Upsetting the Happy Apple Cart

We said goodbye to Shadow the weekend before last. Sadly, it just wasn't working out. Gypsy kept attacking him (she now seems to dislike all other dogs, except Maya), he was too rough and hyper for the boys and they were terrified of him, I tried to train him, but was having no success and there are no dog training classes available locally. At times, it felt like I was running a prison exercise yard - the boys would stay inside while the dogs where in the yard, because they were too terrified to go outside with Shadow, then the dogs would go back into their yard while the boys came outside to play. The logistics were a nightmare. Plus I'd be constantly yelling at Gypsy to leave Shadow alone.

Duncan contacted Shadow's former owner to let him know it wasn't working out, and if he'd like to find another home for him. He found a new owner in Fitzroy Crossing, of all places. When I heard where he was going, my first thought was, I hope he's not going to drunken deros who already have fifty half-starved dogs. Thankfully, she is a 50-year-old teacher and apparently is a lovely lady. Shadow's former owner picked him up and took him to Perth to be flown to Fitzroy Crossing. No doubt it will be a bit of a temperature change, but I hope he'll be very happy in his new home.

Sometimes doing the right thing still hurts.

I'll miss you, Shadow. Have a wonderful life.

Flynn was braver around Shadow when
Shadow was occupied with a bone.

My Snuggle Monster

His love language is definitely physical touch.

It wasn't just the fourth trimester. He continues to love his cuddles....and I love mine from him, too.

Five Year Re-enactment

Surely it cannot be five years since I had my first precious cuddles as a new mum?

 

Alas, it is.  My big boy celebrated his fifth birthday on the 19th January.

Since we were away at the time, he had a couple of parties - one with family and friends in Dunsborough, and a low-key barbecue in Perth.  Plus there was a very exciting trip to Scitech on his birthday. He and Flynn both threw tantrums when it was time to leave - partly because they were having so much fun, and partly because the lights and noise were overstimulating.

He wanted a dinosaur cake, so I made him 'Stella Stegosaurus'
the Australian Women's Weekly cake book.

Scitech

Annual Leave is Almost Gone

Duncan took three weeks off after harvest finished just before New Year. We spent a few days in Albany, just under a week in Dunsborough, and a week in Perth.  He also spent just shy of a week at home, assembling our new chook house.

That's most of the annual leave gone now. A great time was had by all, though.

Flynn enjoying the swings in Albany

The customary ride on Grandma's gopher

I took Flynn to a play centre in Perth to catch up with one of
my friends from the Mother Baby Unit and her daughter

Kings Park

2017 Hopes: How I Went

Hmmm, I don't think 2017 was very 'successful' by looking at this list:

1. Confront (and hopefully conquer) some long-held fears and phobias.  More to come in another post.
This mainly revolved around riding my new bike.  Unfortunately it didn't happen.  This year...

2.  Submit my novel to more publishers.
I entered it into the Dorothy Hewett Award For An Unpublished Manuscript run by UWA Publishing, but didn't get anywhere.

3.  Try to have regular quiet times.  I don't want to set the bar too high (it's hard to go from pretty much nothing/sporadic times to daily, so I'm aiming for 2-3 times per week, then build up).
 Nope! I really only read my Bible the night before Bible study each week in order to prepare. I have such a hunger for God's Word, but somehow I just can't sit down and read it.

4.  Continue to sell baby stuff and other items to raise money for Christian ministries.
I donated some stuff to our church's biannual mission stall.  I did sell some stuff, but keep forgetting to actually give the money to ministries! One thing I did last year was save all of the $5 notes I could and put them in a container.  I counted 20 notes the other day....that's $100 for Pregnancy Problem House. This year, I want to save $10 notes and pray about which person/organisation God would have me give the money to.

5.  Adjust my weekly routine now that I'll be a kindy mum, which will include taking Flynn to playgroup on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, while Rory is at kindy.
This was one thing I had some success with.  Flynn and I became regulars at playgroup on Thursdays by the middle of the year.

Stay tuned for my 2018 hopes.

Paddington Bear Comes To Stay

In many kindergartens, the children have to take a toy (or even a class pet) home and take photos of everything the 'thing' did while they were with you.  Rory's class has Paddington Bear (it is actually his teacher's own teddy).  I'm very glad it wasn't a live animal; when I was at kindergarten back in the day, my class had a budgie.  The poor thing must have been scared to death with all those kids!

