A session with MY kids!

I know, I know...I still haven't finished the birthday entries for Byron, but I will add them shortly...I'm still working on them - they have to be just so.

In the meantime, I’m doing photographic sessions for everyone else these days that I never really get to do a ‘session’ with my kids. I mean I get lots of shots here and there but nothing more then a few.

I set out this afternoon with the view to getting some great shot of the kids. I wanted some great portraits for my big, blank, boring white wall.

I plan on getting 3 big canvases – One of Lily, one of Byron and one of them together (bet you can't guess which ones). I can’t wait to order them. Finally, I’ll have something less blank to stare at. How very exciting.

I'll be sure to share when they're hanging on my wall!

Byron's cake reveal...

Oh! Oh! Oh! Tomorrow Byron turns five!!!

*gasp*

I’ve spent today doing my motherly duties – baking away in preparation for his party tomorrow. On a side note, not only did I make him car cookies, bake his cake, ice his cake, organise his party but I got all my hair chopped off too – yep all of it. Oh my do I feel naked. It’s just above my shoulders now and layered. I just got sick of having 'no style' with my longer hair so I opted for something you could say was more 'hip'.

Anyway, I digress…I’ve just finished the cake and now it’s time for the reveal…

Treasure Island! It literally is full of little bits of treasure – not ‘real’ treasure, or at least not treasure to me but treasure to Byron. Hmmm, I suppose it’s hard to tell a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds that M&Ms are not treasure, so I guess treasure it is. I can’t wait to see his face upon sighting my *cough, cough* masterpiece.




Off to wrap his presents ready for his big day!

Happy Anniversary to me...

It’s Trevor and my anniversary today. Six years since we got married!

WOW!!!

We aren’t very big anniversary celebrators around here which, when I think about it, is pretty poor. We don’t have any traditions and we’ve never really done anything, aside for perhaps dinner, to celebrate when we got married. We did cards initially (never gifts) but that kind of died towards the third anniversary.

I’m thinking maybe it stems from me being 39 weeks pregnant on our first one.

Perhaps though that’s just an excuse…we’re just slack and oh I married a man that is without a doubt the worst gift shopper and a hopeless romantic who couldn’t organise anything! Is that a bit harsh? I suppose I should accept some responsibility in that department. I guess it’s just that I’m kind of a traditionalist – you know, that the man be all romantic and organise something amazing. I’m living in a dream world still. You would think that after 6 (or sorry 10) years I would realise that the man I married is none of the above.

He may not be any of the above but he is other things. He is handsome. He is quick witted and funny. He is emotional. He is the BEST father. He loves me. He is my BEST friend and companion. He is My Husband. 98% of the time that makes up for him not being a romantic or forthright, but then there is still the 2% when it does, but hey, we can’t all be happy!

Today we dropped the kids off at my sisters and went out for lunch. Honestly, it was just lunch but it was nice to rid the kids for a few hours and head out. We stopped into see little miss Alivia – oh my she was sweet…I really need to keep away from those newborns; I‘m way too clucky – then it was off to lunch. After lunch we went to Kmart to pick up Byron’s birthday presents, or at least that’s what I thought would happen. You see, Kmart had apparently sent my layby off site accidently with all the Christmas laybys. I WAS NOT HAPPY! Thank god I decided to go and pick them up today instead of Thursday otherwise it would have been to late to do anything and there would have been no hope to get them by Saturday. Apparently, they'll be instore by Friday! Arrggh!!! I'm still so mad though.

Tonight was an exciting night! I gave Byron the Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake book and said ‘pick whatever you want’ (secretly hoping that it wouldn’t be the rocket or the castle because, whilst I'm having Friday off work, I need the day for other things aside from spending 8 hours making a cake). I sat next to him as he painstakingly examined every page of the 215 page edition. He critiqued every cake… “I’m not having a Barbie cake” or “Is that Jelly”. “That’s cool”. “That’s too scary”. In the end I was secretly happy with his pick – it was one that I was hoping he would pick. It’s easy and versatile!

So that’s it for today – it’s not roses and chocolates and romantic days out but it was a fulfilling day none the less.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Dandelions

Byron is helping me with some entries I plan on doing for a Photo Competition. And lets face it, I’ll need all the help I can get (hint, hint – if you can think of any cool, original ideas to use (separately in a photo) a red ribbon, tea light, candle, cocktail umbrella and a green crayon, I’m all ears. Pweeeeaaassseee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Anyway, we were scouring the back yard for a lady beetle, caterpillar or bug of any kind but do you think we could find any? Nope. Well actually I spotted a lady bug but she flew away before I had the change to go in for the catch. Drat! So, after half an hour, we moved on to some other fun stuff – Dandelions!

Byron loved picking them up and blowing them so I thought what the heck, I won’t get any entries for the competition but I’ll get some cute pics and that I did….




