Cooling Down

There is only one thing to do when it is hot...go on the waterslide!!

Matthew and Lucy getting ready to go down the waterslide together.

Lucy

Annie

Benjamin

Matthew

Everyone always has so much fun on our home made waterslide.

Kindy Boy

Benjamin's kindy photo 2008

Christmas put on hold!

Christmas has been put on hold for a very important event. BENJAMIN'S 5th BIRTHDAY!! It was five years ago that my precious baby boy was born. This is definitely an event I will not forget......

Daddy was awake at 3am to go surfing with the school kids and then went straight to school as he had to supervise his Chemistry exam. Mummy woke up at 6am busting to go to the toilet so off I went but before I got there I felt a trickle run down my leg. I did not think anything of it because I thought I had wet myself because I was SO busting! Matthew woke up just after my toilet dash so Mummy at Matty started our day as per usual. At 9:30am I put Matthew down for his normal morning sleep and proceeded to carry the washing downstairs for me to start. As I was walking through the kitchen I felt a HUGE gush of water pouring down my legs! Oh No! I thought. This can't be happening now. This baby is two weeks early and I haven't finshed my Christmas shopping! I called Daddy at work to let him know what had just happened but I couldn't get a hold of him as Dad was supervising his exam. I left a message for him to call home and Mrs Pass had asked if it had something to do with the baby and I replied "YES my waters had broke so if you could please ask Stewart to give me a call at home." I hung up and waited patiently for him to ring back. Nothing else had really started to happen yet but I was wondering what was taking so long as 20 mins had passed and Daddy still had not called back! The next thing I heard was the garage door going up as Daddy had raced home. We called Grandma and Grandad to come and look after Matt while Daddy took me to the hospital. Once we arrived we went into the labour suite and everything had started by then. Daddy was a huge help. However, Mummy did have a few funny ways about her while I was in labour with you. I only wanted Daddy to talk to me while I was having a contraction because I focused on what he way saying instead of the pain I was feeling but once the contraction was over I didn't want him to talk to me at all because I did not want him to waste any conversation topics for no reason!! And then it all happened...you were born. My precious Benjamin Jack Robert. When the nurse gave you to me and I looked to see that you were a boy I could not stop saying your name. BENJAMIN. My BENJAMIN. My heart filled with so much love for you and so much gratitude to God for giving you to me. I will never ever forget holding you in my arms and looking at you with such joy and happiness. Once the nurse left Daddy and I alone with you for the first time we prayed and thanked God for our precious new baby boy and prayed that we would be a blessing to you and we also asked God to show us how HE would like us to look after you as you are our gift from HIM.

Benjamin Jack Robert

born at 12:10pm

November 26 2003

8lb 4oz.

54.5cm

Benjamin under phototherapy lights for 3 days for jaundice

Benjamin 5 days old

Five years later...

Benjamin reading Matthew's birthday card

BJ giving Matt a 'thank you' hug

BJ on his new swing bike from Mum and Dad

eating the birthday breakfast of BBQ Plum Kebabs (BJ's favourite)

blowing out the candles at kindy

soccer ball cupcakes as requested!

opening presents at home from the family

one of his favourite presents - Big Truck from Noonie

soccer ball ice cream cake that Mum made with M&M's mixed through the vanilla icecream

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

.....the christmas shirts and dress are on (Annie still waiting for Mama to finish making her new one), the santa hats are on, the christmas carols are playing and the kids are excited about putting up the Christmas tree. We usually put up the Christmas decorations after BJ's birthday but seeing as Dad is going away the day after we thought we should put them up earlier rather than later.

Christmas time is definitely one of our favourite times of year. And putting up the christmas tree is only the beginning of our family traditions.

the kids singing and dancing to the christmas carols

Matthew hanging up the magical key for Santa

Matt and BJ putting together our ornamental christmas tree

Annie putting on decorations

Lucy putting on the decorations

BJ trying to put the decoration on as HIGH as he can!

Daddy placing on the last decoration - the STAR!

Merry Christmas!!

wouldn't be Christmas without a SILLY SNAP!!

School cancelled

Matthew extremely happy!!

Due to the severe storm we had on Sunday school was cancelled on Monday. When we arrived at school on Monday we were told to turn around and go home as there was no power available and that quite alot of the trees had fallen down and were a hazard for the students. Matthew could hardly believe his ears when I said we were going back home. He could hardly contain his excitment on the drive home.

train ride

A weekend of last minute decisions! We decided to head off to a park that Noonie had not been to before by train. So after another mad dash, missing the first train by 10 seconds, we finally were on our way to the park!!

Mum, Lucy, BJ, Matthew and Annie all very excited about the train ride.

Lucy excited by it all

The boys playing 'pirates'


BJ

Annie

All the kids taking turn on the slides

Annie, Lucy, Matt, BJ and Noonie waiting for the train home

Mum and Lucy

Day at the beach with Noonie!!

After a last minute decision we decided to head off to the beach for the day to enjoy the glorious sunshine. So in 1 hr we had put our togs on, packed morning tea, packed bread and sauces for our hot chips lunch, put the varies boards on the roof racks and all piled in the car. Once we arrived at the beach we had our morning tea, applied our sunscreen and went swimming!

Benjamin playing in the sand

Noonie and Lucy watching Matt on his boogie board

Matt getting dunked...

... coming up...

...and smiling for the camera!

Daddy, BJ and Annie playing in the sand

Matt, BJ, Mummy, Annie, Lucy and Noonie all jumping waves together!

After the beach we had a dip in the local beach swimming pool and a play in the water fountains. We then headed off to have some fish and chips while Lucy decided to have a sleep in the car. When Lucy woke up we had finished lunch so we popped into McDonalds so she could have a bite to eat so the rest of the family had an icecream and a play on the playground before the trip home.

toilet training 101

Let me say that Lucy has learnt from the best!! That is, she knows that if she uses the 'I need to go to the toilet' excuse then she gets to stay up longer!! Lucy did not take very long to toilet train. She pretty much 'got it' in just a couple of short weeks. However she did cause herself to get a little 'backed up' because she gave herself a fright one day when she dirtied her pants. So on this particular night she used the 'I need to go to the toilet' excuse to stay up longer!! Only because she had not done a No. 2 that day I let her go and sit on the toilet. So off she went and without any prompting from Mum she asked for a book and sat quite happily on the toilet telling Mum all the things she could see in the book. Needless to say that she did nothing and went off the bed in tears because she did not get to finish the book! She did however have more success in the morning!!

Matthew's lawn mowing lesson

trying to start the mower

getting started

and he's off!!!

After arriving home late one afternoon from an appointment, Matthew spotted Dad doing the mowing. So he decided to ask Dad if he could have a go! Matty loved it!! Even though he did run the lawn mower into the gutter, Matthew did a great job.

growing grass???

Daddy loves his grass BUT it is dying or non-existent in patches due to lots of soccer and football games being played in the backyard! So Daddy is trying to transplant grass and scatter grass seeds to help it grow but it just aint growing. I know it doesn't help when the kids (and Daddy) still play around (on) it! So the girls decided to help Daddy plant some grass in the hope that it grows.