Sunday, November 29, 2009

Thanksgiving Weekend


Mackenzie wore her pearls for Thanksgiving dinner....too bad she didn't eat a thing!

Anyone who reads this on a regular basis knows how much I was looking forward to this weekend. All I wanted to do was take it easy and relax...unfortunately things didn't turn out that way. I've had a sick baby all weekend long! It all started on Wednesday when Mackenzie woke up in a terrible mood. At school I heard her throw some very loud tantrums and then they told me that they thought she might have pink eye (conjunctivitis for you Aussies) because she had a lot of gunk coming from her eyes. We got to go home early because all the kids went home early so I took her home hoping that things would clear up.
That night the temperatures begun and they haven't stopped! Every time I would give her Tylenol her temperature would go down only to go back up again once it wore off. I got even less sleep because she was restless and of course feeling terrible and then there was all the rest....lots of congestion, a very green nose and a little cough.
When she was under the spell of Tylenol she was relatively happy. She played a little and would eat a little, but as soon as it wore off she became a blubbering mess. I cooked her and myself a nice Thanksgiving meal and she looked at it, then threw it all on the ground! So much for starting traditions...I definitely don't want her being sick a tradition!

Right before the food ended up on the ground!

We eventually got her into the doctors on Saturday and it turns out that on top of the little cold she has ear infections in both ears so now she's on antibiotics. She has to get it twice a day for the next 10 days. She hates having to take medication so as you can imagine we've had a lot of fun trying to get her to take it! She's doing a little better today. She hasn't had a fever today, but her nose is still terrible! We should be able to go back to work/school tomorrow although I feel like I've had no break at all!

Her new play spot!

I finally got evidence of Mackenzie up to no good! This is her new favorite place to be. She opens the draw, throws everything out of it, then climbs in! It's cute, but I hope that she doesn't break the draw! She's already got her finger jammed in the draw!

"Don't you tell me to get out of the draw Mummy!"


"Lets see if I can get out on my own."


Mackenzie checking out the Christmas tree.

In my attempt to keep everything as normal as possible. I put up the Christmas tree all on my own. It almost didn't happen when I had to struggle to get the tree out of the storage room. John always does that so I had no idea how heavy the box was! Anyway I got it out and was able to put it up while Mackenzie took a nap. She woke up and stared at the tree and so far hasn't attempted to touch it. I have put it up on our coffee table as I went to get some kind of gate to enclose it in, but they were sold out at the store I went to. This weekend it's crazy shopping sales here so I wasn't about to take a sick child from store to store in search of a gate!

"Wait...what's on tv!?"
I got to talk to John on Saturday night which was a much needed surprise! He is still unable to email, but it was so good to hear his voice. He is doing fine and keeping busy. I hope that he's able to call again soon, especially for Mackenzie's birthday.
I can't believe that she'll be one next week! I think it's going to be a day of mixed emotions for me. Of course I'm happy that she's growing and has reached this milestone, but part of me wants her to stay a baby forever. There is also the fact that John can't be here to celebrate with us. I wish we was home for this milestone.
But of course he's not going to be so we have to make the best of it. Our plan is business as usual for her birthday. We will be going to school/work and I plan to take some cupcakes for the teachers, Mackenzie and hopefully a friend or two. Once we get home at the end of the day we will have more time so she can unwrap her presents. (thanks to all who have sent her stuff!) On Friday we have a day off as it's Mackenzie's one year check-up. We have a lot of running around to do that day as we are having a little party on Saturday with my friends. I just hope she is back to feeling healthy enough to enjoy it all! Of course there will be pictures next week of all the fun!!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

This is why I'm not a professional photographer!





Two entries in one day...can you believe it!?!
Well I tried to get a pic for a Christmas card and between Mackenzie and my stupid, slow camera I haven't had much luck! I have asked several times for a new camera so I hope Santa has heard me. The idea was simple...put the hat on Mackenzie and get her to smile. I didn't factor in that she would refuse to look at me or keep the hat on! Now my battery is dead!

A Long Week!


"It's too early for photos Mummy!"

