i'm grateful for . . . 'little changes making a huge impact'

Greetings all,

Spring is a great time to turn-out-your-life & turn-over-new-leaves . . . warmer weather is inspirational, that said, it snowed at the supermarket yesterday!!  I loathe the expression 'busy mum' & 'juggling family' as it sounds like you're too busy for life because of your children or you're on the brink of dropping someone.  If you schedule & make time, you can do everything, truly.  I was a full time working mother back in the 90s with a husband overseas, i did it all for 2 years, everyone was happy . . . cloth nappies, breastfeeding, homemade puree food, exercise . . . . i wanted it, so i dedicated myself to making it happen.  Fast forward 11 years of being a housewife . . . running my family is my full time job & i cherish the opportunity, so i do it with gusto - we make our own pasta, juice, herbs, vegetables, chickens laying eggs & i maintain the house.  Above all, my family comes first no matter how much time they need, which is why i tear around during the day ticking off my chores, errands & exercise so i'm available in the afternoons/ evenings/ weekends.  Having my husband home for these 6 months is making life SO manageable with 4 children, as he cooks the weeknight dinners, yay!!

High school is the business end of parenting, you have to be undistracted & dedicated.  I love the time i'm alone with my daughter, often in the car, to gauge where she's at.  Teenage moods can change like the wind, no warning, we've had smooth sailing, yet are prepared for the outbursts & inexplicable drama sparks.  Over-reacting because i'm too busy, is the worst way to handle them.  I thank her for being so normal & easy, to remember she is loved, it makes such a difference in how much she communicates & responds to my advice.  I couldn't resist this LOVE cushion for at TYPO this week, i told her she can scream, punch or cuddle it, depending on how she feels.  She rolled her eyes, that means "thanks mum, i love you too."

 On the 12 Week Body Transformation programme, the pasta suggested is wholemeal, so i tried my hand at making some - 350gm wholemeal flour & 4 fresh eggs, fantastic results.  I bake with wholemeal flour & we always make our own pasta . . . so why hadn't i combined the two & made wholemeal pasta before??  Delicious!! 

 A lot of my girlfriends are turning 40 & finding hormones & age = diet disaster so they're trying various diet & exercise programmes.  I went into the 12WBT with a calm mindset, i don't feel like i'm denying myself anything, like baking these goodies for my children's recess, i actually feel like i'm feeding my body & soul better with thoughtful nutrition.  I'm ready for this, it's working & i will stick with this mindset approaching my 40s. 

 I would often treat myself with sushi, treat??  Honestly, the calories in one sushi roll are almost an entire meal, i was eating 2 for a snack or lunch on the go??!!  I figure the money i save on sushi, i can treat myself to a pedicure every other month.  I went with OPI Greenwich Village polish, not quite the rich apple green colour i had hoped for, it will be orange in October!!  FYI the pleasure of a relaxing pedicure lasts way longer than a sushi roll!!  The chicks peck at my toes if i don't wear gum boots in the coop.

 My middle daughter would have to be our easiest child, under the radar, perfect school reports/ sports results/ class captain/ beautiful behaviour/ lovely friends/ incredible hair . . . i'm very careful not to be so grateful that i ignore her . . . the invisible child who doesn't cause any grief.  We pair up & do her favourite things together, like braiding her hair.  Sounds so old fashioned but with requests like this swirling hair do, we're braiding for an hour or so.  We talk, we tickle, it's fun & she knows she's special.

Next week i will be grateful for my next two darling children, they both have tonnes of personality!!  For more Gratefuls, check out Village Voices, love Posie

a colourful weekend

Greetings all,

Ah, nothing like a few days off blogging to enjoy a colourful action packed weekend & generate new ideas for posts.  With Spring almost here, my husband & i have been preparing our crappy-state-of-backgarden-grass for weeks, we're starting to see results.  I also planted a new barrel of herbs & vegetables, following the no-dig-garden advice from these wonderful books.

 I kicked off the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation this morning with berries & ricotta on grainy bread - i have two new tips - defrost frozen berries in a colander & don't let berries roll off your toast, raspberries stain!!  

