Well, actually I’m not sure, I DON’T do the following:

• Leave my children in the car whilst I go and play the pokies
• Make them sit with Santa to have a stupid Christmas photo when cleary they are terrified
• Hit them
• Lock them in cupoboards (tempted some days)

I do these things EVERY day – feed them, clothe them, bath them, play with them, chase them around the house naked (them NOT me, in case you’re wondering), tell them I LOVE them (only about 100times a day) change their stinky little butts……….and that my friends is the bit I’m struggling with at the moment……

I have 3 STILL in nappies, lordy how did I get myself into this EXPENSIVE predicament??? I decided last week that enough, was enough and Lochie was ready to be toilet trained. We have had some false starts in the last 6months but I have always ditched it because it got too hard. Last week armed with our new toilet training kit http://www.pottytraining.com.au/shop/catalog/product/1528, our reward sticker chart and some cute little toys for Lochie to “earn” with his stickers for, off we went!

A wee = one sticker

A poo = two stickers

10 stickers = TOY

So in the past 6 days I have cheered , coaxed, congratulated, high-fived, handed out stickers, handed out a toy, tried so very hard not to frown, sigh or yell when we have an accident and wrangled a 20month old out of the firing line, every single time we attempt to go to the toilet…………..and I am FED up!

Somebody please tell me why it is soooo hard to get a 3year old boy to concentrate, stop what he is doing, drop everything and get to the toilet in TIME???? Why, why, why is it this hard???????

I’m a BAD mother, I know it!

What do I want to achieve in 2008? I have an entire year in front of me, so many “things” to do, so many opportunities, a thousand and one ideas floating around in my head. I love the delicious promise of a new year, it is like a fresh sketchbook the pages so unbelievable creamy, smooth and unadorned.

I found a sketchbook today buried in the back of my cupboard, completely new and totally unadorned, I performed a small happy dance in my head and immediately sat down to make notes.

We also caught up with some friends today for a most delicious brunch and to meet another friends new baby girl, sweet Olive, so tiny, so lovely, so sleepy and new……….has it only been 12weeks or so since my baby girl was just like that, it is so hard to believe!!!Sleeping Cait

We are all suffering from Christmas hangover, the boys are so over stimulated by all their presents, they don’t know what to play with next and they fight constantly, it is wearing me down.

I have eaten far TOO much chocolate over the past 3days, time for a detox and a recharge, we are heading into the new year it is a good time to start afresh with eating and exercising plans.

Friday, my big boy Lochie turned 3 – where did the time go???

The quintessential “Australian” experience of standing around the barbie, beer in hand, cooking a snag or two (wow – what an totally ocker sentence) is just not suited to me. I can’t stand the bloody flys, the heat, and the mozzies, and to add insult to injury my very fine, delicate Celtic skin cannot take anymore than 10mins sun before I start to burn.

It makes my heart soar when I see these beautiful photographs from Amanda, oh the lovely iciness of it all, the frost, the snow and the ice just coating the trees. I just see it now, snuggled up next the fire, hot chocolate in my hand, some sewing by my side. *sigh* Exchange anyone????

Breastfeeding a baby in summer brings with it a whole new set of challenges, Lochie was a summer baby too so I distinctly remember those first horrible, terribly hot months where he and I where literally stuck together.

Cait has now reached the 3month milestone (where did the time go?) and although she feeds a LOT faster than she used to, it is still a 30minute exercise. I combat the worst of the stickiness by place a muslin wrap under my breast and out to the side, I then use this wrap over my arm to support her head, that way it is somewhat less sticky.

On a positive note it is much easier to get out of bed in the middle of the night, no more freezing toes or noses.

I say this because, lately, all I seem to do is feed and scream!!! I sit down to feed Caitlin, she is a breastfeed baby so this usually takes some time. But it’s time I’m willing to sacrifice because both of my boys were bottle feed and I am enjoying the process of breastfeeding with Cait.
Anyhow the two evil monkeys can be playing quite happily prior to a feed, I ensure they have ample supplies of food, water and toys and make sure the telephone is close by.

I attempt to sit in a comfy chair and quietly feed my daughter………….HA………..big joke……this is when the fighting starts, screaming, foot stamping, tantrums (not just the boys either) and the yelling……….I sound like some kind of hyped up referee at WWF match!!!  ……………………..”Josh, stop biting your brother”……”Lachlan, quit screaming”……”Joshua GET DOWN from the coffee table RIGHT NOW”……..”would you two please SHARE your toys”……………and my personal favourite…………”Joshua DO NOT pull on your sister when she is attached to Mummy’s BOOBS”………………….

If they are not fighting one (or both) are sometimes standing in-between my legs trying to climb over their baby sister to sit on my knee!!!! NO ONE mentioned this at the breastfeeding clinic!

I often wonder if poor Miss Cait will grow up to have some kind of weird eating disorder where she is unable to eat in peace and quiet and she feels compelled to rush every meal……???? It is seriously like a battle zone here some days, all those lovely brochures about breastfeeding don’t mention second and third children and WW3 that follows Mummy’s attention being elsewhere for 20mins or so.

Some friends who read this post  have encouraged me to keep writing, apparently they enjoyed this small glimpse into my manic life and they want some more!!!!! Who knew??

So here it is, a blog about life with me, my gorgeous and terribly tolerant husband and my three crazy kids, well that’s not overly fair, poor Cait is only 12weeks old she hasn’t had a chance to be “crazy” yet, we’ll give her some time.