2012... in my head

I've never really done the whole new years resolution stuff. Just haven't bothered. I thought I might this year. And then I read about everyone (other bloggers that I follow) else setting their own goals for 2012 (they are great blog posts don't get me wrong). And then that put me off. Those who know me will know that I don't like doing things just because everyone else does them. It is just not me. However I then felt stupid to not do something I wanted to do just because others are doing it too!
So last night I sat down and really thought about what 2012 means to me- what is floating around in my head. What I want to accomplish and achieve- what I need to deal with. And this is what I came up with;

Thought: For my husband: I would love for nothing more than for my darling husband to reduce his workload. Working six days a week makes for a hectic lifestyle.

Action: Become more organised and efficient around the home so that when my husband gets home there is less work to be done enabling us to spend more time together as a family. A small goal is going to be to iron more often and to wash up a few times a day so that it doesn't build up to create a disaster zone!

Thought: For my toddler: My daughter (who is 25mths) needs speech therapy and this issue had been put aside while I dealt with my infant's issues. And I've been feeling so very guilty!
Action: To commit to paying for and taking her along to each lesson and doing all the necessary follow-up homework.

Thought: For my baby (though I think I'm going to have to stop calling her a baby very soon): She is a beautiful, cheeky little girl but has not been an easy baby. I've endured 5 months of getting up hourly during the night with an unsettled girl, screaming for hours on end both day and night and also dealing with her issues of not eating and losing weight. I am surprised that I am not grey already. Seriously. It has been hard going.

Action: To learn to give her to God. I need to learn to pray for her more often. That's it. She needs my prayer. 

  

Thought: For my blog: I'd like to stick to my original plan... I blog to share, to encourage and to keep myself accountable.

Action: Continue to write with integrity- not giving in to what people want to read but write what is on my heart. Doing this by re-reading my blogs before I post them and if I doubt a post, to ask my husband to read and critique.

Thought: For me: I'd like to take care of the many things that are wrong with my body and mind in order to be in better shape for the next pregnancy (whenever that is).

Action: To make appointments with my Neurologist (numbness in my right leg), Anesthetist (to decide whether I'm allowed to have another epidural), Obstritrician (discuss birthing options if I can't have an epidural), GP (issues...), Physio (Neck pain which also causes blurred vision and dizziness), Surgeon (concerning my gallbladder episodes). As you can see... I need work! I am guilty of cancelling my appointments because something with the children comes up and they come first. I need a plan to actually stick to scheduled appointments!

I want to learn more about gardening, especially about growing fruit and vegetables. I love the way my backyard can make me feel. It makes me feel carefree, safe, happy and relaxed. Even mowing (for me) is therapeutic.And I feel that this may 'help' my anxiety attacks decrease.
I want to work on being kinder. To others. Especially my family. And to me. I will use 2012 to work on lowering expectations for myself... to bring that bar down just a teensy bit.

I'll be interested to see how I go when I revisit this post in 12 months time... I sure hope I can get a few things ticked off in that time.

If you haven't written some goals for 2012 yet, I encourage you to do so. It is amazing how good it feels to get it all down in writing. It just seems more real. And in my case much more accountable!

Happy New Years Everyone xxx

Highlights of 2011

I love looking back on a year and thinking about all the wonderful things we as a family have seen and experienced. It just reinforces to me how blessed we all are and how fortunate I am. This year has gone very quickly- almost too quickly. The years seem to slip by very quickly when you have children. I can't believe my eldest is two! It just seems like yesterday that I was holding that positive pregnancy test... and now I have two beautiful young daughters!
The highlights of 2011 for me have been;

We welcomed our second child, another baby girl, into our family in April.

My husband found a job that he loves and enjoys.

I started blogging in May- I love being challenged to think and write about my life and what I hold dear to my heart. Thank-you to all those people who have supported and encouraged me!

My beautiful sister got married in November to a wonderful man- I am overjoyed to see how happy they are together.

