Ryan loves boobies

At dinner time Matthew was giving Ryan the ultimate in insults for when you are 3 and 4. Apparently Matthew and Ben like boys and Ryan likes girls. Ryan was incensed. He does not like girls he likes boobies. Nathan and I looked at each other and pissed ourselves laughing because we could see Ryan in 15 years time drunk as a skunk slurring "I like boobies!"

War Memorial

So after we saw the Olympic torch relay we took the boys to the war memorial. (3 hours was all I could get from the workaholic for school holiday activities!) The boys love the war memorial. Our first port of call was Teddy Sheean's painting. Teddy Sheean is my Great Uncle. He was killed when the ship he was serving on, the HMAS Armidale, was shot at and sunk by the Japanese. When the ship came under fire he strapped himself into his post and fired upon the enemy. He shot sown two aircraft and was still firing his gun after the ship was sunk. He is a true war hero. He was had the honour of a submarine names after him. He should have the honour of a VC. But as he was an able seaman and not an officer it is very hard to have that honour bestowed on him. But that is another blog entry all together and a project i intend to take up the fight for.

SO! We got a photo of the boys in front of the painting and then went on to explore the discovery centre. Check out the photos. And i have a feeling that Ryan really has a military career in his future!

Busy! Busy!

We have had a really busy week. It's time to catch up!
Thursday we went to watch the Olympic Torch relay. The boys were so excited. As Matthew told me "he has never seen that before!" And seeing as the boys are going to miss out on seeing Uncle Brenty in Beijing we thought it would be great to see the torch.
I was quite nervous taking them as i didn't want to get caught up in violent protest with three small children but it was really important to us that we saw it. And I really was quite prepared to argue with anyone who wanted to take away from the occasion. The Olympics are about excellence in sport which has nothing to do with politics. And whilst i am so very sympathetic to the Tibetan peoples plight and firmly believe that China should never have been allowed to host the games. I believe there is a right and wrong way of protesting. I would prefer protesters to protest (peacefully) at the International Olympic Committee. However, I supported Senator Bob Brown's "Free Tibet" skywriting . THAT was appropriate if a protest was to take place. BUT I digress!
So we got up early and met Nath in at his work then we walked down to Kings Avenue to wait. Somehow we ended up inside the barricade and for a while we thought we would be allowed to stay. We had already nominated Nathan as the person to tackle anyone attempting to tackle the flame! But eventually the police arrived and ushered us to the "right" side of the barricades. So in the end we got to see a peaceful relay. Thanks largely to the hot police men running in front of the torch. Trust me they received as bigger cheer as the torch bearers (mostly females cheering, incidentally!) Louise Savage carried the torch ( She had to push her chair up hill, one handed! As she didn't have a torch holder as she did in Sydney) Anyhow, the boys were thrilled and we caught the Olympic spirit! Go! Go! Go! Uncle Brenty!!!
Oh and back to the protest for just one minute (maybe the title should be Protesting the protest!) I found the Chinese supporters bussed in from everywhere to be quite aggressive and somewhat bizarre. They where carrying signs saying "Welcome to Beijing!" Last I checked we were in Canberra!

Biker Benny

Benny also loves to ride his bike.

Big and Strong!

Benny looks so big and strong. And loves to tell you that!

(The spelling mistake in the title of the video is all due to the editor! He has since been let go.)

Balloon Spectacular

WOW!! This morning we rose early to go and see the annual balloon spectacular. It was so worth it, even when it was 2 degrees and Ben and I were sick. There must have been about 50 balloons. We were there in time to see the first balloon blown up and we stayed until the last balloon took off. Questacon was giving tethered balloon rides but we couldn't talk the boys into getting in. (The flames were to scary and noisy, so maybe next year) We got some great pictures. And I'm sending Nathan off tomorrow morning to takes some from mount Ainslie. So should have so more good ones tomorrow.

