Pre-school and the Royal Wedding!!

Miles' first day today.

We packed up lunch and morning tea together yesterday, he said no to pretty much everything!
But finally got a sandwhich and some snacks and fruit together..

Took the pics and dropped him in!

At first he clung to me and hid behind my legs but then a few seconds later he soon got into it and came out of hiding! He sat at the Playdough table and i sat with him at first with Greta - then after a while, 20 mins or so i said is it ok if i go, so he waved his hand in my general direction without so much as a sideways glance!

SO i think he will be ok - they will show him the toilets and where to wash his hands etc so he will be good to go.

Greta seems ok without her partner in crime - although she has pointed at the door and said Miles a couple of times, think she wants to go out an get him.  We will walk up to pich him up i think... i have to collect him around 2pm.

A picture from outside Preschool this morning.
.. looking so grown up! (he will be 4 in august)
Missing him already :(

But of course, it leaves the day free for Greta and Mummy to watch the Royal pre wedding shows - speaking of weddings, cant help but remember my own, 10 years ago in August! - an absolute perfect day in sunny (not so) Scotland... i hope the royal wedding is have as fantastic as my own day, if it is then it will be fantastic!

Easter

Had a lovely 5 days over the Eater holidays.

Kids LOVED having their Daddy home, they dont get to see him much during the week as he works suc long long days - actually i don't get to see him much!

So it was lovely, although he did get a bit bored the last day and was eager to get back to work *rolls eyes* !
But for 4 of the 5 days he loved being home.

So did the egg hunt! Miles LOVED it, Greta .... not so much lol, well just not interested, wanted to eat the loot not hunt for it!

I think she got a few bites out of one of the eggs... im not too into giving little ones choccy, but a taste of it never hurt anyone.

Jonathan spent a couple of days cleaning up the garage, so we can fit that out as a guest room later in the year.

We stayed home and did crafting, we went to the local RSL to the family fun day and we went for long strolls to the parks :) delightful.

Some pics from easter:

 Sharing an Easter Egg

 A craft frog

Sickness!

I think it may be easing!

Miles has been diagnosed with the flu - nasty nasty thing! i have only been unlucky to have it  twice in my life - but then im 33yrs old! Can't belive my 3 year old has it!

Anyway he has had soaring temps, up to 39.7 degrees! Just been laying in bed sobbing and shouting out Mummy i want you, every 5 - 10 mins which was a lot easier to deal with as the last couple of days he has wanted to sit on my lap, which made it hard to look after/entertain Greta too - so ended up having to lift him up and thats of course upset him.. so anyway, having him laying in bed and just popping in to him every 10 mins or so to give him a sip of water, hold his hand, wipe his nose! Whatever he wanted - actually thats a good thing about the flu, there are no couhing or runny noses, just aching bones and soaring temps.

Anyway after 2 sleepless nights for me and Miles, he has been playing in the garden for 20 mins or so with Greta this afternoon so i think he is on the mend.. i do admit to being in tears with him, while he was hot and sobbing, broke my heart.. poor little man.

oh then he had diarrhea! oh the joys!

Greta is well though.,

jonathan has finally been told he can no longer go on contracting - as they pay him a much higher rate when contracting, so he will be going permanant in the next few weeks - damn! oh well, lower weekly wage but paid holidays and sick.. not that he is ever off sick but he hasn't taken a holiday since july last year when we went to the UK.. so we're all a bit worn out!

Looking forward to the Easter break.  Going to hopefullg get Miles well again and just potter at home, my all time fave thing to do :) well next to travel of course, but can't afford that at present!

So, somehow managed to keep the house clean and tidy, on top of all the washing/ironing so can get on with enjoying our break tomorrow :)

Got a friends little ones birthday coming up so bought a couple books from the Book Depository - they are so so cheap i love them! And this one for Miles: such a great book its becoming the book we read EVERY SINGLE night before he goes to sleep after his usual story, we have been reading this at the end.. he loves it.

We officially covered the pool over for winter - very sad, miss my daily swim, but it will be spring again soon and that cover will be ripped off!

