Day 31 - My Newest Preppie

At last the big day has arrived, Asha’s very first day of school.  Rising early, she quietly set about eating breakfast, brushing her teeth and getting dressed in her new school uniform...all without complaining about the shorts or the overwhelm of blue!  She then headed off to school hand in hand with her big sister carting the world’s biggest backpack on her tiny four year old frame.

Thankfully the atmosphere at school was relaxed and supportive and parents were encouraged to stay as long as their child needed to settle.  I gently explained to Asha that she was in a safe place and that everyone loved her and that I would be back (with Teddy) before she knew it.  I watched as the tears started to well in her eyes so I quickly taught her my trick for stopping tears (she didn’t need to know that I needed a little help myself).  Finally it was time for us to leave her in the wonderful hands of Ms Shead and Mrs Keogh and unbelievably, holding back tears and clinging tightly to Ms Shead’s hand, she let us go.

I collected her promptly as promised at 2:30pm only to be told that she had had a great day, was popular amongst the other students, had impeccable manners and was even showing leadership qualities!  Ms Shead even likened her to Charli – so there goes my theory of them being chalk and cheese!

As we climbed into the car to drive home I felt like I was breathing for the first time today and my only hope now is that each day as a preppie just gets better and better for my little girl.

 *Today I am grateful that Asha was not  overly traumatised as I expected she would be at drop off this morning*

 

Day 30 - Grade Two Begins

Today was Charli's first day in grade two.  On the way to school she was hoping for "the funny teacher" but considering she couldn't remember said teachers name or even gender we assured her that there was a good chance that she may get her wish!
In typical Charli fashion within minutes of being in her new classroom she had chosen her seat, squealed with delight that she is now allowed an eraser (in prep and grade one erasers are not allowed as children are taught that is okay to make mistakes) and was equally as delighted that two of her besties Isla and Phoebe were in her class for the third year in a row! Charli's new teacher is Mr Toomey and although he didn't seem very funny to me, he does love to play the guitar so I'm sure Charli will have him doing duets in no time.

*Today I am grateful that Charli settled in to her new class so easily*

Day 29 - Dr Aaden

Today it was time for Asha's six monthly dental check up and clean with Dr Brad.  Asha was such a brave little girl, once Dr Brad had managed to prize her mouth open (and that was just to say hello). Charli on the other hand couldn't stop telling Brad all about her Christmas presents, holidays and how unlucky she was NOT to be in the dentist chair as she couldn't see the television!  Today was also the first time Aaden has accompanied me to the dentist and after a little gentle persuasion he even climbed aboard the chair for a 'familiarisation' ride.  By the end of the visit Aaden had warmed to the whole experience and happily accepted the gloves and dentist mask from Dr Brad for his dress ups....and just quietly, as I received our $130 bill, I couldn't help but think that I wouldn't mind having a dentist in the family

*Today I am grateful to see the sun again*

Day 28 - Oswald

After a long, scary, noisy night, today we were continued to be hammered by ex tropical cyclone Oswald.  My photo does not go close to showing the intensity of the storm, but with windows smashing around us and winds of up to 100km per hour, this view from our back door was as close as I was willing to get to a very angry mother nature today.

*Today I am grateful that we all remained safe and have endured this weather with minimal damage to property especially compared to so many of our neighbours*

Day 27 - Rain Rain Go Away

In need of some rain?  Then just send the Butler-Smith family on holidays!  It's quite normal, even expected, for us to be blessed with incessant rain on our holidays but today was something new, the approach of ex tropical cyclone Oswald!

*Today I am grateful that we had a few days of fine weather at the beginning of our holiday*

Day 26 - Celebration Day

Today the Gold Coast began to feel the effects of ex tropical cyclone Oswald so there were no BBQ by the beach for us.  Instead we headed to the local video store, hired Hotel Transylvania and had a family movie day on the couch. Tonight however we did decide to stick with our original plan of going out for dinner.  After all Australia Day isn't just any day, it's Granddads birthday!

