left arm, leg and foot so it was a little uncomfortable for me to work. My clients wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong. Yesterday at karate I had fallen over on a solid concrete floor and landed on my left side while attempting to get Bailey who was causing great mischief. Today, while walking to the phone. I fell over on the same side and landed again on my shoulder, hip and knee.

Work went well. Once I'd finished I came out and gave everyone a great big hug. My husband and I deliberated as to who and when  we would go food shopping. I ended up saying that I would just go tonight. It was the quietest time in the whole world to shop. I was home with everything unpacked by 9pm. This morning was also the first day that Bailey got himself out of his bed and marched on down to the family room on his own. Yesterday Bailey and Brandon were getting up to so much mischief which included Bailey learning how to jump out of his safe secure cot. He should have been in a big adult bed a long time ago but we just hadn't bought a new adult bed for him. Better get on to that.

Our day just passed. Time just flew. Life  went by. It's very late so I'll be off now. Have a great sleep.

To My Mum & Dad

Hi Mum & Dad, I know that you are travelling around Australia at the moment, but I was wondering if you would like your 2 year old grandson to travel around with you? He's happily all yours if you want to take him camping. Just drop me a line and I'll organise for you to collect him. That's all I have to say regarding today as it was a day from my nightmare. I can't wait until Bailey turns 3. See you tomorrow when Bailey will be 1 day older and 1 day further away from being in the terrible twos.

Crash, Smash & Bash

Smash, Crash & Bash was how the whole day went. Satin's child (Bailey) was the instigator of about 90% of the drama. It was an interesting day. The 2 boys and I ducked out to Bunnings first to get a few things for the day. I bought a drill, some plaster of Paris, a staple gun, some art & craft things for the kids and some hooks. I bought a drill because I was so tired of constantly asking my husband to bring his home. So now I am set and ready to go. The 2 boys and I came home and then spent pretty much most of the day doing art and craft outside. We had a good day. I thought we'd just take it relatively easy today. Bailey was just crazy. In fact he was utterly crazy. He must have woken up this morning and thought - My aim for the day is to cause as much destruction as humanly possible while causing as much physical pain to myself and to those around me. He succeeded. It was a mad day. The 2 boys bashed and crashed and definitely smashed into each other. Tomorrow they will be covered in bruises from their antics.

I worked all afternoon and into the evening all the while being able to hear the boy's continue with their crashing and smashing.  They smashed and bashed their way eventually into their beds. Hooray! Tomorrow we get to do it all again.

The Things We Like To Say

My husband and I are supplied with endless entertainment from the 2 boys. Sometimes we are in fits of laughter from the little things that come forth from their mouths, especially Brandon's. When my husband and I were talking about the horrendous traffic on the roads today, Brandon piped in with "All this talk doesn't change a thing!". And like yesterday where I was driving to Brandon's kindergarten with both boy's in the car. I must have sighed loudly enough for Brandon to hear me. He asked me what was wrong and I replied "I think I have lost my spark" Brandon replied "Did somebody eat it?"

This morning our normal 15 minute ride into kindergarten took us 45 minutes. As a result, we were rather late but it didn't look like Brandon had missed much. Everyone was still outside playing. Once I eventually pulled Bailey away from Brandon's kindergarten, the 2 of us went into the shops to do a few jobs. It took us what felt like forever. Once finished, we headed back to the car so as to drop into the sport shop nearby. I wanted to buy a swimming top but even though I live in sunny Queensland, not a lot of shops have swimmers in stock in Winter. Apparently all shops will be in stock of swimwear next week. No good to me now though. I did get 1 which will get me through.

Bailey and I headed home for about 1/2hour before we then jumped back in the car to go and pick up Brandon. Brandon had made me the most beautiful beaded necklace today at kindergarten. It was so lovely and heart felt. I'll keep it forever. We all eventually arrived home only to organise ourselves again to go out to swimming lessons. The 2 boys went crazy just before swimming, but by the time their lessons came around they were both great. Bailey now swims by himself for about 2 metres. Both boys just blow me away. I am so extremely proud of them. Once I finally got both of them dried and dressed at the pool, we headed home. My husband had bought pizza so we all gobbled up dinner together. Delicious.

Both boys drifted off to sleep easily through sheer exhaustion I'd say. Tomorrow we have a great day planned and I look forward to hearing all the funny things that the boys tell me. Should be fun.