Saturday, December 29, 2007

That was Christmas...

Well another year down with another Christmas gone :(  As hectic as it is, it would have to be my favourite time of year.  We started our festivities with 2 parties on Christmas Eve (once I got home from work at 7pm), and didn't stop until the swing set was put together which took until 1am. It was safe to say that my head hit the pillow and I was out like a light until 6.30 when I woke all excited because the girls were due to wake at any moment. But of course the one morning they decided to sleep in until 7.50am and 8.20 would have to be Christmas morning. It got to the point that I started to make lots of noise hoping to wake them as I just couldn't wait any longer.

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Of course we all got spoilt (especially the girls), and then headed to Helen's for Christmas lunch and more pressies (where we all got spoilt again).  Boxing Day we headed to Brett's parents for a Christmas BBQ (and even more pressies) which was lovely. The weather was perfect and the kids had a ball running around playing with their new toys.

I can't say I am looking forward to New Year's Eve as I have just heard that the weather is going to be a scorching 41 degrees with it only getting down to 25 during the night. It kind of spoils our plans for New Year's Day as we usually head to Mornington in the EK, but I think it is just going to be too hot and who knows, I have heard that my work may be open so maybe I will earn a little extra cash and be in a cool building all day?

Anyway I hope everyone had a fab Chrissy and that you all have a fun filled and safe New Year.

Luv Caroline XXX

Monday, December 24, 2007

2 sleeps til santa...

Who can believe that it is nearly Christmas yet again? The presents are wrapped and Brett is in the garage assembling a swing set so let the festivities begin. At least this year the weather is on our side and with the next few days being nice, the ground may have a chance to dry out a little? Not that I am complaining about our 140+ ml of rain in 3 days. My tree out the front hasn't looked so green and healthy in quite a while. 

Last weekend Piper had her first haircut. I am trying to grow both the girls hair but it is just taking so long? Isabella has only had 3 trims in her life and I only let my girlfriend take the smallest amount off, but it just won't grow??? As you can tell by the photo, Piper doesn't mind one bit.

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Wow what a busy week we are about to have. It started today with us helping Lee celebrate his 1st birthday with a Tigger themed party which was loads of fun, and then heading home to tidy up as we had some friends pop over to do the "Present exchange" for the kids and a BBQ dinner. Mmmmmmm. Tomorrow I am working until 6pm :( which is a bit of a bummer as we have 2 Christmas parties to attend tomorrow night and poor Brett will be left to get everything organised so that when I get home we can just leave. We are then heading to Helen's place for lunch on Christmas Day, to my parent in-laws for a Christmas BBQ on Boxing Day, and then back to work for a rest on the Thursday. Gee I'm getting tired just thinking about all that eating, drinking and driving.

Well on that note, I would like to wish EVERYONE a very Merry Christmas and a safe and exciting New Year in 2008.

Lots of Love

Caroline xxx

Saturday, December 15, 2007

My gingerbread house...

Yay, it's finally complete! After having the box (yes I cheated and bought a DIY ready cooked, flat packed gingerbread house.) cluttering my kitchen and getting moved from one place to another for the past 2 weeks, I finally pulled my finger out and got creative. What do you think?  A few years ago my mum made me a beautiful gingerbread house which came out for a few christmas's, but unfortunately it got eaten and no we didn't get to enjoy it but the mice did! It use to get wrapped up in a towel and placed up the top of Piper's bedroom cupboard until the summer of 2005-6 when we had an invasion of mice (we can only assume they were looking for water?) It took me a while to trigger that the smell of the gingerbread house probably attracted them in the first place, and by the time I remembered that it was up there in the cupboard it was too late. Over half the house had been eaten which would explain why the mice we did catch were so fat. I'm pretty proud of my efforts but now that I think about it, I should have taken a photo of the mess in my kitchen as I had royal icing stuck all over my kitchen bench, lollies everywhere and those little silver sugar beads all over the floor :) I do have one tip for those thinking of making a gingerbread house in the future. DO NOT attempt to make it on a hot day as the icing doesn't want to set and you have to stand there for at least 10mins holding it all together and then you still end up having the 2 roof pieces slide off. Lots of swearing and cursing believe me. 

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Here is a picture of Piper who obviously enjoyed her bowl of ice cream as she had to lick the bowl clean. Hmmmmm, don't know where she learnt that one from??? Oops :)

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Well I should probably get going as it is 12.45am and no such thing as a sleep in.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

Caroline xxx

Sunday, December 9, 2007

my funny names...



1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)

- Scratchy Falcon (I sound like a bird with lice??? LOL)

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavour, favourite cookie)

- Caramello Tim Tam (Oooooo nasty!)

