Write my name

Ben often bring us his magnetic drawing board and asks us to write his name. This morning for the first time I got him to trace the letters. I was surprised how well he did. We don't really do much drawing with them, as it turns into a contest of possession, and who has the most crayons. Disaster really!

Here is Ben's 3rd attempt to trace his name this morning.

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3 year old conversations

Ethan: Benny, will you please come fix my toaster in my work shop, because it's broken

Ben: No thank you Ethan, I am not Handy Manny


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Height and weight 3yrs 1.8months

For my own records
Weighted and measured the boys today. They have both been sick and lost a bit of weight recently

Ethan
H- 97.5cm
W - 15.1kg

Ben
H- 96m
W- 13.4kg

Weighed at 4pm wearing trackies and shirts. No shoes


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No More Dummies!!!

Ben and Ethan are 3yrs, 1month, 3weeks and 3 days old….. and they have FINALLY given up their dummies (pacifiers)

We have been working on them giving them up for a while now….. slowly slowly as the addiction has been HUGE!

Over the last few months, we have been warning them that their supply is limited. Their favourite dummies aren’t made anymore. The company has replaced that design with a new one, and they don’t like the new one. The 15 or so dummies that we had have been slowly lost or broken. Ethan chews his dummies, and has managed to break lots of them in the last few months by chewing them so much the silicone cracks and they get holes in them. They were down to the final two…. a green on for Ben and a blue for Ethan (typical!).

A few nights ago Ethan announced that his dummy was broken and he needed another. We had been telling him for a while that it was the last one and we told him again. He understood, and sucked his broken dummy sideways for one night (vertically rather than horizontally in his mouth). The next night he told us his favourite dummy was broken and he didn’t want it. He slept without a dummy for the first time in years!

The next morning he said we can throw his dummy in the bin, he didn’t need it anymore!!!

We praised him so much, and told him he would get a special present because he was such a big boy now….. we intentionally made a big deal about it, and of course Ben listened in….

Ben decided he would like to have a special prize too… so, of course we told him that special prizes were only because Ethan gave up his dummy. Ben got told he could have a special prize if he gave up his dummy too. Without any hesitation, Ben took his dummy and threw it into the bin!  

If you know Ben, you will know this is a HUGE thing to do. He absolutely loves his dummies….. you can see, when he is tired and puts one in his mouth, it just relaxes him. It’s like a drug for him. I am almost sad that he has given up something that he loves so much….. but it’s a necessary thing in life. 3yrs is long enough to have a dummy.

Last night was Ben’s first night without a dummy (and Ethan’s second night). As soon as Ben came down from his bath to put his PJ’s on, he asked for his dummy….. like he usually does. He cried when we told him he’d thrown it away, but quickly settled when we reminded him he’d get to go shopping for a special prize in the morning. Both boys managed to go to sleep as well as they normally do with a dummy. They both slept their usual 12-13hour night :) YAY!!

Tonight Ben asked for his dummy again, and he was so very tired tonight. He cried and cried as I rocked him in my arms. He so desperately wanted his dummy :(  We reminded him that he’d thrown it in the bin, so he went straight to the bin to try and get it back. Poor tired boy… He did get a bit happier when we reminded him about the special prize we bought….

 

We searched and searched for their special prize today. Mid year toy sales are starting all over the shops this week and the catalogues have been arriving in our letterbox…. After much catalogue research, Ethan decided he wanted a toy laptop, Ben found a battery powered red quad bike.

Ben didn’t want a laptop like we got for Ethan, but Ethan sure did want a quad bike too. You can’t possibly have one boy with a quad bike and one without, so lucky Ethan got two presents today…

Straight out of the box, Ethan cant wait to try it out, we didn't get to put the stickers on yet!

Ethan’s laptop is very cool too. Unfortunately Ben really likes it, and it annoys Ethan… who, like a typical toddler doesn’t want to share! I forgot to take a picture of Ethan with his laptop, but here’s the picture from the website

Leapfrog - My Own Leaptop

The boys are starting to get a few toys in the Leapfrog range, and both Mums and boys think they are great toys. Age appropriate, educational and fun! The laptop that Ethan bought can be customised so it says his name, and special messages from Mummy, Mumma, Grandma and Nana. Both boys LOVE it!

Cardboard House Fun

Last week it RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED…. there was flooding in parts near here…. luckily apart from our ongoing roof leaking issues we did not have and problems with the rain. It has now been dry for 3 days, but the grass is still soggy….. it was that sort of rain.

Needless to say we have been playing inside a lot this last week. Luckily we found a great bargain at a local discount shop. We found a cardboard house for $12.95!!

