COMPLETELY MAD

Hi all lots has been happening as always. I'm sure you all know what it's like. I'm sitting back having a glass of red wondering if I've gone completely mad. I will have 6 boys in my house tomorrow night. It's Chayses 9th birthday. He's having 10 friends over for a few hours and 2 are staying the night. Yep mad !! Hopefully photos will follow but I've just got my new fan dangled computer and it's going to take me a while to get everything transferred over, especially while the boys are on school holidays. Thought I'd put this link up of the boys when they were in the Herald Sun Newspaper promoting the Childrens Hospital. Once you are on this page look over on the right at the stories. We are under the heading Hospital part of the Family. Click on it to check it out. http://www.goodfridayappeal.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=6669

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU Yes Corey and I have found ourselves to be the entertainers when it comes to watching the Grand Final for Aussie Rules. This year we had 7 families here for the day. We did it last year and they kind of all invited themselves back for this year. Most of our circle of friends live in town whereas we have no neighbours and acres for the kids to run around on. It was a good day with too much wine and a great tea to top it off. Everyone pitches in and brings a salad or dessert and we cook up a BBQ. With each family having 3 or 4 kids there were plenty here. The weather was beautiful on 34 although with the wind and the heat the kids were exhausted running all day. It didn't end here till 1 in the morning with all the guys. I think I snuck off to bed at 11 and still paid for it the next day. (actually yesterday was a bit of a weary day to I must admit). Corey still can't figure out how the 5 guys left managed to finish off all that scotch!! Below are some photos of Chayse with his beloved Sascha doing what I felt like all day, lazing around...

Well the boys have enjoyed the holidays so we are all happy. I was dreading them thinking 2 weeks with 4 boys HHMM. I've found that holidays can either be hard work with winging kids that are bored or fun if you schedule something every day. Nothing big or expensive mind you. Like yesterday by about 3 o'clock they were just starting to get to each other so we jumped in the car and headed to the park for a play. Grabbed them an ice-cream on the way home and the mood was very uplifted when they got home.

Today I needed a day at home to catch up on all those dreaded chores. We played a game of soccer in the sun and they are now all having a turn on the X-box. They think this is great as it usually only goes on every now and them on a weekend. Tomorrow we are meeting my mum for lunch and a day out. HHmm only Thursday and Friday to get through and Friday is show day here so we should be set. Yes I can survive 2 weeks home with a house full of boys, although one day last week Chayse and Brodie each had a friend come over for the day. 6 boys!! How will I ever survive when they all want one each and I have 8 ????????

Bestest day ever Well on a normal Wednesday when the boys are at school I run around and do the groceries, pay the bills and basically get some shopping done. It's my one day to myself as Parker is in creche at ABC learning that day. Logan has kinder in the morning but the afternoon is his time with me until I pick Chayse and Brodie up from school. I did that with them when they were doing the kinder year. We shop then go out for afternoon tea etc. Just one on one time. Being school holidays now I try to make Wed. a day when we can all go out and do something. Today the boys took their pocket money and shopped. They only had $20 each so it was an interesting learning curve for them about what things cost. They browsed for a long time and couldn't decide but were most happy when they paid for their items. We had lunch at the Carriages (an old train done up as a restaurant) and just enjoyed the day together. My mum came with us. I was most impressed that they all used their manners. When the boys were going to bed last night Chayse and Brodie said it was the bestest day they've ever had. I'm really beginning to enjoy going out with them more now they are getting older. They are so much easier. Having my baby be three is also making things better. We still do have the odd tantrum but over all it's better now that I'm over the baby stage trying to manage 3 other boys. Another 12 months and I might be able to get the four of them on the plane to Queensland. If they'd sit still long enough!!!

Four happy boys. They bought Parker a spiderman toy which much to my delight woke me up at 6.30 this morning smoothering me in kisses. MWAA MWAA (thanks for that Parker)

Chayse and Brodie had footy dress up day on the last day of term. Of course Logan had to get out his long socks and came out of his room like this. Socks over his Pjs. When he did go to get dressed he put on his boxer shorts with them to be like the boys.

AREN'T BIG BROTHERS THE BEST... Being an eldest child myself I'm rather mothering to my younger brothers. I can now see Chayse delighting in being the one the others run to. Wether it's Logan wanting to play, Parker racing to Chayse for protection after his bath so mum won't put his pyjamas on or Brodie just being the usual side kick. It does warm my heart to see them close.

The Awesome Foursome

I wish you things to catch your heart in beauty, in joy and in amazement.

Things that will make you shout with laughter and stir you to excitment.

Have fun. Enjoy what lies ahead......Be brave. Be curious. Be courteous.

Discover a wider world.

I wish you the joy of always having someone to share things with.

" Love you bigger than the world"

(Ooohh Parker)

(Even in My Dreams)

you were Perfect,

Even when I sleep your still worth it.

Love that song by Vanessa Amorosi.

