Christmas - Part 3 of 4

Next stop on our itinerary was Inverell to visit Michael's parents Janet and Peter.  There's not much to do in Inverell, so it was the perfect place to relax.  I even managed to read a book (can't remember the last time I did that).

Henry and Milly lived in the pool.  Their swimming lessons have paid off and it was great to see their confidence in the water.  Buster on the other hand did not want to venture in.  Instead we were all on red alert as he walked around the edges of the pool throwing in pool toys, or leaned over the pool edges to grab pool toys so he could throw them in again.

Ta-da!

A rare moment in the water with GrandJan.

Al fresco.

Just outside Inverell is a place called Green Valley Farm.  Michael had always described it to me as a small farm with freakish animals.  And when I say freakish, I mean cows with two heads, sheeps with five legs, deformed dead animals in jars and the like.  Not the type of place I've ever been keen to visit.  Janet and Peter said it had improved a lot and had plenty of things for the kids to see and play on, including water slides.  A quick look at their website confirmed it wasn't as scary as I had imagined, so we ventured out for the day.





Entering Green Valley Farm you need to walk through a small museum. The museum was actually quite interesting and had historical bits and pieces from the 1800s from the early gold miners and fossikers. Then I came across the dead animals in jars, and what looked like home done taxidermy gone wrong in the way of a two-headed lamb, a calf that looked like a pig, and siamese wolves - the freakish bit. With my face cringing I managed to make my way through the entrance and to the gardens and play area of the farm. Phew!

There was heaps of things for the kids and us big kids to play on. Old fashioned rocking horses, huge slippery dips, huge swings, gardens and a lake to walk around, farm animals, and a giant trampoline. But we were all really waiting for the water slide to open, and when it did it was a tonne of fun!

They have a shaded water park for the toddlers, and mini water slide for the under 6s.  Then there was the big water slide.  There was just the one, but it was long and curled down the hill it was set on.  Henry loved it and surprised us by showing no fear and going down on his own many times.

Only time Buster got in.

Milly was happy and loving this water slide until another girl landed on her, bringing an end to Milly's water slide adventures.

The big water slide.

My ice cream Grandad!

Aside from all the time spent in the pool and relaxing another event happened in Inverell.  Henry lost his second tooth.  It had been on the wobbles for a long time and we were convinced it would come out before Christmas.  The tooth fairy found him in Inverell and he was a happy chappy.

Mind the gap.

And just before we left Inverell for our next stop, it was time for another attempt at a family photo and this one was more successful.....eventually.  Thanks to Janet and Peter for letting us disturb their quiet life with our excited children and for their gracious hosting.  I'll be trying to work off that Mangomisu dessert for weeks to come.

Buster sit down, it's time for a family photo.

Everyone smile.

The Hobsons.

Christmas - Part 2 of 4

It never fails to amaze me how much stuff you need to pack when holidaying with children.  It doesn't seem to matter if you're only going away two nights or two weeks, the amount seems to be the same.  Michael does an excellent job of packing the car and finding gaps to fill with our belongings.  I never envy him this job, and he probably doesn't envy me putting everything away when we get home.

So with the car packed and us all ready, off we set on our Christmas holiday.  I had been looking forward to getting away for sooooo long.  After a big year of school, markets, Michael's work and commute, this was our time to get away for more than two days as a family.  

Wired for sound and visuals.

I'm not going to lie.  The portable DVD players were brilliant.  The drive to Coffs Harbour was going to take 5-6 hours with minimal stopping.  We didn't hear much of a peep from Henry, who only stirred from watching his DVDs when he was restless.  Buster watched Milly's movies with her and had his afternoon nap.  And Milly was mostly content, but needed a little whinge every now and then, and always seemed to be hungry. 

The drive was pretty good and when we arrived in Coffs we were all happy to finally have the holiday begin. We were all staying with Dad and Tracey (Corin and family arriving later that night), and the kids were super excited to spend some time with Grandad and Nanna Trace, but probably more excited that the build up to Christmas was reaching its climax.

Christmas morning, dressed, fed and ready to open presents.

