Photoaday June ... Final days!

So my first Photoaday month has finished and I must say I have enjoyed it.

So here are the last 3 days (starting from the top left corner, going across each row):

28. 'On the shelf' ... We're staying at mums while her and dad are in Kalgoolie for Jaslyn's baby blessing of Max.. Her pantry is commonly referred to as 'Aldi' as she pretty much has everything in it. The picture on the top right is also of it as I wanted to show just how big it really is.

29. 'Soft' ... My boys have such a 'soft' spot for McCaw. The was taken when we had our first 'playschool' and as per usual we were running late, so I had Phoenix feed McCaw on the way. Multitasking!! As of last week I have started McCaw on one bottle a day, as I felt like he needed that little top up and to let me have one feed a day that someone can help with, given end of financial year is here!!

30. 'Friend' ... I cheated and used a picture from the previous day at preschool. I love how my friends and I are having children together and now it's their turn to become bosom buddies!

Well that's it for the month! More to come in July xx

Photoaday June ... Part Three

Another Nine Days ... (From the top left corner, going across left to right):

19. 'Imperfect' ... Our family, imperfect before McCaw arrived.

20. 'Favorite picture you've taken' ... I don't really have a favourite photo, as I clearly take quite a few, but I do love this photo! Kingston was about 11 months old here, and evidently has always loved the camera!

21. 'Where you slept last night' ... in my bed! Ain't nothing like your own bed! I like to buy one 'big' item a year for the house, and this was it two years ago. I had given myself a budget and it flew out the window when I saw this bed - isn't it beautiful! I look forward to the day we have a bigger house as I think our small room doesn't capture how beautiful it really is! I also look forward to the day I don't have toddlers so I can decorate the bedhead abit better! The day it arrived I was about a week away from giving birth to Kingston, can anyone say emotional? I was downstairs when I heard a loud thud, and ran upstairs to find Phoenix had pushed over one of the side cabinets and broken a drawer! We hadn't even had it a day! I burst into tears (sensitive much?) and Cassius ran to my side, patting my back saying 'don't worry mum, it's alright'.

22. 'From a high angle' ... ok this is a boring photo, but I couldn't think of anything else and so resorted to taking a photo of our stairs from the top angle.

23. 'Movement ... Way way WAY too much movement from my boys at the shops! This photo was taken on the day of my 'That Mother' post ... Click here to read about it. I do like this photo though, I can imagine them in ten years time doing the same thing, chatting away as they walk around at the shops.

24. 'Something on your mind'... Lately I have been thinking alot about my role as a mother. I love seeing Rick and the boys just doing everyday things and this photo was taken at Church as we were getting ready to leave. It is definitely on my mind what an awesome responsibility we have to raise our boys to be 'good' men.

25. 'Something cute'... Here Cassius and Phoenix are helping me with dinner. I was peeling the potatoes earlier and Cassius had asked to help, to which I had said no as he was too little. He then said 'but that's my favorite mum, I love peeling potatoes'. I told him I would remind him of that when he was 15 years old, and laughed to myself how I have a habit of talking to my children like they are adults. I decided to let Cassius help by putting the potatoes in the bowl once they were cut. Phoenix soon quickly joined and I could see the enjoyment in their eyes so I then got them to empty the vegtables into the sink, wash them, then pack them into the colander. Lets just say that process was repeated over five times - definitely had clean vegtables that day!

26. 'Where you shop' ... at home, on my ipads! Thank goodness for online shopping is all I can say!

27. 'Bathroom' ... I had gone to get something out of the other room and came back to this when my boys were having their bath! Lets just say my boys were lucky mum was in a good mood and I did what any normal mother would do - Take a photo!

That's it for now, just a few more days to go till the end of the month, but I've decided to keep doing this as an ongoing thing as it's such a good way to capture the small moments of our days! xx

 

That Mother ...