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)




- C-Bay

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

- Red Dog 



5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

Jane Dandenong (gee that's a bit boring)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

- Bayca

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
- The Pink Moscato (how exotic...)


8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Lesley Richard (pretty normal)


9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Jasmine Twirl (mmmmmmm yum)


10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names )
- Wendy Joseph (I could live with that)


11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
- Cook Canberra (Mmmmmm???)


12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
- Winter Rose (I like it.)


13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now + "ie" or "y")
- Banana Trackie


14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
- Jam Blossom (yeah man...)


15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + "Tour")
-
The Sleeping Snow Tour (Gee that's sounds like fun. NOT?)

Thursday, December 6, 2007

oh christmas tree...

Well the tree is up and surprisingly still in one piece. I will admit it and say that I was naughty and put it up on November 30th after I got home from work (which was 9.45pm), but technically it wasn't finished until just after midnight so hopefully I haven't jinxed myself? The girls got a lovely surprise when they got up the next morning and saw the tree in the corner :) We keep telling them that they can't touch the tree as the lights are very hot which is why I have a photo of them foofing the tree. They seem to think that if they cool down the lights, mummy and daddy will let them play with the decorations? What can you say to that?

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Last night we headed to our favourite Turkish restaurant in Mentone with my best friend and her sister for our christmas catch up, and the girls got very spoilt. Piper got a "Little Peoples" aeroplane and Isabella got her first Barbie doll complete with "Dream Stables" and accessories. I have also been informed that to complete the set she will be getting the horse for her birthday so giddy up Barbie :) Gee has Barbie changed over the years! She seems to have put on a little weight especially in the face and her boobs seemed to have gotten a little smaller and she also now has built in undies? 

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Today was Isabella's 3yo kinder orientation which she absolutely loved, and as soon as we got there she tried to push her way through the doors and once in the room just stood there as she didn't know what to play with first. It was my first time in the kinder as well but was very happy with the layout and the activities that are available. They also have pet lizards, fish and 2 x chickens which freely roam the playground and supply the center with a few eggs (if not too stressed by the kids). I don't think I will have any problems getting her back next year when she starts as she didn't really care if I was there or not?

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Well here it is. The picture of me with Bam Margera and Tosh Townend. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm what more can I say?

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Take care.

Caroline xxx

Saturday, December 1, 2007

ho ho ho it's nearly christmas...

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When mummy's away, the kids will play!

This is what the girls get up to when mummy is out of the house and daddy is home. Do you think they are having fun?

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Well tomorrow is the 1st of December and we all know what that means? DECORATING TIME... I'm a little worried how my tree will go this year? Piper is just so much more into things then Isabella ever was and for some reason I don't think my tree is going to last too long or will be bald on the lower half? I stuck some christmas stickers on the window the other day and Isabella got so excited that I have decided that when I get home from work tonight (9.30ish), the tree will be going up so that she can have a surprise in the morning when she gets up.

I attempted some christmas shopping at Fountain Gate this morning. Oh my goodness what absolute chaos that place is at the moment. I couldn't wait to get out of there as nothing was going right for me at all. I thought that I would do the right thing and get there early like 9.30, and already the car parks were full when I saw someone loading up their kids in a "parent with pram" park and thought goodie I got poll position. It wasn't until I was walking to the door that it dawned on me that I didn't have the kids with me as Brett was home and Oh no should I move my car or stay there??? I then got in trouble in Big W for going thru an express isle with 6 things instead of only 3 things as stated on the sign. (whoops thought express was 6 items or less), then almost getting stuck in the lift while heading back up to Target. The silly doors wouldn't open and me and another lady thought that we were going to be stuck there when all of a sudden the lift moved again and the doors finally opened. Thank goodness. After all of this I have decided that I should never have gotten out of bed this morning and considering I didn't get into bed until 3.15am this morning, that would have been heaven :)

Last night we headed to The Corner Hotel in Richmond to see Royal Crown Revue (an American Swing/Rockabilly band), and as predicted they were fantastic. They even recorded last nights performance LIVE so that it can be sold as an MP3 audio download for all the world to enjoy which was pretty exciting. Hence this is the reason for the late night/early morning to bed this morning.

Happy Chrissy decorating to all.

Caroline xxx

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Mmmm cake...

Here is a picture of the girls helping me make a yummy chocolate cake on Sunday afternoon. As soon as they hear the glass mixing bowl hit the kitchen bench, they come running. Isabella does a pretty good job of getting into her mouth but Piper is still trying to master the "the beater lick". 

