YouTube QUEEEEEEEEEEEN!

Kids YouTube videos.

You love them or you hate them. Generally if you love them you actually are a kid and if you hate them then you are an adult who, for 5 minutes of peace, lets your kid watch them and before you know it they've been watching for an hour and you are going to hear the theme song from whichever surprise egg video has caught their attention, in your sleep for the next week.

Our little Butterfly has her favourites. She gets an allocation of "YouTube time" each weekend in which to binge watch them and then that's it for the week. Every now and then I catch her playing a real life game in which she is a YouTube Kid. She pretends to be unboxing a toy or unwrapping a Shopkin from it's packaging. So you can imagine that then when she actually gets one she wants to do a real YouTube reveal video or unboxing video.

This week she had earned a treat and picked a Lego Minifig blind bag from the available stash.  Instead of tearing into it she asked if I could set up the camera so she could do a video. Now this girl has approximately 10 million words that she needs to use each day. At this point in the day, around lunch time, she was well on her way to beating her word count by more than double so when she asked to make a reveal video I figured it would be PERFECT! She could use up some of her words on imaginary friends!! My ears could rest and I wouldn't have to feel guilty when I realised I had tuned out of her 48 minute recount of a 3 minute event.

I did however tune in and out when she was recording and found that it was actually quite funny. I shared on my Facebook page that this is what she was doing and a couple of people suggested that we do actually put it on YouTube. Well later that night I watched it with Wolf and it was hilarious! Not so much the intentional content of the blind bag opening and then the second video she made of herself playing with play dough, but the "extra dash of crazy" that she brings to everything she does.  It gave a great insight into what life with our Butterfly is like. She actually dubbed herself YouTube Queen! So while I was out enjoying a coffee with a friend in between youth group drop off and pick up, Wolf got to editing... all the crazy into one almost 4 minute video. Actually, it wasn't even ALL the crazy, but 4 minutes felt like long enough.

So, without further ado, here is Butterfly McTavish, self professed YouTube QUEEEEEEEEEN!

Two Lego Reviews - Boys VLOG

Lion decided he wanted to do a Lego review on his new Lego set.  I filmed it on my iPad, and once it was done Dragon decided he wanted to do one as well.  I filmed one on the iPad but didn't upload it.  About a week later Dragon wanted to try again, so this time we tried setting things up a little better and used a proper video camera.  He was pleased with the results.

-Enjoy, Wolf McT.

Video 1: Lions Lego Review - Chima Raven Set.

Video 2: Lego Frog Rush Game Review.

Sunday Snapshot

Totally mixing it up today... Sunday Snapshot on a MONDAY!!!  Hold on to your hats, folks, if it's starting off this crazy who knows where it'll go!

*****

Lion wrote a song this week...

*air guitar intro* Dang ga dang ga dang... "You've got three minutes..."  Dang ga dang ga dang dang dang ga dang "we need a flat piece of steel..." Dang ga dang dang dang ga dang ga dang "We're going to the junkyard to look for an engine..." Dang ga dang ga dang ga dang ga dang ga....

My boy can't get enough of Junkyard Wars... or Scrapheap Challenge... or any of those shows.

*****

"Help, there's a dinosaur drowning in my coffee!"

I made coffees yesterday, cappuccino for Wolf and I and babyccino for the boys.  The kids had the dinosaur sprinkles on their babyccinos and Wolf decided he wanted them too... sometimes it's fun to be a bit childish.

*****

I knew it would happen one day, I thought it would happen sooner than this!  Lion had a little mishap while wiping his bottom yesterday... it was hilarious... he didn't think so.  He had taken himself to the toilet and obviously was finished and wiping his butt when we hear screaming coming from the toilet and lion comes running out with one hand held as far away from him as he can get it and the other holding his shirt up "I WAS WIPING MY BUTT AND MY FINGER WENT THROUGH THE TOILET PAPER AND I'VE GOT POO ON MY FINGERS!!!!  SOMEONE TURN ON THE TAP QUICKLY!!!"

My laughter was quickly met by another scream "It's really not funny, mummy, it's soooo gross!"  yes, we have discussed that before little man.

*****

"I've got my snugly to take to bed with me" says Dragon.

*****

Sunday School started yesterday.  Dragon gets to go this year, he was VERY excited.  At the moment it looks like he is going to be the only one from his age group that is going to go.  They are allowed to go at 3 as long as they can at least try to sit and listen and participate.  Dragon is better at that than Lion so I figured we'd be okay.  Dragon was absolutely thrilled that he was allowed to go and do the craft and listen to the story and sing the songs and do whatever else they do at Sunday School, he has been waiting for so long to be allowed to go!

