5 is the new 4.

It's so much cooler to be 5 now than it is to be 4.
A 4-year old girl left our house and a 5-year old girl came to take her place.
Laura insists that it's still her, but we're not so sure.

Laura we are all over you like Nutella on fresh white bread (which you love!). Yummy!! Thank you for your smile in the morning (when you do decide get up), your love for your brothers (and they love you!), your ability to dance anywhere, anytime, and your love for learning (and trying and trying and persisting in doing it yourself).
You make us proud and we love you beautiful girl, from the inside out!

Happy 5th Birthday Laura

"A heart-shaped cake with strawberries please mum"

A little excited with the knife!

Birthday party with friends

 "5" birthday cake for the party. 

Now there's a natural smile from my girl!

Fun to see siblings so excited by each others' birthdays. 

Daniel was so excited about it all, and helped with all the decorations and the cake, although Nick wasn't as convinced... his catch phrase for the day: "my birthday now please?!"

The five years that have flown past:

Birth (ish)

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

 5 years old

Photo Albums 3

My recurring theme of walking down memory lane and comparing kids. 

Can't help myself I guess.

Each of the kids at just over 2 years old:

Beanbags

Lots of reasons not to like them:
They're old, we've had them forever.
Faded. Badly.
Bulky and Arrogant. I get so tired of the space they consume and how they can't just quietly sit in a corner!
There's now 3 of them. Thanks Uncle Luke.
But seriously, how could a mum possibly get rid of them when they are the source of this kind of fun!!

Adoption

I'm currently enthralled with the process of adoption that our friends are going through. They are in Ethiopia right now picking up their 3 year old daughter. Within 3 days she is calling them mum and dad and more. Long journey to come, but what a beautiful start.

This girl gives me joy

"I had the best day mum. 

We walked to the park and we all got to collect leaves."

I just love that. And her.

I will...

One day I will blog again, really I will.
For now, it's just not happening.
Putting it on my to-do list hasn't seemed to help!
There's stuff to share:
- like the addition to our family - no, don't get freaked out, it's only a bird!
- and the fact that I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge with my parents when they were here. Loved seeing my mother do that pretty fearlessly, at least to the casual observer. :)
- and the kids making paper fans and sitting at the end of the driveway to give away to any friendly passers-by (some of whom said no - what's with that?!)
- Daniel loving learning to play tennis
- friends visiting
- Laura roping Bec into playing tiara-clad princesses. Mind you, I didn't see Bec put up much resistance...
-  Bruny bruny bruny
- ...and a kangaroo in our backyard on Friday. Yes really. Okay, probably a wallaby, but it was as tall as Laura and I actually rubbed my eyes because I thought I was seeing things and it couldn't possibly be a real kangaroo. And I know I'm not helping the 'do you see kangaroos all the time' image of Australia, but I had to take a picture. And seriously, think about it, would I take a picture if I saw it all the time? My neighbour actually didn't even believe me and said it was just because I was American. I had to show her the picture to prove it!

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Well fancy that, it looks as if I've just blogged. And when I started I really just intended to post the first 4 lines. Ahhh, now to make a cup of tea. Oh, I mean, I'm off to do all those other things that keep me from blogging. :)

In the car

I love conversations in the car. Here's what came out today. PS, I do think he knows Dora isn't real!! ;)

Daniel: Dora is only 7 and she leaves her mum for ages and goes on adventures around the world!
Mum: Do you want to do that?
D: No... I'd get lost.

D and L then discuss at length about what age they will do that.
They've decided on 20.
And I'm happy with that. 

Missing them!

It's been a few weeks now since my parents have gone, and I miss them! No Mom and Dad, it didn't take me this long to miss you... just looking at pictures tonight and missing you again. 

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The beautiful view at the farm stay we spent three nights at.

Riding the ski lift up the mountain.

Hey Dad, don't miss the view!

The view down. It doesn't like a huge drop from my feet but it was!

 "Thanks, but I'll stay up here and wave at you!"

 Riding down. No snow, but it was still a beautiful sight.

A relaxing day by the lake. 

...and another foot shot. I think I have some attachment to feeling relaxed 

by taking a picture of myself relaxing. Perhaps I need to see someone about that...

A walk on the beach at one of our favourite places.  

M & D, thank you for coming all the way down here, for taking your vacation time to cross that ocean, and for putting up with swollen feet and jetlag to come here and do daily life with us. Love you.

Colours

So sometimes 2-year olds have their colours down pat. Nick, not so much. Sometimes I think so, sometimes no...

D and L have been playing "Bingo" in the car, where you call out 'Bingo!' for every yellow car. So now Nick is calling the colour yellow 'bingo'.

Bring into play his sense of humour, and it'll be awhile till I know if he gets his colours!

Mum: What's that colour Nick?
Nick: Red
M: Yup, and this one?
N: ...umm... Apple Crumble?
M: Really?!!
N: no, orange!

Yay, a normally developing 2 year old. :)

New Zealand

We had a lovely week with 4 adults. Saw lots of the landscape, rode a ski lift to the top of a mountain for a yum hot chocolate and a gorgeous view, took a 2 hour trek to see a waterfall, and generally just enjoyed ourselves. And on one particular day I actually totally and completely forgot about having any kids!