Spread the love

I am feeling really grateful for my beautiful family today. Not just my hubby and kids, but my whole family. Last night, I had my Mum and her best friend, my younger brother and his wife and my older brother and his girlfriend over for dinner. I connected with Spirit to give messages to everyone and it was just phenomenal. Never before have I had so many loved ones from spirit come through and needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (but if you ask the boys it was just dust tingling their eyes, not tears J). So not only was I blessed to be with my family in the physical sense but we all had family from “the other side” with us too. SOOOOO special!

What this experience has got me thinking about is that I need to let people in my life know that they matter. I want to let my family and friends know how much I love and appreciate them and I’m not going to delay it. All too often we find it a challenge to just pick up the phone and contact someone to tell them we love them and care for them…mostly because they will likely think we’ve gone nuts! It is quite sad when you think about it that as a society on a whole, openly telling someone you love them and appreciate them doesn’t come easily. So why not break this “norm”? Why not go out on a limb and let loved ones know what you feel in your heart? I know I am going too, right now, today. I am going to write a heartfelt letter to my Mother-in-Law to let her know how appreciated she is. With four sons, open affection and appreciation is not something she gets a lot of, so I am more than happy to fill that gap for her J

So go ahead, cease the moment and spend some time this weekend making phone calls, writing letters or even sending emails and texts to let people in your life know that they matter. It will warm their heart…and yours xox

It starts...

Well yesterday was just gorgeous. Things didn’t go to plan of course, they never do with kids in tow, but overall it was a lovely day. The highlight was definitely going to collect Sophie’s school enrolment papers for next year because she was just so chuffed with it all…

Driving to the school, Sophie excitedly asked if every large building was “her school”. When we did pull up out the front, she was chomping at the bit to get out of the car. Once I got Elliott out too, dancing on the spot, Sophie points to the gate and says “That’s the gate where we get into my school Mum. Come on, let’s go let’s go!” On the very short walk from the car to the school office, Sophie’s mind was going a million miles a minute…and so was her mouth. “Mum, can I meet my teachers? When I see my teachers, I am going to tell them how I went to swimming lessons this morning and show them my ouchy on my knee”. I then explained to Sophie that we were only collecting some papers from the office but she wasn’t having a bar of it. “Mum, what are my teachers names? Oh look Mum! School kids! Can I go and talk to them?” Then as we crossed the threshold to the office, I again informed Soph that we wouldn’t get to meet her teachers today and that we were just collecting some paperwork. “Ok, Mum” she responded and then went on to marvel at all the delights in the administration building…the trophy cabinet, the desk ornament, the comfy chairs that she sank into as she sat down and most amusingly, every adult she saw prompted her to ask “Is that my teacher”. It was just soooo cute!

Enrolment papers in hand, we headed back out the door and saw a group of school children having their lunch. “Oh look Mum, my school friends. I should go over and tell them I’m coming next year. Is it after Easter that I’m coming? Why did that lady say that I am coming after Easter? I will have to show them my sore knee. Can I talk to them Mum?” Before I could answer her, she spotted the supervising teacher and nearly jumped out of her skin. “Look, Mummy, look. There’s my teacher!!!! Can I talk to her now?” It was so precious J

We made it back to the car with me still trying to explain to Sophie that she won’t be going to the school until next year. I was driving along thinking to myself that I hope her enthusiasm is something that will remain for a good chunk of her academic life…hopefully all of it! She is genuinely excited about school and I think she will thrive there with the socialising and new learning opportunities. Then Sophie pipes up, out of nowhere, “I don’t want to wear my school uniform because it makes my skin itchy”. Oh Sophie! I tried explaining that a school uniform is like all her other clothes and that she will be fine. She continued to insist that she will not wear it because it will make her itch, to which I simply replied “Sophie, we’ll worry about this next year”. Good grief, we are just shy of 12 months away from starting school and the battles are already brewing! Sigh, oh well, as I said, I will worry about that next year by which time she will probably have forgotten her nonsense notion that the uniform will make her itch J   

Embrace the day

I woke up at 3:45am so it is going to be a long day. Surprisingly though, I am actually really looking forward to it with lots of fun things planned to do with the kids. Of course it didn’t start out all sunshine and rainbows…

I got home from the gym and said to Mat that I’ve set myself a goal. If I exercise every day for the rest of this month, I am going to reward myself with a manicure. His response was underwhelming to say the least and I went on to explain that it doesn’t mean I will go to the gym every day, but also do pilates at home. He then expressed his view that pilates isn’t exercise, it’s just stretching and according to him it doesn’t count. What the?!? The king of sedentary is telling me what warrants exercise? I challenged him to a pilates off on Saturday morning, explaining that it is hardcore exercise and he’ll be begging to just lay down and stretch…he declined my offer. I am not giving up that easily though and I will hassle him for the rest of the week until he agrees to the challenge.

