An apology

Sorry for my sporadic blogging. There is just too much going on. So when we get back to Canberra i will catch you all up with photos included. But we are having a really good time!

Holiday snaps

An action shot of Matthew actually hitting a tennis ball

Benny enjoying the early morning sunshine

A race to be first to the water

This is what the beach looks like at 5am!

This is day break on the first day of our holiday

4 f*@&ing 30!

My boys are early riser. Qld day break is also an early riser. The two do not bode well for Mummy. The first day we were here we were on the beach at 4.30 AM! The second day I put them back into bed for an hour and we arrived at the beach at a tardy 5.30am. This morning I gave up the fight and we arrived there at 5.10 am. So unfortunately Nicole it is just another tick in the cons column for Qld. But then again I got some gorgeous photos of the sun rising over the ocean and the beach is stunning at that time of day. We have been walking and playing and swimming there until we come in for breakky around 7.30! But it does mean that Mummy and Daddy will possible need another holiday after this one when we get back!

The sunny sunshine coast

We are here! We have made it to the sunny sunshine coast in QLD. After 16 hours in the car we finally got to the Rickard's house. We had a 2 out of 3 success rate on the journey. Ryan slept the WHOLE way and barely said 2 words. Matthew coloured in the whole way and Benny was a little shit. He started the two year old version of are we there yet at Goulburn! But seriously they were all so good in the car. They are such good little travellers.
So after spending the night at the Rickard’s Nathan and I left the boys at a family Christmas party and we had our first weekend away together in forever! And for those who are interested I did get my breakfast in a café in nearly complete silence (I did have to tell Nathan to shut up and that I really wasn’t interested in what was in the financial review!) We didn’t get our sleep in (I couldn’t sleep!!!) so we walked along the beach instead. And we went for a body surf as that is something we can’t do when we have the boys with us. (We have to watch them all the time around water and it definitely requires the two of us to be vigilant.)
The Rickard’s then brought the boys up to us on Sunday arvo. This was funny because I was really ready for them to come by then. I think Nath was too because he called his mum several times in the hour it took then to drive up! And since then we have been hanging out at the beach and at the pool. If Matthew had his way we would spend ALL day in the pool. And they all have a sook when it is time to leave. Benny has decided he no longer need floaties after one day of use. He is a big boy with his own big muscles thank you very much! When Matthew isn’t in the pool he is looking a round for some one to play tennis or basketball or cricket with. (Tonight at dinner we were talking about cricket and he has asked “Is that a sport Mum?” He is apparently BIG into sport!)
It has been a funny visit for me so far because I have always considered Brisbane home. Our visits are usually followed by weeks of nagging Nathan to bring us back here. This time however is very different. It still feels like home but I don’t want to come back here! The traffic is shocking, the drivers even worse. The heat is oppressive! I have a list of complaints! I think they are telling me that I have settled in Canberra. I will however always return to Brisbane and it will probably always be the home that is in my heart but I really don’t feel there is a future for our little family here and that that future is in Canberra! Next time though we will be` holidaying in the cooler months!

Jingle Bells

Tonight we had had our street Christmas Party at our house. Matthew decided to stand up and sing Jingle Bells. Now it goes a little something like this:-
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one arse open sleigh, Hey!

Let me tell you, not a dry eye in the house!

A very sad day

Today we have had the unfortunate task of sending Busta off to be put down. He has a biting problem. He has been biting me for a while. Once it started happening I spoke to various breeders and vets and nothing we have done has improved this unfortunate trait in him. So on Saturday after he took a swipe at Ben and left a graze on his cheek we made the REALLY hard decision that we had to let him go. I pleaded with everyone that we spoke to that I would prefer for him to be re homed with an adult couple and as everyone pointed out to me he has been biting me. What makes me think he won't bite another adult.
So we are all feeling miserable today. The kids have been told Busta has been sent to "the farm". I feel guilty enough without having them blame me too. And Matthew has already encountered death this week and we thought two would be two too many for him to cope with. So we bare faced lied to our children. But it really was extenuating circumstances and I am sure they will forgive me in years to come. Nathan and sort of thought it was a child's right of passage to at least have one pet go off to the farm. As a child I remember coming home from holidays one year and my budgie has gotten sunburned and turned from blue to green! I also remember trying to convince other children that bird DID get sunburnt and changed colour when it happened!
So we will miss you Busta. Enjoy the big dog run up in heaven. We enjoyed the short time that we all had together. And i am really sorry buddy but we had very little choice.
Thank you SO much to Cleon and Michelle for taking him to "the farm". We just couldn't bear taking him so they did it. It's not an easy job and they have received the run around from what i have heard so I'm sorry and thank you.

I'm engaged

I have finally got my replacement Engagement ring! So thank you to my darling husband and I promise to never lose it again! The decisions involved in trying to replace it isn't worth the worry! I struggled trying to decide if I wanted an exact replica or something different. I was worried if i went for an exact replica and it didn't look EXACTLY the same I would be disappointed and I worried if a got something different it wouldn't have the same sentimental value. In the end I landed somewhere in the middle with a ring that is similar but not identical to the original!

The following is the original ring and you can not only see the differences in the ring but also the differences in age of the skin on my hands! My hands are ageing fast! Can you have botox on your hands?

Introducing Big Boy Ben

Benny had his first hair cut today! It has only taken him 37 (if you DO count all those months in utero!) months to grow enough hair. So it is Good bye baby Ben and Hello Ben. Im off now to each a chocolate or two and knock back a bottle of coke! Moments like these I wish I drank!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Our tree is up. The Christmas letter is written. The carols are being sung long and loud and off key! The boys are absolutely on excitement overload. We have become Santa sluts! In our quest to get all three boys on Santa's knee this year we have been to see every Santa from here to Queanbeyan! This is going to be the first year that all three boys get swept up in the magic of Christmas. And I'm excited!

Car wash

Canberra was recently given a two week reprieve from tough water restrictions. We haven't been able to wash our cars or garden or be seen drinking water in public for years. So recently with our dam levels reaching 50% and after all of the dust storms we have had recently we have been able to use some water. So the boys took the opportunity to wash the car. All little boys should be able to help Daddy wash the car (and daddy!) as a right of passage! It helps them on their way to become good rev heads!