A new one that will begin

Thursday (almost Friday), 29 December 2011. Cliche, brace for a cliche. Yes, its hard to believe another year has flown past. Time seems to move faster as it goes by, if that makes sense.

As a wee un, I remember watching the clock in study class, waiting and waiting to for those minutes to tick by so that we could move on to the next big event (usually breakfast, lunch or dinner for us half starved boarders, and on occasion play time too). Now, I turn to the clock and more often than not, wonder where the day went. Between chasing three boys, working full time and trying to maintain some semblence of order in the house, there isnt a moment to spare.

Home Sweet Home!

Still, when another year rolls around its time to pause, take stock and give thanks for all that we have. This was a big year for us, summed up below:

1. Our new home was completed. Two years of plans, paperwork and frustration came to fruition, and it is all we dreamed of and more.

2. Our home is still standing. Dented and bruised where the little one has taken it on (and won). Its full of noise and laughter and is not always the tidiest but hey I'd rather a house that is full of life and messy, than one that is spick and span and isnt.

3. This was the last year of kinder for my older boy, he starts school and the younger one starts kinder next year. They are so ready, I am so not.

4. We changed jobs, moved around, bit the bullet and started our own business. It has just been launched and there's heaps to do, promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep.

5. The seeds I planted grew. Yes they did! Normally they ignore all my coaxing, but these were kind enough to sprout. So now I have sunflowers that are taller than I am. The kids named the first sunflower Daniel, the second Butch. No idea why.




Daniel!


It looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a big year as well. More milestones, more noise, more time for family, friends and fun. I read somewhere that an optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in, a pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. We'll be staying up, to see the New Year full of hope and promise in. Health, wealth, sunflowers, sunshine and happiness to you and your families, and may 2012 be your year of dreams realised too.

The House Rules

Monday, 21 November 2011. My patience has been tested. And so have the house rules. Y'know the decals that you liked so much, the older one decided to test the advertised claim that they were removable. With the edge of a particularly sharp ruler, he sidled up to it and gently prised a tiny bit of a letter off. More was no doubt to follow, but we caught the imp in the act, and he scutttled off before more damage could be done.

Them rules, view from the bottom of the staircase

We do forgiveness,
We do second chances and
We do really loud - all got a good work out.
We do love came out trumps, because he is still fed and clothed, and secondly he still has his beloved iPad. Which was supposed to be my birthday present last year, but has been completely appropriated by the little dictators.

We did put up the Christmas tree this weekend. Being five and three now, the kids 'get' Christmas. The list of demands has been pretty simple so far. The older one wants 'a million billion dollars'and Curly wants lots of nice presents. So far, so good - thats how easy our boys are. We have determined that Nobby, Santa's head honcho elf, has in fact four lists. They are:

• Super duper good
• Nice
• Awful
• Bloody awful. Sorry - make that Horrible

At any given time, the kids fluctuate between these lists and Nobby keeps a watcful eye on their behaviour to see where they stand. Needless to say, 'super duper good' means its likely you will get what you want and 'horrible' means the elves will take particular care to wrap some of Curly's stinkiest nappies in the most beautiful wrapping paper ever to put under the tree. Nobby is just a phone call away, though his number changes on a daily basis just because my pre-baby memory has never quite come back. The question of how we will get to a million billion dollars in the next month or so is best left unanswered. Ah! the magic of Christmas.

Tree all done, dressed to the hilt!

Back to putting up the tree, it was so much fun! With apologies to our neighbours because we had "Jingle Bell Rock" on full blast, the ornaments went up quickly. The boys were bouncing off the wall with excitement, and because they were having such a ball, we decorated two trees not one. Curly was thrilled with all his "goggles" (baubles) and the older one woke up at midnight and asked if we could move the tree to his room. Which was agreed to amiably, because midnight is not the quite the right time to start a discussion, and by morning he'd forgotten all about it.

Christmas is coming, christmas is coming!