I have 'settled-in' more this year to our new town that we call home. I have loved meeting new people and joining new groups.

I was Matron Of Honour twice! (All in one year, yes a little 'ouch' to the wallet but incredibly honoured and thankful)

What a wonderful year. I'm excited and encouraged to see what 2012 has for me and for my family!  If you haven't already 'looked back' on 2011, I encourage you to take the time to do so now... the new year is very close. 

Oh, and if you think you are alone by having more 'crappy' things happen in 2011 than good ones, then you are wrong. I could make a very long list of things this year that have been very hard. But that's not what this blog post it about. I am choosing to focus on the positive and leaving the negative behind. After all, there will always be negative things going on in our lives... the happy ones deserve our attention!

"Your attitude can take you forward or your attitude can take you down. The choice is always yours!"
Jimmy Catherine Pulsifer

So... let's choose to move forward and *charge into 2012  

* (I was thinking Arsenic & Old Lace- a Cary Grant classic)!

One line a day for five years

I've kept a diary on and off since I was 12 years old. I love writing down my thoughts, dreams and sometimes my frustration. I particularly love looking back to my past journals, seeing what has changed in my life, how my dreams and hopes have come true and what has happened that I never thought possible.

Looking back through my early teenage journals recently was hilarious... how little I knew about myself, the world and what was in store for me. For instance... at 14 years old, I did write that I was never going to get married or have children. I can't quite remember what must of inspired me to write that!

I did however write in one journal (at 16 years old) that I had found the man I was going to marry... and yes, I am married to him today. I guess I was spot on sometimes.

My sister bought me this diary for Christmas- which she found when she was traipsing through Europe earlier in the year. This is a beautiful book that is a condensed, comparative record for five years, for recording events most worthy of remembrance. Basically it provides room to write 1-2 short sentences for each for five years. I can't wait until January 1st to kick start if off!


What about you? Do you like to record your life? Are you like me and loves to write about life?

No rushing bedtime

My husband works six days a week. One of those days he is gone for 13 hours. Our weeks are long. Too long. So when I put down bubs at 6.30pm and my toddler at 7pm, I crash. I really hang out for 7pm- especially on those 13 hour days. Some days all I want to do is hurry up and get the girls in bed so I can sit and relax on the couch, or have time to iron or do something for me. This means that sometimes it is easy to rush bedtime. 

In my opinion 'rushing bedtime' is a big no-no.

Our bed-time wind-down looks like this:

5pm: Dinner

5.30pm: Baths

6pm: Milk, get into pyjamas and quiet play time (sometimes TV)

6.30pm: Bed for our 8mth old and supper for our toddler

6.45pm: Time to start getting toddler for bed (brush teeth, collect reward stickers, fill up a bedtime water sippy cup, collect her bedtime teddy, read one and only one bedtime story and then pray).
7pm: Lights out

Why I hate to rush bedtime:

1. I feel that this routine provides a necessary, safe structure for little children. My toddler knows exactly what happens before bedtime and we hardly ever have any fuss at bedtime (and only usually when I have forgotten to pray with her or give her her teddy). 

This routine also offers her a chance to be involved, to think before something happens and to get ready for bedtime herself- a chance to be more independent. After supper my toddler often searches the house for her teddy and puts him on the bed and I often find her impatiently knocking on the bathroom door ready to brush her teeth.

2. When I am in a rush at bedtime, I find our prayer time suffers the most. And this is probably the thing I should be saving the most time for. I don't ever want to rush my prayer or give my toddler an impatient vibe that will deter her from praying. Listening to my daughter pray has become one of my highlights of my day.

3. Our book time gives my daughter and I time to snuggle up and enjoy reading one (yes, just one book- we read plenty of other books during the day) book together. I find that this ends the day beautifully, in each others arms and ready to give each other a hug and kiss goodnight. Our 'goodnight book' is always a basic bible book, a positive Christian message or story- we never have to fight her on this, she loves her bible stories.

