July 2008

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Member since 02/2008

The Olden Days...

Weekends are often about video music television, as we potter about together and clean...

One such weekend Nath was singing along to one of the tunes...

Mikaela says "You know all the olden day songs Nath, cause you were borned in the olden days"...

We totally cracked up. What the? When did we become our parents, or more like our grandparents... born in the olden days???

This is the tune that was on:

Okay it IS from 1983, some 25 years ago, which made us 10years old, Nath 8... so it was our parents influence... but "olden days".....CRAZY TALK :)

Oh and David Bowie related trivia... as you are likely aware he has two different coloured eyes, one brown and one blue ... my Mum has the same, only hers' are natural and his were because of an accident. Ever caught someone out with "what colour are my eyes?"... Mum did :) Hahahaha!

Happy Weekend to you...

Love and hugs...

Bxo

Cute little punk kid...

Punk Cute

Two top teeth

Me oh my... way too cute for words: so I have none, not one, nadda, zip, nothing!

Peace...

Bxo

One week to go...

... before we head off to Noumea for our postponed honeymoon (with the kidlets :)).

We chose Noumea for a few reasons:

  • Flight is only 3 hours and with youngins, the shorter the better (I did two 24 hour flights when Mikaela was 6 and 12 months, not the most enjoyable experience I have ever had LOL!)...
  • Kids Club & Babysitter ... Mikaela loved the one she went to in Singapore last year. We'll probably only use the Babysitter so we can go out for dinner one night. Just a little time alone...
  • New Calendonia is French speaking and we felt it would be good for Mikaela.

In preparation for my "travel scrap & art" kit I have made up this little mini to take with us:

Noumea Mini Album

Album so far consists of:

6"x6" Acrylic Album - Exposed by ScrapWorks
5" x 7" tabbed Small White Gird Chipboard Album by Scenic Route
Mini Letters "Cheerful" by Adornit, Carolee's Creations
Foam Letters, Blue also by Adornit

I have also created some journal cards which I will include along the way :)

So my cheeky little co-designer over at We Challenge You, Ms Lisa has tagged me with the "7 random things about me" one, so here they are:

7 random facts about me…*I*…

  1. leave my shoes all over the house… in the garage, kitchen, lounge and bathroom.
  2. don’t use our ensuite… when I was pregnant with Joshua it felt too small and I haven’t gone back.
  3. have a bath pretty much every night, most always with Josh and on occasion Mikaela too.
  4. must have lip gloss on me at all times
  5. often leave doors open and lights on… it is a most annoying habit my daughter has adapted also, of course I yell at her when she does it… and we all laugh because she got it from me!!
  6. like Brussels sprouts, I mean… I really like them.
  7. used to like having my nails done with gel acrylics, now I like them cut as short as possible.

I tag anyone who wants to play, so if that's you... link me and go to it :)

Oh and recently I found this: Blurb (thanks Jess). So I am in the process of making my blog (well all three of them actually) into a book. How exciting, it is fabulous and so easy to do. I have known about it for a few weeks and only got started last night & I really wish I hadn't because it's addictive! And I have so many other things to do before we go away on holidays.... PRIORITISE my dear, prioritise!!!!

Happy Hump Day loves...
Bxo

We Challenge You - July

It is that time again...head over to We Challenge You for some inspiration and the chance to win some great prizes.

Wechallengeyou

Here is my piece for the month: an Off The Page (OTP) item, the challenge was "Alter any size journal book with 2 patterned papers, ribbon, chipboard, buttons and kindyglitz". The image at the lower right shows my stash before I got started:RV - July OTP

This mini album is Joshua's - we play with it at least once a day so he can remember his grandparents, sometimes it is in the car, sometimes at home... either way we go through the album "there's Deda" "there's Nanna"... Josh giggles and hits the book - it is so sweet!

All our products, aside from paints and stamps and a couple of bits and pieces are kindly provided by Ebony at Allcraftz. Her prices are fabulous and she has a great array of product, including Making Memories. Go take a look.

Allcraftzbanner I hope you have a creative day.

Bxo

Work at home Mum...

I pretty much consider I am a SAHM (stay at home Mum) but I have worked some during the past 10 months... not much, but some. I'd love to be a AAHM - Artist at Home Mum - it's not as if I dont make enough of a mess on my own, without the help of a babe...

I guess if the 90s motto for women is that they can "have it all" then the 00s motto is "have it all, and then some"... For me "having it all" includes living a balanced and simple life. For me that includes working and being able to bring in some money for the family. So recently I have been doing this:

Photography work

And this:

More Photography work Plus a lot of this:

Sweet Angel - commissioned art This work equates minimal hours away from home... maybe six in total, and those six hours Joshua and Mikaela were with Nathan (a very full time, hands on Dad, not one of those "absent Dads")...

