Quote of the Day

Since when did my 3 year old learn to read?

I'm sitting at my computer reading an email from our auto club. RACQ - Royal Automobile Club of Queensland just in case you are wondering.

E walks up behind me, points to the RACQ logo and says 'Look Mum. It says RACQ!'

I could only look at him. How he knew that and when he learned to 'read' it or recognise it, I have no idea.

Amazing what they get up to whilst you aren't looking isn't it? Like how he has learned to climb OVER the allegedly child proof pool gate. Child proof yes, Ethan proof no. But that is a story for another day.

The last frontier has been conquered

The last frontier has been conquered. The world, as we know it, will never be the same again. Ok, I'm being slightly melodramatic. But it is a milestone that I was hoping would take a while to come. Unlike every other milestone that is so eagerly anticipated, hard fought and longed for.

And the cause of my melancholy? Ethan has finally learned how to open the gate. And it is not just any gate. It is the gate at the top of our stairs. The gate that for 3 years and 9 months has keep him safe from the stairs. Well, other than those two incidents where he tumbled down the steps many years ago but we won't mention them will we? The gate that has meant when we wanted him upstairs and not in the garage, laundry, Luke's office, the bedroom or the rumpus room (i.e. anywhere downstairs where I couldn't see him and he could get into far too much mischief!), we could close it and know he was confined. Those days are history. Sigh.

Georgia learned to open the gate at goodness knows what age. But thankfully Ethan has taken a while. Unlike everything else Ethan has done which has been in double quick time! We have had to train Georgia that when Ethan asks her to open the gate, she says 'No, ask Mummy or Daddy.' Rather than her helpful natural response which was 'Sure. There you go' and to wave him off downstairs with a smile and then come and tell me what she'd done.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the picture above. An open gate when I was sure I'd closed it. And then I went hunting for Ethan. And found him downstairs. Hmmmm. Maybe I just forgot to close the gate? So I brought him upstairs, closed the gate and he walked up to it, opened it and proceeded downstairs again.

I didn't know whether to sob, laugh, yell or all three at this achievement. So instead I made a note to myself....when a moment presents itself, blog about it! And now I have :)

Ethan driving a truck

We dropped Georgia off at Grandma and Grandpa's just after lunch. Ethan, Luke and I headed to a local shopping centre to pick up some bits and pieces. Why do bits and pieces end up costing about $200 EVERY time I set foot in that store????

Ethan usually has to be dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the store's toy area. But not today. We told him we were going and he came. I LOVED IT! So he was rewarded with a nice long play on the truck outside the store.

Some parents put money in those type of things but this Mamma believes sitting on it is gift enough. And he had a lovely time.

Even better was when we went to go out to the car, we told him it was time to go.....and he came with us. No screaming, yelling, tantrums or sulking. Just a perfectly behaved child. I LOVE IT!

Cool Ethan

I took quite a lot of photos in January meaning to post them on my blog. Kind of like our 2009 New Zealand in review that I meant to write and remains unfinished, like the 2009 'Year that was' that I thought I'd write on 1 January and didn't get to. So many good intentions and so little actually putting fingers to keyboard and actually doing it.

So here's a pic from January. Ethan in a trolley at Bunnings Warehouse. Got to love a hardware warehouse for a fun outing....and I say that actually meaning it as they have a great children's playground where I can sit, munchkins can run around and all whilst Daddy shops in peace.

Ethan had grabbed my sunglasses and put them on. He called himself 'Cool Ethan'. I couldn't agree more. All while clutching one of his many Thomas the Tank Engines of course. Can't go ANYWHERE without an engine. And for the record, his shirt said 'Cheeky Monkey'. And I couldn't agree more with that either.

What a difference a few days makes.......

Wednesday morning and Ethan is in the Emergency Department of the Wesley Hospital on an IV drip. Sitting on Daddy's lap and listing to a Thomas book helps pass the time.Friday afternoon and I can almost see a smile as Ethan finds the energy to do a little bit of bouncing to The Wiggles. It's a stay in pyjamas day after coming home from hospital on Thursday night.
Saturday night and Ethan is eating chips and tomato sauce for dinner. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see him eat something so yicky as I was tonight.

Pictures from Ethan's 3rd birthday party

are available at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107064&id=750294732&l=687d41a2e5

If that doesn't work, let me know. Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we enjoyed celebrating our Little Man!

