Benjy's First Solids!

Benjy is a big six-monther now and so time to bring out the baby food! He started out with pumpkin and apple and has since had plain apple, banana, and baby rice with apricot and peach puree

The audience prepares for the grand tasting

Mum comes in for the kill and Benjy delivers a swift right hook, avoiding all mouth-contact with the foreign invader

Mum prevails and Benjy gets a mouth-full

Which comes out again pretty fast

And goes back in, and out, and in, and out...

Impressed Benjy?

He gets confused about who's supposed to be doing the aeroplane

Not a lot was swallowed then or since (it's been a week), but he's not adverse to the experience and likes to swill food around his mouth a bit and then decorate his chin

Fun at Sentosa

Blake took a couple of days off the other day, to extend a long weekend. We did a few family things including a trip to Sentosa Island, where we visited Underwater World and saw a dolphin show.

Benjy's pretty excited about going to Sentosa!

We saw the show first - short and sweet!

Flynn demanded that I carry him throughout the Underwater World aquarium - which wasn't as
funny as it looks!



Then it was off to lunch and a dip in the fountains!

"It's My Birthday!"

Flynn was pretty lucky having an entire birthday week - the party being a week before, and on the actual day getting to celebrate it all again!

He kicked things off by bringing a chilly bin full of cars into our bed and emptying it out so we could all admire his collection.

"I'll just show you something mum"

"Check these puppies out!"

Benjy joined in with a party blower

And then it was time for presents!!!!


 And the big present from mum and dad was a Thomas the Tank Engine set!

The boys get busy putting it together

Flynn helps dad by sitting on the tracks

Not long till it was up and running!



One happy little train spotter!


 Benjy satisfied himself with a chew on his Thomas squeeky toy 

Then it was off to lunch - Flynn's favourite - sushi!

We took off his new birthday t-shirt so it wouldn't get covered in soy sauce, sushi and green tea -  Yes Flynn enjoys a cup of green tea with his Japanese!

 

And an afternoon of fun at Flynn's friend's birthday party - Rory's.

The ante-natal group of mums, with first and second editions

Then it was home for the second birthday cake (banana-choc) which Flynn decorated HIMSELF!

Nice work monkey!

Flynn's 3rd Birthday Party!

Flynn had his 3rd birthday party a week before his actual birthday as his little ante-natal mate (Rory) nabbed our date before we had a chance to get the invitations out - the cheek of it!

So anyways, that was last weekend and the party was fantastic! We hired some ride-ons for entertainment and had the party/bbq down at the Aspen kids' pool and bbq area.

We had the ride-ons for a week so Flynn had a carpark full of kid-vehicles to choose from everyday. Here he is on the day they arrived - beside himself he was!

We played pass-the-parcel and 'statues' - and abandoned a game of 'simon says' when it became clear only one girl had a clue what to do. There were lots of prizes for enthusiastic participation and that seemed to keep everyone happy.

 Flynn gets the big prize from pass-the-parcel!



'Statues' had 'em all dancing for a lollipop

The older kids were good at telling me why they should get a prize, while
the younger ones stood back and looked on beseechingly

 Flynn nominates the winner of the 'best dancer - male' category

(after having said "ME" when I asked him who the best boy dancer was)

Cake time!

I made a gingerbread house cake, which we failed to get any decent photos of  (i was doing the video cam and we were so busy getting everything ready before the party to think of it) so aside from this one shot, my hours of slaving over a hot stove will remain without evidence. (This shot is from the back but the front had a biscuit porch, gingerbread men - and it wasn't melting off like the back!)

It was my first effort at making a (non-round) birthday cake so i was very proud of myself - though admittedly it does look like the gingerbread men weren't so hot on home maintenance.

We had to make a decision whether to have a small party with just half a dozen of Flynn's mates - or invite all his (and our) mates from Aspen and his pre-school mates, and treat it as a bit of a social event for us as well. We took the second option - there were about 65 people, not including peoples' helpers/nannies.

I made all the party food so that it was dairy-free (and so that I could feel like a virtuous mother and housewife) and we also had bbq food for the adults.  It was a lot of work but it was good to see it all turn out well in the end. We had sandwiches, a fruit platter, peanut brownies, banana muffins, gingerbread men, sushi, dips-pitas-veggies, sausages and chicken (bbq), breads, salads, fruit jellies and the cake!

Next year I'm keen to do it all again - but I am definitely going for the half-a-dozen-mates option.

PS: Watch this space for a blog on his actual birthday - the 20th Nov!