March 09 Video's

I've decided to 'wrap up' each month with short video's taken during the month....here's March 09

At kinder...


With the Suixi girls on the Chinese Bridge at Wandiligong near Bright


Dancing her heart out....


Eb's 'funny' laugh...

Playschool revisited

I thought I'd give a concert another try. It's been a while since the last one.
Sadly - little has changed.
I was SO sure Eb would love Playschool now. As we entered the building I felt her little hand squeeze mine a bit tighter and then when we entered the auditorium she wanted 'uppy'. It must just be the volume of people and the noise level. She clung to me like a baby Koala to her Mummy. She wanted to watch but I couldn't move her or put her down - thankfully we had very good seats! Her friend Sarah was there too - and finally, in about the last 10 minutes, she came good! I was thrilled and her and Sarah laughed and danced to their hearts content!
We're getting there!....I hope. We've got the Wiggles at the beginning of June :)

We were lucky enough to have Leah and Nick presenting....(I hope it was Nick?)


Off my lap at least :)


Now we're getting there...

Just 'cause

It's been SO hot here. For Autumn it's unseasonal - but then it's been an unseasonably hot summer too. Anyway - I'm making the most of it. The first photo is just a totally cute (I'm not at all biased am I???). Sadly it's a tad blurred, but it's too cute NOT to post :)



The second one I couldn't resist either....as I said it's been terribly hot - so this day I decided to put Eb to sleep with only her knickers on. When I went in to check on her...as I often do - actually not to check on her at all - just to watch her sleep - I found that she had reached down and picked up her 'flower cushion' and put it under her head. How sweet!

Imagination play

It has started in full force. Eb is starting to 'imagine' play. It's very, very cute - but even more so when (after watching the 'Barney' DVD over and over where they sing about 'I love you, you love me, we're good friends like friends should be. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you') I surface from spending still more time on the B&B to find Eb with all her little 'people' in pairs hugging! She has really started to 'get it' when it comes to the whole love/kiss/cuddle thing. It's been so cute and she is now so easily giving me wonderful big hugs. I've waited and waited and now it's finally happening! I'm filled to overflowing (again).
Here's some photo's of what she was doing....

The things we...or should I say 'I'...do!

Someone recently put the idea of setting up a B&B at home in my head. That was about the 3rd week in January. I registered the name Elevation Mt Beauty on the 30th January. Life hasn't been the same. I'm not even sure I've done the right thing! The amount of time and energy (and money!) that has gone into this project has astounded me. We were coasting along quite well - I have set up a website www.elevationmtbeauty.com.au which took me hours and hours to do - but next thing I know I get a phone call for a booking for Easter! I accepted and then wondered what in the heck I had done. Needless to say things have gone into overdrive! We're getting there - but gosh it's time consuming. I'm sure it will be worth it but I really, REALLY feel for Eb at the moment - there just doesn't seem to be enough time for her! I know it's a season and once it's set up it will be maintenance only - but I never, ever expected it would be this consuming. Anyway - more on all that later!

A gorgeous little guy makes his appearance.....

It happened. After a long labour little Austin Thomas was born at about 9.40am on the 19th March. Mummy did an amazing job and looked totally exhausted when we were lucky enough to see this precious little guy at about 5pm on the day he was born. Eb had been the sickest I have seen her (woke up vomiting on Wednesday morning) and it's one of those things - I just didn't know what to do. She seemed ok by Thursday and we headed into Albury and then I got the news. I decided Eb was ok enough to visit and thankfully nothing got passed on - but Eb was totally out of it where Tanya was concerned. Seeing Tan in hospital with a drip/cathater etc was more than Eb could handle and she kept calling Tan 'lady'. She was so exhuasted - in retrospect I did the wrong thing by her. We shouldn't even have gone to Albury but I can only say that in retrospect! She's been quite a sick little girl. Horrible for a Mummy to experience (for the first time!). Anyway that was last week and now Tanya and little Austin have made it home to Mt Beauty and we were able to visit him in the hospital here. They are both doing really, really well and thankfully Eb's coming around.....Here's some photo's......



This one would have been a beauty if the photographer had got it right!!!!!!

Very cool dude....

I love this photo...it kinda shows a glimpse of the fun little girl that Eb is becoming. She is such a character. These are great glasses because it doesn't matter if she wears them upside down - the are even top and bottom. Most glasses she wears upside down because she barely had a nose bridge! Not much else to say....just (trying to keep up!)

A baby about to be born

Well little Mr/Miss is about to make their entry. Tanya is due on Saturday and as you can see she is very ready. I decided to take a few photo's of Eb with Tanya - just as a memory for her of the first experience she has had with a baby before birth.

This first photo Eb is giving little baby to be a kiss....


and then she is having a cuddle with Tanya....

Crazy Hair day at playgroup

Funny thing is - my hair ended up crazier that Eb's and took ages to wash the pink out! It was fun though. It was to raise funds for a local group. We paid $1 to have it done. Eb was VERY unsure about the whole thing and really didn't want to have it done. Mummy won and the pink looked kinda cute don't you think???

Pediatrician's visit

Well - it's probably not something everyone would write about - but this is about a diary for Ebony and I want to 'document' everything that happens in her little world that I can.
Today we saw our Pediatrician and he was absolutely delighted with Ebony - he hadn't seen her for some 15 months and she has come such a long way in that time. He feels she is actually quite gifted in her ball handling skills (which we thought too).
One problem though. Her left side of her body has always been just a little bigger than her right - especially her right leg. Well, he measured her and has decided that she needs to see a specialist at the RCH (Royal Children's Hospital). Her left leg is actually 2cm longer than her right and it's obviously (to me) larger around the calf too. So, now we wait for an appointment and then we see where we go from here. I'm not thinking a lot about it because I would only worry - I'll just shelve the thoughts until I see the specialists. I'll let you know when that happens.

