When it rains, it pours!

Another week flies by....


This is going to be a VERY expensive month sadly.  2x tyres for my car, a new tyre for Greg's motorbike, my laptop has died, ENT appointment for Michael, speech therapy, dentist for Michael & Jemma & me, camp for Jemma, we need new guttering (desperately - getting 1st quote tomorrow) and so the list goes on and on.  Not the best situation but we will survive.  Lucky we save for a rainy day but it worries me if we didn't have a small buffer, what would be do?


I have had a very busy week.  I went to baby health "mothers group" on Tuesday which was nice.  Lots of mums there.  I also went to the multiple birth association "play group" on Friday which was great fun.  Michael came along too and had fun playing with the toys.  It was nice to connect with other mums with twins and see that what I am going through is totally normal and also to see what is ahead.......... a bit scary but exciting.


I dropped into work which was lovely.  It was great to see everyone and they got to hold the babies which was nice.  I miss work - especially the fantastic people I work with.  I do love being at home but miss the interaction and challenge of work - although I must say I am SO busy I don't think of it very often.


Michael's tooth is ok.  It was starting to go grey but it is not a big problem.  We went to a paediatric dentist and she was wonderful.  We even got an x-ray (although there were a few tears) of Michael's tooth.  It just needs monitoring.


The twins are now 9 weeks old.  Doesn't time fly.  It is certainly getting better and better every week.  So if anyone you know has twins, tell them it does get better - PROMISE!!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel, even though some days you don't think there is.  They are smiling a lot now and becoming more interested in their surroundings.  They are also "talking" to us sometimes which is lovely.


One thing that we have sacrificed is our chickens, sadly.  They were and added extra that we didn't have time to look after.  Thankfully a very good friend of mine said she would take them, so they have gone to a fantastic new home and are doing really well.  Chooks are great pets and they eat all your scraps - leftovers from dinner, lunch or vegies that are past their best in the bottom of the fridge.  My dilemma was that I didn't have the chooks to eat our scraps anymore BOO!!!  I HATE putting food in the bin, it is just so wrong to me to put food into landfill.



So on the weekend I emptied one of our compost bins which was full.  OMG the brilliant compost I got out of it - dark and rich and full of worms.  I put it on some plants out the front as the soil there is not the best and it gets northerly sun so dries out a lot.  I hope that it will give the plants a boost.  Now I don't have to feel bad about throwing out our scraps.  The new compost is getting it and hopefully in about 3-6 months when it is full, we will have another 2x barrow loads of compost for the garden!!!  I LOVE recycling xxxxxxxx

Settling into a routine

We seem to be settling into a bit of a "routine" thank goodness.  Rhys and Ben are 8 weeks old now - time has flown by so fast I can't believe it.  It has been a bit of a blur of bottles, burping, nappies and screaming!!! 

We are getting smiles now from the boys which is wonderful.  They started that at about 6 weeks but I wasn't 100% sure if they were responding to us or just random smile.  Now they are responding to us with a smile :-)

Ben smiling

Rhys smiling

Michael is going to the dentist tomorrow which will be fun (not).  One of his front teeth - baby tooth - has slowly been going grey over time.  He bumped it at daycare over 6 months ago and I think it has been damaged in some way and is now quite grey.  We will see how he goes but I booked in with a paediatric dentist due to him being so difficult at times.

Michael checking out his dinosour egg

Jemma has been a good help this week with the kids.  She is back to school tomorrow which is good for her routine but it a pain for me, what with making lunches and taking her to school.

Jemma eating some cake

Of course when things go wrong, it's always in a big lot.  I needed 2 new tyres on my car, Greg has a leak in his motorbike tyre and will now need a new one, the washing machine is playing up on the rinse cycle, the dog clippers are stuck on high speed and will need fixing, umm something else has happened but I can't remember what it is.  That combined with Michael's dental, ENT and speech therapy - it's a very expensive month, which is probably not what we need.  And I have to start thinking about CHRISTMAS!!! 

I have no idea what I am going to get people.  At least my family is easy - we do Kris Kringle so we only have to buy for 2 people + kids.  Greg's family don't do this sadly so I will have to think hard for pressies for them.  We don't have a lot of $$ so I will have to be creative.

