1 - 19 February

OMG....it is nearly the end of February (my birthday on 28th!) and I haven't loaded any pics on here. Well strap yourselves in for a whole lot of Feb pics.

1/2/11

MISS (oops..great start to the month)

2/2/11

Tom's first day of school. All shiny, bright and new! Wonder how long it will last for?

3/2/11

Biddy and Tom. Supposed to be getting ready for bed!

4/2/11

A big week of firsts for our family. Biddy went to 3yo kinder for the first time. She has been going to daycare for the past 18mths at the same venue, but this time, she'll be in the 'BIG' kids area and be able to play on the 'BIG' playground stuff!

5/2/11

MISS

6/2/11

Biddy on Gilbert. Gilby (as he is also known) is Libby's Clydesdale. This pic was taken at the Colac Showgrounds at the Heritage Festival. Biddy saw Gilby and made a bee line for him. Luckily we are related to Libby in order for Biddy to get a ride! Look how small she looks on him. She loves it!

7/2/11

These are the brand new runners that Tom has for school. Once a week, the kids are allowed to go to school in sports clothes. His day is Monday. And sports is known as "Blue Earth" and is a lot more wholistic than just playing footy/netball/running etc...

8/2/11

MISS

9/2/11

This new iPhone has been the cause of many arguments between Mark and I. The gist of the fights have been that he purchased one without my knowing and I don't think he needs one (seeing as he has the model before) and he does think he needs one.

10/2/11

My cousin Emma came to the farm to spend a week doing some milkings to earn some money before uni starts up again. She has rock star status in our house. Mark and I cease to exist in the kids lives when she is around.

11/2/11

First time for Bella in the Jolly Jumper!

12/2/11

Biscuit making with Nanny.

13/2/11

Little Red Riding Hood.

14/2/11

Tom's first day going to school on the bus. Yes, there were tears from me as my little boy passed another milestone in not needing me. I was not anxious about him catching the bus per se to school, it is just that he has the change buses. Once in the morning and once at night. At 2 different locations. And he had not had a dry run of it before. Gulp. We arranged a boy on the bus that is grade 6 at St Mary's to look out for him and be his bus buddy. But yes, I followed the bus in to the exchange and then to school (unbeknowns to Tom) and in the afternoon, I went to the exchange and made sure he got on the bus again. He was fine. I was a mess!!

15/2/11

The two girls playing happily. When one child is taken out of the equation, the other 2 play happily. Sometimes I truly believe that 2's company, 3's a crowd.

16/2/11

Bella's first shoes. Can you really call them shoes when they are not walking? I got these for $10 when I bought Tom's school shoes, but when I got home, I saw that they were marked down from $40. NO WAY would I have paid $40 for size 2 sandles for a child that is not walking yet. But they are a bit cute and they didn't break my bank.

17/2/11

We attended a prep family BBQ night tonight and I am pleased to say that my garlic potatoes went down a treat. This lasagna dish was full and this is all that was left.

18/2/11

We have the playpen in the lounge room, not to keep Bella in, but the other kids out.

19/2/11

I have been asked to have a stand at the Picture to Page craft show in Geelong on March 5 & 6. I have done a few scrapbook pages for the display. This is one, using some new stuff from the SU! mini catty. It also suffices as my scrapbook page for the month of Feb for this blog!

17 - 31 January

OK. I think I am starting to get the hang of importing, editing and exporting pictures. It really is another world when you come from PCs to Macs!

Here is a big entry to catch up all of Jan. As you will note, I have already got a couple of misses. If I find that they are on another camera or phone, I will come back and upload. But for the moment, I will simply record the date of no photo as a "MISS".

17/1/11

Guess where we went today?! Mum and I left the 2 older kids with Mark and headed down to IKEA to get some storage stuff for the kids rooms and my office.

18/1/11

MISS

19/1/11

This is one of the units set up that was purchased at IKEA. This one is in Biddy's room.

20/1/11

Tom went and specifically changed his tshirt so he would match in with his sisters for a photo. I think Mark took about a dozen and only ONE picture we got them all looking at the camera smiling. But this one makes me laugh. Check out Bella's expression!

21/1/11

Tom needed to visit the audiologist in Warrnambool today as a revisit. Mum and I took the opportunity of being near a Bunnings to pick up some plants. I have decided to replant some areas of the gardens around the house. This is my stash of new plants.

22/1/11

The Butlers arrived today for a few days seeing as they had a flying visit over New Years. THis is Bernie with Tom (godmum and godson).

23/1/11

MISS

24/1/11

Take advantage of labour while you have it! Whilst the Butlers were here, we got to work clearing out a couple of the raised vegie beds and planting them out with some of the plants I purchased at Bunnings a few days earlier.

25/1/11

MISS

26/1/11

Banana mini muffins. Good way to use up blerk bananas and also to start Bella on finger food.....

27/1/11

Bella's first attempt at finger food. Loved it, but made a god awful mess! I thought she had eaten it all, but when I got her out of the high chair, I found most if it down the sides and under her bum!

28/1/11

Tom's school clothes...washed, ironed and ready for school (*sob*).

29/1/11

Mark at the BBQ.

30/1/11

He will KILL me if he sees this! Mark put a water trough in the backyard for the kids to swim in. The weather has been so hot the past few days that even he have taken refuge in it. Mark put on of those green plastic chairs in it to lounge back on. He reckons all he needed was a stubbie and he'd be right!

31/1/11

To round out January.....part of our dinner tonight. in fact, salad has formed the basis of most of our dinners lately given that the weather has been hot and humid.