One week is never enough.

All holidays should be a minimum of two weeks. Ah, if only we were made of money :)

As all beach holidays should be, we did next to nothing. We ate, Pa made coffee, we walked to the beach, we ate and Pa made coffee, we had a sleep, woke up and Pa made coffee, went in the pool, ate mangoes and Pa made coffee. Times that by seven days and you pretty much get the idea.

The light was beautiful by the time we headed down to the beach on the first day, but did I have any takers? Noooooooo. Isaac gave me one disgruntled shot before it was all over. I ended up hardly taking any photos the whole time - sand, water, beach bags, kids and 5D's do not go well in a sentence.

Steve took one of me ala naturel holiday mode...

Cassidy had fun. But then she usually does.

She liked the outdoor shower. I don't think either of the kids showered indoors all week.

I snapped this one as they came in the gate after a bike ride. The story differs depending on who's telling it, but apparently Steve told Isaac to hold his bike for a moment (with Cassidy on the back) and Isaac dropped it -and her- into a muddy puddle. The look of disgust was evident but she was mainly worried about the state of her nail polish.

Braids are essential for beach going girls.

Isaac has an unfortunate swimming hair line :)

Cassidy as a cat with a banana and Isaac as himself.

We went to see the new Bond flick with Heidi. More action than storyline seems to be the new flavour of Bond. I just can't seem to (ahem) bond with Daniel Craig. He's a bit too Zoolander for me. He looks like he practised the shaken but not stirred expression one too many times in front of the bathroom mirror before going for the audition. I mean lets face it, you just can't beat Pierce.

The house was fantastic and it allows dogs so both the Tobalicious and Bonnie (Mum and Lyall's dog) came along as well. I have decided if the dogs were compared to people personalties, Toby would be a surfer who "just totally rocks it, man" and Bonnie would be one of the elderly matriachs off a daytime soap.

Toby thinks Bonnie is an uptight cow that doesn't know how to have a good time. Bonnie thinks Toby is the devil himself and would prefer to like down in a darkened room breathing into a paper bag rather than play.

Needless to say Toby is outside, Bonnie inside. In fact, I think if you put Bonnie outside she'd keel over and die from experiencing the elements. She took great delight in pracing la la la fashion past the open door to rub this in.

Hopefully more photos to come once I steal them off Mum and Lyall's camera :)

and we're off!

Hopefully.

At the moment we're both just running around wrangling kids in a blind panic, trying to finish up client stuff and pack.

We're going to Marcoola for the week. I am telling myself it will be great once we actually get out of here.

Here's one pic of the girl last night before we left for her concert, which was just too adorable for words. I think I've figured out why there's the joke about babies born in September. It's not from the parents having too good a time over Christmas/New Year...it's after they see their kids in these concerts and they're just so cute they can't stand it so they go home and think "one more won't hurt, eh?"

Heaps and heaps of photos to come, she was just gorgeous. We covered her in bells and she "jingled all the way" that's for sure! We'll be back on the 30th. xoxo

Christmas dress 101.

It's that wonderful time of year when school and kindy teachers send home notes about your kids' concerts with that dreaded line "please bring them along in a Christmas outfit".

Usually, I guilt Heidi into making stuff for my kids. She's one of those annoying people that can sew stuff without a pattern. But considering she was inconsiderate and has a newborn this year :) :) I had the dreaded feeling it was up to me.

Just as the realisation that I'd have to sew something was sinking in, I had a lightbulb moment. She had a white dress, and I had ribbon and bells.

The result: A removable waist-tie-belt-thing.

If you want to whip one of these up, all you need to do is measure your daughter's waist and mark where it will tie at the back so you know where to sew your bows and bells. Make sure you leave enough plain ribbon to tie a bow at the back. Then just make up your bows, sew a long piece of ribbon to the back of the bow and a bell on the bottom. Then sew the whole thing to the waistband ribbon. I also sewed bells to the middle of the bows on the waistband for the added jingle effect :)

Her dress is a Barbie one from Target that's still in stores if you want one.

As Isaac would say - easy as.

Here's a couple of photos and I do mean a couple. She. was. foul. Ribbons and bells weren't going to help improve her mood this morning. I eventually threatened to ring Miss Karen and say Cassidy was too grumpy to sing tonight and she quickly summoned up some Christmas cheer....

I also tied bells and bows to a pair of red shoes which she won't take off, but also won't let me take a photo of. Charming little petal that she is.

WARNING: HHA

Horrific Hairdo's Ahead.

Today while I was waiting for my mum at her place, I started looking through the boxes of old photos. Renata and Christy have been so good sharing the cute and not so cute images of their past, that I thought I should get on the train.

It was a good thought, but as I scanned each one of these I think it may have been best if this particular train never left the station.

Sorry about the small pics, but most of the quality is so bad they ain't getting any better bigger!

