The Real World

Last week while we were visiting my parent's place, I came across my uncle who is well-known for being a tease with the kids.  He will growl at them while creating horrid faces and then giggle as he walks away - all for the entertainment it creates for him to see the absolute terror on the kids faces.  In the 30 years that he has been an Uncle - he has not changed - always known as the "scary" one....and I have vivid memories as a child of being absolute terrified of him. 

It created an intense conversation with my parents as to whether or not he should quit with the act and stop scaring the kids - and it was the response from my mum - that created a lightbulb moment for me as a parent.

She said "Not everyone in the world is nice Han - so really it's a perfect lesson for the kids to learn.  Unfortunately it's a big bad world out there."

Could she be any more right?

We work tirelessly to create these perfect worlds for our children - filled with happy memories, endless toys, healthy food and loving family....but unfortunately, no matter how tightly we wrap our kids up - we must prepare them for the big wide world. 

As sad as it is, our children are going to come across rude, cruel and mean people in their many walks of life.  It is our responsibility to give them the tools to cope with all the nasty things and to appreciate the beauty of life itself.

It's our responsiblity to raise the kind of person who chooses to take the higher ground in a conflicting situation - to see the empathy and sympathise. 

To raise them to be the person who greets everyone with a smile of love and friendship - no matter how rude that other person is - or what personal hardships they may be going through themselves.

To teach them to know that a simple smile to a stranger can create so much love and happiness.  That it is so much easier being kind to everyone - and not to be tied down by others negativity. 

To simply be the person who will know the importance of kindness and love - and with these qualities - they will reach their goals and succeed in life. 

Memories create all these magnificent qualities.  Simple memories like sitting on the kitchen bench licking cake batter off the beaters....or jumping in puddles after days of rain.....or hiding under the covers with Daddy waiting to scare Mummy as she walks by. 

Memories of playing with friends, sharing special days with family or loosing someone close.  The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.  All these memories create lessons. 

One of the most profound memories I have of my childhood is simply......when you get knocked down - get back up, dust yourself off and put your face to the sunshine.  For this lesson will guide you throughout so many walks of life.

For it is today, that we taught Macie this very lesson after she fell off a chair while visiting her Ma & Pa.  She is now sporting a very vibrant blue and purple bruise on her cheek but she is ok.  After many tears from Macie, a minor freak-out from Heath and a lot of reassurance from me and Heath's parents - we all live to tell the tale.

And tonight, as we tuck Macie into bed - all clean, fed and happy - we will read to her Dr Seuss "The Places You Will Go"....for it is in this story that dreams begin and the wise words belong....

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose."

Dr. Seuss

a mothers love....

This morning was spent with my beautiful friends who are due to give birth to their second baby any day now.  I sat and talked with excitement and anticipation - they sat mentally counting down the days until D-Day.  I wonder if they noticed me admiring their bellies moving in time with their babies and resisting all urge not to touch and rub it constantly. 

It reminds me vividly of the wait for Macie's birth....the constant 'Have you popped yet?' text messages and the endless tips and tricks for how to bring the birth on!  And can you believe that I have been doing the very same to my beautiful friends.....telling them to sway their hips like it's the 70s baby!! 

So it's now that I wait for that all important phone call that the babies are on their way....and wait with their big sisters for the good news....

In the meantime, I will just look at these gorgeous photos.....seriously - there is nothing more glorious than a pregnant woman - and nothing more magical than a mothers love....no matter how uncomfortable they feel! 

Unproductive.

Admittedly, I have been so unproductive lately.  My house, washing pile, floors and thirsty garden proves my findings.  The dust on my sewing machine is just the cherry on top. 

The thing is - that I have been productive for so many endless months.....it's about time I be unproductive - just to even things out.

However, I am happy to report that I managed to blow the dust off the sewing machine and I completed the very first quilting project that I started months ago.  I wanted to make a little playmat/quilt for my new little nephew who is due to born any day now.....

and here is the result. 

Shabby and made with love.  I didn't want the cubes to match up in a perfect pattern - instead I wanted it to be 'imperfect' to represent that everyone and everything are beautiful in their own special way - no matter the colour of their hair, skin or if they have 11 toes. 

