Quick Wit

Scene: TV dinner -The KFC "the pigeons called" ad comes on...

Lion turns to Dragon and announces "Dragon, the pigeons called, they want their dinner back".  Dragon doesn't skip a beat..."Lion, the pigs called, they want their head back".  I just about snorted my dinner out my nose.  That kid is developing a quick wit which is getting him into a lot of trouble.  It's hard to explain to a 4 year old when it is "quick wit" and when it is "smart mouthing".  For instance, if you are getting in trouble and you give one of your jibes to your mother... that'll get you in a whole lot of trouble.  If you are mucking around with your brother exchanging good natured barbs... all's fair.

Now for a little "Out & About with Clan Mctavish"

It comforts me that we are not the only family that does this with cheerios...

He had a whole row, this was the only one he didn't find to pull back off

Although having the ladies sitting in front of us at church giggling at my kids as I whisper sharply to them "DON'T lick'n'stick, just eat them" was not one of our finer family moments.

Don't be fooled.  He's not really this civilised.

While we were out he decided to be like all the trendies and sit and read his book at the cafe with his snacks, babycino and his water.  He fitted right in, he was just with his uncool parents, a major flaw in his social image.

"oof, oof"

Lion found a puddle of water on one of the seats outside his classroom and started blowing it towards the end of the seat to watch it drain off... Monkey misunderstood what was going on and started woofing and slurping the water up.  I am running with the theory that the seats were really clean from all the rain that we've had lately... right?

Hugging the dinosaurs at the "Zoo"

We took a little trip to the Zoo, otherwise known as the Museum of Tropical Queensland (MTQ) with our friends.  The kids love it, it's all very hands on and although some of the exhibits have been there since forever, the kids see it all as new every time.

This was the ONLY was Monkey would get close to this dino.

It's "the zoo with the dinosaurs in it" to my kids and that is always a thrill.  There is also a fantastic display of the HMS Pandora and general North Queensland displays of wildlife and stuff.

We HAVE to take this photo every time.

Dragon & Monkey with the fantastic introduction to the A is for Animals exhibition

The current attraction is A is for Animals, showcasing animals involvement in wars (past and present).  I loved it!  I particularly loved the artworks and the photography on display but the kids liked the more interactive bits with the cockatoo that talked to you and the puzzles and games where they could get hands-on.

Monkey tried very hard to dress himself, he seemed satisfied with this result.

Lion with his sculpture of a man wearing a kilt.

Sunday School had an art gallery exhibition on Sunday. They had been learning about Creation and we went to see the creations that they had made.

Lion with his painting of... I'll have to check with him again, I can't remember.

Dragon (standing on a chair) with his painting of a desert with a red squiggly road and a sunset and a tree.

Dragon's sculpture of Monkey

Extreme Lounge Room Sports

Lion has often said he wants to be a monster truck driver but I'm getting worried when the monster truck is part of the line up and a TRAIN is doing the jumping.  I don't think there was a proper risk assessment for this jump.

My plan is to be back blogging more often (than even BEFORE I was sick) so I don't have to do massive catch ups on our life like this... but I think it's going to take me a while to get back into any sort of pattern.  I am setting aside some time each day to write the Yasi story but because I'm not writing it in order it's making it hard to post the next bit but I'll get there... I promise!

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!!!

*****

Sunday School Picnic '09

What's more exciting than a Sunday School Picnic??? SKIPPING YOUR NAP to go to the Sunday School Picnic!!!!!!!!

There was racing and cream-buns and friends and lollyman and sitting in the shade and pesky Cockatoos... what a day!

We turned up and ate lunch and chilled (parents, not kids, they just ran wild from the start) ate our first helping of cream-buns and then the races started. For the pre-school kids it was a simple running race. With the simple organising of the kids being a shamozzle Aunty Cool and I decided that standing at the opposite end to give the kids something to aim for would probably be best... but we couldn't hear anything from that end so when kids started running towards us we started cheering! Turns out it was a false start...

But look at my boys go! (both in black "security" shirts) So we sent them back for the real race...

They didn't quite sweep the field this time which upset Lion a little and I'm not sure Dragon's concentration held long enough to cross the finish line the second time but they had fun and got a chocolate and a lollipop for their "trouble".

