Cheers 
and Happy New Year to you all.
and Happy New Year to you all.So what do you do if your a three year old and having to have a bath and go to bed at 10pm on New Years Eve? Take your 3 year old cousin and your glowy sticks into the bath with you, turn the lights off and have a delighful time of course!
It was so cute, they were so excited. Isaac spent all today talking about the 'colours' he had in the bath last night. (He even has the time right for a change. Anything that has happened in the past is refered to as happening "last night" at the moment.)I hope you all had a happy and safe new years.
2009.....
A couple of years ago I set myself a word to focus on for the year. One little word is a concept promoted by Ali Edwards on her blog, and Ive decided to join in again this year.
'My word' is organise.
Not a pretty word, nor a particularly inspirational word, but one which I feel is relevant to me right now.
I feel as though I need to organise, my life, my home, and my family in order to stay on top of all the stuff, physically and emotionally, that comes with being a family of 6.
Orgainse the house so that everything has a place (and hopefully makes its way back there after being used!)
Organise myself so I know when and where everyone is/should be/needs to be and how they are getting there and back and who is taking them and what they need etc.
Organise the family, so that everyone knows what they need to do to help out, and hopefully does it!
If we get more organised life should run a lot smoother for all of us and there should be more time to focus on spending time doing the fun stuff, the family stuff and the stuff for me that Id like to do.
Sounds good in theory - lets see how I do! I cant even find a diary that will be of practical use to me and assist in my organisational journey on a day to day basis. So Im in the process of designing and printing my own - my old diary lasts until tomorrow, so Ive still got time LOL
It needs to have room for family stuff, each persons individual stuff, to do lists, menu planning space, birthday reminders and more - I will make something that works!
Im also embarking on the ever popular photo a day challenge for January 2009. ( Ideally I would love to do 365 days and get a snapshot of the entire year, but I will see how I go for the first 30 days I think.)
I have to edit my photo's yet, so I will be back soon with that. Im going to give them their own posts. Ive decided to choose two photos from each day. One will be something and the other one will be someone.
Lastly I wanted to say a huge congratulations to Janine K for winning a place on the For Keeps elite team for this year and another massive congratualtions to my gorgeous friend Kathie - not only did she win the photography award in the FK awards for excellence, she is also one of the Scrapbooking Memories masters for 2009.
I also got you a special little decoration with your name engraved on it for your first Christmas.
We will hang it on the tree each year along with the ones the boys recieved for there first Chrismas'.
Of course I had to take Christmas photos of you all,
and eventually make the difficult choice of which I would use to make our annual Christmas Card. Mummy has been sending out a photo Christmas card every year since Calebs first Christmas.
You were so good through out both preformances, despite it being way past your usual bed time. Isaac was an 'angel' (who ran a little wild - but apparently cutely so!) in the first preformance and then took a little walk with Grandma & Grandpa through the second show (thank goodness!) Caleb and Nathan were both Sheperds again this year. They even got a sheep each to look after.
You opened your presents, but as expected were more interested in the paper! By the time everyone had opened all their gifts you and Isaac were having a lovely time playing in the pile of torn wrapping. 
Opening presents Christmas Eve after church has always been the tradition with Daddys side of the family, and this year was tinged with a little sadness. Nanna & Pappa are moving, and this will be the last year that we will be sitting in their lounge at the house Daddy grew up in opening our gifts.
and drifted peacefully off to sleep for the night.
We had just finished when the boys all came wandering out, bleary eyed, but excited and ready to see what was under the tree for them. 
It was time for more of that wonderful wrapping paper to be strewn around the room.
You had some fruit and yoghurt before your nap and woke as we were about to have lunch. We ate outside under the pergola. You sat in the high chair - the same chair I used when I was a little baby -
and devoured roast potatoes, roast parsnip, ham, turkey and pork.
Much to your obvious delight they were all wrapped in yet more of that crinkly, scrunchy paper! Your chubby little arms and legs were flapping about in excitement as the Daddys started handing out the gifts to everyone.
Once again you spent most of the time engrosed in all the things you could do with the sheets of discarded wrapping paper. 
You sit and stretch and reach to get what you want. You sometimes lay on your back and push yourself along backwards with your legs - this looks hilarious, but your enjoyment of it is always short lived. You would much rather be sitting up than laying down. The only time you are content laying is bed time. You sit on your bottom and rock to try and reach things. I would not be at all suprised if you bum shuffle rather than crawl ! 
either before or after (depending on sleep times etc) a breastfeed then down for the night somewhere between 6pm & 7pm.
to the cot. 
Mummy did a little redecorating in the nursery - made some new art for the walls, sewed a ruffle for the cot, and set up it all up with the gorgeous quilt set I bought while I was pregnant with you. I first put you in the cot with the blanket you always had over you in the cradle as something that felt and smelt familiar. You still cuddle up to this as you go to sleep.
Most of the time when you wake from your sleep you lay in your cot quietly and watch your mobile, or play with your teddy till we hear you rustling about and get you up.
Ive started putting a hairband on you sometimes as well, to keep the long whispy bit out of your eyes. I cant bear the thought of cutting it yet - surley you cant be getting old enough to need a haircut already baby girl.
She was fascinated with his beard,
she was fascinated with the Christmas tree decorations,
and generally quite bemused about the jolly man in red. 
He even commented on how nice it was to have a baby that old giggling and laughing on his knee instead of screaming in terror. I always take the kids to see Santa in Myer. They are great. They are more than happy to let you take pics with your own camera (mind you I only had the little point and shoot which was a little frustratng after being used to the DSLR!) and they even came after me to give me a the little paper hat & key ring gift as I forgot to get one on the way out! Its so nice that they are more than happy for kids to just visit with Santa - it feels like more of the spirit of Christmas than some places that wont even let you look at him if you arent going to buy there pics!
I cant believe how grown up the older boys are looking.
A close up of the pics I did for the wall. I was sick of the canvases thatI had up.
The little girl was heavily insired by one I had saved in my favourites folder (from etsy I think) and I designed the other two to compliment that one. 
With the cheekiest grin he informs he is collecting them! Nath often does things slightly differently to everyone else, and I couldnt resisit a photo. I popped them all into a dish to photograph. I was making comments about how strange it was to collect everyone elses empty (yes they are empty ones) glue sticks when he piped up next to me. "Oh thats not all of them, Ive got more. I collected them during the term and they are in a shoe box under my desk" hence all the rest around the dish! There are 27 of them.
