Tuesday 30 April 2013

Tantrums are draining

I should have known organising to catch up with girlfriends when it would impact on nap times would bite me in the bum. Sometimes you just have to say bugger it and for your own sanity get out of the house and interact with other adults.

Needless to say my son played up and was overtired, I persevered and left a touch earlier than the others. He was out like a light in the car on the way home (although his sister cried the whole way home, he must have been knackered to sleep through that). Then came that dreaded car to bed transfer (which he will normally stay asleep for), guess who woke up?! I thought for sure he would be down for the count considering how late he was in getting to sleep and how tired he was. So he only had 40 mins sleep all day and that definitely played a part in his meltdown later this afternoon.

We were just about to head out of the door to pick my husband up from the train station (oh how I wish we had another car) when my son asked me for a milk and handed me his cup. Sounds innocent enough, however...he didn't want one with a lid. He is all about independence at the moment and is growing up and wants to drink from proper cups. This is fine at home but in the car lids are a must. I poured him a milk in a lidded cup and he cracked it, I didn't have time to deal with it properly as we had to go get his dad. So I popped him in the car crying and carrying on and tried and failed several times to explain (over his screaming) why he had to have a lid for his drink in the car. I would pass him his drink and he would loose it because he wanted 'no lid'. I would take it back and he would crack it more, it was a lose lose situation. This went on all the way there and all the way back, he was clearly overtired and overreacting.

It's times like that where I want to pull my hair out and run away and join the circus (or some such thing, anything that doesn't involve putting up with that kind of behaviour). The moment passes and I calm down and life goes back to normal. But there are times that it makes me miss the peace and quiet and calm of life pre kids. Don't get me wrong though, I love my kids more than anything and wouldn't change a thing...they can just drain you sometimes.

I'm sure there would be many mothers out there that can sympathise, they don't call it the terrible twos for nothing.

Till next time xo

Monday 29 April 2013

Can someone please go to the supermarket for me?

Pretty please? Gone are the days where food shopping was fun (like way back when you first move out of home and all that stuff is an adventure)...it is such a chore and I am over it. It is a necessary evil as we all need to eat, half my battle is trying to figure out what I am going to cook for the week. Every week I have good intentions of sitting down and writing out a meal plan and being all organised and sh*t, doesn't happen. I usually make off the cuff decisions once I get there and then undoubtedly at least one lot of meat doesn't get used and is turfed...such a waste of money.

On my to do list of craft projects (of which there are many) is a menu planner board thingy (I believe that is the technical term). I got as far as buying the whiteboard & some wooden pegs to pin my week day recipes to the board with. This was posted by another girlfriend on a group I am in and I have taken it as my inspiration:

http://thethinkingcloset.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/the-menu-planner-to-rule-them-all/


Maybe once I get round to starting it I will document my outcome and share some pics, no-one hold your breath though.

Another reason for delaying the shopping trip, there is always a kerfuffle with my son about getting him to sit in the trolley seat. He wants to sit in the main part of the trolley with the food, I have done this before and things end up getting trampled. If I do manage to avoid an argument and he sits in it, he is prone to change his mind and demand to hop out/sit in the other part/want mummy cuddles. It can be difficult, I have my daughter strapped to me in the baby bjorn and have to hold him on my hip with one arm and navigate the trolley with the other. Then I inevitably get a sore arm having to hold on to him and have to put him back in the seat, which leads to more carrying on. Oh the joys...

Let's end on a nice note though shall we? Yesterday hubby looked after the kids for a few hours so I could go and browse the shops and have some me time. While I was there I treated myself to a pedicure and have lovely bright neon pink toenails that make me smile :) 

Till next time xo

Thursday 25 April 2013

I could be an extra in 'The Walking Dead'

So my daughter has been out of sorts and unsettled for the last couple of nights, causing her to wake once or twice every hour or so overnight...I'm guessing teething could have something to do with it. She has two little white bumps where her fangs will be, she is also a little snuffly/blocked up at the moment which isn't helping her breathing and yesterday she had a clear runny nose. This all makes for one very tired mummy, frustratingly I just tried to go and have a nap while both kiddipops were down and do you think I could fall asleep?! I could not turn my brain off or for the life of me get comfortable, woe is me.

