Delightful Little Time Wasters.

Mother’s Day is always a busy one for us, catching up with family to celebrate. But this year it was extra crazy with three new babies in our house! No, I didn’t give birth to triplets out of the blue, a kitten and two puppies have joined our family.

We lost our beloved cat Ruby a few weeks ago, and after almost 13 years of having a little furry member of the family around all the time, it was too quiet…..famous last words. We now have 12 week-old twins Lola and Lulu, and 11 week-old Violet, and seriously no more quiet.

These little rascals are making sure that I don’t have any spare time. I’d forgotten just how easily time can slip away when you have gorgeous distractions like this. So now it’s all about litter, squeaky toys, scratching posts and puppy pre-school. And I can’t believe just how mischievous they are: Lulu fell in the pool the first day home, Violet slipped into the bath with Bella last night, and Lola is barking at the BIG dog next door like she’s a great dane!

Funny how before we got them, the plan was that everyone would pitch in, but now both Bell and John are extremely busy whenever there’s a mess to clean up! I have noticed however that they both have plenty of spare time when the “kids” want to play. These three little girls have really shaken up our peaceful household, and I’m sure there’s plenty more adventures to come.

 

This Old Hippy.

IMG_0017, a photo by Deadicated on Flickr.

We were having a cruisey Friday night dinner, takeaway and a couple of glasses of wine. When Bell dropped some food on the floor, and I didn’t tell her to pick it up, she looked at me for a second before speaking. “Mum, aren’t you going to tell me to get it?”. When I said I couldn’t really be bothered, she came back with “Wow mum, no more wine for you, you’re turning into a hippy!!”.

John and I both cracked up, she thought I was being so slack, and it made me realize two things. Our kids must think we were always this old/responsible/boring. If only they saw how different our priorities were back in “the old days”, before parenthood. And, maybe I do stress a little bit too much about the little things sometimes. I know I’m not the only mother who has found herself focussing on stuff that doesn’t really matter, but how easy is it to get caught up in the really not-so-important things?

I’m doing my best to become less of a control freak, but it’s a habit that’s going to be hard to break. I like to know things are running smoothly, but maybe every now and then I could let it go a bit. It’s not all organized at our place, just like every family we are slack about stuff. I’ve just got to learn to chill out a bit about the little things that aren’t really going to matter in the long run.

I must say though, my girl doesn’t seem to mind having a former hippy for a mum when she’s playing her guitar, and I’m dancing around with a tambourine. I just don’t think she’ll be posting the vision on Youtube any time soon.

Not The Hair!!!

 

 

Bell has decided that she wants to blend in. At 9 years old that’s not a bad thing, but the blending is all about her hair. Ever since she had her first haircut when she was tiny, I’ve kept her hair in a bob, as it just falls so beautifully. She’s been lucky enough to inherit the gorgeous straight hair of her dad, the straight hair that has me slaving over a straightening iron every morning to achieve. But now, thanks to Marcia, Marcia, Marcia on the Brady Bunch, she longs for wavy honey-coloured locks.

I must say, being as blonde as I was when I was a child, I guess I always imagined having a daughter with fair hair. I never factored in that I may fall for a beautiful Asian specimen with a waterfall of thick black hair down to his waist! So when Bell was born with a black, fluffy mop, I was kind of like “oh yeah, that’s right, of course she’s not blonde!”.

So in the last year or so, and in no small way thanks to Brady bunch re-runs, she has decided that when she grows up, she will have a flowing blonde ‘do, with no hint of a straight fringe. I honestly never think she looks Chinese, and am sometimes quite surprised when people comment on this. Yes, I think she is way more like John than me, but somehow this doesn’t compute in how I see them. To me they are just the husband and daughter that look like themselves.

I know Bell and I are going to have many battles over hair, clothes, whatever as she gets older, and I’ll be a little sad to see her sleek little bob fade away. But as with all aspects of growing up, I’ll just take it as it comes. I just can’t help but wish I’d been as lucky as her in the hair lottery.

Credit Where Credit’s Due.

coffee:magazine, a photo by monkey_pushover_tree on Flickr.

This morning, on the way home from a meeting, I got to sneak off to my favourite coffee shop with a fresh new magazine for an hour of “me time”. I was so excited, you’d think I was going to see Prince live on stage (aahhh, the memories of the best concert I’ve ever been to…..). So yep, coffee, mag and I could see the perfect little dark corner, but when I sat down, I realized I was right next door to two women and one 3-year-old!

