Shopping

Saturday 13th June 2012

This one I picked up off a friend who is also a school teacher, she did it with her 5 year old.

I collected a couple of catalogues, gathered some scissors, cardboard and glue stick, drew a trolley on their cardboard and let them shop through the catalogues and glue the items in their trolley.

They both had such a great time doing this, Taylah-benet was easily left to work with the scissors and glue the pictures into her trolley. I sat with Mathias and cut pictures out for him and let him go wild with the glue stick.

for the rest of the day Mathias insisted that we had to go out and actually buy everything in his trolley!

Lots of fun Xx

The final products

What's that light?

Light! at the end of the tunnel. At long last. Mr Carter's routine is changing around, he sleeps through some nights, and some...he doesn't, but that's ok!



Just chillin' with Carter Mason Cole Friday 29th June 2012

School holidays are upon us again and I couldn't be more excited to have my big girl at home. I was so excited to receive her first school report and attend our first parent teacher interview which really didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about her. In short, she LOVEs school, LOVEs her teacher Mrs Kennedy and she's doing really well.

Mathias, Mathias. I always feel bad when I gush on about Taylah-benet and Carter and when I come to Mathias it's with a pause. and a sigh. He has so much energy I don't know how he keeps on going and going and going! He has the most gorgoeous laugh and when I take the moment to play around with him I know he loves it, and I love making him laugh. He is such a people person like his dad, he greats EVERYONE we pass when we're out for a walk.

In th kitchen I have been trying my hand at some NZ specialties like Ginger crunch and Coconut Ice and one from USA Snickerdoodle cookies {nope, they do not have snickers in them} Next on my husbands list for me to make. Jelly slice.

Crackled Chocolate Cookies

There is nothing like a little baking to cheer me up... So here's what I made last night,

Crackled Chocolate Cookies

150g Plain flour
60g Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
200g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g icing sugar

1. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until clumps together and resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla, then add to the flour mixture. Mix with a large metel spoon until combine, then cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 30 mins

3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

4. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Shape the dough into walnut-size balls and drop into the icing sugar, tossing until well coated. Place on the baking trays, leaving about 5cm betweenneach to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-12mins or until just set when lightly touched. Cool on the trays for 5mins before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. The cookies will crack on cooling. Store in an airtight container for upto 5 days...if they last that long! Makes about 20 cookies

{taken from 'David Herbert's Best. Ever Baking Recipes Cookbook'}

Xx

Who's handing out the awards?

If there was an award for 'The worst mother of the day' I would totally win it today Hands Down. 

I Love My son so much I just don't know how to handle him.

On a brighter note

Some thing to make you laugh. and maybe cry. Xx

Something special

It's nearly 1am and I just finished watching 3 episodes of 'Hart of Dixie' {haven't seen it? Get it now!} so I'm in between going to sleep and waiting for my baby boy to wake up for our regular 2am date and as I watch him stir in his bassinet beside me I can't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside!

There is something special about this boy and I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. Is it his curious blue eyes soaking in all the new things he sees or the smile that bursts as soon as he spots a familiar face?

He is so different from my previous two babies, I got lucky they were both text book babies. They slept when they were meant to, self settled from the day they were born and both were sleeping through the night by the time they were 12weeks old.

Carter, I think, is a sensitive baby. Sensitive to noise and people. He is not so good at self settling and prefers having someone close by to sooth him to sleep. He is 4 months and still wakes once during the night.

The funny thing about him being this 'different' type of baby that can prove to provide its fair share of challenges, is that I don't really mind so much - for the most part. As I am completely loving him needing to have me physically close by. I am loving our exclusive 2am dates. I know as he grows and gets older these things may or may not change, but for now, I am totally in love with my beautiful baby boy { and to think I cried when they told me!! } I wouldn't trade him for 1 million girls or even one. I do so much hope that I get to have more girls. But if I don't I know I'll still be happy with my boys.

Balloon Volleyball

Last week I sat down and made a list of about 20 activities I could do with the kids, Mathias in particular.

Today we played Balloon volleyball. I tied a string of wool from our rail to a fixture I stuck on the wall and we had such a great time trying to hit a balloon over the string to each other

What are some activities you do with your baby's/toddlers/preschoolers???

Long weekend shinannigans

After a week of the husband being absent it has been complete bliss having him home all weekend. The kids absolutely miss him when he is gone so they love it when he's home too.

We started our weekend off with a family trip to Marrickville to a warehouse store called Reverse Garbage a place where they really do sell garbage, but to a crafty mind is treasure untold awaiting a new owner to give it new life. Within the same area is another similar store The Bower this place had more along the lines of furnishings along with all the random bits and pieces. My husband scored a large flood light usually valued at a few hundred dollars for only $15, I don't know what or where he intends to use it but still a bargain.

On our travels home we stopped in at good old bunnings warehouse to pick up some blackboard paint and have a whole heap of fun painting with the kids, two small walls in their room. The kids love it of course and it was so fun to do it as a family.



Saturday 9th June - Long weekend - painting Blackboard paint

Sunday we made it to church! an hour late and we left a little before it finished but we made it! still trying to master getting our family of five to church on time.

Such a good feeling to wake up on a Monday morning and remembering that we have the whole day to do nothing and whatever we want. I got up with my three beautiful children and made Mars bar slice and the Lolly cake, had a sleep with my baby boy in the afternoon while the husband took the big two for a drive, and bringing dinner home with him.

