Magic moments and milestones

Yesterday was a first for Lauren. I got Dylan's painting supplies out, fully intending to paint with him, when suddenly Lauren decides she wants to paint too! She did a really great job might I add, only ate the paint at the end, and only covered her entire shirt in paint!! (thank god it was edible paint, and safe to put in her mouth!!) She absolutely loved it. I know she likes to colour with crayons and pencils, but she really loved the paint. It kept her occupied for nearly an hour.

 Dylan had a great time too, but you know he's a pro at this now, sure he's been painting for years!

The finished product!

Days like yesterday remind me of days like this...

 (Dylan age 3)

It only feels like a moment ago, when Dylan was experimenting with textures and colours, and now Lauren is doing it. These kids are growing so fast. It's amazing how watching your kids paint can make you this happy!

Well done Lauren and Dylan

Family news...

We've just finished 24 hours of hell. Dylan had Gastro-Enteritis again, he only had a bout of it over a month ago. He was so sick. I''ve never seen him this bad. There is nothing worse than your child being sick, and there is nothing you can do to help him. All I could do was be there and wait it out with him.

He was so miserable. At one stage we thought we were going to have to take him to the hospital, so I suggested we have a nap and see how we were after. And in those 2 hours he made a really swift recovery. He woke up feeling 100% better. He was full of life again.

He woke this morning and wanted to go to school, but then he seemed to flag and wanted to stay home and rest. So come 9:30am he said he was ok and wanted to go to school. I believed him because he was starting to run round the house and annoy his sister. So I decided to let him go in to school. He wasn't contagious anymore, and he's already missed school when we went to Disneyland. I really didn't want him to miss any more school. So in he went!

We have his school curriculum meeting today at 1:30pm so at least he'll be ok for that now. I really need to do something to keep these bugs away. I'll try giving him a probiotic drink before school and be religious about his multivitamins. There isn't really much more I can do. I've tried to remind him to wash his hands before his lunch and every time he eats. I've tried to remind him not to touch his mouth in school. But he's five and a half there's only so much you can do. Bugs are all part of it!

Lauren and the rest of us don't seem to be showing any signs of getting it this time. I really hope it stays that way. Lauren was put up to bed a while ago and I can still hear her talking and signing to herself. She has so many words now and has started to sing songs. She becomes more like a toddler every single day. She is adorable. She sings all the theme songs to the three shows she watches on TV. It's quite funny.

My baby brother has upped and gone across the world!! he's gone travelling for the year with Siobhan his girlfriend. I'll really miss him. I won't see him for an entire year. This will be the first Christmas ever that we won't see him. It's tough, I hope they have a great time it's an amazing experience.

Well that's all the news this week. Nothing too fun going on around here, unless you count bleaching everything that the carrier monkey has touched fun!!! the joys of parenthood.....

I did manage to finally get a photo of Dylan cycling his 'big boy' bike on Sunday last week. It was ok because we were on our own and none of his friends were there!! Lauren also went for her first bike ride on her new trike.

That's all the family news for now....

Happy Birthday to me!

It was my birthday last week. I had a great day, everyone made me feel really special. When I went into the kitchen after dinner,this is what greeted me...

They have party hats on and everything... you may notice Lauren isn't in the picture that's because she was busy in her high chair eating her party hat! Then I went into the sitting room, to see a lovely best mum mug. I was so impressed! I've wanted a mug like this one for a while! it will make my tea and coffee taste so much better, knowing my favourite little people got it for me...

Then I wanted to take a picture of the two of them, to discover Lauren had taken off her pretty outfit somewhere, and thought she was hilarious. Standing there in her vest and little red strawberry socks! Dylan decided to go all axe murderer on me (look at that expression!!) these two kids are crazy! It makes me love them more though!!

Just when I thought my birthday was all over, my parents arrived for the weekend and I got not one, but two birthday cakes! wow they do spoil me!



Derek took me out after, we had a lovely night... happy birthday to me! and a big thanks to my special family...