We've all seen that mother. The one looking unkempt and flustered, while their toddler is chucking a tantrum in the middle of the shopping centre. The one who pre-motherhood, I would look at and think to myself 'control your child'. The one who post-motherhood I now look at with understanding knowing too well my day would one day come! Well that day came on Saturday...

We had ventured to the shops to take advantage of all the sales. We didn't have Kingston with us, so when Rick had to leave early I decided to solider on without him. Clearly I wasn't thinking straight. But that's the beauty of hindsight, you see things a lot clearer! I thought how Cassius and Phoenix had been quite well behaved lately so why wouldnt I be able to shop with the three of them? Well I thought wrong. The demands were non stop - toys, playground, cake, food. Cassius went one way, Phoenix the other. Add to the mix my five week old baby! And why wasn't my serious voice working on them? That's right - we were in public! Eventually Cassius started throwing himself around when he wouldn't get his way, and realising the situation wasn't going to improve I decided to face reality and go home. The trouble was, the car was parked on the other side of the shopping centre. The walk to the car was one I will not forget. I decided to ignore the ever increasing demands of Cassius and he was not impressed. The screaming started, legs in the air, he was having a tantrum. I have never seen him like that, and was quite shocked at what I was seeing. It was not like the typical tantrums he has pulled in the past. He. Was. Going. Nuts. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Eventually, I just laughed. There really was no other option! I asked him what was so bad to be causing this behavior. He responded 'you are mean to me mum' and begged to stay at the shops instead of going home. I told him we can stay then, and made a very slow trip to the car with promises of toys later on.

To add insult to injury, we were almost at the car and I saw a top I liked. I thought I would quickly try it on over my top to check it would fit as I am still in denial about my weight gain. As I took the top off, I lifted off BOTH tops. There I was, standing in the middle of Myer, in my undergarments. What a day!

Yes, it was an eventful day, but I will now look on with a lot more empathy when I see that mother ...

Ps - The day wasn't all bad, we got home and Cassius and Phoenix were loving playing with McCaw as usual, and I had to sit back and smile. McCaw looks abit unusual in the first picture, but I just love the look on their faces! xx

 

Life Lately ...

Time for another update on my little Tongans. They are growing and growing and I am loving it!

First off, Cassius, who is enjoying his new status as the front seat passenger! He's a very kind boy our Cassius, this morning I watched him going through the pantry getting three packets of raisins for him and his brothers. No one had asked hm to get it for them, I think sharing and thinking of others just comes naturally to him. He is sensitive though, and gets quite hurt when told off for something. He will say 'well I don't want to be your best friend anymore', but then quickly run back to say 'I want to say sorry to you mum'. The other morning he was taking a little too long to get ready and I started changing my tone as I told him to hurry up. He looked at me with his big eyes questioning 'why are you angry at me mum?'. Let's just say I wasn't angry anymore after that! And then on another night, my back started playing up and I hadn't said anything when Cass rushed over to me asking if I was ok and started rubbing my back! I was surprised at how observant be is, and as I later told Rick my ever so wise husband commented how we all have our good traits - Cassius may not be our cleanest son, but is loving. There's no denying that!

Onto number two - Phoenix. He is definitely my cleaner which I love!! It's funny though, as although he is my cleanest child, with his sensitive skin he probably looks the dirtiest! Yesterday he had gone upstairs and I told him to come downstairs (doesn't he know his room is only for decoration ha ha) but he yelled back 'but I'm cleaning mum?' He has also decided that he doesn't really like the Beast, aka Kingston, most likely due to Kingston being the little bully that he is. Don't get me wrong - Phoenix can hold his own! I fear that one day he will unleash that temper of his on some poor child lol. But with Kingston he will tell me 'I don't like him mum', and when I ask him why, he responds 'because'. He asks 'why' alot too, which is often funny and irritating at the same time. For example, he was helping me do the dishes today and asked if the dishwashing liquid was blue. I said 'no son, it's green'. He asked 'but why?' ha ha. Oh and his dinosaur obsession is ever present - the other morning he was talking to them and I asked what was happening. He said 'the dinosaur is sad mum', when I then asked why he responded 'because he can't find his family!'. He'll also watch them on YouTube and all I can hear is him yelling 'YOU CAN DO IT T-Rex!' ha ha ... There really are so many good times in our house!

