A Day In My Life

Be warned this is VERY long. I really wanted a detailed look at our day to tuck away for Isaac to look back on and I only wanted to type it all out once. Sorry thats its not really all that exciting either!

A record of a typical day - Mummy & Isaac (5 1/2 months)

Wednesday 3rd May 2006

4.00am Get up and breastfeed Isaac.
Ive already had to get up a couple of times in the night to put your dummy back in

4.20am - 4.30am Im back in bed listening to you talking loudly to yourself.
I hope you dont wake everyone else. I pulled your door over, so its not as loud

4.30am We both fall asleep

6.00am Im woken by the sound of you talking loudly again!
Daddy is getting up anyway so I stay in bed till seven, hoping to get a little more sleep. I dont know why I bothered, you are talking loudly still and so is everyone else. I lay there anyway.

7.00am Shower for me while Dads still here

7.15am Pick you up out of your rocker for good morning cuddles and kisses. I smell straight away that you need a nappy change.

Why is it that no one else noticed that??? I put on a clean nappy and get you dressed.

7.30am Put a muffin in the toaster, while it cooks I wash a few dishes left from last night, pack the dishwasher & put away everyone elses brekfast stuff. I remind the boys to finish getting dressed and put their lunches in their bags.

7.45am - 8.00am Eat my breakfast while Nath sits with you to keep you amused. Have a quick flick through the paper while I eat.

8.00am Breastfeed
I know its supposed to be a nice peaceful time for the two of us, but I find Im nagging the boys to finish getting ready..still!

8.20am I lay you on your playmat with your toys while I get my shoes and jacket. I walk past the boys room - that was supposed to be cleaned up..WHAT A MESS..let them know we are not going to school till its cleaned up.

8.25am Check emails while the boys get their room tidied. There is some sort of altication and Nathan ends up in tears - what else is new. I send Nathan out while caleb does his side first. If they just went in and did it, it would only have taken them about 2 min. GGRRR Hurry Up!!!

8.35am Its done. Caleb carries Isaac out to the car for me while I help Nathan pick up the last couple of things.

8.40am Drop off boys at school

8.45am Home again. Make a quick phone call to the caravan park to book an extra night- get the answering machine, leave a message...again. I rang them yesterday and they still havnt called me back.

8.50am Make your breakfast. Pureed pear, rice cereal & natural yoghurt.

9.00am Feed you. Of course my call is returned today while Im feeding you. At least our extra night was available.

9.15am Kisses, cuddles and songs. You love twinkle little star, hey diddle diddle, galumph, round and round the garden & this little piggy

9.25am Bed time for bubbies! Put on your washing. How does someone so little have so much washing??? I have to pop in and out twice to put your dummy back in so you can settle off to sleep.

9.35am You are asleep. Time for a coffee - finally. While I make my coffee I put away the few dishes I washed earlier, put your breaky stuff in the dishwasher, put away the newspaper, placemats etc and wipe down the table and benches, put the toaster away. At 9.50am I finally sit down to actually drink my coffee. I flick the TV on to watch a bit of 9am.

10.00am Sweep floors & do a quick pick up arpound lounge/kitchen. Get side tracked in the office - check emails. There is a flash of excitement as I see an message from SM -short lived - a rejection for my little princess LO. Go back to picking up.

10.20 You cry out - dummy back in and you settle straight back to sleep. Put on some potatoes to boil. Im going to make tuna patties for tea. The boys have football training tonight so if I get organised you and I should have a couple of hours of peace and quiet. They have jumper presentaions after training so they will be gone from about 4.45pm -7.15pm. They can have patties if they are still hungry when they get home. Must remember to take out a bit of potatoe for you to have with your tea.

10.30am On the computer...again. Need to burn a heap of photos to disc to get printed. You stir again and I pop your dummy back in.

10.40am GGRRRR computers. I have new versions of all my programms and Im still learning how they work. You are talking to teddy - loudly..I try your dummy one last time, but Im not hopeful.

10.50am Give up on you going back to sleep, and get you up. you sit on my lap in the office while I still try to get this disc done.

11.05am Lay you on your playmat while I turn off the potatoes and get a cover for the disc that is finally done. Your NOT impressed, and want to be picked back up. You stop crying and lugh the second my hands start to lift you up - cheeky monkey. You sit on my lap while we finish sorting out the photo order. Whata saga...its finished when I realise the order form is over a year old. Back online to dowload a new one, get stuck checking out their site and you fall asleep on my knee - you wake as soon as I try to put you down though.

12.oo Cook up some mushrooms, tomato, capsicum soy and garlic with rice left over from tea lat night YUMMO. You sit in the beanbag and watch. I talk to Toni on the phone while I cook.

12.20pm eat lunch with you watching, grunting and reaching for my plate.

12.35pm Breastfeed. You finish really quickly and dont seem all that satisfied. I think it it might be nearly time for something a little more substantial in the middle of the day as well. We have playtime - singing songs, giggling, tickiling, laughing - you are so precious!

12.50pm We go out in the fresh air and pick up the mail. More cuddles before your sleep. Read the mail.

1.15pm Sleeptime. You settle straight away. I check my emails, and try downloading some songs Daddy bought online. The first one is fine, but it wont let my do any more...same as last night GGRR

1.25pm Tidy up lunch stuff & make tuna patties & a pot of vegie soup. Put wood on the fire.

2.25pm - You stir -put dummy in, it lets me download one more song.

2.30pm Finish chopping soup vegies. Wash dishes again.

2.45pm Your still not settling so I get you up. Sit and have a cuddle. As I sit a million things are running through my mind. I still have to..... get washing out of the drier, fold the other washing, give the bathrooms a quick clean - the cleaner has hurt her back and cant come till next week (I have a cleaner come in and do my bathrooms once a fortnight - LOVE IT!!!) cook the patties - oops forgot to take some pototo out for you, post off photo order...

I plant another million kisses on your sweet smelling head...

...get Nath a mouth guard for footy,, pick up Dillon from school as well, get milk & lunch meat...the list doesnt seem to be getting any shorter !

3.00pm Jackets on and pick up the boys. Buy Naths mouthguard.

3.40pm Home. Check diaries, read newsletter, remind the boys to hurry up and get out of their uniforms and into their footy gear - which of course they cant find because they didnt put it away in the right place!!!

4.00pm Breastfeed

4.15pm Grandma & Grandpa call in for a coffee. I have to get G'pa to run me down the street to get milk, and a few other bits and pieces. You stay and have a cuddle with G'ma. Craig and the boys are leaving just as we get home again.

5.15pm I get your tea ready - chicken, carrot, peas & sweet potato. You are just loving your food. While its heating up I finish packing the diswasher& turn it on, pack away the dishes that I washed earlier, get your clothes out of the drier.

5.25pm Tea time for you.

5.35pm Cook the patties - so much for being organised - while you sit in your rocker and play with a toy. I move you into the kitchen because you start getting cranky when you cant see me. I realise you smell again. Turn off the stove, change your nappy and lay you in front of the fire for a kick around. Put more wood on the fire, put the second lot of patties on. Your sooking again. I pick you up and hold you while I finish up.

5.55pm I run your bath and you cry again cause I left you on the floor. Your so not used to being left by yourself. usually one of the boys come running to amuse you, as soon as you call!

6.00pm Bathtime. and a massage in front of the fire. You cry as soon as I put you down, very unlike you to be so clingy and cry this much. I tidy the kitchen, sort the recycling and dish up my tea while Im holding you.

6.25pm We sit on the lounge together while I eat tea and watch the weather. You seem really tired. I realise why, and why your a bit out of sorts - you didnt have a late afternoon nap because G'ma & G'pa were here

6.35pm Breastfeed

6.50pm I put your sleeping bag on, big hugs and kisses and into bed. Nighty night sweetpea!

6.55pm pack up your toys and playmat

7.00pm sit down to watch home and away

7.05pm remember I havnt emailed through my fruit and veg order. Go and do it.

7.10pm Boys arrive home from footy. Caleb comes home with out his BRAND NEW footy boots :( someone else picked them up. I take a deep breath and remain calm...and no they didnt have his name on them - so of course that would make it my fault!!! Hopefully they are returned on Saturday.

7.25pm The boys are showered and hungry. Get them some eggs and cheese on toast

7.35pm Put the patties on to warm up. Make school lunches - Pita pockets with corn relish dip, grated cheese & grated carrot. Give the boys a pattie to try. Let Craig know his are ready.

7.45pm Wash dishes, stack the things that go in the dishwasher, in the hope that the dishes fairy might come and unpack the dishwasher and put them in! Wipe down the benches/table etc. Put soup away in the fridge.