I was so disappointed, I just knew this was not going to be a peaceful break, but guess what? Yes, I did hear a few games of “I Spy” in between the mums’ hushed convo, but it really didn’t spoil my coffee/reading in the least. In fact, it took me back just a couple of years to when Bell and I would spend our mornings doing exactly the same thing. I Spy is still big in our house, by the way, but now our coffee dates are usually taken up with big school talk.

I got to read the whole magazine, MindFood = heaven, and recaffeinate myself for almost a whole hour. I also got a few giggles as her squeaky little voice bubbled away. As I was leaving, I had to stop and let the mum know what a well-behaved little girl she has. I’m sure she thought I was stopping at her table to have a dig, and her face lit up when I told her what a little possum she had.

I know sometimes others can creep into our “space”, but every now and then this can be a positive thing. I think I just may start a game of I Spy on the drive home from school today.

 

                                                                        

Linking up with Life on planet Baby for Post of the Month Club.

The Beehive Makes A Comeback.

Untitled, a photo by kkolaja on Flickr.

We’re having such a lovely relaxing Easter break, doing nothing much but hanging out. John actually has 4 whole days off work, and since we’re halfway through the school holidays, I’m starting to thaw out a bit. Bella’s even in relax mode, doing nice quiet stuff, except for little bursts of whistling every now and then.

We’d had our Monopoly championship this morning, and I wondered what she was up to after about 90 minutes of peace. I was surprised to find her quietly playing with her Barbie dolls. She has stages of playing with the girls, but has never really been a dolly fan. I wandered in to where she was playing, and she told me I was just in time for the catwalk show, so I should take a seat.

The show consisted of all 7 Barbies, some real and some cheap knockoffs, parading up and down the coffee table catwalk in different outfits. Most of these creations were simply scraps of fabric wrapped in different styles, and some actually looked quite cool! The hair was definitely the highlight, with the beehive dominating the day, after I told her that’s how her Nanna wore her hair when I was little.

I love that in the age of technology, when Angry Birds are frequent visitors in our house, simple plastic dolls and imagination can fill so much time. I hope that Bell always enjoys little things like this, sometimes life can get too busy.

Linking up with maxabella loves for this week’s grateful post.

Sweeeeeeeeeet!

The Ultimate Bacon Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcake, a photo by 52 Kitchen Adventures on Flickr.

Oh chocolate my sweet frenemy, my only crime was loving you too much……..

What Do You Do When The Wheels Fall Off?

Untitled, a photo by Gabi~ on Flickr.

Last week the wheels fell off……everything! I had been sick for a few days, but because I had so much to do, just kept working through it. Apparently that was a bad move, because I’d let my health come a very poor second to my work, and consequently by the beginning of last week, I was absolutely out of steam. I ended up with several doctor’s appointments, tests, x-rays, the lot. Now I’m taking the prescribed medication, and trying to slow down just a little bit to get back to normal health.

I think this is a common scenario for most mums, the jobs need to get done, and you’re the one to take care of that. Factor in also your job, and that makes it all the more stressful. When you’re working for someone else, chances are, there is someone else on staff who can cover your workload for a day or two. When you are the entire company, that luxury is usually just a dream.
So, I had a huge week planned, several business opportunities had presented themselves and needed actioning, at least a million new ideas were swirling around in my head and the new Zen Designs range was all ready to be put online and launched. All this on top of the normal life stuff that needs to happen, including early starts and late finishes at school for Bella. Thank goodness John took on most of the cooking duties (read: much mess in kitchen), and most of my orders were up to date.

The thing is, when you’re doing it on your own in business, you really do have to stay on top of your own health. This sounds quite obvious, but it’s too easy to put everyone else first, and not take notice of any warning signs that you may be in for a fall. A good idea is to have measures in place in case you need to take a few days off. Also having a good support network is a huge asset. If you have customers, let them know orders may be a little late. If you have suppliers, keep them in the loop. And most importantly, if you are offered help from family and friends, take it!

Hopefully I’m back on track for this week, and the new Zen Designs range will be up and running. The photos are all ready to go, and I think they look quite good. I’ve also got another business idea forming in my over-active brain that needs researching, so stay tuned for something completely different…..guess I’ll be tackling that one in my spare time.

As mums, I think it’s a natural instinct to want to do it all ourselves. Just try to be a little kind to yourself, and maybe have a little break every now and then. Stay healthy.