Why I can't complain that I have bald babies. Me at 5 months-ish.

Me at 2-ish. Note my mother's classic early eighties perm.

1st Haircut Offense. Look up "bowl" in the dictonary and you'll see a picture of me. I realise it was the eighties, but honestly - that's no excuse to do this to a child.

Little older, bowl still intact. It was obviously culturally appropriate for toddlers to wear micro miniskirts. Check out those sexy knees.


One of the things a grandchild of an Italian woman that sews has to live through. Flower girl dresses that resemble toilet roll dolls. She had lace and baby's breath and she wasn't afraid to use it.

Em and I in the classic satin'n'smoke mid eighties portrait. Just fyi, I thought I was totally stunning in this little pink number. Mum made them and our matching pink baskets (thinking I can blame a lot of these fashion faux pas on my mum, this is working out better than I thought....)

Taken in my first year of school after we moved to Hong Kong. I was ten.

The least-awful but still pretty awful of all my high school photos (we moved back to Australia when I was 13).

The first photo of Steve and I together. Again, absolutely awful but I remember how ecstatically happy I was when this photo was taken.

My 17th birthday. The dress I'm wearing was one of the first things Steve ever bought me. I remember I loved two dresses at the time, and he went and bought me both. It probably cost him his week's wages at the time :)

A noice engagement picture.

Hard to believe this was almost 9 years ago.... we got married in January 2000.

Isaac arrived in November 2002...

And before we barely had time to say "our baby is one" his sister was on the way.

She arrived in September 2004 and our world was forever noisier :)

A picture Sheye took of me this year. Still on the Good Hair Quest as I'm now growing out my fringe. Maybe I should give up and go back to the bowl... :)

The medication has kicked in.

After a rather harrowing day for me yesterday (ridiculous work related stressing) my girl came in the door after a day out with Aunty Em and Uncle Steve. She proceeded to sit on my lap and tell me about a bike she had seen while they were out and (whispering into my ear) "Mummy....it had a seat on the back for my baby".

Her eyes were as big as saucers and it was one of those moments where you think you'll be arrested if you squeeze them as hard as you feel you want to. Luckily, we were planning new bikes for Christmas.

For yesterday I need to thank my husband who holds me while I yell and cry because it's all so frustrating, who talks me off the ledge and because he understands what it's like to be a perfectionist.

For Sheye who listens and understands my ridiculous photographer babbling about miniscule things that don't matter and who still talks to me the following day.

For my mum who arrives with slow cookers and determination to make sure we all get fed while I'm having one of my "episodes". For Lyall who looks at the problem at hand and calmly says, "Sweetheart, it's not a problem".

For Jen whom I have been trying to ring for the past week, whom I'm about to ring now and whom I know will also still love me tomorrow even after I put her through the whole sorry and pathetic tale.

I am a blessed woman. All these people that love me even though they have experienced (many times over) that I am, in actual fact, a complete and utter fruit cake.

Pecking order.

Cassidy: Can I have my afternoon tea outside with Toby?

Me: No, he'll lick you and steal your bikkies. You can go out and play with him when you're finished.

Cassidy: Okay (laughs) He's a maniac, isn't he mum?

--

Next time I look into the lounge room from the kitchen, this is what I see.

I'm suprised Toby doesn't have the RSPCA on speed dial.

Little Miss M

A little cutie who happened to be visiting baby Scarlett when I was there last week.

I think a few people that think she's pretty special may ready my blog :)

(Click on it to see it bigger. Stupid blogger!)

A birthday in pictures.

The snakes and ladders cupcakes to take to school. If you haven't got the new Women's Weekly birthday cake book that's all based on cupcakes, you haven't lived. It's brilliant.

One guess what he got for his birthday. Hard to tell if it's more of a hit with

the little boys or the big ones.

My favourite boys.

I hardly have any photos of Isaac from his birthday afternoon.

Swim and slide now, create lifetime pictorial memories later mum.

Cassidy and Brianna. I love their hands underwater :)

Snuggle bugs with Aunty Em.

He had a slot car party. Big hit with the groovers.

I found Cassidy and her friend Steffie finding some quiet time in the movie room.

Always beware of possible pinata explosions (but don't look away, you might miss the lollies).

He had that crazy look in his eye....

New rule for birthday cakes: if it doesn't come out of the cupcake

birthday book, it ain't happening. This is the last time I am cutting cake into shapes,

it falls apart and I glue the damn thing together with icing. The large cake ship has sailed.

Trying to blow out the candles before the wind does it for him. Notice his little lady

is close by if assistance is needed. (He spent the party morning going round

the house singing "Ebony's coming to my house and she's so beautiful....." Oh boy).

Aunty Em, the chief photographer aided by assistants Uncle Steve and Pa.

I've discovered I can either swan around playing cool calm and collected

hostess or take photos, not both. Thanks guys xx