30 August 2013

Being grateful: Spring

Last week I was grateful for warmer weather, the pockets of sunshine we were having and to see the end of Winter, so this week's post had to be about Spring!

I love Spring, its probably my most favourite season.


A blossom from my plum tree

I remember growing up the flowers Dad grew in his greenhouse: carnations, sweet peas, orchids, chrysanthemums and roses.

The flower shows my parents helped with and visits to beautiful gardens.

The jasmine is flowering like crazy, I love its smell.

A couple months ago we planted Dad's favourite rose (Mr Lincoln) in our front garden, in memory of Dad. Over the past few weeks the leaves have started sprouting. I can't wait for it to bud, it's a beautiful rose. We also planted some english standard roses, and lavendar which are starting to flower.

"Mr Lincoln" standard rose planted in my Dad's memory

This week I am grateful for spring weather, flowers in bloom, birds chirping outside my window and gorgeous sunshiny days spent playing at the park.

What are you grateful for?

I am linking up with Octavia & Vicky for 52 weeks of grateful.

21 August 2013

Let the creative juices flow

Lately I've been letting my creative juices flow! Spending time creating is something that makes me really happy. I love to sit outside & soak up the sun while doodling ideas in my journal.

I love to draw the first thing that enters my mind (when I have some peace & quiet), and see where my ideas take me.


My latest drawing titled "Don't give up on your dreams"
Lately, I've been inspired by all the beautiful stationery & prints found at kikki.k (I'd love a job there!), and would so love to one day start up my own little business selling my own watercolour prints. It's a little dream at the moment, but something I keep thinking about.

Some watercolour drawings I've been working on

Another one of my creative passions has been baking. I've been loving all the cooking shows that's on TV at the moment especially "Great Australian Bake Off", a shame its on late, as I'm always left hungry after watching it!

As an early anniversary present, my Hubbby bought me my own mixer!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited, it's sooo pretty!!

My new baby, she's so pretty!

Today Popette and I christened it by making some cupcakes, which were very tasty!

A couple weeks ago we celebrated my Mum's birthday, it was the first birthday without Dad, so I wanted her cake to be something fun, and that cheered her up. So I made her a garden bed cake with "Nanna" sitting behind a little garden bed which spelt out "M.U.M". Mum got a good laugh out of it, so that was all that I needed.

My Mum's birthday cake

What do you do to get your creative juices flowing?

12 August 2013

Popette's celebration dinner

Popette has successfully completed toilet training! Yayyy!!! Its only taken her 2 and a bit years to get out of nappy pants at night, but she's finally done it. We are so proud of her.

It was like one day her little body decided it was time to be a big girl and no longer wear nappy pants to bed. She had a couple weeks of waking up in dry nappy pants, then we started her in undies. She is so excited to be wearing undies to bed.



For the past 1 1/2 weeks she's been wearing undies to bed, and has only had one very small accident (so small we didn't need to change her sheets), so Hubby & I thought it called for a celebration!

On Saturday night we held a little celebration dinner just for Popette, with lots of "plates of dinners" (as Popette called it). Hubby cooked us a mixture of tapas, which we set on Popette's table in the lounge room and ate while watching Sleeping Beauty.

After dinner we presented Popette with her Huggies Disney Princesses certificate (which she was sooo very excited to receive, she loves the princesses!) which had been stuck on the bathroom wall for the past 2 years, waiting for the day to be handed to her.

Hooray for Popette!
 

08 August 2013

Suffering a cold with a mild dose of motherguilt

I haven't been feeling very well this week. Last Saturday we had a lovely afternoon playing on one of those giant jumping pillows, but I think the jumping in cold windy weather didn't help me! :(

Popette having a bounce on the giant pillow on the weekend
For the past few days I've been battling a soar throat and headache that just doesn't want to go away, so I've been letting the DVD player have a workout (I will soon know "Cinderella" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" off by heart!) and the TV tuned to "ABC4Kids".

I always feel guilty when the girls sit in front of the TV for too long. Most days they are playing with the TV going in the background, so don't really sit for too long. Popette is now turning off the TV by herself (except she usually forgets to turn the DVD player off) which is great. Good for saving power!

Popette
As it's been a bit nippy lately, they haven't played much outside, so have missed trips to the park.

This week we were supposed to catchup with friends of Popettes, but had to cancel because their Mum was sick also. Another friend tried arranging a catchup, but I knocked her back because I wasn't feeling well.

Why is it, that when you try and look after yourself, your littlies suffer.

Yesterday Popette was playing with "imaginary" friends. She had two balloon's that she had drawn faces on and called them "Fred" and "Olivia", and told me they were here new best friends. It was a short friendship, they lasted all of 2 minutes and burst!

She got quite upset afterwards, and shared with me that she was sad that she didn't have any friends to play with at home, and doesn't want to play on her own. She told me that she doesn't like playing on her own, and asked if I'd play with her.

It broke my heart.

I felt so guilty for her not seeing much of her friends lately, I know I have been reluctant to take them out when they are sick or just gotten over a sickness, as I haven't wanted them to get any sicker, or I've had so much on my plate I would decline a catchup and stay at home to get things done.

Sometimes I forget that they are little for only so long, and soon Popette will be going to school, and I won't have this time with her.

I feel so bad for Popette. She used to be such an outgoing little toddler, now she's become a little withdrawn and shy playing with other kids. When I asked her about playing with kids at daycare, she said "What if they don't like me or don't want to play with me". Poor darlin.

I really need to make an effort and arrange some regular catchups for Popette with her friends.

Poor Cherub doesn't really have any little friends to play with, I've been taking her to playgroup in a hope she'll meet some little kids her age, but she normally plays with me, her sister or on her own. She follows her big sister around and will play with her sister's friends & their siblings, so I guess that's one good thing.

Do you ever experience motherguilt? What do you do to overcome it?

02 August 2013

Being grateful: For some peace & quiet

Lately the girls have been driving me crazy with their non-stop "Mum" or "Mumma, Mumma", screeching matches & constant chatter.

Popette just. doesn't. stop. talking! I'm sure it's like it for all 4.5 year olds, she asks so many questions, talks incessantly even when we ask her to be quiet...she can't seem to stop even to eat her dinner.



At the dinner table last night she was taking forever to finish her dinner, and said to me.

"It's taking a while to get my tummy full", I replied "Its because you are talking too much", which she cheekily responded with "I think I'm a chatterbox!" (no, really?)

Popette is at daycare on Thursday and Fridays, so I am grateful to have some peace & quiet! While Cherub can be a little noisy its nowhere near as much with them both at home. And thankfully she still has a nap during the day!

I am linking up with Octavia & Vicky for 52 weeks of grateful.