Laura’s Life

Today was Orin’s first day back at Nursery after the long Summer break.  Chris took him there while Evan and I accompanied Aidan to school and it was also a treat for Orin to be taken to Nursery by his Daddy.  I was not sure how keen he would be to go there without Aidan for the first time but he is so gregarious and chatty that I don’t think he even noticed.  He had a wonderful time and is looking forward to going again on Tuesday.

These are photos of Orin ready for his first day of Nursery.  Except I took them once we got home because Chris had forgotten to take photos before leaving.  I guess I won’t be getting my Magnum accreditation any time soon.

This is Orin walking home after collecting Aidan from school.  Having Orin walk all the way added 50% to the journey time, 100% to my stress levels but saved me 50% energy having only one in the buggy.

It seems like only yesterday that he was a tiny baby but today was Aidan’s first ever day of school.  He is very much ready for the challenge and the stimulation and the independence but he is also very nervous about being in a new situation with new people.

We had a bit of a Goldilocks style tussle this morning over trying to find a pair of socks that met his requirements.  Consequently, he was a bit of a sour plum when having his photo taken prior to heading off:

Chris went to work late to watch the wee ones while I walked Aidan to school.  Unfortunately it was lashing with rain - not the best weather for a first walk to school.  Aidan, however, was in better spirits having actually set off for his destination:

This photo came out very weird but I like Aidan’s facial expression:

Showing off his Spiderman backpack:

He got a bit nervous again when we arrived in the playground but he joined his line without fussing and trotted off into the building quite happily when the bell rang.  I peeped through a window to see him getting his bag, coat and shoes off and hung up on the correct peg and he smiled at me and waved as he went into his classroom.

Having returned home to pick up the wee ones, I took Orin and Evan to playgroup and then we trudged off in the rain to collect Aidan.  He apparently had a good morning at school - though his expectations of learning to read and write on the first day were, of course, dashed.  He looked miserable when I went to collect him, however, because he was not impressed with having to leave his indoor shoes at the school in his cubby hole. 

We had a good walk home, however, and then when we got home he got into that hyper and combative mode that happens to children who are over-tired.  He was, nevertheless, willing to do a second take on the uniform photos:

Tomorrow’s challenge is to get all three boys ready for the school walk at the same time and for Aidan it is having his first gym lesson.

When I went to bed last night, look what I found:

Look at Aidan and Orin all snuggled up together with their skittles and sweat patches.  Aw!

My bird table was destroyed during some recent high winds but its remains have not yet been taken to the dump.  This has, therefore, inspired Aidan to try and saw through the stand using nothing but some broken slates.  Neanderthal man springs to mind.  Of course, Evan has to copy everything his big brothers do so Aidan ended up with an apprentice lumberjack.

As if the stress of the medical appointment was not challenge enough for one morning, I then took the kids for a wander through the woods that form the backdrop of the hospital.

They enjoyed finding all the objects made of native trees that were set to the side of the pathway.  This is Orin sitting in a chair carved from a tree stump:

Evan was grumping because he was confined to the buggy.  Look at that huffy pout:

Aidan sitting in a willow bower:

Aidan and Orin sitting together in the willow bower:

And Evan still grumping:

Aidan playing in an area filled with beach flotsum:

A view over the loch from the woods:

Me!

The boys sitting on a bench:

Orin beside a post decorated with a face:

And then it was all downhill from there - literally and metaphorically.  Aidan threw a tizzy because we could not ascend any further with the buggy and Orin went into tantrum meltdown because I refused to carry him.  Here is Orin in the midst of his tantrum:

And, at last, Evan was happy.  Schadenfreude!

I had an appointment for an ultrasound this morning.  Unfortunately I had to take all three boys to the hospital with me.  Sticker charts worked well in the car, from the car park to the hospital and while we were in the waiting room … but as soon as we were in the consulting room they transformed from cherubic and cute to hyper and defiant.  Evan, thankfully, was (s)trapped in his buggy, which would have kept him under control had Orin not kicked the brake off and taken him for a spin.  It was a nightmare.

Coupled to that chaos was the fact that the consultant was a cold fish who had no interest in communication whatsoever.  I was never completely sure if he was talking to me or one of the midwives since he never made eye contact with me.  I thought it impossible for anyone to have a worse bedside manner than my usual obstetrician but this locum managed to get the medal.  He scanned my abdomen so quickly that it was a bit of a blink and you miss it affair.  All he was interested in was measuring the circumference of the baby’s head - so I got a good “bird’s eye view” of Tottie’s scalp.  Great!  Thank goodness for the midwives, one of whom walloped the print button at an opportune moment so as to get one decent image for me.

So, here is Tottie, at 17 weeks gestation.  The head is the big circular thing on the right and you can see that (s)he has its arm raised to its face, bent at the elbow.  It is not as clear as it could be - because of the Doctor’s haste - but at least it is something:

Twice in three days poor wee Orin has been stung by nasty wasps.

The first time was on his hand:

And then yesterday a wasp stung him on his left eyelid.  It went very red and puffy and even this morning it looks like he is recovering from a black eye:

Aidan was also stung, on the neck.  So wasps are now the new enemy and lightsabers are being brandished at all stripy flying insects.

Pyjama top, nappy and wellies!

… Tottie!  
 
Obviously not its real name but the name chosen by its big brothers for the period of gestation.  Aidan and Orin had a serious discussion about it yesterday and decided that Tottie was the perfect name for their new wee sibling.  So Tottie it is!  

We read a bunch of books about Antarctica and the people and animals of the Arctic circle.  We also read a book about icebergs which inspired us to make our very own iceberg by freezing a balloon full of water.  This is Aidan with the iceberg:

Orin playing with the iceberg.  (Apologies for the pants on display - we are potty training this week.)

And Evan sooking the icy water off of a Lego penguin:

Orin and Evan then proceeded to lick the iceberg:

We borrowed a Lego “Eskimo” set from the Toy Library so the boys played with that too:

They also watched ‘March of the Penguins’ (which we rented on DVD) while cuddling their penguins: