Getting together

Wow what a busy couple of days!

Christmas day was wonderful. Isabella and Tahlia slept in. The girls loved their gifts and there wasn't any "is there any more?" for which I was greatful.

Michael and the girls spoiled me. I got a new camera and a Pandora bracelet with some charms. One of which was a rose charm picked out by Isabella because her middle name is Rose.

We got Michael an iPod Touch and Isabella made sure we bought him some Toblerone chocolate.

We had all of our Mackay family come to our house on Christmas day which was lovely. Lots of food but more importantly great company.

Mum took lots of great photos and I'll try and post some soon.

On Boxing Day we visited with some dear friends including the girls fairy Godmother Kia. We are having dinner again on Wednesday!

I also managed to Skype with my Grandma, aunty Eileen, uncle Ernie and uncle Charles in Canada which was amazing!

On Sunday we took the girls to Alvin and the Chipmunks Squeakwel which was very cute.

This afternoon we were visited by Belinda, Arran, Cooper, Layla and Tate. It was great to catch up and the kids had fun swimming.

Tomorrow Michael is back to work boohoo! But I have some girlfriends and their kids coming over for a visit and swim yay!

All in all this holiday has been fantastic!

Take care everyone and make sure you appreciate each and every moment with your loved ones!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Christmas 2009

Wishing all my family and friends a very happy and holy Christmas.

How many sleeps to Christmas?

I can't believe that November is almost over! What an amazing year of firsts 2009 has been.

We've been busy since I last blogged too.

The landscaping is finished (yeehaa). We had turf laid on Friday and we have been frantically watering for the last 3 days.

A few days after the landscaping was finished we had some torrential rain that washed most of our top soil into our pool. Our oasis was turned into a swamp! It took 3 visits by the pool professionals for it to look right again.

We had a big swim this afternoon. The weather has really warmed up now so I'm sure we'll be in it heaps more.

So what's been happening?

Isabella lost her 2nd tooth and I'm happy to report the replacement teeth which had come up behind the wobbly ones have 'fallen' forward and are looking great. Isabella has only a week and a half left of Prep. Grade 1 next year....

Tahlia - well neve a dull moment is true - a few weeks back we had some real constipation problems with her which necessitated the use of enemas - which was just awful for her. She is all better now, she has even taken to using the toilet for her "number 2's" - which all parents will relate to this milestone!

Michael has been very busy with work and is right back to doing heaps of travel. He has a work car now so at least he can organise his trips around us and our needs rather than having to travel with his boss when it suited him.

I think Michael is getting pretty excited about being able to get stuck into the gardens soon. Now the grass is laid we only need to have the pool fence panels installed and some concreting off the patio done.

We have dreams of a bali hut off the side of the pool in the not too distant future and the "resort" will be complete!

Tahlia's kindy have professional photo's each year and it has been a few years since we had some done. The photos turned out lovely. Look out family you'll probably receive some in the mail in the near future!





Michael and I had a night out the other weekend for his work Christmas party. The theme was 'Pirates' and we ended up winning best dressed for the night. The party was on a boat that 'drove' around the islands off our marina. It was a great night!



Until next time....

Tooth fairy's first visit

Well we are excited to announce that we are expecting our first visit from the tooth fairy!

Michael picked up Isabella today and she arrived home and I knew something was up.

She was acting coy and smiling (mouth closed).

After yabbering away at her (how was your day? etc) I noticed she was clutching a scrunched up bit of tissue.

It dawned on me....."Did you lose your tooth today?" I excitedly asked.

She proceeded to give me the details. I think I am more excited than she is.

Not sure what the going rate for the tooth fairy is these days.

Here are some photos!



her next two teeth are already almost right up...you can see them behind

First Swim

Not quite filled to the top yet. The hose has been going for nearly 36 hours now and still not full..............must hold ALOT of water.

Bits and pieces update

“I’d love to”

I love hearing myself in my kids sometimes. I have a habit of saying ‘I’d love to’ (a little sarcastically) when my kids ask me to do something I don’t want to do.

The other day I asked Miss Tahlia to come to me so I could fix up her skirt and she replied ‘I’d love to’ and to me she came.

Very cute….

“Reading”

Isabella’s reading is coming along in leaps and bounds. We are making a conscious effort to read every night and she is playing heaps on ‘Reading Eggs’ website. She is just stoked she is able to read some of the basic books in the ‘Reading Eggs’ suite.

So am I!

“Pool”

Slowly but surely the pool is coming along. The coping tiles were laid last Thursday. The pebble insert is being done today and they will be back tomorrow to acid wash it and then I believe water can be filled on Thursday.

