Comparisons

I took Buster for his 18 month health check up with the childhood nurse last week. He succeeded in ticking all the boxes when she checked his vision, hearing, fine motor skills and all else that indicated he was developing as expected for a little man his age. When we got home from the appointment I was curious to compare Buster's height and weight details with that of Henry and Milly when they were 18 months old. As it turns out Buster is quite the little man.

Henry 13.5kg 85cm
Milly 12.6kg 82cm
Buster 10.8kg 80cm

Fashion police

There are so many things in a child's life that they ask for and receive a "no" answer to. Sometimes they accept the "no" and move on and other times (most times in Milly's case) it can turn into a war with both sides digging in their heels refusing to budge. With that in mind, when it comes to Milly I pick my battles. One of the battles I never front for is the "what are you going to wear today" dilemma. Basically, I'm happy for Milly to choose her own clothes for the day, with the only rule she has to dress appropriate for the weather.

Sunday: Stripey long sleeved t-shirt, white t-shirt with a glittered design on front, white leggings under a white long skirt. Socks pulled up over leggings and sparkly shoes. Hairclip on one side, ponytail with ribbon on the other.

So she can wear whatever she wants and that is her outfit for the day, the outfit we do the school run in, the outfit she wears with me to do the groceries, the outfit she gets about town in and plays in. She currently favours wearing leggings or trousers under skirts, and skivvies under t-shirts. She likes wearing plastic jewellery and lots of hairclips all at once. Sometimes she even teams it all with a dress up outfit. Whatever she likes, where ever she likes.

Monday: Blue leggings under flower skirt, stripey socks pulled up over leggings, sparkly shoes. Stripey skivvy, fairy dress, purple skirt worn as a veil, Cinderella tiara. Green cardigan. Teddy bear necklace.

Tuesday: Cupcake skirt, stripey skivvy, red t-shirt. Four hair clips.


Wednesday: Outfit #1, pink leggings under white skirt, green star shirt under green cardigan, pink socks, aeroplane gumboots.

Wednsday: Outfit #2, pink leggings, green star t-shirt, pink fairy dress, purple veil, Cinderella glass slippers (they are plastic), Cinderella tiara.

Thursday: Off to preschool, pink courduroy trousers, brown velvet skirt, stripey skivvy, green t-shirt. Star socks, sparkly shoes, pink headband under red hat.

Friday: Off to preschool, blue leggings under patterned flannelette skirt, socks pulled up over leggings, sparkly shoes. Purple shirt under official preschool polo shirt. Red hat.

Saturday: Skinny jeans under white skirt, pink socks, joggers, long sleeved stripey shirt under blue t-shirt with glitter and rainbows.

At the end of the day, it is a win-win. I like how she chooses to dress. I'm not a fashion savvy person, so I'm not going to question her fashion sense. She is expressing her personality..... and boy, what a personality she is.

Snip, snip

Michael is the only person in the house who regularly gets a hair cut. I'm lucky if I remember to get mine cut twice a year, and the kids think themselves lucky if we only cut their hair about the same.

So it came about that is was one of those days where the kids needed a trim. We don't take our kids to the hairdresser, we cut their hair ourselves. On this day they only were happy for Michael to wield the scissors. Milly went first and came away with a short bob. Then it was Henry's turn. We gave him the choice of just having a trim or getting the clippers out and having a hair cut as short as Michaels. To our surprise he chose the clippers.

I was mortified. I love Henry's hair when it is long and he has never had it shawn short.

I found it hard to watch as his beautiful honey coloured hair fell to the ground. But as Michael worked the clippers suddenly Henry's gorgeous face could be seen a bit more. When it was all done it was a very different looking Henry.

The Boo

I'm not going to lie, having three children is hard work, but we have no regrets about adding Buster to our brood. Quite simply, he is just a delight. He is cheeky and playful, but most importantly he loves having a snuggle. He provides us with hours of entertainment and we can't imagine him not being part of the family. He is our Boo.

Good morning sleepyheads

Me and the kids

Normally I'm behind the camera taking all the photos and videos to record our family history. Sometimes I worry that when the kids get older and look back at their early years that there won't be any photos of them with me. So every now and then I have to remember to get Michael to take some photos, and other times I hold the camera back and take it myself.

Look what I can do

I can kick a football and dribble it about.

I can conquer the playground and traverse a wobbly bridge.

I can go down the big slide all by myself.

When I want something I can help myself and leave no evidence that it was me.

I can join in the Easter egg hunt.