Back in the day when I was a single Mum... and Mikaela spent nights at her Dads, one or two a week, asides from the whole lonely aspect, I found being a single parent pretty straight forward. Only one person to give all your attention to, and because she was not with me for a couple of nights, when she was with me she got ALL my attention. The housework, catching up with girlfriends (and even cultivating a new relationship) could all be done when Mikaela was at her Dad's. As pointed out to me by one of the other school Mum's, I was lucky?!...

As she explained to me, she thought I was lucky because her kids had a Dad who worked shift and rarely spent very much time with his children at all. Their parents were together, happily married... yet my daughter who got her Dad's full and undivided attention EVERY Sunday (all day and night) & Monday night... spent more time with her Dad than my friends kids did with theirs.

That made me appreciate that even tho I was lonely... and even though I felt guilty that I was not able to provide my daughter with a "family unit"... she was in fact receiving the very best of both worlds and her life, our life was as it was. Pure & Simple. It also showed me that there is always an up-side and down-side to every situation. Usually you can not think of the other side, unless you are there, or have been there... or a friend lets you know their story. You may think you know, maybe you have an empathetic heart... but you can never really know.

Last week on ABC radio there were Defence wifes talking about absent fathers, about the difficulties in having to live without their husbands, their childrens fathers for months at a time. About how the most difficult part is not the lead up, or the actual absence... but the return. The impact it had on the children was total chaos for months, and even permanent. I really feel for those families...

Another example that hit my heart stings was when Nath came home one lunch and said "I've inspired one of my clients"... "oh yes, how?" was my reply. His client had seen photos of our newborn Joshua in his office, naturally they got chatting about their babies. His client's babe was a few months old also. On the next visit his client told Nath how he used to work 3+ hours from home (in Sydney) and since their last meeting and hearing that Nath goes home and spends so much time with Joshua, he had moved closer to home and now only works half an hour away. Nath's client was able to spend a lot more time watchin his baby grow. That made me teary...

Also making me teary is that one of my dearest friends, Vanessa is moving up north. Not for another year... but her hubs and daughter will be up there soon and she will be here alone (well not alone, but without them) and working. It is tough, but necessary. I guess that is how life is at times... especially with big things like a total sea change and lifestyle change they are embarking.

At times I find my "juggling act" quite hard to manage, I am a full time wife and mother. Part time artist, photographer and technical writer. I have no 'free nights'. We have no family here to help us. It's just us. Yet I have a very hands on husband, his firm is 5 minutes from home and he joins us for lunch most days. He is rarely home later than 6, but usually 530.

Nathan also appreciates that I require some "me" time too... that my art and my scrapping... and any other ventures that come my way, are important to me. Keep me balanced and sane, for the most part - TIC. I am lucky he is so supportive and such a great husband and father. It is one of the main things that attracted us to each other, our strong commitment and determination as to the kind of life we want to live together, as a family.

I read something recently:

I don't want an easier life, I just want to do it better...

In fact I want to live the best possible life, and I appreciate that is different for everyone, and the individual at different stages of our lives.

For me it is about being grateful and counting my blessings. Daily, at least once. I do. I think I have pretty much always been that way, even as a single parent.

Go check out this wonderful post from another SAHM - or is she a WAHM, I think the later :)

For musak I am loving this and this. Second one is for you NV! Also for Mikaela's, kinda our theme song... the poor child, I have sung her my tone deaf version many a time over the past 7 years.

Love and Peace out...

Bxo

I know you're trying to be all sacred and kung-fu-eee....

... but where are we going? This was by far my favourite line in Kung Fu Panda... such a cute movie, Mikaela and I enjoyed very much.

We had a Mummy and daughter date, which we try to do as often as we can. Rarely as often as we'd like cause life is just busy and there are not enough hours in the day, or days in the week.

So we'll take what quality time we can distribute amoungst our family, as best we can. We do all right.

And because Mikaela could have a manicure every day... we did that again too:

Another Manicure I hope you are having a fun weekend too.

Bxo

Girlie Night...

So Nath had his end of financial year party for his firm last night. 10 pin bowling and dinner at a beautiful restaurant (acutally where we went on our first date)!

While he was doing that, Mikaela, Josh and I were doing this:

Slumber Joy

We had a Slumber Party, it was so much fun...

Snoozing Joshie

We watched Jon & Kate Plus 8 (one of our all time favourite shows), then Glory Road (I simply love this movie, bless that Mikaela has no idea what racism is and found it a hard concept to grasp.... I hope it stays that way for a loooooonnnnnng time), lastly we watched a bit of Casper before deciding to call it a night and all three of us snuggled in together (until 11pm when Nath got home).

Our evening "festivities" included a little junk food and manicures. Mikaela loved it.

Simple, fun and perfect relaxing winter evening in.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Bxo

Learning Journey...

