Jade finally on the Oset again

It's been a while since we managed to convince Jade to ride her Oset... after we went out on the bicycles the other day - she started saying that she wanted to ride her motorbike.... We'd get all geared up.... she'd get up on the bike and then she'd get off... wasn't interested....

That was until yesterday.... Yesterday Dad cleverly got her on the bike in the shed and pushed it around a bit before getting the key to turn it on... then she happily rode around for a while... even coming off once and we managed to avoid that turning into a tragedy....

She's wanting to ride again tomorrow - so we'll see how we go....

((VIDEO))

Jade finally on the Oset again!

They'll play in anything.......

For the last couple of weeks, Blake has been heading to the Dog's Water Bowl everytime he's on Mom & Dad's verandah... the bowl is always picked up and taken away before he gets there.... yesterday I decided to let him go and play - we had spare clothes and it wasn't THAT cold a day....

((VIDEO))

Blake and the Dog's Water Bowl...

Blake Waving..... on Vid!!!!

I'd said the other day that Blake was waving... but I've never been able to get him to do it on command - so getting it on video wasn't going to be easy...

While giving him lunch today - all he was doing was waving.... so when he hadn't given up after a few mins - I got myself setup... and actually managed to get him waving on Video!!!

((Video))

Blake Waving....

Blake and his Activity Table.....

This video was taken yesterday, Blake's been standing up at his Activity Table a lot more lately... his little legs must have gotten tired yesterday because after a while he'd only whinge when he was standing and then was happy to just sit around.... poor little guy....

Anyway, got a video of him playing for a while -he'd already been standing where he's standing for a while - and ALL he'd been playing with is the little green thing with the balls in it that makes a rattling noise - no music - no talking - just rattling - and he was leaning over the entire table just to play with it......

((Video))

Blake playing at Activity Table

Greg got an apprenticeship!

I forgot to post this on Thursday, but Greg was notified by the school that he'd got himself an apprenticeship as a Diesel Mechanic with McCosker (a really well known and respected firm in town). So, he's really happy that he'll finally be getting paid while he's on work experience...

He'll continue to go to school for two weeks and then work for two weeks, then back to school for two weeks for the next year and a half - but at least he's employed now, so he'll be able to finish his apprenticeship with them....

He's now on a weeks school holidays and then starts on 6th July... (day before I head back to work too) - he's very excited and happy that he got the trade that he'd initially said he'd wanted to get into - rather than just accepting the first job offered (although - in this case - it was his first offer)...

Bath Time Teething Toys.....

Last video for the day, I promise!

Tonight while in the bath Jade says:

"Watch this Mommy!!!!"

so I look over and she has "Little Miss Scary" in her mouth... which she leans in to Blake with... he grabs it with his hands and then it goes straight in his mouth... but not in the usual style.. Jade is STILL attached to it..... both kids think this is REALLY funny!!!

((Video))

Jade & Blake - Bathtime

Men just can't multi-task... or can they?

Men can't multi-task... or so they'd have you believe....

We were playing with Blake this morning at Mom's place... what he's chewing on are two bits of wood that make up a pot stand... Jade calls these her "telephones" and she plays "telephones" with GG when she comes over....

Anyway, to Blake, they're simply teething toys... they've been put there for him to chew on....

But the game, or, it was a game for us... we'd give Blake one... and then show him the second one - so he'd grab the one we'd show him and drop the other one... this kept happening each time we'd offer him the piece he'd just dropped.... proof that men can't multi-task.....

Unfortunately, when I got the camera ready to get the vid - he decided that he could hold two at once.. and nearly bops Mom in the face at one point....

((Video))

Blake Multi-tasking....

Bubble Boy.....

((Video))

Blake the Bubbles Boy...

Blake loves bubbles nearly as much as Jade does.... and he loves the bubble machine even more because it makes so many!!!

Step & Crawling....

((Video))

Blake REAL crawling....

I had said that I tried to get Blake to do the pushing of the step so that I could video it... so I had actually taken a few videos.. but because these are on my phone - I hadn't really looked too hard into what he HAD done....

Most of the time Blake does either the caterpiller crawl (lifts himself up and lunges forward to his belly and then lifts up again) - or he does the comando (or drags his legs behind him) - but it's not very often that he actually crawls properly...