8.00pm Sit down to watch the end of beyond tomorrow with Caleb & Nath. I would rather they went to bed, but Craig had said they could watch it.

8.15pm Craig wants help with something on the computer. Help him then manage to download one more song LOL thats three for the day. It will only take a couple of days to get his 12 songs at this rate!

8.25pm Just as I sit back down Craig wants to know how to lsten to the downloaded tracks. get up and show him, lay back on lounge.

8.35pm Boys brush teeth, kisses and off to bed. they both go straight to sleep. I sit down to watch Prison Break

9.05pm I boil the kettle, sterilise the new non spill spouts for Isaac to try tomorrow. Fill a bottle with boiled water and put in fridge. Hopefully you will drink some water tomorrow after you meals.

9.25pm Check emails, blogs, do a tag, manage to download one more song.

10.40pm Time for bed.

Have to search for clean PJs cause I didnt get the washing folded.

Kiss Craig goodnight xxx

have a peek at the photos I printed yesterday.

Get an idea for a LO - jot down some notes.

Brush teeth and check the kids

mmmmmmmm its 11.00pm - lights out!

tagged again! and a challenge for you

Just doing my usual round of blog checks LOL and saw Kathie has tagged me - there is no time like the present!!!

In my Fridge left over rice and one tuna pattie, milk, juice etc that I went and got tonight, two bottles of boiled water - for Isaac to try, a big pot of vegie soup that I made today, 1/2 a small bottle of soda water thats been there for yonks!!! the kids school lunches for tomorrow - grated cheese, grated carrot & corn relish dip pitta pockets.

In my Closet precious little!!! I had a big splurge on maternity clothes last year - they have all gone to my neighbour now; some T Shirts that are to tight for me atm while Im still feeding; a couple of pairs of jeans; trackies; my new brown jumper with fake fur trim that I bought a couple of weeks ago.

In my handbag ..that would be the baby bag! Nappies, wipes, chuck rag, nappy sacks, mobile phone, change of clothes for Isaac (which are probably too small now - must see to that!) lip balm, rattle/teether toy, brush, nappy cream samples, my purse and keys.

In my car Pram, empty drink bottles, entertainment book, car seat, chuck rag, baby toys, kids clothes, socks etc, mine & Nathans rain coats and the big golf umbrella, green shopping bags

In my video/DVD player ????????? dont remember the last time I used it - I think the kids were watching a cartoon DVD

I am tagging Katie Rozzie (since she is back in computer land again!) and Kate - in your spare time LOL. Sorry if youve already been tagged ladies!


The kids have only been back at school a couple of days, but I still feel like Im achieving nothing during the day. Today I kept a bit of a diary of exactly what, when, how and why of my day - after reading back through it I realised that I actually do achieve heaps in a day!!! Its just a lot of it is the unseen stuff, but stuff that needs doing never the less! and LOTS of my time is taken up with Isaac and his needs atm too. I needed to do this I think, just to validate me to myself, and to reinforce that being a mother is one of the most thankless, neverending, worst paid BUT BESTEST most rewarding and important jobs in the whole wide world!!!!

I will share my day when I get time to type it all out and Id love to challenge you to all record a whole day in your life. Just an ordinary day, doing ordinary stuff. Im sure it will make cool journalling for a LO and that you will love to look back on it in the future. Id love you to share it on your blog too!!! leave me a little note if you do, cause Id love to come take a peak at a day in your life!!!

tagged

I actually logged on to come and do this tag from Michelle, but I got a little side tracked when I checked a few blogs LOL. Kathie had done the which muppet quizz from mels blog, and when I poopped in to check that out I found heaps of other bizzar quizzes - which I did lots of.
Heres the results of one

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself.For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself.You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you.People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

For the record I was Kermit the frog in the muppets quizz!!!

Anyway now for that tag

Born: almost 36 years ago -where does time go???
First Job: Baby sitting
Fondest Memory: I have many but the one that came straight to mind was the smell of Craigs aftershave that lingered on me once I got home, on the night we first got together.
Last thing purchased: new PJs for Isaac, and a school shirt for Caleb
Fish, Chicken or Beef: Chicken - but love 'em all!
Movie: Cant remember!! We are going to see Ice Age 2 tomorrow though
Retreat: Sitting in my hammock chair in the afternoon sun (shame about the flys and the kids whining and the housework that needs to be done, and the neighbours mower that always starts up if I happen to try and steal a few moments of solitude!!!)
Flower: Sweet peas
Day of the week: Sunday
Indulgence: a massage
What scrapbook lines/products, etc. do you dislike? Not good with the real bright ranges - not that I dont like them, I just cant use them myself
What technique do you use more than anything else? Stitching & handwriting
Who or What are your biggest influences on your style? Im constantly seeing great ideas and colour combos in clothing
Have you ever had any scrapbook related tiffs with your Husband? Nothing major, thank goodness. I never really thought he thought much of my scrapping till a girlfriend said he was talking to her about it and said how good he thought I was, and telling her all about my published work and how much I enjoyed my scrapping!!!! He doesnt tell me this though LOL
If there is one person you have met through blogging that you know will be a life time friend who would it be?: ??????????? most of the people who comment on my blog are people I 'knew' before blogging. Its been great to get to know so many much better through there blogs though.
What music do you listen to while you scrap? None - Ive always found music to be really distracting when Im trying to concentrate
Obsessions: Scrapping, magazines, my bubba.
Scrapbook Companies….Do you have an addiction?? Not really, I likie to use bits and pieces from everywhere. Nearly all my CS is bazzill though.
Out of the box, (well on it ) who do you lust after on TV..? no one really comes to mind
One quote that defines you: Leave that one with me - Ill get back to it later when I think of one!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good
Isaac rolled from his back to his front for the first time today - what a clever little boy (Well i think so anyway LOL)

We got our computer back today an have had XP installed (we were in the dark ages and still running with windows 98 before) also have photoshop, a DVD burner, cordless keyboard and mouse, more HD space and more memory - YIPPEEE....now all I need is some time to work out how it all works LOL.

The Bad
XP is so different to 98, and its taking me a bit to work out where everything is, and to set things to just how I like them. Im sure I will get used to it, and as you can see the inportant things like the emails and internet are all just fine.

I did loose all the contents of my address book though, so if you read this could you please send me off an email with all your details so I can update it - Ta!

The Ugly
Craigs MYOB is giving us grief - we had the disc so it wasnt reinstalled by the friend that did the computer for us, and we are hoping all we need is in his back up disc to put all the info in once we reinstall it!!! Hopefully we can get it all sorted in the next few days!

I couldnt believe how many times in just two days I felt the overwhelming need to check my emails, or use the computer for something....hard to imagine life without it!!! sad but true!!!

There is still another five days of school holidays - Im ready to have a little more time for me really soon!

Nic xxx
PS - Ill get to that tag next time Michelle!

trepidation

It was with much trepidation that at 4.15pm today I made the decision to give my little man his first taste of something besides breast milk. I think he was much more ready than me. He eagerly gobbled down a teaspoon of rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, and looked for more. I on the other hand was still feeling a little reluctant to let go of my totally dependant newborn - but watching him devour what I had made for him, smile and then snuggle up for the other side of mummys milk, made it all so right. I know he is ready to take that next step in his tiny little life, and I think Im finally ready to go there too!

five months today

I cant believe my little man is already five months old! Thats nearly half a year since we were blessed with the arrival our third baby boy, and I couldnt imagine my life any other way.
If you dont want to be bored with the whole run down of what he is upto these days skip the whole next (long) paragraph LOL Basically though the entire letter below could be summed up by this gorgeous quote I came across the other day...

