Update

Good morning everyone J This is a special weekend edition (just for you Deb), well more of an update really. We are heading off to the Sunshine Coast for a mini family holiday so I will be away from my blog until Wednesday. I thought this would be far too long for you all to wait on the progress of Mat’s vasectomy, hence the update J

Just as I suspected, I ran out of “caring” pretty quickly. I did impress myself though that I lasted about 26 hours, exceeding my usual 24 hour window. Yesterday, Mat was supposed to be resting with frozen peas on his junk. Instead, I find him playing in the shed, fixing the spa and generally overdoing himself. Come dinner and bath time for the kids however, he all the sudden became very sore and unable to help. Arse. After all the work was done of course, he perked back up. That was when the caring ceased. I must say however, that he is doing fine, a bit tender but overall he is fine.

Well, enjoy the next few days, I know we will on our very first family holiday!!!! I must fly now and tend to Sophie making her own breakfast...dry porridge with peanut butter (we ran out of honey so in the mind of an almost 4 year old, peanut butter is the next best porridge topping...YUK!!)

Talk soon xox

Snippety Snip

With a snip snip here and a snip snip there and a couple of tra la la’s. That’s how we laugh the day away in the merry old land of Oz.

The day has arrived...the day of Mat’s neutering J No more babies for us! In a matter of hours, Mat will be undergoing his vasectomy and I must say, he is surprisingly calm and in high spirits about the whole thing. Mind you, he has spent the day preparing for “being out of action and laid up in bed” as he puts it. He went out this morning and bought one bag of frozen peas and one of corn kernels (I don’t really like the idea of using the ones we actually eat on his manhood) and some snug jocks. He bought about 5 magazines and has set up the hard drive in the bedroom so he can watch movies to his hearts content. The bed has nice clean sheets and the house has been cleared of all toys and tripping hazards, well, until Soph get’s home from Kindy anyway. So, while he appears calm on the outside, the “nesting” instinct is running amok on the inside.

I also have an internal battle going on. On the outside I am being a nice caring, supportive wife but on the inside I am thinking, good God, it’s just a little incision and minor surgery. I had 2 horrible caesareans for goodness sakes and after that I did not get to lie around in bed RESTING with magazines, movies and snacks. Instead I had screaming humans to look after and chew on my nipples to the point of cracking and bleeding. Fun times J lol. Deep breath Kate, disregard the internal dialogue you have going on and just be a supportive nurturing wife. I will just sing the Wizard of Oz song and keep smiling J  

With a snip snip here and a snip snip there and a couple of tra la la’s. That’s how we laugh the day away in the merry old land of Oz.

Meet Matthew

It is the eve of Mat’s vasectomy and I will undoubtedly be talking about him over the next few days, so I thought I better introduce you to him J There are lots of words I could use to describe Mat (some of which would not be very pleasant in consideration of how frustrated I am with him this morning!) but the term that will paint the clearest picture is “blokey bloke”. Here is why I see him this way...

-          I don’t have nail polish remover in my house. Instead, I have a 4L tin of Acetone.

-          Next to my lush, soft loofa in the shower is Mat’s scrubbing brush. I kid you not, he scrubs his legs with a scrubbing brush to get rid of paint, concrete, timber glue etc.

-          Mat’s bathroom items consist of soap, a razor and a toothbrush. As far as he is aware, the term “Metro” refers to the Metro Centre where men go to be neutered.

-          When I do Mat’s washing, I don’t find money in the bottom of the machine. Instead, I find carpenters pencils, drill bits and nails, SO many nails!

-          If he cuts his hand at work, he comes home with a piece of rag covering it, taped on with electrical tape (note to self: buy Mat a First Aid kit).

-          When at work, most people write memos on a post-it note. Mat, however, comes home with his notes written on scrap pieces of plasterboard or timber.

-          Mat’s Man Cave (aka the shed) is kitted out nicer than the house! In amongst his tools and car parts, he has a fireplace, a carpeted area, a projector, a TV, a stereo, a fully stocked drinks fridge...the list goes on!

-          Mat can fix almost anything (that’s why I call him “Matgyver”, named after McGyver). I did say almost. My vacuum cord stopped retracting, no bother really, but Mat insisted on fixing it. Hours, and many curse words later, he calls out “Babe, you will have to buy a new vacuum cleaner”.  The cord was the least of my problems as he’d broken the whole thing!

