8/52 - The 52 Project: Siblings

I wish I was in on the joke these two seem to share together.  It reminds me growing up extremely close to my sister.  In fact, we still joke that we're twins born two years apart.  I remember my parents watching us with a smile on their face.  They rarely knew what we were laughing at, yet it made them smile.

This is how I feel as a parent.  Watching a bond grow between two little people joined together by the foundation of family.  My heart bursts with pride, love and joy.

Today was a simple day.  The common cold has been going through the family this week.  Striking us all down one by one.  So we kept today simple and easy yet full of happiness and laughs.

After a short visit to the beach to soak up some salt air we indulged and took the kids to a gorgeous little cafe nearby for some cake.  It was one of those perfect moments.  As a parent, you know they don't happen for long.  They may happen often but the duration of these "perfect" moments is minimal.

So when these moments occur I have really learnt to let go and soak them up.  Enjoy time with your children, feed them cake and listen to them laugh.  That was what today was all about.

"What day is it" ~ asked Pooh
"It's today" ~ squeaked Piglet
"My favourite day" ~ said Pooh

Don't wait for tomorrow to enjoy life - life for today!

When things seem too much.... ASK FOR HELP!

I think the term "Super Mum" although in so many cases is used as a compliment can unknowingly and unintentionally place unnecessary pressure on Mothers.

I find that if I do something which to me seems "normal" as a mother and a friend comments "that's awesome you're such a Super Mum" all of a sudden I feel like I then need to live up to this title.

SUPER MUM, what does it take to be a Super Mum?

To live up to such a title surely we need some form of super power? So as far as I know these don't exist (would love someone to prove me otherwise) so maybe we need to stop using the term, even as a compliment.

Recently my husband was away for three nights.  Prior to him leaving I was completely relaxed.  I was not at all nervous about the thought of dealing with the kids, the house, work, daycare.  I've got it covered, or so I thought.

That was until night one went completely pear shaped and all of a sudden I found myself willing him home!

Once the kids were FINALLY in bed on night one I called my sister.  Basically in melt down mode as I was hungry and exhausted and those hunger mood swings where you turn from Mary Poppins to Hannibal Lecter had kicked in.

So I ate my dinner and chatted on the phone to her for almost an hour.  Complaining about why the night had been so difficult, what a difficult day I had ahead of me the next day.  Just the usual whinging and moaning.

Although all I did was talk by the end of the conversation I hung up feeling so much better.  What seemed like this overwhelming issue now suddenly didn't feel so bad after I said it all out loud.

Friday morning came and after a tough first night (around 6 wakes, multiple bed swaps and a kick to the face by Mr 2), I was knackered!  I wasn't too sure how I was meant to deal with the day ahead, however, I just went into auto pilot and started getting the kids ready for daycare.

We were almost ready for daycare drop off and I realised I had a text from my sister "I'm coming over tonight to cook you dinner and Joe will take care of the kids"!

I wanted to cry.  This gesture made my entire day seem that much less daunting.

Friday at 6pm I walked in the door after gymnastics lessons to a home cooked meal, two kids laughing and playing with their Uncle Joe Joe and I was able to just "be"! I felt like I had suddenly come up for air.

It is ok to ask for help.  It is ok to be Super Mum one day and wondering how you'll get through the next.

Although I'm lucky enough to not have to in fact "ask" (my sister and I claim we're twins born two years apart) and she just came to my aid, it IS OK TO ASK FOR HELP!

I find it difficult.  I find that asking for help is accepting defeat.  I find asking for help is saying "I can't do this on my own".  This sort of thought pattern, this notion of trying to be a Super Mum can really run a person down.

I promise to myself that next time I'm feeling overwhelmed I WILL ASK FOR HELP (or call my sister because let's face it she will definitely read between the lines)!

7/52: The 52 Project - Summer time

For the second week in a row it was Sunday and I hadn't taken any snaps for The 52 Project.

By Sunday my two little subjects were tired and irritable, after a long few days without their Dadda home.  It was 30 degree heat so we invited my family over for lunch and a swim.

The one thing that I love about these images is the joy.  The kids are playing with my sisters partner in the pool.  He is a relatively new member to our family, yet he feels like he's been a part of the family forever.  Both my babes adore him and have so much fun playing, and of course being thrown around.

6/52: The 52 Project - SPLASH!

This week I captured some bath time fun with confetti, bath crayons (courtesy of Aunty) and lots and lots of bubbles.

I kept the photos simple and fun and let my two babes tell the story!

Random Act of Kindness - Flowers!

What makes you smile?