Ethan's Angels

Since Ethan's arrival into the world nearly 3 years ago, our family has been Blessed with wonderful helpers. These girls (aka nannies aka ANGELS) have saved all of us from sleep deprivation, bored children and domestic disasters of all types and kinds. Thanks ANGELS.

And where are the angels this weekend rather than being here celebrating Ethan's big day? Tenai's in Sydney for the weekend (she will forever remain Ethan's first love), Melissa's in Coffs Harbour on holidays, Autumn is back living in New York, Aurelie is currently living in Hong Kong and Saint Sawah (known to the world as Sarah but to Ethan as SaWah) is in Emerald this weekend. Don't worry girls, we'll eat a cupcake or two on your behalf!

p.s. Pictures above have loaded in reverse order of timing. The beautiful girls are St Sawah, Aurelie, Autumn and Tenai.

p.s. Melissa, why can't I find a picture of you with either of the munchkins?????

Walking

Yesterday I realised that this weekend, Ethan, is two years and 50 weeks old. So? Two years and 50 weeks is one of the most magical numbers in my life.

That is the age Georgia was when she walked for the first time. Georgia, the girl that we were told by so many esteemed medicos 'should walk' or that 'probably would walk'. And yes, based on her ever so slow development the signs were that she was going to walk. But until she did it, part of me didn't believe a word they said. I didn't want should walk, I wanted could walk and I wanted it right there and then.



So at age 2 years and 50 weeks, Georgia walked. She walked off a plane and all but ran into the arms of my Mum. I can see it in my mind as if it were yesterday. And two weeks later for her third birthday, she ran. She told us that her friend Jackson was running so she did too. Talk about an answer to prayer.

So here I was reflecting this weekend at how long Ethan has been walking at his current age of 2 years and 50 weeks all the while thinking how truly Blessed our family was that Georgia won the 'walking lottery' and God gave her the skills to walk. And then I found it.



Georgia's first disability parking permit. And its mate from 2007 too. Shoved in the glovebox of our car. And as I picked them up today and reflected on the 'walking lottery' I said a huge thank you to God for the gift of movement, a huge thank you to Georgia's OT and physio from those not to fun days who not only helped her walk but emotionally supported me while on the rollercoaster of having a child who couldn't walk, to friends and family who looked after us until Georgia's 'walking lottery' numbers came up. And after I realised I was sitting mentally thanking just about everyone that I'd ever crossed paths with I realised I was so just grateful. Grateful to everyone for everything.



Beside the pic of Georgia's disability parking permit is a picture of Georgia I took last week. She was hanging, upside down, from a piece of play equipment at Ethan's kindergarten. She'd got herself up there and she got herself back down too.



Her undies cover up her pull-ups so don't get too excited as we are still waiting for her numbers to come up in the 'toileting lottery'. But I have learned that God has a plan and I have to be patient and wait. He'll show me that He will send her the jackpot for that when He's good and ready. And in the meantime all I can do is be grateful and reflect on just how lucky we truly are :)

Georgia's Party - Ethan - Cheezels and cones

And who thoroughly enjoyed his big sister's party yesterday? There were Cheezels by the plate load, there were marshmallow cones, there was a bouncing castle, there were balloons....and when it all got too much and close to sleep time there was St. Sarah the Supernanny to whisk him upstairs, give him lunch, watch a DVD and put him to bed. Oh the life of Master Ethan!

Teeth and hair

Today Georgia came home from school with one of her front teeth.....it was sticky-taped to a piece of pink cardboard.

Please see pic of Georgia's new smile at left :)

That is tooth #3 to go but the first one that we've actually been able to get to do the Tooth Fairy thing. Note to self - put on Tooth Fairy hat after munchkin has gone to sleep.

Yesterday was haircut day for the two smallest members of our family. Georgia was incredibly well behaved during her haircut. Amazing what bribery and the promise of a 'special treat' after the hairdresser can do.

And then there was Ethan. He screamed, he yelled, he shouted, he lashed out....it was quite an entertaining performance for me (he was on my lap - think of wrestling a shouting giant squid), the staff at the hairdresser AND the hairdresser's clients. Oui!

Interestingly enough, when we got home, he was sweetness and light personified - see pic. But Georgia wouldn't pose for a post-haircut photo and was in a foul mood.

If it is not one, it's the other :)

The Big Boy Bed

Long time between blog posts. Sorry! There is so much I'd love to have had time to blog about. Maybe I'll get 'there' (where is there?) one day.

