So welcome 2011, you have made a good start and I thank you!

2011 will be a year of adjustments as we put our twins into prep school. Thomas and Emily are very excited and ready I believe. They will love the days full of stimulation and interaction. It’s been tiring recently to keep them happily occupied with science experiments, books, puzzles and outings and all questions answered. Thankfully they are used to being busy with mind and hands and shouldn’t find school too tiring.

I shall be taking a peaceful month before I begin to contemplate earning some income. A month in which I might find myself again and may or may not regain some sanity. I am seriously considering finding a yoga class. I dream of being a bendy person filling my body with energised oxygenated blood and happy, positive thoughts in mind. Nothing will faze me, I’ll be so at peace with myself and life and all will be… Perfect! Like I said I dream. No, no,no positive thoughts are with me. Life is great and will be greater.

I’m a lucky woman and I mean this most sincerely. The man I love, my husband Andrew, happily moved to this country to begin a life with me 6 years ago – to start a family. We have two healthy, smart, beautiful children who are caring and kind, hilarious and loving. Our family life is a perfect one in which we enjoy each others company, we laugh, we play, we explore the countryside and new things together. We have a lovely home in a nice neighborhood. We have a funny puppy dog called Spot, she’s a big Spot. My husband is forgiving and flexible often waking in our sons bed to find me, Emily, Thomas and Spot in our bed LOL See my life, our lives, are pretty darn good and the sooner the kids start sleeping in their own bed life will be just even better

I love this photo of us taken in 2005

What an incredible 2008 we had!!  And what achievements we reached. 

We have bought our first family home, our very own here in Chirnside Park.  A lovely 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living areas house approximately 25 years old with character and charm.  Hasn’t been updated which leaves the re-decorating to us and we’re more than keen and willing to put our own stamp on it.

Secondly, Andrew and I have lost some weight.  Andrew lost 10 kilos while I lost 7.5 kilos.  Ruddy good effort on our part, and an ongoing one.  I still need to lose another 7 kilos to reach my goal of 55 kilos. 

And lastly, our finances are in order.  Apart from our new mortgage we are debt free.

We have just paid cash for a new LCD 42” tv, a Westinghouse 650l fridge/freezer, 2 king single beds for the kids, new kitchen appliances and 2 club chairs. 

A big thank you to my parents, Christine and Paul, whom we have been living with for the past 11 months rent free.  This has enabled us to save a deposit and have money for extras.  And another huge thank you for making living all together so easy.  Thanks Mum and Dad!!

Emily and Thomas are doing really well.  Starting 3 year old kindergarten next month which I think they’ll love. 

Christmas

The kids loved Christmas.  They’re no longer terrified by the hairy man in the red suit who creeps into the house on xmas eve night ha ha ha.  The lead up to christmas was enjoyed by us all too.  Andrew and I enjoyed using the threat ‘Santa is watching’ so you better be good. 

The kids were spoilt rotten with way too many gifts on Christmas morning.  Thomas was the first to wake.  Actually no, poppie and nana were up at 7am expecting the kids to awake early hee hee.  We got up at 9am, Thomas first who after wandering into the loungeroom and seeing all the presents for the first time started screaming ‘Santa’s been! Santa’s been!  Thomas asked Santa for a tip truck and Emily asked Santa for Collie’s castle (Collie is her favorite My Little Pony).  Both got what they wished for, plus many others.  A digger, cricket bat, kites each, games each.   Emily got lipstick and eyeshadow and as soon as she opened this present as far as she was concerned the other presents could wait.  She just loves lipstick and makeup.  She sat there for ages applying lippie all over her lips, and top lip.  Big glunks of lipstick stuck to her top lip so cute and hilarious.  We had to work really hard to get her to open other presents.  Thomas loves his digger, it is one he can sit on and work the 2 levers digging and dropping the dirt .  He can fill his tip truck up too using his digger which he thinks is very cool.

Andrew and I went halves in a multi functional, high velocity, dynamic super dooper cutting & sanding tool.  All for our new DIY experiences coming up. 

