Touch my stuff and I'll biff you.

It's hard to get a photo of 3 small children when they're all being still and unfortunately this is the best I could do. We've just attempted to have 2 young 20 month old girls enjoy a play with my boisterous 24 month old. Angelique, in the left hand corner, is just the quietest child I've met in years. She just sits back and soaks up the atmosphere. Isabella, with the phone to her ear is a little more like Henry. She speaks her mind and makes the most of all opportunties. Mine, well he just likes things to go his way no matter what. He hugs the girls and gives them kisses but when they touch his stuff he can't help but give them a good biff. I need to get out the child rearing guidebooks and learn all over again how to cope with this behaviour.

Playgroup is all about singing

This morning I took Henry to the PCYC (Police Citizen's Youth Club) playgroup. We went with his friend Angelique who is four months younger than him. I was expecting a bunch of kids just hanging out doing their own thing on all the cool looking play equipment. What we got instead was a very well structured play timetable. When we walked in there were parents with their young children all sitting in a circle and the play instructor was singing some cool kids songs and playing her guitar. Every child except mine sat listening intently, enthralled by the singalong. Obviously they'd been before and were indoctinated into the rules of playgroup. Henry thought it much more fun to run around on the padded mats and scream really loudly so he could hear his own voice as it reverberated through the room.
There was some time to play with the cool stuff after the songs were over but even that was heavily controlled. He was very co-operative at this point but then it was time to head back to the "big" room for some ball throwing and more singing.

Henry just can't do sitting still during a singalong.

Maya and her cousing Mitch about to freeze their little toes off in the water

The Bogey Hole. This is a huge big square pool cut out by prisoners around 1819 to make a private swimming hole for the then Governor. This place is a little scary and it would take a brave person to venture in there as the surf still pounds against the rocks there turning the pool into a swirling, raging spa. Some people hold onto the rusted iron pins that were used for fencing as the waves come in and hit them full force, washing them back into the pool.

My brother and his fiance. Great pub overlooking the coastline.

Maya and I had 6 days in Newcastle. Orginally we were all going to go. We managed to get some fantastic flight deals - $22 each way - but Ben could not take time off work and after I had paid and booked I realised Henry would have turned two just before we fly which means he was no longer free. The tickets had then gone up to $140 dollars so we made the decision to leave him home with Ben and my mother. All things were going fine until Ben called me Sunday to tell me Henry had started throwing up. Taking care of a kid who is throwing up everywhere on your own is no easy task and I felt bad I wasn't here to help. Mum and Henry picked us up from the airport on Tuesday and by then he had diarrhea but worse than that he wouldn't talk to me. Must have been punishing me for going away and leaving him.

I must admit it was relaxing just hanging out at the beach, doing a little touring and sitting watching Foxtel all day. What a life! I could easily pack up my bags right now and go live there.

Scenes from another place

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How could one not be happy to live here? Newcastle has some of the most spectacular coastline I've ever seen. They've really made the most of it. Everyone who lives there seems to have a deep respect for the natural beauty they're fortunate enough to be able to see each and every day. There are no buildings on the shorefront aside from some old surf lifesaving clubs. This place is so user friendly and designed so that everyone can make the most of it. Everything is easy to access, kept in pristine condition and just so breathtakingly beautiful. We were lucky to hit some beautiful early spring weather and I even managed to take a swim although it was so cold it made my head numb.

Newcastle

I'm moving here to live. For the rest of my life. Maybe.

Woe is me...

There's no point having this blog unless I can use it to extract some sympathy of my own. I am sick. Never before have I spent so much money on snot medications and absorption devices. First Henry got an ear infection and has had a constant nose drip since winter started, then Maya got it minus the ear infection, then I got a sinus infection and now on top of it I have the worst head cold EVER. I went off the pharmacy to beg for something to dry it all up but she just said "It's better to just ride it out because anything I give you will just prolong it". Obviously she doesn't have kids at home who expect her to read truck books all day long and play cars.

Henry couldn't care less if I'm sick but Maya nursed me yesterday and even sent me to bed while she took care of Henry. That's the type of daughter all mothers should have. Ben feels bad for me but what can he do? He still needs to go to work to earn the money I need to give to the pharmacy.

The Celebration Continues.

