Bugs, Babies & Life Stories

As of tonight it is a week that Caitlyn has not worn a nappy!!!!!!

Up until a week ago she was still wearing one a night, but started waking to do wees rather than in her nappy, so I bit the bullet and said no more nappies and it has worked. She is doing so well has not had an accident at night ever and has only had one day one in over a month....

Just watch now that I have written this down, she will wet the bed tonight and wee on the carpet tomorrow!!!

A while back we brought 2 shade sails from Aldi, cause you can get everything from Aldi....., we were going to put them up beside the house in the back yard to cover the play area, but the problem was that Caitie could not go out there on her own cause of the dogs and there was no where for us to sit and watch her. So we decided to move all the things around the front and hang the sails from the verandah to the big gum trees in the middle of the yard.

After the abundance of chocolate last year we decided to ration it out this year, and only buy one for Caitie, one for us and none for pip (there is one thing for blended food, not blended chocolate even though many of you choc-a-holics out there would disagree). It was all going well , instead of a big egg for Caitie we got 12 small eggs and did a egg hunt around the lounge room for her, which was great once she got the hang of it. Andrew got his usual Rocky Road Egg and I was spoilt with a Lindt assortment box including a rabbit that has a zip and pouch under its belly.... just don't go there!!!!

Saturday we headed out in the rain over to BJ and Kerryn's for a nice BBQ lunch where the girls played together and Annika enjoyed her eggs. Then Saturday night we headed out again in the rain to Dave & Alissa's engagement party, which even though it was wet was a good night and we had 2 very tired girls.

This is Caitie and Tahlia at the last week of swimming for Term 1... And what more can I say...

Kneeded, Rolled,

The last brigade service Andrew was commissioned as the new Brigades Chaplin as after much agonizing Frank & Glad realised that their age was finally starting to catch up with them and that they could not fulfill all that they felt the position of Chaplin entailed and they stepped down and asked Andrew to take it on.

So now he is out every second Thursday night at Brigade and gets to wear a sexy uniform......

When he was commissioned by Marcus he was given the silver crosses for his lapel and when he was commissioned by Robyn he was given a skirt as he is the Chaplin of both the boys and girls brigade.

We finished off the term of mothers group at Time to Play and so I put Pip in the ball pit, as you can see she disappeared for a while, ate a few balls and had a great time.

After a healthy McDonalds breakfast we headed to Dooralong Resort, it was a long trip but eventually got there...... This is were what you expect doesn't eventuate!!!

We thought lets go to some where in the Hunter as that is half way home, so I put Hunter Valley in google and came out with the really nice resort that had these little cottages that had a special for 2 nights and they said were kid friendly. They had a restaurant but also a tavern with a bistro, which would be more in our price range and better for the girls. The deal included a full buffet breakfast both days, a hay ride, entry to the animal park and this great cottage.......AhHa well Dooralong is drive to Wyong, turn right and then drive another 15 minutes bush, if we had realised where it was we would have just got a ocean view apartment in The Entrance, anyway....

We get there, I check in, I am told that all is fine our cottage is ready and that if we wanted dinner at the restaurant then we should book once we get settled.... "What about the Tavern", I hear you ask, as I did, oh that is only opened Wed through to Fri and the restaurant is only opened Sat through to Tue.... (we are here mon to wed), then I am told that the animal feeding is at 10am, we are there at 3pm and the tracker blew up so there are no hay rides....... So by now I am starting to get a bit, how would you say FRUSTRATED. Then they call the courtesy van to pick us up as no cars are permitted on resort grounds, we unload everything, load it all into the van, Andrew takes Pip and I have Caitie who is now crying as when the van came up she got scared ran the other way and fell on the sharp gravel and ripped open her hands. We drive down to the boom gate around the corner and up the hill 100 mtrs, ohh look here is cottage 14!!!!! It took us longer to pack the van than it did to drive to the cottage. Then we climb the 5 steps up to the verandah that has no rails to stop Caitlyn falling to her certain broken limbs, open the door and walk into this rather nice, timber cottage with 2 lounges, a table and chairs, tv, aircon, separate bedroom, huge bathroom and a steel spiral staircase (that's treads are not even the depth of my feet) up to the loft where the 2 single beds for Caitlyn to sleep in....... YEAH RIGHT MAYBE WHEN PIGS FLY!!!!!!! So we end up putting Caitie in the porta cot and Pip gets to sleep on a pillow on the floor. Ohh did I say sleep as if that was going to happen!!!!!! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that most of the winders on the windows are broken and the screens have holes big enough to let in the killer mosquito's from the land of HUGE!!! to eat my kids, I'm sure I saw one pick up Pip and trying to fly away with her one stage (ok maybe not, but do you think this was not one off our better wedding anniversaries....)