Paddington Bear had to join in with everything Rory did for a week, from the mundane to the exciting.

Going for a drive on the farm in the ute.

At Sunday School

Having a teddy bears' picnic.

Dinner time

Flynn was quite taken with Paddington.

Sunbaking in the canola.

Time to Get Away

After a stressful few weeks, we really needed our weekend away visiting Duncan's parents in Dunsborough a few weeks ago.  Despite all the hassle involved with holidaying with kids, I'm glad we made the effort.

At the amazing playground in Donnybrook

Duncan's dad's handsome Rhode Island Red rooster and his wives.

Posing

The other rooster - an ISA Brown crossed with something.

Oh, how we've missed dipping our toes into the sea.

Preparing the peas with Grandma

I Can't Call Him 'Bubba Flynn' Anymore

Flynn turned two last Saturday, the 23rd September.  Although he's been 'toddling' for 10 months now, I guess his second birthday also officially marks toddlerhood and the 'terrible twos' (the 'terrible ones' have been bad enough).

We headed to Perth for the long weekend, but, sadly, his birthday wasn't all that happy.  He's been suffering from an ear infection (he's had a fair few) for the past couple of weeks and will be requiring grommets.  His birthday involved screaming, a visit to the doctor, and yet another lot of antibiotics.

All that aside, I can scarcely believe it was two years ago I met him and saw his red hair for the first time, and remarked, "Hello, Bubba.  Where did you come from?"

I love him so much!

Peppa Pig cake he took to daycare on the Monday before his birthday.
Or maybe it's George...not sure (Duncan said it can be a 'gender-
neutral pig').

He didn't want his photo taken.

Nope, still not keen on a photo.

We had a small party for him in Perth.  He also loves dinosaurs,
so I made this cake. I got the idea from here.

Post-Surgery Worst Nightmare

My worst nightmare post-surgery nightmare was getting gastro. A friend visited me in Perth while I was recovering, and told me how gastro had ripped through her family recently. I thought that if I were to get gastro now, it'd be beyond horrible. Throwing up with a painful stomach...gah!

Of course, that's exactly what happened.

Late Friday afternoon, I went to have a shower in preparation for going out for dinner at a friend's house in celebration of another friend's birthday. I had had my dressings changed twice by a nurse, but this was to be the first time I'd done it myself. He nurse had recommended I do it in the shower. It was a bit painful and, while I was in the shower still, my vision started to go and I felt very faint. I called out to Duncan and he caught me before I fainted. I came to on the shower floor, dressings half off, wondering what had happened. Duncan said I'd been out of it for about 20 seconds. He helped me out of the shower and onto a chair. After a little while, I felt well enough to complete the dressing change, put on my pyjamas (having decided that as much as I was looking forward to the dinner, it was just a no-go after what had happened) and sat on the couch before going to bed. I just didn't feel well.

Then the vomiting started. It finally finished at around 1am.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt my stomach. Coughing, sneezing and laughing had been much worse. Duncan called our local hospital to check whether he should bring me in, but they said, unless I was in pain, or the vomiting was going on and on, I should be ok.

Of course, I was completely wiped out he following day and my mum arrived to help.

Then on Sunday, Flynn got it.
My mum went home on Monday morning and Bethany from our church, who's been helping me at home arrived.
In the early hours of this morning, Rory got it.
We heard from my dad that my mum had it, too.
Now, Duncan, the man with the immune system of a mallee bull when it comes to gastro, has even succumbed.

We've all been knocked over like dominoes.

May this bug leave my family and never return!

Perth Pilgrimages

Here are some photos from our two most recent Perth holidays (January and April),  I had allergy testing twice to see if I'm allergic to antibiotics I got a horrible rash while taking for mastitis in Mother Baby Unit).  The tests involved skin patches, skin pricks and then taking tablets).  So far, I'm in the clear and it seems that the rash may have been viral.

My arm after skin prick testing

In January, we visited Elizabeth Quay and Rory had his first train ride.

Rory did not want a photo with Mummy on the Carousel

At the train station

Chilling at the local park near where we stay

In April, we caught up with Duncan's brother for a barbecue and took the boys to the zoo.

Galapagos Tortoise

Some kind of monkey

Lemur

 

Orangutan

Orangutan

The male Indian elephant

Tricia the elephant

Penguins

Snake

Another creepy-looking snake