But then somethings happen that everything just has to stop and the blog must be updated. And this is one of those things.......Ethan moving from his low to the ground toddler bed into his 'big boy bed'.

Luke and I decided this afternoon that tonight was going to be THE night for Ethan to give THE big boy bed (TBBB) a try out.

So, train pillowslip on the pillow, train quilt on the bed, his usual array of toys moved over to TBBB to keep him company. And the little man himself was very keen on the idea.

Here's the before and after bottle shots. Here's hoping he stays in bed until it's daylight. Now that would be an event worth blogging about!

The CEO

Here's a pic of our CEO snapped this afternoon. CEO may mean Chief Executive Officer to the rest of the world. To us, it is Chief of ETHAN Operations :)

We procured him some more pieces of his favourite Thomas train set today so he spent the afternoon on his knees at the train table putting the new acquisitions through their paces.

Trains are a very serious business when you are two!

(Please see the separate post below about Miss G)

Someone needs to own up!

As Georgia is on her weekly Saturday afternoon/night and Sunday 'holiday' at Grandma and Grandpa's, Luke, Ethan and I took off on our weekly Sunday morning magical mystery tour. We usually leave home with a 'to do' list. Inevitably we get very little of the list done and end up places we hadn't planned. But today we stuck to the list.....luggage shopping.

We are now the proud owners of some new luggage (lime green no less!) for our forthcoming NZ trip. But more on luggage another time as I have a mystery to solve. SOMEONE NEEDS TO OWN UP!!! And what we are trying to find out is......who has taught Ethan about coffee?

While we were out, I ordered a cappucino to try and keep me awake without a lunch time nanny nap. Ethan all but jumped out of his chair, wanted to stir it, put the sugar in (yet another generation supporting the cane farmers!) and then wanted to drink it. And when I wasn't keen on his having coffee, he was very, very unhappy. So I ordered him a babycino and he was in raptures.

Considering I drink coffee very, very rarely, there must be someone, somewhere who has introduced him to it. Now let me think......Aunty Leanne and Unca Steve....love coffee but alas we haven't seen them in months, Aunty Maria and Uncle Wayne....Aunty Maria loves her 1/2 strength skinny cap but I've never seen Ethan take much notice of it, Grandpa....likes a cappucino but I can't imagine he and Ethan sitting in a coffee shop enjoying one on their weekly Friday shopping trips, daycare....cappucino at daycare....doubt it, St. Sarah Supernanny....possibly...will have to ask her. The mystery continues...

Here are some pics of Ethan's babycino experience....and once he'd scooped out the froth he picked up the cup to drain the last shreds of milk in it. We couldn't stop laughing....particularly when he'd finished, he put the cup down and declared ''Aagh!".

I'm still learning about many blog things and uploading pics is one of them. The pics I've uploaded are in reverse order to when they were taken and how I would like them display but not enough time to play with that today.

It's always nice to sleep with someone.....

It's always nice to sleep with someone... particularly if your bed companion is snuggly, furry and doesn't snore :)

This is Ethan and his BIG teddy bear, Richmond, snapped tonight.

Richmond came home with us from Teddies on the Green in Richmond, Tasmania in November 2007. He wasn't the easiest bear to transport but there are some things that little, and big, boys just have to have....regardless of the postage cost!

Enjoy the pictures of Ethan that I took this morning.

Typical Ethan - cheeky smile + Thomas couture!

p.s. To state the obvious, I found the add pictures button! Yay me!

I'm here!!

I've finally done IT. After reading blogs for years and, thinking about blogging for years I've finally set up my own little blog. Knowing me IT will not be brief or succinct so I shouldn't call IT little.....but let's walk before running.

It was Kylie who inspired me to finally do IT. Kylie has a blog that I've devotedly read since her first Princess was born. I was telling her recently how much I LOVED following the happenings in her world. She turned around and said how much she would like to follow what I write. I was surprised.....and very pleasantly so might I add.

So what to blog about. The obvious choice is the munchkins. If I can work out how to add photos, you'll be viewing pictures I took of them today. If I can't work out how to add pictures, I won't be telling anyone about the existence of this blog until I do :)

So much more I could write about......like the excursion Ethan and I took to the bakery this morning. A good Mum would have gone to the fruit shop and bought up but Ethan and I hit the bakery and weren't we glad we did?

But time is passing so more another time.