Another highlight of going to the farm, is being able to ride on the quad bikes. Dida loves taking the boys out on them and they have a ball!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Quad Bike Rides with Dida!
Another highlight of going to the farm, is being able to ride on the quad bikes. Dida loves taking the boys out on them and they have a ball!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
A Trip To The Farm
We went on a last minute trip to the farm last week. I happened to be talking to my dad last Saturday and we organised for my brother and his girlfriend to give us a lift out to the farm. We stayed from Sunday to Friday and then my mum drove us home.
Mum and dad weren't expecting us to visit so they didn't have a lot of time to spend with us. It didn't really matter though. It was so nice for me to spend some time with the boys doing different things and not having any other committments to interrupt us. We went for walks down to the river, explored the river bank, climbed trees and hid in mud caves. We saw wallabies, horses, dogs, chickens and cats. The boys had a huge fear of the dogs and cat at the farm though which limited them a little as they were both petrified about going outside. I found it really hard to cope with - especially seeing as the dog and cat really didn't show any interest in the boys! The dog could be 50 meters away and Liam would start screaming, which in turn would set Ewan off!
Mum's garden is lovely and there are so many places to play and explore. The "Cubby House", as Liam calls it, is one of their favourites. It's a big old tree that is great for climbing and hiding in. Our river walks were great too. We would walk down together in the morning, checking out rocks and trees along the way. Bob, the dog, would run ahead looking for wallabies to chase. One morning we were walking along when we heard Bob barking. Next thing we knew, there was a wallaby bounding straight for us. The boys and I stood still, both of them clinging tightly to my legs while the wallaby went around us. It was great - very exciting! The walk leads down to the river crossing. At Christmas, when we were there last, the river was flowing quite strongly. Now though it's very shallow and there is only a small trickle. We made a bridge out of logs and crossed over to explore the other side of the river bank. The bank on the other side has eroded up the top (from floods mostly) so there are big caves in the mud. We played hide and seek there with mum one day and the boys were hiding in these little caves - Liam even crawled through a tunnel under ground! Freaked me out a bit when I started to think about the possibility of all that dirt collapsing on him! He loved it though!
We also got to see my cousins and their children while we were out there. Their kids are the same ages as the boys so it was great to catch up with them.
In my typical style, I took HEAPS of photos! While the boys were busy exploring, I was clicking away and got some great shots. I had a great time experimenting with the camera.
Mum and dad weren't expecting us to visit so they didn't have a lot of time to spend with us. It didn't really matter though. It was so nice for me to spend some time with the boys doing different things and not having any other committments to interrupt us. We went for walks down to the river, explored the river bank, climbed trees and hid in mud caves. We saw wallabies, horses, dogs, chickens and cats. The boys had a huge fear of the dogs and cat at the farm though which limited them a little as they were both petrified about going outside. I found it really hard to cope with - especially seeing as the dog and cat really didn't show any interest in the boys! The dog could be 50 meters away and Liam would start screaming, which in turn would set Ewan off!
Mum's garden is lovely and there are so many places to play and explore. The "Cubby House", as Liam calls it, is one of their favourites. It's a big old tree that is great for climbing and hiding in. Our river walks were great too. We would walk down together in the morning, checking out rocks and trees along the way. Bob, the dog, would run ahead looking for wallabies to chase. One morning we were walking along when we heard Bob barking. Next thing we knew, there was a wallaby bounding straight for us. The boys and I stood still, both of them clinging tightly to my legs while the wallaby went around us. It was great - very exciting! The walk leads down to the river crossing. At Christmas, when we were there last, the river was flowing quite strongly. Now though it's very shallow and there is only a small trickle. We made a bridge out of logs and crossed over to explore the other side of the river bank. The bank on the other side has eroded up the top (from floods mostly) so there are big caves in the mud. We played hide and seek there with mum one day and the boys were hiding in these little caves - Liam even crawled through a tunnel under ground! Freaked me out a bit when I started to think about the possibility of all that dirt collapsing on him! He loved it though!