We have temporary fencing coming on Thursday and hopefully will be able to line up the landscaper for next week.

Unfortunately we are in a queue for the proper fencing – looks like it won’t be done for 4-6 weeks!

We signed the contract in May – you can get a house built faster!

“Holidays”

Michael and Isabella are into their second week of holidays. They have been spending time at the beach, going to the movies and other various activities together. Isabella has also spent 2 days at vacation care with her best friend Natalie.

“Water Park”

The girls and I went to the Water Park on the weekend with my sister Amanda and niece Alishia. It was FREEZING!! And yet Tahlia insisted that I take her down the slide (which meant I had to get wet more than just up to my knees!). The girls obviously didn’t feel it as much as us adults and spent a good amount of time swimming and splashing.

“Pregnant”

No I’m not but a near and dear friend is heavily pregnant and another announced her pregnancy news last week. Praying for safe (pain free – ha!) delivery for Kathy and a beautiful healthy baby and for an uneventful, joyous pregnancy for Nikki.

visiting reading skyping

Michael and the girls and I spent a long weekend on the Sunshine Coast this past weekend.

We stayed with my Dad (Cliff) and Step-Mum (Yvonne) and for most of Saturday and Sunday my 3 neices (Lily, Matilda and Hannah) and their mummies (Emma and Kylie) and daddies (David and Phil) were also there.

A wonderful time was had by all.

While we were all together we also celebrated Matilda's 5th birthday (which is actually in early October).

Here are some pics to prove it!

Isabella enjoying bubbles


Tahlia knackered out


The birthday girl - Matilda


The 'flowers'


We were all very impressed with Lily's ability to read (she is nearly finished first grade). So much so that Isabella and I have found some resources to make serious inroads into doing the same. Today I found some great books that have an online component which Isabella had loads of fun doing - by the end of the first 8 books she was able to read the first two readers! Exciting stuff.

My Dad has been on Skype for ages and after speaking with my Aunty Eileen in Canada on the weekend through Skype I finally got around to downloading it at home. I then proceeded to have an hour long video call with a girlfriend who lives nearby and an IM conversation with another girlfriend in the US. Tonight we 'called' Cliff and Yvonne and they were able to 'see' the girls and I on the webcam. What a great way to keep in touch!

And now it's nearly 10pm and time for this little black duck to call it a night!

Toodleloo for now Suz

oh d EAR

Poor Isabella has a perforated ear thanks to a rather sharp Yucca in our front yard!

The girls were playing in the front yard while Michael was busy cleaning the cars.

Isabella started screaming and ran inside, meanwhile Michael is outside berating Tahlia and telling her to go and apologise to her sister.

Unbeknownst to us all, Tahlia was completely innocent and the Yucca had attacked Isabella as she walked past.

She told me she was in quite a bit of pain so I dosed her up with medicine, but couldn't see anything that gave me cause for alarm.

She had an awful night on Sunday and by Monday morning there was dried blood in the ear. Doctors trip in the afternoon who advised she had perforated her ear. Poor thing.

Michael was sick on Monday too - I think there is some virus/bug going around which causes extreme dizziness.

We had parent/teacher interviews today. These were 3 way interviews with Isabella showing us through her digital portfolio. I'm amazed at how much she is learning each and every day.

She is constantly full of questions and talking about words and sounding them out.

We are trying to do lots of reading at nights too.

We are off to Brisbane (Sunshine Coast) on Friday to see family - Isabella and Tahlia have been on the count down for weeks. Michael will already be down there for work and so the girls and I are flying down together on the Friday.

Can't wait!!!

Isabella

Not sure if I have mentioned before but Isabella is quite the artist.

She absolutely loves to draw and colour in and she is better than both her mother and father put together. Seriously stick men are my limits, oh and I can draw a pretty good tree - but who can't?!

Anyway, last night we were out to dinner (a family thing - plenty of big people and a handful of little people - boring!) and we brought some colouring for the girls.

Here are two drawings she did last night.

Pool and shaving

Our pool is close to being finished (or so we are told!). Our pool guy told us we should be able to swim in it next weekend.

Here is a photo of the shell and Michael's latest project (staining the fence).



Tahlia 'shaving' tonight (see video above)

I love you!

So I was cuggling Tahlia on the couch tonight and we were just about to start the night-time bed routine (teeth, nursery rhyme book, bed) when Tahlia looks up at me and says:

“I love you!”

Totally unprompted!

It's moment's like these that makes it all worthwhile.