Then there was this mornings play with the kids. I swear, if I have to spend any more of my time today playing freakin “weddings” with Sophie, I am going to scream. I don’t want to play weddings! Nor do I want to play Kindy, Mummy’s and children or cooking shows…go and entertain yourself for once dear child!!!!!!!!!!!

So these two minor events really got my knickers in a twist, presumably because I am tired (it is amazing how a lack of sleep can affect absolutely everything!) With the awareness to admit to myself that these were indeed minor and insignificant events, I consciously shifted my mood from frustrated with the world to “embrace the day”. Today we have swimming lessons followed by a quick trip to pick up some school enrolment papers for Sophie (eek!), we’ll then have a walk in the bush with the dog and then bath the wet, smelly dog. The washing will be finished off, fresh playdough will be made and then it will be nap time…for all of us I hope! Sometimes I feel guilty if I take a nap or watch TV while the kids nap, but then I remember how damn hard I work every day in my role as Mum. My advice to all you hard working yummy mummies out there…nap whenever you can and do away with the guilt!! xox     

You crack me up!

I have to make today’s blog a quick one because I am on a roll with getting through my “To Do” list for the day. As I sit here and type, Elliott is entertaining himself quite well wearing cookie cutters as bracelets and a headband as sunglasses while trotting around with one of Sophie’s dress up high heels on…don’t tell Mat J So with this brief moment of Elliott free time, I have snapped up the chance to jump on the computer and blog away. Today I want to share with you some more of the really random and funny things my gorgeous little Sophie says:

I bought Sophie some chopsticks in an attempt to make eating sushi novel for her. When we got home, bags of shopping in hand, she pipes up “Mum, where are my floor pickers?”

Sophie came into the bathroom to have a chat with me while I was plucking my eyebrows. She then asks, with the most puzzled look on her face, “Mum, why are you putting tweezers on your bry owls?”

Understandably, Soph loves grooving out to ABBA. But as far as she is concerned, the lyrics for Waterloo are not ‘Couldn’t escape if I wanted to’…apparently they sing “For goodness sakes I wanted to”.

Sophie asked me one day “Mum, what are we having for dinner”. “I’m not sure” I answered, “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet”. Sophie then responds with “Good, then I can change your mind. Let’s have chippy’s instead”.

One of the kids new favourite games has to be taking clothes off the coat hangers in my wardrobe and playing dress ups with them. Sophie left one of the coat hangers on my bed and when Mat and I were having a wrestle with the kids last night, I rolled over and landed on it. I pulled it out from under my back while saying “What’s this?” Sophie then took the coat hanger from my hand and informed me, quite sternly and as though I was stupid “Mum, it’s a hone caner”. Hmmm, I find them more useful for hanging coats rather than caning honers but each to their own J  

Finally, Sophie was very excited last week to tell us that she had grown taller. We measured her height on the wall and made a big fuss about how grown up she is getting. While we were having breakfast, she told me that she is getting so big that she will be a grown up soon. Sophie then excitedly went on to tell me what will be different for her when she is a grown up:

• “I can go near the stove!”
• “I can buy a house”
• “I can drive a car”
• “Bath the kids and wash the dogs. Five dogs, I’ve got five dogs when I’m a grown up”
• “I can have a deep, deep, deep bath!”
• “I can go to work. Work at home actually. I’m going to be a Mummy and have five babies. I will breastfeed from my boobies because that’s what grownups do”
• “My kids names are going to be Ryan, Casurina, Trustine, Silly Okey, Addie Eedie and Super Grover”. At this point, I was laughing too hard to point out that it appears she’ll have six children rather than five. Absolutely hilarious J  

Motivational Monday #4

Happy Monday J With all this rain around I am sure many of you are struggling to get motivated for the day ahead…I know I would have preferred to stay in bed and given half the chance, I would be back there right now! But, duty calls so in today’s Motivational Monday piece I thought we might touch on ways to harness and promote motivation.

Ask yourself “Why?” Why are you doing this particularly dull task? Focusing on how unbearably boring it is wont make you get through it any easier, but if you reflect on why it is important, it may just raise the energy stakes a few notches (eg – working on a Sunday (bluck!) at double pay rate (yay!) to save up for an overseas holiday (double yay!!)) Focusing on the positive elements will enhance your enjoyment and consequently your motivation for the task at hand.

Fake it ‘till you feel it. I like this one because it is a little trick we can play on our minds that works unbelievably well. If you feel unmotivated, jump around, mover your body and get excited as though you genuinely are motivated. Hopefully the momentum will start to help the positive energy flow from there.

Apply the 10 minute rule. If there is a task that you are dreading the thought of starting, just give it a go for 10 minutes. You will often find that once you’ve started it, you’ll be questioning yourself as to why you were so hesitant in the first place (I use this rule with the gym all the time…getting there is the hardest part). If after 10 minutes you are still not into it, set the task aside and give it another go later.