We had a really good christmas lunch at Michelle and Frank’s house in Wandin East.  Frank’s family were there too, his parents, sister Grace and husband Tony and their 2 children Stephanie and Anthony. The kids had a terrific time, weather wasn’t too hot (around 25 degrees).  They played on the trampoline most of the time, especially Emily.  At one point her hair was plastered to her face she was so hot but still she didn’t want to get off.  Thomas loves jumping too but has an equally good time digging in the sand pit.  Thomas was quite impressed by Anthony (8 yrs old I think).  Together they admired Anthony’s new tool box and tool set.  It was so sweet when we were saying goodbye Thomas went to shake Anthony’s hand in farewell but instead Anthony gave him a big hug and said ‘seeya buddy’.  Thomas was rapt.

I cooked a really tasty turkey which was only spoiled by the apple & pecan stuffing… Anthony is allergic to nuts.  I kicked myself because during cooking it occurred to me that I should check and never did.  Fortunately, there was no cross contamination and no emergencies but still we should have made the feast a ‘no nut’ one.  Cooked the turkey in an oven bag and it really was delicious, also made scallop potatoes and a pesto potatoe salad.  There was pork, turkey, lamb and beef and plenty of salads brought by everyone. 

Summer Holiday

I love holidays!!  Especially beach holidays.  It was a real adventure.  We started out on Tuesday afternoon on December the 15^th, me and the kids, picking Andrew up at Bonbeach station after he finished work;  but only after I picked up the VOIP phones in Sandringham and then visited Ging in Chelsea to wish her a merry xmas.    When Andrew got in the car it was real holiday time and drove on to Sorento where we stayed at the Whitehall Guest house.  We have a very, very large room with a queen bed and 3 single beds, a fridge and tv.  The shared bathrooms, which were very nice, were just across the hall. The back beach with rock pools walking distance.   Crunchie , Thomas’s alligator, and Pinkie, Emily’s dolphin were with us…. The kids inflatable ride on water toys.  The weather wasn’t hot and it wasn’t peak season which meant the hotel was quiet, the beaches quiet and perhaps the more enjoyable for it all.  I had forgotten how cool the Sorento rock pools are.  The water was cold initially but we all got used to it quickly.  The kids could be trembling and still wouldn’t want to get out.  They would stay in for hours and hours if we let them.    Real water babies our two.  They loved sitting on their inflatables and Andrew and I pushed them around playing chasey.  Thomas and Andrew braved the deep cold water first in the rock pool.  Thomas squeals with delight he loves it so much.  We chased fish and I show the kids how when I wriggled my toes the curious fish came and tried to nibble me.  I pointed out a small dead fish to the kids and Emily carried it around for ages ha ha.  Thomas was obssessed with the sad, poor dead seagul we saw on the way back to the car. 

The breakfast at the hotel was so, so glorious.  So nice to have a cooked breakfast in lovely surroundings, with fruit and cereals, juice and hot coffee at our fingertips.  It was a real highlight for me.  When asked what he wanted for breakfast Thomas said ‘just bacon please’.  Like father, like son. Hee hee  The kids thought it pretty funny that we were sleeping in the same room as them.

We caught the ferry across to Queenscliffe.  The kids were pretty excited and quietly amazed at being on the ferry.  A big adventure for them.  From Queenscliffe we drove the 20 minute drive to Ocean Grove and spent 2 days there at the holiday park in a cabin.  A bit easier here with the kids as there is a playground, a pool, a games room and an indoor spa.  We had so much fun down on the beach, running around throwing jelly fish, sand, seaweed laughing and laughing.  Running to the waves, jumping over them, screaming and laughing.  We missed the rocks pools but it didn’t matter we had so much fun. 

The last night the kids and I swam in the outdoor pool.  Today was the only day it was too cold and windy to swim at the beach.  Thomas stood on a bee but recovered quickly.  Straight after our swim we hopped in the indoor spa.  Very nice. We only got out because Thomas threw up in it.  The owners had just refilled it that day too, so not only did Emily pee in it but Thomas threw up too.  Uuggh Yuk! 