*Today I am grateful for the amazing,albeit unpredictable, country we live in*

Day 25 - Tides of Change

Today we said a teary goodbye to Doodies castle for the very last time.  As the unit is now on the market, open houses are being held each weekend so we decide to depart a few days early to spend the last three days of our holiday at Diamond Beach Resort in Broadbeach.  Tonight heralded the end of another era when we put all three kids to bed in the same room.  Traditionally when staying in a holiday house, our youngest child has always shared our room (or walk in wardrobe if we could make the cot fit) but tonight we decided to give them a try all in a room together. This could be an interesting night!

*Today I am grateful for the many holidays both pre and post kids that we have enjoyed at Doodies castle*

For the record, by 3am AJ had found his way into our bed and we awoke in the morning to find both Asha and Charli curled up on the floor at the foot of our bed!

Day 24 - Skip, Reverse....Talk Like A Pirate!

As a kid I always loved board/card games and tonight we got to introduce our kids to one of my favorites, UNO . These days UNO comes with a fun addition, UNO Robotto, who enables you to customize the game to your family and randomly throws in fun commands like "talk like a pirate" to keep everyone interested and laughing. Thanks UNO Robotto, I think you just became a new family favourite!

*Today I am grateful for the opportunity to relax and laugh with my family*

Day 23 - Fun in the Sun

The family that bounces together, stays together. Another fun filled, sun filled day at the Broadwater Parklands.

*Today I am grateful for the beautiful lunch we shared at vegetarian restaurant Giri Kana...especially the raw vegan passionfruit cheesecake*

Day 22 - Hidden Gem

Another day another playground, but today we stumbled across a gorgeous little oasis hidden away just down the road from Doodie's castle. Complete with peacocks, ducks, water falls, tadpoles, swings, slides and even Big Foots cave, what more could the Butter-Smooch family ask for?

*Today I am grateful for the beautiful weather we are being blessed with this holiday...it is truly a rarity for us!*

Day 21 - Shopping with Benefits

A shopping trip to Harbour Town just got a whole lot better for our kids...trampolines for the girls and quad bikes for AJ.  If only all shopping centres offered such delights!

*Today I am grateful for our family swim this afternoon...fun, fun, fun!*

Day 20 - Holiday Time!

Just a few hours into our little holiday and we are already in the pool.  Let the fun begin!!!

*Today I am grateful to have the opportunity to have one last holiday at Doodie's castle....I can feel her with us loving the fun we are having*

Day 19 - Time for a Trim

Luckily, at the last minute this morning I remembered that I had made appointments for all of the kids to have hair cuts before the new school term.  I automatically booked the kids regular hairdresser Ziggety Snippets as the kids have always enjoyed all of the kid friendly features of this salon.  I was surprised today however, when Charli refused to climb aboard the pink Barbie chair or even ride the pony chair choosing to sit in the plain white 'big girls' hairdressers chair. Just quietly, she didn't say no to the kids DVD or the glitter hairspray though bless her.

*Today I am grateful that the kids went for a sleep over with Ga Ga tonight so that I can get some packing done for our little holiday tomorrow*

Day 18 - Good in Theory

After months of pestering, today I finally relented and took the kids to a new play centre in Robina, Kidz n Play. Just when I thought the coffee, service, food options, noise and mayhem couldn't get any worse, three groups of holiday program kids arrived taking the centre to capacity, with many kids who looked suspiciously over twelve years old (the maximum age limit).
Of course my kids still enjoyed themselves however the fact that they all agreed to leave on my first request revealed that Kidz n Play wasn't quite the nirvana they had expected.

 *Today I am grateful to have hot water in my kitchen once again*

 

Day 17 - New Friends

In an effort to make Asha's transition to big school as easy as possible, today we headed over to Sienna's place for a play date.  Sienna is the younger sister of one of Charli's friends Kalan, she starts prep this year and most importantly she will also be wearing a blue shirt, just like Ash!
I felt a little uneasy at first, like I was setting them up on a blind date, but ultimately I was thankful to see the girls happily having tea parties together, planting flowers and finally enjoying their very own high tea.  Although there is eight months between the girls (which feels like years when you are four years old) I do feel that the girls have quite similar personalities that will hopefully compliment and support each other as they embark on their new school adventure.

