Januray, February, March... where did they go?!?!

The last time I blgged was ...dare I say... January!!! I've been meaning to get around to it, but just couldn't be bothered so here is a catch up of the last 3 months.

We survived school holidays with the biggest hicup being Judah catching chicken pox when he was staying in Brisbane with Nana and Papa. Judah and his cousin Madi flew back to Perth by themselves as unaccompanied minors. The people at qantas were horrible to the kids on the plane. Wouldn't even let them sit in their seats for a half hour as they waited for confirmation that Judah could fly and although he was spotty was no longer contagious. (Of course we called days in advance to make sure, and of course they didn't do any of this while Papa and Madi's mum were still there. They waited till the kids were by themselves on the plane...disgusting!!!!) Then when they did give them the OK the stewardess made all sorts of snide comments and were generally rude. To make it worse when they changed planes in Melbourne the poor kids had to go through it all again, this time being threatened with not being allowed to get on the flight to Perth. Of course 12 year old Madi has a bit of a panic because she doesn't know anyone in Melbourne and thinks they are going to just leave them there. Eventually the made it to us in Perth, but let's just say the strongly worded letter of complaint has had qantas falling all over themself to make it right. The nice thing is that out of all of it we were given family movie passes and popcorn/ candy bar passes as an apology. So with those we went on a really lovely family day out and saw "The Legend of Desperux" with qantas footing the bill!!! :)

The beginning of February meant that once again we were back to the first day of school, but not just for Judah but Heidi as well. I nearly cried when I dropped Judah off in his year 1 classroom. Even the classroom looked like "big kid" school. He was nervous but settled in well. Murray took the afternoon off so he could be with Heidi (and me) when it was time to drop her off. She does 4 half days two in the afternoon and two in the morning, so back to the school we went after lunch to take Heidi. I was sure she was going to be a crier so I made her a little felt heart and filled it with "mummy kisses" so she could cuddle it when she was scared. Well, much to my surprise she we shooing us out the door and was more then excited to start her first day!!! I was glad Murray was there because even though Heidi didn't need his hand to hold, i sure did and managed to shed only a few tears.

February also meant the start again of extra curricular activities. We put Heidi in a new dance school this year after the shocking display at last years dance concert. Lets just say that young teenage girls dressed up as sex-kittens dancing to "The Pussy-cat Dolls" doesn't really fall into our catagory of appropriate dance styles for our daughter. All the little niggling concerns I had at the last studio have faded away at this new one. The teacher is a sweet, soft spoken, older woman that is just the epitomy of what I envisioned a ballet teacher to be. She calls the technical dance names things like "teddy toes" and "fairy toes" and gives them beautiful fairy wands to dance around with. Heidi ADORES Miss Gail and she is absolutly loving getting to know all her fellow ballerinas.

Judah is doing an art class this semester. He loves to draw so we really wanted to help him learn some technique to encourage him along. He has also found it hard to make friends this year and his confidence was looking rather bleak, so mostly we are hoping this helps him regain some of his confidence. The art studio is right on the beach in trendy Fremantle so on Thursdays we drop him off and Murray and I the littlies go for a walk around Freo for an hour and a hlaf. It means Thursday's are a late night home but it has been nice to have a reason to get out of the same ol' same ol' routine and have a family evening. We usually pick up some thing nice for tea (dinner) on the way home and the kids think that is great.

The rest of February has been a blur as I have tried to book as many things in BEFORE I hit my 3rd trimester/ baby coming. So with that I have been trying to get on top of all the specialist appointments for the kids. So in the past month, Heidi and Wesley have seen 2 different eye specialist, Judah has seen his eye specialist twice, Heidi and Wesley have seen the Speech Pathologist, Wesley has seen the hearing specialist, Heidi has been referred to a hearing specialist, Wesley has been referred to an Allergist, and in April all 3 kids have to see a new eye specialist again for a full out, dialate the eyes-nightmare long-appointment. Oh and don't forget the appointments with the GP that are neccesarry to get the referal letters to see all these specialist!!! In between all of this I have had the usual midwife appointments to check up on bubs. Needless to say sometimes I think genetics can be a real bitch!!! How is it that all 3 of my kids had to get bad eyes and hearing problems?!?! Damn those dominant genes!!! I just pray, pray, pray they didn't get my bad teeth as I don't know where the dentist would fit into the mix :) That said I know that doing all of it now when they are little means it fixable and treatable and if I put it off then it becomes more and more of a permanent problem. So off we go hoping that we can get on top of all of it and start all the necessary treatments, therapy, glasses, and diet change.