So this is Christmas....

Friday, 18 November 2011. Its almost Christmas. I didn’t think I’d be sayin this in November, but the plum pudding is out in the stores and the older one is learning “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on the piano. Jingle Bells is for kids, you know.
I cant believe how fast the year has flown. A cliché but oh so true. Last year this time our house was just a frame I think, and I was carrying on about brickies and the like. And now we are in and it is home.

Landscaping all done, the brick letter box too...

There’s scribbling on the wall, and dents and bumps where the younger one has careened full tilt with his little Scuttlebug bike in an attempt to conquer the world. There little sticky hand prints on the railing where sugar soap admitted defeat. The builders, kind souls, have fixed almost everything.

There are sunflowers grown from seed in the flowerbeds, and a few hardy chilli plants that defied the caterpillars too. There are lovely little kids across the street, who make great playmates for boys. The landscaping is done – in front of the house at least, and the backyard shall be done in time too. The house has stood up to some awful weather and been quite stoic, all things considered.

House rules, love this one!

There’s fighting and squabbling, and love and laughter. The decal we have for our walls says it all. The Christmas tree may go up this weekend, or maybe next. And for this and more, we are grateful. We have each other, we are home.

Rocks, blocks and pebbles

Thursday 01 September 2011. Its been a month since I last blogged. Not that you've been hanging out waiting to read my posts, they're not quite as newsworthy as Jolie adding to her brood, or Kardashian splurging on her wedding when she could actually single handedly end the famine in Ethopia. Naaw, that would be boring-do-good stuff that would barely get her on the cover of Women's Weekly never mind selling another copy of the infamous tapes that most pretend celebs want to have. Me, I'm still trying to figure out how to get a good profile pic for FB that doesnt show my double chin.


I digress. I have been busy and that is true. Landscaper, nice chappie came in and gave us a quote that knocked our socks off. So DH went out and hired a dingo and when it came he was as excited as a kid at Christmas. Boys and their toys, they never grow up I reckon. The more excited DH was, the more worried I was. I think I prayed more than I ever did in a long time the weekend the dingo came to stay.

The dingo posing

These dingo diggers are nifty little pieces to move rocks, saves your back but not quite your wallet. They do take more than a little skill to use, and they do these little wheelies when you turn around complete with rubber marks on the concrete. Gave me palpitations it did, I must be getting old. Meanwhile DH had this cool dude - I know what I'm doing look, scary that.

Anyhow long story short, the rocks got moved into place, and the only damage was a pipe that stuck out and deserved its come uppance. That said, I was rather happy to see the dingo sent back to Coates Hire on Monday. DH ordered cubic metres of top soil and pebbles (crushed ice) and pavers and it was back breaking shovelling then. Worth the effort though, its slowly coming together.

Like I need more dirt!

A trip to Kuranga Native Nursery, kangaroo paws, cut leaf daisys, and a couple of green notes later, we had more plants for the rock garden. The tousled little one waters them faithfully, and while he's at it, he waters the weeds too. All things are equal y'know.

Jasper checks the plants out.

Amongst all that, the female guppy in the fish tank (christened Mama Guppy) decided to add to the drama. She waddled pot-bellied around the tank for a fair bit and as soon as we put her in another tank, she had about twenty fry. That's what baby fish are called, according to Google - I never would have known. Now she's up the duff again. The fish have more fun than we do, I reckon. Kids are most excited though, and I'm told they will be up for sale for one hundred and seventy one million dollars by the older one. Lovely, I can retire now.

Crushed ice and pavers all done

In the next few weeks we are hoping to get the retaining walls done, and then the porch fixed. Then we'll start on the backyard so the trampoline can come out of the garage and be put through the paces again. Nothing like a good hour of bouncing to wear the boys out, call for good long sleeps for them and time to catch up on some movies for us. Quickflix rocks.

Spring has sprung, the dingo is done, and all is well with the world.