My sons

The last couple of days has seen me reflect on my gorgeous sons. One of the downsides of having so many children is the inevitable loss of time you have 2 try & give out evenly 2 all the kids individually. Alas I am terrible at that, Im more the "treat them as a unit" sort of person, untill something happens 2 remind me that 1 of them wants my undivided attention. Sad I no, but there is just not enuff hours in the day. I have 2 admit that most of my energy is focused on the girls at the moment, while AJ has taken charge of his sons.
But yesterday LJ came 2 me & gave me the biggest cuddle & kiss & held my hand as we walked around the mall. Now my son hardly ever does those sorts of things with me, especially in public. Sez hes 2 old, tho he cuddles his dad all the time. So 2 me thats a sign that he wants me 2 himself so we wandered off by ourselves. Liam is more a daddys boy, worships his dad & loves him 2 bits. They have had that connection from the day he was born. I find it frustrating sometimes but the love that these 2 share is very special & it warms me 2 c it. But it is also a boost when Liam shows that he needs mum sometimes 2. Hes also the family inventor, always on the lookout for things that he can turn in2 something else.
Ethan is growing in2 his own little terror. Liam was more the placid baby/toddler, more into doing things inside than outside. Ethan is just everywhere!! Just follow the trail of destruction & ull find him at the end of it. Hes more robust & luvs taking apart things, & if they dont come apart ez, he tries 2 smash them open. Sorta reminds me of the hulk. Always grubby as he also likes 2 dig in the dirt whenever possible or potter around in dads garage with him & 'explore'. Its almost impossible 2 keep him clean, & thats just at home. But then, at night just before he drifts off 2 sleep & hes clean & tired from his days escapades hes my little angel ready 2 rest up for all that he has 2 do the next day......
Nothing prepares a person for the intense rush that u feel when u become a parent. We are lucky enuff 2 have felt that 5 times.

Bye Bye Xmas, hello New Year

Its hard 2 believe that in a few short days, its gonna be the start of a whole new year! Wicked roll on 2006. Xmas day was a real quiet affair. We ended up going 2 my sisters 2 swim as the kids were so hot & bothered & they wanted 2 use their new beach towels that aunty Liane had sent them. We spent the night playing games & watching dvds before crashing out early in preperation for the shopping spree the next day. Every year I 4get that the boxing day sales r 4 every1 not just 4 us!! It was just as stressful as doing ure pressie shopping b4 xmas day. The kids really enjoyed it tho Andrew & I found it tedious after a coupla hours. Our kids are lethal with a few $$ in their pockets. Maddy was so funny dragging her dad 4rm shop 2 shop, & then when she ran out of money, she demanded that her dad give her more. Now the thing about AJ is that he hates malls. He will go 2 them if theres a purpose 2, otherwise he races me thru the mall & doesnt believe in browsing. Had no choice about it yesterday tho!!
No major plans 4 new years. With 5 kids its pretty impossible 2 go out & party. But we are considering leaving the brats with my sister new years eve & catching the ferry up the Brisbane River 2 southbank 2 watch the fireworks display & beachparty they have every year. Its just a matter of convincing my darling fiance 2 brave the inevitable large crowds. The other option is seeing in the new year with our friend, Jamil, at the bar in newmarket he works at. Will be a bit more acceptable 4 AJ I think.

Christmas Eve

A day of relaxing in the pool at my brothers place before all the busy-ness starts 2moro. We are spending the day at home with our children, spoiling them & spending quality time with them playing games etc.. after a hectic year. We have seen all family & friends & calling the rest 2moro in NZ but have decided 2 keep it all lowkey. Then we hit the stores on boxing day. In lieu of actual presents, the kids asked for money so that when we go 2 the sales that happen on boxing day, as we do, they can do some of their own shopping. That was fine with me & their dad, made things so stress free for us. So tomorrow they still get 2 open gifts sent from their gran & aunty L & other bits & pieces & get more pressies the next day. Lucky things

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL

Well weve sent out emails with our good tidings but we used the kodak sharecenter email service so AJ wanted it 2 go on our blog 2 b sure so here we are. Merry christmas everyone & have fun on the day, especially Isabella xxx, Jasper xxx & Patience xxx who are celebrating their 1st christmas. Lots of love 2 u all.

