Friday 30 December 2011

Merry Christmas!

We've spent an incredible two weeks in Bright with family and friends over Christmas.

The boys have had so much fun playing with their uncles, aunt and grandparents - it's been like having constant childminders during our holidays - fantastic!

Burying an uncle under the pillows

Leading up to December 25th,  JJ kept asking if it was Christmas Day so he could open his presents that were accumulating under the tree. I was amazed that neither of them opened the presents!

We were so fortunate that our friends also joined us for Christmas. We had a great BBQ with them on Christmas Eve and took the kids swimming in the fantastic toddler pool in town. They had such a great time! JJ, the adventurous one, also went swimming into the river. Daddy had to go fish him out before he ended up downstream in the next town!


Later that night we sang Christmas carols, and put up even more lights around the living room. The place looked really special. JJ and SamSam and their friend Marcus gave a little musical performance for everyone, which was really lovely. We all sang Christmas carols, and ate way too much food.

On Christmas Day itself they helped to distribute the presents, which I think is a good thing to do so they don't think it's all about them! They got lots of books, some tshirts, a game, a DVD and a CD, and their most favourite - two wooden trains from the Thomas the Tank Engine series, and they love them so much.


Since Christmas we've gone on lots of walks, been to the playground, had picnics, swum in the river, window shopped, and explored a nearby town.

The two boys have definitely grown taller in the last few weeks from all the exercise and sunshine and good food!

Monday 19 December 2011

First Weekend in Bright

Our first weekend in Bright has been relaxing and enjoyable.

The house is set in a large and diverse garden with lots to discover. They've picked strawberries and helped water the plants. They've played with the cats on the grass and climbed up chopped up logs. They've jumped on the trampolines and JJ's learnt some jumping tricks from Daddy. They've thrown stones along the gravelly driveway and found miniature pinecones that JJ says look like echidnas!


On our first day, SamSam came face to face with a kangaroo - bigger than him - that had wandered into the property! I didn't even know there were kangaroos in Bright!

The boys spend a lot of time in the playroom. There is an extra long skateboard which JJ has been rolling on, and trucks and boys stuff. It's so exciting for kids when there are new toys to play with!

The weather has been really variable, but thankfully not very hot this summer. After dinner one night we had a lovely walk down the road. The boys had a great time collecting things as they walked. Bright this time of year is so GREEN. The roads are lined with trees with beautiful thick foliage. We've arrived just before all the tourists hit the town, so it's nice to get around while there's still peace and quiet!
On Sunday we went to a Church of Christ which we spotted while driving around town. It was a great service, and the people were very friendly and welcoming.

I was thrilled when the Sunday School teacher asked if the boys would go to Sunday School!! It was nice to have a little break from them :) It was quite funny that they participated in a singing performance even though they'd only been there less than an hour! But they took to the limelight. SamSam very embarrassingly pulled up his tshirt, exposing his belly, and put his hands down his pants! They were very cute though, and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus! They even got presents!
SamSam with his hands down his pants

The Sunday School teacher said that they were both so well behaved, and that she had never seen boys as young as them be so good! Ahh, it warmed the cockles of my heart!

Our friends will be away for 4 weeks, and we will be housesitting for them here. They have two cats to look after Coco and Milly, and the garden to tend. We love that we have an opportunity to stay in their lovely home and pretty town!

Saturday 17 December 2011

Road Trip

Yesterday was a big day of cleaning, tidying and packing the van. The boys watched DVDs all morning and into the afternoon!! But it was the only way to ensure we could get everything done.

We've got some friends who will be staying at our house while we are away, so we have to do a good job making it look good!

The trip took four hours in our van which was packed fit to bursting! I was disappointed that there wasn't room for the boys' bikes :(

The boys are seasoned travellers whether by car, train or plane, and so we don't have much trouble when we are on the road. In the van, which is a small campervan, there is a small shelf of books which the boys help themselves to during the trip. I have no idea how they don't get carsick when they look at books in the moving van, because both me and their Dad get really carsick if reading in a moving vehicle!

They hadn't had their nap by the time we left, so it was really good timing that they slept for about half the trip up.