New Life

The aftermath of the bushfires.
I had to go to Wangaratta today so that Ebony could see the Pediatrician (that's for the next post).
You may be able to grasp my joy as I drove through the bushfire ravaged area between us and Myrtleford and saw that there was now new growth appearing. It's been one month and 3 days today and it's so beautiful to see the green just starting to brave showing it's face to the world again. I was really moved - so much so that on the way home I had to stop and take a photo or two. Isn't nature one of the most wonderful and fascinating things? - it's ability to recover leaves me very, very humbled.

Suixi girls weekend at Mt Beauty

Yep - it was on again. What a huge, fun weekend it was for us all.
Our 6 darling little girls running around the Mt. Beauty Holiday Park - loving their time together while the adults watched on with joy and had a good catch up too!
We took our camper trailer down to the Park on Friday night - and even then Ebony was in her element - running around - playing with dirt and stones and just generally exploring. It was so much fun just to watch her and enjoy her enjoying herself!

Does she look like she's enjoying herself??????

dancing her little heart out!


Saturday I worked at home until I knew the first person was almost there then I went and basically set up our camp. The run really started then! All the girls arrived progressively around lunch time and when they arrived there was nothing but fun and exploring to be had! They had a ball. It was very amusing to watch. Thankfully Vicki came very well prepared with Play dough and the girls made their way over there from time to time over the weekend just to enjoy some play dough (or whatever the wonderful Vicki was doing) and then they'd head back home. We were in a sort of circle so I never felt nervous about where Eb was - there's always someone watching!

Here's Camille...

Ruby

Meiya

Eliza

Mei....


Sunday we all went to the park and then for morning tea and we also decided to head over to Bright...or Wandiligong actually - to the Chinese Bridge - the girls had a lot of fun there too and so did the adults. Then it was dinner at the Harrietville Hotel and then we went to a park at Harrietville and then back home. Some of the girls stayed up late - but Eb was exhausted so she was sound asleep within minutes of us being back at camp.

The girls at the park

And at the Chinese Bridge


At the park after dinner...

Monday was already the day for everyone to leave! I couldn't believe it had happened so fast. We had a great time and we hope to be able to do the same every year. Hope you can enjoy the photo's as much as we've enjoyed the w/e - but I doubt it!
One of the things I have observed this time is how the girls have moved from enjoying dirt last year to stones this year...I wonder what next year will be!

Eb and Ruby....


Eb and Eliza...


Eb gave each of the girls an Easter Bunny (chocolate) and here's a photo of them enjoying them (well some of them!).



Eb and Ruby on Eb's bike - these two had so much fun together!


When it was time to pack up Ebony had a ball again - I think the photo's show more than my words could tell :)...but let me assure you that that IS dirt all over her!

Fourth Kinder

Today was really hard. Eb was already distressed before I even got out of the car.
I decided the best thing to do was to stay until she was settled. Lou - the teacher - came up to me and said the best think I could do was simply to go. Simply. Hmm - nothing is that simple. But I did understand and decided she was right. Ebony was screaming - I was crying - Lou was hugging us both and then I tried to pass Eb to Lou and she clung like a little Koala. But I just had to tear her away and walk away. I got in the car and wept. Am I really doing the right thing? I just don't know.
Lou rang me about 15 minutes later and Ebony had settled.
When I walked back in there some 3 hours later Eb was doing fine - so I stepped back out to grab my camera and when I returned she had lost it again just because I had been there and then went. Thankfully she settled back in (as the photo's show) and then the teacher put up a slide show of photo's taken of Eb during the session and she was happy and contented. What a relief. Hopefully next week will be even better!

at least she was happy and ready to go!


happy to see me again ...... with snugly of course!


joining in the fun

Mummy's birthday

Yep - another year passes. I can't believe it really.
We had a really fun day and I'm so grateful to all the wonderful people who emailed/text/facebook etc, etc me...oh and of course those who phoned! I'm not being funny - the telephone seems to be a thing of the past but I'm a past sort of girl! I love a phone call!
(hope that doesn't make me weird or others uncomfortable!).
I met with some really sweet friends at our local winery (nope didn't have a drop!) for a lovely lunch then home while Eb had a sleep and then Gra, Eb and I went out for dinner. It was perfect.
Not much else to say really - it was a lovely pre-50 birthday and I'll share some special photo's of my darlings and me with you....

A girl's gotta enjoy the cake that Mummy made ..... for her own birthday :)


and love her Mummy on her Mummy's birthday




and one for the family...

Oh oh - just a wee slip

Uuummm...yep - I guess it had to happen.
A wet bed. Very first time. I can't complain because Ebony has been soooo good. She's now been nappy free since 16th Feb - so we've gone nearly two weeks dry - plus she hadn't had a wet nappy since 14th Jan - so really it's been almost 2 months - not bad at all for a little girl just starting out I reckon!
Just something to keep a record of!

When Meiya and 'Manda came to visit...

We just arrived back from our trip to Melbourne on Sunday and then we had the pleasure and joy of a visit from Manda and Meiya. Manda and Lyn were staying with Mandy and Meiya for a few days and decided to come and spend a few hours with us! We were thrilled! We had so much fun (especially the girls). Here's some photo's of our time together.....

Enjoying lunch together...


and the toy box :)


Eb and Meiya at play


and big girl 'Manda


and finally me somewhere in amongst the girls!