He doesn't get much

He loves his tractors!

blog time. Felt the time was right for him to have a blog post all to himself.

So here is Squealy at 2 years 2 months old. Looking way too grown up all of a sudden. He is still sucking his fingers and will still only sleep with his 'blankie'. It's strange as the older two never really had an attachment to anyone particular object and never had a dummy or sucked their thumbs. I'm wondering how we will ever get him to stop?

He is completely obsessed with anything related to transport. Most of his vocabulary is based on transport words. At least now he is adding some describing words to his running commentary. Esp. when we are in the car, it's truck that, bus the other etc. He nearly wet himself with excitement when he saw a group of tractors mowing the edges along Kuringa Drive.

Squealy is totally the terrible two at the moment. He is still squealing, esp. when he doesn't get his own way or want to eat what we've served for dinner. His favourite tricks include running away with no nappy and weeing on the lounge room rug or pulling out all the nappy sacks and nappy wipes stored in his room!

He loves 'reading' books, but they must be Bob the Builder or Thomas. Anything else and the squealing starts or he just throws the book away.

Ah two year olds!

The wheels on the bus

Today playgroup headed out on an Action Bus to go on the bus wash excursion. The kids get picked up driven round the interchange and then a visit to the bus depot. They got to see where the 'sick' buses get repaired, sprayed with water by the mechanics and then through the actual bus wash.

The boys had a great time. Poor Squealy didn't want to get on the bus at all and I had to drag him kicking and screaming onto the bus. Although once we got moving and I gave him a snack it was all good. Just as well as the excursion takes just over 1 hour.

Movember

Husband Deluxe has decided to go for it this year and grow a mo for Movember. This photo was taken 3 weeks in and as you can see a pretty good effort so far. He finds it prickly and itchy so I'm thinking come Dec 1 he'll go back to just sporting his traditional goatee.

Still totally love the goatee! Not too sure on the mo though.

Canvas Art

12X12 painted canvas.

String Bean's school had an art show on. This is the canvas that she painted for the exhibition. Using her favourite bright colours. She loves yellow and orange. All the warm colours really. Pity that yellow makes her look so washed out. I never buy her any clothes in yellow or orange!

Initial sketch and story.

Following the design, make and appraise approach. The kids planned their art work (see above), then painted the canvas' and when dry added extra bits in. String Bean put glitter glue all over her hair. You probably can't see it in the photo. She also used texta to draw in extra details.

Two together.....

is great. Works well.
Add in the third child, esp. when you are trying desperately to get a photo of all three together and it all falls to pieces.

This seems to be the case all round usually. Going anywhere with two of the kids seems to work. Add the third into the mix and it is on for young and old ;-)

Popopoly

String Bean received a game for her birthday from us. Junior Monopoly. Except she can't quite say it right.

We've had the following versions:
* Popopoly
* Nonopoly
* just Opoly

String Bean's got it now. They love the little cars, the money, using the little houses.....everything really. Even paying to see the fireworks ($2 into the loose change spot) is a cause for much merriment.

String Bean is quite the property tycoon. She ended owning nearly the whole board. But in her true caring style she became most upset when she thought that her Daddy was going to loose a second game. She then started playing not to win, but to loose. "It's OK Daddy, you don't have to pay me." What a little sweetheart.

The Verdict

Well the Pilaf was a great success. The children loved it in their own unique way. String Bean ate the lot and asked for seconds. Fuzzy Wuzzy ate mostly the chorizo. Squealy ate the rice and avoided the chorizo!

The oven roasted capsicum added to the original recipe really added to the flavour. I also decided to decrease the cumin down to 1/2 a tbs rather than a full tbs & I also omitted the chili (was worried the kids wouldn't go for it).





Fuzzy playing find the chorizo!


My favourite aspect of the meal: from start to finish, cooking time was 20 minutes. 5 to brown the onion and chorizo, 10 to gently boil the pilaf and 5 sitting time at the end. An excellent meal on the run esp. on a work night when time is so limited. I did all the prep at lunch time so it really was a quick and easy meal to throw together. Fool proof really! We had our with a green salad.

Look what we're having tonight:

Image Courtesy of John Paul Urizar.

Chorizo Pilaf. The recipe can be found here. Will be adding some oven roasted red capsicum to the recipe though. Yummo. Will report in tonight with the verdict.

I'll be thinking of you, Dear Crone, when we are enjoying this meal ;-)

Last Birthday post for the year....

I promise.

Uncle Andy and Aunty Shaz sent down some gifts for the kids and wanted to share a few photos of them opening their gifts.

Christmas Time Already?

