Back to school

Bring out the marching band and start dancing through the streets because I'm singing loud and proud "hooray, the kids are back at school"!  I'm breathing a huge sigh of 'thank the gods' because the last week of the school holidays has been testing.  The kids have been really great but a little boring.  They haven't wanted to go anywhere and have been happy just playing as a little threesome.  Which, of course I'm grateful for.  There haven't been any major fights, just the usual someone feeling a bit left out.  Although normally, it's more everyone sick and tired of Little Miss Bossy.  Which has been the case in this final week before school that Milly has really dominated and tested everyone's patience, ability to share, and general being nice to each other.  So maybe I should rephrase and instead sing "hooray, Milly is back at school".

We've never had the problem of 'what to put in the lunchbox', because our kids request the same thing everyday.  You'd think they would be bored and want some variety, but seriously they don't.  So for what is a major dilemma for other parents is easy peasy for us.

Henry has now joined the junior school and is in a different playground to Milly.  He also gets to participate in the swimming and athletics carnivals.  They both have a good amount of friends in their new classes and Henry was happy there was no homework issued on the first day.  Although Milly seemed a bit disappointed.  We now await the issue of bus passes so they can catch a bus a few days a week, which is something they are looking forward to and I'm coming to terms with.

 

 

 

The lamby, the poppet and the wardrobe

As a little girl grows, so do her needs.  In this case, I'm talking about her clothing needs.  Up until she was five years old she has made do with a tall boy to house all her clothes, then when she required hangers for clothes we made do with a small clothes rack.  This rack has been great for the interim but we always knew a wardrobe would be needed somewhere down the track.  With her rack mainly full with school uniforms, the clothes were starting to get dusty and it was time to upgrade. 

Because of the location of her bedroom door, buying a wardrobe was not an option, as it couldn't fit through the door.  This was something we realised when we thought we'd take the wardrobe from the boys' bedroom and give it to Milly.  We ended up taking out a chunk of wall trying to swing it around and through her bedroom door.  So our wardrobe requirements became: a flat-pack wardrobe that could be built in the room; a moveable wardrobe should she want to rearrange her room one day; a wardrobe that doesn't look like a utility cupboard; and most importantly it had to be affordable.
Of course, IKEA ticked all these boxes.  But alas, we have no IKEA in Newcastle.

By chance my Mum and Peter were heading down to Sydney in a sizeable vehicle to get a heap of IKEA stuff for their new house.  Also by chance the exact wardrobe we wanted was being discontinued and was on sale with a discount of 50%.  We couldn't stop high fiving ourselves with this great fortune, only to have our luck turn sour when the wardrobe sold out the day Mum and Peter were picking it up, despite contacting IKEA the day before to confirm it was in stock. 

Fast forward six months or more and IKEA released a new range of wardrobe that looked exactly like the last one but had a different name.  With no time to waste and it being school holidays, Michael took a trip down to Sydney and picked it up.

The naked room.

So many screws, bolts and thingymajigs.



Assembly commencement.

Taking shape.

Almost there.

Almost, almost there.

Four hours later...... ta-da!

Getting the wardrobe is Phase 1 of updating Milly's room.  When she's a bit older we'll get a new doona cover and probably ditch or replace the rug, and basically make her room less of a little girl's room.  Just like I did with the boys' bedroom, I repainted Milly's room and replaced the old venetian blind.  I actually repainted her room six months ago when we were getting her original wardrobe.  I've also added some lanterns over her bed that give off a soft glow, add ambience, but are also functional as she loves to read at bedtime.

 

 

The opposite side of her room is still a work in progress.  I'd like to add more art work and picture frames but await Milly's creative urges.  Phase 1 complete.

 



Christmas holidays - Days 5-7

Our Christmas holiday continued in Inverell, where we caught up with Michael's parents and his sister's family who came down from Toowoomba.  The kids were excited to see their cousins again and enjoy a second Christmas.  Plus GrandJan and Grandad have a pool.

We had agreed with Michael's sister Lib that we'd get the kids all the same present - Nerf guns for the boys, Bow and Arrows for the girls.  A poor, unsuspecting Michael was putting up the tent in the backyard when he was chosen as target practice.

 

Grandad took the kids fishing, but none were biting.

 

 

With the kids occupied playing with cousins and in the pool, I was able to read two books and have a nice relax.  Then it was off for the long drive home.  We were stocked with a picnic lunch, which we tried to have a Nowendoc but were forced back in the car by the flies.

Finally we were home and the car was unpacked, allowing Michael and Milly to get down to the serious business of playing Barbies.  Happy New Year everyone.

Christmas holidays - Day 4

Boxing Day breakfast with Christmas crackers.
 

A trip to Coffs Harbour isn't complete without a photo under the Big Banana...
 

... or a milkshake.
 

In the search for somewhere nice to have lunch we had heard about a cafe at Sapphire Beach with a great playground for kids (complete with flying fox).  After driving around a little lost, we found the cafe and playground.  The cafe was closed but the playground was a hit with the kids.
 

Resolved to not enjoy her holiday, someone had a massive tantrum. 
She kicked me in the shins a few seconds after I took this photo.
 

That's Split Solitary Island in the distance.
 

We found great flat and smooth stones for skimming.
 

With the cafe closed, we headed back to Dad and Tracey's for a lunch of champagne....
 

...and prawn rolls.
 

The Bartley family's Boxing Day test....a game of Huckers. 
The winner gets this trophy of Grandad's ashes.
 

The Huckers Champion for 2013.
 

Henry and Harry.
Dad and Tracey have two dogs, Harry and Rusty.  Henry would very much like a pet of his own.  He loves animals and spent most of his time playing with Harry.

Henry and Bruce.
Dad's neighbour has a puppy pug called Bruce.

Christmas holidays - Day 3

I know Henry gets excited about presents and I totally expected him to wake early, but 4.30am.....seriously.  He was really good and didn't wake anyone else but we were sharing a bed and he couldn't get back to sleep, which meant I didn't get back to sleep either.  Merry Christmas!

Slowly but surely, Buster then Milly got up and Christmas offically started at 6.00am.

Wide awake and ready to start.

Slightly sleepy.

"Is it Christmas yet mumma?"

Someone was excited he got a book and someone else was excited he got a chocolate.

Snooping under the tree.
 

Thank you Grandad.
 

The boys were excited to share the Skylanders present from Santa.
 

But someone wasn't happy they didn't get a tablet for Christmas too. 
He was even quoted saying "I hate my life".
 

The joy of putting together presents only to discover you forgot the batteries.
 

Barbie's campervan.  I have very fond memories of getting one for Christmas too when I was a youngster.
 

Look what my Dad got for Christmas.

 

A Bloody Mary for breakfast.  Don't mind if I do.
 

Salad, prawns, ham, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, trifle, custard tart, and adults-only punch.  A festive feast.  Thanks to Tracey and Dad.
 

Mister and his Christmas lunch.
 

Our fussy eater and her Christmas lunch (potatoes and cucumber).
 

Guess who was asleep by 5.00pm?  Sweet Christmas dreams my Boo.