We also swam, in the icy waters of the duck poo covered pool area, hmmm fun.

Oh yeah that's why we are here to celebrate being married 8 years..... Do you know what we did !!!! don't worry its not r rated, while I was fighting to get Pip to sleep in one room Andrew is watching Mythbusters with Caitlyn in the other!!!! SEX SEX what is that!!!!

Tuesday is stormed!!!! Wednesday we came home.......

On the upside, the restaurant was fabulous they accommodated us so well, Carley and Roslene the hosts were fantastic, they allowed us to order from the tavern menu and were not concerned about the girls, as they both had kids of their own and understood. There was only 2 other couples there while we were and we had an 6pm dinner so we never really interrupted anyone's meal times with Caitlyn trying to blow out the candles on the tables as she walked past and refusing to eat her dinner.......

All I can say, as much as we love our kids and they are a product of our marriage and love, they are NEVER coming on our wedding anniversary celebration AGAIN!!!!!

Dirty Weeked away the only dirty thing was the floor!!!!!!!!

On Saturday 17th March we packed up the cars and headed to Tamworth. There was Linsday & Vanessa, Josh & Kaylene, Scuba, Cook, Nath, Dave, Phil and the Parkos. We left a little late due to my alarm not going off, but eventually we got on the road and after a stop in Singleton for Mc'Donalds we arrived in Tamworth at lunchtime and on schedule. We then unloaded everything, set up and then had a yummy lunch provided by Tamara. It was time to get ready for the Tamworth people to arrive. From all accounts the training went well and we have had a lot of positive feed back from those there on the day and then in speaking to their Pastor since.

When lunch was over I took the girls and we headed into town to do some shopping and then back to the van Ginkel's to unloaded our stuff and set up the girls beds, as after the training and a quick sound check for the morning we would be going out for dinner and so I wanted the porta cot and Caitie's bed set up ready for when we got home.

Caitie decided that she would use this time away to toilet train, so we had a 5 hour car trip with 1 stop where she did wee's on the toilet and still a dry nappy by the end of the day. Her big accomplishment for the day was doing wee's and poo's on Uncle Scott and Aunty Mara's toilet. Problem was as far as she was concerned she had to tell them about it when we got back to the church..... Poor Uncle Scott, its bad enough when she calls Andrew when he is at work and yells down the phone "Daddy, did poos on the toilet".

We all headed out to dinner that night and it was great, lovely to just sit, debrief the day and catch up with friends over a yummy meal. Then it was back to Motel van Ginkel for even yummier dessert and bed. Andrew, I and the girls were in the Big room, us in the bed, Pip in the cot and Caitie on her lounge on the floor. Then Josh and Kaylene were in the other room in the king single, it is always fun getting use to sleeping in the same bed as someone else when you have only been married just over a month, but put them in a king single and then the fun begins, poor Josh he was beaten up all night!!!!! The boys where then out in the lounge room on the sofa bed, lounge and the floor, they put Cook in the office as he snores (thing is he got the better deal as his floor was carpeted and not cold tiles). Lindsay & Vanessa stayed with another couple in the church.

Sunday morning saw everyone up and off to Church early. The worship went well and the team felt very welcome by young and old. After packing everything up we headed back to van Ginkel's for a yummy lasagna and salad lunch and then Josh, Kayles and the boys headed home and we stayed for Andrew to preach at the evening service. Pip and I had a sleep, Andrew took Caitie for a drive to put her to sleep and Scott tried to do some more study for his assesment on Monday and according to Vanessa she was still back at the church waiting for Lindsay to finish with the sound guys....

Church Sunday night went well and then we headed off early the next morning for our few days off..... (that's another blog).

Thanks to the team for their willingness to serve, thanks to Tamworth for their willingness to listen and thanks to Scott and Tamara for their unending hospitality.

It has been so long since I blog'ed anything..... This is due life being rather full and busy at the moment and for me to have just to have 5 minutes to myself without some one wanting something only happens while on the toilet and then 9 times out of 10 Caitie is still knocking on the door to do wee's !!!!!!! SO to have anytime to be able to put 2 thoughts together let alone recap life and add photos just has not happened.

Anyway I do hope to get back to it in the next week or so and be all up to date with the happenings in the Parkinson house with photos to show how much our beautiful girls are growing up.