*****

Is it just me or do these two...

...look like they have escaped from the Village People?

*****

Today is my first day with just Monkey Man and I.  I've got to admit, I'm quite enjoying it.  I just had lunch... I got the container with the leftover chicken still on the frame out of the fridge, put it on the bench and stood there and ate some.  Kids kinda expect you to make them something for lunch, dumping a dead, cooked animal down in front of them just doesn't cut it.  Picky picky.  Monkey and I did some shopping this morning because we needed a few things and it was so lovely, just the two of us.  I can be sad that the big boys are gone, but since that isn't going to change I'm not going to feel guilty having a lovely day without them!

*****

Finally... Update on Kate... 34 weeks, blood sugar levels are good thanks to nightly insulin and babies are still growing well. Dr is unlikely to induce babies until at least 37 weeks. She would appreciate prayer for more sleep at night and a smooth transition for little Wilbie when she is in hospital.  34 weeks was the magic date to be allowed to go to the hospital that she wants to.  YAY WE MADE IT... (I say that like I had something to do with it... hehehehe).  Don't worry, I will certainly be shouting it from the blog-tops with these little sweeties are born!!!

*****

Parenting Lessons With Mummy McTavish

I don't claim to be a parenting expert and this is in no way a "how to" guide... more of a "how NOT to"...

Since this day Lion has been drooling over one very special police motorbike.  He spotted it on the Lego website, we checked it was available in Australia and checked the approximate price.  Then he had to wait... until we went to the shops that afternoon so he could buy it with his money he had saved up.  Thing is, it wasn't at that shop.  So instead of waiting until he found it at another shop he picked something else.  Mummy should have pulled rank at this point and said "No, save your money and wait until you find it" but she didn't.  Lion cried that it wasn't there, Mummy told him she couldn't change that it wasn't there and he could save his money OR PICK SOMETHING ELSE.  That was the mistake... he picked something else... but still had his heart set on his police motorbike.  Fast forward to Monday this week.

(image from here)

We were browsing the toy section at Target and he spotted it... his beloved police motorbike.  Problem: 80c in his wallet, another 50c at home.  Okay, mummy knows how his heart is set on getting this precious piece of plastic so she offers him a range of options...

1. leave it on the shelf until you earn the money.

2. leave it on the shelf and we go home and you can do lots of extra jobs over the next couple of days to earn it faster and get it another time.

3. Mummy buys it now and puts it in the Mummy Shop and you can earn money doing extra jobs and buy it from the Mummy Shop and have it as soon as you have earned the money.

Cue meltdown that Mean Old Mummy (M.O.M) wont just buy it for him and let him have it straight away and "I really will do extra jobs for you".  M.O.M sticks to her guns and reiterates the options.  Eventually he selects option 3 and we buy the precious piece of plastic.

Now,  should you have this scenario play out in your family DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT EVER DO IT THIS WAY.  I thought I was sick of hearing about the silly bike BEFORE we bought it, well I just about went insane listening to him beg and plead for jobs to do and "how long til I get it?" and "how much of it have I earned so far?" and "can I just have the pieces that I have earned?"

(created by Lion on the Lego website here)

I got him to clean the playroom (yes, something that he should do anyway) and he thought I should give it to him then... but I got him to clean his room (futile, but he did it and it stayed clean for about 10 minutes) and he thought I should give it to him then... but I got him to help set the table... and tidy up Monkey's toys... and a few other odd jobs.. and I was well and truly sick of him asking me how much to go.  I needed a BIG job, one that would test his patience, one that would require a lot more work than a quick tidy up, something that isn't on the vague list of things that kids should just do around the house... something that would make him realise the value of the item he was earning.  I had one job like that tucked up my sleeve.  I had a job that would be 5 minutes for an adult but a bit trickier for a kid.  I had a job that had been waiting for me to get to.  A job that needed to be done properly, to my standards not just something he could fudge his way through.  That job was wiping all those disgusting hand prints and ick off the doors, door frames and kitchen cupboards (they were bad, oh boy were they BAD).  I use a natural cleaner so it was safe for him to use.  He (along with his brother) put most of the prints there so he can reach them all.  It would keep him busy for a while and I could tell him once and for all that once this job is done to my satisfaction HE COULD FINALLY HAVE HIS POLICE MOTORBIKE!  He did the toilet door and frame, his bedroom door and frame, the garage door and frame, the wall next to the fridge and all the lower cupboard doors and drawers in the kitchen along with the dishwasher front.  I even made him re-do a few bits (because don't forget I am M.O.M) and chatted with him while he worked about doing jobs to earn rewards and doing jobs because we love each other and want to help to keep the house nice.  Then... FINALLY... he was finished.  He could have his box of plastic bits and bobs and put them together to create his bike.  It has since been made and unmade 15zillion times and it is precious, I believe all the more precious because he had to work so hard to earn it... I'm not sure he even remembers that bit anymore.

