On becoming the mother of a 10 year old

This week the Doctor turned 10. 

I can barely believe we welcomed him 10 years ago. I can't imagine life before him, and I can't imagine life without him. 

He is the best gift I have ever been given (and so is Tiny, of course).

In those early heady days of first becoming a mum, I remember through the haze, struggling to feed, and finally walking in our front door with him curled up in my arms, the tiny body of a newborn, and being struck by the gravitas that I was responsible for his survival. 

I felt ill-equipped. Totally out of my depth. 

I was happy to be responsible, but the reality of being responsible for this small being was quite overwhelming. 

And so I started to learn to become a mum. And I loved it, despite the lack of sleep, the intense learning curve, the fact that I lacked the ability to shower most days before midday, let alone eat breakfast (I remember my sisters being disgusted at my Weet Bix being a sludgy mess, they couldn't believe I would actually eat them that way!). 

I don't think I was particularly good at it, but as the Doctor grew up, so did my confidence. 

We'd go on daily walks to the park, we'd go train spotting, we'd walk to the train station and meet Matt after work - where the Doctor's legs would pump furiously and he'd be SO happy to see the trains, as were the commuters to see this bonny, chubby rosy-cheeked boy exhilarated by the engines pulling in and going off. 

Such were our days. 

The Doctor filled my days, sometimes I cried, some days were so tough, but most days we had fun. Climbing, playing with the ducks, following the shadows, eating play dough (him, not me), setting up train track after train track. My heart is heavy thinking of those days, because my goodness I do miss them. They were uncomplicated, happy and innocent. 

But I'm not here to cast my mind back to coulda, woulda, shoulda, I'm here to say, being the mum of a 10 year old is a gift. I can barely believe we're here. But I am so glad we are. 

Happy birthday my beautiful child. May we always be close. x

10 Tomorrow

This time ten years ago I had eaten spaghetti bolognaise after having walked to our local supermarket (over 2kms away) having to stop every few metres due to contractions. 

I had bought the ingredients to make my antenatal teacher's special Labour Aid recipe, hired Sex and the City, snickered when the video shop guy said, see you in two days (thinking - no dude, you won't, I am in labour), and walked home. Gently. Ever so gently. Resting as I went on low fences, breathing. 

I remember Matt returning from work and me wrapping my arms around his neck, feeling comforted he was home, and I was not alone to ride the waves of contractions. 

That day I'd been shopping with my sister, Sarah. I'd bought new bed sheets. 

We were on a crazy tight budget, Matt and I, and buying one new fitted sheet that was on sale had felt like the biggest extravagance. But it did take my mind from those lower back twinges. 

Ten years ago today I went to bed, and in the early hours of the morning - I went in to labour. 

I could barely wait to greet my beloved firstborn.

Met Gala Ball 2014:: Emma Stone, And A Bunch Of Others - As Commentated By Tiny

So tonight I showed Tiny all the photos from the ball. This may have been an error because she then asked me if I was going to give the celebrities her feedback. 

I told her no, I didn't have their number. 

She replied, 'Maybe try and get their dial.'

Without further ado I give you Tiny's (abbreviated) style commentary. Honestly. She wanted to keep doing all of them. But I sent her to bed. 

 Blake Lively: Beautiful mermaid, love the bit on the ground like a mermaid tail. 

Emma Stone: Beautiful, like a stunning little flower.  

 Charlize Theron: Beautiful because it has two stripes and I do like loops a lot. 

 Gisele Bundchen: She looks like slime. And I like it. 

 Kristen Stewart: Like a rockstar that's on stage, her face is like a red shining fish (!)

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: I think she is a golden chest of money.

The Doctor got interested in commentating too:

I like the dress, but not the wearer. 

The Week That Was. Actually. The Fortnight. Let's Go With The Fortnight

Dudes. What happens to the end of the year where it just wants to give you a good whipping and upset your applecart? 

First Tiny had her big tumble and that poor little face just made me want to cry. It was bad enough not being with her and being stuck at work. But when Matt told me it looked like someone had just punched her in the face, ugh. People. So sad. My poor wee babe.

And then two nights later she woke vomiting. Delayed concussion? Nope. Gastro. With a vengeance.