And that leaves us with March. We have 2 birthday's and our anniversary in March. Heidi's birthday is tomorrow and on Saturday she is having her first real birthday party. She decided to have a "Pixie Princess Dress Up" Party and she was allowed to invite 7 friends. We are going to make Pixie wands, paint faces and decorate "Pixie" cookie wands. I am sure it is going to to be lots of fun and will be a great oppotunity to get some really great photos as well :) I also finished her quilt that I have been working on and off on for about 2 years. So I am so looking forward to giving that to her on Saturday!!!! Wesley's birthday is next week and to celebrate we are having a BBQ dinner at our friends Daniel and Katies house. Then that weekend we have stashed the kids out to our friends and Murray and I are going to a friends wedding and spending the weekend just the 2 of us down in Mandurah to celebrate our anniversary/ baby-moon. Alhough the next couple of weeks are going to be busy it's lots of fun stuff, so I am very much looking forward to it!!!

Well there is a catch up of the Henderson Family Happenings. I promise I will try to attach some photos later, but untill then lots and lots of love from our family to yours!!!!

Holidays and Baby

Some how Christmas has come and gone and we are already into the new year. December has held some many exciting things that the month has just torpedo past us. Judah turned 6 on the 12th and we had the most wonderful birthday. We went out to this wonderful family pub and inside they had an old train car that they had restored into a kids play area. That night there happend to be a clown so the kids got to have their face painted and baloons as well. It was so great and Judah was so appreciative of every gift he was given.
The next big event was the end of the school year. With the came all of the end of year class parties and such. I can't believe Judah is going into year 1 in February. He had a great year and he won a silver merit certificate which was just fantastic. He really is a great student. It was hard to say good bye to his teacher because after a year I feel like we had just worked each other out and now I have to start all over again with a new teacher. That said I am hoping that when Heidi gets to Pre-primary that she will have Mrs Barclay. We also had all of Heidi's orientation for her to start Kindy next year. I think she is going to just love it and her teacher for next year is wonderful. I'm a little sad to see her big enough to be a school kid, even if it is only for a half day, but I know she is ready for it and that it will be just fantastic for her to make some friends her age.

Once school was out we had Murray's work Chirstmas party. It was an entire afternoon of eating, playing cricket (or watching in my case), the kids splashing in the kiddie pool, eating some more, and chit chatting. It was a really fun time and although I did have my reservavtions about going, it ended up being just great. After the party we came home, finished last minute packing, and went to bed early to be rested to leave at 4AM for our flight to Brisbane.
Our trip in Brisbane was a wonderful time for family. We had lots of time to spend with Murray's family, but we also had sometime to get out just the 5 of us and spend some QT with our kids. We did lots, and lots, and LOTS of swimming in the pool, ocean, and river. We all came back much tanner then when we left. We went ice skating one day which was just hilarious. Heidi absolutly loved it, Judah got use to it, and Wesley wasn't quite sure about any of it. Heidi and Judah started out very tentative but by the end had found their ice legs. Wesley on the other hand had no fear, and had to take a few falls before he finally decided to let daddy help him. Having to do something with help, though, is not worth doing in Wesley's mind so he spent most of the time "driving" the daytona video game. We also took the kids out to see the movie "City of Ember". What a great family movie, plus it was nice to sit in the Air Conditioning for a little bit and escape the heat. We were blessed with wonderful weather, which was a God-sent. Brisbane is usually misserably hot and humid around Christmas but the first week was lovely and cool and the second week we were at the beach house with AC, so it was never unbearable. We got very little rain so we had plenty of opportuntiy to be out and about. Wesley split his forehead open on the shower so we spent Thursday night in the emergency room getting it glued and buterflied bandage. What would a vacation be with out a trip to the ER? The last day we took the kids to the Big Pineapple and they got to have ice cream sundades for lunch. They were so big that I couldn't even finish mine, which is a lot to say since I LOVE ice cream. The looks on their faces when we put them on the table was priceless, but the mess afterwards was just sticky and gross. I am sure that was probably the thing they all remember most.