We got some drivethu Maccas on the way through, and two quick toilet stops, but other than that drove straight through. The Maccas was good in that the boys were occupied for a long time eating their fillet of fish - half each! It's handy that they're packaged in cardboard boxes so that the boys can balance the box on their laps and eat.

Before we got to our destination, Bright, a beautiful alpine village on the way to the NSW border, it started to rain in the distance. Suddenly JJ spoted a rainbow in the sky! It was the most incredible rainbow we have ever seen! We could see both ends of it, and it lasted for a good 10 minutes! The colours were so vivid, and it was so BIG! I saw it as God saying that he would bless the time we spend with our friends and our family.

My parents and siblings are driving down to meet us in a few days, and we also have many friends who will be meeting up with us while we're here. So it will certainly be a great time of friendship and laughter :)

The boys were a bit hyperactive when we arrived after being cooped up for so long. It was 8pm when we finally got in! They ran up and down our friend's house and made lots of noise. After a yummy BBQ, and many servings of fresh berries and yoghurt, the boys finally went to bed close on 10:30pm!!!

The boys get to sleep in our room for these holidays - a whole month! They each have a mattress on the floor next to our bed. We were here only a few months ago, and so it's not totally unfamiliar to them. However, they are very good with adjusting to sleeping in new places. I think it's because we have travelled so much since they were small.

Some Tips On Getting Children to Sleep in New Surroundings When on Holidays!
To get children to settle into new surroundings it's a good idea to spend time in the room they will be sleeping in during the first day so that they get familiar with it. It's not just what the room looks like, children are very sensitive - even the smell of the room, and feel of the room they need to get used to. If you play some games or read a book with them, they'll feel much more settled when they have to sleep there later.

Bring their pillow slips from home, and blankets that they're used to, a soft toy etc. this will help them feel more at home with their new surroundings and settle faster.

Let them watch or help you prepare their beds and tell them specifically who is sleeping where. It's also nice to point out where you are going to sleep, and reassure them that it's very close!

If you turn on special music for them to sleep to, take all efforts to bring it with you and play it! We have a beautiful lullabies CD that we've played for the boys since they've been tiny babies. Playing the music is incorporated into their sleep routine. It's called 'Bedtime Prayers: Lullabies & Peaceful Worship' by Twila Paris, it is soooo awesome! The lyrics are just amaaazing, and the music is restful. I also believe that the words will sink into their spirits while they sleep. We've put a copy on our mobile phone and play it through some compact travel speakers.

The boys were asleep without any problems (except for rolling on each other because I put their mattresses too close together - I had to intervene and put more space between them). By the time the third song on the CD started, they were both fast asleep.

Thursday 15 December 2011

Making Christmas Presents & Bikes in the Park

It's a beautiful day today. The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the clear blue sky.

Crumpets with butter and jam is a great way to start the day too :)

Daddy decided last night that instead of leaving today for our holiday, we'll leave tomorrow! Phew, more time to pack!

SamSam wants to do some painting, so I find a colouring sheet with some Chuggington characters. For the first time ever, JJ is strategic with his colouring - Coco is painted all green, and Wilson all red.

I hang the clothes while the boys blow bubbles. They've just discovered that they can catch the bubbles on their bubble 'sticks', and also how much fun it is to blow the bubbles right at each other's head!


I bought SamSam a new bike helmet that fits much better, and he looks rather fetching in it!

We have exhausted our supply of bubble mix, so we walk down to the shops to get some more. We visit both our $2 shops and come away with a whole swag of goodies for our upcoming holidays.


Aside from more bubble mixture, I found some decorate-it-yourself money boxes that we can use for Christmas presents for the boys' aunty and uncles!! We spend the next hour colouring the money boxes and wrapping them up, and then decorating the wrapping!

The boys are having such a great time colouring in. They love to help wrap up the presents using scissors and sticky tape - although you need double the normal amount of patience to do this! This morning I also bought some glue pens from the $2 shop, and they work  really well to stick on some felt initials onto the presents.

The boys love the concept of letters, and are really happy to walk around holding these brightly coloured initials of their aunt and uncles' names!

 

I bought some sheets of felt a while ago. They are quite versatile for use in craft, you can decorate paper, make finger puppets, cut out animal shapes, letters etc and they have such a great texture.

