[almost] wordless wednesday

Ok, Mother Nature....enough with this dreary, rainy weather, please!?

I'm over it!

Sunday, we were invited to a special little man's 1st birthday party. It was meant to be in a local park - but due to the uneasing, torrential rain - they had to go to Plan B....or actually Plan E I think ;)

A lot of people crammed into a confined space, while the rain continued to fall.

The little birthday boy was all smiles though....and that's the main thing. He was happy - the rain didn't dampen his mood! Chris helped cook the BBQ, I chased around after Ryder {aka Mr Busy}, the cake was goooood and the kids had a blast. Everything a party should be :)

Happy Birthday Fox!

Hoping to see some more blue sky and dry grounds this week!!!!

Happy Wednesday All.

Linking in HERE today.

Overcoming Personal/Mother Guilt.

Scene One: Whether it was due to this grey, sleepy weather,..... or maybe because I could feel a 'sore-throat-aching-body' sickness coming on.....or maybe because I decided to slow-the-heck-DOWN! But on Friday, after a lovely morning up at Ella's school watching her learn & listen & love on her friends, I came home and did something I rarely indulge in. I napped. I curled up next to Ryder in our King Bed, and instead of willing myself to stay awake so I could get straight into my 'to-do' lists, I allowed myself to fall, along with him, into a deep, beautiful lull. Him and I, curled around each other; napped for an hour and a half, while the rain pitter-pattered on our tin roof. It was BLISS!

Scene Two: And then later that day...as if that wasn't indulgent enough....once the evening routine was done, the kids were in bed and the house was calm.....I downloaded a girly movie from iTunes, curled up on the couch with a glass of wine and did not move until the movie ended. Again...BLISS!

And Scene Three: Saturday morning, we had our usual ballet classes and commitments. On arriving home, I got Ryder down for his nap and did a few chores around the house. Normally, I would use this time to do something one-on-one with Ella....and I did. We played a few rounds of Sequence for Kids {our new fave}, but then I told her to find something independent to do....and I curled up with a cuppa coffee and a book. A real book. One that wasn't for kids or educational in any way. And there I laid until Ryder woke. For the 3rd time in one weekend, I did something JUST FOR ME, and my sanity.

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Don't get me wrong! I don't have a stressful life. In fact, lately it feels like I have been blessed with a life full of opportunity and freedom. I am surrounded by so much beauty and greatness. I have a supportive family and husband. I never want to take that for granted. And I guess that's why I usually run myself into the ground. I try to achieve a million things in one day; and to 'be there' for everyone at every given moment. I try to do things {perfectly} and I'm a 'get it done & get it done now' kinda woman. I am motivated and inspired and on a mission to complete, achieve & experience quite a lot in my one precious lifetime. I try to be so much for my kids. To demonstrate to them that women and Mothers are so capable of so much more that just the stereotype may portray. I also like to prove to my husband that I am doing my best as his wife, and the mother of his children. I want him to be proud of what I do, and what I achieve.

BUT......with all that said. I started to realise recently that all of this 'striving' was actually leaving me feeling exhausted more times than not. Yes, I'm sleep deprived, as most mothers are; but my mental exhaustion is what was starting to get me down, not the physical tiredness. I started to feel mentally run-down ALL.THE.TIME.

So I've decided to invest some time in looking after myself again.

Doing simple, little things every now & then - like watching girly movies on my own in pj's, turning OFF the computer and picking up a good ole' book to devour, enjoying the silence while Ryder naps by eating a healthy lunch on my own or sitting in the sun with a cuppa & 'taking a break' every now and then without feeling GUILTY or USELESS!!!!

Even writing them and re-reading them back, is making me feel silly. They seem SO SO simple. Little things that I should be doing everyday without much thought. But I don't. I use 'quiet times' to work or research or create. Even if I'm using the time to be on Facebook or blog or email, I still feel like I'm 'using' the time more productively. I do this whether it's Monday or Saturday. I need to make some changes.

Changes...that will slow time down and help my sanity. Little things to make me value myself again.