I am going to try and make it to baby health mothers group on Tuesday and Multiple Birth Assoc mothers group on Friday.  I would like to meet some new mums.

 Better go, babies waking.......

Great week & setting some goals

Well its been quite a good week. I think I am starting to get to know Rhys and Ben a bit better although I still have crazy days and nights. My goal is to get through the first 12 weeks, after which time I believe it gets a bit more sane. After some initial "oh no I've ruined my life" moments, I am feeling a lot more positive and feel like I am getting into my groove.



Here is a picture of the kids. Of course Rhys is crying/grizzling - he is a whinger and Michael is virtually impossible to photograph because he won't sit and smile at the camera. Jemma is very photogenic and Ben is quite laid back so happy to lay on the mat. I didn't have a picture of them all together so glad I got this shot. Of course the very gorgeous Alex is not in this shot because she lives in Darwin NT now.

I made two cakes this week. I used to make my cakes from scratch when I had more time but Aldi has cheap vanilla cakes for 75c or 79c each (can't remember the exact cost) and they are really yummy. They take 15mins to prepare (for 2) and are perfect for someone who is very very time poor ie ME!!! I cook mine in a loaf tin and it's a quick and easy snack for everyone which is very inexpensive. You just add margarine, eggs and milk and beat it for 3 mins. Easy! And did I mention they are actually really yummy to eat.

Here is where we I think I would like to set some goals about what I want to achieve both financially and personally. My main life goal is to not have a mortgage. That would be wonderful!!

GOALS (until end of year 2011)

• To have our mortgage at $200K (we are getting a $10K inheritance at some stage soonish - house on market now), so to pay approx $10K from now to 31/12/11
• To put up handrail around awning (dependant on Greg)
• To put down concrete for carport (dependant on Greg)
• To put up carport (dependant on Greg)

MINI GOALS for OCTOBER

• Declutter Jemma's clothes/room
• Declutter Rachael's clothes/room
• Attend Baby health mothers group and MBA mothers group
• Get the twins in a better routine
• Start Christmas shopping list and purchases

That will do to start with I think.

Will try and update weekly :-)

Rach

Why a new Blog?

Hi everyone

For those who already follow my little blog or my old blog Critter Cottage - HI!!

I hadn't updated Critter Cottage for a long time as I found out I was pregnant (LESSON 1 - don't take "one little risk" as it will end up in a pregnancy!!) and was severely sick.  And I mean SEVERELY!!!

Once we got over the shock (had decided on no more children and was planning extensions on the house, holidays etc) and had come to terms with the sickness, it was time for my 12 week scan (LESSON 2 - don't take "one little risk" as it will end up in a pregnancy AND TWINS!!!!!).

Yes, you read that right, TWINS.............. twin boys to be precise. 

How totally and utterly and crazily amazing and shocking - I will never, ever, ever get over the shock of it - as long as I live!!  An amazing shock LOL

Anyway, I decided to create a new Blog as my life has totally changed from where it was heading in my mind, to actually where I am at right now.  As the blog title says:

Sometimes "LIFE" happens 2 U

Life certainly happened to us.  I certainly didn't think at 39 I would have twin boys - so 5 children all up eeeek!

So, I am off work now on maternity leave with my twin boys - Rhys and Ben.

This blog will be about our family and the journey we are taking - the ups and downs and how we are surviving, managing, coping with it all.

As a recap, our family is:

• Rachael - Me
• Greg - my partner / hubby
• Alex - my daughter 22yo who lives/works in Darwin NT at the moment
• Jemma - my daughter 10yo who we have week about (her dad has her the other week, we do shared care)
• Michael - our son - 3yo
• Rhys - our son - 6 weeks
• Ben - our son - 6 weeks

I hope we can all enjoy the journey.

Luv
Rach

New Blog

I have decided to start a new blog as I am in a new chapter of my life.


Here it is:

http://sometimeslifehappens2u.blogspot.com/

Thanks for following Critter Cottage. 

Luv
Rach
xxx

Happy 2011 and a blog rest

Wow 2011 already, doesn't time fly!!

I am having a blog rest at the moment and hope to come back to my "journal" in about a month or so.

I will still continue to look at all my fav blogs which I love.

All is good here, just a few things happening................ I think 2011 will be an interesting year for this family - in more ways than one!

Bye for now
Rach