Well we decided to hit the much loved and raved about Christmas shop out at Breadbo. So we took a family drive out to the country with Grandma. Was quite a bit further out than the advertised 30 minute drive from Tuggeranong! Was actually 81 kilometres and around an hour away.

The kids were very keen to get there in the end. The shop truly is amazing and has to be seen to be believed. So many beautiful baubles in every conceivable design and colour. The kids were able to choose a decoration each, as is our Christmas tradition. Although the prices were considerably higher than the Reject Shop jobs that the kids usually choose!

Luckily they had some gorgeous and cheap glass train ornaments so the boys were in heaven. String Bean on the other hand wanted to purchase a dog ornament. She has always chosen dog ornaments! They didn't really have any cheap ones of these, unfortunately.

We then had to leave the shop as it really isn't the place for young children. The shop assistants, of which there are many, were zealots in policing the children. To the point that one of them physically picked up and carried out of the shop a child who wouldn't stop touching the ornaments. Luckily it wasn't one of our kids for once.

We finished the day by having pancakes at the lovely old pancake shop, followed by a play in the local park.

P.S. Karen String Bean is wearing the outfit you got her for her birthday.

String Bean's Birthday Party

Was a great success after a stressful start. The plan was to arrive at around 12pm to set up. I don't know why, but at 11am the thought popped into my head that I needed to get the venue. Just as well as they were doing a working bee that day and the place was crawling with men mowing, pruning, laying mulch, planting new plants and painting some of the outside fixtures of the building.

But what really took the cake for me was the fact they had lifted half the bike track to replay pavers that had sunk. So there were pitch bars, pick axes, wheelbarrows, wet cement etc all over half the play area. Plus the pavers were all over the grass play area.

String Bean and her alien cake!

Thankfully the men all gave up on the other jobs and worked super fast to complete the job on time. Phew!

The girls going for a ride!

The party really did go incredibly smoothly though and the kids all had a great time. The play area was a big hit as were the bike's. Lots of the kids chose to ride round the track. Lots of fun was had by everyone.

A Mouse!

String Bean received a set of Magnetix for her birthday. She started out following the example shown on the box. But of course in her usual creative style of doing things she was quickly thinking outside the square.

As always I am amazed at how she views things and just how clever String Bean is at putting things together!

The Lighting of the Tree

String Bean and Fuzzy Wuzzy waiting for the tree to be lit.

We went tonight to our local for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. It was so packed so we didn't head down to centre stage, opting to stay upstairs and view things from above.

After it was all over and everyone had cleared out we had some 1:1 time with the very lovely Mrs Claus. She sang the kids three songs and String Bean had a wonderful time dancing on the stage (she is natural Irish Dancer!)

Mrs Claus & Squealy! Irish Dancing girl!

Happy Birthday String Bean!

String Bean turned a big 6 years old today. She had a fabulous day of feasting. Started by opening gifts. Then off to school with a tray of homemade mini muffins. We decided to pick her up early and headed over to Cherry Seed for afternoon tea and a play around the gardens of Gold Creek Village.



We then spent a few minutes at home, long enough for a bath, then it was off to Guides. She wanted to take a chocolate cake to share with the girls. So all round a fun day full of feasting on chocolate cake! Luckily she ate a homemade lamb wrap with lettuce (didn't want the cucumber or Greek yogurt). She's come such a long way with her eating.....at last!


Fuzzy loved the Shop. Very hip and vintage. With gorgeous tea seats for the kids to play with.

He especially loved the tiny little open sugar bowls. Just the right size for tipping the whole lot into your mouth! Oh dear he needs to be house trained I think lol.




Cupcakes at Cherry Seed.

Meeting Dora and Diego!

Diego and Dora strut their stuff.

The kids got to go meet Dora the Explorer and Diego this morning at Brand Depot. They have decided that these guys are the flavour of the month, possibly started by several people giving the kids Dora/Diego toys for their birthday's. It also happened to be the opening of Toys R Us. There were hardly any bargains and the prices just seemed to be regular retail prices....weird given BD are supposed to be a factory outlet type place.....hmmm. The place was packed but we weren't overly excited to be honest.

Happy Birthday Fuzzy Wuzzy

On Sunday the 2nd of November Fuzzy Wuzzy turned a big 4 years old. He ended up having a fantastic day as he got to have the party of his choice: McDonald's and the cake of his choice: a lolly car race track!

Overall it was the easiest party ever. We had two hosts, as one girl was in training. They took care of all the games, keeping the food and drinks going and generally keeping the kids happy. I tell you, best $115 I've ever spent! Highly recommended.





Fuzzy loved his special day. Now to get through the 4 year old immunisations and get him ready for big school next year. Wow my boy is growing up...thankfully!