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For some reason Piper has been doing a lot of dribbling lately to the point she is getting a little rash below her bottom lip? I am assuming it is due to her getting another 2 teeth including another molar and the constant putting of things in her mouth, but she has never been a dribbler with her other teeth???
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Below is a picture of my girlfriends little boy Nicholas. Isn't he just so cute? This photo was taken while I was baby sitting him at my place the other day, and as you can tell he doesn't have a care in the world. Isabella has become a real mother hen with Nick and as soon as he comes through the front door, she has collected all the baby toys for him to play with and sits there stroking his head and goes all goo gaah over him? It really is a cute thing to watch.

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talk soon, Caroline

P.S - Only 4 sleeps to go until the christmas tree goes up. Yay

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Update...

Well not too much to report which is why I haven't posted anything earlier.

Brett headed back to work this week :( I actually didn't want him to go back as it is so much nicer having an extra pair of hands around the house and being able to do things on your own and not having to drag kids out of the car and around the shops. I honestly thought that I would be pushing him out the door so that I could get my routine back, but no chance? Brett to is taking part in Movember this year. Most of his office are sporting some very lovely mo's and beards and the company have so far raised $1400 for one of the boss's to shave off his current mo which he has been growing since 1978 and start again. Good effort boys!

My job is going well. I actually started on the register last night and served a few customers which was good. It is so nice having to use my brain again with learning new things and a welcomed changed to come home to the kids in bed and my hubby meeting me at the door with a kiss and saying "How was work?"). Mind you the girls haven't let me do a thing today. They have both been very clingy and won't leave my side, but hopefully that will soon change as it is very hard to get anything done around the house.

Well that's about it for the moment. See I told you it was very boring and nothing much to report.

Talk soon.

Caroline

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Family Holiday to Bright...

Well after a long 7.5 hour road trip on Monday we finally made it home from our 4 day family holiday to Bright. (As you can tell the driving got a little too much for the girls)  It would honestly have to be one of the most beautiful places in Victoria and would love to do the trip in the winter to see how different it looks. Brett and I have done this trip for the past 6 years and Brett has been going even longer then that, and every year it gets bigger and bigger with this year topping 1000 cars.

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This year we entered the car for the weekend and took part in the annual Poker Run which was a 98km round trip through the hills and Myrtleford. We started by heading up Mt Beauty and had the most awesome view of the weather coming in which luckily only gave us a short sharp shower until a little later into the evening when it rained for approx. 1hr.

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As nice as it is to catch up with everyone and seeing all the ace cars, I must say that it is so nice when most of the people leave Sunday afternoon and the town starts to slow down and gets back to the norm. We headed to the local playground with the kids on the Sunday evening before dinner and it was so peaceful and relaxed where as we couldn't have done that the day before as it would have been packed out. 

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Unfortunately I don't think we will be going next year as the house we usually stay in is upping their price again by another 10% (They did this last year which means that in the last 2 years it has gone up $150+) and is just getting too expensive? Maybe we can look at taking our next family holiday to another destination like Tassie?

Talk soon. Caroline xxx

P.S - I finally started my new job yesterday which was exciting. I am now starting to stress that I am going to run out of steam working 15 hours a week as well as looking after the house and kids? Oh well, maybe this will help me to loose a little weight? :) (wishfull thinking hey?)

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Sorry it's been so long...

I have been really slack with my post's the past week or so, but promise to try and update a little more regularly.

Last weekend I attended the "Crop for a Cure" Scrapping day at Pin Oak Receptions in Hallam (which bought back some lovely wedding memories) and had loads of fun. Most of the women there were SERIOUS scrappers so me being such a newie felt a little nerving. I managed to organise myself a little the night before but still only managed 2 pages for the day. They also had a few little classes available which were just a gold coin donation to attend, so also made a christmas peace dove made of felt and paper and a small felt book that will probably never get used? I also took part in their "Crap Scrap" which meant that we had 4.5 mins to scrap a page without a photo and they supplied all the papers and tools. It was alot harder then is sounds and you can imagine the pages that were created? It was a great day all round, especially when I won a door prize and 2nd prize in a raffle, and all the proceeds went to "The Breast Cancer Foundation".

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Isabella last week finally decided to wee in a potty. Yay! I was in the laundry when she came running up to me saying "Wee's mum wee's" when I found her potty sitting on the floor full of wee. I never knew I could get so excited over urine but it was a very joyous occasion. She still insists on wearing her nappy every now and then and doesn't always make it to the potty, but at least she is now trying and tells us most of the time when she needs to wee. My baby is now a big girl :(

Well back into the work force I go. Tuesday this week I finally got a phone call from Officeworks offering me a part time job at their Chadstone store which is very exciting. It has been nearly 3 years since I have last worked, and I am a little nervous heading back. Although the adult interaction will be a welcomed change from baby babble, I am going to miss my girls terribly. Once my training is all complete, I hope to do the closing shift which is 7pm-12am which will allow me to head off to work once Brett gets home which means the girls won't need to go into any child care. Will let you all know how I go.

