Sunday, March 29, 2009

Morgan plays at the Gabba


Dear Peeps,

Firstly I want to apologise to Miss Lilly - as much of this post will be about Morgan.

I have just gotten home from watching Morgan play at half time of the first match of the season for the AFL. Those following this blog will know that Morgan has only been to three training sessions at the local club - so we were so proud and pleased he had been asked to represent the club with 11 other kids in the half time mini games.

Heres a photo of you coming off the field after your game.

I have to admit to not know a damned thing about the game - but have been delighted with the coaches and the spirit encouraged at training. Having grown up near Geelong, Adrian was a staunch fan of the cats and has been attempting to educate me in this very strange game.

I am so proud of Morgan - he was not fazed at all by the nearly 30 thousand fans cheering and waving their arms about in the stands, nor of the blazing lights, nor of the minor detail that he had not ever watched a match nor played one. To his credit he was enthusiastic, followed the ball keenly and made attempts to play along when it came to his quarter of the ground. Of particular note was when he stopped and helped a team mate off the grass when they had fallen badly. The kid was nearly twice the size of Morgan and he managed to lift him nearly to his knees.

I'll be blogging about the match itself and my experiences later... but well done mate! We are so proud of you - not many kids get to have this experience and I hope its not your last run onto the famous field.

Heres a photo of you waiting in the tunnels. (Morgan is the small boy in red next to the coach in bright yellow)

The atmosphere was so fantastic, I can see why so many people really get into going to matches. I'd love the opportunity for us to go as a family sometime - Lilly stayed with friends and Adrian had a seminar all weekend - though hired a car and bought a ticket to watch Morgans 20 mins of fame - then chuffed back to his course. what dedication and love! It meant alot to Morgan for his Daddy to be there.

Onto Miss Lilly Lou - Happy Birthday my little princess! a big 4 years old. My goodness where does the time go? You really have grown up in the last few months. We had a lovely day on your birthday - with breakfast at a place we usually avoid - McDonalds - quite a treat. Opening presents was delightful - just watching your face as you opened gifts of books and the barbie DVD was such a treat for me. You were so appreciative with each gift and wore as many of your plastic jewels around your neck all day. You were so excited to be spending a few hours with Daddy all to yourself and was especially excited to be going to Seaworld to see the dolphins.

here is a photo with your favourite present ( though this changes every few mins) We will have to ask Uncle Jamie or Uncle Malcolm to come and teach you to fish properly. (its a pink fishing set - I am not kidding - rod, reel - everything is bright pink.)

Hard to think we can top this week - but then we have Morgans Birthday and Miss Lillys first Dance concert in a fortnights time.

till next time!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Who do you love more Mummy?

Dear Peeps - its so hard sometimes to balance the attention and not to show preferences to one or the other of you. Its not that I love or care about one or the other any more than the other - just sometimes -and I know its my human failing - that one of you is more 'loveable' at that specific time than the other.... and it swings from one to the other in regular timings.

Mr Morgan - you are nearly 6 and in so many ways such a big boy. It saddens me - truly that you are too big to be kisses and I can no longer even catch you and try and kiss you as you get so upset and push me away. There are the very rare times that you will sneak into bed with me when no-one is around and throw your arms round me - and then leap out of bed and run away. I have to content myself with those moments.

I see so much of myself in you, Miss Lilly, that sometimes it scares me. I don't want you to go the path of pain I had to, I want you to have an outstanding life. We clash already on so many things, from what you are wearing to how you tidy your room - I hope that the years to come before you hit teenage years I am able to have the tools to defuse the situation before it gets way out of hand. Your spirit and defiance is such a gift, I don't want to crush it, but in the same hand don't want it to rule the house.

So who does mummy love best? both or you - really and truly. You both have huge gifts and your own introcrinicities - which are both delightful and incredibly frustrating - but without them.. you would not be you.. so don't change....