After 2 days in Ocean Grove we drove to Lorne to the party house… Mel’s 40^th b’day party.  What a spectacular sight.  A large venue with a big commercial kitchen, and a smaller kitchen, a huge games room,.  A big indoor pool room with glass walls overlooked the amazing country side.  Hop out of the pool and into the hot spa.  The kids were in heaven and looked like prunes for 2 whole days.  They didn’t want to leave. 

Mel’s 40^th party (on Sat 20^th) was just brilliant too.  He had 2 bands, the first was really good and the 2^nd was ok.  I think everyone would have been happy just for the dj to continue.  Incredibly all food and drink were supplied over the whole week!!  We stayed 2 nights, if it hadn’t been so close to xmas day we would have stayed longer. 

We shared the bunk house with Warren and Jo and Christine and Haimish and all the children.  It was pretty cool because we had our own bathroom and toilet, and lounge and tv in the bunk house.  Such a brilliant venue.  The scenery just beautiful, in the rolly polly hills just down the road from Erskine Falls. 

Caught some tadpoles which we brought home.  Only 2 have survived out of about 10.  7 of them died on the journey home. 

A fantastic beach road trip holiday.  Can’t wait for the next one.

Firstly, living with my folks is going considerably well. We have been here since middle of Feb this year and we envisage another 3-4 months of saving before we get a pre-approved mortgage and seriously start looking. The good news is we know where our kids will be going to school… well 90% sure. Bimbadeen pre-school for 3 & 4 year old kinder followed by Bimbadeen Heights primary school. As it turns out our good friend Kristin who is currently studying to be a primary teacher has done some part time work there and hopes to work there fulltime when her studies finish. Kris says she is really impressed with the school and so am I. I’ve viewed the website, read the annual school report and all is positive. I visited the school today and got a good feeling from the vibes there. They have some good extra curriculum activities for children who show promise in leadership, arts, maths, literature, language and physical education.

VISION:  
To instill in children a life long love of learning. 
MISSION:  
To provide each child with the opportunity to develop their full potential for intellectual, social and personal growth through the support of peers, teachers and community. 
CORE VALUES:
Our core values reflect the belief that an effective school is one that embeds student safety and wellbeing throughout all school practices.  The focus on developing positive, supportive relationships between all members of the school community is a key component in our teaching of these values

Check out their website.
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We’re looking at moving to the hillside of Mooroolbark. A very nice established neighborhood with good schools and services nearby. We’ll be looking at the older homes, around the 300k mark. What we’ll be really looking for is an investment property. An older home on a big block where the house is situated at the front of the land with a view to subdivide the land and sell the back block making a nice neat profit and paying of third of our mortgage. Possibly invest in this way twice, whilst staying in the same area so as not to disrupt the kids schooling. This way we can get ahead and not have such a large mortgage.

Thomas and Emily are really shining now. We’re incredibly proud of them. At story times (playgroup on Tuesdays and library on Wednesdays) they’re both sitting up the very front and answering questions and paying attention. Singing and dancing during dance time. Thomas is especially confident and is Rowanne’s (the librarian) little helper. He pushes the trolley for her and helps sets up. Thomas loves to dance, really loves to dance and if we go out in the evening to see a band he just loves it!! He is so serious too, such a little man. Emily is practising her ballet. She loves to show us her splits and is now practising her twirls on one foot. She also has a very special head run where she runs along twisting her head from side to side…. Uuumm she is quite the space cadet at times and we love her that way. She does the strangest things sometimes which are very funny and very strange. Hee hee

Thomas and Emily are much about the same height – well above the average 3 year old. Thomas is often mistaken for a 4 year old and Emily would be too if it wasn’t for her baby face. But yes they’re a head taller than the other kids.

They’re both enjoying creche. Every Monday from 12.30 to 4.pm. Gerry is great with them and they love her. Last week they were commenting on how polite Thomas and Emily are, and it’s true they are very polite children who behave very well out in public. Now I really am proud because I can easily forget having to chase Emily screaming and crying through Kmart only 3 weeks back with an amused but tear stained face Thomas sitting in the trolley. Yes now that I think about it there are quite a few spats still and it’s almost always when they can’t have something they want. Surprise, surprise.

