Presently I am...

Kelle over at Enjoying the Small Things declared that this be "Lazy Blog Week" and I am OK with that.  In fact I am going to embrace it.   Soooo  I am going to pinch borrow an idea from a couple of blogs for which I am a regular reader of.  So if you are wanting a blog of substance you better check back next week!

Here goes...

Making - Attempting crochet blanket to satisfy my inner Nana
Cooking - Yoghurt and Honey Lamb Chops (new recipe) not my favorite
Drinking - Water and Stinging Nettle Tea
Reading - The Bible, Quest for the Promised Land (novel)
Wanting - New Black Boots!!!! that and garlic prawns
Looking - At what to plant in my winter garden
Playing - ????
Deciding - What to do this coming weekend?
Wishing - For my children to hurry up and go to sleep (small things)
Enjoying - These long early autumn/late summer days and the gradually appearing autumn colours
Liking - Cadbury Nutbars - satisfies my terrible hunger pangs
Waiting - For my husband and son to get home
Wondering - How many weeks are left of school?
Loving - Pottering around in my garden
Pondering - Will I get to eat Garlic Prawns?
Considering - The book that I am writing and where to from here...
Watching - Two cute as pie kittens and their Mama Cat.
Hoping - That we will get no more surprise bills for IRD
Marvelling - At how fast the year has gone already.
Needing - to sleep, sleep sleep and sleep oh and throw in some eating there too
Wearing - Currently my Pyjamas - it is Sunday after all.
Smelling - Yoghurt and Honey Lamb Chops (still)
Following - Alaska - The Last Frontier, Nigellisima and The Gourmet Farmer
Noticing - The lounge needs vacuuming AGAIN and that I need a haircut.
Knowing - That God has it all under control
Admiring - Black Boots
Buying - Not a lot......Black boots (I wish)
Getting - Ready for school tomorrow and a meeting tomorrow night
Bookmarking - New Blogs, 'Things to do with toddlers whilst homeschooling' pages, Pinterest pages
Opening - The backdoor for the mama cat to come in
Giggling - At Tuck and Lulu - two wee black and white kittens, ADORABLE!!
Feeling - Pretty groovy about most stuff really!!

How about you???

Taking it Slow

My boys latest craze at present is the 'Slow Mo Guys', and if you have never heard of them you can be forgiven because I would be totally in the dark if it weren't for my boys.  Check them out here on YouTube if you like they are actually quite fascinating!    The Slow Mo Guys   They are a couple of guys that take videos of random stuff E.g Watermelon vs Rubber bands, video it and then slow it down, right down until its almost frame by frame.  There is probably a technical term for this but I have no idea and my boys aren't here for me to ask.   My boys have even had a go at making their own Slow Motion Video of dropping a water balloon from a height, filming it, editing it and posting it on YouTube.  Check it out if you please!!

But it was this fascinating Slow Motion Video that caught my eye. 

 Its totally amazing!

 I am uh-em 36 years old, so I have been around for a few years, we had dogs as pets growing up, my Dad used to show dogs, friends have dogs, and neighbors have dogs.  Farmers have dogs, there are dogs on the street and in the park. They are everywhere!!  And in all my life I did not know that this was how they drank.  Sure I knew they lapped water with their tongues but that's as far as it went.  It wasn't until I saw this video that had been slowed down virtually frame by frame that I could actually clearly see how they drank.

So while I was hanging out the washing yesterday I was thinking about this concept, the concept of slowing things down and how things become so much clearer and how you notice so much more of a seemingly small everyday concept.

Watch that video again and you can see the air bubbles that enter the water on his tongue. You can see every drop and droplet of water. You can see the texture of his nose and the minuscule hairs on the end of it

At the risk of being incredibly cheesy, one could learn a very important life lesson from this concept of Slow Motion, of slowing things down. Everyone's life is busy and there is really no way around being busy unless you make a purposeful effort, a conscious effort.  Whether you are a working Mama or a Stay-at-Home Mama, a student or an empty nester, everyone is busy.  But the thing with being this busy all the time is that we can't, we don't notice the small stuff, the seemingly unimportant stuff.