Bits and pieces

Here are some photos taken in July when my family visited.

Isabella and her cousin Lily



My Dad and Step-Mum and their 'flowers' (one flower is missing - Hannah who was unable to make this trip).



I'm also downloading a gorgeous video of Isabella and Tahlia dancing to Hannah Montana this afternoon - very cute.

No more news on the pool front - although hopefully by the end of the month I'll be able to show you photos of the finished product. The pool anyway, not the landscaping/fencing.

I've gotta go and finish dinner (roast pork MMMMM) and there is also ironing calling out to me - "BE QUIET". Hehehehehe don't think it heard me.

Take care my loved ones!

Bart

Tahlia's kindy teacher bailed me up today as I was picking her up.

"Tahlia cracks me up!" she said.

Apparently all the children were sitting down (quietly) about ready to have morning tea.

Tahlia pipes up in a loud voice "I did a fart!"

Well thanks for sharing Tahlia.

All the ladies at kindy seem to find Tahlia eccentricities adorable - which is a good thing I guess.

We, her family, however, find her very trying at times.

Have lots to update but just wanted to quickly write this post.

PS the reason I called it 'bart' is because this is how Tahlia usually pronounces the word!

6 years ago

Isabella was born a little after 5.30pm on July 8th. She weighed 5 pounds 14.5 ounces.



Isabella on her first birthday.



Isabella about 2 years old (who incidently in this photo is a dead ringer for Tahlia - or I should Tahlia is a dead ringer for her!)



Isabella riding her new bike at her 3rd birthday party at Harbour Park.




And at her 4th birthday party celebrated at our house with her kindy friends.



Last year when Isabella turned 5.

I will update with the latest photo soon!

I can't believe my 'baby' is 6 already. She is having a nice holiday so far. Last week she spent with Michael and they went to the movies, bowling and bike riding. This week has really only begun but we are going to the movies tonight with her friend from school and Bella is EXTRA excited because it's her first 'night' movie! Hehehe.

I have my Dad and step-Mum coming tomorrow and then my step sister and two neices coming on Saturday. Can't wait!

Birthday Boy

• 
  
  Happy 33rd birthday my darling husband!
  
  Isabella and Tahlia were more than happy to 'help' unwrap presents and help with blowing out the candles on the cake!
  
  In other breaking news....
  
  We have a hole for our pool and tomorrow they will pour the concrete.
  
  
  
  And Isabella had her first school disco - which was the cutest thing I ever did see. She excitedly told me that they were to stay at the disco 'until midnight' hehehe! In reality it was from 5.30pm to 7pm. The preps, grade 1 to 3 had a great time.
  
  
  
  And I'm so HAPPY I have worked out that I can use Photobucket to upload photos/videos with a MUCH better result than the inbuilt upload feature of blogger - yeehaaa!!
  
  

A trip away

We had a little holiday this long weekend and drove to Townsville (some 4 hours north) to watch the football and have some 'quality' family time together.

Truth be told I was a litte worried about how the girls would go on the long drive - we don't travel long distance by car very often.

I am happy to report they did GREAT!

We left Friday about 4pm. Made it to Bowen where we stopped for dinner. Pulled out the laptop and put on a movie and the girls were both asleep within the hour.

Arrived in Townsville just after 9pm.

We stayed in a hotel on The Strand which was lovely. Although we had a room right opposite the lifts so it was a bit noisy during the night when the drunken yahoo's were coming home from their night out.

The next day we spent some time at The Strand having lunch and letting the girls have a good play. Tahlia and I went back to the hotel for her nap - I watched 'Weekend at Bernies' on pay tv (remember that film? I loved it!).

That evening we went to Dairy Farmers and watched a football game (Cowboys vs Rabbitohs). Cowboys (home team/'our' team) flogged the 'bunnies'.

Isabella and Tahlia loved it! Tahlia had her clacker and clacked and cheered each time the Cowboys scored (which was often!) She loved the characters (bunny, lightbulb (?!), Blue Heeler and of course the cheerleaders as they did the rounds of the football field.

It was all too much for Bella though - she fell asleep before the end of the game.

The next morning we visited with old friends who have two boys around the same ages as ours (Hi to Tony, Jo, Declan and Nate!) in their new (ginormous) house and had a great catch up. They even fed us before we hit the road for the trip home.

Put a movie on straight away. Tahlia was asleep almost instantly and Bella was happy to watch her movie.

Tahlia slept 3/4 of the way home and Bella even had a little nap.

All in all a very successful trip! Will definately consider doing it again!

Michael and his dad spent Monday double paling the fence in our backyard. Big job but looks great! I did 500 loads of washing!