You are more perfect than I could have hoped

more beautiful than I could have dreamed

more precious than I could have imagined

I love you more than I could have known

To my sweet little bubba,
The last five months have just flown by, and its hard to imagine our lives with out you in it. You are such a sweet and placid little baby. About the only time we hear your cry is when you get hungry, or something gives you a fright. You are still fully breast fed, and I treasure the special time that feeding gives just the two of us...Ive got to admit that Im a little over the middle of the night feeds now though ( there are nights when you manage to get through with out one, and these are happening more often) although sometimes I think its easier to give you a middle of the night feed and have you sleep soundly for the rest of the night, rather than having an empty tummy and stirring and calling out every hour or so because you have lost your dummy. You are reaching out to grab toys, and even manage to hold them for a while, you are fascinated by the TV, and absolutely adore your brothers, you chew on anything you can get into your mouth and although you have rolled from your tummy to your back, you dont do it much at all. You obviously recognise the people that you see often, and are just starting to tuck your head into my shoulder and pretend to be shy when people speak to you. You LOVE your bath and are fascinated by the tiny bubbles, amazed by the little toes that keep popping out of the water, and very excited by the big splashes you can make with your hands and feet. You love getting a rub after your bath and especially like having your feet rubbed, and having some nappy free time in front of the fire after your bath. You go to bed somwhere between 6pm & 7pm (depending on when you had an afternoon nap) you sometimes have a 10pm feed, but often if I dont wake you, you will sleep soundly till around 2ish before you want another. You wake somewhere between 6am & 7am for a feed - usually snuggled up in my bed. I love the beautiful smile you give me first thing in the morning, and the funny little talking noises you make. The latest is like a squeeky little sucking in of air - too cute!! You love giving mummy big sloppy 'kisses' on the cheek and are a real snuggle bunny. You have had several bottles of expressed breast milk and drunk these from a bottle with no problems. You really enjoy going out walking in the pram, but dont much like sitting around in it when its stationary. We put up the swing we gave you for christmas last weekend and you were so happy swinging away in it. You are still sleeping in your cradle and snuggle your teddy while you sleep. You bring so much joy to our lives and we love you so much my sweet little man.

All my love

Mummy xxx

I have also been busy scrapping. Here are a couple of the LOs. I was going to keep all my work to have a big choice for my masters entry, but then when I looked at it all I realised that quite a few used the chip chatter tall letters, so I did a bit of a cull already. The first is of Nath playing golf.

This next one is of Angies (Isaacs god mother) gorgeous little girl Zyla - dont you just LOVE those curls!!! Hope you like it Ange!!! I used an outline of a framedangoe (or what ever they are called LOL) to make the bit at the bottom.

Last one that I can share is the photo I shared a couple of posts ago of my nephew Lucas - hes a real cutie too!

Everyone needs to pop into the new forum at Scrapbook station and say Hi. Ill be watching to see who drops in LOL. Keep an eye on their home page each week for new LOs from the awesome DT as well. I so happy with my next one - the theme was mothers (easy topic for me atm !!!) You can check it out here at the end of the month.

Thanks for sticking with me if you made it this far. Hope you all had a wonderful easter...after that mammoth post I dont think Ill even start about my easter - except to say it was filled with family and friends, eating, drinking and going to church, and was really relaxing and enjoyable few days.

Truly blessed

Sometimes there are things that happen to those around us, that just make you sit back and ask - why? Why do people have to endure such difficult things? It is so hard when friends have to deal with 'stuff' and all you can do is sit back and try to be a good listener, but in all honsety, feel as though there is so little you can do. It really makes you take a good look at your own life.

Today is one of those days.

I have so much to be greatful for - a loving husband, beautiful healthy children, wonderful & supportive friends, a close and happy family, a beautiful house, food on the table and the means to be able to live a comfortable life. For all of this I am so greatful.

I am truly blessed.

To all that are not so fortunate today, who have had to endure heartache, pain or sickness or suffering - you are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that tomorrow is a better day for you.

LOs to share, Happy Anniversary & Thanks girls

Here it 'tis...
I will also share this one. Its a quicky I did the other night with the pics of Jamie and Isaac I took at Kates last wekend. I wanted to use all three pics, and printed them out a bit big so its not a stunning LO by any means...but I still love the photos!!

Ive finished off about 6 LO to chose from for my masters entry. The details are going to be in
SM 7.10. Im living in hope that they will have changed it and I wont need to do BTP or accent LOL - dont fancy my chances.

Its our 11th wedding anniversary today - I dont know where time goes. I can remember when I thought it seemed like forever to have been married for that long (mmmm come to think of it, it does feel like that at times LOL!) and now here we are 11 years and three children later. I couldnt be happier though. I am really blessed to have such a wonderful, loving family. We are off to tea with my youngest sister and her DH tonight. Wanted to go out with them before their first little bub arrives, and since he/she is due in four weeks (Oh how exciting - cant wait to be an auntie again!) we may as well make it tonight!

Congrats to Rozzie & Clint on their wedding anniversary today too. Big Hugs guys. Hope you have an wonderful day.

Lastly thanks so much to Michelle, Kathie & Mel for a fantastic day yesterday. We all got together for lunch at my place. Four adults and, by the time my two got home from school, 8 kids. It was great to sit around, eat, drink, chat and just relax for the day. Gotta do it again soon girls...and hopefully Kate will be able to make it too.

thats it from me.
Nic xxx

Wednesdays Photo Shoot

Another busy week in our household. Wednesday my sister asked me to take some pics of her kids, for a suprise they are putting together for her DHs birthday this month. I decided to go all out and try a full on photo shoot.
It was actually quite fun, I set up in my playroom, and although the lighting wasnt the best, and I need to work on getting to know how to use the manual settings on my camera heaps better, I was really happy with the results. I have to have a play around with photo editing etc as the white back drop was a bit ordinary (the back of my curtains LOL) but this is my favorite shot of my nephew Luke...he is at such a beautiful age to photograph - old enough to follow some direction, but still young enough that you can capture that natural innocence that children have before they start getting really self concious in front of the camera. I played around in the VERY basic editing programme that came with me camera and came up with this - DH looked at it and commented that you couldnt see his arm GGGRRRRR rain on my parade why doesnt he!!! I loved the effect!!!

Also thought I would share a LO I did a while ago. I borrowed Michelles copy of Love your handwriting and the night I read it I was inspired to create this LO - it was quite fun. It was more of an experiment than a 'real' LO, but Im happy with the results. And its great that I was able to capture the feelings that I had as soon as I has read the book. I think Ive hit a point in my scrapping now that Ive realised that I dont have to scrap every single photo I have, and I dont have to scrap every event. I will just scrap what inspires me - it might be a great photo or a precious memory, it might be something we did today, or it might be a heritage photo of my great grand parents. I dont want to have to scrap things that dont inspire at the time. Its OK to keep my photos in albums as well as scrap them..in fact Im planning on having all the pics Ive taken of Isaac printed off to put in one of those slide in abums as well as having his scrapped baby book. I will never scrap many of the 'ordinary' photos that I have taken, but they are just as important and still are part of his life. Im raving now so I will move on...

(GGGRRRRRR :0( blogger wont let me upload any more pics so I will put it in another post)

blue eyed bubbies

I think I need a holiday to get over my busy weekend LOL. Friday night after sports day the boys had a friend over each for a sleep over. The second half of sports day got cancelled due to the rain so I had them all from Friday afternoon. I didnt know that boys could giggle so much - they didnt stop. They decided that they wanted pizza for tea and devoured a whole party size in no time (Craig and I had a couple of pieces each). Craig headed off to the airport to fly to Melbourne for the weekend for the Grand Prix. The kids were really good, noisy but good!
We had pancakes for breaky Saturday morning and hot dogs for lunch - I think they had more crap food than they usually have in a month, but what the heck it was their first time having kids for a sleep over, so I wanted it to be fun. Saturday night we went to my girl friends for tea.

Sunday we eventually got organised and headed down to Kates for a bit of a get together and scrap. Kate was so nice and Georgia is just adorable. Kathie and Jamie were there as well.

This is a pic of Isaac, Georgia & Jamie. They are just too cute - well we think so anyway!!! as you would probably have realised if you visit our blogs LOL. I and J were only born two days apart, and G is about 6 months older than them - she is such a beautiful and petite little thing and our boofy boys (well mine is definately the boofiest LOL) are as big as she is already !!!! They all have the most gorgoeus blue eyes. G didnt know who to look at when she was plonked between the boys. She kept looking from one to the other. What a task it is to try and get three babies all even looking toward you at the same time, let alone trying to get them to smile on cue!!!

Thanks for a wonderful day and a yummy lunch Kate, and thanks to Jeff for being so cool about having a house full of woman and kids while he tried to watch TV and get stuff done LOL. It was great to meet you all. I didnt get much scrapping done, but I got a couple of 'those' LO stuck down that were half finished on my desk, so I did achieve something. I also met Kates lovely sister Jane who is due to give birth REALLY soon - all the best Jane! It was great to get together and chat about our passions - scrapping & babies!!!

Ive got Kathie, Mel, Michelle & hopefully Kate coming for lunch at my place on Friday. Can't wait! I just love getting together with these gorgeous girls!

Oops I forgot - Ive been tagged

Well it was quite a while ago actually (sorry for taking so long Katie!!!) but all the kids are in bed, Ive finished one of those LO that I wnated to get done, and so I may as well rack my poor old brain and answer these questions. Here goes............

What scrapbook lines/products, etc. do you dislike?
Stickers - unless they are alpha ones, and really bright papers - its not that I dislike them, just that I really struggle to use them.