Yep, I’d say blokey bloke sums him up well J

Cheap thrills

Very few of us have the luxury of a money tree in our backyard, and my family is no exception. Mat supports our family of four with a sporadic subcontract carpenters income, so being frugal with our finances is now second nature. Consequently, I am always looking for “cheap thrills” or free activity ideas for the kids and wanted to share some of them with you all...

-          Take your car through an automatic carwash. It costs less than $10 and the kids will love watching the rollers soap up the car and the jets spray their windows.

-          Create a “drive in” at home. Spend the day making a car out of a cardboard storage box with your kids (one for each of them of course!). After dinner and bath time, cook up some popcorn and park their cars in the lounge room to watch a movie. The best part is you can sit back with a glass of wine without worrying about going over 0.05 J

-          Go on a nature walk in your local area, giving each child a bucket to collect a supply of leaves, twigs, rocks etc. Then, when you get home, it’s time to get your creative on (I love that saying, Aunty Mel J) The kids can create a nature scene either in the sandpit, in playdough or by gluing their bits and bobs on paper or boxes. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

-          Shaving cream! This is one huge hit with our Mother’s Group and it is so cheap and easy. Buy several homebrand cans of shaving cream, not the gel, and squirt them over a tarp. The kids can slip and slide, smoosh and woosh all over it and they just LOVE it!

I would love to hear your thrifty activity ideas to keep the days exciting for the kids J     

The standoff

Last night, I arrived home at about 10:30pm after an evening out. As I approached the front door, fumbling with my keys, I went to pull the screen door open when I made a hideous discovery...there was HUGE toad right by the door!!! The standoff began...

Naturally, my first reaction was to jump backwards with movie style sound effects of “eek” and “ahhh”. Keeping my eyes on the vile thing the whole time, I began to try and work out what on Earth I was going to do. Perhaps I will go around the back...no that’s not an option because I only have a key to the front door. I know, I’ll call Mat. Sure, he is asleep, but this is an emergency! I hear his phone ringing in the kitchen, a distress call that goes unanswered. S#*t, what am I going to do now? Think, Kate, think! Aha, I pick up a handful of rocks and throw them at the toad. Nothing! The tinging of the rocks against the glass door panel rules out my next thought to get a bigger rock and throw it harder. Time is slowly passing by, I call Mat again but there is still no answer! I am beginning to make quite a scene in our quiet street, “eeking” and dancing all over the front lawn. I am left with no option, I just have to toughen up and go inside via the hideous toad...

I begin by slowly opening the screen door, resulting in the toad hopping off the front step and heading towards the grass. I jump back again, “eeking” and fussing like there is no tomorrow. The toad stops, giving me enough room to pass and race inside. But oh no, I am not happy with that, I want the damn thing gone. I then stomp the ground behind it, which resulted in the freakin thing turning around and heading back to the safety of the door step! Now what am I going to do?!?! I begin seriously considering sleeping in my car when finally, my Knight in Shining Armour appears J Mat opens the door... naked. He retrieves a plank of timber and belts the vile toad out of the way...naked. Victory! The standoff is over and I am safely inside my house J

I must admit, as a little girl reading fairytales, I imagined my Knight in Shining Armour a little differently. But last night I learned that the moonlight shining off hubby's bare backside is as close as I will get to that fairytale...and in times of need, that is more than enough J

I love Monday

How gorgeous is today!?!? Very gorgeous I say J You can tell summer is on the way when we are eating juicy mangoes for morning tea in the inflatable pool with the beautiful sunshine beaming overhead. Magnificent J I am experiencing one of those glorious natural highs right now where I am appreciative of all the positive and lovely things I have in my life. It feels like my heart is going to burst it is full of so much love! Saying that reminds me of a recent conversation I had with Sophie...