 Indulged in a couple of new dresses & tops from Country Road - to say i have fallen back in love with green is an understatement.  I adore stripes & this retro pattern, neat way to side step the-fluorescent-movement this season.

What a gorgeous way to say i-heart-leopard print, in a cute handbag case.  I picked up the rattan version of this last season from Seed, i use it as a sewing case or picnic-for-two with my husband.  I love having him back in Canberra, we meet for lunch twice a week, it's like dating all over again, when i was at Uni, he'd meet me for 10 minutes here & there between lectures, then drive me home, just to say hello.  

A gift for a nephew's birthday - he is obsessed with Eric Carle, but really, who isn't??

The colourful imagination of my eldest daughter, make what you want out of these fresh eggs . . . bulls eyes right??

Ah, glorious sunshine on the weekend had me in a flowing dress & back in Birkenstocks.  I picked up these purple patent leather beauties in Venice 2 years ago.  I do need a pedicure (i say seeing i've had like one in the past decade) & i'm thinking of a fun polish colour, maybe purple, green or orange??  Ideas!!

Poof, there you have it, heading into a busy week with a huge smile on my face, i'm up early enough to do 2 loads of washing, walk the dog, feed the chickens, make school lunches & a post before the school run, bliss!!  Love Posie

a little one on one time with my first born

Greetings all,

Mothers of more than one child either struggle to find time or schedule dedicated time to spend with each child one on one.  My children have been known to book an appointment with me (imagine my evenings with 4 children & a husband away) just to hang out, chat, plan or do something special, like French plaiting their hair.  I could be accused of keeping the odd child home from school, just to hang out, i call them 'family mental health days' & write that on the absentee note too.  I'm have written "teenager with bad attitude" on a late notes for school, the office staff love my honestly & all have teen daughters too, they understand . . . we're a club, a club i refused to go into dreading, this mother-of-teenager-dome, it doesn't have to be 'doom'.  It's going to happen, may as well hope for the best - that my teen daughters will still love me - even though i'm ruining their lives with boundaries.  

My darling first born daughter just returned from a sleepover at her school friend's vineyard, tough life for some.  She might be in year 8 & in that awkward age stage - to act cool & aloof - but she still laughed when we showed her the 'bum' apple we found in the fruit bowl while she was away.  

 I have often planned to have pedicures in Summer, then i will stub my toe barefoot outdoors or ruin a nail = pedi-cancel.  In the Wintery cocoon of ugg boots & thick socks, my nails were in great condition so i told my teen "we're getting a pedicure & with those lovely fingernails, can have a manicure too."  My husband took 3 children to see Brave, using the free double pass from Blogopolis thanks & we went to our 'mani pedi sesh' (teen speak.)   

Channelling Faux Fuchsia, i looked under the O.P.I. bottle of polish to see what clever-named-red colour i had chosen . . . wait for it . . . O.P.I. "Red".  Ok, those creative Dutch, not!!  I was too polite to check the label on my daughter's bottle, she's going to a Friday the 13th party, so picked this black/ blue/ purple dazzling colour.  She's already chipped a nail at the vineyard & was too embarrassed for me to photograph her 9/10 perfect talons.  I love that she's sporty & girlie.  My husband dropped her off at the movies (first part of the vineyard stay over) & apparently all the 'beautiful' girls (wearing full make up) were swooning over her saying "oh, my mum's never taken me to a manicure before, you're so lucky."  Score!!    

We've found another fun thing to do together (after saving some pennies) with a little warning for new players . . . those manicure seats are also massage chairs!!  I was absolutely pummelled, just as my daughter looked at my violently-vibrating-body & was about to laugh at me . . . she started getting punched in the back too.  She whispered to me "i think my massage chair is set to 'angry' mum" & now we have another in-joke, just between us, along with all the knots in our backs beaten out.  I love being in the moment during experiences like this, thinking of all the dedicated time it's taken to raise a child this far, a little pamper indulgence goes a long way, even better, together.  Love Posie