the whole tooth & nothing but the tooth.

A toothy tale of 2 little children.

Warning...there will be blood and gore in this tale. Not much, but my sensitive stomach appreciates a warning when I see it.

Tale number one is of a small baby boy who's under developed teeth popped through the gums way too early at 5 months and therefore with the missing enamel on his teeth, they began to erode quickly.

By the tender age 1 and a half, these baby tooth buds were beginning to expose the sensitive nerves and becoming painful especially when eating ice-cream which is no fun for a treat.

So off on a jet plane the family went to see if these delicate baby teeth could be saved or removed.

Last photo of his front teeth before they were removed.

The dentist shook her head and said "we can save all but the top 4, they will have to go."

So, off to Hospital we trotted on Halloween for this wee little man to have an operation to remove these 'vampire teeth'.
3 hours later we rolled back into the room with some new shiny coatings on bubba boys teeth, all he wanted was a lemonade ice block after starving all night and day.

By that night, he was ready to go trick or treating with his brother and sister, begging for chocolate from them, oblivious to having just had surgery and a mouth full of stitches.
The end (for now)

Just a few hours after surgery, Happy Jasper showed his new smile off & even went trick or treating.

Tale 2 is of a talented young girl, who although was an amazing singer hid a little habit while she thought no one was looking, sneaky Miss 6 still sucked her thumb!
This had been a lifelong habit only broken by falling out of a mystical fig tree and breaking her thumb sucking arm at age 4. It only took a few days before she promptly changed thumbs from her left to her right and this new thumb had been stuck in her mouth ever since.







Day 2 of the journey to end the great thumb sucking habit went much better than day one where we went through at least 8 extra thick band aids as a deterrent.

If a week of band aids doesn't work, I move onto the big guns...that foul tasting stop and grow stuff you paint onto fingernails!

 

ANYWAY, Day 3. The problem was solved as it always is in our household when the powers of the universe intervene......Sienna got 2 of her front teeth knocked out today at the beach and split her gum & lip.

Poor darling girl, one big tooth hanging, one side one kicked out on the beach somewhere with shards of tooth root still in her gum.

As she left the dental surgery ...her sense of humour returned and she said through the blood and swollen gums "I guess I can't suck my thumb anymore now". The first ever visit from the tooth fairy tonight for her is an event we have been waiting a long time for!

 

She has been waiting and wobbling for months, especially when the tooth fairy visited BOTH of her Brothers while we were in Sydney and never to her. She happily went to bed knowing a magical fairy was Finally coming to her. There will be fairy glitter everywhere by morning I am sure.

All smiles now, just waiting for that tooth Fairy.

 

I am happy (for now) with the bedtime sucking, it is just the all day forgetting and walking around sucking even during dinner. during the last week off school she was even talking to me with her thumb in. The magical dummy fairies took Teddy's dummy... finally for the last time when he was 5 1/2, so at 6 1/2 it may be a good time to change habits (she already bites her fingernails down to the bone like her Daddy does). Sienna's bottom 2 teeth are wobbly and about to fall out so it is time to break/change the habit before the big ones come through.
Wish us luck ☺

Of course unlucky things happen in 3's. a week after Sienna got her teeth knocked out, she fell out of a tree and broke her arm for the second time!!

 

Happy New Year 2012

Out with the old, in with the new.

Each new year brings a blank canvas full of possibilities.

What will you fill yours with this year?

Happy New year, wishing you all the best that 2012 has to offer, I hope you all get through your wish lists towards dreams and happiness and making a difference to this world.

♥ Cristina Rose

Kids of the week Christmas quotes

This week I asked my own children all about their thoughts on Christmas as my kid of the week series for Norfolk Online News.

Here is their responses to my questions about Christmas 2011.

What is your favourite part about Christmas Sienna? Getting presents on Christmas morning and learning all about Jesus.
What is all about then? It is about Jesus because he was born on Christmas day.
So why do we get Presents? because Santa sees who is naughty or nice, if they are being naughty they get a lump of coal and if they are nice they get presents.
Which list are you on? I am on the Elves watch list to see which one I am today.
Why does Santa make presents for kids all around the world? Because he loves kids, but not bad kids.
How does he deliver all the presents? on a sleigh with all his reindeer, they are like horses but they have antlers. They fly because of Santa he has lots of magic.

What would the North pole be like to live? very cold with lots of snow and ice.