Break it down. Sometimes starting a huge task, like writing a book for example, is difficult because we focus on how remarkably huge the task is. Instead, what we should be doing in an effort to motivate ourselves, is breaking things down into smaller, simpler and more manageable sized tasks. This helps because when you know something is achievable, you are more likely to get on with it and get it done. Success builds on success so once you have accomplished one of the smaller tasks, the next won’t seem so difficult and before you know it, the huge task is done!

The power of positive thinking. This is undoubtedly the most important element of motivation because as you think then so it is. If you spend all your time telling yourself how rubbish you are at a particular task or that you are never going to reach your goals, then of course you wont. But, if you let go of negative thinking and focus on positive self-talk, a whole world of opportunity will be available to you. The power of positive thinking is something I am very passionate about so perhaps next Monday I will dedicate a whole blog entry to this topic…stay tuned J  

Well I hope you can draw on at least one of these motivational tips to get you through the day. Even better, I hope that these tips have inspired you to tackle many areas of your life that you need a little more motivation in. Good luck xox

Friday freedom

Happy Friday J Most Friday’s are happy but today has an extra sprinkling of happiness on it with a plump, ripe cherry on top…the kids are going away with their Grandparents and Aunty Cassie for two nights!!!!!!! Two nights without the kids!!!!!!!!!!!! I love my children to pieces but having a break from them helps me appreciate and love them even more J

So the plan is that after the kids head off at about lunch time, Mat and I are going to catch a day time movie! I honestly can’t remember the last time we went to the movies together let alone during the day. It is such a special occasion that we might even buy some ridiculously overpriced popcorn and coke then canoodle in the back row…reliving our dating days J Then after that, Mat and I will pretty well go our separate ways for the weekend; he is going to clean out his shed, play with his car and mow the lawn. I am going to clean the house (and it will stay that way the whole time the kids are away!!) then do some goal setting, complete my organisational course (or start it, whichever way you want to look at it) and soak my feet. It is going to be awesome!!!!!!! I have also asked Mat if he can organise Saturday night dinner because for once, I don’t want to be responsible for planning, preparing or cleaning up after a meal in this household. I have been very specific in saying that I do not want take away rubbish food because I actually want a meal cooked for me with love…here’s hoping! I also have a chilled bottle of wine in the fridge and some delicious cheese calling my name so I am pretty well set for the weekend. Woot woot! J

I know the day will come that I will be begging my kids to spend time with me but today, I am more than happy to have the break from them. It is exhausting work being at the beck and call of two little humans who are incapable of doing most things for themselves. As well as that, I am looking forward to the break from being climbed on, jumped on, wrestling with, lifting and hauling the kids around…my body is physically worn out from those daily treats. Most of all, I am looking forward to being able to choose when I want to do something and thinking only of myself. Bring on the R&R J

Have a lovely weekend guys and I hope you all have something planned to look forward too xox  

New Mum

One of my gorgeous friends (and an avid blog follower), Cathee, has given birth to her first child just over a week ago. So special! She had a little girl called Abbie and she is absolutely adorable!!! A new baby is just so precious, especially your first because you have no idea what you are in for and can sincerely enjoy the moment. It has me thinking about things that go on in my life now that I am a Mum…things that never crossed my mind BC (before children)…

Firstly, I am rarely able to go to the toilet without an audience. Our ensuite isn’t huge so it gets a little crowded with me on the loo, Sophie and Elliott coming in and then the dog! Now, audience participation has become the norm with Elliott climbing on my lap and Sophie questioning what I am doing on the toilet. She is then full of helpful advice saying “Use your muscles, Mum, to push your poos out”. Very helpful. I miss being able to sit on the toilet alone and in peace.

Speaking of poo, after becoming a Mum, poo is really no big deal anymore. On a daily basis you are presented with (and sometimes get covered in) bodily excrements. Poo, wee, vomit, snot…it is just delightful. Little humans produce remarkable amounts of said fluids and you will often find yourself asking “How does so much come out of such a little body?!?!?”

Also, I have significantly shifted my idea of what warrants a clean and presentable outfit to wear in public. BC, it had to be clean, un-crinkled and basically perfect. Now, thanks to abovementioned body fluids from the kids, three stains are my limit. If the shirt doesn’t smell and has less than three obvious marks on it, then it’s fine to wear out for the day. Besides, once you have been in public and had your breasts leak milk all over your shirt, had bubs nappy leak runny poo all over your dress or been vomited on all down your back, your care factor slides…way, way down. You also become very tactical at holding your baby, nappy bag or pram in such a way that hides the really bad stains from the rest of the world (except the leaking breasts…that one is there for the world to see!)

Finally, and most importantly, the biggest thing that goes on in my life now that never existed BC is an overwhelming sense of love. It is incomprehensible how much you can love a child until you have your own. The amazing change that happens in your heart when you fall in love with your child is unique and there is nothing that it can be compared too. Your children are always in your heart and always in your thoughts…they really do become your world when you become a Mum J