Guess what Matthew learnt at school today!

How to dack people!!!!!!! Then the whole shopping trip this afternoon was spent dacking his brothers! Much to the amusement of other shoppers! And the embarrassment of his brothers!
I am really glad he is getting such a well rounded education!
And i do know of one person who would be mighty proud of his new skill and that would be my Grandfather, the king of the dacking!

Benny wants to be a fireman!

I had just gotten Ben out of the bath, dried him and instructed him to get dressed. I turn around to dry Ryan only to hear Matthew yelling "Bennny!" I turn back to find Ben using his "fire hose" to douse my carpet! He was literally "hosing" down the carpet. I physically turned him around to the direction of the toilet and he continued to hose the wall and Matthew's Pj's down!
I hate it when they discover their fire hoses!
Daddy hates it even more when he is pulled into the class room after school to be told that Matthew has "hosed down" the playground at lunch time! Apparently one of Matthews friends thought it would be fun so they did it together!
So Mummy, Daddy and the school hate fire hoses!

Easter Egg hunt

Yes it is a little early for Easter unless you have a house of chocoholics. And this Easter egg hunt is not what you think. Auntie Jackie sent the boys Easter eggs with my birthday present. (Lets face it she probably could have sent them with her Christmas presents, they are in stores so early!)
Anyway, they have been in the cupboard above the fridge for weeks that is until Ryan discovered them after i had left the door open. He waited until i left the room then he stacked a toy box on top of the desk swivel chair and climbed up and got them. I found him out and took the left over eggs of him. What i didn't know is that i would be engaged in an Easter egg hunt as the smart little bugger knew he would be caught before he could eat them all so he has hid them in various places around the lounge room. So when ever a chocolate urge strikes him he goes to a hidey spot an fixes his urge! So far he is doing a lot better than i am at finding the hidden eggs!

D.I.N.G.O

Daddy was reading to the boys last night when he said to Matthew "You can spell Dingo, Matthew." Matthew said "Well actually Daddy I can't because we haven't learnt "O" yet but tomorrow after school i will be able to!"
The letter of the day tomorrow is ........O! Apparently nothing is learnt unless it is learnt from Mrs Nelson! And even if you do know it you cant "know" it until the appropriate lesson!

He is so clever!

Matthew's work for the day!
I am so excited that he is writing words! Even if he does STILL get his h in his name around the wrong way and the word "bat" does really look like "box"! However if you are the proud Mummy you would see that he is writing words that are beyond what they are teaching him. Genius really!

Nathan's Work Trip

Aaron, A mustang for you! No, no, not work related!

A Rocket..... last time I checked Nath WASN'T a rocket scientist (although nerdy enough!)

Sightseeing! Checking out what the Washington Monument looks like in daylight and sober!

Elvis at Gracelands. Didn't think he had much to do with Australian defence?!

More Elvis!

Elvis Again!

A plane at a plane museum. Almost work related!

More plane nerd stuff!

Not a current ADF plane.

Nor this one!

I don't believe he had any meetings here!

The Washington Monument when it wasn't swaying (unlike the last time Nath was there and drunk beneath it!)

Apparently Barack Obama landing in his chopper. No he wasn't landing for a work meeting with Nathan!

Eating a nice healthy Pretzel

Elvis's resting place. Nowhere near any of the work Nathan apparently did whilst in the US.

Gracelands. A nice place for a work conference. NOT!

Elvis' mums pink Cadillac. At least its not a plane!

But here is his plane. The "Lisa Marie" But again nothing to do with the ADF.

The snow made it difficult to work apparently!

But he does assure me it was a very successful work trip!

Thank you!

Hi Chad and Hayley! Just wanted to let you know that Ryan got his birthday present. Thank you for sending it as i know the effort involved in taking two small kids to the post office. Definitely NOT my idea of fun! However, he loves them! You were definitely on a winner with a monster truck! And he is fascinated with the monkey and you would be very surprised with how far it stretches! So from Ryan, thank you! (We would have called but it so hard when we know there is a new baby in the house and sleep is a priceless commodity in your house, we would never forgive ourselves if we were to wake you or the kids!)

