216 + 112

It's all happening!  Our big move is on tomorrow.  We are fairly exhausted from all of the packing and renovations, and there is still more to do.  Our rental looks like a tornado has been through it, and our new home looks like a construction zone!  We have been crazily busy, and we have also had to contend with record breaking rains as well.  Our yard is a mud pit, and moving is going to be a mess!!  But we will get through it.  Despite all of the chaos, we have had a good week.  The kids have been playing well together, despite Arley's shocking temper (!), and our main outing was a visit to the farm, where Carmie met her cousins' guinea pigs, and the kids played with their Auntie Georgia. Carmie drove us all around in the farm truck, squealing and giggling the whole time.  Arley is talking really well these days, even saying five word sentences and saying long words like 'exercising' completely clearly.  He is still testing us by hitting, but after he gets put in the 'naughty corner' he is always good afterwards, at least for a little while.  Anyway, tomorrow the kids are at school, and then they are spending tomorrow night at the farm so that we can get settled in, so we have a little respite from our grizzly Bear.

Carmie and Alvin the guinea pig

Driving the farm truck

All packed and ready to go!

215 +111 Weeks

Well, we've had a really fun week of head lice and conjunctivitis.  It just gets better and better! Arley was crawling with the little buggers, and has had four head lice treatments.  I was lucky enough to get them too, and I can still feel them crawling around, despite all of the treatments, and I am sure at this point it is all in my head (not literally!)  Carmie was lucky enough to escape them (a miracle!), and Jeffrey of course, also missed out on the fun.  Arley and I have since had our heads buzzed, but apparently the stray louse I found on my head yesterday doesn't seem to care!  And then on Tuesday, Arley came down with a minor bout of conjunctivitis, and it was OH SO MUCH FUN putting eye drops in his eyes for the past three days.  Also, the weather was pretty awful this weekend, so we didn't get out anywhere fun except for the play cafe in town.  Most of our time now is spent packing and getting ready to move.  Only 8 days to go.  Very stressful, but very exciting!

At play cafe, waiting for his train to reach him

 This is what I got when I asked Carmie to smile :)

 Their faces say it all!

 Helping with dinner :)

 With her Lolo, and wearing the new hat that Lolo made her.

214 + 110 Weeks

It has been a fun week with a few melt downs (bed times are the worst!), but that's all part of the deal, right?  Carmie had a school assignment - she had to bring "Monti the Dinosaur" home with her and photograph their week-end together, adding her images and story to his diary.  Her first homework, and she loved it - let's see how long that lasts!  We took the kids up to the farm on the week-end, and also to the park, and then out for chips and a smoothie.  Arley was on antibiotics for his ear infection, and once they started to kick in, he became a much happier little guy!  He still pretend-hits and throws things (but we're working on it).  He missed his swim lesson on Monday, but Jeffrey took Carmie, and snapped a photo of her - he was very impressed, as he hasn't seen her swim for a while.  Arley and I spent the time playing out in the back yard.  He took great pleasure in collecting berries and throwing them at me.  Today Mum and I took Arley to the ear nose and throat specialist, to see if we could get an answer to his lying down issues.  The ENT said it's not vertigo, and has referred us on to a paediatrician :(  He thinks perhaps Arley's hips are locking up when he lies flat on his back.  Not sure about that.  He did say that Arley's hearing is borderline, and that he has nasal congestion (could be causing pressure changes when he lies down?), and we have to squirt saline up Arley's nose a couple of times a day, for 6 weeks, and Nasinex too.  That's going to be really fun.  NOT!!!  Anyway, Arley is going to the paediatrician next month.

In the mean time, we are trying to get our packing underway.  This is proving to be very difficult, as literally every box that I pack, Carmie unpacks it while I'm packing it.  I have pretty much given up and am thinking of leaving everything here for the next tenants and living in our new house completely empty and only with the clothes on our backs.  And possibly no kitchen, as is is still yet to be installed.  But that's OK, as it has a really good heater, and it has been painted brilliantly!

Monti and Carmie feeding the chickens

 Throwing berries at Mum

 At the park

Waiting patiently for hot chips

                                      

Little fish

With her friends at school

                                      

Happy kids after bath time, and before the bedtime tempest!