Its been 4 weeks of mid year school holidays! It has gone by quickly yet I found it quite hard....you see Daddy had started some intense training in a new aircraft at his work just as the school holidays begun. What awful timing!! I felt I had to take the kids out so much more so that he could get all the rest and study he needed in order to successfully complete his training. It has all proven harder then we thought and my heart goes out to my man who is trying to keep it together.
I sat down with Asher at the beginning of the holidays and had a monthly planner. We wrote down all the fun things we were wanting to do. Everyday we have done something different. I'm just dissappointed I haven't been as cheery or delightful as I would want my mother to be. I've spent more time correcting behaviour these 4 weeks then cuddling and enjoying the freedom of no school days. I have kept the house pretty clean but so what and for what need?
In addition to this scenario its probably the first time in our married lives where we have had the least amount of money. I'm not too phased by it, but I know John is. All that pressure to perform well at work and then to have no cash at the end of every week is heart breaking for a man.
My grandmother who has always been so generous doesn't know the extent of the cashflow problem but sent a few hundred dollars for the kids for me to take them places for the holidays. What a blessing! How thouhhtful and kind.
We have done some pretty cool stuff -
- Visited a friends farm, riding horses, feeding kookaburras, galas, holding a snake, petting kangaroos and collecting peacock feathers.
- Beach combing by thr rock pools
- Dinner by the beach at sunset with our car boot movie nights with blankets pillows and the laptop
- Movies in the botanical gardens with takeaway pizza
- Visit to the crocodile park
- Iceskating!
- Finding Dory
- Saturday afternoons spent at the local holiday resort pool
Saturday, 28 September 2019
Well now hello....
It has been aaaaages since writing here. The last time I can see was way back in Darwin days when I was relatively fresh in the pregnancy of our fourth child. Boy did that hit me like a tonne of bricks. Not the falling pregnant part, as each baby of ours has come when we planned (literally first go each time....too much detail?) but the caring for the 3 other very very needy siblings while mama was sick as a dogg for 6 months. Really, I do get that sick. It is oure insanity that I went back each time again and again. Insanity of really just loving pregnancy and babies and happy families - that was my motivation.
So 2 years has past - yep - those 2 years I just buckled down and looked after everyone, all while moving yet again each 12 months in between. So we have gone from Darwin, to Brisbane and now to Melbourne.
Life is so different here. I never thought i'd truly feel it but I miss Darwin so much. I miss the lifestyle and the relaxation and the beauty of the landscapes. I miss being able to swim everyday.
Melbourne right now I have to say I am not a big fan of. I really am trying to get my head around how long it takes to get places...and then how cold and rainy it is all the time, everything is so expensive - hardly anything kid friendly and free to do. There's cool stuff to see but I guess I am living in a different fram of mind. So I am trying to see past all of what I am perceiving as negative. I am learning to embrace the changes. We did spend a lot of time visiting the snow this past winter and that was incredible. The children are really so lucky to have experienced so many different climates and natural beauties in all the different locations we have lived. (I always say we are like the travelling families who pack up everything and go around the place in caravans - except we just live everywhere in normal houses for 12 months everywhere we visit - packing and moving is sooo stressful!)
We also visited the amazing 12 Apostles during the last school holidays. We spent 3 days camping at Johanna Beach. 3 days doesn't seem like much but it was just a quick trip in between Johnny's flying. I loved loved loved this camp spot. It was right on the beach but next to incredible hills and country paddocks full of sheep and cows. We went walking at night hunting for crabs and building sandcastles in little rock caves with the children. During the day the weather was sunny for day 1 and we just walked and played along the beach setting up camp. The children played chicken against the waves....oh my goodness this water may aswell have had icicles floating in it. It was like the antartic! Asher accidently got dunked by getting toppled over in the waves at one point as he was standing on the waters edge. It was hilarious and thankfully he tought it was too, although freezing!!