Lunch is steamed rice noodles with hoisin sauce, mmmm! I love our rice cooker, it not only cooks rice, it steams, makes congee and can slow cook.

After lunch, the boys get to watch a whole Thomas DVD while I frantically make Christmas presents before our holiday departure tomorrow.

It's way too much TV, and they have become a bit dopey. They're not hearing what I say when I ask them to do things, and are looking mischievious. Finally I finish, and decide that it's time to take them out to burn some energy.

We grab JJ's bike, SamSam's trike and my Razor scooter and make our way down to the car. Just getting all our gear, plus helmets down to the car is quite stressful. We live in an apartment, and we have to get into a small lift, followed by narrow hallways. There are lots of doors to open and shut making it very hard to maneouver - let alone trying to communicate with a two and three year old how best to move along!!

I'm almost ready to have a fit by the time we get to the car, but I catch myself and remember that this should be an enjoyable time taking my beautiful boys to the park to ride on their bikes! With renewed energy and patience, I drive off.

We have an absolutely fantastic time at the park. The boys enjoy the extra space to ride, and the different paths to explore. We have a small picnic on the grass, and they are very happy. There is a doggie party happening in the rotunda in the middle of the park. Very cute.

With my Razor scooter I realise I can push SamSam along on his trike! It's brilliant!

Take a look at the great pictures!


JJ is stunt bike riding already
A lovely park to ride in
When we get back home, Daddy has cooked delicious smoked salmon spaghetti, and the boys have seconds. Dessert is banana fritters with ice cream! yummm.

For today's devotion we re-read the one we had yesterday - about obeying your parents!!! All day the boys have been pushing the boundaries. SamSam has been throwing things on the floor from the dinner table, JJ has been purposely rebelling against my repeated warnings!

We read a selection of their favourite books, and then it's time for bed.

Daddy leads our nighttime prayers, and I am thankful that I can take a breather, and that tomorrow is a whole new day.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

How to Teach Kids to Read

We leave for 4 weeks holiday tomorrow, and I haven't even started packing!! (and I'm writing on this entry, ha!).

We've read a few books this morning: 'Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy', 'Winnie the Pooh' mini board book, 'Hippo Goes Swimming', and 'The Tiny Baby'. We also did our devotions.

Today's devotion is about doing things you're told not to. There's a drawing of a little girl who's dipping strawberries into chocolate for a present, but she looks like she's considering eating it herself!

There's a little prayer we pray together "Help me Lord, when it's hard to obey. Help me to do what my parents say."

I hang the washing and the boys ride their bikes. We come inside and they play their trainset, and then watch some DVDs.

It's one of those things that when we have to get things done and can't have too much distraction, we turn on the TV - or more accurately DVDs.

We prefer the boys watching DVDs as we have already vetted the content. We also have educational DVDs within our collection. It's been shown that children benefit from repetition, and watching educational DVDs over and over definitely work. Both our boys can actually read! Our 3 year old can read around 700+ words - although now he can sound out new words phonetically - and SamSam perhaps about a hundred. If you're wondering how to teach kids to read - they've learned this just from watching a couple of DVDs.

How To Teach Kids to Read
The DVDs we used to teach them are called "Your Baby Can Read". You start them from about four months of age (yes four!), although we only started JJ at 6 months because I didn't read the instructions properly (how ironic).

You just show the same DVD - about 20 minutes long - a few times a day, every day, in a situation without distraction. We didn't show JJ any other TV except for the DVDs. When the intro music would come on he would get really excited!!

We knew that he could read when at 12 months he put his arms up in the air when the words 'Arms up' appeared on the screen. Within a week or two, he could read words like mouth, fingers, toes - we knew because he'd point to them when the words appeared on the screen.

So JJ could read before he could talk! It's incredible, and it was so easy8 (painless!) to do. I couldn't recommend it highly enough :)  I'll find a video of JJ reading when he was little and put it on here, soon. Keep posted!

While I'm packing away and completing four loads of washing, the boys are watching DVDs, but after lunch, it's straight to bed for a nap. When they wake up, they decide to pull out all their books from the bookshelf in their room, and empty all the stuffed toys onto the floor. Look at the mess!

