The Year of Top Sheets

I have had such a cruizy past couple of months. Don't get me wrong the kids have kept me plenty busy! But I have allowed myself time to go with the flow, to simply follow the kids interests. In a lot ways it really goes against my nature as I am a very structured person, but I can wholeheartedly say that I did not regret it for a minute! Our days mostly consisted off:

* lazily lying in bed chatting, laughing and telling stories until the kids need for breakfast became so desperate that we had to make our way down to the kitchen.
* slothing around in our pjs making plans for the day
* no matter what the plans were most days we ended up on the beach, at the pools, regularly joined by friends. The water slide also got a good workout :)
* late lunches and naps
* late dinners on the deck and an equally late bedtime.
* quality time in the garden
* Making and creating

It has been good.

But alas all such good thing must eventually come to an end....

As last year was my first year of setting realistic new years resolutions and managing to complete them (run half marathon and start vege garden) I have decided to try again this year. So as the relaxed luxury lifestyle nears the end and the start of kindy fast approaches , I feel that it is time to get serious about one new years resolution in particular.

Learn to Love Housework

This is the year that I am going to start learning to do what I need to do when I need to to it. Time to start being an adult. And there sure is nothing like a birthday party to motivate me to set this resolution into action. So as we kicked off the birthday celebrations this weekend I did it with knowing that the house was clean, looked great, and washing was up to date. I had even for the first time in many MANY moons bothered to put a top sheet on our bed, because it seemed like a particularly adult sort of thing to do. 

With all those boxes ticked it left me to enjoy time with Big L, my Big 4 year old, where has the time gone!? He was so sweet in his simple requests for Birthday Happiness. A flying machine, a Rocket cake, "gumballs with a piece of string that goes into your mouth like a walky talky man so that you can go under the water"/ goggles and a snorkel! I love that little boy so dearly, he is a delight and a perfect addition to our family. I so so so enjoyed celebrating him this weekend! 

So here is to the Year of Top Sheets!

 Loving housework and enjoying guilt free time with my kids :) I can't wait!

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Our Holiday so far in Photos :)

Time is flying by but luckily we have a few more days up our sleeves! Hooray for holidays!

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Lately...

 Phew... It has been busy busy busy round here lately! I am cheekily starting to think that my life has gotten so busy recently that I don't think I will ever be able to go back to work- how will I find the time!? You know,  when I am so busy hooking, knitting, sewing, mothering, planting, harvesting, cooking, becoming an expert sandcastle builder, making presents, baking, trying to get ready for my next half-marathon, taking advantage of the beach... All of which is essential to life of course! But more than the usual chaos the closer we get to the end of the year the more I feel like a mouse running on a wheel desperately trying to keep up.

Big L has his first Kindergarten Gala coming up this weekend and he is Oh So Excited! He will be competing in the Challenge-a-thon and has even managed to get a few sponsors :) I think it will be a great day but has added a bit of baking, making Jolly Jars and completing some 'duties' to my to do list. And so my Mousy Wheel keeps spinning...

Little S and Little L have also made the Big Move to BEDS! It has been tricky. I'm working hard to understand the way Little S works, to know how to be a good mum to her. But she is stubborn and loves to to encourage Little L in all things crazy. So the evenings here have turned into somewhat of a circus. When we were packing down the cots I had a bit of a weepy moment, last time ever a Little Body of mine will sleep in there. Even thinking about it now I feel a tad choked up. Time is just ticking by, they are only getting bigger. I enjoy them so so so very much that I get a wee bit scared at times that it will change. I'm hoping that every phase they go through will be at least as good as the last if not better. Will I still enjoy them this much when they are 10? 15? 30? The Mousy Wheel only keeps spinning...

I am also furiously working on various Christmas Projects. I want to create some sort of interactive/fun/play with nativity set. I have been making presents galore, working on funky Christmas decorations, and have plans for a knitted Christmas tree (don't laugh!)... I guess my little Mouse Wheel is not slowing down here either...

So in attempt to take time to appreciate the 'Slower Living' aspects of my life I decided to pull together some photos of the quiter moments in the past week or so...

I am ABSOLUTELY loving the warm sunny evenings! We all eat out on the deck (it is amazing how dining Al Fresco can make even the most boring family meal taste great) where there is no need for obsessive wiping down. Post dinner the Rascals generally strip down, spend a bit of time in the sprinkler and then head for the sandpit for some serious work time. Oh My we have gotten good at making castles, digging tunnels, constructing roads, creating dinosaur habitats, all while enjoying the warn evening sun.

I have had time to put in a trellis for the Sugar Snaps, which are coming along nicely :) And every evening we are enjoying salads made it our own lettuce and spinach, as well as yummy pesto!

The Rascals have helped me to clear out another part of the garden and create another nice spot for some more vege/flower growing.

Everything in the garden is thriving! It is such a pleasure to see that. I cannot wait to harvest these carrots and beets- I have such great plans for them!

 This photo is not as suspicious as it looks.... I have had my first SUCCESSFUL trail of drying herbs. Yum Yum!

 And I have completed my fist batch of Christmas Decorations! I am so please with them! I decided to hand sew them as I wanted to be able to spend time with N in the evenings or sit out on the deck and work on them. I think this weekend the Rascals and I will go about putting them up all over the house :)

I love looking back at the past few weeks and seeing that despite everything feeling crazy busy I have started learning how to carve out some Slow Living time in our lives. I really do think we are better off for it:)

I hope the feeling of crazy spiraling busyness is not mutual and that you are all taking the end of year in your stride :)

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Birthday Celebrations :)

Two Years

They made it

   We made it 

Definitely reason to celebrate :)

With Little S and Little L's first birthday I thought I would feel a huge sense of relief that we had survived a year, but due to various reasons I didnt feel like that in the slightest. The Second Birthday however was a different story, it was so much more than a sense of relief - it was really FUN! 

Two is really such a fabulous age :) Everything is exciting! They have no preconceived notions of what a 'good' birthday should be like so anything is just a BIG treat. They loved having their family and friends together, mixed with a bit of sugar. Big L was the model of a gracious older brother- sweet boy he is :) 

And we felt so blessed:

To have such amazing kids

To have been able to get through the past two years together

To have such great support

To have family and friends who love our kids 

I am really looking forward to this next year!