Thomas is a pirate!

Eli has been given numerous colouring & activity type books, and during the recent school holidays spent some time colouring, etc.

At the moment, Thomas the Tank is top of Eli's hitlist- we expect that to change once the Cars 2 movie comes out in June, but for now, it's Thomas.

Eli spent all afternoon one day colouring his Thomas book, singing away to himself and generally being content.

After a bit, he showed me what he's been working on.

He decided that everyone should be pirates!

Even the birds!

School holidays are the best times to do the things you never quite get around to doing during school terms. Some people take their kids to Questacon, zoos, playgrounds, etc. What did Eli want to do? The mopping!

Normally, when I mop, Eli lays on the carpet in the entry between the lounge room & the kitchen, pointing out where I've missed! While I'm trying not to swat the cheeky rotter. Last time, I said "Next time, do it yourself!"

So, of course he's been bugging me to do it ever since.

I'm not sure why the pics are sideways! He had a ball, although he used 4 cups of water rather than the one I usually use. I did resist laying on the carpet pointing out bits he'd missed- he woud have mopped all day if I'd let him. Who needs Questacon? :)

Curly Fries

Curly fries!!

School holidays!

Since Eli has started preschool, he is always wanting to be busy. That little shell that we worked so hard to bring him out of, would be handy to have him on hand to stuff him back into sometimes (just for a little while!) He talks a mile a minute, wants to know how everything works, who made up the names and words for everything, what would happen if someone didn't make something... and is just generally loving exploring this planet around him.

So, that makes the time when he's home without friends to play with, somewhat interesting at times. he wants to be entertained, talked to, played with, involved with everything that's happening. Which can sometimes be a little wearing....

He has, however, started to develop ways to entertain himself outside the usual tasks of Duplo/Lego, reading, TV, playing with Kasey, "helping" Mum, etc. He has developed 2 games, one a complicated ball game he plays with Trev most nights.

The other one he developed over the course of last Saturday morning, while Trev was at golf. He watched an episode of Mr Maker, and decided to get out his collection of school drink bottles and find out which one makes the best noise while blowing across the opening. Well, this was boring because at 4, he lacks the fine motor lip co-ordination skills to produce any kind of sound from any of the bottles. So he stacked the botles for a while. The game developed when he lined the bottles
up like ten-pins (he has two 10 pin bowling games, which he loves), and found a golf ball to bowl at them. But obviously this was boring- he has 2 ten-pin bowling games after all- so he thought this was his optimal bowling position.

And then he celebrates like this:

It kept him busy until I finished the washing up, so job done!

Etch a Sketch Art

Eli's friend Harry came over last week, and after he'd left, Eli drew a picture of the 2 of them, and asked me to take a photo and send it to everyone.

He is in the middle of a real phase of wanting me to take photos of whatever he's doing, and putting them on the blog or emailing the photo to people.

Generally, I forget to do anything with the photo, but today he asked to see his art on the computer, so thought I'd best actually blog some so I can show him.

Sunflowers

Trev has been going through a bit of a gardening phase. He has very successfully grown basil, oregano & chives, but lost most of his parsley.

We have even managed to plant some trees and most of them have survived.

Of course, anything Daddy does in the Dare house, Eli must do too.

When I went down to Melbourne in December, I bought Eli a little foil pack of sunflowers seeds, which he diligently planted. Every day, he goes out and waters them, and then discusses at length how much they've grown, how many leaves have been eaten by some wiley & stealthy bug, etc.

One of them has finally grown taller than Eli, and the full sunflower head has opened, so we thought we had best take photos before the wiley stealthy bugs completely digested the entire plant.

Preschool Art

Eli LOVES preschool.

He loves everything about it, from the songs (with actions!!), to the obstacle course they do each day and that changes each week.

But I think that so far, his favourite thing is all the art and craft he gets to do.


Trev put a noticeboard up in his room, as last year at Playschool he took to painting, glue-ing, etc, with a vengeance (seems some of my genes managed to mae their way in their somewhere!).

 When we pick our kids up each day, parents are instructed to check their child's pockets and take home that day's creations.

Some of the kids' pockets are generally empty, and they will only art/craft when they are pretty much forced to.

Eli's art board, however, is full to over flowing.

Each morning, 4 or 5 tables are set up with different activities and each child chooses what they want to do. Some of them have games, there might be farm animals, building blocks or Duplo set up.

This week, there is a box construction table.

So far, Eli has bought home a bus (Left)....

and a model of Kasey (right) . Check out the tail, glued on the bum, and her BIG eyes!!

As he is quite reluctant to throw anything out, I told him we could blog his creations, then every week or so clear his art board for new bits.

Eli is a Preschool!

Today, Eli has had his first morning at Preschool.

He will be going three mornings a week, Wed-Fri, 9am-1pm.
He is very lucky to be in the same class as his two best mates, Ben & Harry.

He has been SO excited about going, and thinks this morning's half-session wasn't long enough.
But from tomorrow he goes to the full 4 hour session, so he can't wait.

Even though he's doing the same amount of hours as he did at Playschool last year, this does seem like he's taking the first official step into the big bad world. He have been assured by Ben's Mum (he is her 3rd son and they have all been through the same class) that he is in good hands!

Playschool 2- Connect 3 @ Cranleigh

The second playschool program he attended ran Thursday and Friday mornings at Cranleigh School, for Terms 3 & 4. Cranleigh School is a school for children with disabilities, and Connect3 is a class of mainstream kids who share activities with some of the Cranleigh classes. 2010 was the pilot year.

Eli loved this too. The class had 6 kids, and Ben & Harry went too, so half the class were our rascals.
Eli got so so much out of this program. It did wonders for his confidence, taught him how to handle different situations, and he had a ball! And he quickly had all the staff wrapped around his finger.