Yesterday we had a small family gathering to celebrate Henry's birthday. The weather was perfect. The cake was, with a little help from my friends at White Wings, perfect. I did the baking and Ben did the decorating. Henry played and snatched back anything any other small child dared to touch of his.

A much appreciated gift from Aunt Sharyn and Uncle Brett

By now he's worked out that looking cute and turning two gets you some much deserved attention.

The race track that my parents bought for him. They thought it would be a good idea to take him to the toy shop and choose his own gift. Big mistake!

White Wings and me. A perfect combination!

Happy Birthday Two

The sand pit he's not sure he likes yet

Checking out the stash

It's all too much!

Happy Birthday Henry

The Tonka construction machines that ganpa sent

Percy and James from Grandma Mary

The Tonka Construction machines

A Thomas book from Grandma Mary

Henry slept in this morning until 7.45am. We were all awake very early expecting him to be jumping out of bed at 6am like he usually does. When he did wake he didn't want to get out of bed but just lay there under the covers. We finally coaxed him out and set about dumping gifts on his lap. Gandpa and Grandma had each sent him a parcel from the US stacked full of wonderful goodies. He just wasn't sure which thing he wanted the most. He was very quiet and methodical in his approach to them.

We then took him to the sandpit we put outside for him hoping he'd like to play with his new trucks in it but he wasn't as excited as we thought. He hated the fact that the sand made them dirty and we had to wash them. He doesn't like the sand and gets upset if he gets it on his hands. I have to teach him to get dirty!

Happy Birthday Mama and Dadda

It's Henry's birthday tomorrow. That means that at this exact time last year I was in a hospital room in pain. Extreme amounts of pain. More pain than I had been when I was in labour with Maya. My waters had not yet broken but the contractions were thick and fast. My patient midwife was with us checking all my vitals, making sure Henry was still coping well and generally trying to keep us calm.

There's an expectation and anticipation associated with birth that is not matched by any other experience in life. That feeling of knowing that soon you will bring a new life into the world, if the pain doesn't kill you, is way better than the most exhilarating ride at the Ekka. You grit your teeth and hope that it's not going to take longer than 5 minutes. That your baby will effortlessly make its way into the world without you having to exert yourself. You imagine it as being just like in the movies; you might grunt and scream and curse and punch your husband in the privates but with just a few small pushes you've managed to create a family. Everyone cries, the doctor hugs you, your husband kisses your forehead and says "thank you" and the room is instantly filled with scented bouquets.

Henry was born on the Ekka holiday two years ago. We had no doctor, no scented bouquets and I did not kick my husband in the privates. Despite the long, intense and very painful labour we had a very emotional experience. Giving birth is sometimes very cliched but all those cliches are based on fact. To see the child you've spent nine months growing for the first time is like nothing else on this earth. Introducing yourself to him as his parents is a little like a job application as a top ranking official only you know it's a lifelong commitment and comes without the pay cheque.

Here we are two years later. We have two precious children who love to irritate each other and us but we wouldn't trade that for all the Hershey bars in the world.

The Town with no water

My flat leaf parsely has never looked this good!

...nor my camelias

For a city with water in short supply and very strict water restrictions as a result, Toowoomba can still produce flowers and fruit in abundance. I was quite surprised to see how green and lush it is despite the fact that no one has been able to water their plants with anything more than a 10 litre bucket for a year or more now. This city is really very pretty and has the most beautiful buildings and homes.

I wasn't there as a tourist though I was there to celebrate my sisters' birthday. We had a lovely time despite Maya suffering from fever for most of the time we were there. We had dinner and a shared a few glasses of wine and tall tales with some friends, ate rich Tasmanian cheeses, pate, chocolate and strawberries. We continued that on Sunday with a trip to the flea market to pick up some farm fresh produce and then topped that with lunch at an Italian restuarant where the meals are so huge you don't need to eat for three days after.

Monster Truck Madness

Henry has a new monster truck. Just a small one, a little bigger than matchbox size but he's in love with it. Not just happy to have it but I believe he may seriously attached and he'd like to believe it's human. We got it while grocery shopping today. We have a choice of two supermarkets here which are very close to each other and only one of them sells matchbox cars. He knows which supermarket has them, which aisle they are in and exactly where in that aisle they are located. He spends several minutes looking over the display and then we hold several out for him to choose from but he can only have one. He inspects each and every one of them. The rejects get shoved back towards the rack. He's very polite about this and says "put it back". Today he chose the monster truck. This afternoon after he got it home he played with it very gently and drove it over everything he could drive it over and then he came rushing out to the kitchen and got a cup from the cupboard, the apple juice from the fridge and asked me to pour a drink for the monster truck.

