Eloise... you're growing up

Oh boy are you growing up!
All of a sudden you are a pre-teen!  You've only just turned seven and already in the last few months so many things have happened.   You got glasses, you have just lost your first front tooth this week and by mighty you've got an attitude some days!

You are more concerned about how others view and judge you - the phrase 'Mum, that will be EMBARASSING!' is popping up more and more these days.  Some days are just a battle with you believing you know best in each situation and refusal to listen.. it can be totally exasperating and I worry about your teen years - how are we going to get through those?

You can also have such helpful and generous moments too - you have procured some very nice friendships this year at school.  Your glasses have given you back some of the academic confidence you lost in first term.  That is such a relief.

On another positive note you still love to read and EJ12 is your favourite book series at present. You've found a passion in writing - even your school report says how much you love to write and carefully construct sentences and plots and put thought into making interesting compositions.  I must admit I shed a little bit of a tear of pride reading that.

You've also discovered music with your new iPod - Katy Perry rocks your world and I don't think I'm going to forgive Daddy for putting it on there - you sing at the top of your lungs whilst wearing headphones and although I've set the volume to a low volume with password I think you pretend you can't hear us when you're wearing them - cunning little mite you are.

You've had fun with photography since acquiring your iPod Touch and your new digital camera but I think I'm going to have to encourage you how to actually think about what you're taking pics of... so I don't have to spend 2 hours downloading everything (no joke!).

Your cooking passion continues and we're going to make some of the recipes from your first very own cookbook you got for your birthday this weekend - I'm really looking forward to that and I know you are too - I know you are wanting more one-on-one time with me just to 'talk about stuff' which is another indicator of how much you are growing up - but hey! You agreed to stay seven for two years... don't get much bigger OK? Mummy is NOT ready.

The magic of childhood has not left you though - you recounted to me your meeting with the toothfairy this week - her beautiful blue dress and ENORMOUS wings and long blonde hair.  Lucky you.  I love you baby girl! xxx

Well that was the easiest party EVER.

Olivia and Laura had their last minute birthday party today.  I quickly made some butter cake cupcakes last night - they didn't want a 'real cake' and I have to admit not only was it easier to make but also easier to divvy up and serve.

 

I also made some party bags and poured various lollies into 2 tupperware containers - then packed some balloons and ribbon and that was IT.  I was finished birthday preparations by 9pm.  That is certainly a first for me.

The girls were so excited.  Honestly they were beside themselves and although I felt like I was cheating they certainly never thought so!

I promise you I didn't ask them to pose for this one, it looks like it's out of a catalogue! Posers!

Guests!  This was the 5 year old table.  Kashen the 'boyfriend' both girls are quite adamant they will marry him.  Poor bloke, he really does have a tough choice there.  Luckily he's very diplomatic at such a tender age and cuddles them equally.  Caitlin is more like a cousin than a friend, there's only 3 months age difference and these girls have really grown up together!

We sing Happy Birthday to Laura. 

Olivia's turn! (we sing happy birthday twice at Laura and Olivia's birthdays)

Official taste test... 

And we were all home with no mess, no stress and with change from $50!  I thought it was a fabulous, frugal and fuss-free way to have a birthday party. And let's face it, the food's a bit of a treat!

A whole lot can happen in one day

Hello friends!

I know you must be missing recipes almost as much as I miss creating them - but never fear - next week I will be cooking (hooray!) Do remember in addition to the recipes here on the blog there is my Christmas newsletter 1 and 2  and my Christmas on the cheap series over at Kidspot.

So let me update you on our crazy 24 hours here yesterday.  Yesterday was our first day of school holidays for Eloise and our last day of playgroup as a family forever.

Eloise at her first playgroup - 20 months old!

I started going to playgroup when Olivia and Laura were 6 weeks old - mainly for Eloise's benefit because it felt crazy at the time because it took me two hours to get there - and it was only in the next street - to make sure everyone was fed, bathed,fed, the pram was packed, morning tea was packed and I was showered, brushed my teeth and hair... seriously it was a feat!

Laura and Olivia on the way to first playgroup - 6 weeks old!

So it was a little bittersweet to see our girls graduate yesterday - ready and off to school

Santa arrived in a vintage car! 

It was pretty exciting and everyone who attends playgroup gets a book (derived from our bookclub rewards) Eloise as a visitor to playgroup didn't get a present and quickly deduced it was her hideous behaviour that morning that sealed her fate. (How convenient for me!)