It came completely white, and we have been having fun decorating it and playing inside all week.

After a week of some rough boy play, it’s still standing……. JUST!!

It’s much more colourful and has been a great source of entertainment. All the pictures were on the cardboard box that the house came in. A great use of resources. Hardly any packaging wasted :) Obviously we coloured them, and the boys had a great time gluing them on…. It’s hard to see, but the also did a lot of stickers.

The rainbow on the roof was done by Sal, with the help of the boys. We drew arcoiris (Spanish for rainbow) together. I asked for the coloured crayons in spanish and the boys got them for me. I have no idea how to speak Spanish, but with the help of Dora and Diego, we are learning together.

Inside the house. More drawings, and toys…

A closer look at the pictures. They are very environmentally friendly little pictures. Very cute.

Cooking up a storm

My little boys (but don’t call them that to their face or they will say “we is big boys”) LOVE to cook!!! I have been doing more and more cooking with them over the last month. Through a bit of trial and error I am beginning to know the best way to get two enthusiastic toddlers to help without making a mess, getting hurt or destroying the food. We are getting better!

I have made the following dishes with the help of the boys lately…..

• Tomato soup
• Meatloaf
• Salmon and pasta
• White bread and rasin bread by hand
• Wholemeal bread in the machine
• Pancakes
• French Toast
• Blueberry muffins
• Pineapple carrot and zucchini muffins
• Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Delicious (at Nana’s house, see pics below)

I’m sure there has been more, but that’s all I can think of at the moment. They are happy to help with any meal, any time. They also enjoy making sweet food and licking the bowl.

We recently made a trip to the local farmers market. A lady was selling kids aprons, so we had to buy some. Too cute!

Ben chose a Thomas the Tank Engine apron

Ethan chose Bob the Builder

Ready to make some cupcakes

Below are a few pictures we took while we were making cinnamon raisin bread. Please excuse us all for being in our PJ’s. It was made first thing in the morning!

Ben helps to knead the dough

Kneading the dough

Inspecting the raisins

Washing up after the 2nd kneading. At least we are dressed now!! :)

Washing up is a new experience for the boys. They enjoy the “water play” make a big mess all down my cupboards and themselves. It’s not so productive for Mummy, but we let them have a go sometimes.

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Last Monday we went to Nana’s house for Lunch. Aunty Shell, Uncle Michael, Aunty Linda and Linda’s Mum were there too. If was great to catch up with everyone. It has been FAR to long since we’ve seen them….. about 5 weeks since the boys birthday ….. and many more months since we’d seen Aunty Linda. Poor Anuty Linda is VERY busy with her final year of university this year.

As I said above, the boys helped Nana make a lemon delicious for dessert. Poor Nana was a bit overwhelmed with two “helpful” BIG boys in her kitchen, but the dessert worked great, very lemony and very delicious!

There was lots of “helpful” …… Beating…..

…..licking….. …..pouring….. …..stiring…. (note the tongue!) …..whisking….. …..more beating…. …..painting…. (butter to line the dish) ….pouring with Aunty Shell…. ….. and of course some tasting when we were done….

Thanks to Nana, Aunty Shell and Uncle Michael for your assistance in letting Ben and Ethan cook dessert. They LOVED it!!!

Soccer Super Stars

Uncle Michael is a big soccer (football) fan. He supports Liverpool Football Club, in the English Premier League. Almost every time we see him he is wearing a soccer related shirt. The boys know his favourite soccer shirt is red. I have been searching for red Liverpool shirts for a while, and was thrilled to find some on eBay last week :)

Last week the boys surprised Uncle Michael with their new soccer shirts!!

Quick funny story

This morning we were cooking muffins and had some music on. “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson came on. Ben asked what song it was, so we told him. We explained that the singer’s name was Michael, just like Uncle Michael…. but it wasn’t Uncle Michael…

Ben looks puzzled and says “But it sounds like a girl, not a man”

Too funny….. out of the mouths of babes!

Silly Box Boy

Ben decided to sit in a box the other day. Very random…… but I liked the pictures I got :)

   

Beautiful Eyes

Ben and Ethan have very different eyes. Ben has clear bright blue eyes, while Ethan has deep chocolate brown eyes.

Tracie has brown eyes, Sal has blue eyes and our donor has blue eyes. Throughout the pregnancy we joked that we might get one baby with blue eyes and one with brown….. it’s funny to us that our jokes came true..

Both boys know what colour eyes they have, and what colour eyes we have. They enjoy the fact that they each have eyes the same colour as Mummy and Mumma.