233 + 129 Weeks

It is Christmas Eve, and I can't believe this year has gone so quickly, yet so slowly.  When I think about all of the things that happened this year, some of the times seemed to drag, like when we were waiting to move into our new home, or when Arley was in hospital, and pretty much all of Arley's terrible two's, but it also seems like last Christmas was only a month ago.  We are fully settled in to our house, and we had our first extended family gathering, our family Christmas dinner, before the Bambers went off to Thailand.  It was a very hot day, and we all just managed to squeeze onto the patio for the meal, but it was a fun time with very little stress, with Mexican food and lots of wine :)

The kids also had their school Christmas party, and while they had a blast, it was probably the least fun thing I have ever done!!  It was SO hot, and it was right at Arley's nap time, so I spent half the time carrying all 15kg of him around in the heat to stop him from losing the plot because he was so tired.  Luckily Arley and Carmie got to see the Santa first (Carmie was not fooled for a minute that it was really Santa, she new it was the director's husband right away!), so we left early and I got Arley home for a nap only an hour and a half late.  I have a really cute video of the kids at their 'Christmas concert', but it is a little on the long side :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAcv9J3GjlA&feature=youtu.be

Our good friend Paul is back for the holidays, so we had a night with him, and the next morning Carmie was following him everywhere, quite enamoured.  We also went to Dolphin Point two days in a row, and it was lovely.  The beaches are so beautiful here, such a great place to live in the summer :)

We also went to our neighbourhood Christmas party where we met all of the people who live in our cul de sac.  And tonight we have another party to go to at Carmie's friend Hannah's house.  Such a fun time of year!  Oh, and the kids had their photo taken with the 'real' Santa too.  Arley really did NOT want anything to do with sitting on Santa's knee, and I felt a little guilty forcing him to do it, but when he saw the lollipops, he thought it was a pretty good deal. :)

Carmie and her friend Aska

 Fake Santa

 Pauly

All of Arley's wubbies are in the bag - it's how he gets around now :)

 Real Santa :)

232 + 128 Weeks

A big week this week, as I went away for the week-end and Jeff got to have the kids all to himself :)  Poor Carmie was so upset when I left, she stood at the door waving goodbye, with her mouth wide open in a howl and tears streaming down her cheeks.  But, they had a lovely time with their dad, despite the fact that Arley had caught Carmie's cold and was fairly grumpy.  Meanwhile, I went to Sydney for a trip away with Mum and Georgia - Georgia bought us tickets to see An Evening with Oprah for Christmas.  Oprah was very inspiring, and it was a great night :)  It was very strange to hear her voice live, as she sounded exactly like she did on tv, and it was a little surreal!

On the way back from Sydney we picked up my brother Jay from the airport.  It has been three years since he has been here, and the kids were very excited to see him.  He had never met Arley before, and Carmie was only 1 year old when he was here last.  It's good to have the family together again for Christmas :)

We decorated our Christmas tree too.  It looks a little bit like an octopus, but Carmie thinks it is the most beautiful tree in the world, and has asked if we can keep it up forever.  She insisted on putting the star on top of the tree herself, and felt very grown up.  I feel a little guilty, as quite a few of our neighbours have done their houses up with lights (we have a simple patio display), but I haven't told the kids as they would have to stay up late to see the lights in the dark, and I can't bring myself to put Jeff and I through a late night!  7pm is books and then lights out!

Arley has had a very tough week.  He has been a bit under the weather - Carmie had it last week, but she seemed to handle it a lot better than Arley.  He is in full blown terrible two's mode - hitting, screaming, throwing toys.  So...much...fun.  It is amazing how a two year old can control our entire family, but no matter how hard we try, it is impossible not to let his temper bring us down.  I think a lot of it is about volume control, and he has none apparently!  I keep telling myself that it will be over soon, and he will go back to the sweet little boy he once was, but really, it remains to be seen!

One of his sweeter moments!

At Oprah :)

With Uncle Jay

231 + 127 Weeks

Opa came to visit this week!  The kids were so excited, Carmie was beside herself.  I think she would be happy if all of her grandparents moved down here so she could see every one of them every day.  We had a lovely visit with Dad, but it was too short.  However, Dad, we are holding you to your February visit with Oma!