Well that's about it for the moment.

Take care, Caroline xxx

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Welcome home...

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Yay! They are finally home. As I am sure you are all aware, my mum and dad arrived home on Saturday night from their 3 month European adventure. It was such an exciting day. It kind of felt like christmas day when you are a kid and the whole day seems to drag until the time comes to go to bed so that Santa can arrive. We loaded up 3 cars (so that we could all get home inc. luggage) and headed to the airport a little early so that we could stop off at McDonalds for dinner with the kiddies and then headed to the carpark at the start of the runway to watch some planes come in. Gee those things are sooooo big but wow it was awesome. I wasn't too sure as to how the girls would react to the noise but surprisingly they were pretty good. Isabella can't even stand in the same room as the hairdryer when going but other then holding onto me very tightly, she was excited to see them fly over us. I must admit that I did shed a few tears when mum and dad's plane flew over our heads and landed safely. :)  We headed back to their place and didn't end up leaving until 11.20pm with the girls staying awake the whole time, so it was nice to get a bit of a sleep in the next morning.

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This was our Monday morning snuggle in bed before the busy day began. I love my cuddles with my girls...

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Isabella has found a new hidey hole. I could here her calling my name but it took me a while to find her? As long as she doesn't try to climb into the real oven? :)

** Last Thursday was a very exciting day for me. I think I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to go and see Bam Margera at Knox but couldn't as it was too long for the girls? Well lucky for me Brett stayed home sick from work with a gastro bug and at the last minute I decided to go and jump the queue as my girlfriend Kelli was already there with her son. We were about 20th in the queue so it didn't take too long once the boys came out. Mmmmmmmm what a honey. I managed to get a photo with both Bam and Tosh Townend (another Pro skateboarder). I don't have the photo just yet but when I do get it I will make sure to post it on my blog.

That's about all for now. Take Care

Caroline xxx

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

catch up...

Well not too much has been happening in the past week except the usual. Isabella has been excepted into 3yr old kinder which is exciting. We have to attend a meeting in December to find out what day she will be attending, but I think she is going to love it. Poor Piper is getting 3 of her 4 1st molars all at once and I think another 2 of her bottom teeth aren't too far away either. As you can imagine she is extremely grizzly and miserable but is still either sleeping through or just waking up the once for her bonjella fix and then straight back to sleep. (Hopefully I haven't just jinxed myself?)

Unfortunately still nothing on the job front :(  I attended an interview last week at Officeworks in Chadstone, but don't think I will get it due to the hours I can work? Nevermind at least I tried. I am finding the whole job hunting very frustrating as I am constantly hearing of positions going at Coles but can never find them on the Coles Career website and then when you call the store you get told that you need to apply online???? I just feel like I am going around and around in circles.

Saturday afternoon I headed out with the girls from mums group to the city for our early Christmas breakup which was loads of fun. We decided to stay in the city the night at Rydges Carlton so that we could all drink and wouldn't have to worry about getting home, and then headed to Dracular's for dinner. The meal was really nice but gee they squash you in to the point that you can't even comfortably eat your dinner. The show was pretty funny but not the best I have seen? I would have to say the best part was the buffet breakfast mmmmmmm yum. Food tastes so much better when you don't have to cook it yourself :)

I also got some exciting news yesterday that a very good friend of mine Rachael had her baby girl "Elizabeth Louise". I had known for a while what she was having and when she was having it, so the phone didn't leave my side all day. I can't wait until Thursday night when I will hopefully be going in for a cuddle. (cluck cluck cluck) 

CONGRATULATIONS MCVICAR FAMILY ON THE NEW ARRIVAL

A kind friend of mine also informed me that Bam Magera (the skateboarder and from Jackass) will be appearing at Knox Shopping Centre on Thursday afternoon. He has been my favourite since I first saw one of the Jackass movies and would so love to go with her to meet him but as she will be going at 9am with her son, it is just way too long for the girls to be stuck in a pram and too many people around for them to get out of the pram as apparently he isn't due there until 4pm? I have told her that she needs to get me a nice photo and something signed. Mmmmmmmmm xxx

3 sleeps to go... Can you believe how quick the last 3 months have gone. Mum and Dad return home Saturday night and as you can imagine the whole family is very excited. (except maybe the son-in-laws? hehehehe) I spoke to them just the other day and they informed me that they have had enough and can't wait to get home. You can only last so long living out of a suitcase. I put money on that the next few days will drag and Saturday will be the longest day ever as their flight isn't due in until 8pm.