We've put this down to the fact that it's winter.... and he's always in long pants - and with timber flooring - he just slides around on it... so it's easier not to try crawling properly... but take the pants off him and expose his knees.. and ta-dah!! crawling!!!

(Oh yeah, and the step in the video is the step that he'd been pushing around the floor with his bum in the air... but I didn't get any video of it... hopefully I can do it in the next few days - or get him going with the push along walker or something - we'll see what he wants to do!)

Full of Surprises....

I had an OMG moment today with Blake... he's been pushing himself up... ie. BUM way up in the air - but hands and feet both on the ground still... (then looking between his legs - but that's not the point of this story)...

In our kitchen we have a "winnie the pooh" step thingy... it's part of a "potty" set - but Jade's only ever used the step for being able to reach the kitchen bench - we ended up getting a different toilet training thingy - but again - that's another story....

So, Blake goes up to the step - puts his hands on that and then pushes his bum into the air.... but as he does this - the step starts moving away from him... so he was having to step towards it and it would move away again - so he was pushing it along the floor and "technically" walking behind it... (but - not standing straight up)

I tried to get him to do it again so that I could video it - and of course.. that never happens....

Oh, and he waves now! :) although - he's still a bit confused about it all - and you still have to prompt him a bit to get him going.... but it's cute... he's got the whole hand opening and closing happening - but then he turns it to himself so that he can watch himself wave....

Standing Up....

((Video))

Blake Standing up at the Activity Table....

Blake's not pulling himself up onto high funiture at this point (he does push up against Jade's stool in the kitchen - but not up to a standing height)... but, if you put him at the object then he's generally happy to stand there for a while....

He does get a bit tired, but he's getting better....

Bouncing, Biters & Bikes......

We tried to have a Sunday as quiet as possible.... well as quiet as things can be with a 7mth old and a 3yr old....

Blake's enjoying his Jumping Joey a heap now that he doesn't want to be laying on the floor anymore....

Rob & Jade set up her train set on the verandah....

when you set up a train set for a 3yr old.... they're happy to stay out there and play for hours on end....

I wouldn't have posted this photo - except that you can see both of blake's teeth... they're only sticking 1-2ml out of his gums... but boy can he bite with them!

We then decided to take the kids down to the PCYC to get Jade back into riding her bike..... she had a ball... she was zooming around like there was no tomorrow... it took a bit of convincing to get her to put the bike away at the end of the day.....

Blake on the trike ready to go...

Jade had to go up and press all of the noise-maker buttons on the front of Blake's Trike...

Jade on her bike ready to go....

Rob & Blake chasing Jade around....

Blake would lean to the left so that his one foot was at least on the foot peg...

Jade zooming....

Jade's concentrating face....

((Video))

Jade at the start of the afternoon riding around....

((Video))

Blake being pushed around on the Trike

((Video))

Jade waving while riding....

((Video))

Jade pushing Blake in the Trike

"Phew - quick save!"

We had a really great afternoon... and we're hoping that maybe one more session at the carpark and we should be right to take Jade's training wheels off her bike... she was barely using them today except when going around corners and even then it was lifting her wheel off the ground and she was skidding on the way back down... she didn't come off once - and she had a blast...

I've got a seminar to go to tomorrow - so I should head to bed in hope of getting enough sleep to stay awake for the 8hrs....

Mt Larcom Show....

This is the one show that we're determined to not miss... it's a nice old country type show.... this time last year we broke the D80.... well when I say "we" I mean Rob... hehe - he was picking up Jade and smooshed it into her head and it didn't work again... luckily it was under warranty.. but now I'm careful about letting him hold the camera.. ehehe

Anyway, we did the usual walking around - checked out the stalls - nothing too exciting there...

We then went to check out the "Baby Animals" shed... Jade loved it in there... ducks, a miniature horse, lots of puppies, chickens, fluffy chickens, noisy roosters, guinea pigs - etc etc... Jade was telling us that she wanted us to buy her a horse... luckily there were none for sale.. hehe

I then left Rob and Jade watching the horse jumping for a while so that I could go and find everyone lunch... (the food selection this year was a little disappointing - either that or I looked in the wrong place.... we ended up having to have hot dogs...) I gave Blake his lunch and then attempted to get him to drink his bottle (surprisingly the boiling water I'd brought - I'd managed to wrap it up well enough that it was just the perfect temperature when it was time to make his bottle....)

