This weekend it seemed like spring.  Yay!  We finally had some sun and warmer temps, which meant playing in the backyard.

We didn't do much else this weekend, which was okay with me.

Saturday the kiddos were out in the yard by 10 a.m. and fighting over cars and the swing by 10:05. Good times!  But they love to be outdoors and it keeps them busy for hours.  We don't have any grass though, which is a major drawback to our yard. We have the pool and the pizza oven and a huge shed (all good), but nothing that's really toddler friendly.  It's the major reason we will most likely move in the next few years.

But we've made the best of the paved yard we do have with rubber mats on the ground and a super cool cubby house that gets tons of use.  And did I mention cars?  Yes we have sooo many ride on cars.  My sister-in-law once mentioned that we should hold a toddler race with all the cars we have, which would be funny.

So we stayed home and enjoyed some family time in the yard and when I mentioned it would be nice to have some moscato (I rarely drink), the Hubby jumped in the car and returned with 12 bottles.  I mean, he's crazy that way.  Peter can never do anything to a normal degree, it's always over the top and way too much.  But it's one of the reasons I love him too.  How can you not love a man who buys you 12 bottles of alcohol?

Sunday we were supposed to have dinner with friends, but they had to cancel.  Bummer.  But that just meant we had more time to drag the wagon around the block a few more times.  Bean loves the wagon and asks for a ride constantly.  But as soon as we start heading home the tears begin, every time!!! Ugg.

So we ordered some pizza for dinner and had a visit from nonna (at 7 p.m., why? But that's a post for another time, seriously) and went to bed a happy family.

Hope you all had a great weekend as well.  Thanks for stopping by.

Potty Training Hell

Oh potty training, what fun.  NOT.  I have been doing some form of potty training with Bean for about six months now, and we are not even close to having him potty trained.

I blame myself.  I don't think I am being as strict with him as I need to be in order to be successful. But at times I just don't think he's ready either.  So I am torn.  Do I push him or do I let him decide?  I am open to suggestions here.

We bought the big boy underwear, Mickey and Planes.  He doesn't care.  I offered big praise each time he uses the potty.  He doesn't care.  I offer bribes of chocolate.  He slightly cares.  We have serious toddler talks about using the potty.  He acts like he cares, then poo's in his nappy two minutes later.  Uggg.

So what do I do?

People tell me to wait until he's ready, but at this point he will be 25 and still not ready.

People tell me it takes three days of serious training.  Then I hear I should wait until it's warmer weather so he can run around nude and that will make it easier.  Okay.

Then my mom...ya grandma advice...she thinks he should have been potty trained months ago.  I hear the judgement in her voice when she asks, "How's it going with the potty training?" for the the 100th time.  Ya, I will let you know when he's wearing those underpants you bought him a YEAR ago. Hint taken, and not appreciated.

I even picked up a parenting magazine at the play cafe today because a headline read: "Toilet Training Made Easy."  Worth a read, right?

Well here was some of the "advice" it offered up"

• Wait for signs your toddler is ready (okay)
• Get your underwear before you start (duh)
• Talk to your toddler about it before your start (double duh)
• Give it a go (what?)
• Know when to give it a break (thanks)

Needless to say, I was disappointed with this type of "advice".  So I will continue having him sit on the potty, showing him the big boy underpants and offering chocolate as a bribe.  

Any advice?  I will gladly accept it at this point.  Wish me luck

Weekend Wrap Up

Another weekend is done and gone, bummer. On to Monday.

Let's see, Saturday was a day of errands, friendly visits, ice cream breaks and baby vomit.  Good times!

We started off with a visit to one of Peter's clients, an older woman who was hounding him to bring the kids by, so we finally did.  She had stopped at the store before we arrived and bought Bean some mini sorbet cones (so sweet), and he gladly ate one at 11 a.m.  She then offered a few gummy snakes and assorted other sugary treats, which he also gladly accepted.  Once he was on a proper sugar high we decided it was time to leave.

We then found ourselves down by the beach in time for lunch.  We stopped for some food, but couldn't stay and hang out in the sand since nap time was right around the corner.  I feel like we only have a few hours each day where everyone is happy and rested and those are dedicated to early morning grocery runs and errands.  Oh well.

So home we went and after naps the sun was actually out and shinning.  So it was time to play in the backyard.  And what did they both want to play in?   Yep the hated sandpit.  I hate the sandpit, way too much clean up.  But they love it, so what am I to do.

