Boys!

Yesterday I was cleaning the boys toilet and Ryan needed to go so I sent him off to our ensuite toilet. No problems with that right? This morning I went to my toilet (I checked the seat before I sat down because those boys get their aim from their father!) Do you know why there wasn't any wee on the seat? Because Ryan had peed in my bin!!!!!!! How do you empty a bin liner with wee in it?????

Let me catch you up!

We have had a very busy week. Probably the most exciting part has been that Benton has left for Beijing. We wish him a mountain of luck but are very confident he will feel no need to draw from any pile as luck as he has worked so hard and has his goals well within his reach. Go! Go! Go! Uncle Brenty!
However, before he left we talked him into visiting preschool. Which then got expanded into talking to the whole of Miles Franklin Primary School! He did a brilliant job bearing in mind that the students he was addressing in the the pre school class were just being born at the last Olympics! And as usual the female teachers were suitably impressed with our Olympian! He took in his medals from the World Champs and the Commonwealth Games as well as his latest swim suit and cap and goggles. He even gave the littlest kids a quick breaststroke lesson! I have since heard that many kids are bragging that they have been taught breaststroke by the best!
Then Nath and the boys dropped him at the airport on Saturday morning. The previous Sunday we hosted a dinner for all of our neighbours (who take a great interest in him!). So hopefully he left Oz hyped up and after the visit to the school full of good karma!
On top of that I worked a lot last week as it was Targets annual toy sale. This week hasn't slowed down any with Nath being away and me having a party plan type party for a friend! So that is it. You are up to date! Oh! Except for the things that we have coming up! First of all Matthew is playing at the AFL game on Sunday at half time between the swannies and the bulldogs! And we will be appearing on the sunrise show during the Olympics! It sounds like we will be on Friday 16th August, so look out for us!

Let It Be Known That....

On this day the 30th July, Matthew James Raymond Rickard threw himself to the floor crying "I want to clean!" This was after he had assisted his mother to clean the dining room floor. Apparently Matthew would have liked to continue cleaning any floor. When the aforementioned mother tried to take his cleaning cloth away Matthew Rickard insisted that he wanted more and was willing to clean anything. Let the record show this from now until eternity.

This disclaimer may be used as evidence in a court of law if future altercations arise between mother and Son in future years about any household cleaning issues!!!

Lifes Lessons

Ben just learnt a BIG one.......after discovering there is a poo in your nappy by putting your hand in it, don't suck your thumb that is covered in poo. Learn this lesson early and you will go far son!

Holidays

Last week i convinced the workaholic he needed a weeks break. We are planning a QLD holiday later on in the year so we thought we would take a holiday in Canberra. So we made it to the Dinosaur Museum, the telstra tower, the national museum and a swim at the new Canberra swimming pool. We have been promising the boys a trip to the Dinosaur museum when they filled up their reward chart with stickers. They hadn't quite filled it up (well really they have done it numerous times but when they have done something really naughty I tend to take all the stickers off and they have to start again!) So here are our photos of our Canberra holiday.

They boys favourite exhibit at the National Museum. Matthew wants to be a builder when he grows up because he like all the trucks so much. He loved this wheel! It's size only made he what to drive one even more!

They also what to be as tall as Daddy wen they grow up!

I thought they would find the museum boring but they really enjoyed it. Some stuff they really got into. Like the map of Australia that showed when certain pest were introduced (like rabbits, foxes and carp) and how fast they spread.

I'm sure in a few years they will be just as tall!
The tibia bone(not real!) of a diplodicus
The view from the Telsta Tower
The snow on the mountains. It has been there for about 2 weeks. The last few years we have had snow on the mountains for a day or so. Last year none at all. It's cold this winter.
Nathan, Matthew, Ben, Stegasaurus, Ryan and Allosaurus. And these days Ben is the king of the food chain.

A Bit Cold

Check out the ice crystals!

Ryan and some ice! Freshly frozen in our very own backyard! (Well Cleon and Michelle's!)
Ben dropping the ice because it was too cold

Jack Frost on some branches

Matthew touching the ice. He thought he would be able to break it with one finger. Wrong!

Matthew Holding the ice, we had to use a stick to break it .











It was -3.5 this morning. The apparent temp (which is what it feels like in the shade) was -6.8!

Anyone for a visit to Canberra??!! Anyone?

A milestone

This is my 100th post! I am exceptionally proud of myself as i have never stuck to writing a diary or anything. I usually start out all guns blazing and then tire of it rather quickly. So, Yeay! Congratulations to me!

We are famous

This article was in the Canberra Times today. Click on the link to have a read and see the piccies.

Sunrise

Was gorgeous this morning. Unfortunately the photos were ruined by the power lines but you get the idea!

Crazy Hair

The boys had their hair washed and blow dried tonight and they were very happy with the results! Check it out. Apparently they look like cousin Blakey! Who has probably moved on from his hair style from six months ago but it does take a while for these things to filter through to the younger generation! Meanwhile there are no piccies of Ben this time as he refused to have his photo taken! I think he was embarrassed by his distinct lack of spiky hair! Although it is growing!

