An 11 week old footprint

Hamish's footprint next to a 20c piece.

I've taken the footprints of all the kids at birth ( which ends up being at around 11 or 12 weeks because who is even aware of anything for the first 3 months!), 6 months and then a year. Poor Isabella missed out on her year footprints as I was going back to work at a new school. That time is just a blur. Anyway it was time for Hamish's footprints.I used blue paint and Dave tried to hold Hamish still while I took the prints. I think video of me trying to take the prints would've been so funny! It's seriously messy and their little hands and feet are so little and really have a life of their own. Hamish wasn't impressed in the least. A gorgeous memory of a cute little man at only 11 weeks of age. I imagine how big he's going to be one day and how little these feet will seem then.

The dining chairs

Our dining room chairs.

This is as far as we've got with the chairs. Would you believe it but after all this time of owning these chairs I forgot that they needed material for the backs of the chairs. I've realized that I don't actually have enough material to finish them. Darn it! I'll have to go and get some more of the same material if they have any or something that will match. And why do I now have no chairs to sit on. Well poor Miss Isabella is really not well her eyes are really sore and she has a high temperature. It could be conjunctivitis, slap cheek or some other nasty bug. I have my fingers crossed that Hamish doesn't catch anything nasty. He's just too little to get sick.

A moment in time...

Saturday afternoon and the kids have done there 2 hours of raffle duty and did a great job selling raffle tickets. I did a huge grocery shop with Isabella and Hamish in the baby bjorn. We managed to fill the trolley by half way through the supermarket and then Hamish had had enough and I had to go and change him. I asked the manager if I could leave my trolley at the info counter while I took Hamish to be changed. I asked him to promise that they wouldn't start putting the stuff from my trolley back on the shelves and he said don't worry no one will touch it. I still felt weird leaving the store and hurried back. Once I got back Isabella decided she needed to go to the toilet even though I asked her at least 3 times while we were at the toilets if she was absolutely sure that she didn't need to go. Isn't that always the way!! Luckily Dave was with the oldest two selling raffle tickets just outside the store and so sent Sammy to get Bella from me and take her to the toilet. Sammy came back with Bella pretty quickly and she decided once she was there that she didn't need to go. I'm glad I didn't decide to go back down to the bathrooms because I think I would've had a mini meltdown.

Once home we had lunch and then we all did jobs around the house, except for Isabella who played so sweetly in her room and Hamish who slept peacefully. He needed to catch up on his sleep after keeping me up most of the night.

Sammy made zucchini slice for me.

Bella played in her room with Barbie.

Josh karchered off moss next to the washing line.

Hamish slept quietly. Yay!

Isn't he adorable!

Josh - Scout Patrol Leader

In his Scout uniform.

Dave in his Scout uniform.

Thursday night is Scouts and for a couple of hours I am without Dave, Josh and Sammy. Josh came home tonight with a white woggle because he is a patrol leader and has completed a leadership course. We're so proud of him! Dave is the scout leader and looks pretty cute in his uniform too.

Sleeping sweetly

Just like an angel.

Hamish has fallen asleep at 8pm which is a very respectable time for a baby. Hopefully he'll stay asleep long enough for Isabella and me to have a nice warm bath together. We both need to warm up because it is miserable, cold and wet outside. He looks seriously cute while he's sleeping!

Isabella at the Dentist

Isabella went to see Dentist Sam this afternoon. She first got to watch Josh having his appointment and saw that going to the dentist is not too bad. There was a TV on the ceiling to watch, she got to wear cool sunglasses and also a bib. She ended up being so excited when it was her turn. I was so pleased that she is okay with visiting the dentist!

Recovering dining chairs

A lovely grey for our chairs.

We've had too much red in our house for some time and so I'm trying slowly to tone it down. That meant that our red dining chairs needed a little face lift. We both went and chose the material at Spotlight and decided on a dark grey. We need to think of the kids and what will hide the dirt well - so something dark will work. I've recovered the chairs 3 times now and they've gone from light to dark. It cost $44 for the material which is not too bad.  I'll post before and after pics soon. Here is the material we chose.

The End of the School Holidays

The end of the school holidays of course
coincides with student free day. So this meant that I was off to North Ryde Public to do a presentation on Video Conferencing with Hamish in tow! I was a little worried about how he would behave especially after the grumbling he did when I first arrived 40 minutes early. I had been asked to present at the Staff Development Day before I had Hamish and said I would if I could bring Hamish with me. I was prepared to do it for nothing, or rather I didn't actually think that I would be paid, it just didn't cross my mind, so to say I was happy to be paid for the day would be an understatement!! It seemed to go well. Wendy and I really work well together and were able to interrupt each other smoothly throughout the presentation.



Since I was all dressed up with no where to go afterwards I got the kids to get themselves ready quickly when I got home so that we could all walk up to our local park. They all scootered there including Isabella. She got a little frustrated that she couldn't go as fast as Josh and Sammy, but she still enjoyed herself. Josh and Sammy were very sweet with her when we got to the park and they played with her so nicely. Of course Hamish slept like a baby in the baby bjorn. He just LOVES it!! It's like a sleeping pill for him. I put him in and he'll invariably fall asleep in a matter of minutes. So wonderful, but he's also getting so heavy too. By the time we got back home I had been holding him in the baby bjorn for a total of 4 hours. Three of them were while I was at the school and then another hour at the park. It's just like weight lifting. I hope it's helping me lose those last few pesky kilos.

My three lovelies!

Once we got back home I woke Hamish to feed him and change his nappy and then I took the kids up to Top Ryde City for a last holiday afternoon tea. We visited the food court and Dunkin Donuts was open. So donuts and milkshakes it was. The older two had lime milkshakes. I still remember always asking for green milkshakes as a child. It was my favourite flavour for milkshakes. In Australia its quite rare to find a place that will make green milkshakes. I just had a skinny latte. I'm on a mission to get back into my pre-preggo clothes and I'm getting there slowly. Yay for me!

Smiling for Daddy

Smiling so sweetly.

Dave got some lovely gurgles and smiles from our gorgeous son and I actually managed to get a photo.

Our new car!

We've finally bought a new car (new for us) that fits all 6 of us. No more taking two cars to get any where! Yay! It's a Kia Carnival and silver. It's also manual. It had a few split seams that I was able to fix and after some steam cleaning loving it looks pretty good!
Here are some before and after pics!

Oliver Browns

We decided after Sammy got her birthday pedicure that we would go out for afternoon tea. Where else but Oliver Browns! We had two fondues for two to share and real hot chocolates. It was enjoyed immensely and very quickly by all.

Oliver Browns was delicious!

Keeping Hamish happy

Isabella has been standing on the chair next to me to talk to Hamish who is on the dining room table. She's been getting him to smile. Too cute!

Sammy got her birthday pedicure

Sammy got her pedicure today using her birthday voucher while Josh, Bella and I pushed Hamish around in the pram at Top Ryde City. She is getting so grown up! It won't be long until she's officially a teenager.

Sammy at the dentist

Sammy is back from her dad's place in time to see the dentist. It's a new dentist and his name is Sam. He seems nice. My old dentist is too far away now that there are four kids to ferry around. I saw Mark yesterday and touch wood have no holes. Yay!She also has no holes!! We're going to get a referral to an orthodontist and she just needs a clean today. She's being super brave!Now fluoride and the her beautiful smile is done!! No dentist for another 6 months and the health fund covered the whole lot so it didn't cost a cent!