Canberra Zoo and Aquarium

I took playgroup (and my children) to the zoo today. It was SO much fun. Ben loved to otters the best, Matthew loved the zoo map the best and Ryan well I'm not sure what he loved but I'm pretty sure he loved it. I think he gets overwhelmed by his thoughts. Actually, what I really think is he is like me. I like to go and read all the notes about the particular animal in the enclosure, observe it for a while, ponder the animal and if i like it's lifestyle before i decide if i like the animal. And i think Ryan is still pondering all of this. Or he could be thinking if he liked his lunch!! Oh! But it was so much fun. Those little faces where amazed by what they saw today and when you think about it so they should. I think the boys (well maybe Matt and Ryan) realised the things that they read about in their books can be real. We read Edward the Emu about an Emu in a zoo. Well they had two roaming a walk through enclosure today and Matt and Rye Rye recognised them as Edward and Edwina. We talked about the favourite animal at the zoo and recited the words from the book. The picture books we read on wild animals and the shows we watch on TV became real life today for the boys. And the looks on their faces was priceless.


So back to what the boys liked. Ben LOVED the otters. They were playing when we arrived. There are photos of him watching them further on down the page. Benny did not want to leave them. Many of the other animals he couldn't see. Like the Koala curled up in the tree and the red panda high in the trees and the cats asleep in long grass. But the ones that were moving he could see and he loved. He liked the aquarium with the brightly coloured fish. But what he loved best (after the otters) was being apart of the group of kids. He walked where they walked. He climbed on fences when the other kids did. He was one of the big kids and he loved that!


Matthew loved the map! He followed it and referred to it all day. Thank goodness it had pictures! And since we have been home he has been going over our entire day with the map. Daddy got the blow by blow account. "First we started at the cafe then we followed this path to the aquarium....." The whole spiel takes almost as long as we were there! As for a favourite animal i don't think he had one, well maybe the fairy penguins were a fav (Poppy will be thrilled the penglins got a mention!) I think his favourite part of the zoo was being able to recognise all the animals we were looking at. Although he did come tearing up to me to tell me he found (he found a lot of things that i thought were already discovered!) an owl which did turn out to be a tawny frog mouth but an easy mistake to make!


And Mummy's favourite was her exceptionally well behaved children. They were a joy and a pleasure to be with. When some of the group where naughty, my boys were angelic. I didn't have to grump to get down from the fence beside the lions cage or scold for trying to feed the tiger a biscuit. (I was totally convinced that i would have to rescue at least one child from an enclosure containing a scary animal).They were perfect. I have nothing to complain about and once again are proud of my little men. But enough bragging! Here are the photos! (I didn't take many as i was too busy watching and enjoying their reactions to remember to take photos)

Why do we buy expensive toys?

Today the boys were playing happily in the backyard. I then snuck inside to get some housework done. After a while i thought it was quiet out there, so quiet in fact I could hear children in the park. They sounded an awful lot like my children. So i looked out of the window. Ben was riding his trike happily so i thought "yep they're all good". I resumed my house work only to hear more children's voices coming from the direction of the park. Surely my children couldn't have got through the new 150cm high colourbond fence or the new gate that Nath put the latch on so high i can barely reach it. So i listened and it sounded an awful lot like my kids. So i raced outside and there they all were in the sandpit filling my empty Pepsi bottles with sand. (I had left them earlier using the bottles as swords!) They were having a ball. Ryan was mulching the leaves by pushing them into the bottle then tipping them out. Matthew had filled his to the brim with sand, which was according to Matthew the best tasting coke just for Mum (it was also the best coke ever in mummy's opinion as it was calorie free!) Then after Barkley had had a particularly nasty cough the sand filled bottle became medicine for him. Which was very carefully administered by Vet Matthew. (By the way Barkley took it very nicely) So tomorrow I'm off to buy some more coke, I can only hope that it is Matthew calorie free kind!

Aunty Yucky

My sister Jackie (otherwise known as Aunty Yucky to the Rickard boys) came for a flying visit this weekend. We were all very excited for Jackie and Eli to spend some time in our house where boys rule the roost. The boys all had a great time and Jackie went home with a boot full of no longer used/worn/played things from this house. Here are some photos. Please note that Eli certainly isn't a morning person. (I wonder where he gets that from Aaron??!!)

It's moment like these...