The day ended with some dinner, followed by a baby sticking her fingers down her own throat, gagging and inducing a vomit.  Yep, Poppy hurled her entire dinner all over the living room floor, right after her shower too.  Great!  So she had two showers that night.

Ya, we shower the kids.  They love baths too, but showers are so much quicker and easier most nights.

Sunday was a lazy day at home (the best kind of day).  I was lucky enough to get a solo trip to Target in too, score.  All the summery stuff is showing up in stores now, which makes me so excited for some warmer weather.  Rain is great, but I'm over it.

So now it's on to Monday and another week.  Here's to a good one.  Thanks for reading.

My new home

I grew up in California  and moved to Australia over six years ago.  My husband is an Aussie who I met in California while he was there working.  We dated long distance for awhile then I made the big move down under.  He already had a home here, a thriving business and after I visited I knew the Aussie lifestyle was for me, so I packed up and took the leap of faith.

It was by far the best move (literally and figuratively) I ever, ever, ever made.

I consider Australia to be my home now and I plan on becoming a citizen in the next year (that's a post for another time).  I have a family home here in a great, safe neighborhood, my babies were born here, the school systems are great, the family atmosphere can't be beat and we are happy.

We have gone back to California once or twice a year over the last six years.  This allowed me to visit my family and friends and still feel like I was part of their lives.  Skye and email are great, but there's nothing like a real hug from your mom and dad.

But with the kids being so small and the travel being so hard (and expensive) we have decided not to make the trek to California this year.  Part of me is sad, but the other part of me is super relieved.  I won't have to pack everyone up, get car seats to the airport, wrangle two kids through security and onto a packed plane.  I won't have to endure the horrified stares of other passengers as we walk down the plane aisles, their eyes pleading...don't sit next to me...please.

It's just a lot of work and I am glad to get a break this year and just do my normal hard work at home.

Yes, a hot Christmas at the beach will always be strange to me, but this is the Aussie life and I need to embrace it.  My kids will grow up here and they won't understand my California ways, but that's fine.  Though I hope they embrace pumpkin bread like a true American (they are both Australian and American citizens, yay for them).

I find myself becoming more and more Aussie as the years go on.  I use their words now...nappy, cot, pram, sunnies, trackies, boot, bonnet, and on and on.  I will never have the accent though, I can't even pretend to do a decent Australian accent without sounding British.

I think I have embraced my new home in ways I don't even realize.  I've just become a new person in a new place and it's good.  And that's where I'm super lucky, I love my new home and the new life it gave me.

Weekend Wrap Up

Ahh Monday...sigh.

So this weekend was a game of opposites.  Peter had to work Saturday (bummer) and the weather was rainy and cold, so that meant we stayed home and dry.  I don't mind staying home when it's storming outside though, so it wasn't so bad.  Boring...yes.  Bad...nah.

So that was Saturday...jealous much?

Then the sun came out on Sunday (appropriately) and we packed up the kiddos and left the house while the gettin' was good.

First we stopped at the Gilles Street Market in the city.  The market is held once a month during the winter months and I had missed it last month so I really wanted to make it this month.  I had never been before but saw posts on FB about it and it made me curious.

Well, it turns out this market is not really our "scene" if ya know what I mean.  (I mean we aren't hippies).  Nothing really caught my attention, though Peter bought some tea.  He has a strange place in his heart for tea and must stop at any vendor selling dried tea.  Whatever!

Plus you shouldn't bring a double stroller to a narrow market...lesson learned.

But the market is held at a primary school so there was playgroup equipment, which meant we spent two seconds at the market and two hours at the playgroup.  Oh well, the kids had fun.

There was even a sandpit, and Poppy loves her some sand.  So she was set for a good 45 minutes, while Bean climbed up and down the jungle gym and looked out of periscope over and over and over again.

We stayed until naptime, then hit the road.  Exactly three minutes into the drive both kids were out cold, which meant we had to keep driving.   And after 45 minutes they both woke up at the same time, crazy.

So we stopped for some gelato at Pasta Deli (chocolate and mint chip) and both kids were in heaven.

On the way home we stopped at a friend's house and wound up staying for dinner.  And I should know by now that if you stop at an Italian family's house anytime after lunch, you're staying for dinner.  I think it's the law.

