Return

 My eldest has returned triumphantly, albeit very tired and smelly, from Cuboree. Our family dynamic has been a bit off as he has been away from a whole week, so we are all pleased to have him back home.  I think just as pleased as he is to be here - and the thought of sleeping in his own bed!

Cuboree 8 was run by Scouts Victoria in Gembrook this year. It is a bi-annual event and this year was the biggest on record. 3000 kids aged 7-10 along with 1500 volunteers were camping for the week and along with feeding, watering and generally keeping them safe, they also had a myriad of activities to keep all these kids busy during the day. There were no electronics allowed - at all!

 They set up a Facebook page to keep us in touch with what was going on and this was filled with group photos like the one above. I scoured these searching in vain for my bespectacled boy. Yet, we get home and I learn he is wearing a fluorescent yellow hat - good to know. When we looked at the pictures from the closing ceremony, the ones I hadn't seen, here is he easily visible in about 10 shots! Typical.

It was so well run - such precision. From letting us know when the busses were arriving to managing to feed that many kids. Most of the adults were volunteers so a massive thank you for all of their hard work and helping Xandy have such an awesome week.

Minecraft club

 While the cats away..... or more specifically with Alexander at the Cuboree it was the perfect opportunity for the boys to have a sleepover - or as they said an overnight meeting of the minecraft club. Two members joined us from about midday and had a lovely time. They did a bit of mine crafting and played outside (all are basketballers). Above they are making their club tshirts which my boys were determined to make me do. This time I had to buy some shirts, but they all did the rest by themselves and they came out great.

 The boys are obsessed with making potions, so I incorporated this into a drink of milk, with flavours and also food colouring which they loved doing in little plastic milk bottles.

 

The night finished with a movie (Lego Movie) in their sleeping bags. 

We'd moved matresses into the living room so they could all sleep together. All the boys except one were fabulous, but its inevidible that your own kids are the one that you'd have trouble with. Spence was so excited and trying to make everyone happy - that is with the exception of me, who was far from happy with him. I let it go, but then he'd worked himself up so much that he was having nightmares during the night. Ugh. Not only having to deal with him, but concious not to wake the other boys. Mission accomplished, but lack of sleep when they rise at 5:50am does not make me a highly functioning individual!!

Cuboree

 With his bags all packed, and it feels like 2 million things named, my baby boy is off on cub camp for the next week. He is fairly nervous as he only knows one other kid going, but I know that he'll be fine and come home with a heap of new mates.

 He directed me to the drop off point using the Book of Everywhere that mum had created. It was nice to not only get out the hard copy, but touch something from mum again, especially today. She would have been so proud of him going off and doing this. Giving him the opportunity to be a leader. Great learning opportunity for him.

The twins will also miss him - mich as they're excited that he's going, a week is a long time when you're 7. Have a great trip my boy.

Sleepin Ova

These smiling faces are of two little boys who seem to be growing up very quickly. They are off on their first sleepover at a friends house - not family. It is all about them and they are LOVING it.
The were so excited, and packed their own bags (and I let them) all ready to go and spend the night and from all reports it was a success. They all got sleep and were on a whole well behaved. No doubt this is the first of many ....

Show Day

Dad and I took our boys to the Royal Show. A big day. The boys were excited because they had $50 each (thanks Dad) to spend, or waste as Spencer said, on showbags of their choice. We were nervous as there are big crowds, we were on trains, and it was something that Mum and Dad used to do together. 

The last time we went was 2 years ago, and Mum wasn't flash back then which is why I went along. This time she wasn't there at all, but we weren't going to let that get in our way of having a good day and making some memories. 

 We went round everywhere, bumping into friends, trying foods, seeing animals judged (to be future food - ugh) and watched the dressage. The boys love the woodchopping so we always stop in there. We missed the motorbikes and dogs, however we did see some rounding up sheep which is always great. They followed me begrudingly through the CWA and craft areas, looking at the cakes and different crafts and finally into the baby animal pavillion.

 Here was a threat that they were going to have fun or else there were no show bags to be had. Looks like they did a good job eh? Then we were off t the showbag hall to buy bags of overpriced plastic tat that will be broken by tomorrow, but that is all part of the magic.

Re-schooling

All three boys were presenting their learning at school today. I was up their early in the day to see Alexander and the other grade 5's performing their skits and shows.

I was back up in the afternoon for the twins presentation - or flat stanley expo. They all had to sit behind their country poster and answer parent questions. What was lovely was to see how much work had been done by the kids. Benji did Russia and Spence chose Spain. I had printed out pictures for them but none seem to appear on their posters so I don't know where they came from! They were all so proud to be able to show off what they'd learnt and I was pleased that I could be there. Poppy also called in for a visit and was proud to come to the expo too.

The day was capped off by an impromptu dinner with some school mates at a local japanese restaurant. Exactly what I needed.

PLANNING

The bell has rung and I'm in the corner catching my breath. Not that I've gone 18 rounds with the boys, but I've been screaming like a banshee - not a proud moment - and now they are all off safely to school I can calm down and rehash. Over the weekend I learned that adolescent boys actually have different peripheral vision (may not be true, I just took their word) and now I am wondering if they also have a different vision of how things may happen.

