New Years Eve

We stayed in.  Having a 2 and 4 year old makes it hard.  Ones that refuse a daytime nap and then turn into little psychos are not ones we can take out.

In our celebration of NYE, I got some sparklers.  It was the first time the boys had seen sparklers and they were amazed.

BTW Mark is with my parents at Phillip Island, I don't ignore or forget him.

So... what are you doing there Dad?

Sparkles start, smiles start.

Love the looks on their faces, having never seen them before.

No fear, just amazed.

Wow.

Thumbs up!

What do you mean you can't make it go again???

Another one before bed.. just for fun (then my battery died)

Then the fireworks start.  They are everywhere and often.  Two terrified dogs.  Looks like a minor injury on Charlie.  We get awfully cranky about fireworks.  They are illegal and they are going off everywhere - not just the city!

So 2013 was a challenge.
I started a new job, I still wonder if I made the right decision.  The pressure at my job is immense, but the satisfaction is too.
Jamie is still working night shift.  Seems to be in a better rhythm though.
Mark did reasonably at year 9.  I'm looking forward to a more productive year next year for Year 10.
Ryan is in the Pre-Kinder room at his creche.  He loves his teacher and she is awesome.  He's very good at sports and is getting the hang of riding his bike.  Toilet training went VERY well and transitioning to his big boy bed did too.
Ben moved up three rooms at crèche. He is now in the Toddler's room and is a friendly happy kid.  His drop offs are bad, but will improve.  His transition to a big boy bed was also marvellous.  Still have not started the toilet training, but will get to that around Easter time.

We went on our HUGE overseas holiday.
Worked too much.
Had a Christmas Holiday at the beach.
Worked too much.
Seemed to get sick an awful lot.
Turned 40!
Body wearing out.

My resolution for next is to be ORGANISED.  If I can be organised then all those other "normal" resolutions can fall into place (lose weight, exercise, eat better, do more fun stuff)  Part one of organisation is working - menu plan is done and freezer cooking is also done.

An afternoon in the back yard

I'll return to Christmas at some point.
In the mean time, I took some gorgeous photos of the boys in our backyard this afternoon.  Without further ado, here they are.

Little water gun

Ridiculously huge (unliftable) water gun

Cuddles with the puppies

Mr Bossy Boots

2 kids and 2 dogs

Ben can't miss out.

Well...

Holiday Time - Day One Inverloch

Maybe this was day one, or maybe day two... the first two days were DREADFUL weather.  Freezing cold and rainy.  The kids mainly played Lego and cars inside, but we eventually ventured out to playground where these photos are taken.

Roy and Ryan on the bee

Roy and Ryan being posers

Ben on the bee

Opening their sandcastle making kits from their grandparents

Rewind a bit.  It's the Saturday before Christmas and we have rented a large 5 bedroom holiday house in Inverloch which is about two and a bit hours out of Melbourne.  The house is lovely, some strange furniture (ie the lounge room) but otherwise comfy with a great kitchen house.  We have come with my sister and her husband and their two children.

December Daily - 9th

Went to see Bon Jovi with Jamie last night.  It was at Etihad Stadium... very large and very full.  Not their best concert.  The songs I knew were amazing.  The ones I didn't know... was not that thrilled about.  But it was lovely having a date with my gorgeous husband.  He's settling down.

Hot choc is serious business and delicious

Love you Benny

Thoughtful Benny

Eeek I love these boys

Cheesy Benny

December Daily - 7th

Today was a Gingerbread kind of day.

I made my own chocolate gingerbread house shapes last night.  Then this morning we (Ryan, Ben and I) went to Connie's house to decorate them.  It was a freaking disaster.  Our royal icing was a little thin (we think) and didn't let the sides of the house set for long enough.  My roof came apart.  The decorations were crap.  Then when I was moving it to the car to drive him home... the house came tumbling down.

The I went to the Crossways Church Annual Gingerbread Making Day in Craigieburn.

That is my finished product.  Very happy with it.  I like my cross-hatching on the roof.  I don't think I'll do it next year.  Not really worth it.  The S is for our family - the Storers.

Jamie and Mark did quite a bit of work on the car, our 4WD which needs new bearings in the gearbox... and now needs a new something that was unexpected as part of the gearbox got broken, along with a mighty impressive bruise on Mark's knee.

Today was also DAY 2 of transition to big boy bed.  So impressed with this transition.  There was no planning... the bed has been in their room all year with a cot in the middle.  Its been a crowded room.  Last night Ben said to me "I don't want to go in my cot, can I go in my bed?"  I said he could if he stayed there.  They did a bit of swapping and a lot of chatting.  But then he settled down and went to sleep.  The same thing tonight.  This was taken about midnight as I was heading off to bed.