I poured just a little in the cup and he poked the truck in there and made some slurping noises. Then I heard him say "Want some tucker?". I wondered what he might find to feed it. What do monster trucks like to eat after all. Apparenty it's dried apricots.

First there were four

My sister is having a birthday on Monday. My family is supposed to be joining her in celebration this weekend but they're all dropping like flies from the dreaded lurgy and other complaints. All four of us were meant to drive the 120 kilometres to her home, the adults would drink while the children played but now it's down to just me. I'll have to drink alone without the children. Sad! Ben's back has kept him hobbled over and walking like a crab. Henry has inflamed ears, Maya has what appears to be tonsilitis and I have a sinus infection. Yesterday Henry, Maya and I went off to the doctor and a million dollars later came home with a stash of presciption medications to treat the long list of ailments.

If I were ever really sick though I'd have to book into a holiday resort, ALONE, to recover.

Little Red Tractor.

Maya insisted on taking Henry's red tractor to the park yesterday so she could ride it down the slopes like a real grown up. Henry had his own little bike but got very frustrated that it took him forever to get up the hill before he could even attempt to go down it. He decided it was simply too much and just got off and walked away.

The age difference makes no difference to the noise levels

After a particularly frustrating day at home with Henry who now needs to be entertained every waking minute I tried to cook dinner. Trying to cook while a two year old hovers around your feet demanding ice cream is difficult enough but when you add a 13 year old, some pots and pans and some things to bang those pots and pans with you just get a headache strong enough to turn dinner into charcoal.

El Rancho Relaxo

......and then she apologises. Tells me I really am the best mother in the world, promply followed by "Hey mum, you know how I really, really wanted that shirt, well if I were to ........"

Then I made the phone call to El Rancho Relaxo.......

If only there was a mathematical formula for telling you how long it would be before they hate you.

Having two children at both ends of the scale gives me a headache. I have a two year old who still thinks I am the centre of his universe and a teenager who once thought I was the centre of her universe but now would rather I didn't speak for fear of embarrassing her. It's hard, as a parent, to accept that your children no longer view you as anything other than an open wallet. That adorable little girl I once spent hours playing Barbie with now thinks I know nothing, have terrible dress sense, a bad hairstyle and say the most ridiculous things. This doesn't stop her from asking me to buy her things several times a day, each and every day.

Just the other day she feigned some terrible illness and came home from school early. Her terrible illness didn't stop her from browsing online stores and ebay and asking me to buy all those things she "can't possibly live without" or "has been desperately wanting like, forever". I told her if she didn't want to hear the word "no" then she simply shouldn't ask. Of course that was like telling her I was having the internet access cancelled until further notice. She stormed off screaming something about me never buying her anything despite the fact that she's managed to wrangle a whole new wardrobe out of me, her father and her aunt this winter. More than anyone else in this house has had for years.

The next morning she deliberately slept in late in the hope I may believe she wasn't feeling so well. I banged on her bedroom door and made her get up. She came upstairs trying very hard to look ill and asked me if she could just have the morning off to rest before her math exam at midday as she felt so bad. The penny dropped immediately. A math exam! That's what the illness was all about. I sat very quiet for a few minutes to let the tension build and let her believe that I may seriously be considering allowing her to stay home and rest. Then I let her down with the sad news. "No". She stomped off, slamming doors as she went. Then she came back, crying and said "You know mum, I never wanted to say this but I hate you right now".

Then I looked at Henry who was sitting on my lap reading his truck book. He looked at me with love, devotion and affection. I'm going to have to treasure these next few years because soon enough it will be him telling me he hates me because I won't buy him a fully functioning bulldozer.

I hate to brag....

But this kid is just too cute. This is his first "official" day care photo.

If he could sleep with them he would

BULLBEELA

Why it's so hard to get cranky

One of the hardest things about being a parent is having to discipline your child. A natural defence mechanism built into children is their ability to look so innocent and downright cute. They don't need the fight or flight instincts, they just need to look like they'd never do anything wrong.