When Is A Wonton, Not A Wonton? When it’s A Dumpling.

紅油抄手 Red Oil Wonton, a photo by Eat-My-Heart-Out 你吃,我看 on Flickr.

I do not enjoy cooking. I love to eat (really love!!), but the preparing, cooking and presentation of food….not so much. This is something John simply can’t understand. He LOVES cooking, especially when there is great mess to be made. Apparently it tastes better the more pots/pans/dishes you use, and if there is something sticky and slippery on the floor after he’s prepared the meal, it must be a gastronomic delight!
So, it’s taken him quite a while to realize that lunch will not be a “meal” in our house. I can easily get through the middle of the day with a couple of extra coffees and some rice crackers and hommus. Yes I know, I know, then I wonder why I’m ready to eat a whole chocolate cake at 4.00 o’clock!

 
Because John is a nightshift worker, he’s around during the day and expects to be fed. I’ve made it quite clear that I will do breakfast and dinner, but lunch….sorry, you’re on your own. So, not being a great fan of the kitchen (don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to be just like Nigella. Her wardrobe is quite lovely, and all those appliances look like a bit of fun), I also jump at the offer of dinner out.

 
We went to our favourite Chinese restaurant the other night, certainly not local, but definitely authentic. Deciding to try some different dishes to our usuals, I liked the look of “BBQ pork in plum sauce with pineapple”. John tried to warn me that this sounded suspiciously like sweet & sour, but know-it-all me just had to give it a go. So, we all had a little bit of everything, except I just couldn’t stop myself from going to town on this new tangy delight. Sadly, his suspicions seemed to be pretty spot on, “sweet & sour is a great hiding place for older meat”. Yep, that drive home seemed to take forever, and I’m pretty sure I’ll listen to the great foodie from now on. I just won’t ever admit it to him.

School Camp Blues

leaving home 1, a photo by faeristarlite on Flickr.

I’m feeling a bit fragile today, after sending Bell off on her first school camp. The “camp” is really just a one night sleepover at the school, complete with a day full of pool/waterslide/jumping castle activities, and a night of pizza, disco and not much sleeping, but it just feels like a big milestone. We’ve been having a countdown since the note came home last week, and she was beside herself last night as all the packing was done (how much stuff do 8-year-olds need for 24 hours?!!).

 
She also asked me not to volunteer as one of the sleepover parents, as she’s just started at this new school this year, and I feel that she’s wanting to show her independence a bit more. I’m obviously happy that she’s confident enough to not want me around all the time, but also just a tiny bit sad that she’s not my “baby” any more. So, it’s time for me to be a big girl, and just get on with it…..but I was secretly relieved when, as we were walking towards the classroom, all loaded with sleeping bag, pillow and about 25 changes of clothes, she slipped her little hand into mine and gave it a squeeze.

 
Once I was dismissed, along with the other parents who all wanted to stay for just one more minute, I headed to my favourite coffee shop on the beach. An hour there with a good latte, a fresh mag and the amazing view of the islands, and I was ready to get back into the home/work gig. John and I are even going to catch a movie this afternoon, seeing there’s no school pickup, but I’ll be wondering what they’re all up to, and how much fun they’re having.

 
It’s wonderful when you realize that you’ve done something right, seeing your kids head off on their own adventures, in a confident way. But, sometimes I do miss having the little person who relied on me for even the most simple things. I think I’d better prepare myself, there’s many more challenges she’ll tackle without me holding her hand, and I think I’m quite proud that she’ll be able to handle most of them pretty well.

We Have A Winner……Or 3

Well, this getting back to school business has taken all my time lately. New school and Miss B tells me she wants to live there, so I guess that’s a good sign.

Anyway, I’ve drawn the winner of the Zen Designs giveaway, and it’s Jane! So Jane, please email me at lisa@zendesigns.com.au with your postal details so I can get this parcel sent off to you.

Thank you to everyone who sent friends to the FB page. I was going to give away 1 mystery prize, but have decided to give them to both Jasmine and  Jodi-Lee…..thank you gorgeous girls! Please send me your postal details too.

Starting to get back to normal now, so this range can be finalized and up on the website. As much as I love working from home, sometimes the other stuff (life) really takes over and you have to be extra disciplined…..luckily I love my job.

Oh by the way, I’ve made a note of everyone who left a comment, and the next time you place a ZD order, you’ll receive a Boho Charm Wrap as an extra goodie.