 She's a great cook, so it was a treat for me too.  Plus they have three tween/teenagers so the kids were entertained for hours.

And that was our Sunday.

This week I am going to start really pushing this potty training thing with Bean.  He's shown very little interest so far so wish we luck.

Thanks for listening.

Choosing the right school

As soon as Bean turned 2 we started getting the question, "Where is he gonna go to school?"

What? Huh?  He's 2, I have no idea.

Here in Australia the school schedule is slightly different than the States.  And I am still trying to wrap my brain around it.  Kids are expected to be in "playgroups" when they are infants and toddlers (though this is optional), then they move on to some version of pre-school or early learning center at 3 or 4 (optional again, but helps with transition), then kindy at 5 (kindergarden, not optional) and they start going to a school campus at 5 or 6 with reception.  Confused?  Me too.

It's good I have friends here that are teachers, so they can help guide me.

We go to kindergym and we have done the playgroup thing too.  But next I need to find a pre-school or early learning center to attend.  I think Bean will just go to the kindy down the road from us, so I'm not too fused about one.

But the big question is: Where will he go to school?

So at 2 we set out to find a school that he would attend at 5.  Ugg.  But apparently you have to do it now or you run the risk of not getting a spot in your desired school (in three years).   My friend who has two daughters the same age as Bean and Poppy tried to get her girls into her first pick and they were full already, even spots for her 10 month old where full.  Yikes.

First we had to decide if we wanted a Catholic school, a private school or a public school.  And how do you decide if a school is right for your child and family?

We made a few calls to friends in our area with older children and two of the families recommended a Catholic school that is nearby.  So we attended their open morning/meet and greet where we were able to tour the school and meet some of the current teachers and students.

After our tour we both had a good feeling about this school and neither of us could come up with a reason why Bean should not go there, so we filled out the enrolment forms.  We enrolled both Bean and Poppy and paid our non-refundable fee ($55) and now we wait.

We are still waiting to hear if the kiddos are accepted or not, which is driving me crazy.  But at least we have a plan, huh.  If they aren't accepted we will have start all over with a new school, but at least we have a better idea of what we are doing now.

And how could you resist enrolling these two?

Weekend Wrap Up

Another weekend has come and (nearly) gone.  Sigh.

This weekend we were lucky enough to have dad home.  Yay!  Since he worked all of last weekend, it was a nice change around here.

Saturday we invited some friends around for dinner so we could finally meet their new bubs.  We had seen him at Poppy's birthday party, but you don't get a proper hold or cuddle at a party.  So we had to get in some newborn cuddles.

But of course "dinner" to my Italian husband means an all day cooking event resulting in waaaay too much food.  Great food, but too much of it.  The bonus of his marathon cooking meant I slipped out of the house during naps and got to go grocery shopping on my own (yay).

Ya, a solo grocery store trip gets a "yay" these days.

And I had to stop at the Kmart next door too, how could I resist.   But what did I buy?  Kids stuff. Yep, I can't stop myself from looking at all the new summer kids clothing and picking up a few items.  I might have an addiction to kids clothes shopping.

So Sunday was even more exciting with a trip to Costco.  We just got a Costco here this year and it's fantastic.  I grew up with a Costco store in California, but they are just opening up stores here in Australia.   I love Costco!  I mean we bough nappies/diapers, wipes, snacks, a tool set, chapstick and kids clothes and shoes (I told you I had a problem).   It's fantastic!

And today I noticed Costco is carrying Carters/OshKosh clothing and shoes.  I mean, does it get any better?  NO.

And the other big event this weekend was installing Poppy's forward-facing car seat.  Bean freaked out when we put him forward-facing so I wanted to catch Poppy's reaction.  But girl played it cool and hardly even reacted.  Such a girl.

Well, that's that.  Hope you all had a great weekend too.  Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday to me??

So I kinda hate my birthday.  But I don't hate because I turn a year older, cuz that's gonna happen.  I kinda hate it because I feel like it's cursed.  (I'm serious).

I have never had a super great birthday in my life.  Sure I had the kids parties in the backyard with the slip and slide, but that was about the time my birthday fun ended.

In fact it was the slip and slide party that started the curse.  I was sent to my room during the party after fighting with my cousin about who was next in line.  Then my mom said I couldn't have a party the next year either (because of the fight).  So I turned 8 and had no party, thanks mom.  Kinda harsh, don't ya think.

