290 + 186 Weeks

OK, so every time I think Arley is getting easier to be around, he throws me for a doozy.  He has been on and off naughty all week, but today he took it to a whole new level.  He was horrible.  He screams and hits and snatches toys and throws tantrums.  I think it is a combination of frustration and power struggle.  I had him running around the cul-de-sac with Carmie, to get some energy out, and of course he screamed and tantrummed about not winning the race, even though they weren't racing.  I took them to the park to climb and swing.  Tonight we had him go jump on the trampoline to get his energy out.  Thankfully today our neighbours took pity on us and had him and Carmie over to play with their little girl (apparently she is a good match for Arley - they say he keeps her in line!)  But today has been a LONGGGGGGGGG day.  He is asleep in bed now, thank goodness.

I just hope he gets it out of his system, because Pop (Jeff's dad) is arriving from the States tomorrow! He hasn't seen the kids since they were 3 and a half, and six months.  I am hoping Arley is on his best behaviour, but I am doubtful!

Other than this, we have had a good week.  My cousin and aunt came down from Sydney this weekend, with 6 kids, Carmie's and Arley's second cousins.  It was SO nice for them to have other kids to play with.  The kids ranged in ages from 2 to 10.  Carmie and Arley spent the day at the farm with them all while I was in the gallery, and then I went over for dinner and to pick them up.  After dinner I went upstairs to round them up, and they had tucked themselves up into bed with their cousins to watch a movie, and refused to come home with me.  So, they had an impromptu sleep over, and got more playing in the next morning.  Dida had to drive the kids around in the farm truck - 8 kids!  Craziness :)

The kids also went to a party at the library.  They were part of the Summer Reading Club, so they went to the wrap-up party yesterday.  They had tons of fun, making masks, playing with balloons and bubbles, eating cake, and Carmie definitely dressed the part (see photos below).  We also made it out to the beach at Manyana, and to the inlet at Dolphin Point as well.  The beaches weren't too crowded, but we are looking forward to school going back next week so we can have them all to ourselves again :)  The kids also went bowling for the first time.  We met Carmie's friend Ness there.  Arley has asked to go again every day since, so it was definitely a hit.  Afterwards, the kids did the holiday craft session offered at the Dunn Lewis Centre.  Carmie was insatiable, and kept doing activity after activity, while Arley did a few, until he found a piano to bang on and drive everyone crazy :)

All in all, a really busy week!

Making pancakes for breakfast

 We let Carmie in on a big secret: that she actually has four monkeys, not one.  She couldn't believe her luck!

 On the farm truck - yes, I went for a ride too!

 Couldn't drag them home!

 Cousins

All dressed for the library party

 Bella getting her belly swept

 Ready to go out for a walk

289 + 185 Weeks

We have had a good and busy week, with no real dramas.  I had a big painting sale, which is always a bonus.  We have had lots of family time - both kids are really in to playing board games and card games.  Usually I have to play with Arley, because no one else has the patience to deal with him, but he is definitely getting better at taking turns and not losing focus.  Carmie is still obsessed with Rat-a-Tat-Cat and plays at least twice a day.  We have also allowed the kids a lot more computer time (figuring that they are going to be home a lot more and it is the way of the world).  Carmie is hooked on a game called Slither, and Arley likes to play at ABC Reading Eggs, as he is really into learning his letter sounds and basic words.  I bought a kitchen bench top from Bunnings, and some table legs, and Jeff whipped up a long table for us to use as a new desk, so I can go on the computer and the kids sit either side of me.  They will need to have their computers updated fairly soon (even though Jeff is in denial!), as they are using our old ones and they can't keep up with the graphics that well.  Anyway, all in good time.

The kids also went to their friend Delphi's birthday party, which turned into an all-day event because the kids were having such a good time.  We also went to the swimming pool and one evening we went to Mollymook park and surprised the kids with a picnic pizza and chips dinner down near the beach.  I also took the kids to another cookie decorating session at the library (they loved it), after which we walked across to the harbour and sat by the water reading library books.  The kids also spent a day at the farm with Lolo and Dida, and then today we pulled out our junk box full of recyclables, and the kids made 'robots'.  They were busy for a good two hours - I had no idea what a success the junk box would be.  Carmie has asked to use it more often, so I'm all for it :)

Carmie is still reading like crazy.  She goes to bed just before 8pm, and reads for as long as she is able.  I have had to go in at 10pm to tell her it is time for sleep!  I have told her that 9pm is just about as late as she should stay up, but she claims that she can't sleep because she is too tired to lie still.  She is reading these dreadful rainbow fairy books, and she reads one a night, as well as her dinosaur information books.  It's not too bad because she can sleep in, and she usually wakes around 8am.  I'm hoping she will get back to a more regular schedule once it starts getting dark again in the evenings.

Arley is still a pain in the butt, albeit a cute one.  He still loves to drive his sister crazy by snatching her toys, pushing his way into her room, insisting on being first at everything, and yelling a lot.  He still follows me everywhere I go.  I keep telling myself he won't be so attached forever and I will miss it one day.  It does get tiresome though!

At the pool, in her new swimmers.

Beach dinner

At Delphi's

Our new computer set up

Cookie decorating

Tomato picking with Lolo

Letter fun

Making robots :)

288 + 184 Weeks

Our weeks are flying by - it feels as though I am writing this blog every two days instead of once a week.  I guess that is a good thing, although it does feel like Arley has been three years old for about five years.

We have been having some really hot days this summer.  On the extremely hot days, we don't even go out, we just stay holed up with the air conditioner on.  We have been to the pool a couple of times, as that is the kids' go-to place at the moment, and we made it to the beach one day.  We have been avoiding the beach a little, because of the holiday crowds, but it really wasn't too bad.  We are just used to having it all to ourselves!  It was a little on the rough side, and I prefer not to panic, so I think we might be sticking to the inlets for a while.  Carmie is great in the waves, but Arley just gets bowled off his feet.  We spent three hours there, and it was only when we packed up to leave that the kids decided it was time to build the best sand castles and have a good play on their own.  I didn't even get to read my book!

We have been doing tons of stuff around the house.  We bought seeds and planted what is supposed to be a butterfly garden, and we also planted seeds for giant sunflowers.  Carmie thought she could watch them grow in a day, so she was a little disappointed when that didn't happen!  Carmie is hooked on a card game called Rat a Tat Cat which she got for Christmas.  She plays with Jeff every opportunity she has (I am always stuck playing a painstaking game of bingo with Arley!), and she is so into it that every morning when she gets up, she sits at the dining room table and plays a game with herself and her 'imaginary friend'.  It is a great game of memory, strategy, maths and luck, and she loves it.  Arley is starting to read, but the very beginnings.  He is obsessed with letters, and can tell you what letters the names of all of his beloved trains start with.  He reads these alphabet books over and over again, so something is starting to click there.  A couple of days ago, he was playing with his train Denis, and he told me it was spelt D and N and S.  Little smarty pants!

Today I took the kids to the library as they had a holiday activity on.  It was splash painting, and the kids loved it.  Amusingly, I had one mother telling me how I could wait until the paint dries and then they could paint on another layer.   :)  After the kids did some paintings, we went up into the library and read books, borrowed at least 20 (we were shooting for 10, which is better than the 48 we returned!), and then we went to the cafe for smoothies and reading time.  I have two little bookworms on my hands.  Love it.

 Planting seeds

 Bella, scared and hiding behind a plant during a thunderstorm.

 Rat-a-Tat-Cat

 Reading to her brother

 Painting at the library