On Christmas morning, the kids emptied their stockings and kept themselves amused whilst us adults got organised.  Henry was keen to open some presents, but like all the kids was pretty good at being patient and having to wait until after breakfast.

Just when we thought we might get started Corin had to take out some garbage.  Then there was a knock at the front door and who should stroll in ...... Santa Claus of course!  He'd forgotten to put a present under the tree and had popped back to deliver it and seeing he was there he thought he'd hang around and hand out the presents.

Santa was very orderly and everyone had to take turns in opening a present. It was a shame Corin missed it. He really did take a long time putting out that garbage.

Look Boo, it's Santa.

Dishing out the pressies.

 

Thanks Grandad and Nanna Trace for my laptop.  I love it!

 

This is the best Christmas ever!

With presents all opened it was time to prepare ourselves for the main event - Christmas lunch.  Dad and Tracey are both such great cooks that I don't know anyone who doesn't look forward to a meal at their place.  They are generous with their food and wine, as well as generous with the true Christmas spirit.  They had a couple of friends join us for lunch who otherwise would have spent Christmas alone.

Christmas cocktail.

An Aussie Christmas.

Aside from Christmas, on our other days in Coffs we ventured out to the beach.  Henry and Milly loved being in the shallows jumping waves with Michael.  Buster didn't want anything to do with the water and spent his time chasing seagulls or digging sand.  If he saw a ripple of water approaching he would sprint up the beach in a panic out of it's way.

THE HUCKERS TOURNAMENT 

Whenever myself, Corin and Dad are together at Christmas time the Ludo board comes out and we play a version of Ludo called "Huckers" until a champion is crowned.  Traditionally this happens on Boxing Day, and we play as many games as required, that is until one person has won two games.

Corin, Dad and I used to play Huckers with Grandad from when we were kids until he died.  It was he who taught us the Huckers rules, as it was taught to him when he served in the Navy.  Michael now fills Grandad's seat and we play for a trophy filled with some of Grandad's ashes.  We play on the original Ludo board given to my Grandad and Nan as a wedding present in the 1930s.  A lot of swearing usually accommpanies the playing of the game, and it was noted this year that swearing was almost non existent.  We put this down to Corin and I now being parents and having curtailed our langauge.

And so the battle begins.

 

Dad retains "the ashes".

On the morning of our depature there were some solemn faces.  We had all enjoyed the Coffs Harbour part of the holiday and although looking forward to our next port of call, repacking the car and driving for three hours isn't always easy with three young children.  Also not easy was trying to get them to pose for a photo with their cousin Casper.  No one wanted to participate or oblige.



Not another family photo.

And there ends another Christmas.  Another Christmas of us all together, healthy and happy.  Many thanks to Dad and Tracey for their hospitality in housing and feeding us, and keeping us hydrated.

The Bartley/Hobson family Christmas photo 2011.

Christmas - Part 1 of 4

Christmas for us this year was to be a travelling affair.  Christmas Day was to be spent in Coffs Harbour with 'the Bartley clan' (Dad, Tracey, Corin, Yin and Casper).  Seeing as we were in the area, well three hours drive away, we were also to call in on Michael's parents in Inverell.  To top it all off, we then planned to cross the border into Queensland to visit Michael's sister and her family in Toowoomba.  But before we were allowed to depart, Nanoo needed her Christmas time with us and the children.

Finding a day to get together proved a challenge.  I was busy with markets and/or baking for said markets, and Mum was busy with a multitude of Christmas get togethers with friends and extended family.  On finally agreeing a date, the kids got excited, knowing they would be getting some presents before Christmas.

We had a lovely Sunday BBQ dinner with Mum and Peter.  The kids received presents to help with the holiday to come.  They each received suitcases, and Henry and Milly each got a portable DVD player to keep them occupied (and silent) on the long holiday drive. 

Peter had pitched a tent in the backyard, so the kids entertained themselves dragging their suitcases about and pretending they were on holiday, whilst us adults enjoyed a beverage and conversation.

The festive photo

Here it is.  The Christmas photo.  Look at my three little lovelies.  Don't they look happy?  Let me fill you in on what it took to get this photo.