But Eloise it seemed didn't learn - after our special lunch at Cavallinos where she got to practice her Italian lessons - at home a radical change was yet to come.

We went from this (at the restaurant)

to this a few hours later

Yes, this is the 'fixed' version after she had hacked a good 3+ inches off each side of her hair.  Not disastrous but good lord she challenges me!

After her trim, I decided to do the other girls' hair too - Laura got her very first haircut and I removed all the wispy bits from Olivia's hair... so now it's bob-city.  Nice for summer I think.

(new outfits on Laura and Olivia compliments my Mum for their birthday)

Let's just say I was very glad when they all nodded off to sleep last night - hubby was out and I got crafty.. therapy.  I hope the rest of the school holidays isn't as 'eventful'.

How have your school holidays started?

Eloise... what a big year you've had!

Today is Eloise's last day of being a Kindy kid.  How she has grown up this year - the things she's achieved.

Here she was in January getting her school shoes fitted!

And first day at school - the only tears were from me!

Her first school performance

She had her first 'big school' birthday party!

She learned how to ride her bike without training wheels!

She also touched and felt snow for the first time!

Performing in the first school concert as a possum!

She also lost her first tooth this year! (and only so far, another wiggly one at present)

And this week performing at Carols

She's blossomed.  She seems so much older at this end of the year and now reads ME stories instead of me reading her ones.  She's become a lot more appearance conscious too and probably a bit on the over-modest side of dressing (doesn't like to show her knees...) She's had some ups and downs in the friendship department but above all she's loved this year, she was really ready for this big year of learning and self discovery.

Next year I get to do it all again - times two!  I think next year will be a big year for all of us!

A funny thing happened on the way to the circus...

Well it wasn't exactly funny.  More exciting than funny.
It wasn't exactly the circus either, but close.

Last week when we went to the Sydney Childrens Festival, after we had taken in the Grug, Dress ups and the wishing wall we decided to have some lunch.  We took our packed lunches, including the soft and delicious cheese and spinach muffins, but when Eloise bit into hers.... out came her first tooth!

And my, was she excited!  We were all squealing! (excuse the crumbs!)

We called Daddy.  We then put the little itty-bitty-tooth in a safe place in my wallet.

Then it was off to the circus, kinda.

Sydney Childrens Festival has a free activity called Circus Drop Zone.. meaning drop by any time, find yourself some apparatus and have some fun.  Given the size of the festival it's hard to believe there's enough for everyone, but there is, easily.  We hardly had to wait for anything and it was a bit of a feast of equipment to try - the frills didn't know which way to go!

I tried to spin the plates, but I was hopeless, luckily my 6 year old can show Mum how it's done - first time!

Laura loved the batons, once she stopped spinning them on their own, she spun them over sticks, that was really cool!

But the girls' favourite by far was these foot-mobile things. (Don't know their real name) they had them with and without handles and a great time was had by all the girls giving them a go (not my child below, but you get the idea that way..)

Trying to get Laura off was my only struggle....

There was also gynastic mats with instructors to help you learn how to do cartwheels etc. safely, hula-hoops (all my girls are GREAT at this and I remember fondly of being a bit of a hula-hoop-hipster when I was small!) and even unicycles for the bigger kids.  We saw but didn't try the juggling pins, some older boys were getting taught how to use them!

You can drop in the Circus drop zone for free for most of the festival - check out here when you can drop in!

Oh, and the tooth fairy DID come.  $1 to go into her bank account - apparently according to Eloise she has  a red hat and matching sparkly shoes... be on your guard!

The invitation...to questions

More on the birthday - this is the invitation I made for Eloise's birthday. By the weeks' end I'm going to be saying 'My FIVE year old daughter...'

Scary stuff.

I think when it's your eldest each year feels like a major milestone.. because it brings a new frontier of developmental stages and especially where Eloise is concerned...QUESTIONS. just this week:

'What is God?'

'Doesn't the Man in the Moon miss his Mummy? Or does she live with him? If she lives with him why do we just talk about the Man in the Moon then?'

'How does food become poo in your body Mummy?'

A month in Review - March 2009

What we did:
Celebrated Lachlan's 5th birthday

Went to Canberra and to attend Andy and Liz's long awaited nuptuals.

Caught up with the lovely Cath and the boys in Canberra too - wonderful.

