355 + 251 Weeks

It's been such a big week, despite the fact that we don't like going out during school holidays!  The kids' cousins Zach and Baz were down for the week, and the kids wanted to take them to the Bommie, our favourite exploring beach.  It was such a beautiful day, and totally deserted down there. Georgia couldn't believe they have never been to that beach before, despite living in the area for six years.  The kids did a bit of rock climbing.  Arley refused to take his sandals off, because he is going through a phase where he doesn't want anyone to see his feet (even though you can pretty much see them with his sandals on!).  It was a lovely afternoon, and Carmie loves being around her older cousins, so much so that the next day she invited them over for a play. :)

We also took a trip to Kiama this week.  The kids wanted to catch the train up, so the plan was to drive to Nowra and then train it, but somehow both Jeff and I misread the train time table, and we missed the train!  They were so disappointed!!  But we drove up instead, and then the kids and I caught the train home and Jeff picked us up from Nowra.  While we were in Kiama, the kids had a big play at the park, and they both went on the bungee trampoline, although Arley was not terribly adventurous (it's pretty impressive that he got up there at all though, to be honest!).  We walked up to the Blow Hole (the kids were very impressed) and took in the scenery.  It is gorgeous up there.  And then we caught the train home, and the kids couldn't stop smiling.  Arley just thought it was the best thing ever.  His love for trains is still going strong!

Another day we went with Carmie's friend Ness (and family) to Honeymoon Bay up near Jervis Bay.  What an amazingly beautiful place!  Ness's mum Sarah took Carmie snorkelling, which she loved, but took a while to get the hang of.  Arley once again refused to take his sandals off, so wouldn't go swimming.  Sarah kindly set up towels to make a little cubby for him, so he could exchange his sandals for a pair of flippers so he could swim.  But then he decided not to swim and instead just walked around in flippers for four hours.  Such a goose.  It was such a beautiful place, however it got very crowded towards the end of our day, and then I almost ran out of gas on the way home, so it got a little stressful!

We had to cancel a play date this week because Arley was having a rough day.  He was super emotional, crying in the evening, worried about me dying, worried about me leaving him, and then acting out and pretty much causing mayhem.  He has been pretty even-keeled these last two days though, which I am very thankful for!

The kids have been doing lots of bike riding in the cul de sac, which is good.  I can actually send them outside for chunks of time now, and have a breather while I get some never-ending housework done.  They have also been drawing and playing together nicely sometimes, which gives me so much hope!!  They both have had their moments (some seriously bad ones too!) but all in all, a good week.

Cousins

 In Kiama

 At the entrance to the Blow Hole

 Train faces.  So cute!

 At Honeymoon Bay

 Her borrowed wetsuit was a tad too big!

 Face painting today at Bunnings

He always wants to be just like his big sis.

354 + 250 Weeks

Well, it is school holidays, so our little town is quite crowded at the moment.  We don't get out much during holidays, but nonetheless we have still been really busy.  We have been trying to get the kids outside every day for an extended play, so we have been playing in the cul de sac and the neighbourhood park, even at night, which the kids love.  One day Jeff and I took the kids to Porters Creek lookout, which was a bit disappointing because it turned out to be all hazy and we couldn't see the ocean.  The kids had brought their binoculars which of course they fought over (silly Santa only giving them one pair).  After that we drove another 5k to Porters Creek Dam, to show the kids where our water supply comes from.  It was really windy and quite cold, so not the best time to be exploring, but at least now the kids have a visual when I tell them not to waste water!

The kids and I spent a morning at the library, followed by lunch with Jeffrey at the harbour.  They both can finally climb the tree there on their own (it's been a long time coming!).  We spent another day at the kids' friends Willow and Finn's house.  At first the boys were just annoying the girls, but eventually they all played a game of super heroes and villains together.  Kylie and I lost track of time, and it was almost 2 o'clock before we knew it.  All the kids melted down because of hunger and the playdate ended in tears on all counts except for Arley who was just being plain mean.  That's what we get for not feeding our kids!

