On Thursdays Andrew has music with Mrs Sweetman at school. Last week she asked if anyone could play something on the piano and Andrew shot his hand straight in the air “so fast” that Mrs Sweetman chose him. He then proceeded to play Twinkle Twinkle in front of his whole class and at the end they all clapped and Mrs Sweetman said that it was terrific! When Andrew was telling me about this at the end of the day I asked him how it made him feel when everybody clapped for him, and he said “I was so happy that I got watery eyes.” That made me so happy that I got watery eyes. I was just so proud of him that he was willing to get up and do that in front of his whole class. I guess he’s adjusting pretty well to life at school.

In something totally unrelated, I noticed recently that Andrew has stopped sucking his fingers when he’s sitting around. I’ve only occasionally heard it when he’s trying to go to sleep. Another thing that school has helped with I think and also he’s probably just growing out of it.

Speaking of growing, Andrew also surprised me last weekend when he saw some older boys from down the road playing handball on the street. He asked if it was ok to go and talk to them. I said yes and went with him at first. After introductions were made Andrew was invited to play with them so I reluctantly left him to it and kept an eye on him from the garage. The boys were very nice and included him so I wasn’t worried about that, just the fact that it was on the road! We do live in a quiet street and they were very quick at getting off the road when a car came, but it was one of those moments when I realise just how much he’s grown.

Nothing much new with Nicholas, except he’s started putting his fingers in his mouth a lot and talking to us with them still in there. I really don’t like this and I can’t understand him when he does it so I’m getting very sick of saying “Take those fingers out of your mouth!” Hopefully persistance will pay off. He’s also had a couple of days again this week where he really hasn’t wanted to go to daycare and I had to leave him crying one day, which really makes me sad. However, he also becoming quite independant. He likes to get dressed by himself all the time now and get his own cup and bowl and cereal out. Very cute!

Andrew had his first day at school today – although it was really only a couple of hours. St Joseph’s really likes to ease them in to it – and I mean reeeeeeeeeeeally ease them in. Today he was only there from 9am until about 10.30am but he wanted to wear his school uniform anyway so tooks some pics before we left this morning and then a couple at school. There’s one of his school bag and hat in his locker – or ‘port rack’ as it is also called up here, and another of him looking in his classroom window – bit cute. The kids all got sent off to one classroom and all the parents to another one. We were then given the run-down on times for pick up and drop off and when lunch and snack times were etc.

Nick has been to daycare the last couple of days and I have taken Andrew along to say goodbye so he understands what happening. Had a few tears from Nick yesterday but he was all good this morning so hopefully we won’t have too much trouble next week when it’s all full-on.

Andrew’s not back to school again until Friday and then only from 8.30 – midday. Nick will walk with us up to school that day and see where Andrew’s going so hopefully that will help him understand what’s happening too.

So, all good so far.

It feels like we’ve been toilet training Nick forever! He started going for a wee in the toilet when he was nearly 2 1/2 years old and did well at daycare but was often having accidents at home, and there were lots of accidents with poos which I just don’t handle well at all! Anyway, not long before he his thrid birthday we could say he was toilet trained with the occasional accident and just wore a nappy at night time. Yesterday the boys had an early bath so after it I put the boys summer jammies on with just undies on Nick. I was planning on putting his nappy on him when he went to bed but totally forgot! Then I didn’t realise he’d had undies on all night and for an hour this morning until I went to get him dressed in his swimmers ready for their swimming lesson. I couldn’t believe it! He had not had an accident at all! I checked his bed too but everything was dry and didn’t smell at all and he did a huge wee in the toilet. I’m going to try it again tonight and see how we go. Andrew only took a couple of months to go from being toilet trained to going overnight without an accident too so maybe this is going to work!

Hope so!

