Thursday 30 June 2011

The Zoo!

Today's Highlight:
- Visiting and having a great time at the Zoo!

We finally ventured out the our beloved Zoo this morning after a 3-4 month hiatus... I'm sure most of the people and animals probably thought "Well well well... Look what the cat cheetah dragged in..." considering we used to go at least once a week for about 4-5 months!  That was until I couldn't walk with the pregnancy anymore and then I wasn't pregnant but had a newborn!

It was quite the mission getting there and set up though - I have managed to avoid getting the buggy out with 3 girls in tow but this wasn't a possibility today.  You think one kid takes long, until you have two.  Then you think getting them sorted takes long...Until you have three...  It often feels like I'm herding cats!

We loved every minute of it and with the girls aunt and coussie along for the outing it made for a great morning.  With lovely sunshine too!  I'm rather shocked at just how much even I missed going!  Or maybe I just missed seeing how much the girls love it there…  And it was Liezel's first visit to the Zoo which I'm sure she'll remember :P

On a different note:
-         I have been blogging for a week!
-         Anya only took 10 minutes to eat her Wheetbix this morning

Goals for July:
Book: A Mother’s Heart as seen here
Project: To make a new highchair seat cover

Sleep tight
x





Wednesday 29 June 2011

Battlelines

No that does not sound like a "happy" and "all is well with the world" type of title... However, it is one that actually represents optimism!

Yesterday Anya decided to dig her toes in on breakfast...She doesn't particularly like Wheetbix but we are pretty firm on "you eat what you are given, unless we've actually given you a choice"...  And the girls have been having WB forever so really it wasn't like she was being forced to eat anything new and unusual.  Our other rule is "you don't get up from the table until you've finished your meal"...

I'm sure you can see where we're going with this...

So my angelic Anya decided yesterday she was not going to eat her WB.  She had the raisins on top (we were out of bananas and one really does need to spruce it up and heated milk so it goes nice and soft and porridge-like...seriously... short of putting sugar on top you aint going to get better tasting WB), and then stirred and slopped it around.  For 6 Hours...

Mummy was not going to give in either so there she sat.  Ignored for most part, given warnings the odd time before then licking the spoon, trying to dictate Heidi's playing from her perch and eventually, eventually we got the food down the hatch (reheated several times cause that must have been freeking awful after a while) and could get down from the dining table...  Thank heaven having children has made me considerably more patient than I used to be...

This leads us then to - Today's Highlight:
- Anya only took 2 Hours to finish her Wheetbix this morning!

I am hopeful that tomorrow we can reduce this to her usual time of 10 minutes or so... otherwise anything short of 120 minutes will be a bonus...

Sometimes it's quite hard having these little skirmishes with my kids... It seems ridiculous that I have to have a battle of wills with my 3.5 year old over breakfast.  On one hand I am determined to try to raise her to have good manners and be well adjusted for the big wide world and have an idea of how to behave appropriately.  On the other hand I try to give her as much freedom as I can to LIVE and explore and learn things by herself.  When I don't ask for much at all, it's not much to expect surely. It's about balance right?

Anyhoo - I've decided on my next project and I'm waiting on my book for July.  I have a whole bookshelf full of unread books but with my new goal I will eventually get to them all!  Details tomorrow!

Sleep tight
x

PS:  After seeing Becs' bird mobile it reminded me of this.  Totally. Awesome. Enjoy : )

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Tick!

Yay!  I'm done!

Today's Highlight:
- I've completed my first project!  The wipeable play/mess mat is now complete! It was a bit of a mission working with that freeking plastic though and my ideas of making a couple more as gifts have definitely faded somewhat...  Who knows though... I'm the kind of crazy ocd driven sucker who generally cant help but go back for more!  I'm sure some dark corner of my brain has the sole purpose of continually convincing me that I can do better and that I must conquer any troubles I've faced on previous occasions...  I think the short of it is - we'll see what happens!



































Bring on the next one!
I have a few ideas written down so will decide on one in the next day or two and get cracking.  Watch this space. :)

Sleep tight
x


Monday 27 June 2011

Sun & Rain

Jeepers it was cold this morning! But gorgeous...that is of course until it rained again! Which I don't mind at all really, especially when the house is warm and cosy and the kids are happy! And they are happy, though a bit sick at the moment :(

I never fail to be amazed by my children and their ability to keep going even when very unwell. Sure they get a tiny bit "sensitive" but overall remain happy and completely unfazed during a sick spell - mind over matter? Or is it just that they haven't learned yet that this is the one time things can be all about them? Long may it last whichever the case!

Today's Highlights:
- Liezel cooing, smiling and chatting with me instead of eating...She really needs to eat, but it's impossible not to forget about the food and joining in on the conversation. Love.