A fair division of labour.

My friend Cid, who I often mention in my posts, has this week opened a can of worms in the Rickard household. She was telling me earlier in the week about a blow up in her household about her husband helping around the house. So I casually asked what tasks he actually assists with around the house. And there were many! He does most of his own ironing, cleans the bathrooms better than Cid herself among other things. Well that then got me thinking about what my own husband does around the house. And while I cant quite say he does nothing he definitely has the smaller share of the household chores. I would love to list who does what here on this very public blog but approaching my husband about it in private was bad enough. It all comes down to the fact that Nathan believes he does enough just by bring home the money. He feels the few extras he does around the house tip the balance in his favour. (His "chores" are spending some quality time with his children for example bath time. I feel its a time for male bonding time and a chance for the boys to catch up for the day. He however feels it is a massive chore and wonders about the house for the majority of bath time resulting in a flooded bathroom!)
Anyway, is it fair that Stay at home Mums should have to do all of the household chores and the raising of the children? Was I terribly harsh to ask my husband to stack the dishwasher after dinner every night? Is being solely the financial provider enough? What is the division of labour in your house? Who is willing to hop in this can of worms with me?

1,2 miss a few 99,100!

Matthew has been quite keen for a while now to count to 100. On the way home from school one day he asked me if i could count to 300. I got to 120 before they weren't listening to me ans so decided to stop. But Nanna Bev sent Matthew a get well parcel and in it was a set of counting flashcards. well he tore the pack open exclaiming "Awesome, now I can count to 100!" If i really need some peace and quiet I put him in his room, throw them on the floor and ask him to put them in numerical order!!!!

Where's my close up?

The other two show ponies didn't think they were getting their fair share of camera time. So here they are.....

Oils ain't Oils!

Matthew's eye is healing well. Although I think it will scar. To help with this I have been rubbing Oil into it. When people comment on Matthew's recovery he says "Its looking better because I'm rubbing oil into it. Not car oil thought it's eye oil!" Thank goodness for that!

A bit of Culture

Ryan's Pre school had an excursion to the Canberra Art and Museum Gallery yesterday for the Outback to the Sea exhibit. It is a great excursion that is very popular with schools and therefor very hard to get into. Matthew's year didn't get to go so when the preschool got in this year we were very excited.
His class had done the "preparation" excursion. A trip on the bus to the bus wash to get the children used to bus travel. And then the big day arrived for their first "real" excursion. Apparently it was a great day and when asked by an accompanying mother what his favourite part was Ryan replied "The bus ride home!"
No Art or culture needed in this house. Just different modes of transport!

Balloon Fiesta

On Saturday morning I wrangled Nana and Poppy out of bed to take a look at the annual Canberra Balloon Fiesta. Poor Poppy wasn't too keen. Being a true Queenslander he isn't into cooler climates and we awoke to our first fog of the autumn. But drag them out of bed the kids and I did. We arrived just in time for the balloons to start being inflated. Unfortunately because of the weather the balloons couldn't take off so all of the balloons were tethered to cars and trees. Poppy was really hoping to see a great gust of wind and 10 4wds hanging by their bull bars in the air! But we got to get up close to the balloons this year.
They are inside an inflated balloon. It was inflated by fans not with gas. Although Ryan was packing his dacks cos he didn't want to be burnt by the fire! Daddy didn't explain that the fire part wasn't working. Ryan just thought he was taking his chances between bursts of fire! How is that look on his face! He hasn't taken his eyes of the entrance! Actually none of the kids have!
The inside of the balloon was really sticky which indicated the balloon was at the end of its life span which is why they were letting us walk in it.

We got to hop into a basket but Ryan was firstly terrified we were going to lift off and secondly afraid of the noise of the burners!

Daddy being artistic with the camera. He is trying to compete with my awesome shots from last year! (We compete photographically at Floriade too!)