2010 was his first baby step into the world of school.

2011 brings 3 mornings a week of Preschool, and again he is in a class with Ben & Harry. I hope his teacher knows what she's in for with the 3 rascals at once!

Playschool 1- Noah's Ark

In 2010, Eli attended two playschool programs. His first Playschool was at Noah's Ark, where he & about 20 other kids, including his two best mates Ben & Harry, spent Tuesday mornings with Julie, Natalie & Amanda.

Playschool is a play based program that builds social skills in kids.

With Eli being quite shy and reticent, we thought he would benefit from this program, and he REALLY did.

He absolutely loved it, and was shettered if he had to miss it for any reason.

Much of the free play time was spent on their "building site" a dirt/mud patch behind the cubby house.

Too quickly the year passed, and the first of many Christmas parties was had.

This is Eli & Ben with Julie.

Eating chips, having the feast before they headed outside for the concert & meeting Santa.

It was a bit bright!! Here, he is getting ready to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And wondering why I hadn't bought his sunnies!

Then Santa came!

This was really funny, because as soon as he walked in, Ben recognised Santa as his Dad, much to Eli's relief.He's really not so sure about the whole Santa bit.

The 3 rascals! Ben, Harry & Eli.

He was quite happy to sit on this Santa's lap. But couldn't quite work out how Nathan gets to be Santa.....

Santa Photo

All of us have our Mother's voice in our heads about something. My Mum's voice in my head wants a Santa photo every year with her kids.

Jacob was easy. He was a first, and for a long time, only child. First grandchild. So, a camera in his face was a natural occurance. He was also very social and gregarious, so Santa never bothered him. Except for the year we got there first thing, then he asked me to sit with him- hair barely done, bags under my eyes, and all. But, basically, easy.

Eli, not so much. He loves getting his photo taken, but not keen on starnge people. Especially big, strange people in red suits with beards, surrounded by maniacal underlings. We got a pic his first year, because he was 6 weeks old. Every other year he has steadfastly refused.

Last year, I took him past every Santa in Canberra, many, many times, until he finally worked up enough courage to wave.

This year, he's old enough to be bribable. So, after several weeks of negotiation, we pointed out that Santa wouldn't know what to bring, unless Eli wrote a letter and handed it to him.

So, his letter has asked for a scooter, a new toy dinosaur & a copy of Toy Story 3 on DVD.

The next thing to do was find a Santa that's not so over the top he's completely overwhelming.

So in peak hour traffic & pouring rain, we drove to the other side of Canberra, down to Woden where Sata sits, surrounded by a little picket fence and not too much other palaver. Eli did not speak to, look at, or acknowledge Santa in any way. Santa was fantastic, speaking very softly, assuring Eli that he wouldn't get off his chair or anything. And the helper didn't print the first photo where he's looking mildly panicked, but took another one where he looks moderately happy- last year a friend had to pay for her photo despite 1 of her boys screaming & in full tanty mode!

So, for this year at least, Mum's voice in my head will be happy.

October birthdays

October is birthday month in our house, with all 3 boys having their birthday within 10 days.

First, Trev's.

No pics- no party, no photos! Low key, my hubby! He did have a lovely birthday dinner, and only had to cook part of it himself. After last year's Occo Bucco (?) fiasco- tough & leathery- I have conceded defeat. It seems cooking steak is beyond me, so he cooked the steak but I did the rest.

2nd, Jacob's.

Waiting on him to upload some photos. Eli made him a cake, and bought him a Nerf gun. Trev & I bought him a new lense for his camera, and he got lots of money & gift cards off various people, which was MOST appreciated since leaving his job about 6 weeks ago.

3rd- Eli's. He slept in until nearly 8 o'clock as he's got the flu and hasn't had briliiant sleeps the last 3 nights.

 First up, Monster Truck from Mum & Dad.

 Then, a lawn mower from Jacob

Also, a camp bed & sleeping bag from Mum & Dad.

He was too sick for school today, so he will spend most of the day in this position I think!

His mates are coming over after 3 for cake, so all the boxes will be ticked for another great birthday.

PHEW! And we're all done for another year......

Eli's letter he typed to Ben today...

Ben

Eli

Ben

Eli

Jjgj guuuuug (this says I miss you!)

Barkley's Hol-i-day, Week 2

Well, it's been a relatively quiet week.

I miss my boys though!

I miss them so much, that I launched a cunning plan, to dig my way back to them!

My Favourite seems to have blocked all my old access points.

I'm working on one under the verandah stairs, and while progress is going well, I don't seem to be coming up the other side. So, I snuck under Laura's bush, and surrepticiously started a little access point there.

Brilliant!!!

So, I got to the other side.

And the boy pets who live here weren't home.

Blast!

Must remember to have a word with them next time I see them.

Hmm, no-one seemed to be home, and I couldn't get back through my access point, so I called out. The Pretty One came soon enough.

It was such a cunning plan, I thought I best try again, 10 mins later, just to see if it was more successful this time. AND IT WAS!! The garage door was open, so I made a run for it...

except, there's a busy street,

and the big bloke who lives there spotted me, and took me back to Kasey's place, where the Pretty One worked out what I was up to, and locked us in the house until My Favourite got home.

Spent the afternoon, sulking.

When I was allowed out again, and found out My Favourite had closed my access point, I did some rearranging to express my displeasure.

Strangely satisfying, that.

On the upside, I've been getting bones, and bits of bacon, and rice, and all sorts of yummy things.

On the downside, Kasey seems to have taken a liking to my house, and no matter how loudly I call in the middle of the night, My Favourite only came out once. Since he stopped coming out, I've stopped calling him. No point, really.

I don't mind sharing with Kasey, but today's turn of events are concerning....