Does this make any sense? Do you too, feel guilty when you relax? Or is it just me and my weird mind??

Happy Monday All.

Building Bears & Bowling......week-a-boo.

Saturday afternoon called for hot cocoa. It was rainy, dreary & muggy. It was definitely not cold.....but the look of the evening just yelled "Hot chocolate weather!!". So, my girl & I enjoyed a mug of sugary goodness. And it was gooooood. 

I'm totally over this rain! It has rained almost non-stop since the week of Ella's party. Our backyard is a sludgey mud pit, the local park is almost a swimming pool & when we drove past the beach yesterday; instead of seeing the usual horizon of aqua blues & glittery silver waves.....we saw a mush of chocolate coloured wash. Everywhere & everything feels damp and getting washing done is, well.....not really happening! OVER IT!

On Saturday, I was just about to loose it. I had cabin fever & it felt like the walls of our living room were closing in on me. Most of the time, I like the balance of homey weekends, where we do puzzles & make messes & squeeze in nanny naps in the afternoons. But not at the moment, I feel forced inside & I hate that. I really did not feel like doing yet another Dora puzzle or round of Princess Bingo for the 15th time.

Then Chris's parents called & said they were dropping in for lunch. Thank goodness! It broke up the afternoon perfectly & my cabin fever nicely dissolved. We enjoyed wine at 1pm.....because we can :) It was nice!

Somone wants to roll.

Sunday, we braved the wet, slippery roads & headed out as a family of 4, for our 'Annual Build A Bear Day'. We've been doing this around Ella's birthday every year since she was born.....a little tradition that we'll continue until she's too old & too cool for stuffed bears :)

Four Years - Four Bears.

It was kind of sad & kind of exciting at the same time, to see how much Ella has grown....even since this time last year. She hardly needed our help this time. She chose the toy, followed all the steps with little assistance & even typed the details onto the Bear's Birth Certificate at the computer! I guess that's another cool thing about traditions.....even though you're doing the same thing over & over again, it's still different; you get to see it in a different light, at a different stage, a different feel. It's refreshing & reassuring all at the same time. I love creating traditions & memories with my family.

Stuffing the bear, putting her heart & voice in and stitching her up. All while little brother looks on from his pram.

Grooming the new bear.

Creating the birth certificate.

The finished product.

Introducing our latest 'build a bear' member....CANDY!

And Ella paid for her herself, using some birthday present money :) Thanks Pa Ken!

Hmmm.....Mummy needs to iron more often I think :)

We then went upstairs to the Cavill Ave Timezone. It's basically a buzz of serious over-stimulation & chaos.....but a lot of fun, especially on a rainy day of forced inside play.

Chris got right into it :) Ella was a little overwhelmed by the noise at first, but then sister relaxed & had a blast! Ryder just looked around & took it all in from his pram....this boy likes to chill & observe :)

We played away the rainy blues!

And bowled.....

Not sure what's going on with these last 2 photos.....they were a nightmare to upload on here & now they look all blurry! Ah well. You get the general gist of the bowling experience. 

I love weekends :)

Now, to get ready for the busy week ahead.....sister is off to 3 full days of Kindy this week, Chris is having surgery on Wednesday, I've got some invitation & print orders to complete.....and a photo/blog project I'm kicking off on Wednesday :)

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Talking of prints.....

Have you seen my 2 new ones in the 'rainbow range'?......

Both available to buy HERE in my webstore.

Have a great week everyone.

Post Holiday Post.