We also got to see my cousins and their children while we were out there. Their kids are the same ages as the boys so it was great to catch up with them.
In my typical style, I took HEAPS of photos! While the boys were busy exploring, I was clicking away and got some great shots. I had a great time experimenting with the camera.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Caramel Biscuits!
Well they're actually "Caramel Cookies" according to the recipe but we don't do "cookies" in this house - biscuits all the way!
I'm making my second batch of these as I type (waiting for the caramel to cool), they are deliciously simple and were a big hit with the 3 boys!
So here's the recipe....
Caramel Cookies
Serves: 36
Quick and easy to make and kids love them.
Ingredients
125 g butter
125 g sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250 g self-raising flour
Method
Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add sugar, golden syrup, milk and vanilla essence.
Boil gently for five minutes.
Cool, then add to flour.
(If you are doing this with the kids, discreetly have them leave the kitchen while you lick the saucepan clean - the caramel is divine!!)
Roll into walnut-sized balls (best to do all the mixture at once as it is hard to roll once it dries out). P
lace on greased baking tray and flatten with a fork.
Bake in moderate oven for 10-12 minutes.
From www.bestrecipes.com.au
I'm making my second batch of these as I type (waiting for the caramel to cool), they are deliciously simple and were a big hit with the 3 boys!
So here's the recipe....
Caramel Cookies
Serves: 36
Quick and easy to make and kids love them.
Ingredients
125 g butter
125 g sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250 g self-raising flour
Method
Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add sugar, golden syrup, milk and vanilla essence.
Boil gently for five minutes.
Cool, then add to flour.
(If you are doing this with the kids, discreetly have them leave the kitchen while you lick the saucepan clean - the caramel is divine!!)
Roll into walnut-sized balls (best to do all the mixture at once as it is hard to roll once it dries out). P
lace on greased baking tray and flatten with a fork.
Bake in moderate oven for 10-12 minutes.
From www.bestrecipes.com.au
Rules of Communication (according to Liam and Ewan)
So the boys are big talkers (at least at home - they get a bit shy when they're out!) - no one is ever without anything to say and they both want to be in the limelight with all the attention on them when they are talking.
They have 5 Golden Rules (and probably a 100 other minor ones!) :
Rule No. 1 - If they are talking, we must listen!
Rule No. 2 - We must listen until they want to stop talking.
Rule No. 3 - Everything that they say should be classed as URGENT and deserves immediate attention.
Rule No. 4 - If each statement is not acknowledged, they will repeat it 10 times just to make sure that we are listening.
Rule No. 5 - If we do not agree or their requests are not granted they will repeat it 100 times before they give up.
Ewan is getting quite good with getting across what he wants to say, though we still get stuck sometimes. We will keep taking guesses, while he says angrily and frustrated, "NO not that!". Then when we get it he'll exclaim in a matter of fact voice,
"That what me talkin' 'bout"
Very funny - especially the tone of voice!
Liam is understood easily enough, but the problem with him is that he just wants to talk and talk all day - and no, not hold a conversation with me - but for HIM to do the talking and me to do the listening and no one ever to interrupt. He gets very stroppy if he's interrupted, though it's ok for him to do it. As soon as he says "Excuse Me mum", I must stop whatever conversation I am having to listen to him. If I don't, he tells me "It's really important!". So I stop and listen, and Liam usually has something to say along these lines.... "So, in Star Wars, why did Obi-Wan......." - very important to an almost 5 year old, who loves Star Wars!!
Liam is also very authoritative - I overheard him and Ewan in the bath the other night, Liam was saying "Ewan, look up at the roof. Put your head back so I can pour water on your head" - and yes, there was Ewan, looking at the ceiling obidiently!!
They have 5 Golden Rules (and probably a 100 other minor ones!) :
Rule No. 1 - If they are talking, we must listen!
Rule No. 2 - We must listen until they want to stop talking.
