Baby goes Bye Bye

The school year starts end of August over here and so we prepared to send our little girl off to school.

Last week she had a Teddy Bear Tea to meet her teacher and classmates. Its a big public school that has 7 Prep classes alone.

In her new classroomPrep is called Kindergarten in America (we regularly get confused).

Talking to Simon on the phone about her day

Today we sent one very eager, excited and confident 5 year old off to her first day of 'big girl school'. She is 'so' ready. Simon has come home between tournaments to be here for the big event, drop her off and pick her up on her first day. Essentially I/we are very excited for her but I must admit I did get a lump in my throat as I walked away and looked back at her in the classroom. More so for the pivotal mark it was making in her life . . . no longer a baby, a toddler, a pre-schooler, no longer home 24/7, no longer needing our help for everything. Its pretty big stuff for a parent. I don't think we'll forget it.

Ashley, as she rightly should, sees not the sentimentality of the change but the excitement, challenge and wonder that comes with wanting to learn. Good on her.

Brenham Field Trip

Four families headed out for a field trip to a place called Brenham. It's about an hour away and maybe the size of Ballarat. We went to the Blue Bell Icecream Factory. We went on a tour so the kids could see how all the good stuff is made and then they got to experience how the good stuff tastes

We ate lunch at a 50's diner at the Brenham airport/strip. At the time they had a glider competition going so afterwards the kids enjoyed watching the planes pull the gliders up into the sky (like the technical jargon?). The kids took a keen interest (might take after you poppy) and even got to see a military helicopter that was in for a sticky beak.

We then went on to a monastery where the nuns breed and sell miniature horses. We were out of time and too hot to tour the farm. Instead we went to their pottery barn where the kids could pick a piece, paint it and have it sealed and dried to take home. All in all we had a great day.

A mish mash of pics

Bend-a-roo art (wool/yarn coated in waxy layer) sticks to walls, paper doors, removable, reuseable. My kinda thing.

Liam is having trouble digesting Ashley having separate playdates without him. He did not have trouble digesting the donut bribe to stop the tears.

The future Karoke Champ

Not sure if you remember the Shamu saga that occurred when my folks were here and we went to Seaworld (do you remember the pic where he was crying his eyes out for Shamu the whale?). Anyway that very day for some reason he did a complete 180 on us and took a distinct and passionate dislike to his Shamu toy. He didn't want to see him, he tried to give him away to Simon and then his cousins from Hong Kong until finally we hid him in a cupboard! Its become a bit of a family joke. 3 months on and Liam has decided he loves Shamu again but only during the day - at night he is discarded to the toy room! Interesting.

With age comes responsibility.

Do the work, reap the rewards.

Ash started a weekly chores routine, simple things, like making her bed, putting out the recycling waste, setting the table etc

She was very excited and after her first week was ready to go to Build-a-Bear and buy a new outfit for her teddy.

Lesson Two - 75 cents doesn't get you very far.

Hey sister go sister

Last month we got an unepected call from my sister Nicole (expats in Hong Kong) asking if we'd be happy for her and her 3 girls to come visit and if so she'd be there the next day!! We were very excited to see Nic and the kids which unfortunatley came at a cost to Mum, Dad & Meegs back home - Nic was due to visit Oz for 3 weeks but standby flights were all choccas so USA it was.

We had the most wondeful 3 weeks together. Admitedly 5 kids under the one roof pushed us to the brink of sheer exhaustion, copious hair pulling and numerous alcoholic beverages (the consumption of which got earlier and earlier as each day passed). Still, all that said, we had a time neither of us would trade and we did so many wonderful activities including The Children's Museum, Hardware store building activites, arts n crafts, pool fun, rock climbing at the YMCA, kids fun arcade, Pump-It-Up an inflatable fun house and lots more . . A jubilant reunion

Chuck-e-cheese: a fun arcade desgned for young kids and um, young at heart!

Rub a dub dub there were 3 in the tub (I was never any good at maths)

Hanging out at a splash pad (like the one outside the casino in Melb)

One of the many attempts to get a photo with all kids smiling (thanks for that request Mum, it nearly killed us)

Simon & Liam needed a reprieve from all the oestrogen in the house and spent an arvo doing blokey stuff

The 3 of us a had a night out at the local Teppanyaki restaurant which is actually called 'hibachi' here in America.

Happy faces

Hey mum did you know chalk and water make a really good paste that when rubbed all over your bathers makes an incredible stain that never comes out?
Thanks Liam I'll keep that one in mind!!

Erin and Ash at the Houston Children's Museum

Casey with her own paper helicopter

Nicole made a 'chores' chart so that the kids helped out each day doing age appropriate tasks. We said they could get a dollar a day. At the end of 10 days we took them to the Dollar Tree shop (as the name suggest, everything is a dollar) and we let the kids go 'sick' the only realy limitation was that they could only get one lolly with it. They were like pigs in s#%t. So they had fun and our housework load was lightened somewhat.

Biscuit decoration

and their works of art

Magic noodles: dampen with water and stick em together. Brilliant.

Painting.

Lowes (a Bunnings equivalent) do a freebee activity twice a month. The kids hammered and constructed their own helicopter which they all loved not just Liam.

The finished squad.

In the midst of it all I, Cara Webb, fixed a toilet!!!!!!!!!!! Need I say more?

4 princesses and a racing car driver

The Woodlands science museum

All in all a wonderful time. By the end of it Liam and Tara even managed a few moments of peace and co-operation! Not sure how Nic survived the journey home she may still be heavily sedated.