Today we had a play date with the kids' friends Loki and Klio, as well as Delphi and Jasper.  We spent most of the time at the neighbourhood park.  The kids all played fairly well together, except Arley got a little mean.  I can see the difference between him and other kids when he is in a larger group.  His anxiety gets the better of him, and he just doesn't know how to fit in, so ends up calling the kids wee-wee heads.

His week has been up and down.  He has extended periods of calm and focus which he didn't have six months ago, but he still has been quite aggressive.  I went to the gallery on Wednesday while Jeffrey had the kids, and he said it was his and Arley's worse day ever :(.  That makes me sad, but then he goes through whole afternoons when he is happy and without incident, and that gives me hope.  It is just like watching hair grow, I know he will get better, it is just a slow process.

Carmie is Carmie, sweet, goofy, clumsy, sometimes whiney, but mostly smiling.  Between our visit to the library on Monday and today, she has read six novels.  And I barely even see her reading, it is mostly in the morning and at night in bed.  She has grown taller, and is quite a bean pole these days.  She is still resistant to doing any kind of table time writing work, but she has started to draw again, which is making me really happy :)

I just asked Jeff if anything of significance happened this week, and he said no, it's just like Groundhog Day!

Park play at night

 At Porters Creek lookout

 Lunch at the harbour

 Carmie & Willow (or is that Supergirl and Wonder Woman?)

 Colouring in Carmie-made colouring books :)

 Playing a maths game I made up.

 Our neighbour giving the kids a ride on his mother-in-law's mobility scooter.  So funny!

 Industrious kids :)

 The girls in their 'teepee'

 Rubbing sticks together to make a fire :)

353 + 249 Weeks

We have had the most amazing weather this week!  It's been like the middle of summer!  Sadly I think it will be over in a couple of days, but we have made the most of it.  On Monday when Jeffrey got home from work early, we raced to the beach for a late picnic lunch and for an exploration.  We were at the Bommie, an Ulladulla beach that we don't get to very often.  It may have just become our favourite exploring place for the moment.  It was such a beautiful day, and there are so many little caves and rock pools for the kids to discover.  Carmie of course ended up in the ocean, but luckily I had brought their swimmers.  It was such a lovely afternoon.

We played plenty of softball again this week, and had a couple of neighbourhood park visits.  Carmie has been timing herself running, and she is getting faster.  The kids like scooting outside of a morning now, and Carmie has been collecting flowers for me from all of the neighbour's front gardens :)  Carmie finally lost her first baby tooth on Wednesday.  It was a long time coming, so long in fact that the adult tooth was already up while the baby tooth was still hanging on.  She lost it while she was bowling with her Scout group, so she felt very special indeed.  I'm not sure what the going rate for the tooth fairy is these days, but Carmie left a note for her to be exchanged '$4 please', and she was very chuffed in the morning.

Today while all the school kids were schooling, we met our homeschool crew at the new waterslide park that has opened up nearby.  It was such a fun afternoon!  Exhausting, but fun.  For the first hour, Arley wouldn't go on the slides by himself, so I had to go with him, but he eventually got brave and then there was no stopping him.  Poor little Carmie was super slow on the slides, and we never figured out why.  Of all the kids, she was like a little snail!  She wasn't putting her hands on the walls, or her feet, she was leaning back for propulsion  -  I don't know what the problem was.  Next time we are trying different swimmers, maybe hers had too much grip?  Anyway, she still had a great day.  Besides the slides, there are also two spas, a swimming pool, and a huge climbing structure with slides coming out of it, so there was a ton to do, and the kids had a blast.

Arley has been a bit up and down this week, but the good news is, for the past two days he has been great.  I feel like I might jinx everything just by talking about it though!  He has been calm, waking up happy, he has been less impulsive, more attentive, and much easier to be around.  Fingers crossed that he keeps it up for a while - we all deserve it!!

At the waterpark today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uML4cvlxLSU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff-IVjEe39A

Tough guy ready to play ball :)

 New favourite lunch spot

 Arley and Dad watching Carmie :)

 So proud!

 At the water park today