Let me start by saying thank goodness this week is over! It was a long and busy and frustrating week! It started off good, but Thursday and Friday were just terrible. We are beginning to get more children at work and we got a new little girl who started Thursday and doesn't know a word of English. She's this cute little Indian girl who is rather big for her age and packs a bit of a punch. She's not even in my class, but we some how ended up with her and she spent the day crying, trying to communicate with us (she's quite fluent in her native tongue) and fighting us to get out of the room. After a rather long day I had to stay back that night for parent conferences. Mackenzie was a good girl and didn't make a peep as I spoke to my parents, but she soon got tired and thank goodness I was done and on the way home before she started to act up. We both had a very early night that night.
Hoping Friday would be a better day we went back to discover that we would have the little girl again that day as her teacher went home sick and our day deteriorated again into a day of trying to settle her. This time her Dad left us with some key words and I tried my best to communicate with her. Unfortunately she kept saying this one word over and over again, and of course that word wasn't on the list. After stressing out most of the day and trying everything I could to help her in knowing what this word meant her mother picked her up and said that it probably meant nothing!! At the end of the day all I wanted to do was get out of there, go do the grocery shopping and go home so Mackenzie and I could relax....little did I know!!
Earlier in the week we received notification that they would be repaving the road within our housing complex and told us that all vehicles would have to be out of the area between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm. There was no problems Thursday night so Friday I went straight from work and did the shopping like normal and when I come home all access to our house is cut off! So then I'm forced to find parking on the street and some how manage to get Mackenzie, our stuff from the day plus our groceries into the house! Thank goodness Mackenzie was a good girl for me as I loaded her into her stroller/pram and trudged down the street with as much stuff as the stroller and I could handle. I decided to only take the cold stuff in, but thank goodness I decided to take a second trip to the car to double check as the brainiac who packed my bags after asking me if the blue bags were for the cold stuff (I use recyclable bags) put my cold stuff in the green bags and non-cold items in the blue! I had most of the cold stuff still sitting in the car! Once we got everything into the house and put away Mackenzie and I were basically in bed and asleep! A day I would rather forget!!
We are doing much better now! The car is back in the garage and I'm no longer worrying about someone hitting it or breaking into it and we are coming to the end of a somewhat relaxing weekend! Mackenzie is doing great and is as busy as ever. I did have more photos to show you, but she somehow managed to delete them and half of what I had typed so after retyping everything I can't be bothered reloading the photos! I'll do it later in the week! She got a great evaluation from school and they gave me some real cute photos of her! I need to scan them and I'll also put them up! She is on the verge of cutting more teeth and continues to get more confident in standing up. I can't believe it's now a matter of weeks until she is one. This year has just flown by!
We still have had no word from John. The ship is going through a non-communication thing for National Security. (blah, blah, blah!!) It's now going on two weeks and it's starting to get very old. They have also taken down their page on facebook which is frustrating. Unfortunately too many people on there ruined it for everyone by writing stuff they were told time and time again not too! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that with Thanksgiving this weekend that they will lift the no communication thing as we will hopefully get to hear from him.
This week we have three days of work/school then Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving. I am so looking forward to the break! My plan is just relax, take care of the house and hopefully go to the zoo with Mackenzie. I also want to put up the Christmas tree, but first I have to buy some kind of fence thing as I know that Mackenzie is going to try her hardest to touch it! I'm slowly getting Christmas presents mailed off so I think by the time Christmas is here we should be prepared!


Mackenzie with one of her teachers.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Never Enough Time!!


Mackenzie's latest trick...if she doesn't like what's going on she lays down on the floor and has a cry!

I guess it makes me feel good that I have readers who miss me! Sorry it's taken a while to update the blog. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day for me sometimes. Mackenzie keeps me busier and busier! She is into everything these days and the house is starting to look like it's been ransacked! She is also standing up on her own quite a bit so I guess it's only a matter of time before she's taking her first steps. I just hope they don't happen while she is at school. There is a little push car there that she plays with all the time and I've seen her push the car across the room, so I hope she will save her first steps for me!

Getting up to no good! (She was ready for bed and I was trying to get ready for the next day before going to bed myself!)

Above is just some of the stuff she's getting into at the moment. I know that the container should not be on the floor, but it was there for a matter of minutes while I was trying to get myself organized for work. Mackenzie pushed it into the bathroom which I thought was fine because she was entertaining herself...this is how I found her minutes later! She pulls everything out of my draws, books out of the book shelf....whatever she can get her hands on it gets thrown about a room. Now I'm no where near a clean freak, so I guess Mackenzie is going to take after her messy Mum! This week I was most unhappy with John for not baby proofing the draws like he was meant to, especially when she closed her finger in the draw. After we took care of the finger and her tears she was right back there again!

Finally she's big enough to wear your clothes Auntie Binny! One of your dresses!

We haven't been up to a whole lot. I am trying to get all the Christmas gifts that have to be mailed off organized. At the moment I have some boxes all set up as I wrap the gifts and address the boxes etc. Mackenzie has had a great time playing with the boxes. I guess I shouldn't be spending all the money on her for Christmas when I could just buy her a bunch of mailing boxes! Last weekend we went to an outlet mall with my friend Brittny for some shopping which was nice. I got some good deals at a few stores, but got suckered at one store though where I started buying from the full price racks. I guess it goes to show that I haven't done a whole lot of outlet shopping in my life. I guess I'll be more prepared for next time!