Rule No. 3 - Everything that they say should be classed as URGENT and deserves immediate attention.
Rule No. 4 - If each statement is not acknowledged, they will repeat it 10 times just to make sure that we are listening.
Rule No. 5 - If we do not agree or their requests are not granted they will repeat it 100 times before they give up.
Ewan is getting quite good with getting across what he wants to say, though we still get stuck sometimes. We will keep taking guesses, while he says angrily and frustrated, "NO not that!". Then when we get it he'll exclaim in a matter of fact voice,
"That what me talkin' 'bout"
Very funny - especially the tone of voice!
Liam is understood easily enough, but the problem with him is that he just wants to talk and talk all day - and no, not hold a conversation with me - but for HIM to do the talking and me to do the listening and no one ever to interrupt. He gets very stroppy if he's interrupted, though it's ok for him to do it. As soon as he says "Excuse Me mum", I must stop whatever conversation I am having to listen to him. If I don't, he tells me "It's really important!". So I stop and listen, and Liam usually has something to say along these lines.... "So, in Star Wars, why did Obi-Wan......." - very important to an almost 5 year old, who loves Star Wars!!
Liam is also very authoritative - I overheard him and Ewan in the bath the other night, Liam was saying "Ewan, look up at the roof. Put your head back so I can pour water on your head" - and yes, there was Ewan, looking at the ceiling obidiently!!
Happy Mother's Day..... for last week!!
To all the wonderful mother's out there - I hope that you had a great day surrounded by those that love you!
To the world you might be just one person, But to just one person you might be the world!
We had a quiet morning at home with the boys cooking me breakfast and then playing together so that I could have a break. Afterwards we went out for a lovely lunch with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, brother, my mum and dad, and my mum's cousin from Italy, Laura. It rained too - first good rain fall for ages - so a lovely thing to wake up to.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
A Morning At The Park
We went to the park a few weeks ago. The boys had a ball on their bikes and playing together.
Anyway - the pictures pretty much speak for themselves so I won't write too much!
Anyway - the pictures pretty much speak for themselves so I won't write too much!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Our Family Portrait By Liam
Liam's description of it:
Daddy is the fat one
I am the one with the catterpillar body.
And Daddy added:
Ewan is the potato
What do I think?
At least Ben has ears, a mouth and a belly button! I am lacking in those departments - but I am the only one with feet so that's a bonus!
I'll Time You!
Last night Liam, with Nonna's help, Liam took the custard apple seeds and washed them so that he could use them for craft. While he was drying them they all spilled out onto the floor.
So Liam called out to Nonna and asked her to pick them up. She said that she was busy and asked him to do it.
Clever Liam replied with "You can do it Nonna. I'll time you! Let's see how fast you can go!", with just the right level of excitement in his voice to make her think that him timing her would make it fun.... as we do to him!!
So Liam called out to Nonna and asked her to pick them up. She said that she was busy and asked him to do it.
Clever Liam replied with "You can do it Nonna. I'll time you! Let's see how fast you can go!", with just the right level of excitement in his voice to make her think that him timing her would make it fun.... as we do to him!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Ewan's Special Language
Ewan has been making up his own special little language. He says it in this little, high pitched voice - it's very cute and he knows it too!!
Here's a rundown of his words so far:
Yeppy Yeppy - Yes
Nopey Nopey - No
Loopy Loopy - Ewan
Reddy Reddy - Mummy
Doody - Daddy
Not exactly a complete language but he is always using the words he's thought up so far!
Here's a rundown of his words so far:
Yeppy Yeppy - Yes
Nopey Nopey - No
Loopy Loopy - Ewan
Reddy Reddy - Mummy
Doody - Daddy
Not exactly a complete language but he is always using the words he's thought up so far!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter
For Easter we all went out to Pop's house. The boys had a wonderful time - and Heather's grandchildren were there too so they were lucky to have playmates there.
