An Overdue Christmas Wrap Up....

It just feels wrong to be talking about Christmas on Jan 20th.  Oh well, I'm on a role and my children have been quite excited to see me updating our blog finally, so I'll finish what I started shall I?

You may remember I mentioned that we moved house on the 23rd of December.  Couldn't get any crazier.  We were so flat out in the couple of weeks leading up to it and then during the middle of the moving madness, surrounded by boxes with days worth of unpacking and settling in stretching before us, we emerged momentarily from the exhausted fog we'd been living in for days to Christmas day!  In our new house!

There aren't too many photos actually.  It was such an effort to simply pick up my camera - seriously every single muscle in my body ached with the soreness one can only experience with moving house while 8 months pregnant.

Dexter was the first up (after only 5 or so hours sleep crazy kid) and we tried to keep him in our room for just a wee bit longer to allow Hugo more sleep after incredibly late nights for us all.  That lasted oh, about 10 minutes!

So out to the lounge we wandered bleary eyed.  Hugo was so focused on emptying his stocking that he failed to notice his new bike by the tree for several minutes...until this moment:

The weather was awful; cold and rainy.  But actually no-one cared.  Apart from Hugo not being able to ride his new bike or scooter (from Nanny and Pa) or for Dexter to be able to take his new massive remote controlled car (from Granny Kim and Papa Ward) for a spin  - they were quite content to stay home for most of the day and discover their other new things.  Hugo settled down to his new book of mazes for a while at the table.  He also got excited about his rainbow maker and spent quite some time in his bedroom with the door closed making rainbows on the wall.

Dexter wasted no time getting started on building and programming his Lego robot, Mindstorm.  He was so engrossed in it that he didn't want to stop when it came time to leave for our Christmas day dinner in Rose Bay.  He managed to build about half of it this day and then finished it on Boxing day.  Go Dexter!

We enjoyed discovering where/how my mum had unpacked all our kitchen goods two days before when Will made pancakes for breakfast and a delicious lunch of corn chips with beans and melted cheese.

These photos truly don't show the incredibly chaotic state that we were living in at this time.  The hallway was lined full of boxes, 2 bedrooms were so full of unpacked boxes and furniture in various states of assembly that you literally couldn't get through the door.  However, our beds were fully assembled and clothes pretty much unpacked into the wardrobes and as you can see the living area was very much good to go.   Thanks so much to my folks for their incredible hard work helping with the unpacking on moving day!

Spur of the Moment Adventure w Daddy

One weekend in mid November Will and the boys took themselves off for a spur of the moment adventure.  It was a Saturday morning and we'd had a busy week.  (I may have been complaining about feeling tired and in need of some me-time the evening before)!

Will got up early with the children and made pancakes for brekkie while I enjoyed a sleep in (which he does every weekend in fact)!  I woke up and tuned in lazily to what they were all doing in the living room.  The sound of Will on the computer, questions to the boys about this and that, their excited answers.  Next thing Dexter was by the side of the bed and said Dad just wants me to check before he books it all but is it ok for us to go to Lorne for the weekend?  That's right, using frequent flyer points Will managed to book flights to Melbourne, hire a car and book accommodation in Lorne, Victoria for that very day.  I was asked to please drop them at the airport in 1 hour!

They travelled light and Will left his camera behind so the only record we have of their spur of the moment adventure are these photos he took on his phone and sent to me throughout the weekend.

Will spent a lot of time in Lorne way back in the day when he was backpacking his way around the country in the years before we met.  He developed a soft spot for Lorne after living and working there for 6 months way back in 1997.  So he knows this part of the Great Ocean Road very well indeed.  He and I spent several weeks exploring the area in the year we spent living out of our old '82 Toyota Hiace in 2000!

They wasted no time enjoying the beach and bushwalking to a couple of waterfalls and feeding the cockatoos (who 12 yrs. on are still boldly harassing the tourists and locals alike to be fed as we remember them doing) - jamming as much into their short visit as possible.  The boys still talk frequently and fondly about their special weekend away with daddy.  And Will and I have been dreaming up our one day plan to do a proper family road trip in this gorgeous part of the world.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed some time doing this

and this...

Dexter's Belated Birthday Blogpost!

Shame on me for not blogging about Dexter's 7th birthday in November which feels so very long ago now.  He enjoyed a drawn out celebration once again with several events spread out over a few days and milked it for all it was worth.

First up was the much anticipated Solar Eclipse Party.  We met a small group of friends for an EARLY birthday gathering at Sydney Park where we hoped to watch the solar eclipse scheduled to take place between 7 and 8am a few days before Dexter's actual birthday.  Will and I were rather proud of ourselves for putting together a breakfast spread which was completely gluten, dairy, sugar and egg free.  Pat on the back to us.  Of course I didn't take any decent photos of this feast so you'll just have to trust me.  But it included potato fry up, slow roasted tomatoes, smoked trout, sprouted buckwheat pancakes, garlic dip, hummus, pesto and massive bowls of fruit salad and a mango and passionfruit coconut-water smoothie with the seasons very first mangoes.  Phew!

