One of those Days...

Do you ever have one of those days (or weeks) where it just seems that nothing is going well? 

Perhaps you're constantly running late, the kids are misbehaving and it is really getting to you (you think there are underlying issues but you can't quite put your finger on it, & if anyone else told you what they thought, you'd probably dismiss it anyway just because of your mood), someone's sick, stupidly you say to your 8 month old baby "Stop it!" in a stern voice because he won't take his dummy in preparation for a nap when he is clearly tired & you immediately feel guilty about it, you're tired from staying up too late & getting up several times through the night, there's something else there too but you just aren't sure what it is.

This is my day today!

Not good. 

I feel like I need to blurt it all out to a friend but at the same time I feel like all I have been doing is whingeing and whineing to my friends in dribs and drabs and feel I haven't had anything nice to say.  Well, the negative seems to be outweighing the positive anyway.

It's kind of one of those days where a good cry might help but I need a trigger.

So, in an attempt to try & lift my own mood (& perhaps yours too if you need it) here is a short list of things I am grateful for:

• I have a hard working husband who provides all of the needs, and some of the wants, for our family
• Generally speaking, my children are fit and healthy
• My knowledge & understanding of the bible and all that entails is growing
• The time that people are willing to spend with me to learn, grow with and understand our Lord and saviour
• My decision to set up a small table in the loungeroom and move my sewing machine, felt and templates out here so that I can do some creating and still be able to keep an eye on the kids (and also grateful that Mr C didn't chuck a big wobbly & insist I get rid of it. Lol)
• Without going into details I am also grateful for Paul Grimmond (author), Pam, Bec, Danny and the Monday night guys (this is just today, other people feature on my list at times too).  They are all AWESOME people in my life and the lives of my family :D

Hmmm, funny how when you focus on what you are grateful for the other stuff doesn't seem so important.  Don't even feel like that cry anymore. (Think I'll start a daily written list of what I'm grateful for.  Have you ever done that?)

Have a great afternoon!!!

Bye for now, K

Hello Again...

I know it's been a while since I've spent time here on my blog and you know, I have missed it, but I've also been relieved not to "have" to create posts.

We all had a GREAT holiday together.  I am ever so grateful that Mr C & I had so much time to reconnect.  I think that was the best part of the whole trip.  He, off course, is straight back to his old mood with work but he is more willing to share with me now & I am more accepting of those challenges he faces too.

Having had time away it has given me a slightly different view of things.  I know before we left that I was talking about slowing down & simplifying our lives in our tiny house.  Well, having had time away together has made that seem all the more important.  Before I left I drafted a few posts along those lines so I guess I'll finish them off & share them with you.

Having been home for a week and a bit we are pretty much back into routine & it just seems too much.  Too much happening through the week to get to, not enough time spent at home working on little projects and more importantly on orders, and even more importantly than that, just spending time with my family in a relaxed atmosphere.  I think I have a short term solution to the sewing projects.  I just haven't done anything about it yet.  Hmmm, must get to it.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday period as much as I did! 

Can't believe we are alredy half way through this year.

Bye for now, K

Strange Perspectives

OK People, I don't often ask for EVERYONE'S thought or opinions on things, but I REALLY need some help with this one...

I feel STRANGE.  I have this weird feeling that I need to go and see the slums of India, or orphanages in Uganda or something like that.  You know, I could say I feel like travelling abroad and seeing Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower, or Holland in spring, or travel by Gondola in Venice but Nooooo, I think of these strange places and some of the poorest people in the world that I feel I have to visit.

I'm feeling kinda unloved, unappreciated and ungrateful at home at the moment. Yes, I'm the one feeling ungrateful! How do those three words fit in the same thought together like that?

I said to Mr C last night that I feel the need to declutter.  Not just decluttering the house of material posessions but also my emotions.  Does that make sense to any? It didn't to him.  Actually, he didn't have a response to any of this.  Do you?

I don't think I actually have anything to contribute to these countries or the people that live there but I think I've perhaps ignored them (for want of better word) for long enough.  So, while feeling completely inadequate to take on any sort of trip like this, I seriously don't think that being a World Vision child sponsor is quite what I need.  It doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling/thinking at the moment.

