The Perfect Day

Nathan has been working crazy hours recently. Stupid things like being in the office at 5am and leaving it at 9.30pm! So when he had the chance he took a few days off. One of those days all the kids were at school so it was the first time in like 7 years that we had time together in the daylight without having to worry about how the kids were going and if the babysitters were ok or if we should go back home because they might need us! We had a glorious morning. We all went to school together, the boys got to show Nath where their classrooms were then Nathan and I got to go and have a cuppa together with out having to say "sit still!", "Don't eat the sugar sachets!" or "please don't crawl under the table!"

Then after that we did a spot of shopping and then came home and walked up Mt Rogers before cooking lunch together and then going to get Ben. It was so lovely to spend quality time with my husband. It was even nicer to know that after 8 odd years of marriage I was excited to spend time with him!

Nathan also took the Monday off as well. We had the day with Ben but it was still lovely! It didn't hurt that it was a stunning Autumn Canberra day!

 We had noodles for lunch. It was a stunning day on Lake Ginninderra.

 Ben quite liked his noodles but found they were a bit tricky with a fork!

 But after watching Daddy using chop sticks......

Benny decided to have a go!

So now the work-a-holic has gone back to work but I will always have the memories! I have also made a new rule that when I start to feel neglected he will have to take a day off!

Grand Prix Melbourne

Most of you would know that Nathan in a mad keen Mark Webber fan. So with the opening race being on on the weekend Nathan spent most of his time here.....

 Watching the live telecast whilst keeping an eye on the timing website on his phone!

Earth Hour

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well for Earth Hour this year and I had a house full! Thankfully they were regulars so were more than happy to entertain themselves! Cleon made a fire in our new brazier, we couldn't find the marshmellows so we just sat around the fire telling ghost stories and singing songs!

 We got the telescope out but just as we got it set up along came the clouds! Funnily enough just as we were coming back inside the cloud dispersed!

 The boys told the funniest ghost stories.They were basically ramblings about stomping footsteps and lots of "woooooo woooooing!"

The best thing about Earth hour this year was the boys understanding what we were trying to achieve, still hasn't stopped them from leaving the lights on at times other than Earth Hour. Our goal is to have that stamped out by next Earth Hour!

Disco Dudes!

Last Friday was the school disco. Matthew and Ryan were very excited about going. Ben was surprisingly good about not being able to go. But he did insist on having his hair sprayed and being in the photos! He really can't wait until next year when he will be old enough to go!

 Isn't Matthew looking grown up! It was just a pity he didn't act like a grown up! He cracked it about 15 minutes into the disco saying he didn't want to dance! He then proceeded to sob for the next 45 minutes! Nothing could stop him!

 So how do you think Daddy went on their hair styles???

Oscar

We were given the responsibility of looking after my parents Sharpei, Oscar while they went to Adelaide. Now Oscar is an inside dog who is used to living with two quiet, retired adults. So living with a family of young boys with an allergic mother was quite an experience for him! He started out just sleeping inside which gradually became spending any time that the boys were outside, inside to just basically inside all day!

 He has such a funny personality! It kind of goes with his funny looks! He loved me. I knew this because when I patted him he would get my fleas for me (you know that nibbling thing that dogs do?!) He would try and sit on top of me and was eventually comfortable enough to get in bed with me! So I pretty much spent the week washing my hands, vacuuming and washing my sheets!

 There is one word that comes to mind with Oscar and it is tolerate. He would tolerate Nathan in his presence and he would just barely tolerate the children in his presence. Michelle asked me if he had something wrong with him because he cringed every time she touched him. I had to tell her he couldn't tolerate her touch!
The funniest thing he did all week was when Ben came inside crying and Oscar who was already practically sitting on top of me looked up at me as if to say "Help me that creature is screaming!" And then when I pulled Ben onto my knee instead of Oscar I think I broke his heart!

This picture demonstrates how tolerable he was of little children! Jonah (from down the road) was super, super excited to meet Oscar but Oscar really wasn't so excited to meet him back!

