Dreamworld - again

As mentioned in the previous blog, I took the girls and Hope to Dreamworld on Sunday. The two "big girls" went and did their thrill rides.

Not before Hope, Caity and I took Mim on the Log Ride. What a blast - Hope got soaked and Mim decided that she would never set foot on that ride again!

Mim and I met up with Carla, Charlotte and Zie and hit the Farmyard again. Mim and Charlie decided to fee the 'chookens' - unfortunately Mim was kneeling in duckpoo! She was not impressed, but we wiped it off and kept going.

We met the big girls for lunch (and viewed the 'womanly handbag') then the big girls took the little girls on the teacup ride. I think they enjoyed the big sister experience - and Carla and I didn't have to get dizzy! Check out the expression on Mim's face! She looks like she's going to puke.

We went to see the tigers - and I think Carla was ready to use Charlotte as tigerbait by this stage (Charli was attempting to assert her independence, as only 2yos can do!) Mim posed beside the fibreglass tiger - and did her best devilchild face.

The kids had a little play in the Wiggles Playroom - Charlotte ramraided the supermarket in her car and made a getaway with some plastic fruit. Mim burrowed under some cupboards to get something, and proved that she takes after her grandfather - what is it with her and the tradesmen's crack!

Mim started getting flushed and her temperature rose, so I went to the first aid room for some baby panadol. But she wouldn't drink it! So the nurse suggested I disguise it in some softdrink. And what does Mim love to drink! Coke! I put a little bit of Coke in a separate bottle and mixed the panadol in with that and told Mim that she could have her own Coke! You would have thought that she would have scoffed it down - but no. I had to beg and plead her to drink her 'Coke'! That's never ever happened before. She drank enough and her temperature came down, so we did quiet things, like have an icecream and a train ride.

Carla had had enough by this stage (it was 4pm after all) and decided to take the girls home. We caught the train around to the central station, but Charli fell asleep literally 30 seconds before it was time to disembark.

Mim and I went on another ride and then waited for the big girls to join us. It was 5pm before we left - a good 7 hour day at Dreamworld. And yes, she did fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Happy Birthday Caitlin!

It was Caitlin's birthday yesterday - the big 11!

How time flies! Doesn't seem that long ago that she was just a baby, learning to walk, learning to eat (feta cheese and black olives), learning to talk ("bugger").

Now she's almost all grown up - only 18mths until she starts high school.

Michael and I gave her a Dreamworld Max Action Pass (annual pass) as her main present. I took both girls and Caitlin's friend Hope to Dreamworld on Sunday (will do a separate blog), they had a blast. Barely saw Caitlin all day - she and Hope went on all the thrill rides. Hope bought her a handbag for her birthday. Comment of the day from Caitlin "I don't feel womanly without my handbag!" (for gawd's sake!)

We had dinner last night with Margaret (Mumma), John (Poppy) and Edna (BigNanna). Nanna couldn't make it as she was housesitting in Sydney whilst Mark and Michelle are in the UK. It was a nice dinner, followed by a marshmallow marble cake, as requested by Caitlin. Disgustingly sweet! But she enjoyed it.

Nanna and Poppy gave her a computer. She is rapt. Not only did she get an iPod from Uncle Bah, but now she can surf the net from her own bedroom! She has taken the day off from school today, because she felt sick this morning, but I think she just wants to try out the computer. And read her new Harry Potter book.


So Happy Birthday sweetheart - I hope this is a wonderful year for you!

Day from Hell ...

Well today was definitely a day from hell! It was my first day back at work from a 4week holiday. I arrived at work to find that three people were off sick (out of a work team of 6, that's not good!). So I spent most of the day answering calls from Jordan's clients. The banks hadn't processed the clients payments first thing this morning, so they were all ringing to complain that they didn't have any money (one of them rang 6 times!). And then I had to go through the list of things I'd left my replacement to do, of which he'd only done half, and badly. Gee, the only thing he did right was to kill off two clients and get rid of their files.

And I find out that Jordan has gotten another job, so he finishes up at the end of this week, so we'll be short staffed next week. (Jordan is a nice kid and great to work with). Why does he get to escape the hell hole! I've applied for jobs and don't get anywhere.

Does anybody know of a decent job out there for me!! I hate where I work now - the people are ok but the management sux!

That's my whinge for the day.

Motherhood

As I was (attempting to) clean the bedroom, I came across a book that I'd been given of quotes about Motherhood. I think it's timely to share some of them:

Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own. - Marguerite Kelly & Elia Parsons

Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children. - William Makepeace Thackeray

Motherhood is the biggest on-the-job training scheme in the world. - Erma Bombeck

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. - Sophia Loren

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. - Edgar Watson Howe

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. - Elizabeth Stone

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one. - Jill Churchill

They say that man is mighty
He governs land and sea;
He wields a mighty scepter
O'er lesser powers that be;
And the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world. - William Ross Wallace

Evil Monkey!

She can't be left alone for a minute!!!

The tree out the front has branches up into the powerlines that run to our house. Being a windy few days, I've been getting nervous that the branches will knock the lines down, so I decided to prune the tree. Obviously having Mim out the front with me is not a good idea, so I asked Big Sister to keep an eye on her inside the house whilst I paid attention to not electrocuting myself.

Half an hour into my task, I get a "Mum, you'd better come and look at this!"

Mim had taken the milk, butter and Haigh's drinking chocolate box out of the fridge and put them on the floor. She'd pushed the chair up to the microwave and opened the door. She had in her hands two pieces of bread (from the freezer) and the Aunty Kathy's cookie dough (and a sharp knife) sitting in a pan.



