social commentary Sunday . . . 'are you on the verge of a better you??'

Greetings all,

I've been skirting around a lot of things lately.  Where i am & how i am.
I just spent 5 glorious weeks in Brisbane, at my husband's bachelor pad - swimming, thinking, cycling, baking, reading, walking, eating, shopping, cooking, exercising . . . restoring my mind, body & soul.  2011 was a tough year for many, me included.  To recap the lows, my mother has Alzheimer's & doesn't recognise me; my husband is away at war for 9 months; i gained a lot of weight; & i have such bad carpal tunnel syndrome, i can barely grip cutlery, pegs, pens, scissors . . . devestating when you are a designer.  Makes for a sad crafty blog when you can barely craft (i've been losing followers, sorry i can't sustain you) thanks to everyone else hanging in there with me.

My Brisbane-escape-focus was on the children & planning how to tackle this year, which will be HUGE.  With the pending sale of our Darwin apartment & my heart set on a Canberra property . . . it's easy to get lost in all the plans.  I crave time with my husband & how he makes me feel - loved, safe, happy.  I've been madly in love with him for half my life.  His current posting was 2 years with 1 deployment, sure, i'm busy with sewing & the children, we can manage it . . . then parenting got serious with a high schooler & my hands became so retarded, halting time spent in my studio, which was my happy place, the balance was out, way out.  Handsome soldier's 2 year posting became 4 years with another deployment, i'm focussing on the bigger picture, our future as a family unit again, in 2014 on a farm, as far off as it seems.

Just at the right time last year, lovely Jane from Life on Planet Baby, sent me a link to the Brave Girls Club - two American sisters who run 'empowering women workshops' (my words) & send daily emails, a personal pick-me-up-girl-power for the day.  I'm not spiritual, however, their words speak-to-me!!  Wouldn't you know - these words arrived in my InBox - after refuelling my soul & ready to resume my real life again.     

We are all 'too important to wear out' . . . last year, i.was.worn.out!!  It's so unhealthy.  'Souls need kindness', why are we so unkind to ourselves or let people be unkind to us?? 

Subscribe to their daily emails, they speak to you, trust me!!

Even successful & confident people can struggle to believe in themselves, especially on the verge of such huge changes & unknown possibilities in their personal lives.  I strive to be independent, yet, so much lies in the hands, advice & belief of others - for us right now, it's property buyers & sellers!!  We're on the edge of it all falling into place, it's nerve wracking & exciting, a big financial puzzle with many players, it's difficult to be patient.  I'm glad for the journey, as much as i want to race to the destination, clearing all the hurdles along the way with ease . . . i still feel we need a lot of luck & good timing in this world.  I'm ready, i'm on the verge of being a much better me, i can feel it now . . . a smooth property sale/ purchase & more time with my husband is a lovely bonus.  Love Posie
PS thank you for asking about my hands, i don't want to bore you all & constantly talking about my carpal tunnel syndrome, even though it dominates my days . . . i'm seeing the hand surgeon next month!!

Australia Day . . . nom nom nom

Greetings all & happy Australia Day!!

We did the typical Australian things today . . . slipped on thongs & went swimming, bike riding & ate up a storm.

 One of my favourite things about Australia & Australians . . . is our sense of humour, even at the guarded entrances on military bases!!

 Our menu was a rolling brunch of multicultural delights - French croissants, Italian sausages, Greek salad, Kiwi Fruit & Canadian bacon (only joking, Darling Downs bacon!!)

 Here's a crowd pleaser for brunch, i've never made French toast before, so i gave it a go today - savoury sandwich style!! 

 Basic French toast . . . gently whisk eggs (1 egg per 2 slices of multigrain bread) coat bread generously & fry, then pop in the oven to keep warm; fry ham, bacon & eggs (both sides).  

 Composition . . . layer toast, ham, bacon, egg + fancy cheese if you have some, i didn't think that far ahead, gruyere would be perfection & i'd add sprouts or herbs too.  Slice into fingers!!

Serve with a Finnish napkin, da dah!!  How Australian was that??  Love Posie

rainy school holiday days daze . . .