What is Christmas all about Teddy? It is all about Jesus being born on Christmas day.

So why do we get presents? Because Santa wanted to be nice and give presents to kids who are being nice in the whole world.

Teddy and Sienna who gave the first presents to Jesus? The wise men
What presents did they give?
Sienna; hundreds of money
Teddy; a ring, golden sandals, some baby clothes and a bracelet
What did baby Jesus do with the presents?
Teddy; I have absolutely no idea Mum.
Sienna; be a king or something

What does Santa do when he gets back to the North pole after delivering all the presents?

Teddy; He celebrates by having food and games and mostly go to bed after his big night.

Sienna; He sees how the elves are going and makes more presents.

What is your favourite Christmas carol?
Teddy; Feliz Navidad
Sienna; The first Noel
What do you like to do on Christmas eve Teddy? we go out partying and then we go look at ALL the Christmas lights all over town, then when we get home, I find a little table and pour some nice cold milk and 3 chocolate chip biscuits onto a plate for Santa and a massive plate and put 9 carrots on for the reindeer, watch a couple of Christmas shows and carols and then straight to bed.

Sienna, what do you do on the night before Christmas? I go to sleep under the Christmas tree every year.

Why? Because I want to see Santa.
What do you like to do on Christmas day Sienna? open presents and sing songs like "a long time ago in Bethlehem so the something something says..."

Teddy? My favourite thing to do on Christmas day is to wake everyone up, look in our stocking, open one present from under the tree and have something to eat and wait to Nonni and Poppi to come over to open the rest. The rest of the day is mostly Mum and Dad's choice on what we do, but I will play with my presents and build stuff.

What is the best thing about a Norfolk Island Christmas?

Teddy; The Christmas lights
Sienna; At school learning about Jesus and singing on the stage at the Christmas pageant. Going to Emily bay to swim.
What message do you want to give everyone?
Sienna; "Merry Christmas to every one on Norfolk Island"

Teddy; "Merry Christmas, be good kids, Ho Ho Ho."

Jasper "Chismas tree star!"

Merry Christmas to everyone from me also, Thankyou everyone who let me interview & photograph their children this year, it has been lots of fun.


Wishing you and your families a safe holiday season and a wonderful start to 2012.


♥Cristina Rose.

'Twas the night before Christmas, we go off to see the lights.

Every year as has become the tradition, all the kids travel around the island together on the back of trucks or in cars & visit all the best lights.

Some lovely people like Brian and Coral who have won the best house lights for the past 2 years wait for the kids to come in and visit to give them all a candy cane, they must have given out hundreds on Christmas eve.

Jaspers first time walking around the maze, he was still crawling last year!

Then we head around to Cascade and New Cascade road to see the lights on the way to Little house day care which also won a best display award. Each year, the little house staff have a Christmas maze set up to walk around as well as many mini displays and lights.

The Main street looks lovely and festive with all its lights ablaze.

The Large Norfolk Island Pine tree at Kingston, right among the convict ruins and restored buildings, is decorated each year.

During our road trip, we heard the plane land with some friends who moved off the island 12 months ago returning for  Christmas, but rather than going to the busier than usual airport, we went to the next and last destination as we knew that we spend so long there, that everyone turns up there. Sure enough, not long  after leaving the airport, we saw many returning friends come to the Cat's cafe lights , 12 months just melted away for our kids as they reunited to play in the bubbles.

The place we always leave til last is Cat's Cafe.

Throughout December, Caroline 'George' Douran sets up many lights at Cats cafe next to the school, but on Christmas eve, it is extra special with a bubble machine and a 'snow' machine which generates snow like foam, this is my kids favourite place to be, dance laugh and get completely covered in foam before heading home for a warm shower and hot chocolates.

ho ho ho

The last job left to do is to hang the stockings and feed Santa and the reindeer.

This year Santa got chocolate Afghan biscuits and milk and there were 9 carrots on the front yard plus water for the reindeer.

This year, Sienna didn't try to sleep under the tree, both big kids happily trotted upstairs to their castle shaped bunk beds and fell asleep.

I then had my almost ritual, nightly *Baileys Milo while watching the Christmas carols on TV.
 I may be the only one awake and sing along by myself while the rest of my 4 'babies' are tucked up in bed sleeping, but I am happy and content to be safe and sound with my family in our home.