*Today I am grateful to Lisa (Sienna's mum) for being concerned enough about Asha to invite us for a play today*

Day 16 - Each for their own!

Apple and cinnamon muffins cooked for tomorrow's high tea with Asha's new friend Sienna...time to lick the bowl!!

*Today I am grateful that it's only four more sleeps until our little holiday before school returns* 

Day 15 - Memory Keeping

Just when I think this photo a day blogging business is just too much like hard work, the kids pull out my 2011 blog book and read it cover to cover!

*Today I am grateful for the motivation I am finding to keep recording these memories for my kids*

Day 14 - First Steps (back) to School

With the new school year quickly approaching, today we headed out to buy school shoes.  Asha, usually my little Imelda Marcos, was a reluctant shopper, then again velcro joggers aren’t really her style, especially when they remind her that big school is looming. 

The girls chose their outfits and accessories this morning and even filled their handbags with things they may need ‘just in case’.  These essentials included a pen and paper, a handball, nail polish, bangles and a walkie talkie each!  If only they had thought to bring along $300 our trip to Athlete’s foot may not have been quite so painful.

*Today I am grateful for a quiet night in front of the television with my hubby*

Day 13 - There's a Hole in my Bucket

Asha loves to dig holes at the beach and she also loves to fill them with water.  Today she swooped on an abandoned pre dug hole only problem was it's distance from the water.  She soon discovered that her hat made a pretty good bucket, except for those annoying ventilation holes.  Luckily Ash has a super fit Daddy/water bearer.

*Today I am grateful for shade* 

Day 12 - Home Grown

Look what I picked at the growers market today! Sweeter produce I couldn't have hoped to have found!

*Today I am grateful that Charli enjoyed her sleepover at Isabella's last night and super grateful to Asha and Aaden for enduring the horrendous heat and crowds at the market with me this morning* 

Day 11 - Hand Delivered

Ben's lunch today...Classic gazpacho, quinoa toast with a garlic rub, sun dried tomato and olive tepenade (with his trusty Byron Bay Chilli sauce of course) finished with a sweet treat coco-nutty crunch.  Not sure how my hubby will handle it if he ever has to eat a packed lunch!

*Today I am grateful for the opportunity to feel the sand between my toes during a late afternoon beach walk with my Dad*

Day 10 - All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go

I remember doing this to my brother...oh the joys of having sisters.  For the record, I did step in when Charli wanted to put her undies on him!

*Today I am grateful that Ben took all three kids to swimming lessons this morning so I could take some time to clean up our house*

Day 9 - There were three in the bed...

Today Ben finally got a chance to assemble the girls Christmas present from Ga Ga and Poppy, a set of bunk beds! Of course the girls love their new beds and of course Aaden now doesn't want to sleep in his "boring old cotty-house".
As for me, I am finding it a little overwhelming seeing my little girls in 'big beds'...then again I guess it is time for Charli to move out of her toddler bed!  I also wonder how the girls will go now that Asha is not allowed to sleep in Charli's bed with her (only because we don't want her on the top bunk) and finally I'm hoping that the new beds will mean that they may be a little less frequent inhabitants of ours!

*Today I am grateful to have made it through day two of my detox*

Day 8 - Hungry For Change

After several weeks of over indulging I am feeling festively plump, lethargic and just generally unwell.  So today was the day to take some positive action, especially if I am to make 2013 the healthy new year that I promised myself and my family.
Enter the Hungry For Change three day detox.  Nothing radical here, just a return to eating clean, totally unprocessed meals free of grains, animal products, sugar and dairy.  The regime is not significantly different to how I was eating prior to Christmas but I definitely need a disciplined approach to get me back on the wagon and I'm hoping that my lemon and ginger water, green smoothies, seaweed salads and potassium balance soups will be just the thing to get me back on track.

