Friday 11 December 2015

Slow down world, you're spinning too fast

I was flicking down my facebook page yesterday, because:
(a) I am egocentric; and
(b) I had a feeling I had missed some things people had posted on my wall and when people take the time to post, I do like to respond.

I had missed a few posts, but I had a massive WTF moment when I realised that, without intentionally doing so, my last three posts showed how the girls are really grown up now.

The Pixie appointed herself in charge of decorating my office ....

The girls' Christmas bears reading the Nativity story in my office

... including making the window out of random stuff and making a paper mache snowman ....

After he's finished his job at work he is going to live with my colleague's daughter!

Buglet has arrived safely in the Northern Territory to babysit her cousins for a week, before helping my sister bring them all home for Christmas. Her first solo plane trip.

(I don't have a photo of Buglet to share. She's been home for a few weeks, since school finished early for her, and most of the time I have seen her she has been in a crop top and boxers. Not appropriate to post on the internet!).

But Tink ... Tink is ... well .... WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ROLY-POLY THE-WORLD-WILL-DO-THINGS-MY-WAY BABY*?

My Middling One

Tink was one of the speakers at a school presentation night and I was genuinely gobsmacked. She has the makings of a superb public speaker. She wasn't fazed by the technology messing up, and she didn't touch her face or hair once. She is more well presented and confident than I could every hope to be in a life time and I am so incredibly proud!

Just in case I wasn't proud enough of Tink, she also was one of the four nomination for coaches aware for her school soccer program this year. Proud doesn't begin to describe it.

If I can't brag on my blog, where can I brag? And I am totally one proud (if totally freaking out) mama right now.

*if this statement doesn't make sense to you, stay tuned for my next post which should  have been my last post, but isn't because I haven't quite finished yet. If that doesn't make sense, feel some sympathy for my colleagues who have to work with me.

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I really should have paid attention when people told me it would all go past in the blink of an eye.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Book review: 'Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer' (aka "I am that person")

So .... it is confession time ....

I am the first person to admit that I am not perfect, but there is one thing I do semi-regularly that I know horrifies some people.

I am the sort of person who buys someone a book and reads it before I give it to them.

My only mitigating factor is that I do only do this to certain people; mostly Mum, my sisters, and my daughters. I do also confess to them straight afterwards. However, considering how rarely I buy books for people I am not sure this is much of a mitigating factor. 

People are surprised that I don't often buy books. I tend to only buy them for people I know extremely well, and when I know their tastes in books and what books they already own. Can you see the problem? Well, except DB. I am constantly buying him books that I think he might like. I don't think he has read most of them. On the upside, it is not unheard of for me to get books from him that other people have given him and that he has no intention of reading. Winning!

There is one other exception. There is one book I have bought for a number of people because it is literally laugh-out-loud funny. Have you read my post on my most favourite books of all time? If not, I will write about it again later.

It was Tink's birthday last week. 

I got her a book. Well, I also got her other things, but I did get her a book.

I read it first, and it was awesome.



If you have read and enjoyed the Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books, you will love this new series. 

The first book in the series is 'Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer'. Magnus is a older than Percy, and the themes are a little more grown up. Life at 16 is different to life at 11 whether or not you are a demi-god.  

I have always had an interest in Greek mythology, but I didn't know very much about Norse mythology. This book opened a whole new world of legend for me to explore and I had to read the book with my phone next to me so I could quickly search points that I wanted more information on. From that point of view the book is perfect. It is intriguing; a taster of what is out there if you want to delve further into the mythological world. I am very much hoping all three of my girls read it for that reason alone.

The story line is action packed. The biggest problem I had was sneaking in time to read it when the girls weren't around as it was a present for Tink. 

For adults or older teens who read Percy Jackson and found the writing and the story a little juvenile, Magnus Chase is a more complex and it is clear it is targeted at an older reader. That said, it would still be good for younger readers who like longer stories.

I am really, very much looking forward to the next installment of Magnus Chase, and in the meantime I am re-reading the Percy Jackson books!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • No-one actually asked me to review this book, I just liked it so I thought I would share
  • I would suggest trying the book yourself rather than just trusting my opinion on it.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.


Friday 6 November 2015

Flying the nest

Ok. I have a confession! I actually wrote a different post with the same name on the other blog. I just liked the name. That's not too bad is it? I liked the name and it works for both posts. I don't mind if you write it off to laziness.

I mentioned in my last post that Tink and the Pixie went to a Girl Guide Jamboree during the school holidays and had an amazing time. (To any of the organisers reading this BRAVO and thank you so very much for all your hard work and dedication!)

It's not the first time they've been away without me. In fact, the very first time they left me for a week was when all three of them went to Queensland for a once-in-a-lifetime weekend commemorating 100 years since the rally where Girl Guides began. The Pixie had only just turned 6, but as it was never going to happen again, they went.

I spent the week at home burying myself in an intensive unit at uni, so I coped ok.

The very first thing the Pixie said to me when she hopped off the plane was this: "Mama! Mama! I rode a camel and he went like this [insert very vivid imitation of a camel chewing]".

They have been on week long school camps, other Guide events (including two interstate Jamborees for Buglet, and one interstate Jamboree for Tink), and trips with my family.

One thing I always notice every time they are away for more than a weekend is that they come home just a little bit more grown up; a little bit more independent.

It really hit me this time.

Do to reasons beyond my control (ok not totally, beyond my control, partly due to panic and not reading signs properly) when I picked the girls up from the airport, they had disembarked from the plane and collected their luggage. This is what I was greeted with .....


My travellers
Backpack on her back (which she proceeded to almost knock out approximately one person every five minutes), day pack on her front. They totally had it sussed.

I had a flash of insight that this was only the first time I would be doing this. All three of the girls have been bitten by the travel bug and are all planning various trips, some as a family and some independently. I know I want them to be independent, but why does it happen so quickly?!

The flash forward to young adult years was quickly broken by our fist verbal exchange ....

Pixie: Mama! Look! I stole a blanket from the plane!
Me: Pixie!!! You can't steal things!
Pixie: Except from aeroplanes.
Me: Not at all.
Pixie: Except when you don't get caught.
Me: Not at all!
Tink: I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, she was waving it around showing the aeroplane people as we were getting off. They just smiled.
Pixie: I am surprised more people don't steal things from planes. It was really easy.

This was followed by a Pixie who could not understand why we had not brought Flip-Flop with us to the airport.

Happiness is a puppy who is reunited with her person

Meanwhile, Buglet has just scored a trip to the NT to babysit her cousins for a week before helping my sister bring the babies home for Christmas and then it is my turn to travel!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am definitely not qualified to give travel advice.
  • I am working hard on the Pixie and her attitude towards petty crime.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.



Sunday 4 October 2015

Spring has sprung!

And so have I. Been sprung I mean. I am not particularly springy at the moment.

That first sentence was as far as I got in writing during the week, despite my best intentions!

It is now Sunday evening and I am in my pyjamas writing after spending the day in bed having a sick day. Stupid man flu. Although, being sick, is one of the few times it is nice to not have the girls home.

Buglet is here, but she is in her own room being anti-social. We bonded yesterday watching the AFL Grand Final. (Buglet takes this very seriously. There was a lot of shouting. I live tweeted during the game so I didn't annoy her too much, just in case you want to check it out!). Her interaction today has consisted of getting up to get food, and popping in to see me, feed me and call me lazy. I am not lazy, well not today anyway, I am legitimately sick, MAN FLU. I did actually go to the gym and to the shops first thing this morning, but as that was before she got out of bed for the first time that doesn't count, apparently.

Anyway, when I first started writing the post, I actually meant that I had been sprung not having blogged for two months. (Waves to the lovely reader who asked when I was going to write next, you know who you are.)  I am not actually sure how that happened. I have half drafted Bali posts. Because they are all linked, they have taken longer to write than I intended. Then there have been the technical issues (broken phone, photos on my temp phone, not being able to work out how to get my Instagram photos on the blog).

The last two months have been filled with the normal kind of busy.

I have been playing around with a few writing projects, and Instagram and Twitter. Facebook updates have been fairly consistent.

Work has taken up an awful lot of time. It has slowed down to normal levels now. Catching up after taking annual leave was a pain in the butt. I was so excited to book leave in a five week month, that worked around the girls and school, I totally forgot July is one of my busiest times. I have only been at the organisation for 11 years.

Buglet had her year 11 Dinner Dance.

My baby is all grown up, and she is beautiful.


I had the Best Day Ever. I will blog about that later. It totally deserves it own post.

Just a tiny part of the Best Day Ever


We caught up with friends.

I actually cleaned my room (annual September long weekend event).

You know, all that sort of stuff.

Did you pick up on the fact that Buglet is the only one home?

Tink and the Pixie have just spent a week at a Guide Jamboree, and are now spending a few days with my cousins in Queensland (I know! I am v jealous). I heard from them briefly yesterday.


Sending my babies off into the big wide world without me.

Tink had an amazing time and has no voice.

The Pixie lost a tooth, fell off a mountain bike, got bruised, and allegedly got cuts (but she didn't notice them). Also the sun comes up at a different time in Queensland, and they don't know what "hair lackeys" are.

My cousin has been sending pictures and they look like they are having a great time. Three sleeps until I get them back!

Buglet abandoned me for a week too. DB took her away for a week, camping and then to spend some time with Nanna and Granddad.

DB specifically sent this picture for me to share with BlogLand.


The furbabies and I had a quiet time. the Cattern had her shots, and is now safely microchipped and desexed. ("Gherkin" just isn't working for me. She may just stay as "the Catttern" on here. Don't tell the girls). She was very sad and cuddly for a few days, but is back to her normal ninja kitten self now.

So, so sad.
Buglet wants to keep the cone to threaten her with when she is annoying.


So.

That is it.

The last two months in a nutshell! Stay tuned for the long awaited Bali post, and a few other bits and pieces, but basically .... we are back!

Happy Spring!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am totally technologically challenged.
  • My favourite season is actually Autumn.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.


Sunday 26 July 2015

Lemonade

Last time I wrote it was about our school holidays.

The final day we sussed out a new church, which conveniently is not only local, but Lutheran which is my family's denomination. You could be wondering why we hadn't been there before (which would be a good question). Mostly when we go to church we go with my mum, but her church is 40 minutes away. I have been meaning to find one closer to home for about 8 years (I am a fabulous procrastinator).

The girls came home from camp excited about a church near us with a youth group where some of their friends go. Perfect!

The sermon last Sunday was on the importance of compassion for others, but also about looking after yourself. The need to take holidays and not burn yourself out was also mentioned. Sold! It just felt right.

And it was one of those moments where the message just came at the right time.

Last week was pretty ordinary. Not awful, but tiring and definitely not the best week ever.

DB when to take Buglet to get her learner drivers license. We couldn't find her passport.

This lead to us having a big fight. Not really surprisingly in the circumstances.

I hurt my back. Two trips to the chiro has helped, but is not how you want to be spending your money the week before you go on holidays.

Work was insane. When I booked the trip I was booking around the girls' school and my monthly meeting cycle. I totally forgot about the mid-year insanity. I have no idea how. I've only been there for 10 years.

Monday I broke my phone. This means only very limited access as I have borrowed the Pixie's phone and it just doesn't support much.

I was very sad about the phone. I had been looking forward to being able to take lots of good photos, not to mention I won't have access to my audio book, fitbit syncing, or farmheroes for the trip. You know what, its all about priorities.

But you know what, I have been reminded none of it matters. Tink basically said toughen up and I can listen to a movie on their laptops if I need to (although she did relent and put audible on her ipad for me). She may get this very sympathetic attitude from her mother. Admittedly her father is not much better. The Monkey Butler lent me a camera.

More importantly, I realised that no having constant access to social media can only be a good thing for spending quality time with the children. I am not sure how the children feel about this. I will let you know.

I need time out, and I refuse to let the little things ruin a long awaited holiday. We have worked too hard to get here.

Convenient picture of lemonade.
We took it as part of our alphabet adventures.


Plus it is a good time to practise what I preach .... taking those lemons and turning them into lemonade.

Look out Bali ..... we are on our way!!!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am writing this at the airport, so it may not make any sense!
  • We probably shouldn't be trusted with breakable things.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Time together and time apart

School went back today.

These school holidays went from one extreme to another.

We spent the first weekend of school holidays heading south. Firstly to Bridgetown to visit the lovely Lela and my God-children, and to attend the Winter Wonderland.

Pixie on a log
We went for an early morning walk to tire her out before the drive.

There is a saying, "friends are the family you choose for yourself" and I love this part of my family. I love that our children love hanging out together, even though half of them are teenagers. I love that this is a friend I can discuss anything with. I love that we have so much fun planning for adventures that are just us as as adults, as well as our lives as parents.

Our babies are getting big though. I realised I have hit a new stage of my life when I realise I was being addressed as "Auntie" by a person a good head taller than me and with a man's voice. I should note here that I am still taller than my girls and than all my sisters, and my brother wasn't quite 14 when he died so this is a new experience for me!

Lela and I had discussed going to the pub for a quiet drink after the family festival was over. We both discussed with our eldest children if they would mind babysitting the little ones for an hour. Not only was everyone agreeable we were strongly encouraged to go out; they had plans for at home that didn't include us. Don't worry, the children were responsible - we were told "be home before midnight and don't bring home any boys". Yes. Seriously. (Don't blame Lela's parenting, that was one of my girls!).

We ended up deciding a pyjama party in Lela's room would be more fun and that way we didn't have to worry about curfews.

Tink, Nanna, and Pixie at Augusta

The next day the girls and went to Augusta to spend time with the girls' great-grandparents (DB's grandparents). I haven't been down in a very long time, and I am so, so glad we went. The time spent with them is very precious.

We taught Nanna how to play a new card game, I was given a massive pile of books, and Pixie and Nanna informed me that it was tradition for her to buy them scratchies. Pixie won $106 so I can't see me winning the argument about vetoing this tradition any time soon!

After that, the girls spent 4 nights at a church camp (which coincidentally was at a Scout campsite were DB basically spent his formative years, and which is one of my most favourite places ever), they then spent two nights at J's, followed by a the rest of the school holidays all over the place at sleepovers, with DB, and the odd one or two nights at home.