But in doing this, they discovered books they hadn't read in a long time, and they are content for a quite a while to read amongst the rubble on the floor.

Thank goodness DH has decided that we should leave the day after tomorrow, there's so much to do!

Tuesday 13 December 2011

A trip to the city

We have a busy day with friends visiting in the morning with their two little boys.

JJ and Charlie decide that they want to sit on the potties, and sit side by side in the hallway doing their business!

We head off into the city for a delicious Korean all-you-can-eat buffet meal with the boys' Aunty. It's Christmas time and the Myer window display is up. It's not totally my cup of tea, but the boys are very interested in the moving characters! I'm a bit upset that the nativity scene is very dreary and grey and drab :(

Samsung has a very cool interactive window where you are displayed up on the wall and little santa hats drop down onto your head. We have fun with that and another window with a touchscreen Angry Birds game.

JJ gets yet another train-ride treat home with me. We go via the fantastic new Myer toy department where he exclaims loudly "CHUGGINGTON!", and then very contentedly plays with the Thomas train sets.

When we have to leave I give him a time warning, "In five minutes we have to go!". He seems to have heard and I let him play on. I give him another time-warning "In one minute we have to go! We have to go sit on a real train!".

I can see a Dad watching me, and I think he's interested to see if JJ will actually leave the toys without creating a scene!

"Ok JJ, time's up, it's time to go".

He's about to put the train down, and I see a little girl who has been waiting very patiently for a train to play with.

"Why don't you give it to the little girl over there who has been waiting to play with the train?"

Miracle of miracles, he goes over to the girl and gives her the train with a "Here you are!" and takes my hand and we walk off.

No tantrums leaving a train set in a big toy department! I feel so proud!!

We take the train home and it's the end of another day :) 

Monday 12 December 2011

How to Survive a Long Restaurant Meal with Kids

  1. Make sure that they have an extended nap time in the day. I usually let them sleep as long as they want in the day time if I know we'll be out late.
  2. Pack along some things that will amuse them during the dinner eg. books, colouring pencils (unless it's a posh restaurant!), an iPad or portable multimedia device, small cars, small doll.
  3. Pack your own drinks in their sippy cups/ water bottles, then you don't have to be worried that they are going to drop a glass on the floor or all over the table.
  4. Pack some small snacks, preferably savoury. This is a fall back if the food takes a long time to come out and they are really hungry, then you can give them a tiny snack, eg. plain rice crackers or rice crackers snacks. Don't give them too much!
  5. Bring some kitchen scissors to cut up food - it's better than trying to use a fork and knife!
  6. Ensure you bring a pack of baby wipes to clean their dirty faces and hands.
  7. Don't forget to bring bibs! We prefer to Tommy Tippee brand that has the scoop catcher at the bottom of it to catch any falling food.
  8. Try and get a table that has good space around it - not too close to other tables. A table that is close to an exit door can be handy if you want to take them for some fresh air at any time.
  9. Highchairs are great in that children have less chance of getting on and off their chairs!
  10. It almost seems obvious to mention, but make sure you order food you know they'll like to eat (not just stuff that mummy and daddy like to eat!).
  11. Use food they like to eat strategically - for example, at Chinese restaurants we get prawn crackers at the start to get to settle down and wait for the food to arrive. We know if we order another bowl at any time during the meal, they will quieten down and eat the crackers!!!!
  12. If possible take them for a walk when waiting between servings.
  13. Time it carefully when you order dessert. You need to order it just before the kids start getting full with the main meal. All kids I know will eat dessert even if they are full to the brim! The dessert will buy you time to finish your own meal and keep talking with your friends!
  14. Take some time during the meal to specifically pay attention to your children. Perhaps read a short book to them or play a game - see below.
  15. Play a game with them while waiting for food to arrive. We play Eye Spy, but with colours. So, "I spy with my little eye something that is red", and let them find things that are that colour.
  16. Another game is to ask them if they can find things around the room - without getting up from their seat, eg. A light, a particular decoration in the room, a clock, a ceiling fan etc.

Parties & Dinner

Today we have our playgroup Christmas party at the local park (the third party in two days!). There's a 'secret santa' and we bring food to party food to share.

