Personality Transplant, Anyone?

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Well Tuesdays was my SITS feature day, as you know. So now, after so many wonderful and kind people have visited my blog (and commented, YAY!) in addition to the already wonderful people who visit my blog I feel a teensy bit of pressure to write something really good!

I got nothing.

What I can share with you is a minor epiphany I had in the car this morning. Today was my last day at the Women's Biblestudy at our church where we have worked and worshipped for just over 4 years.

I was praying as I drove that God would help me get through the morning - you know, to finish well. I was praying that I would be gentle, patient, gentle, kind, gentle...you get the picture. Basically all the things I am not by nature...or personality. Then it was like a lightbulb moment, but I suspect it was actually more the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit, who pointed out that it was more than a little ridiculous to ask for a personality transplant any time I need to work through a difficult situation or have a tough conversation (which is basically what I do). More than that, it was a bit like praying to win the lottery and not buying ticket (NOT that I am advocating that...back to the point).

It then occurred to me that it would be far more useful to pray for God to use me as he made me, in just a more Godly fashion that I may, of my own volition, offer. See, I am a loud, brick through the (front!) window blunt, assertive (read confrontational), did I mention loud(?) person by nature! Praying for gentleness is not that useful.

So instead I asked God to help me be careful, thoughtful and gracious in my words and actions.

Careful, thoughtful and gracious. I get the feeling that's something God can work with.


(sorry about any typos or grammatical errors, girl is crying - gotta run!)

Stunned Silence

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WOW! Thank you so much to all you kind bloggers who visited my blog the last couple of days. I am serious stunned! You see this happen on other blogs...but mine? WOW!

Thank you.

I'd love to have something else to say but you've left me speechless...enjoy the quiet, I'll be back!!!

A special hello to the SITS girls (and guys) with my first vlog!

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Subscribe & Win June - we're back!!

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After a short hiatus Subscribe and Win is back!

What do you have to do to enter? Just subscribe to this blog via email.

This month up for grabs is an item of your choosing from Monster Threads.

I first came across Monster Threads at Glebe Markets with my husband in January. The HH LOVED their collection, which is full of funky designs at really reasonable prices, so he bought quite a few of their t-shirts. They are great!!

Have a browse at their online store and make sure you are subscribed.

These are two of the ones the HH has

and I really like this one (for me)!!

The winner will be announced at the end of June!

So, what do you do all day?

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I don't know if this divide has happened to you, or if you have felt it happen around you but I saw this article a while ago on Cena's blog and it really resonated with me, as did her corresponding post about it. Not in a harsh way but in a "Yeah, that's it! That's why I'm not racing for the phone the minute I have a minute! I'm not actually being a completely selfish and self-involved person, just a woman who is a Mum 24/7 and sometimes needs to take a breath"

Being a Mum is an awesome job but it really is a job - just a really good one you (mostly) choose to do! (and can I just say that getting up at 6am every day [6.30am on weekends!] has been the best decision and I can't believe I am actually saying that!! I really am a better Mum for having this 'me-time')

Like Cena I'm not sharing this article to find validation or comfort or because I think being a Mum is the hardest job in the world. I love being a Mum and I am so grateful that I get to be at home as much as I am - wouldn't change it for a second. I'm sharing it because, well, because I liked it and because it's my blog so I'm allowed too :)



You can also read it online here

Have you been on either side of this "fence"?? Do you think this is harsh, unfair or right on the money?? This is one of those posts where I'm keen for some feedback and happy to ask you for it :)

She says "I love you"

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She doesn't say it in words...or at least not in words that I can understand. She says it like this...


For a long time now the little one has expressed her affection by trying to be as physically close to the object of her attention as possible. Most often this has meant sitting or lying on top of them. Pictured above is one of LP's favourite people. She LOVES this little boy and he in turn is endlessly patient with her. I suspect he doesn't love her as much as she loves him, which is fair enough really - I don't tend to respond with overwhelming love to a person whom I have to be constantly patient with (!) but he is gorgeous with her and his Mummy and I do love to watch them play!