Talking about haircuts.....

this is my eldest sons new hair do. i was a bit sceptical at first but he actually looks pretty good dont ya rekon? he loves it & tho it was originally 4 photographic purposes only (AJ was supposed 2 get the same do but unfortunately Im not that good with the hairclippers) LJ loves his new look so will probly keep it 4 a while.
ps. Ethan got a trim & has a cute little fringe thats only a micro inch shorter but out of his eyes at least!!

HELP! i need a haircut

AJ & I are in the middle of a debate involving my sweet baby Ethan. I say he needs a haircut for obvious reasons (see above pics). His dad is refusing 2 let me, his reasons being that it will lose its colour like LJs hair did & its fine as it is. Honest it must be so annoying for my boy having it hanging in his face like that & im not even aloud 2 tie it up!! 'put hair gel in it' insists his dad. 'GROSS!' is his mums response. Fancy wanting 2 turn sweet smelling soft hair in2 a sticky hard mass. Its not like I want 2 give him a major cut or nething, just a tidy little fringe. Wish i had the guts 2 just go ahead & do it. Unfortunately AJs wrath is not worth it. You shouldve seen him when I recently trimmed Maddisyns hair for the 1st time in her life!! Mind u I did wait till he was away from home before doing it... & so the debate goes on.
Ethan has a real annoying habit at the mo. He loves throwing everything he can carry thru the bars on the back deck or off Maddys little balcony in her room, 2 the ground below. Usually if somethings not where we left it, the 1st place we check is outside. On Sat arvo, he decided that it was the handset for the portable phones turn 2 fly. & fly they did, smashing 2 the ground. So apologies 2 all who tried 2 ring from Sat thru till Mon. Hes also expanded his vocab. He can say Mum, Dadda, Shuddup, Katy, Aunta, Unca (uncle), bubba, & na (no) is the new 1, amongst all the normal baby babble.

Bye Bye guys xxx

Well its a bit of a bummer morning. Just dropped my bro & his family at the airport 2 go home. It was hard 2 see them go & I no we will miss them so much, especially my gorgeous nieces. Maddy was very upset last nite & this morn as her & Destiny were very close but she will get over it as theres not very much she can do. Made all of us very homesik tho....xcept AJ. Bye bye guys xxxxxxx

sleeping beauties

here is Ethan & my niece Patience, having their afternoon naps. My brothers & their families r staying with us 4 3 days b4 they head bak hm 2 NZ. So that is an xtra 3 adults & 4 kids in the house, so it is very lucky that we have a large house tho so its not such a tight squeeze! This is the usual dress code 4 my son since the heat has started & hes sweating so much tho i do manage 2 get him in2 clothes if we are leaving the house. Rnt they so cute wen they are asleep

A new addition 2 the family

Finally we have a pet!! After the "no"s 2 the rat, pet python & dog, we settled on this beautiful 4yr old cat. His name is Tellis & though the name is a bit yuk, becoz of his age we couldnt really change it. We have had him 4 3 days & he has gotten used 2 me & Andrew but shies away from the kids. Dont blame him coz they would scare me 2. Funny thing is, Andrew hates cats, despises them really. But he has totally fallen 4 this 1. Says its becoz of his size (he weighs 9 kgs) but its nice that AJ has taken a liking 2 him. Certainly makes life alot ezr 4 me!!
p.s that is not a dead animal in the top left of the 1st foto, its his toy rat

flashbacks!!

