PIERS FINISHED!!!

Today we finished our house foundations! 116 footings & brick piers all DONE!!! It was such an amazing feeling, to stand there in the middle of all those bricks! I took heaps of photos (will add when I have more time) & stood the kids on piers, until Ivy fell off. What a bad mum I am (Kim says i'm over-reacting). She whined & cried in pain for the rest of the evening, complaining of "an owie" in her arm. We'll see how she is tomorrow, hopefully just a sprain. It was hot, which we're not used to, & everyone was tired. but SO elated!

a well deserved beer

hooray!!!

hooray again (no wonder she fell!)

Christmas

This was Ivy's 2nd Christmas & Finn's 4th! It was good, although different this year. we decided to celebrate Christmas on December 21st this year, so that Chelsea & Brody could leave with Mario for the Woodford Folk Festival http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com/ early (23rd).

We spent 3 nights at Mario's new house on Scotland island. Finn loved the boat rides, both the ferry & Mario's 'fast boat'. We took our new 2 man kayak down & he loved that too, until we put mum & dad in it with a toddler each on their laps & mum (to her shame!) capsized it. Well, it was VERY top heavy! Luckily Finn had a great time alone with dad paddling around & then another great time with Mum & Ivy, so he has some good kayaking memories, although they do seem to be the less memorable. We'll try again in a few weeks!







Brody received his new kayak that we were very proud to have picked up (in shabby condition) for $1 from a garage sale. Kim did a few minor repairs & spray painted it & it looked fabulous. Then on the big morning Brody opened his huge present & couldn't fit in it ) :
We think it must be a white water kayak, designed to be a snug fit & to be righted when rolled. We want him to be able to get OUT quickly. Especially after out little capsize with Finn & Ivy! We were out so quickly then that they hardly got their hair wet! So we are on the lookout for another one for Brody before he get's home from Queensland.


Ivy on the phone


Christmas lunch

happy birthday Brody

Today Brody turned 14. Definitely not a little boy any more, although it only seemed like yesterday that he was. He had a sleep in, we woke him with a chocolate croissant for breakfast followed by scrambled eggs with parsley (a favourite in our house). We then all went off to school to the end of year assembley to see Chelsea get her school certificate. I sat there with Ivy on the breast while Chelsea gave a speech, it was weird! She thanked her parents "all 3 of them"! I was proud!
Brody hadn't been to school since Bosun died, he was so upset we've let him take the rest of the year off, about the last 10 days of school. After school today he has taken the train with his group of friends to randwick for 2 nights where his friend Brenagh has moved. it's strange to not have him here for his birthday night but he's doing what he wanted & will be having heaps of fun. I took a chocolate mud cake to school for him to share with his friends.
We went to Sydney last night to get him & had a birthday dinner at Ibiza, one of his favourite restaurants in Avalon. It was a lovely night.


BRODY IS 14!!!


IVY & MARIO


WHAT A SHOW OFF!