At least once a month, Sophie and I have a special spa night, or as she calls it, “spare night”, during which we soak in the tub, put hair treatments in and have a good giggle and chat about the usual topics on a 4 year olds mind (playing, imaginary friends, lollies). This particular night Sophie was remarking on how much room I was taking up in the bath as I laid down. She then asked why my tummy was so big. Hmmm...how was I to answer this in such a way that would promote a positive body image to Sophie and encourage her to love herself regardless of how she looks in the future (seriously, does being a role model ever stop???). Aha, I’ve got it! “Well you see sweet heart” I began “my heart is full of SOOOO much love for you and Elliott that it simply ran out of room in my chest and fell into my tummy. That is why my tummy is so big, it’s full of love” J

Enjoy this beautiful day everyone J

Dealing with the business end of things

Hi everyone J

In the interest of maintaining a work/life balance, I don’t usually blog on a weekend, but I have a few red hot tips that I want to share when it comes to nappy time. I am sure many of you already implement some of them at home but hopefully there is a tip or two you will find useful:  

-          Do away with expensive, fragranced baby wipes and create your own that are suitable for even the most sensitive tooshies. Simply buy a box of Homebrand nappy liners and a big bottle of baby oil. Place the liners flat in a Tupperware container and douse them in enough baby oil so they are a similar wetness level to baby wipes. Easy J These homemade wipes remove every trace of poo and create a nice barrier to help prevent nappy rash.   

-          When bub has nappy rash, give him/her PLENTY of fresh air time and sunshine (with consideration of sunburn risk of course!) If you are breastfeeding, don’t be afraid to gently rub a bit of the rich hind milk on bubs clean backside...breast milk has truly unbelievable healing qualities. 

-          Use a cloth nappy or a hand towel to line the change table. That way, messy or wet nappy changes are easily soaked into the towel and a quick hot wash in the machine makes the nappies/towels as good as new.

-          Baby powder can do more than soak up moisture in the nappy area and make babies smell so cute. It is AMAZING at removing sand! Simply dust it over hands, feet, anywhere the sand is stuck and the sand will rub off easily without irritating bubs skin. A must for Summer beach adventures.

Hope these tips help! They are just a few that my Mother’s Group friends and I have discovered over the years. Have you got any great tips to share? We would love to hear them J

Being a Stay-at-home-Mum

It has been well studied, researched and definitively proven that a Stay-at-home-Mum works the equivalent of two full time jobs. Those of us in this boat are nodding our exhausted heads in complete agreeance, but there is still a lot of disbelief out there as to the validity of this research. I have some dear childless friends who are bright and well educated people, but when it comes to understanding what goes on in my world, there is a lot of room for growth...

Recently I was talking with one of these friends, we’ll call her Mrs D, when she asked what I was doing for the day. Sophie was off to Kindy so I replied that I am having an “easy one” with a bit of pottering around the house and then having a friend over for lunch. She responded by saying “I wish I had the spare time to do that!” I laughed, if only she knew what had gone on in this household before we had this conversation at 8:30am:

2:20am – Wake to tend to Elliott’s fussing despite me only having been asleep for 3 hours.

5:15am – Wake to give Elliott his bottle.

5:30am – Have cuddles with Elliott and Sophie in my bed before jumping up to start the day.

5:45am – Before hopping in the shower, ensure the house is securely locked so the kids can’t get out. Make sure toilet lids are closed so Elliott doesn’t try to play with the toilet blocks. Collect some toys for the kids to play with in my room while I have a shower.

6:00am – Parent from inside the shower “Sophie, stop trying to pick up your brother”. “Elliott, stop opening those drawers or you will jam your fingers”. “Sophie, can you kiss Elliott’s fingers better, he just jammed them in the drawer”.

6:15am – Dress myself, no time to do my hair or put makeup on. Kids playing at my feet. Tread on a Duplo block, curse under my breath. Remark at Sophie’s acute hearing to pick up swear words so easily.

6:20am – Breakfast. Diet shake for me as it takes less time than eating real food. Argue with Sophie for 5 minutes that she needs to have breakfast. Finally she gives in and has cereal. Feed Elliott his cereal in random mouthfuls between making Sophie’s kindy lunch and putting on loads of washing.

6:45am – Breakfast is done. Argue with Sophie for 5 minutes about what to wear and that she IS going to Kindy. Dress Sophie. Brush Sophie’s hair and listen to her whinge about that. Threaten to take the scissors and cut the whole damn lot off if she doesn’t stop fussing about it. Send Sophie off to clean her teeth and get her shoes on.

6:55am – Poo explosion!!!!! Strip Elliott off and hose him down in the bath. Open the house right up to get rid of awful smell. Rinse soiled clothes in laundry. Dress Elliott.

7:10am – Kids playing on the playground. Do dog poo patrol. Hang out the washing. Elliott crawls in the only steaming pile of dog poo I didn’t see hiding behind the slide. Rinse soiled clothes, hose Elliott in the bath again. Dress Elliott.