Greetings all,
I just realised my eldest is on high school holidays for 8 whole weeks, no wonder she's starting to follow me around.  So it's raining, hard, non stop, i'm hanging washing around the house & the street is a river.  Yet my children have energy to burn . . .

 so we're swimming in the rain . . .

 under angry grey green skies . . .

 still raining, so we trotted off for a hair cut . . .

 & because i've got time to kill & more rain forecast, i've booked the children's haircuts on different days (unheard of for multi-tasking-stacked-appointment me), this child is next . . .

 still more rain . . .

 so being 'cheap Tuesday' we trotted to the movies.  I've been taking different children to a variety of movies, this week was War Horse & i even splurged on pop corn (but took our own drinks, fruit & tissues).  It's glorious, draining, i cried & promised each of my children a pony.  War has changed - without my war expert sitting beside me - i know they don't run on the blow of a whistle across no-man's-land into machine gun fire.  Oh the humanity, so ridiculous & so many lives wasted (& horses!!)     

 I had baked cookies for the cinema but they were eaten warm out of the oven, they left me one lonely star cookie for afternoon tea with my magazines, as it was still raining. 

 We are scratching at straws, it's not all harmony here, i'm not a 24/7 fun factory, i do have to resort to saying things like "why don't you play with paperclips" . . .

 & they do, bless their hearts, of course, totally cute paperclips to play with!!

I love the school holidays: i find school runs, pressing uniforms, making lunch, marshelling children into the garage with bags, hats, drink bottles + homework & sports runs - times 4 children versus 1 adult - repetetive & exhausting . . . compared to barefoot baking & endless swimming . . . 2012 we're doing things VERY differently, i'm only half way into living apart from my husband for 4 years, i have to pace myself. 
So it's zero commitments outside my family, we should purchase our land (by Easter) so i am directing all my focus to the farm.  My husband is going to visit during the school term instead of holidays, takes pressure off me & the high school sports schedule (until 9p.m. weeknights for Volleyball, yawn).  Oh & then there is surgery on my hands, see what i mean, a focus purely on my family including me, that's enough.  Love Posie

firsts . . . days of preschool & school

Greetings all,
Many children around Australia are tripping off for their first day of peschool & school today . . . not Canberra though, we still have 2 more weeks, no idea why we're so out of synch??  Of course i wasn't blogging when my babies started preschool so i'm having a happy flash back (like my pregnancy & birth stories).  Our children will be the most photographed generation ever & apparently most posted about on social media too!!

Pre-Primary-High . . . we're up to 9 schools across this country!!  It all started in Darwin at a Montessori School, my first born on her first day of preschool, with our first German Shepherd Jakob.

 My sweet twin girls started at a private 3 year old preschool in Sydney, then 4 year old preschool in Darwin, on an air force base.  4 year old preschools in the NT & ACT are government funded & cost $200 a year per child, for 12 hours preschool a week x 40 weeks!!  Welcome relief after the private sector & amazing facilities too.

 Then their little brother joined the 3 year old preschool on campus.  Why the bikini??  It's the tropics (no water restrictions) . . . on Wednesdays, they would turn the entire preschool campus into a water park, over head sprinklers & paddling pools, just brilliant!!  Then my son went to a military preschool in Canberra.  I know it sounds like they were taught rifle drills & marching, in uniform & yelled at, they weren't!!

 A year later those twins joined their big sister at big school.  We used to walk or cycle every day, it was fantastic.  I'd detour to the preschool & practically lived my entire life on the air force base, sewing up a storm at home.

 We used the local indigenous primary school, it was a unique experience as they were taught sign language, half the school was military & half the students were from the local indigenous community.  Kindergarten is called Transition & my girls were in the same class.

 Then suddenly your children are graduating primary school & off to high school.  This year i don't have anyone starting a new school, as my son moves into year 3, twins into year 5 & my eldest into year 8.  At our primary school - we find out who the teachers are on the first day of school, i love all the teachers but do let out a yelp of excitement when we score my favourites, like the sporty teachers.

