A changing time- new challenges, goels,adventures and routines

Well I am in a very different place since my last blog..
not geographically but just about everything else.

Firstly an update on my big boy.
He is doing very well regarding TT (toilet training) and still has the odd accident here and there but overall he is doing just fine in his big boy undies 24/7 with a big long road trip to Newcastle chucked in there too. :)
He has taken the wiggles song 'how we gonna wake up Jeff' to new heights and his version now goes "how we gonna wake up...........(insert whichever person is pretending to be asleep..usually Declan), how we gonna wake up..........., clap your hands, stamp your feet, how we gonna wake up Declan..(and now for the big finish)...BIG TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and then it follows with a big parade/run to the toilet where Decaln goes to the toilet..lol
gotta love how kids think.

Thalia is coming along in leaps and bounds, well apart from the whole lack of walking.
She continues to walk around the furniture and with help,but is too lazy to walk unaided but I'm fine with that...in time it will come.
The last couple of weeks Thalia has popped words out left right and centre and is starting to put 2 and 3 word sentences together! can't shut her up :P bit like verbal diarea at times
She still continues her obsession with birds and cars, but now has a new love of shoes, stickers and the potty!!!!!
yes you read it right my 15 month old who is not yet walking has become obsessed with the potty and has become our Potty Princess.
From a young age she has tried to take off her nappy after doing # 2's and tells us "poo's" after she is finished to let us know to change it...but last week she went a step further and started saying "poo's" before she had even started pushing" so we acted quickly and started sitting her on the potty.
The result being she now loves the potty or toilet and asks to sit on the potty throughout the day for poo's and actually uses it. Today alone she got 5 stickers for using the potty ( 2 poo's and 3 wee's) and kept her nappy dry for most of the time she was awake and up.
Yes I am a little shocked and very stunned but I'm just going with it, it's nice having a child that is TT herself easily after dealing with Declan and all the drama's we had.
Thalia's even scaring Declan a little in the TTing department.....it's given him a bit of a kick up the bum to try to beat her, as with most males he doesn't want her to beat him at his own thing..lol
So as far as I'm concerned it's good for me all round...less dirty nappy's, quickens up Declan and hopefully in time will make my day a whole lot easier regarding TT!!! yay

Another big change that has taken place is my folks have finally sold their house and moved up with us (two houses on our property). So we have been spending time helping them settle in, pretty up the place and show them the QLD way.
We have ventured more into the garden and started a veggie patch to start getting more self sufficient as well as giving the kids the experience of watch nature grow and be involved in the garden and it's produce.

The last two weeks we have been pretty much stuck at home as Thalia,then Declan got the dreaded conjunctivitis and colds so we have had a sticky, snotty time of late.
Ironically I still have breast milk despite not feeding Thalia since 11 1/2 months old so I didn't hesitate to squirt some in Thalia , Declan and my eyes to prevent the conjunctivitis spreading and doing it's cycle round and round (although Andy didn't want a bar of it..lol)
Being house bound has been challenging with kids so I am very thankful for the nice weather we had to be able to get out and get dirty in the garden 'just like dirt girl' as Declan would say :)
It has also being great having Mum Dad here to be able to talk/interact/hang out with people other than the local Dr!!!!

oh I nearly forgot to tell you...I have finally started my Tafe course!!!!! cert 3 in child services and so far I am loving it. You know the feeling when you just can't put that book down and you have to sit there and read it to the end....well I thought I would never say it but that how I feel about a text book!!!!! i know very odd but i really do like it and if it wasn't for having a life, kids and a husband I would probably do just that...read it cover to cover. mmmmm how sad!

Well I'm sure I've missed heaps of fill in's and updates but that just about does me for now...it's getting late and my eye lids are waving so I better be off to bed....we have a big week ahead.

I have a few posts up my sleeve that will be coming soon to a computer near you :P so watch out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back in action

My Big Boy!!

excited, scared, proud, nervous, happy- all the emotions I seem to be feeling at the moment :O

how? why?