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to scrap?
Probably LO on life altering moments for a BOM. It was about my gorgeous god-daughter being diagnosed with west syndrome, and coming to terms with the long term implications of this.

What technique do you use more than anything else?
Sewing, sanding & inking - I just love that aged look (on my LOs LOL) so just about everyone gets the once over with at least one of these techniques.

What is the smallest scrap of paper you save?
Just about everything - not sure why though, I hardly ever use them - except to fill my scrap drawers :o)

Finish this sentence, "If I wasn't a scrapbooker/stamper, I would spend my money on..."
It used to be on quilting fabrics, so probably I would still be doing that. Otherwise things for my home.

Give us your best storage or organizational idea.
I love playing around with various storage options and trying to find something that is practical. My latest storage solution is video cases - I have most of my chipboard in them now. They stand neatly on my shelf and fit in my drawers. I also have my foam stamps in them. Its also easy to chuck stuff back into them - a plus when your a slacker at packing away as you go like I am!

You just won a week long scrapbooking cruise for 5. Who is going with you?
My best friend Sabine - even though shes not a scrapper, I couldn't go away on a cruise with out her. (Since she isnt a scrapper I dont think she counts in my five LOL)
Katie - cause I love her scrapping style, and I want to smuggle her home in my suit case to take piccies of my kids LOL
Rozzie - she is just the nicest person and would love to get the chance to spend more time with her
Shell - she is just SO funny,and so nice as such an optimist. She would have everyone happy and
laughing.
Kathie - so we could go have a break from being mummies for just a little while (we would take our bubbies and their Daddies could look after them all day while we scrapped, but we could go for kisses and cuddles (from J & I!) when ever we wanted. [ HA, HA,HA this definately has no credability now!!!!]
All the rest of my wonderful scrapping friends, especially all of you who come here to visit my blog. Im so loaded that I could afford to buy you all tickets as well (this already had lost any sense of vague possibility when I started on about DHs looking after babies all day while we scrapped - so I thought Id just run with complete unbelievability!!!)


When you received your first publication notification, who did you tell?
Anyone who would listen - I was so excited

After answering the questions, tag four of your buddies.
I think you have all done this one already!!!

OK its getting late and I think Im starting to get the sillys and ramble so Im going to love ya and leave ya.
Nighty night
Nic xxx

PS ((((Big hugs)))) and HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to Michelle's little man Daniel. Hope you had a great day.

Too much MoJo

My head is just spinning with scrapping at the moment - great you might say - well normally I would be extatic about having all this inspiration BUT Im not getting anything finished. Ive got three LO sitting on my scrap desk, from the last couple of days, which are only half finished. I keep getting all these new ideas when Im only half way through a LO, and Im striking while the iron is hot, printing out the pics and getting a start. The unfinished LOs only need to be stuck down, or have a few little finishing touches added but in the same form of the last couple of days Im ready to print out another pic tonight and start yet another. The boys each have a friend over for a sleep over tonight so I should have plenty of scrapping time later - who knows I might even get something finished (if I can find an unoccupied space on my desk!)

The boys had their school sports day today. Umfortunately the running races in the afternoon got rained out, but they got all the tabloid events done in the morning. Just love this shot of Caleb doing the long jump! He got third in the 600m, third in the high jump and came first in his heat of the 100m, so he was pretty happy with himself. Nathan still just gets to play all sorts of 'games' with all the reception, yr 1 & yr 2 kids. He enjoyed it, but he cant wait to be in year 3 next year and get to do all the other events.

Dribble pot

Isaac is becoming quite a dribble pot lately. He is always chewing on his hands, his fingers or anything else he can manage to keep hold of long enough to get to his mouth...I think he looks just adorable when he is sucking his fingers, chatting away to himself and gives me a cheeky grin all at the same time.

I have been giving him a bit more tummy time lately as well and he is getting quite used to it. He looks so much like Caleb at the same age, with his head up grinning that cheeky little grin.

Thought Id share a few pics I took last week. I cant believe he is four months old already - where did that go?


He also loves sitting on my lap while Im on the computer. He quite often falls asllep in my arms. He is starting to take a lot more notice of the screen too. He was chatting away and smiling at these baby pics of Jamie on Kathies blog the other week. It was just like when we hold him up in front of the mirror - too cute!

Im still feeding him (obviously!!!! breastfeeding I mean LOL) and am getting ready for when he starts on solids. I want to wait as long as I can, but I can see the time drawing nearer - he hasnt really seemed satisfied with just his milk for the last couple of days. I will give it a bit longer in case its just a bit of a growth spurt or something and it settles down again. There is no turning back once the progression to solids is made! I have been getting hold of any fruit or veggies that are in season at the moment and cooking them up, pureeing them and freezing them for when the time comes. Its a veritable gourmet restaurant in the freezer - beans (fresh from grandpas garden), apples, pears, peaches & plums, tomato, sweet pototoe & zucchini...so far! Hope he likes his friut and veg!!!! Its bizzar how when your a scrapbooker you look at things so differently (wierdly obsesed might be a better term LOL) as Im popping the little gourmet (well Im sure Isaac will consider pureed mush gourmet!) goodies out of their ice cube trays and into snap lock bags Im admiring the lovely colours, imagining how I can sit one of each on a plate...mmmm which plate should I use?....... to photograph them, and trying to put together a basic plan in my head about the page I will scrap about them!!!

Just as well most of you who read this are scrappers and I know you will completely understand!!!

funny email

Since most of you that would I would send this onto pop in here occasionally I thought I may as well just post this here. Its a great one to read when your having one of THOSE moments (days/weeks etc!!! LOL) with DH!!!!!

15 PIECES OF ADVICE TO BE PASSED ON TO YOUR MUM, YOUR DAUGHTERS OR GRANDDAUGHTERS, NIECES, AUNTS, GIRLFRIENDS, ETC.

1. Don't imagine you can change a man - unless he's in nappies. (even then I reckon there isnt much chance!)
2. What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door. (quickly)
3. If they put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all up there.
4. Never let your man's mind wander - it's too little to be out alone.
5. Go for the younger man. You might as well, they never mature anyway.
6. Men are all the same - they just have different faces, so that you can tell them apart.
7. Definition of a bachelor: a man who has missed the opportunity to make some woman miserable.
8. Women don't make fools of men - most of them are the do-it-yourself types.
9. Best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.
10. Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.
11. If you want a committed man, look in a mental hospital.
12. The children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Even in Biblical times, men wouldn't ask for directions.
13. If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him cheque books.
14. Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means that you laugh at his.
15. Sadly, all men are created equal.

Dont get me wrong I love my DH dearly BUT...yoiu know what men can be like sometimes LOL

Hope you got a giggle out of this like I did.

Back to my little man now!
Nic xxx

LOs

Here are the two LOs from this weekend. TFL!







This was a very quick one I did (it only took about 45min form start to finish!) so I could have somewhere to put Isaacs hospital ID band in his album. I used the prima flowers on three of the four LOs I did this weekend, they are so versitile - even on boy pages, dont know how I lived so long with out any LOL. Must track down some of the next size up in the mixed colours for my stash now!




This one is another quicky to tell the story about Isaac having difficulties settling now he isnt being wrapped, and the things Ive been trying in a bid to help him learn to put himself off to sleep again.

I had actually settled him with his teddy, and when Caleb went in to check on him about an hour later he was still cuddled up with it. Caleb came tearing down to me so excited, and told me to hurry up and get the camera and come with him. (hes learning well about the obsessive photo opportunities that are the nature of the scrapping mummy!!!!!) Admitedly he did look VERY cute!

They named the new BG after my kids LOL

I thought I was going a bit batty today, when I was writing the materials list on the back of my finished LOs I noticed that two of the baby boy papers are named Isaac & Nathan LOL I had to recheck it three times to make sure I was reading it right! and yes I know Im being way to organised writing the lists straight on, but in my list of goals for this year I promised myself to do it as soon as I finished a LO...we will see how long it lasts! I know I said I would share my LO about my intentions for 2006 BUT the LO had a bit of a run in with the printer!!!! The text ended up half off the page and it was pretty much all finished except for the list..it was unsalvagable...I spat the dummy a chucked it, and havn't got around to re doing it as yet. I have the list though so I guess thats the main thing!

Ive been so inspired over the past couple of days - dont know if its being surrounded by all the yummy new stuff from my last couple of shopping trips or what, but Ive finished four LOs in three days - a pretty unusual thing for me, Im normally a terrible procrastinator! Two I really love, and the other two are OK - dont love them, but I dont not like them either - they are both for Isaacs baby album - I will share when I take some pics tomorrow.

