Trunk or Treat

Tonight we went out to the Webster family's Trunk or Treat. We heard all about it last year and how much fun it was, so when Jackie (and Mum and Dad) invited us along we jumped at the chance to go. The boys have never really celebrated Halloween before (for those in the US etc we don't usually celebrate Halloween here unless someone puts on their own thing), so they were so excited to be able to dress up and do some 'trick or treating', or 'trunk or treating' as was the case tonight.

Everyone decorated their car boots (or trunks as known on the other side of the world!) and then all the kids went around collecting their lollies or getting a trick instead (or both!).

Jay decided weeks ago he wanted to be an Egyptian Mummy, Harri wanted to be Spiderman (that was easy - just had to pull out the costume!), Kobe was Santa Claus (but it got too cold so we had to put a jacket on over his Santa suit) and Noah was an angel (of course).


Dad even got in on the action this year and dressed up! Both Mum and Dad looked great.

Aaron dressed up as 'Jason' from the movie 'Friday the 13th'. I was a witch - all week Aaron has been saying I didn't even need a costume to be that! He thinks he is funny.

There were some awesome costumes!! The Corona's and Sherri and her husband and Mymona had gone to such an effort and looked awesome.




Poor little Kels had a sore foot and couldn't do much, but was a beautiful fairy.

Steph and the kids came as a Wizard of Oz theme - they all looked so cute - including Steph. She made a great Dorothy.

Simone hardly had to even dress up to come as a pumpkin! ;)

The kids all went around to the cars and did their trick or treating. Everyone had gone to a real effort to decorate their car boots up. They looked so good and the kids had a great time getting tricks done to them and collecting lollies. Barb had put some plastic ducks in water (next to a pretend severed head!). Depending on which duck you chose, she gave you a bag of lollies to match.

Harri was having fun until he spotted some dogs (Harri and dogs don't mix at the moment!). He calmed down until he got to Jayne's car. Tayla was hiding in the boot and you had to put your hand through some plastic into the boot to get your treat. As Harri reached in Tayla reaches out and grabs Harri's hand. You would've thought he was being murdered! He lets out this blood curdling scream and wouldn't settle down. Being the good Mum that I am, I'm wetting myself laughing, with tears streaming down my face, while I'm trying to calm him down.

There was no way that Harri was doing any more trick or treating after that! He did start going over to Toni and Jaron's car, but wasn't impressed that their boot looked like a mouth with sharp teeth and didn't want to get his hand snapped! He then spent the rest of the trick or treating time in the van with Noah (who was hiding from the wind), refusing to come out as it was 'too scary'. After the kids had finished trick or treating the costumes were all judged.

After they gave out the main prizes they still had a few prizes left, Jay was very excited to win a box of chocolates! By that time half of his costume had fallen down!

Harri was getting upset, wondering why he hadn't won a prize for his Spiderman costume. He is so funny as he just assumes that he should get everything - a typical four year old I guess (like at the magic show last week - he just couldn't work out why he wasn't chosen out of hundreds of people to be a volunteer to go on stage!). Aaron then got a box of chocolates so he gave it to Harri and told him he won! He was really happy then.

All night there was a sausage sizzle going and lots of yummy desserts. Everyone had fun playing different games, and just sitting around talking.

Uncle Kim took the kids (big and little!) for a hay ride. It reminded me of when we were little and Pop would take us for rides on the back of his land rover or truck down at the river.


It was a great night - so much fun. Thanks heaps Jackie for inviting us along. Hopefully Harri won't have too many nightmares tonight! :)

Picnic

Today Bec, Pip and I and the kids all caught up at City Park for a picnic. Harri was asking all morning when we were going as he was so excited to play with Oliver. I think Harri thought it was great as he had someone little to boss around! Poor Oliver.


Poor little Annie is sick and wasn't herself at all. She was very quiet.


Kobe loved being out and about. He is such an outdoors boy.

Of course no trip to City Park is complete without seeing the monkeys.



Kobe and Annie both had it by the end of the afternoon!

Bandannas and Buses

Over the past 6 months Noah has developed a really bad problem with his secretions. Years ago he had trouble with his saliva and got really dribbly but a med quickly fixed that up. He is still on the same med, but it isn't helping anymore. At first we thought it was an Autumn thing, then a Winter thing and now a Spring thing, but it is looking more and more like it may be something Noah has to deal with all the time now. We have to suction him every day and his aides and teachers at school have also been trained to suction him at school when needed.

I often see kids with special needs with bandannas on to catch the dribble. I always felt lucky that Noah hasn't had to have one, but more and more we are finding we are taking little towels every where we go. I finally gave in and went and bought a heap of Canteen bandannas. It saves a lot of mess on his clothes. I have to say it doesn't look as bad as I thought.

He has a lot of thick white secretions sitting at the back of his throat all the time which are hard for him to cough up. Every day now we have to give him four lots of nebs as he has tested positive for a nasty bug that is very resistant to treatment. After two of the nebs he has to have postural drainage done. This is where you do lots of cupping and vibrations on his back and chest while he is laying on his side, to try to loosen anything in his lungs which he will then hopefully cough up. I'm finding it very hard to find the time to fit this all in - especially before school in the morning, with trying to get all four boys ready and Noah's new splints on, so we have now arranged that he will have a neb at school as well as postural drainage which is great.