Up until a month ago we used to watch 'In the Night Garden' on ABC24kids which went from 6.30pm to 7pm. When it finished at 7pm we would then start our 2 year old on the teeth/book etc routine which meant I wasn't leaving her room until 7.15pm-sometimes later! This was the cause for me 'rushing'. I have noticed a definite switch in my own attitude since we no longer watch this show (I can play it at 6pm on the DVD) and get ready at 6.45pm. I feel that I am giving my daughter more time at night and I also get 'my time' at 7pm. A win-win! And I no longer feel as though I am rushing the 'slow down' period of the day.

What type of bedtime routine do you have? Do you find that you rush bedtime?

A clean house is a sign of a wasted life

Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends. It only lasts for a few days every year and those days are ones we should cherish. I believe in doing as little as possible around the house to make time for more important things. 

 

We often use disposable utensils, plates and dishes at Christmas. One less job means one more moment that we can spend with each other instead of washing up. And to be quite honest... loved ones are more 'time-worthy' than the dishes!

And remember 'Many hands make light work' (or so the saying goes) and it works for us.

Hope this Christmas has seen you share many laughs and good times with your loved ones.

In as few words as possible #3

A garden stroll

More interested in the furniture than her Santa sack!

Toys!

Enjoying some quiet play time

Hiding in a box... the best part of Christmas

Bubs getting into the spirit of Christmas

Christmas Finger Painting

Dora Scooter Fun

Bubs opening her presents

Wow... a new train

Toddler wanted to play with bub's toys (of course!)

A cooked brekky

All I want for Christmas 2011

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  ~Burton Hillis

I just logged on to Facebook. No-one is online. Everything seems quiet. Not surprising seeing as though it is Christmas day! Why am I online and writing this? I am at home (and listening to a Christmas CD by Chris Tomlin- nice). Both of the girls are asleep and my husband is at work. And I normally blog during this time so I decided to write even though there is no-one to read it. 

We have no family near us but present opening in our home was still fun this morning, lots of toy noises and wrapping ripping... squeals of excitement! I managed to cook a hot brekky (even though I was up many times last night with sick kids) and because my toddler had a temperature during the night and is sick today we decided to miss the morning church service that we had planned on attending.
I planned a Sara Lee lunch (we only got home late last night from being away for two days)... a hot lasagne and chocolate cake. Thank-you Sara Lee!

We have all been spoilt rotten this Christmas. Way too spoilt! My husband got several books he was hoping for as well as a new car CD player. I was lucky enough to get a subscription to Practical Parenting and Mother & Baby magazines and an amazing canvas print that I got a few months ago. 


My two year old scored a Dora scooter and many many other 'Dora' items, a Leap Frog Tag Junior, some beautiful books, a few games, crayons & paints, DVDs etc.! My 8mth old got a walker (hope she will need that soon), a train, a Fisher Price sing-a-long toy, some beautiful books and so much more. I haven't told you half of what we have received! We all feel extremely fortunate and blessed this Christmas.

And even though we had our family Christmas function yesterday I would still give all my presents in exchange for being with them all today. Nothing that anyone could buy could replace our family. My husband and I are truly blessed to have such a strong, faithful family that would do anything for each other- always there to help as much as they can. Our family don't just do the least they can do, they do more than they should do- they are thoughtful.

As I sit here, typing, feeling just a tiny bit lonely I am reminded that God is always with us and he is with me now.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:20

This is the message of Christmas:  We are never alone.  ~Taylor Caldwell

A birthday cake for Jesus

My eldest recently had her 2nd birthday... so she 'knows' about birthdays. So we thought we would have a birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday! I mean, why not? We sung 'Happy Birthday' and once again had a chat about the the real meaning of Christmas...