Now for Kingston. Hmmm ... He's annoying. Ha ha, nah he's just at that age where he doesn't listen and it's hard to discipline because he thinks everything is a game. But boy does he love his father! I accepted early on that when my boys reach about 18 months they no longer are mummy's boy and become besotted with their father! It has happened with the older three boys and most likely will happen with McCaw also! I don't blame them though, Rick kinda has that affect on people (haha cheesey!). Kingston is abit of an actor also, always faking being hurt to not get in trouble ha ha. And he likes to take himself to the toilet also! Once I take his nappy off he runs to the toilet and is very proud of himself.

And then there's McCaw. Oh how I love having a baby in the house! He's such a good little boy - just eats and sleeps - and we all adore him! His brothers adore him a little too much, and I am constantly telling them to leave him alone as he lays sleeping in his rocker. He has completed our little family in so many ways, and I couldn't imagine things any other way. I do want more children eventually, but if four is my lot in life I will be equally as happy.

I was looking at my boys today as they had an afternoon snack and thought to myself I can't believe I have four boys. Four! And all under five! Good times xx

Here's a pic of Cassius and Phoenix at science play at the library

 

Nothing ...

Tomorrow I am doing nothing. Nothing. And I am so excited! Of course there will be cleaning to do, but having had things on every day this week I am soooo looking forward to just being home with my boys tomorrow and doing nothing. Can't wait!

 

The World of Blogging ...

In April of this year I decided to become a blogger. I have been cautious of public forums in the past, your words can be so easily misconstrued and I do believe some things (such as the intricacies of a marriage) should be left private.

I am learning though that people blog for many different reasons - to have a voice, provide ideas and resources, and the list goes on. My reasons were more simple - I wanted a record of our life with our boys. But now I find myself looking forward to the late evenings, when my little Tongans lay sleeping, and I sit in bed with my iPad not only to record my thoughts, but to read about the thoughts, ideas and aspirations of others. There is so much to learn, be it parenting tips, decor ideas, or just reading about the daily lives of my few friends that actually blog too!

And then there's the ever present topic of motherhood. With four little Tongans aged four and under, it's a topic close to my heart and where I am in need of constant improvement. I feel like it brings out my best, and also my worse. It contributes to so many of my highs, and definitely my lows. But it's nice to know that others feel the same. And I wonder if a mother will ever really feel like they got it all right? There is indeed always something we can improve on.

I have been told on occasion that I seem like 'I have it all together'. Most likely those people were just trying to be nice, but my response: 'you know it's all fake right?'

I guess I will fake it till I make it xx

A Pram ...

To say I'm a little obsessed with the Bugaboo prams might be a slight understatement. There are many 'fabulous things' I have been introduced to for my children and this is by far my absolute favorite. They are definitely pricey and our money could probably be spent on more important things, but I think some things really are worth the money and the investment!

When I was pregnant with Cassius, as a newbie to the world of motherhood I was completely unaware of just how many choices there are out there! My sister in law Morgana told me about this pram that all the celebrities had. (It makes me laugh at how things have changed, as these days, I am very aware of what the current trends are in the celebrity baby world!) But having no idea at that time, I went online to have a look. When I first saw the price I thought - were they kidding? Who in the world would pay that for a pram? I laughed out loud, and my mum who was nearby asked what I was doing. I showed her the pictures, told her the price and laughed off the illusion of having one. A few days later my mum called me - her and my Dad had decided to buy me a bugaboo for my firstborn! My parents are pretty awesome like that :)

And so my love affair with the pram began. When I told Rick he thought it was silly of me to let my parents spend that on a pram, but his opinion would soon change. These days, he will readily admit it was probably the best thing purchased for our kiddies - the ease of movement is second to none. And a year after Cassius was born, when I was pregnant with Phoenix, I wanted the smaller version of the pram (the bugaboo bee), and he didn't need any persuading - I asked him if we could get it and I got a yes straight away.