Now that LP is 1, I've decided to slowly teach her other, more gentle, ways of showing her love.

BUT

Yesterday, I was the object of LP's affection!! We were playing on the floor in her room and all of a sudden she wanted to sit on me, lie on me, be really close to me and I can't tell you how special it made me feel!! I started to sing (silently) to myself "She loves me, she really loves me".

Sad but true.

On other fun fronts we had a little tea party yesterday. LP, me and 3 teddies! It was very cute watching her get the hang of giving the teddies some tea, and me, and then herself - she's growing up!!!

Blog Giveaway...around the corner

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I was just visiting Jen's blog and found that she is hosting a giveaway of a GORGEOUS bag. You should head on over and check it out!

About Me?

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I was reading my 'about me' page the other day and it got me thinking. When I last updated it I was a full time SAHM to a baby. I was living the "sleepless nights to blissful days, screaming sessions to exciting milestones. In other words, the good, the bad and the not-so-perfect moments!"

I am still living it, but now it's the working 3 days a week, 2 of those from home and juggling family and work responsibilities with full time parenting and wife-li-ness.

Most days are good, I have a great employer and very flexible work arrangements which mean that most days we strike a balance. Some days though...some days are just rough. The little one won't sleep - mostly when I am stressed and don't spend enough time with her and then want her to sleep, the house looks like it's inhabited by crazy people, and I'm tearing my hair out.

Friday was one of those days. I was so over it (thank goodness for other SAHM girlfriends who offer a refuge on those days!) that the HH was home by 5.10pm, something that is virtually unheard of (!) and I escaped to the only open shop nearby...Kmart! It was one of those days when you can feel the stress, tension and just plain anger rising and rising and rising... and it's not pleasant. I knew it wasn't the little one's fault but...well, it doesn't always make much difference.

I guess I am trying to figure out what the "about me" is these days and how to make it all work. "Mummy Guilt" is now about making sure that the little one doesn't get the dregs of me during the day. Hence my 6am starts to the day - I get about 1.5hrs to myself, some much needed "me-time" to do some housework, read my Bible, blog, or doing some work work. My prayer is that as I start each day I will be a good and kind Mum to my little darling...so off I go, it's time for another day :)

p.s. I do love my job! More about that another time...

I'm being featured!!!!

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Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have contacted me recently to start blogging again. If it wasn't for you I never would have logged into my old blogging email address and found and email from Heather at The Secret is in the Sauce telling me it's my turn to be featured and I wouldn't be looking forward to being featured next Tuesday!

Can't begin to express how excited I am about this!!

If you haven't checked out SITS yet, what are you waiting for???

So excited.

Photo Time!

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Hey folks,

Last night I sat down and finally sorted out a number of photos to get printed for family, friends and us! (It's embarrassing how few photos we have actually printed in the last year!)

So...having done that, it occurred to me that I could actually show you some of them too. So, without further adieu...

Opening presents on birthday morning. She does love that tea set!

and the bargain train set!

another pic from her baptism

I don't think my Grandmother could have been happier or prouder than she was on this day

Happy Families!

The red-heads! A happy family of a different sort.

Cake time!
(This photo is actually a re-run and seems I was the only one co-operating!)

Mmmmmm!

Mmmm, cake, Mmmmm.....



Hope you enjoyed!
How are you feeling about this level of posting everyone??

What a great week...and it's only Tuesday!

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Well my last post was a bit gloom and doom...sorry about that. This week however, is off to a fabulous start.

First, the little girl has been taking some steps! She started yesterday when she was helping me with the washing, which was also just amazingly cute!! I found her standing by the washing machine and, seeing as I had a load to do, decided to see if she could/would help...and she did! I handed her top by top and she put them in the machine, bending down to pick up anything stray that fell on the floor. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E

Later in the day she was playing in the kitchen while I sat in the living room reading a Parenting Mag. Next thing and she's on the couch next to me, just sitting there. I grab her a book and we sat side by side reading...when I tried to read to her she didn't want a bar of it, she just wanted to sit next to Mummy and read with her. LOVE. IT.