Then we went walking to see the cows (another fascination of Jade's)....

She loves patting them... (and don't worry - that spinner that Jade is holding is about 12" away from the cow - so it wasn't about to eat it.... )

Blake dozed off with his teething rusk in hand....

Wobz got a new QLD hat... I'd been meaning to get him something as he can't wear caps or anything (big head...)

This Bull was just gorgeous.... I think Jade would have happily snuggled up and gone to sleep with it if we'd let her.... took a bit to drag her away from him....

As we kept walking - we ran into Shayne... Jade ran straight up for cuddles...

Blake was very happy with his balloon....

he spent the entire trip home jiggling at the string and watching it bounce around...

(unfortunately when we got home it flew out the window - never to be seen again)

Frank's 34th Birthday.....

It's been 34yrs since Frank made his existence known to the world....

this was when he was still a nice quiet baby..... ahhh - quiet!

He's always been about making an impression!

"I have a nekkidy bumbum!"

Motorcycles have always been part of his life too....

Tonight we all headed over to Mom and Dad's place for Frank's birthday dinner.. Mom cooked a roast!!! Yummo!!!

Blake busy bopping Grandpa's face!

If you face Blake away from your face - he can't bop it!

Someone's getting tired....

Blake was fed and put to bed... then it was time for presents.....

Jade getting a little impatient with Uncle Frank wanting to read his card....

She opened his entire present before he'd finished reading the card - poor Frank, unable to enjoy the joys of opening your own present...

Dad sitting on his step...

Mom

Rob the poser...

Cuddles for Uncle Frank.... (Jade was delivering the present from us... she's sucking up to him so that she can open this present too!)

Frank getting ready to read the card....

Jade again, opening the present while Uncle Frank is busy elsewhere....

Jade: Ooooooh!!!!

Grandpa: what is it Jade??

Jade: I don't know!!!!

so apparently it's only important that the present is shiny... doesn't actually need to be anything she cares about!

GG keeping an eye on things....

What every boy needs on his birthday.... and really really needs someone to take photos of it!! UNDIES!!!

Jade: HE GOT CHOCOLATES!!!!!!

After dinner we headed out to the verandah to play trivial pursuit while dessert was cooking....

Gran and Dad watched the game and just commented when it suited them, they didn't want to join in the game! Slackers!!

Jade got bored with Trivial Pursuit and started making play-doh pancakes.... she then got upset when Rob wanted REAL dessert and not to just eat her pancakes...

I made Frank a cake... I tried to find him some toy motorbikes to put on it - but couldn't find any....

Doesn't he just look thrilled?? hehe

Jade couldn't even let Frank blow the candles out on his own...

However, I have to add that he did ask for Jade's help at this point....

We had a great dinner and left around 8pm, I was a bit worried about how much work it was going to be to get Blake back to sleep once we got home - he woke a little moving him out to the car but fell asleep as soon as we put him into his seat... he woke again a little as I moved him into the house - but went straight to sleep once he was back in his cot...

Jade was a slightly different story - she didn't think that it was bedtime yet.... but she eventually gave up about 9pm.... here's hoping she sleeps in at least a little in the morning....

Anyway, it's late - I'm going to call it a night.... will have more to update tomorrow because we'll be going to the Mt Larcom show where Jade will be watching her favourite animals - Cows and Horses.. (and yes, Cows are more important!!)

Blake's first piece of toast!

We've been told that toast is ok for Blake at his age now... so today I toasted up some wholemeal.. and tadah! Toasty Puggle!!

Happy Little Boy - and this was before he'd even tasted it....

Om-Nom-Nom...

"Yup - this is the stuff!"

'And where else can I bite??? I have teeth - I need to bite!!!"

Blake enjoyed his toast until he threw it down behind the toybox - then it was all over... we'll try again tomorrow... going to be trying scrambled eggs tomorrow too... it's all happening in the world of the puggle....