Advent

Hannah realised why she has a spare pair of specs4us - so Sally can wear them!
Kit performed at the school talent show - on the keyboard. I was working and couldn't be there - but my heart was in my mouth at 2pm - when I knew he'd be performing. DH and my Dad were able to go though - DH said it was lovely to see - and when he finished as he went back to his seat some of the older boys who were waiting to go on, sitting with their guitars - gave him high fives as he went by them. Gosh kids can be unreal can't they? He had a ball and was very proud of his certificate of participation.
Hannah dancing up a storm with my goddaughter on Sat night.
A friend passed on this dress to Hannah. She wore it to church and to Zac's party - it looked lovely on her
Hannah's very favourite baby cousin came over on Sunday. I think Hannah enjoyed looking after her just as much as she enjoyed marauding at her first MacDonalds party. Baby C and her brother J came to the party - I drove my SIL's 8 seater - scary for me but it drove well thank goodness.
The other day I put the Wiggles Christmas Classics cd in my car. Driving the twins to school and I realised - we were all singing along. I suddenly felt teary. Mum loved Christmas. I love Christmas too and now it is the twins turn to be indoctrinated with the spirit of the season. There was sadness but also a lot of precious memories in my mind that morning.

It has been a big year for the twins and they are both tired. Still I was surprised when Kit fell asleep on Sunday afternoon snuggled up next to my Dad.
Snuggling up with Gra
My beautiful girl
Christmas in Hannah's dollhouse
Enjoying the Christmas nook

Sad Faces and Twins

Movie maker Kit experiments with photo booth:
Things are going pretty well at the moment. We have had some struggles with Hannah re toiletting (sorry if it is too much info - but she has constipation - not unusual given her low tone - and hence is getting better at pooing each night before bed - but always needs me in there to 'help' - 'help' has gone form leaning down so she can push against me with her feet and arms to simply sitting by her and reminding her to 'push down') ANYHOW, moving right along.... at the end of each school term she has had a number of wee accidents - up to 3 or even 4 times a week. She always gets into BIG trouble - no TV that day as well as an unhappy class teacher! At the start of this term she decided she liked doing poos at school - in the disabled toilet. It got to the point where she'd spend almost all recess and/or lunch in there - and still there was the odd wee accident.
No one was very happy about it. I discussed things with her teacher. I know it is hard for her - some of it is loss of 'sensation', some of it is cos it's hard, or cos she's busy playing and doesn't want to stop. But it can't continue. It isn't something that I see as 'mainstream compatible'. Maybe I'm overreacting but that is how I feel.
SO Han has learned (the hard way) that weeing in her pants - very bad. She has gone for at least 3 weeks without a wee accident. Our strategy? - I managed to get her poos back into a nightly routine with the reward of a bandaid on whatever small ailment she can think of and each morning I'd ask her "How many wees do you do at school?" - she replied "2". The teacher did her bit - there is a couple of gorgeous girls who 'assist' Hannah - mainly by pushing the door open (it is very heavy) and checking in on her so she sees it as an 'adventure' and myself and my MIL also call in for 3 days to make sure she has gone to the toilet at least once day. SO far it is working. I do feel mean though when Hannah still greets me with 'No wee in my pants mummy'. Poor love - she tries so hard and keeps up so well.
Anyways - too much toilet info isn't the purpose of this post.
Kit of course has never had an accident at school. Oh - and BTW 'sad faces' are given to the children for serious class offences - the child is told "x behaviour, that's a sad face' and they go and get one and put it on their tub for the day. 3 sad faces = time out.) I'm pretty sure Han doesn't get sad faces for toilet issues but still she understands them very well!)
Kit still wets his bed when he is very tired. DH and I now just expect it. and so last night he was exhausted.
Hannah took DH into her and Kit's room - to show him the 'wet bed'. Then she came out and saw Kit on the computer and said "Sad Face Kit. No wee in yo' bed." I LOVED that - poor darling is trying to figure out why it is such a big deal when she does it but not such a big thing when Kit does. He being the lovely brother he is didn't mind when I said to her "Yes, naughty Kit - no more wees in your bed"! I also explained to him that she was trying to understand why it was different for him. To her it must seem very unfair!
Parents. They mess with your head don't they?
Mac Photo Booth - the kids love playing with it!

The Technological Abyss

The quilt I am working on for my nephew's stepdaughter. I originally bought the Snow White pane for hannah but I think she'll understand.

We went to my SILs for a family celebration of the October birthdays. The twins just LOVE their cousins - Hannah is transfixed with her baby cousin and always wants her to come to our house. She got to cuddle her, read to her and feed her - so she was in Hannah Heaven. Kit loves his cousins too but he has a special adoration for his oldest cousin - the very lovley young boy who is so patient with his hero-worshipping little cousin...