Well that's about it for the moment. No pictures today as I have been lazy and haven't really taken any new ones.

Luv Caroline xxx

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Zeke's 3rd Birthday...

Another term down and one more to go for the year. Who can believe how fast this year is going? Mum and dad return in a week and a half and it only feels like yesterday that Helen and I dropped them off at the airport. We are all looking forward to them coming home as we have missed them so much.

On Monday the girls cousin Zeke turned the big 3, so we headed up to Chewton on the Sunday to help him celebrate. As he is into all kinds of musical instruments, I found this little ripper of a drum kit and knew as soon as I saw it that Zeke would love it. The kids fought over who's turn it was all day, then Zeke decided to use his toy rake as a guitar and we had ourselves the "Baynham Band". (They looked so cute playing their little instruments.) He also got a microphone for his birthday so they were definately ready to Rock n' Roll. Brett and I are just hoping that this present doesn't come back and bite us on the bum???

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Monday was back to playgroup and the girls had a great first day back as daddy came along for the morning. As you can see all 3 of them had lots of fun with painting and play-doh. After playgroup I headed to Cheltenham to help my girlfriend Katrina out with a hairdressing course. She was doing a course on foils and needed a model, and I was very honored to be asked. It was lovely sitting there for a few hours being pampered and not having any kids hanging off me, and have informed her that if she wishes to attend any other courses I would be happy to help. (As long as they aren't on crop hairdo's???)

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Today I had a job interview at Officeworks in Chadstone, and felt that I went pretty well but will have to wait and see if I was successful. Not having too much luck with the job hunting and think it is because of the few hours I am available. As a girlfriend told me today, they are always saying that mother's need to get back out into the work force, but no one is willing to give us a go?

Oh well, on that note take care.

Caz xxx

Saturday, October 6, 2007

what next?...

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Well I have been back to the vet's twice in the past week with both the dogs. After all the problems we have with Boris and his skin, we now have to add to the list lameness. I knew as soon as I sore him limp that it was his cruciate that was causing the problems and that it would probably cost a minimum of $1000, so you can imagine the heartache when we took him to the vets with the thought that he wasn't coming home :( Luckily for us and Boris it was just a partial tear which means that he didn't require surgery, but it is now just a matter of time before it completely tears? Then this morning I was back at the vets with Baylei and his very stinky breath. I feel so bad that as we are always busy dealing with Boris, poor Baylei has been neglected as he very rarely has any problems. As I predicted once again, Baylei has been booked in to go under anaesthetic for his teeth to be cleaned and to determine wether any need to be pulled. When will this all end? As you can imagine, Brett and I have decided NO more dogs once the boys go as it is just getting too expensive. I have made a decision that maybe next christmas the girls can get a budgie each as I still have Mofo's and Fez's (our once cockatiel)cage. Fingers crossed that this is it for a while.

Till next time.

Luv Caroline xxx

Friday, October 5, 2007

fun fun fun...

Well the school holidays are nearly over once again which means back to the routine of playgroups and swimming. Lucky for us we had some things to do and great weather over the holidays which enabled us to get out and about. On Monday I took both the girls to see Justine Clarke at the Frankston Arts Centre which was heaps of fun. I'm not too sure who enjoyed it the most, the kids or the mums? It seemed to me that the parents were more excited and alot more vocal then the kids, but then I can't pick as I was just as bad. hehehehe  She really is a great performer though, especially with the kids. She just has so much energy and doesn't care how silly she looks and you can tell that she enjoys every minute. 

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As the beautiful weather was forecasted for Tuesday Helen, Katrina and I along with all the kids headed to Wilson Botanic Park for a play and a picnic lunch. We got there early to ensure a good picnic spot but found the playground already packed with kids. As Piper's new skill is climbing, I was forever walking around watching her every move and getting prepared to catch in case she falled. (Which luckily she didn't) Her latest trick is to either push the chair over to the kitchen bench and climb up to see what is going on or what is in reach to play with or she climbs up onto the chair and then on to the kitchen table and runs across to the other side. The problem is that she is so quick that you can't let her out of your sight for a minute or she's off.

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Hope you all enjoy the photo's.

Love Caroline xxx

Monday, October 1, 2007

"we are geelong, the greatest team of all"

"We are Geelong, the greatest team of all. We are Geelong, we're always on the ball..."