My birthday also falls in that week in summer where apparently everyone goes on vacation, or to visit their dad in Montana or to sleep away camp.  The next time I was allowed to have a party I invited all my friends from school and no one came.  Seriously, no one could come to the party. They were on vacation, or in Montana or at camp (you get the picture).  My two cousins showed up and we swam in our pool and then they made fun of the fact that no one came to the party.  Sweet.

So here are few things that have happened on my birthday throughout the years to add to the curse:

• my family went camping and I had a half-assed birthday in the woods.
• the first day of school fell on my birthday, good times
• I had surgery on my birthday, oral surgery, but still
• as a teenager my parents left for vacation and I stayed home alone (to work)
• I had two cavities filled

I know more has happened over the years, but that's enough.  Plus my husband can never remember my birthday.  He always thinks it's the 24th or the 20th or the 18th (and those aren't even close).  And he never gets me a gift, so I just buy my own (I think this is a mom thing...buying your own gifts).

So each year I kinda dread my birthday, I think I have cursed myself at this point.

This year I had those two cavities filled.  But the day picked up with a family dinner at a great restaurant with my favorite dessert.  So it wasn't that bad at all.  Maybe I need a new mindset when it comes to birthday, huh?

Here's a few pics from my birthday dinner. Happy birthday to me!

Weekend Wrap Up

My husband owns his own business, which is great (most of the time).  There are a ton of benefits to being your own boss.  Like setting your own price, being creative, problem solving on the fly, and having more freedom in your schedule.  

The last one is the one that really makes a difference to our family.  We don't have much family living near us, though we have lots of friends, so it can be hard to find babysitters in the middle of the day.  So when I have to go to the dentist or get my haircut, it's nice that my husband can work it into his schedule and be home for a few hours with the kids.  

And this week I get to go to the dentist and get a massage, good with the bad huh?

Anyways...back to the weekend stuff.  Good with the bad...here's the bad thing about having your own business, you don't always get to have a normal home life.  My husband answers phone calls late at night, in the middle of the night and early morning.  He has to, if a client calls you have to answer. And if a client decides they need work done late at night or on the weekends, he has to do that as well.  

Though saying that, my hubby does try and keep the late night/weekend stuff to a minimum if he can. 

But this weekend he had no choice, he worked Saturday and Sunday.  Plus he had some "guy time" on Friday night (which he deserves) that got him home after midnight.  So I had the kids all weekend and it rained most of the time, which means we stayed home and went bonkers.

Blah blah..here's my point, if my husband doesn't get a break on the weekends, I don't either.  I hate feeling like I had no break in the routine or some time to myself over the weekend.  It makes me feel tired and dread the week ahead.

So as soon as the Hubs gets home this afternoon I am hightailing it out of here.  I may just go to mom nirvana...Target.  Ahhh, just the thought of a solo Target trip makes me feel better.  Hope you had a good weekend.  Thanks for listening.

Here are few pics to illustrate our wild weekend, including Disney movies on the couch and dress up sessions.

Kindergym, more like KinderGERMS

Germs, germs, germs everywhere you go there's germs.

I am not a germaphobe or anything, but when you have two little ones you start paying more attention to the grime, dirt and open-air sneezes that you encounter.  And the best/worst place for germs these days is kindergym.

Picture 25 toddlers and babies running around with coughs, runny noses and sticky fingers, touching everything your kids are touching.  It's a recipe for disaster.  By by "disaster" I mean a two-week long cold that hits the entire family.  Ya...that's money well spent.

I mean you can't keep the kids inside all winter long, but there's no guaranteed way to protect yourself against these colds and viruses out in the world either.  I know...wash your hands, don't touch your face, take some vitamin C, cover your coughs...blah blah blah...tell a 2 year old that. Better yet, tell a 14 month old that when she licks the slide.  Ya..good times.

I guess it's just the risk you take at kindergym huh?  And they love the heck out of kindergym.  Plus they get super tired and we get some lunch in the drive-thru and I am guaranteed two hours of naptime when we get home.  Which means I can watch some recorded tv and catch up on my housewives drama.  Score one for mom.

Sorry for the blurry pictures, but trying and tell them to hold still for two seconds is like telling the dog to drive home, it ain't gonna happen.

1, 2.....3?

This is probably a conservation every couple has to have at some point...how many children should we have?  Notice I did not say "how many children do we want."  I think those are two different things...should and want.