I said to Mr C that I am ashamed of the job I've done as a parent so far.  Not entirely, don't get me wrong, but the behaviour of our kids at times & the awful way they speak to us at times is just apalling.  There is no excuse for it and I have to take responsibility for it because I spend the most amount of time with them.

Perhaps I'm just feeling like I haven't done anything worthwhile with my life yet, or perhaps it's just itchy feet & I need a change.  Perhaps it's just that I've pretty much been housebound for the past month with sick kids (Outings to the supermarket just don't excite me).  Perhaps I'll feel differently after our upcoming holiday.  Perhaps one day this will all make sense & I'll travel & do something worthwhile.  The funny thing is though, I don't feel like doing it here, in my own town, state or country.  I wonder why that is.  I'm sure there are plenty of homeless and hungry people in my own backyard that I could visit.  What is it about other countries that I am drawn to? 

Have you ever felt like this??  What did you do about it?

Bye for now, K

Quiet Again

Sorry guys, I've been pretty quiet this last week. 

Been trying to spend a little more time one on one with Miss Pants.  (Hoping it will improve her mood/behaviour.)  We did a little bit of crafting together, a little bit of reading, a little entertaining, and LOTS of watching Mr Maker.  I got a couple of DVD's to distract her on our upcoming trip so she's opened one early.  I figure it's cheaper than her watching the episodes on the net.

I have a couple of food posts drafted but not finished off so you miss out this week.  I also have a WIP partially written.  I'm not sure I'll get time to get them done for you this week as Little H became spotty yesterday!  It's a long weekend here so I'm hoping to get some cooking done, to stock up for the week ahead, while Mr C is home, just incase Little H becomes so miserable that he won't let us out of his sight.

On the upside, we are REALLY glad he's not going to be taking it on holidays with him!  He should be recovered well & truly by then.  It'll probably make my packing that little bit more stressful though... Ah well.  You can only do what you can do.

I read a few blog posts this week that I wanted to share.  Perhaps I'll get a chance to get to them later.

Bye for now, K

Stuff I know...

• I took some pic's of the Autumn leaves in our local streets.  Still to share...
• Kids made a few pics with some leaves they collected.
• Everyone in our family has been sick in the past week/two weeks.  Mr C is the latest.  He came home from work sick (which NEVER happens).
• I NEED to finish the Mothers Day projects I began as a semi non-guilty treat to myself, by making something for our Mums.
• I REALLY NEED to get my cushion orders done!!
• I took the youngest two kids foot prints recently.  I'd like to share them with you some time.
• My plan to keep a blog to help keep myself accountable hasn't worked too well.  I haven't had my hair trimmed this month, my weightloss is non existant, and even my coffee outing have eased off.  Grrrr....
• I am CLEARLY having a bad day.  Perhaps feeling a little rejected.  Not sure, but I'm struggling to find positives to share.

• I am grateful that my children are over the sickness we shared.
• I am grateful that my parents were able to enjoy a lovely weekend down the coast with my Mothers siblings and their cousins.  They have been trying to organise thise for years.  Only 1 wasn't able to make it and she lives in Cairns.  About 3000km's away.  Next year they will organise it for QLD school holidays so she can get away from work.
• I am liking my new CD's from Compliments of Gus 
• Our little man is still growing well and thriving on breast milk alone.  He's 5 months now & 8kg's.  (I tried solids twice in the past week and he's HATED it.  He's developed a couple of spots of ezcema. Wondering if it's related.)
• I went to Cubs last night with Mr Magoo.  Mum's were invited along as a Mother's Day celebration.  It was fun!  I enjoyed getting my heart rate up.  Mum's beat the Cubs 4 -1. WooHoo!!  Go Mums!!
• My kids have been making Mothers Day gifts at Joeys/Cubs and pre-school.  Looking forward to seeing what they've come up with :)
• I love my family!!

Bye for now, K

What's one thing that used to scare you?

So I wouldn't ordinarily blog twice in one day but...

I went to this post from Aspiring Mum and followed the link to the interview she had with Happy Mums At Home.  One of the questions was, What's one thing that used to scare you that doesn't anymore?  This was her answer

"Other people’s opinions. I’ve lived a large portion of my life worrying what other people think of me. Sometimes I still let it bother me, but you can’t live your life based on what you assume other people may or may not be thinking."

I realised in that moment that although I try REALLY hard not to worry about what people think, clearly I still do!  Other wise I would have shared my blog with everyone in my life earlier than this. 

