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My almost-3-year-old son Oscar was watching me breastfeed my 4.5 month old son the other morning. After quietly observing (very unusual I have you!), he politely asked me if I would feed his baby with my milk when he grows up!
Trying to hold in the snorts of laughter, so as not to bruise his sensitive toddler ego, I told him that I wouldn't be able to feed his baby, as this milk was only for little Max.
He seemed content with this, but after a few minutes of contemplation he looked up and declared 'Mum, lets go down the shops, so I can buy some boobies to sticky-tape on me so I can feed my baby!!'
These are the moments that makes every sleepless night, inconsolable tantrum and spiking fever worth it!
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As I have mentioned before, I love running. I relish the challenge of it - physically and mentally, pushing my limits and boundaries. I adore being outdoors, running in different temperatures, seasons, terrains. I cherish the time alone I have to run - to reflect, be inspired, or simply to be moved by the music on my Ipod. Yes, I have been known to throw a few high kicks, air punches and air guitars into my running routine when the music so-inspires - I'm talkin' to you Johnny Farnham, Billy Joel, Ben Harper!
However as a busy mum, I find it hard to take time out for my runs. Its not going to happen in the morning before my husband goes to work - not with nappies to change, breakfast to make, coffee to drink, showers to have, PlaySchool to watch. And after he comes home at night, I'm tired, starving and more ready for a glass of wine than a leisurely jog.
So I have re-discovered the joys of skipping. Its fantastic - now I know why I loved it in Primary School! I can do it everyday when the boys are in bed, or being babysat by The Wiggles. It is an incredible aerobic workout, and gets my heartrate going in no time at all. It is also great cross-training, strengthening up my legs and feet (they need it now that I am playing netball again) - not to mentionned my arms and abs. Because it is relatively stationary (ie. bouncing up and down on the spot), I can also concentrate on my core stability as I work out - very important after recently having had a baby. Its time efficient - as it is so physically demanding, I only have to skip for half or even a quarter of the time that I would have spent running. Its convenient, because I can do it in the backyard - maybe I can work up to multitasking - doing the dishes or the ironing while skipping?!?!?!
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Some of my fondest childhood memories involve sitting around the kitchen table, manically cutting, pasting, ripping, building, drawing, painting - creating fabulous craft masterpieces from the bits and pieces we found around the house. Now, I want to pass those memories and skills onto my own children. My only problem now is that I still love creating these craft goodies, and its hard for the kids to get a hand in to make their own - I will have to work on that....
As Easter approaches, I want to take the emphasis off chocolate (a very hard, if not impossible task!) and focus more on the symbolism of the easter egg, and the importance of life and sharing time with family.
On Good Friday I am inviting my young nieces over and we are going to spend the day creating the following Easter projects. We will also be making our own easter baskets (haven't work out how to make them yet!) and will be having an easter egg hunt - of course the kids will have to fight me for the eggs!
Decorating Eggs Using Food Coloring
Try this easy method for decorating your Easter eggs.
Materials Needed:
* Hard Boiled Eggs
* Food Coloring
* Vinegar
Instructions:
In a coffee cup, mix about 20 drops of food coloring with 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Add 1/2 cup hot water. Before you color your eggs let the water cool to room temperature. If necessary you can add a bit more water. You want the coloring to completely cover the egg when put in the cup. Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Experiment with mixing colors. Mix red and blue to get purple, and mix red and yellow to make orange!
Gently lower eggs in the cup. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker the colors will be. Once the egg reaches the desired color, remove from the cup with a spoon and pat dry with a paper towel.
To add designs to your colored eggs try one of these ideas:
1. For a tie dye effect, wrap rabbur bands around the eggs before dying.
2. Write your name or draw a picture on your eggs using light colored crayons and then dye as usual.
3. Place shaped stickers on your eggs before dying!
4. Cut small strips of masking tape and stick on eggs before dying.
Marbled Easter Eggs
This page includees instructions for decorating easter eggs to make them look marbled.
Materials Needed:
* Hard Boiled Eggs
* Food Coloring
* Vinegar
* Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
In a coffee cup, mix about 1 tablespoon of food coloring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1/2 cup cool water. If necessary you can add a bit more water. You want the coloring to completely cover the egg when put in the cup. Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Experiment with mixing colors. Mix red and blue to get purple, and mix red and yellow to make orange!
Gently lower an egg into a cup using a spoon until the egg is completely covered by the liquid. Remove the egg immediately and pat dry with a paper towel.
Egg Critters
Blow out eggs and decorate them to look like fun people and animals.
