#22 Pants down Eagle Rock

Your father will explain this one to you. Apparently it's something all boys need to know.....?

And this is how it's done...

People always ask me how I manage to feed the boys at the same time. Well, this is it in action!

#21 Vote!

You are very fortunate to live in in a country with a democratic system of government. Voting is not a chore, and unfortunately, for many people around the world, it's also not a right. It's a privilege. Honour it. Use your voice. You're lucky you have one.

5 months

Hamish, my darling baby

You're 5 months old today. Already. I can't believe it.

More firsts this month! Your first swim! Your first family holiday!

Your personality is really really showing now, and I adore it. You are a beautiful, gentle, shy, and kind little boy. When Lach is crying, you coo at him and stroke his arm. You smile all the time, at anyone who takes the time to look into your eyes. But especially at your "peeps". You love your Mama, your Daddy, and Lachie. Your smile lights up my heart. It is truly beautiful.
You are now 6.3 kgs! Always growing. Sometimes I want to press 'pause' just so that I can keep my darling little baby for just a second longer.
All the love in the universe,
Your Mama

*****

Darling Lachlan, my tiny one

Ah, you are a character. You make me laugh and laugh. Your smile brightens up my day, and melts my heart. The way you smile at me when I am the first thing you see in the morning is something I can't even describe with words. It's a heart thing. It gets into my heart.
You are such a happy enthusiastic little person. And your zest is infectious. Everyone who is around you ends up laughing at your antics. You don't do anything by halves. And now that you're rolling, you are even more active. You think rolling is the absolute best thing ever. You flip yourself around and then look expectantly at anyone near you - awaiting your applause.
You're 5.85kgs now ! Such a big boy.
I love you darling one
Your Mama

#20 Don't judge people by the mistakes they make

because no-one is perfect. Expecting people to never disappoint you will only cause you to feel constantly disappointed. Look for the spirit in which they apologise, and how they learn from their mistakes. That's where someone's true character lies.

Dear Mama

when do we get hair and eyebrows ??

Dream chasing

Where did January go? I forgot to get organised. But it's more important than ever that I do. I have 7 months of maternity leave left. In another lifetime that would have sounded like forever, but in this one, I know it will pass in the blink of an eye.

The thing is, I do.not.want.to.go.back.to.work. As in, back to the office, all day. But I need to earn money. Unfortunately I am not independently wealthy (bugger it), and while we're doing just fine right now, the maternity pay will run out, and things will be tougher.

So, I need a plan. And as someone who in a former life makes money from strategic planning, I ought to be able to do this, right? Somehow it's always more difficult when it's your own life. And, when - like me - you're slightly risk averse.

I have some options. I could try to get some freelance consulting work. I could very easily help small businesses to get their marketing strategies off the ground. I could work with them on business planning. I could do some press releases, write some marketing pieces, that kind of thing. But where do the clients come from? I don't have the time at the moment to really get out there and pound the pavement for work.

What do I really want to do? I'd love to make a real go of it with millinery. At the moment I do no marketing or advertising or other 'salesy' stuff, and I still manage to get orders almost weekly. I'd love to do it properly. After all, the racing carnivals happen every spring and winter, and women get married every week.

To do it properly, I'd need a stack of supplies, a steamer, a website, tags, labels, packaging, product photography, some cash for a bit of advertising / promotion, and - this is the main thing - some guts to get out there and get some stockists. Oh, and a loan. Not much. I could probably get everything I need for about $5K, and most of that would go on a website (oh, how I wish I had skills in that area).

Can I afford to take the risk? Can I really borrow cash to do something that feels a bit self-indulgent? What happens if it doesn't work out and then I've wasted time and still owe someone somewhere money.

But what if I don't? I'd hate to have that kind of regret. I want to be a good role model to my boys. I want them to be surrounded by strong women who are brave enough to chase their dreams and create some financial independence. And of course, working at home would give me the flexibility I need to raise my boys the way I want to.

So *gulp* February is decision time. It's now or never. Am I just chasing rainbows, or can I really do this?

Wish me luck.

Bedroom madness

I have fallen in love with this bedding - totally head over heels. Want it. Want it. Want it. [Not for me, obviously]





I can see my little boys in this room, with this scheme, and these planes.

