An overview of today

Jon has been away all day on a gig up the Coast today and isn't due home for a couple of hours yet. With no car and being Sunday, the girls and I had a quiet day at home. Here's some of what we got up to:

We did our fruit and veg shopping just after seven (got to love a shop that opens at 6am!) then came home and packed lunch and dinner for Jonathan. After he had left, we snuggled under the blanket on mummy and daddy's bed with a pile of books. Book reading is a big part of our days - both girls love being read to. We revisited some books that haven't been read in a while (library books are usually all the go since we joined the library).

After our story marathon, we rang Grandma and Grandad in New Zealand on Skype; the call came to an end when the girls started getting crotchety with each other. After her usual morning feed, Sarah was her happy self again, and we went outside to burn off some energy. Abigail jumped on the trampoline and Sarah pretended to ride the trike while I mowed the grass.

Then we went inside and the girls did some water play at the kitchen sink while I baked. Banana carrot muffins (gluten, dairy and sugar free) and banana chocolate cake (gluten free) - I had gotten over 5kgs of bananas for $2 on clearance, hence the banana bake. I'll freeze or dehydrate the rest.

Sarah loves any chance of getting up to the sink to play in the water. Whenever I'm doing the dishes now she works on getting a chair up beside me (our dining chairs are pretty solid, so it's quite a feat; she's very persistent!). There were a few loads of dishes to do today - and each time came the little patter of feet and the dragging of the chair on the floor :)

We pulled out a Wiggles DVD at some point - Sarah loved the Old McDonald Had a Farm song. She knows a lot of her animal sounds now and it is very cute hearing her make them whenever she sees the corresponding animal. Moo and Baa are her favourite.

After lunch the girls had naps, and I ordered my first lot of homeopathic remedies. I have had a growing interest in homeopathy for a little while now and look forward to my order arriving (from the UK - heaps cheaper than buying locally even with postage, go figure!). And I have drawn up plans for a Bible quiet book I want to make for the girls.

After a good nap, I set Abigail and Sarah up outside with some paint. I think this is the first time I've set paints out for Sarah - she loved it. And as always, she tasted it :)

Abigail's painting in the foreground: Sarah's at the back

Once paint was removed from hands, arms, legs, and hair, we came inside and worked on some puzzles - shape stacking and matching eggs. Then Abigail joined popper beads while Sarah stacked rings. Abigail decided she wanted to start throwing things so I set up a game for her:

Her aim got pretty good - we moved the cushion further away from the box each time she got a couple of beads in (or closer if she kept missing).

A couple of loads of laundry awaited folding, so Abigail helped me with that, and while I put it away she tidied her room. She can tidy her room all by herself now - books in their box, blocks in theirs, and toys in the cupboard or the corner. Makes life easier for me! :)

While I cooked dinner, Abigail and Sarah decided to throw the grass clippings around and on each other. I think Sarah might have one or two little bits in her hair still (even after having her hair washed before bed!). Now they are snuggled up in bed (hopefully fast asleep!). Now to pass the next hour or so till Jonathan gets home (my ironing pile is calling me)....

Craft Projects

I've been on quite a crafty spiel for a little while now, so I thought I'd do a quick blog showing some of the things I've made recently or am still working on:

I 'up-cycled' this top the other morning in about an hour. It was an old long sleeve top that I hadn't worn for years - I cut the sleeves and neckline, and used the sleeves to make flowers. Nothing fancy but it made a top I didn't wear into one I will.

I made this rug out of scrap material I had. I still need to put a non-stick backing of some sort on it, but love the colours and love the idea of making something useful out of scraps! It is made from a LONG braid coiled and stitched together.

I'm partway through making a patchwork bed cover for Abigail out of an old duvet cover I was given. The photo shows it folded in half. I need to make it wider and then edge and back it.

After quite a break, I've finally picked up my cross stitch again and am still working on finishing the border. It'll be a while before I attempt such a big pattern again! Jonathan is looking forward to my finishing this one in time for our anniversary at the end of the year.

I've also made an apron out of an old skirt of mine. While making it, the girls were unusually quiet - I peeked around the corner to find that they had emptied the bean bag all over the lounge and were happily (and quietly) playing in it. An SOS text to Jonathan led to him telling me to leave them to enjoy it and he'd clean it up when he got home. I eventually found the courage to tackle the task myself after letting the girls play a while. Those beans were everywhere! Amongst the toys, under the rugs, in the couch. We still find some here and there. Speaking of which, I really must sew the bean bag shut!

I have Quiet Book ideas going through my head at the moment, so once I've finished these projects, that will probably be my next craft focus!

Anyone else working on any craft projects at the moment???