I have sung this song countless times this weekend and still I can't get enough of it. WOW what a weekend. I don't think it has completely sunk in as yet but my boys have done it and they did it in style. 2007 AFL Premiers Woo Hoo.

Ok. Now that this is out of my system for the moment, I'd better fill everyone in on my week just gone. Not a lot happened during the week, just the usual stuff and preparing for the 2 x Grand Finals being held this weekend. As I am sure you are all aware (if not, get your head out of the sand), Geelong won the AFL grand final last night by a wopping 119 points and the Melbourne Storm whooped Manly's butt in their grand final tonight. What a great feeling it is to know that we are bringing both cups back to Victoria.

Today Scott (Brett's best mate) and I headed to Skilled Stadium to thank our boys for a job well done, and what a sight it was. We were all sooo excited when the boys came out on stage and the whole 30,000+ crowd sang the theme song 6 times in a row. My head is still buzzing and words just can't describe how great it was.

LOVE YOU BOYS......

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The only thing that could have made this weekend better was if my dad (who is also a Geelong supporter) was here to share it with :(  Don't worry dad. I taped the grand final so that when you get home we can both sit down and watch it together with the biggest grins on our faces. And you will be proud to know that I have managed to get both the girls to say "Go Cats Go", even when walking around the shops. It is sooooo cute.

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On another note, Saturday was also the 60th birthday of Pat (Brett's mum). Happy Birthday Pat/Mum/Nanny. We headed out for lunch to the Sands Hotel in Carrum Downs which was lovely as the whole place was nearly empty due to the Grand Final, so the kids had a great time running around and not bothering anyone.

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Tomorrow the girls and I are off to see Justine Clarke in Frankston, and I am really looking forward to it as when ever one of her songs come on the ABC, all 3 of us start dancing around the house and singing along. It will be lots of fun I'm sure?

As Tuesday is meant to be a beautiful 26 degrees, Helen and I have decided to head to Wilson Botanic Park in Berwick for a picnic lunch. It will do all the kids good to get out of the house and get some fresh air, and apparently there is a really great playground for the kids that I missed last time I went there?

Well that's about it for me. Take care and will talk soon.

Caroline xxx

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

party time...

This evening we headed off to the Fearn's house to help Gracie celebrate her 3rd birthday. As soon as we got there my girls tucked into all the party food and pretty much didn't stop until we left 3 hours later. You can imagine the moods they are going to be in tomorrow as they come down off their sugar and junk food rush? The kids had a great time on Mitchell and Gracie's MASSIVE new trampoline, which mind you could easily fit a whole army on? hehehehehe  Later on the kids had a go at the Dora pinjata which was filled with loads of goodies. As you can tell it was almost the size of Piper.





On Saturday we had a family outing and decided to head up to Arthur's Seat in Dromana. We had the most perfect weather, even though the breeze was a little chilly and the best views of the bay. There isn't too much to do up there since the chairlifts have stopped operating, but the girls didn't seem to mind? We then headed into Rosebud where we found a park by the beach for the girls to have a play in, but couldn't stay too long as the winds just kept getting colder and colder. We decided that while we were at the beach we may as well have fish and chips for dinner, so headed back to Mornington and found a lovely spot right next to the water where we saw loads of starfish and fed the seagulls and then had an awesome picnic in the back of the car. As the wind had a real chill to it, we decided to empty the back of the wagon out and all piled in. The girls thought that this was great. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to show as I forgot to take the camera with us. (Not happy Jan) :(

Best Wishes

Caroline xxx

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Nothing much happening...

Well not a lot has been happening in the past week except the usual day to day stuff. Isabella had her last swimming lesson for her class last night as she goes up a level next term, and then next year she will start swimming on her own without daddy in the pool which will be exciting. She loves her swimming so much and her teacher can't get over how much confidence she has when jumping into the pool. (which isn't always a good thing.) She swings her arms right back and tucks her knees up like she is going to do a bomb, and then always comes up from under the water with a huge smile on her face.

We are off to the shops today when Piper wakes from her nap. We haven't been for a while and need to get a few birthday presents, so lets hope the kids behave for me and that it will be a successful day.

We have Aunty Bec coming over tonight to visit the kids (and mummy) and to have a catch up on all the gossip (if there is any?)

Hmmmmmm what else is there????

All of us girls from Mum's Group have planned to have our christmas night out next month (as this is the latest we are all available). We have booked into Dracula's Theatre Resturaunt for dinner and then we are staying at Rydge's Carlton for the night so that we don't need to worry about getting home. I am predicting that the night is going to get a little messy? Mind you I think we all deserve letting our hair down a little???

Here are a few pictures taken of the girls this morning while having breakfast. Isabella always manages to get impressive bed hair?

