Wow. Talk about remiss. I do so desperately hope you haven't gone and found someone else to have a coffee with while I have been otherwise engaged....???? I can assure you, I have missed you all terribly, and my bloggy fingers have been itching all week. However, all will be revealed (and with any luck, you'll forgive me!) It might take a while, but I shall explain everything.
So.
I think we spoke last on Thursday, before the fete?? Yes?? So considering the week I have just had, perhaps it would be better if I paraphrased somewhat...
Things I have Learned / Done / Loved / Laughed At This Week:
1. The School Fete
It was awesome fun!!!! Lots and lots of squealy rides, sausages in bread, hundreds of kids all in the same school uniform running amok...my highlight was watching the Ballerina drive a go-kart into the inflatable barricade (over, and over again...), all the time concentrating so hard on her driving there was a little furrow between her brows. We will have no concerns at all when Phoebe gets her licence. She drives like her great-grandmother.
2. Friday night dinner with my family
My beautiful brother Josh, who lives very far away in Brisbane, was visiting last weekend with his gorgeous girlfriend. They don't come down very often, and when they do, there's always a thousand people to catch up with! So having Joshie for a whole night was a bit spesh. To mark this occasion, my mum frantically organised a family dinner at the local Thai restaurant. So after the fete we deposited the kids in their jarmies, left them with Grandma, and met my parents, Argie, my brother and sister and their partners, and had a fabulous family dinner. Good food? Check. Great company? Check? Oodles of Dad jokes? Check!
3. Open Day at Ballet
Saturday morning saw us at our local hall, bright and early, to sit and watch Phoebs and Jack do their thing at ballet lessons. You know how much I love ballet - well, imagine watching your small daughter point her toes and pretend to be a fairy!! Too cute. Phoebe delights in her ballet so much it makes my heart hurt just to watch her. And she's still little enough to be adorable when every move is awkward and leggy, like a colt trying to get used to standing up. Watching Jack move to the music and emulate his teacher, I was struck by how grown-up he has become. All of a sudden, I'm not leaning over him, holding his hand and helping him do the dance moves...he's big enough to learn the choreographed moves to "The Cat In The Hat" all by himself, and perform them for an audience. Wow. Isn't it funny how you are so proud when your child learns to do something all by themselves, and yet at the same time a tiny bit of you is heartbroken at the thought of yet another step away from babyhood? Or is that just me? (Not that I want my kids to be babies forever. I suppose it's the paradox of motherhood that you strive for independent, resilient children, while simultaneously dreading the day they no longer need you.)
4. The New Pram
On Saturday I purchased a new pram. Now, before you remind me that my last child is nearly walking, etc., etc., my old pram died, and I needed a new one. Ok? After waiting for 20 minutes for service in Baby Bunting, I walked out. Which paid off in the end, because Target were having a sale and I got a fantabulous pram uber-cheap. Even better than that, the pram came in a large box, which provided our three kids with entertainment for approximately four hours on Saturday afternoon. Even the Mouse!! Once Maisie discovered she could climb inside the box as well as the other kids, well...game over, my friends. The Mouse was in the house.
5. The Templar Knight
You might be wondering why I had not blogged by this point. Well. After hearing that my darling husband had a "Medieval Day" at school on Monday, and he needed a costume, I spent Saturday and Sunday nights sewing a tunic and cloak to make my husband into Sir Christian. Did I mention my sewing machine is in storage? So I sewed that costume by hand, including the red cross made of felt on the chest plate. And I was rather proud of my efforts, because he looked pretty spiffy all decked out on Monday morning!! (And just for the record, I reckon this proves how much I love him...and earns me some serious shoe-money at the same time!)
6. Snotty, sneezy, death-warmed-up
After sitting up reeeeaaaalllllyyyyyy late hemming and embroidering and pricking my finger over the weekend, I woke up on Monday with a rather stinky cold. So I dragged myself through the day, dragged myself through tutoring on Monday night, and dragged myself home to bed. No blog. (Blogging withdrawal??? Oh yes indeedy!!)
7. Playing with Aunty Tan
Even though I felt pretty average on Tuesday, the girls and I had a playdate with Aunty Tan and her kids. Lunch with Tan is always lovely - she is an amazing cook and a great friend. It is too easy to sit with her for several hours and not notice the passing of time! The kids played outside in the sun, we had coffees and fetched hats and drinks of water and wiped noses and bottoms, and it was nice not to have to do it alone. Thanks Tan!!
8. Bleurgh
Wednesday? Sick as a dog. Spent the morning watching Jack's Easter bonnet parade at school - the school was awash with hat-confectionery and excited kiddies. Jack looked suitably adorable in his "bonnet", smiling and waving at me from the little line of trotting Preppies. When the excitement was all over, I took the girls home and let my guard down. The afternoon was a blur. Chattering three year old. Teetering one year old. Too much unfolded washing. Sneezing. Bleurgh.
9. Rock 'n' Roll Little Ossie
Last night I squeezed Jack into an appointment at the hairdresser's (yep, this mummy forgot about phot day until the last minute!!) He was so impressed with his 'do, that he didn't want to sleep on it in case he flattened it. So we promised him that he could spike it back up with Daddy's wax this morning for the photos. And when his hair was gorgeous, and we were on our way to school, Jack piped up from the back seat of the car and said, "Mum! I'm like a rock'n'roll Little Ossie with my hair, aren't I?" Oh yes, sweetie. Especially the way you bop along to Gold 104.
10. Maisie's Milestone
And today? Today was a momentous, amazing, happy, (and inwardly teary) day. Because today, my baby, my Mouse, took her first stumbly, tottery steps. She had been practicing all week - we'd moved beyond cruising around the furniture and had progressed to standing up in the middle of the floor, giggling hysterically and plopping down on the tushie. And after she had used a toy box to climb on top of the TV cabinet (Jesus, Mary and Joseph, my heart nearly stopped, I can tell you!!), and after she had danced and fallen and jigged and fallen, she stood up on her bandy little legs, and walked across the room. And then spent the next eight hours practicing!! It's funny, apparently, this walking business. It must be. Maisie didn't stop laughing all day.
And so now, I am sitting here when I should be in bed, sleeping my cold away. Instead, I am scratching my bloggy itch because I can't drive around writing imaginary blogs in my head anymore. My last baby discovered walking today, which means that very soon, crawling will be a thing of the past. In the blink of an eye, the Mouse will be a fully-fledged toddler, and our days with a baby in the house will be over. On Friday night, Sonia, my brother's girlfriend, gave me some very sage advice. I had been telling her how I would keep having babies forever if I could, and how I was trying to hold onto to Maisie's babyhood. And beautiful Sonia told me that although I would be sad to lose my 'little' babies, there was no way I could stay sad when there was so much to look forward to. She said, "Your kids will keep you so busy doing wonderful things that you won't have time to be sad. No, they won't be tiny weeny babies again. But think of all the amazing things that are coming. Think of all that is ahead of you. There's no way you can be sad, when you have such amazing kids." How right she is.
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