The other two will be the start of my little stash for this years masters. One of my intentions for this year is to put together an entry for this. I dont want to put up all of my LOs and start from scratch, so I thought I would start squirrling away a few so I have a choice when the time comes. Knowing my luck they will have really strict themes or something and none of my LOs will fit them LOL. Speaking of the masters, does anyone know when this years in launched? Realistically I dont think I have any chance of becoming a master, but you have to be in it to win it, and I would be absolutely extatic if I could manage just one little honourable mention...in fact I will have achieved my goal by just putting together an entry and sending it in!!!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Its a public holiday in little old Adelaide tomorrow, all so a few thousand people can go and watch a bunch of horses run around a track. DH works most public holidays anyway, so all it means around here is that I get an extra day to spend with my kids at home - YIPPEE!?!?!?!?! Hopefully I might even get a little more scrapping done.

Night all
Nic xxx

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

I Just wanted to wish my best friend Sabine and her hubby Pete all the best for their 8th wedding anniversary.
Love ya both heaps guys!!!!!
Nic xxx

Yummy stuff

Well finally my tax is done!!! What a relief, I hate leaving things this late, but being pregnant and having Isaac threw a bit of a spanner in the works so I guess Ill excuse myself this once.

Anyway after the accountant I headed down to Scrapbook Station. Janine has the most awesome range of stuff in there and the best prices!!! I picked up a few little goodies and had a great catch up with Janine. I just had to take a piccie and put on here, cause I so love seeing what everyone else has been buying on their blogs (especially Carol-lea, what a shop-a-holic LOL Id love to see her scraproom!!!) I love the new basic grey boys stuff, and the rubons are just to die for! Some chipboard, and my first ever primas!!! I dont know how I resisted the urge for so long to get some of these, they are just so gorgeous. I know they are probably a bit 'old hat' now but who cares LOL. Unfortunately they had sold out of the medium sized ones in the mixed colours , so I could only get the tiny ones. Some chatterbox papers and a few other bits and bobs! Cant wait to get scrapping - hopefully I will have some time tomorrow.

Well thats about all for now...no LOs I know but at least its an update for you Janine LOL!!!!!!!

Nic xxx

PS I also got Isaac one of those baby sleeping bag thingies - hopefully this will help him settle better now that he doesn't want to be wrapped. It will also stop him kicking off his rugs and ending up feeling like an icecube like last night! Hang on and Ill go take a photo............................................he looks so cute and snuggly! It makes me laugh how he sleeps all spead eagle like this - I think it has something to do with being wrapped up like a mummy for 3 1/2 months, now he figures he will spread right out just because he can.
Night night my sweet little bubby -night night, sleep tight, dont let the bedbugs bite! xxxxx

Jump

Well I had so many plans today, and didn't really achieve much. Ive nearly got my tax finished though, so at least I achieved something. We had a really busy day Saturday and were away from home most of the day. When we got home at about 9pm I bathed Isaac, fed him and headed off to get some much needed sleep myself...the little treasure slept through till 3am - gotta love him!!! BUT the people down the road were having a big party and between the cars roaoring up and down our court, and the drunk people in the middle of the road talking VERY loudly (basically right outside my window) till 12.45am I didnt get my much needed sleep after all! I can't complain, its not as though they do it all the time, or it went particularly late...its just I wish I could have had my sleep.

I got the Jolly Jumper out for Isaac today and he really loved it!!! He had a wonderful time while I folded the washing, and worked out how to use my camera to take video - which was actually a really easy thing to do. Im not sure who had more fun though, Isaac or Caleb and Nathan, who loved getting him to laugh and jump! They really adore their baby brother and Im so greatful for all the help theygive me...most of the time that is LOL.

Gotta go and try and settle my little man to sleep now, he has decided he doesn't like being wrapped to sleep anymore, but is finding it difficult to put himself off to sleep without it. Im sure he will stop yelling and give me one of his heart melting smiles as soon as I walk in the door though - he knows how to wrap me around his little finger already LOL.

We're home

We had a wonderful trip away - I will admit it wasn't quite as relaxing as the last couple of years with a little baby to tend to, but it was just fantastic being surrounded by my boys and best friend and her family.

There was lots of eating, swimming in the sea & pool, bike riding - we hired a tandem bike and took the kids on it, eating, fishing, a bit of shopping, eating, talking, drinking and more eating! The first night we just had a chicken and salad as the boys didnt end up getting up there till quite late - they had a flat tire, and when they had finally got the whole station wagon unpacked to change it they discovered the spare was flat too LOL Glad I wasn't there!!! Luckily they were at Pt Wakefield when it happened, and were able to get it pumped up.

Friday Craig took the older two out fishing early and Isaac & I got to have a sleep in. They didn't catch anything big enough to keep, but Nathan managed to catch a pigeon that flew out from under the jetty LOL (For all you pigeon lovers out there it managed to free its self without getting caught on the squid jag!)

Sabine, Pete & Monice went for a bike ride - they have got new mountain bikes and the coolest buggy for Monice to ride in. When I get the photos off her camera I will post one of it. Meanwhile we went into Kadina and got a new tire and the kids had a play on the playground for ages.

There was a bit of rain, but not enought to really cool anything down though. For tea we had a seafood BBQ. 1kg of bug tails, 1 kg of scallops and 1 kg of prawns on the BBQ and a salad - YUMMO!!! Yes we actually managed to get through it all too. Caleb loved the bug tails so he had quite a few of them!

Saturday saw more bike riding and fishing and a swim before we headed off to Kadina to the pub for lunch, and back to the very cool playground for another play. When we got back there was more bike riding, swimming and fishing. I seriously dont know where kids get their energy from - no sooner had they finished one thing they were wanting to do another - one plus though, even thought they went to bed late everynight, they were asleep as soon as their 'sweet' (?) little heads hit the pillows, and they didnt wake to early either. Tea was stuffed baby squid tubes.
We eat really well while we are away!!! Sabine is the bestest cook....it was all relatively simple to prepare and cook, but was absolutley delish!!!!

Sunday was looked like it might be quite cool and rainy, but it didn't take long for the temp to start climbing and the cloud to burn away. We all went out fishing on the breakwater, and caught quite a few king george & yellowfin whiting, but unfortunately they were all to small to keep. It was good fun though. There was more bike riding & swimming (its exhausting me just thinking about it all!) I took four mags up to read and only managed to read a few pages.
Caleb & Sabine went fishing on the little rocks in front of our units and Caleb managed to catch a seagull - what is it with birds and fishing line up there??!!! Sabine had to jump in the water and practiacally hold the bird under the water to stop it attacking her while she got it untangled and freed it!! Wish I hadn't been inside feeding Isaac at the time, would have loved to see the whole thing LOL.

While we were in the pool at about 4pm Nathan started crying and saying his ear hurt. It didnt really ease off even after a dose of pain stop. So at 7pm we headed off to the Wallaro hospital to see the doctor. It was an ear infection. (Last year we had to see the doctor with tonsilitis) Luckily it only flared up when it did, he didnt really miss out on anything. He got antibiotics & eardrops and has been fine ever since.

I got back and helped finish tea off - prawn pasta. Then when the kids were in bed we did the usual night time sit around drinking and chatting. It is so nice to go away with friends that you get along with so well, its just so relaxing and you can just be yourself. The conversation is highly amusing, sometimes a little heated, sometimes REALLY deep & meaningful, sometimes serious and sometimes side splittingly funny!!!

Isaac also rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time on Sunday. I had just given him his bath, and was giving him a bit of a rub when over he went. He looked quite pleased with himself too. We managed to catch it on DVD when he did it again. He hasn't repeated the preformance since we have been home though. He was really good. We took up his little baby swing which he loves. He slept well in the potacot - although he was in our room, ... Im so glad at home he is at the other end of the house - he is such a noisy sleeper. It was nice not having to trapse to the other end of the house to put his dummy in or feed him though!!

Well if your still with me after that your doing really well. Sorry it went on so long, but it was really more to keep a record of the daily events for me and future journalling etc.

Now that Im over the holiday I have to get all my tax ready to do next week (still from 04/05!!!) then Im feeling all inspired about redecorating my scrap room/playroom. I picked up a heap of paint charts and I want to finally get around to strippng back the top of my desk. Im going to paint the bottom in a warm cream colour and leave the top timber. I want to rehash my shelving and sort out all my storage. I have great visions in my head..just hope I can make it all come together!!! My scrap space has been a work in progress. It started on the kitchen bench, then the dining table, then a card table and other bits that I used to have to move from the playroom into my bedroom each day and back out each night, then to my desk. Im a messy worker and I really need to rectify that. I think more organisation will be the key. My desk is a huge old one I picked up a while back so I really dont have any excuse! Check out the pics of my gradual accumulation of scrap stuff and space LOL Hopefully with in the next few months I will have a completed scraproom to post pics of.