We drove down to the 12 apostles on day two. The children were really sick of driving and didn't find the huge gigantic rocks in the ocean as spectacular as we did. But in the end they made their own fun down by the bay of one of the beaches in between the rock formations. We saw a huve blow hole too - something I had never seen before. The whole area is breath taking. Next it was Port Campbell for fish and chips. That was a suprise - I just thought it was a country town nearby but it was a beach with spectacular views and scenery.
On our trip home to Melbourne we returned via The Great Ocean Road again. I can't begin to talk all about the memories we made on both car trips down and back. Too much fun and too much "folk of the faraway tree" on the stereo.
It has been aaaaages since writing here. The last time I can see was way back in Darwin days when I was relatively fresh in the pregnancy of our fourth child. Boy did that hit me like a tonne of bricks. Not the falling pregnant part, as each baby of ours has come when we planned (literally first go each time....too much detail?) but the caring for the 3 other very very needy siblings while mama was sick as a dogg for 6 months. Really, I do get that sick. It is oure insanity that I went back each time again and again. Insanity of really just loving pregnancy and babies and happy families - that was my motivation.
So 2 years has past - yep - those 2 years I just buckled down and looked after everyone, all while moving yet again each 12 months in between. So we have gone from Darwin, to Brisbane and now to Melbourne.
Life is so different here. I never thought i'd truly feel it but I miss Darwin so much. I miss the lifestyle and the relaxation and the beauty of the landscapes. I miss being able to swim everyday.
Melbourne right now I have to say I am not a big fan of. I really am trying to get my head around how long it takes to get places...and then how cold and rainy it is all the time, everything is so expensive - hardly anything kid friendly and free to do. There's cool stuff to see but I guess I am living in a different fram of mind. So I am trying to see past all of what I am perceiving as negative. I am learning to embrace the changes. We did spend a lot of time visiting the snow this past winter and that was incredible. The children are really so lucky to have experienced so many different climates and natural beauties in all the different locations we have lived. (I always say we are like the travelling families who pack up everything and go around the place in caravans - except we just live everywhere in normal houses for 12 months everywhere we visit - packing and moving is sooo stressful!)
We also visited the amazing 12 Apostles during the last school holidays. We spent 3 days camping at Johanna Beach. 3 days doesn't seem like much but it was just a quick trip in between Johnny's flying. I loved loved loved this camp spot. It was right on the beach but next to incredible hills and country paddocks full of sheep and cows. We went walking at night hunting for crabs and building sandcastles in little rock caves with the children. During the day the weather was sunny for day 1 and we just walked and played along the beach setting up camp. The children played chicken against the waves....oh my goodness this water may aswell have had icicles floating in it. It was like the antartic! Asher accidently got dunked by getting toppled over in the waves at one point as he was standing on the waters edge. It was hilarious and thankfully he tought it was too, although freezing!!
We drove down to the 12 apostles on day two. The children were really sick of driving and didn't find the huge gigantic rocks in the ocean as spectacular as we did. But in the end they made their own fun down by the bay of one of the beaches in between the rock formations. We saw a huve blow hole too - something I had never seen before. The whole area is breath taking. Next it was Port Campbell for fish and chips. That was a suprise - I just thought it was a country town nearby but it was a beach with spectacular views and scenery.
On our trip home to Melbourne we returned via The Great Ocean Road again. I can't begin to talk all about the memories we made on both car trips down and back. Too much fun and too much "folk of the faraway tree" on the stereo.
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Bargain in the Blood
I love buying secondhand.
I get a thrill out of finding a bargain and saving. I remember as a uni student always having nice clothes but only ever buying everything from a cheaper store, and still looking just as good. Back then I wasn't so into op shopping but now its all I ever do!
Recently I purchased something for my children that is retail $200 that I got for $30. My husband is a lucky man 💕 for getting a girl like me I think. Hahaa but seriously I have inherited this savvy way of life from my incredible grandmother. She taught me from a young age the value of money ( as well as from my dad and grandfather - they have money saving in their blood!) and how to live successfully with a business mind. Grandma will be 89 years old this month and I have been preciously blessed to have her in my life as a guide. I hope to make her proud even when she passes on. The amazing thing is she would have to be the most generous person I know. Still to this day she sends me birthday money (I'm 31 for goodness sakes) and will more then often pop a nice amount of money in our bank account "for the kids" as she knows life right now is tight. What a beautiful example of giving - I want to be like her in so many ways.