Slow down would you and I mean S-L-O-W D-O-W-N!  You don't really need to check your phone right now, to check Facebook this instant and you don't really need to vacuum that floor again.  You don't really need to fold that washing right now, not all the time.  What are you missing out on?  What are you not noticing? What aren't you seeing clearly?

My challenge to you is to take some time everyday, just once a day and just stop and be. Go and be with your husband, be with your Mum or Dad, be with your teenager, be with your little one cuddled up on your knee, maybe even be with the one that you carry inside you. Just be.

What do you feel?  What do you notice?  What can you see? What can you hear?  What can you sense?

Stop thinking about what is for tea or what you are going to bake next week for the school bake sale. Stop thinking about how you have just noticed dust under the computer desk or what you are wearing to work tomorrow.

 Just STOP, Breath and Be.

Notice the wind on your cheeks, the crunch of grass under your feet, the curls at the nape of your little boys neck.  Notice the smattering of freckles across your daughters face and how she licks the ice cream off her top lip. Listen to your teenager as you lie on their bed as they do their homework, paint her nails while you are there.  See your sons face when he masters a BMX jump or proudly finishes the lawns for you.  Smell the sweet salty scent of your toddlers head after they have been playing out in the sun.  Breath in the perfume of lined-dried-in-the-sun washing as you gather it in by the armfuls.   Notice the glistening beads of water  sprinkled sporadically on the broccoli after a shower of rain.  Hear the song of the Cicadas and the chatter of the birds as the bed down for the night.

I really could go on and on but my point is, is that there is so much for the noticing, and hearing, the seeing and the experiencing but it can only happen if you slow down.  

You and your life will be richer and fuller for it.

Its called LIVING LIFE!

Birthday Season in Full Swing!

NB: No one has been punched in the face in these pictures, my camera has developed a black smudge on the lens and depending on the direction of the lens or the position of the subject it can look dubious!

Yes its the beginning of birthday season in our house.  Birthdays are a really big deal and we celebrate well.  Traditions have been created within our family and continue year after and year. (as traditions do - duh)  This year Kaitlyn turned 7 and while 7 isn't  generally considered by many as a "wow-you-are-7" number (not like 1, 5 or 10), we felt we needed to make it an "oh-my-goodness-you-are-7-that-is-so-cool".

Our birthdays always starts off the night before when decorations go up, then with present opening first thing in the morning and then progress on to birthday breakfast of choice.

                                         

Because turning 7 is something to be celebrated, this wee little lady got treated to getting her ear-pierced. She had asked me a couple of weeks prior if she could get "holes in her ears" and I thought that would be a pretty special birthday present.

One very excited girl (and one nervous Mama)

Ear-rings in and a celebratory morning tea was in order!

(I was so glad that was over)

Definitely can't have birthdays without cupcakes!!

                                                  

Its been a long standing tradition that the kids can choose their birthday cakes or choose to have me make a surprise one for them.

Kaitlyn's request was a giant chocolate cake!  And really you couldn't get anymore chocolate than this one.  Maybe even bordered on too much chocolate - if that is even possible!

(Did I just say that?)

I found this photo on my camera, I am assuming one of the kids took it.

I actually think it looks quite cool in all its blurry-ness!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Kaitlyn

Happy Birthday to you!

                                         

Three days later......

The changing of the decor'!

Sophie wanted a Minnie Mouse party for her special birthday!

She was turning 5!

Birthday wishes from big brothers always appear on the windows all ready for the morning festivities!

When you are five you get to have TWO birthdays!  One for a few friends where party games are played and a special table is set!!  No Big Brothers allowed at this table!

They did get fed though!

You also get to decorate/create you own ice cream cake!

This brings out the control freak in me - I want to help!!!

Her creation!!!

Minnie Mouse would be proud!  You know I am not the most creative person around and I am more than willing to admit that I did not come up with any of these ideas myself. Pinterest is a wonderful thing for those of us who are creatively challenged.  Even for those of us on a budget you can still glean ideas and make them your own.

I will say though that the table cloth was my idea, 

one of my rare (very very rare) creative clever moments!!