So, another big year & my son will do his first national testing via NAPLAN (year 3, 5, 7 & 9).  They all love school & can't wait to see their friends.  Our school combines years 5 & 6, i'm glad we're here for good, no new states or territories (when our son starts high school, it will be out 10th school, phew!!)  Those starting primary school this year are blessed with a national cirriculum - this will help families who move (like military) immeasurably.  Happy firsts everyone, love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'how did you cope with the holiday freeloaders??'

Greetings all,
So, Christmas holidays, did you host guests over the silly season??  Did they go off like fish after 3 days, or 3 hours??  Were you guilty of freeloading yourself??

I know you had guests, i saw the 'guest bedroom junk confession' posts in the run up to Christmas.  I avoid staying with other people, including family - i much prefer a hotel situation with their endless towels, hot water, bedding . . . & enjoy the privacy while we collapse & debrief "why is my family like this??" & "did you hear what your sister said??" . . . then regain composure before the next 'event' & psych the children up: to be better behaved than their cousins. 

We've stayed with my husband's best mate many times, happily sharing one guest bedroom between the six of us & he marvels at us, when his brother-in-law requires 3 rooms for 2 children??!!  We bring our own towels & bedding, very aware we're an additional 6 people, staying with a family of 3.  We also take gifts & provisions which would cover the cost of the hotel, so we're not freeloading, just transferring where we spend our cash.  I'm sure this is a basic etiquette rule, it should be.

Now both our parents still have our childhood family homes, we're always 'welcome' there, however, last time i spent one night with my father-in-law & brought food/ bedding/ gifts with me, to be least-impact-possible, i said "thanks so much for having us" he said "it was a huge effort".  Um, what now??  My children didn't break anything, use all the hot water, they were angelic, PLUS he had two other grandchildren there for the first 5 hours (no parent) so . . . i will never understand, other than grumpy-old-man exactly what the huge effort was, to see his 4 interstate grandchildren.  Why did i agree to stay there anyway??  Ah yes, i had to pick up our Christmas gifts, even though i posted theirs!!  I could have just visited him for a few hours & stayed at my parent's empty house on the other side of Sydney, anonymously??  Hindsight!!

 One friend hosted both her brother & sister, plus their families & pets this Christmas, but brilliantly high tailed it out of there for her own family getaway on Boxing Day, before the extended family had left.  Apparently her sister-in-law hides in the guestroom until 11a.m. & it brought back memories of that posh English lady who famously wrote her prospective daughter-in-law a letter saying 'when one is a guest at one's home, they rise when the family in residence rises for the day'.  Here here!!  Get with the programme guests.  At a hotel, this is avoided as you just meet for 'events' & not every, living, breathing, moment . . . where absenses are noted.     

We rarely host anyone, our current Army rental . . . we have 6 people in a 4 bedroom house, one child sleeps in a makeshift bedroom.  Our homestead plan - we are building a guest wing (sounds more gentrified than it is) for teenagers parties, sleepovers & guests.  My Navy wife mother sent me off into Army wife world with my eyes WIDE open, about bored neighbours, users & milkers.  Our last house in Darwin was brilliant, in a cul-de-sac with 22 children who came in & out of the garden, it was fun, friendly, easy.  But if it was turning into a babysitting situation with responsibility, i didn't feel quite so welcoming.  You may have met these children before - they whisper to your child to ask you if they can come over for a play, then dinner, throw in a sleepover & it's the entire weekend - often because their parents have instructed their child to do so, free babysitting.  Ask me straight up, in advance, i'd love to have your child, however, undermine me . . . goodbye.  I've gone to take a child home & they've said "my parents have gone fishing" . . . hardly popping to the shops, or this cracker, when asking a sleepover guest when to expect her parents she said "i guess after their plane lands, they went to an interstate wedding".  I had NO idea, i thought it was dinner, you know, in the same state.  What on earth if something happened to their child??!! 

I love my family & i love my friends, however, i don't push the limits & boundaries of the impact my family of 6 would be staying with them.  Relationships can be ruined.  Did you get stuck with freeloaders these holidays??  How did you manage it??  Have you/ will you/ can you recover??  My husband is furious his father would be so rude, especially as he sees our children a fraction of the time he sees the other 8 grandchildren.  Love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'fruitaliciousness'

Greetings all,
So deep into holiday mode, i almost forgot to join in with my regular blog links . . . like PaisleyJade's Things I'm Loving!!  On a hot balmy heady lazy kind of afternoon, what better than a movie & chowing down on amazing fruit!!