Two parties, too much

I thought I might have been a little crazy when I decided to have Henry and Milly's separate birthday parties held at the same time, day and at our house. Having Michael and my mum there to help was invaluable and my next door neighbour pitched in as well. If it weren't for them the parties could have been a disaster. As it turned out, the day was a bit stressful for me but a success for the kids. Trying to divide my time equally between the parties and keep them running was a challenge. I won't be doing it again.

Henry had seven of his school chums attend and we had organised a Star Wars Jedi Training Camp party. Complete with themed food and training course games to keep the boys active and having fun.

For Milly, she had four friends over for a fairy party. She had fairy themed food, with art and craft activities to amuse the girls.

Duelling lightsabers.

Milly and her fairy friends.


The birthday fairy.

Once all the guests had arrived each party had its own pre-party food before the activities commenced. It was strawberry milkshakes and fairy cupcakes for the girls.

The Jedi party had Yoda Sodas and Star Wars themed cupcakes. The Yoda Sodas were lime spiders with a lightsaber (aka glow stick) in the cup. These were a real hit with the boys.

Then it was on to the party games. The fairies were busy making their own fairy crowns and wands. Lots of glitter and sparkly things to glue on them. It kept them busy.

The boys had four games they needed to complete to become a Jedi. The first was an obstacle course we set up in the backyard that included doing the Wookie walk (aka using stilts), climbing ladders, riding scooters, using a lightsaber to fight of Jabba the Hutt's burps (aka a bubble machine) and more. The second game we called Using the Force, where we attached a hula hoop to the washing line and the boys had to throw a frisbee and Vortex ball through the hoop. For the third game Michael printed off pictures of Darth Vadar, Darth Maul, and Boba Fett and the boys had to use a Star Wars gun to practice some target shooting. The final game was Destroying the Deathstar. We couldn't find a Star Wars pinata, so bought a soccer ball one and spray painted it silver. The boys loved having a crack at smashing it down with a lightsaber.

The Deathstar destroyed and the spoils shared.

After the games it was time for the birthday cakes. Milly almost had a meltdown when her fairy friends blew out her candles for her, but a quick relight of the candles and she was happy again. I haven't posted any pictures of the birthday cakes because frankly they are the worst effort I've ever made. Making two elaborate cakes this year was too big an ask. Milly's cake was a simple pink and vanilla marble cake with pink icing and edible fairies placed on top, sitting around the letter M formed out of those silver edible balls. Henry's cake was cut into the shape of the number 6 and I placed some Star Wars figurines on top.

When all the formalities were over the world of the Jedis and fairies collided, and I'm pleased to say they played together harmoniously.

When the day was over and the kids asleep in bed, I had set aside a favourite bottle of red wine to enjoy with Michael. Only thing was I was too tired and all I really wanted was a cup of peppermint tea. So the bottle of red was put away and we took it out a few days later and enjoyed it.

Another year done and dusted.

Birthday boy

Poor Henry. It must seem like an age to him having to wait for his birthday. There is always a big build up to the birthdays and with Milly celebrating her birthdate the day before Henry, sometimes it is all a bit much emotionally for him to take. This year was different. He was happy for Milly to have her birthday first and be the centre of attention. So when her day was finally over and we wake up to his birthday he was very excited to take centre stage. Plus we had arranged for his birthday party to be on the same day (more of that in a separate blog entry still to come).

He might be now be six, but he'll always be our little mister.

At last Henry gets a lightsaber of his own. Well, two lightsabers actually, so we can fight him.

Yes, it was a very Star Wars birthday for Henry and he couldn't have been happier.

Me and my little mister.

Birthday girl

Good morning birthday girl. How old are you today?

The chance for Milly to style and tangle a head of hair other than her own. Less than 4 hours later this mission was accomplished.

Giving Suri Cruise a run for her money, Milly in her Cinderella glass slippers with matching tiara and earrings.

Out for a special birthday lunch with her new purse full of sparkling lip gloss.

"Could Mama please have a photo of my beautiful children? Now bunch together, look at the camera and smile!"

Me and my impossible princess.

Something I forgot to mention

Looking back over the blog I realised there is something I've not yet mentioned..... Buster is now walking. He toddles about everywhere much like a silverback gorilla - confident and fearless. He amuses us no end and Henry and Milly get just as much enjoyment from him as we do. Buster really believes he is king of the kids. He also thinks he can jump and when he's on one of his adventures in the backyard we can often find him climbing the ladder onto the trampoline and trying to jump up and down or just toddling about in circles laughing his head off.