I thought it was all the cherries she hoovered down pre-bed. Turns out some violent bug had invaded her wee body and wanted to shake things up. And it wasn't a swift recovery, but she got over it. Then we went up to see my Mum and Dad for a couple of days, came back, the Doctor played basketball, got home - oh hey Mum, I think I'm going to vomit. Oh and we spread the Gastro to my Dad too. Sorry Dad.

And so started a week long bout of gastro for the Doctor. I wish I was making this shizz up. 

Every night I'd go to bed thinking - please let us crack it tonight. And in the morning I'd see his pale face and go - nope. We're still in down town Gastro-land.

So. Many. Sleep. Deprived. Nights.

If you had a newborn I'd offer to look after them - except they'd get gastro too. I was up and down that many times, washing bed linen like Gustavo Fring's laundromat. Someone reimburse me my sleepytimes.

I came home from work on Friday and Matt was fast asleep in bed. And he stayed that way until Saturday morning - because oh, let's see - did the GastroFairy visit? Yes. Yes she did. 

Saturday afternoon was Tiny's party - and Matt and the Doctor were quarantined. I had to do all my prep solo. Including bleaching the whole damn house because who wants to spread gastro? Not I said the Little Red Hen. 

Saturday afternoon I was what is officially known as: POOPED. 

I went to bed - and would you believe on Sunday morning I woke up with such a sore throat Schick and Gilette might as well have gone head to head doing a demo saying 'well whose blade is the sharpest'? 

I know. I have hit delirium and I might never return. 

This was the fortnight that was. Someone send me a freaking medal. And a chest to pin it on.

Good Cop//Bad Cop:: The Disciplining Dilemma

Tiny is one of the most feisty little tornadoes you'll ever meet. 

She's a real fireball. 

One minute she's full of cuddles, snuggling into you, the next a wildcat. 

This last couple of weeks has left the Doctor scratched, crying and sore due to Tiny's feisty outbursts. 

It might sound funny - but the reality? It makes me sad and cranky - the Doctor wears these scars because his little sister can be a real brute. He, on the other hand, is Mr Placid. At almost eight years old he's the cuddliest, warmest, chattiest little boy. 

So tonight, when I was in a separate room, I heard a little outburst - came out to the living room to discover the Doctor crying and Tiny standing beside him looking nonchalant. 

I promise, you would have seen steam coming out my ears. 

Just yesterday I had spoken with Tiny (with my Mum) about how she wasn't to hurt her brother, and how it made everyone sad that she kept scratching him. I'm not talking little scratches, I'm talking cheetah scratch marks down one side of his face, or the long scratch that went shoulder to the middle of his chest. 

I sent Tiny to her room and tended to the Doctor. She'd pulled his ear - and hard - because she said he was annoying her. Tears streamed down his little reddened face. 

Yesterday we'd told Tiny that if she continued, we'd have to punish her. And that would mean taking her Barbies and her Monster High dolls away. I've tried other ways of disciplining her, but the little punk doesn't give two hoots. She smirks, does this lame apology and then re-offends a few days later. 

I sat her down and talked to her about hurting the Doctor. About how sad it made us. And that her dolls were going. 

She smirked and said "Well at least you're not taking my Trashies."

I snapped. And she cracked. Here started hysteria in the household. For over an hour there was sobbing, uncontrollable sobbing. But it wasn't just Tiny crying her heart out. The Doctor sobbed because he felt guilty.

I am the bad cop. But I didn't feel bad (I am SUCH a hard ass). It was hard to punish Tiny, but ultimately, I know this is what she needs. Boundaries. 

image via here

Son Bypasses Sitting Father For Mother Washing Up:: Discuss

Tonight the Doctor was sitting next to Matt on the couch. Matt was relaxing. The Doctor got up, walked to me in the kitchen and asked me to count his pocket money. 

I was washing up the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

The pocket money was sitting on the coffee table - less than a metre from Matt. 

The Doctor completely bypassed Matt - doing nothing on the couch, to ask me, doing something in the kitchen, to count his money.

What is with that?

Discuss. 

Beat The Back To School Blues: LEGO The Hobbit

As we all know, the Doctor is completely addicted to LEGO. Sadly, there's no known cure. Which is fine for him - and for us, because pretty soon he'll have so many LEGO blocks he can build us a house and won't have to live in this tissue box anymore. He's currently saving up for... Even more LEGO. 

