Get well mum!!

On Tuesday, I decided to take the kiddies on a road trip to see Kesh and Tim, (my sis and her hubby) They live near my grandparents and I really wanted to see my Pa. So I loaded the kids in the car and took off on the 3 hour drive south. The kids were great in the car, they watched a dvd and we danced to Michael Jackson, and shared a box of shapes. And we were there!! Kesh and Tim just bought a new puppy, my kids were very excited to meet her. We had a delicious dinner cooked by Kesh, then Oli got a high temperature and the fun was over. I had a very sleepless night, getting up to Oli, and Sienna, and Landon.

The next morning Tim and Kesh took the kids to the beach and Oli and I stayed home, I had a quick visit with my Pa, then, feeling like I could not face another sleepless night, packed the car and headed off on the long drive back home. Tim and Kesh were also sick, most of my kids were sniffy and Dame was also at home sick in bed! When we finally arrived back at our house I was feeling sick myself, and I was wasted. I went to bed last night at 6:30pm, and was feeling very fluey. This morning I woke up to Laith bringing Dame and I  breakfast in bed. Waffles, cut up apple, nuts, and 2 codral tablets. He also brought dame and I a hot lemon drink. He had all the kids draw us pictures that said get well and he had made me a card that said "To a loving, caring mum. Its terrible you're so sick. You being sick reminds me of the times that we've been sick and you've taken care of us no matter what. Now...it's my turn to give back. I want you to stay in bed all day and give me a call if you need me. Take good care of dad. And good luck getting better! Love from Laith"

Seriously what did I do to deserve the perfect kid??!! He is so fantastic. I stayed in bed til about 10, and it was the best sick day of my life!!!

My Easter Bonnet!!

When I was 7, I was in a church play and we sang the song "Easter bonnet" I was a flower. I remember feeling miserable in my green ribbed tights, my green skivvy, and crepe paper flower mask. The boy I loved was 11, he wore a shirt and bow tie and got to have a girl in a beautiful dress, with a beautiful bonnet walk around him and sit on his knee! I wanted desperately to have a beautiful Easter bonnet!!

This year I got to make an Easter bonnet!! Sienna is still not old enough to be needing an Easter hat so instead I made one for my girlfriends daughter Paris! She looked and felt very special, as all girls should. I love making Easter hats. This year only Landon needed a hat in my family. So I got to get out some of my creativity on my friends kids, she has 6 kids, 5 of which needed hats. We had 11 kids at her house and less than 2 hours to make 6 hats!! We had a few hiccups caused by a broken stapler, and no sticky tape, but when you have lots of kids you get resourceful!!

I will post some pics of the hats as well as some of the hats I have made in the past!! I usually get my materials from newsagents or $2 shops. This year because I wanted Paris's hat to be extra special I went to feather.com.au They have some amazing feathers, and are worth a look, check them out!!

Labours of Love

Our eldest child turned 12 yesterday. I struggle to believe I have a 12 year old. I remember very clearly when I turned 12. It does not seem that long ago! On Thursday night I was up making cookies for Laith to take into school the next day. I did not go to bed until friday morning at 1:57am!! That means a lot of quiet thinking time, as I baked the cookies.

I thought back to that night 12years ago before he was born. I was nervous and excited to finally be meeting this baby I had carried inside me and felt moving for so long. I was enormous with Laith, I had pre-eclampsia, and looked like someone had put a pump in my mouth and pumped me up til I was about to explode! It was not pretty. I was excited to meet my baby and to see my ankles again!

I thought about my labour with Laith, which was HELL!! He was a forceps delivery, and that is all I will say about that. He was just over 9pounds and felt he like I was birthing a watermelon, not a baby! During the whole labour I was saying over and over " I am never doing this again!" "I am never doing this again!" Then as soon as they handed him to me, I was bawling like a baby and I said "I want to do this again!!" Everyone was laughing, but I was instantly in love. He was perfect. He was mine. I cannot express in words how overwhelmed I was with love in that instant. He was worth all that hard work and sacrifice and would be worth any other work or sacrifice I would be required to make throughout his life.

Laith is pretty much a perfect kid, he has always been incredibly mature and responsible. He is so aware and sensitive to the needs of others, he is passionate about the environment, the is completely dedicated to his studies, he is affectionate, thoughtful, and he loves to laugh. He is organised and passionate. He is such a great example to his siblings, and he is my friend.

I thought about those things, I thought about the times he will come and sit next to me on the couch and cuddle me. The mornings he hops into bed with me for a chat. The times he will ask what I need help with and then just go and do it. I thought about the people he chooses to be friends with, and that he has never ever been in trouble at school. I thought about all the awards he has won, and how he is not at all boastful! I thought about him awake on Australia Day morning making breakfast for our family! I felt really glad that I could be up til 2am making cookies, making his day special because he is such a special kid.

I am so blessed that I get to play a part in Laiths life. I know Laith is going to achieve great things in his life, he already has. I am his mum, I get to share in those highs, and comfort him in the lows, right now my opinion matters to him more than anyone. Labours of love like giving birth or making cookies at 2am, are more love, less labour! And being a mum really is something I love. Happy birthday Laith, I could not be more proud of you.

Singing in the Rain!!

Summer is over. I think I have been in our pool maybe once, this summer! Today was pouring with rain, and miserable! The kids and I, were all busy painting. I have been painting a canvas, or 5, for my sisters new Naturopathy and Massage clinic!! I want them to be good. My sister Corinne is a savy business woman, and I am very proud of her. So I am feeling the pressure to do something great!