Julia

Daniel and I have been trying to lose our ‘winter coat’ this week. We’ve both put on a few kilos over the last few months so we’ve really been trying and watching our calorie intake this week. Dan’s been making healthy salads for lunch and we’ve been back to basics with our weekly menu plan. I’ve also started getting up early and going for a walk a few days a week. I get up a bit before 6am and walk for about half hour at a good pace. Then on Wednesday I’ve got about half way and decided to run up the little hill, which I managed to do without dying so ran the rest of the way home. It felt really good! About a year and a half ago I was running regularly in the mornings and I even did a couple of organised fun-runs. It’s hard to believe now but at my fittest I was running 7km a couple of times a week and it would take be about an hour. On Monday night I went to Zumba! It was terrific! I’ve always loved dancing so this combines dance with fitness and it’s really good fun but I was absolutely stuffed by the end of it! I went again on Thursday night and intend on keeping it going for as long as we can afford it.

Poor Nicholas had a little delicate issue this week. On Tues night after a shower he told me his willie was sore. I looked at it and it was red and swollen a bit with a yucky discharge coming out. A couple of phone calls worked out it wasn’t too urgent and I could take him to the doctor’s the next day. I’m really lucky as Mum and Dad didn’t have anything on so they came around and in the morning to look after him and take him to the doctor’s at around 11am. I dropped Andrew off to daycare on my way to work and as we walking in one of the kids called out to Andrew from the playground “Where’s Nicholas?” and Andrew yelled back at the top of his lungs “He’s got a sore willie! Nana and Pa are taking him to the doctor’s!” So everyone in the whole playground knew It was really funny. In any case, Mum said he was extremely well behaved at the doctor’s and got some antibiotics. It’s called ‘balanitis’ and is inflammation of the glans in the penis which just happens in uncircumcised boys sometimes, and gets infected. It’s pretty much all better today.

Andrew’s got a cough but ventolin helps. He’s gone to spend the day at Nana and Pa’s so he’s very happy. Speaking of which I better go and pick him up!

Julia

I really need an early night. I’ve needed an early night for a couple of weeks now but it still eludes me!

It’s pretty much all my fault though. I’m too easily distract… ooh look, something shiny! (Oldie, but a goodie). Usually it’s the computer that keeps me from getting to bed when I need to but sometimes it’s the boys. My aim is to get to bed one night before 10pm and then be asleep about 10.30pm. These are the events of the last few nights:

Friday: Barbershop friends around for a great night watching old competition stuff and having a quiet drink. I had to kick them out after midnight. Asleep about 1am I think.
Saturday: Finally get a night to watch tv with my husband. Had been waiting for a 2 hour block to watch first ep of ‘Sherlock’. Didn’t get around to putting it on until nearly 8.30pm so not to bed until after 11pm (distracted by computer on way to bed).
Sunday: Fantastic day down the Gold Coast culminating in boys going Trick or Treating with American friends. Didn’t leave Coast until 8.30pm so didn’t get home until 9.30pm. By time unpacked beach stuff and checked email and facebook (do you see a pattern forming here?) was after 10.30pm again.
Monday: After watching gorgeous Simon Baker in ‘The Mentalist’ finishing at 9.30pm I think I might get to bed before 10pm – I’ll just check my email! Ooh – exciting news from friend! I’ll just reply quickly and check facebook – boom! It’s 10.45!!! How did that happen?
Tuesday: Watch ‘Your Gen’ and then catch up on ‘Offspring’ that I missed on Sunday. Finally get to bed before 10pm. Turn light out at 10.20pm. Awesome! Might actually be asleep… (10.40pm – insert toddler crying noise here). Are you kidding me? Nick’s woken up with a sore tummy. Spend next 20 minutes cuddling/patting/soothing. Back to bed at 11pm, cranky! Took quite a long time to calm myself down and get to sleep.
Wednesday: Daniel studying again so end up watching the cricket (Australia are such losers!) and going backwards and forwards to the computer. Watch an ep of Modern Family with husband and get to bed before 10pm! Woo hoo! Maybe tonight. Read until 10.20pm and about to turn out light when (insert police car siren noise here). What the…? Look outside and there’s an unmarked cop car outside our house pulled over a red sporty looking car. Watch sneakily through the blinds as cops ask 3 guys to get out of car while they search it – presumably for drugs or weapons we suppose. Cops don’t find anything and let guys go. Weird. Didn’t think we lived in that sort of street! Now after 10.30pm and need to read some more to settle down. Light out at 11pm – grrrrr!
Thursday (tonight): It’s 9.40pm and I’ve just finished this blog so I’m off! Will let you if I get that elusive early night finally!

Julia