New bike

This year I asked Santa to bring me a new bike for Christmas. Santa is exceptionally generous (or has evil motives!) and brought me my bike early. First of all it was on sale at target and second of all apparently i need to start using sooner rather than later because it's apparently not the small seat that make my bum look big! It is just that i do have a big bum! Thank you husband dearest! Looked in the mirror lately!

Isn't it the coolest colour! And Benny is hilarious following me and wanting to ride it. We couldn't get him off it, he was dangling from the handle bars in the end! (I've just noticed he is in EVERY shot!)

Party time

The kids today at worked looked at the stamp on my hand and asked which club i went to last night. I looked at them puzzled. They looked back at me and nodded in the direction of my hand when i noticed the stamp. I looked them in the eye and said "Questacon. I took my kids there yesterday!" At least they think I'm cool enough (and young enough!) to want to go out clubbing!

I don't want to go to work today

This morning I got dressed in my work uniform and came out to the family room for Ben to reach up and grab my hand and say "Mummy stay home today". I looked at Nathan and asked him if he said what I thought he said and he agreed that Ben was in fact asking me to stay home today. I really don't know how i managed to walk out the door but I did, wiping the tears from my eyes. I don't want to go back to work today or any day you ask me Benny!

Matthew's Pre school Artwork

A chalk painting

Another naily picture

The emotional blackmail pre school uses to get you to parents night! (By the way nathan missed it as he was being his workaholic self and forgot! And what was worse he was the only Daddy not there, except for the kid with 2 mummies!)

Learning shapes

A watercolour

Matthew did this one in week 3 of school!
Ginger bread man
The tappy naily thingy pictures ( a fav craft of his!)
Matthew studied the body this semester by the time he got to the skeleton for the second day in a row he came home and i said "What did you learn today buddy?" He replied with his head in his hands "Bones, again!"
This creation is made from the things on the anything goes table.

Ryan's Playschool Artwork

Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall

(poppy was worried about the salmonella contamination we might catch from this artwork!)
A butterfly
Another butterfly
Finger painting

Not quite finished!

My Christmas shopping because I walked into Big W again today! And all those purchases that were put back on the shelves because i had my guilty conscious (Nathan) with me were returned to my trolley with out a backwards glance! But i think i am finished with my Christmas shopping.......until the target sale!!!

Christmas Shopping

It's done! I did brave the first day of the sales (not at midnight though!) But as I got my staff discount card from target last week i went back and paid for everything in cash. It now means we have to find somewhere to hide all of these presents! But to know that i wont be battling the crowds at Chrissy makes me feel good! And it looks like a good year all round for three little boys this Christmas. Let just hope they are good enough to get presents and not rotten potatoes. Speaking of Santa checking if you have been naughty or nice. Not so long ago we were driving out to Gungahlin to go shopping when Matthew said he could see Santa up in the clouds. And sure enough I looked up and I could see a Santa shape in the clouds. You could see the pompom on the end of his hat, his bum crack and he was looking over his shoulder with his sack on the other shoulder! So of course, quick as you like i heard myself saying "Oh! Yes Matthew that is Santa doing his round checking if you are being naughty or nice. He does that a couple of times a years and you never know when that is why it so important that you ALWAYS have to good!"

Bennnnnnn!!!!!!

I had a horror morning this morning. I had been awake all night with diarrhea, fought with the boys to get them ready for school. Finally got to school then had to come straight back home again as Matthew had an "accident" finally got back to school and was talking to Matthew's teacher when i glanced over to find Ben had tipped out EVERY puzzle into a pile in the middle of the floor. Thankfully some of the kids helped me put them back together while one of the little girls sat on Ben to prevent him getting out any more. Do you know how hard some of those puzzles can be??!!!

Freezing

Just wanted to let you all know that the apparent temperature (that is what it feels like standing outside) here in Canberra is -3.3 degrees! The real temp is 7 degrees and falling! The wind is freezing and there is a fine mist. Can somebody please find Nathan a job in QLD please!!!!!!

From the sublime to the ridiculous.....

After yesterdays beautiful post here is something to gross you out!!!
The boys have all hit that stage. You know the one where they are fascinated by their bodies and its functions. And the bad news for me is it is only going to get worse! This morning i had to endure three penises sticking out from the side of their jocks or the top and then the other side. Ben ended up with his hands strapped into his nappy as he refused to take both of his hands off it. (It really isn't that big! But yes both hands!) Meanwhile the boys all think that it is hysterically funny to show each other how many ways they can put their jocks on without their tackle actually inside them! But it gets worse..........
Bodily function. Today i have the joyous task of cleaning the poo off the toilet wall as there is a lovely mural painted on the wall and door in there! Funnily enough, I know who did it! The person who has learnt to write their name this year. How do I know this? Because he wrote his name in it! Well almost! So now I am off to clean the toilet and disinfect myself and all of them. There is nothing wrong with bathing in disinfectant is there?