Last year saw the launch of their double pram - the Donkey, which is probably what I need for my little tongans! But I thought I would be good and make do with what we have, plus I am a big fan of the bee - it's more compact and so is by far my favorite. We went to baby Kingdom last month to get the adapters for the baby capsule to fit the pram, and while there I saw the limited edition all black bee plus! It was beautiful and twenty per cent off so surely that was a sign right!??! I looked at Rick and said 'I really like this!' ... We walked out that day having purchased our third pram - Told you I'm a big fan! xx

Ps - Whilst I'm pretty sure I only have a couple of people who actually read this lol, if I come across as boastful then please know that is not my intention, I just like writing and chatting about these sorts of things xx

Photoaday June ... Part Two

The Next Nine Days ... (starting from the top left corner, and going across each row)

10. 'Best Part of your Weekend' ... My pictures I took of McCaw! I do love a good photo! I remember that weekend though watching a DVD with Rick Sunday night - we don't get to do that often anymore and that was probably my best part of my weekend, but I didn't get a picture so this will do!

11. 'Door' ... Doors all closed after the onslaught of Public Holiday Shopping! I took this pic as I was making the hike back to the car as silly me had parked on the wrong side of westfields and had food shopping to carry!

12. 'A low angle' ... Took this picture at mums - couldn't really think of anything else!

13. 'Art' ... This picture was a genuine surprise! The theme was art and I am definitely not the most artistic of people, but I got the boys paintbrushes out and thought I would take a picture of that. I put it on the bench and it looked rather plain, so I hung it on the FHE board, and as I took the picture I realized I had a painting in the background. The picture actually ends up looking rather artistic ha ha!!

14. 'Time' ... Again didn't really know what to take a picture of here, and I was hoping to get to the freedom and take a picture of a wall of clocks, but that didn't happen. But then that night at mums, I changed Kingstons nappy and he ran off. I was wondering where he had run to, and saw he had taken himself to the toilet! I guess he's telling me it's 'time' to toilet train him!

15. 'Yellow' ... This picture was taken at tree valley golf course (see more pictures and read about it here)!

16. 'Out and About' ... This was a Saturday but it was pouring with rain so we kept inside, and my boys and I did some cleaning! We cleaned the walls too so I was VERY happy!!

17. 'In your bag' ... I don't take my handbag much anymore - just the baby bag! And given my current obsession with wraps and blankets, that's what it's full of.

18. 'Something we don't know about You' ... That I did ballet for five years! Was really struggling trying to think what to do for this one. My friend Piña commented on instagram that she didn't know that, that dancing Simpson = Jaslyns. I replied that she just summed up why I quit! Lol, I never have been good at being second!

Well we're over half way now with the Photoaday challenge! I'm really enjoying it and it's encouraging me to try and take better pictures!

 

A Good Day...

Today was a good day. There was nothing extraordinary about it, it was in fact quite ordinary, but I am going to sleep happy and content, and that means something.

This morning was my first time taking all four boys to drop Cassius and Phoenix's at daycare. Surprisingly, it ran rather smoothly, and as an added bonus, when Cassius said his prayers he actually blessed himself 'at stool'. No blessing himself to go to uncle gums or grandmas instead, but school! Almost a year after he started and he's finally ok with going - bless him! My boys are growing up!