Trikes and Training wheels

Lauren will be 19 months old this week. I  have noticed such a difference in her in the last few days.  She has started to say so many words. She is constantly babbling and repeating words when we say them. She copies everything Dylan does. It is adorable to watch. To see how far she's come over the past few weeks. She will sit up on my lap now and watch some cartoons. She will play games with us, run around with us. She is not a baby anymore, it's almost as if she changed overnight into this little toddler. Into a little girl. It's bittersweet watching them go through these changes. I love that they are growing and doing so well, but a little part of me is sad that they are getting bigger, that they need you less and less!

 Yesterday she got her first tricycle! She loves it. When she gets up on it she giggles and says 'yaay' I'm so proud of her...

When I saw her sitting up on her tricycle, It made me think back to when Dylan got his first trike. he was so fascinated by the Bob on the front of the bike, that he wouldn't take his eyes off it even for the pictures. He got it for his second birthday.  So he was 5 months older than Lauren. Look how adorable he was on his trike! He would cycle round in circles staring at Bob the Builder.

He's gotten so big since then, recently he's started to ride his big bike without the stabilisers. Derek took them off back in October last year, but he wasn't ready to take of the stabilisers then. He practiced so hard, but he just couldn't master it. So we convinced him to put the stabilisers back on. He reluctantly did that. Then he got really good on his small bike. He moved up onto the 14" bike, and finally last month took the stabilisers off for good! Now there's no stopping him. He just needed that little extra time and encouragement!

Unfortunately he won't 'allow' me to take a picture of him on his big bike outside, in front of his friends!! so I added some of the older ones. I just love this  photo where Derek is explaining to him how to cycle the bike. Dylan is listening so intently. It's just so adorable. Then the one below was one of their many practice runs on the bike! Derek ran round after that bike for days.

The effort and dedication that they both put into this momentous step in his little life, still makes me smile, and it finally paid off these last few weeks. I love that Derek is such a good and dedicated dad, he never gave up on him. He knew that he would eventually have the balance to cycle the bike... and now he does.... It's funny how he only wanted his dad to teach him to ride his bike. I was there to cheer and offer encouragement, but it was his Dad he wanted to hold that saddle. Derek doing the old trick of ' no I'm not letting go of the saddle, I'm right here behind you!' all the while Dylan is cycling on his own. Then bang down he went!! So we gave him time!!

I remember it like yesterday, my own Dad holding my saddle telling me he wouldn't let go! It's a lovely moment in a child's life! I look forward to this moment with Lauren. Dylan will be there to help and encourage her!

That's all for now...

Disneyland 2010

We got back from Disneyland Paris yesterday. We had a wonderful time. Dylan and Lauren were mesmerised. Being in Disneyland brings out the child in everyone! It was the most fabulous feeling to watch my children's little faces light up with joy. To see the excitement when all of their favourite characters, live and breathe in front of them. I can never explain how lovely it was to experience these days with them. Lauren had never seen anything like this, and Dylan was in awe.

We watched the parades, and strolled through the shops. We had breakfast with the Disney characters. We did our best to go on as many rides as possible. Dylan went on his first roller coaster, and loved it. I really thought he would be too scared to go near it, but he proved us wrong. There was no stopping him. He went on Thunder Mountain three times. In between the photos and the rides I tried to soak up everything that they said and their reactions to things. I know these things will fade from our memory, so I wanted to try and capture their faces in as many photos as I could.

Lauren was a bit frightened by the larger characters, they were huge compared to her, and she'd cry when they came near her, poor pet! She adored the small world ride, which we brought her on twice. She sat transfixed as the dolls danced around her and the magical lights and music. She was in heaven.

My parent's came with us and they were nearly as excited as the kids!

 And so we arrive home, exhausted, but filled with the most wonderful and precious memories... We took so many wonderful pictures, too many to upload, so I decided to make them into a video.

so here it is... Disneyland 2010...