ADORATION


FINN HAVING FUN WITH MARIO

CHELSEA & BRODY WITH THEIR DAD


THE BOYS



TRUE LOVE

Ivy

Ivy thought that Finn was getting too much attention. So she fell over in the local op shop & bashed her head against the floor. I heard the clunk as it hit. I turned, walked toward her as she screamed. Then she stopped. Everything. No screaming, no breathing. Limp in my arms. Only for about 15 seconds but way too long for any parent's liking. Ambulance was called. She breathed & stayed semi-conscious & sheet white for about 15 minutes & slowly came right. Ambulance arrived & they checked her over. Suggested a hospital visit. i chose to keep her calm & watch her but knew she was fine. I wasn't!
We've booked Finn in for a "screening" in early feb. His behaviors is getting more strange by the day I think, or is it my imagination? Am I looking for it? maybe, but I don't think so. Wouldn't kiss me goodnight tonight because he'd brushed his teeth & I hadn't. he's 3 years old for god's sakes.
He's always been great with food but he's starting to get fussy. Apples going too brown, that sort of thing. Wouldn't eat his peas tonight. He's always eaten peas. he's coming out with funny things. life revolves around boats. thank goodness for Duplo. dad makes great Duplo boats! he replicated the Scotland island rubbish boat tonight, to put Finn's rubbish truck on. Finally found his much awaited steering wheel, I think it's supposed to be a Duplo camp fire , bits of wood sticking out but looks like a steering wheel to me (wishful thinking?). Did the trick anyway. he's been hard today. needs company but won't play with kids! Dad's working, mum's trying, he wants us to play! the rain keeps coming, more fog & drizzle than rain today but not outside playing weather.
We had a good weekend. Found a 2 seater kayak at a garage sale. Finn almost wet himself with excitement. it's on the block & he goes fishing, ties it up at wharfs, takes ivy for rides, etc. he knows that we'll hit the water with it at Xmas. He asks questions every day, where, when , how. You'll hang on tight to ivy won't you mummy? he keeps life interesting but our days are SO intense. We managed 4 piers yesterday. i think that makes about 65 of 108. Slow going. Finn had to help, with his own trowel (said with a very round mouth). constant thinking of what he can do next. "what's next dad?", "what can I do now", over & over. don't bother trying to distracting him, a waste of time & energy & he might get insulted, then all hell breaks loose. he sees right through us, no fooling him.
Cannot toilet train him. ivy's pretty much there but he just refuses. Stayed in a poo for 2 hours today because he denied he'd done one & refused to lie down for me & I didn't have the energy to fight him. he wanted his train set & i said "only if I change your nappy". He went without his trains.
my mother tried to call tonight. Spoke to Chelsea for the 1st time this year but apparently didn't ask how she was, how her school certificate went or anything else. Then she proceeded to call Kim's mobile to let us know she got a letter from the bank saying our loan is in arrears. Our building loan is in their name until we are able to re-mortgage when the house is up. So they get all correspondence. I have no idea why it should be in arrears, we were at the bank about 3 weeks ago & all was fine & all payments have been made. It just irks me that my mother wants to call when she thinks we aren't paying a loan that's in her name but has no interest in calling to discuss creating an honest & respectful relationship. my stand in life is this, if it isn't good & healthy I want to change it & if that fails then I reject it. i am open to working on every relationship in my life if the effort is mutual. I believe the world would be a better place if we made a stand to reject the toxic relationships in our life & demand respect & a loving environment for our children. i won't ever talk to my parents unless they accept my request that we focus on improving our relationship. harsh? hardly. for the 1st time in my life I'm being kind to myself, demanding what it is that I need. it only took me 40 years! We're slow to learn & even slower to change, but I know we're all capable of it if we want it badly enough. My children deserve this change.

Finn's Poem

finn
I've always had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right with our little boy Finn. He has always been different. But all my kids are "quirky". So at times I've just settled into thinking he is just part of my unusual but lovely family, keeping life interesting! Then other times I lay awake at night wondering what makes him tick, why he is so challenging in his ways. last week a friend mentioned, when I was venting my frustrations over his behaviour, the word "Asperger's".
When I got home I went online & started reading. I ticked all the boxes. Doesn't make friends or relate to his peers. Plays happily with older & younger siblings, older people in general who are familiar to him. Doesn't like change or upset to routine. Has intensely strong emotions. is highly intelligent with a very good vocabulary. Steers away from affection. Is highly imaginative & obsessive in his interests (boats at the moment). He worries about things that a 3 year old should even notice, eg Ivy going near the road or even that possibility will get him screaming in no time. He has peculiar obsessions with a variety of things, eg having to turn the TV off the instant a program has ended & if you try & stop him he will get extremely upset. If you promise him something he will never forget it. If he wants something he will never forget it until he gets it. E.G. wanted a violin for his 3rd birthday & talked about not much else for 2 months beforehand. Is clumsy & motor skills are somewhat delayed, walked at 16 months, still not riding a tricycle at 3 years 4 months. trips & falls constantly. Will often not listen, even when he asks a question, just repeats himself. Has irrational fears, The Hooley Dooleys, lately the Wiggles, he flips out if he knows Ivy is watching them, even if you offer him another activity in another room. They are "scary". I could go on but that covers most of it I think.
Where to go from here???
last night he made up a little poem:

Humpty Dumpty sat in a puddle

poor Humpty

Give him a cuddle

and a recent one of Ivy at the park

GOODBYE BOSUN BOY

This week our gorgeous dog Bosun left us.
He was with us for 9 years & was loved immensely. We are all in shock. He went to work with Chelsea & Brody's dad Mario, as he always does, on Wednesday this week but Mario hopped out of his car & forgot the dog. He is extremely busy this time of year, he is a yacht rigger. He has many big contracts leading up to Christmas & is always under pressure to get everything finished on time. Bosun spent the day in the car. He was still alive when Mario found him but he didn't make it. It had been hot. Telling Chelsea & Brody that news was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a parent. I had to wait for Kim to get home to take care of Finn & Ivy before I told them, I knew Chelsea & Brody were going to fall apart. He had to get all his tools packed away so it took him about half an hour to get home, such a long half an hour. Time seems to stand still in times like those.
We threw stuff into bags & were on the road to Sydney by 5. We went straight to the vets to say goodbye to him. That was so hard. he looked so fit & healthy & strong.
Mario was, of course, devastated. we stayed that night & the next, just crying & trying to come to terms with it. We have lost a family member.
I wish I'd taken more photos of him. 9 years of great memories will never leave us though. i miss him so much already.