Baby soft skin

This is how they get it....they just don't usually get caught! (Spencer)

Felt Rocks

I have been blog surfing for a while now and I get seriously LOST in them. So firstly my apologies for not referencing where this is from because I have already wasted over two hours trying to find where I was so I am sorry. It is someone who does great paintings on river stones and had also felted them. Now I think she referred to Martha Stewart how to page but I couldn't find that either!

Enough with that lets get to the point. I was feeling a bit creative today and with the twins asleep it was the perfect time to do a little craft with him. I have bought some wool roving (yes in addition to all the stuff that was donated!!) and had been trying to learn how to use it. There are some great tutorials on the net and I bought some river rocks - I know, but I wanted to do it Today.

So what we did was pull sections off the roving and using a criss cross fashion wrap about three layers around the stone. I did put a couple of stitches just to make sure it stayed. Then we put the stone into the toe of an old stocking. We put some soap on them and warm water and then started to scrub. The competition wsa to get the most bubbles and worked really well. It was easy and alexander managed it really well - and we are pleased with the results. There may be a few variations on this theme as we learn...

The little boys weren't totally left out. They had fun just washing the rocks - this kept them happy for minutes! (actually about 15 which is pretty impressive)

A bit blurry...

• late night (working nothing fun)
• early kinder start
• playgroup
• aldi (argh)
• screaming (kids not me)
• eating (kids not me)
• nap time (kids not me)
• kids not asleep and manage to destroy everything within reach - including pulling every wipe out of a new pack
• screaming (me not kids)
• destination - outside
• all blurry eyed waiting for end of this day where even the camera wouldn't do what it should!

First Born

First born = china doll; Second child = rag doll
1st child Fred Bear, 2nd child Thread Bare
1st child swollows money you rush them to emergency, 2nd child does it, you wait for it to pass, 3rd child does it and you deduct if from their pocket money.

They're funny 'cause they're true. But, are they funnier to me because I am a first child?
My brother (obviously younger) have often talked about this. Most of his friends are second children and most of mine are firstborns. I focus on all the barriers I had to fight to break down and then he would just run across. He focuses on his lack of specialness. (not as a being, but he never did anything first). He too is close to my cousin who is a 2nd in a same sex family where I think birth order is probably more pronounced.

I never really worried too much about this really until now. We have such high expectations for Alexander, our 1st. We eagerly anticipated every milestone and these are etched in our memory. We are still eager for the twins, dont get me wrong they are difficult to forget, but we are happier to wait for them. We now know that they are babies for only such a short time that we are content to enjoy this time. So in that thought alone, Alexander has higher expectations to live up to and probably will take this on his whole life.

I know theory will be tested as we have two seconds, but is there anything I can do to stop or at least minimise the issue. I am very concious to try to make things fair and do the same for each individual child at the same age, but it is a constant challenge.

There is another saying that the first child is born to rule the world and the second is born to change it. I don't know if this is necessarily a bad thing, but in a house of boys it will be a challenge. I would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions?

PS - SOOOOO sorry. You must realise that there were only 2 kids in our family, hence me forgetting the middle child theories. This was not a targeted barb to those lucky middole children who are both an older and a younger sibling. (that should make em feel better- he he)

Wool Heaven

Now, I am not much of a knitter, but today was heaven. The wool shop that was having its sale was moving and donating stock to our kinder for their silent auction. When a friend asked if I would help, I thought it would be a small box - but my goodness!!

There was sooooo much wool that we felt bad taking it - but otherwise it was going in the skip! They had called other charities - The Royal Children's Hospital Auxiliary and a group who knits for overseas. They took as much as they could - the problem was that a lot of it was decorative yarn, rather than practical wool.

We went back to her house and unloaded the haul and started to pack it for the kinder silent auction. We have just too much that we will set up an ebay shop in the near future with heaps of wool roving and scarf packs so stay tuned....

Oh, and another nice thing, the 'party' mum from last week asked if she could order some aprons for her nieces and nephews for christmas!

Sunday Funday

Yes - it has returned!! The workaholic big squirrel was finally home on a Sunday and we made the most of it. Alexander had requested to feed ducks so that was the plan.

After a really nice breakfast - it was nice for someone else to make it and all sit together at the table (oh.. and a COFFEE!!) we headed off to Studley Park Boathouse to feed the ducks. It did occur to me later that there are ducks closer to home, but we had fun anyway.

We took Alexander there when he was about the same age as the twins now, and they have all had about the same response - not very favorable. However, Alexander LOVED it. Feeding the geese, swans, ducks and of course the obligitory seagulls. We then went for a walk over the suspension bridge and Dad got a real taste of life on the funny farm with kids literally running everywhere!

Home with two little boys fast asleep, Alexander and I went out to do some gardening - yes still trying to finish that project, and Dad has almost(!) finished tiling the bathroom.

Play - doh

Some days I forget what the kids can actually do- especially Benji and Spencer. At almost 20 months now they are capable of much more than I give them credit for. I had such high expectations of Alexander at the same age, pushing him to challenge himself. I don't know if it is a second child thing or because there are two, I don't put the same pressure on them, nor do I allow them into as many thing - that is because of their divide and conquer nature!!


Today we ventured up to the freezing Dandenongs to visit Kirsty and Eloise. It was just too cold to go and play outside that we were inside, admiring their new kitchen. Alexander and Eloise mostly played quietly together, and the twins werent as destructive as they can be. When it was all getting a bit much for everyone, out came the playdoh and all the kids sat up at the table and played. There was no crying, fighting or eating of the dough, just rolling, squeezing and squishing. I forget really what they are capable of.

All this excitement and all these boys can be a bit overwhelming for a little girl, so we left before it all got too much - but a good day.