Grandma and Grandad are coming to visit in Jan for 2-3 months, very excited about that, Miles and Greta can get spoilt!

erm think thats it...

Oh and of course Miles starts Pre-school next Friday!!!!!  No clue what Greta is going to do without him, she has never been parted from him, she has been finding it hard him being sick - she keeps shouting "My. My" but he has been too sick to play with her :(

On that note, a couple of pics of the little munchkins:

Watching Cat in a hat on TV, very happy to have her partner in crime on his way back to good health :)

And of course my sick little man:

Fantastic weekend!

Had a very relaxing day at home yesterday - just pottered around at home .... one of my great pleasures in life :)
jonathan let me have a lie in till 9am - normally i end up getting up earlier as hear Greta yelling Mummy at the top of her lungs and searching the house for me and i can't stand for her to want me and not have me with her so i get up for her... but i slept like the living dead! Im not sure if she didn't do it yesterday morning for some reasone or if, as i've been sick for a good couple weeks now, i just needed to have an extra lie in and slept right through it.
I, certainly not sleep deprived as they both sleep 13 hours straight overnight so i guess just being sick for so long caught up with me.. anyway i do feel pretty good now but i still have a bad cough - thats turned into a whistling sound and of course its gone straight to my chest and has set off my asthma - oh woe is me i know lol but im hopefully on the road to recovery after 3 colds one straight after another... well least i have it and not Miles - thats one thing to be grateful for that my little man isn't sick... my poor princess does have it though - but after about a month she seems well on the road to recoverly.

She did go through a funny thing where she had no day nap for 3 days and was clingy in the extreme - but i just cant complain as she is such a please her have around, adore my little girl.. so no drama really, she jsut litereally scremed her way through 3 days and was very very tired - and as jonathan is out the house from 8am till 8.30pm ... its was fun let me put it that way! im grateful i ma patient person by nature! and with a veyr very clingy miles which is normal for him - mummy was rather split!

But i know at 18 months its normal to go through a major sleep issue - they go trhough major changes and for abotu 4 weeks their sleep changes and they wont go to sleep as normal.. i remember it with Miles... i guess its odd for them too to go through the 18 month changes... least i knew there would be an end to it - but it only lasted for 3 days for Greta..it was a week or 2 with Miles.  But then Greta does like her slepe lol so i guess that won out in the end.

Then today i went to the Movie with Miles.. we watched Hop - it was great for Miles as I wanted to spend some 1 on 1 time with him and jonathan to spend some 1 on 1 time with Greta so we took ourselves off and will do this once a month or so ... each time ive done it ive had a ball with my little man, he is so full of questions and interested in everything.  We had a snack and browsed all the boutique toy shops.. he has exquisite taste i love to browse shops with him.

Jonathan had fun with Greta - when im home she is so mummy obsessed poor Daddy can't get a look in so it was great to take myself and Miles out and they got to hang out.. although part of that was her nap.

Anyway that was the weekend.. pottering on Saturday and Movies and window shopping on Sunday.

Of course this week is a short week - so will enjoy the Easter hols as a family and do the egg hunt and decorate some eggs with Miles this week.

Oh and Jonathan made his famous pastry for a pie on Saturday - yummmmm!

Some pics from our lovely weekend:

Miles at the Movies

Greta reading with Daddy

I really should do another list of what Greta is up to.. not much change as far as walking, but words - she says so much im amazed - she was standing at the back windows yesteray - we had torrential rain and she suddenly goes "daddy, raining" i had no idea she could say rain, or even knew what it was..she's an amazing little girl.

Ok all from me - looking forward to the Easter break and having my hubby home for 5 days!

x

Time flies....

........ been in our house 12 months today!

And what a fantastic 12 months its been.  i love my house.  It takes forever to clean, its a big big plot, we're not quite into the huge acreages around us but not too far away...

Love the pool, love the back yard, love having no neighbours anywhere near us, love my kitchen, love my glass splash back and i love that i can step out my front door and after a 5-10 min walk can be surrounded by cows and horses and rolling feilds and the most amazing houses that are closer to hotels than houses!  Loves this area - its blooming expensive, but its a gorgeous spot :)

Just knucling down to pay for it now!  Being a SAHM i think i am helping even though im not bringing home the dough!