7:30am - Running late now. Gather up kids and bags to head to Kindy. Elliott vomits on my shoulder. Drop bags, snap at Sophie for asking “Why” for the 7000^th time that morning. Redress Elliott and I. Rinse soiled clothes.

7:40am – Juggle 2 Kindy bags, a nappy bag, a baby and Sophie out to the car. All loaded up, head to Kindy.

8:30am – Phew! Kindy drop off complete and back home now. More washing, clean the breakfast dishes and...oh no...another poo explosion!! I think Elliott is quite unwell today.

I imagine her morning was more like this:

7:00am – Wake after a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Shower and get ready for the day.

7:30am – Have breakfast.

8:00am - Leave for work. 

I know Mrs D's turn will come when she has a couple of kids in tow and I will be there when she has that "Aha, now I get it" moment. Until then, us Mum's will continue to pass each other in the supermarket, in our dishevelled exhausted looking state, and give each other that knowing empathetic look. We get it J

A peacock says what?!?

At breakfast this morning we could hear lots of beautiful birds singing in the bush behind our house. I could see the cogs turning in Sophie’s mind and we began a discussion about birds.

At first she wanted to impress me with her knowledge about birds and began telling me “Penguins fly”. I corrected her, in a nice supportive way that only mothers can, saying that while penguins don’t fly there are many other birds that do. “What about Emu’s? Emu’s fly” she declared. Again I corrected her in the nicest fashion to which she responded “Well chickens, chickens fly”. Good grief, the poor child picked the three birds that top the flightless list!

With her confidence in jeopardy, I quickly shifted the conversation to bird sounds, an area I thought she would have some knowledge in. Sure enough, as I asked “What sound does a chicken make?” she excitedly responded cluck cluck cluck. “A kookaburra?” Coo coo ka ka ka ka. “A duck?” Quack quack quack.

Very pleased with herself, Sophie says “I can hear a peacock! Do you know what sound a peacock makes, Mum?” Clueless, and unaware we had a peacock in the bush, I said “No”. Sophie then bellows out “cock cock cock cock cock”...I think I might spend a little more time teaching Sophie about birds J   

Groceries shmoceries

Groceries...Yuk! Of all the household chores, this is one task that I would dearly love to strike off my list. The trouble is, I put off grocery shopping to the point where all that remains in the cupboard is a can of lentils that expired back in 2006 (note to self: must clean out the pantry). Then, when I do eventually go shopping, it is a MASSIVE job! Throw 2 children into the mix and it sure makes for a fun filled morning out...  

After Sophie’s swimming lesson this morning, we dropped her friend Lulea home and then headed to the supermarket. By this time it was 10am and I knew I was pushing my luck. Elliott had not had his sleep, it was morning tea time and the tail end of the grocery shopping would undoubtedly run into lunch time. A recipe for disaster! Kate: Version 1.0 would have instantly gone into frustration mode, but the new and improved Kate: Version 2.0 took a far more positive approach. I had packed snacks galore to keep Elliott happy and Sophie brought along her baby doll and toy pram to entertain her. Things were going well J

By aisle 2, Elliott had eaten half the snacks and my ankles were nearly bleeding from Sophie crashing into them with her pram. Not to worry, keep smiling, life is good. By aisle 7, snacks are gone and Sophie has eased up on crashing into my ankles and has taken to crashing into fellow shoppers instead. Not to worry, keep smiling, life is good. By the checkouts, the lack of snacks was being loudly protested by Elliott, Sophie had given up on her pram, which I was now juggling, and the trolley was over flowing with groceries. Not to worry, muster up a grin, life is good. “That will be $450 thank you”...I’m sorry what?!?!? My mantra of “not to worry, keep smiling, life is good” promptly transformed into “You’ve got to be @*%>$# Kidding me!” I boycotted the fruit and vegies shopping for today, I completely bypassed the chemist on the way out, I became increasingly frustrated with Elliott’s crying and Sophie’s foot stomping protests about God knows what and I may have even stopped smiling at people walking past...a few more installation updates needed on Kate: Version 2.0 I think J  

A fresh start

It is the dawn of a new day! The night before last I had a dream in which I delivered a brand new precious little baby. Considering I am neither a midwife nor am I planning on having another child (good God, NO!), I am interpreting this dream as an indication that it is a time for a new beginning. The beginning of the new and improved Kate: Version 2.0 J

