169 + 65 Weeks

It was a lovely week, with lovely weather, and fun outings to the park, and lots of playing outside, until...both kids started battling colds, Arley caught a viral stomach bug and Carmen got a UTI.  Super fun times, again!  Poor Arley has had the runs since Sunday, and Carmen has what she calls "fire-wee".  Arley is extremely fussy and clingy, until bath time, which is the only time he chills out and has a moment to himself.  I wish I could keep him in the bath all day.

It has been a great week for me selling paintings.  In the gallery on Sunday, I sold 4 paintings (2 of them were 4' x 5'), and then I sold another one last night at the Milton gallery walk for Artfest.  It couldn't come at a better time, as we are just launching our new business (www.canvasriver.com, for anyone who may have missed our posts!), and next week we are going away to Byron Bay for 5 nights.  This upcoming trip is the only thing keeping us going at the moment.  Mum and Geoff bought me the trip for my 40th birthday, so now Jeff and I get to have our first little vacation together in over 3 years.  And Mum and Geoff will be moving into our house to look after the kids.  We will need to send them off for a vacation when we are done!  Mum and Geoff, that is, not the kids.  However, that's not such a bad idea either... I can't wait to get away and get some relaxation in, and perhaps even sleep past 5:30am.  It's the little things!

 Chips and smoothie with Dida

 Carmie and her turkey friend

 In the shower.  She will only have a shower with goggles on.

 Carmie's family portrait.  She had me write descriptions as she was drawing :)

168 + 64 Weeks

This blog post is a little late because we have had such a busy week!  Firstly, it was my 40th birthday on Thursday.  The big 40!  We celebrated by having family come over for cake and drinks in the early afternoon, and then the kids went off for the night to the farm to stay with their Lolo and Dida (thank you very much!), and Jeff and I went out to a gallery walk that was on for part of ArtFest, which is currently going on in town.  We had a great time, saw some good and some bad artwork, and even bought some (good artwork, that is!).  

The weather has been so lovely, we have spent as much time as possible out of the house.  We took the kids to the RIPE sculpture festival that is going on at Cupitt's Winery, and they had a blast.  Carmen did some freestyle dancing amidst the crowd, and we discovered that Arley has no fear of strangers whatsoever.  He spent the afternoon toddling up to different groups of people and then sitting down at their feet to enjoy the ambience.  Carmie heartbreakingly tried to make some friends with a group of older girls who were doing cartwheels and handstands, and didn't seem perturbed at all by them ignoring her efforts to join in, while Jeff and I sat by watching and feeling very sorry for her.  She kept coming and telling us that she was playing with her new friends.  I had to keep telling myself that one day she will be one of the older girls ignoring the three year old, so to leave it all alone.  But she still had a great day.  

We also made it to the beach this week, which got me so excited for the summer.  Arley loved playing with the sand, and Carmie just loves it there, so we feel very lucky that Mollymook beach is just a few minutes away.  Now that Arley is down to one daytime nap, we will be able to get to the beach or the inlet mornings and afternoons, which we couldn't do last summer.  I barely made it at all last year.  I'm so glad that is over!

Here are some cute videos from this week:

At Mollymook Beach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dyXQM6EArg&feature=youtu.be

Carmie dancing at Cupitt's - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoG16kt4o24&feature=youtu.be

Arley eating his first dinner with a spoon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSO6SKkfy1I&feature=youtu.be

Carmie & her dad at the park - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh9B_efjja8&feature=youtu.be

Playing dress-ups

Mollymook Beach again!

Birthday celebrations with Uncle Sting and Dida

At Cupitt's

My birthday

167 + 63 Weeks

Despite Arley coming down with roseola this week (will it never end???), we have had a good week. The weather has been lovely, we have had lots of outside time, and the kids have mostly been angels. Very clingy angels.  Arley wants to be in my arms at all times and follows me everywhere.  Carmie is generally good about it.  However, when one starts crying, they both start crying, so it can get very stressful.  But they are playing together more and more.  Carmie is actually starting to ask when Arley is getting up from his naps because she wants to play with him.  These are words I have been wanting to hear for months!  I can't wait unit Arley is talking (all he will say is neigh neigh, quack quack and raaaaahhh), and can ride the little trikes around with her.  They love to jump on the bed and the couches together, but when Carmie is trying build anything or play with anything, Arley goes into destructor mode and tears everything apart.  And outside time definitely helps their energy levels.  We made it to the Commercial again (it is rather amusing to hear Carmen ask to go to the pub), and to the park, and we also spent some time at the farm.  Thank God the grandparents are back and can get to babysitting again!

 Running races in the backyard.

 At swimming, riding a 'horse'.

 At the Commercial

 Feeding the new sheep at the farm.

 Dida and the miniature cows.

 New hat made by Lolo.