Millennium Boy

It's always easy to remember how old Jonathan is!

He has had a great weekend. Football, followed by lounging about, followed by dinner out yesterday, then presents this morning, then his first 12 movie at the cinema on his own with his dad this afternoon.  They saw The Avengers in 3d which they both loved.  Then Lego building, dinner (fabulous slow-cooked lamb with lemon and feta - mmmmm) and lastly birthday cake with sparklers.  I hadn't planned the sparklers but they were half price in Woolies and so much more fun than candles.


Do you remember the days when kids would draw when waiting for their meals?  Now they get out their iPods and take silly photos...

...and some nice ones too.

He had asked for a watch and Lego.  He's the only one of us who wears a watch.

This cake is rather loosely based on one of their current favourite games Minecraft.

 Happy Birthday Jonathan or should I say Jonny...?

Teenager

My first baby is 13 today.

I can still remember his birthday very clearly.  I spent most of the day before on my hands and knees cleaning the cupboards of the tiny cottage that we were in the process of moving into.  That night I went home to finish packing the old house and went in to labour about 2am.  4 days later I came out of hospital to the new house where John had made my bed, and arranged an arm chair and coffee table in the tiny lounge in the middle of all the boxes.  I spent 4 months ignoring advice to 'put him down' and cuddled him, fed him, played with him.  Then I went back to work part-time, and then after 18 months there was another baby in that tiny house.

I've always been sorry that I didn't get more time with him before I had to go back to work.  Now I struggle with the thought of going back and Smallest is 3 and a half!   I can honestly say that despite the usual dramas and issues, he is proving to be a thoroughly likeable young man, with a good sense of humour and an inquiring mind.  I am certain that one day he will be a very good catch for some young lady.

His birthday has been better than he was anticipating - long story involving wifi, phone bills, and staying up too late - so he was delighted when we gave him the book he had asked for rather than the promised phone bill, tied with a ribbon.  I managed to fool him for a wee while and then gave him the iPod Touch that he had been asking for for over a year!  He was so surprised and delighted!  "Mum, you rock!".    I do.

I had previously said that 12 would be the last birthday for homemade cakes, but started to feel guilty as they really are so easy.  So I had a think about what might be suitable for a teenage boy.  He had no particular idea so I googled.  I came up with Rainbow cakes but thought they might be a bit too girly and decided to use shades of blue instead.

No 2 boy helped to divvy up the mixture into 4 bowls and then add increasing amounts of blue food colouring.  We did 2 cakes at at time, cooled them, trimmed them flat so as to avoid the old 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' effect and stuck them in the freezer over night.  All good so far...  Today was a whole other story!  It has been very warm so when I was making my buttercream, the butter melted, separated and would not cooperate.  It has been in the freezer since 4pm and is still runny!  This meant I had to race to Woolies and buy some of that revolting tinned frosting (apoplogies to those of you that like it...!).  I slapped it in between the layers and all over the outside, crossing my fingers tightly that it would work and not just be some lame-looking white cake!  Thankfully all turned out well in the end and he was suitable impressed.

After a very laid back day of playing with his new iPod, reading his book and a (very) small amount of housework, we headed out for dinner.  One of the wee ones happened to mention it was Archie's birthday so when the drinks came, his was in one of those fancy flashing cocktail glasses, and at the end they brought sparklers in his dessert!  We were really delighted for him as being the oldest has a lot of downsides with so many younger sibs vying for, what should be, your attention.   And mostly getting it.

Anyway, he had a great day and is off to the football with his Dad WITHOUT brothers tomorrow, I hope he feels special.  I am feeling a whole lot older that I did with my tiny baby 13 years ago.  I hadn't a clue but was deliriously happy.  I still haven't a clue and am now just mostly fairly delirious!

Happy Birthday to my lovely Archie.  xx

Birthday Boy

No2 Boy was 11 yesterday.  He has been reminding us of it's immanence for about 11 months, so we were sure to remember!  You will recall that I treked almost all the way to Sydney to get the right size shorts for his tennis ensemble, there is dedication for you! 