But i am paying all the bills, the reno costs, keeping it all running smoothly, keeping everyone happy... getting down the reno debts so that in 2 yrs we should hopefully be debt free!

In other news:

Jonathan has finally been offered a full time role with City of Sydney, he didn't think Clover was a fan as they butt heads often but so so releived that they are about to offer.  The contracting has been great - and money amazing, which has helped us pay us up to date as we were behind with some stuff.. so thats been a Godsend.  But the security of a perm job with paid sick - we have all been sick and are struggling, would be fantastic!

Geta poor love has had Roseola and 3 colds one after the other - as have I.. but im big and daft and can handle it! My poor baby shouldnt have to and i hate myself for going to work for those 8 weeks and making her suffer in day care that 1 day a week and pick up all this terrible illness.. i refuse to let her out of my sight now untill she is 3.5 yrs old and will begin preshcool 1 day a week like her big brother - he starts on the 29th April!

5 yr car finance deal ends in july... i love our car, jeep Cheroke.  Been in 2 accidents with it.. 1 with miles as a baby and i feel safe as houses in it. so im veyr reluctant to let it go.  Think i will refinance with Mercedes who we have the loan with for another 12 months and worry about it then.. I spoke to them and they are ok with that.. but Jonathan wants to get a new car - so we will see..
Made easter bracelets with Miles and Greta today, and rocky road.

Oooh i hear G crying, must be awake - BBL.

x

Pics

Thought id share a couple of my darling little people while Greta is down for the night and Miles finishes up watching a Repunzel Movie :o)

Needs to introducion - my beautiful baby girl.

 Greta with a new friend - she LOVES this, its a duck but has a dolls face.

 Watching Daddy leave for work...

 My cute little fella, helping mummy bake.

 And finally my little miss - officially attempint to walk!

xx

3 for 3!

He didn't get job, the director role at his current company OR the job he really fancied where he would travel a lot... they dicided they didn't know what they actually wanted so didn't give to the anyone (Jonathan OR the other favourite) and have gone back to the drawing board to decide what they want!!! ARGGHHHHH.....

So those 2 and the Anglican role, makes 3 he didn't get..

Oh well, you can't win em all - something will come up :)

All for now...

Planning on heading to the EQ Moore Park Family show tomorrow or Sunday.  its a bit like the Easter show but a nicer dempgraphic... ooops did i really say that!  Snob!

Greta's new word for the day: Cuddle, said as Cuggle - so all we hear is Mummeeeeeeeeeee Cuggle, My (Miles) Cuggle, Amber Meooow (our cat) Cuggle lol - bless her... she never stops talking.

She has close to 100 words, i checked Miles baby book and he said 12 at this age!

But then Miles was walking and Greta isnt so i guess they are just different.

Greta ended up making us miss story time yesterday, bless her - she slept for 3 hours in the morning for her nap and 2 hours in the afternoon for her nap! we went up to a different story time in the afternoon between her naps.

Miles was on 1 nap a day at this age but little Greta sleeps so so much!  She sleeps more than most new borns i swear lol, 5 hours a day and 13 hours overnight!  Yes my girl has her Mummy's lazy gene!

Oh bless she just put a little bag over her arm and said "Bye Mummy, Bye My (Miles)"

She melts my heart!

Now she has it on her head and is saying 'hat' bless her - too cute...

We all have the dreaded lurgy - poor Jonathan is at work with his, least im home - although i think its just as hard with 2 kids to run around after - and Miles is so so so intense! i was trying to clean the kitchen whil Greta napped and he just cannot play/entertain himself for more than maybe 10 seconds, its very intense - i set him up with Playdough but he just needs CONSTANT attention - i never realised quite how intense he was untill little Greta came along and at 18 months she can entertain herself for 10 times longer than Miles can.. But we all have our little quirks don't we... thats just Miles' He will make a lovely lady a very doting boyfriend/hubby one day :)

Ok really best go and rescue my meat and potato pie!

x

long overdue update

Miles starts pre-shool after the Easter berak - Term 2!  He will be going 1 day a week on a Friday.