My darling husband has been ordering boxes of deliciousness from My Fruit & having them delivered these Summer holidays.  There are lots of box varieties & he surprises me, this week included mangoes, pears, avocado, pineapple, bananas, oranges, apples, kiwi, rock melon, mmmm.  The fruit is so fresh & saves my poor princess wrists at the markets (carrying fruit weighs a tonne).  Oh it's all small local business too, yay!! 
So my children are gobbling down on the world's largest bowl of grapes . . . 

 & incredible selection of stone fruit . . . 

 The latest delivery was timed perfectly for the weekend & one minute after unpacking the supermarket groceries.  I was talking about The Addams Family to my children a few days ago, they didn't know who they were??!!  Then i found the movie DVD for $9 & they're watching it, jaws open, filling them up with grapes.

 Oh don't you love how Christina Ricci grew up.  I always loved Wednesday Addams (my eldest daughter has a friend called Wednesday, what a fantastic name).  I recently saw Christina interviewed on The Graham Norton Show.  He asked her how she remained so normal, for a child actor (miracle) & she credited her parents - who made her attend the local public high school & she was only allowed to do one movie a year.  She's so beautiful & talented, still a little quirky & dark, certainly a unique style she totally owns. 

So what better way to wrap up the week, with a childhood favourite experience of my own - The Addams Family (even if it is the modern day version) & amazing Summer fruit.  When we were little we used to eat grapes floating on top of the pool water at home, seriously, no one died folks, possibly less chlorine on the fruit than when they wash them today.  Love Posie

my pregnancy & birth stories: the mega mix

Greetings all,
I got into blogging after my 4^th baby had commenced preschool & never posted my pregnancy & birth experiences.  After reading so many birth stories in blogland + my cousin had a baby last week (my husband is so clucky, vasectomy says ‘no’) . . . i thought I’d share my story . . .

  Pregnancy: I went into each pregnancy with my eyes wide open . . . from my sister & 4 sisters-in-law . . . I knew infertility, cervical cancer, miscarriage, still birth, bleeding, PND, intramuscular stitches, shock, OCD, mastitis, premature labour, episiotomies, reflux & emergency Caesareans can happen.  I fortunately skipped every single one of these painful heartaches.  This is not a rosey glasses view – this is my real story, honest & for true!! 

I had all of my babies in Darwin, Northern Territory.  We moved there in 1998, a few weeks pregnant & headed to the Private Hospital to find an obstetrician, the amazing Dr Andrew Miller (delivered each of my babies).  My ‘uneventful’ planned pregnancies were all the same: pregnant first time we tried - which made for short lived fun-baby-making-sex . . . to vomiting 24/7 for 9 months!!  I attended ante natal classes (solo, handsome soldier away), never smoked, drank coffee or alcohol, nothing to give up. 

  Labour: Now the only medical hiccup was mine – I had a spontaneous retinal detachment in my right eye when I was 21, so at my first OB appointment we agreed that lots of pushing at delivery could pop a retina & I’d have an epidural (controlled labour, push at the end).  Each of my epidural lines were put in before I went into labour (drugs not connected until required, then self-administered pain relief, I was familiar from pharmacology) i could walk around & shower, all very affective & active.  No high speed screaming trip to hospital/ waters breaking in public for me, NOTHING exciting like you see on television.

Delivery: None of my babies wanted to come out, all induced, first labour took 3 days, at 41+ weeks.  Each baby was delivered onto my chest, eyes open but not crying, weighing average 3.3kg, even the twins!!  Baby 1 required forceps (big head) & me, one stitch (tiny vagina) ha ha!!  When you have twins, your husband is handed the first baby, I was busy delivering her sister 4 minutes later.  Twin 2 was breech & pulled out by her feet, then placed on my chest – hungry, I was handed twin 1 & instantly taught how to dual breast feed, covered in vernix & all.  Darwin Private don’t wipe off the white vernix, best baby moisturiser ever!!    