The Doctor was asked to roadtest some of the LEGO The Hobbit range - and it gets two thumbs up. Well that's if he could tear himself away from constructing it - it's kept him busy, and been a little challenging, but he loves it. 

It's got a good level of detail, plenty of pieces to keep him busy, and a good level for him (he's 7.5). He is looking forward to collect the lot. And then promptly (fingers crossed) make a hut (that's a bit taller) like the one Bilbo lives in, except with a bit more space for me to live in. Ok. I can dream. 

Anyway, you can dream too - because - drum roll puh-lease:

LEGO is giving two lucky people the chance to win a LEGO The Hobbit prize pack each one valued at $69.98. Each pack consists of Riddles for the Ring and LEGO Games The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!

LEGO Games: The Hobbit™: An Unexpected Journey RRP $49.99

In the iconic Shire town of Hobbiton, the Dwarves are gathering ready for the quest to regain their gold, but 10 of them have gotten lost in Hobbiton. Gandalf, Gloin, Fili and Kili must find the other 10 Dwarves before the journey can begin. Aim of the game: find the most missing Dwarves using memory and a bit of luck!

Riddles for The Ring RRP $19.99 

On the shores of an underground lake beneath the Misty Mountains, Bilbo Baggins™, armed with Sting, discovers a magic ring that was recently lost by the creature Gollum™. Use the reveal function to take the golden Ring! But beware – only Gollum, aboard his boat of Goblin skin and bones, knows the way out. Can our Hobbit hero solve the riddles asked by Gollum and escape to freedom with the Ring before Gollum realises it’s gone? Includes 2 minifigures; Gollum and Bilbo Baggins.

If you'd like to enter - it's super simple, please leave a comment below telling me what's your PRECIOUS?



Terms & Conditions:
Entries are open from Friday 8th February until midnight Thursday 14th February. 
Winners will be announced Friday 15th February. 
Competition only open to Australian residents (sorry!). 

Whoa. First Day. Year Two. Whirlwind Alert.

What happened to me? 

Happily blogging one minute - all quiet on the Western Front the next. 

Tiny starts school tomorrow. In equal parts (maybe) I'm happy because she is SO flipping excited, and then struck by grief that my babe is growing up all too quickly. I remember the day she was born. How did we get to first day jitters already? 

On her first birthday she commando crawled through the grass at the park to get her mitts (and teeny tiny new baby teeth) into a juicy nectarine. She was so full of glee. And this is how Tiny is. Keen for the next adventure.

Over the weekend she climbed into my wardrobe - which is no mean feat, it's a mess and it's small, and there's quite a bit crammed in there. I asked her to get out to no avail. Then I told her to get out, to which she replied bluntly "Mum, you're always trying to ruin my adventures."

So tomorrow will be another big adventure with tissues in hand. For me. Not for her.

And then there is the Doctor. BOOM! Straight into year two without so much as a look back. He's happy, he's confident, and in some way - this is how we want our kids. Independent. But my goodness, it definitely hurts. 

Are your smalls starting school this year? How's it going?

PS - Have you seen Moonrise Kingdom? You should. It's SUPER GREAT. Wes Anderson. SUPER GREAT!

School Shoe Shopping

This is a sponsored post

Nothing beats a well fitted pair of shoes. I can testify to this - I have an unusually narrow and long foot, so much so, that when I buy shoes, people question whether I really am a 12. For the record, I am. And when it was time to get fitted for back-to-school shoes, every year it saw my parents talking me to Clarks to get the best fitting shoes. I wore them almost every day of my school life. 

My Mum always taught us that it's better to invest in good quality, well fitted shoes, and it's something that's always stuck with me. It makes sense, doesn't it? Your feet carry the weight of your body, and have the power to make you feel great if your comfortable, or downright cranky if they're not fitted correctly. 

Last week the Doctor and Tiny visited Clarks to get fitted for their new sparkly school shoes. Tiny loves hers so much she wore hers home. 

Clarks gave me the opportunity to interview Brenden Brown, a practicing podiatrist and spokesperson for the Australian Podiatry Council - who filled me in on why well-fitted shoes make a sound investment for small feet (and any feet for that matter). 