Ice-cream for breakfast and other stories

We came down to visit my parents this weekend. I can safely say that Lauren does not  like to sleep in her travel cot. She woke last night at 3 am and again at 5 and then was wide awake to start the day at 7:30am! And don't get me started on Dylan. He thinks that coming here gives him the right to try and eat ice-cream for every meal. So it's all battles at the moment. 'no you can't have ice-cream for breakfast,' and 'Lauren please go back to sleep.. I'll buy you something, anything, just go to sleep,'

I had rather a bad night and day. I have been having pains in my side and was convinced it was something sinister, The doctor told me I have kidney stones a few months ago, but the symptoms went away and I forgot about them and got on with things. Well the stone in my right kidney has come back with a vengeance. I had to go to the emergency doctor this morning it was so bad. She gave me antibiotics to make sure I don't get an infection, I've to stay on those for a week, and anti-spasmodics to stop the pain and some painkillers. I think that if you shook me today, I'd rattle.

Given my previous line of work, I find it hard to take anything as I know too much about the side effects of everything. I'm telling you I popped those medicines faster than anything today with the pain I was in. I didn't care I'd try anything. Therefore my conclusion is, if you don't feel you should be taking something, then you clearly don't need it! After taking the tablets I felt well enough to keep the appointment I had made earlier in the week to have my hair cut. I'm really happy with it, it's chin length and I love it.I feel slightly more human now.

So other than that we didn't do much. It was pouring rain today, so the kids stayed and played in Nanna's 'playroom' which is more like a play hall!! there are so many toys in there I nearly lost the kids today! They were delighted though, so that's all that matters. Needless to say I didn't get a chance to take any photos today, since I was feeling so ropey. I'll post some next time.

We're officially on the countdown now for our holidays. I think us adults are more excited than the kids! I finished up college for a week, so I'll have plenty of time to get myself and the kids all ready to go!

Now I'm off to put Dylan to bed. Lauren went over half an hour ago and I can still here some giving out from her every now and then. I did mention her hatred for the travel cot!!

Growing up

Lo and behold, I was right, I was playing with Lauren today and noticed all of her eye teeth have come through over the last few days. So now that they are through she's dropped right back into her routine again! She also seems to be doing well drinking the cow's milk, so I might try putting her on it full time when we get back from our holidays.

When I looked at Lauren today and saw all those teeth it reminded me how far she's come over the past year and a half. She decided today that she is too grown up to hold my hand and will say 'no, no' when I ask her to hold my hand. So I've had to get her a safety harness to keep her from running away. She will also try and take her arms out of the straps on her car seat any chance she gets, so she's now almost welded in there!

 Dylan has started playing outside with the older boys and girls for the first time. Even though my heart is in my mouth the whole time. I know how important it is for him to play outside. I still have him brainwashed about not talking to strangers and watching for cars, and not stepping foot off the path. I still watch him the entire time though! although he doesn't know, so he believes he's so grown up.

It's amazing to see how different their personalities are. Lauren is much more independent, she will go down to bed so easily and rarely has a sleepless night. Dylan loves the security of knowing I'm nearby. He will only go to sleep when he knows I'm nearby, and he often wakes up to come in for cuddles. I love the differences in them, and I love that I can spend time with them separately.

Lauren has started to let me put polish on her toes. So we get to do girlie things already. I can only dream of the mother-daughter days to come, and the bond that we will have. And I love the mother - son relationship I have with Dylan.

How lucky I am to have these two little joys, even though some days they drive me insane! and leave loads of toys around them, and I often find piles of random crap in random places. I still love that they are ours and I love watching them grow....

then I think about how big they are getting, so I had to go back and look at some of their pictures...

Dylan- 1 day old

Dylan- 3 weeks old

Dylan - 4 weeks old

Dylan- 5 weeks old

Age 2

Age 3

Trick or treating for the first time as a big boy

Lauren 1 day old

Lauren - 2 days old

They first meet

2 weeks old

First Christmas aged 10 months

First trip to the zoo

First time playing in the playground

When I look back at all these firsts I can't quite believe how lucky we are. These two little people are all ours and they bring so much joy and love into our house. I can see how they develop every day.  I also love to watch their bond grow every minute they are together. I am a happy mommy today.