So we buy and are given all these toys for the kids and what do they play with?  Coat hangers and empty boxes. 

I have a cold at the moment and can bearly bring myself to cook meals let alone anything else.  I need the boys to entertain themselves for longer during the day.  But instead of playing with their toys (which we have way too many of) they play with the clean washing I haven't put away, boxes unpacked and packed, coat hangers and are constantly in and out of the pantry for food.  I am having to constantly have arguments over snacks they can and can't have. 

The tv works for my 4 yo for a while and only for about 15 minutes at a time with my 2 yo.  So why do we have all these toys if they hardly ever play with them?!  I think I will have to seriously consider reducing the amount of toys again ( I thought I got rid of heaps before we moved). 

If anyone reading this has an idea of how to entertain kids when you are sick please share.

Well off I go to see what they are in to now!

We've moved.  We have been here about a week now.  Still boxes everywhere.  I don't want another move like that  one for a long time.  It was terrible.  So many things went wrong.  The worst was loosing the house we thought we had a week before we moved.  Then we found another house but we could only move our furniture in on the Saturday not us. 

So I went with the kids to my mums for a few days and had a nice rest.  I suppose that was the best thing to come of all the chaos. 

But we are here now.  The kids are gradually getting more settled.  Jacob had his first day at his new preschool yesterday.  It went very well.  He says he doesn't like it because there are too many people there.  But he will have to get used to that.

Third time pregnant and I have lost all my tummy muscles.  I am buldging like a fruit cake.  I have had to start wearing some of my maternity clothes.  I am feeling very tired most of the time and am having trouble sleeping.  I'm not sure what the cause of that is.

The new house comes with permenant residents. ANTS!!! They are everywhere.  They turned up a few days after we moved in.  I will have to do something about them.  I am reluctant to use poisions with the kids running around everywhere.  Does anyone know of a natural remedy for ant erradication?

I'm looking forward to catching up on some lost Minti time.  Hope all is well with everyone.

We are moving in a week.  I have so much to do and I don't have the energy to do any of it.  Bad time to get pregnant. 

Hubby has already started his job so I am home with the kids no car and I am supposed to be packing.  I guess you can see why I haven't been on here for a while. 

The kids seem to be constantly bickering and I am very fustrated with arguments.  Visitors coming today.  Hopefully that will entertain the boys for a while.

I have to go now as I have been roped in to playing hide and seek.

Hope everyone is well. Hopefully one day I will be able to get back into minti!

Well a few days ago I found out we are pregnant again.  This will be no. 3.  We are very excited especially Jacob.

We also found out last night that we are moving out to western NSW.  Hubby starts a job there in 1.5weeks.  As I don't think I can move us in such a short amount of time we will probably stay here for the first week of his job and move out after that.  So much to do!!!

We are looking forward to country life.  It has been some time since I have lived in a smaller town and I have missed it. 

I managed to Jacob into a preschool already.  We just have to find a place to live now.  It is a bit hard when you live 3 hours or more away.  But I am surre that God has it all worked out and we will be there in a few weeks wondering why we were so worried about the whole thing.

Must dash.  This pregnancy is only early stages but I have to go to the loo so much. Argh!!!!

Today was the first time that Jacob needed to do a no. 2 during the day.  He does them before he wakes up in the morning usually.  Anyway he didn't tell us before hand only after he finished.  But luckly it didn't leek.  So I guess we will have to work on those ones.

A strange day today.  I felt busy all day yet I don't feel like I accomplished much.  I think it is because the kitchen is still messy.  I guess I will tackle that one tomorrow.

We have to start planning our trip to the zoo this Saturday.  We are going to celebrate the boy's birthdays.  They are a few weeks apart and aren't for a few weeks but if we go before Jacob turns 4 we don't have to pay for him (it sounds like we are cheap scapes - I suppose we are.  Anything to save a few dollars these days).  I was thinking of making cup cakes instead of one big cake for the boy's birthday cake.  The boys eat cake in any form so I don't think I have to worry about them not liking cup cakes.

We are thinking about getting a new car with a bit more room.  But we will have to get a second hand car.  Hubby has been looking at new cars and drooling over some very expensive extras.  There are a few I like.  But I am more practical.  I want room for all 4 of us with a possible extra and still plenty of room for luggage.  Has anyone got a car they love so much they would recommend it?