Lutheran Youth at the Scout Campsite
When your worlds collide

It felt like so long since I have seen them ... this is the conversation the Pixie and I had last night in an evening cuddle .....
"Did you miss me or just your puppy?"
"60 40"
"Aww ... hang on ..... Am I the 60 or the 40?
"The 40. That's still pretty good .... and I missed the Sisters 11 percent"
"You know that doesn't add up to 100?"
"Who said it has to add up to 100? It is adding up to 111?"
"What about the kitten?"
stressed silence
"Or is she one of the Sisters?"
"She is one of the Sisters .... wait ... that's mean .... I missed my puppy 60%, you 30%, the Cattern 7%, and the Sisters 3%."

Dancers in the nightclub window
(Not me) It was very cool.
It got to the point where one friend asked if I had sold them because I had had so much childfree time. I am pretty sure I have been out more in the last 10 days than I have in the last 10 months. Friday night I was so tired that Buglet took one look at me, told me she would sort herself out for dinner (the other two were out), and sent me to bed. I slept for 12 hours. Maybe I am not cut out to be a party animal?

My guard puppy.
Pixie: I took a photo, Mama, cos you two were just so cute
The bonus of this is that it means I have been missing them. This is convenient considering we are about to spend a week, just the four of us, on our first overseas family holiday. 4.5 sleeps to go! (Ok, technically it is 5, but I am working on the theory that we won't sleep much Saturday night so that makes it half a night).

PS there should have been a lot more photos with this post, but I have cleverly managed to break my phone. If you want to see more, check us out on Instagram.

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I would not take maths advice from the Pixie.
  • We probably shouldn't be trusted with breakable things.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Party of Twelve

Just in case you missed my last post, it was the Pixie's birthday last week. Much celebrations were to be had. We do like celebrating.

In the midst of the celebrations, I took a few little moments to reflect on the crazy collection of people that make up my family.

The day after Pixie's birthday we went to visit DB for dinner. Never let it be said that we cannot make our own amusement. When I was little my mum told me only boring people get bored, and I have refused to be bored ever since*.

Other people might make drives less stressful by making them shorter. Not us. We amused ourselves on the drive to DB's work (about 90 minutes away) by making it longer. To be fair it wasn't so much the driving that took longer but the random stops to take pictures for our Alphabet Photograph Scavenger Hunt.

Buglet also decided that she was going make as many dad jokes as possible. Her father thought this was a great idea. I was much less convinced. Sadly, I can't share any of them with you because the whole experience was too traumatising to remember.

The only one I have remembered from the day was Buglet telling off someone for turning off the fans before she had finished dancing because "I like to perform for my fans".

I will pause here for a minute while you finish groaning.


Pirate socks - I was watching Buglet and Pixie do a pirate dance.
You can tell they are my feet because the socks match.

*Side note: I tried that line on the girls when they were little. It didn't work so well. Pixie cried for about an hour because "You said I was boring, Mama. I can't help being bored. Now you think I am boring". In my defence, that was not the intention. But you have been warned - use this line at your own risk.

Sunday night we had dinner with my family. We went to dinner at Sizzlers (all you can eat buffet type place for those of you who may not have heard of it).

I always tease the girls for only eating yellow stuff when they go to Sizzlers. At least until they get to the dessert.

A perfectly coloured meal - if you are a member of my family.

There were 12 of us at dinner that night. Mum, three sisters, two brothers-in-law, two nieflings, plus us. Every single person's first course was shades of brown, yellow, and beige. (Me included. Mum and I were having pumpkin soup; not a variation of pasta, potato, corn or cheese!). Tink insists that she had red bits so she was different. One BIL insisted on going to get green stuff when he heard me teasing so I don't think that counts. Did I mention that I am the oldest?

My family. The perfect example of how nurture wins over nature.


Sharing this photo because this beanie makes me laugh.

PS the alternative title for this post (in case anyone was wondering after my recent musings about blog titles) was "50 Shades of Beige", but I just couldn't bring myself to write about my family with "50 Shades" in the heading!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I would not take road trip directions from me.
  • I am not qualified to give nutrition advice.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Saturday 27 June 2015

The important things

The Month of Visiting Country People has begun! Maybe a little late, but it has begun. Last weekend I headed out to visit my very pregnant primary school BFF solo. (The girls had gone camping with DB). That was the first of four weekends when I am heading down country roads.

Holidaying can be expensive. I was trying to teach the girls the cost of life ...

Me: I hope none of you have any major expenses this moth. Between four new tyres on Paris, and paying for the hotel for Bali, I am feeling pretty broke.
Pixie *sternly to her sisters*: And she's had to buy me birthday presents.

See! I didn't forget!

You have to love a very subtle reminder that her birthday is up there on the important things that need to be included in the budget!

