Dino tails

These are gifts - which are almost finished - but done enough for some pictures. She too has three boys, with her twins a year older than mine. They are all into dinosaurs and these will be great for them. There are three tails which will velcro around the waist. I cut the polarfleece the wrong way so it actually stretches around the waist - but this means it never actually gets tight enough. I will recut this the other way, which will actually hold the tail up better and the belt will look thicker. Then they need to be finished with velcro.

We have the tail in green which was for a dress up party as a crocodile - but was also our dragon tail. It is really easy to play with as they can easily put them on themselves. The hoods are a new addition. She didn't ask for these, but I thought they would be great additions to the dress up box - but could also be funky winter hats. I was thrilled with how they turned out and they were really easy to make.

If you want to make your own I slightly adapted the McCalls pattern - 2335. If you are using a stretch be careful not to over stuff it as the tail can warp.

No Sunday Funday

With the big squirrel's business only in its infancy, we try to have a family day at least once a week. Life gets pretty hectic and we try to make a day that is just about family. It was not to be this week.

I am on the kinder committee. I joined because I like to be involved in community and in A's life and thought this was a good way to do it. Let me say this - it is a big job. I have scored the maintenance roll - given the Big Squirrels background - it was the best suited to me. However it is a lot of work and running around.

Today was working bee. 23 families had said they would attend. 7 families did - pretty poor show. I was not expecting them all, but really. All the jobs I had planned for (bought materials and tools for) got done - but mostly thanks to the big squirrel. The last job of the day was the fridge. It had ice packed in the fridge as well as the freezer. We were nearly finished cleaning it out when it was gone. A stabbing fatality and we could not save her - the wound was too deep. So off with the doors and out onto the nature strip.

Now - something else to fill my time - shopping for a replacement fridge - Oh the job of maintenance!!!

Nanny 911

It had been coming for a while. A busy schedule, catching up for playdates, running a small business, volunteering at kinder and the general running of the house- it all gets a bit too much.

Saturday around Ikea - probably not the best idea with the kids. I managed and the kids were all very good really. It is just such a pain to push around two heavy boys and manage and entertain a four year old.

I was probably a bit unprepared and we managed a snack and a rest. Next on the agenda was a trip to kmart for some shoes. After trying them all on, we settled on a pair of boots - and this is where it started to unravel. From kmart to the car, change nappies in the boot, put all the kids into car seats, pack the pram away. A tried on the shoes which are all of 5 minutes old and decideds they are too big. Now this seems like such a little thing, but it was just the end of me.

Some times it just feels like everyone comes first. Get up feed everyone, whoops no time for food for me. Get everyone dressed, feed everyone, put them all in the car - even just to get out of the door is an enourmous task. There is not enough time nor do I have enough hands. I want to give them all the time in the world - they deserve that but some days it is just too hard. When you are close to the edge - what good are you. People always say - make sure you take some time out for you, and I know how much better you are after this - but how do you get this? There is no time out. What do I do with them while I am 'off duty'? Mum is great and I don't think I could do it without her, but she still works and its not fair to always burden her. The guilt of not being there is almost as bad as being there on a bad day.

I ended up calling mum and she actually took A for a sleep over. He thought it was fun and he was a bit special. The big squirrel was working late, so I put the twins down to sleep and settled down on the couch to wallow in self pity. Nanny 911 came on with a family who had 6 kids under 5. They had twins who were almost five, then 3 girld who were two - yes -TRIPLETS and then had a one year old daughter (how with that many kids they even found time for sex I don't know!!) Watching this family struggle with the day to day task was great. A lot of their struggles echoed mine - but can I say they made my life look easy. Its a bit sad that you have to see someone worse off than you to appreciate your own situation - but it did help.

On Guard!

Impromptu things are always so much fun. After our supermarket shopping we had a box at home. For a good part of the day it was a TV with a very modest star. Then with a vist from Uncle Paulie, this was all transformed. With inspiration from a collectables catalogue, the box/tv was transformed to a shield with a our own coat of arms. A couple of horses lying over here, some foam swords over there, a long hallway - let the jousting begin!

Later, with squire in tow, we were knights in search of a dragon. A crocodile costume transformed me to the fire breathing dragon our knight was trying to slay.

If I had planned this we would have got nowhere, but we had so much fun. Running, chasing and learning about history, a bit of craft and dress-ups - a wonderful day.

Another Corby put away

For some reason, the big squirrel had some unnatural attachment to mercedes. Unfortunately we aquired this 1978 lemon yellow benz. He loved it - I named it Corby becase I believed it to be an ugly merc. Many strong discussions have been had about the future of Corby and she was meant to be for sale but he never got around to it....but no need to now.

There was a little accident - a merc sandwich which has rendered Corby unfixable and to life in the wreckers, to be picked apart. The best thing is that noone was hurt (except Corby) - oh and the other best thing - it is no longer in our driveway.

Little Boys

My little boys are growing up so quickly. This week they were 18 months old. They are big happy boys. Spence is in red and Benji in blue.

Spence is such a funny little boy. He is the talker of the two. I don't think he will do single words - he is already trying sentences. If you can decipher him the regulars are 'what's going on' and 'where's Benji?'. He is happier to watch first - and then try. He will often be the second doing somethings- but not talking. His eyes sparkle and his smile lights up his whole beautiful face.

Benji is my bugger. He is full of mischief and right from the start you could tell he was thinking. He will get Spence into a lot of trouble - I can tell. He is into everything. If there is anything to climb Benji will be up it- with Spence not far behind. His beautiful big eyes melt your heart and he is so affectionate- giving the best kisses. Benji is into music and will bop away with any tune. Spence loves his books and can often be found lying on his tummy in A's room reading his books.

Some days I can't believe I have twins. To me they don't even look alike because they are such different characters but I hope they will be great mates. It is hard to balance to give each child individual attention, praise and affection. I know they know no different but I often feel guilty for not giving them what I did for A. Having said that they are such settled souls - they sleep well and are so easy to put down at night (compared to how I set myself up the first time!) and are happy to be strapped into the pram because it is too hard to let them out. I suppose the difference is that they always have each other - and early in the morning you can hear them 'talking' to each other and giggling. The belly laughs that come out of these cherubs can't help but make you smile.

I am getting all sooky now - mother guilt and love tied up together. No-one changes your life like children. Bless them.

A stripe over here, here and here

Finally have some sewing output!

The wardrobe situation was getting a bit dire for A. I seemed a bit light on the size 4 shopping and he is existing on very little winter clothes - so it was time to sew. It is only when collaging these pictures I realised my stripe obsession. He got a stripe hoodie, a stripe long sleeve tee and some striped cords! The only plain thing I made was the brown trackies and dinosaur PJs.

But I feel happy that he has some things to wear - it was therapeutic to have a bit of time to make them and although they are all a little big - they look so much better than the things he has been squeezed into. Cropped jeans is just not a good winter look!

The day was completed by a long overdue haircut. (Infact it was haircuts all round - but the twins will be unveiled in another post!)