Puppy Playtime

This is so cute. Millie and her puppy (aka Meatball. Poppet and Muttley) often play together. We thought you might like to check out their antics.

Book Week at School

Last week was Book Week and so the kids got to dress up as their favourite Book Character. Abby of course chose Tinkerbell. She made a lovely fairy as well.



Abby's friends at Kindy

Lizzie, Josh and Ben dressed up on a different day because Kindy is only 2 days a week. Ben wanted to dress up as the Dread Pirate Roberts from the Princess Bride. Josh wanted to be a pirate too, not for any particular reason. Lizzie wanted to dress up as the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland

Josh stays in Character and thinks I have come to arrest the evil villain.

Lizzie is disappointed she got a crappy bookmark as a reward for dressing up. She even has to colour it in herself, talk about cheapskates.

Family Photo. My older sister Tanya and her 3 children with Liz and Josh.

Too many pets

So our family of pets seems to be growing and growing. We recently adopted a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who we names Charlie. He is quite a cute and a sook. He has settled easily into the family, dispite the fact the he likes to pee on everything.

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Why did we get another dog? Well Charlie is an unsterilised pedigree Cavalier and would make a perfect mate for our Beagle Millie. The Stud dog that we have used in the past for Millie was not so successful the last 2 times, as she firstly did not fall pregnant and then when she did she only had 1 pup. So here's hoping Charlie will reduce stud fees and give a better return on our investment. If not, then oh well, he is still a lovely dog and pet.

Here are some pics of the pup Millie had. He has had a few names but the one that has seemed to stick is Meatball. When he eats he turns into this little round ball, and one day Lizzie said he looks like a meatball and the name just stuck. We can't really be too serious about names as we will sell him soon and must try and not get too attached.

Millie is exhausted after a long labour.

Meatball at about 3 and a half weeks

He quickly worms his way into your heart

Down at the beach

Last Summer it was at first a joke and then became a bit of a sore point when ever I suggested we should go to the dog beach. If we were ever pressed for things to do on a lovely hot day I of course would suggest the dog beach. Blair would roll his eyes and curse at me saying 'Not the dog beach again. You and the bloody dog beach,' and so we never went as a family and months went by and I dare not to mention it.

Then out of the blue, on a lovely summers day I said without thinking that we should try out the dog beach. To my surprise Blair said yes and off we went. Since then we have not looked back and now I sigh when Blair suggests we go to the dog beach, as it became our regular weekend outing on a hot sunny day.

The dog beach is a lovely family and dog friendly environment. The water is crystal clear and very calm. The kids and the dog have a great time and Mum and Dad don't mind it either.

There is water in my eye. Help!

This is about the closest Josh will get to the water.

My little sandgropers.

Hey Mummy, Do you like mud pie?

And this is all that is left of Ben

Just kidding!

Now some pics of the dog.

She never finds it hard to make friends.

Easter Hat Parade

Welcome to Wilson Primary School's Easter Hat Parade 2010. Starting first in our range of Campbell Easter hats is Abigail Campbell wearing a home and school mix. Unable to decide which one to wear, Abigail decided to go out on a limb and wear both to express her individuality and obscure her visual field and depth perception.



Next we have Benjamin Campbell, sporting butterflies and love hearts on a red band with a feather. Quite unusual for a boy who loves spiderman and super heros in general. This hat is obviously an expression of his gentler side.






Here we have Elisabeth Campbell trying to add flair to her hat by acting like a dog. This photo was actually taken by her brother Joshua who was later seen running away from her screaming. Lizzie made her hat using a hot glue gun and managed to only burn one of her fingers this time. It had a bit of a mad hatter/swagman hat feel to it. Very bright and fun.



Below is Joshua Campbell wearing his hat made by Mum. Joshua could not have cared less about making an Easter hat and so Mummy tried to make something that expressed Joshua's mischievious nature. He has a picture of the Road runner with a basket of Easter eggs running away from Cyote. He seemed to enjoy the idea and looked happier wearing this hat rather than the gigantic fluffy bunny head he wore last year.



Later that day for the Easter Hat after party we can spot Abigail Campbell claiming she does not know wear her Easter Egg went.



After some thought she realises it is in her mouth. I think she might need to lay off the chocolate.