I can’t believe that only a month or 2 ago I was nearly pulling my hair out because it was taking the kids 45 minutes to eat their breakfast on their own. I often gave in to spoon feeding them because we would never get out of the house in time; and now Emily finishes all by herself in under 10 minutes and Thomas who still needs a little help is finished in 15 minutes. How quickly things turn around face – with a new challenge on the other side of the coin. Thomas is toilet trained now. They were both so easily trained it’s almost wrong to call it training because once I decided to just let them decide when they were ready they did it. Thomas just got up one day and no longer wanted to wear nappies. He’s had a few accidents but not many and Emily’s been in nappies since March. Still wearing nappies during the night though. Might wait until they’re 3yo for that.

Emily loves jigsaw puzzles and has good patience to complete it. Very focused when she is at work which I remember now thinking when she first started building sandcastles at Glen Waverley when she was only 1.5 yo. Very focused and strives for perfection. Thomas enjoys jigsaw puzzles too but you can see he finds it difficult to sit there for longer than 10-15mins and wants to move on to something else. As long as he is getting guidance along the way he is happy to give anything a go.

We have spent many weekends out in the countryside, so much so that the kids often ask to go walking in the country. We have walked Mount Lofty by the Yarra River, the kids walking all the way themselves – a 2 hour journey, they’re fit and strong. Visited some really beautiful gardens at the Alfred Nicholas arboretum with an art noveau building where horticulture science took place back in early 1900s. Alred Nicholas and his brother George developed the Aspro painkiller. It was originally a German discovery, the supply of which halted during the first world war. George a chemist, re-discovered the formular, the Aust Gov awared the patent and the Nicholas fortune grew. The gardens, ponds, bridges, waterfalls and boat house are truly beautiful and we spent many house there. One hour sitting by a pond with the kids pretending to fish with their long sticks – the current favorite game: fishing. Thomas naturally fell in. He is always the one that falls over in water and returns drenched to the car where wisely we keep dry clothing & shoes for everyone now. We also all have our beloved gumboots, even Andrew.

We’re really looking forward to summer now, we all miss swimming. The kids ask to go every other day. We have a beach holiday planned shortly before Christmas. Our good friend Mel is celebrating his 40th birthday in huge splendour by hiring a large venue by the sea for a week, not far from the Great Ocean Road. Loads of bedrooms, huge kitchen, indoor pool, bike paths and all set on something like 12 hectares for a whole week!! So we’re going for a few days. Give us the sun!!!

That was all yesterday. Today we had a lovely day with Julie, Anouk and 5mth old Damon. We walked to the park and let the kids play for a while before returning to the house and a lovely lunch. So nice to talk to Julie and hear she too feels like a slave and is experiencing obedience problems as we are too. The kids are really pushing the boundaries. Mind you this is an extremely cute age too. They are so curious, mischievious and their sense of humour hilarious. For instance Thomas was doing his usual of asking the same question over and over and over…”where’s nana” and I told him it was really annoying when someone does that and could he please stop asking because he knows the answer anyway. So Emily steps in “Mummy, where’s nanna?” And the smile on her face, cheeky, cheeky monkey. Irritating but we couldn’t help but laugh. She doesn’t miss a thing that girl. You think she’s not paying attention oh but she is, and she’s a good observer too. She just loves the gear puzzle set that Andrew picked up for them at a garage sale. She plays with it everyday. It has gears (cogs) that you clip together to make a carousel, or a gear chain, powersaw whatever and it has a little motor that sets the gears going. All different sizes so you have to think about it when you’re building something. She’s great at it. Clever girl.

Andrew driving home from an outing the other night got a little lost on our way home, we only lost 10mins it was no big deal, but the following day when Andrew was driving us all home from the shops Thomas says “Please don’t get lost again Daddy”. Word for word. And today when I was looking for a bakery in Blackburn on our way to Julies house he asked me not to get lost because he wanted to see Anouk. I explained I knew exactly where I was and I wasn’t lost and he replied “that’s ok mummy, it doesn’t really matter”.

Reversing the car out of the driveway “careful mummy, there’s a parked van behind you”. Yes Thomas I can see that, thank you. ha ha ha Such a little man, has always been but not always will be little.

My Sister’s daughter