Well this has been an interesting week & very busy. Amongst getting the kids thru their last week of school, helping my bros tie up loose ends b4 they jet bak home nxt wk, & putting up with the heat, i have reaquainted myself with a few blasts from the past. Well sort of. A while ago I got on2 this site that put people bak in touch with old friends from school or watever. Then out of the blue the other day, an old school friend emailed me 2 say hi (hi anna). Then after updating my profile I decided 2 punch in a couple of names & presto there they were (hi Ramona). Since Ive updated my profile Ive had a few more people contact me, but unfortunately I cant always place the name (sorry) tho I remember wat they r on about when they reminisce about what we got up to at school or watever. Must be age huh. I reckon its great that those sorts of things are available 2 us. So good 2 refresh my memory in preparation 4 my time as a parent of teenagers coz its coming up fast, & 4rm what I remember, Im going 2 need all the help I can get! In other news, the kids finished school 2day. Well not technically coz 2moro is their last day but since it was clean up day 2moro, they got a choice of going 2 help or having 2day as their last. & these were options presented by the school! Maddisyn will still attend daycare & Ethan starts after the new year, but only for a coupla days a wk 2 start, jst 2 prepare him 4 when I start a job. Yes I am going 2 finally make my way back in2 the workforce after all this time. Im a bit nervous about it but will get in2 it asap. Cant wait

GRADUATION

Today Kyla graduated from primary 2 high school.Yeeha. She was very composed when she accepted her certificate but we weren' t able 2 get a proper foto due to other parents who decided 2 walk in front of her dad while he was getting the shot!! We are very proud that she has come this far & are as nervous as she is about starting highschool. We feel so old! In other news, we are currently in the start of a heatwave that is set 2 stay with us till the wkend. The heat was that bad that Kt, LJ & Maddisyn decided 2 stay home because of it. Maddy actually got a bad headache & threw up. Unfortunately we don' t have air conditioning. I miss the coolness of home.

p.s after a bit of editing on the computer (aah technology. gotta luv it huh) i was able 2 get this shot of Kyla accepting her certificate presentable. Enjoy

Lazy Sunday

Well the temp hit 32degrees 2day so it was the perfect oppurtunity 2 make use of my sisters pool. AJ & LJ stayed at home to do dad/son stuff while I took my girls & their friend Samara (who had stayed the nite) & my baby to swim the arvo away. Try as I might, I can' t 4 the life of me keep Maddy' s hair tidy when swimming.

New look

Well I got annoyed with the "hot pink" look so decided on a makeover. I rekon it' s a bit ezr on the eye so will see how it sits. Very busy day 2day. We attended Maddisyn' s xmas concert 4 her daycare, but unfortunately was unable 2 get ne fotos since I was so much in a rush that I left my camera on the table at home. She was very cute in her santa hat with pigtails. They sang 'Santa Claus is coming 2 town' & 'Jingle Bells' & her & Destiny really got in2 it. Then it was the pre-school rooms turn. Poor Trinity was very keen when she walked up on2 the stage. Then she realised that a whole room full of adults & children were looking at her & she couldn' t see her mum or dad or aunty & uncle. So the lip dropped, the eyes watered & that was that. I give her credit that she remained on stage & didn' t cry for long, but the frown so reminded me of my brother!! Then after santa handed out the pressies, we got their end of year scrap books which was so cool. I' m very proud at how much she has grown since attending this daycare. They really are well worth the moni they are paid & I' m so grateful 2 have found them. It took alot of interviews before Karleen & I decided on them. They aren' t the flashest of daycares, but the atmosphere, the curriculum, & the teachers were what won us over. The other kids got their school reports yesterday & I am proud 2 let you all know that they did very well this year. Kt has come a long way with her social skills, no longer a quiet mouse. She is more the artistic student but performs well in her core subjects as well. LJ' s abilities are spread evenly through all his subjects which we are very pleased about as last semester he found it hard 2 perform consistently. Kyla has been as good as ever, though she was a bit disappointed with the results of her numeracy exams. Maths has never been her strong point but we pointed out the improvements she has made over the year which she found encouraging. Shes off 2 highschool next year!! something she is not really keen on. Due 2 her birthday, it was optional on whether she went 2 highschool next year or not. But after getting advice from the principal of her school, we decided that keeping her back wouldn' t help her at all. Our children only make us prouder the older they get. MUM & DAD LOVE U ALL SO MUCH KIDDIES xxxxx