So with this in mind, I began thinking yesterday about how to improve my life. First things first, I need to lose weight and improve my health so I have energy to keep up with the kids, and also so I feel good about myself. To do this, I needed to get rid of all the naughty, but freakin delicious, treat food in the house. I did what all good pending dieters do and I ate it. I ate SO much rubbish food that I feel sick at the thought of it! Oh well, chalked that up to experience and shifted my focus to exercise. I have a cross trainer, a fit ball, an exercise step and hand held weights. Apparently just having them within my orbit does nothing to improve fitness so I got them out, dusted them off and set them up ready to use each day.

Ok, health and fitness goals underway, now for organisation. My house, and my life really, are just so chaotic and out of control that it’s insane! It stresses me out to the max trying to run the household, run Mat’s business and achieve all my career and personal goals with such disorder around me. I searched the Internet for an education program about getting your life in order and I have signed up for a reputable Australian program that I hope will get me organised and stress free! So far though, I am frustrated that the email links don’t take you to the correct pages and the downloads don’t open without a HUGE amount of stuffing around from my end. So stress levels are still up there but I am maintaining my optimism that this program will be a valuable addition to Kate: Version 2.0 J

Well it is out there now, on the Internet, that I am orchestrating a major shift in my life to create the new and improved Kate: Version 2.0 J. Talk about accountability! I look forward to sharing this journey with you and passing on any handy tips I come across in my organisation program (if I ever get the email links working!) Please feel free to share any golden nuggets of advice with me too!! I’d love to hear them J

I have to rush off. Elliott is emptying my Tupperware cupboard at a rapid pace because the door broke off it yesterday. If only I knew someone who could fix it...oh that’s right I have a flipping carpenter for a husband!!!     

Sophie's solution

Sophie had her 4 year old immunisations last week and as a result, she was feeling quite unwell. Poor little things arm swelled right up and she had some horrible fevers. Consequently, I became a bit of a softy and let her get away with a lot more than I usually would. She was allowed to watch TV during the day, eat some yummy treat food and generally indulge in whatever she felt like.

Now, I am a horrible nurse and only have a certain amount of “caring” in me...usually about 1 days worth! During the first day of sickness, Sophie repeatedly asked for hot chips, to which I patiently answered “No”. By day two, I was well and truly over this request and come lunch time, I snapped. I lectured Sophie on how chips are a special treat food and that her constant nagging for them is becoming a real problem that I simply will not tolerate. She considered what I had said for a moment, then in her sweetest little voice she replied “But Mummy, if you just buy some chippys that will solve the problem”....now why didn’t I think of that lol J   

What a day!!!

Today has been one of those days! In terms of being a Mum, it was no bother really, it was more in terms of trying to achieve everything I needed to do whilst being a Mum...

After 5 hours of sleep with a 2:30am interval (thanks Sophie), I snoozed the alarm for 40 minutes, which undoubtedly set the pace for the rest of the day. Running late for kindy, I hastily dressed and fed the kids then raced out the door. Naturally, the fuel gauge was on “E” (insert explicit language here) so a quick stop at the petrol station was in order. $75 dollars later for my 4 cylinder car resulted in a vow to be far more conservative with my driving!! Kindy run complete, I realised I had left my shopping list and USB stick at home (insert more curse words here). With the chorus of Elliott’s fussing and carrying on I collected the USB stick and a few other bits and bobs then headed to the shops. I had forgotten the list again! (insert very foul language here) Oh well, I printed the photos, did a bit of unnecessary clothes shopping to pass the time and headed home for lunch and Elliott’s nap.

Ok, take two. While Elliott was asleep, I decided I wanted a few more photos printed so planned to head to Kmart after he woke to print the photos, do the groceries then collect Soph from kindy. Things were looking up J I opted for instant prints to save time but when I went to pay for them I discovered I didn’t have my purse with me! (insert even more explicit language here). A quick check of the car turned up nothing, and an upending of the nappy bag also turned up empty, so I raced home panicking to find my purse (I had also forgotten my list again so it worked out well that I was heading home). I couldn’t find my purse anywhere in the house so I calmed myself down and looked in the car more thoroughly...it was under the bloody seat the whole time!!!!!! (insert VERY foul language here). Hurried back to pay for photos, no time for grocery shopping, so I headed straight to kindy to collect Soph.