I have teamed up with Jasmine from Sminkles to find out what makes people smile and help put a smile on the face of some perfect strangers.

Today I decided that it was flowers that made me smile and so I set out to deliver some beautiful flowers to some un-expecting shoppers.

Thank you to the ladies at Flowers for Everyone who agreed to deliver one of my beautiful gerberas to a worthy recipient.

I walked through the shopping centre wondering who I would give my gerbera to.  The first person I saw was a young pregnant mother holding her toddler.  Straight away I remembered the feeling of walking around the shops holding Miss S while J was in my belly.  I had a flash back of how difficult I found being pregnant and looking after a toddler.

I approached the lady and congratulated her on her pregnancy, I offered her my gerbera to help make her smile.  Her husband was with her and the two of them were grateful and I was able to witness a beautiful smile on each of their faces.

It's not every day that you deliver flowers to strangers, however, it definitely made my day!

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see" ~ Mark Twain

It's that time...... Toilet Training Time!

Yep the fun and exhilarating task of toilet training is in full swing in our house hold.

I have been avoiding it like the plague and shrugging off friendly "suggestions" from family and friends that he's ready.  I mean hey, it's my boy, it's me who will be scrubbing pee of the floors and tipping poo out of tiny little undies into the bin right? Maybe, just maybe, I need to be ready too.

To be honest, I think I am still scarred from how long it took with Miss 4, and she's the intelligent one! Oh dear.

So we had prepped him up over the week explaining to him that on the weekend he was going to wear big boy undies because of course he's a BIIIIGGG BOOOOYYYY now (as you explain in your stupidest kiddy voice).

Unlike when we toilet trained Miss 4 we decided it was all too hard to stay home for 3 or 4 straight days.  So we chucked on the undies, made a huge fuss and headed out to a cafe for coffee at 10am.   Let's face it, a Mumma needs her coffee.

We had no accidents all morning and then one minor one at sissy's gymnastics class.  The girls at the gym were lovely and helped clean it up so that was a save.

We came home and it was an extremely hot and sticky day so what better way to spend it than in the pool.  At least this way accidents won't get noticed right? Wrong! Mr J decided that it would be a good idea to hop out of the pool and squat on the timber deck to do his first pee of the afternoon! Thanks buddy.  So back in the pool he went to wash it all off ;-)

Besides a tiny little bullet in the toilet he hadn't done a poo all day which is extremely unlike him.  That was until....... We put his night nappy on.  Oh of course that's when he was confident enough to relax, let loose and well you know the rest!

So I think considering it was day one we did pretty well.  Three accidents, a bullet on the toilet and I still have no idea where all his water has gone.

Wish me luck for the next few days, I think I'll need it as it is completely and utterly draining walking around asking a 2 year old with the attention of Dory "Do you need to go to the toilet Jimmy?".  In most cases he responds without even stopping what he is currently doing with a loud and passionate "Noooooooo".

At least Toilet Training means seeing more of this cute bum!

5/52 - The 52 Project

Tantrums are inevitable.  I've been around enough children now to know that there is no "perfect" child who does not tantrum at some point.  The extent and level of the tantrums do differ though.

So on this note I can now honestly say, my daughter is just epic at throwing a tantrum.  She is well-behaved 70% of the time (that number was calculated using a precise and exact formula).  However, in that remaining 30%, boy oh boy does she go wild.

She is like a child possessed.  I've tried so many different parenting techniques and methods to try and limit the extent of the tantrum.  I try extremely hard to reduce any collateral damage.

This week we had a nice easy stay at home day.  For the most part it was fun, enjoyable, relaxing and just what we all needed.  Yet, there was that one, crazy, completely erratic tantrum in the afternoon thrown by Miss 4.

I was chatting recently to a good friend who told me a new method they had adopted in their house for dealing with tantrums.  One thing I implemented with my girl was to ask her to tell her teddy what is wrong.  I felt it would help her express her feelings without having to look me in the eye and tell me what she was thinking and feeling.

It was the first time I had tried it and I definitely felt it worked.  She likes to be left alone during a tantrum to let it all out so I left teddy on her bead and told her to take time and calm down and when she felt ready explain to teddy what was upsetting her.

How is this related to my 52 Project you ask.  Once I could hear that she had finally calmed down in her room I went in to check on her.  When I did I found my boy consoling his big sister.

All I can say is it completely melted my heart.  So what did this normal, rational mum do in this situation??? I grabbed my camera of course (and I'm really glad I did).

Here are some photos of my beautiful boy comforting his sister after her melt down.  I may have cheated a little and added more than one photo as I thought all four were extremely beautiful.