I always pictured myself having three kids.  But fantasy and reality are also two different things, as I am finding out.

Let me just start by saying I love my two kiddos. LOVE them.  But they are lots of work.  LOTS. And since I live on a different continent than the rest of my family, I don't have tons of support or any free babysitters to help me out.

In fact I get a bit jealous when I see other moms out with their moms/grandmas in tow.  I fantasize about being able to drop the kids at my parents' house and go to Target solo.  (Target solo is a mom vacation).

Back to my point though, I am not sure I should have one more baby.  Actually some days I don't think I could even handle one more.

My husband is pretty happy with two and would be super happy to stop.  But he's still waiting on my go ahead for the snip snip at this point.

And that's the other big issue.  I want my Hubs to be on the same page, I don't want it to be one of those "well YOU wanted a third baby" situations.

Then there is the financial side.  Can we afford one more?  There's private schooling, university and all the stuff in between.  Plus we travel back to the States once a year and that's one more ticket and one more kiddo to wrangle.

Which leads to my next question, can we handle one more?  Two parents and two kids means you can each take a kid as you go through airport security or shop at Ikea...you get the picture.  Three kids and two parents, well it means we would be out-numbered.

I think the verdict is still out on this one.  But we will have to decide sooner rather than later, these eggs of mine aren't getting any fresher if you know what I mean.  Stay tuned.

And how can you resist these two?

Weekend Wrap Up

Well it was quite wild around here this weekend...oh wait, no it wasn't.   The hubby had to work on Saturday so that kinda sucked.  Plus the weather has been so cold and windy and rainy that it's not worth venturing outside.  That leaves us at home most of the time, warm but bored.

Trying to find things to keep two toddlers busy on a rainy day can be a challenge.  We did about five seconds of playdough, ten seconds of coloring and a solid five hours of crying and whining. Good times.

My son is 2.5 which means he's at that age where he can tell you he wants to play with playdough, then you check and make sure he wants the playdough, YES, he yet again insists on the playdough, then you get all the stuff out for playdough and set the table up for it, put the kid in his seat and he begins to cry saying he does NOT want playdough.  What!

So he then wants to color...wait you see it coming...same pattern.  Color?  YES.  Sure you want to color?  YES!  Okay here's your coloring book and pens.  NOOOOO!  Crying and Whining.  Lord have mercy.

So that was Saturday in a nutshell.

Sunday was a lazy morning.  And by "lazy" I mean I got to lay in bed until 8:30, unheard of these days.  I mean I did get up and get the baby at 7, then lay in bed with her while she punched me with her tiny fists of fury and rolled around and over me for an hour.  But I was still in bed, so that counts.

We finally made the move out of the house around noon, which was waaay too late.  We made a quick stop at the electronics shop for the cheapest dvd player we could find (because you know the kids are gonna ruin it somehow).  Score at $35!

Then we went to Pasta Deli for some quick (and warm) lunch.  It was packed, but we found a table and I entertained one toddler while the Hubs walked around with the baby until our food was ready.  I had to try their salted peanut gelato too.  Good!  So good.

Then both kids began to loose their minds, which meant it was time to pack up and get home for some naps.

And that my friends...was our weekend.  Exciting, I know.

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The good ol' fashioned family vacation?

Growing up my family always went on a yearly vacation/holiday.  We usually just went camping or stayed near a lake in a cabin.  My dad is a huge nature/fishing/hunting type guy and he would get to decide where we went. I think that was mostly because he is crabby if he doesn't get his way.

But once in awhile the rest of us would mutiny and we would go somewhere with real beds and toilets. Think Disneyland and Las Vegas (when they were really pushing that family-friendly vibe). Fancy, right?

But one of the family vacations we talk about the most was the one we call "The Vacation from Hell."  I'm sure every family has a story like this, at least I hope you do.

My dad wanted to go to Oregon, correction he wanted to DRIVE to Oregon, from California.  It was a good 14 hour drive (and by good I mean horrible).  My dad changed lanes constantly to try and "outwit" any highway patrol that might get him for speeding.  My brother and I sat in the "backseat" of the pickup truck, which at that time meant a narrow, straight-backed bench that would not pass as a "seat" these days.  We whined and complained the entire ride, listened to my parent's oldies tapes, and stopped for fast food.