The kids also went to their cousins' going away party.  There was a jumping castle there (what kid doesn't like a jumping castle?), and Carmie won first prize in the karaoke contest ;)  She was very shy, and she was obviously nervous as she did forget the words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Arley wasn't shy at all and got the runner up prize for his noise-making ;)

We also got the kids to the park, and did some painting in the studio.  This week was relatively struggle-free, compared to normal.  Arley's tantrumming wasn't nearly as bad as normal, and he seems to understand about the naughty corner and how he doesn't want to be there :)  This is not to say that he is easy yet, but his language is getting better, he is answering questions and talking more, and generally wakes up in a good mood.  Carmie is a little excitable and impulsive, but still a sweetheart.  She wrote her first sentence on her own last week, it went something like this: I went to swimig on Mandai. (swimming on Monday).  She has started drawing recognisable things like lions, birds and hearts, and her pictures are all very cute.

I am heading to Sydney this weekend, and leaving the kids with their dad, so, fingers crossed everyone!

Here is a video of Karoake Carmie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oiNJlmTPt4

230 + 126 Weeks

Carmie had a sleep over at her Lolo & Dida's this weekend, and she was very excited about it.  When I went to pick her up, she asked if she could stay another night.  It was good, because we got to spend some one on one time with Arley, which he doesn't get very often.  He did get to have a play at the farm both days too.  We had lovely weather this week, with lots of outside time.  Carmie has been using the climbing wall, and Arley has fallen in love with jumping on the trampoline.  He also loves to go into my studio, unbeknownst to me, but luckily he only likes to do "water paintings", which don't do much damage.

Arley put me through the ringer this week.  On Wednesday evening I was alone with the kids, and I was cleaning the kitchen.  Carmie was playing on the iPad in the lounge room, and Arley was hanging around holding one of his trains.  I went out the front door to put something in the recycling, and then went back into the kitchen.  After a couple of minutes I realised things were too quiet, so I called out, "Arley, say Mama".  No answer.  I yelled out again, but still no answer.  I went to his room, and the train he'd been playing with was lying on the floor, wheels turning.  I ran through the house calling to him, then I ran outside and checked both gates, looked in the studio, looked under the studio, under the patio, anywhere I could think that he might have fallen and hurt himself.  Meanwhile I was still screaming his name.  I ran inside, and got Carmie and told her to help me look. We were both running around calling him, but no answer.  At this point, I panicked, and thought he must have followed me out the front to the recycling bin, so I went out the front door and called him. Checked both sides of the house, nothing.  I was screaming his name in the front yard, and screaming for the neighbours to help me.  "Can somebody help me, please????"  Still no answer, not even a single neighbour poking their head out the door.  Carmie was crying on the front patio, and then suddenly she goes, "Mum, I can hear him!"  I raced to the front door, and there was Arley behind the screen with a muesli bar in his hand, saying, "Can I have a muesli bar?"  I could have killed him!!  He was in the pantry, in the dark, the whole time!  Right in the kitchen with me :(  Thankfully none of the neighbours actually came to help me, because I would have felt even more foolish, but seriously, that wasn't very neighbourly!!  I knelt down and hugged Arley and told him that when Mummy calls for him, he must answer me. Do you know what he said?  "Muesli bar?"

On Thursday I also decided to give myself a hair cut with the new clippers.  Jeff usually does it for me, using the #6 blade.  I watched a video on youTube, and then thought, "I can do this!", so I went and got the clippers, chose the 6 blade, and went outside (so as not to get hair all over the bathroom, as it was quite long) and cut my hair.  I was all proud of myself, and I went inside and looked in the mirror, and just about fell over.  My hair was gone.  I checked the blade.  Yes, it had a 6 on it, for 6mm.  Right next to that 6 was a #2.  I gave myself a complete buzz cut.  I burst into tears and am still recovering.  Jeff says it's not so bad, and Carmie thinks its cool, although she was very concerned this morning that the teachers would 'laugh and laugh and laugh' at me.  Well, they didn't, did they?  I haven't left the house yet without my hat :)

This is what you get when you ask Arley to smile :)

Arley insists on wearing his sunnies to school now, after 2 years of refusing them at all costs.

But his big dilemma is how to stick his wubby in his eye while he wears them!