Nap time?

The last four or five months have been a fun game of trying to work out what on earth we can do about Amalie's naps!! Micah hasn't napped since 18 months, except a couple of times he was sick. Isabella lasted a little longer, about 20 months, with the occassional nap til she was about two.

So I was open to the fact that naps may not be long lasting, especially as Amalie is very active like Micah. She got to a stage when she wouldn't go down for a nap. She didn't sleep in the day for a few weeks, and I thought naps must be finished! Then she started falling asleep. She wouldn't sleep earlier in the day, but she would fall asleep on the way back from getting Micah from school, or in her high chair at dinner time, only then, with a few minutes nap, to stay up TWO or THREE hours later than her normal bed time!!! CRAZY!!

So it has been a balance of ocassionally getting her down for a nap early, maybe once or twice a week, or sometimes not for weeks, and trying at whatever cost to not let her fall asleep anywhere!!!

It is all pretty up in the air parenting sometimes. You think you have something worked out, but they show you!!! They are all so different!!

Hastings

That first photo is pretty interesting!!

James planned a nice trip for us down to Hastings in April. He had a day off, had never been and thought it would be great fun.

It is a misapprehension to think that it is not too far a way, I mean it was supposed to be 90 minutes, which I suppose isn't too long, but when you have two car sick family members, windy wet roads, stops for threatened vomiting and trips to whatever shop we could find for ginger ale to settle the tummy's!! Hmm, I think it took us about two and a half hours to get there.

We did have a lovely time there, we went for a swim in the thermal pool, warmed up in front of the lovely open fires, though it's pretty funny really that they go together! Then we went for a tour of the caves, which the kids really enjoyed.

The trip home was a lot quicker and smoother, especially with the requisite stop for hot chips in Huonville!

A quick trip to Orford

We had a quick trip up to Orford, obviously, not a lovely summers day, but it was nice to be out, the kids had a fun time and were amazingly pretty good for the drive .

Cute kids!!

James took this pic of Micah, it's a bit out of focus, but pretty funny. He did not go to bed like that, or even with the goggles, he must have gotten down from the top bunk and accessorised to go swimming in his dream, or something! They are quite funny and sneaky. Sometimes I can't find Bella and she in in the cupboard, she has climbed up the top and is eating treats! She knows to be quiet, and closes the door more if she hears you coming. She was even telling her aunty the other day how she tiptoes in, and if she hears me coming she is super quiet!! Super sneaky!!

Amalie

This is completely typical of Amalie, running, going, going, running, she doesn't really know much about being still or quiet, or listening, though she is getting there a little bit!

She is very funny and stubborn, determined and affectionate, at least with Mummy who she is still pretty attatched to, at least when anyone else is around! She has a lot to say and she thinks she is five like Micah, she can do anything anyone else can do, especially her big brother and sisiter!

"I'm off again!"

Isabella

My pictures are going on backwards. This is about Bella. I will now start with how she is great with her little sister. She looks after her, makes sure she stays with us, much against Amalie's will. Isabella is kind and thoughtful, she wants to help, and if I count she will do most things before 18 or whatever strange number she thinks of. It has to be her number, her choice, with everything!

She is happy and easy going, as long as you let her choose certain things. She is very creative and thoughtful.

And very adorable, loving and spontaneous, and she does a killer wiggle dance.

Micah

I think Micah is so big, before I had kids I wouldn't have thought five was as big and capable as five really is. He can be so helpful and caring and spontaneous. I love how he asks me things and you can tell he has been thinking it over for a while.

This is so Micah, "I'm just relaxing, I'm a bit tired!" He is cute and a mini Daddy.

It may just be me, but he looks about eight in this photo. Micah is so delightful and funny and enthusiastic.

He is loving Prep, though some things are "boring", and he has a best friend which is really lovely, and he is very happy.

I have been very slack.

I thought things would get easier as the kids get bigger. Well, in some ways it has, not that they are really that big. Amalie has been through a very clingy stage, at least a year of it, and at not yet two, that seems like a long time. Also being the third child in a reasonably quick period, everything seems to drag out.

At the same time I am feeling a little jealous of the time I have with the kids as Bella will go to Kinder next year and with Micah at full time school this time has really snuck up on me!

This pic is a few weeks ago now, but at least I am putting something on. This is as good as it gets to have all three in the same shot!