When when finally got to our campsite we were happy to find ourselves right next to the water.  And that was the end of the excitement.  It then started raining and raining and raining.  I think it rained every...single...day.

The highlight of each day was deciding where to eat.

After several days we visited my dad's friend in a nearby town and he was kind enough to let us stay the night (since it was STILL raining).  I have a great memory of my brother and I sitting on their king size bed eating hot fudge sundaes and watching tv.  It was heaven as far as we were concerned.

And after all that, we still had the ride home.  Yeah...boo.

But in the end it was so bad, it was good.  We still talk about it and joke about all the horrible rain and fast food and my dad's driving.

So now that I have my own family I think we need to have our own good ol' fashioned family vacations.  Let's make some memories and ask "Are we there yet?"  a million times.  Sounds like fun to me.  Seriously.

Now I just have to decide where to go.  I am thinking a quick plane ride to Sydney might be the answer.  The zoo, bridge, Opera House, shopping...ya I think that might work.

Happy Holidays!!!

Dear Scale, I hate you.

Sigh, okay so it's not the scale's fault that the number has gone up and up lately.  It's mine, sigh again.

I have never been thin and probably never will be (so positive I know), but I have to stop letting that scale go up at least.  And ya...go down several too.

After having kids I do think about it differently though, it's more about my health and not as much about my appearance.  Well, it is about my appearance too, I mean I am a woman and I do own mirrors. Duh.

But I want to make sure I am setting a good example for my kids, so maybe they won't even have to deal with weight issues.  I also want to make sure I am around a long, long time to be their mom and that I am in good enough shape to run around at the park and keep up with them as they grow.

So what's the answer?

Eat better and move more.  Duh.

But why don't I do that?  Why do I make excuses for myself?  In the end I don't do myself any favors by eating that burger or choosing a diet soda over water.

So why do I do it?

I don't know.  But I need to at least acknowledge that's it's happening so maybe I can make some better choices.

I have tried several diets.  Shakes, meal delivery, Weight Watchers, no carbs, no sugar.  And yes I had results with all of them to some degree.  But I always gained the weight back, and more.  So the answer has to be a lifestyle change.  That's the only way.  Sigh, so not fun.

I will drink only water, not buy any "Crap" food and yes...move more.  That doesn't sound so hard, right?  I need to do this.  Now.

Wish me luck!

Carter's/Oshkosh Love

I need to just start by saying I have a problem...I LOVE me some cute baby/toddler clothes and I can't stop buying them.  That said, my favorite, favorite, favorite brand is Carters (and Oshkosh).  You can't get better quality stuff and did I say they are super cute.  Well they are...Super Cute.

When I would visit California I would get my Carter's fix and load up on tons of clothing, pjs, socks, jackets, shoes.  You get the idea.  I even bought two or three sizes larger than what my kiddos were currently wearing so I could extend the clothing cuteness by a few years.

The problem was that Carters.com didn't ship to Australia.  I even emailed the company and begged them to start shipping here.  They have a few store locations, in NSW and VIC, but not near us. Bummer.  I found a few Carter's items on Amazon that would ship to my address, but it was limited. Bummer again.

Here's the good news!  I just found out that Carters/Oshkosh has now launched an Australian website. Happy dance all around!  Yes, score.  I visited the site today (http://www.oshkosh.com.au) and found several cute items.

I did find the selection to be limited, but hopefully they will offer more items in the next few months. Don't worry I will be checking the site on a daily basis for new items (my husband will just love this).

I also joined the Carter's/Oshkosh club on the website.  I am also a member in the U.S., so I know it's soooo worth joining.  Here's what you get:

• Discounts and special offers
• Be the first to hear about sales, events and product launches
• Free gifts with purchase
• Spend over $100 and get a $10 voucher for your next purchase of $60 or more.

Sweet right!!!

  
Anyways, I had to tell someone.  You're welcome and happy shopping.

Weekend Wrap Up

Despite the cool weather, we were out and about this weekend.  Getting out of the house always makes me feel like I didn't waste my weekend and readies me for the week to come.

First we celebrated cousin Sandro's 6th birthday party up in the hills.  This year's party theme was some type of superhero/animal thing I had never seen before.  I assume I will become very familiar with them in the next few years though.  Super excited...not really.

