Camera found

This is the last picture I took on the camera before I lost it. It took me a couple of days to realise I lost my camera and a couple of days to go through in my head all the possible places where I could have left it. Calling the cafe I went to earlier that week yielded good result - someone remembered a camera found in the car park. I called centre management but the lady who found the camera took it home so they had to call her and get her to bring it back. The lady wish to be anonymous so I couldn't thank her, but I'm happy that I can take photos again. I could't take any photos of Lara's first bike ride to the park (luckily Sue took some). I couldn't take photos of Sam sitting on the sand at the beach for the first time. I have forgotten completely that I took this and other picture of Sam and am glad I didn't lose these photos.

Vegetable box

I started ordering organic fruit and vegetables again now that Sam is on meshed food. This is this week's box. This is the second time I ordered Russian curly kale (pitctured in the middle next to bananas and yellow squash) becasue even Lara eat it. All I did was simmer it in water and then stir fry with a little butter, pepper and salt. From the dark green look of it, you know it is packed with nutritions and antioxidants.

The other vegetable that we tried and liked is the yellow button squash. We also had it sliced thinly and fried in butter and seasonings as suggested and it was very nice. The rhubarb (you can't see it in the photo, it's at the bottom of the box) I plan to mesh some for Sam and make the rest into an apple and rhubarb crumble. Sam will also have some of the beetroot, zucchini, broccoli and all of the Asian white sweet potato. The bananas can go into the coconut and banana bread that Simon likes. Any left-over vegetables will all go into a soup or fried rice later on.

I still need to go and buy other vegetables in the shop. I find it very hard to pay $20 a kilo for mushrooms for example. But a box delivered means I've got some of the food covered so we are alright even if I'm too lazy to leave the house sometimes.

Letter to Zebadee

Dear Zeb,

Did you have a good time out by yourself today? I was worried after I found you missing this morning. I couldn't drive around looking for you like I did last time because Sam was asleep, and Granddad couldn't find you. And I was still disappointed at your behaviour when you ran off two months ago - I was very lucky to have spotted you and got off the car very quickly to get your attention. You saw me but ran the other way and disappearred out of sight again. I know you thought I was angry at you so you ran away from me. You did run straight home, but I would like you to come to me when I called you. You were out for so long I thought we lost you for good this time. Daddy was at work but told me not to go and look for you. He said if you want to run away, don't come back, but I know he was worried too because he sounded relieved when I told him you came back.

We still couldn't work out how you got out. We increased the height of a side fence, but you found another way. You obviously came back the same way you left. I kept looking out for you and kept checking the garden for the sight of you. I was in Sam's room putting him to bed when you came back, and you barked at Sam's window to let me know you were home.

I know we have been neglecting you a little because we are busy with Lara and Sam. But you have a big garden to run around so it is very naughty to go out by yourself like that without letting us know. We will be checking all the fences again and make sure you dont' go wander off for your own good. If you have to go wander, please stay on the footpath and don't go too far!

Love Mummy

Walk away

Lara is learning to trace pictures at the moment. Tracing takes concentration and patience, Lara sometimes got frustrated when she couldn't get the lines right and she would scrunch up the tracing paper in anger. Sometimes the same thing happened when she couldn't draw the pictures she wanted or used the wrong colours. I can see how frustrating it was for her, but I wasn't sure how to teach Lara to handle her anger. It's no use telling someone not to be angry when they are angry. And it sets the wrong example if I get angry myself over her behaviour.

Yesterday Lara was playing with her birthday present, the Zhu Zhu salon. She couldn't fix the hair dryer on properly and I could sense her becoming frustrated.
Then I heard a loud sound. I thought toys were being thrown so I went to 'investigate'. I don't know exactly what happened but Lara said she didn't throw her toys. I took this opportunity to explain the consequence of taking anger out on toys. Then an idea came to me. I told Lara to try to walk away next time she could not do something or feel angry. I explained that she would calm down by walking away (plus she wouldn't have broken toys), then she could get back to it and try again later. I didn't know if Lara understood all these but I thought I would try anyway.

A while later, I was feeding Sam when Lara got up quickly from her drawing table and walked to the lounge. She told me excitedly later "Ma ma I walk(ed) away and I feel better now" Oh how hard Lara tried to be better. I'm very blessed to have such a beautiful little girl!

Lara's birthday party

Lara waiting for friends to arrive before the party

Lara had her 4th birthday party last weekend, 7 little friends came to the party. Lara was very excited, talking about the party for days prior. She helped me choosing the balloons and doing the party bags. Lara would like to invite more people (she wanted to invite "everyone" in daycare) but for a first birthday party, 8 was the maximum number of kids I thought I could handle. Luckily the rain stopped for a brief moment so the kids could play outdoors.


Kids playing outside


Birthday cake


consisted of three layers with icing in-between.

The best news about Lara turning four was she doing poo in the toilet. She told us she would do it when she turned four (we had our doubts) and she decided to poo in the toilet on the night of her birthday party, and has pooed almost every night in the toilet since. The bike is down now waiting to be ridden on a sunny day!

[5 months] Very active

Weight: 8.4kg (@ 5 and 1/2 months) Lara was 8.5kg at 6 months.

Sam is very active, legs kicking constantly, especially in the bath, splashing everyone. We frequently find him turned 90 degrees in bed in the morning (not sure how he did it!). Last night, Sam was put to bed on his back at 8pm. When I went to check on him at 10, he had turned 180 degress and was on his tummy! He mastered rolling from his back to tummy a few weeks ago, still learning rolling from tummy to his back. I sometimes have to pin him down to change his nappy so he can't roll on the change mat, oh he tried.



Sam is very interested in watching us eat. I started him on meshed food before Christmas because he started getting up at night again. He has tried sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, beans, apple, nectarine and mango so far. He definitely prefers the sweeter fruit than vege.

Sam fell to the ground from his baby rocker and the couch a couple of times, but he didn't seem to mind. He giggles when being tickled and fell asleep in front of tv last week. He's growing up fast.

She wants to come to my birthday party

We went shopping last week. Simon went to check out something in JB hifi and I sat watching Lara play at a playpen thing with Sam in the pram. Lara came back five minutes later with a little girl. "Mum she wants to come to my four year old birthday party" Lara said pointing to the little girl behind her. "What is her name?" I asked. "Dont' know". OK. Are we inviting strangers to the party already?

She followed the girl to see her Mum too but they left soon afterwards. Lara went back to play. Another five minutes later, Lara came back with a little boy and told me he was her friend. Simon came back and it was time to go. The little boy ran to his Mum and brought back a packet of stickers. He wanted to give it to Lara, I confirmed with his Mum that it was OK. Lara was very happy.

That night, Lara did 3 drawings using these stickers. Here is one of them.

New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's Eve at the beach. It was a lovely warm day, we arrived at the beach just after 4pm. We had planned to leave home ealier but it just took so long to get ready these days, with all the kids stuff we had to have with us. Simon set up the new beach tent then took Lara to play while I looked after Sam. We swapped an hour later, I played with Lara at the beach while Simon had a rest in the tent. The sea breeze was quite strong, the afternoon sun warm but not unbearable like the mid-day sun. Sam had a little sleep. We had fish'n' chips and burger, another little play before we headed home at around 7pm. People started to arrive while we were packing up to leave. There were various activities and performaces on at the beach to celebrate the new year. Lara and I danced to the beat of drums feeling very festive. Having two young kids, we couldn't stay. The aim is to not spend a long time at the beach each time but go frquently.

Lara was of course unhappy to leave, she loved the beach and could spend the whole day there.