Ok, take three. On route to the supermarket, I realised I had forgotten my sodding list AGAIN so I was shopping from memory. Normally this would not be a drama but because we are having a small lunch for Elliott’s birthday tomorrow (yes my children are the most celebrated humans on the planet!!) I needed everything I had written down. Woollies had no diced bacon, no cob loaves, no cake mix for me to cheat when making Elliott’s cake tonight and to top it off, Elliott filled his bloody nappy with the foulest smelling poo I had ever been cursed with inhaling!!!     

So as I sit here typing up today’s blog, I find myself asking “So universe, where are my freakin smiling eggs now huh???!!!” Then I recall BWS has my wine on special and suddenly, all seems right with the world again J

A little pick me up

We all have those horrible days where we just want out. No more pooey bums, no more whinging, no more preparing meals only for them not to be eaten. Some days, motherhood just blows! I have had a few...OK maybe some...alright, alright MANY days like this in my 4 short years as a mother. What I love is that there is always something wonderful that happens to make me snap out of my foul mood and appreciate what I have right in front of me.

Recently I was making a quiche in an exhausted, grumpy "over being a Mum" kind of mood. When I cracked the eggs into the bowl, they made a smiling face! What is really amazing is that this has happened on two separate occasions! Now if that is not the universe trying to send me a message to cheer up, I don't know what is?!?
 

So next time you're having a horrible day, look out for the subtle messages being thrown your way to help cheer you up J

Exclusive Giveaway!

Exclusive giveaway of my husband. 


Please consider the information below prior to expressing your interest as there is a strict no returns policy:

• Item is in used secondhand condition.
• Item not in original packaging, packaging has expanded in various locations.
• Manufacturing fault with ears as they do not always function.
• Frequent communication breakdowns resulting in a hostile home environment.
• Ignores explicit instruction and unable to process more than one request at a time.
• Vision problems particularly relating to domestic duties.
• Consumes excessive amounts of fluid, usually in the form of beer, to the detriment of functional ability.
• Any system upgrade attempts are rejected by this particular model. What you see is what you get.

Free to a good home


I am only joking of course...it does not need to be a good home.

Happy birthday Elliott

Today was Elliott’s actual birthday and we had a lovely family roast dinner to celebrate. Not just celebrating in the usual way with the focus being on Elliott, but a real celebration of me making it through the first 12 months of his life!!

There is no doubt about it, Elliott has been quite a handful. So much so that we have decided not to risk having another child just in case they are as difficult as he was! It was difficult to fall pregnant with him, it was difficult to deliver him and it was hell on Earth to breastfeed him. He spent the first 5 months on his life screaming all day and waking a minimum of 5 times a night just to scream some more. Not surprisingly, I ended up suffering from Post Natal Depression as I struggled to come to terms with the way my life had been turned upside down by Elliott’s arrival. So with this in mind, what was I to write in his card...?

Dear Elliott,

Happy birthday precious man! We love you so very much and are truly blessed to have you in our lives. You complete our family and we love you so much.

Love Mummy and Daddy.

Well I couldn’t very well say “We completed our family because of you” now could I?

Say cheese!

I have been going through our photos reflecting on Elliott’s first year and I’ve come across the most hilarious shot that I simply had to share!

After a roll around on the floor, the inevitable happened and Elliott had some dog hair on his face. Without even thinking, I attempted to blow the hair off to which he reacted by holding his breath and screwing up his face! I was in stitches of laughter at this hilarious reaction that I did what all good Mum’s do...I got the camera and did it again! Definitely another treasure for the 21^st birthday vault J

Life is precious

Today is a bit of a serious one that is going to touch all of our hearts. Very sadly, a friend had to say goodbye to her 3 year old son yesterday after he spent his life suffering from numerous known and unknown illnesses. Understandably, she is devastated as the reality sinks in that she will never hold her baby boy again, never hear his laugh or hear the words “I love you Mummy” come out of his precious little mouth. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family during this truly tragic time in their lives.

This heartache has really put life into perspective for me and got me thinking about my own children. I have realised that I need to spend less time doing things and spend much much more of my day experiencing things with Sophie and Elliott. Folding the washing can wait, vacuuming the floor can wait, all the necessary but time consuming chores can wait. I feel like I am forever telling Sophie “In a minute” or “Just after I finish this” but of course, that time never comes. I am absolutely going to change the way I operate and spend significantly more quality­ time with my kids. After all, we are never going to get this time back.       