Then some other races... I didn't think it was such a good idea to go in the adults three legged race and I was told "but L went in it" by Wolf... L is also pregnant, 10 weeks behind me... "L is not having her baby in 4 weeks" was my reply.

The father and son (code for parent and child of any description) wheelbarrow race... Wolf and Lion went in that one AND WON!!! They may have bent the rules slightly with Wolf holding Lion by the hips and Lion's hands barely hitting the ground. They ran two races because there were so many people and the winners of the second heat copied the McTavish winning form.

Wolf was then in the tug-of-war for the first round... until they realised that it was incredibly uneven because they were doing guys vs girls and so they kicked half the guys off the rope (he's 4th from the back).

It was coming back to sit down after this that I felt bits of bark hitting me on the head and shoulders... WHAT???? I figured it was one of the kids in the trees but when I got back to my seat and looked up to see who it was I saw this pesky little guy...

Can you see him??? Right in the middle of the picture... it's a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo! It was destroying the branch and throwing bark down on anyone underneath.

All the games and races finished.... BRING ON THE LOLLY MAN!!!!! Dragon needs some serious help with his coordination! He kept grabbing and grabbing but missing any of the gazillion lollies sewn on Uncool's clothes. Even once he stopped running it took three or four grabs to get one! I think he was too frenzied at the thought of Uncool covered in lollies that he couldn't see straight.

Dragon decided it was time for a second helping of cream-bun and went and helped himself! J-mac's grandma had organised them so he thought she was pretty top stuff!

The day almost over, nap time well and truly skipped, dosed up on sugar of many different descriptions the tears were bound to happen... someone told poor Dragon to go away and he was a bit sensitive so the tears were flowing...

Can you tell that Mummy is trying to keep the cream bun and any remnants that may be still attached to Dragon WELL away from her while still offering sympathy and cuddles?

Soon we went to head home and found we had been parked in... I considered leaning on the car breathing heavily and screaming to Wolf that he needed to hurry because I was in labor in the hope it would bring out the owner of one of the three cars responsible but decided that just trying to find the owner of the car with it's windows down would be easiest since they had likely not gone far. They were on the basketball court nearby and came and moved their car and we trundled home with our tired, hyped up boys to pass the time until we could reasonably put them into bed for the night.

Sunday School answers.

No pictures, not much to say just thought I would blog this for the fam before I forget it. We are training these kids well...

Dragon was trying desperately to tell us something in the car.

D "Ishus, Ishus" (not really sure how you would spell the word he was really saying, this does it no justice)

MMcT "What are you saying Dragon boy?"

D "Ishus, Ishus"

MMcT "Jesus?"

D "Nooooooooo, Ishus, Ishus"

L" Are you saying Jesus? He's saying Jesus mum"

MMcT "Are you saying Jesus?" (he's already made it clear he's not but I'll humor Lion)

D "no, Ishus"

L "God?" (yeah, because that sounds like Ishus)

D "No, Ishus, ISHUS"

MMcT "Ishus?"

D "no, ISHUS"

L "Simeon, are you saying Simeon?"

At this point the conversation stops with mummy practically crashing the car as she has fits of laughter. I thought the sunday school answers were Jesus, God and the Bible. Lion has re-written it to be Jesus, God and SIMEON!

Turns out he was trying to tell us something about Fishies. And I dont usually assume my kids are talking about something deep and spiritual, "Jesus" fitted the context of our conversation that had stopped a few minutes earlier. and Fishies, well, that is about all I picked up from what Dragon was trying to say, it was something to do with Fishies, no context, no clues, just Fishies.

Sunday School

Lion has started Sunday Scool this year. It's a big step. Last year he went to sunday school but he wasnt actually supposed to, we let him join in for the singing at the start and pulled him out when they broke into their classes. He loves all the craft they get to do even though Mummy McT can't get him to co-operate at home to make or draw anything. He recently made a hat which on the way home he discovered could also be a chooks beak. I will leave the explaination there and let the photos do the talking...

Dragon just wanted to be in on the photos, it didn't matter how much Lion pushed and shoved he just wouldn't get out.