Hark! It's Spring!

Hello again everyone. I know I say this ALL THE TIME...but I can't get over how fast time is flying by. I nearly had a mini stroke when October hit! I didn't recall moving through September! Geesh. Before we know it, it'll be Christmas and then New Years and then 2011. Yikes! Spring is finally here and our days are getting warmer and longer. The boys ask every day if it's "swimming weather" yet and they need convincing it's bedtime even though "the sun's still out." Life is going great for all us Smiths. Everyone is happy and healthy and at the end of the day, what more can you really ask for???? Max auditioned for his first musical! I'm so proud!!!! He and I auditioned for The Sound of Music. Maxie made it through both call-backs but sadly didn't get the part. I found out later that he was just too young and little. But the panel thought he did a great job for his first time. I didn't get the part I wanted either, and I was more upset about Max! He now wants to audition again, he really wants to be on stage. And I would LOVE to do a show with him.

The boys had a two week break in the school term and have just started back for one last term. It's a little hard to believe that it's the end of year 2 for Max and Ashton will start grade 1 next year! I began the holiday break with a solo trip to Sydney to visit a friend of mine from college. Yes, another Yank living Down Under. It was great to get away and be "Kara" for the weekend and it was awesome to see Sydney.

When my boys picked me up from the airport, we went to the Royal Melbourne Show. It's like a giant state fair type thing, with food, rides, animals, etc. We go every year and the boys really enjoy the day. We learned that Alex does NOT like animals (he screamed the whole time we were in the petting zoo area) or fireworks. Oops.

Dan is going through withdrawl as he is NOT playing cricket this year. Sniff sniff. He is getting psyched up for double ankle reconstruction surgery next week. After years of playing hockey and cricket, the ligaments in his ankles are wrecked. He ripped the left ankle's ligaments playing cricket last year, and then tore the right side jumping up and down watch the rugby on tv. The surgeon thinks that because he's fit and young, he can handle double surgery....no one thought if I could handle it!!!!! The poor bastard will be in bed for 2 weeks, casts on for 4-6, moon boots for another 6-8 wks. I'm thinking of sending him back to live with his parents. He's looking forward to being able to walk without pain...and getting sponge baths. Nice.

Pray for him...but pray MORE for me.

Baby's first snow

STOP THE PRESSES!!! This is a first...I am actually blogging something on the VERY DAY IT HAPPENED!!!! I know, I know...even a blind squirrel...yada yada yada (Random: Did you know they don't use that saying in Australia? I guess cause they don't have squirrels.)

Anywho, today we decided to dust off the ski gear, pack up the car, and head up to the snow. (We're lucky where we live; within 90 minutes we can make it to the beach, snow and city. Pretty cool.)

I was keen to introduce Alex to the snow and the boys were busting to go back up. We couldn't go last winter because I was feeding Alex and he was too little to take. So we've been watching the snowfall and waiting for a weekend that had nothing planned (not easy.)


Alexander was really quiet for the first hour or so. He just sort of sat there and watched everything. Dan and I had to laugh at his expression. It was part "What's all this white crap everywhere?" and part "WHERE THE HELL DID MY HANDS GO?!?!?!?"






Max was so cute- he actually got down and handed Alex some snow saying "Look Allie, this is called snow." lol I DID say I wanted to "introduce" Alex...



Every time Dan and the boys took off down the sledding hill, Alex would scream bloody murder, so Dan kept taking him down the hill. But I'm not convinced Allie actually liked sledding- he didn't laugh or cry, just rode down quietly, like it was a normal activity.


Overall, we had a great day! Dan and I even got a good workout in since lugging around 10 kilos THROUGH the snow is no easy task. No wonder we were all back home and down for a nap by 3pm. :)

Another third of the year...GONE!

I decided to change the name of the blog. It was Alex's to begin with, but I want to include all three boys, so I thought a name change was in order. It got me thinking of all the famous trios; The Three Musketeers, The Three Amigos, and The Three Little Pigs. I think all are suitable names...just not sure it's "all for one and one for all" at this stage. (Memories of finger-pointing and "he did it!" spring to mind!!!)

It never ceases to amaze me how fast the time flies. Children grow up so fast and so quickly when they are little, that you really do blink your eyes, and they've changed.

Max, in his 'footy' gear, getting ready to play!

Speaking of footy, the boys took me to my first proper AFL game in Melbourne.

And I actually liked it!!

Allie on his bike...must be making an important

phone call before we head out for a walk!

Happy 8th Birthday Max!!

(Hard to believe I have an eight-year old!)

Ashie all dressed up for "Italian Day" at school.

He went as the Mafia. lol!

Alexander turned ONE back in April. It was really hard to grasp that one! When did my baby grow up?? We had a party and he got spoiled rotten. It was a great day!

Everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to an unsure Alex.

Yum!!! Cake!!!!!!

The best part of presents when you're one, is ripping the paper!

Winter is setting in and the days are getting shorter and colder. Mind you, not THAT cold, but I don't think the Aussies know what cold is (til they have to hike it somewhere in the snow and dig their cars out and try to drive!) The school term ends this week and the boys get the next two weeks off to bug the hell out of me....er, I meant to play and relax and catch up on sleep. Should be...interesting.