PMM: Why is it important to get school shoes fitted?

Brenden Brown: Research from the Clarks back-to-school 2012 report revealed that at any point in time, 41% of Australian children are wearing the wrong size school shoes, contributing to issues such as childhood obesity, clumsiness and back pain.

The average Australian school child spends 82 days of the 200-day school year in ill-fitting
shoes. With over 3.5 million school children in Australia, podiatrists estimate that our kids
are spending 2.3 billion hours in the wrong size school shoes each year.

Blisters, flat feet and cramped toes are not the only consequences of narrow or
unsupportive shoes with more than 3 in 5 surveyed podiatrists stating children who wear
the wrong size shoes are less active at school (from feeing uncoordinated / having sore
feet), and 38% believing ill-fitting shoes contribute towards childhood obesity.

I wore Clark's throughout my school career - Kindy to Year 12. What's
changed since then? (Since that was *gulp* almost 15 years ago.)

BB: Shoes are now designed for both comfort and support. We’re now aware of what’s
required for our children’s school shoes, and they’re designed around the anatomy of the
foot. An example of this would be the fact our feet aren't designed to bend in the middle,
which is why Clarks school shoes are rigid through the middle of the sole, whilst flexible at the toe, allowing the shoe to move with a child's foot

I heard it's a good idea to 'break in' your school shoes before school starts. Why is that?

BB: We all want the first day back at school to be as trouble free as possible, so giving your kids a chance to break their shoes in beforehand will make sure their growing feet are completely comfortable in their new shoes from day one.

Velcro vs laces. What’s your verdict?

BB: I would always recommend laces if possible, they cradle your children’s feet and allow the school shoe to move and work with the foot. Laces are a good indicator of how well your child’s shoes fit. Clarks has an expert fitting process, called the 10-step Check and one of the stages includes checking that the lacing gap on your child’s shoes should be no wider than the width of you finger (approx.15mm) for a good width fitting. Velcro is a good alternative for children who are unable to fasten their laces.

Is there any good news for people with narrow or wide feet?

BB: Yes, Clarks is your answer! Clarks offers 18 styles, 184 sizes and 6 different width fittings. Recommended by more than nine out of ten (92%) podiatrists for a child with healthy feet, Clarks has trained fitters around the country dedicated to helping you find the perfect fit.

Any tips on how to teach my seven-year-old son how to tie his laces?

BB: Clarks has a great and colourful ‘Learn to Lace’ card which you can pick-up for free instore. The age-old bunny ear technique has worked well with my daughters too.

Any extra tips for back-to-school shopping?

BB: I would recommend that you do it when the children are tired, so that they’re more likely to sit still when being fitted. I would also do it when they’re starting to get a little hungry, so that you can give them a little fun snack to keep them preoccupied during the fitting.

About Clarks 10 Step Check:

Clarks has trained fitters around the country offering advice on the following 10-step expert fitting process:

1) Heel Grip: with the child seated, pull firmly to ensure no heel slip;
2) Width: with the child standing, make sure the shoe shape suits the foot shape.
Feel for excess pressure on the little toe;
3) Depth: make sure there is enough depth. Remember that too many creases
equal too much depth;
4) Length: make sure the child is standing correctly. Feel for the longest toe. There
should be approx. 15mm growing room (the width of your thumb);
5) Arch: make sure the shoe cradles the arch;
6) Toplines: the ankle bone must be clear of the topline. This may not be
necessary if the topline is padded. Make sure the shoe fits neatly against the foot;
7) Back: the shoe must fit snugly around the heel;
8) Instep Bars: ensure enough holes for adjustment or velcro must grip firmly;
9) Walking: the age-old walking test around the shoe store is still a valid method
for reviewing the shoe’s fit If you know what you’re looking for, check to see how
well your child’s walking, if they feel comfortable and make sure there’s no heel
slip;
10) Laces: when fastened correctly, the lacing gap on your child’s shoes should be no wider than the width of you finger (approx.15mm)

Are your smalls ready to head back to school? Are you?

Day 6:: Frocktober - Land HO!

Arrrgh - ye filthy skurvy loving plankers, where've you been all day? Me I've been hopping around with me sea dogs, emptied me flagon and searched high and low for me parrot. 