Our grassless, weed filled backyard can prove useful and fun in some departments. We managed to pick every remaining Dandelion before Trevor came in for the kill – with the mower of course (and I’m referring to the weeds, not us!).

Easy Saturday...

I’m so happy that this weekend is ‘vacant’ - I don’t really have anything on. By anything I mean a photo session, party etc – you know those weekends where things are just kind of booked up and before you know it, it is Sunday night and the dreaded Monday comes next. I’ve had so many of those lately (next week is one of them again).

There are still a few scheduled events like swimming today, plus Byron had a birthday party but other then that, my Saturday is free! Speaking of swimming, I tagged along today – Trevor is the new swimming parent – for the first time this season. Byron’s been back swimming for 3 weeks and Lily 2 (thanks to the dreaded gastro she had). I thought Lily would be a little bemused by the whole thing, especially considering her bath antics over the last few months (which are getting MUCH better these days – she will often sit but that isn’t guaranteed) but she seems to love it. She got so excited over all the little details this morning, like her new swimmers and her towel. Her new favourite catch phrase after swimming is “I splashed around”. It's so cute when she says it...moving her hands in a splash like action.

Byron is slowly but surely getting much better with his swimming. He’s at the point where I wouldn’t worry that he might drown if he fell in a pool. It’s safe to say he could get to the other side. He is more learning technique now – how to breathe when doing freestyle and stuff like that.

I love easy Saturdays...I wish there were more!

Of course, it goes without saying that I took my camera along for some photo action.










Oh! Oh!...just on another note, one of my dear friends gave birth to a little girl Alivia Cate 9lbs 4oz this morning. She has a little Boy a bit older then Lily so I'm really excited she has a girl - they are so, so fun! Off to visit her tomorrow. Sigh. I bet I get even more clucky then I already am.

“Not Nice!”

Lily has a new catch phrase. It comes in many tones.

There is the “Not Nice” version said in a somewhat normal tone, sometimes slightly elevated. It usually occurrs when she is eaggravated by something you may have done and/or not done.

Then, there is the “Not NICE!” version usually expressed in an aggravated, elevated tone when something doesn’t go her way.

Finally, we have the “NOT N-I-C-E!!!!!” version commonly bellowed at the top of her lungs with some accompanying finger pointing action whenever she is felt hard done by. Now generally, she feels hard done by when she doesn’t get her own way or gets in trouble.

Miss Lily, my placid little pie, is getting a little attitude me thinks. Anyone would think she was 7 not 2.

She’s not always as pretty as a picture…

Yellow. Red. Orange.

In a matter of days Lily has literally learnt her colours. It’s like someone swiped those colour goggles of her eyes that were making her ‘colour blind’ and away she went. Every thing has a colour – like the pink plate; the purple singlet; the blue one; the yellow one. She just loves her colours.

She has many toys but one of her favourites is a Fisher Price pig money box. She sits on the lounge, opens the flap, takes the money out and proceeds to resight the colour of each coin over and over and over again – “The blue one. The Green one. Yellow. Red. Orange.” She pops them all back in the money box to start all over.



At the moment pink seems to be the flavour of the month. I’m not sure if that will change but if she’s anything like my niece, who will only wear pink, I suspect not.

I can already see the typical girl traits coming through – like her favourite colours and what she likes to wear. I suppose it will only get worse in the coming years. Eeekkk!

So there you have it…Lily can sing a rainbow now – she knows all the colours!

Report Card Time

Disclaimer – this is one of my must blog entries from…ummm…a month or so ago. I’ve been carrying Byron’s little Mid-Year Report around for ages in the hope that I might get a chance (god knows what I was thinking) to record its contents. I guess it’s better late then never, so here it is.

If a preschooler’s report card was capable of containing straight ‘As’ then no doubt Byron’s would be it. He is the smartest little cookie going around town and I have proof!!!

His Mid-Year Report card, which proudly sits beside me as I type, has what could only be akin to straight ‘As’. Ok, admittedly I may be somewhat extending the truth some, but he is consistent and achieving all that a four year old can possibly do in his pre-academic year. If ‘U’ (for usually) is the highest ‘grade’ going around Montessori then Byron’s ‘the man’ for he has achieved the pinnacle of what preschool has to offer. He has achieved straight ‘Us’.

The grading (opps…reporting) criteria is made of the ‘usually’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘with help’. So, it’s safe to say Byron is usually doing what he is supposed to. I don’t suppose there is a preschooler in the land that could attain the illustrious status of 'always' – at least not any I’ve met.

Byron USUALLY really enjoys:

• Dramatic play
• Blocks
• Puzzles
• Sandpit
• Climbing
• Games
• Books/stories
• Collage
• Painting
• Drawing
• Music

He USUALLY follows the rules and listens when others speak.

He USUALLY looks after his belongings and is happy at kindy.

He USUALLY shares an idea with someone else and says please, thankyou and excuse me.