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Don't you just love Piper's vegemite grin? You can't say that she is not a happy little vegemite?

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P.S - Mum you will be happy to know that Piper can now say Grandma (mam maa) and Dad I am working on Opa. I still have 4 weeks up my sleeve so will have to wait and see? 

 Well that's about all for the moment.

Take care

Caroline XXX

Saturday, September 15, 2007

With yesterday being such another gorgeous day, myself and a few friends decided it would be nice to check out Wilson Botanic Park with the kids. We found a lovely spot by the lake to have our picnic lunch and where the kids had loads of fun kicking their ball and playing with the bottle of bubbles that I bought along. Here is a picture of Isabella and Cohen. Don't they make such a cute couple?  They loved the open space where they could run a muck.

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 Once all the food was consumed we headed for a short walk around the lake, when all of a sudden the wind really picked up and the sky became very black. We all thought the heavens were going to open up at any moment, but fortunately the wind blew the clouds away and it became a lovely afternoon once again.

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Brett and I at the moment can't get over Piper's vocabulary. My little baby has become a real parrot and is surprising us with words such as "Backpack", "Outside" and "shower" and is also pointing to things like her toothbrush and saying "teeth" and a cow saying "cow" and "moo"???? We can't get over how at just 14 months old she is remembering all of these words? Next thing we know she will be heading off to school. Can somebody please slow down the time???





Boris Update:

Since our last visit to the vets Boris has been having his nose bathed in a solution to maintain moisture retention and it is actually working? His poor nose still looks sore, but a wow what an improvement. Now we need to start smothering his nose in vasaline and hope that this will be enough to keep it continuously moist and free from crust? Back to the vets on Tuesday to further discuss his other skin condition. I must say I am not really looking forward to that visit :(



Footy update:

Well mum, Collingwood and West Coast just battled it out for a spot in the next round of finals and can you believe it, they drew 72 points each. They then had to go into extended time where Collingwood actually won by 19 points. Now it will get very interesting as Geelong and Collingwood have to now battle it out against each other next week for a spot in the grand final. May the best team win.... GO CATS GO  :)

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Monday, September 10, 2007

another win for the mighty cats...

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Hi dad,

Well we did it again. Today Geelong played the Kangaroos for a spot in the finals, and let's just say that we WHOOPED them by 106 fabulous points. This has given us the bye  for next week allowing us a well earned rest before the next round. I can't believe how well they are playing as a team. It would be a real shame for them to win the finals and you not be here to share the celebrations :( but I'm sure you will make up for it where ever you are? I suppose I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch as we haven't won it yet. Maybe we could have a Geelong v Collingwood Grand Final? Wouldn't that be fun? Hmmmmmmmm NO. (sorry Helen and Mum)

Hope you are both having loads of fun and miss you both terribly.

Lots of Love Caroline xxx

Sunday, September 9, 2007

What a fabulous day...

Today being such a beautiful day, Brett and I decided to take the girls for a ride in the EK to Mornington to visit the beach and the park. I wasn't sure how Piper would react when I put her down on the sand, but she just got to her feet and away she went with a smile on her face. She absolutely loved it. She bolted straight for the water but once her feet discovered how cold the water was, she took a few steps back and didn't go near the water again.

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We then headed to the park where the girls continued to have loads of fun. Isabella loved climbing all over the large wooden Pirate ship and made a few friends along the way, while Piper was happy going for a wander and the occasional turn on the slide. The girls obviously had a great time as they both went to bed as soon as we got home and we haven't heard a word from either of them since?

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On Friday Helen and I went to mum and dad's place to mow the lawns (when we could get the mower started again???) and too make sure that everything was in order, which it was. The kids had loads of fun riding their bikes around the back garden and having a picnic lunch together.  Helen and I tried to get some good photo's of the kids all together, but it is almost impossible to get them all looking at the camera with out making a funny face, a finger in the mouth or drinking from their drink bottles. I don't know how child photographers do it?

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Piper discovered the water in the bird bath and started splashing around, which then got the attention of the other 3 and as you can see by the photo, Piper came out of it the wettest!

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footy update:

To fill you in since Helen's post, Collingwood are currently beating Sydney by 27 points in the 3rd quarter. Let's see if they can hold on until the siren? Geelong are playing the Kangaroos tomorrow at the MCG. Fingers crossed!  So far Port Adelaide beat the West Coast Eagles by 3 points and Hawthorn knocked out Adelaide by beating them also by 3 points. Looks like it should be a good round of finals?

Hope you are all having fun and look forward to seeing you.

Love Caroline xxx

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Don't know what to do???