Spoke to our pool guy this week and we have had a little delay (due to our public holiday on the 18th). Things are all systems go for Sun 21st - Tue 23rd.

Incidently it is Michael's birthday on the 22nd - any ideas on what I can buy him?!?

Asleep

Tahlia and I had our Thursday together today. We went and visited my Mum during her usual nap time and so she didn't get her nap today. She was pretty feral come 6pm, so I let her watch Wiggles while I made dinner.

By the time Michael got home she was asleep on the beanbag.

So we are about to sit down to dinner and she wakes up sooky. She wanders around, sits at the table, sooks, hops down, wanders around, sooks, gets back up on her seat at the table, half hops down so she is laying half on the seat with her legs dangling down.

I thought she was having another sook so we all kept eating our dinner.

Nope too quiet - she had fallen asleep!

Wish I had taken a photo - it was too cute!

Isabella has her first sports carnival tomorrow. She is in the 'green' team. This afternoon as I picked her up from school all the kids (except the Preps) were practicing their chants - should be nice and loud down at the oval tomorrow!

I think the Preps only go down for 2 hours to do a race and some ball games. Remember ball games??? I loved them. Already the pressure seems to be on though, Bella was saying her team is 'no good' and 'won't win a medal' - how sad! I tried to tell her it wasn't about winning but about having fun.

Long weekend - yay!!!!!!!!!!! Good on you Queen for having a birthday, even though it isn't this weekend! hehehehehe!

It's official

No more babies in this household.

We converted Tahlia's cot into a toddler bed tonight.

"I'm a big girl now" she said.

Too right! I almost had a little tear in my eye as we pulled the cot apart. The last time there will be a cot in our house. My 'baby' really truly is 'grown' up.

Expecting the worst I have just read her a book in her room and given her a cuggle and kiss. Walked out and voila! I believe she is asleep! Yippee!

We have had a quiet weekend at home. Met with the pool concreter today who marked out the pool - that's official also - we are getting a pool. They are digging in about 2 weeks.

Tossing up taking a quick trip to Townsville next weekend to watch a Cowboy's game. Would have to come home Sunday night though (even though it is a long weekend next weekend) because Michael's dad is coming over to do the double paling fencing.

Isabella had a lovely play date today with a school friend who lives around the corner. Since coming home she has been playing on the computer!

We watched two movies this weekend. Marley and Me - my gosh what a tear jerker! The girls started watching that one but both fell asleep long before it ended. And today Michael and I watched Revolutionary Road - another confronting (not happy) movie.

Well I'm about to go and read Twilight for the 3rd time. Watched the movie on Friday night with Michael. I must admit the first time I watched it I was very disappointed - but it was better the second time around.

Good night!

Reminiscing

It's been 1 year since I took a special trip with my Dad to his place of birth and:

* visited my Grandpa and Grandma, Aunty's, Uncles and cousins in Canada
* I saw and touched snow!
* I visited The Rockies (Banff especially)
* I ate Cheesies and Cinnamon Hearts and drank "Timmy's" coffee
* I experienced West Edmonton Mall
* we were introduced to 'Rita Roadgirl'
* I shopped in Walmart (hehehe)
* had my one and only helicopter ride (over the Rockies no less!)
* ate Aunty Eileen's homemade raspberry jam mmmm

Reminiscing................wish I was there right now. Eh!

Miss you guys! Miss you Grandpa xoxoxoxo

Too long....

It's been way too long since I last updated.

I've have been crazy, hectic at work and the kids have been sick with one thing or another so computer time has been very limited.

I've attached a few (ok alot of) photos which I'll explain as I go along.

Mothers Day 2009 - was pretty special (aren't they all?). I took the girls to a Wiggles concert and even though we were in the very back row of the theatre we had a fantastic time. In fact, when the Wiggles did a lap of the theatre we were really up close and personal.

Michael and the girls had bought me some roses for Mothers Day so of course we had to take a couple for Dorothy. I must admit I was singing right along - it was a great show!

Michael was busy at home all the while and I came home to a fully cleaned house and all the ironing done too! Mwwwwaaaahhhh!!!

Isabella made me some beautiful things at school (I've attached a scan of one - isn't it a gorgeous photo of Bella?). Tahlia did too, although she was reluctant to give them to me!

Michael and the girls also bought me a dishwasher!!! What a great invention - this thing not only washes the dishes but also hides the dirty dishes from benchtops!

On Mothers Day evening we went out for dinner with my Mum, Michael's parents, sister, brother and nephew! We had a lovely meal.