Finished up my short-term work contract

Celebrated Nanny's 77th birthday

Completed 1/2 of our rotating crop vege garden

Milestones:

Laura:

Speech has improved a lot, announciating a lot more.

Verbal reasoning has also improved, still a little stuttering when exciting, but becoming less and less.

Grew 2cm in one month! For the first time, taller than Olivia!

Olivia:

Becoming less anxious around new people, noticed it alot in Canberra, still standoffish but not anxious.

Olivia's been unwell a few times this month which is unusual - with both a cough and a virus.. all good now!

Eloise:

Can count to, and recognise numbers to 100 (and beyond)

Getting better with the backwards S and E's.

Had first 'home-haircut' and loved it! (she was really good and still too!)

Has decided wants to have a Barbie Themed Birthday party.

Must be on the improve...creative day..

..or maybe it's because I had no choice! Mummy day today and we had a productive one at that! I made the girls some colouring books from the Ceebeebies print and colour site (just printed a whole bunch and put staples down one side) they loved it! Will be doing this a bit more.

Eloise had a breakthrough today with her reading, she understands S & H makes the sh sound and actually came up with some wonderful examples... both as starting and finishing words. I'm astounded at how quickly her literacy is developing... I'll certainly keep encouraging that! She might be a little like me - more literate than numeric - ironic given my career is around numbers and logic... mmm..

Did some baking today - some muesli bars and a banana cake - both turned out well.. the banana cake recipe had received much hype and whilst it is nice and moist, and delicious, it didn't quite 'blow my socks off'. Will definitely make it again down the track. Kids loved it.

Here 'tis :

Ms Butterfly's Banana Cake

Cake ingredients

2 eggs

125grams softened butter

1 cup castor sugar

1 ½ cups SR flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup coconut cream

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup mashed banana (2-3 ripe bananas)

Method

Preaheat oven to 160oC Grease round cake tin (I used a small springform pan and it made the outer nice and crunchy)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl (I put mine in a food processor butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, coconut cream, dessicated coconut, banana, flour)
Pour into tin and bake for approximately 1 hour

Icing

Cream 25grams softened butter with 75grams softened cream cheese Mix in 1 ½ cups icing sugar and 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or milk

Now the next one I made was Ms Mee-Mee's crunchy muesli slice/bars. The recipe I was given was 1/2 this size, but I think you do need to double it. I also substitued quite a few ingredients.... but it's still really yummy. Quite moorish actually, and my girls devoured it for afternoon tea.

Ms Mee-Mee's Crunchy Muesli Bars

Ingredients

230g butter

110g muscovado sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 tbsp molasses (I used treacle)

300 g rolled oats

110g pecans (I chopped these, goes a lot further)

110g sunflower seeds (I used kernels)

110g sultanas (I used craisins but would taste great with sultanas and currants too)

Method: Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Put the butter, sugar & molasses into a saucepan and heat gently to melt. In a bowl stir together remaining ingredients. Add melted mixture and stir Press the mixture into a shallow, non stick baking tin and back for 20 mins. (I reckon 15 in a fan-forced oven)

A month in Review - February 2009

What we did:

• Went to Gold Coast for a mini-Gold-Coast Holiday
• Caught up with Auntie Lyn in Bangalow
• Caught up with Uncle Peter and some of our friends in Brisbane
• Caught up with my Godmother Gainor and family, and friends on the Gold Coast
• Went to Dreamworld
• I got and started a new job (3 week contract but meh!) after almost 3 months off work
• Got very sick of the rain, which I think out of 28 days of this month it has rained 24. ergh.

Milestones:

Laura

• Transitioned (mostly) to doing all poos in the toilet
• Wearing undies daytimes 100% even going out!
• We started doing 'homework' with Kindy this month
• Started 'Mighty-Mites' at Kindy this month
• 99cms tall on 21st (3 years 2 months)

Olivia

• Transitioned (mostly) to doing all poos in the toilet
• Wearing undies daytimes 100% even going out!
• We started doing 'homework' with Kindy this month
• Started 'Mighty-Mites' at Kindy this month
• 99cms tall on 21st (3 years 2 months)

Eloise

• Starting to get some of her letters the right way (as opposed to backwards due to being a lefty)
• Starting to understand the concept of counting to 100 (i.e. twenty, thirty, forty etc.)
• Small improvement in arguing, but screaming has become a new issue
• Started 'Mighty-Mites' at Kindy this month
• She's not using the word 'hate' as much (well pretty rarely) but now I realise I have probably been dropping too many f and s bombs as at times I will hear her repeating what I have said.. eek. bad mummy.
• Big gains on general attitude, positive reinforcement is working on the whole

the light at the end of the tunnel...

not so many years ago (3 to be exact) I was in a very different place. I used to fantasize about having twin 3 year olds and a 4 year old like I do now. My life at that point was changing at least 20 nappies a day, living on maximum of 3 hours sleep a night, being tired, frustrated, never being able to relax... 24-hour-a-day-feeding-changing-cleaning-settling-crying robot.