Today has been so gorgeous too! We went shopping this afternoon for a birthday present and on our way stopped in at one of my fave stores. They have a small kids section so we headed there for a look see and the little one almost lept out of my arms to play with the toy basket. She found this very ordinary looking lion and fell in love. I've never seen her get attached to a toy so quickly, she was even cuddling it!! SO CUTE! She was cuddling and laughing, cuddling and really interacting. For those of you with older children you are probably thinking "big whoop" but this was a developmental first in action and it was GREAT!

I bought the lion. But you knew that didn't you?

500

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This is my500th post! I didn't know that when I logged on to post but there you go! I find it quite incredible to think that I have written so much here....

Thanks to those who've commented recently or emailed me encouraging me to keep blogging. As you know it's been a big month in our house with LPs birthday and 2 trips to Sydney - once for LP's baptism and once for a wedding and visitors the other two weekends. Amidst it all the HH and I have been in quite a bit of turmoil because of changes happening at our church. We have been feeling sad, hurt, angry, grieved, frustrated and just about everything in between.

In other corners of life, it seems at the moment as just as certain things are getting easier for us, these former burdens of ours are landing on the shoulders of dear friends. Others around us are facing real loss and grief.

Not knowing what or how or why to write, and suspecting that much of what I would be tempted to say would be inappropriate, I've ignored the call of my blog and my dear blog friends and carried on my merry way.

What can I say? What can I share that would be more uplifting that all of this??

We are going to Vietnam! Yes! So exciting!! We've booked for 2 weeks in late Oct-early Nov. It's a little while off but we are already madly googling port-a-cots, baby backpacks and the like! It will be wonderful to have a true family holiday and we are sure travelling with a toddler will be an adventure!! The HH was a riot today walking around Baby Bunting with LP strapped to his back in a mad carrier testing them out...this is the one we like the best...

My wonderful HH has indulged me today and given me a Mother's Day re-run as last Sunday didn't go so well (thanks to more church stuff - yeah, awesome.) My darlings got me some great new PJ's courtesy of the PJ man himself, Mr. Peter Alexander!! It won't let me put the picture up but these are the bottoms and this the top. I am a lucky girl! I must confess I am considering going back to get this one too (in black)...so cute!

The little girl is as gorgeous as ever but I have a classic story to share, let's see if I can write it up properly. Picture this, it's Friday afternoon and we're at Mother's Group having a group 1st birthday party. The little girl is zooming around the room on one of those trikes when an unsuspecting little friend comes up and has the gall to stand in front of her (LOL!) My darling takes hold of him by both shoulders, shakes him and roars in his face. I am not kidding you.

I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard, as was the mother of this poor unsuspecting little boy (thank goodness!) I had to tell LP that that wasn't how we treated people without actually looking at her because I couldn't stop laughing. Where does she get this from?

Friday night I went to Kmart and picked up What to expect. The Toddler Years I believe there's a chapter on appropriate discipline. Perhaps I'd better stop blogging and get reading.

Good night & God Bless my friends
x

Time by the fire

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Over the past few weeks I've taken to getting up while the rest of the family sleeps, around 6 or 6.30am, coming into the living room with a some coffee and maybe breakfast and enjoying some quiet time by the fire. I've finally learnt that getting up is so much easier if you allow yourself the time to wake up first and I've been greatly enjoying putting this new knowledge into practice.

This morning as I was sitting and reflecting on the (mostly) wonderful madness that has been our lives over the past month I thought it was really time to say Hi to this blog. I know I've been silent and it's mostly because everytime I think of something blogworthy to write I decide that it's probably not helpful to write it...I've been reflecting on what life was like before we spewed our every thought into the public realm and need to give more thought as to what the best and most appropriate use of this blog is for me at the moment.

On that note :) it's almost waking up time for the rest of the fam, so I am going to finish my tea and go get into the day!