Grumpy and Nanna Bev

We have been very lucky to have Nanna Bev and Grumpy stop by on their way to Adelaide. They had just enough time for...

 A game of cricket....

 some veggie harvesting....

 and some moon observing.

But the highlight of the trip for Nanna Bev and Grumpy was their matching single beds! There was a bit of a fight over who got what doona but after some time on the naughty spot they managed to sort it out!

Look.....

What Ben made me at preschool today! He also took the photo too! I'm not going to take it off all day!

A Sunday Ritual

Sunday mornings means sitting back reading the paper. Now I have to share it! Nathan takes the finance section and Matthew takes the comics! This often takes place at the local donut king over a coffee. But today we enjoyed the paper together at home!

A house full of little men

When Matthew was still in utero we read to him. (Truth be told I was adamant that I was having a girl so he had to listen to The Paperback Princess every night! I now hope it at least taught him how not to treat women!) From the time he could hold up his own head we have read to him. In this picture he is two months and 15 days and I am reading him Happy Helicopters. It was a Christmas present from Nanna Bev and Grumpy. It is no surprise that they were the people that instilled a love of reading in me!

We have always read a book as part of our bedtime routine. Now that they boys are older a book is still part of our bedtime routine but the books and readers are different. Now Matthew and Ryan read to us. But as we still very much value that quality time with the boys I decided it was time to grow with them. So now instead of picture books we read one chapter of a novel. Our first novel is The BFG by Roald Dahl.

I started reading it to the boys but when I found out Nathan had never read the BFG before I passed it over to him. I firmly believe everybody should know the magic that is the BFG and Roald Dahl! But this change to chapter books also had an affect on Matthew. He now insists on reading novels. So he is starting with this series
Zac Power is a child spy! Now every night they have a chapter of The BFG, a chapter of Zac Power and a reading book from Ryan! It brought such joy to my heart recently when it was miserable outside and Ben and Matthew curled up on the lounge and read a book together!
So with only a few chapters left in the BFG who has suggestions for the next novel????

Pfttt! Non contact sport!

That people is my knee with an imprint of the opposing Centre's shoe from my netball game today!

Happy Birfday to me!!!

Last weekend I turned thirty something! It was celebrated with all the usual suspects! It was a little different as Nathan and I are on a low carb diet so we decided to do away with a cake and opted for a cheesecake instead. We both just ate the filling and not the crust! And birthday carbs don't count anyway!

I got massively spoilt with love all day! I had a cooked breakfast, lunch AND dinner! Followed by a massage from my husband with no complaining! And was showered with love and affection by the boys all day! On the present front I got a new set of speakers for the computer. Sounds geeky I know but I as the neighbours would attest to I love to turn up itunes! Everyone in the street was unhappy with the flat tinny sound the old ones made. Now the whole street can feel the thumping bass from the new speakers! I also got enough bulbs to get me through winter and looking forward to spring!

That is one cheeky Lola, (who happens to be celebrating her birthday today!) with rabbits ears over my head!

All in all this ageing business isn't so bad with great friends and neighbours!

Now that is what I like to see!

A boy that knows how to vacuum!

I am very thankful that the boys love to vacuum. They are now completely responsible for their rooms. They don't quite make their beds as well as Mummy does. But you know what? I think I can live with it!

Now looking back at the last two posts you may be thinking that my poor children are subjected to child labour! But I promise I am only teaching them how to be independant young men! I really want them to move out before they hit 30!

The changing of the guard

Ryan has been waiting with bated breath to turn 6. Mostly because we have been telling him "When your 6!" So now that he is 6 he has the child lock taken off his car door and he unpacks the dishwasher. But what he was really waiting for was to be allowed to cook Spaghetti. Now unfortunately for Ryan, Nathan and I are on a low carb diet! So he finally wore us down and had his turn to cook dinner!

He put the pot of water on to boil.

Got his ingredients ready.

Cooked the mince

Under Daddy's guidance of course!

And the finished product! Very yummy! I gave it five stars! Well done Rye!

Next week it is Matthew turn, he has graduated to tuna pasta and Ben has stepped up to the cutting of tomatoes for chicken tacos!