Party Time

So I've finally downloaded photos of the big occasion for you to see - Tad's first birthday (aka Zebe!!)

Just a small occasion really... a couple of other families who we really like came along to assist us in the eating of the cake and have a BBQ in the park.

It was so nice... nice to see the sun... nice to see friends.... SO SO SO nice to have family here for the special occasion and just oh-so-extremely-nice!

The cake (as always) was a joint effort. Hubby 'engineered' it all creating levels and iced the yellow block.  I baked strawberry, vanilla and chocolate 'layers' and iced the rest of the blocks, cut out icing shapes and letters and did the piping (a skill that I have yet to refine!!).  We are so impressed with how it turned out... I actually think that Hubby and I enjoy the challenge of setting a task and seeing it come to fruition.  (You can all eagerly await the 3rd birthday of our little lady in a few weeks to see what we manage to do!!)

It's a pity you all weren't here to taste the cake... one of my finest might I say... a true neopolitan cake flavour.... mmmmm. Pity there is not any left for afternoon tea today.  But family and friends who didn't make it.... know that you were missed!

Easter

Okay, so I am so thrilled with my editing skills... check out these stunning panoramic photos...

I took them!! (and Hubby needs some credit I suppose).

I know... budding photographer with a digital camera!! Obviously I slaved over the editing of them... (actually I let the computer software do all the hard work and came up trumps with these stunning pictures!!) Believe it or not the first shot is a combination of about 12 photos.

Anyway... I'm writing not to show you photos of scenery, although, lets be honest they are pretty good photos, but to tell you what we got up to over Easter weekend and update you with some photos of your little loved ones!

We went for a day adventure out to the blue mountains (a little over an hour from our house).  Now because I know you are all interested and have questioning minds you are all asking why are they called the blue mountains?  Well, I'm glad you asked! Actually I do have the answer and I am going to reference my photos above.  You can see that in both photos there is a bit of a haze (that is not my amateur photography).  It is this haze that creates the 'blue' of the blue mountains and is actually the oil from the eucalyptus trees burning off in the sunshine.  Interesting huh?!?!

As you know, pictures paint a thousand words so let me share a few photos of our Easter sunny weekend.

 We basked in the sunshine!

 

 We made hot cross buns! Yum!

 We even put the letters of our names on some of them!!

Fish and chips in the park on Friday night saw Noosh practising her jandal walking!

The steepest railway... 52 degrees. Felt like we were standing up the whole way down.

Noosh ran and ran and ran and ran through all the walkways.

 "Look Mummy... so high!"

Our adventures saw us journey on a train, a cable car and a skyline. Such majestic views!!

Finally, a photo with Mummy and Noosh!

 But I am just a happy little lad!

"Please no more pictures."

 It's exhausting stuff this Easter holidaying!

Shoulder rides with Daddy.

"My first time riding a big boy bike!"

Of course the playground was part of our weekend. Who had more fun... Noosh or Daddy?

 But how cute is our wee Noosh?!

All in all, fabulous memories made this weekend... photo editing skills learnt by Mummy this weekend... an awesome reminder that we have completely and utterly gorgeous wee people!

How phenomenally blessed are we!  Was also nice to get out of the town of Sydney and realise that there is so much to see so close to us (and we now have the time as we are not renovating a house!!)

Think we may have to visit the Hunter Valley next trip and run around the vineyards... perhaps Mummy might sample some of the produce too???

It's been brought to my attention...

Yes... it has been brought to my attention that apparently I am not allowed to share only the good stuff that I do as a parent... but rather have to share the mundane and reality that I am not the pulled together and fantastic 100% of the time parent that I have led you to believe(??? - Thanks Mum!!).

So heres a bit of  a taster...

5.30am (Yes AM) - Got up before the children and showered.

6.00am Tad up so fed him.

6.15am Expressed milk so that has enough at nursery

6.30am Noosh up - breakfast. My own breakfast (including cold coffee) - pack children's bags for the day. Give Tad a little more milk.

(Nb. Aiming to leave home at 7.15am to get children to nursery so I can get to work by 9am.)