Evidence of my labours - the twin's room has been dusted and organised ready to decorate for Christmas next weekend.

Swimming is going well. Both the kids are happy with their current instructors and I can see them making good progress.

A play with the new photo edit system
Recently I had one of those too rare but lovely mornings of waking up early and feeling good - so I took the poodle for a walk down to the bay that is near where I live. It turned out to be a rainy day - but luckily the rain didn't kick in until we were back home.
On Friday Kit had a sibkidz movie night - Hannah thought she was so special - a night with both her parents ALL to herself - she set out her favourite videos all in a row on the floor in front of the tele - we started with Hi5 Imagine That - complete with dance moves then it was 'Mummy's turn' - for a few minutes until Hannah stepped in and saved our movie night with "Astroboy, New Movie!'. There was popcorn and pasta and a gorgeous little redhead sitting in the middle. Two proud parents enjoying the evening too - and it occurred to me that even though the image of Hannah spending her teenage years and beyond like this - at home with us - while Kit is out with his friends - is not something I count on anymore - if it is to come to pass - well - it was a pretty good night for us all. Somewhere in there was a sling - so Hannah had one too - the next morning, first thing - she is back in our bedroom with her 'bandage' wanting her arm to be put into a sling again...
Last week was a technological disaster. My Dell laptop - which is about 13 months old - has had a new disc drive and mohterboard put in under warranty - a month outside of that warranty - it's hard drive is buggered! Then our backup Dell - the laptop DH bought for me when I was on mat leave - it died too! So there you have it - a week without technology in the Dock. Lucky Hannah's ipodtouch got me onto facebook and Kit's DSi was looking pretty good too - until DH came home on Sat with this little wonder that I am on now - a new MacBookPro - love it! Cyberworld - I missed you!
Kit is obsessed with movie making - no matter how often I comment on how he might like to be a doctor when he grows up still he persists in saying he wants to be a movie maker. The twins have watched some of the bonus features and hence they have some idea of 'storyboards' here hannah is making her version of a storyboard for her movie about Astroboy.
My gorgeous Kit has had an awesome year - he has grown up so much.
Hannah likes the TInkerbell costume Gra got for her...

mooching

Things are mooching along just fine in the Dock. The weather has been quite contrary which has been driing me nuts but I have to admit that the garden is looking grand. I have only a few more teaching days left in the year which seems to have flown by. It is hard to believe that before long the twins will be in year 1. Before that thought there is the joy of Christmas to prepare for. I have already started to do a little planning for it.

Hannah and Kit are going well. I visited the kindy room today - Kit was working on a contract about the weather and Hannah had a visual discrimination activity sheet that involved colouring, cutting and matching three different types of trucks. Both worked really well.

Kit is a HUGE fan of junior masterchef. His reading is coming along - he is now reading Hairy MacLary books by himeself as well as the little nibbles and Rascal range. He is full of energy and drives us quite mad with his treating the lounge like a trampoline (we have one in the yard after all!) and otherwise running madly about inside. getting him to practise his piano is a bit of a challenge. Recently the school announced a talent show. With auditions - well Kit straight away wanted to enter it - I confess my first reaction was to feel nauseous but then I tooka deep breath so as to contain my own adult reaction and allow him to be the lovely confident little man he is. Besides - as I told DH - it is the school that will have to help him out - heal his broken heart etc. Anyways the auditions were on Monday and he had a ball. I don't think he is even thinking about whether he gets to be chosen for the actual show - so there - I am proud of him and thankful and unsurprised - the school have obviously done a good job in helping the kindys enjoy the experience. He likes his dsi but tends to prefer making movies out of stills - that is one of his favourite weekend activities. His swimming is coming along nicely too. He wants to learn the violin and tae kwon do next year - not sure that it will all be possible or affordable but we shall wait and see.

Hannah bear is going great guns. Her utterance length is improving all the time. She has continued to be widely accepted by her peers at schoola nd has a couple of friends who she plays with each day. She is obsessed with dolls and babies. This week she had all of them at school and she was showing them some writing and some drawing. She still needs some help with writing her name - it varies in readability espeically the a with the 'stick' on the wrong side and the 'n' which can look quite odd on occassions. I ahve been thinking about doing a blitz on this but then I noticed that she is more happy to have a go at writing other words - so I am planning on doing some of that - you know - drawing a cat and then writing 'cat' and of course she iwll need to put her name on the sheet! She is doing very well in swimming and still loves her dance. Apparently we ahve to choose a type of dance for her next year? Musical Theatre, jazz, ballet etc - it is all alien to me so I will have to talk with her teachers soon about that.

Dad is back in QLD for a few weeks. I hope he comes back soon - I love having him here and so does Hannah. He will be here for Christmas which I am excited about.
No other news from here. I will try and take a few more photoes of the brats - they relaly are doing very well. Growing up way too fast of course.