My little boy is becoming a BIG boy! he has been going so well with his tt (toilet training) in the last few weeks (during the day) that we have decided to ditch nappies for good, so tonight for the first time he went to bed in his very own big boy undies and we said goodbye to the change table mat.

fingers and toes crossed that it doesn't take too long until we have a dry night :S

He was simply getting confused with undies and nappies and needs something consistent to get the message through. After a long haul of "training" I'm hoping this is the key that makes him click.

It really reinforces how much my tiny baby has grown and I've found myself reflecting back to moments we have shared together over the past 2yrs 8 months.

So hears to a new journey and another milestone challenge! wish us luck

I'll leave you with some photo moments of mummy and her boy

1 day old

note to self: give Andy the camera more and get out from behind the lense, not many mummy photo's :(

still alive and kicking ;)

lets just say I'm feeling a bit guilty that my blogging has lapsed of late :(
I will endeavour to continue blogging my little heart out again when I get the time.
Just so you know I am alive and here, it's just been a busy time for us

Since I last checked in we have lows and highs- a house of sickness, tanty's, bad toilet training stories,a long extended visit from the teething monster the addition of violent playing :( -
but then on the upside we have had play dates,picnic at the park, feeding ducks,attended a 1st birthday party,delighted in the news of a new relationship, are ecstatic to hear of another bun in the oven (not me! lol) and are bursting with crafty/arty idea's for a possible future business of my very own!!! yes you read it correctly...

I am in the beginnings of creating the thoughts of a business idea I have had for a while now, for those of you who already know me I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear it is purely a idea based on my love of art and the big wide world of creating.
I have been experimenting with new ideas and made a few pieces already but I'm not ready to go public just yet so you will just have to keep posted on that one.
I have spent many long hours contemplating what is the right name for my up and coming business project and I think I have it but we will see what I think after some much needed chocolate, glass of red, good company, good music, white paper and an array or pencils.
I'll see what comes and hopefully in a blog not too far away I will be able to share a few logo/name ideas with you all :)

The munchkins are well and although there is the odd "mum!!!", cry, scream, tanty's, ouchie bonks- there have also been the smiles,lovely cuddles, great developments, songs and those special moments that all Mother's know and love.
Thalia sadly has decided that I'm "mum!", not the cute sounding "mummy", not the adorable tinny voice calling "mum-ma" but simply "mum!!!". It seems as though I am no monger a mummy unless they need mummy cuddles when they are in pain, tired, sick etc- most of the time both Munchkins have developed the habit of calling "mum" in the way a husband might call "WIFE!!!!" -charming really :S

Thalia is getting quicker with her crawling and liking the odd walk with the help of "mum" holding her hands and supporting her until she gets to the destination and starting the crying- she has a big longing to walk and has been discovering more she can do around the house, so odd seeing her walk around the furniture holding on to things- really cements the idea that she is at the beginning of becoming a toddler!!

There is going to be a new method of tt (toilet training) for declan, soon we are going to ditch nappies for good- cold turkey day and night!!! :oI know, I'm a little scared but I think it will be a good move, after tt for 7 months!!!! and still having accidents and tanty's it's time for a new approach. We started changing our approach last week and so far he has improved already so fingers crossed!

Loving all the rain that we have been having, but it's a little annoying when the kids are always wanting to go outside and I have to keep thinking of idea's of things to do that are new and different to interest them, we have been escaping the house when possible and making lots of indoor cubbys and tunnels :)
Welcoming winter with open arms- loving the excuse to snuggle, the beginnings of winter comfort food, the cosy funky winter wardrobe, roasts, hot chocolate and yay for Easter time nearing!! :D love love love all things winter

speaking of food, I'm thinking it's time to indulge in some desert..mmm
farewell till next time with will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

Big Trucks, Oz day and the posessed potty boy!

Trucks- big, noisy and you can put things in them...all that a little boy could want and Declan does exactly that!

We were very excited when Uncle Darren (my big bro) rang on Monday and let us know he was at Yatla Truck stop with Josh (my nephew) for a few hrs and could was keen for a catch up.