So, why not just buy it?

Weeeelll, for a start, they're not quite in big beds just yet. But I can deal with that. I can put it away until they are! Or I can double it over until then.

Secondly, it's from Pottery Barn Kids, who don't ship internationally (what is it with American stores that won't ship out here?). Again, I have this one covered as I have a lovely friend in NYC who is ready willing and able to take delivery and then post it all on to me.

And finally - this is the big one - it will cost over $750, and that's without getting it to Australia. Yep. More than $750. Kapow.

It's too expensive isn't it. Is it? I can't justify it. Can I?

I have been telling myself (and T) that I'm going to just make it myself instead. But I already know that tracking down the fabric, cutting it all out, sewing, quilting (even on the machine), applique, etc will take ridiculous hours that I just don't have with two adorable little munchkins (who don't like to sleep during the day) on my hands.

Hmmm, I'm left with a dilemma. Not a great intro to Frugal February!!

And we have a roller

Little Lach has been rolling from tummy to back for just over a week now. In the days leading up to the First Big Roll (20.01.10), he was trying so hard. He would turn bright red with effort, he'd make "nya" noises and huge grunts and groans, and get so frustrated that he wasn't getting anywhere. You should have seen the look on his face when he eventually made it over. So satisfied. Now, just about every time I put him on his tummy, he's off! Except when I have the camera or videocamera of course....

#19 Be confident, which is not the same thing as being arrogant

oh, hello 45 minute intruder

nice to meet you. Or not. Where did you come from? I wasn't expecting you.

You've created a teeny bit of chaos in my lovely home. I think you're probably the boys' newest best friend though. After all, now they get to be awake nearly all day - yep, that's right. All day. Playing, giggling, being cute... then getting more and more tired and grumpy. But no, you won't let them sleep will you? 45 mins, right on the knocker. And they're up! Yep, both of them. At the same time.

So, dearest 45 minute intruder, you've made your presence known. We noticed you. Job done. Please leave now.

#18 Put your apostrophes in the right place

Apostrophes are ridiculously misused. Don't be frightened of them. They're simple.

1. Apostrophes show ownership:

• Owned by one person - Dad's car - the apostrophe comes before the 's'
• Owned by more than one person - the boys' boat - the apostrophe comes after the 's'

2. Apostrophes indicate an abbreviation:

• Have not becomes haven't
• Is not becomes isn't
• Should not becomes shouldn't
• etc

3. Its and it's kind of break the rule:

• It's is short for 'it is' (it's a hot day)
• Its shows ownership (the dog chased its tail)

4. Apostrophes are not used whenever you see an 's'. An 's' simply makes something plural. It doesn't indicate ownership or an abbreviation. You'll see apostrophes used like this (below) all the time. They're wrong.

• Photo's
• Hat's
• Tomato's
• Boat's

#17 Do others the courtesy of listening

Don't interrupt. Let them finish. And don't come straight in with a 'bigger better' version of your own. Be respectful of people's stories - they're what makes up others' lives.

#16 A real pizza only has three toppings,

a thin crust, and real mozzarella. I'm going to teach you how to make them.

#15 Don't stop doing stuff just because you're not the best at it

You don't have to be the best at everything. In fact, you don't have to be the best at anything! Do stuff because it's fun: not just because you can win.

Wedding anniversary

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary, and I'm feeling the love. Thought I should share some :)

If you're reading darling T, Happy Anniversary. I adore you. You always make me smile. You're a wonderful husband, and you're a brilliant dad. You make me laugh, I love how much fun we have, and I just love you. Simple as that.

xx

4 months!

Darling Hamish

Happy 4th month birthday, you darling little boy. You have grown so much. Right now, you are 5.83kg, and 60cm long.

You totally love pureed pears, and get so excited when you see the spoon coming. You smile at me every morning when I come in to get you up, and you shyly smile at visitors, who melt when they see you. You love cuddles, and you have the most wonderful giggle. Your eyes sparkle when a smile is coming on. Your purple musical elephant - Ollie - is your favourite toy, and you love looking in the mirror. You love your dad so so much, and he adores you right back.