Well lots to think about tonight.  Hope you all had a productive and enjoyable day.

Today Jacob has been telling us when he needs to do a wee.  How great is this boy.  I remember a friend telling me that they had a smilar problem with their boy and there came a time when he was about 4 where it just happened.  They said the best part was that they had no accidents.  Because he was old enough to communicate and knew how to explain what he was feeling (to some degree) it all went really smoothly, when it finally happened.

That seems to be the case here too.  Only problem is is that Jacob thinks that because he is using the toilet he is a big boy that is allowed to do other grown up things.  Today he comes into the kithcen while I am doing dishes and says "I am recording a tv show for you Mummy".  And sure enough he has worked out how to record.  He changed the channel to DR PHIL, I don't know why he thought I would be interested in it.  I haven't watched it since I was breast feeding Jacob.  Boy was I bored then.

So all good on the toilet trainging front here.  We should be able to start on Thomas soon.

Finally we are on a roll with the toilet training.  Jacob went 3 times today.  It is just so fantastic.  He still isn't very good at letting us know when he needs to go, but he has very obvious signs so it shouldn't be long before he is telling us.  He even said today that he is looking forward to being able to do it all on his own. 

With such a grown up little boy now everything is changing.  He had to have a shower for the first time yesterday.  Now he" loves showers" and wants to "have one every night".   He is also dressing himself and trying to do so many other things without help.  Things he has been able to do on his own for some time but just refused to do.  It is like the flood gate to independence has been opened and there is no going back.  It is amazing how kids can just change so much overnight!!

We all have a bit of a cold which isn't much fun.  But we are planning on going to the zoo for the boys birthday.  They are very excited about it.   Jacob is literally counting down the days.

Hope to catch up with my minti friends tonight. See what you have all been up to.

Till next time.

Yesterday it finally happened a break through with the toilet training.  Jacob did a wee on the toilet.  And the influencing factor was a promise of a piece of candy cane and his teddy bear.  The candy cane made him want to go and the teddy bear was to get him to relax enough so he would let it go.  I told him to give his teddy big cuddles and he would help Jacob to relax and do the wee. And it worked.

I knew there had to be something to help him go it was just working out what it was.  And to prove that it was not a one off he did it again today.

It is hard to tell who is morre excited Jacob or us. 

YEAH!!!!!

We had a nice Christmas break, tavelled all over but it was mostly good.

Christmas day was really relaxing and lovely.  Kids had a great day.  We went to church in the morning and then had lunch at my mothers place with some friends. 

Didn't do anything new years eve.  Not much to do at mums but that was nice too.

Back home now in the heat and so much unpacking and washing to do.  I really hate this part of the holidays.  Especially when it is so hot.

Kids are well, mostly.  Thomas has caught a cold and has this sore infected finger which just won't get better.  Taking him to the doctors this arvo for the 4th time.  He has even had 2 different courses of antibiotics for it.  It all began with him chewing on his finger when he was teething. 

Jacob has had a hard time the past week and a bit.  We have been very tough on him trying to get him to use the toilet.  He will be 4 this month and he still refuses to do anything on it.  Even when he is obviously near bursting he still holds on.  He must have the worlds best blader muscles.  I can't say that we are being very patient with him now.  It has been over a year of trying and he seems to have some stuborn mental thing happening where he refuses to let go on the toilet.  We are thinking he will need to see a doctor soon.  We are threatening him with this at the moment hoping it will get him peeing or pooing.

Good news is thomas (nearly 2 ) is using the toilet quite often, almost once a day and doing a wee or poo most times.  At least we might have one of them trained soon!!

Hope all out there in Minti land had a great Christmas and new year and are doing well.

Any one else getting annoyed with all this rain.  I know I shouldn't be.  I love rain.  Pre children I would have been happy for it to rain 5 out of 7 days.  But today i have had the kids inside all day.

The house is a mess.  We have done play dough and christmas card making all in the first 2 hours after their Dad left for work.  And they don't stop asking for food when they are inside.  They aren't hungry they are just looking for something to do.  I will start dinner in an hour and they can help with that. 

I am sure that if it wasn't for the sleepless nights (Thomas still isn't well yet) I would be able tothink of more to do with the kids.

I have posted a photo of Thomas having his first shower.  He loves it so much that he crys when he has to get out.