"..we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:2-4 NIV)

I've been struggling somewhat recently with the constancy of the kids (and housework!). No breaks. No escape. No family around. It has been a busy time and the girls have seemed particularly demanding and whiny. I have been trying to come up with 'solutions', but God has been showing me that my solutions aren't the, well, solution. My getting away from/escaping the 'hard' situations won't make them go away or suddenly make me able to deal with them better. They'd wait for me. And I wouldn't be any stronger to deal with them. Jonathan and I read those verses from Romans last night and they struck me; it's a passage I've read so many times in the past, but this time I saw it through 'mummy eyes'. My struggles with being a mum at times, will produce character in me if I persevere through them and see them as opportunities to grow. It is in those moments of struggle that I am to look to God, my helper, to help me through, and so hopefully become more God-like.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." (Psalm 105:4 NIV)


"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:2 NIV)


Further along in our Romans reading it talked about not letting sin rule in our bodies: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (6v12) With 'mummy eyes' on, this meant not letting a bad mood or tiredness rule me, snapping and grumping at my family. When I do so, I'm walking in sin. Instead, I am to consciously offer myself to God as an instrument of righteousness (v13). Instead of snapping at and brushing the girls away, I am to practice:
love,
    patience,
          kindness,
                 gentleness,
                         and self-control towards them.

Some of you think that being a mum is natural to me - that I have the personality for it, etc. I laugh at that (I think that you probably are too now!). Gentleness and patience are not my strong points; being a mum has helped me work on that, but also shows up how much more 'work' on those areas I have to go. I am not a natural mum or a super mum. I am a mum  - and, with God's help, I am seeking to be a (more) godly one.

Quarter of a Century!

For the first time in about 13 years, Grandma and I celebrated our birthday together! We had a lovely few days together; it was a great birthday!

Jonathan had the day off so we all caught the train to Southbank. Sarah enjoyed the motion and was climbing up and down on the seats; Abigail preferred to sit on mummy's lap (she found it a bit noisy and rattly).

Mummy: "It's an adventure."
Abigail: "No. It's a train."

From the train we walked across the River and caught the CityCat. Again, Abigail found it a little scary and preferred to sit close to mummy, but did go with daddy to stand at the front of the boat for a little while. Sarah slept.

By the time we got back to Southbank we were ready for lunch. Boost Juice smoothies (I got a free one for my birthday), Subway (again, free for my birthday), wedges, pizza and salad were much enjoyed, and with full tummies we went to check out the kids water play area.

It was fun!

Both girls loved it and had a great time - Abigail enjoyed playing in the pool; Sarah loved going through all the water features. We adults enjoyed watching them.

Cold and wet little girls were dried off and dressed again, and we caught the train back home (Abigail was less timid on it this time). After naps/rests we went out for dinner at Sizzlers. I love Sizzlers. As usual, it was a lovely meal and we came home with full tummies (mine still had enough room for birthday cake :) ).

Happy birthday Grandma! And happy birthday me!

New Zealand Trip (Part Two)

Our next destination was Wellington, and we all arrived there late Thursday afternoon. We settled in and Kim and I headed to the supermarket (we came back well stocked with sweet stuff!). There were ducks hanging around our unit which Sarah LOVED; this of course led to a tendency of her wandering off after them!

On our first full day in Wellington, we headed for Te Papa. We stuck to the kid-friendly areas and it was fascinating. The giant squid was incredible - those revolving hooks on its tentacles are well worth steering clear of! Abigail had a great time with her Aunty Kim taking her around; and Sarah loved looking at all the birds in the displays.

At Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand, Wellington

I had seen pedal go-karts in Taupo but we didn't have time to try them, so I was very excited to find them at the holiday park in Wellington too! We were able to use them a couple of times for free and had lots of fun racing each other around and taking the kids on rides. Lots of fun had by all!

Pedal Go-Kart fun

On our second full day, we went to the Wellington Zoo. So much to see! The chimpanzees were the most fun to watch (and the baboons); we got to pat a bearded lizard (from Australia!); Sarah gave the picture of the pelican a kiss and looked at it rather than the real life model behind the fence! It was a great wee zoo - so many animals to see! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

At Wellington Zoo

We had lots of fun at the bottom of the North Island. It was especially great to have Kim with us and to catch up with her. Abigail enjoyed her morning snuggles with Aunty Kim; Jon got to indulge in lots of tech/gadget conversation with someone like minded; and I got to be with my friend again.

Very early Sunday morning, we were up and heading home. We had had a great trip - it was so nice to see my family again. To see Kim again. And to see more of New Zealand. We thank God for all these blessings!