The boys have a great time running around the playground with the other kids, munching on party food, and opening their presents. SamSam gets a Cars lunchbox and cutlery set, and JJ gets a ping pong set and a bouncy ball :)

Later the boys have a long nap in preparation for another late night dinner tonight. When they wake up they play on their bikes.

I am so surprised when JJ tries my Razor scooter (I ride on the scooter along with the boys on the balcony!). JJ can actually balance on the 2 skinny wheels and push himself along! After a while he gets a little better, and he actually prefers to push the scooter than ride his bike!

Before long it's time to go for dinner at one of our favourite Italian restaurants in the city.

It's a long night, but the boys do very well.

I've packed a number of books that we read during the meal between courses. Daddy also takes them out for a stroll halfway, so that they're not getting up to too much mischief during the meal. They come back with a small stick with leaves and gumnuts which they like to pull apart and put on the table!

They eat Bombed Alaska for the very first time, and it's a great hit. The dessert came just at the right time for two boys who were getting quite fidgety!

We don't finish until close to 9pm, and by the time we get home and after a wash, they quickly go into a good deep sleep.

[I've decided to write a post just about how to survive eating a long restaurant meal with kids! See next post!]

Saturday 10 December 2011

The River & A Late Night

After Grandpa went home this morning, I took the boys down to the river. It's a good 2km there and back, and it's a lovely walk.

How to make the most out of a walk
When we go out for a long walk, I give them each a sturdy bag to collect 'goodies' along the way. They fill their bags with anything that takes their fancy, usually stones, rocks, sticks, flowers, leaves, and seeds. If we're going to the river, when we get there they like to throw each thing they've collected into the river!

I think my boys could never grow tired of throwing stones into water even if they had a mountain of stones!

Sticks have to be the most underrated object found naturally. To a child, it can be a fishing rod, a spoon to stir with, something with which to draw in the sand, or just a great thing to hold or drag as you walk along!

I'll never forget when JJ found a curved stick and declared he had found a "banana-stick".

There's lots of different tree pods and seeds we pick up as we walk along. The boys learn about how the seeds that fall into the good soil and get good water and sun will grow into trees.

We come across red pods with tiny black seeds inside, and the boys are fascinated with opening them and picking the seeds out with their fingers.

Along the way, JJ reads the door numbers on the fences, and picks out the word "Letters". SamSam likes to run his hand along the fence pickets.

I think with going for a walk with kids, you shouldn't rush it. It shouldn't be a means to getting to your location, it's about enjoying the walk itself and exploring anything you come across. If you don't get to your desired location at your desired time, don't worry, they're learning!

Pit Stop
Half way to the river JJ tells me he needs to do a 'Number 2' Typical!! Luckily we're about to pass a cafe, so we stop in. I feel bad just using their toilets and not ordering anything, so the boys score the most Delicious Banana Pikelets ever, and I get a coffee. JJ doesn't even do his 'business' in the end!
Eventually we get to the river, and the boys have a great time. There's a small stormwater run-off that flows through the parkland and drops right into the river. It is a little murky (it is the Yarra after all!), but I let them pretend to fish in it, and push along leaves so that they fall down the 'waterfall'. It's nice and shaded and there's no one around. They are laughing with excitement. They could happily play here all day.

I manage to coax them into walking some more, and we find a nice little spot with a view over the river. JJ has packed a couple of books in his bag, so we pull them out and have a nice quiet read next in the midst of beautiful surrounds.


Finally it's time to go home. We spend a little while in a playground on the way home, but I'm a Mumma on a Mission, I have to get them fed, and in bed for a longgg nap as we have a late night tonight with friends.

This afternoon is also their performance at church for the Christmas carols! After an epic nap, they are dressed in red and green, and waving some plastic candles that light up. There are loads of people in the hall, but the boys don't seem to have stage fright. I have to say that JJ is a born-performer. He loves being on stage and knows all his words and all the actions. They sing with all the other children who go to playgroup. So cute!

Straight after church, we head off to dinner with some dear friends. My tactic of the longgg nap in the afternoon has worked, and they last really well through the dinner. They get to eat a new thing - black bean oysters! I can't believe that they like to eat them!! These boys are little mini food connoisseurs!