  Guests: Actually I had my visiting parents at the delivery of our twins, I figured my father had NEVER seen a baby being born & knowing I have epidurals, it would be calm.  I remember the OB saying to my father “put the newspaper down, you’re going to miss it” as Dad hid behind the Sydney Morning Herald like a screen – let’s just say, we all focussed on the babies NOT where they were coming out from!!  Best of all, my parents got to see a normal delivery & a breech, they made the 2^nd cuts of umbilical cords & each carried a baby back to the room!! 

Birth Plan: I didn’t create birth plans, I agreed with my OB & had met all of the midwives who might be there at show time.  I didn’t want whale music, poetry or candles, just healthy babies.  Hospital policy was to keep you in for 6 days after a straight forward delivery, sending you off into the real world confident & informed.  The rooms included a king bed & fridge, complimentary champagne & 6 meals a day, leather recliner & bathroom, who’d want to leave?? 

 Post Partum: I remember bumping into Dr Miller when our first baby was 7 days old, my husband & I were off to the cinema, he said “see, babies don’t stop you from doing anything” & I have absolutely lived by those words.  I had everything going for me as a new mummy, healthy babies, plenty of milk, supportive husband & tonnes of energy.  Each of my babies slept through the night, 12 hours, from when they were 3-5 weeks of age.  So on top of having 4 babies in my 20s, I didn’t suffer sleep deprivation. 

Breast feeding: Each of my babies attached to the breast perfectly, “big mouths & big boobs” one midwife said "Special K lips", from birth they slept 4 hours.  My mum always said “never make a rod for your own back” so I never fussed over them, they all fell asleep on the breast & popped into bed, no burping & no vomit, done.  I would vacuum around their cots while they slept, I could move them from cot to car seat to pram to car seat to cot without them waking to do the grocery shopping.  We lived on an air force base in the tropics, all windows open, fighter jets, barking dogs, they slept through it all.  I only used bottles to express milk & never sterilised them or used anti bacterial hand wash – we had good germs.  I breast fed all the girls for 18 months, had a month off, pregnant again.  I fed our son for 24 months .

  Situations: We were living in Sydney while pregnant with my son, I couldn’t get into any private OB (at 4 weeks!!) & they quoted $6K + appointments in fees.  Gulp.  So I rang my Darwin OB & he said if I flew up for the first trimester appointment & for delivery, he’d charge me cost.  Please don’t think we were rich & I was jetting about hospital-shopping . . . in 2003 my husband was on $35K & I was sewing a little at home with 3 daughters.  My flights, hotel, car hire & baby delivery cost $1K!!  We didn’t have much but we had health insurance.  So glad I did, my ante natal at Royal North Shore Hospital, hmmm, awful experience . . . they asked me if my husband beat me/ was the father/ wanted the baby, they wrote my age as 38 not 28, & my son was breech so they said “Caesarean” no choice.  My husband stayed in Sydney with our girls & I had our son in Darwin (I chose my OB over my husband at the birth, yes really) baby turned, easy delivery which I videotaped (in the mirror) while I was on the phone to my husband.  Multitask that one mums!!  Then I flew home with him, 4 days old, ready to meet his Daddy (bursting with pride) & join his sisters.  I have since been advised that domestic violence often commences during pregnancy, isn’t that HORRIFYING!! 

  Coming Home: Every time we brought a new baby home, we let our puppy sniff & check them out first, helped with jealousy.  My husband had his wisdom teeth out 4 days after I delivered twins, so I had to drive myself home from hospital (my father babysat him & his swollen cheeks).  With each new baby, I focussed on the toddlers, carried on like normal, avoided sibling rivalry (very easy with settled new borns) - I used to sit my toddler between the twin’s heads when they fed & read to her (malleable boobs!!)

Journey: This smooth ride has not been lost on us, we know we’re lucky & appreciate it.  They are allergy free, smart, sporty & social.  I am strict & consistent, i have to maintain order or they’ll over run me.  I look back at the time I had 4 under 4 years 8 months, BEST time of my life.  In a blink I’ll have 4 teenagers, so I savour the time I have with them now, embrace full time motherhood & our wonderful future.