Materials Needed:
* Raw Egg
* Sharp Nail or Large Needle
* Glue
* Paint or Markers
* Misc Craft Supplies
Instructions:
Wash your egg well. Carefully poke a small hole in each end of the raw egg. Hold the egg over a bowl and blow into one of the holes. The egg liquid should slowly come out the other hole. Sometimes this is a big job, and kids should get an adults help and permission before trying this. Once the egg shell is empty, rinse it off and set it aside to dry.
Now comes the fun part! Gather misc. craft supplies such as wiggle eyes, tiny pom-poms, scrap material, construction paper, pipe cleaners, etc. and make a critter out of your blown egg! You can make a bunny, a baby chick, a person, or whatever kind of creature you want. Get creative!
Easter Egg Mosaics
Save all those peeled Easter egg shells to make a mosaic picture.
What you'll need:
* Easter egg shells
* Glue
* Cardboard or heavy construction paper
How to make it:
1. Crush all the Easter egg shells into small pieces (not tiny!).
2. Glue the egg shells down on cardboard or paper to create a mosaic picture.
Bunny Ears for Kids
These ears make up quick and easy
What you'll need:
* White poster board
* Pink construction paper
* Scissors
* Pencil
* Tacky glue or school glue
* Tape or stapler
* Easter stickers, optional
* Markes, crayons, or colored pencils; optional
How to make it:
1. Cut a strip of poster board about 2" wide by about 24" long.
2. Cut out 2 ears out of poster board each about 8 1/2" long x 3 1/2" wide.
3. Cut out 2 smaller ears out of pink construction paper.
4. Glue the pink ears inside the white ears.
5. Glue the ears inside the band, positioning to fit behind the child's head.
6. Let the child decorate the head band with stickers, markers, crayons, or colored pencils if they wish.
7. Tape or staple the band to fit the child. Cut off any excess.
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Its my birthday in a month, and I have never shied away from making a big deal of it, and of course getting everyone to make a big deal out of me!
However as an increasingly busy mum, I am finding the emphasis on birthdays a little less important nowadays. Our family is, in essence, a non present-giving family. We believe that the best gifts should be given from the heart, at a spontaneous occasion, born from love and imagination, not duty. Of course I spoil the kids rotten at Christmas and on their birthdays, but I also make sure that these occasions are full of many home-made and crafty celebratory ideas. I will post some of these ideas for kids parties at a later date.
But it is so lovely to feel special, and as my 28th birthday draws near, I am beginning to realise that there is not much in the way of material goods that will make my special day complete. In reality, I can buy almost anything I really want, and I am also consciously trying to live less of a consumer lifestyle. I have decided that this year, all I want (and need) is time. The most precious commodity I can think of - and priceless!
On my actual birthday I will take some time out for 'me time'. A haircut, coffee and a relaxed browse through some Opp Shops should do the trick nicely. Back home to make play-dough, play cars on the floor, run around at the park - quality 'kid time'. With no cooking, cleaning, sorting, organising to think about at all. Finally a good dose of 'hubby time' - either a good wholesome meal out, or tickets to a band, show or concert should make my day complete! And everyone wins!
But don't get me wrong, I am a buddha-in-training, and I cannot overcome the exciting, but relatively superficial joy of receiving a nice thoughtful wrapped present!
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I am not a strict Buddhist, but I consciously live my life according to Buddhist philosophies, and have been informally studying various forms of it for over 10 years now. My meditation skills have been shaky and irregularly practised over the years, and now as a mother of two, I find that time for such passive reflections has gone right out the window.
However, I have come to realise and appreciate that meditation does not always have to involve a cross legged position on the floor, as the sun rises on a beautiful calm morning. Meditation is a trained state of mind, a state of being, and always an evolving process. I have come to capture that state of mind whenever I can. Going for a long run completely calms my mind and channels my inner energies, spirit and ideas. A great yoga session is as refreshing for my mind as it is for my body. Cuddling my son as he falls asleep enriches my heart almost more than it can hold. Even this blog - a reflection on life and parenting - is a form of meditation via communication.
I discovered yesterday that I have another activity of which I can add to my daily meditations list. I have recently taken up organic gardening, and after I potted my new herbs, I found myself wandering outside at regular intervals throughout the day to check up on them, water them, to see if they had grown or changed (duh!). I realised that I have to accept that these herbs will grow slowly with time, patience, love and care. They too are a growing, evolving process that can reflect my state of mind by the time and care that I put into them.
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I am 27 years old, about to turn 28 in April. I am so glad that I had children in my 20s. I feel I have the energy to chase around after them, and also pursue all the dreams that I continuously conjure up. It also refreshes me that I will be able to return to work when they are all at school, still at a relatively young age.