Our meal finishes at 9pm, so it's been a truly long day considering they walked 2km and went out for about three hours in the morning! This is the latest they've ever been up, and they get to see our Christmas tree lights in real darkness, which makes JJ say "hooorayyy!".


Friday 9 December 2011

Games for Toddlers

I'm sort of getting used to these 6am starts.

We have French toast with honey followed by cereal for brekky. I love French toast, and so do the boys. It's a great way to use up bread when it's a bit old for sandwiches. The boys like to help me to beat the eggs.

The boys are keen to play a game this morning, and I take down a game we brought back from Europe - My First Orchard. SamSam got this as a present for his second birthday. It's a game that teaches children their colours.

The box includes some beautiful wooden fruit painted either blue, red, green or yellow, a crow, a basket, and some 2D trees and stepping stones. There's a large dice with the colours on 4 sides, plus a picture of a basket and a picture of a crow. The kids have to throw the dice and can either take a fruit from the tree and put it in their basket, or the crow moves forward a step. They have to pick all the fruit off the trees before the crow gets to the orchard.


It's too easy for JJ to play (he's 3), but about right for SamSam. The follow- on game, 'The Orchard' by Haba, is really good for JJ. You can get both these games in Australia.

Next we play playdough. I like making pretend bananas for the boys, complete with peelable skin! It takes a while to make, but the boys think it's a hoot to peel their pretend bananas.

I hang out the washing and the boys ride their bikes, then blow bubbles.

Bubble tips!
We go through so much bubble mixture that I buy a large bottle and refill some little bubble bottles I found.
It's cheaper to buy the larger bottle in the long run.

The small bottles I've bought are intended for use at weddings! (At least I think so). The bottles are the perfect size, as SamSam - without fail -will pour all the mixture out on the ground! This way we only waste a small amount!

They are also quite a nice size for their little hands.

The boys also like how there's a cat and a dog on the top of their bottles which they identify as their very own bottles.

We do some drawing and writing activities photocopied from the Thomas activity book. I'm always on the look out for good activity books. It's good to have a stash kept in the cupboard as backup play. There's sticker activity books, dot to dot, colouring in ones, writing ones, reading ones, search and find, and compilation activities - loads, so it doesn't need to be the same old thing all the time.

We're going out for lunch with grandpa today, I turn on the TV while I get things ready for our outing. They watch 'Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever'.

Take the Train!
After even more Malaysian food JJ gets a treat. He and I take the train home from Flemington! He loves looking out the window and commentating. I've bought him a bottle of orange juice and he's loving this very rare treat of a bottle and straw all to himself, without having to share with his little brother!

In the afternoon the boys play with jigsaw puzzles, and then some singing and percussion with my guitar. After that we play Hungry Hippos.

We go out for Fish n Chips dinner, and the boys get some exercise walking along the street.

It's been a long day.

Thursday 8 December 2011

A crazy morning

The boys are up at 6am. I think I am very clever by persuading them to go and play in their room while I get another 30 minutes sleep.

I hear some commotion coming from their room - laughing, naughty giggling - and I know they're up to something. They've climbed up onto the change table and found the nappy rash cream and are spreading it up and down each other's arms with cotton buds. SamSam even has some in his hair and on his tshirt. ARGGH!

(Note to self: Once boys are up, don't leave unattended because mischief will ensue.)

I take off SamSam's tshirt and JJ takes his off too. They take off down the hallway running up and down the apartment like wild animals laughing and shouting - like they have been liberated from their clothes - which must be some sort of symbol of parental authority.

I'm wondering if girls also do this sort of thing.

Eventually they settle down, and do some drawing. They show Grandpa their handywork.
After breakfast they play on their bikes outside while I hang the washing.

I relent to SamSam's persistent call of "play choo-choo train". These boys LOVE to play with the IKEA train set and Thomas the Tank Engine trains. We 'rotate' the train set, in that we purposely keep it away from them and only let them have it maybe once a week.

It's a great idea to do this with toys so that they don't lose interest in them, plus 'rotated toys' work really well as a reward for good behaviour.

When we first bought the train set, we left it out in their room and they could play with it whenever they wanted. After less than a week the novelty wore off.