My husband, children and I are not with our family today and there is just something wrong with that! But we have a lovely day to look forward to... so I am soldiering on. After we open presents I am making a cooked breakfast (sausages, bacon, egg, hash-browns, waffles & cocoa pops) and then we will hopefully (toddler had a temperature during the night) be off to church (can't wait for the Christmas carols) and then its a yummy Sara Lee Lasagne and Sara Lee Chocolate cake for dinner & dessert. Then my husband is off to work after lunch and I am hoping that we will have a relaxing afternoon with the girls playing with new toys and books. We are so blessed!

 Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a safe and blessed holiday!

Smoothie Sensation

A few weeks ago our family went berry picking at a local farm. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day and afterwards we enjoyed fresh strawberry smoothies. This was my daughters first smoothie (after refusing ones I had previously made at home, sigh). Now that I know she loves smoothies, I will be making the most of it this summer!

Today we made strawberry & banana smoothies. I'm of the belief that you don't need recipes for smoothies, you chuck this and that in and you can't go wrong. This time we used two strawberries, a banana, a tub of vanilla yoghurt and roughly 2 cups of milk.

Yummy- ready~!

Day 22 Christmas Lolly Tin

The lucky last Christmas activity of our 'Christmas series' is making a 'Christmas Lolly Tin' (basically using up leftover craft materials). 

Step 1: Cover a tin with wrapping paper.

Step 2: Decorate tin with Christmas 'bits' (ribbon, bells etc)

Step 3: Cut out photo and glue on.

Step 4: Glue pompoms onto lid.

Step 5: Fill tin with lollies

This is our last day of our '22 Christmas activities for 2year olds'. My toddler has loved the variety of craft, cooking, music, books and activities that we have had going on this month- our house is covered with home-made goodies and decorations. We have truly experienced the festive decorative season and what a joy it has been.

Our favourite three Christmas activities have been...

Marshmellow Snowmen

DIY bath foam nativity set AND...

Potato painting wrapping paper

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a restful break.  
 Merry Christmas!

Day 21 Christmas stamping

Step 1: Buy Christmas stamps (I was given these) & ink pad & paper

Step 2: Let kids 'go to town' with the stamps

Step 3: End product... a stamped page (they are very little so sorry you cant see properly!)

The rewards

As a Mum of two young daughters (2yr old and a 8mth old) I tend to put in a lot of hard work- being a good example and teaching and guiding my children to love and serve the Lord, never quite knowing whether I've been doing it the right way.

My husband and I have spent the last couple of weeks reading Christmas stories to our girls which they have really enjoyed (they just love reading). As you know we have also been doing our daily Christmas activities which range from cooking to craft to colouring-in. During these activities I have been taking the chance to talk to my toddler about the true meaning of Christmas. And of course, I really wasn't sure how much she was really soaking in until a few days ago.

My toddler and I were playing with our Christmas playdough kit when we started using the 'star' cutter and I said to her 'wow, that is like the star that the wise men followed to find baby Jesus'. She ran off into the lounge room (with play-dough in her hands) so I followed her to bring her back (we have carpet). I found her standing under the Christmas tree pointing at the star. I said "Yes, we have that big star on the Christmas tree to remind us of the star at the very first Christmas". She then ran into her bedroom (I had managed to pry the play-dough out of her hands by this stage). I went back into the kitchen to pack away the play-dough and a few minutes later she brings out her favourite Christmas story book, the one that has the star.

 
She had it all figured out. I felt so much joy and job satisfaction. Even though her understanding of Christmas is still quite limited (she just turned two!), I know that I have been doing a great job at teaching her the basics. YIPPEE (can you tell that I am just a little excited).

God Bless you this Christmas xxx

Bathroom sanity

I can't stand wet, moist, smelly bathrooms. I am one of those weird people who likes to have the first shower so everything is nice and dry and clean beforehand. I also don't like our bathroom being a room that my children can enter without the supervision of an adult. There are a few ways I overcome these 'dislikes'...

1. The 'hook'- We installed this hook ourselves and it works brilliantly. The children can't go into the bathroom with an adult unhooking the latch and it also creates airflow which decreases that 'musty and mouldy' type smell that I hate.