After all that fun it was time to come home, without Judah though. He has stayed behind for an extra week and will be flying back with his cousin Madi on Sunday. I was a very good mum and didn't even cry when I said good bye to him at the airport even though I really felt like I needed to. It has been so weird not having him around the past few days that I keep wishing Sunday to come faster. Heidi and Wesley are missing him too, which makes it all the more difficult. But Sunday will be here soon and then we will have not only him back but Madi will be here for a week to visit us. So I am trying to spend this week getting lots of fun stuff organsied for Madi's visit.
After all of that excitment we had our final high, and that was our scan yesterday for baby. We got to find out that our baby is a little girl, which was so very wonderful to hear. I feel like I now just need to get use to the idea of baby being a "her" instead of an ambiguous "it". It was wonderful to see her wiggling and flexing and moving around. Heidi thought it was great to hear her heart beat and see her little ear. Wesley liked seeing her little feet and I just loved the 4-d scan were I could see her face. It looks as if poor darling as her mother's nose. Murray liked seeing her heart beating away. The technician said everything looked good. The only real news was that she thinks our date was out by a week, so we are now working on baby arriving sometime in the beginning of June rather then the end of May. Heidi said in the car on the way to the scan she would say "oh man!" if it was a boy but would still love the baby, so she was over the moon when the technician said Girl instead of boy. Although Wesley said he wanted a boy, he seemed just as happy with a sister, and Judah squeeled with excitement when we called and told him. So boy, girl, boy, GIRL it is!!!



And that, in a very lage nut shell, is an update on all we have been up to. What a wonderful and eventful year 2008 ended up being, and I am excited to see what 2009 has in store.

First Appointment

Today was my first midwife appointment. It went really well. She said I was right on with my dates as far as tummy growth and she reassured me that there was only one in there. We got to hear the heartbeat for about 5-10 secs, and then spent 10mins trying to find the little wiggle worm to no avail. The kids thought all the noise of looking was fantastic, and were happy to "hear the baby". Wesley kept commenting about how noisy the baby was.. too cute. I had my blood taken which was not pleasant at all since I am the hardest person in the world to take blood from. It only took a grand total of 7 goes, and after that we decided that we would leave the 3rd vial for next time.

I also found out then when I need to have my 19 week anatomy scan is when Judah will still be in Brisbane. We are all going over for 2 weeks but he is staying an extra week and flying back with his cousin Madi. I've tried to book a scan when I am over, but I can't get a 4-d one and it will mean having to drive all the way back into Birsbane from the beach house which we are staing at during the 2nd week of our visit. All of that combined I think he is just going to have to miss it. I will bring a video or disc so we can record it, but I think he is going to be just devasted to not be there for it. He is so looking forward to it. I was thinking about just having them both done, but at $100 each I can't really justify it. Poor little guy, I hope he takes the news better then I am imagining him taking it.

I have to admit that I was actually just the slightest bit surprised that there really was a baby in there. I just haven't really felt pregnant and in the back of my mind I thought she might do the exam and say I'm not pregnant after all. So now for the first time I am really trully excited that, yes, there really is a baby in there and it really is mine. I feel all clucky and want to go buy some baby gear... but that will have to wait for another day because I still have no idea where we are going to be setting up the nursery.

It was a good appointment and I am so thankful that we have a private mid-wife who comes to our house to do all this stuff. It was great that Heidi and Wesley could run around and play outside, watch videos and eat lunch while we did all the paper work and "baby stuff". I can't even imagine waiting around in a doctor surgery with the 2 of them trying to do all of it. So all in all, a great appointment, just the kind you like to have!!!