Mikaela (and most school aged children) have this once a year to basically give "show and tell" to their parents and give a presentation on what they've been up to for the year so far...Mikaela Learning Journey

We had a great time - Mikaela's dad came along also and we all got to see her French and English work progress... and all the little bits and pieces that make up her class room and her day. They had this really kewl "active" board.. basically a touch screen whiteboard, very nifty.

I am really proud of the progress Mikaela has made this year, she is really trying as hard as she can, and it shows. We've been very focused on her spelling. She went from 0 correct in Feburary (when we'd taken time off for the naming ceremony/wedding) to 100% now pretty much every test for the past 6 weeks. Her confidence is assured, I think it started with her Cross Country win and has just continued since. She is doing well in the friendship department also... I am pleased that most days she plays with a variety of kids and not just the two girls who were causing her so much grief earlier this year and last year. Thank goodness! She needs some work on her French and we hope our upcoming trip to Noumea does much to help.

Recently I have been going through my own learning journey, ever since Artistic Journey in May... I have been driving myself slightly nutz!! I am obsessed with Mixed Media Collage - obsessed I tells you. It is amazing how much I can achieve when Josh sleeps... or even when he is "trapped" in with me, being my reluctant studio buddy. I have a number of canvases prepped and ready to go. In the evenings I do some drawing while watching teev with hubs. I feel I am living my path... found my artistic self, pure and true. It is a really good feeling. I am evolving weekly and it can be quite exhausting at times... so many thoughts, ideas, techniques running through my head. Trials and errors, fun, play... mess, art. I hope I never stop evolving... 

Preparation In progress

Ready to Go Balance is key & some days I find that more difficult to achieve than others. Well most days in fact. Thankfully I have a super supportive husband who enjoys indulging me in most of my endeavours. ++ YES you DO honey ++ If only he'd induldge me this one too, only I dont like my chances.

So onto other precious aspects of my life... Joshua says "Hi"...Hiya

Daddy walks in Dont leave anything for 2 secs Cute Bum Josh now has 4 teeth, refuses to sleep in his own bed (even smiles at us in the middle of the night as we reluctantly, but oh so desperately needing to get back to sleep ASAP, put him into bed between us - cheeky monkey), continues to prefer to be breastfed at least 6 times a day (that combined with said lack of sleep and the fact that I got my "interior decorator" back when he was 3 months old means I am pretty tired. When I am not too tired and able to be rational - I can be philosphical about it... I am lucky and being a little tired (occassionally a lot tired) is a small sacrifice to pay for this great life. Other times I am fairly annoying!!

Josh is saying Dadda, Mumma, Bubba and his latest is "Goik, Goik" he is full of lots of babbling and squealing. He is "cruising" about everywhere... and partial to the odd standing all by himself for a few seconds at a time. Very mobile. Very fast. The cutest thing is when he dances when music is played, kind of bounces up and down and waves one arm about, our crouches and bounces both arms. Very funny. Very loved. & Very Cute!

Anyways thats me for now... I hope all is well with you and yours.

I'm gonna try and get some painting in while Josh has his arvo nap.

Love out..

Bxo

It's my best friends' birthday....

TODAY... Happy Birthday Kim... you are Goddess!!

My bestie Kim is a wonderful and dear friend to me (and many)... she is the one I can rely upon, the one I share everything, the one I depend upon, the one I admire and respect, the one I can speak freely and truthfully with and know we understand each other. She is the one I share misty moments with... she is the one I adore. She is the one I dedicate this song to. She is the one I would do anything for. Any day, any time... any where!

Now crank up your musak and play this one... for Kim the beautiful birthday girl!!!

Happy Birthday Kim, have a magical day.

Bxo

Patchwork love...

I am so blessed, looky what arrived for me (well me and hubs, well the family really) in the mail today:

Stunning Quilt

My gorgeous friend Tanya made this for Nathan and I as a wedding gift. I cried. Its perfect. Perfect for our home

Tanya is so so so talented. She wrote this message on the card, which gives those really good goosebumps... it is that beautiful:

"When the one man loves the one woman and the one woman loves the one man, the very angels desert heaven and come and sit in that house and sing for joy" - The Brahma Sutras

Appropriate that my word for this is year is joy, since it is the year I married my one love.

Nathan thinks Tanyas' work is stunning and says she should sell them (NOT MINE!!). Mikaela tells Josh he is not allowed to spew on it :) LOL!

Amazed and blessed is how I feel. Tanya you are an angel. We've been friends since we were about 12 years old... and a few other lifetimes too. I feel so lucky to have this daily reminder of such a beautiful friend and friendship. I love that she knows me so well even though we live so far apart and have been "lost" from each other in years. If I could patchwork, I would make something much like what Tanya made for me... imperfect (yet so so perfect) hand cut circles, dots, greens and organges, swirls. This "throw quilt" is simply divine!

Lucky me.

Bless...

Bxo

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