So, to those that already knew about my blog, Thank You.  Thank you for your support, encouragement and your ability to keep quiet about it.  To those that didn't know about my blog, I'm sorry.  I just didn't feel ready to share it until I read that interview. 

Actually, I didn't finish reading the interview, I just had to share this first.  I'll head back over now.  Here is the  link to the interview incase you're interested.

Bye for now, K

WIP: Others Words

 I have cushion orders looming over my head.  At the moment this is one of the things that I'm really struggling to get to. I want to do it because I used to love it, but when I'm busy with the kids I can't do it without guilt. I should be spending the time with them. I actually did get a "spare" moment where I could have completed a cushion, but when I went to do so I realised I was all out of velcro.

I've still been trying to get myself organised again, and I do feel like I'm finally starting to feel like myself but I have that Mummy guilt there still, lingering...

So, because I haven't done anything AGAIN, I'm going to suspend my WIP. (Which off course means I have failed at this particular aspect of my blog.  I was using it to keep me accountable with my creativity.  I guess that's the difference though isn't it.  Creativity happens, it can't be forced!). 

Instead, I'm going to share a few blog posts I've read in the last week or so that have touched me in some way...  In essence, I'm sharing the work of others


http://www.writingloud.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/mottos-to-simple-life.html
Wow!  Lots to get through but speaks for itself

http://blessedbeyondmeasure-ts.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/lead-me-sanctus-real.html
A new favourite Christian song of mine (embedded)

http://www.fignutmum.com/2012/03/have-you-checked-car-seats-lately.html
Scary, important, often overlooked.  Glad everyone is safe

http://theimperfectchristianhousewife.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/they-dont-make-tv-like-they-used-to.html
I only found this blog this week.  Love this post about the simple things


Thanks for hanging around

Bye for now, K

Keeping Busy

We've been keeping quite busy... 

You may or may not know that I've been taking Miss Pants to Pip Squeaks.  She loves it!  It is so cute to hear her singing songs about Jesus at home.  It's something very new to me, but I love hearing it.  She's also been enjoying preschool on a Monday and sometimes while I sit and feed Little H, I listen to her amuse herself in imaginative play & it really does warm my heart.  I can't help but smile at her & want to hug her (but that's pretty difficult mid feed. lol)

I may have mentioned that I was invited to morning tea by one of the lovely ladies from Bible study recently.  I had been thinking of making pikelets for some time to make up for our lack of Daddy-made-Sunday-breakfast-pancakes but hadn't quite gotten there yet.  Well the lovely Karina served up pikelets so I was inspired to make some for the kids that afternoon for afternoon tea.  They loved it and I made such a big batch that they had heaps left for recess at school for days!

The older boys are in Scouts.  Well, Cubs & Joeys.  The Group they are a part of were delivering local phone books as the major fundraiser for the year.  This was our families load of just over 300 books (The total order was around 20,000, so we got off pretty lightly).  Admittedly due to after school commitments Miss Pants, Little H & I delivered most of them while the big boys were at school, but when they were able to help they loved it and raced from house to house putting them at the front doors.  We had strict instuctions not to deliver in the rain.  WELL, that REALLY limited the days we could deliver but we got there in the end.  Mostly, when it was me and the little ones we'd walk, (getting in some incidental exercise, Woohoo) but with the big boys along we'd take the car so we could take more books.

Here's a pic of the 3 boys playing together, watching TV and just having a bit of a relax together.  How I love them so :)

There's also been appointments several days a week to get to.  They really are starting to annoy me.  I'd just like to stay home some days and do nothing. Hmmm, well, not really nothing. More like... uninterrupted housework,  guilt free blog reading, perhaps even a little sewing. (I do still have orders looming after all.  Perhaps I'll be able to get to some shortly.)  I've also been trying to get a little more organised.  I think it will deserve it's own blog post though, so I'll keep that for another day. 

Bye for now, K

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry. I have been neglecting you. For the meantime though I have found something more important to temporarily spend my time on... My sanity.

Boring I know, but here's a couple of pics from my iPad...

ME, Hi

A picture by Miss Pants using the iPad Play school app

Little h, on Australia Day morning 2012

This wasn't an iPad pic, but I discovered these YUMMY bikkies at Pip Squeaks this week

That is all,

Bye for now, K