November

Hello all. I know I have fallen off the blogging world for a while. The truth is I have had no blogging inspiration recently, in literary fields I think they call it writers block :O) So even though I am not feeling entirely inspired I thought I should break the drought and at least write something. Today is the first official day of Summer, and I can not believe how very blessed we have been with the cool weather. Usually this time of year the weather is well into the 35-40C range (95-105 F) and yet the whole month it has sat around 25C (75F). The only downside of all of this is that it has been a bit too cool for swimming at the beach. However, with being pregnant and knowing that evetually the warm weather is coming, I am very thankful for the cooler weather. In was also nice when we celebrated our Ex-pat thanksgiving to have the cooler weather to help make it feel a little bit more traditional. It also helps when you are cooking a turkey and heating up the house for it not to be blistering hot outside. I didn't think to take pics of our Thanksgiving untill after everyone left but I did get this shot of the beautiful rainbow that was over our backyard that afternoon!!!

As for the pregnancy, as far as I can tell everything is going good. I see my midwife for the first time next week which I am really looking forward to. I haven't had any scans so I am so looking forward to hearing little bubs heart beat and to know that there really is a little life in there. I am 14 weeks now so hopfully any day I should start to feel some flutters and kicks (fingers crossed). I have lost 7 kgs (15lbs) since being pregnant which is pretty normal for me, so now that I have my appetite back I am trying to not go too silly with the junk food. I keep telling myself "eat your fruit and veggies first". We are going to find out this time if it's a boy or a girl so in January when we get back from Brisbane the whole family is going to go in for the scan. It will be good for the kids to see an actual baby on the screen and hopfully feel a bit more connected :O)

Other then that we have just been up to ordinary everyday life stuff. Here are a few pics of the day the kids made felt necklaces. They thought they were such big kids since they got to use "real" needles. What a great activity it ended up being, seeing as it kept them entertained for well over an hour. Judah made one for his Best friend Susy, so I've included a pic of her wearing hers, since I never did manage to get a pic of Judah making his.

We are now in the final count down days till Judah's 6th Birthday and then the last day of school. Can't believe he is going to be in grade 1 next year. Then after that it is getting ready to go to Brisbane for Christmas and New Years. I expect that the next 3 weeks are going to fly by. I will try to be a bit more diligent with the blogging, but seeing as it is silly season for the next couple of weeks, I make no promises!!! Hope all is well with you all, hugs and kisses from our family to yours!!!

Being an observer

I have to be honest that it has been very strange to be on the outside looking in on the American election. I think it is safe to say that I would certainly be classified as an "ex-pat" at this point in time, and just for the record I choose to not vote in the election because I feel that it is not right for me to vote for a President whose policies I don't have to live under. That said I have followed the campaign but mostly through the eyes of the Australian media and through the opinions and comments of my friends and families, and occasionally through on-line US newspapers. So as an outisder looking into the fish bowl I have observed several things in the forest versuses the trees that those in America might have not noticed. So just in case anyone is interested in my oppinions here are my observation

1. I think that America is a nation who worships celebrities and cares more about what Brad Pitt thinks about politics then someone who has graduated from an ivy league school with a PHD. I think the Democrats have been very smart in creating a "celebrity candidate". The people want a celebrity more then they want a public servant.

2. I think that the average American thinks that a good American woman can have it all. She can be a perfect mother, house keeper, have a super model body, and Rule the nation with a baby on her hip. The Republicans were smart in delivering Sarah Pallin as an example of that American Dream. As a side in my oppinion woman can't have it all we all choose and each choice comes with a sacrafices.

3. It seems like very few people chose to vote for McCain they chose to vote against Obama. I think that the average american, from what I have seen, has decided on the candidate that they voted for based on totally stupid, irrelevant, or uncredited reasons. Here are the most popular I have heard

I am voting For Obama because...
... he's black.
... he's young and good looking.
... he's a breath of fresh air.
... I feel good when he speeks.

I am not voting for Obama because...
... he's a muslim plant
... he's not american
... he's a terrorist
... I just don't trust him.

