Introducing the team

Christian and I were called 'Team O'Toole" when we taught together a few years ago, and the name stuck. Now that the kids have arrived, we are definitely NOT the captains of the team anymore...

Jack is almost four and a half, and in the last few months has become a typical boy obsessed with cars, dragons and 'baddies". He was named after three of his great-grandfathers, not the 2006 Herald-Sun Top 10 Boys Names List. I love the fact he has three old-fashioned names with a family connection behind them. I also love the fact that if ever I need to pull out "Jack Albert Frederick O'Toole!!" at a playground to get him into the car, it will be excruciatingly embarrassing for him. Probably for me too.  Like most four year olds, he loves anything ridiculous, and recently has begun inventing his own little language which has seeped into the family vocabulary. One of the most commonly used words in our family is "toonkynunk", which loosely translates as "silly-billy", as in "you're a toonkynunk" or "silly toonky!". Rarely is it used in a mean spirit, however it definitely has the potential to do so! Jack has doted on Maisie since the day she was born and will happily spend ages making up silly dances to make her laugh. He is also Phoebe's best friend and would defend her to the death...as long as she wasn't being a complete and utter toonkynunk to him!

Phoebe is our eldest daughter, and will be three in September. All she wants for her birthday is a pink cake (which I think I can manage after Jack wanted a Lightning McQueen cake for his last birthday!). Phoebe was named after Christian's favourite character in "The Catcher In The Rye", a fact we had to explain to the nurses in hospital who thought it was for Phoebe from 'Friends'. Since there is only a gap of 17 months between the two of them (the doctor told us after Jack's birth we'd be very lucky to have any more children and it could take a long time. Uh huh.), I think Jack and Pheebs feel more like twins than siblings. Certainly Phoebe presents a tough little exterior to people, but she is a complete and utter marshmallow. She loves nothing more than cuddling up with a book, or playing with her babies. All of her dolls are named "Baby Mais" after the love of her life. I have had to restrain her more than once from feeding Maisie with her grotty dolls' bottles!!

The undisputed leader of our little team is Maisie Mouse, born in January this year. She is undeniably the cruisiest baby ever, and takes disturbed naps and toys being "shared" with her with aplomb. So far, Mais is following the same developmental program as her brother and sister - no plans to move anywhere in the foreseeable future, but already trying desperately to talk. I have no idea where they all get their propensity for chatting. Seriously. Like most mothers of several children, I am attempting desperately to keep Maisie little for as long as possible. Like most babies of the family, Mais is already trying to be a big kid! Thankfully, she is a Mumma's girl so I will just have to make the most of the baby snuggles while I can. I am actually typing this with one finger while holding Maisie as she sleeps - terrible, I know, but it's my secret indulgence!!