Mark has been a corpse sleeper, Ryan is fairly corpse like too, but Ben, he belongs on another planet - like his dad.  He's a bum in the air, upside down, never covered up, PJ's half down or half up, arms flailing, messy sleeper.

Mark and Ryan are the "soldier", Ben and Jamie are the "starfish" and to be honest I'm a "freefaller" but the physio says that it is not good for my back.

December Daily - 6th

Busy busy busy - trying to remember if anything happened.
Benny was sick - a sore throat and a bit of temperature.  So he stayed home with Jamie.  When I got home the boys went to the park and drove the monster truck again.

December Daily - 2nd

Today was BUSY.  Hard drop off (how unusual), Ryan has started to cry and scream when I leave him.  Makes me want to cry - almost every day.

My three boys

Went shopping for Raihanah and her bubba Maryam.  Got a whole lot of baby supplies.

Checking out the tree. 

 Collected the little dudes, they were happy.

Came home cooked some delicious port schnitzel.

Hello I'm Ryan

 

Watched The Blacklist - my new favourite shows.

Mum, I only want to take ONE photo with your fancy DSLR camera, 

 Sent the kids to bed.  They wouldn't go to sleep.  Ben dropped off around 10.30 and Ryan... I guess he might be asleep now 11.50pm.  Getting so exhausted that they won't sleep.

My goodness they are gorgeous.

Asked what the little boys had for lunch 

Ryan "fruit"

Ben "apples and cookies"

It goes without saying that I don't believe them.

"I love your hair like that" I'm currently sporting a very cute curly pigtail (or so I think), Ryan wants a pigtail out the back.

December Daily - 1st

So once again, I'm attempting to do a photo (or several) a day.
Today is Sunday 1st December.  We had a cousin day today.  My sister and her kids came over for lunch then we went to Jamie's sister for the afternoon.  Here are some selected pictures.

Ben trying out the 3D glasses

Drinking hot chocolate

SMILE

Peppa Pig on my phone

Mark's second dinner, the first one wasn't quite enough

Our sparse Christmas tree with Call of Duty on the telly behind it.

My Day

0230     Ben cries, realise Ryan is in my bed.  Return Ryan to his bed, get Ben and go back to sleep.

0530     Ryan comes back to my bed.

0630     Ryan says its morning time and wants a sandwich.  Ben wakes up, hears the word sandwich and immediately wants a sandwich.  Make two sangers and plonk them in front of ABC2 while I get ready.

0700     Wake Mark who refuses to wake up.  Dress little boys, make lunches.


0730     Jamie arrives home

0750     Leave for work, drop Mark at school, drop boys at daycare.

0830     Arrive at work, busy busy busy like totally nuts for the whole morning.

1230    Boss leaves for a conference, everything calms down a bit.

1500    Finish work, try on a pair of shorts - look ok.

1600    CT of my back to find out why my back hurts.

1700    Pick up some tshirts in Glenroy for the little boys.  Get massively lost driving home.

1745    Pick up boys.

1810    Arrive home.  Cook tea and discuss days events.

1900    Grocery shopping.

2030    Put boys in bed - stories and songs.

2100    Make granola, meatloaf for tomorrow nights tea and some pumpkin pies

2200    Jamie leaves for work

In between times I'm doing the laundry, tidying up, keeping everything running smoothly and EATING EATING EATING.

2330    Fall into bed and wait for the RLS to start.

Universe aligning.

Or at least that is what it feels like.

From my previous post, I have taken a stand.

I did join the gym - have been twice so far - and am aching from head to toe.  Those exercises are HARD man.

I joined a weight loss support group - run by Herbalife and my friend Kellie, and so far they are not pushing the products... but wait for it.

I was called by my Health Insurance company to be involved in Health Coaching.  Its free.  I did the prelim discussion and set some goals.

How does this happen?

So.

My get healthy/weight loss journey has begun.
Today I am 77km and am 99cm around my belly (who needed to know that?)
I also pledge to keep my kitchen clean
I will attend the gym 3 times per week (or more)



WHAT is this nonsense about the kitchen???
- It upsets me no end that my house is messy (found out today its not as dirty as I thought it was - others are dirtier), I stress if anyone comes to visit that there is crap all over my kitchen.  I want a clean kitchen and its up to me.

The Health Coach asked for obtainable goals that will help my physical and mental health.  I was embarrassed - a little bit - to say a clean kitchen and going to the gym are my goals.

With those two done, the other areas of my life - poor sleep, anger, frustration, postponing everything should fall into line.

Pictures

Park Life

Have I mentioned how I love my new camera.  I take great photos.

Up the big hill to the park

Our seriously cool park - minus a UFO swing (stolen by idiots)

Sliding

Gorgeous Ben, our "assertive wild child"

Playing