A busy birthday

It was a very busy birthday for Matthew yesterday. I really tried hard to make up for the fact that Daddy wasn't there. So I probably over did it a little but isn't that what birthdays are for?

The card that Mummy made for Matthew with her own hands!

He got a Nintendo Ds. Which Ryan loves the most. I think I know what he is going to get for his next birthday!

I then took Matthew and a few of his mates bowling.

They had a ball. Although next time I might make sure I have Nathan to help me. 6 kids is a bit full on!

Ryan is so talented he threw a gutter ball! Over the bumpers! He bounced it over too! It then got stuck half way down!

With no Daddy it was left to Mummy to assemble birthday toys. I really look like I am having fun don't I!

Poppy and the boys playing with the monster truck crash cage. I wonder when the monster truck stage will pass???!!!

Treb and Eli putting together the monster truck lego Grumpy and Nana got him. Check out Eli studying the floor! He was copying Treb and Matthew's actions!

Just a little weekend get together! Poppy has built the marble run in the back and he wont pack it up because he is loving playing with it!

This year Matthew requested cup cakes with a race track on them. Doing individual ones was too hard so I did this instead!

Green icing = yummy! Apparently!

You cant see the icing down the side of his neck in this shot but it is there!

Dear Matthew

Today, on your 6th birthday I just wanted to tell you all of the things that I love about you! I love that there have been so many firsts that we have shared together. You are my first born. You are the first source of my wonderment at life. You made your Daddy and I a family. The last six years have been such an amazing adventure! The achievements you have had over the last six years leave me with such an warm glow. You started life as a tiny bundle of joy. From the minute you were born you have been learning. In the beginning it was just learning to suck, then what all the parts of your body did. You sorted that all out quickly and were walking by the time you were 10 months old. Physical achievements are obviously going to be a large part of your life as your father and I have watched your enjoyment in learning to swim and play AFL or any sport that some one suggest you play. The last few years your large accomplishments have turned to intellectual. It blows me away that three short terms ago you started school with no prior knowledge of reading and writing and today on your sixth birthday you read a book to your Aunty Teesh via skype in London! You can write a postcard and post it to your Nana and Grumpy. You are learning to spell the different sounds of our language on your own. Your interest in your world and your enthusiasm to learn all you can is astounding. I love that you are in a hurry to learn it all! Matthew I love watching the way your brain works. It is so similar to your fathers. And so different to my own! It makes me excited for what your future will hold. But what i love most is the person that you are becoming. Inside your small six year old body there is a beautiful person. One who has a genuine interest in others around him. One who wants to help others. One who strives for perfection.
My baby boy, your Daddy and I love you so much and are proud of you every day. We are glad you have had such a lovely day to celebrate being six and we really look forward to watching you develop over the next six and more!
Love Mummy and Daddy

Ummm Arhhhhh!

Poppy broke the lounge room light shade today! Playing wii! He went for a massive smash playing tennis and was much more successful than he planned to be! Light shade shattered into a thousand pieces! What was even funnier was Uncle Brenty had smacked into the same light shade the game before!
This wii just may be more trouble than its worth!

It gets harder and easier at the same time!

Once again Nathan is away! And in some ways it is getting easier when he goes. I have learnt to pick my battles. Not one vegetable will pass my children's lips this week as it is too exhausting to fight three of them to eat their veggies. So we don't! Bathing them is easier now that they are pretty much drown proofed. I guess the practical things are easier to deal with. I manage the washing and the cooking and the bathing and well the cleaning was never done in the first place!
But the emotional side is getting harder. It is hard to be the Mum and the Dad. I only have one set of eyes to catch the sneaking. So the sneaking increases in Daddy's absence! And i have come to the realisation that it will continue to get harder as the boys realise that their Daddy is away. Matthew sobbed for about an hour after Nathan left last night. It probably hurt both Nathan and Matthew knowing that when Nathan left he would be missing Matthew's birthday on Saturday. And a (nearly) six year old cant go "Oh well! I'm going to miss Dad but i can handle it!" So we were left with sobbing! And the reason I know that this side is going to get worse not better is that I myself was an army brat and i remember when Dad was away we were all out of sorts. There was always an increase in squabbling.
So for the next week my mantra shall be don't sweat the small stuff! As long as they don't kill each other we are doing OK!

My Favourite Tree

Kylie recently posted a picture on her blog of her favourite tree, which was beautiful. So I just wanted to show her my favourite trees here in Canberra.

This one is my absolute favourite. It is some kind of ornamental plum tree

This is my second favourite and i have no idea what it is. I just think it is pretty.

I do have a third favorite too but it hasn't flowered yet! I love Spring. It is the absolute best thing about Canberra. I find a beautiful spring makes me forget how horrid winter is!

It just goes to show how far they have come.....

20062007
2008

2009

Floriade 2009

It is my favourite time of year! Every year since i have been here we have gone a couple of times during the show to see the various stages of flowering. And this year is looking pretty good. It is so colourful this year. As it was just the me and the boys today i didn't get to look at all of the flowers there was too much other stuff capturing their attention!This is the view from the giant Ferris wheel they have this year.

Benny bock, bock, bocked around the whole petting zoo. I missed his chicken arms in this photo! But i do have video of it!

Ryan being very gentle with the kid goats.

Spongebob! A fav of the boys

Ben patting a python. The zoo did an animal display. Which was very interesting. They do some amazing tours that we might look into.

Ryan's turn. Matthew lined up but chickened out at the last minute!

The giant Ferris wheel. It took about 15 minutes to convince Matthew to get on.

And i have never paid $25 for a ride before but that is what it cost! 'Spensive!

Here he is being brave. Looks like he is having a ball, hey?!

The checker board from up high

Every year at Floriade Nathan and I have a competition to see who can take the best photo. This year the older boys joined in. This is Ryan attempt!

Matthew's attempt

Mine!

Aaawwww!

Pretty!

So colourful!

My Dad always love it when the wrong colour springs up! This year all of the colours are really jumbled but i did find one red one in amongst the purple and white ones. So this one is for Dad!

Pretty pink and white furly ones!