Trying to get all three looking in the same direction is impossible!

Couldn't leave without a shot of the Questacon balloon. It was actually the one we got into. Which was the deciding factor in the boys getting into it. They LOVE Questacon!

Happy Birthday Canberra! But we couldn't figure out what was underneath it.

So CUTE!

The ladybugs bum because i got a shot of the kookaburra's bum last year!

Nanna and Poppy with the kids but not quite sure who the reggae homie kid is in the front! Nanna Bev he LOVES all of his beanies!

Matthew Rickard, Vice President

I finally got Matthew's school newsletter on Friday ( i had a migraine on Thursday and couldn't pick him up from school let alone read his newsletter!) But when I did finally get 5 minutes to sit down and read it I discovered my first born son had been elected Vice President of his Kindy class! And he didn't even inform his own mother of his nomination let alone appointment! When I quizzed him that afternoon he was very low key about the whole thing. Apparently all the kids put up their hands for him. I asked if Mrs Nelson suggested people and he said no his friends picked him and then they all put up their hands!
So between me being president of the pre school and the community centre and Matthew being Vice President of his class the Rickard family is taking over the world one committee at a time! Mwahahahahahahahahaha!

I'm Sorry

I am currently feeling REALLY sorry for Nath right now! I've bashed him a bit on the blog the last few days and then today I called him while he was in Melbourne to inform him that Matthew's toileting issues are entirely his fault! (Well they are! I believe!) Then this evening I had an inconsolable Matthew (mostly because Mummy is an absolute bitch! At least I know it now so when he starts telling me that all the time in like about 10 years time I already know it as a fact!) He came out to me and said he wanted to call Daddy. Well I said no as they had already spoken today but then I relented as I thought Matthew may have wanted to discuss with his Dad the previously mentioned toileting issues. BUT he didn't. Poor Matthew sobbed down the phone line "Daddy I want you to come home. I miss you sooooo much. Pleeeease can you come home!" Well then i could hear the guilt in Nathans voice. Yes it might be really hard being at home by myself with three boisterous boys, but I really should remember that Nathan does feel really guilty for leaving us.
I'm pretty sure all those sexy airplanes at the airshow tomorrow aren't going to look as good!

Matthew's recovery

Oh! To be young. Matthew's eye is nearly completely healed. It has that lovely yellowey-browney tinge to it today. But most of the scabs are falling off. And it is no longer swollen at all. He is almost looking good! He is back at school and I am willing to guarantee will never play with a stick again!

Happy Birthday to me

It was my 30-something birthday on Friday. My present was apparently having Nathan home. (He did bring me one of those tacky chocolate rose cylinder thingys left over from Valentines day from the airport!) I think he was rather surprised at my lack of enthusiasm of his rather generous gift. Sorry Nath but it was a slack present! And here he is thinking if I do such a bad job of buying presents she will go out and buy her own but I'm not. I'm going to make you buy me more gifts until you get it right!

The rest of my birthday was great. I had a yummy ice cream cake from Wendy's and the neighbours came over to help me devour it.

He's home! He's home! And now he has gone again!

What a wonderful homecoming Nathan had on Friday. Words cannot express how relieved I was to have him home! We met him at the airport and there were tears from everyone! I whisked him away and when we got home I set him to work! I refused to cook one dinner (So we ate barely edible ones! Sorry Nath!) I didn't clean one bottom or bath one body! I made Nathan take me to the movies. I had my hair cut and I spent a few hours wondering the shops. It really was a operation in trying to get me to recover from the previous two weeks and prepare for the oncoming week! As Nathan left for Melbourne early this morning for the Avalon airshow. (Yes i agree it is a thinly veiled work trip too!) Fingers crossed this week wont be as eventful as the previous two!

I am so excited!