Also still having issues with her brother refusing to eat, last night was a battle of the wills...2 year old toddler vs. very determined daddy. Needless to say, my son is one incredibly stubborn child. There was a meltdown of epic proportions that lasted quite awhile and still ended with him not having tried one bit (I swear it was nothing hideous, just some lamb, mash & corn on the cob...which he normally loves). He went to bed without dinner after hubby admitted defeat. It is so incredibly frustrating, I was banished from the room as I would have caved, it breaks a mother's heart to listen to them when they are so upset. We will keep trying though and hope that he will learn and get with the program, we would both just be happy if he would at least try things.

Also I would like to put in an order for some motivation to get this packing and cleaning done. Still nothing locked in yet, hopefully sometime in the coming week...I don't like not knowing where we will be living in 3 weeks time, it's stressing me out. God I hate moving...

Oh and if it's not too much to ask, could I pretty please win the $50 million in the lotto tonight? Thanks in advance ;)

Till next time xo

Sunday 21 April 2013

A promise to my child

I stumbled across this the other day & liked it so decided to share it:


Till next time xo

Friday 19 April 2013

Crafty Goodness

Just a quick one, not really kid related.

I recently participated in a craft swap (gee I just realised that makes me sound a bit nana 'ish doesn't it?!) with some other lovely ladies. I am an absolute beginner when it comes to that sort of thing but I fancy myself a bit creative and have always loved the arty farty side of things.

I aspire to learn and acquire some mad sewing skills so I can make clothes for my kids and future costumes for school etc...ahh a girl can dream. I convinced hubby to let me buy a sewing machine, it was on the proviso that I actually use it and it not just sit and collect dust. I try and use it, as I said...very much a novice, but I am eager to learn.

So I thought now that my swap partner received my efforts, that I would go ahead and share them on here. I think they turned out ok, just don't look too closely ;)


I am a big kid in that I like cutesy things, all things kawaii (Japanese inspired cuteness)...so I decided on a hand stitched bunny in an embroidery hoop (idea from here: http://www.gwennypenny.com/2012/04/easter-bunny-embroidery-hoop-tutorial.html) and a little tooth fairy pillow with a pocket to put said tooth in & take money from.

I always have lots of things that I want to do/make but don't have the time/skills. Plus if I pulled out the sewing machine when my son was awake he would want to play with it. This is why I usually tackle these things on a Thursday when he is in kindy.

Well that's all for now, have a viewing for a property to go to this afternoon. The hunt is well and truly on...

Till next time xo

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Fussy Eaters...who'd have em'?!

ME, that's who! Sigh...my two year old son is such a terribly fussy eater, it really 'grinds my gears' (as Peter from Family Guy would say). There is nothing more frustrating then cooking a nice meal to then have your toddler even refuse to try a bite. If my son had his way he would exist solely on hot chips/fries and maybe the odd nugget.

There is only 1 sure fire hit/meal that I know he will gobble down...risotto. He loves rice but eats around the chicken and any type of vegetable, but he always asks for seconds. He also likes bacon (which is in the risotto), corn on the cob & noodles. Those are things I know he will eat, the list of things he won't eat is ginormous. (that's a word right?). There are other things he will eat obviously but you get my drift...

I am losing the battle and sick of the fight of trying to encourage him (or bribe, but he's incredibly stubborn...I  could have played a part in that) to try things. Because he gets sayings mixed up he will say 'I like it' when referring to a particular food we are trying to get him to eat instead of 'I don't like it'. If only he meant what he was saying, it would make my life so much easier.

I have stopped trying to cook nice meals for him that I know he won't eat because I find it incredibly frustrating and disheartening. I know I should stick with it and some nights I do still try but for the most part to avoid the whole scenario I make him something I know he will eat. Because I don't like the thought of sending him to bed without having eaten a decent amount (not that he does, but something is better than nothing). I don't want to be one of those parents whose child dictates what they want for dinner and I am having to cook separate meals, bugger that.

I wish he would just magically stop being so damn difficult and just start eating. I envy those people whose kids eat a variety of foods and large quantities. I know my boy is healthy and happy but he's such a featherweight, I would love for him to pack some more meat on his bones.

I know nobody really bothers to comment on posts (for the most part), but feel free to hit me up with your suggestions. I am willing to try almost anything ;)

Till next time xo

Friday 12 April 2013

What a miserable day today...makes me want to crawl back in to bed (if only!)

