Moments in March Day 31 - Happy Place

Its pancakes for dinner around here. Jamie and Casey have been gone all day...out roaming the ranges with Jamie's brother, hunting. Hopefully bringing home some venison. I am lucky to see him at the moment as it's the roar (rut if you are in the Northern hemisphere). 

So pancakes for dinner it was. I played being short order cook tonight. I also got a chance to be in one of my many happy places tonight. Beer, pancakes and music. I have a secret like for strange genres of music...quite partial to country music, love gospel choirs, African choirs and tonight's genre of choice was 90s musicals/stage shows. Ok you can judge me now....! 

There is only a handful of people I know that will understand and appreciate such music. Tonight's musical of choice was Chess and then Joesph and Technicolor Dreamcoat. I know all the words and all the character's. So the music was blaring and I let loose. It's good to do that every now and then. My kids all quickly escaped outside so they didn't have to be subjected to such horror as the kitchen floor became my stage for some very funky moves if I do say so myself. Come on you all do it! I figure if I have to listen to all my kids music they like then they can do the same. 

I appreciate the talents of some rap artists and find a great cellist incredibly soothing. Good music can be reflective and can tell my story of the particular moment. I have songs that bring me right back to an instant or a unforgettable time in my life. The song I walked down the aisle to, the song that was number one on the charts when I lost a baby and a song that was my life motto while we lived in Te Aroha for a time.

 Right now my favourite song is Dream for You by Casting Crowns and Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew. Check them out. I love them! 

It's April tomorrow.....New month a new chapter of my blog. See you then. 

Moments in March Day 30 - When Babies Grow too Fast

Here is my baby girl she is coming up 17 months!!!! Ahhhhh slow down will you, it's freaking me out. I actually feel like I have blinked and she has gone from chunky chubby bubba to little girl overnight. Not cool but cool...if you catch my drift. 

This is her latest trick, pulling her sisters green stool out of their bedroom all the way to the kitchen and positioning it just where she wants and up she climbs so she can reach stuff on the bench. Stuff that no little girl should have. Things like sharp knives, felt pens and glasses of mummys red wine. 

She has always been a climber, she climbs everything. Ladders, fences, chairs and tables. I can't keep her on the floor. She is also learning to talk and quite clearly say the important things she wants like 'up' 'bath' and 'Easter egg'. 

So she is becoming more and more of who she is, more and more of a little girl. She loves her 'babies', her brothers and sisters and can hold her own when it comes to squealing stand offs and certainly knows how to deal with big brother bullying! I have to admit the latter is half amusing and half disturbing. She knows how to sort the washing and where the flannels go and helps out when changing her nappy. 

I am more than a little sad that my baby is nearly no longer a baby but I am enjoying her more and more all the time. Mama's hold your babies tight, breathe deeply of their softness and baby-dom. For really it is only a whisper of a time and then it's gone. I think the more kids you have the more you come to appreciate that truth.

Moments in March Day 29 - Food

I don't normally write about food purely because I am no domestic goddess. I wish I was but no. In fact I usually have what I call "performance anxiety" when it comes to making food specifically for other people. Quite often what I am making for someone flops....no matter if I have made it a thousand times before, I'll do something weird to it and it doesn't turn out. Either that I'll do crazy things like roast a corned beef! 

I do enjoy baking and cooking if I want to do it and then that's usually fueled by the fact that I FEEL like eating something so I'll make it. Much like the pic here. It's goes something like this....

I read about chocolate cinnamon rolls, I think about chocolate cinnamon rolls, I crave chocolate cinnamon rolls, I can taste chocolate cinnamon rolls and I crave chocolate cinnamon rolls.....therefore now I have to make chocolate cinnamon rolls! 

Thank goodness I had the ingredients to do so! It isn't pretty when my mind and tastebuds have gone all crazy and the ingredients aren't in the cupboard. Not pretty at all! I will admit I love food probably a bit too much. I love eating and drinking which is why it is a very very good idea I exercise. Especially if I am making things like chocolate cinnamon rolls! Oooooo .....say it again! 

I found a simply gorgeous looking and sounding recipe by@the.avocado.mum for Chickpea Curry. I am soooo trying that next date night! Yummo! 

Is it naughty that I hid these at the back of the cupboard underneath all the other biscuit tins and have been rationing it out to my children when I am feeling particularly nice. Its a big ask you know. I also know if I brought it out to the open it will be gone in 60 secs.....ha see what I did there!? 

What's your favorite recipe? What are you hanging out to make? Care to share?? 