Kingston, McCaw and I went home afterwards to do a bit of cleaning and eating, and by early afternoon I decided to do some scripture reading (something I have definitely been neglecting of late). I found myself feeling edified, and committed to reading the scriptures more regularly. I reevaluated my goals and decided to wake up an hour earlier then the boys to do first things first. Rick then called and was finishing up early (there are indeed some pros to the world of construction!), and suggested he take Kingston to golf while I do our food shopping. When it came time to dropping them off, Rick asked if I was sure that I didn't want to just come with them? And I thought 'why not, the food shopping can wait'! And wasn't I glad I made that decision. We spent the next hour or so hitting balls, Rick explaining to me how it all works and me trying to act like I care ha ha. But I love those family moments! One of the things I love about my husband is he really is a very good, 'hands on' father, and I feel like my boys are so lucky to have him. He will take them with him everywhere, he has all the time in the world for them, and he plays with them. Always. These things are nothing extraordinary I know but I do think it's the small things that matter, and I love how President Uchtdorf said in a general conference how in family relationships, love is really spelt T I M E. Love it! But getting back to golf, we had a nice little afternoon, McCaw in his sling and Kingston getting some time to hang with his good mate - his Dad. Kingston LOVES golf, even at less than two years old he has good form, a great swing and is much better then his older brothers. No doubt Rick enjoys having another excuse to get out on the golf course aswell! We later picked up the boys, went past my mums, then home for dinner and relaxing. I told you it was not extraordinary, but it was indeed a good day. Maybe the fact that I got some lovely shots out on the course helped, as you know I love my photos!! xx

There's Something about Shopping ...

Like most females, I do love to shop! However getting to the shops with my little Tongans can be quite laborious, so these days my shopping fix comes primarily in the form of online shopping. And Whilst this often satisfies the shopping urge, there's nothing quite like actually going to the shops and getting a dose of retail therapy!

On Monday, I was in need of a bit of 'therapy'. With the boys being sick and of course having a newborn, we have been spending a lot of time at home and quite frankly, I was getting a tad bored! Rick had gone to basketball in the morning and called me on his way home to see what we had planned for the day. I told him how I felt, and Rick knows me well enough to read between the lines and suggested that I go shopping! I had an urge of practicality and said 'we didn't really didn't 'need' anything' to which he replied 'well it's not about needs, go get some things that you want!' ... And so I did. Of course, by the time I actually fed McCaw and got out of the house it was late afternoon. I got to the shops with about one hour till closing, but given it is sale season that was probably a good thing as I could have spent the whole day there! I went straight to Myer and found my boys some new clothes to add to their wardrobe - funny how even when I feel like I'm getting some 'me' time, it's still very much about my boys! Nevertheless I went home a happier woman, which of course meant a happier home for my boys and husband xx

Culture ...

People often assume my cultural background is maori, and I find myself proudly declaring that I am actually of samoan/chinese/anglo-saxon descent. There's something about the maori culture that I love aswell, most likely due to growing up in New Zealand - a country who values it native people and heritage. Add to the mix my Tongan (and part German (apparently!)) husband and I think our boys are lucky to have so much culture surrounding them. I always wish I had done more to embrace mine growing up, but it's never too late I guess!

I've been wanting to get photos of the boys in their traditional Tongan attire for awhile, so last month when cousin Max was visiting I seized the opportunity to get photos of them all! (Click here to see those pics). Unfortunately I was on my own with them and they were tiring me out, so part of their outfits were falling off at times! But the pictures still capture the beauty that is culture ... and I hope my boys will proudly embrace theirs as they get older xx

 

 

A Photo ...

They say that a photo is a memory sealed in time.

Although I am not at all gifted when it comes to taking photos, every now and then I get a GREAT shot. That was Saturday...

Photoaday June ... Part One

The First Nine Days ...

1. Morning ... Mornings to me equal cleaning bedrooms!2. Empty ... My wallet after a quick trip to the shops!3. Something on your plate ... Sunday night roast!4. Close up ... Me trying to be original. Had to crop out my post baby body though!5. Sign ... Didn't really get to do this day, as I was at the doctors and attending to my sick kiddies. So I took a picture of their medication!6. Hat .. Cassius in some hat that was in the playroom.7. Drink ... Just did the food shopping so stocked up on H2o ... Nothing else is healthy about me though! 8. 6 o'clock ... Was about to cook dinner and walked upstairs to find Phoenix napping on the floor. Nice!9. Your view today ... Another day of doctor trips, but as I was driving home I saw this tree and I pulled over to take a picture. This picture is a reminder to me how great the iPhone and all the photo apps are!