  Advice: Take all advice, good, bad & ugly, preparation & knowledge is power.  No delivery is perfect, however, I delivered full intact placentas & had minimal bleeding.  I lost ALL the weight in the first fortnight (hello Hollywood) & Yoga rebuilt my strength.  I did poo when I pushed out my first baby so I would recommend ANYONE to have an enema & be empty, it feels like the baby is coming out of your bottom during labour!!  I had zero back pain in other deliveries - post bowel evacuation.  Ask for things & question medical staff if it doesn't feel right.  When my milk came in, my husband had to hold my boobs while I showered, I could not bend down with those heavy bowling balls on my chest!!  I suffered haemorrhoids, a midwife named ‘Joy’ said “honey, you have grapes of wrath down there”, good to know, pass me the Preparation H & a blow up rubber ring, no really!! 
Now my greatest thing EVER . . . stick ice packs in your knickers after delivery, REALLY, reduces swelling & makes a HUGE difference in speedy recovery.  First time I kept melting disposable ice packs, so next time, I filled up condoms with water & froze them (you don’t insert them, hell no, you lay them flat in your knickers on top of the giant maternity pads, they melt so make lots!!)  ONLY – warn any guests about your new iced penis sculpture hobby, as my darling conservative father went looking for the champagne in the room fridge & discovered them.  Oh we laughed!! 

Motherhood: Once you resign yourself to the fact you are a mother & life will never be the same again, things will really fall into place.  I’m all about your husband still being number 1 in your world, then babies, he was there first & will be there last, when your babies grow up & leave home . . . having a wonderful loving relationship with lots of communication & sex makes for a very smooth transition from couple to parents.  We waited 4 weeks after each delivery before giving sex a go again, it was fine 'down there' but 'up top' - milk EVERYWHERE so i kept a bra on & milk pads in, charming.  Fun times!!  

So that is my story, it’s a long one, lots of babies.  I often wonder if marrying my teen love, then having children young (our first born came along 5 years after we first kissed) assisted healthy pregnancy statistics & coping so well with the fast changes in our lives.  My handsome soldier & I have been through every possible major stressor – losing a parent, having a baby, having twins, having 4 babies, 5 war zones, buying properties, moving interstate 7 times, living in poverty, living apart – through it all we’ve had love, trust & laughter.  I believe I was born to be a mother, my siblings were freaking out though, I was pregnant at 23 straight out of Uni, but it was the most natural thing & thanks to Mr Love.Commitment.Marriage.Babies – there was never any doubt in my mind we’d be a success at this parenting game. 

Cheers to you parents out there, you are all remarkable, ditch the guilt – if you know better, do better, quit the frills & just get on the floor with the toys, eye ball your children, just love them & you’ll get it back tenfold.  Love Posie

magazine weather

Greetings all,

Where did Summer go??  This is midday, frowny face. 

 "Grey skies are gonna clear up . . . put on a happy face!!"

 Or detour to the newsagency for some magazine candy, add a little pink bowl of sweet chilli chippies (yummy treat) & it's a lazy school holiday afternoon.

 Yes, i bought Dolly, yay, with free jammies.  I buy the odd teen magazine for my teenager - you heard it here first, earth shattering revelation!!  I remember my mum wasn't cool enough to buy glossy teen magazines when i was 13 & my big sister wouldn't share . . . so i relied on my best girlfriend's supply.  We'd giggle, gasp & hypothesise 'what would we do??'  I'd rather my daughters read these magazines at home so they can ask me questions, rather than their equally ill informed peers.  Sure you can google facts - but where is the emotion or specific-to-you information?? 

 The most offensive thing i found was an image of Suri Cruise in heels??!! Oh that girl has attitude, look at her, spoilt much?? This is why i don't comment on celebrities often, i end up sounding righteous about them living in unrealistic bubbles . . . however, i'll take this opportunity to ask if anyone else thought Angelina Jolie looked like she had period cramps at the Golden Globes, she looked uncomfortable.  Anyway, i rated my flick through Dolly as pretty decent, good fashion & accessories (not trashy & very affordable) with articles on overcoming girl bullies, boy crushes & other mainstream topics. 