xmas is coming

So the cycle of xmas begins. Pressies arriva via post, shops & malls chime xmas tunes, xmas sales start happening & xmas concerts for the kids begin. All this lead-up 2 that one day. Already 2 mp3 players, an xbox 360 & various other new age things have made it on2 the wishlists of our kids. Maddisyn has even insisted on one of those kids learning laptops that she saw in a brochure ('a barbie one!!). With the size of our tribe I' m sure you can imagine the size of our giftlist for them alone! This year xmas is going 2 be a more subdued affair due 2 the fact that the bulk of both mine & AJs whanau is bak home in NZ. Wow its going 2 be a big change as previous years have consisted of more kids than adults on the big day, courtesy of my family. It will be great the year that we will be able to spend xmas with the children on AJs side of the family. With kids arriving regularly now from his bro & sis it will definitely be a big thing for him especially. Only 24 more days till Izzie, Jasper, Patience & Amber celebrate their 1st xmas. It' s so very special for them as well as their parents.

Twinkle twinkle little star...

NOT!! Summer storms are happening sumthn wicked over here. Was on my way bak from getting the kids from daycare about 5 when it all started. It had been building up all day but when it hit, it hit. Cloudy blue skies & forked lightening started it all off. Freaked all the kids out coz it came quite close 2 the car but I got the 1st lot home safely. Then as Maddy & I made our way home, torrential (the only word I can think of 2 describe it) rain started goin on. Came home & watched the weather from the safety of my deck. I heard from NZ & found out that some parts of home were expecting a cyclone that was building in the pacific. Really got me thinking about all that is happening in this crazy, f#*#*d up world we live in. Not only is mankind killing each other, but mother nature has decided 2 screw with us 2. Sorta reminded me of that story from the bible. The one called Noah' s Ark .....

Bye-bye Harry

Knew it would happen. Just as we get used 2 the new member of our family, he grows up & moves outta home. After only a week or so. Poor Maddy was upset, she adored him. Was ok 1nce daddy explained that every1 grows up & moves outta home. He assured her that he' d be bak 2 visit. Unfortunately LJ heard & insisted he was never going newhere. I told him I' d ask him again in 10yrs or so. Funny thing was that yesterday morning AJ talked about Harrys size & the fact that he was becoming more active & other stuff that Harry was doing & that he wldnt be surprised if he moved on soon. Bet he bloody jinxed it!!

Introducing Harry.

About a week or so ago, we acquired a new pet. Not by choice, but hes here. The weather has been strange lately, more unpredictable than ever, & 1 day the kids noticed a visitor on the ceiling of our lounge. He was a tiny little thing with half his tail missing. Excitedly the younger 1s started running around yelling "gecko" at the top of their lungs. Now when we came to oz, the 1 thing that really got 2 me was the strange insects & small animals. The mozzies r the worst. They really hurt when they bite & the ants. Massive those things are. Then I met a few gecko' s & tho I would never physically touch 1 by choice, they sort of grew on me. So I allowed this 1 2 stay. At 1st he never moved if the kids were around. Now he allows us 2 look at him, as he looks back, & runs around the ceiling all the time. He also keeps the lounge relatively free from flies & mozzies, which is a better alternative than gross chemicals. & he has grown so big. AJ decided to give him his name while watching Harry Potter. Perfect pet, so low maintenance.

Trials & Tribulations of a (almost) teenager

I find at the moment that I' m reaching a stage in my eldest daughters life that I dnt no whether wat I do or say is going 2 be met with laughter & joy, or tantrums & arguments. Kyla is only 11 (nearly 12), but 4 the past coupla years, she has reminded me of me, at age 13/14!! & it scares the shit outta me, not 2 mention her overprotective dad. She is a very bright girl, excelling at her schoolwork (when she puts her mind 2 it), & reading at 15yr old level. She is such a fountain of knowledge that I have 2 admit that she puts me 2 shame sometimes. But the flipside 2 all that is that she has an overwhelming strong personality, she insists that she is old enuff 2 make all decisions 4 herself, she hates being told what 2 do, & she has discovered boys. The thing that I find these days is that kids are doing things in life so much more earlier than when our generation did. Its like a rush 2 do everything now rather than 2 wait & take the time 2 enjoy all those new things that age allow you 2 do. Im not saying that every child is like that, but it isnt as rare as it used 2 be. AJ is so freaking out rite now. He came in2 the kitchen the other nite 2 discover Kyla talking 2 me about a boy she likes at school. Now I don' t encourage her but I don' t use threats 2 dissuade her either. I mean whats the point. I want my daughters 2 be able 2 talk 2 me about things like that & no that mums not going 2 go overboard in my response 2 what they have 2 say. But I will pull rank & stop them in their tracks if I have 2. & I have made it clear that I won't hide anything from their father either. Any1 who knows AJ will have some idea about his reaction 2 that conversation. Me, I hate being in that position where Im having conversations will my 11yr old about boys, but as her mum I want to be involved in every aspect of their lives for as long as I can. Becoz before 2 long, for one reason or another, its all taken from us. They leave home, have their own babies & lives & then you miss it all. I wonder how different things are going 2 be with my sons compared with my daughters. It will be a wondorous experience finding out, thats for sure.