He will have 2 friends there.  His little friend from Mums Group, who he has known since he was a few days old - and our lovely neighbours little boy, who i am a little nervous of as he tends to be a little rough with Miles, Miles is quite gentle - but im sure if he has any problems he will tell me.

So thats exciting.

On the job front for jonathan.

He was up for Director role in his current job - he was tipped as favourite to get the job, everyone but him thought he would get it!  His boss recommended him for it - which i thought was pretty good!
however he has heard on the grape vine that another person is front runner - bit of a political vote rather than best fit for the role - anyway still got to officially hear about that.

The job with the Anglican church, just 10 mins from out house fell through.  He went for all the tests, the medical, they did reference checks, thought they were just about to offer it to him and they said they had a change of heart and would not be offering it now.  I must say i am stoked about this as it was veyr bad career choice, but as it was 10 mons down the street and seemed an 'easy' role, Jonathan was keen.  i was worried it was a bit like a comfy slippers type of role and he was get comfy there and no one then in the corporate world would emply him again.  Although i totally get why he was keen - easy work, very close to home, rather than his current 1.25 hours commute into the city each day in rush hour traffic with an up hill battle most days - but very much the corporate world.. Anyway he said he was actually relieved to not get it as he would have taken it and it would have been a death sentance to his career - erm yep!

So next one was the BIG ONE! He got down to the final 2 at the end of last year / start of this year but they went with the other guy - totally gutted jonathan,, he was heart broken.. Well now we find out, the guy they took on wasn't up to the job and he has gone! So they called Jonathan for a 2nd interview on Tuesday of this week - he says it went well but they also have ANOTHER guy he us up against - erm deja vu anyone!!

So we will hopefully hear about that one later this week/next week.  If he doesnt get it this time then i guess its just not meant to be.. but its looking after properties all over SE Asia so is a LOT of travel which is what he loves..so i have EVERYTHING crossed.

Sickness:

Greta is on her 3rd cold of the year!  Poor luv, she had not a single illness for the first 17 months of her live - then i stick her in day care for 2.5 months while i work and its illness after illness.. poor luv.  Took her for her needles yesterday and got the GP to check her over, ears are clear, chest is clear, only clear runny nose not green, so i guess she is on the mend - finally!

I have the 3rd cold in as many weeks too!  Feeling blurrghhhhh.. Jonathan has also picked it up for the first time and has his first cold - not easy when working 50 hour weeks!
Only one to escape it is Miles who has had not a single sniffle or cough :)

SO yep Jonathan is working 50 hour weeks and has been for a couple months now - so we are all exhauseted.. he leaves the hosue at 7.30am and is home well after the kids have gone to bed around 8.30pm.. i leave his dinner out on a plate and he comes home, warms it through, eats it, then comes through and has a 20 or so minute chat to me then is so tired - as am i, one of us pops off to bed and thats about it.  He does see the kids for 30 mins or so eadh morning but never of an evening.. i hardly even see him.  SO im looking after them all day on my own, then feeding them and doing the bath and bed routine - cleaning up the house, sitting down to read a book or watch a bit of borning TV then jonathan comes home - 30 mins later one of us are in bed passed out and thats pretty much it! Poor Greta who has never been a huge Daddy fan has been clinging onto him in a morning and crying when he hands her over to me :( missing her Daddy.. only saving grace is that he is home all weekend. 
But we do need the money quite badly at the moment as we have major bills from the renos and our UK trip, so all the hours he can work will help..

So fingers crossed he gets one of these jobs, cos im not sure we can go on - would be so nice to have a relative who i can hand the kids/1 kid over to for an hours break, but we have no family here so its jut me.. if i do need a break my only option is to pay a babysitter.  But they are fantastic kids and i missed them so so much when i went to work so its not too bad - just 1 ngith off doing the bed routine every month or so would be nice.. or even just 20 min break...... 

Jonathan lets me have a lie in till 9am or so on a Saturday morning, but all i hear is Greta shouting Mummyyyyyyyy so i just end up getting up as i can't be behind a closed door when she wants me, so im getting run down - oh hum!