She was hungry, so she decided that she wanted to make herself a hot chocolate, defrost the bread in the microwave and butter it and bake herself some cookies.


AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you sell children on e-bay?

Ballerina Babe

Mim loves getting dressed up in the various tutus that we have. Here are some photos of her putting on a modelling show for me (she agreed to it only if I'd play her little piano so she could dance!)


(Diamonds are a girl's best friend!)



The gloves and necklace / bracelet were a present from Meegan - aren't they just gorgeous!

Owen's Party

We traveled to Wynnum yesterday for Owen's party, to celebrate his turning two. It was a great idea, to have the party at the playground. No house to clean before and after - just turn up with food and leave when you've had enough. The kids all had a ball - I lost Mim twice, she tried out every bit of play equipment available (and tried to get on the stuff that had been cordoned off).

Meegan made an excellent truck cake - it tasted delicious!

(doesn't Owen look like he has a ponytail!)

After a big play, Carla and I decided it was time to wind the tots down and go home. We decided a walk along the jetty would be a calming influence. Charlotte and Mim looked so cute walking with Caitlin.

They then got a little play on the beach whilst Zie had a feed and then it was time to try to get them to the car. Mim was not co-operating. A bridal party was heading for the jetty, so I picked her up and told her to look at the pretty dress of the bride. Just as the bride and bridesmaids walked past, Mim said in her best whiney voice "I don't like it"! Luckily the bride had a good sense of humour and didn't write Mim off as a feminist!

It was a very tired child that got carried struggling to the car. She wanted to be left at the beach all night so she could play. And then she took her shoes off in the car, and dumped half of the beach into the back. Thanks, Mim! Not even the car on fire blocking all of outbound Wynnum Rd could stop the howling and snivelling, it was only when I pointed out Carla's car beside her that she stopped the crying and started waving at Carla (who was too zoned to notice).

When we got home, Michael had the roast chicken dinner almost ready to serve - yum! Mim was too tired to argue about eating - she ate her dinner quickly with little fuss and was in bed by 8pm (usually won't go to bed until later). Not sure who was more tired - her or me.

An old email

I found this old email during a clean out, and it still rings true. I like to think of it just before I give in to the desire to strangle the little one for
a) pulling all the toilet paper off a full roll and trying to stuff it all in the toilet ...
b) tipping all of the powder onto her floor/hair/toys, and then trying to mop it up using the last of her wipes, thereby caking it into the carpet.....
c) climbing up the vanity basin to get to the soap dispenser, which was purposely put on the high window sill so she couldn't get to it, and then using excessive amounts on her hands before climbing down again....
d) well, you get the drift.

Hello God, are you there?
Yes my daughter.

Look, I was wondering if I could exchange this baby. This isn't the one I ordered.
Oh? But that's the model 2004, bright , healthy and lovable, just like you asked for.

But she cries all the time.
Oh yes that model is very effective at communicating her needs. Just meet them as best you can.

But I might spoil her.
Oh, haven't you heard, I make babies spoil-proof now.

But she wants to be picked up all the time.
Thats why I gave you arms.

And she wants to feed all day and all night.
Wouldn't you if you had the chance to drink something warm and sweet, that wasn't fattening, and was packaged in a cuddle?

Yes, but I'm not getting any sleep.
Look, you two are a package deal. You're not supposed to be separated, just bring her into your bed with you and go back to sleep.

But she wants to feed even when she's not hungry.
Sounds like she might need comforting.

But she's got a dummy, a lambskin, a bunny rug and a bear.
Hey, Maybe she just wants her Mum.

But I never get a break. She won't let anyone else take her and she cries when I leave her.
You know thats because she loves you more than anyone else in the whole wide world. Is that so bad?

No, But I,m not getting any jobs done.
What??? You are doing the most important and necessary job of all - Mothering.

Well, how was I supposed to know that? - she didn't come with any instructions.
Yes she did, I'd already given them to you in a booklet called - "Instincts".

Oh yes I'd forgotten about that.
Look, just relax, give everything time and if things still don't work out let me know and we'll see if we can give you a refund.

Okay, but you know something, maybe this ones not so bad after all.
I know.

God?
Yes?

Thanks.

Torvill and Dean .... Not!

I took the girls ice skating today. It was Caitlin's third time - once when she was about 3 (remember that Carla!), once when I was pregnant with Mim ... and today. She got straight out onto the ice and then circled around holding onto the barrier with both hands.

It was Mim's first time - she's never seen snow/ice before, and she was soooooo excited. She'd been practising her iceskating glides across the hairdresser's floor (we all had trims) and was raring to go. So she was booted up and then I put her on the ice. "ooohhh, slippery!" was the first comment, followed closely by "uppah, mummy, uppah". Like I'm going to be able to pick her up and skate around the rink!! We managed to negotiate one third of the rink in about 20 mins, me holding onto her with both arms as well as balancing myself against the barrier, with frequent stops to stretch out my back. Caitlin managed to catch up to us, so she and Mim had a rest on the side while I did a lap to get back into the swing of things.

Mim quickly gained confidence, by the end of the first hour, she was only holding onto one of my hands and we were skating well away from the barrier (unlike her oh-so-cautious sister). We spent a few hours in the cold, doing circuits of the rink before leaving. Mim wants to go there again, and again, and again. Hmmm, wonder if I should get her a few lessons?