In other thoughts, I've recently introduced no more plasticware in our house for the children. I have come to learn that having the children use glassware and crockery at the young ages of almost 6, almost 4 and just turned 2 is a really useful thing. There have been no smashes so far and its been at least a month that we've made the change. Sariah the 2 year old has not broken one thing and I give her the daily task of taking her dishes to the sink after each meal, along with her older brothers. They've smashed things in the past by accident and have naturally learnt they don't want that to happen again. I never had to yell at them or make them feel bad they just figured it out. A glass smashing for a little kid is pretty terrifying. If it was a plastic cup or bowl constantly falling on the ground that never broke they would never learn the need to be careful and control themselves. It has been interesting to watch and observe how good they are at taking care of things since this change.
This all comes from the educational background Maria Montessori encouraged and I have been testing and trialing all areas of her methods in our home for some time now. All I have is praise!
Children can do more then we give them credit for that's the biggest message. I love being a mother to my children and educating myself in how to do them better everyday, its the greatest work I can ever achieve so why not push myself.
No more plastic! But I wonder how much money I will save in the end...
😊
I get a thrill out of finding a bargain and saving. I remember as a uni student always having nice clothes but only ever buying everything from a cheaper store, and still looking just as good. Back then I wasn't so into op shopping but now its all I ever do!
Recently I purchased something for my children that is retail $200 that I got for $30. My husband is a lucky man 💕 for getting a girl like me I think. Hahaa but seriously I have inherited this savvy way of life from my incredible grandmother. She taught me from a young age the value of money ( as well as from my dad and grandfather - they have money saving in their blood!) and how to live successfully with a business mind. Grandma will be 89 years old this month and I have been preciously blessed to have her in my life as a guide. I hope to make her proud even when she passes on. The amazing thing is she would have to be the most generous person I know. Still to this day she sends me birthday money (I'm 31 for goodness sakes) and will more then often pop a nice amount of money in our bank account "for the kids" as she knows life right now is tight. What a beautiful example of giving - I want to be like her in so many ways.
In other thoughts, I've recently introduced no more plasticware in our house for the children. I have come to learn that having the children use glassware and crockery at the young ages of almost 6, almost 4 and just turned 2 is a really useful thing. There have been no smashes so far and its been at least a month that we've made the change. Sariah the 2 year old has not broken one thing and I give her the daily task of taking her dishes to the sink after each meal, along with her older brothers. They've smashed things in the past by accident and have naturally learnt they don't want that to happen again. I never had to yell at them or make them feel bad they just figured it out. A glass smashing for a little kid is pretty terrifying. If it was a plastic cup or bowl constantly falling on the ground that never broke they would never learn the need to be careful and control themselves. It has been interesting to watch and observe how good they are at taking care of things since this change.
This all comes from the educational background Maria Montessori encouraged and I have been testing and trialing all areas of her methods in our home for some time now. All I have is praise!
Children can do more then we give them credit for that's the biggest message. I love being a mother to my children and educating myself in how to do them better everyday, its the greatest work I can ever achieve so why not push myself.
No more plastic! But I wonder how much money I will save in the end...
😊
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Lately
Recently I've been sick, and have been forced to just stay at home - like don't go anywhere with all the kids all week. That is usually not what we do here but lately I've loved it. I was talking to a school mum who has 3 kids and no car during the day as hubby takes it. I thought how the heck do you deal?? She said she loves it, everyday is slow paced the house gets cleaned and she's always baking. You really can't catch up on much if you are running around all week just to keep the littlies entertained at playgroup, swimming, shops, appointments etc.
So I've embraced it and am loving it!