Just for a change of pace I just wanted to do a quick entry to say how excited I am to have my husband home tomorrow!!! I can't wait to see him and touch him and show him that I love him. And then say take your kids! Take some of the burden. Make Matthew feel better. Make Benny behave better. Take Ryan to the toilet at 11pm so he doesn't wet the bed.
I am so looking forward to seeing my husband but when I finally lay eyes on him my desire to be re united with him will be firmly over taken by my desire for him to take the weight of his half of this family!!!!
And still I can hardly contain my excitement at seeing him!

Pretty Colours

Well Matthew is now developing some very pretty colours on his face! He had a good nights sleep though and is taking today off school.
Anyway let me tell you how it happened! Matthew and his friends were playing puppies. (favourite game of theirs) And the puppies were playing fetch and it sounds like Matthew was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time as a stick landed in his eye! The children have been very distressed about the whole incident. I had numerous messages on my phone last night. The father of the child who threw the stick is in tears with distress and worry. But you know what, it was a very innocent accident. The children weren't playing "meanly". It was a very sweet innocent game. Just they shouldn't have been throwing sticks. And none of the kids in the Dolphin kindy class will EVER again. And i have been so impressed with home the school has handled everything. We visited the ladies from the office today and they were so relieved to see he was ok.
We also visited his class mates to show them that he is ok. I guess it was a little frightening for them (But that should be a good thing). And Matthew very bravely told them there was a little bit of blood and it was getting better already! Ryan's preschool teacher gave Matthew the biggest cuddle (and me too!) and took lots of time talking to him about his accident and injuries. It really is a caring community school. We are very happy to be a member of it.
The even better news is that Nathan is on his flight home! What a greeting that will be for him!

What a disaster!

I feel so ill! At 1.30 today I received a phone call from the school saying "Mrs Rickard there has been an incidents at the school. Matthew has a scratch on his eye and you might want to come and get him." So i woke Benny up and threw them in the car fully expecting I would just go and get him and take him home to bed. When I walked into the sick bay I burst into tears. My baby was badly hurt. His eye was badly swollen and bloody and he was too petrified to even cry and it hurt him too much to cry. I was so distressed but so aware I couldn't fall apart as I had no back up. My back up was thousands of kms away. The office ladies were so helpful to the point of even helping put the other kids in the car. I couldn't get hold of Brenty, Cleon had a full afternoon and Michelle had no car. So i threw the other two kids at Cid (thank you so much for that Cid) and went of the medical centre that the office lady had rang for us. The doctor there couldn't get a good enough look at his eye so he sent me off to the Canberra hospital to be looked at by a specialist. (Oh by the way I was so relaxed at being summons to the office I didn't even take my purse containing my medicare card etc!) So I went home to get my purse, parking money and Matthew's puppy and raced to the hospital Matthew couldn't walk to the emergency room so I carried him about a kilometer from the car park. So my neck and back are now killing me. We only waited a short while to see the doctor and he was able to check him out thoroughly, without sedation (I had been warned that would be likely). And he has a scratch on his cornea that we need to monitor for infection and I really bruised and bloodied eye. But, thank God no permanent damage! I however don't think I fared so well. And Karen I think if you were to check my hair today you would find a grey hair!

Tuesday

Well what a busy day! This morning was the Kindy homework info session. So i had to have the kids at Cid's place at 8 and be at the school at 8.15. We heard all about the homework routine. (I will fill you in when you get home seeing as it is your job to do homework) Well the session ended after 9am. So guess who was late for school! I drive back to Cid's threw them in the car and sped back to school. The principal! was reading to the class when we got there so Matthew apologised for being late and sat down. We went straight from there to the shops to pick up a few things. Then it was home to get ready to go and visit Ellen and Zavier (he was born on Ryan's birthday!). When we got there poor Ellen was in tears. Cid arrived soon after and the the maternal health nurse. So Cid and set about cleaning the house for her. And I got to feed Zavier his bottle! I so, so so so so so so so so so so loved it! Just gorgeous. Meanwhile my own child had pooed firstly in his jocks so I took them off and then in his no jocked pants!!!! So I quickly told Ellen it was in her best interests if we left! But i was really worried about her so I cooked her dinner and took it up. This afternoon we also had Dylan and his sisters and Mummy come and play. And they stayed for dinner which was hectic but lots of fun. Kirsty and I had a great chat and we are becoming firm friends. So I still have a sink full of dishes and i am watching packed to the rafters and it is only 3 more sleeps until you come home! Oh And I am having my massage tomorrow! Things are definitely looking up!