I had to laugh though. Pixie requested stuff for her bedroom. She had given me some suggestions after we went to Ikea a few weeks ago. She especially wanted "coke hangers". She specifically mentioned that it would be a good present for me to get her. How could you refuse a request like that? She was so excited. She insisted that her "coke hangers" be included in a picture!

(Pixie absolutely refuses to call them anything other that "coke hangers". Even now. I have given up on that fight.)

"Mummy! My coke hangers!"


Yesterday Pixie turned 12. I had been mentally preparing for another big party. Pixie had previously said she wanted to have her big "teenager" party this year, but she has since decided to wait until next year when she turns 13. After having Buglet's 16th a few weeks ago, I have to admit I won't be sorry to wait another year. I want them all to feel that their big events are special in their own right. I do try very hard to make sure they all feel they are their own separate individuals as well as being part of a family, especially since they are so close in age.

Part of this decision, included a last minute request to have her squad (the new word for group of people you hang out with at school, apparently, do you feel like you've learnt something new today), sleepover. This felt reasonable. To have the sleepover, Pixie also said that she would work super hard getting the house nice and clean. this also felt reasonable.

Wednesday ended up being a bitch of a day a work. There is no other way to describe it. I am pretty lucky with my job. I do work long days, and some days I work super long days, but I work in an area of law where it is unusual for to unexpectedly need to be in the office until awful hours of the night. Wednesday ended up being one of those days. Luckily KK picked up the girls for Guides, Apple drove them home, and Team Awesome Guide Leaders said they could manage without me (it was lovely of them to imply that they could cope rather than pointing out that they don't really need me, which is the actual case). I got home at 11pm to a sleepy Pixie who made me promise to wake her up at 5am on Thursday so she could finish cleaning.

Late night work supper. My colleagues are awesome.

I woke up at 5am to help clean. And then my darling child asked me if I was just procrastinating when we went on an early morning drive to get bread! I did point out that while I am brilliant at procrastinating, I do not get up at 5am to clean and then procrastinate. Turns out she just thought of the word. Seriously! Children these days!

It was worth it though. Pixie had a lovely sleepover last night.

Luckily the cleaning was done early. All three of her friends ended up arriving before I got home from work. I had said drop off at 6.30pm if they wanted me to be there, but turned out all the parents were fine with me not being home for the first bit. I walked into a house with music rocking and a cry of "I can't believe you have a stripper pole! You are so cool! I like you already!".

Did I mention I hadn't met one of Pixie's friends before? And that her older sister is friends with Tink, so she came for a sleepover too? Pixie has learnt something from her sisters; if you let them have their own friend they will leave your celebrations alone! Hopefully they will mention the law degree along with the stripper pole or they may never be allowed to sleepover again.

Just for the record, I don't call it a stripper pole. Just a dance pole. And the girls know I do pole dancing because I am too uncoordinated for real dancing. I like to have something to hang on to so I don't fall over.

Happy Birthday Pixie!
(The garden fairies from across the road put on the candles)


Today we are heading on our next country adventure. We are driving up to Boddington to have dinner with DB for the Pixie's birthday.

I asked the Pixie if she would like to go up to have dinner with Daddy on her birthday weekend. Her response: "I think he should like that. I get to pick where we have dinner though. Out of the two  places".

We are planning on doing an alphabet photo scavenger hunt on the way. Check out #alphabetadventures and #krisangels  on Twitter or Instagram if you want to see our pictures!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I have nothing against strippers, but not sure if it the girls' friends' parents would be thrilled b the image.
  • I have no idea how I raised children who want coat hangers as birthday presents.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Friday 19 June 2015

One down. Eleven to go.

One down. Eleven to go.

Put like that it sounds a little daunting. It was just yesterday they were all finishing primary school.

Buglet just finished her mid-year 11 exams. Three more semesters to go and then she has finished high school. That is followed by four semesters of upper school for Tink, and then four semesters for Pixie. Beginning of the end? (I will cross post-secondary stressors later, I need to get the first one through high school first).

In case you were wondering, she seems to have survived.

The biggest issue has been from people other than Buglet. She's been a little stressed, but you would expect that. And our normal schedule has been a little out of whack, but once again you expect that.

What did surprise me was how I reacted to Buglet's exams.

I am an awful student. I do genuinely love knowing stuff, but I have some how managed to survive high school and multiple degrees without ever really learning how to study. I do the readings (mostly). I go to lectures (pretty much always, I am petrified of missing out on exam or assignment tips*). But somehow I never managed to learn how to make notes, how to review, how to do all those things which help you to actually study. People don't believe me, but it is true! I managed to survive based on natural ability, good luck, and learning to live with the fact that my grades are not really a true indication of my ability. Mostly I credit good luck.

*Incidentally also the reason I rocked up to the last class of semester with a 6 day old Buglet.