This past weekend was so lovely and easy going. Friday night began with movie night of course, with Peter Pan as the screening :) they all loooooove it so much. Then we went on a beautiful family bike ride Saturday. Normally we would go local on a saturday morning but this time we went out of our neighbourhood to the coastline in town. It was amazing! The boys were so fast and john and I just cruised. Even Asher was saying to everything he saw 'everything is so beautiful!'.... we rode past some war memorial sites and explored as well as watched model aeroplanes take off and loop at the club that was on the bike path. Two happy little boys enjoyed that!
Our saturday ended with lovely friends of ours with (6 grown adult children of their own) who came and babysat for us. Johnny and I had a treat of dinner and gelato and a movie - which i fell asleep in of course... can't keep me up past 9pm these days hahaa.
Sunday we enjoyed being together at church, Asher has been trying so hard to sit still and quietly during classes which is defenitely not his normal way of life but very good for him to learn at the age of 5. He won the little class reward for his efforts and was so proud!
That afternoon daddy took the boys fishing and mummy and sariah stayed home to rest...and in such a cliche way we played tea parties for almost an hour...she just is drawn to that make believe thing with doll's and tea cups - we loved it.
In other news sariah is completely toilet trained wahoooo! I feel like super woman 😄
Such a blessing to stay home everyday with my babies and soak all of this in.
xx
So I've embraced it and am loving it!
This past weekend was so lovely and easy going. Friday night began with movie night of course, with Peter Pan as the screening :) they all loooooove it so much. Then we went on a beautiful family bike ride Saturday. Normally we would go local on a saturday morning but this time we went out of our neighbourhood to the coastline in town. It was amazing! The boys were so fast and john and I just cruised. Even Asher was saying to everything he saw 'everything is so beautiful!'.... we rode past some war memorial sites and explored as well as watched model aeroplanes take off and loop at the club that was on the bike path. Two happy little boys enjoyed that!
Our saturday ended with lovely friends of ours with (6 grown adult children of their own) who came and babysat for us. Johnny and I had a treat of dinner and gelato and a movie - which i fell asleep in of course... can't keep me up past 9pm these days hahaa.
Sunday we enjoyed being together at church, Asher has been trying so hard to sit still and quietly during classes which is defenitely not his normal way of life but very good for him to learn at the age of 5. He won the little class reward for his efforts and was so proud!
That afternoon daddy took the boys fishing and mummy and sariah stayed home to rest...and in such a cliche way we played tea parties for almost an hour...she just is drawn to that make believe thing with doll's and tea cups - we loved it.
In other news sariah is completely toilet trained wahoooo! I feel like super woman 😄
Such a blessing to stay home everyday with my babies and soak all of this in.
xx
Wednesday, 24 February 2016
Easter time!
I am so excited!
The biggest most anticipated long weekend of the year is only 4 more weeks away -- Easter! We have so many beautiful memories since having our first child of this time of year. Having made so many traditions - Easter brunch, new pjs, class gifts, dyeing eggs to list a few - its even more exciting every year it comes around as they are just a little older. The kids seem to understand more of the story and reason we celebrate, it makes the whole season wonderful as I see they are 'getting it'. They are just so much more aware of everything and makes the whole thing even more fun!
We love to have a count down to Easter with a little advent like activity and treat a day along with reading our favourite Easter story.
I love to collect as many Easter books as I can from the library in the month leading up to it and we read all kinds of funny bunny stories, stories about eggs and chicks and spring and new life. It is such a lovely feeling and we are all so excited everyday for the Easter Bunny to arrive with all the glorious chocolate of course!
I found these cute egg hunt signs this week at Target for only $5 -- there was a whole stack of good things but this was something I didn't want to walk away from. Defenitely something to keep in my Easter box of collections.
Happy celebrating and preparing and dreaming of mountains of chocolate ♡
x
The biggest most anticipated long weekend of the year is only 4 more weeks away -- Easter! We have so many beautiful memories since having our first child of this time of year. Having made so many traditions - Easter brunch, new pjs, class gifts, dyeing eggs to list a few - its even more exciting every year it comes around as they are just a little older. The kids seem to understand more of the story and reason we celebrate, it makes the whole season wonderful as I see they are 'getting it'. They are just so much more aware of everything and makes the whole thing even more fun!