Sleep tight
x

Sunday 26 June 2011

Mission Statement!

And so another weekend ends... just like that... (insert sigh here...)

Down to business:  There are a few reasons I have decided to start this blog.  I have read so many positive, inspiring and uplifting blog entries over the last few weeks and months and it has encouraged me to create my own "happy cyber-place".

Events over recent months and other ongoing issues spanning years now have often gotten the better of me... consequently leaving me with a flood of negative emotions, depressed and extremely sad.  I could go on and on about how tragically sad, unfair and hurtful life and people can be but herein lies the reason for me writing this right now.  I decided a few months ago that if I always react and think how I always have, the results will always be the same... so time for a change.  I decided I needed to see only the good in everyone and their actions, and stop seeing any of the other detail that can change the picture - always give people the benefit of the doubt.   I read something in this linky here the other day that pushed me to turn my thoughts and intentions into more concrete actions:  What I think about, I begin to say. What I begin to say, I begin to do. What I begin to do, I become.


So here we are.  This blog will be my "sponsor".  


- I will find at least ONE highlight for every day.  This is generally not very hard as my girls are 3 beaming lights in my life.  However, what I've already found is that by looking for a highlight, every little moment shines even more and therefore the whole day becomes brighter!
- I am going start getting back to doing more of what I love - reading, sewing, crafts, etc etc.  These are happy activities for me which I have not devoted much time to in the last few years.  So, each month I will read at least one book and complete at least one crafty project that I will outline at the beginning of the month.


Each night I will "check in" with my "sponsor" and "report back" on the day and progress. I Think, therefore I Do and therefore I AM. 


So Blogland - there you have it.  This is what you can expect of me in the days, weeks and months to come.  I am now officially committed!  


And following on from that - here is today's update!


Today's highlights:
- Having just bathed Liezel (2 months old), Hubby sais: She is just Delicious, isn't she?
- I've started and am not far from completing my first project!  Inspiration came from Dee over here.  I found this on Tuesday, mere days before formulating this blog plan, and a day after Heidi's 2nd Birthday...















At her Birthday celebration and on previous occasions it was once again impossible to keep the cake crumbs contained on the tinsy winsy plastic mat we have and use every time... in vain.  Lo and behold, the next day I stumble upon A Solution! Eureka!  Today I had a few moments to cut and sew the quilt part, so it's all downhill (hopefully!) from here!

And because I can, I have a Highlight of the week:
- Heidi's 2nd Birthday.  My adorable little firecracker had an awesome Sunday with her grandparents going on a tram and the ferry!  And then had her favourite Tu-tu-toucan on her birthday cake on Monday with lots of pressies and people!









































It took a few hours but I got it done!  From Heidi's favourite song - see it here.
And the ridiculously small mat:

Hope you all had a great weekend!
Sleep tight
x

Saturday 25 June 2011

Almost...

Ok... so I haven't had the time to write down my mission statement for this Blog today...I will do tomorrow!

Today's Highlights:
- Has to be Heidi again... Heaven help me she is so so cute!  And it seemed every second person we encountered on our "shopping trip with Mummy" today thought and said so too!

- Went to Spotlight and got some initial supplies for some projects I am going to start soon which all form part of  the reason for this blog and will be outlined in my Mission Statement!  Things have been put into motion!

Right, time to go bath and feed the household before an evening of board-gaming with my B&SIL...  I LOVE Boardgames... but I'll save the details on the big wide world of board-gaming for another night!

Have a great Saturday night!
Sleep tight
x

Friday 24 June 2011

It's Friday, Friday

Today's Highlights:
- On our way back to the car from dropping Anya off at kindy in the rain, Heidi stops in her tracks and turns her face up to the sky - the sheer delight as she enjoyed the feeling of the drops on her face was priceless (even if we were all getting wetter!) .

- Hubby's reaction on finding and then devouring the French Onion Soup (thanks Julia Child!) that I'd cooked for him today.  He has been drooling over the recipe and wanting to make it for months - and there it was and apparently it tasted good too!

I aim to be back tomorrow with my mission statement for this Blog - my mind is still quietly working out a few kinks but soon I will have a resolution!

Sleep tight
x

Loving my girls and loving Paisley Jade's "Things I'm Loving"  (Thanks Dee : ) )

Heidi -2, Liezel - 2 months, Anya -3

Thursday 23 June 2011

I'm Doing It!

Well...
Here goes nothing!!
I've decided to take the leap into the world of Blogging...  this decision comes about an hour after my bedtime after reading so many inspiring blog entries by other people instead of getting the sleep I so desperately need!

So I shall add my 5cents to the blogging community... but I'll save that and introductions for tomorrow me thinks!

Sleep tight
x