Instead of a cake Dexter requested bliss balls.  I was relieved, all this dairy/gluten/egg free cooking left me feeling rather wiped out at the thought of baking a cake.

The solar eclipse itself was, shall we say, rather disappointing.  It was not only extremely cloudy but it actually rained on and off all morning.  The cool eclipse sunnies I'd ordered didn't get used.  Not to worry though.  Dexter was quite devastated about it momentarily at the party but quickly lost himself in play with his mates.  There were a few tears shed on several occasion about missing the eclipse in the few weeks following but by and large our sensitive and all things celestial obsessed son coped with the disappointment quite well.

Then there was his actual birthday.

Longed for Lego:

Birthday phone call from Nanny:

Home made ice cream cake:

Finally a birthday celebration with Granny Kim and Papa Ward and all the cousins.  Swimming and gluten free birthday cake (yes, I finally faced my fears and it was delicious).  One 7th birthday fully celebrated and accounted for.  A satisfied and taller and generally more grown up by the day Dexter!  We love you so much gorgeous boy.

Whoopsie daisy!

Hmmm.  Last post November 10th?  Really?!

Funnily enough David Bowie's Changes is playing right now.  (One of Hugo's all time favourite songs).  How very apt.  Because we are all about big changes of late.

I'm going to be a realist.  I know I wont suddenly find the time and headspace to suddenly start blogging more regularly again any time soon.  Nope.  However, I shall attempt a few catch up posts of the big moments since last I blogged and then perhaps for the next little while I'm going to give it my best shot to maintain a little something in this space by way of a weekly photo or incy wincy moment shared.  Low on the words.  (Lets face it my new squishy brain isn't going to be any better than my current end of pregnancy brain and its really only a matter of days until I switch from one to the other).

Its been a busy and full and wonderful summer so far.  Here are a few moments captured starting with our New Years day:

We moved house 2 days before Christmas (yeah, that was fun)!  I hardly touched my camera during the  chaos but here are a couple of snapshots.  Dexter has been as thrilled by the dishwasher as his parents (who haven't by the way had a dishwasher EVER in their adult lives) and asked to please be in charge of unloading it every morning in exchange for pocket money.  You bet son!  Hugo has found new places to set up little Baby cubby houses in the new place.  

Both boys have completely taken the move in their stride without a moments distress or anxiety or sadness about leaving the only home they have ever known.  Whoohoo to that!  I think the more generous proportions, proximity to a park (its literally right next door), GRASS in our backyard and a massive playroom/homeschool space in our lovely rental property may have contributed to that.  They were obviously as over the cramped chaos of our old house as we were!

And here it is....the cosy little home of our wee 3rd child.  Not too much longer left inside there bubba, which is exciting and wonderful but also a little sad really.  Very likely the last time I'll ever gestate a little human being.  It has been such a pleasure little one.

                       

 

And lucky last in our days of the week snapshot series

Was it only week before last?  Really?  Boy, we have been busy.  So busy, with so much packed into each day that it feels like a lifetime ago that I snapped our final day in our peak inside our weekday series - Wednesday before last.  It is supposed to be our activity/class free day.  A mid week chance to stop and stay home all day and do all that home stuff.  Honestly I can't remember a single Wednesday this term were we've done just that.  Now what did that look like on Oct 31st?  Let's see...

We lived with the lovely hum of the dehydrator overnight and beyond (some 24 hours altogether).  And weren't we all glad when it was time to turn that thing off?!  Its a wonderful thing, but in a small open plan house such is ours, its  noisy and annoying too.  But we have almonds coming out our ears now so it was worth it.

On our way to a picnic with lovely friends we see far too seldom we dropped off the pumpkin to Campos.  Just to sit on the counter and look cool for the day.  Why not?

It was a gorgeously hot day and we met our friends by the river.  The children played together like they're the best of mates but really they hardly ever get to see each other.  Isn't it lovely how as both adults and children we can catch up with friends we hardly ever see and it feels exactly as if we saw them just yesterday?  Those are friendships to cherish.

I got to gush over this sweet little thing and get my clucky on big time knowing it is all coming our way again in the not too distant future.  How awesome!

Once home again it was time to hit the back streets and join the neighbourhood halloween celebration which we have taken part in for the past 3 years.  Everyone meets in the park first and picnic dinners are shared, wine sipped (by some at least :)) and costumes oohed and ahhed at.  Its really so much fun and one of the very rare opportunities in our neighbourhood to well, hang out with the neighbours.  This year cousins Senna, Lara and Sachin joined us.

The Tuesday snapshots

Some Tuesdays start with a visit to Annabelle, our family chiropractor.  Usually one or both of the children can't resist squeezing between the chairs in the waiting room into their cubby.  Isn't it funny how comfortable children are in claiming the space and feeling ownership over something?  