Im off to check out a few more of your bloggs now!

All packed and ready to go!

We are off on our annual trip to Wallaroo. Imleaving in about 10min with my best friend and her little girl..and Isaac of course. And then when our DHs finish work they pick up the other two boys and head up as well.
It never ceases to amaze me how much time and effort it takes to pack up to go away...and I had definately forgotten how much more stuff yoiu need to take with a new baby LOL Thank goodness we have a station wagon now!
Anyway I hope everyoine else has a fabulous weekend and I will catch up with everyone next week.
Nic xxx
PS Hope the girls on the scrap boxx retreat have an awesome time...good luck with your class Nic!!!

The next instalment...

Its 11.00pm & bubs isn't settling to well again tonight, so I may as well stay awake and put up another few of my favorite LOs


This was my first ever LO to be published so it will always have a special place. I used some gorgeous pics of my Dad as a child. I remember being so excited about being able to use my 'new' rubons on this LO!!!










This LO is a scraplift of a LO by Katie T that I did as part of a 2 peas challenge. I love Katies style, and still love how this LO turned out. I also just love the cheeky look on Calebs face in this pic - what happened to that angelic little child???!!!!
















I did this LO for the SM masters in 2004. It didn't get me anywhere though LOL! But who cares I still love it! Its my boys just being boys, so full of wonder & excitement about the world around them.
This one is a 6x6 LO I did for Ericas circle journal that we started way back when ASC was still Snappy scrapping. Even though it doesnt show my whole family now, I love the colour combo - it was very E at the time, and not something I had tried before. This was the most awesome group of girls to do my very first circle journal with and I treasure mine. Love ya all!!!

Here is a really recent one. Ive had this one on my blog already, and as I said then, its not the best photo, but I love the love & tenderness that it captures between Isaac & Craig.

OK thats it for now. Its funny that doing this challenge has really made me have a good hard look at why I scrap. When I was going through my LO trying to decide on my favorites, it wasn't necessarily the ones with the latest and greatest papers or embelishments, it was those with the photos that instantly brought back special memories that I consider mostly to be my favourites. I just hope that i have captured these emotions and memories in the pages that I have scrapped.

Alis favorite LOs challenge

Ive not had a chance to upload my favorite 10 LO yet cause my little man has had a cols for the last two days. He has a mucky eye, is really snuffly and is coughing and sneezing. Poor little thing isn't sleeping too well (me either LOL) casue he cant suck his dummy while his nose is blocked. I feel so sad for him, he still mananged the most gorgeous smile for me when he woke in the night though!!

Here is the first couple of my LOs

I think i love this one cause it was some of the first photos that i took when i got my digital camera. the kids just loved that i let them play down the creek and didn't care when they got soaked lol. the things we do for a photo. im also not really good at using circles on LO, so this
proves i can do it!











This is a bit more recent - obviously. I didnt get many belly shots with my first two pregnancies, so thats probably why i like these pics. The light is just right, and i don't think i look like a beached whale...which i actually did!!! I took these photos myself using the self timer of my camera. they dont have my head in them because i couldnt get the camera far enough away in the room i was taking the photos in.









This next LO is a fave because it really captures my best friend Sabine doing something she loves - taking photos. It also reminds me of all the fun we had on our trip to NZ in 2004.

Thats all I have time for now..stay tuned for the next episode........TFL xxx

Another busy weekend

Im am so looking forward to a nice quiet weekend next weekend, it was a case of de ja vous (sp?) ...stuff for nanna on Saturday, SIL for tea Sat night and a christening on Sunday!!!
I will start with Friday. I went to scrapbook station on Friday morning to drop off my latest design team LO, and ended up walking out about $100 poorer!!! Can't wait to have some time to actually use some of my goodies. That did include about 20 sheets of bazzill though cause Im running incredibly low. This is the last month of the design team as is. From next month we have some changes to the way it is run, and some new people joining us which is really exciting. Janine is such a great person to create for, she has an infectious enthusiasm for scrapping and just LOVES keepoing abreast of all the new products that are released - it was great to have a chance to chat with her and have a sneak peek at all the yummy stuff that will be arriving in the next couple of months. Their web site is going to undergo heaps of changes too, so if you havn't visited pop in and have a lok see as the changes begin to take effect over the next couple of months.

Then it was off to the gorgeous Kathies for a coffee and yummy lunch. And even more importantly to finally meet her asolutlely adorable little man Jamie. He and Isaac hit it off right away..well as much as 3 month old babies can LOL! They both managed a little snooze (kind of!)while we had lunch as well which was nice. It was fantastic to chat with Kathie and hear about someone else going through all the same stuff as a new mum as well. even though this is my third bub, its been along time and there is so much that I have forgotten about when they have growth spurts etc. When you read this Kathie - Isaac loves going on his tummy in his little donut cushion too - can't believe Id never thought of doing this before LOL.

I left Kathies and headed off to do a bit of shopping - what a futile exercise that was. No one at the plaza sold epson photo paper, no one had any rashie tops for the kids before we go away (bad time of the year to be looking for these, but there others are getting very worn out) no one had the little clocks that I was trying to find for my mum to give my nephew for his christening today. The only thing I managed to get was a birthday present for Craigs niece, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I didn't even go into pumpkin patch - far easier than trying to resist all of the end of season bargains.

Saturday was spent at my Nannas at a garage sale we had to clear out all of her stuff. I was there from 9am - 4.30pm Isaac was so good, but he really didn't sleep much, except cat naps in our arms all day. He really isn't getting into any good sleeping patterns during the day, and its my fault - its just been so busy! He sleeps OK at night though and usually only wakes once for a feed, so thats OK.

Saturday night we had tea at my SIL for her daughter, Rhiannons 10th birthday. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. It was not long ago her and her frinds were just going from kindy to school, now they are just so grown up...won't be long and the whole boyfriend thing will come around i suppose. At least having boys that is one thing I won't have to dael with first hand LOL.

Today we had my sisiters little boy, Rileys christening.

Half way through the service I nearly laughed out loud - his brother Luke who is 3, was all dressed up in little suit pants and a white shirt, he looked absolutely gorgeous. His dad picked him up and i looked down at his feet...don't know if you can pick it but there are little flowers around the tops of his socks - what a crack up - I reckon it might have been a bit of a rush job geting dressed at their house today LOL. It was at 8.30am and then back to their house for brunch after. Eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausages on the BBQ, big chunky slices of toast with butter and vegemite and a fruit platter.

Issac napped in grandma and grandpas arms (I see a pattern forming here!) He knows how to milk it already - he just gazes up at who ever is holding him, smiling and gooing at them like they are the only person on earth who matters to him LOL - I guess at that particualr moment in time they are!!!! It was a great morning and we were home about 12.30pm. I cleaned out the car and then got a little nap this afternoon while DH spent some quality time with the boys. They played board games, hit the golf balls around, played bocce and had a wonderful time with their dad. I just love seeing them spending time like this with him, they are getting to the age now where they just thrive on this attention from him.

If your still with me, and havn't fallen asleep yet (congratulations youve done well!) thats about it for now. Must go and get everything organised for another school week now.
Catch you soon!!!