Now that I only take them out occasionally, they are totally absorbed with the set and they'll play for ages with it!

The only trouble is that they love the trains so much, they find it hard to share them with each other. I have learnt to designate certain trains to each child (eg. Thomas for JJ, Percy for SamSam) and remind them before we play which train belongs to who and that the repercussions of any fighting is that the trains will be put away.

I can say it works pretty well :)

We go to Box Hill for lunch with Grandpa and Daddy. The boys like to walk around shopping centres as there is lots to see, and usually $2 rides to sit on. I need to buy some kris kringle prezzies so we go to lots of $2 shops today, and the boys get to play with the toys while I browse.

Lunch is turnip cake, BBQ pork bun & congee - very Chinese!

At home it's a very lazy afternoon. I try and have a little nap in SamSam's toddler bed, but JJ tells me it's only for SamSam, so I have to leave the bed. And then he tells me that actually, it's JJ and SamSam's Room and that Mummy and Daddy's room is 'over there'.

So I leave gratefully, and actually, they play really well together for the longest they have done ever - about 20 minutes without scuffling! I can hear JJ talking with SamSam and trying to get him to co-operate with him. It makes such a difference now that they can talk and understand each other!

Eventually JJ comes out crying because SamSam won't hold his hand. We watch the Heffalump movie, and play with Lego. SamSam makes two dinosaurs and I am a proud Mumma.

We play a new game with the Lego, collecting eggs from the 'hens' in the hen house. I line up some fluffy toys and put the small blocks of Lego underneath them. I give the boys an empty egg carton each and tell them how to go and collect the eggs. This is quite amusing for a while.

Then they find two boxes, and they are going around the house filling them up with Lego and anything they find lying around - this is apparently much more interesting than mum's egg-collecting game (!).

After showers, and milk, I leave them in Daddy's capable hands - I'm going late-night shopping! Hooray!

Daddy reading to the boys.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Playdate & playground

I can't believee I'm playing Dora Bingo at 7 in the morning!! We play just one game and it's time for breakfast with grandpa.

This morning the three of them are singing 'Old MacDonald had a farm' together - although grandpa sings it as "Old Man Donald" hehe! Breakfast is Vegemite on toast and cereal.

We're off to a friend's house this morning. She has two beautiful girls, twins, a little older than SamSam. I think it's great for the boys to spend time playing with girls, and vice versa.

The boys share fruit with them, and then JJ and SamSam show very bad manners by tussling over a trainset which we eventually put away. They have a ride on the bikes, and suddenly we look up and one of the girls is running around the garden with no clothes on! It goes without saying that all the kids follow suit and we have four little ones running around in the summer sun, butt naked.

The kids are having the time of their lives, and their mummys are getting catch up and have a good laugh at their adorable antics! It's so wonderful to meet up with a good friend to chat, and strangely it's so much easier to look after kids when there's a bunch of them.

We come home and SamSam has to be carried to bed, he's so tired. I play "What's the Difference" with JJ - another $1 game I bought from the recent school fair. This game is supposed to encourage children to get use to describing, and practising putting sentences together. It works well for the first couple of sets of cards, but by the third time we play he's lost some interest. I have to only play this once or twice in the future!! (I broke my own rule!).

After half an hour, it's time for JJ to go to sleep. I put him down, and with only a bit of protestation (no corners today) he finally settles down to sleep. I stuff down some lunch, and get 30 minutes sleep myself. Lovely!

The boys get an afternoon snack of rice cakes with peanut butter and jam, while watching Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 and Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump movie, which they love.

Treat of treats, Daddy is coming out with us to the park! It's a beautiful Summer's day and the boys are very happy. I can't believe how big SamSam is now. He can actually sit in an adult swing!!
Back home grandpa's brought back take away dinner, tonight it's rice noodles (hor fun) and roast chicken with rice.

They have a long overdue soak in a bubble bath, and I give them a good scub. They love playing in the water and I let them have longer baths when it's summertime.

Today's devotion is about giving to others - that gifts don't have to be bought from a shop. God gives us so much and he wants us to be happy and cheerful giving to others.

We read 'The Hungry Caterpillar', Winnie the Pooh's Honey Tree story, 'Puss in Boots', and 'Thomas and the Hide and Seek Animals', then it's bedtime.