2. The overhead fan- A standard in most bathrooms the fan is brilliant at reducing the moisture in the bathroom.

3. The window- Of course, cracking open the window is an obvious one but sometimes in a cold climate (way under 0 degrees in winter) it isn't always an option.

4. Hanging up the towels- I've also found that by hanging up towels straight away they dry quicker and therefore don't create that awful bathroom smell.
5. The buffer thing- The 'thing' on the door that you can see in this picture is a foam 'thing' (I don't know what they are called!) that is handy for when we are in the bathroom with the kids to prevent tiny fingers getting jammed.

6. The flushable wipes- We have these handy flushable wipes sitting by the bathroom sink permanently which means that whenever things get a little grubby it takes literally a minute to quickly wipe things down. This is super handy if you are one of those people (like myself) who intends leave the bathroom in search of a cloth and a spray but as soon as you leave the bathroom you have already forgotten what you were intending on doing! Got to love Mummy brain!

Day 20 Nativity magnets set

Our fridge is always a mini play area. We have different activities for the girls to play with which such as the Leap Frog fridge phonics & farm animals sets. I find it very useful for times when I am in the kitchen for extended periods of time and my toddler wants to be near me.

Today we made a Nativity magnet set. I decided to keep things easy and use the same template from the DIY Bath Foam Nativity Set.

What we used:

1. Pencils/crayons

2. Paper & template

3. Laminator and sheets

4. Magnet stickers

Steps:

1. My toddler helped me colour the characters in.

2. I cut them out and then laminated them and then cut them out again.

3. Stick a magnet square on the back of each character.

3. Put them on the fridge for my toddler to enjoy!

White winter wreath from plastic bags

This is our 'White winter wreath'...

 I made my first plastic bag wreath as a child and can still remember how much fun it was to make. If you don't have the sandwich bags you can use normal plastic shopping bags.

What you need:

Plastic sandwich bags (not the zip-lock kind)

A wire coat hanger

Instructions:

1. Form the wire coat hanger into a circle, keeping the hook at the top. 

2. Fold a plastic bag in half lengthwise and tie it around the hanger with a single overhand knot. Repeat, pushing the bags together until the circle is full. Add a bow (I ran out of my Christmas ribbon and haven't made it to the shops to buy more so I had to make do with a Christmas tree decoration!). 

 I love that this wreath is different, special and fun to make. It is one Christmas tradition in our household that I cherish. What Christmas traditions do you love?

Day 19 Christmas bookmarks

My husband and I are huge readers (I wish I had more time to read more these days). Huge.We have thousands and thousands of books. We dream of one day having our own little library in our home- think Beauty & the beast style.

And I am not kidding. There is just so much beauty in that picture... one day!

Anyway our craft today was making our own bookmarks. My toddler is giving one to my husband for Christmas with a special message on it (the message is more the present) but of course I can't give you details because my husband does read this blog. I found our bookmark templates here. 

My daughter coloured in her pretty bookmarks and then I cut them out ready to laminate... and it all scrunched up (I wasn't watching) and ruined one of the bookmarks (the furthest to the right in the picture)- eeek! Luckily she doesn't mind. And neither do we.

Day 18 Dough ornaments

This afternoon we made Christmas dough ornaments for our Christmas tree. I've been wanting an excuse for years to make these and finally I was able to (Yippee!). 

The recipe for the dough is basic;

* 4 cups of plain flour

* 1 cup of salt

*1 & 1/2 cups of warm water

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees C.

2. Mix flour and salt and gradually add water- stirring with a large spoon. Finish off the mixing with your hands.

3. Roll out dough and cut Christmas shapes with cookie cutters. Then place them on cookie sheets and use a straw to make a hole in the top of each ornament for threading string afterwards. Bake until hard- for roughly an hour. 

4. Decorate with paint and varnish to preserve. 

 

Four more days left of '22/2'- 22 Christmas activities for your 2 year old!