Other than that major winge!  i know i know, i need to get over myelf.. life is good.  Well bills are dragging us down - one thing we have NEVER argued about is money, but i think the working working working to death is getting to us both so we are becoming snappy... but really, if i had  a magic wand and i could get all my bills fixed up (well fast forward 2 yrs and we will be straight) but if i could get that sorted then i would be so so content... i love this house, i love being with my kids, i have a few, not many, but a few lovely lovely friends - just hard having no spare cash.. i mean we have lived so well for so long and travelled to some amazing places - more than once! Lizard Island (8 or 9 times for Jonathan), Ullaru and the fantastic resort there, New York, All over Europe, Aitutaki (amazing resort), Dunk Island, Bali, Frazer Island, Fiji, cook islands, India for 3 months, Thailand.. so i cant complain that im having to do it tough now and buckle down and live cheaply for a couple of years but really, we are such weaklings! we just can't cope!! We have lived the high life we need to pay for it now - why can i just not get my head around that!! WE have a gorgeous house to live in, in a gorgeous area - blooming expensive area! But still im sick of being broke, even with all that!!! Arghhhhh such a weak person!

Anyway will keep on trying to struggle on .. and try to think of the positive.  Trying to hang onto the hosue as it will go up and up in value and i do love living here.  Saw a gorgeous house around the corner from us, 5 acres, stunning house - oh listen to me!  a year ago id just have gone and bought it! But we are stuggling to afford this house, i so need a reality check!  Im not cut out for doing it tough - OMG DOING IT TOUGH listem to me.... in the house we live in, in this area, with the great places we have visited and i say doing it tough lol what a joke!!! Im just used to going and getting whatever i want when i want - hmm guess i get that from when i was a kid.  My parents always had a huge amout of disposable income so i asked for something and i got it - even if i didnt want it - hmm perhaps not such a great lesson to teach my kids, but here i am, on my own every day, in a lovely house, with fantastic kids, having lived a great no expense spared life up to now and struggling!!! ok get over yourself!

Oh and the Jeep, it comes to its 5year loan end in June - think we own 15k on it - so have to work out how we are going to come up with 15k in just under 2 months!

oh - hum.......

In other news...

Was heading to the library for story time but my little girl fell asleep,popped her in her cot while i ran around and got ready - and was chatting to her, next thing ZZZzzzzzz, yes my girl still loves to sleep! So we missed story time as i cant bring myelf to wake my princess - or my little prince for that matter.

There is another at 2pm so we will head to that one instead... and i need a new book for myself too.

We made some little doily angels, Miles annouced that "wow its a peacock" so i guess my artistic skills are pretty shot!

Hmmm been thinking a lot about doing a uni course in Social Work, something i have been keen on for years - but im 33yrs old, the thouught of going back to 'school' is not a fun thought!
Jonathan is keen for me to go but hmmmmmm, im scared.  What if i do a 4 yr course and find out i suck at it!  I have a friend who is a social worker and also Jonathan cousin and one loves it (his cousin - who works for Docs down on the south coast of NSW).  The other is my friend who says she would recommend i stay away from it - hmm so not sure.  Id love to do it.  I also have an interest in History - European, around the time of the 2 wars - a slight obsession actually lol, books all over the hosue about, History channel ALWAYS on/recording something... but i think its just a fascination and wouldnt be much good to study that as there aren't many jobs in Australia about the history or Europe lol!
So perhaps ill persue the Social work thing............. perhaps....

Greta is VERY keen to walk - finally at 18 months ! She is up and pushing her dolly pram baby walker. I also  stand near her and prop her against the couch and say walk to me, she tries so hard, but ends up falling over, so so cute.. but the fact she is very keen is fantastic.

Ok best get on, kitchen is a MESS and i put a plate in the dishwasher that had a little paint on after Miles had been painitng and of course the top dishwasher drawer has now dyed EVERYTHING bright red, so got to figure out how to clean that up without the need for a brand new dishwasher!

Oh and that trip to the library to collect my 2 books about the 2nd world war - can you say GEEK!

x