Our New Zealand Trip (Part One)

David and Kedesh van Heeswyck

We are not long back from our trip to New Zealand to attend this lovely couple's wedding. After watching 3 of his sisters marry, my brother David has now had the joy of doing the same to his lovely bride, Kedesh. It was a lovely ceremony and reception (very exciting to be there); the bride was beautiful and natural, and David looked very smart in his ivory suit. Congratulations again, you two!!!

My parents, newly marrieds, her parents

We took over 500 photos on our trip, but I was annoyed at myself to find we had forgotten to get good shots of the girls with their grandparents and various aunts and uncles. Noted for whenever we next get the opportunity! It was so nice to be 'home' with my family again.

Craters of the Moon, Taupo

We spent 5 nights in Auckland, and then headed south for Wellington to see my good friend, Kim. We broke the long journey with a couple of nights in Taupo.

Taupo Top 10 Holiday Park where we stayed

It rained the day we had in Taupo, but armed with an umbrella and jumpers, we went out to explore anyway. We went to see the Craters of the Moon - a geothermal walk. Then we went to see Huka Falls - where the Waikato River "which is normally 100m wide, is squeezed through a 20 metres wide gorge and over a 20m drop". It was amazing to see the power of that water.

Craters of the Moon and Huka Falls, Taupo

After two nights there, we left rainy Taupo and continued South for Wellington. We drove along the shoreline of Lake Taupo; through low cloud and windy (whine-dy) roads; and learnt why the Desert Road is called such before stopping for lunch in Palmerston North. We became a two car convoy as Kim joined us on our southward journey from there.

Leaving Taupo

(To be continued....)

Well, our new kitchen routine is working a treat - it is spic and span every night. Starting the day with a clean kitchen makes it so much easier to keep it tidy!

Over the past year, I've been trying to get more organised, and as I've gone on I've found resources and motivation to do so on a larger scale (got to love blogs!). Life is full (in a good way!) and I want to get routines and habits in place now for when it gets fuller (particularly when homeschooling officially starts). As I've moved to a monthly meal plan, I am now setting myself up to try doing monthly grocery shopping (fruit and veg every week still). I've drawn up a list of everything I can think of that we buy and stuck it in my pantry cupboard. I've added forgotten items along the way, so it should almost be exhaustive. As I plan my next menu (I've gone through each of my recipes books and have noted down the recipes, page number, and key ingredients of the dishes that interest me), I'll note what recipes call for, and make sure I have all I need. So come March, I hope to give it a go (it will be a big shop!); the aim being to save time (less time at the shops) and money (can't spend it if you're not at the shops!).

A book I have started reading, and recommend to mum's of any number of kids, is Large Family Logistics. One of the things it has encouraged me to do is resume training Abigail (and Sarah) in helping me at home (starting to establish a good work ethic - something I greatly appreciate from my childhood). I've gotten lax in this area, and so have restarted efforts here with her - getting her to help fold laundry items (she likes to do underwear and washers) and put things away; picking up the blocks and books in her bedroom before naps/night (we always sing the Barney 'Clean Up' song doing this). Will teach her to put away the cutlery, and to help set the table. Little things that she can do.

I sing a lot with the girls and Abigail is always asking me to sing this song or that. We have different songs for different occasions - we sing the Ronald McDonald seatbelt song ('Make it Click!') when I buckle them into their seats; rain songs when it rains (naturally); and so on. Recently, we've started memory verse songs - so far we've done Psalm 119:1 (Abigail can sing it herself with the actions) and we're working on Psalm 56:3. It's also a good way to practice our Auslan words (we've started to learn Australian Sign Language).

This morning I got my hair cut. It feels heaps short but my hair was in pretty bad condition so it was needed. Looking forward to it growing long again! (No front shot sorry, I couldn't bring myself to smile about it at the time!)

Yesterday evening, before dinner, I was bouncing on the trampoline with Sarah when a handsome hunk jumped over our back wall with a bunch of flowers for me for Valentines Day! (Jon bought them for me early so that I have time to enjoy them before our upcoming NZ trip.)

3 Roses - red for romance, orange for passion, and yellow for friendship. 3 Roses - a triple stranded cord. 3 Roses - our third married Valentines Day. They reminded me of our first Valentines Day four years ago when a similar romantic delivery arrived on my doorstep (3 roses - red, orange, and white for purity):

(L) 2012, (R) 2008

Another happening at our place is we have started hosting a Connect Group on Monday nights. Our group is small (5 of us), but we are looking forward to getting to know people in our church and establish relationships there. We are studying 1 Samuel, and after the first two chapters I have been reminded of God's Sovereignty. He is in control of the circumstances of our lives. I am not to fight against them or be discontent, but to trust Him and give Him thanks whatever comes my way. This reminder has brought such peace.

And to end with Jesus' words - Peace be with you.