Don't worry - this pic was taken back in September. He isn't like Aaron who is still wearing his Hawks gear!

Di is still out of action with her broken arm, but Noah's special school has agreed that Noah can go to school there full time until Di can use her arm fully again. Di is going to school with him, but they have an extra aide there helping out Di with all the physical stuff, while Di is teaching them all the things they need to know about Noah - suctioning, meds, feeds, postural drainage, nebs, toileting (that is a whole other blog post! Noah has some interesting toileting needs!). So far it is going great. The school has been fantastic in trying to get Noah involved in lots of different things such as using the sensory room.

Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from the lady who works in the office there. She said she sees me 'struggle' (I thought I was doing well!! Maybe Kobe trying to wriggle out of my arms was the cruncher!) in each morning with all of Noah's gear plus the three boys (Jalen has decided he likes walking to school rather than being late each day) and asked me if I was interested in Noah catching the bus to school. Most of the other kids that go there are picked up by a bus each morning that is fitted out for wheelchairs. It picks them straight up from their home. She said while Noah is going there full time it's no drama to arrange for him to catch the bus. This morning was his first time! The school is literally two blocks from our house, but it was soooo nice just having to walk him out the front door this morning, rather than loading him up into the van with the other two boys and all his gear. I believe that the woman on the bus in a registered nurse.

I am so jealous of their automatic lift. I'm grateful for our ramps that we have and that we don't have to get Noah out of his chair to get into the van, but boy one of these would be great!! Maybe one day.

It's nice to know that the mornings won't be as rushed from now on. In some ways I'm hoping Di's arm doesn't heal too fast!!

Shares in The Examiner

Aaron decided he didn't want to be outdone and appeared in The Examiner newspaper today - timing in their school's athletic carnival. Everyone keeps asking us if we have shares in the newspaper!

One of the Boys

Harri loves watching Jay play his Nintendo DS, and it looks like Kobe does too! He was mesmerized by it tonight.




It was all fun and games until Kobe decided he wanted to eat it. Jay wasn't too impressed!

Rohan's Big Day

Today after the Primary Presentation it was Rohan's baptism. He has been talking about it for months. He looked great all dressed in white.

Once his cousins arrived he wasn't too keen on taking any more photos, but more keen to go and play but we convinced him to stay still for a whole family photo.

Notice Simone is hiding nicely there behind her Mum!! Won't be long now till Rohan has another little cousin to play with.

Primary Presentation

Today was our Primary Presentation at church. All year I have been teaching the kids the songs for the presentation. The theme this year is 'I am a Child of God'. Each month is a different theme based around the yearly theme and each month we learn a new song. Today was the big day when the kids presented it to the whole ward (congregation) and also gave talks and scriptures. The whole thing runs for about an hour and is often the highlight of the year, with lots of grandparents and friends coming to see the kids (even from interstate!).

I was very nervous! I think because the music is the main part of the program I was nervous about how they were going to go, but they did a great job (some of them anyway!!!). Harri was a whole other story. Oh boy - I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and at one stage I was laughing so much I was crying! I made up a smiley face sign and kept flashing it up before each song to remind them to smile. Harri kept calling out to the other kids (during the songs!) 'smile Xander, smile Charlotte!'.

I would also give them the thumbs up after a song if they did a really good job. Harri would then give me the thumbs back!! Then half way through the program Harri and Xander decided to have a bit of a wrestle and Xander falls on the ground and Harri goes with him!! The funniest thing was that Harri gives Xander the hand directions to stand up (that I use to get the kids to stand up before each song) - after he had knocked him over! I was wetting myself laughing. Don't these two just look so innocent!!?

Poor Sam (their teacher) was trying desperately to keep order, but it wasn't happening. I kept giving Harri the stare down, but that wasn't working either. At one stage he kept yelling out to me 'I need a drink!'. I knew his part was about to come up, so I told him to wait. His part was a crack up too. The sunbeam class were so cute and had everyone laughing. Sam asks Harri 'Harri, have you seen a temple before' to which Harri replies in this loud voice 'YEP!'. After their part I told him to run out to get a drink. While he was out we sang a song and Harri runs back in full bore and gets back just as we sing the last line and then says really loud 'oh no I missed the song!!'.

Jalen wasn't very impressed with Harri and kept saying when we got home that Harri wasn't very well behaved, and I reminded him that is probably what he was like when he was four too (actually he probably wasn't!). This year was Jordon's last year doing the presentation and then Jalen is the oldest boy in Primary! We are losing all our big kids - its so sad!

After Primary class time we had a little party. The kids had a great time doing a little activity and eating lots of party food.

Our Primary is so small since the boundaries have been changed, but we are so lucky as we have such a lovely group of kids. The big kids help out the little kids so much.


Katie, Emily, Sariah and Jess did a beautiful job of singing 'I love to see the Temple'. It was very special.

At the end of the party the kids were all presented with their photos and were each given a hug from each of the Primary Presidency.



It was a lovely day but I'm glad it's all over. The songs were beautiful, but I'm glad that we can now stop singing them over and over and do some different ones!