Willbanks' Down Under: 192 + 88 Weeks

Thursday, March 12, 2015

192 + 88 Weeks

We have had a lovely week, beginning with this weekend. We had an extended family weekend, with two of my cousins and their families, and my aunt and uncle, coming into town. Carmie and Arley got to spend time with their cousins who they really only get to see once a year, and Carmie was SO excited. On Saturday we took the kids to Milton for lunch (something we never do, because it has always been more trouble than it is worth!). We actually had a really nice lunch that involved no screaming by Arley and no naughtiness by Carmie, followed by a walk through Milton. Carmen was of course dressed like a ballerina. That afternoon we went to her cousin's birthday party, and then we had a big family day at the farm on Sunday. A really nice weekend.

On Monday the kids had their first back to back swimming lessons, which I was dreading, but it turned out to be a really pleasant way to spend the morning. Arley has his lesson first. He is such a lump, all the other parents are bouncing their kids in and out of the water, and there's me, groaning and straining with effort. His swim teacher is falling in love with him, she almost swoons when he looks at her, but he won't let her touch her at all. He is very unlike his fish sister, who has her lessons after his now. After our lessons and showers we had our picnic lunch at the gym cafe, and it was smooth sailing.

Arley got an extreme hair cut this week. We thought we would buzz it like last time, but Jeffrey had the wrong fitting on his clippers, and it ended up being super short, like shaved. Once you start, you can't stop though. My mother was horrified, but I think it really suits him. He looks like a little monk when he is happy, and a little thug when he is grumpy :) Poor little guy had a horrible day yesterday - he had a nappy rash right where a guy doesn't want a rash. He was walking like he was riding a horse, and then when it was no better after creams and nap time, I had to take him to the doctor. He screamed hysterically whenever I touched him there, which made it really hard putting on his ointment. After a good night's sleep, some special cream and some bare butt time today, he is doing much better. It was fairly traumatic for us both though!

Little Carmie is desperate to grow some fairy wings of her own. Tonight I caught her checking her back in the mirror to see if they were growing. I told her that wings on people weren't real, but apparently it is magic, and she is begging me to get a real magic wand so I can put some pink wings on her back. When I told her that I would miss her too much if she went off flying, she said it was OK because she only plans to fly around the back yard. And then she told me that I could grow my own wings and fly around with her. She wholeheartedly believed my, "We'll see. Let's talk about it tomorrow." I am going to have to find a way to let her down easy!

Friday night pizza. Two little helpers in my pizza line.