It was great to catch up with Brittny. She is literally weeks or maybe even days away from having her little baby so it was nice to see her before her life gets crazy. She has a bunch of family coming beginning next week so I probably won't see much of her until life gets back to normal for her.
We haven't heard from John in days now and it's beginning to wear on me. At first I was mad and frustrated at him because I thought he was too busy, but I have since learned from Facebook that they have shut down communications as they have work to do. I get it, but at the same time it really sucks. I mean isn't it enough to take them away from their families, especially this time of the year, but to keep them from communicating...it's just another reason why I'm beginning to really detest the Navy. I know some of you are going to read this and say the usual "You knew what you were getting into when you married him", well yes I did know that we would spend time apart, but he hasn't been home now since July 2008 and I am tired.

Mackenzie's first big girl nightie/pjs

The weather is getting cooler here so I have been buying Mackenzie a bunch of clothes (any excuse) for the weather. I got her this cute nightie and she is yet to wear it for a complete night! I don't know what happens but she gets really hot so I end up having to take it off so we can both get some sleep! I get worried that she's going to get cold in the night because she won't sleep under the covers, but I guess I don't need to worry. It's funny because I'm under the blanket and she's next to me in just a nappy/diaper and a singlet/vest!

Going through my bag

We have one more week until Thanksgiving and I'm really looking forward to it! That week we only have three days of work so the four days off will be a great opportunity to relax a little and attempt to get this house in order. We had a few invitations to go have dinner with friends, but I'm going to take this opportunity to just relax at home. My plan is to make dinner for Mackenzie and I and start a few traditions of our own.
I have some extra photos of Mackenzie in her Aussie shirt which I haven't downloaded onto the computer yet, so once I do I'll make sure to add them here! Have a good week...

Me and my girl

Monday, November 2, 2009

My Little Squirt


My little Squirt

On Friday we had our Harvest Festival at work/school. It is basically a Halloween party, but I don't believe they can say that with the whole political correctness that occurs here. Mackenzie and I dressed up and enjoyed the day. I was a Hula girl (or a Hawaiian girl as one of the little girls called me) and Mackenzie was Squirt, the baby turtle from Finding Nemo. She looked so cute and didn't mind being dressed up at all! The costume wasn't too hard for her to wear because it was basically a pair of pants and a jacket with a hood.

Testing her costume out at home

We went out around the school to collect treats and it was nice because I was able to go with Mackenzie. She was all loaded up in the stroller/pram when she saw me and started crying so I picked her up and took her with me. She collected some candy that I somewhat enjoyed and went back to her room for her regular day. As for me it was a busy day because we also had a little party. The kids enjoyed it although it was a little hectic for us teachers. Over all though it was a good day.
Halloween was quiet for us. Before John left he started eating the candy and I got mad at him because I thought that there wouldn't be enough for the kids. Well he could have eaten a whole lot more because we had three groups come to the door and now I'm left with a big bowl of it! I think I might even send it over to John as I don't like it.

Practicing her turtle moves

Apart from Halloween we haven't been up to much. I have been feeling rather exhausted these past few weeks so we basically come home, get ready for the next day, eat, shower and go to bed. I would love to come home to a cooked meal and someone to do the dishes for me. The house looks like a bomb has hit it and I really don't care anymore. At the end of this month we have Thanksgiving which will give me a four day weekend so I am hoping to get a lot achieved then.

Me and my girl at school

Mackenzie is doing great and continues to settle into her new routine. She is eating great for the girls there and is beginning to eat a little better for me too! Her new thing to do is to scream when she's excited! At school they have a little paddle pool full of balls and today I could hear her screaming as she played in there. She is also starting to open my draws in the kitchen and has a great time taking things out and throwing them all over the floor. Yesterday she also began crawling up the stairs so now I need to bring our gate down stairs so she doesn't end up hurting herself. She is rather proud of herself though when she climbs up a step or two and sits down to talk to me!

Looking at all the other kids dressed up

John is also doing good and has just finished up a port stop in Thailand. We got to talk a few times which was good, but he was always calling when I was sleeping so our phone calls were at times a little one sided. I don't know how much free time he gave himself, but I hope he was able to relax a little. He made me laugh at one stage when he told me that " you can't throw a stick without hitting an Australian or English person!" Not sure where he is off to next...I just wish it was home!

All ready to go trick or treating with her friends


The little guy next to her is the boy she made out with!


Me and Mackenzie out trick or treating!