We love to have a count down to Easter with a little advent like activity and treat a day along with reading our favourite Easter story.
I love to collect as many Easter books as I can from the library in the month leading up to it and we read all kinds of funny bunny stories, stories about eggs and chicks and spring and new life. It is such a lovely feeling and we are all so excited everyday for the Easter Bunny to arrive with all the glorious chocolate of course!
I found these cute egg hunt signs this week at Target for only $5 -- there was a whole stack of good things but this was something I didn't want to walk away from. Defenitely something to keep in my Easter box of collections.
Happy celebrating and preparing and dreaming of mountains of chocolate ♡
x
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Extension work
I recently discovered this website with simple curriculums for the primary school years. It's fantastic with guiding you to know where to start with extra learning at home in addition to what's happening in the classroom.
http://www.cambridgeschool.eu/en/curriculum-learning/documents/
I don't know why but I have known our eldest needs more then just the basics when it comes to learning - he thinks differently and stretches further then most children his age. Sounds like I'm just a proud parent but I have notice this difference in him since he was about 15 months old when he could look at something he had never seen before - like a television - and work out how to turn it on/off without anyone showing him where the buttons were...and so many other little things he could work out before he was even previously exposed to them -- huge complicated puzzles at 20 months old and matching and memory games which became too easy for him and boring by the time he was two. He was talking in full blown proper sentences long before his toddler peers (and his later born siblings) then learnt how to ride a bike without any coaching at all - he just got on it and started riding - then it was the same with swimming...just one day figured it out without one lesson ever.
I guess this is just normal and everyone is different but with all of this I have really wanted to present extension activities to him -- sometimes this has caused me stress, it all is a lot more work then just doing the bare minimum day after day - ie turning the tv on and leaving it at that.
So now that he has started school, I am trying hard to keep on top of the extension activities he could be experimenting with. Right now life feels like I'm just keeping my head above water -- 2 other little ones at home and lots of sickness running through our familiy lately has worn me out. Just keeping it together is usually the feeling we are experiencing. So one day I found this awesome website with the curriculum for each primary school year. It is simply described and basic enough for parents to explore with their children. We hope to follow these curriculum pages with Asher and seeing whatever he is interested in.
http://www.cambridgeschool.eu/en/curriculum-learning/documents/
I don't know why but I have known our eldest needs more then just the basics when it comes to learning - he thinks differently and stretches further then most children his age. Sounds like I'm just a proud parent but I have notice this difference in him since he was about 15 months old when he could look at something he had never seen before - like a television - and work out how to turn it on/off without anyone showing him where the buttons were...and so many other little things he could work out before he was even previously exposed to them -- huge complicated puzzles at 20 months old and matching and memory games which became too easy for him and boring by the time he was two. He was talking in full blown proper sentences long before his toddler peers (and his later born siblings) then learnt how to ride a bike without any coaching at all - he just got on it and started riding - then it was the same with swimming...just one day figured it out without one lesson ever.
I guess this is just normal and everyone is different but with all of this I have really wanted to present extension activities to him -- sometimes this has caused me stress, it all is a lot more work then just doing the bare minimum day after day - ie turning the tv on and leaving it at that.
So now that he has started school, I am trying hard to keep on top of the extension activities he could be experimenting with. Right now life feels like I'm just keeping my head above water -- 2 other little ones at home and lots of sickness running through our familiy lately has worn me out. Just keeping it together is usually the feeling we are experiencing. So one day I found this awesome website with the curriculum for each primary school year. It is simply described and basic enough for parents to explore with their children. We hope to follow these curriculum pages with Asher and seeing whatever he is interested in.