(created by Lion on the Lego website here)

So my advice to parents everywhere... I got this wrong from the start, do not offer to purchase a product for your child "until you earn it".  Thankfully this was a $7 product so with the money he already had plus his hard work it didn't take too long to earn.  Problem is, now he has designs on a MUCH bigger set... like $130 bigger... that's some serious work to earn that one!

Now I just have to deal with the "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and it's sitting on the top shelf of the bookshelf... "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and it's sitting on the middle shelf of the bookshelf... "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and it's on the table... "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and it's on the floor... "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and it's back on the bookshelf... "mummy, come and have a look at my police motorbike" and I'm guessing you get the picture by now!

It really is a precious piece of plastic... maybe, just maybe he does remember how hard he had to work for it.

McDonalds, Lego and Super Ninjas!

The marketing machine isn't working... or maybe it is... it depends on who the machine belongs to.  When I was awake WAAAAY too early this morning I turned on some news and the ads came on so I tuned out but remained vaguely aware that there was a food ad on when Lion turns to me and says

Lion - "That's not true mum"

Mummy - "What's not true?"

Lion - "The burgers are better at McDonald's, not Hungry Jacks"

For those not aware, HJ's tag-line is "The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks".

I grabbed some clothes out for the kids to wear and since I didn't feel like searching too hard through the folding I haven't done I found a pair of soccer shorts and a batman shirt for Dragon to wear.  Wolf told Dragon he was going to wear Soccer shorts and Dragon replied that he didn't play Soccer,

Wolf - "Well, you are sporty, you run around and stuff"

Dragon - "But I don't play soccer"

Wolf - "But sporty people wear soccer shorts"

Dragon - "Like a ninja?"

Wolf - "um, yes, like a ninja"

Dragon - "I'M SUPER NINJA"

I've got a soft spot for photos of my kids sleeping but these next few shots are really special...

My kids don't fall asleep by themselves.  They each have a couple of times as babies but only by accident when they were wrapped and tricked into it.  Monkey had a cranky tummy so he had to get back up for a bit after he had already been put to bed.  I put him on the blanket in the lounge room with Wolf and went off to finish whatever I was doing while he wriggled and squirmed until he did a pop or a poop.  Wolf called me in because he had fallen asleep!

Just like that.  Squirmed his way off the edge of the mat and crashed.

He's so cute!

Speaking of cute, here's a video of another cute kid that we made for Nano and Pappap.

We hope you enjoy it Nano and Pappap.  Lion was so excited about his new Lego that he worked soooo hard for and he wanted to video it to show you.  I really didn't make him work all that hard... kind of... but that's another story for another day.

Oh, yeah, this also shows our current LSS (Lego Storage Solution) for you, Renata.  Problem is it wont work if he doesn't use it!  But it does solve the "Place for everything" we just need to master the "everything in it's place" bit.

Right now, I must resolve to stop writing blog posts so late at night so that my brain has half a chance of stringing a few simple concepts together when I do sit down.  I am doubtful that this makes much sense but that's really how our day rolls.

G'night.

By the way... Lion and Dragon were playing policeman and baddy this afternoon... the baddy was making a speedy escape... on a Lego segue...

Lion "Policeman" - "STOP, I said stop running away baddy"

Dragon "Baddy" - "NO, I am getting away from you! I am escaping on my segue, you can't catch me"

(both to be read in a really deep throaty voice)

My kids crack me up!

Dream Job...

Some of you may be aware of the Lego-a-day blog, but how many of you were aware of the type of business cards which lego employees give to their staff?

Someone said it was ultra-geeky, but all I can say is 'how cool is that?' However, I do not know how long my stash would last for if I worked at lego... I would be continually having to rumage through my son's toy box to find one.

sources: wired forevergeek geekologie ubergizmo techrepublic