As usual no one wanted to participate or cooperate.  Henry and Milly are more experienced with my "you will do this or die" approach to getting a family photo.  Buster on the other hand could not have cared less and struggled and fought against it.

Then Henry wanted to muck about and Buster was still looking for his way out.  Milly was happy to pose.

The photo shoot was finally saved by Michael.  He stood next to me and hit himself, and hit himself, and hit himself some more.  The kids find this hilarious.  Seeing their father hurt or pretending injury is laugh-out-loud funny.  Not sure what that says about them or our parenting skills.  But it got them smiling and looking happy, and that is all that mattered to me as I snapped away. 

With Michael exhausted from entertaining the kids by torturing himself, the kids too were tired of having to sit still and smile.  We were all relieved when I called an end to the photo shoot.  I was hoping that at least one of the 74 photos I took would have them in focus and all smiling.  And there you have it for another year.

Advent update

Just a little update on how the new advent calendar is going. It's going super, thank you. Henry has really embraced checking each box for a little note and reading it out loud. The first few mornings he'd awake a bit early (ie 5.30am) and come and wake me up and tell me the message. I think he was expecting me to enthusiastically jump out of bed and complete whatever action was in the note. Thankfully, my bleary eyes, dismissive waving of hand, and failure to get out of bed have led to him lowering his early morning expectations of me. Now he when he wakes up, he reads the note, turns on the TV and quietly waits for everyone else to surface.

The very first note was "Decorate the Christmas tree". The kids had school and preschool, so had to wait until the afternoon to decorate. All three got stuck in to rummaging through the decorations box and hanging the ornaments. Buster was a bit of a hinderance. His preference was to whack the baubles off the tree and start kicking them around or trying to make them bounce.

I love this photo of the kids beside the tree. It cracks me up looking at Henry standing so straight and tall and serious. I didn't ask him too. I think it shows the influence of school on him.

We are almost half way through the advent calendar and they've only had a chocolate treat twice. I've been pleasantly surprised that they don't seem to miss it. They've written their Christmas cards. Written letters to Santa. We've read a Christmas story. They've decorated Nanoo's Christmas tree. They have also decorated a gingerbread house, which is always loads of fun when it's stick one lolly on the house and then stick one lolly in your mouth.

We've also managed to take the offical Christmas photo. But that story and photos is for a separate blog post. Stay tuned.

Still the littlest

Buster had his two year old health check up today. I thought I'd share his weight and height stats and provide a comparison with Henry and Milly at the same age.

Henry: 14.3kg, 89cm
Milly: 13.5kg, 88cm
Buster: 11.5kg, 85cm

Up until now Buster has been wearing his size 1 clothes. It was only this week I pulled out the storage box of size 2 clothes in readiness for the transition. He is now wearing some size 2 tops (mainly to accommodate what is known as "the Hobson head"). His legs are so short he'll be in his size 1 trousers and shorts for months to come, unless he has a major growth spurt.

It must be love

Thought I'd share with you a snippet of conversation held tonight at the dinner table.

Milly: I love you Mama.
Me: Oh thanks Poppet. I love you too.
Milly: Dadda, I love Mama more than you.
Michael: No, I love Mama more than you.
Milly: No. I do.
Me: Oh thanks guys. It's nice to be so loved.
Milly: Dadda, I love you more than Mama.

And there you have it.

New traditions

I've always loved the wooden advent calendars I've spied in the homewares shops, but each Christmas I've kept it cheap and bought the $2 chocolate ones instead. This Christmas I bit the bullet and spent some money on a wooden one.

This Christmas I'm starting a new tradition. Rather than the kids getting a chocolate each day, we are going to really get into the festive spirit with Christmas-themed family activities to countdown the days. Each day there will be a note in a box and I'm hoping every morning I will see excited faces, eager to find out what each day reveals. To put a stop to tears and tantrums over who gets to open the day's box, they will take it in turns. I'll be keeping the wording of each activity simple, so Henry will have to read each note to discover the surprise.