We've been looking for the X that marks the spot - we think we found it - GOLD! JEWELS! And rain. 

Our friendly photographer - aka the Doctor would only give us 3 frames today because he didn't want his shoes to get wet. 

Kids. We need to talk. 

Tiny clearly was conjuring some other kind of supermodel pirate in that top pick. Then second pick she got back to looking for yer land lovers. Arrgh. 

Today's outfit: 
- Lee Mathews smock dress
- Lee Mathews tights
- I have a Lee Mathews problem. 
- er... that belt again
- vintage scarf 
- empty decanter - my husband's

Sponsor me here. Go on! You can do it! 

Tiny Drawings

Tonight after dinner we were drawing, and Tiny asked me to draw a princess as an extension of her drawing. So I complied with the above drawing. I know. Married to an artist. And clearly no skill with a texta myself. The shame. THE SHAME.

Anyway, Tiny came over to review my drawing and looked agog and aghast. Then started screaming blue murder before careening off to her bedroom.

Ouch. My drawing was THAT bad. Who'da thunk it?

The Doctor then asked if he could have a look at it and review why Tiny was so upset about it. He promptly added in the broomstick. Made sense really. 

Clearly they are NOT Louboutins. The dress is not Lanvin. But clearly my 4 year old believes I should start taking some drawing lessons pronto.

Then I had to cut off the offending princess from the rest of the drawing. Hence the above cut out. Totes awkes.

Have you ever flunked your 4 year olds art task, I ask?

Playing

The Doctor is a mad keen word fantatic. He's seven, and has just finished reading Harry Potter, the first and second books. Yikes I haven't even read one.

He loves curling up with a good book on the weekend, and reminds me of a younger me - lying in the sun devouring books in a day. Nothing beats the thrill of a page turner.

It is a joy to see him enjoying the written word. There's so much to be gleaned from a love of words. Well in my book (pun intended) there is.

I was sent the game Bananagrams. I've seen it around the traps but never played it before. But my goodness, it is a really good game. We've been playing it after dinner. In fact the Doctor likes it so much he'd play it at every opportunity.  Before school, after school. He even tried to bring it with him when we went to Cockatoo Island the other day.

No scoring (which is great in my book), just playing all the letters to make adjoining words. Good old-fashioned word nerd fun.

I foresee long rounds of Bananagrams during the school holidays.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Bananagrams was sent to PMM to try. Honesty is the best policy. It's a great game. I like it. The Doctor likes it. Matt likes it. Tiny likes joining random letters. I think you might like it. I wanted to share.

PottyMouthOlympiad

Have you been watching the Olympics? I have as much as I can. I want to, but feel a bit uncommitted. Every time I sit down to watch something, something boring is on read: triathlon/marathon/archery. Or I flick over while I am waiting for a big event - and then miss the whole race. Yes Usain. I missed your race. Silly, silly PMM.

My kids are big into the Olympics. And they have kindly informed me a couple of times that they think I should participate in the Olympics next time.

As someone who was always the "Most Improved" in our primary school netball team; as someone who spent more time in the library than learning how to dribble the ball; as someone who spent her lunchtimes in the school dark room developing photos, rather than warming up for the following PE class, I can safely say, we not going to see me donning the green and gold in four years. I hate to disappoint.

Kids In The Kitchen With Tetsuya

Last week the Doctor and I went on a date. To Tetsuya's.

I know. Right?!

Electrolux invited us to enjoy a Kids in the Kitchen Masterclass with Tets. Who was I to decline?

We enjoyed such a wonderful night learning from the master - two easy recipes - scrambled eggs with ricotta, creamed corn and truffles, and twice cooked chicken with bread sauce. So easy and accessible you can get the kidlets involved cooking dinner. Plus - those eggs, oh em gee peeps. Make them for Father's Day. I am telling you, they are a winner.

As well as enjoying the gentle company of Tetsuya, we learnt about the Electrolux Induction Cooktop. If you are in the market for a new kitchen - check it out. You will thank me. Yes. Yes you will.