Monday 4 sleep's to go!

Thank god for weekdays! So this morning it was straight down to business getting ready for school. After school drop off i had just enough time to put the clothes on the line before we left for swimming lessons. Benny swam and Ryan sat on the side. Eli and Cid are now in our class so that was really good except that Benny did NOT like his new teacher. I have never seen him react that way to a person before. When it came time for us to go to the shallow end for the bit they usually do by themselves he would not go! In the end the teacher had the parents stay with the kids. So Benny did calm down a bit. But i have never seen him like that! I have told him that I wont leave him with the teacher hopefully he will be better next class!
On the way out after swimming a lady stopped me to ask if I was Jenni. This lady was my friend Lyndell from high school! I was so excited to see her. I had often wondered where she was at these days. So it was good to ask. I have her number now so I will be able to have a proper catch up. Already I love her cause she told me I still look young! It made my day! Because when you spend all day running after three kids in your trackie dacks you tend to feel very old and unattractive. So the boost was great!
Anyway after that we went back to Cid's place. Ryan went in Cid's car because she was going to look after him while Ben and I had our lesson but when she got promoted she couldn't. But she still wanted Ryan to go with her so she drove him home. We had lunch there and then came home to put Ben to bed. Later the secretary from the pre school came over and we signed some stuff and had a cuppa and a chat and I will probably help her out by looking after her son occasionally. It was a really nice arvo. She left then it was back to pick up Matthew. He learnt the letter "N" today. So when nanna called they discussed what starts with n! After school I tidied up for my meeting tonight and the boys played outside. Karen came over for dinner but she isn't going to be staying here. Bathed the boys and put them to bed in time for the meeting to start (although there were a few heads popped around doorways and drink requests before they finally went to sleep). The meeting was good. There was no girly talk as its no fun when your not there to embarrass! I watched Brothers and sisters, updated my blog and then I need sleep!!!
Cant wait to catch you up with our Tuesday happenings!
P.S Happy birthday Teesh. I hopefully will have time tomorrow to post your special post!
P.P.S Sorry to all the other readers who aren't interested in my daily ramblings! Nathan will be home on Friday and his daily ear bashing will be verbally! Lucky him! I promise I will be back to my entertaining best next week!

Sunday

Have you noticed that as the days have progressed these post have gotten less and less light and funny?!
Well today the boys played computer games and watched Barney while I read my book. Then we waited for Brenty to come and get the kids to take them to Questacon. He and Kata arrived at around 11 so off they all toddled. I started a cleaning frenzy then I thought I was probably better off taking some time out to rest so I went and grabbed the paper and a pie and sat down for a hour before I resumed the cleaning frenzy.
The kids all had a great time at questacon. They actually got further than we usually do. So now I want to go back and see all of the things that i have been missing all this time. There was something about a huge spider. I've never seen a huge spider there before. Now I want to see the huge spider! They got home bout 2.30 and I debated about putting Benny to bed and in the end he was so cranky i put him down at 3 and i woke him up at 4 as I had such a hard time putting him to sleep last night.
Matthew spent the arvo colouring in. He is quite addicted to dot to dots at the moment and this arvo I showed him how to do colour by numbers. Well he loved them too! And Ryan took all of his clothes off ad ran around the back yard naked!
Karen and Kevin bought dinner around tonight and hang around for a bit. Karen is going to come and stay for a few days. And I am going with her to her 12 week ultra sound on Thursday.
I am still really tired but you get that. I am so looking forward to dropping Matthew off at school tomorrow!
But right now its a nice bath then off to bed for me. See you at the end of the week!