7.15am Nearly walking out the door... hurray!! Noosh spills her rice bubbles all over the carpet... Damn - can't leave milk as will curdle... Settle for just cleaning carpet and leaving rest of mess on kitchen bench - I'll regret that later!!

7.30am Walking out the door (take 2). Noosh crying cause I told her off for throwing her bubbles on the floor, Tad crying cause doesn't want to be in car seat.  Walk down 6 flights of stairs with both children in melt down mode.

7.35am Buckle Tad's carseat in, put melt down 2 year old in carseat. Drive to nursery... Hurray!! Both children still crying.

7.50am Drop off. Noosh's bottom lip quivering, holding back tears... ask if wants cuddle.... hysterical cries ensue!! Nursery staff tell me to go and not prolong my hysterical daughters pain.

8.10am - In carpark outside nursery in car.... have a little cry to myself that Noosh is soooo upset. Ring Hubby to tell him that we are pulling our child out of nursery and I will quit work.  Hubby talks sense into me. Hang up. Drive to work.

9.00am - First patient....  7 whole hours with no hysterical tears or temper tantrums - crazy??!.

2.30pm - Bursting... need to express. Lock myself in toilet for 15 minutes getting liquid gold for little Tad.

3.00pm End of working day - walking to car. Listen to radio. Singing to music. (Maybe a little bit of head bopping occuring).

4.00pm Arrive at nursery for collection of children. Noosh sees me and her little legs run like crazy to give me a huge hug... oh how I love this part of the day.

4.20pm In car... Noosh starts crying as wants to 'eat'.  Have nothing prepared... Doh!!

4.40pm Home... up 6 flights of stairs carrying capsule, all of childrens bags plus own handbag. Noosh wants me to carry her, no spare arm. Melt down part 2 ensues.

5.00pm Damn... no food, no milk.  Phone call to Hubby.... 'please pick up milk on way home' ... Hubby says 'anything else'... I say ' Yes, dinner too!!!'

5.01pm Brainwave, 2 minute noodles!! In pot. 2 year old in front of TV. Whew (silence).

5.04pm 2 minute noodles a little overcooked... high chair moved in front of TV. Noosh having noodles for dinner.  (I'm sure they have a little bit of nutrition in them plus she had lunch at nursery and that was probably nutritious - not going to feel guilty).

5.06pm Look around house... pig sty! Cloth used to mop up spilt rice bubble has baked in sun all day on bench. Yuck!! Lets not dwell on this, I knew I would regret it.

5.10pm Tad wakes up (still in carseat). He is now grumpy as hasn't had good sleep. Not due for feed until 6pm but not happy unless I hold him.

5.35pm Hubby walks in with milk. Tad goes to him. I retreat to kitchen to make 'dinner'.

6.00pm Beef stir fry whipped up (I could have done something like that for my child couldn't I????)
Tad fed.

6.15pm Dinner inhaled.

6.16pm Bath time.

6.35pm Children being dried, powdered and dressed.

6.45pm Tad given 'top up' feed. Noosh doesn't want to go to bed so threw final tantrum of the evening.

7.00pm Bed time, story, prayers

7.01pm Sigh of relief and reflect that next time I should probably be more organised on work days like today.

7.30pm Mummy in bed??... actually not quite but I probably should have!!! Instead ate an enormous slice of Hummingbird cake (with chocolate icing - thanks Sarah for this thought) just because I could!!! (btw, this is not the slice that I ate... that is rather extravagant!!)

So in the 4 hours that I spent with my children yesterday, most of those minutes were filled with hysterical tears or fraught with a list of things 'to do' (bath, bed, feed). The emotional highs, when Noosh's little legs couldn't run fast enough vs the emotional lows, when leaving Noosh at nursery.  It was an action packed day. Yes, I fed my child 2 minute noodles.... yes, I put them in front of TV... and I probably did a hundred other things that I vowed I would never do as a parent.  So yes... I need to revisit working days and work out what works, what doesn't and how I can have a 'better' day than yesterday. So I don't have it all together as a parent but this is me... being real with you.. just incase you thought I did have it all together!! (But yes... I did take photos!!!)

P.S. Just as well days like today are not the norm... but they do happen!