Early Morning Funnies

In the wee hours of the morning our darling son Gremlin woke us, shortly followed by his sister, he decided that he would tell us all about what he learned in Kids Church on Sunday.

Gremlin: Guess what, God fought Goliath
W@dsy: Oh really?
Gremlin: Yeah and He chopped off his head.
W@dsy: Don't you mean David?
Gremlin: Nope, it was God
Chicken: Yeah and then Mummy needs to sticky tape his head back on
Me: ????

Passions

I was talking to a friend the other day about everyone has something we love to do, she loves cooking, W@dsy loves teaching and playing computer games etc.

Then she asked me the big question, what do I like to do?

It stumped me, I actually hadn't really thought about it before.

Sewing was the first thing that came to mind, but now having thought about it a bit more I think that as much as I enjoy sewing, my real passion is helping people. I love being able to do something for someone who needs it whether it be a listening ear, babysitting, or just cooking a meal to make their lives easier. I think that's one of my favourite things about being a stay at home mum, being free to help when needed.

It makes me wonder what Gremlin and Chicken's passions will be.

What's your passion?

A Weight Off My Shoulders

I was so young at eighteen, so naive. It sounded like such a great idea, it was so easy. Just fill out the forms and then you have a safety net. 

Then you realise that it can do so much more. It's okay, you can pay it back later. And you do, for a while. Then it starts to get out of hand and it seems so big, like it's never going to go away. You strive to get everything under control, and you succeed for a while, and then the cycle starts again, and you feel doomed.

Yes, credit cards are evil.

Guess what, mine is now paid off! The relief is amazing. 

I went into the bank to get them to lower the credit limit so we have some still available for emergencies but it can never get so big again.

Am sooo happy.

The Clean Machine

As most of you who know me can attest, I hate cleaning. Let's face it few of us actually enjoy it. The main problem with being a stay at home mum now is that I have to look at my messy house all day, every day.

So after a little while of not working I realised that I had to organise myself or I would go crazy. I did what any modern housewife would do in my situation and whipped out my smart phone and googled "how to clean" and "how to organise." Obviously I found a lot of websites on the subject and spent a little too much time drooling over beautifully organised and labelled cabinets that cost waaaaaay too much for a single income family. I tried a few different cleaning plans but realised that too much structure drives me just as crazy as chaos does! After a lot of trial and error I have learned these things:

• I don't have to do everything at once
• I need to cut myself some slack. I won't have time to enjoy my house if all I do is clean all day
• Take regular breaks
• It's okay to mow half the lawn one day and then the other half the next day, it's a big lawn!
• Even doing the smallest bit of housework is better than doing nothing at all
• If I feel like cleaning out an entire room or cupboard, that's okay too
• My crazy kids enjoy "helping" me clean, so just go with it
• My friends are awesome and listen to me whine about lack of motivation on the phone and encourage me to get off my butt
• It's okay if my house doesn't look magazine perfect, it looks like my family actually live here and enjoy it

Okay, so my methods aren't daily cleaning plans but they are working for me. How do you guys keep up with housework?

PS. After much research on the internet, if you are not sure how to clean something, the answer is probably "use white vinegar"

I'm Baaaack

Yes I disappeared for a while from the world of blogging, but never fear, I have returned.

I may not have been blogging, but I have not been idle.

I have quit my job, I've been spending more time with God, W@dsy, the kids, and friends. I have joined a gym, I am getting my house more organised and decluttered (so much so I managed to find my way back to the computer) and loads more.

Does this mean I am morphing into a uber awesome "Yummy Mummy" who has it all together?

Not a chance!

I am still crazy, still silly and still me. So you can look forward to some new (and hopefully a little more frequent) posts.

See you all soon

Ziva

Grateful

My kids are growing up so fast, I was looking at them today and trying to remember what it was like when they were babies. I'm not sure, but I think it was quieter. I have to say though, I'm loving the cute things they are saying at the moment...

Chicken: Mummy, why did you change your clothes?
Me: I didn't darling, I changed my hair colour
Chicken: Oooohh it's blue
Me: Umm, no darling, it's red
Chicken: Oooohh it's red

Gremlin: Mummy, Daddy, you hide, I'll be the Seek.

Chicken: Mummy, you got spreckles on you (freckles)

Gremlin: Watch out the Hunk (Hulk) is getting you

Chicken: No Mummy, I want to plush (flush) the toilet

Gremlin is eagerly planning his 4th birthday party, so far he wants a Spiderman, Superman, Mr Incredible, Batman and Buzz Lightyear cake. I have to say, I'm having fun planning the party too. It's actually hard trying not to give him absolutely everything a little boy could want. I'm so grateful to God for giving me my beautiful children, and my lovely husband, who puts up with me wanting to buy "just one more thing for the party" He has blessed me so much.

Prince Charming and the Princess

My children have decided that they are royalty, and have started behaving accordingly.

My son Gremlin, is charming. Frustratingly so. He picks his victims, stares up at them with his big brown eyes, and instantly gets what he desires. We have discovered that his trick is polite manners. At the playground, he will occasionally spy a mother with "better" food than the fare I have provided. He will wander up to said mother and say "Please can I please have a chippy please." Beware of the multiple "pleases." If he gets a "No" (which is rare) he puts on a sad puppy dog face and walks back to me dragging his feet, the mother calls him back with a "Oh alright, just one, because you asked so nicely" and then he runs back beaming practically yelling "Thank You!" I go and apologise for my son harassing the poor mother and she just smiles back, "It's fine, he lovely manners" Why yes, he does, how else would he get things off strangers?

Chicken however has decided she's a princess. She is a rather gross princess, but she's a princess. She almost always wants to wear dresses, the second she is wearing the dress she twirls and says "I'm a princess Mummy!" She will then go and play in the backyard, or with her food, or will crawl into a dusty corner somewhere and come out covered in dirt. At daycare, she goes through at least two sets of clothes each day (although its usually 3 or 4) because she gets dirty or gets paint or pen all over herself, once she even came home with an arm dyed blue (it took two days before her skin was white again). I'm kind of proud that I have a girl who, despite liking to be pretty, would rather enjoy life and get a little messy.