A typical day

Well 2day was pretty busy for me. Katy, Maddy & LJ decided 2 stay home with dad on his day off so he had company. I went 2 south brisbane 2 take my sister & 3 of her 4 kids to the docs. She has 4 children 5 & under so they keep her pretty busy considering 3 of them are under 3. Even tho I have 5, it amazed me how she copes as a fulltime mum. As Ive said b4, my kids are well spaced out in age so Ive got it pretty ez, at least I think after actually spending a full day in her shoes. I was so jumpy with them, it was out of it coz I felt so out of my depth around them. It totally proves the theory that theres nothing like knowing your own kids. From there it was off shopping with the whanau. My children were pretty well behaved today that it actually ended up being a pleasant trip this time round. Unfortunately their routine went totally out of wack as we had a few visitors for the nite. AJ is now out for a few hours. Poor thing has been stuck with the kids for most of the week so figured he needed sum time for himself!! LJ a bit sick. Hope hes only got the 24hr bug that seems to be going round. Ehtan set to have a good nite after his very restless nite last nite. He had 2 teeth coming out at once which seemed to give him alot of grief. Very strange for us as all our children never really had any trouble with their teething. In fact we never knew they were coming till they were here!!!

Old Mcdonald had a farm...........

Maddisyn' s daycare decided to bring old mcdonalds farm in for them & Maddy had to have this little baa lamb pried from her, literally!!! She is a bit sad at the moment. Everyday, I not only get to take her to skool but I usually carpool 3 of my nieces & my nephew to the same place so shes never lonely. Unfortunately everyones bak off to NZ within 6wks xcept my nephew so shes finding it hard to accept.The next coupla wks is full of end of year activities with the children; year 7 dinner, Maddys xmas concert nxt wk, LJs school invention presentation, an excursion with Katy so a lot to do & alot of photos to take!!
Ethan has learnt a new word; Shuddup.

Sum photos

I can remember the birth of every one of my gorgeous children. I loved being pregnant & even enjoyed the marvel of giving birth 2 them. Yes it was painful, exhausting & messy. But the rush of love you feel when you see that small little part of you for the 1st time isn' t anything that you can duplicate. Even tho I have had 5 children I have never actually seen a baby being born so it was a great rush for me 2 be present when my niece was born recently. It brought tears 2 my eyes thats for sure.

AARGH!!!

Omigosh this is like the 3rd time Ive had 2 redo our blog!! Ethan is so fast with his hands. All I did was turn away to help Maddisyn & when I turned bak, it was all a mess, so had 2 start again. AARGH!! He amazes me all the time, the rate at which hes learning things. ud think that since hes numba 5 we' d be used 2 it but the way he is picking up on things is so much faster than his siblings did at 14mths. I put it down 2 the fact that he has so many siblings 2 learn off that its easier for him 2 process things. He won' t be my baby for 2 much longer. He has hayfever pretty bad at the moment, but even tho hes a bit grumpy, he still has the stamina 2 cause a bit of mischief. He loves his dad & bro 2 bits & follows them around endlessly & has discovered that he can wrap his mum & sisters round his chubby little finger so he has the best of both worlds. AJ & I are revelling in his milestones, moreso since he is our last. Honest. No more babies for this family!! Only 2 more weeks untill the school holidays are upon us, then I have the near impossible task of keeping my children constantly amused for 7-8 weeks. Alot of movies & travelling in store for us.