The end of Summer and the start of new things

Our days are getting shorter and the weather's getting cooler...but there's still plenty of fun to be had by all. The past three months have been jammed packed with busyness. Life continues to be a crazy whirlwind!! Already in 2010, Ashton has started school AND turned six. Max has begun grade 2 and started footy training. Dan's job is busier than ever and he has begun coaching footy (adults...not Max!) As for me, I am rehearsing for a play I'm in and am looking at doing some more teaching once school go back after Easter. Alexander is quickly moving around the house and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Basically, Alex is quickly growing up. And I do mean QUICKLY!!! It's insane how you blink and they age. He sometimes still feels new to us. Like we have to take a second look and think "wow! We've got another baby!" But he will be one THIS MONTH (it feels very weird to say that!!!!!!) Anywho, Allie (as he is usually called) is different then the other two. Not sure how kids with the same DNA and upbringing can be so different! Everything at the moment is "Hi Dad" even if it's not Dan he's saying it to. He says "mum" and "dad" and we think "baba" is 'brother' since he usually calls Ash and Max that. He has a very cheeky grin, in which he crinkles the nose and closes the eyes. Too cute!
Alex has also started "roaring." He yells! (Maybe he figures it's the only way to get heard around here!) We sometimes call him "Alex the Lion" (from Madagascar, the movie) guess he's living up to his nickname.

But he's a happy baby. Even a fortnight ago, when he was hospitalized with croup, Alex was still his bubbly little self.

School started on February 1st, and both boys were super excited. They are both in great classes with wonderful teachers and we are all very happy.

On a recent trip to Melbourne, we took the big boys ice skating at a new rink that just opened. (It's funny how "foreign" skating is to Aussies!) It took them a while to get the hang of it, but they were both hooked after a while.

Baby's 1st Christmas

First, a great big HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!!!!! (yes, I know, it's the 13th of January, but better late then never. Right?

We had a lovely but quiet Christmas this year. It was exciting because the big boys are really old enough to enjoy (and still believe in) Christmas morning. Alex, although way to young to understand any of it, was content to be part of the fuss. As long as he's in the thick of things, he is a happy baby. There were 11 of us at Christmas lunch (Bob's mother was visiting.) It's funny to think that at my first Christmas Down Under, when Dan and I got engaged, there were 5!

The big boys and I did our annual making of the gingerbread houses. They also each made one to take in for their teachers (remember that our school year ends in December, so it's a "xmas" and "goodbye" gift all in one delicious house!!)

Santa spoiled all three boys (like always) and Alex lucked out with some awesome pressies.

Max, the AFL-mad kid, got an official umpires

shirt and lots of lego

Ash, my little master chef, got cooking things and an apron

Alexander got the most deluxe bike, complete with sun shade, phone and drink holder!

Alex's Christening

I'm sure you all are looking at the title of this blog and then glancing at your calendar and asking yourselves..."Is she CRAZY?!?!" Yes, I do admit that planning a Christening two weeks before Christmas may seem insane (and it was) but we didn't want to leave it for too longer and Alex IS 8 months old. (Plus I needed him to fit into the christening gown!)

So we had his christening and then a light lunch afterwards. It was small, but very nice. Alexander, of course, was perfect and just cruised through the few hours at church like it was an every day event (and trust me...it isn't!)

Alex wore the same gown that Max and Ashton wore. It was made from parts of my wedding dress. I wanted to have something that my children could pass down to their children. Dan, like many men I assume, thought that it was cruel to put his son in a dress. But I thought Alex looked beautiful (and a heck of a lot better then the other two boys being christened who's parents put them in matching white bakers outfits, complete with suspenders and these weird hats.)

We were really honored that our wonderful friends Tess and Grantley agreed to be Alex's godparents. We trust that they will shower him with expensive gifts and lollies over the years...just kidding. :) We know that they will help show our little man love and kindness, all that we could ask for in great godparents.

Alex at the "after christening party"

Trick AND treating

The Aussies don't get Halloween. Every October, people start complaining about "yet another stupid American" thing that's made its way across the ocean. And every year, I roll my eyes, thinking "WHAT'S SO WRONG WITH CHILDREN DRESSING UP AND EATING CANDY?!?!?" I even wrote into the paper to say that Halloween was, in fact, Irish and that it was no longer about witches and evil. It was about make-believe and junk food! Lighten up Australia!

For some reason this year, the Aussies seemed to be embracing All Hallow's Eve a bit more. The firt few years I lived here, October went by without so much as a "boo!" But this year was different. Max was more aware of the holiday and somehow knew about trick-or-treating and dressing up. So we decided to dress up and celebrate Halloween...with other Americans! The American grocery store near Melbourne hosts Halloween every year, but they always do it on a Saturday and Dan usually plays cricket. Since he's injured this year, we planned to head down to Melbourne.

The biggest hurdle was....what to dress up as!? And since we're a group of five, with yours truly being the only woman, I had to do some big time thinking. But then the answer hit me like a candy covered apple...THE WIZARD OF OZ!!

So we hit the craft stores and dusted off the sewing machine to create a Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tinman costume. Funny enough, we already had a lion costume (one my grandmother had sent Max when he was a baby.)

Now, most men usually don't want to dress up and join in. Dan took a LOT of convincing to get into the Halloween spirit with us. The boys did a good job emotionally blackmailing daddy. "But dad!! It won't be the same without you!" And because I'm not THAT mean a wife, we worked Dan's costume so that alone, it wasn't really a costume, but when he was with the rest of us- it worked. With some paint and a sponge, he became the Yellow Brick Road!

The day turned out to be hot (30C!!) but we had fun. We won 1st place in the family division of the costume contest (A: The American had a huge advantage and B: Nothing beats a baby in a costume!!!)

We arrived back home around 7pm to find a few groups of kids trick-or-treating around the area, so we let the boys dress back up and hot a few homes that were participating. It gave us great joy to see them running down the block, all dressed up.