The girls' school is amazing and their attention to the career pathway process, beginning in Year 10, was better than I could ever have dreamed. Buglet hasn't had the easiest time transitioning into some parts of Year 11. She has struggled a little with some of the ATAR (university pathway) subjects, and it upset me that I didn't have the tools to help her.

She got some help from Apple, some from her teachers, and some from DB. Buglet is pretty happy to have finished her exams and says she is pretty sure she passed. Just have to wait now!

DB spent a day sitting with Buglet and helping her prepare for her final study. He helped her timetable and organise her study time, and helped her go through her notes. This bothered me, and I hate that it bothered me. Don't get me wrong, I am so, so glad that he did.

But, the irrational part of me had a few things to process ...
... guilt, I should have found the time to do that.
... frustration, I manage to do the every day stuff, and he swans in at the last minute.
... annoyance, is this is a criticism of me for not having looked after her better?
... guilt, study is supposed to be my thing. I do the learning stuff, he does the practical stuff.

Unreasonable? Yes! Absolutely! He is her dad, and he helped out, and did a much better job than I could have. And I promise that there is no resentment! Just the never-ending battle of mother-guilt, and the unavoidable frustrations of co-parenting with an ex. (Let me repeat here, the issue is definitely me in this instance! I didn't say anything to him except "thank you very much, you made a big difference" 'cos he did. Unless he reads this blog in which case my cover is blown#).

#DB: Just remember, baby, you told me to write a blog. And I mean it, the crap feelings are all about me. You did an awesome job helping Buglet. Go Team!

The other thing that I wasn't expecting was tantrums from Pixie.

The girls have watched me study for years. They know the importance of study food. For me study food usually consists of Pepsi Max, chocolate and cheezels or chicken twisties. I have promised them that when they sit exams I will not only provide them with study food (the Pixie's main concern) but also I will be there to cook, make coffee, and replenish empty Pepsi Max glasses. I would not have got through the last two years of study without Buglet's taking over most of the cooking, and Tink seemingly to fill my glass before I'd realised it was empty.

I should also say, that because I am a responsible parent, study food is reserved for exam study (and in my case last minute assignment writing, but the girls are much better than I am at not doing this).

Study food survival kit; given to me by a friend to help me survive the last weeks

I dropped the little to off to school on Buglet's first day of exam week. She was home study. I endured a lecture from Pixie because I hadn't provided Buglet  with appropriate study rations. I promised her I would text DB and request that he rectify the situation at some point, which I did do and he rose to the occasion.

That night there were major dramas because Buglet didn't share her study food. I am now suspecting that the Pixie's concern attend to my duties in supporting Buglet may have been partially motivated by the hope that she would get some too.

Pixie was most indignant because is "studying too". There was much soothing of the moral upset, and validation of feelings. This was all balanced with the not-so-subtle reminder that not everything is about her, and reminding her they all get special stuff at different times depending on what they have going on in their lives. It is a hard life being the youngest (and being totally spoilt).

To end on a happy note, it's taken me a few days to write this post, so since I started Buglet has found out she passed one of her exams! Yay! I am so, so happy! Just waiting to hear about the other two now!


Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give study advice.
  • I am not qualified to give nutritional advice.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any type.

Friday 5 June 2015

Birthday Bonanza

We've had three birthdays in the household since last time I have written.

Firstly, I am counting May 2014 as this blogs official start date. There were a couple of early posts in December 2013, but May 2014 was where we really kicked off! Appropriately with a Mothers' Day post. Happy Anniversary to us! I have just realised that this year of blogging means I am now able to share historical blog posts on social media, I feel I have reached a new level of blog maturity.

It has also been 12 months since we got Paris the Yaris. Considering the amount of time we spend in her I think this is definitely worth a mention. This blog would not be the same with the chatting opportunities that being in the car gives us. It does bother me a bit though that after 12 months the Pixie still gets very excited every times she sees another Yaris. I don't care how exciting it is I am still not beeping my horn hello every time I see another Yaris. I don't care if it makes Paris sad.

(Please note, I didn't re-read the early posts in case they make me cringe. Does anyone else hate re-reading what they wrote? My usual reaction is what was I thinking!).

Perhaps more importantly, May was also Buglet's 16th birthday. Not just any old birthday, her 16th birthday! I wrote a lovely, heartfelt post to Buglet last year. I didn't this year. Not that I don't feel lovely, heartfelt things about her, but this year I showed by love with Extreme Cleaning rather then beautiful blog posts.

Look! Birthday muffins on the actual birthday. Bought with love.

