That Room

I have discovered that all homes of a certain size have "that room" the room that no-one sleeps in, that's used for everything else. Our room is an office/sewing room/dvd storage/general dumping ground. So as we have an inspection this week, I decided to tackle it.

 Before

After

 

 

Okay so it doesn't exactly look like a magical cleaning fairy godmother appeared and made everything better, but it feels better to me. I can actually walk into the room and find things, and there is room for me to do my crafty stuff. And even though you can't see it, the cupboards are all tidy and organised.

Even though cleaning sucks, at least you can see if you have acheived something.

Cleaning

AHHHH! It's that time again. Yup, our property manager is doing an inspection, that means a whole weekend of cleaning. Ikkk.

Don't get me wrong, I kinda think it's a good thing that she comes around every 3 months or so, it means we actually clean and the chaos gets kept to a minimum. She's not picky or harsh and she's never asked us to clean anything up.... but I feel I need to have everything spotless. Kinda like that person who cleans before the cleaning lady comes. Sometimes I invite people over for dinner just so I feel I have to clean.

But I really really hate cleaning. I mean really really hate it. I'm a hopeless slob, left to my own devises I'll probably die in a pile of dirty dishes or something similar. I am currently avoiding the enormous pile of laundry that has been staring at me for a week or two. But it must be done. By Thursday morning my house will be spotless (somewhat) ready for the inspection and by Thursday evening, it'll probably be back to square one.

Better go, laundry calls :(

Holiday Fun

Sorry Peeps, the holidays have been keeping me pretty busy. I have launched my new blog Actually Reading The Bible which I am trying to do in a year, I've been working on a few craft projects (I'll show you guys another day) and of course getting through the holidays. Spending this time with the kids only makes me want to spend more time with them. Don't get me wrong, they are absolutely exhausting, but I just love them more and more.

Here is our holidays in a few pictures

 Chicken opening a present, she loves her new Dora the Explorer

 Gremlin concentrating very hard on opening presents, BTW he looks so grown up in this picutre

 Chicken dressed up all pretty for church on Christmas

Gremlin is in seventh heaven playing the church drums on Christmas morning

Checking out some pelicans at the zoo with Daddy

Exhausted after a big swim and too much playing

Christmas Eve, first day of holidays

As much as I enjoy being able to go to work and escape the kids occasionally, I've really been looking forward to this Christmas break. I want to spend time with my kids and just enjoy being with them. So, Day 1 of holidays and this is what we did.

• Cut kids' hair, Chicken's fringe is a little too short, but it'll grow
• Gremlin bumped the dresser and one of the wise men from the nativity set lost his head.
• Did some housework
• Had my friend Niki over 
• W@dsy bumped the dresser, and now we are down to only 1 wise man
• Niki, Gremlin and I assembled a gingerbread train
• Finished knitting a headband for Chicken
• Painted the kids faces ('cos you know, why not?)
• Ducked to the shops to buy ice for tomorrow
• Read books, sung songs, was tackled by children
• Children fed and put to bed

 Daddy Wrestling, a favourite pasttime

 The Little Engine that could.... be put together that is. (Please ignore my very bad attempt at an icing design on the front)

 Little Miss Chicken modelling her new short fringe and the headband I just made

 Gremlin as Spiderman (what did people used to facepaint before super heros?)

Chicken and her butterfly (I practically had to tie her down to get her to sit still long enough for this)

Phew, I'm exhausted. Are the holidays over yet?

Just when I thought it was over...

I feel I can offically call Gremlin toilet trained. He wears undies all day every day including naps. He is even dry at night about a third of the time. Sure, there is the occasional accident, but that seems to be the exception.

But then the move happened.

W@dsy and I were glad, at first, Chicken seemed ready for the move from Baby Room to Toddler Room at day care. She gets along great with the bigger kids and seems to really enjoy the games, songs and craft at the more advanced level. She comes home each day exhausted though, but I kind of expected that.

What I didn't expect was that she would decide that she was now big enough, big enough for toilet training that is. She has started removing her clothing (specifically pants) at random intervals during the day, and last night she removed her nappy and slept. God was good to me this morning, there was no poo. The bed and sheets were soaked, but thankfully no poo.

I discussed this situation with day care, they suggested that the best thing was probably to toilet train her so that at least she knows what is supposed to happen.

I don't think I can cope. It took a year and half of toilet training to get Gremlin toilet trained, and now it appears it's Chicken's turn. I may cry. I will definately pray for a quicker and easier toilet training.

As much as I look forward to a day without nappies, I would also like to have a day when I don't have to clean up "accidents" too.

A Day in the Life.

Today was busy and strange.

Firstly Gremlin and Chicken decided to sleep in. It was scary, I can't remember when they slept past 6am. They didn't wake up until 7:15am. I was concerned that maybe my husband finally snapped and drugged them in the night, (apparently he didn't).

I then spent the morning at a friends birthday morning tea, there were heaps of kids there and they all played to their hearts content. Apparently this wasn't enough, my children refused to take their afternoon naps. Grrrr. After over an hour of trying to get them to sleep I gave up. I had to babysit anyway.

Because I'm insane, I thought I'd help my friend out and baby-sit so she could go to the beautician. She has 3 girls. So this afternoon I spent with 5 children, 1x 6 year old, 1x 3 year old, 1x 20 month old, 1x 17 month old and 1x 10 month old. Oh and my husband ran away and hid in a coffee shop, because well, because he's not insane like I am. We all survived, without any injuries!

Gremlin was trying very hard  not to fall asleep during his dinner. This was rather unsucessful. So I decided to put Gremlin and Chicken to bed early, I can still hear them squealing in their room, objecting to sleep.

But Mum, I'm not tired

A Little Bit Crafty

I got sick of cleaning, I mean, doesn't everybody? So lately I've been making a bit of a mess to make up for all the cleaning I've been doing lately. I have yet again caught the crafting bug. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have traded in my sanity and got a pile of yarn and fabric in return.

I have knitted a beanie for a friend's baby.

I love the little buttons

I finished making a Christmas present. (Sorry Niki, no pictures, you are just going to have to be surprised).

And thoroughly sick of never being able to find pants for Gremlin, I whipped these up tonight.

Okay so they look like pajamas, but i don't care and neither will he.