Here Lizzie is spotted with her best friend Terrina. Although there is constant friction in the tabloids you hardly ever see them a part.



Last but not least, we see Ben chilling out and taking it easy. Never a sad face to be seen.

Belated Chrissy Gifts.

Hey Tia, Uncle Lorne, Jazzy and Ava.

This one is especially for you. Thank you so much for the wonderful gifts you sent. They were like a 2nd Christmas for the kids. May be you should send them so they arrive late every year.

The kids were overwhelmed with gifts on Christmas day. The best part seemed to be unwrapping them, then 0ne or two got taken out of the box, after much pleading and the rest were bagged ready to take home. When we did get home the lounge room looked like a bomb hit it within 2 seconds of us arriving and in some cases I didn't know who bought what and who got what. But that's christmas.

So it was lovely to have the kids sit down in a civilized manner and rip open the presents you had sent. I got some photos so I thought I would put them on the blog for you. Thanks again.

Cool bananas!

First Day of School

So on Tuesday the 2nd February all my little ones started school.

Yes, my little Abby, a whole 4 years old had her first day of kindy. She was so excited, she was the first one up and dressed in her adorable little school dress. An hour before school she had her back pack on and was standing by the door asking if it was time to go yet.

Unfortuneately that has so far been the highlight of Abby's kindy experience.

When we went into the classroom it was a little cramped with all the kids (about 22) and parents in one room. Somehow between all the desks and chairs and cupboards we had to find a spot to do some puzzles. There is a 15 minute puzzle time for kids and parents to enjoy before the harrowing goodbuys. And boy were they harrowing.

The amount of screaming and crying made me want to run for the hills. Abby held my arm tightly and asked me if I really had to go. Her eyes were wide and face a little sad as she said to me that she would'nt cry. I told her it was OK to cry if she wanted to (hell, I wanted to cry, but I put on a brave face).

She never did cry, that is, while I was there. 3 hours later after school she had a big beaming smile on her face and gave me the biggest, tightest hug I had ever gotten from her. I was thinking that she must have had a great day, that was until her day-care buddy Kacey told me Abby cried twice that day. I asked Abby if she had a good day and she said 'no, not such a good day'. When I asked her why she said it was because she missed me. So that big smile and enormous hug was because she was happy to see me. I nearly cried.

Her second kindy day went a little better. She only cried once according to my carefully placed snitch.

Ben just loved all of it. He was slow to get moving in the morning after all those holiday late nights and sleep ins, but once he was there, there was no turning back. He is in year one and on full days right from day one. I expected to find him tired and grumpy after school but instead he had arranged a play date straight after school and was rip roaring and ready to go. Such a socialite.

Lizzie was very excited to be in year four and on the senior side of the school. She thought that was very cool until she found out the playground equipment for the seniors is crap and she is not allowed to play in the junior section. Bummer! Besides that she has settled in very well and loves her new teacher Miss Caney. She was Joshua's teacher last year and is very sweet and gentle. You can't help but like her.

Joshua, Joshua, Joshua. Now in grade five and turning 11 this year. He dragged his feet a little on the first day. He doesn't really like change and he was going to be in a new classroom, with a new teacher and a different teachers aide (who he has had before and adores, so I think that helped a lot.) He seems to of settled in reasonably well. Unfortuneately I think his 'stimming' increased over the holidays and is driving his teacher a little potty.

Just FYI-stimming is obsessive little habits that Joshua does because of his Autism, often without even thinking about it. For example, he will hum a tune over and over (he seems to like Bach, or the star wars theme music, at christmas time it was jingle bells), or he will rock back a forth in his chair and make a noise in sync with the rhythm of the rock, he often likes to watch things spin or he will suddenly throw objects like they are a missile. It can get really annoying.

Sometimes I wonder if sitting next to Josh might be a punishment for naughty children. (I know, I am his mother and shouldn't say such things.)

I have to say though that he has been with this same group of kids since pre-primary so most of them know him and are so good with him. I often see them looking out for him and accepting his strange little mannerisms as just being Josh. I dont know how long it will last, but we will enjoy it while we can.

So my only real concern is Abby. She is not happy about going to school tomorrow. One day at a time, that is all we can do.