When the rain came down so hard, that the kids and I could barely talk to each other inside, we decided to have a break from painting and try swimming instead!

It usually has to be piping hot for me to swim, yes I am one of those mum's! So today when the kids said "Can we swim? Can we? Can we?" I decided I would not only let them, but join them. It was cold enough for me to be painting in my ugg boots, so putting on my swimmers and heading into the rain was pretty bold of me. Although the kids all wanted to swim, when it came to the crunch, it was only Noah and I who were nuts enough!! The other kids just ran around in the rain, screaming.

I remembered loving swimming in the rain when I was a kid, somehow it was way more fun 25years ago!! Today, I felt 2 things, freezing, and crazy!!

Come and Find us!!

Today while I was walking back to my car from the gym (that's 5classes so far this week!!) I saw 2 disabled men in their 60's playing hide and seek with their carer! It made me smile. One of the men was hiding behind a pillar in the car park. The pillar was about half the width of his body. The other man was standing right next to him in clear view laughing hysterically, yelling out "Come and find us" to their carer. Their carer walked up behind the pole and tapped the man hiding on the shoulder, it looked as though he had played this game many times before. They all laughed together, and continued on their way into the shops. All of this happened in the time it took me to strap the twins into their car seats. It was such a brief encounter, it actually made me a bit emotional, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it.

I love seeing acts of kindness. I love watching all those shows like 'the secret millionaire', 'Undercover boss' 'Conviction Kitchen' and 'Find my family' I bawl every time I watch them. I wish there was more stories out there like that. More things to lift our spirits. Instead we are surrounded by all the ugly things in the world, the news is so terrible, we read, and see so much more of the bad things that happen, than the good!

I guess that is why being a mum is so incredible. I get to tune out from all the ugly stuff, I can create my own little safe haven. I can teach my kids to love and accept everyone, to appreciate and look for the good in people. To be kind and honest, to work hard. Then when things do get difficult, which is bound to happen, we can play hide and seek and find ways to make each other laugh!!

Not so Favourite!!

This week I have been doing a few of my not so favourite things!! The first one is exercise. Growing up I rarely exercised. Occasionally I would go for a run, but that is about all. Once I had kids that changed, I have been working out ever since. I go through spurts where I am addicted, then nothing! Right now I am trying to get to the addicted stage again. This week I have been at the gym doing a class everyday. Yesterday I did two!! While I am not loving the exercise yet, I am loving the results, I have had a real increase in energy and I am already noticing a decrease in wobble!!

Yesterday I also washed 5 sets of single bed linen, doona and all. As well as 2 sets of queen bedlinen, Because my kids had lice! Another of my not so favourite things to do. All the kids were home yesterday so I could treat their hair.We did manage to squeeze in some of my favourite things as well, we played just dance! Then had a picnic on the grass together and ate tuna and salad!!

Things that FREAK me out!!

I have a long list of things that freak me out!! Things such as mice, spiders, snakes, cockroaches and moths. Why am I scared of moths, you may wonder, it is my brother Ben's fault!! Back in the 80's and 90's when hair was much higher, and therefore required a lot more hairspray. We lived in a house with a carport instead of a garage, my brother Ben would torture me!! This involved catching moths that would always gather around our fluro carport light. After he caught the moths he would come over to me with them  and chuck them into my BIG hair!!! Because my hair was so full of hairspray, and it was curly the moths would get stuck. You know the kind of moths I'm talking about? The big bad ugly ones. I would be bolting around the carport in absolute hysterics, screaming and going berserk!! Sometimes I still have dreams about it!! I know my reaction only egged him on, but I could not help it. I could hear them flapping around my ears, and feel their dusty wings against my face, it was absolute hell!

Now that I am all grown up, and we have a garage, I can easily avoid moths! There are still other things that freak me out though, and they are not the laughing kind. Last week I headed to the gym with the twins. The gym I go to is in a big shopping centre. As we were heading back to the car, Oli ran on in front while Sienna lagged behind. Sienna did not want to walk that day, she kept falling over and crying and asking to be carried, I had my gym bag and full hands so could not pick her up. When we turned the corner to the car park, Oli was no where to be seen!! I ran ahead worried he had run onto the road and been hit! I looked everywhere and could not see him. I started screaming his name, I was frantic! Sienna had caught up by now and sensing the panic in my voice started crying and saying "Oli where are you?" over and over. We were both losing it!! I picked Sienna up, and started running all over the place, screaming, people were staring at me, but I didn't care, I was feeling desperate. I ran back to the gym he wasn't there, I ran out to the playground, and saw him, totally oblivious to what I had gone through, he was running around with some random kids! I wanted to collapse and bawl my head off, I marched over to him, grabbed him by the arm and took him to the car. By the time I got to the car I was shaking, I strapped the twins in their chairs and just sat in the car for about 15minutes crying like a baby! When I could finally speak I tried to explain how important it was that Oli never ever leave my side, that there are bad people and that I could not live if anything ever happend to him.

Today when we went to the gym, as soon as we parked the car Sienna says to Oli "You are never running away again are you Oli, you are going to always hold hands forever?!" Oli reluctantly agreed! Now that I am a grown up there are so many things that scare me more than moths!! That's not to say I would like one thrown in my hair anytime soon!!!

this is how I used to keep track of my twins!! I might have to pull these out again!!