*Today I am grateful that today's green smoothie and 'sushi' salad lunch were delicious*

Day 7 - Frugal Fashion

Today we headed to the shops to exchange some Christmas presents.  On this trip the girls decided that they would like to spend $5 of their own money to buy some new clothes.  As luck would have it a new clothes shop has opened at Pacific Fair, the nothing over $5 shop! Each of the girls selected, tried on and finally decided on their new outfits which included a 'big girl' strapless top for Charli and a hello kitty top with matching harajuku girl inspired tartan frilled skirt for our fashionista Asha.  As if to prove just how grown up she now is, Charli even correctly calculated her change out of $20.

*Today I am grateful to be starting a detox tomorrow* 

Day 6 - Pottsville

For family day today we decided to take a mystery trip and just head south!  Thirty minutes into our trip we exited the motorway and found ourselves in Pottsville, a small coastal town that I suspect would be typically very sleepy were it not the middle of the Christmas holidays. With the weather a sticky very high thirty something degrees, our wander through the beach side markets was uncomfortable to say the least although ice cream sundaes sweetened the deal for the kids (except for Charli who choose a hot dog, go figure!?!?!?). 
After lunch in the local park, where I struggled to keep the kids away from the shelter that was obviously home to some of the local indigenous town folk, we decided the only way to cool off was to take a dip in Mooball Creek. Despite it's name, the kids loved this estuary where they swam, collected rocks and dug holes to their hearts content, with Charli even taking time out to declare her love of "this beach" in the sand.

*Today I am grateful that somehow I ended up living my life in beautiful Burleigh Heads*

Day 5 - Telling It Like It Is

After years of pestering, today Ben and I finally relented and let Charli have her very first sleep over.  As I dropped her at her friend Phoebe's house I struggled to hide my reluctance to let her stay, however Charli's overwhelming excitement made it obvious to me that she really felt ready for this 'big girls' adventure.
Charli called me tonight, from the Chinese restaurant she was taken to for dinner, to tell me she was having a great time.  When I told her that I missed her she replied that she didn't miss me - ouch!!!  She then went on to explain "I don't miss you, but I still love you".  Thank you Little Miss Maturity beyond your years.

*Today I am grateful for a dinner out with just my boys while Charli had her sleepover with Phoebe and Asha had a solo sleepover with Ga Ga* 

Day 4 - In the Swing

Today I took the kids to a playground that we haven't been to in a few months.  I was a bit taken back to realise that for the first time in over seven years all of the kids could play on the majority of the equipment without my assistance.  In the past I have dragged myself around too many playgrounds to mention longing for the day that they could do it by their selves!  Today however I was glad for the swings when they all still needed a push from their Mummy!

*Today I am grateful for the unrequested shoulder massage my husband just gave me while I was typing*

Day 3 - Coco-licious

Small win, tonight I found a way to get all three kids to take their cod liver oil and zinc/vitamin c powder with minimal fuss!  Mix it with a little homemade coconut yoghurt, adorn it with a strawberry (or a piece of banana in Aaden's case) and call it a mocktail!

*Today I am grateful for a short walk along the Esplanade with my family this afternoon*

Day 2 - Hello Healthy New Year

After far too many days of over indulging, today is the first official day of my Healthy New Year!Along with a re commitment to regular exercise and the commencement of a diet and lifestyle journal, I will also be continuing to explore and experiment with the raw/clean foods diet plan that I stumbled upon in 2012.
Lunch today, this delicious Bean Beauty Salad.  Quite fitting really considering that the key ingredient is azuki beans which are traditionally eaten at New Years to bring good fortune!

*Today I am grateful to be feeling much better than yesterday*

Day 1 - New Years Day

Nights away from the kids are great...but so is coming back home!

*Today I am grateful to have spent a relaxing day in Main Beach with Ben, albeit with our headaches*