Apparently when you are six you get to invite all your school friends to your party and your all run around like a bunch of wildlings (yes, that's a GOT reference) throwing balls at each other and dodging smaller children.  My kiddos escaped the chaos and found some refuge in the sandpit.  I had never let Poppy play in the sandpit before (she's only 13 months old), but let me tell you....she LOVED it.  I could not get her out of it.

Two hours later we had to drag her out for some cake then de-sanded her from head to toe.  I stripped her when we got home and found an entire beach in her clothing.  Then it was time for a sink bath.

My son received a sandpit for Christmas last year and both my husband and I were not that thrilled. We just felt like it was mess waiting to be cleaned up every time he used it.  Bean never really took to it though, so we were spared the sandy clean up.  But now that Poppy loves it so much I know this summer with definitely include some sandpit fun (and clean up).  Oh well, let them be kids huh.

Sunday we went to a Family Fun Fair at the Railway Museum.  My son is waaaaaay into Thomas at the moment so he was mesmerised by the trains and loved, loved, loved the train rides.  Plus they had hot chips (french fries) which was just frosting on the cake for him.

I never realized trains are so big.  I know that sounds stupid, but seriously, who knew trains were ginormous? Not me.

We ended the weekend with a catch up with some neighbours and then did the nightly routine of dinner, showers, pjs, and a Thomas episode before bed.  Sounds like a win in our house!

My Handy Hubby

I was just telling my husband how I never thought I would marry a man as handy as my dad...then I met Peter.  He has my dad beat by a mile, sorry dad. Honestly, Peter is the handiest guy around, seriously.  I don't know how you even become so handy, but I hope my kids have inherited that gene.

My son even says, "dad fix," when one of his toys breaks.  He's that good.

Here is a list of a few things Peter has fixed or set up or built or installed or anything he's done that falls under "handy" over the years.

1. Installed a new hot water heater at my Nana's house.
2. Our baby monitors/cameras plus our home alarm system complete with cameras
3. The kitchen vent, which he placed the roof so it wouldn't be so loud.  Genius.
4. Updated or fixed all my computer problems (and our friends and family computers too)
5. Installed our new gas heater
6. Set up our roller door (garage door) controls on my phone, along with access to the house alarm on the phone.
7. Put any Ikea furniture or baby furniture together in a snap
8. Set up outside speakers and sound system around the yard and pool
9. Constructed shades over the backyard and pool to save us from the intense Australian summer sun
10. And sooooo much more.

I know I am leaving out a ton of things he has done over the years.

I think being "handy" is fast becoming a lost man skill.  More and more people work behind a computer all day long and have no need to fix their own appliances or set up their own alarm systems when they can pay someone to do it for them.

I also have to point out that Peter is a smarty pants, who thinks he can do it better than any professional (and he might be right).  I swear he's a genius, a handy genius.  But I am biased.

"Free" Time

Both of the kids are napping at the same time today (mom win), which rarely happens.  So what's a mom to do with all this free time?  Nap?  No.  Laundry?  Sometimes.  Watch bad reality tv.  Yes!

Hi, I'm Alyssa and I love reality tv.  There, I said it.

I can't help it, what's not to love?  I mean women fighting about nothing while wearing high end shoes and drinking mixed cocktails, it's the best.  I can just sit back with my feet up and a sugary snack (something I wouldn't eat in front of the kiddos, so I don't have to share) and relax.  It's my stress reliever, for real.  Why worry about my own problems when I can watch two botox-ed housewives scream it out with frozen faces.  Love.

I know my brain is slowly rotting away with each episode I watch, but I can't resist.  In fact I savour these shows like a fine wine.  I series record them, then watch an episode when the house is quiet and I can zone out.  It's cheaper than a massage, right?  So why not.

Sometimes I multitask and fold laundry or wash dishes while the tv runs.  It's a talent, I know. Somehow I feel less guilty about watching if I can show something was accomplished while I stared at the glowing box.

But seriously, if this is my guilty pleasure then why not indulge.  There's no calories (well other than those sugary snacks, duh), no hangover, no credit card bill to pay afterwards.  It's fine.  Right?

No, no, it's fine, I just decided.

And so the naptime tv indulgence will continue and I can get in some ME time while those little bubs rest and recharge their batteries.  If I am lucky I get an hour and a half to myself, and I am sooo not wasting that on something practical like a nap or mopping my floors.  Ick.

But what do I do when they stop napping?  Eeek, I don't even want to think about that today.  Let me go see what's waiting in the dvr and worry about real problems another time.  Sigh.