That you thank God for the blessed gift of children! I am so proud of Matthew today I could burst! Today is the last day of Matthew's first term at pre school. So I asked his teacher how he was doing. Debbie said Matthew is THE most caring and compassionate child she has ever taught! She says he is very responsible and a pleasure to teach. But whilst we were talking a mother interrupted to also thank Debbie as her child had found preschool tough and she genuinely was thanking her for her patience. They got talking and I heard the mother mention Matthew. So I jumped in with "Who is your child" and she told me so I said "I am Matthews' Mum". She then went on to tell me what a "godsend" Matthew was and how much Matthew means to her son and if it wasn't for Matthew being there for him every day they would have considered pulling him out! I then put it together that the father I had been talking to that morning, who was very keen on a play date with Matthew was this child's Dad. He had said this morning that Matthew was his son's rock at pre school. I had no idea that this child had been having difficulties but I did know that Matthew was very fond of this child. So I have put all the pieces together and am so proud of my son!
Debbie's other example of Matthew's compassion was with the chickens that the children have just hatched. Apparently, Matthew asked Debbie to put them back in their light box as he was fearful that the chicks were cold and no longer enjoying playing! She said his face was ashen with his concern.
To me this is heart swelling. I don't care if my children become Olympians or brain surgeons or millionaires. What I want for my children is for them to be caring, compassionate, happy and healthy people. And it warms my heart to know that we are on the right track.

Cyclone Ryan

Today Ryan had a tantrum of Indooroopilly proportions. Ask Nathan's mother about Nathan's tanty at the Indro shopping centre when he was little, she is still scarred! We were at the post office, trying to post Kylie's parcel (sorry Kylie, Oliver's parcel will eventually make it to you before he turns 21!) when Ryan cracked it. I let him press the button to get the ticket but the mean Mummy i am didn't let him rip off the ticket. So that was it. He threw himself on the floor, shrieking as if his liver had been pulled out of his body via his nose. I walked on to get the post pack with a "Ryan, I'm leaving to get my things now!"thrown over my shoulder. The old bitties in the queue shook their heads. Ryan's response was to flail about as if he was a helicopter, with the rotor noise to match. So I gave a stern "That is enough Ryan!" This was met with the noise equal to a jumbo taking off and "Tut, Tuts" from the bitties. So I said "Ryan, if you don't stop this nonsense now we will go straight home! One..... Two..... Ok! That's it were going!" The bitties jumped out of my way (with fear in their eyes!) and I scooped him up took him to the door and said "We're leaving". The howling at this point was hysterical. So i walked off, a mother in law I know has advised that his is good practise. So off i went and Ryan came tearing up beside me and grabbed onto the stroller handle. When I wouldn't stop, even with his pleas of "But Mummy you have business to do!" I walked on. Even when he took his feet off the ground and was hovering above the ground I walked on. Even with the echo's 4 times louder in the underground car park, I walked on! He was dumped unceremoniously into his car seat with a "I'm very cross, Ryan!" By the time we got home he was apologising profusely for his behaviour and crosses his heart and hopes to die he will never throw a tanty again.
And me..... I think I will have the same scars as my mother inlaw!

Here's a question for you!

That's what Nathan says to me every time he has something BIG he wants to ask me. Before the move to Canberra "Here's a question for you, would you move to Canberra?" and before we got engaged "Here's a question for you, will you marry me?" (Just jokes, but nearly!) So when we got into bed last night and he said this, the sense of dread was enourmous! All he wanted to ask was if I was ok with him doing a masters degree in operation research at ADFA??!!! And of course the answer was "If you think that is what you need to do for your career, darling, I will put my ambition of being a midwife aside!" No really, my greatest ambition is to raise three well adjusted, happy, healthy and gorgeous boys and if more study helps him along in his career I'm all for it. Good luck Nathan B. Eng, M Eng(res), M OR. (Could he want anymore letters after his name!)

Lockdown

It is a coincidence that Matthew is having a lockdown drill at pre school tomorrow. After what happened in Sydney yesterday it has made it very real and very frightening. Who would have thought that such a drill was necessary, but apparently it is. Nathan and I were discussing it and we cant recall having "lockdown drills" at school. However, it appears that it is necessary for our children. And that is sad. What else will our children have to deal with that we could never have comprehended as children?

Oh Dear!

Today Ryan went to swimming and then Coles and Big W with one of his boots and one of Matthew's on his feet! I guess I should be thankful that the were different feet instead of both left ones! This could only happen to Ryan.

