We went to Ikea on Saturday (Brianna and Ellia enjoy the playcentre there, only there was a big wait because it was full so we had a few dramas trying to sort that one out!) I found some fabric and bought 1.6m of 150cm wide figuring I just needed 1 drop of the fabric to cover each backboard…

Then onto the book cases…. Greenslopes had one in stock (we were driving past on the way back from ikea) then I decided to try Brookside as it was on the way home too (I was hoping to get two of them for that price). Brookside had “3″ in stock, only once she bought it out i realised it wasn’t the same thing (for starters the original price was $79 not $59) … I figured the one I already had would match the one already at home so decided I’d get it anyway.

Roll around monday morning and I open the box from Greenslopes… it’s broken! So we pack it back up, pack all the kids up and head back to brookside to swap it. Now we have two matching ones! (pity it required that nonsense)

Dad came around to help me put them together (well actually he came to put up a mirror in the bathroom but was kind enough to help with the book cases as well).

The book case I was expecting to buy had a single back board… only these ones had a piece that slid in between each shelf and the one above it… which meant I didn’t have enough fabric! I didn’t have enough to do each one and have enough hangover to go around the top and bottom a bit for the sliding in. So in consultation with dad we decided to leave the bottom ones uncovered.

Anyway… long story… this is what we ended up with – i really like them!!!

Now all that’s left is a trip back to ikea to buy more fabric for cushion covers… oh, and to fill the book cases!!!!

So Wednesday night I started cutting…. and Thursday morning I finished putting it together. During the day Thursday Patricia helped me move our furniture around, and I ran around trying desperately to find all the little bits and pieces I wanted to complete the room (while Patricia stayed home with the -slightly crazy- children – Thanks Trish!!!!!). Turns out Ellia had some kind of bug, was crying about a headache all day, and finally threw up around 4pm then was fine…. then Malachi threw up everywhere around 6 – fun stuff!!

I finished the cushions *just* before dinner, sewing on the buttons while sitting outside chatting with the kids and our next-door neighbour, put the kids in bed and made a new hammock for Ezra, sewing the last seam about 5 minutes before Mary arrived to stay with the kids while I went to get jer….

It was all worth it!!!!!

The final result: (The photo’s not great as I took it on my new phone and I haven’t really set it up properly yet)

Total cost:
Quilt $75
Sheets $40
Lamps $22 (including bulbs)
Fabric for cover, hammock and cushions $15
Buttons for cushions $20 (they were worth it!!!)
Cushion inserts $12

Total: $184 – I saw quilt covers for that much while I was looking around!!!!!!

Edited to add: Jeremy LOVED it!!!

Now for the photos

The Smith Crew and the Caitens Clan @ the Sunshine Coast unit the Caitens were staying in.

We all went and played putt putt together. It was slightly crazy, but enjoyed by most!

The two little men particularly enjoyed the helicopter inside…

and the motorbikes!

Miss Grumpy-pants with her leg in a cast (she wasn’t actually grumpy, she just didn’t particularly want her photo taken)

On a ride at the redcliffe festival of sails

Enjoying sno-cones

With the Caitens and McClures @ Rocks Riverside

The first hockey game!

Uncle Adrian and Mr Malachi in his suit (it’s serious business!)

Ezra pulling faces earlier in the month… he’ll be 5 months old on Thursday… time has disappeared!!

So to start, when referring to an apron…. it’s not this:

but in fact this (the ones grandma has ) :

So to tie a MT “apron style” would look like this:

(The body of the carrier is coming from the bottom of the waistband and will come around baby’s bottom and back up)

Non- apron style is the opposite:

The body of the carrier is coming from the top of the waistband.

For a front carry, the main difference then is just the height of the carrier. For Ezra (now 3mths) in this particular MT, apron style means that he can see out:

Non-apron is more helpful for sleeping – the back of the carrier comes up higher on him. (scuse the goofy look on my face, i hate taking photos of myself!!!)

I don’t have any MT’s with angled bottom straps, but I would imagine that it would be virtually impossible to tie it non-apron style. However, with a straight strap on the bottom or a padded/wide waist, either work!

This video is how i currently put Ezra on my back up high, toss and then tie apron style (when i bring the bottom strap under his bottom i flick it under – i thought i was more obvious when i was doing it but apparently not!) oh and the delay once he’s there that you can’t see is because i was struggling to move his arm into the carrier to bring the strap over my far shoulder.

I can’t get the silly thing to embed here…. so here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgxvs9yxqmQ

Oh and in the 10 minutes since sitting down to write this post…

(I think he likes it!! )

On monday we took a “holiday at home” day. We went to the breathing space cafe at indooroopilly for breakfast then caught a train into south bank where we visited the science centre. From there, we had lunch at southbank and went for a play on the park before catching the train home again.

Enjoying the train ride

Malachi @ the science centre

Binna and Mummy @ the science centre

Malachi playing @ southbank

On tuesday morning we packed all our gear and decided to head up the cost (it was sunny then )

Trying on the new swimming gear from daddy.

First stop: underwater world!

Next stop: the shearwater resort @ kings beach…. only by now it’s raining!! (these photos were taken from our balcony early wednesday morning)

but all was not lost – the kids enjoyed watching playschool

and we went on a bit of a shopping spree!…

…which resulted mainly in lots of great bargains (new clothes) for daddy – but some super cute nighties and socks for the girls too (amongst other things)

lots of fun!

we’re back home now and slowly getting ready for the weekend! Jer and I are heading away for our church couples retreat overnight tomorrow night. My dad will be having the kids for a little bit in the evening, then Adrian will be looking after the girls here and Julia is taking the brave step of looking after malachi for the night

The children are all growing quickly – Malachi is such a little man now. Brianna is being challenging but is enjoying learning to read and some early numeracy skills. Ellia is … well, Ellia – she’s unique and wonderful, hyperactive and incredibly affectionate!

Now for some photos… My camera has been out of action since earlier this year due to me losing the battery for it (and no I have no idea how I actually managed to do that). However, last month I got a new phone and it actually takes pretty decent photos – not as good as Jer’s new phone… but that’s not the point!

This key rack was made for Mr and Mrs John after Mrs John mentioned they needed to get a new one as the old one was getting a bit tired in it’s old age. We were hoping to have it done for her birthday but it ended up being about a week later! From L-R the handprints are Bella’s, Binna’s and Malachi’s. I did a practice run of Malachi’s on a piece of paper which worked wonderfully only then he didn’t want to do it again on the “real thing”!

This pelican lives outside Mr and Mrs John’s front door – the girls think it is designed for riding on, so of course Malachi has copied them. He got off before I got the photo tho! So cute!!!!!

This photo was taken mid July while we were at the airport waiting to pick daddy up from his trip to the US.