PS Have you noticed an added hashtag? I am aiming to blog once a day for a whole year. Crazy or cool I am not sure. You could join me if you like. 😘

Moments in March Day 28 - Date with my Son

I was asked out on a date this morning. Pretty cool huh. And by not just anybody by my number one son. Number one in age not by order of preference like he would like to think! 

Apparently he has been planning this for months....lucky I didn't have any plans today ah! He took me to the movies and even paid! (heart melting right) We went and saw KungFu Panda 3. He was the oldest "child" there with his mum.....he didn't care though. 

You may be wondering why he took me to that particular movie and not something more teenage boyish. Well about five years ago he was given tickets to KungFu Panda 2 and he chose to take me with him. He could of picked his Dad or a friend but he asked me. Back then I was so touched just like I was today. So now it's our "jam" or our thing if you aren't up with the current lingo of teens. 

It was really lovely hanging out with my eldest boy and enjoying his company. I tried to behave and not do anything that would embarrass him too much. But in saying that I suppose there isn't much I could do in a theatre full of kiddies and their mother's. 

The girls thought that it was incredibly funny that he had asked me out on a date and that I would go! They ran off to tell Jamie that I was going out with someone else. Of course he pretend to be mortified and punched his fist into his other palm. And of course they dissolved into a puddle of giggles. 

It's true having seven kids presents difficulties finding the time to have particular one on one time with each child. Especially in ways that is meaningful and speaks to each child. But when we do it means all that much more to them and they appreciate it soooo much. 

I don't think they will be making KungFu Panda 4 so we might have to find something else to see next time. Might have to ask him out next! Good movie by the way! 

Moments in March Day 27 - Easter Sunday

Yep it's a lot of chocolate alright. It's especially a lot of chocolate when you have to find hiding places for them all. 

109 to be exact. 64 tiny ones, 25 small hollow ones and 20 small spotty ones filled with caramel. 109. It is a lot but when you divide them up amongst seven kiddies equally (with the remainders left over for the parents......come on parents perks) it ends up being a respectable amount but not too over the top. 

I think hiding eggs for the annual hunt is one of those really cool things about being a parent. We hid them all the front garden for the first time over, thought we would shake things up a bit. Of course while Easter Sunday is the only day when eating chocolate for breakfast is acceptable we do celebrate the fact the Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. So it was a great morning at church this morning....by the sounds of it as I was at home with mostly better kiddies.

My favourite men- folk came home early in a mad dash on there way home to shower and unpack smelling hunting gear, chilly bins of not eaten food AND of course the big stag that they shot. A huge highlight of their weekend and will be a wonderful addition to the freezers of the three families. Just as well as our freezer is looking a bit bare. 

I was so pleased to see them home safely and grinning from war to ear with stories of fun times and laughs spilling out from them. But the noise level has triple or quadrupled since they all have been home. 

Ahhh *sigh my family! Wouldn't change them for the world. 
Looking forward to tomorrow now.....maybe my husband will let me sleep in? Here's hoping! Happy Easter!

Ps Not sponsored by Cadbury or anything but call me a chocolate snob they do have the best chocolate eggs

Moments in March Day 26 - Stay-cation

Having to stay home with sick kids while the rest of your family isn't cool but it hasn't been at all the end of my world. Sure I am super gutted to be missing out on all the fun but I am actually finding this quite relaxing. 

Yes I am running after an active recuperating still very rashy toddler, a still vomiting seven year old and an almost better nine year old but being at home with only three kids has given me the time and the space just to potter about and slow down. Also the mental space to reflect and ponder on somethings. 

I have managed to sort through some of the kids clothes and shoes and wash sheets and duvet covers. I have slowly walked the estate, pulled a few weeds and seen what is poking its head up through the soil ready to surprise us. It's been nice. I haven't had to or been able to go anywhere. I have been at home. 

Everywhere I see the changing that's going on around us as summer gives way to autumn. The leaves are slowly turning and falling, I saw my first mushroom standing tall on the back lawn and the garden (seen here) is on its last legs as everything is turning to seed and the last if the tomatoes hang on browning vines like bright red Christmas baubles. 

I feel like knitting again. What shall I knit I wonder? I am not so much of a fan of winter but one like I am looking forward to is NO flies! I loathe them. 

So all wasn't lost by having to stay home in fact even though it would be nice to be with the others ....I have been given a gift.

Moments in March Day 25 - A Mothers Sacrifice

Its what we do best isn't it.....you know sacrifice a lot of our comforts, time, sleep, wants and needs. You know how I said I wouldn't be blogging for the next few days well I was wrong because here I am doing just that. 

Sickness has hits our house so I am here at home in the middle of a funny sort of girls weekend while my favourite men folk are away. Ugh not much fun. Not sure if to can see or not but Frankie is covered in a fine non-descript sort of rash from her fevers. Sophie has high temps and is vomiting as she always does with high temps and Kaitlyn well she is feverish on and off too. Did I mention how much fun this is? 

