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Sunday 29 July 2012

Sunday Fun

I had a demo booked for Sunday but unfortunately the host came down with gastro and it was cancelled, it was actually a blessing in disguise.

I have had a super tiring week. Waking up each morning feeling as though I haven’t slept a wink; Sophie is still sleeping through, the odd night throwing one wake up our way, I even managed two 7am sleep ins but the headache that came with my tired feeling, oh the headache, hit by a truck kinda headache knocked me for six.

So I woke up yesterday morning and proceeded to lift my heavy head from the pillow wanting to enjoy the amazing sunshine Perth has been delivering lately, wanting to spend the day with my little family doing things we love.

Doing things we love is exactly what we did.

We ventured into Guildford, a gorgeous suburb only 10 minutes from where we live with my sister and her hubby in tow. Guildford has a strip of antique stores selling amazing furniture pieces and too many items that I proceed to drool over.

We had lunch and a well needed coffee and then the browsing began. I think I heard Rob say ‘I could make that’ around 10 times. Well come on then baby, make me some gorgeous furniture.

We visited the nursery and I fell in love with the owner. We were searching for a pot to plant all of my herbs in and she is now on a personal hunt for me. She even offered us a tea or coffee while we perused her collection, super sweet.

I now want to grow blueberries, expensive plant but so pretty and who wouldn’t love to be able to pick their own blueberries.

We returned home and got started on the gardening that we have wanted to get stuck into for too long. We had ripped out one of our garden beds some months ago as all of the flax were looking drab and were all dying on us; we had let it accrue too many weeds and finally dressed it up again. One strip of garden bed contains irises and they were TAKING OVER the garden. OK not quite but they had grown ridiculously big and were covering half of the path that leads to our front door. We dug each one out and split it into two, re-planted them and took the remaining half to our weed infested garden bed around the corner and voila … a brand new and beautiful garden bed now adorns our garden entrance.

Our two girls were our partners in crime and as a family we enjoyed the sunshine, making our home even prettier and plenty of laughs.

Taking time to notice the small things

Improvising with a new watering device

Before ... TOO BIG

Before ... AWESOME DIRT

Couldnt walk along here without getting knocked as I took each step

Loving the fertiliser that we used



After ... Aahhh thats better. Still a decent size but much neater

Sooo pretty


How did you spend your Sunday?
I hope it was as fabulous as mine.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

One lucky lady

Watching Sophie each and every day fills me with so many emotions. I have been watching her over the past few weeks take a leap into a new stage, a new stage of wanting everything that isn’t a toy, a new stage of making completely different sounds … this week being ‘ducka’ which this morning we interpreted as Docker, clearly already barracking for the correct footy team.
I love sitting her on her play mat for her to interact with her toys and I will leave her on her own for a bit, when I return I stand ever so quietly behind her without her realising and these are some of the funniest and proudest moments I experience. She has learnt that when she tugs at her mat, toys that are out of reach suddenly become closer for her to take hold of. She is extremely cheeky, she will begin to whinge, she turns her little head to see if either Rob or I are there, realises we’re not so continues to play.

I have laughed each time I have witnessed this.

Today brought with it a new experience. Swimming.

Sophie looked more beautiful than ever today, she didn’t have a morning nap as Uncle Gav was visiting but being the trooper that she is, she was soldiering on. We waited our turn and then entered the pool.

The half an hour flew by, we sang songs, glided through the water and jumped up and down.

Rob was there to watch. One of the many reasons why I love that he works from home.

Watching her face as water was splashed over her, as we sang new songs she hadn’t heard before was the most amazing experience. I had tears in my eyes whilst I was in the water with her. I was not only witnessing her experience swimming for the first time, I was experiencing it with her.

She would look over at the other babies and start giggling as if to say ‘how much fun is this?!’

My love grows for her more and more each day and I honestly didn’t think that was possible. Could it be that for the past seven months my entire journey as a mother so far has been so surreal I thought I was going to wake up from the best dream ever and it would all be over?

I am on one incredible ride and have the most beautiful cherub to thank for that.

Sunday 15 July 2012

Beating the Winter Blues ...


I am linking up with Fi from My Mummy Daze today for Windows of Happiness.

My window of happiness was Friday last week. My sister and her family live in Karratha and have been down in Perth visiting for the past week, staying with my parents. My brother and his family live down south and they too were in Perth visiting. My SIL and two nephews were heading back down south and were dropping into my parents to say goodbye so Sophie and I were going to visit.

I have been feeling tired lately, OK I have been feeling exhausted. Sophie hasn’t been sleeping the best and had decided 5am wake ups were a wondrous treat for her Mama along with several wake ups in the middle of the night. I started to prepare breakfast for Rob and I when I decided that I needed to change my attitude, yes I am tired, but I can easily change my way of thinking, the days are too precious to sit around and mope about how tired I am. I proceeded to make poached eggs on toast with mushrooms and fetta … YUM! The eggs gave me the perfect pick me up so I got Sophie and myself ready and decided to walk to my parents’ house.

It is only 2.8kms and it is a beautiful walk, I get to cross over the river and enjoy the beautiful winter sun that Perth is having lately.

My family is very laid back, there are no rules when we are at the family home, we all hang out and just have fun.

Friday morning saw my nephew racing my sister around the block and winning, 3 of the family doggies all playing together, coffee being made, my nephew opening up to me about being bullied by his older brother and his friend one day, plenty of cuddles for Sophie, high fives from my beautiful littlest nephew Cooper each time he said bubble and then another 2.8km walk home.





It is the simple things that make me the happiest … spending time with family and soaking up some rays.

Thursday 5 July 2012

Bad habits !