The table is set, already to enjoy!

Another Pinterest gleaned idea!

When working with ice cream cakes, you have to work fast as they melt really fast and burning candles on top of them doesn't help either!

Party number TWO!! Is a party with family, extended family, good friends and important people in 

Sophie's life!

More Cupcakes!

Sadly I can't take credit for these beauties!

Thanks Aunty Tash!

Presents!!

Presenting opening for little kids always has the potential to be a little embarrassing.

In my observation of many many children opening presents - they ALL just want to open them as fast as they can and most will say at least one inappropriate thing. I don't think they are being rude - its just EXCITING and they are LITTLE!!

I have learnt not expect any child to gush over a present I give them when they open it.

 Life is too short to get offended over it!

Sophie definitely had a Minnie Mouse theme going with her presents this year.

We love Minnie Mouse around here!

This year Sophie's choice of cake was....a unicorn or a volcano!

Random choices and poles apart!

I choose a volcano purely for selfish reasons....1. a volcano is far easier to make and takes less time and 

2. A unicorn really???  Did you not see my last attempt at an animal!!

Sophie was very very blessed with her two special days!  They are so many people that are important and that we appreciate their input into her, ours and other kids lives! 

Celebrating is an important part of our family life. I don't think as a society we do it enough or very well.

That is why we make an effort to create a big deal of even seemingly small things (or seemingly unimportant birthdays like 7) because its those small things that make up the majority of our lives.

"Birthdays give us the opportunities to stop and appreciate all the beautiful things and people that we have been Blessed with." -Author Unknown

Happy Birthdays Girls!!!

 See below the reason why I did not attempt an unicorn!  Jesse's 1st birthday cake was suppose to be a duck but turned out looking like a .....seagull with a broken beak and issues with its feathers perhaps?

Just Across the Road

Its maize season around these parts which makes for free entertainment for little people, especially little people that love cool big trucks and monster like tractors. I have to admit even I find them pretty fascinating. I wonder what it would be like to be at the controls of such a powerful beast?? I am such lady, aren't I?

We were fortunate to be just across the road from this paddock, although I am not sure if the people whose washing was on the line when the dust was stirred up were thinking that exact same thing.

Little boys in gumboots are just adorable!!

Can't say the same thing for the shoes that I am sporting though.

I love Maize harvesting season. I am not entirely sure why that is but I find it somewhat comforting seeing and hearing the big trucks, tractors and combine harvesters driving our roads and paddocks nearly twenty-four hours a day.

 I probably wouldn't feel that if they were out my bedroom window at two in the morning.

We are in desperate need of rain. Farms are looking bare, brown and very sad.  It is hard to imagine that in a few short months though they will be long, lush, green and delicious looking.

 (if you were a cow of course).

                               

 I love finding simple experiences that aren't too far from home that the kids can observe and do.  Simple everyday experiences.  I don't ever want to be too busy or too overwhelmed with life that I might miss such a simple everyday but intriguing activity.  I don't ever want to be too preoccupied with the to-do list that I don't walk my kids across the road and watch the harvester harvest.  I don't ever want to not notice again.  My kids were taken with the gigantic machinery and spent a good while just watching them go about their business, waiting for them to come back around and waving at the drivers through the dust cloud.  

Simple. 

Whats been happening in your neighborhood?

When They Are Sick.

I am so bummed right about now, my camera has a permanent black spot on the lens.  So be warned if I happen to snap a picture of you, you could be sporting a new beauty spot.  I am also bummed because I have a very sick and miserable wee man.  Its hard when any of your kiddies are sick but the smaller they are the more my heart breaks for them as they just don't understand what the hang is going on.  It all started on Thursday when I took Jesse off to the doctors for possibly the worlds worst nappy rash that seem to have developed over night.  While I was dressing him I notice a couple of red blotches on his stomach.  Like most parents who discover strange looking rashes, MENINGITIS screamed through my head but I quickly dispelled that thought as he was well and happy.  By the time I got to the Dr the rash had spread more on his stomach and round to his back. Red, Hot, Raised, and Blotchy.