You don't cry or shout. You are a quiet, cuddly, shy, darling little boy who is always warm and snuggly. Holding you close is one of the best things I have ever experienced in my entire life.

I love you so so much

Your Mama

Beautiful Lachlan

Happy 4th month birthday! What a big boy you have become. You've come a long way littlest one - from 1.23kg to 5.23kg. You were so so tiny when you were born, but you'd never know it now: you're a picture of health.

You're a brilliant sleeper - you stopped waking for your middle of the night feed at about 8 weeks, and then started sleeping all the way through from 10pm to 7am from about 10 weeks. Lots of our friends with babies are very jealous!

You have such a sparky personality. You laugh, smile, giggle and shout out at people and things all day long. You're intoxicatingly happy. You get super excited and your whole body joins in - arms, legs, head: it's all moving all the time. You're an excellent head-holder-up-erer - and you love to stand. In fact, you love being upright so much, that a lot of the time you refuse to bend at all. Makes it a little hard to get you into your beloved bumbo and swing, but it makes for giggles all round. You get really excited when you see your dad, and you go into full body movement overdrive. It's one of the most adorable things I've ever seen.

I love you so so much sparky

Your Mama






Image from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT0AHqbcf9QQPG_zRFcPi94vGsSrbxhuhyVQUhoOBTJXUSUeSwt74SZlT3CMdZi97vul2HjVfUdpLgsqU4WOlnlrmSffUC3pB75cjaskl3F4QGilM8crMFtACNLzaG-jvI44mhuszrUs/s400/balloons-sky-green-random-1.jpg

One room at a time

I really love my house, and there really is no need to do anything structural to it.

Eventually, we might convert the double garage to create more living space downstairs, and build a carport out the front instead. We may widen the back verandah, and possibly reconfigure the kitchen a little, but all of that is way way way in the future.

What my lovely lovely home does need though are the finishing touches. An injection of us. Something to move it from nice to meaningful.

So, my big project for this year is to finish the house:

And because I'm the kind of person who needs a plan, some visual motivation, and someone to crack the whip, I am going to photograph each room, write a game-plan, then post the finished results. I'm giving myself the whole year - for a few reasons. I don't have an unlimited budget, so need to be creative and thoughtful. I want to do it myself. And I want to take the time to seek out special things.

There, I've said it. Now I have no excuse. Hold me to it people!

A letter to my boys on their first Christmas

Darling boys

This is your first Christmas, our first as a family, and the first of many to come.

Christmas is such a special time of year. It's a time when the world feels magical. The streets fill with sparkling lights. Beautiful old carols can be heard in the air. People smile more. Hug more. Love more.

It's about love, and family, and togetherness. It's about counting your blessings. And it's about charity. Doing something to help others to feel the spirit of Christmas too.

Merry Christmas darling ones. May you always find the magic at this time of year. As you grow older, you'll soon realise that the true joy is in making others smile.

We love you so incredibly much

Your Mama and Daddy

Wow, what a week

I have had the best ever Christmas week. We cooked up a festive feast and had all the family to our house on Christmas Day. The boys were the star attraction of course. We have realised our parents don't visit on our account anymore :)

The food was fab, the rain held off, it was hot enough to swim, but not get burnt, and there was much much laughter and joy. Christmas with your own babies is just the most amazing thing. Even though they had absolutely no idea what was going on, it just felt so so special.

I've been doing some creative things with left-over ham, and so far have managed a ham and potato frittata, chicken and leek pie (with ham instead of bacon), many ham sandwiches, eggs benedict, fried rice, and have a ham souffle and spanish ham and eggs up my sleeve.

We hosted a fun dinner party for NYE, and I cooked a four course Thai menu. Fish cakes, red beef curry, whole steamed snapper, and sorbet with lime and vodka sugar syrup. All from scratch, and it was delicious. Some yummy champers, some kitschy party poppers, and a brilliant night was had by all.

And best of all, T is still on hols: I just adore spending all day with him. We have so much fun. We're like big kids really.

And 2010? It's going to be a good one. I can feel it :)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope it brings you love, laughter, kindness and joy.