I've mentioned before that May was the Month of Domestic Godessing, and Buglet's birthday was the reason for this. When they were little they had a birthday (of the McDonald's variety mostly) pretty much every year. Followed by a big part when they were 12 or 13 (their pick), but then I said no more parties until they were 16 and they've done something little a few friends instead. The plan has always been a big party for 16, a grown-up celebration for 18 (aka no drunken brawls, underage drinking friends etc), and then I would host a final big party for their 21st (Are you all a little bit impressed by my forward thinking? I will let you know how it all works out in 9 years when the Pixie is getting ready to turn 21. Buglet and I have discussed a joint 21st/40th so I do have hopes that my theory is sound).

We did so much cleaning and gardening and sorting; cupboards, boxes, drawers. It feels great to have some massive jobs crossed off my to-do list. Not enough to make this a full-time hobby, but it still felt good.

My mask: it petrified two of my nephews.

Buglet had a 'Masquerade Gala'. Family from 5pm to 7pm followed by her school and dance friends from 7pm to 10pm. We enlisted the help of some super awesome friends with the decorating, and DB did a great job with the food as always.

In the interests of sharing the benefits of my experience with you, here are some of the things I have learnt from this party:
  • You don't put parents' contact details for RSVPs on 16th birthday party invites. Buglet informed me that this caused great amusement with her friends.
  • 'Gala' can be misinterpreted as 'Galah'. 
  • Masks scare toddlers and babies.
  • If people offer to help, accept it. 
  • Don't offer to help if you don't want people to accept 'cos they just might.
  • Teenage girls wear Very High Heels and Very Short Skirts.
  • Ex-husbands may leave scary looking tools at your house if they know teenage boys are going to be there. 
  • They may also do things like sharpen knives using power tools.
  • Don't try and sneak alcohol. You will be caught. Me, not the children. 
  • If you've survived 16 years of parenting, you should get to celebrate too!
Buglet's big tip is to allow your sisters to have their own friends there. Buglet conducted her own negotiations with the Pixie, and the Pixie had two friends and a cousin sleepover on the condition that they didn't harass the "big kids". I think Buglet was less concerned about Tink, but Tink had a friend sleep over and they conducted their own party in the front room with a few other extra kids. Pixie and her entourage partied in the play room, and a fun time was had by all.

t was a great night. It was lovely to celebrate the early part with people who have love us and have helped Buglet grow into the person she is today, and Buglet's friends seemed to have a great time too. Saying this, back-to-back parties are exhausting. Especially when followed by a post-party de-brief with one or two of my friends and the girls' friends who slept over!

I spent the post-party day in bed. Literally. I only got out of bed to eat left over party food, and for other necessities and actually spent most of the day asleep. Particularly impressive as there were six girls that got picked up at random points during the day. I got up at 5.30pm to do a quick tidy, but was back in bed (in clean pyjamas!) by 7pm. So, so worth it!

Buglet sneakily invited DB around for breakfast on her birthday so that I wouldn't take photos or anything before she was dressed and all 'presentable'. Her theory being that if we were waiting until he got there to do presents and muffins she would be able to get up and get ready. The little two were a bit sorry they didn't think of this.

The girls on the birthday morning.
PS: Future posts relating to bits I wanted to include in this but decided it would make the post way to long: Scouts, performing arts, Pixie on birthdays, remembering what you've said to your children,
and 'it takes a village'. Intrigued? Keep following!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give event planning advice.
  • I have no idea what is trending in the real world.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Book review: 'Halo'

Due to popular demand*, I have begun a new series of posts reviewing books.

*By "popular demand' I mean one person has asked me to do review books but she asked me more than once so that counts right? Plus I do often get asked by people for book recommendations, so here goes.


Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 

Halo is a young adult book, written by an Australian author, set in a coastal town in the US. While it is targeted at young adult readers, it is a full length novel (around 400 pages in my version) and has enough depth to very easily be classified as an adult read.

The book centrals around Bethany (Beth) Church, an angel sent to Earth along with her siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, to masquerade as humans to fulfill a special mission. It is important to note that these are not fallen angels, but rather they are sent to make the world a better place. It is Beth's first mission to Earth and she is inexperienced in the depth of human emotions, senses, and the need to maintain a physical body. In an effort to assimilate, Beth attends the local high school and this, of course, leads to her forming very human relationships. This is all occurring alongside dangers that are most definitely not human.

This description gives the impression that the story is full of cliche morals, but this is not the case. The story line hits the balance between discussing boundaries without making it seemingly obvious, and manages to discuss religion subtly in a way that does not seem religious at all. It is very much a  story about relationships of types: sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, friendships, loyalty to ones own beliefs, and romantic relationships.




I am always reading at least 2 books. There is always one that lives in my work bag (aka 'train reading') and one that lives by my bed (aka 'bed reading). Halo was one of those rare books that crossed the line between both. I was so absorbed in this book that it actually moved with me between realms. Not only that, I went straight online and ordered the next two books in the trilogy.

Buglet and Tink are also planning on reading Halo so I will provide an update when, and if, they do.