He USUALLY helps at tidy up time; helps his teacher; and helps a friend. He has made lots of friends.

He USUALLY tries hard to share things.

In terms of Byron’s Montessori skills he has ‘Attained’:

• Work to 10 - maths
• Work to 1000 - maths
• Colour work - sensorial
• Textures - sensorial
• Sound - sensorial
• Taste - sensorial
• Sounds - sensorial
• 3 letter phonetic words – beginning reading
• 4 letter phonetic words – beginning reading

He is ‘Progressing’ with:

• work to 9999 - maths
• addition - maths
• subtraction - maths
• time - maths
• visual work - sensorial
• shapes - sensorial
• mass - sensorial
• grammar – beginning reading
• beginning reading – beginning reading
• phonetic farm – beginning reading

According to his teacher, “Byron has made excellent progress this year. He is always interested, motivated and exited to learn”.

Byron has truly come out of his shell this year. I was terribly worried about his concentration levels and his in ability to focus. But, with a change of rooms and teacher he has truly blossomed and I just love watching him learn. I love how he sounds out the letters and tries to read what ever he can, when ever he can. He is a sponge sucking it all up. It’s so exciting to be a part of.

So, only one more Montessori report card to go and then my little guy is off to school; big school. Sigh.

I’m just so proud of my little gorgeous, pumpkin pie!

My big catch up

I’m totally struggling with my work, photography, mothering, pleasurable, blog lifestyle balance at the moment. I just don’t seem to have enough hours in the day to do much of anything but work and photos. Argghhh! My fault of course - way too much on my plate. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m doing it to myself.

Take this week for example. I worked a five day week at my real job as always. Yesterday, I second shot a fancy wedding that took me away from the house and kids for pretty much the whole day and all for a hundred bucks (never again – once is enough - no weddings for me anytime soon. Yesterday’s experience sealed the deal in that department – I was totally exhausted when I got home). This afternoon, I have a portrait session with three kids and a newborn, which I have no doubt will be a full on experience – but that’s the kind of experience I love. Then when I get home, I have to prepare for a work settlement conference tomorrow morning – there is another few hours gone.

Talk about a pleasurable weekend!

I really am struggling with everything. Something has to give and I just hope that it can be a day in my ‘real’ job because that is probably (ok it is) my least favourite thing to do. It’s not that I hate my job or anything. I just hate working full time! I hate that I have to commute up to an hour and half each way (that includes dropping and picking up the kids) - 2 to 3 hours per day!

I am hoping to cut back to four days very soon but I am just waiting for Trevor’s stupid work to sort out his damn pay – that is a whole other story that I just don’t have time to pen. Sigh. Story of my life in the blog world huh?! I have so much that I need to talk about…the list just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I want to blog it all because these are my memories and I want to share them with my children at some point in the future. It disappoints me that I’m so far behind. My list includes (naming a few):

1. The sale of the house way back on 18 August went through. Wooohoooo! Let me tell you that at 3:05pm when I got the phone call that all had gone well I let out one big sigh. Finally, after god knows how long, we would have some relief financially; no longer paying two mortgages and personal loans and credit cards. What a relief.

2. The fence. We managed to get our fence erected on the 21st of August. Might I add, it’s a mighty fine looking fence too. Although, I wish it matched our house a little more. You see, it’s the same fence as everyone else has – it’s cream with navy trim. Not exactly the colours I would have chosen. Oh well. At least the kids are now trapped safely in the yard by 2 meters of colourbond.

3. The front garden. It took Trevor and I four hours on Saturday (23 August) to dig the front two gardens. We had to dig through clay. Oh my god did I feel it in my shoulders and every aching muscle in my body that night. On Sunday I (read - NO TREVOR who decided to play football and then go and watch it) organised the garden. I got the edging. I got the plants (which included some Lillipillies and Tiny Trevs he he he). I dug the holes. I planted the plants. I did it all. I was so proud of my self hosing it down at sundown. Hard bloody work but so worth while to see the end product!

4. Grandma day. I’ll get to that one soon enough – every Wednesday is Grandma day.

5. Byron. You might have noticed that it’s been a little light on in the Byron department lately. His antics will get their own special attention shortly. Can I just say though…he is reading. My boy is reading those little readers. Sigh. He is just the cleverest, handsomest, darlingest little guy around!

6. Lily. There is still more I need to add about her. She is a crack up!

7. Me. Sigh. So much to say about me. My feelings and my fun.

I hope to, from now on, get back to my daily (ok maybe second daily) blog posts; if only for me. It’s my outlet and perhaps I’m just bottling too much up at the moment. No outlet to speak of really. I always feel so good when I have managed to document something for future prosperity. Otherwise, the something just gets lost into the abyss of the past, compounded by the present, until it is all but a distant, faint memory.

So, it’s a deal. I’ll be back tomorrow night talking about something!