I loved my girls but oh my I wasn't enjoying my life. It was just so intense. I couldn't see my way out of the fog. I was drowning in the enormity of raising 3 children under 2. My hubby was going to work and trying not to fall asleep behind the wheel every day. He was short-tempered (like me) and stressed and like me felt like he never got a break.

I remember resenting him because he did get to go to work. He got to talk to adults. He got to have a cup of coffee and drink it all at once. He got to eat his lunch in one sitting. He only had to smell of baby vomit for a few hours a day. What I didn't consider is that he had to maintain a professional career on little sleep and then dread coming home to an overwraught wife with three babies that she ceremoniously handed over the minute he stepped in the door so she could either finish dinner, have a shower or go to the toilet. If he was 5 minutes late there would be tears because she hung out for that time you walked in the door and shared the load.

And when people say 'oh I miss when my daughter/son was a baby' I don't feel that way. I say 'there's not enough money in the world to make me do that again'. And that's sad you know? It was just so hard.

I love it now, and I can almost say it was worth all of that stress and strain on our marriage and finances because we aren't waiting for the 'baby' to grow up. We don't have to hang on to things forever until X grows out of it. 18 months difference from eldest to youngest is brilliant.. they like doing the same things, we feel like we're moving forward as a family now. We get sleep now.

I wish I enjoyed their babyhood more. I wish I wasn't so tired. I'm happy I took lots of photos because without them, it would be a blur.

I love them more than anything my three girls.

A month in Review - January 2009

What we did:

• Had lovely family time in Christmas Break
• Many days in the backyard wading pool and trampoline
• Experienced very hot weather
• Did a lot of farmgate trailing
• Visited the Flying Fox park for the first time
• Spent some time with cousins
• Had a visit from Nine
• Met Uncle Peter
• Went back to Kindy
• Daddy became a year older

Milestones

Laura:

• Started pre-school (became a koala 06.01.2008)
• First day in undies without an accident (30.01.2008)
• First poos in the potty 24.01.2008

Olivia

• Started pre-school (became a koala 06.01.2008)
• Started wearing undies part-time and pull-ups the rest of the time

Eloise
Well actually we need to do some work with Eloise - her behaviour needs some work. I'm hoping by next month-end update I can report that the arguing, backanswering and domineering will improve. It's upsetting me greatly but I've probably not been as consistent as I need to be. She also needs to be separated from Evan at Kindy, he is a terrible influence, the latest is the word 'hate'. She knows now through many times in the naughty corner at home that is not a word I want her to use :(

Could the end be nigh?

I almost can't believe I'm writing this but our day-nappy-days are almost over. 4.5 years of constant nappies, 1.5 of that with 3 children in nappies (like in the days of photo at right!), that's a lot of wipes, disposables, cloth nappies, washing, changing and disgusting odours!

Our little girls are almost nappy free. Olivia will have the occasional accident but mostly we are there! It almost seems like some surreal world - the world without nappies and a final departure from having small children. I'm excited but totally unprepared!

I'm so proud of my girls. On the weekend on our little roadtrip, 2 hours down the road I took them all into a public toilet - they all proceeded to relieve themselves, and wash their hands like a little production line and no accidents in sight! They were so proud of themselves - and I am a very proud mummy!

Report - First day as Koalas

Well our three little ladies had a lovely day back at City Kindy today - finally as Koalas!

Daddy reported it was significantly quicker dropping all the girls in one room rather than the two we previously did. The big kids (4 year olds going to school next year) did things in their own group for most of the day to let the 3 year olds get acquainted with their new routine etc.

Funny thing though is when the groups came together for story time - Laura sat on Eloise's lap which then prompted other kids to do the same resulting a raucous! So now all the girls need to work on is personal space - not all the kids are as familiar with each other as our three are !