We're home! And I'll be honest in saying that I am suffering a mild case of post-holiday depression! Don't get me wrong....I love our little home & love the safety and familiarity of being here and I am so SO grateful that we had the most amazing week away! But, I miss that place! I miss the view, the beach, the fresh sea air, not cleaning or cooking or paying bills for a whole week! I miss feeling free & adventurous. I miss being in the moment with my family in a stunning part of the world. I miss it all! However, I guess that's the beauty of holidays......the reason we take them......to have a break from our everyday lives, to truly relax & embrace....and then re-book them so we have something to work towards, to look towards :)

So I'll stop my ungrateful whining, try to step out of my grumpy boots & reflect honestly on the last few days of last week. The rest of the week after I posted from Mooloolaba on Thursday continued to flow on perfectly. The week just got better & better :)

The best thing about being on a vacation, is the slow pace. Not having to be anywhere by any particular time. I love just going with the flow & making up the plans as we go. Late breakfasts out, long evenings admiring sunsets, snuggling with jammied babies & listening to the surf crashing onto the shore just metres from our window.....bliss! Pure holiday bliss!

One morning, as I got up to feed my hungry little baby, I got to witness this beauty of a sunrise! Gorgeous!!!! It made the sleep deprivation of long broken nights a whole heap more bearable. I stood out on the balcony patting my baby boy's back trying to get his post milk burp up....and I got to watch the sun peep up over the horizon & cast it's light over the gorgeous coast line. The world around me was so still & tranquil. Mother Nature at her best!

Then I snuggled back into bed, feeling very relaxed, hoping to get some more sleep :) Then Miss Ella appeared by my side... "Good Morning Mummy"......and the day officially begun!

So off to the beach we went for an early family swim & surf. We discovered {through trial & error} it was too hard to drag the pram, nappy bag & all our beachy supplies down to the sand to then combat the wind & sun with a newborn & 2 other kids. So Chris & I pulled out our best team work skills & did a bit of shift work! We took turns with lazing on the grass with the baby along with enjoying the sun & surf with the 2 bigger kidlets. We got the swap-over routine down pat by the 3rd day :) 

As the week rolled on, we got to enjoy catch up with friends and share this glorious break with them!

And soak up true summery things, like ice-cream's in the park...all sticky & sweet! And very delicious {until Mummy attempted to help Ella in licking the drips & lost the whole ball of chocolatey goodness on the wooden pier.....not a popular Mummy after that one!}

Chris & Jayden got up to all kinds of adventurous fun this past week! Body surfing, deep sea fishing and jetskiing! Happy Dad & Happy Son! Happy Days :)

And in between walks, adventures, beaching it, and swims....we enjoyed the peace & serenity of our unit. Siblings together. Some scrumptious cooking. Drinks on the deck & a few sneaky afternoon snoozes!

Ryder has been an absolute dream lately, he really has! And I know that with babies, there's so many stages....so many phases! So I'm just taking this delightful, happy, contented baby stage with big wide open arms coz I know it wont last forever, as teething & sick days & milestones are ahead of us. But for now, we're embracing his 'go with the flow' nature, his endless smiles & gorgeous giggles. This boy is amazing! I feel so blessed to have him! What a dream come true!!!

Ella took these 2 shots of Ryder & I :) Not bad I say :) {And Ryder & I were matching in our black & white stripes.....pure coincidence I promise!}

One morning looked like this:

A bewitching, dreary downpour greeted us by 7:30am! But by 8:30am.....perfect summer weather took back the stage & we enjoyed a day of blue, sunny skies! That Mother Nature knows how to keep us on our toes :)

The Chadwick family have a lot of history up on the Sunshine Coast. History that fascinates me! And Chris's Pa, Ken, has seen the Coast transform in so many ways {that I want to learn more about} since the 1930's. I love hearing his recollections of the way life was 'back when he was a boy' growing up on the beach! We hung out with him one afternoon/evening last week. Chris & Jay enjoyed a surf with him {yep....at the ripe old age of 83, he still catches a mean wave!} and then we enjoyed a lovely Thai meal with him! Generations coming together makes me happy.

And, on the last night, as the sun set and we tucked sleepy, sun-kissed babies into bed, Chris & I soaked up the last bit of goodness of the week that was! We clinked our champagne glasses & sat on the balcony admiring the glorious view! I sat there most of the evening.....drinking it all in!!!! Cheers to Mooloolaba! Cheers to being on holiday!!! Cheers to family!!! Cheers to following your heart!!! And a big cheers to 2012!!!!