I also had to head out to the shops when everyone had gone to bed on Thursday as the shopping centre I trailed to had no Ninjago Lego sets to be found. 

Thankfully my local Westfield had a great variety, in 4 different stores!  If only they'd had the shorts...

Due to the weather we missed our Skype call from Grandma and Grandpa as I had decreed that no one would be cycling or walking/busing to school in torrential rain and took them all in the car.  I'm not quite as mean as I sometimes like to make out!  Proceedings later in the day were also a little rushed as I was very keen to have everyone in bed before the Royal Wedding!  If it wasn't for having to be at Football by 8am they could have stayed up to watch, but I was proved right when No3 Boy scored 4 goals, one incredible one, curved in from the line, and No2 Boy also scored.  He's not a Striker, but a Central Mid-Fielder.  I don't really know what that means, but apparently you run around a lot.   Husband has just headed off to his match and I'm sure will be feeling the need to keep at least one goal ahead of the boys! 

We had a disastrous dinner out, I refused to pay for the boys' meals as they were so awful, but got back and had some Birthday Cake.  After the Big Red Car last month, I had lots of red icing left over so No2  Boy was told to think of something red.  He chose a Pokeball, I have no idea what that is/does, but it was nice and simple - Good Boy!

So the Boys are now building Lego, using their new Pokemon cheat book (again, I have no idea)  with their Pokemon DS games, the 2 wee ones are working on Smallest Boy's Alphabet - he scares me - and I'm going to do a little bit of hooky.  My first batch of scarves and cowls went to MakeSpace today and I'm feeling like I have just sent my babies away!



Oh, and I LOVED watching The Wedding!  I really enjoyed hearing Huw Edwards and getting all the BBC coverage via ABC, Husband left the room in disgust so I was able to get all choked up without any embarrassment!   I wish them all the very best in their married life.

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you might be doing!  x

Three

Smallest Boy was 3 today.  He was a bit sad that he'll never be 2 again.

Trying out his new Lightning McQueen scooter 

Manic Martians!

                                                            

Despite the rain, we managed a BBQ lunch with some friends in the garden, then cheese and biscuits with more friends for tea. 

He went to bed exhausted but happy. 

Scrumptious!

Birthdays - Chaos Style!

Today has been my birthday.  The last one before the Big 4-Oh. 

It started well enough with 5 children bouncing on my head, forcing presents on me before I had opened my eyes.  I was very impressed to hear Smallest Boy's perfect rendition of 'Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too'.  He is 2.

Husband had arranged to stay home to work so did all the packed lunches and helped to chase the Big Ones off to the bus.   At Miss M's school I saw some Lovely Ladies who felt that the right thing to do on a birthday is to do coffee/lunch maybe even both!  I explained that Husband might feel a little put out if I disappeared and left him with Smallest Boy all day, but said coffee would be great!  2 hours later I got home, he'd got some work done, and we decided on a wee jaunt for lunch. 

We LOVE our Entertainment Books in this part of the world (discounts to lovely cafes, restaurants, cinemas, bowling, skating, you name it!) and thankfully still had a voucher for the place we wanted to go.  The weather was gorgeous, the food delicious and the view fantastic, Smallest Boy was beautifully well behaved and so was Husband!

All was well after school, all homeworks finished, piano practise done, usual small amount of scrapping etc, until No3 Boy said "I think I've got nits". 

Just the words I wanted to hear. 

I did a quick check and sure enough.  Joy.  An hour later he had been combed to within an inch of his life and spent 20 mins with foul smelling potion on his head.  I dutifully informed his friends' Mums by text (and later more generally on fb!),  then rolled my sleeves up to start on everyone else...

An hour later everyone had been dealt with, only 2 were affected but all were doused in the potion just in case.  The poor Dog didn't know where to put his nose!

They did eventually go to bed at which point I cracked open the Max Brenner chocs.

I've been promised cake at the weekend when everyone is less busy.