Growing up

We gave Carter his first haircut last week! He is nearly 18 months and sported beautiful curls, but Kerry has wanted to cut it for some time now, he said it looked 'messy' but I loved it. So, I finally caved into his pressure and let him shave his beautiful hair off, while I held Carter and shed a few tears, saying goodbye to his baby hair, and an unwelcomed but inevitable hello to growing up that little bit more. 

But, after all was said and done, he is still the same little cute and mischievous baby boy of mine whom I could not imagine my life without.

He is starting to test his boundaries, he is much more stubborn than my first two and if I say no, he'll insist that what I really say is yes! He is becoming notorious for making swift and sneaky movements into the bathroom or laundry, climbing to the most tippy top point he possibly could go, to reach something that must be much more exciting than all the toys in the toy box. Rummaging through the rubbish bin, pushing buttons on the washing machine { oh that's my favourite when he turns it off mid cycle!!}, opening laundry and kitchen cupboards to reveal the forbidin treasures behind! 

It is extremely exhausting!

Ever since term three started, every morning Mathias asks when he can go to school. Every. Single. Morning! So, Kerry and I decided to bite the bullet and place him in pre school a second day. You would have thought I told him he was going to DisneyLand he was so excited! 

They are all growing so fast and sometimes the thought sneaks up on me of having another baby, but it is just as quickly blown away by the reality of living in a small two bedroom apartment with three kids!  Another one in here would just be crazy! 

Signs of being School Ready

Only over the last week or two Mathias has been asking when he can go to school. Taylah-benet started back on Tuesday for term 3 and every morning as she gets dressed for school Mathias will ask me if he can go to school too.

It will only be 6 short months before he does start and I am starting to get those mixed feelings about having to prepare myself to let him go a little and begin his experience with the world.

I will miss him so much and I feel my days will be a lot quieter without him at home.

I am so proud of Taylah-benet, I feel like she has made so much improvement this year, she loves school, and it really warms my heart to hear her talking about friends she is making in her own class! She has really come out of her shell, is talking and playing with other kids and is still content to play on her own.

I love seeing her try to improve with her writing and forming her letters correctly, reading and enjoying her maths.

And Carter is turned into a totally cute but frustrating menace over night! there is nothing he can not get into and his favorite places are the ones he is not allowed. The bathroom, the laundry, the rubbish bin, the kitchen cupboards, it is tyring!  he is non stop!

After all is said and done in the parenting job, I love them so much and I could not be happier that they are mine and I am theirs.

Being born different

Last night I looked through my photo album from when I was young. I love that I have these photos, they are priceless to me.

When I went through high school I had all the usual 'self image' woes. I didn't feel like I was skinny enough or that my hair wasn't pretty enough, but most of all, I didn't like the scar on my face. Every time I looked in the mirror that was all I could see, and I hated it. It made me feel ugly.

That was ten years ago. I don't know when it happened, but I think a few things contributed, but now I have found peace with those demons. 

Firstly, is my husband. He knew how I felt about my scar, but he always finds me beautiful. He still does and it's through him that I feel beautiful.

Then second, is my kids. I always worried about having a baby born with the same deformity, and when I was pregnant with my first that fear came flooding to the surface. The very first time I held my first baby, I checked, ten fingers, ten toes, two perfect little lips, and a perfect button nose. I'm not sure if it was in that moment, or some time after, that I realised it didn't matter. It wouldn't have made any difference if she had a cleft lip and pallet or not, in my eyes and to those who truly loved her she would always be beautiful.

I don't worry about it anymore. I've found unconditional love and perfection in each of my babies. But, I know if it were ever to be the case, it would surface those difficult 'self image' days.

I love looking at my baby photos now, I think I was one cute, perfect little baby. 

                   

                   

  

                   

   

Sticky mess

Last week a good friend of mine shared a recipe for a delicious homemade lemonade cordial That she had given me a bottle of last week. It was so good, I was very keen to try make it myself. So I went out and brought the ingredients.

Only, I didn't have a pot that was big enough. But I still tried, I filled my largest pot to the brim with this lemony sugary syrup. Upon realising that this just wasn't going to work, I thought I would take advantage of the Thursday late night shopping to go and buy a stock pot that would be big enough. 

But as I went to walk out the door of our apartment, I turned and saw in the kitchen, the pot of syrup boiling madly! I had forgotten to turn it off! So, without thinking, I ran into the kitchen, slipped on the floor, my arms went flying and in the process knocked the container which had the excess syrup in it, All. Over. My. Head! 

At first I didn't know how to react, and to be completely honest my first instinct was to laugh! But a few more seconds passed and I just cried! I felt like a complete and total idiot! How could I be so stupid! How stupid is this whole image, but totally hilarious at the same time.

Kerry came in to find me stuck to the kitchen floor covered in lemon sugar syrup, he knew how much I wanted to make it, and how much I had already done. He insisted on cleaning it up, pealed me off the floor, ran me a hot bath, then cleaned it all up for me. 

It wasn't just a surface clean either, that stuff went EVERYWHERE! (Turned out that it was the syrup that I slipped on, it was already on the floor) 

Much to my embarrassment and humiliated defeated state, I still went out, brought a 8.2Lt stock pot and a whole bunch of new ingredients.

                      

     

July 2013 School Holidays

Term two went by so fast! 

In the second to last week of the term Taylah-benet bought her report home. There were no surprises, I talk to her teacher often so I know the areas I need to work with Taylah on. 

Of course the main concern is {and I'm afraid will always be} her lack of speed and concentration. Her teacher had already told me that Taylah's report card didn't truly reflect what she is capable of, it isher failure to complete a test within the allotted time. To often she day dreams about what she might write, and not get around to putting the pen to paper!

That being said, she has shown so much improvement. I love that she is so keen to work. She is always asking if she can do her homework or Mathletics. I can really see her trying to work faster.

We're about half way into week of the school holidays. On Saturday while I was out getting the groceries, I had to buy a notebook for Kerr for work. So, while I was there I brought a sketch book for Taylah, Mathias and myself, and a writing book {the one with the lines} for Taylah and Mathias. I want to work with Taylah during the holidays on her writing. Some of her letters she forms them backwards like writing an S starting from the bottom. Remembering to leave spaces between her words. So far it's been really good, I love watching her try so hard to remember how to form the letters, then watching her write a whole sentence using the correct formations. 

On Monday we surprised the kids for FHE and took them to see 'Despicable me 2' which was really funny, but Carter was not cooperating! 

                   

     

We have a few things on this week which I'm hoping will get us out of the apartment and the kids will enjoy.