Trip down Memory Lane

I got this list in an email from my neighbour, and some of the things just cracked me up, so I thought I would share. Ive highlighted the things that I remember, but some of the things I just went "what the"!!!! Some of you that are a little younger might remember a few more. (I was 10yrs - 20yrs during the 8os!)
You know you grew up in the 1980's if ...
1. Cabbage patch kids were legitimate members of your family. ( I never owned one!)
2. You watched the Pound Puppies. (nope)
3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Bel­Air" (never heard of it)
4. You wore biker shorts under your skirts and felt stylish. (how about under short baby doll dresses - eek!)
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby ­ Sitter's Club and you even started a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls. (NO never really into dolls, but my best friend still has her original strawberry shortcake dolls!!!)
7. You know that "WHOA" comes from Joey on Blossom.
8. Two words: M.C. Hammer
9. You even watched "Fraggle Rock".
10. You had plastic streamers on your handlebars. of course!
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales". ("what the")
12. When it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the big screen.
15. You made your mum buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side. (dont be silly - I just tied the knot!)
16. You played the game "MATCH" (Mansion, Apartment, Toilet, Church,House) (?????????)
17. You walked like an Egyptian. (cool song, love the bangles)
18. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in Kindergarten.
19. You remember reading "Are you there God, it's me, Margaret" (the name rings a bell)
20. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF" (if only karate was that easy!)
21. You wanted to be a Goonie.
22. You even wore fluorescent clothing. (unfortunately I thought flouro socks were cool)
23. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off... (I hate to admit, I thought he was a real spunk when the thriller film clip came out - what was I thinking!!!)
24. You have even pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf. (and smurfs are making a come back, surely there will be more girls this time LOL)
25. You took Lunch Pails to school.
26. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
27. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
28. You remember Hypercolor t­shirts. (you wore them with flouro socks)
29. Barbie and the Rockers was your favourite band. (...NOT)
30. You thought Sheera and He­Man should hook up.
31. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged friendship bracelets. (do those snap apart friendship charms count ???)
32. You even owned a pair of Jelly­Shoes. (mmmm....probably wore them with the socks & T shirt!!!!!)
33. After you saw Pee­Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?" (no but Im geussing its the same as the whole whos on first, whats on second conversation)
34. You remember, "I've fallen and I can't get up"
35. You remember going to the skating rink before there were in­line skates. (and I even had the co-ordination to fall over and crack my head open on the ice)
36. You even got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide. (yeh but that was only a couple of years ago when my neighbour - not her kids, her - cracked a rib on ours!!! and yes we had been drinking)
37. You remember when the film clip to "Like A Prayer" was banned
38. You have even played with a Skip­It.
39. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
40. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
41. You remember Popples.
42. "Don't worry, be happy"
43. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
44. You wore socks scrunched down.
45. "Miss MARY MACK MACK MACK, all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK"
46. You remember boom boxes vs. cd players.
47. You remember watching both "Gremlins" movies. (I even names my pet guinee pig Gizmo)
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49. You remember watching Rainbow Bright and My Little Pony Tales"
50. You thought Doogie Howser was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac! (who could forget Alf)
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were famous. (didn't like them much though)
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By the Bell", the ORIGINAL class. -
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi ­ SHOT THRU THE HEART. (doesnt everyone?!?!)
55. You just sang those words to yourself (didn't everyone LOL)
56. You cut your t­shirts in half and wore it with your homemade Levi shorts...(the shorter the better)
57. You remember when mullets were cool! (mullets were NEVER cool)
58. You had a mullet!
59. You still sing, "We are the World"

..............and you remember wham, kimba the white lion, worzel gummage, HR puffinstuff, the leyland brothers on sunday nights, (sorry about the lack of capitals, Isaacs just woken and is in my other arm) bubblegum jeans, romes, desert boots & duffle coats, free night club entry, night clubs shutting at 2am, yelling the words to the songs 'you give me head' & "i never want to see your face again', bubble skirts and horrid coloured bridesmaids dresses, big hair & stretchy belts, sons & daughters, kylie & jasons wedding - and their wedding song, australia 2 winning the americas cup, Molly dying on ACP, one & two cent pieces, and paper $1, $2 notes, the cat sat on the mat & digger the dog readers. OK enough now, got a bit carried away with the memories there LOL but can't forget heavy blue eye shadow and coloured mascsara!!!

Hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane!!!!

Great Grandmother

For some reason it wouldn't let me load any more pics in my last post and I wanted to put this one in. I took it on Sunday after the Christening. My Nanna has 7 great grand children, and another on the way. Its not to often we are all together since the little one on her lap is from Sydney, so I wanted to get a shot of them all. What a circus. Riley managed to throw his head back and hit Jessie in the nose, so she was sooking and pouting and very disagreeable. Caleb was having to be bribed to be in the photo at all. The chair was too hard for Nanna, Lucas kept dissapearing behind Jessie, Taylor was slipping off Nannas lap, and Nathan kept looking everywhere except the camera, and Isaac just sat contentedly on his brothers knee taking it all in...considering all of this I geuss the photo didn't turn out to badly LOL, Not quite the relaxed family portrait I was after LOL but it has its own story to tell!!!!

Busy weekend!

Well we all made it through a very busy weekend. The kids are at school and bubs is sleeping so I thought Id give you all a bit of an update.....

Isaac is now smiling and 'talking' to everyone. It just melts your heart. I could just sit and talk to him all day. I took this pic of him gooing and gaahing at his great grandma on her 90th birthday. She was thrilled that he was talking away to her. He just loves all the attention it is getting him as well!


On Friday it was Nannas actual birthday, we had a little party at the retirement home where Nanna is now living, Friday night it was out for tea with all the family, Saturday morning I spent trying to get organised and get food cooked for the Christening on Sunday, and then went to mum & Dads for an open house for Nannas birthday. Luckily the boys had cricket in the morning, and got invited to friends places to play for the afternoon, so I got quite a bit achieved. Saturday night was at the inlaws for a BBQ with the rellies from Victoria that were over for the Christening. Sunday I managed a bit of a sleep in till 8am and then ran around like a headless chook trying to get everyone and everything ready to head to church.
Isaac wore the Christening gown that my Nanna, my Dad, and myself have worn. Its over 100 years old. Its getting pretty fragile now, and I don't think it will be around for my grandchildren to wear, so Im really glad my kids have had the chance to wear it. After a REALLY long service we headed back to our place for lunch. It was a great day. I had so much help from everyone with making food, and serving and cleaning up - it was fantasitic! We had about 20 adults and nearly that many kids. the kids were all so well behaved and had a great day to. Isaac hardly slept all day, but was just a little angel. He smiled and talked to all his guests and drifted off for a little nap in anyones arms that cared to hold him long enough - wouldn't stay asleep when he got put down in his cradle though LOL. He got thoroughly spoiled with the most gorgeous christening gifts as well.

Needless to say we all slept very well last night. Although I still had to feed my little angel twice and get up and put his dummy in once!!!

a new month!!!

Yippee its Febuary and I can get back on the internet a bit more again. We ended up so far over our limit last month it wasn't funny!!! See how it goes for this month!!! Anyway Kathie has tagged me..thankfully I havn't seen this one around to much yet, so there should be someone left to tag!!!

Here goes......

What were you doing 10 years ago?

We had been married for about 9 months and were living at Golden Grove. I was traveling all the way to Aldgate to work each day and starting at 6.30am. I was playing netball. We would go out for dinner all the time and quite often go away for the weekend (before kids of course!!) Spent quite a bit of time entertaining friends at home and going out.

Five snacks that you enjoy:
Ice cream/ice blocks/any thing frozen
salada biscuits
dried apricots & almonds
chocolate coated licorice sticks
corn chips.

Five songs to which you KNOW all the lyrics :
Summer of 69 (and most of Bryan Adams other songs)
Twinkle Twinkle little star (Caleb & Nathans favourite songs as babies)
Crazy for you (Madonna - loved this as a tennager!)
Hurts so good (John Cougar)
All shook up (Billy Joel - my fave song to do the house work to! Love the whole honeymoon in vegas CD)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Not have a mortgage
Give some away to family, my best friend and charity
Have my very own scrapping space & what ever supplies my heart desired & open my own scrap shop
Be able to visit friends interstate when ever I felt like it
Make sure my kids would always had enought to be comfortable, but still valued hard work and the ability to earn money.

Five bad habits:
To much time on the computer
Yelling at the kids when I get grumpy with them
procrastinating - especially about doing housework!!!!
piling crap in one spot on my kitchen bench
chewing my nails - although I havn't really done that since I got pregnant with Isaac

Five things you like doing:
Spending time with my family and friends
Scrapping
Scrap shopping
hugging my kids
going on relaxing holidays

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get again:
mmmmmmm never say never....but...
I would never wear a bikini - very scary!!!!
I would never buy a dagwood dog at the show - YUK
I would never go back to dial up internet
I would never die my hair with a pink or purple rinse when Im old and grey
I would never take my life and the people in it for granted - you never know whats around the corner

Five Favourite toys:
My stuffed dog patch that I got when I was 10 with birthday money from my nanna
Petes ipod
My Russ teddies - no ones allowed to actually play with them though LOL
My computer
My stash


5 People I am tagging:
Michelle
Janine
Nic
Ruthie
Steph
(sorry if any of you guys have already been tagged!!)

OK done it. Ive got a couple of LOs I will upload soon & Ive had three acceptances in the last week for SM as well.
Ill try and do it in the next day in between planning for Nannas 90th on Friday & Isaacs christening on Sunday and two different lots of interstate rellies arriving in the next couple of days. Its going to be full on around here for a while!!!

Happy Australia Day

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice relaxing Australia day today. The kids and I went off to an Australia day breakfast that the local council and Lions club put on this morning - we go every year with my mum and dad, and the kids love it! I took this pic to record Isaacs first Australia day.

