219 + 115

The weeks seem to be flying by these days, I guess because we are so busy.  Uncle Sting came down for a visit this weekend, so we spent Saturday at the farm.  Arley adores his Uncle, he was very taken by him.  (I failed to take any photos though, sorry Sting).  The kids are adapting to their home, and are spending a good deal of time out in the back yard.  I had a brilliant idea (if I don't say so myself) of attaching swings to our giant hills hoist clothes line, and now we can swing the kids round in circles, and they LOVE it.  In fact, Carmie threw a full blown tantrum tonight when she couldn't go outside to go on her swing.  She was in quite a mood today, not her usual cheery self.  She is getting very into her writing, and I am finding little notes around the house, saying, "cat" or "bat" or "hat" - she has the 'at' words down!  Arley is his same self, one minute giggling and happy, and the next, the grumpy little boy refusing to eat dinner.  No one ever said these kids weren't full of personality.

Our builder has started work on my studio in the back yard.  I am so excited for it to be finished, and not just so that we don't have workmen and tradesmen around the house any more.  I can't wait to get in there!!  It is my birthday next week, and Jeffrey and I are spending two nights away in Kiama (not far, but far enough!).  I am hoping that when we get back, my studio will be almost done.

Really cute video of the kids on our clothesline swing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0i2mLSzdU&feature=youtu.be

Breakfast with Dad

 Backyard fun

 Before & after photos:

Master bedroom now

 Then

Lounge room now

Then

Kitchen now

Then

 Family room now

 Then

Carmie's room now

 Then

 Arley's room now

 Then

 Patio now

 Then

218 + 114

It feels so nice to be settled.  Right now I am sitting here in our living room, lights dimmed, artwork hung, everything is peaceful, which is such stark contrast to the past few months.  As I am the organising queen, I have had our builder make coat hook rails, a shoe rack, a massive wall unit, extra shelving all over the place, and as much storage as I could fit into our house.  I'll post before and after photos next week.  And much to my surprise and pleasure, council has finally approved my studio, and our builder is starting work on it early next week.  I can't wait to have a place to make a mess!!

This week I think we finally won the headlice battle (the last treatment tonight showed no lice, so fingers crossed), but I did learn all about eyelash lice in a most unpleasant way :(  I will spare you the gory details.  Carmie is mostly a sweetheart still.  Jeffrey has started an exercise regime (Crossfit), and according to Carmie, that is good, because "All Dad does is sit around and read the newspaper. But you get lots of exercise, Mum!"  (I don't think we have actually had a newspaper in our house since Carmie was born!).  Carmie is getting a little scared about dying and it makes her worry and cry at bed time some nights.  In the day time she is just worried about when we are going to take the iPads away for good, which is hopefully going to happen when the weather gets a bit warmer and my studio is finished so that we can lock up the back yard.  Arley is still a terror, except for today when he was an angel.  This week at school they broke out these wooden train tracks, and Arley had so much fun with them that when I went to collect him, he didn't want to leave, he just said, "Bye bye Mum", and then screamed and cried and kicked when I picked him up.  We ended up buying him the same tracks for his bedroom, as I will pretty much do anything at this point to get him off the iPad and doing something creative.  He is so happy with his new tracks, so the plan is working, so far.  He made me a little sad this week, as he was sitting on my lap looking at photos from this blog with me, and he saw a photo of himself and Carmie in the old playroom, and he said, "Home!  Go car?  Go home?  Go car?"  I think he thinks we are on some kind of surreal vacation, one in which we take every single belonging with us!

It was Father's Day this past Sunday, so we had Lolo and Dida over for lunch.  Carmie made her Dad and her Dida a card each, and wants to make one for Opa, Pop and Grandpa Clark too.  She is into drawing the people in her life now, and I am loving her drawings.  They really put a smile on my face :)

 Carmie & Dad on Father's Day

  Arley and his new tracks

  Carmie's portrait of her dad (see, no hair!)

This is a picture of Carmie in the middle, and Lolo giving her chocolate (on the right), and me being surprised.  You can always tell which is Carmie because of her cool hair.

217 + 114 Weeks

What a crazy week this has been!  We moved house on Friday, which went as well as a move could go with the ground being all muddy.  The kids stayed the night at their grandparents' on the farm, so at least we could get some rest (or thought we could, thanks for the butt-dial at 6:45am, Mum!).  We have been unpacking ever since.  As of right now, the house looks great, but don't look in the spare room (soon to be our office/study), or the garage, because they are both disaster zones.  The kids have been great, and Carmie only repacked one box for us :)  They love their new house (in Carmen's words, "It's warm!").  And they love the park that is only a few minutes walk away.  So handy.  We still have some paint touch ups to do, and then our builder is going to start on my studio in the back yard, as soon as we get council approval (bloody council!).  It feels so good to be (almost) settled and to have the stress of renovations and moving behind us.  We love our new house :)

As for the kids, Carmie is very sweet, and unbelievably cute with the things that come out of her mouth.  When she is being naughty, which doesn't happen very often, you can pretty much just ask her to "choose to be good" and she does.  She loves to play board games with us, and will do that over anything.  Arley, on the other hand, is a piece of work!  As usual!!  Our sweet little boy is a hitting, screeching, throwing, grumpy little bear, unless he is around anyone but us, when apparently he is the happiest, most charming two year old on the planet.  He is still train-obsessed, and howls every night when I make him put them on his chest of drawers "to sleep", because he wants them all in his bed.  He and Carmie both have separate bedrooms now, and they have both taken to the adjustment very well.  Arley actually plays in his, as that is where his train track is set up.  The only time he is happy is when he is either playing with his trains, or watching Thomas the Tank videos on youTube.  He wouldn't even come to dinner tonight, he just wanted to play with his green train.  And who am I take make him, his mother? ;)

Never moving again!!

 Thank you Auntie Ciri and Princess Sophia!

 The kids' new park :)