So, even though the result of my unproductiveness is creating a little voice that shouts "Oh my god - I really need to sew".....I am loving MY time....with my girl, my husbo and my family.....but more so - with me.  Over the past year, any time that I had to myself - I would be sewing for Dalli....for nearly 7 hours a day.  Over the past few weeks, I have actually laid down with Macie with her afternoon sleeps, cuddled her endlessly on the couch while we watch cartoons together and have just enjoyed our days together.  I have snuggled on the couch with Heath at nights - which is such a rare occasion as usually I am on the sewing machine as soon as Miss Moo is asleep....and until Heath is asleep on the couch. 

I have listened to my instincts - and I have taken a wee break.  Just a little one to revitalise, refocus and decide where I want to take my little business into the future.  How to do things differently - to be a stand-out in the world of so many creative businesses.

But one thing is for sure - and that is that I will always love to write...I will always love to blog....

and I hope that you will always love to read.  X

Dear Macie

Dear Macie

I am thankful every day to be your Mum.  To be able to comfort you, to play with you, to guide you and to love you.   You make me laugh and cry and scream and smile....but I can't imagine life without you.  I miss you even if I am gone for a few hours.....and I love that you are becoming cuddly in your 'old' age.   

Thank you for making me laugh and smile every day - no matter if the sun is shining - you are always bright, fun and bold.  Even if your cheekiness borders on naughtiness....I still love you - and I always will. 

I love that you can make even the toughest man crumble under your charm.  That they will hold your hand and follow your "Lets Go" command....and then they will sit with you to draw pictures and read you books.  You have no fear....and that little twinkle in your eye lets me know that the world will be your oyster one day. 

I love that you love to sing - and you now sing Twinkle Twinkle over and over again with the utmost precision.  I love that you are independent (admittedly I do find it tiring some days) and that you know what you want...that is a gene you inherited from your Mama.  Use it wisely. 

You are beautiful, colourful, spirited and strong.  You are loving, cuddly and smiley. 

You are mine.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you....for blessing my life every day.  For teaching me to be patient, to be confident as a Mum and to love unconditionally.   

Love Always
Your Muuuuuuuuuuuummmmm 

PS  This little letter was inspired from going though my iPhone photos......seriously Macie - you have enough personality to feed 100 adults.  Never.ever.change - no matter what anyone says. 

PPS  Yes, you saw right - Macie has created a lovely outfit of Pull-Up Nappy Leg Warmers....attractive right? 

Good things happen....

Heath proposed to me again over the weekend.  Yep - on one knee and asked me, his wife, to marry him - all while placing my ORIGINAL engagement ring on my finger.....the very same ring that I lost 2 months ago and cried a river of tears.  Over the last 2 months I have searched the house endlessly, reluctantly filed a claim with my insurance company and only last week received the 'go-ahead' from the insurance to go and purchase myself a new one.  The money was sitting in my account - all I needed to do was walk into the jewellery store in town and purchase the ring.  What was stopping me? I had no idea.

Then for some reason on Saturday, I decided it would be a really good idea to wash the car.  Heath was busy at the shed and Miss Moo had her 'teething-I-hate-the-world' pants on.....so usually anything involving water dissolves the mood and places a smile on her face.  To really set the picture....in all my time owning a car - I think I have washed them probably 3 times.  I usually either drive with a dirty windscreen and mud on the wheels (much to the husbo's disgust) or I pay the trusty young man at the Car Wash to do the job for me.  Washing cars just isn't my thing.....but for some reason on Saturday, I was determined to make our car sparkle.

So I drove the car into the yard, fought with Macie over the hose, cursed at the dog for biting my toes and started to wash the car.  Then something sparkled in the grass......and it caught my eye.....and there it was....my engagment ring - sitting in the grass on the corner of the patio.  It has been mowed over, frosted on, rained on and has been sitting in the dirt for 2 months - and there isn't a diamond missing and it is still in it's original shape.  Oh.my.fricken.god!

You are probably wondering where the photos are - but I was in too much shock to grab the camera.....I ran inside immediately to call Heath on the UHF radio and said "GET HOME NOW!".....next thing I know he is standing with me in the yard completely dumbfounded too.....he only mowed over that ring the weekend before.

My beautiful engagement ring that Heath proposed to me all those years ago is back on my finger (although needs to be resized).....the very ring that I thought I had lost and shed so many tears over...and maybe blamed Macie for loosing on me!  Lucky she doesn't really understand me.....  

Good things happen to those who wait.....and I am so very glad that I waited.....

And just to let you know - I did the right thing and called the insurance company to let them know that I had found the ring and asked if they wanted me to reimburse the funds.....the end of the line was quiet with a response from the operator being..."Um....I have never had a phonecall from a customer telling us that they want to reimburse the money - I am going to have to get back to you ma'am".  Honesty is my policy.....even if that money would have been so very welcome in our savings account!