Craig picked Caleb & I up after breakfast and we went and collected a tonne of wood from my Nannas that she gave us. Lovely job when its stinking hot!!! It will save us having to get as much when winter eventually comes though. Mum took the other two kids back in the cool at her place. It was the first time Ive really left Isaac, and it was a bit wierd. I had managed to collect a bottle of expressed milk and he took that with out any problems for her. Ive never had much success expressing milk with the other two, but this time I think Im getting the hang of it. I would really like to keep feeding for as long as possible this time, so it will be handy if I can have some bottles on hand for when I really need to leave him. Cause I missed a feed, I was able to express a whole small bottle whe I got home - I was so excited!!!

Thanks to those who have sent me emails in the last few days to check if Im doing OK. Ive been really quiet around the place lately, mainly because we are WAY over our monthly internet usage. Its nearly double our allowance and is going to cost us a small fortune!!! We are tossing up if it would be worth moving to an unlimited plan, but we will see how the next couple of months go.

I hope you all have a great day celebrating this wonderful country we are so blessed to call home, I cant think of any where else in the world I would rather live and raise my family than right here in Australia.....Advance Australia Fair!!!

Tagged

Well this is my very first tag - how exciting, and thanks Ruthy!!!! (don't worry, I will get over this excitement very quickly!)
Here goes
Four jobs you have had in your life?
1. Making mops (yes the cotton ones you mop the floor with - exciting NOT) I did this for a year after leaving high school before I started uni.
2. Waitressing at a german coffee shop & restaurant while I was at uni.
3. Child Care worker in a child care centre - spent most of the time in the under twos section, loved this, hard work but so rewarding.
4. Family Day Care Provider - Great way to work and be a SAHM at the same time.

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Dirty Dancing
2. Top Gun (love that beach volley ball scene!)
3. Beaches - gotta be the saddest movie ever
4. Father of the bride - SO funny

Four places you have lived:
1. Lobethal SA - grew up here
2. Greenwith SA - when we first got married
3. Woodside SA - while we were building our house...
4. Now back in Lobethal!

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. All Saints
2. Home & away
3. Star Gate
4. Fresh - cooking show

Four places you have vacationed
1. Wallaroo in a cabin right on the beach
2. Thailand
3. New Zealand
4. Sunny Queensland for the SAM retreat last year - what a blast! love to go back

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Ebay
2. My Blogg list
3. My bank site - just to check if Ive wom the lotto yet! LOL
4. various scrapping galleries
( no wonder IM already up to this months usage allowance!!!)

Four favourite foods:
1. Chicken anything
2. Ice cream/ice blocks/ slushies...anything frozen really
3. mangoes
4. sweet potatoes

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed with the latest CK, which I don't have yet
2. Asleep, and not getting woken up till the morning
3. with friends
4. Scrapping (but...my printers out of ink and I can't print any more photos)

Four bloggers that I am tagging:
I think that there is only one that I can think of that hasn't done this, so I tag Janine, the newest blogger I know of.

We R memory keepers

Im loving this new stuff atm, and the lovely lady at Scrapbook station gave me the perfect selection to do another baby boy page (your a champ Janine!!!) fro this months DT challenge. can't wait to go in and get myself some of the gorgeous chipboard alphas as well...but as discussed earlier need to get all the baby clothes paid for first...mmmmm did I mention I just bought a gorgeous pumpkin patch cot quilt and sheet set off ebay...it was a bargain, and hasn't even been used, it was just displayed in a cot!

Anyway here is my LO.....
Hope you are all nice and cool...its so hot here tonight. Usually by this time it is lovely and cool, but it is still and muggy tonight - yuck! Im nearly ready to close the windows and put the aircon on..how rediculous for 9.15 at night.

my new addiction

I think that Im developing a new addiction to shopping for baby clothes. They are just so darn cute! Ive been giving ebay a fair flogging lately buying up pumpkin patch stuff thats barley been worn, and today when we went on a family trip to TTP I used the excuse I needed to go to the loo, while Craig took the boys into a hobby shop (well Isaac needs a bit of that male bonding time too, and I couldn't take him to the tiolet with me after all, could I!) and I nipped into pumpkin patch to check out their sale. well close to $100 later (in about 10 min flat!) I was back from my little trip with a bulging bag. 5 pairs of pants and two T shirts AND I saved over $50... Some of it is size 0 for this winter though, so Im really shopping sensibly. Must go and check what Im still bidding on with ebay now LOL!



I did this LO last Sunday after we went to the pool. I just LOVE this pic of Craig and Isaac. Its a bit shadowy but there is just something that draws me back to it. I used PP again just because I could too! (plus my cardstock is running dangerously low...something to do with lack of money due to the baby clothes thing!) Its not a really good photo of it, it looks all washed out for some reason, but you know what the papers looks like IRL.

I better head off and season the new wok we just bought, so Craig can use it to cook calamari for tea for us!

Hope everyone is havin' a great and relaxing weekend
Nic xxx

Laughter !!!

My bubby laughed at us for the first time this morning and it was so cute. He was smiling alot just before then, so Nathan had gone and got the camera out to take some pics (Ive got him well trained already!!!) so managed to capture some photos of those first laughs - wish I had some of those sound strips to record it as well.

After reading Nics blogg and seeing her georgeous simple LOs for her favorite photos album, and reading a mag article on creating calenders I was inspired to alter a cheap calender I bought yesterday morning. The top is a 8 1/2" x 11" LO which is just clipped on with the bulldog clip, so I can remove it and put it in an album. I will do one for each month using favorite photos from the month before. They will all be basically the same with the CS strip with the month and a touch of PP that co-ordinates with the pics. I have also challenged myself to create the entire thing from my draws full of off cuts - Ive got to do something to start using them up!

Its really hot here today and were off in a minute for a swim in the kids cousins pool. Since I will be just sitting around with Isaac I might take the camera and see what I can capture.

Bye for now!

Nic xxx

Peace & Quiet

Im sitting here with Isaac sound asleep and Caleb & Nath are at my sisters after having a sleep over there last night - its bliss!!! Ive just finished scrapping a LO too. I had a bit of a laugh to myself when I just photographed these two LOs. I did one the other day surrounded by ratty kids with the constsant mum..mum...muuuuuuum going on, the other was finished just now in the peace and quiet - I think each makes its own statement about my mind set when I did them LOL




The snowfalkes and some of the journalling is all hand drawn on this one. I traced some of the large snowflakes from a HS mask, and drew the others freehand, then went to work doodling all around them. Im suprised there is any ink left in my zig writer!

Im not overly excited about the end result - its just so different to my 'usual' style, but its another LO for my New Zealand album done. I geuss it sort of ties in with the whole mucking around feeling of the photos too. (Yes I am trying to convince myself to start liking it!)







This LO I LOVE! Actually it could be just the fact that I love the gorgeous little shoes so much!!! They are the cutest little things I have ever seen, and I really can't wait for Isaac to grow enough to wear them. The titles are handcut and I did the journalling on the computer...I havn't done that for a while. Must mean Ive actually been doing a littel bit of handwriting. I didn't want to handwrite on this one though, it was all so neat and tidy and lined up that I didn't want to spoil it.

So you can see what I mean - the LO that looks a little like a train wreck, or the nice neat orderly LO - can you geuss which one I did when?


One of my friends is going through some pretty heavy personal stuff at the moment and I just wanted to let her know Im thinking of her, and that Im proud that she has had the courage to make the descisions she has. I spoke with her this morning and she sounds like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. (I know she reads my blog and will see this, - she knows who she is - (((Hugs))) you know where I am if you need to talk more!

Im feeling really good about my scrapping at the moment. I feel quite inspired and there are ideas spinning around in my head constantly - so many things to photgraph and scrap, so little time. Its a nice feeling to have back again! Pity its never around when its time to do LOs for the masters or elite teams. Oh well its me and my family I scrap for anyway, so what will be, will be
(kay serah serah!)

Have a good weekend - stay cool/warm depending on what the wether decides it will do - and thats anyones geuss!!!

Nic xxx

Happy New Year

Hope you all had great time seeing the new year in last night, and that your not feeling a bit worse for wear today LOL. We had a fun night, but I think there may have been a few sore heads amoungst them this morning. There were heaps of kids so the boys had a wonderful night and managed to hang out till nearly 1.30am. I fed Isaac at 9.30pm and he slept in his pram, right in the middle of the party till we left - he didn't even stir when all the poppers got let off at midnight.

I got all inspired this morning and packed all the christmas decorations away. I would like to have left them longer, but Craig offered to help so I wasn't going to knock that back. At least its all done now and my house is back to relative normality - LOL apart from all the baby stuff that seems to be taking over.

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2006 and that you made lots of new years resolutions/intentions and are able to achieve them all. Im still working on what my intentions list will include - I will let you know when its done. Id love to hear what everyone else wants to achieve this year too.