Hmmmm.....just writing this post, reflecting on our week and looking back through the photos has lifted my mood :) That's what I love most about blogging & journaling. Sometimes writing feels forced, and I lack motivation or inspiration, but after a week with my family; living, laughing & loving....this post just rolled off my fingertips easily :) Life's a beach.....get out there & live it.....

P.S. As mentioned in my last post....Jayden & I went on the Mooloolaba Missile :) OMG.....freakin amazing!!! Here's the video of us on it......ENJOY!! Hold on tight :)

http://youtu.be/WPCqZ2-aiqc

Week-A-Boo.......{packed bags & blue skies}

So....Ella has this new 'hobby' and it's driving me totally NUTS!! No, seriously, I may have been spotted sitting in the corner rocking back'n'forth fighting my OCD tendencies a few times this weekend :) I have no idea where this new activity of hers has come from.....but she is quite happy to spend many an hour, independently, packing every little thing in sight into all her handbags, backpacks & suitcases! And I mean EVERYTHING!!!! Every little annoying part & piece of toy, her MANY hair clips, puzzle pieces, board books, makeup, crayons, chalk, magnets.....ANYTHING & EVERYTHING!!!! The mess......OH THE MESS!!!!! 

{Yep, here she is....caught on camera....packing YET ANOTHER bag with....crap!!!}

You may thinking "what's the big deal with that?" BUT......I can't just shove the packed bags & containers away in a cupboard & have the contentment of "out of sight, out of mind!".......OH NO, NOT ME!!! I'm that anal OTT Mummy who has colour coded containers & baskets :) 1 for hair clips, 1 for jewellery, 1 for hair ties, 1 for crayons, 1 for bangles, 1 for lip glosses, 1 for small toys, 1 for books.....etc....you get the gist?! So....seeing my neatly arrayed containers all empty and their contents strewn over the lounge room floor and/or packed away in millions of little 'Dora' bags {several times a day} is SENDING ME BATTY!!!! I know I shouldn't be complaining....especially after everything the flood victims have been through....but I had to vent, sorry!

BUT....onto the BRIGHTER things :) The weather today, looked a little like this:

{Oh yeah baby....that's blue skies you're seeing!!!!}

So, we headed to the park for a quick play while Mother Nature was being kind {and so I could turn my back on the 'packed bag chaos' back at home} :)

This weekend, we also headed to a little Cutie Patootie's 3rd Birthday Party:

{rainbow face paint....of course!}

{other kid's toys are always so much cooler & so much more fun than your own!! lol}

We also enjoyed a walk down to the Tavern for some drinkies & dinner to welcome home Chris's brother, Matt! Matty has been working at Universal Studios in Japan for 2 years as a performer & has finally returned home....but about to jetset off OS again :) Ella loved having her Uncle/God Father here....another person for her to entertain :) 

{Ella & Daddy [and Woody] on the walk to dinner}

HOWEVER, we haven't been out & about all weekend :) We've enjoyed a few lazy moments of cooked breakfasts, afternoon snoozes & tea parties on the lounge room floor:

{ above: I love this photo!! It perfectly depicts one of our 'plastic tea parties'....moments I'll always cherish}

Ella's latest favourite movie is.....the good ole' WIZARD OF OZ!!! She loves it! Absolutely 'tootin frootin' loves it! She sings along with each & every song and EVERYTIME she watches it she gets scared of the witch, cries along with Dorothy & cheers when the 'wicked old witch is dead'....everytime...without fail! It's priceless to watch her reactions & emotions :) 