On any level sick kiddies are no fun....poor things. No one is really eating tonight so dinner for me is a piece of left over pizza and a glass of wine probably followed by the ice cream that I have found strategically hidden in the back of the freezer by someone....actually that was probably me. Netflix will be my friend tonight. Almost tempted to pull an all nighter as I know I won't be sleeping much. 

I am not really feeling too sorry for myself, I did at the beginning, but I have managed to clean my kitchen AND the dining room AND fold four days of washing AND put it away AND sort Jesse's drawers out. Booyah! I am awesome! 

I think the worst part of having to stay behind is the stories....everyone will have the stories to tell, reminisce about and laugh at.....and I won't. All I will have is vomit stories and they will be mine alone. Plus they won't even be funny. 

I did however have a gorgeous friend come and hang out and eat cake with me for an hour or so. That passed sometime and rescued me from myself. Thanks beautiful friend. My house is so quiet this must be what normal households sound like. 

Enjoy your Good Friday and may you be surrounded by family and friends and be vomit free!

Moments in March Day 24 - Small Gesture Biggest Blessing

Two simple eggs, small ones in the grand scheme of Easter Eggs. But these two eggs gave the biggest smile and the biggest blessing today. Every time I think about Easter eggs I will probably remember these two. 

What you don't know is that I was also given two other larger size eggs but they didn't mean half as much as these two. I got the two larger ones larger a big business venue where I had today's meeting. A nice token to wish us happy Easter......wouldn't of cost the all that much in the grand scheme of things. 

I was walking back to my car after the meeting in a rather dubious looking neighbourhood as I had missed out on luxury parks that were at the venue. I had to walk about a kilometre as a penalty for running late. An Indian family with their twin boys about six were walking towards me. I smiled and said hello as I passed....and as I did one of the boys stopped me and reached into his bag he was carrying and passed me one at a time these two eggs. His mother said I think he wants to share his Easter eggs with you! Ah so gorgeous and so generous! It cost this small boy part of his collection of chocolate. 

He didn't have to share, no one asked him too and certainly not strange lady passing him by on the street. Which is why it made that small gift mean so much to me and makes me grin from ear to eat every time I think about it. 

Happy Easter everyone. I may not be able to blog for a few days due to having no cell phone coverage. Yep we are going remote but I am sure I will have loads to tell you when I am back.

Moments in March Day 23 - A Medal Kind of Day

Aren't there just some days that you think that you deserve a flippin gold medal, giant trophy, blue ribbon or 'D' all of the above? Today has been just one of those days.....life decided throw crap my way and man did I kick its backside! See this face.....does it look fazed to you? Booyah! No it doesn't because I wasn't. 

Crazy windy weather, small kiddies with high temps, bad mood bears, a chocolate fast (need I say more cos that alone is cause for disaster) throw some massive tantrums in there as well as an unexpected soccer practice where I had to wait with all the kids in the car including the sickies and then do two drives to the toilet. Totally a recipe for disaster I would of said.

My motto for the day "not my problem". It worked well. I surprised even myself and probably my kids too when I held it together during an all out war between two of them in the van while Casey was at practice. You know the ones where feet and fists are flying in all directions. Seeing I had the "not my problem" hat on I simply got out of the car and walked away with the others. I am sure the two thought I was nuts because it is usually that I step in and add to the already noisy and hostile situation by pitching a fit of my own. I don't know why we do that because seriously it never does any good. I am certainly not saying that any kind of fighting is acceptable but what I am saying all the past strategies that have been used hasn't worked because they still fight.

And you know what happened? After I crossed the road and ventured off for a walk down by the river.....the two followed me well actually run past me laughing, wanting to explore underneath the bridge....a place where we have never been before. Remarkable! I never mention their fight and they didn't either. And so we carried on into a peaceful evening. Well as peaceful and calm as you are going to get with two sick kiddies! Whoop whoop parenting win! You need to celebrate these things.

Moments in March Day 22 - Personal Mission

 "Rebuild and restore family systems through connection, education and empowerment."

That sentence right there sums up all my heart passions in one and puts them into a purposeful statement. 

This I was tonight activities at our ladies evening "Girlfriends" and what a night it was too. I don't believe in accidents or coincidences so the ladies who were at my table tonight were perfect for each other to encourage each other and prompt each other towards this end product. What an awesome bunch of ladies! 

The exercises involved were about circling words in different categories that stood out to us and then at the end out came a mission statement in about ten words. How awesome is that! 

Plus any night that involves chocolate and Easter buns has got to be a winner ah!