Yesterday I had Xandy home from school for two reasons. The first were these awful lumps on his ears which I thought may have been hand foot and mouth which is apparently going around. The other reason, as he really wasn't that sick, was because he hadn't done his project which was due. Our previous week was nothing but manic and we really were not home, so I didn't feel I could blame him. Little did I know he had had it for significantly longer than I was told. So he stayed home and did it all day yesterday. We did also go to the doctor and she diagnosed the ear thing as chilblains.

With assignment all finished, and a non contagious disorder (apparently a stupidity induced, but we'll get to that) he was certainly off to school today. Unsurprisingly he wouldn't wake up. I suspect this was due to the hidden iPad that I confiscated at 11pm! Already I was not giving any sympathy. What totally set me off was he couldn't find his school jumper, and really didn't look very hard. You know that annoying look where they move their head from side to side and glance around a room and if the said item doesn't jump and hit them in the face, they can't find it? That look? Yeah, well I wasn't in the mood for it and sent him to school without a jumper. Seems his emergency jumper is also in hiding. Along with most of the other items in his room - ugh.

Back to the chilblains - he reckons he got these last time he went to school without his jumper (tshirt and shorts, it is winter here) and got really cold. I am angry for two reasons. One - can't he see that he got sick because he lost his jumper and two,  he only has to have a handful of things and can't even seem to manage that! Geez - the kid is only 10, what hope have I got when he enters puberty???

So, rather than fix it and take back all the responsibility myself and do everything for them, I am pushing back. Now if homework isn't done - TOO BAD i say. Your PROBLEM. Forgot your swimmers - miss SWIMMING. Lost a notice - YOU MISS OUT. All sounds a bit harsh I know, but I am trying to help them learn. I am also setting up some prompts on our notice boards to try to trigger them to forward think. What do I need tomorrow. Pack the bag the night before. What homework do I have this week. What is my weekly schedule. Lets see how we go......

Balance

Balance. Its something I crave. I aways seem to be trying to get everything to an 'even' level, but a bit too much or too little and the scale seems to tip dramatically the other way - particularly with the kids. This is where 3 is really difficult, particularly twins.

Xandy is doing really well at the moment. He is on a bit of a winning streak in all areas. He is going great guns in cubs. He has an arm full of badges, is a sixer and heading off on Cuboree in the holidays. He's made 2 grand finals in basketball - and after years of never even making the finals, to be in a grand final is a big deal. Even things at school are good at the moment. He is doing well at sport there and today is off at district athletics, he has a lovely bunch of mates and is being invited to parties and included in things. School work is also going well. After a bumpy start with his teacher, that has all settled down and he is having fun and it seems learning things. We got the naplan results last night and I have to have a proud mum moment with his reading and math results in particular. He is a lovely boy - but a well balanced little nerd. 

Spencer too is basking in glory. He is full of determination for everything and that is paying off. He really wants to try out for rep basketball and as he is doing all this 'training' of his own bat, how can I say no? He has really improved, his basketball has improved out of sight - so much so that other parents and other kids are saying it to me. His fitness has improved so that at the school olympics he came 2nd in the 400m. (I never thought any child of mine would ever be able to run!) Then there's his reading which is just fantastic. He is reading his way through the Andy Griffiths books - his choice and is onto the 4th book in less than a week. He is reading them out loud and fully understanding them which is just amazing. I popped in to see his teacher just to touch base and see how he's going. She said straight away that he's just AMAZING. He has really lifted in everything and basically that everything with him was wonderful. He was full of confidence and really participative in class. She felt he was in a wonderful place - her words.

Then there's Benji. Not that anything bad has happened to him, just not the wonderful things that are happening to the others - or the results of their hard work. I know that this tide does change and it'll be his turn soon, but it is hard to manage when it must feel to him that the others are doing all of this wonderful stuff and maybe you're not. I caught his teacher this morning and she felt he was improving and doing really well. Thankfully she is lovely and is reluctant to compare the two boys which is great. I know I am guilty of it, and I think it is difficult when they share a room for one to be surrounded by his 'awards' not to have the opportunity to be proud of it because of how the other may feel. So I just have to think of a way to ease Benji out of his funk and not over do it....

Lunchboxes

I've gotta say, I find making lunches for school a real drag! First they seem to need lunch EVERY day, and then on top of that they want variety! No its not really that bad, I just struggle to come up with food that fits our needs - healthy, allergy friendly and no rubbish. Their requirement is also tasty whereas mine is budget friendly.

Mondays is my day to recover and regroup and get ready for the week and get over the weekend. I do all the washing and usually get some baking done. Museli bars are usually on the menu.

There is no particular recipe as it changes depending on what I have. This one has the following: 

Sunflower seeds

Pepitas

Dates

Sultanas

Dried apricots

Corn flakes

Oats

Ricebubbles

I mix that all together.

To bind it, I cook up some butter (about 80 grams), a tin of condensed milk and some honey. I cook it to mix it together, then I add it to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix. The whole lot goes into a lined tray, compact it with the back of a spoon  and bake it in a moderate oven until brown.