For those of you who know Boris, you are aware of his crusty yucky looking nose. It got infected the other day so I decided to take him to a local vet that specialises in skin problems to see what we can do, as everything that the vets suggest doesn't work including $92 cream? The good news about his nose is that they don't think that it is an autoimmune problem after all and that it is just a bad case of dry nose. They gave me some stuff to bathe his nose in 3 times daily and it is actually taking off all the crusty stuff so that hopefully we can apply some vasaline which (fingers crossed) will help his nose moisten. But just when you think there is a light at the end of the tunnel, they take a look at his skin and come to the conclusion that he has Asthma of the skin which affects him all year round but is alot worse in the summer months and can never be cured but can be maintained at a cost. It took me over 1 hour, 3 vets and $400 later to be informed that to maintain this problem it is going to cost approx $2,500 for the first six months and then $400 per year after that. What they want to do is create a vaccine to suit Boris and his condition which will need to be given once a month, but as this vaccine will take approx. 6 months to kick into his system, he will also need to be on some tablets which need to be taken daily to start with then decrease to every 3 days over time, but these cost $12 per tablet and I am not sure how many he needs to take per day? Brett and I love our dog dearly but just don't know how we can afford to treat his current condition or how long we can let him go especially with summer just around the corner? If there are any psychics reading this and want to let me know this Saturday nights tattslotto numbers, please feel free to contact me. :)   Will keep you all informed as to how Boris goes.

Take care

Caroline xxx

Monday, September 3, 2007

Happy Father's Day to all...

Just a quick post to wish a very Happy Father's Day to my Dad and Father-in-law. I hope you both had a very relaxing, enjoyable day? I don't know about you dad but the weather here was absolutely perfect for Father's Day celebrations.

Take care and love you both.

Caroline xxx

Happy Birthday Brett...

On Thursday we celebrated Brett's birthday. I'd better not reveal how old he is, but let's just say he is edging closer to 40???  The girls gave him a couple of Hot Rod books and magazines which he did request, and then I surprised him at work with the girls walking in holding some helium balloons. They were sooooo excited to see him as their squeals filled the entire office. Luckily Brett's boss's have a great sense of humour and joined in on the celebrations.  Then last night I surprised him with a night out with just the two of us which was lovely. We headed out to dinner then off to have a few games of ten pin bowling which was heaps of fun. Neither of us had bowled for so long, so we had 2 very close games. A big thanks goes to Scott, Sharon and Maddie for looking after the girls for us. It was much appreciated.

Happy Birthday Hun...

Caroline XXX

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Goggle girl...

Well as you can tell by the picture, Isabella has found her swimming goggles this morning and refused to take them off. She even got to the point where they fogged up beyond seeing through and yet she still wouldn't take them off. You can imagine the ring she had around her eyes when they were finally removed?

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Today I got my 4 new tyres put on my car and WOW what a difference they make. Just driving home from the tyre place was a much more pleasureable experience and the car now drives in a straight line on it's own?

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Well I hope everyone got to see the eclipse of the moon tonight? Once the cloud finally moved, the moon had this eerie yet fascinating red glow to it.  The sunset was pretty impressive as well.

Take Care

Caroline XXX

Monday, August 27, 2007

Not much happening...

Well not much has been happening the last few days. Mainly just enjoying this gorgeous weather which is set to continue tomorrow being the forcast to reach 25? As much as winter is my favourite season, getting some sun and warm weather back makes for a welcomed change.

We are off to playgroup tomorrow morning and as father's day is next weekend, we are making all the dads some photo frames containing pictures of the kids. I'm not sure who is looking forward to it more, Isabella or myself?

Tuesday I am off to get 4 new tyres on my car. Looking forward to a better ride and not having to fight the steering wheel as I will be getting a wheel alignment at the same time. Very overdue...

This morning Brett went to the Sandown Swap Meet and came home with a little surprise for me. I have always wanted an old mantle clock (one that preferably works), and this morning he walked in the door with one. He won't tell me how much of HIS car money he spent, but we wound it up and it has managed to keep the correct time all day and has a lovely antiquey chime on the hour with a little chime every half hour. About one and a half years ago Brett went to the same swap meet and came home with a mantle clock that didn't work, (Because it was missing most of the mechanics inside.) hoping that we could some how fix it and get it back in working order. This never happened but over the time has made a lovely ornament. Thanks hun...

Tonight I managed to complete another scrapping page. Not as good as some, but getting there slowly. There are so many pages and ideas in my head that I could do that I don't know where to start? I thought it was time for a change though as all my previous pages have been on the girls.

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Hope all are well.

Caroline xxx