 Oh & look at gorgeous Dianna Agron from Glee & her super pretty hair do.  I'll be taking that picture to the salon in 6 weeks, i'm growing out my boy band hair to be cut level/ even/ bob length again.  Of course i'm blessed with her beauty too, life has been good to me, ha!!

 As for the rainbow . . . i've not been sleeping well, but i cannot recall a day my children have woken me up (i'm not a sloth, they just never wake before 7a.m. even as new born babies, ever, times 4 children, lucky me) . . . so one of my girls treated herself to this for breakfast - the smell from the oven was delicious + a drizzle of chocolate melted properly, she knows how to live & lick a bowl of melted chocolate clean too!!

How is the weather in your hood??  I know it looks like Northern Hemisphere Winter in these shots, but it's actually 30C & i'm reading magazines in a tank top, not snuggled under a cosy blanket.  I'm still taking the children to the local military pool in the rain, we have it all to ourselves - other mums must think swimming in the rain - children might get wet??!!  I have laps to do & children to wear out!!  Love Posie

who said computers are bad for children . . .

Greetings all,

Children using computers aint all bad . . .
when handsome little boys like this . . .
(excuse the fact he's eating, he never stops)

 send you emails like this . . .
"I Love YOU mummy SO SO much LOVE HEART" 
& attach images like this!!

Oh darling 8 year old boy, i love heart you too.  Heaven help any girl who wants to ruin my life & take this boy away from me.  Sure he loves me now . . . but the string of girlfriends from primary school is never ending, it's like he's easing me into it.  Sigh. 
In the meantime, he can have an extra hour on the computer today (balance out 2 hours of swimming).  When i told him, he actually did air first pumps & blew me a kiss.  Giggles, love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . 'reconnecting'

Greetings all,

This time of year is always special for we Army wives . . . we have just moved to a new city or stayed put for the year, either way, we start reuniting & reconnecting with dear old friends, neighbours & school mums after a few postings. 

 In the past week i have met up with one of my favourite mummies from Darwin, her husband has just deployed for Afghanistan; our fantastic old neighbours from Sydney emailed me from Brisbane, they have had twins; my husband's great mate from cadets has moved to Canberra, 27 years of friendship; my darling friend who used to help me cut fabric in the height of my business, rang from Darwin, she just bought a new home; & my darling 3rd girl ALWAYS makes best friends with girls who move interstate or overseas - she's just met up with her 1st grade best friend & when school resumes, her 2nd grade best friend is back from America.  We've also run into other old school friends at the pool.

 While i've been ignoring blogland (sorry, i love you, i'll be back over at your blogs as soon) i've met up with a gorgeous new bunch of bloggers too.  It's always fun to meet people you have had a bloggie relationship with, in the flesh.  My children gasp "oh, not another 'virtual friend' Mum".  Always welcoming when you bump into people in the street (not randomly, but outside the meeting place) & they look at me & the children . . . "you must be Posie".  Hell yeah, you guys are so much fun, in blogs & real life!!

I'll be realistic, not all Army wives are my kind of people.  There are plenty of rough & scary types + the ones who use their husband's rank as some kind of badge of superiority.  Imagine my delight at one particularly awful one dropping the C & F words at a Tupperware party with young children present, yep, she was the demonstrator . . . i am very glad to rid those warthogs from my life.  As i have somehow managed to never attend a single Sergeant's Mess Function (this is highly rare for a Warrant Officer's wife) i tend to make a couple of very good friends each posting & remain in contact with them.  Those ladies know me, i love & adore them, like old school friends, they are not light situational friends, but the real deal & i'm blessed with a dozen of them.  You ladies rock.  I do love not having to start from scratch with 'my story' & they get me, as they're living the same life!!  We've been through cyclones, deployments, childbirth & moves together. 
This week's new KidSpot i'm grateful for 'reconnecting' with some fabulous new/ old ladies in my life, who i have for a couple of borrowed years, i'm so lucky.  Love Posie