So right now, right this very minute, stop what you are doing, get up and go spend time with your children. Hug them, tell them you love them, laugh with them and savour the moment. Life is precious xox

Patchy McGee

What an interesting day! As you can tell by my “stunning” picture above (yes that is sarcasm you detect in my voice), things did not quite go to plan...

I hosted Mother’s Group at my house today to celebrate Elliott’s first birthday, and after a couple of friends had arrived we began blowing up balloons for the kids to play with. I must have blown up at least 10, some covered in spit and god knows what else from Sophie’s attempts, when all of the sudden BANG!!!!!!! A balloon burst in my face while I was blowing it up!!!! It was extremely painful as some of the high speed rubber impacted with my right eye, but because I hate being fussed over when sick or injured, I put on a brave face. After a short while though, I realised I needed help so my friend Hannah patched my eye and provided me with some much needed relief. The day went on with my patch being the butt of many hilarious jokes, but after continuously losing Elliott despite his presence right beside me, and treading on the poor child so many times I lost count, the patch had to come off!

It still hurts now but the good news is I can see! In fact, my vision is so good that I can see into the future...I will never blow up another balloon without a handheld pump!    

Keeping it fresh

We know our children are little sponges, constantly absorbing information from their environment. Sometimes, however, when dealing with children, little things can get lost in translation...

Elliott recently had awful nappy rash that was very stubborn in clearing up. I resorted to plenty of nappy free time, despite the consequences of his personal sprinkler system reigning free (I am so grateful for my tiled floor at times!) Anyway, Sophie inevitably questioned why Elliott was not wearing a nappy, to which I explained he needed “free air time” to keep his bottom fresh and clear up the nappy rash. That was the end of that, or so I thought.

Days later, Sophie was helping me with the dishes but raced off to go to the toilet. Upon her return, I saw that she was wearing only a shirt. Before I could ask where her pants were, she raised her hand to stop me, declaring “I need to keep my fanny fresh”! Needless to say, through fits of laughter, Sophie and I had a little chat to clear up the confusion.

Leaving Comments

Hello again everyone. I am still fighting with this silly system to allow comments to be posted so please keep trying and hopefully I will hear from you soon! xox

Running on Empty

I was recently talking with a fellow mother of two who was feeling totally defeated by motherhood. The signs were clear: snapping at the kids, constant sighing, lack of interest or enthusiasm for anything going on around her, black circles under her eyes and an absent smile. She was exhausted. The supplies in her love jug had been totally depleted and were not being topped up at all...she was running on empty! It got me thinking about some strategies that can be implemented TODAY to starting topping up our own love jugs to ensure we don’t run out... 

1. Take a nap: If your children are old enough, lock up the house, pop on a DVD and sneak away for a 15 minute power nap. Set your alarm for 25 minutes time as this will allow you the opportunity to settle down, fall asleep and get the much needed 15 minutes of napping time. If you are in the baby phase SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS!!!!! A golden nugget of advice that most new mums (including me at the time) ignore.
2. Get on the floor and have a wrestle with the kids. They will laugh, you will laugh and it will release those feel good hormones to help you get through your day.
3. Get outside! As well as the benefits of outdoor play for your children (more on that later), getting outside for a walk, a swim or to kick the footy will do wonders for your mood.
4. Don’t cook tea: We all work hard to ensure our children have healthy options at every meal but do you know what? It wont kill you, or the kids, if you get takeaway once in a while. If you don’t feel like cooking, treat the family to fish and chips and enjoy the break. A real trick to this break is to leave the kids with Dad while you sneak away and enjoy the solitude of buying dinner.
5. Have a hot bath, with a glass of wine and a trashy magazine. Make sure you lock the door! The best time to do this is of course after the kids are in bed because even when Dad is on duty, the kids will still be looking for you and you will be relaxing to the chorus of “knock knock knock, Muuuuuum”.

Most importantly, DO NOT feel guilty for taking this time for yourself. You actually NEED to engage in some self care to be the best Mum you can be. Even if the improvement in your mood and energy is only slight, it is still an improvement and will benefit you and your family.  

I would love to hear from any of you who have some more ideas on how we can dabble in a little self care to top up our love jugs today J