Allergic reaction to something. To what, I didn't have a clue.  I felt bad, real bad. Aren't you suppose to know if they have eaten new foods, eaten poisonous leaves or rolled in strange grasses? (A real possibility in my family) All I could come up with was - Peaches, I thought it might of been peaches.

Day Two - Rash had spread further even after two doses of Antihistamine. It was down his legs and arms now. Back to the Dr again.  I really hate questioning or second guessing Drs or the like but I really thought they should of started him on a steroid.  So that's exactly what they did. You know there is something strange going on when every Dr you see brings in another for a look and a second opinion.  That afternoon saw us going back to the Dr just so she could see if there was any improvement which there was - Yah!! 

Day Three - After a terrible night with him - he woke with a roaring temp, the shakes, spreading rash and swollen eyes, hands and feet.  Something the nurse in me knew shouldn't of happened after two does of Steroids.  Oh my sweet precious one!!  I downed a half a cup of tea and a piece of toast, packed a bag. Nappies, Wipes, Clothes, Phone, Biscuits, Muesli Bars, Water, and Phone (You know the usual things you pack when you don't know what will happen and where you will end up).  Back at the Dr - *sigh* beginning to feel I should have shares in the place!  She sent me packing, not home but off up to the hospital this time!

For me the worrying thing was the bruising/purple colour that was appearing where the rash had been.  Poor Jesse wasn't well at all.  

After nearly three hours in the Emergency Department, Jesse screaming every time someone touched him, entered the room or even looked at him and a hideous blood test (from the FOOT) later. We got to go home armed with appropriate medications, extremities plastered from puncture wounds (they had four goes at drawing blood) and bits of paper.  The outcome a severe reaction to a bug in the blood to put it in layman's terms.   So hopefully the poor wee man is on the mend now.  He is still severely slacked off with the world and is super cuddling and wants to drink from me ALL the time - not ideal when you are in the process of trying to wean.  My heart hurt for him today, when he wanted to sleep but kept being woken, when he was being poked and prodded and looked at, when he was swaddled, restrained on the bed, screaming and not understanding why I was letting this happen to him.  Oh how my heart hurt as I whispered reassuring words and pleading prayers in his ears while covering his face with kisses.    

Today made me think of the children (and parents) whom this is everyday life for.  The children with ongoing chronic and sometimes terminal illnesses. My heart hurt for them so bad.  We are blessed, we got to come home today, we have an answer and a treatment, we have a God to whom we can pray to, draw strength from and to cry out to. A God who gives us hope and comfort.  He knows, He KNOWS what every parent is going through when they are watching their child suffer.  I am so thankful for Him.

He actually looks like he has been stung by a bee, even his eyes and lips are swollen!

Healing Sleep!!

Check out those puffy hands!!

There are a couple of things that I learnt along the way today:

1) Interesting rashes make for interesting viewing.  I got all sorts of stares and sympathetic nods as I walked through the car park, Emergency department, chemist. Even the hospital staff took the opportunity to peek.  Can't blame them really it was really impressive and I so would of done that when I was a nurse - I am nosy like that!

2) When assessing your child's temperature the answer "I don't know what his temperature was but he was on fire when I kissed his forehead this morning and plus he had the shakes - so it was pretty high" doesn't really cut the mustard in the medical field.

3) Pack more food, especially if you are like me who needs to eat otherwise embarrassing things may start to happen like fits of sneezing! Someone else please come forward and tell me sneezing when you are hungry happens to you!!!

4) The question "Is he allergic to anything?" Seemed like such a bizarre question to be asking today?!

5) If you are watching a DVD that has the subtitle option turned on, you read the words rather than watch the movie even though its in English!!  Learnt this during my time in the Kids Emergency Department while watching 'Surfs Up' twice. - Funny movie!!

5) My husband is amazing.  Not only did he manage to dress five kids and himself in pirate costumes, drop them off, dash to a meeting for an hour (yes still dressed as a pirate) and get back to the party. But he still managed to make sausage rolls and do the dishes before he left as well!!

Hopefully this wee man will be back to his normal self very soon!!!

Here is hoping your precious wee ones are healthy and happy.