Some of the activities I've got planned are: decorate the Christmas tree; read Christmas stories; sing Christmas songs; make and decorate a gingerbread house; visit the Christmas lights; go Christmas shopping; write and deliver their Christmas cards; give to a charity; give gifts to their teachers; and wrap presents. Of course, I'm not a complete grinch and on some days they'll get a chocolate or lolly, and I've even planned a little treasure hunt in the garden.

So four more sleeps until the advent calendar makes it's appearance. I'll keep you posted on how successful it is.

One word

The other day I asked Michael if he could choose one word to describe each of the kids what would it be. His answers were:
Henry - precious
Milly - volatile
Buster - cheeky.

I've thought about my own responses too.
Henry - daydreamer
Milly - impossible
Buster - rascal.

Hope that paints a picture for you.

The Boo turns two

Our little man has turned two. And when I say little, I mean little, because he is still growing into many of his size 1 clothes. But don't think just because he is small he is still a baby. Buster has a big vocabulary and his language skills are very good. He is physically very capable and has great coordination. So to celebrate his achievements and birthday milestone we had a little get together on the weekend with my brother and his family to celebrate.

Buster seemed a natural when it came to present opening. No one need show him how to do it, he instinctively ripped open his gifts like a seasoned professional. This was a bit of a disappointment to Henry, who was quite keen to open Buster's presents for him.

I'd made Buster a train cake. He was very good a blowing out the candles and then helping himself to the lollies decorating the cake.

On the morning of Buster's actual birthday we were all woken quite early by a very excited Henry - excited because he wanted to open Buster's presents. Buster is quite used to fending off his big brother and sister and voicing "mine", and was more than capable of opening his own presents.

Funnily enough, after his midday nap the first thing he said when I picked him up out of his cot was "more pressies". Thankfully during his nap time a courier and the postman had made their deliveries and I was able to oblige Buster his need for "more pressies".

After a long day of present opening, playing and taking birthday phone calls, our little man was tired. Some cuddles from Mum ended his special day.

The toothy milestone

After watching some of his pre-school and then school friends lose their teeth Henry was beginning to wonder when it would happen for him. Finally about three months ago his first tooth started to wobble. It was just a little wobble, but it was enough to get him excited. Not much as happened with that tooth over the past few months but last week it suddenly started to wobbly a bit more and then it was barely hanging on.

It's final moment came during dinner. It was getting in the way of him eating his pasta and he just pulled it out.

We wrapped the tooth in some tissue and put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy. He couldn't wait to find out if the tooth fairy would take it away and leave him some money. I let him know that the tooth fairy often gives the first tooth back to the Mum and Dad for a keepsake, because it is a special tooth.

The next morning at 5:50am Henry woke me up to show me his $2 and tell me his tooth was gone. I told him to look under my pillow to see if the tooth fairy had left it behind for me. Surely enough, the tooth fairy had.

Living in fear

You might not know it, but Michael and the kids certainly do. I hate lizards and snakes. Sorry, I don't think I made myself clear enough. I HATE LIZARDS AND SNAKES!!!!! My skin crawls, my heart beats faster from the fear, I freeze, I flee, I panic, I jog on the spot flapping my hands. They freak me out. I can't even see the ones at the zoo, even though they are behind glass. Just being near the entrance to the reptile section of the zoo, without even seeing anything, has me rocking backwards and forwards like a crazy person. Just watching them slither about, or their scaly skin glisten, their tongues......eeeeekkk! Just typing this is giving me the heebie jeebies.




So you can now imagine how I felt when Henry announced that he found a blue-tongue lizard in the garden. I froze. Completely froze. Michael had to go and confirm it was a blue-tongue, it was alive, and it was slithering about.

Now, I know that blue-tongues are harmless and they are in fact good for my vegie patch. They eat the snails, slugs, and caterpillars. They are doing me a service, I should be grateful. But I'm not about to start a fan club or give the lizard a medal. Instead, I'm now living in fear everytime I walk out the backdoor. Worse still, I have discovered the lizard's hide out. MY VEGIE PATCH. The perfect spot for it to sunbake. Aaarrrgggghhhhh!

So now everytime I'm heading out to the backyard I'm creeping about on my tip toes on the look out for the bloody lizard.

Note: A special acknowledgement to Michael for taking the photo of our lizard. I can't even look at it.