Mothers Day night (10.30pm) I ended up having to take Tahlia to emergency after hours doctor! She had woken up coughing oddly and having difficulty breathing!

The doctor decided it was a viral infection - but by Wednesday it had developed into something else and back to another doctor to be diagnosed with bronchitis. Poor Tahlia was pretty sick for a while there. She is much better now though.

Today is my first Thursday off in a few weeks as it's been so busy at work I've been working on my days off - Saturday's included. It was worth it though because I finally feel on top of things workwise again.

Tahlia and I are going to have lunch with Michael today - that will be fun!

Until next time.....have a great day!

Some photos from our weekend

Tahlia and Isabella 26/4/2009

It is rare to get these two in a photo together.

Even rarer to have them both with a smile!

Tahlia makes a mess in Bella's room.

Note the lump under the white and yellow blanket?

That's Tahlia's baby - asleep :-)

Tahlia enjoying a sausage on a stick and some red drink!!! Mmmmmmm!
Now that's some good parenting!

Isabella solemnly marching with her school at the local ANZAC Day parade.

Lest We Forget.

Toilet training

You know I really can't remember much about toilet training with Bella. I do recall that I mostly gave thanks to Kindy for training her. I have absolutely no recall on how the "number 2" training progressed.

We are in the midst of toilet training Tahlia (as if you can't tell!).

She has been in knickers to Kindy every day this week (except Thursday when she was with me). The first two days weren't so hot but Wednesday and Friday she didn't have one accident!

Thursday (with me) she also did great. We were out and about with various things and I had her in pull-ups. No accidents (except for #2's).

Don't read if you are easily grossed out.....it's the #2 in the knickers that are doing me in. Seriously that is DISGUSTING! I have absolutely no memory of ever having to deal with them with Bella, but of course I would have.

Oh the joys of parenthood!
________________________________________________________________

Michael has taken Isabella to march in the ANZAC day parade with her school this morning. There seems to be some miscommunication as to which uniform she was to wear. Her teacher apparently told her to wear her sports uniform, but the news letter expressly states no sports uniform! So to cover all bases I have sent Michael a bag with her sports shirt and white shoes.

So if you are reading please take a moment to remember those Australians who have served (are serving) our country. Lest we forget.

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Wii Fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need I add any more exclamation points to express how much fun I'm having with this?

Last night after both girls had gone to bed and Michael had fallen asleep on the couch I 'played' it.

Today my body is aching! I really must remember to do some warm ups.

My favourites are: hula hoop, step, boxing can really get some frustrations out with this!) and this balancing bubble one.

I have learned that I am pretty good at yoga, not too bad with aerobics, ok with muscle workouts but TERRIBLE with the balancing games - TERRIBLE.

________________________________________________________________

Not much more to report for now.

School holidays are nearly over!

Tomorrow is a pupil free day for Isabella.

Now tell me why is it they need so many pupil free days? In my day.......

Seriously I don't recall having one every single term! As a student it probably rocks - but as a parent it's just another day of juggling how on earth to combine work and a child who no longer attends daycare.

Michael's mum and dad were happy to help. We dropped Bella out there tonight and I will finish work early tomorrow to collect her.

Then back to school on Tuesday.

Unfortunately the weather was pretty awful for her week off with Michael. They did go and see Monsters vs Aliens at the movies and played many many games of Uno though!

Thursday (my day off) was the first sunny day in a week. So Tahlia played hookey from daycare and we all went to the Lagoon for a swim. Although the sun was shining and it was pretty hot, the water was a little chilly but the girls didn't seem to mind.

Yesterday was another hot(ish) day so we pulled out the shell pool and filled her up. The girls took their swimming babies in and had a ball. These are the photos I'm hopefully attaching to this post. We are seriously considering getting a pool at the moment so hopefully when summer comes again we'll be ditching the shell pool for something a little bigger. Stay tuned!

Tahlia spent the day in knickers (or knickies as she calls them) yesterday and not one accident! I've labelled her a few pairs to take to daycare tomorrow - so fingers crossed she'll be easy to train.

I've got to say it's pretty quiet with only 1 child in the house. Tahlia is behind me on the girls desk which is set up with the broken computer flat screen and old keyboard and mouse. She is tapping away earnestly. Of course the TV is going in the other room - Dorothy and the Wiggles and Tahlia is wearing her Dorothy tutu.

Well its just past 8pm - time to get this bedtime show on the road.

Until next time!

PS this formatting crap on this blog is FRUSTRATING! If anyone can point me in the direction of a html for dummies website that'd be great...