Starting School

Although we are half way through the second of 3 school terms here and Lachie is well into the routine of a school uniform and going 5 days a week; we know school has started back in Australia this week. I have received numerous messages from friends not so thrilled to be back at work and accusing me of crossing to the dark side (people who are glad when school holidays are over)!

Our thoughts have been with those friends and family who are starting school for the first time especially:

Year 1- Olivia, Jamo

Prep- Ryan, Luke

Pre-prep- James

Kindy- Chloe, Sophie

For those who have sent photos- thank you! For those of you that haven’t… yes this is a very non subtle reminder that I would love to see them!

Mama and Papa

We have just returned from dropping Mum and Dad at the airport to fly back to Brisbane (via a few stops). They have been here for 2 weeks and the time has gone so quickly.

While they were here Clint and I headed off to Dubai for 3 nights without the kids. It was wonderful- sleeping in, relaxing and wait for it… eating dinner after 6pm at night! The Dubai shopping festival was on so we were able to explore some of the malls and grab a few bargains while enjoying the break.

Mum and Dad had a hit and miss with the tourist attractions. The day they went to the grand mosque the tour was not on beacuse of some VIP group. The day we went to the womens cultural centre, it was open but all the local handicraft ladies were at an exhbition at Sharjah (antoher emirate), we went to go to the old palace to find it had recently been bulldozed… luckily the heritage centre at the breakwater was open for business!

However the real tourist attractions for them did not disappoint. Lachie learnt to ride his bike without training wheels the first day they were here, mastered the use of the break on his scooter and enjoyed showing off his new found reading skills every day. Charlotte loved having them here and while Lachs was at school she had them to herself and they complied by reading her numerous stories, playing games watching her ride and generally entertaining her.  Although I know they will miss us, I am sure Mum and Dad will enjoy not having to play a million boardgames a day! And we will miss them, I guess it’s back to cleaning my own house and raising my own children next week!!!

Lachie is already counting down the sleeps (150) till we will see them again in July.

More information required!

Lesson of the day… I must be more specific with my instructions! Here is Charlotte after being told to go put her tights on, she thought she was hilarious!

No training wheels

Lachs has been ready for a few weeks now to have the training wheels off, but as he still can’t touch the ground while sitting on his bike he has been hesitant to try. However, yesterday while I was out with Mum and Dad (they arrived early yesterday morning) Clint removed the training wheels for him to try.

From all accounts of those out on the street there was no looking back for Lachie. He got it straight away and spent the rest of the afternoon riding around with a huge grin on his face! Still has to master how to get the pedals in the correct position to start but for day 1 he is a little legend!

It’s a miracle!

My darling Lachie will probably never be an artist nor in an occupation where he gets dirty, the signs have been there from an early age…

• Standing outside the sandpit to dig at daycare (from 8 months of age)
• Demanding while in his highchair that any spills be cleaned up before he would continue to eat
• Refusing to paint  unless it was with a brush
• Having to pack everything up and have all toys in the right place before going to bed (this one I like!)
• The list could go on..

He also has never shown any interest in drawing/painting/gluing and only does it when there are no other options. We had hoped this would change at school but it hasn’t thus far. So while he excels at reading and maths he has to be cohered into any art and will only write when he has too.

So we were thrilled and amazed when we were cooking dinner last night that he got his etcha-sketch board and wrote we maid chocoalait slise. (we made chocolate slice) It is phonetically correct and all the letters were round the right way and the same size.

We are very proud of our clever little man! Perhaphs I should bake with the kids more often!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve, the Australian New Year started our street party (6pm our time) so we were celebrating with you all! Then we kicked on well past our new years till 4am… it’s been a long time since I have done that! Of course the kids were up at 7:30 to remind me why I don’t stay up that late!!!!!!!!!! 

At least we got to celebrate, unlike Dubai where all celebrations were cancelled at the last minute to show solidarity with the people in the Gaza strip.

It’s back to routine today however, the new school term has started and Clint is back to work. Lachs was happy to go back to school- always a good sign. And Charlotte and Ihave had a thrilling morning of cleaning before we are off to do the groceries- excitement plus! She has already asked a few times when it will be 1pm so we can go get Lachie.

Charlotte idolises Lachie and the two of them play well togther, they keep each other amussed for hours and have made up words and actions that just send them both into fits of laughter. I love listening to them play as they make up stories and role play with their toys.

They are the best of friends and Charlotte will usually do anything for Lachie (yes I know this will change!). Most nights Lachie will eat his dessert quickly then announces he is still hungry, Charlotte automatically gives him some of hers. The other night we commented on how lucky he was to have Charlotte share with him and so he said he would share with her the next night. So the next night as usual Lachie ate his dessert very quickly, then as he was scrapping his bowl says to Charlotte ”lets share” and gives her the half spoonful of scrappings from his bowl. She then shares the rest of her ice-cream with him, 1 spoon for her then 1 for him!  He certainly knows how to get what he wants!