 

 

Front Seat Riding ...

Cassius has now advanced to a booster car seat, and when it's just me and all our boys in the car - he's my new front seat passenger! Actually, it's only happened once, but it was quite sentimental for me and I felt myself enjoying the company and being reminded that my boys are all growing up!

I often find myself wondering what life is going to be like when my little Tongans get older. I am hopeful that they will all stay faithful, be educated and generally good men, but I am realistic that it doesn't always turn out that way. Wouldn't it be great if it did though?! I do hope that regardless of the decisions they make in life, our boys will always stay close to us. They say that once a man is married he leaves his family, but I am hoping we will prove that wrong and forever remain a close knitted family. Here's hoping!! Xx

Ps ... This pic was taken the day we got Cassius his booster. He was quite excited to get it that he sat in it in the living room. Phoenix, feeling a little jealous, decided to get the base of McCaws capsule and sit in that! I love the look of Phoenix's face in this xx

5am thoughts ...

It's five am and I have just finished feeding my McCaw. I'm not at all tired so will write a post to occupy my thoughts!

Our household has been a fester of snot this week, with sick boys and a case of Scabies to deal with. Yes you read right - SCABIES. I am highly embarrassed about that as it implies dirtiness (something as a mother I think you get even more cautious of). I won't mention where Cassius caught it, but he had it (thankfully in a small dosage) which meant we all had to apply the cream, lots of extra washing for me to do, plus trips to the laundromat for all our blankets etc. It appears to be gone but I find the whole ordeal quite embarrassing really!

McCaw has been especially sick and it is absolutely heartbreaking. You wouldn't know it though - he is a soldier and barely cries, but when he is awake he sounds very congested. We have been to the doctors twice, had a chest X-ray and antibiotics, and ultimately visited the emergency department for a day. He still is very much the same today and it breaks my heart. I've never had a sick newborn before, and I feel especially helpless given he is not even four weeks yet. I spend most of my day just holding him which means my house is very unorganized, looks like a laundromat, and my nesting is on hold, but some things can wait. I say that calmly, but inside I am also praying that no one decides to visit me this week! xx

Ps ... Here's a picture of the boys playing in our ghetto front yard!

The Joy of Children ...

Remember how I was saying how sometimes I debate over buying things knowing my boys will likely ruin it? Well I was reminded of that this week!!

Cassius dropped my iPad, making that two iPads that he has now cracked (resulting in an iPhone and iPad ban in the house for the boys ha ha). Further, I came into the living room two mornings ago to find my mustard vase cracked in half courtesy of Phoenix. And then today, as I was brushing my teeth I smelt something burning. I ran downstairs to find Cassius had decided to microwave his cocoa pops (see picture). Although this later incident made me laugh, I'm still mourning the loss of my iPad and vase :(

I guess I should be happy the ladder shelf I brought last week is still up and standing right? Ah the silver lining xx

The Beast ...

Kingston has acquired himself a new nickname around the house - The Beast! Gone are the days where he was my happy child, always smiling and playing. Actually that boy is still there, but it is now accompanied by an endless ability to annoy everyone, and touch and destroy everything! Add that to the fact that he is no small boy, and I think the new name is rather fitting. Last night Rick took Cass and Phoenix for a drive to pick up something from my mums. I came upstairs to feed McCaw and Kingston decided to go back downstairs. Soon I could hear hear loud banging, things being smashed, beeps from the fridge being left open etc ... The beast was up to his usual antics! Good times xx

ps - I was looking back on some old pictures and found this of Kingston on his blessing day. He may be a beast, but he is beautiful xx

 

Nesting Mode ...

