The Dower Family

A twelve year old? Are you serious? I couldn't have imagined a dozen years would fly by in the blink of an eye but somehow it has.  While I ponder how this could have possibly happened let me tell you some of the things I will always remember about Ollie at this age. - School captain.  Not sure I could be more proud.  From the time he was a little preppie he always looked at the captains and told me he would be like them one day. I should never have doubted his determination.  He delivered a killer speech, handed out a few badges and worked that gorgeous cheesy grin into election.   - He stinks!  If he skips deodorant in the morning you certainly know about it.  I can't fathom how much he pongs.  But he has also learned the value in smells and loves a good EDT. - He played another season of AFL with his mates.  Definitely not the usual full season but he hit his 50 games and his mates absolutely destroyed him with their water bottles....

Um, nine? Like twelve months until you hit double digits?? Are you serious? It feels literally like five minutes ago that you were the tiny little girl who completed our little family.  The one I had always dreamed of. To make sure I always remember you at this wonderful age, here are some of the things about you that are special: - you deconstruct your food.  I've never seen anyone pull apart a sandwich or burger the way you do and eat all of the components individually.   - you like to torture (or play with) small animals. We jokingly asked you if we would find a collection of dead geckos in your room.  To which you replied "I got rid of them".  You are either going to be a vet or a serial killer. - you are the stroppiest person I know.  Stubborn doesn't even come close to describe it.  You stomp your foot down like it is your super power.  But each and every time it just makes me laugh.  - you love your new pup...

Another year has flown by and somehow you are eleven.  Your life has now spanned across three different decades.  Crazy.  So let me tell you some of the things that I will remember about you at this age. -         You love reheated food for breakfast – pizza, sausages, any kind of leftovers.  We call it your University breakfast. -         You played your third season of AFL.  This year you faced the challenge of moving up to a full sized field but still had the best time playing along with your mates. -         You have started to read Stephen King books.  You’ve been asking for years but finally we relented and eased you in with some more tame ones.  You are onto your third one now and somehow we’ve only had one nightmare so far. -         You wear the same size clothes as me.  A size 10 shi...

My youngest child is eight!! How can that be? Nearly three thousand days on this planet?? As I come to grips with this let me share with you some of the things I want to always remember about her at this age: -         She has a crush.  She wouldn’t tell me for ages who it was but Ollie knew and was sworn to secrecy which is super cute.  Plus I knew pretty early on anyway thanks to her writing his name all around the place with love hearts around it. -          She makes this makes this weird cat noise – like a hissing meow.   It’s sometimes accompanied by a strange claw like gesture and usually when she doesn’t like something that you’ve done.   Everyone who has ever heard it agrees that it’s REALLY annoying.   Conversely she has a high pitched squeak like a guinea pig when she is happy about something.   Basically she is just a small animal.   -     ...

I'm just going to casually mention that when midnight hits tonight I will have been a mother for the past decade.  Um, a decade?! Like TEN WHOLE YEARS??? How can that even be possible?  While I wrap my head around that crazy concept, let me tell you a few of the things that I will remember about my sweet little Ollie as he turns ten (for the tenth time, as it is a tradition around here!). Books are still his first love.  He usually leaves the local library with no less than fifteen books which might last him a week at most.  He has also discovered the 'Graphic Novel' section which means he comes home with some pretty cool comics.  Occasionally he will stumble across one he shouldn't, like "Deadpool".  That one got returned pretty quickly! He reads at a 16+ year old level.  I'm not going to lie, he probably knows words that I don't even know and I'm not that dopey.  This kid is going places.  I'm just trying to make sure those...

In just two sleeps our sweet little boy will be 10!  Here are some recent snaps of his gorgeous (and sometimes scowling) face.