I hate daylight savings!

4am this morning! That was when Ben decided it was time to play. So i scooped him up and laid him down on my chest. He is far too big to do this now but I know how much he loves being there and I REALLY wanted him to go back to sleep! So he snuggled in and he finally went back to sleep at 4.45. Only to be woken up by Ryan and 5am! Who woke up and couldn't see Ben so he shouted down the house trying to find where he was. Which woke Matthew up. So at 5.01 this morning we had a house full of bouncing boys and two very groggy, cranky parents! Lets hope they adjust to the time change VERY soon!

Ben

The boys and i walk to and from pre school. Well not always to preschool as this morning it was only 1 degree but usually home from preschool and we now have our routine. Matthew, Ryan and Ben walk out of the gate and then go running through the bushland. Well its unmowed grass and trees. They run out of the gate along the fence and yes you guessed it hand along the fence. Then they run over the pile of bark chip and then through the long grass as far away from the big dogs that bark but where they can still see me. (i stick to the pathway!) Matthew is always first, then comes Ryan with his interesting style of running and finally Benny brings up the rear. Tripping over every stick, tuft of grass or leaf. And its not because he is unco (as is the case of Ryan) but because 19 month olds really shouldn't be capable of running through bushland! And when i ask him if he wants to go in the stroller i get a defensive "NO!" Not only does Ben do things he really shouldn't physically do he does it with an attitude I've never seen in a 19 month old. When we get to the walking path that leads to the bus stop where Ryan and Matthew must wait for me, Ben starts kicking the heels to his boots and swaggering. He, I guess, sneers at me knowing that i will put him in the stroller. His cheeks wobble and if i give him an extra metre or so he grins his cheeky grin. The attitude and cheekiness that surrounds him takes my breath away. My baby is in such a hurry to catch up to his big brothers and i don't think there is anything i can do to stop it!

Matthew's Pre School teacher has come to live with us!

Well that what it feels like! Matthew was giving me instructions yesterday, apparently i had to finish the lounge room, then i could make the playdough then i could play with them with the playdough in the dining room! This was done in a very precise way, with hand gestures a bit like an AFL goal umpire but with open hands instead of one finger. He gestured to each activity and then turned around and gave me the instruction of what he wished to happen. This exact way of giving instruction comes from Debbie, his teacher! He did it perfectly! I wonder, and some of you teachers out there reading this may be able to comment, if teachers are aware of how big an impact they have on the lives of the children that they teach? And it is so funny the things that children pick up. Matthew tends to spend time next door on the weekends with Michelle in her garden and i have noticed that he has picked up some of her mannerisms as well. And why is it that he picks nice things up from these people whilst the only things he has picked up from me are:"Do you want a smack, Ryan?" (I know i hate saying it but it falls out of my mouth before i know it and in the exact same tone as MY mothers!) and "I'm getting cross!" usually spoken to Ryan, Ben, Busta or Barkley in perfect imitation.
So from here on in I guess i just have to pray that Matthew gets nice teacher, like Debbie, to help influence and guide him.

Book Club

Last night was my first meeting of my new book club. It was so good to get out of the house and NOT discuss the book that we had all read and talk about EVERYTHING (and i mean everything!) else under the sun. I am really looking forward to our next one. Who knows what will be discussed then!

April Fools Day

Today is a day when i give great thought to my Grandad. He loved April Fools Day. He would ring us every April 1st and tell us the Sydney Harbour Bridge had fallen down or the sky over Mandurah was green or something equally ridiculous. And usually we would believe him......until we looked at the date! And in my whole life i don't think i ever managed to fool him once! Well, Grandad what joke did you pull on the entire population of heaven? Happy April fools!

Dolphin

Today at swimming, Matthew learnt the dolphin kick! He is on his way to being a butterflyer! He is coming along so well with his swimming. And after an "off" week last week, Ryan has returned to his swimming best, doing his bubbles and floating. The question is am I game enough to try and have all three boys in the water doing lessons at once next term? (And can we afford it?) Would love to post some piccies of the boys doing their swimming (so you don't think I'm just bragging!) but our swim school is a camera free centre!!???!!!