Gone are the days of being able to lie in bed and watch movies all day on a miserable day such as today. I have been struggling with getting out of bed the last couple of weeks as my daughter has been feeding/waking up around 5am each day and then my husband gets up at 5.30am to have breakfast and start getting ready, so even though I don't physically get up out of bed until about 6am, I have usually been awake a lot earlier than that. I used to think having to get up at 7.30am (pre kids) for work was a travesty, my how times have changed.

Weather like this makes me feel lazy, I can't be bothered leaving the house (although I do need to go buy some masking tape so I can start packing...more on that in a sec). I also find myself less inclined to bother cleaning quite as much, the rain and the slightly cooler weather make me just want to hibernate. Having an active 2 year old and a very wriggly & demanding 4 month old do not allow me to sit on my butt and veg.

Silly me should try and fit in a nap when they both sleep but instead I find myself sitting on the couch watching one of my recorded TV shows, when will I learn?! I know I should prioritise sleep (because I am constantly tired but have just learnt to live with it) but I can't help but enjoy the quiet and the 'me time' to just watch a show in peace. I seriously think I have issues when it comes to how much television I consume sometimes, my husband has even suggested that I put TV above him (I have to admit that sometimes I would rather watch my shows than have some 'snuggle time', bad wife).

So as for the masking tape I need to buy, the place we are renting finally sold a few weeks back (it had been on the market since September and I was over having open homes & viewings for it). I brought some boxes last weekend so I can start the process of packing and finally went to put my first box together yesterday only to discover I don't have any masking tape. I had already been out and about in the morning and by the time I discovered this I could not be assed to go back out. There is no such thing as ducking in to the shops when you have kids. I had planned on going today so I can get started but it is peeing down with rain and I especially don't enjoy getting the kids in and out of the car in this weather...so we will see how the day pans out.

God I hate moving house, especially the cleaning of the old house and dealing with the real estate to get your bond back...such a hideous process. I do however like setting up a new house and unpacking and getting everything all nice and organised when you first move in...not that it ever stays that way. We went to our first house viewing on Wed (the kids and I), not for us so the search continues. We have until mid May so I'm sure something decent will come up between now and then. So many places are incredibly over priced for what they are, I wish we could just win the lotto so we could buy our own place ;) (don't we all!). Ahhh well, I have rambled enough for today...

Till next time xx

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Easter is an evil temptress

I seriously have enough chocolate in the house to feed a small army! I didn't go too crazy but when you add in all the family gifts it adds up to a hell of a lot of chocolate. Thankfully, out of sight out of mind for my son. I will drip feed it to him in dribs and drabs...it's going to take awhile to get through it all. I'm not sure how I will go having temptation so easily to hand when I have a goal to achieve. I'm actually rather surprised that I managed to abstain (for the most part), I have only had a total of 4 small solid chocolate eggs. It was the socialising that got me on the weekend, so the nibbles & food in general (plus I had a cider on the Friday). So what could have been a 2kg weigh loss for that first week ended up being 900g. Still, a loss is a loss and the only way is down from here :)

My hubby went out on a boat for some fishing with his best mate & his mate's dad yesterday (only for a half day, I think even he knows he couldn't get away with a full day when it's a public holiday & we want him to spend it with us). I don't begrudge him these things as for the most part, he does spend his time off with us (he goes for the odd surf on the weekend and is usually back by 9am). I understand that during the week he is working, but to me...that is still a break from the kids and the responsibilities that brings. I guess I am envious of his being able to be away for hours at a time, god knows there are times that I wish I could just get away on my own without them. I think it was just an especially trying weekend as my son has been carrying on at bed time and taking forever to go to sleep. Plus my daughter has been waking numerous times through the night for the past week and I am getting broken snippets of sleep (and not enough at that). So I have been daydreaming about escaping, it's a bit hard when you are breastfeeding though.

This morning was the dreaded appointment for my daughter to get her 4 month shots, god I hate that part of being a parent. You can't help but feel incredibly guilty (even though you know it's a necessary evil), especially seeing as though she was all happy & smiley...poor poppet. I have to say, even though there were tears, she took it like a trooper and stopped crying reasonably quickly. Glad that's over for another two months (although time seems to be flying by).

Till next time xo