Nov 30, 2010

Dear Lord....

...please protect my son from himself....



... AND HIS MOTHER!!!!


EJ is going through a very annoying stage.... he's stealing stuff. We gently tried to explain that he can't just help himself to stuff, he needs to ask. But crackdown HAD to happen when he handed me an empty bottle of 100 kids multi-vitamins (previously mostly full) and said we needed more "lollies". He had gone into the pantry and fossicked around the shelves and found them, took them outside and shared them with his baby sister!!!! Oh. My. GOODNESS!!! I nearly had a heart attack. I rang health direct pronto and we went through the ingredients. Thankfully there were no ingredients that were dangerous if they overdosed.... I have no idea how he knew what they were!!! Mop is the only one who has them, and only if she is run down.

I only got 15 new grey hairs that day.

Mum thought it was funny.
The Health Direct lady was chuckling.
I'm yet to find the funny side.

Nov 24, 2010

Good news

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EJ has finished with the psychologist!! :)
They think EJ is progressing at a good rate and no longer needs the mental health system. We are winning this battle with SPD! YAY!!! He will have a little graduation party with his speechie and psychologist in a few weeks and we will be on our merry little way. I'm so proud of him!

Also EJ had his first day at primary school for orientation on Tuesday. He LOVED it!! He loves his teacher (who seems very gentle and motherly) and I'm thankful his first experience in a classroom setting was good. Over the next month or so, we will need to start putting things in place to help him cope with SPD in the school environment. The psychologist is confident that EJ will get much better with coping as he develops and matures - and school will be very good for this. I met the special needs co-ordinator and she seems really lovely. I'm sure EJ will love her too.

Professional Man-Flu-artist

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This boy?

No... surely not!!??

You should hear him carry on whenever he has a small injury!! He had a tiny graze on his knee the other day, with one tiny drop of blood. You should have heard him scream!! And when I went to clean it up, he kicked me and yelled "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" He wailed like I was about to amputate his leg, while I gently wiped with a wet cotton ball. LOOOOONG after the blood was cleaned up, he was still wimpering and complaining about it. He couldn't feed the dog.... because his knee was bleeding. PFFFFT!!!

This kid is practicing his man-flu act..... and it's kinda funny. Though for the sake of my future daughter in law - I'm not sooking him or encouraging it... I'm just laughing at it and rolling my eyes (on the inside)

10 years ago....

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I married my best friend.

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(I love this photo - this is when he first saw me walking towards him down the aisle)

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I vowed to honour, cherish and be faithful.

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In return he promised to love and protect me all the days of his life.


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On this day 10 years ago, we became family....

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.... united by God

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10 years have passed....

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.. and I love him more deeply and more passionately than ever.

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Happy anniversary babe! I love you!

Nov 18, 2010

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

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This is our tree.

:)

This year was the first year that all three children could help put it up and decorate it! A sign that our beautiful little family are moving forward from the baby stage into kiddlet stage! It was so much fun to work all together on this!

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I love our tree. I could stare at it all night if I didn't have a gazillion xmas presents to make, and only 5 weeks to make them. :)

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Underneath now the presents are starting to mount. And before anyone asks, Santa does not come to this house. If a fat man in red appeared in my house, I would be after him with my marble rolling pin or my dress-making scissors! I don't teach my kids that Santa leaves the gifts - but I do teach them that other kids may believe this, so we are to respect the game that their parents are playing, and it's not up to them to say anything about it. Each to their own, but this is how I do Christmas. So... the presents are starting to pile up underneath and I can see the kids gaze at them longingly and in anticipation for the big day. :) And I can't wait either!!!!

I'm hosting Christmas again this year instead of Mum and so I'll have 19 odd people here celebrating the big day. :) I've been working out the menu and have started gathering up all the festivities and whatnots that make my Christmas table special. :) I can't say too much more, because I believe my brother and SIL read this blog. (Hi Pete and Deb!) Can't give away the secrets of the day! I can't wait though for all the cousins to be together again to celebrate and play together on this special day! It's been a few years since we have all been together. I don't think we have ever had xmas day with Molly (my brother's step-daughter) because she has always been with her Dad. I think it's going to be a very special Christmas.