There's no use crying over spilt milk, because if you're boiling milk on your Electrolux cooktop it won't bake it on to the stove. The heat is only retained where the saucepan has a magnetic field. Pretty cool if you ask me. Plus it distributes heat evenly which means perfectly cooked pancakes and scrambled eggs. This is clearly a big deal for me because we are a family that loves pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The Doctor got a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant with Rich (see bottom two pics by the Doctor). Rich is beyond genius and his passion, enthusiasm and knowledge just blows you out of the water. Not to mention his supersonic hearing abilities.  Big thanks to Electrolux for hosting such a wonderful evening. This was a date night to remember with my little man.

PS - Do not tell Tets that the Doctor's highlight was riding in the hire car. It filled him with such glee. Boys and cars baby, boys and cars.


Please note: This is not a sponsored post. Electrolux invited me for dinner. I loved it. I went. I wanted to share.

Take This Waltz:: Date Night

My Mum and Dad are looking after the smalls for the weekend - Matt and I drove back together on Friday, and I must say, life feels very empty without the little peeps.

So last night we went to the movies. Old school date night. We're fancy and crazy like that. I wore Matt's jumper and my Chucks. Hardly dressed up, but goodness, it was so nice to hang together and not have to worry about our littles.

Anyone who follows PottyMouthMama on Facebook knows that I love Michelle Williams. I never ever watched Dawson's Creek, so I only know her from Heath Ledger love and a great selection of indie films.

'Take This Waltz' is a beautiful demonstration of Michelle Williams.

I felt like I was part of the movie. It's beautiful and raw, sad yet very funny, and it will make your heart ache.

Plus there is the deliciously talented eye candy of Luke Kirby. Say hello to Luke Kirby. His sparkly eyes are tres magnifique (this photo doesn't do justice to the magnificence that is Luke Kirby).

But back to the movie. So, so good. I want to see it again. Visually it's a pleasure. And ever since walking out Matt and I have been talking about it. It was that, that good.

Have you seen any good movies lately?  Next on my hit list is Hysteria.

Tides Are Changing

Last time I wrote about the juggle of life - of working, of parenting, of wife-ing, I received a comment from a helpful anonymous commenter that "you chose this and you should suck it up". Clearly that wasn't verbatim - but it might as well have been.

Needless to say, I shut up about talking about family life - and since then I've shied away from sharing family life.

But the thing is, I think that's what most people can relate to.

This term brings another new change for our little family. A new and fresh load of guilt for me to either drown in, or choose to swim to the surface, flap about and save our souls. I'm choosing the latter.

Recently Matt was announced a semi-finalist in the Moran Portrait Prize (bravo Matt!), and within the same week he scored a really, really great job. It had been a long distance between good things for us. It's been a tough year, despite all the hilarity I can muster, it's stretched us to our limits trying to make ends meet, and trying to juggle the mundane.

The flip side was this.

Tiny goes to preschool Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
Matt's job is going to be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 
I work Tuesday - Friday.
The Doctor goes to school five days a week.
Can you see the gap there? The gaping big hole in our week?

Luckily I could switch my day off. So I did. I'll be hanging with Tiny on Thursdays now, and joining the hordes battling Monday-itis.

By design we both work part-time so someone is home with the kids. That is our choice. We chose to have less of an income because family life is the priority for us. And now things are shifting, and we've got to shift with them, and move, like sands through the hourglass.

We've got Tiny going to a different preschool on Fridays - which weighs heavy on my heart. Her current preschool couldn't take her for another day, so I see this as a test. If it doesn't work - we will have to shift again. We'll change things around, switch things up. And I still need to find a solution for an afternoon school pick ups.

I wish I could ask someone at school to pick up my kids one day a week. But since I work - I haven't really struck up any relationships with other mothers to go out on a limb and ask. And it's a big ask, isn't it? To ask someone to take my children home once a week. Is it? Isn't it? I don't know. I've lost perspective now because this change feels so immense for us. I feel the distance even more acutely I think because I am at work. I leave early and don't get home 'til late. The distance and disconnection between work life and family life can be spectacularly damning.

The whole idea that it takes a village to raise a family is an awfully romantic notion. But Matt and I are playing dual-triple-quadruple roles of Mayor, Town Crier (that's me), counsellor, worker bee - we are the village people.

I wish things could have stayed as they were. They were hard, but we had our routine. The smalls had one of us. But I guess this is an evolution of our family life.