Another year has flown by and we have a seven year old girl! While I wonder how that has happened so quickly, let me tell you some of the things I will always remember about Eve at this age. She is a big grade one girl now, not a little baby preppie.  She was so very proud to finally put on the big girl school uniform.  Although not the cullotes.  Definitely not the cullotes. She reads chapter books now.  Billie B Brown ones are definitely her favourites but anything with a fairy or a horse or even just a girl in it would be pretty much her style. She is a nightmare at keeping her room tidy.  She stashes things in corners, under chairs and behind toys to avoid actually putting them away.  I find dirty clothes in the toy drawers and toys in her laundry hamper. She draws all over the pathways with rainbow coloured chalk.  Sometimes she mixes it with water to make it super bright.  Last week she mixed it with glue.  Let's see how that...

Mother’s Day makes me look back on nine years of sacrifices.  Sleepless nights, major life changes, what you did to my body, not to mention my sanity.  I look back on all the hours I spent rocking you to sleep, singing you lullabies until I couldn’t sing anymore and just wishing that you would finally drift off to sleep.  Then the stealthy, ninja like moves on the floor to sneak out of the room without you knowing, only to hit the wrong floorboard and have your eyes open again, followed by a cry. But when you did eventually sleep, I couldn’t help creep back in to look at your beautiful peaceful faces, and almost, just almost want to wake you up because I missed you so much. I have taught you so much. How to eat, how to walk and to talk, your ABCs and how to read. But you have taught me so much more. You’ve taught me that I can exist on a ridiculously small amount of sleep. That I can feel unbelievably awful with illness, but your suffering with it pains me ev...

Another Nippers season is finished and these two little cuties couldn’t be more proud of themselves. Sure, we’ve had some tears when there have been big waves and Ol has had to really step up now that they are going out super far on the boards. But that is all forgotten now they’ve got their shiny new medals!

After six VERY along weeks of holidays, these two are finally back to school and we all couldn’t be happier. Eve is thrilled to pieces to be a big grade one girl, to finally wear the proper school uniform and to get big girl homework (we’ll see how long that lasts!). Ol is happy to be back because he really missed hanging out with all of his mates, he loves to learn and he couldn’t wait to meet his new teachers again. Personally, I couldn’t wait to get them out the door and back into the daily routine. I think they were really starting to miss it.  Plus they may have been driving me absolutely bonkers with all of their squabbling!!

A photo from each of the past twelve months. You are happily sleeping after a first big day of being a nine year old.  In what is a tradition around here, I want to share some of the things that I will always remember about you at this age. - you still eat like a caveman.  I am constantly telling you that ice-cream/lasagne/custard is not a finger food - you can be quite the little worrier.  You ask me every single day if I will pick you up from the exact same spot.  I do.  Every, single time.  But still you fret. - you love Harry Potter even more than last year.  I thought once you'd read all the books it might fade.  It hasn't.  A muggle like me can't possibly understand. - You struggle to tell a lie without cracking a smile.  You even cover your mouth when you are trying to convince me you are telling the truth.  A classic giveaway. - You are just the right height that I can put my arms around your shoulders and cud...

This sweet pea and I had a girl’s trip down to Sydney in October to spend some time with Aunty Alicia and Uncle Guy before they headed off on their big global adventure. I thought I was taking the easy child with me and was totally in for a relaxing trip. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The first day was alright, apart from buying her the wrong ice-cream, which she refused to eat until I bought another one which met her strict criteria. Rainbow. I should have known. Luckily Uncle Guy was more than happy with the first ice-cream. We had a great visit to the coolest play centre near Al & Guy’s place. Lots of insta worthy photo opportunities! It was also the perfect place to catch up with Aunty Tahlia.

Six.  SIX?!? How can you be six?   You started school this year. I've never seen a kid so super confident walking through those school gates. You hardly gave me a backwards glance as you settled into your new class, making new friends and learning new tricks.  You really have just rocked it.  I've missed having you around with me as my little buddy, coming with me on errands and entertaining me with your crazy antics.  The house feels empty without you in it.  You've made all the connections with reading and writing.  It's all coming together and it's so exciting to watch.  You can pick up books from your shelf and I can see the absolute delight when you can read the words from the page.  You sit at the table and write out words, asking me to spell them to you.  Sometimes you even write me notes, telling me you are sorry for something you have done, or telling me I am the meanest mummy in the world because you didn't g...