I am married to an amazing Italian man, and his large Italian family, who I adore. The ability to eat your body weight in pasta, drink copious amounts of red wine and have 20 conversations at once were prerequisites for marriage into this family. I wouldn't change it for the world.
I was born in Melbourne, Australia, the eldest of 3 girls, to two eccentric, yet wholesomely grounded parents. They disagree that they were hippies in the 70s. I think there is nothing cooler. I lived an idealic Australian childhood - memories filled with gardens, dirt, climbing, adventure, sun, sand, imagination, and spirit.
I love travel, and lived in New York City for a year in 2004. While living there, I was nearly repelled by my own inability to adjust to the hectic and crazy lifestyle, yet I feel a strange compulsion to return. If I didn't have kids, I would be back in a heartbeat - giving it one more shot at working in The Big Apple. I will have to settle for a nice month or so in the future - living it up in Manhattan, visiting friends, restaurants, wine, Central Park - its not a bad compromise!!
Now that I am more stationary with a young family, my travel goal is to explore as much of my own country, 'down under' as I can. This includes short weekend trips, extensive car/camping trips and flights to more exotic locations such as Broome, Darwin, Tasmania etc. I relish extensively researching the Australian history - both indigenous and 'anglo' - of each place before I visit. I feel much more of a connection to the land and people when I can draw upon past experiences and people of each location.
I am passionate about fitness and health. I believe in leading by example, and hopefully my children will quietly observe my lifestyle habits and integrate them into their own in the future (just not my bad habits, however!! That third glass of wine - watch out!!). I am a myotherapist and massage therapist by profession, and this completely aligns with my personal health and fitness priorities. I am training to complete a half marathon this year (my post-baby goal) and have just started playing in a social netball team again after 6 years.
I adore cooking with high quality ingredients of all different cultures. While we strive to save a dollar or two in most aspects of our lives, I will not compromise on the quality of our food. Good quality olive oil or balsamic vinegar are like water for the culinary soul. I believe in the spiritual aspect of food - sharing of your table with friends and family.. It is around food that families, friendships, children, conversations and happiness grow.
I am passionate about music, and fill my children's days with many different forms of music. They play The Wiggles, then I play Joshua Bell. Bob The Builder vs. Missy Higgins. PlaySchool vs. The Waifs. Rock, Pop, Indie, Folk, Country, Classical music are all played in our house. I draw the line at Dance/Techno music however. And I have a very limited, yet open appreciation of opera.
I have grown up playing music, particularly the violin and piano - both of which I achieved quite a high standard. I no longer play for acedemic merit, just for my pleasure and for the benefit of my boys. I now love to explore diffferent forms of music, and cannot wait for the day that I can rock my fiddle in a folk band. I get lost in playing the piano tracks of my favourites artists - Missy Higgins, REM, David Gray, My Friend The Chocolate Cake....
I love fashion and clothing, but strictly do not follow the latest trends. I have always found comfort and a sense of pride in my self-expression through clothing, and my ecletic wardrobe reflects this. One of my favourite past-times is to spend hours wandering around Opp Shops, to see what items inspire me. I love to consider what history a dress or a piece of jewellry has, how its previous owner was, and whether it was loved or unwanted....
I believe that we should all wear our favourite and most expensive jewellery everyday, and not save them for a special occasion, so we (and others) can get as much pleasure from them as possible. So saying that, I do not own much expensive jewellery as I get so much pleasure from wearing vintage and unusual pieces from Opp Shops, and I have a bad habit of loosing jewellery and therefore cannot form too much attachment!
To be continued....
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Welcome to my blog. I am trying to find a balance in life - a balance
that reflects positivity and joy in the simple moments in our busy
lives as mothers.
I am searching, trying to find a balance between fashion and
nappies, romance and fatigue, friendships and playgroups, life drawing
and crayon scribbling, fitness and messiness, cleaning and dreaming,
reading and screaming, spirituality and punctuality...the list goes on
and on....
I want to capture the moments and thoughts that make up our early
parenting days. Days with with crazy expressions, tantrums, hysteria,
laughter, dizziness, tiredness, wonder, cuddles, stories. With all that
make up our busy lives, this is my chance to reflect and appreciate -
to give thanks for my life. A life, which isn't extraordinary by any
means, yet gives me a thousand reasons to smile each day, and be
thankful for each one of my precious moments and memories.
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About Me
I am a 27 year old mother, wife, friend, sister, massage therapist, artist, sewer, runner, cook....trying to take time to appreciate, reflect upon and remember the simple pleasures in my busy modern life.
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