Last night was a milestone. It was the very first, yes that's right the first night I've been able to sleep through without one of the boys waking me for something. It's been almost 8 years since that's happened. With 4 boys one is either having a nightmare, going to the toilet, or just being Parker asking for a cuddle 5 times a night. Don't get me wrong he's fine once we tell him it's still sleep time and he asks for "carry" to which I say no your too big to carry or "hand" and we lead him back to his bed. He jumps straight in and goes back to sleep instantly but I'm then wide AWAKE !!!

To tell you the truth for some reason I feel incredibly tired this afternoon. Maybe it was too much sleep for me. After all 5 or 6 hours sleep has been the norm for so long.

Note : actually I can't even focus on this with Parker trying to squeeze my face together with his baby hands and whispering "IwuvYou"

Time to sign off as he's now insisting on "Wizees Mum" (he likes sitting on my knee while I swing the chair around.)

Inspired by the Superprincess

After seeing the gorgeous Superprincess series I sent a challenge to Mandy and Kate at Belle and Boo. I wanted a picture of my 4 boys in their treehouse. When it arrived in the mail I was beyond words. It was exactly what I wanted.I had all the boys wearing their favorite colored tee shirts. Logan of course always runs outside with just his top and yellow boots and picks me a bunch of the yellow daisies every morning. Chayse is always climbing the tree or flying around in his cape and Brodie is always being adventurous with binoculars, telescope or something. Parker is on the slide with our new puppy Sascha and our Kitty is hiding behind the tree. The colours were exact. It even has the Magpie that visits us every so often. Mandy you are amazing. A Zillion thank yous.

Treehouse Treasures

PARKER AFTER HIS FIRST EGG...

BAN THE BLOODY BUNNY..... Easter.... hmm what can I say. Too much chocolate still lurks about in my fridge and I believe my boys are still hyperactive from it all......... let me take you back Chayse had 3 parties to go to on Saturday. Two different groups of friends and yes he got invited to both parties, same day, same time, much to his discust. Well we did half at each. That was annoying enough travel from place to place with three other boys on board over lunch time. Too much sugar with double overload of cake and lollie bags etc . We then had my youngest brothers 30th. We said to the boys please behave and use your manners. Simple request, right. So the night was going great, mind you we were the only family with all boys. Everyone else had either one baby or girls so my boys were having a ball with everyone getting them soft drinks etc. They were dancing around one minute to the band when all of a sudden I've looked up and noticed everyone looking at the front and all the young guys laughing. I stand up to see my eldest two into each other, wrestling but getting more serious by the minute. Ohhh my God. In front of everyone. Corey goes up and drags them off each other and Brodie is now in tears as it's got that serious they are literally trying to punch and hurt each other. I was soooo embarrased...... Mind you they were best friends 5 minutes later while I was left with the embarrasment of it all. Some big misunderstanding because they couldn't hear what the other was saying due to loud music. Well they did behave for the rest of the night and we lasted till midnight. Got the boys home to bed and then Corey was going to head next door to the work shed to get the kids Easter Eggs and bring them home. He sells them you see so I didn't buy them this year. We get the kids to bed and then realise we can't find the keys to the shed. We searched for an hour and I start to panic saying the kids can't wake up to no eggs. Well by 1.30am we had to go and wake his parents and get their keys (family business you see) to get into the shed for bloody eggs...... By now we were so cranky I was cursing the bloody bunny. I was even more grumpy by the end of easter Sunday with kids high on chocolate. You see by the time the aunties and uncles all bring their egg to the kids I'm saying enough is enough. IT"S TOO MUCH................ Hence ban that bloody bunny.

Hope you all had an eventful easter too...... Happy Easter everyone.... no really...... I do mean it........

IF YOU THINK MY HANDS ARE FULL YOU SHOULD SEE MY HEART.

I LOVE that saying sooo much. I think it is just beautiful. Don't you?

I hate this stinking hot 44 plus degree weather though. When are we going to get a break from this humidity. I must admit though as much as I hate that the kids stay inside all day because of the extreme heat I love the nights. By about 7.30 the boys race outside to run under the water sprays. (yes we are in a drought and yes it is channel water so we are allowed to use it, thankfully). I love getting out at night. It is very relaxing after a stressful day with the boys couped up in house. These are a few in flight pics. I snapped tonight of them on the trampoline while getting wet.

Age of Innocence Don't you love the age where children are young enough to play imaginary games and yet be mature enough to take the part of family organiser. Chayse is exactly that age. He loves nothing more than flying aroung the yard in his Spiderman suit and yet he has such a mature well spoken side that only comes out when he allows it. I walked outside on Sunday to find him picking up all the branches that we had cut back the night before. We hadn't finished picking them all up so he took it upon himself to do what dad had been doing. He got the wheel barrow and did load after load. He must have been buggered but he wouldn't give up. He said he loved helping and now Dad would have even more time to play with him. Chayse ended up organising all his brothers and getting them to help too. We made sure we spent an extra long time playing hide and seek and chasey with them that afternoon. He was so proud to have helped.

Lifting Parker so he could put his branch in.

I've finally gotten around to making my own site. I hope to find a bit of time every few days to update my blog with the things that make me smile. Be ready to read a lot about my four beautiful, but busy little boys. Cheers for now and I will hopefully meet many of you through this site.

Kristen