Upon returning from mums I seem to be in nesting mode! I have spent the last week organising things and have been making changes around the house - in between cleaning andfeeding and all that other fun stuff. First up - Cassius and Phoenix's room. I use to have a blue and red theme in there, but I ordered a white ladder shelf which prompted me to go back to good old white bedding. There's something about white bedding that I just love! It's simple yet classic. Rick insists the new shelf will be broken within days ... well it has been three days and it's still standing so here's hoping!

This was the room before ... This was the only picture I could find but it wasn't this boring lol, the picture just doesnt show the whole room!

 

I am currently loving the color mustard and changed the color scheme of our living area a few months ago by adding three mustard pieces. I was told by a good friend to decoratr in three's - and it's amazing how those three pieces can really change a room! Now Iam wondering if I should get this mustard single chair although I am almostcertain my boys will ruin it! One of my aunties who I always remember having a beautiful home whilst growing up, was commenting once how she doesnt believe you can't have nice things in your home even when you have children. It all comes down to teaching them and implementing rules etc. This prompted me to make some changes to the way I do things in my home, but there are still some things I am not brave enough to buy yet. To buy the chair or not ... the big decision I am currently facing ha ha xx

Three Weeks with McCaw ...

So we have had our McCaw for almost three weeks now and I just couldn't imagine life without him! I've been abit useless with updating posts lately as I have been busy... well kind of! We came and stayed at mums after McCaw was born as I still had a little bit of work to do and Rick still had some jobs to complete. It was suppose to be for a few days but we ended up staying for almost two weeks! It was BLISS! It's amazing how easy life is when you don't have to do washing, cooking, cleaning, and all the other fun motherly stuff! Mum as always was doing everything and I was having a ball! I watched the whole season of Once Upon a Time (and developed a slight crush on Prince Charming), alot of other tv, and just enjoyed my new baby. Once again I have been blessed with such a good baby who just eats and sleeps! Also I think the fact that I didn't have to do all my normal daily tasks meant it was much easier to recover from labor - I really should have done this after every baby! Life was indeed pretty easy and I was loving it. But funnily enough, I did begin to miss our normal routine of things and our home. So we packed our many bags and returned home. And then things changed ...

By noon the next day, I had washed and hung out three loads of washing, done dishes, vacuumed, mopped, prepared salads for the lunch we were attending, fed, cleaned and bathed my boys ... and the list goes on. I was definately not at mums anymore! Life was back to our 'norm'.

It's nice to see how much the older boys just love their younger brother though. Now that we are back home I have to make sure they are within my sight, otherwise I know they have snuck in to see their little brother. They are constantly trying to kiss him (to the point where many a time I have found McCaw covered in dry snot!), they want to hold him and Phoenix especially will frequently say 'he's so cute mum, he's so beautiful'. I am breastfeeding again and Cassius asked me what I was feeding him, when I said 'milk' he replied 'well let's go downstairs to the fridge and get it mum?'

We need to get a bigger car now, so on the few occasions we have ventured somewhere we have had to put one of the boys in Jacobs or Mums car. We went to Ricks football game when McCaw was five days old, and Kingston was put in with Jacobs car. The day following McCaw was put into mums car for church, and as we left Cassius said 'Mum what's Kingston doing with us, take him out so that baby can come!' The boys also remind me to protect him from the mukka as he is too small. On one occasion when Phoenix said this to me, I said 'I'll protect him for you', to which he replied 'no your too small mum, only Dad has big hands to smash the mukka'. Thanks alot boys :)

One more story for this post ... while at Mums she told me about an experience she had had with Phoenix. She went to wipe his bottom on the toilet and Phoenix exclaimed pointing to his backside 'this is your arse grandma, this is your arse!'. Mum was quick to correct him that it's actually called bottom, but Phoenix disagreed and said 'no grandma it's your arse!'. Now, anyone that knows my mother would know that she would have been in complete shock hearing such words (I fear the worse is yet to come though), but I think I was more in shock when mum relayed the story to me and said the word 'arse' rather then spelling it out! Good times xx