The boys got to explore the bush block, shovel horse poo, help feed the horses, have wheelbarrow rides, and best of all, hunt for Easter Eggs!
The boys got to explore the bush block, shovel horse poo, help feed the horses, have wheelbarrow rides, and best of all, hunt for Easter Eggs!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Ewan Can Draw Too!
Well he's always been able to draw - I just never knew what it was until now!!
I think Liam's drawing bug is spreading - Ewan drew his first picture last night - a spider with a happy face!
I think Liam's drawing bug is spreading - Ewan drew his first picture last night - a spider with a happy face!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Liam Spelt A Word!
Liam spelt his first word today!
We were sitting at the table together finishing breakfast when Liam started saying "Leo". Then he said "Llll-leo. Leo starts with L".
Wow! I was suprised! So I asked him what comes next and started sounding out the word Leo. And he got it!
I know it's a simple word but I am one proud Mother!
We were sitting at the table together finishing breakfast when Liam started saying "Leo". Then he said "Llll-leo. Leo starts with L".
Wow! I was suprised! So I asked him what comes next and started sounding out the word Leo. And he got it!
I know it's a simple word but I am one proud Mother!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Catch Up!
Well a long break but I'm here again! I have had a killer of a sore back for a couple of weeks - spent one whole week laying in bed, unable to sit or stand for more than 5 minutes. Talk about a drastic cure for my internet addiction!! My back is still on the mend too so have made a slow come back.
The boys are doing marvilously well. Liam seems to have grown up in the blink of an eye and Ewan is not far behind him. Thought I'd do a little timeline as a catch up and record of what's been going on:
9 March, 2007...
Ben and I spent our first night away from the boys! It was bliss having some time alone together. We went to a wedding up the coast, spent the night there, had a late breakfast out and a swim at the beach - heaven! The boys stayed with my mum for the night and had a ball despite her migrain! While we were away Ewan obviously had no breastmilk and then when we returned weaned quickly.
So after 2 years and 9 months of breastfeeding, Ewan is officially weaned! I fed Liam for 18 months, had a 5 month break, and then started feeding Ewan, which makes a total of 3.5 years of breastfeeding for me. Got to be proud of that!
12 March, 2007...
Mum stayed with us for the weekend and part of the following week after the wedding. The boys love having her around and it has been great having her stay more frequently with us this year. We have new neighbours next door and mum had them over to do some ear candling. They have 3 children aged 10, 7 and 3 - 2 boys and a girl. They are from Cape Town, South Africa, and very friendly. We've really enjoyed getting to know them and the boys are loving having kids to play with. There are also 2 children at the end of the street from El Salvador, and most afternoons they all gather in the cul de sac to play together.
Ewan is having a bit of an energy burst! He's on the go all the time and is really into climbing and jumping at the moment. He'd never really done much of both before but now he's fearless and climbing up everything with great skill, and then the rest of the time he's jumping around the house like a little rabbitt!
17th March, 2007...
I had had a sore back for a few weeks and after a trip to the dentist it all gave way. It went in to spasms and was inflamed and really painful. It all started on a Saturday too so just had to grin and bear it till I could see someone on the Monday. I spent the whole week resting in bed. Ben took the Monday off but after that it was just the boys and I. I was still in a fair bit of pain and couldn't stand or sit for more than 5-10 minutes - I was in tears as Ben drove off to work on the Tuesday. Just the thought of having to cope with the boys all by myself was scary! It all went beautifully though and the boys were fantastic. I was so proud of them - they barely argued, weren't demanding, and were so helpful. After that week in bed I was much better - and wouldn't you know it the boys were back to their old selves - at least I know how great they can be if it's needed.
My back is much better now - though still a bit sore at times with too much sitting so still not on here a lot. Have a couple of things to post so will be back soon though!