Mummy got all excited - quickly packed the lunches, nappies, drinks, dressed the munchkins and got all sorted to get in the car and see all the big trucks!! Declan was so excited all the way in the car repeating "Uncle Darren BIIIIGGGG TRUCK!!" all the way there.

It was all excitement until the car stopped and Darren himself opened Declan's car door to say hi..."Ahhhhhhh" (with added tears and trying to pull away)...to say the least Declan was not impressed while Thalia starts waving and yabbering away.

We calmed down a bit and went off to see the Big truck...Declan was so shy,tired,hungry, hot that the last thing he wanted to do was sit in a truck let alone Uncle Darren's truck..:( so he just cried and made mummy feel sorry for poor Uncle Darren who was looking forward to a "happy little boy"....Thalia was quick to fill in and jump up in the Big truck with Uncle Darren and pose for a few pics.

Josh ,Darren and Thalia chillin in the Big Truck :)
I don't think was too impressed when Darren demoted her to the passenger seat! lol

After some lunch, a play on the playground and a lot of crying and fussing Declan finally had some smiles and laughs and had a second look at the truck, although he didn't want to hop in he was happy to watch the lights,look at the red engine and receive a awesome Mustang matchbox car from Uncle Darren.

Well that was the bee's knees then...on the way home it didn't leave his little hand, he showed it the passing cars on the road, the shy, the hot sun and finally our house. He was not going down for his nap without his Mustang!! even to the point of saying "Mummy Mustang tired, needs bed" (then in a little voice made the Mustang snore as it swayed up and down in his hand...so cute!!)

Of course by this time Declan himself was so overtired and flopped into bed (car in hand) and slept soundly side by side.

You see Declan is one of those children who scream his lungs out when he sees Santa, but after it's all over and Santa is out of sight he becomes the highlight of the week...very odd but that's children for you....that afternoon he proudly told Daddy how he saw Uncle Darren's truck as if it was the best experience ever while mummy sighed quietly thinking if only!

Declan giving his new mustang a massive cuddle after arriving home :)

We had a fun filled Oz day at the Newcombe's (Wayne and Louise's) with friends...bush bashing, drinking, good food, children playing, swimming in the pool and all that was promised...the heat wasn't so good but alot of fun was had.
I was just a little shocked when my husband came up from the car track (a big paddock with alot of trees!!) looking like he had just come out of an explosion zone....he was unharmed but covered and I mean covered in black and brown dust...how delightful!! :s but like any man all he could talk about was how he managed to get the car to do a 180/ big skid/lots of smoke ...you know the lingo :P
Of course I forgot my camera so don't have any photo's to show for a good Australia day but thanks to all those you made it a memorable one.....great to see all the munchkins playing

Warning : the following content may speak of bodily fluids and/or waste of the toddler kind :P
Read on if you can take it.

Today after a talk to Daddy it was decided that we are going to knuckle down with the toilet training...Declan has been potty sitting since roughly September/October now and although he is good at telling us before a #2 and usually getting it in the potty or big toilet he is not so good when it comes to wees!!
He is in Big boy undies during the day unless we go out shopping, friends houses etc and nappies for naps and through the night. He know exactly what is expected of him and understands that it is wrong to wee on the floor but still has alot of accidents and wet undies, telling us after the fact what has happened instead of letting us know he needs the potty.
We are exhausted emotionally, sick of cleaning up the mess and annoyed that everything we try isn't helping....stuck in a rut. Mummy today with the help of lots of cuppa's and a calmed mind started to focus on helping Declan "get it"...I am proud to say that we had two wees in the potty today, no wet undies, no accidents. He did wake up with a poo in his nappy but that's okay.
I think he was holding in wees a bit but it's a start hey.
I just know I'm going to be insane before long if this goes on for too much longer....at times I think Thalia might be tt before him!! lol well I will see what tomorrow brings.
Stay calm, stay positive and have fun...it's harder than it sounds.
Any tips from the parents out there would be welcomed !!!!

wish us luck!!