The rest of our morning was spent enjoying some rare time at home which this term is feeling somewhat lacking.  We easily fill our time with piano practice, our online learning programs like Study Ladder, reading, board/card/word/math games and/or puzzles, play dough, workbooks, art and crafty stuff, checking for ripe strawberries, watering the garden (or each other) and many many other things which occupy our time.

Then its time for Dexter's art class.  Dexter and Hugo like to balance on the little garden wall outside the art studio, seeing who can stay put the longest.  Its far harder than this photo suggests and there is much wobbling and falling onto bottoms.

Notice Hugo's bulging pockets?

Dex asked him what on earth was in them to make them bulge so much...wooden ice block toys of course.  All 6 of them.  He cracked up so much at himself for bringing them.  The kids pretended to eat them and danced around like lunatics for the 10 minutes or so we were waiting for art class to begin.

Dexter has been attending this class this term for the first time. Its the second art class we have tried, neither have impressed Dexter and I too much.   We'll stick this term out here but next year I am hoping to secure places for the children in the monthly art classes held at the Art Gallery of NSW - which comes highly recommended by several friends and will hopefully thrill the children a little more than the very prescript, narrow classes they're attended so far.  Perhaps my standards are too high...but who would have thought it would be so hard to find an art class that actually encourages creativity?!

Dexter waiting for the paint on this days masterpiece to dry.  Hugo and I sit outside in the little garden with a couple of other mums and younger siblings and I snapped this photo through the window.  I tried to enrol Hugo in the class as well but its strictly 5 yrs and up, no exceptions.  Even when I explained that we homeschool and Hugo attends many mixed age events pitched at the 5+ crowd and I was sure he would slot in without a hitch (not to mention the fact that he isn't really that far off turing 5).  Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, sometimes not.  Oh well, it was worth a try.

The children made masks for Halloween this day.  They roamed around scarring each other at the end of the class saying such things as 'I'm going to eat your brains'.  Charming.

Dinner was an easy basil pesto and gluten free pasta.  I hadn't made pesto in years and everyone gave it the thumbs up thankfully.  (Isn't this the most thrilling of blog posts?!  I had a chiro adjustment.  Wow!  Hugo stuffed his pockets with toys. Amazing! We ate pesto.  Whoo!  Such riveting details from our lives are they not?!!)

There's nothing typically Tuesday about the next activity which spilled over until bedtime.  While I made dinner Will carved a jack o lantern.  In fact its the first time we've ever made a jack o lantern; period. But it turned out pretty well don't you think?

And on to Monday...

Ahh, finally you are saying!  The peak inside our week continues.  Damn internet. It's been extremely slow since last Thursday and I have attempted and failed to complete my weekday snapshot series several times.  

Mondays for a loooong time have been all about piano and gymnastics and its no different this term.

We're often a bit rushed getting out the door on Mondays as their lessons start at 9am so we have to tackle the school zone/peak hour traffic and such that we precious homeschoolers tend not to find ourselves in all too often.  Oh poor us!!

Hugo is first up for his lesson.  Until quite recently he would only accompany us to Dexter's lesson but then he began begging to have his own special time at the piano with Alina.  I let the begging go on for about a term to be sure he was serious.  (Because any parent whose child learns an instrument - especially in the Suzuki tradition - will testify that its quite the commitment and one does not want to start the long journey down that road unless all parties involved are really ready).

Look at how little he looks sitting up there on boosters with the foot stool.  Pulls at my heartstrings every time.

Dexter is next.  They both work quite hard and even when we've had a clunky week of difficult practices, 95% of the time during their actual lessons they impress me with their concentration and commitment.  (Thats not to say we haven't had our share of mid-lesson tantrums.  Though they're few and far between in recent months compared to those early days).

We usually head for a coffee after piano and home again for a little while before going to gymnastics.  I wasn't able to capture much of the gymnastic action this day.  They move too fast in there!

Monday afternoons can involve any number of things.  Some weeks we go home after gymnastics which we are more than ready for after our early start at piano.  This week though we had our monthly Honest To Goodness co-op order to sort at Ness's house.

Dexter and his friends spent a good while working in their orange juice shop.

There's Hugo in his purple cape lining up to buy a cup of fresh OJ.

Meanwhile in the other room we slowly got through the massive pile of food and sorted them into boxes.  We've established quite the production line with these orders now and its rather efficient - even this day when we had no less than four babies underfoot - and dare I say I get quite the kick out of spending a few hours scooping, weighing and ticking off lists.

In the car on the way home in the late afternoon the children showed me their earnings form the OJ shop.  Dex explained how they ran the business.  He and Carmella were in charge and directed the other other children.   They made Open and Closed signs and a menu with prices.  20 cents for the first glass and 5 cents for any subsequent glass.  A container was used for the cash register.  Zoe and Hugo worked part time in the store where their job was to wash up.  Other children fulfilled the roles of delivery person (we adults in the next room placed our orders and had our juice hand delivered!) and orange picker from the massive orange tree in the backyard.   At one point it was decided they would diversify and hot cocoa drinks were added to the menu until the milk ran out.  (Sorry Dan, they drank all your lovely organic milk for your morning coffee)!