This is not a pity party. This is me grappling with what to do next. What's our next move?

the image is Tiny and her cousin P's culinary adventure in the garden this morning. They were cooking. Boy, those little girls, they love to cook.

Sunday at the Movies:: Brave

The smalls and I are going to see Brave tomorrow. We three are super duper looking forward to it. And it's super good weather for a movie. Yes. Melbourne is sharing their weather with Sydney.

A female lead that's strong - Scottish and brave? I am IN like FLYNN!

Because dudes, my lineage denotes I am of Scottish descent. I was born to love Scottish accents. And with Billy Connelly - well hellz yeah!

I will report back and let you know if this is a goer for the upcoming school holidays (how did we get to July already?!).

What Today Looked Like

We woke up early - but not too early. The Doctor is an early riser (usually 6am, if not earlier) - but today gave us a sleep-in 'til 7ish. Maybe it's a new seven for 7am thing. 


We opened presents in bed, then he requested breakfast. In bed. He wanted pikelets, so I set to work whipping them up to be devoured amidst a mess of flannel sheets, wrapping paper, and presents. 


A lazy day at home was enjoyed. We watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid (gosh that is SUCH a funny film - highly recommend), hung out together, I mustered some energy to bake (I've got a cold. Poor me) a birthday cake. Cuddled. Reminisced. Cuddled some more. And altogether had a lovely day at home.


I tried to get the Doctor to go ten pin bowling but he wanted to stay home. So what's a mama to do?


We did as he wished, then went out for Chinese (as his heart desired) at our local. Because that's the way we roll. I estimate the Doctor ate about a bowl full of fried rice before declaring that he was ready for cake. READY FOR CAKE! We hurried up with the eating - and then brought out his dream cake... A Freddo ice-cream cake. I know I've talked about this cake before - and I struggle with this cake! 


So above is the cake we're having after dinner tomorrow. To celebrate both boy's birthdays and to continue the birthday festivities. Because that's the way I roll. 


You can read the Doctor's birth story here. (If you're that way inclined.)

On Newborns Turning Seven

My little newborn is turning seven tomorrow. 


I can't quite believe it. 


I so vividly remember everything from before his birth right up to to his birth. Everything. - vomiting spaghetti bolognaise, to telling Matt quite tersely that he'd better hurry up and anticipate my needs. And stop turning the damn lights on. I am an animal. I am in labour. I want to labour in the dark. In the nude. And PS - do not mess with me. 


I remember walking over 2 kms the afternoon before the birth - hiring Sex and the City and laughing when the guy shrilled "see you soon". I remember in my head thinking - "you will NOT see me soon sucker, I'm in labour!" I walked all the way home, having to rest every hundred metres or so while I rode out a contraction. 


I remember when Matt got home that evening. He worked as a framer (as he does now) and hugging him and bursting into tears. 


I remember my sister driving like the clappers to get us to the birth centre. The labour aid exploded all over my foot. And her car. Oops. 


I remember arriving at the birth centre and quite literally tearing my clothes off. 


And I remember coming home with that newborn in my arms. Terrified - the revelation that: "I am responsible for this baby surviving and thriving."


Happy 7th Birthday to my beautiful little man. I am so, so happy and proud that you chose me to be your mama. Ever since we first found out about you, you've brought us great joy. Thank you. x

Birthday Grand Central

This is a big and beautiful week in our household. In fact, it's a big and busy month! 


On Thursday it's Matt's birthday.
Three days later it's the Doctor's birthday (of course LEGO is top of his wish list). 
Then seven days after that it's my Dad's birthday.
Then four days later it's my sister's birthday.


Full steam ahead.


Tiny is home sick today. Sick. Yes. I use that phrase loosely. She was sent a gift from Moose - Stick-A-Lulus. She's just been sticking Stik-A-Lulu stickers all over the house. All. Over. The. House. They are now approximately everywhere. 


Tiny loves her some mischief. 


The Doctor will be chuffed. He had a hissy fit yesterday - because everyone got something except him (Matt got a lightbulb, I got a pair of socks, and Tiny got some shoes because she only had sandals). He got some Trash Packs. There'll be great joy today after so much stinking six year old emo going on yesterday.