The boys are doing marvilously well. Liam seems to have grown up in the blink of an eye and Ewan is not far behind him. Thought I'd do a little timeline as a catch up and record of what's been going on:
9 March, 2007...
Ben and I spent our first night away from the boys! It was bliss having some time alone together. We went to a wedding up the coast, spent the night there, had a late breakfast out and a swim at the beach - heaven! The boys stayed with my mum for the night and had a ball despite her migrain! While we were away Ewan obviously had no breastmilk and then when we returned weaned quickly.
So after 2 years and 9 months of breastfeeding, Ewan is officially weaned! I fed Liam for 18 months, had a 5 month break, and then started feeding Ewan, which makes a total of 3.5 years of breastfeeding for me. Got to be proud of that!
12 March, 2007...
Mum stayed with us for the weekend and part of the following week after the wedding. The boys love having her around and it has been great having her stay more frequently with us this year. We have new neighbours next door and mum had them over to do some ear candling. They have 3 children aged 10, 7 and 3 - 2 boys and a girl. They are from Cape Town, South Africa, and very friendly. We've really enjoyed getting to know them and the boys are loving having kids to play with. There are also 2 children at the end of the street from El Salvador, and most afternoons they all gather in the cul de sac to play together.
Ewan is having a bit of an energy burst! He's on the go all the time and is really into climbing and jumping at the moment. He'd never really done much of both before but now he's fearless and climbing up everything with great skill, and then the rest of the time he's jumping around the house like a little rabbitt!
17th March, 2007...
I had had a sore back for a few weeks and after a trip to the dentist it all gave way. It went in to spasms and was inflamed and really painful. It all started on a Saturday too so just had to grin and bear it till I could see someone on the Monday. I spent the whole week resting in bed. Ben took the Monday off but after that it was just the boys and I. I was still in a fair bit of pain and couldn't stand or sit for more than 5-10 minutes - I was in tears as Ben drove off to work on the Tuesday. Just the thought of having to cope with the boys all by myself was scary! It all went beautifully though and the boys were fantastic. I was so proud of them - they barely argued, weren't demanding, and were so helpful. After that week in bed I was much better - and wouldn't you know it the boys were back to their old selves - at least I know how great they can be if it's needed.
My back is much better now - though still a bit sore at times with too much sitting so still not on here a lot. Have a couple of things to post so will be back soon though!
Monday, March 05, 2007
Liam's First Drawing!
I asked Liam if he wanted to draw a picture for Pop today. So he sat down with a red crayon and this is what he came up with - a spaceship with fire coming out of the bottom and a man in the top. His first drawing that isn't scribbles - very proud!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Beach Fun
We have been to the beach a few times this year and the boys have been loving it. We found the best spot to go to with kids - it's up the north coast and has a lake coming off from the ocean. So on one side you have a large, calm, shallow lake to paddle and float around (very relaxing!) and on the other side a patrolled beach. It's great!
Ewan is a bit scared of the waves but loves running around the lake. He's ok with sitting on the sand and letting the waves break on him too. Check out this pic of him and Ben being swept under a wave!!
Liam loves the waves! He has absolutely no fear and just keeps walking further and further out into the water! He gets knocked over and dumped by the waves but stills has a huge smile on his face.
Such a great day out and something that we all enjoy.
Garden Success!
We have finally had some success with our garden! We got a bumper harvest (well compared to last year where we didn't get anything!!) of tomatoes a couple of weeks ago. They were great - used them up in our pasta sauces, casseroles, and even made a tomato sauce with them to dip corn fritters in - Yum! We have heaps of mint grown, plus basil, and rosemary. Our paw paw tree is taller than Liam now - he's quite impressed by that! And we have heaps of paw paw seedlings growing for companions for it - you need a male and a female paw paw tree for them to fruit. We've had two rockmelons - one was lost to fruit flies but the other was eaten in under 24 hours! It was super sweet and just delicious! Very proud of that!!
We've got one tomato plant still going well at the moment, more rockmelons and also some pumpkins growing. Oh and I think I have a couple of capsicum plants too but not sure - they just sprouted from our kitchen scraps so we'll have to wait and see what they are!
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