Often before bed, I will follow the Norad Santa tracker to make sure that Santa is on his way. It is a magical night.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

* Baileys Milo recipe

After the kids are in bed, boil kettle

add large splosh of Baileys to a coffee mug, size of splosh depends on how your day went.

Add 2 spoons of Milo to mug, again, size of spoons depend upon the day you've had.
Fill with hot water. Stir.
Sit down at the computer to catch up with facebook friends or read updated blogs while enjoying your Baileys Milo.
Enjoy!

Happy 5th Birthday Olivia

There is something special about turning 5. For me it is such a huge transition time from preschooler to starting your school life that continues for the next 13 years into early adulthood.

I feel very fortunate to have shared my niece Olivia's entrance into this wonderful world 5 years ago.

My sister Mia at her baby shower..waiting..waiting...waiting.

I moved away 2 days after Livvy was born, we hoped to have at least 2 weeks together, but this little lady was in no hurry to come out.
Now, 5 years later, we miss her incredibly and hope to again live around the corner from each other one day in the future.

When we post presents, we wish we could post ourselves for real live hugs too.

LOvE yOu LiVvY LoU!

whooosh, now it is December again!

Did that year just fly past super quickly for you too?

The year 2011 was busy, but the busiest month of all is here upon us again. I am trying to tamp down the feeling of panic that keeps surfacing, though I work best under pressure, I only have a day to find all my teenage nephews and nieces Christmas presents & have them in the mail  to get to them by Christmas.

I learnt my lesson from last year about putting extra blog pressure on yourself at a very busy time of the year.

Last year on the 30th of November, I was all inspired by other bloggers to do a post a day for the lead up til Christmas. Probably if I was the type to only post one photo each day, I may have made it, but I can't...I am a quantity party type of girl who does far more than I should and takes way too many photos, the problem is, I want to share them all!

I did make it to the 15th of December of blog posts and then gain 15 blog drafts until the end of the month.

So, I have decided that instead of starting new December blogs, I am going to finish what I started last year and continue each day until I complete the month of December even if it was so last year. My parents were here then, so by doing it this way, I get to relive all those fun moments again.

Life with a toddler this year is also proving fun and adventurous. I don't think that the Christmas decorations will actually stay on the tree, as Jasper thinks they look better scattered all over the floor. The baubles make great ball to throw at people too! My loungeroom looks like it has exploded at the best of time, now it is a technicolour, spangly, tinselly, baubley mess.'tis the season to be messy jolly.

Finding out about Norfolk Island

Everyone who arrives on Norfolk Island has a tale to tell about it, they also need to find out about Norfolk Island in some way or rather, this is usually from advertising or word of mouth.

The Internet has become the most powerful tool for people to tell their story and show through their images what life is like in their home & town in that space of time.

I started my blog (this one) about our family life here after I moved here nearly 5 years ago as my Auntie Mary had a blog that I followed with tidbits of island life prior to our move here called Devonhouse recollections
Then a school teacher who was moving here with her two young children found my blog and read about it prior to her move here early in 2010, she is now my daughters teacher and has a wonderful blog herself about their family life here called Norfolk Exposure.

I have recently received a comment (Thankyou Deb) from another potential teaching family who hope to move here and have been following my blog for an idea about family life on the island, who knows, Deb, perhaps you also will have a tale to tell about your time here, I wish you well and hope you do get to come to Norfolk Island, you will certainly learn to appreciate all the good things in life, like being part of an amazing close knit community who pull together in their mutual isolation from anywhere else, also to appreciate seasonal fruit and vegetables and being only 5 minutes from any beach or mountain view or valley and the most stunning 360 degree views, there is plenty to appreciate here. Call me when you get here and we can have coffee!
♥ Cristina

P.S, I have branched out from my first blog here to include many other blogs about me and my time on Norfolk Island and have helped others to start one for themselves also. None of my blogs gets the attention they deserve now that facebook is more instant and easy to use for a daily diary of photos and messages etc, but I do hope to come back to update these blogs when I can.
For full list of Norfolk Island blogs visit - http://blog4norfolkisland.blogspot.com/

For my 'other blogs' see
http://cristinaroseart.blogspot.com/
http://norfolkislandweddings.blogspot.com/
http://gallerysoul.blogspot.com/
http://norfolkislandlunchbox.blogspot.com/

Phew! no wonder I run out of time to edit them all ☺