LOL G, I know the feeling! Yesterday at football I was talking to one of the older Mums - her DD coaches the girls netball team so she is nearly 16 and her youngest is 14 and she was saying she couldn't get over how fast A got about the place, one minute he was in one spot and the next time she looked around he was in a totally different spot but she did say that she has probably just forgotten what it was like LOL. Glad you have the kinder sorted out. A will start in February as well but we don't have enrollment till October. That sounds really unprofessional of the other one though to send out emails about other people.
Happy Belated Birthday MP!!! Sounds like you had a wonderful day. I think I know what those robot things are, they look pretty good. As I said to G, A will go next year as well. At our preschool they can go for a full or a half day at 3yo, and then as many as 3 days as 4yo's (the year before they start school) so two years all up. He will do a full day next year and I'm thinking of enrolling him for 2 days the year after but we're not decided on that yet. Alister probably spends half the day playing on his own - outside in the dirt with the trucks or riding bikes/scooters or he is inside playing with his cars or the trains. He just loves being the only one here because no one bugs him. Maybe it's just your DH's way of making it up to N for working and not seeing him so much? Maybe you could compromise with him and have every second weekend out doing something and then have a home weekend where you all just hang out at home?
Jaz, I didn't realise they had a big cut off like that for kinder in QLD. So she will be well over 4 before she starts then?
Trill - yeah, she will be one of the older children too. If they don't fill all the spots at Pre-prep, she may get offered a place. Whilst I know she'd love it, she would be much younger compared to the other children in the class.
I bought some Duplo yesterday at the target sale. I ummed and aaahed, but thought that it would be something that we can all sit down and play together. I ended up getting a big 200 set. No wheels in it, but the girls have all got heaps of cars anyway. It will be something that we can add to over the years as well. So thanks for the idea everyone
I'm half way through my mountain of ironing, so i'd better get back to it. I want to be finished before Masterchef comes on.
So do kindy kids in Australia not go every day? W starts out with two mornings, but they will hold the full time (every day) spot for me for a few weeks so we can assess how he is going, and if I want to take it slower they will offer full time again in Nov. Perhaps we are a whole country of hot-housers? lol
The other thing that is worth a think about for birthdays and xmas is the v-smile video game systems. I was hesitant to get him into video games this young, but DH was really keen so we hired it from toy library and it was really good. We had a Cars game with it and he had about 8 of the games sorted by the time it went back two weeks later (and to his credit I couldn't figure out the remaining two!). It is pretty basic stuff like memory, sorting stuff into piles like blue or paper, counting games etc but I guess it is at least a bit more interactive than just watching the telly.
I have no idea how it works in the other states Arte because the education systems are different. In NSW they do two years of preschool none which is not compulsory (but in the best interests of the child to send them). We only sent L for the year before he started school but the girls did the 2 years. And then once they are 5, or just about to turn 5 they start Kindergarten which is 'big school' and that is fulltime. If you had your child in fulltime childcare because you work then they would do a full 5 days a week of preschool by default as childcare does a preschool program. In all the other states their equivalent of Kindergarten is Prep and preschool is kinder.
Hey girls, how were the fantasy holidays? I think I booked too late and missed the flight altogther LOL.
Re the scooters, DD1 has a 2 wheeler and E scoots around on it, but her aunty bought her a 3 wheeler (not razor, it's pink and got princesses or some other pukey thing on it) for Xmas last year and she does ride that more often, it doesn't go as fast but it's easier for her at this stage. She's gone off her trike tho after riding the 2 wheeler bike at FDC...
Oz, sorry to hear about your DH's nan. I hope the weekend all went well.
Kate, I can't believe you're so close already...we're looking forward to some exciting news!!
Ginger - OMG you're like a toy black-marketeer with all your toy "connections" LOL.
JM, big hugs, the whole malaria situation just sounds like it's the pits.
MP - happy birthday for the other day!! We have *lots* of unstructured time at home, probably too much last year when we went nowhere and did nothing LOL. But I think it's good for them just to potter around, it can help if you get out two or three toys and bring their attention to them, different toys each weekend, kwim.
Trust me, chemo brain is the pits, it's worse than baby brain. I was too crushed last weekend to tell you all I FORGOT our wedding anniversary - first time in 18 years - and I was speaking to my new boss on the phone and had to ask for her "full name and phone number" on the pretext of taking her contact details cos I couldn't remember who she'd said she was . I'm going to ask the breast surgeon to surgically attach a pen and a notepad to my wrist so I can take notes while I wander in a daze thru daily life.