Its been a bit of a busy and hard week for mummy - but you guys have been helpful and loving which has assisted me in so many ways. We are all flawed and in that we find our perfect moments.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Awesome Pair

Dear Peeps,

Once again, you rock my world with your awesomeness!! Morgan is now firmly in charge of washing his and Lillys clothes - knowing how to use the washing machine, to separate darks and lights and put the right amount of detergent in it.

Thank you so much for being great for bachelor Uncle Jamie - who hasn't had much practice in looking after kids - while mummy and daddy went out for the night. I was so attaken back when I called home to give Jamie a message - and you - Morgan answered the phone with , "Hello, Morgan here, how can I help you?" it was a simple message about where dinner was in the fridge - but you took it and managed to ensure Jamie had it and you were all feed the right things. you sounded so BIG on the phone...

We had such a great time at the disco ( your first) Morgan. I wished I'd taken photos of your green spiky hair. I was very proud of you when you went to the dancefloor and bopped up and down. Its a start and an important one!

Thanks Lilly for being such a good girl this week - I am sorry that your punishment of not letting you go to dance class was so severe - but Daddy set it - and we have to be united in this. You can't wait for next week can you. Your stretching is getting really fantastic and I am so proud of your diligence with keeping your toes pointed and your arms stretched straight.

looking forward to a day with Daddy tomorrow..
much hugs
Mummy

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Housework

Dear Peeps

As you are growing up so fast, its time to start to instigate set jobs and responsibilities in our daily life. You’ve both been great at helping me out when I ask, but I feel its time to make you more responsible for the house keeping and running of our home. Morgan, you helped me out with the washing today and you were so pedantic with the pegs! thanks

I know that this will only help you in the future, as I know of kids who don’t lift a finger in the home, running their poor mum ragged. I have always ensured you tidy up your own toys – with the rule of one toy or game out at a time. You guys have always been awesome with tidying up your things, especially when we are visiting other people – thank you.

I never thought my childhood was any different to others until I was an adult and spoke to friends about their upbringing. I remember cooking things – mostly biscuits, cakes and desserts from a very young age – probably around 7 to 8 years old. I would have been 10 or 11 when I started cooking dinner at least twice a week for the family. I had the great assistance of my two younger sisters – who are wonderful cooks in their own right. We used to enter our cooking ( cakes, biscuits, sweets and slices) into the local shows – and whip everyones arse! Anyway – the point being that with 6 kids, out of necessity to ensure everyone was fed and house kept at some sort of organization, Mum assigned us jobs in the morning and night and there just wasn’t a discussion that it wouldn’t be done. We had dogs to feed, cows and goats to milk, later on horses to be fed and watered, washing to hang, our own lunches and dinner to make and seasonal tasks surrounding farm work, shearing, mustering, picking fruit or vegetables. I left home at 16 and had flat mates who couldn’t even boil a potato – and lets not talk about their ability to clean or keep house. I want a good mix of fun and games and family responsibilities to populate our daily lives; thus the job list…

Morgan is already able to make me a cup of tea and delights in bringing me a cut up apple or pieces of fruit in bed. Both kids can crack eggs and love to help mix and prepare salads. As Adrian has been sticking to a gluten free diet for some time, I stopped making biscuits and cakes – so the kids kind of miss out on baking with me. Also as we are following a raw foods plan, I no longer cook, so the options in preparing tradition meals at the moment is also lost to them. However, we talk about nutrition and food values on the things we eat and experiment with tastes – so its kept fun and informative.

This week you have kept the dishwasher unpacked, your rooms tidy and the clothes in the laundry. We cleaned and scrubbed the bathrooms and toilets – so they now I hope you have some sort of emotional buy in to ensure they are kept clean. Its worked now for a week and we have a target of a whole month. Lillys reward is going to be her room being redecorated in purples and pinks, lots of fairy dust, frills and whatever else she wants. Morgan is going to get me to paint a mural of jungle animals and vines on his feature wall.

Thanks peeps – for doing your bit to keep things orderly, clean and tidy to live in. You guys ROCK!