 It really is that easy. No nuts tick. No rubbish tick. Healthy tick. Cheap as chips and tasty. This should last me about two weeks as I keep it in the fridge and slice it up as I need it.

I open at the close

WIth thanks to JK Rowling,  I have embarked on the most glorious adventure with Alexander, and Harry, Ron and Hermoine. We have just finished the final chapter together of these fantastic adventures and while not the literal meaning of this sentence, but I have started all over again with the twins and I am loving every minute.

The first and last books have a symbiotic relationship, and to be reading them together is wonderful. Experiencing things for the first time and as a distant memory. Fighting for good and having so many people fighting for you. Oh! I will miss them all - but at least I am starting again.

As our ritual, we read and then we watch the movie. Of course this time there were 2 movies. When the book is so fresh it is difficult not to see the differences between the two. I understand why the differences are there, but little things distract from the emotional connection you have with the movie. We really felt this with Part one but part two sucked us in and we were there with it for the whole ride. Up and down and in and out - any continuity issues or deviation from the book were easily overlooked and we were there with Harry to the very end.

Always.

Summertime

We survived the record heat without our trusty little pool as we were for the most part at Anglesea. There is no doubt that once school returns, so will the hot weather, so we are taking the opportunity whilst the sun does not shine quite so hot, to put it up. The boys have had loads of fun.

it went up much easier this time - even with time for snacks ! Spence finally got to use his chip and dip hat he was given.

Continued birthday celebrations

Thankfully the cool change came through and some of our faux cousins came to celebrate the double digits. 

Still with no food in the house and some eating limitations, we whipped up the shop for some cinnamon donuts and strawberries which made a cake. 

 They all had a good time playing and catching up. Once gone - this is how I found him playing with his new presents!!

Yup. Reading a book whilst sitting on the new bike. 

The big squirrel quickly moved into action and got him out on the road for the first test run. 

Ear Ear

Seems we embarked on another little adventure with our boy Benji.  I was making the boys all beanbags. To be extra safe and make sure the beans couldn't come out, I was sewing the bags up - ie no zip. 

Once all the bags were sewn up ready, we went out to kmart to get the beans. 7 big bags came home with us and we started on the first one. Each bag took 2 bags of beans to fill and on our first attempt a few beans fell out onto the floor and I asked the boys to pick them up.

Lets also have a bit more information. My boys are 9, 7 & 7. Not babies. I was sewing the bag in the same room as them. Infact I was no more than 3 metres away and actually FACING them. 

Fast forward a couple of seemingly mundane minutes and I tell Benji not to put the spoon in his ear. His reply was he was trying to clean it. I said go and get a cotton bud and come here and I will do it. It was then I made the discovery. A big polystyrene ball now wedged in his ear. No cotton bud would help - and I am sure the spoon didn't help much either. I had some tweezers but they weren't thin enough to get in so I decided that we needed to go to the gp. This is where the comedy of errors began in the early evening. 

The GP lacks, how would you say, hmm, bedside manner. She had the tools, but was obviously a little stressed by the idea and panicked my little 7 year old. He started to cry, she suggested hospital, I tried a couple of times to explain what was happening. She wouldn't let use her tools (I know- Biatch) so after everyone screaming, and the people in the waiting room horrified, we left.

At home with it a little further in, I was reluctant to go to hospital. I went and bought some "tools" and started operations at home. I further traumatized the little bugger. We put the olive oil in as the dr suggested and I think the weight of this only pushed it in even further than she did. Then a rigged up a straw on the vacuum - macguiver style. This at least sucked out the olive oil! It was only after all of this failed that the big squirrel took him off to hospital.

First stop was the eye and ear hospital. I figured this would be the place you would go for something shoved in your ear. Apparently not if you're a kid. They attempted but they suggested a general- and we figured this was a little OTT for the little polystyrene ball that was just out of reach. So he was referred on to the Childrens'.

So - the upshot is the Royal Childrens' Hospital is the place to be. He sat in the waiting room with all those other kids, and once he got attended to (at 11pm - he was really not a priority given he was just stupid and in no real pain) they gassed him up and promptly grabbed out the offending item. Home safe and happy with dislodged ball at 12pm. He vows never to do THAT again. 

It does however make me wonder what the next adventure will be?

More Hairspray

This morning its wacky hair day, dress in sports gear and Hotdog day. (and donation to Edge foundation and 50c for a chocolate frog. Thats a lot for one mum to remember

let alone the fact that she had been volunteered to help cook the 439 hotdogs! Sheesh.

School Disco - 80s theme

I love  bit of dress ups. Can't help getting on board with a theme - and thankfully my kids are all totally on board with it too!

 They are always happy to pose too!

 With a half hour overlap, the big kids headed off to their turn at the disco.

Think we added a bit to that ozone hole with all the hairspray tonight!

Season Final

 Twas the last match of the season. My boy was captain for the day. His speech to his team was - "go out and get dirty" - which they did!

 It has been a really lovely introduction to football - with wonderful coaches, managers and support crew. There is a real community around the footy club . The only problem I have is holding the little boys back from playing next year!