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
All you need is LOVE
In the name of all things L O V E we had a little conversation around the dinner table tonight about what we love in eachother... its cute to hear what a 5 and 3 year old has to say about their siblings and lovely thoughts on their parents --
Asher loves how daddy surprises him and picks him up from school sometimes and takes him out
His favourite day ever was when he picked him up early and took him to a movie just the two of them - this happened a while ago now and he still thinks of this special day together
He loves how dad takes the boys fishing -- its the best thing ever!!
Asher loves how Jet gives him the tightest hugs everyday when saying goodbye to him at school and anytime around the house he is feeling especially happy
Jet loves how Asher lets him hold his fishing rod
Jet loves how daddy takes him fishing
Jet loves how mummy always wants cuddles and smooches
Asher loves when mummy gives him kisses and my smiling face
Asher loves how Sariah gives kisses - its soooo cute and he asks her to kiss her all the time!
Asher loves how cute sariah says "mummy, mummy, mummy" in her own funny way that we all know
Daddy said that he loves Jets cuddles and lovely kindness
Daddy loves how Asher is so helpful and is a good listener when he asks for his help
Daddy loves how thoughtful mummy is (my list of things i love about Daddy is too long for this blog ha!)
Mummy loves how Asher eats almost anything put in front of him and how much he helps her around the house.
There was a bit more I have forgotten but this little moment was happening all while eating dinner and in between "can I please have some..." and "I'm just gonna get a drink" so it was a bit of focus at the same time with lots of interruptions - but hey they are two crazy 3 and 5 year old boys.
We all felt lots of good feelings as we left the dinner table and headed for books and cuddles before bed.
As I was reading to little Sariah before bed, I had a moment of "oh no" this is nearly all over. It was like years flashed before my eyes of her now being all grown up and it made my heart sink just for a moment. She was sitting on my lap and totally engrossed in her favourite books "Sally's Secret" and "Rhymes for Annie Rose" -- baby girl will seriously sit in total silence as I read these to her with her eyes looking all over the pages. They are the sweetest books written and illustrated by Shirley Huges. A seriously good investment for your childrens library.
What a lucky girl I am to have all this love and the sweet little babies that I have been given 💗
Asher loves how daddy surprises him and picks him up from school sometimes and takes him out
His favourite day ever was when he picked him up early and took him to a movie just the two of them - this happened a while ago now and he still thinks of this special day together
He loves how dad takes the boys fishing -- its the best thing ever!!
Asher loves how Jet gives him the tightest hugs everyday when saying goodbye to him at school and anytime around the house he is feeling especially happy
Jet loves how Asher lets him hold his fishing rod
Jet loves how daddy takes him fishing
Jet loves how mummy always wants cuddles and smooches
Asher loves when mummy gives him kisses and my smiling face
Asher loves how Sariah gives kisses - its soooo cute and he asks her to kiss her all the time!
Asher loves how cute sariah says "mummy, mummy, mummy" in her own funny way that we all know
Daddy said that he loves Jets cuddles and lovely kindness
Daddy loves how Asher is so helpful and is a good listener when he asks for his help
Daddy loves how thoughtful mummy is (my list of things i love about Daddy is too long for this blog ha!)
Mummy loves how Asher eats almost anything put in front of him and how much he helps her around the house.
There was a bit more I have forgotten but this little moment was happening all while eating dinner and in between "can I please have some..." and "I'm just gonna get a drink" so it was a bit of focus at the same time with lots of interruptions - but hey they are two crazy 3 and 5 year old boys.
We all felt lots of good feelings as we left the dinner table and headed for books and cuddles before bed.
As I was reading to little Sariah before bed, I had a moment of "oh no" this is nearly all over. It was like years flashed before my eyes of her now being all grown up and it made my heart sink just for a moment. She was sitting on my lap and totally engrossed in her favourite books "Sally's Secret" and "Rhymes for Annie Rose" -- baby girl will seriously sit in total silence as I read these to her with her eyes looking all over the pages. They are the sweetest books written and illustrated by Shirley Huges. A seriously good investment for your childrens library.
What a lucky girl I am to have all this love and the sweet little babies that I have been given 💗
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