Monday 5 December 2011

Monday

It's 6:15am and they're up!

They are very vocal this morning and SamSam wants to do "dot dot dot". I get out the pens and they dot the paper - SamSam also likes to dot-dot JJ - to their hearts content.

Best coloured pens for toddler kids
I've found the Crayola washable markers to be really great. These ones are a bit chunky, so they're easier for children to hold. The ink really does come off very easily in water - although the red needs a bit more effort to rub away (but not much more!).

The pens also have a recessed nib, which means that when the boys do things like make dots all over the paper, the pen nib doesn't go into the pen - remember when you did that when you were a kid?!

When I first gave the pens to the boys, SamSam was maybe 20 months old, and he couldn't resist scribbling All Over the perfectly white table that the paper sat on! It looked unbelieveably bad. But with a few wipes, it was completely gone!!

Crayola pens are more expensive, but I reckon they are worth it. We also have their washable crayons :)  (If you work for Crayola and want to advertise on my site, please contact me! ;).

They seem quite crafty this morning, so we decorate some more Christmas tree cut-outs that they painted earlier in the week. They must be hungry though, because they end up doing a bit of a half-hearted job! Note to self: feed kids breakfast before doing craft activities!
Breakfast is Yau Char Kway - the Chinese take on doughnuts. They look like long sticks, like Spanish churros. I cut them up and the boys dip them in honey. Yum!

SamSam says one of his pieces of doughnut looks like an owl, and another is a crocodile! I love their imaginations!

After cleaning teeth, faces and hands, and getting changed, we go out to the balcony to hang the washing. The boys are relishing their trike and bike, and also blow bubbles while I hang up the washing and pack their lunches for playgroup.

We love playgroup. The boys play with about eight children of differing ages up to 4 years old. It's held at church and they are run three days a week. They are structured so that there's free playtime, a craft activity, singing & dancing, snack time, and then more playtime. It's also a great opportunity to meet and get to know other mums!

Most churches (of at least medium size) offer a playgroup during the week. They are open to the public and you don't need to be Christian. We pay a small fee of $35 for the term which runs during school term. This covers craft costs, and coffee & tea.

If your child isn't in kinder, then this is a good way to get them used to playing with other kids. Our kids get used to playing with other kids through - playgroup once a week; usually one hour occasional care during the week (while I play tennis with my husband), and then get to mix with more kids at Sunday school.

Just shows that there's lots of different ways to also keep your kids entertained, and growing!
This is what we made at playgroup this week - little SamSam and JJ angels to hang on the tree!

This Saturday the boys will be performing on stage for the very first time, with their playgroup pals. Exciting!

We play a Thomas the Tank Engine 3D cube puzzle that we picked up from the school fair a few days ago. It's quite tricky, and well worth the $1 we paid.

It's nap time and it takes forever to get them have their morning nap as JJ refuses to go down even though he's really tired. I have to put him in the corner four times before he decides it's better to go to sleep than stand in the corner.

After a long nap, we play Dora Bingo - a game I got from the $2 shop a few weeks ago. I'm surprised that JJ remembers it as we haven't played it yet. For $2 the game is pretty good! The boys like to spin the dial and SamSam really likes the feel of the plastic counters.


Today's devotion, SamSam requests one we've had before. It has a drawing of a little girl with a cat, and they are looking for some kittens. The devotion is if we are in need of something, we just need to ask God as he hears our prayers! :) Yippee!

Tonight we're going out for dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in honour of grandpa's visit. We bring our own highchairs to make it easier! (This must be an eccentric thing to do as I don't know anyone else who does it, but that doesn't bother me!). The IKEA high chairs are so easy to dismantle and cart around. The restaurant is used to us bringing them along.



The boys eat really well. We have prawn crackers, char kway teow - a fried rice noodle dish and a sizzling silken tofu dish with egg and pork on rice. Dessert is ice kacang - a kind of Malaysian snow cone with different toppings.


We come home and they ask to ride their bikes around the balcony. After that they come in for a shower, and we read 'Piglets Big Movie' book and 'Mr McGee Goes to the Zoo', then it's bed time.

I love my boys!