Life has been hectic around here.
The kids are getting tired, since life seems to get busy around this time of year. Mop had her piano recital on earlier this week, which was a late night for her. She did so well and I nearly cried with pride and joy! She has really gotten good lately, and she would make her Aunty Bec proud I think. :) Daz took Mop and I stayed home with the little ones, but he videoed it for me so I could see her. Such a tiny little girl on such a big piano.

EJ and Milly (and me as a result) both got some kind of virus that settled on their chests. Healthy has horses, until night time when they (and me) cough up a lung and a kidney. :)

EJ has his first classroom orientation day on Tuesday which will be interesting to see how he goes. I'm terrified and excited all in one go! At least then we will get a better idea of how he goes in that environment and what things we need to put in place for him for next year.
We've started to crack down on him a bit heavier now, since we know that he understands some things, and it's teaching him to self calm, which sounds dreadful I know! If he continues to whine and whinge and get himself worked up, we dock "merits" off his chart. He learned the hard way when I docked 10 off because he kept ranting. He now shuts up, and tries to distract himself - which is a HUGE thing!! Normally it's us that is distracting him to try and keep him from going into meltdown mode. This is only working for minor whines though... it wouldn't work for over-stimulating environments. :) We were also having problems with him getting up in the night and drinking so much that he would wet his bed. So we said if he wet his bed again, he would have to go back to pull-ups. "I'm NOT wearing nappies!!!" he protested.... and we haven't had a wet night since! :)

EJ has also become a bit of a sports nut. At home he plays tennis, soccer, catch and whatever else he can get his hands on. At school he plays cricket with the other kids and he loves it!! It's interesting since Daz and I are not very sporty people, how he still enjoys the games, even though he isn't overly exposed to it. I think he will be one for after-school sports activities later on down the track!

Milly is turning three in a few weeks, which has shocked me. My baby is no longer a baby - she really is a little girl now. She has cast aside all baby things and is playing imaginative and wonderful games with little girl toys. We have bought her a massive big dolls house for her birthday gift, which I think she will love!! :) So my baby days appear to be well and truly over. Thrilling in some ways and sad in others. I love babies!

Uni is well and truly over and I can breathe again. I've already enrolled in 2 subjects for next year, both psychology subjects, and the lesser workload I think will be better for the time being.

Milly has been booked into kindy for Mondays and Friday mornings which is exciting! She can't wait to get to school. Also when EJ is in school, I'm going to start branching out and getting my life back, since it had to be put on hold because he couldn't cope going anywhere. I've found a craft group I plan on joining, and I am going to head back to MOPS (Mother's of preschoolers) and start socialising! In turn Milly will be socialising as well and having a wonderful time with little friends.

So that is what is happening in this house....

35 days till Christmas!!

Nov 2, 2010

11 days to go...

11 Days until my uni semester is over!!! I cannot wait. I have three assignments due in the next 11 days. I have been working so hard, and I am going to be welcoming the break with open arms.

11 days until I can sew, quilt and get ready for Christmas. I can do this. I can do this!

A few weeks ago, my Mum experienced a pretty major nervous breakdown, and has been diagnosed with depression. The meds they gave her were dreadful and the poor thing reacted badly to them. I have been taking care of her most of the time. It was pretty bad in the beginning, she wouldn't eat, she was in and out of hospital, she couldn't sleep, she was a wreck. Slowly but surely she has crawled out of "rock bottom" and is on her way to physical recovery (still waiting for psychological help). The kids love having their Nanny staying all day at our house, and EJ is convinced she lives with us. Not that it's a burden, and I am happy to take care of her, it's been a hard slog to stay on top of my uni work while caring for Mum. I'm happy to say that I have succeeded. 11 days left and it's all smoooooooth sailing.

Oh and another thing... since Mum is unwell and it's her turn to host Christmas - she asked me to do it for her. Oh what a shame..... :P I LOVE hosting Christmas. I've spoken to my sister in laws and it looks like we will all be together this Christmas! How exciting!! I can't wait!!! I might even attempt doing a turkey this year! :)

Breakthough....

EJ has a pretty spectacular speech disorder. He sometimes doesn't understand a word you say to him. In the past he just stared at you blankly.... or if you were asking him a question, he would repeat the question....

This week he has recognised that he doesn't understand what you are saying, and that he needs to clarify and communicate that he hasn't understood.

"I can't hear you."

:)

Ok so it's not EXACTLY right.... but we knew exactly what he was talking about, and we were SOOOOO excited that he said that!! We were clapping and cheering and praising him for his very clever realisation!!

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