And, last but not least.....today, we ORGANISED!!!! Each year, I like to start fresh! I don't set myself many new year's resolutions anymore, but I like to start the year with a few things in order! As this new year rolled around, I had an urge to add a few 'homey' touches to our house! A clean out was also needed! And so..... a CLEAN OUT we did!!! We got a large skip bin delivered last weekend......I know that sounds extreme and I was apprehensive when Chris suggested we get a skip instead of just a carload-tip-run! BUT.....with the big metal bin perched on our front yard, I was compelled....I was motivated to be ruthless!!! And do you know what?......we filled that bin :)) If an item wasn't being used, bringing us joy or bringing beauty to our home....it had to go!!! Oh yeah, we culled...BIGTIME....and it felt GREAT!! I then attacked the main bedroom & started to re-decorate it and next was the dining area! A trip to IKEA was conducted & a few supplies from the local hardware was included. Then today, my lovely Chris, worked pretty much ALL DAY at home! He hung pictures, fixed towel rails, drilled holes, put up shelves, then re-hung frames that I had made a mess off LOL, he pressure-cleaned the whole exterior of our house, back patio, every window & all of Ella's outdoor play equipment......he well & truly made this new year feel fresh & clean & organised.....so, Chris....THANK YOU!!! {and let's assume that frame-hanging is not my calling in life!!! haaaa} We then relaxed & wound down with dinner tonight out our little tacky local pub {but man oh man, the food is gooooood! and ELla loves the playroom!}

Happy Weekend to y'all :) Wishing you all a gorgeous week ahead!

Please, join in with my WEEK-A-BOO linky! Simply blog about your weekEND & link back to here...don't forget to add you blog below so I {and other bloggers} can pop in for a visit!!

Week-A-Boo.......{She's nearly 3, inside play & rainbows}

Yay, Week-A-Boo is back on track & kicking off for the first time in 2011! Another weekend....come & gone! And yep....it still rains here! This weather is just crazy! I'm over it.....where's my long, warm summer days of beach-going, swimming, salty-crusted skin & picnics in the park?? I think Coolum is hogging all that summery-fun, coz back here on the Gold Coast....it is STILL raining!!!!

So....we've been enjoying plenty of {forced} inside play! The girl LOVES puzzles at the moment & she's really digging the ABC's too :)

{above: this one is her fave....she's on a constant 'E' hunt....spotting them out everywhere we go! "There's my name Mummy....see "Eh" for Ella....that's me!!!"}

{BELOW: Here she is in her ABC glory......she cracks us up!}

Oh....And, she's LIP GLOSS obsessed! Ooops, she got that one from me :) I have way too many lip glosses & rarely leave the house without some! Santa left her a new range of fruity lip glosses & her new 'thing' is: "I'm a lady Mummy, and you have to come to me & say "Please Lady will you paint my lips pretty for me!" Ok Mummy, do that!" And I oblige....and we do that repetitively for about 10mins until my whole face is sticky & glossy :) 

In between holidays, shopping sprees, mammoth de-cluttering missions & rainy days, we've been preparing for a certain little someone's upcoming 3rd Birthday!!!! THIRD......O.M.G! THREE years old!! In just 16 days, I'll be the Mother of a 3 year old.....where the heck did those 3 years go???? Many months ago, Ella asked if her next party can be RAINBOW theme....and EVERY SINGLE DAY {without fail} she has mentioned this rainbow party!!! So.....in a couple of weeks......A RAINBOW PARTY WE WILL HAVE :)

{the invitations, designed by me!}

On Saturday night, I enjoyed a night out with a few girlfriends.....just chilling, eating, drinking, pigging out on ice-cream, laughing, eating some more.....you know...the usual relaxing girls night out :) 

{excuse the orange tinges......it could be due to my uselessness at taking photos in anything other than natural light.....but for now, we'll just blame it on the ugly orange lighting of the restaurant :)}

{My gorgeous friend, Jackie {on the left} is expecting her 1st child.....13 weeks into the pregnancy! I'm so excited for her!!}

The weather forecast looks pretty glum this week, so I guess we'll be doing more of this:

But that's ok....I was quite content hanging in my pj's til 1pm today....doing art n craft, movie watching & puzzles :) Keep posted tomorrow.....I've made a few new print designs & exposing them tomorrow :) Scissors Paper Rock is open for business again as of tomorrow....I enjoyed my break....but am now looking forward to getting back into the swing of things too!

So....tell me, what did you get up to this weekEND?

Please, share your link below! I can't wait to pop in to see what your weekend entailed!