Re the kinder - here in SA kindergarten is free from about 4 years (or just before old) for 4 terms and it's either 4 half-days or 2 long days (depending on the kindy). If you child has special needs you can apply to start them earlier when they're 3. School proper (reception or prep) starts the term they turn 5, but they have to do a minimum of 4 terms and a maximum or 7 terms before they can move up to grade 1. So DD1 whose birthday is in the middle of the year, did 18 months of reception, which gave her a really good grounding in literacy & numeracy etc before moving into grade 1. Works quite well.
3 year old kindy here is usually just long-day-care - it's the big issue I have with sending DD2 to a cc centre, because after she turns 3 and moves up the "kindy room" (ahem!) the ratio changes from 1 in 6 to 1 in 9 (!!) and they're childcare workers not teachers. In real 4 y.o. kindies the staff are trained early childhood teachers. And there's a big difference in my mind from sending a 4 yo to kindy for half a day and sending a 3 yo to a long day care with the same staff ratio for the better part of a long day. For only 1 day of the week I will do it (reluctantly) if I have to but I'm not convinced it is the ideal environment for my child.
BTW start work next Tues, will be working in the section that was my 1st preference which is great - best matched to my skills plus it means they listened to me when I blarped on about how fabulous I am LOL.
i am keeping a lowish profile these days as i have been hit by the snot monster (thanks leila!).
MP: hope you had a lovely day on your birthday xx
the HB plans are powering along now! we have a BIG planning meeting next thursday (DH is cooking for the midwives...we'll have 3 coming along as i want to know the backup as well). so he is making some kind of melanzana bake and nutella pizza for dessert. i am excited as it will be a 2-3 hour meeting where we just go through everything and basically 'get ready'. picking up the birth pool in a couple of weeks too which means POOL PARTY! Leila is excited at that prospect lol. Leila will be 'entertained' by my mum (if she makes it in time this time lol). but no doubt i will labour overnight so hopefully she will snooze through most of it and we can wake her up for the exciting part. her and DH will be cutting the chord (leila is determined to 'make the belly button' lol).
MD: that is sooo cool! new job, good position...and a paycheck at the end!! man, i am jealous lol!! hope it all goes well (i am sure it will!).
sorry to hear that the brain is mush-a-rama still were you guys able to still have a lovely moment to celebrate the auspicious milestone??
G: bahahah I am with JM on this one...the mohawk is then a definite need for J lol!
Arte: i have NO idea of the kinder arrangments here. Leila's cc has a separate kindergarten with separate staff etc etc. that she is automatically enrolled in. actually there are two, one that is at the uni and the other is in abbostford (but i think you need to be related to the VC to get into that one lol!). it is complete madness in the area that we live, and the majority of the kids in my MG have missed out on a place for 3yr old kinder. it's in the papers every second week here about the crapulent services and lack of spaces.
Sherie: the NSW system sounds like how it used to be in QLD. the year you turned 5 you went to preschool and then the following year you went to 'big school' (grade one). i find this whole 3 and 4 year old kinder and prep thing way confusing. or that could be my snot infested mind making it hard to understand lol!
as for free play...we tend to do one big thing in the morning and then a smaller trip (say just down to the playground) in the afternoon after her nap or her quiet time. she generally plays happily for a few hours these days (either sitting reading her books or outside destroying the nastertiums). we are at the opposite ends of the spectrum in that we really need to get better organised and get her along to more theatre etc. we took her to the movies the other day and she loved it. so gotta get more proactive and start some fun booked activities for the occasional weekend fun.
jm and cass- yes i think a mohawk is definitely on the cards for summer LOL i'm just growing the top part a bit longer, then i'll have to find a funky hairdresser whose willing to do it LOL
the kinder/prep/school thing is soooo confusing. basically L is going next year to 3 yo kinder. it is run by the actual 4yo kinder teacher. she has the 4yos there in the mornings 9-12 and then has the 3yos 1-3pm. he will only be going twice a week so it's for a total of 4 hours a week. then the following year i think it is a compulsory 15hrs a week.
the next big decision we have to make is what year to have j start school as he is a late feb baby. i don't really like the idea of him starting proper school when he is still only actually 4 iykwim?
jaz- the duplo sounds great. was that on special in the sale?
cass- where will the pool be set up? in the kitchen?
md- what did you end up doing for the wedding anniversary? don't worry, my dh forgot our last one and it was only one year since we'd been married! LOL i can only imagine what will happen when it's number 18 LOL
trill- A sounds like a little firecracker like my boys LOL i reckon they would get along so well. is he really into tools and fixing things? that is L's latest obsession
arte-i've been looking after my dad's dog while he is o/s so i think that's been helping my ticker move along as i have to walk her everyday. otherwise she just looks at me with sad eyes and makes me feel guilty until i take her out LOL
I hope the weekend all went well. 
. I'm going to ask the breast surgeon to surgically attach a pen and a notepad to my wrist so I can take notes while I wander in a daze thru daily life.
(leila is determined to 'make the belly button' lol).
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