So - when life feels like it is throwing all the punches your way and you start to feel a bit defeated....just remember that "Good things happen" because they truly do.....

Sponsored Posts
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The beauty of pregnancy....

Last week I was asked by my beautiful heavily-pregnant friend Lish to take some photos.  I looked at her with a puzzled face and said "Photos?  Of what?".....and she replied with her gorgeous smile and pointed at her belly bump.  I was honoured.  Why?  Because I couldn't think of a more perfect afternoon than to photograph Lish, her magical baby bump and her beautiful little girl.  I think my little jump and silent squeal may have answered her question.....

I spent the last week driving around the paddocks on the farm, the hidden streets in town, timing the sunsets, testing the best light, and exploring the internet for inspiration.  I wanted these photos to capture the silent yet profound relationship between Lish and her little girl and to catch that twinkle in their eyes - their own kind of magic. 

A big thank you to Lish for letting me share just a few of my favourites from the day.  I was so excited, honoured and priviledged to be asked to photograph you and your beautiful family.

If every Friday afternoon consisted of photographing such beautiful people in beautiful surroundings....then I say.....Bring it on!

Reality

On Saturday morning I awoke to find Heath giggling in what appeared to be his sleep.  Never one to sleep-talk or giggle in his dreams - I was intrigued.  After a little nudge and a 'Whats so funny' question....he opened one eye and said 'Macie is out of her cot'....he laughed....I laughed..and then he realised he wasn't dreaming.  We both bolted upright in bed to find Macie at our door with a cheeky smile and a teddy bear tucked under her arm.  "Hello"....she said through her dummy in her mouth as her eyes twinkled with mischief.  Our little acrobat had managed to escape her sleeping bag (which is admittedly an old trick), scaled her cot without so much as a rattle or a bump to wake us....and then proceeded to greet us 'Hello'. 

Over the past few weeks, every single thing 'Baby' that Macie did has been slowly disappearing.  She no longer needs us to feed her, she now drinks out of a cup, she now wants to sit at the table with us for dinner instead of her 'trusty-buckle-you-in-and-you-can't-escape' highchair, and she is even starting to give us some indicators that she is ready to be toilet-trained.  I knew the day was coming to get her a 'big-girls' bed....but I suppose I was just hanging onto that little bit of hope that my little girl was still a baby.  Clearly Macie had other ideas.....

So off we went to town to find the bed and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.  I had full intentions of gawking about how expensive a kids bed is and declaring that I was going to travel 400km to IKEA to grab a bargain.  I am never one to bargain shop but with my trusty mother-in-law Larni by my side - our little country town delivered one to my feet.  I managed to get two matching beds for the price of one....plus a rustic entertainment unit....all for $300.  Yep....add Bargain Hunter to my list of talents.   Then add another few hours of Heath cursing and screaming at the creators of flat packs and voila.....we have our little girl a bed with a little cheap 'It'll-do-for-now' doona cover....until I get the time to make her one in my her favourite colours. 

Never one to be sentimental....I found myself thinking 'It's starting' and declared this to Heath with the usual eye-roll as a response.  My little girl in growing up.  I cried when we placed her in her cot from her bassinet when she was 6 months old....and I cried again last night when we tucked her up in her bed - with her own little doona and her own little pillow.   It has happened....she is a big girl now....no longer needing the barriers to hold her back.  The world is her oyster.....and the little dance on the bed after the lights were turned out just proved to me that she is most definitely satisfied with the arrangement!! 

How do we know she did a little dance?  Well just imagine Heath and I on either side of the doorway peeking in to watch her.....proud parents much??

Soon she will be old enough and we will be having friends over for sleep-overs, having cheeky giggles about the cute little boy on the bus and in no time, she will be telling me that "I have NO idea" about anything.  Little will she know that when she becomes a mum....she will be horrified but just how much I did know. 

I am going to savour the little moments.  Like when she still wants to hold my hand when we are walking through the paddocks.  Or when she falls asleep on my chest even after I pick her up from her cot after her day nap and I spend the next hour on the couch memorising her little lips and her beautiful long eyelashes.  Or when she finds my singing abilities amazing....and most importantly, that she doesn't find me embarrassing.   Yep - I am totally soaking all these moments up.....

For this little human being is growing far too quickly.....and not even my tears are going to slow the time down.