How Rob made it to 30 without me in his life I still wonder.

Yesterday morning as he made his way to the study to start his day, I proceeded to walk around the house clearing his trail of destruction.

Fry pan after making eggs for breakfast just left on the bench.

Because recycling should be left on the kitchen window sill.

Random tablets.

Empty strepsils box ... empty vitamin bottle ... wallet ... I could go on !

Because one plate for breakfast just isnt enough.

Golf clubs have been here since Sunday, he is playing again on Sat, I know they wont move until he leaves for that game. Sophie's empty vaporiser box ... again recyclying ... bin is OUTSIDE babe !

My pet hate (pardon the pun) ... he leaves this out EVERY night (well every night that the dog is let in), I hate walking into the lounge and seeing it there, it should be put behind the couch.

He had a relatively neat and tidy apartment when I met him ... what have I done for him to have lapsed with these skills? DId I take over too much too soon?!

My constant nagging doesn't seem to get anywhere, i'm hoping this blog post will!

Babe ... ARE YOU LISTENING?








Tuesday 3 July 2012

My 80th post ... AND an apology !


My 80th post! To celebrate my 80th post I have decided to write a post to the girl who inspired me to start my blogging journey.

So to Kate from the amazing katesinmelbourne I owe you an apology!

Some 15 years ago in April Kate was having a birthday. I excitedly purchased her a present and my Mum drove me to her house for the delivery to be made.

Oh yeah … I know Kate.

We became friends in 1992 … two girls starting year 1. I saw her standing there with her Dad by her side on our very first day. She looked scared, I was scared, the friendship was meant to be.

I gave Kate her present … none other than an AQUA single. Oh yeah that’s right, Dr Jones & Barbie Girl on CD. Could the girl want anything else?!

She then confessed that her family did not own a CD player.

I told her that I would exchange it and get her something else.

I NEVER DID!!

So Kate, this is my apology, 15 years isn’t too late is it?

I am sorry for not replacing your CD with another birthday present. I truly am.

PHEW !! I am SO glad to have that off my chest.

Sisters !

Yesterday marked my sister’s 28th birthday. My sister and my best friend.


I am so proud of the person that she is today.

We have been each other’s rocks for the entirety of our lives.

We fought when we were little.

I would play rough with her and always get away with it, pays to be the younger sibling.

I would borrow her clothes and try and get out of the house before she noticed.

She would borrow my clothes and I would find them crumpled on her floor with the rest of her wardrobe.


She convinced me to put blonde streaks through my hair when I was 13, Mum was less than impressed.

I guarded the door while our older sis coloured her hair for the first time, the brightest blonde patch formed on the top of her head, she had to miss school the next day and proceeded to spend the entire day at the hairdressers with Mum trying to fix it.
 
I was 17 when I decided to be inked. My sister told Mum and Dad whilst I was there, I had their angry selves waiting for me when I got home.

We spent many nights out together partying; she always included me with her friends.

I was the one she called when she got caught driving home after a few too many. I was in my PJ’s, I pulled up, got out of the car and marched towards her like I was her Mum, all the police thought it was hilarious.

She moved to Melbourne … it was the longest 12 months of my life.

Mum and Dad flew her home for my 18th as a surprise. Best present ever.

She moved home. We moved out together.

Then she moved out.

I supported her through what will be the most difficult thing she will ever experience in her whole life.

I stuck up for her.

I lied for her.
I cried with her.

I argued with her.

All I ever wanted was for her to be happy and healthy.

I always answered my phone when it was her ringing, even if it was 3am, these were the calls that needed to be answered the most.

There was no hesitation, I would jump out of bed, throw some clothes on and drive like there was no tomorrow, pick her up and continue the fastest drive to the emergency department at the nearest hospital.

You can’t mess with heart palpitations.

Quite often Mum and Dad were not told of these instances.

At her worst my Dad thought the only answer was to take her to hospital, she refused to go unless I was with her. Again it didn’t matter what time it was, Dad would call, I would answer and all three of us would drive together in silence to then demand answers from yet more Doctors.

‘Sorry, we are unable to help you.’

Words a Father & Sister don’t want to hear at 2am when as a family we have all been suffering for too long.


Finally, she searched for an answer which would help her, she would fly to Canada for three months.

By this stage she was too sick to travel such a distance on her own, I would travel with her.

We packed her bags, tears were shed, we were all hoping for the best.

We had an 8 hour wait in Hong Kong airport on our way there, she was too sick to walk, she slept lying across chairs using her bag as a pillow, I stayed awake to watch our things.

I had to leave her at a house in a remote area of Vancouver; I bid her farewell, not sure when I would see her again.

I spent 3 days staying with friends; I received phone calls each day filled with tears on the other end.

She gave Rob strict instructions before we left ‘do not propose whilst I am away.’

Rob has never coped well with instructions. He proposed at the airport when I arrived home.

It took me two weeks to work up the courage to tell her the news.

She missed my engagement party, I was devastated.

We were meant to be reunited after three months … it was extended to six.

She was my maid of honour 4 months after she arrived home.

She was beautiful.


For the past three and a half years she has fought … fought to stay healthy … fought to stay happy. She has had slips but she knows how to bring herself back. I admire her for this.

My sister is an extremely strong willed person. She only ever wants everyone around her to be happy, she is there for me whenever I need her, she is not only Sophie’s amazing Aunty, but also her godmother. I wouldn’t have had anybody else.


This year she celebrated her 28th birthday, she celebrated by being healthy which makes me the happiest sister ever.


We are the best of friends. I couldn’t have wished for a more amazing person to grow up with and to have by my side each day.

Claire, Happy Birthday, I love you !