My cute little man.

I'm well aware that I'm extremely biased but I'm not sure that they come much cuter than this? And he is even more gorgeous to meet in real life. This little boy is so full of character and SO mischievous and cheeky. He is the kind of kid that you can't help but laugh at while in the middle of (supposedly) sternly telling him off. He has this innocent face that makes your heart melt and instantly brings a smile to your face just to look at him. He exudes personality and character.

This boy will break some hearts... He's already breaking mine. Today he turns 2!!! Number 2 has certainly grown very quickly and I just wish I could hit the pause button. He's just lovely at the moment and I'd like this age and stage to last a lot longer. On their birthdays I can't help but remember back to their birth and boy, did our lives change when this boy entered our world.

I love Hayden for all that he is, I love watching him every day. I love his spongy cheeks and when he's in my arms I can't help but constantly kiss those juicy chops. What an incredible experience it is to be his mother.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN!!!!!!!!!! XXXX

Terrific towers

Today Lachlan surprised me by building this tower all by himself. I'm very proud of my little man!

Would the pathetic blogger please stand up!!

Ok, so it's been a while. I think I'm still trying to work out my objectives and visions for this blog. When I began I seemed to be in a deep-thinking frame of mind and I wanted a place to express my thoughts and write. Then I also wanted to document my daily life with a wonderful husband and gorgeous children. I don't feel ashamed of my life and I really love my life but sometimes it all just seems a little too boring.... Why would you want to read about that i think? And then I had another thought the other day - do I gloat? Is telling the technological world my daily achievements gloating? Well, there I go again.... perhaps just thinking too deeply. But today I go an answer. (Isn't it strange where you get answers to your equally weird thoughts from?)

Today in reading "Contentment: Inspiring insights for LDS mothers" (because though I am very content, you can always do with more contentment) I found this quote:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It it our light, not our dakness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually who are we not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsiously give other people permission to do the same.

I think that's what I love about reading other people's blogs - seeing them shine and all the things they're accomplishing and commiserating of the difficulty moments or times life throws at us. That, and quite honestly, I'm just a down-right nosey-parker.

On a lighter note. We have been having heaps of fun lately.

To name a few of the fun things we've done lately:

~ been to 'toddler tuesday' at the state library in the city

~ visited the museum with friends

~ enjoyed playgroup outings with great friends for me and the kids!

~ baked cakes

~ we enjoy trips to the supermarket and Aldi

~ made owls out of paper plates

~ watched playschool everyday

~ gone to storytime at the local library every Tuesday

~ swam at the beach on the Queen's birthday

~ discovered that my boys' favourite toy to play with is the baby (doll)

~ seen our first-cousin-once-removed(???) blessed

~ read "Good-night kiss Sam" far too many times than I liked

Right now I'm just loving my life. The kids are at good ages - they love each other so much and entertain themselves so well and I am just in a happy place. Every day is different. Some days really stretch my patience, some days are a breeze. But i get to the end of every day and I feel sad that another day is over and my kids are another day closer to growing up. Where is the time going? The other day Lachlan got a joke and laughed at it adding some totally appropriate and applicable comment and I had a sudden lightbulb/Oprah moment - when did Lachlan suddenly get so big? I wrote in a card this week to a friend with her first baby, about enjoying the journey and adventure. Growing up and changing stages is just all part of the journey I guess. I wonder where the train will take us tomorrow....

My little parrot

A conversation between Lachlan and I yesterday at home while we were tidying up:

Me:  Lachlan could you put my shoes away for me?

Lachlan:  Mum you didn't say please.  I will if you say it nicely.  

Me:  Oh!  Lachlan darling could you put my shoes away please?  

Lachlan:  Sure.  I'd love to do that.

Potatoes come in all colours 'round here!

I can't believe I've done this.....

Lachlan hates and I mean HATES potato done any way except as chips - not mashed potato, not roast potatoes, not baked potato with lashings of butter and sour cream, not shepherd's pie (heaven help us if the dreaded mashed potato is touching the other nice food.  He goes into hysterics and refuses to eat anything that's touched the white stuff) - just chips and wedges.  I am ashamed to admit that I have taken to colouring our mashed potato just so that he will eat it.  He's still not in love with mashed potato but 60% of it got eaten tonight which is another big fat tick to me!  

Is there a way to get him to eat the Lamb casserole that the rest of us devoured tonight??  His dinner looks a little sparse tonight because I did roast pumpkin which he also flat-out refuses to even touch...

Recent happenings.....

A few weeks ago we had a FHE lesson about the Holy Ghost, likening it to a candle.  I'm marking this one as a success purely because Hayden actually came and participated!

Anzac Day 2009 - We went to Nanna and Pop's for dinner and of course, visited the chooks as we always do.  I remembered my camera this time and so got a few good shots of the boys feeding the chooks.  They love it!  We usually visit the cow that lives in the ajoining field but it wasn't there that day, much to their disappointment.    

This week's craft activity:  Nature pictures.  We went for a walk in the garden and collected some things.  Then we just went crazy with glue sticking them on.  Lachlan did a really good job -he just loves craft.  Hayden just wanted to paint with the glue!  It was a good activity and we will be doing this one again.  I've got out of the habit of doing craft activities at home and feel a bit more inspired after this one.  We've been out a lot lately but I need to get back into staying home and planning some interesting activities.  

  

Who wouldn't think this boy cute??  He's full of SPUNK though.....

When Lachlan was 20mths+ he began an obsession with "cooking" in my kitchen.  This entailed taking out all the saucepans and some plastic mixing bowls and pouring the contents of his water bottle amonst the pots and bowls.  He was even known to take the milk out of the fridege and use it.  Well, very interestingly, over the last couple of weeks I've watched Hayden develop the same "cooking" style.  He takes out all the pots and spreads them out on the kitchen floor and stirs like his life depends on it!  I have't seen Lachlan play this 'game' for a loooooooong time - ot really sure where Hayden saw this happening.  

Pot lids are not just for cooking though as you can see by this little piggie!!! 

Advice from a 3yr old

A conversation between Lachlan and I while bringing in the washing:

Me:  Lachlan, can you do a job for me please?  Can you pick up all of those clothes that have fallen on the grass?

Lachlan:  Why did you throw them all on the floor Mum?

Me:  I didn't.  They fell on the grass because I didn't put pegs on them.

Lachlan:  Next time you should use pegs Mum so they won't get blowed off by the wind and go all over the grass.  Then we won't have to pick them up.  (As he drags the lovely white clothes along the ground and dumps them in the basket.)

Thanks Lachlan...