The reasons I've been so crap at keeping this blog up-to-date

2015 has proven to be an exceedingly difficult year to find motivation to continue with this blog. It's not that I don't want to have the blog, I love looking back through. I just don't want to do the work to keep it up.

Here's a couple of things that have been getting in the way of my motivation:

• I was successful at getting a one-year contract in another Faculty job-sharing in a Team Leader role. Learning a new set of courses, tasks and personalities; being responsible for a team of people; and taking on a year-long supervisor training course has been sapping much of my mental energy.
• I decided to do the 60-km Weekend to End Women's Cancer again in March. The fundraising and training required ate up a lot of my time. I'm proud to have done it again, but I ended up with a nasty sinus infection the week leading up to the walk and a killer cold the weekend of the walk which resulted in me feeling completely miserable and the weekend being much less memorable than last year's.
• I've taken on a new volunteer role at the boys' school: the Scholastic Book lady. I love it, but divvying out order forms, collecting money, placing orders, and delivering books takes up much more time than I imagined.
• I'm getting old and find that all the energy I can manage at the end of the day is to play a couple of pixel logic puzzles on the ipad before falling asleep on the couch.

Sculptures by the Sea

Last year Mum only bothered to take Oliver to Sculptures by the Sea. But they had so much fun, we decided to make a family day of it with brunch at the Naked Fig, a bike ride along the coast, lots of time to explore all the sculptures, and frozen yogurt too. It was great! ~ Elliot

Tee ball trophies

Monster trucks

Mommy and Daddy knocked my socks off this birthday and took Elliot and I to see the Monster Trucks! It was awesome. There were even motorcyclists doing big jumps and trick too! What a great way to spend birthday number four! ~ Oliver

Oliver at 4

My silly, cuddly, goofy, independent little Oliver this post is all about you at four.

This last year has been such a big big year for you filled with all sorts of firsts and new accomplishments. You've learned how to ride a bike with no training wheels, you swim all over the swimming pool, you've played tee-ball and now soccer, and best of all, you've started to school!

And what a surprise that has been for your dad and I! We weren't real sure how you were going to go at school since you don't really like to be made to do something if you don't want to and because you've still been struggling with keeping that temper in check. You know what Oliver? We worried for nothing. You are rocking are socks off at school. Mrs. Ennor says that you are such a joy to have in class. You have great listening and love to participate (and tell lots of stories). Yes, you've gotten upset a few times, but you've taken the time to calm down and joined the class again on your own, and we're really proud of you for that.

The other thing we weren't so sure about was how you were going to go with your letters and numbers and stuff. Y'see, unlike your brother who has always loved to show everyone who'll pay attention all the stuff he knows, you kinda refused to do your ABC's and counting with your dad and I. Turns out you were just keeping your cards close to your chest, and you are doing so well with your letters and numbers and writing. And now that you're gaining confidence, you're much more willing to show us just how clever you really are.

It is incredible watching you grow and getting to know more and more about the one and only Oliver Mason Cowboy. And here are just a few of things that are just so cool about you:

You are your own dude. If you don't want to do something (whether it's because you don't feel safe or you just don't want to), you don't. Most of the time you don't make a big deal about it, you just say "No" or "Maybe when I'm bigger." And that's it.


But if you want to do something, but you're feeling a bit timid or unsure. You come back to it. You ask for a hand. You take your time. And then you do it. And usually you'll do it again and again with the loveliest smile of pride spread across your gorgeous little face.

You're still so content to play on your own whether it's digging in the dirt, racing your monster trucks around the house, playing dress-up, pretending to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, building with your LEGO, looking after your sister and best friend Theodora, the teddy bear, or spending time in front of the mirror perfecting your fauxhawk.

Your favourite movies this year were Tangled and Frozen. And you don't even care that your brother says that they are girl movies, you still want to watch them over and over again. In the book department, you've gotten really in to the Beast Quest books that Elliot has been bringing home from the library, but still love Elephant and Piggie books or reading from the Big Book of Dinosaurs.

But most of all you love being a cowboy. Your dad and I love hearing all about your green horse and the farm that you're building off in the 'distance' for when you are grown up. You'll have chickens and sheep and all sorts of animals for the children to come play with. In fact, it was thanks to your persistence that we ended up getting chickens for the family this year. And you just love feeding them the scraps and collecting the eggs each day. 

You love getting bigger and doing new things, but it's very endearing the way that you still want your Mommy and Daddy to take care of you whether it's helping you to get dressed or wash your hair or wipe your bum. We know that you can do these things on your own, but love to pretend that you can't just so you can get help from Mom and Dad.

But best of all, Ollie I just love your cuddles and lovely giving nature. I've never known a kid who loves to share as much as you. You gently brush my hair from my face, smother me with kisses and tell me five times a day our favourite special little secret "I love you".

P.S. Here's Ollie's stats: Height - 107.5cm (42.5in) Weight - 18kg (40lb)

Super hero tee ball

Our last tee ball game of the year was a fancy dress day. Who knew there were so many Spidermen and Ninja Turtles on my team? ~ Ollie