4. Evangelical's, as the media describes them, or christians like me, have bought into fear mongering and as far as I can see it is very unsubstantial evidence that has been used to accuse Obama of the many things he has been accused of. The Bible talks about "bearing False Witness" and I just wonder how much false witness has been thrown around by both parties.



In case you are interested this is the informtion I used to decide on my pick. I would have voted McCain for the following reasons...

-Abortion is a big topic for me and I believe that McCain has shown himself to be Pro-Life while as Obama through his lack of taking a stand as a senator falls more on the Pro-Choice side.

- In my oppinion Obama is still too "green" in experience. McCain has served his country faithfully and has proven himself to be a good leader. I trust his experience more then I trust Obama's ideas.

- As far as economy goes I think that the American economy is in such a sad state that neither candidate has any actual idea what to do about it. After experiencing the life living in what America would deem to be a "socialist" country (even though we aren't) I am reformed and believe that we all have social responsibility and it is greed and corruption that has kept america from doing the right thing by it's own people. It is propaganda that makes American's OK with it and not demand more for their leadership. After watching my own family being chewed up and spit out by the American health care system I find nothing but anger towards the whole mess... the point being neither candidate got my vote based on their solution to the very issue I believe to be what will cripple america in the end.

-And lastly I would choose McCain because he has proven himself over many decades, and I believe that one can look back at his track record and know what your getting. Obama doesn't have a track record and was too much of an unknown. McCain has done good things for Arizona and I think he would have done good things for America.

So after all of that being said, Obama is the new president, and I pray that he can deliver the neccesary changes that America is in such desperate need of. But I have to admit that I am pessimistic and in my heart of hearts don't think either candidate really has what it takes to fix the mess. I think that America has entered a new era, and that era is going to be very different then anything America, or the world for that matter, has seen.

My Little Girl

I haven't posted photos in a while, partially because I can't stand fiddling with the formatting in blogger... but that is not the topic. Today was Heidi's picture day at dance class, so she had to get all dolled up in her concert costume. It only took me 15 minutes of labouring to get her hair back into a bun, but I managed!!! It is was so much fun getting to do her makeup though. Man that girl has eyelashes that go on forever, I'm so jealous!!! Proffesional photos are always so expensive so I snapped some of mine own in case the proffesional ones were to pricey for my budget. She was so beautiful I couldn't help myself. Well I got a few gorgeous shots that I am going to get printed and framed to hang on the wall of her bedroom next to the 2 balerina pictures my grandma Mimi painted many, many years ago before she passed away. I know she would have loved to see my beautiful Heidi today and probably would have been inspired to paint a third. I don't paint but I must admit that I am quite pleased with my shots and know they will look beautiful hanging on the same wall!!! What a darling little girl I am so blessed to have.

Just on a slightly funnier note. I saw this picture today and the first thought in my head was, "Oh look, that's what my life looks like!!!" Now which of you mums out there can relate :O) teehee

My caption for this photo would be "MUUUUUUUMMMMM!!!" I guess all us mothers feel that way someitmes, even in nature. I guess it's good that we don't shout back "Would you all just SHUUUUTTT UUUPPP" , but you all know we think it sometimes ;) Hope you are having a great day. Lots of Love!!!

The Punishment Part II- The Reaction

I just had to share this because it reconfirmed to me that everything we did with Judah yesterday was the right thing. After the initial tears and carrying on he got over it and got on with the jobs at hand. He weeded the front yard for a good hour and a half and not once did he complain. Then it was dinner time and we all had cheese crisps (fajita's for Murray and I) which are one of Judah's favourite (I promised I didn't plan it that way) and ice cream for sweets. Well Judah sat there and ate his bowl of rice and not one single time did he winge or complain, but instead he happily chatted with us. When the ice cream was served and he didn't get any he just said "OK" and happily finished his rice. As Murray and I were tucking him into bed in his VERY empty room, you will never believe what he said. He gave us the biggest hug and said, "I have the bestest mummy and daddy in the whole world!!! I love you!!!!" There was no bitterness or anger, he accepted the punishment and with love and kindness took on the consequences of his decision. I am so proud of him and I have absolute confidence that many lessons were learnt yesterday, by all of us! :O)