It has been a great weekend - Thank you to the Queen for having a birthday and giving us the day off for it!

it. was. great! Xx

Pea and Ham soup

Last night was my first attempt at making pea and ham soup and I must say - it was pretty yum. So here it is;

Pea and Ham soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 290g (1 1/3 cups) green split peas
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed, chopped
• 1 brown onion, halved, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 700g ham or bacon hocks
• 2L (8 cups) cold water
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 herb & garlic crusty bread rolls (Bake at Home brand), to serve

Method

1. Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
3. Add split peas, ham hocks and water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until ham hocks are tender and the meat is falling away from the bones. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove ham hocks from pan. Remove the meat from bones. Coarsely chop meat and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 220°C. Place one-quarter of the pea mixture in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Return to pan with ham. Repeat with remaining pea mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until hot.
5. Meanwhile, place the bread rolls on a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread rolls.

The Ham hock I got was about 1.5kg so I cooked it a little longer - the great thing about it being so big is that it has allot of meat on it which i cut off and put back in the soup. I skipped processing the soup as it seems like a hassle and only makes more dishes - so I just got my potato masher and went through it a little bit.

This was a hit with the husband as he loves the smoky flavour and the chunks of ham through out the soup and I was surprised that my daughter ate it too!

Keep warm and enjoy!! it's delicious and there are left overs for lunch today :) Xx

A glance back

Today I glance back and remember an event that I have moved on from but has become apart of me and who I am.

Today you might have been two. I honestly cannot imagine how I would have coped having you and trying to handle your 'energetic' big brother. But I would have loved having you all the same.

As difficult as it was to have you then loose you, I will always be grateful for the lessons I learnt from you. I will hold you in my heart forever, I love you all the same.

Jesus?

Today Camilla came with me to pick the girls up from school. As we were leaving I could hear Mathias crying his little eyes out for me :( Hugh was just upstairs and when he heard Mathias he went to the top of the stairs to call out to him and said 'Mathias, stop crying and go hop on the couch'

Mathias couldn't see Hugh so he quickly stopped and ask Hendrix 'who's that, who's that?' Hugh called out again, 'Mathias, stop crying and go hop on the couch' Mathias must have been so confused not knowing who or where this voice was coming from he asked Hendrix again 'who's that, who's that!?' then in all his childlike innocence called out

'Jesus?' as if to say..'is that you?'

My boy has been such a terror today and driven me to the edge, but I Love him! I Love him, I Love him

A week alone

This week I've toughed it out alone opting to stay at home just me with the three kids. My husband has been missing {aka away in some far off town for work} all week and is not likely to be home until late tomorrow night. With any luck he won't have to work on Saturday so I can at least spend a little time with him.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, well I don't know if I believe that's true, but I sure do miss him when he's gone.

Soup season

We have officially entered soup season! I am totally not a fan of winter but there are a few little things I like about it.

Top of my list would have to be Tim Tam Slams - take a nice freshly made hot chocolate, one {or several} Tim Tams, bite a bit off each end then use it like a straw with the hot chocolate until it completely melts and collapses and eat it! YUM!

Second, snuggles with the husband and kiddies, and Third, fresh bread rolls with piping hot soup!

So here's what I have made for our dinner tonight.

Chicken and corn soup {with curry}

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Brown onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 cup of frozen corn
250g diced potatoes
salt & pepper
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 cups of chicken stock
3/4 cup of thickened cream
250g chicken thigh, diced
1 tomato, diced

Heat oil and a bit of butter in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add  onion garlic, corn and potato and cook stirring often, for 8mins or until potato is tender. Stir in curry powder and turmeric and cook for 1min or until aromatic.

Pour chicken stock and cream into pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and add chicken. Simmer for 15mins or until chicken is cooked through and soup thickens. Add tomato and season with salt and pepper.

keep warm & ENJOY Xx

Will I ever get this?

Some days are better than others and I'm hopeful that one day ..... sooner rather than later, that I might start to get the hang of the whole 'three kids' gig.

My husband is an electrician and works on site, on jobs all over the Sydney/nsw area. His hours are so unpredictable, he is not usually home in the evenings to help me with the 'crazy hours' in our home. The crazy hour consists of homework for Taylah-benet, bathing the kids, dressing them, feeding them, then their bedtime routine, brushing their teeth, reading a story, prayers, then finally sleep time by about 7 - 7.30pm. Throw the baby and his routine in there! and I'm left stuck on a chair at 6pm feeding my baby his bottle {which takes a good 20mins} burping him and waiting, until he will let me put him down in his rocker without screaming his head off. each minute I'm stuck on this chair, I watch my two big kids left to their own mischievous devices as I quietly think to myself 'why did I ever think I could do this!'

I was beginning to get quite depressed come evening time, and each day I would phone my husband to try and find out what time he would be home and as soon as he would say 'a couple hours' I would start to feel depressed already! *not. coping*

So I enlisted my mothers help this week and have been staying at her home a couple of nights, while Kerry is away for work. I can't say how much I love my mother - and honestly all she has to do is hold the baby and it makes my evening so much less stressful. But, I have had a good week thanks to the much needed break/help. I know I have to face the music sooner or later, I am just hopeful it will hurry up and get a little easier.

As well as trying to get the hang of having three kids, I get crazy stressed out about my son Mathias. I have only ever met one other kid who I though matched him at his energy and down right craziness. He really is such a gorgeous little boy when he behaves - it's just getting him to behave that's the trick. He mirrors so much of our {the husband and I} behaviour, If we tell him off he just goes ahead and does it right back at us - with the added attitude of a three year old -

I am so conscious of the fact that how I behave determines how my children will behave and that it all begins with me and the daddy. After spending a few days at my mums, she thinks his naughty behaviour is all very much for my attention, and she says this because he is a completely different child when she is looking after him while I'm not there, but as soon as I arrive he puts his naughty hat on full steam ahead. I've had a suggestion to give him more one on one positive attention like sitting with him at the table to draw of play with play dough. If you have any ideas, please, share.