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • No-one actually asked me to review this book, I just liked it so I thought I would share
  • I would suggest trying the book yourself rather than just trusting my opinion on it.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.


Sunday 24 May 2015

Trending

This is one of those posts where I:
(a) decided what I was going to write about;
(b) thought of a catchy title to match the content;
(c) wrote the title and nothing else at first draft;
(d) came back to the post a little while later; and
(e) spent some time staring at the title wondering what on earth I had been planning on writing about.

It is ok people. I have remembered! But I just thought that you'd all like to know that despite the lack of proofing and/or editing in some posts, and despite my tendency to ramble, a great deal of thought does actually going into my writing.

Have I mentioned before that the "trending" topics on facebook and twitter generally just make me realise how untrendy I am? Except on International Women's Day. I was all sussed on that one.

So what's been trending in my universe?!

If March was the Month of Insane Work Life, April was the Month of Guiding, and May is shaping up to being the Month of Domestic Goddessing (I am sort of hoping June will be the Month of Visiting Country People, but we will have to wait and see).

It has been a long time since I've had five Guiding weekends in a row, but that was exactly how April ended up being.

I don't know if anyone remembers me talking about Guide choir at Christmas? Anyway we had a few rehearsals for that including a 24 hour sleepover rehearsal. Definitely a good idea. The choir is formed on an ad hoc basis, so it was a group of girls who had mostly not met each other before. The sleepover helped the girls bond, and gave us a chance to do some theatre sports with them too (thanks to the Scouts WA performing arts people who came down to run that bit).

Listening to the Governor of Western Australia

The actual performance went so well! I was so, so proud of them. The conference we were performing at was amazing. I left the day so inspired. If you want to check out what went on that day check out #LeadingWomenConference  on Twitter and Instagram. I was the self appointed Live Tweeter. In addition to being leader-in-charge of the choir, I was also one of the panellists for the discussion panel that finished the day, and I felt I should earn my thank you present as the only Guide speaker at the event. It was a very humbling experience to included in such an amazing line up of women, all leaders, but all from very different fields. My angle was how the skills I have gained from Guiding has helped in my professional life. I have some notes I will write up into a post one day. Even just thinking about it was a valuable experience. Great self-reflection!

Anyway, the next weekend was ANZAC weekend, and we went on camp with our Guides. Not actual camping, but we went to 'Our Barn' in York. It is an indoor "camp" owned by Girl Guides WA and is one of my most favourite places to stay.

Buglet and Tink with the wreath the Guides made the week before

 We went to the ANZAC Dawn Service. The York war memorial is on the top of the hill and the view as the sun rose over the hill was stunning. I didn't take pictures, because I think I would have been inappropriate during the service, but if I ever go back just to watch the sun rise, I will let you know.

Patrol flags

The camp was so much fun. Two of my co-leader (KK and Bee) had organised a fabulous program around a military theme to encompass ANZAC Day and some traditional Guiding activities. The girls' cooked the best damper I have ever tasted, we made pizza on a fire, and KK brought back the biggest marshmallows I have ever seen from a recent trip to the US. We begun the camp with a game of spotlight and I had totally forgotten how much I love running around in the bush at night. Pixie was most annoyed because her shoes were reflective, but I think it is more that her sneaky ninja skills are lacking! There was also a campfire, singing, semaphore, First Aid skills, patrol flags, poppy making craft and lots more. There are lots of posts on my Instagram account if you are interested.

It really was that big. This is not an illusion.

 My final Guiding type weekend was helping QM (cook) for a leadership training weekend. It was a camp skills weekend held on my friends' farms and I took Tink up with me (Buglet and Pixie had dancing). Cowboy and Indian theme! I now own a headdress. I have wanted one for ages.

And that takes us back to the dance concert.

Stay tuned for my next post, explaining why May is the Month of Domestic Goddessing.

Enjoy your last week of autumn (or spring if you are in the Northern Hemisphere ... if you are in the tropics, I have no idea what to wish you but I hope you have a lovely week too!).

PS when proofing this post I re-read the beginning. I want to add (f) started writing and then took over a week to finish.

PPS UPDATE: I forgot to say, this is why Gherkin aka the Cattern aka Pickles was bought home in an army ration box! Buglet brought the box home from camp (she said it was too good to throw away), and it was the perfect size for kitten transporting. It is still Gherkin's bed.

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give camping advice.
  • I have no idea what is trending in the real world.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.



Friday 8 May 2015

Behind the glitz and glamour

So last weekend was a bit of a mix and match weekend.

Thursday night I took the girls to see Midsummer Night's Dream.  It was performed at a high school and it was brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. They used a hexagonal stage so they were performing to five different angles which gave an extra depth from an audience point of view as well as making the performance very intimate, but I imagine made it a little harder from an actor's point of view.


I love cupcakes!

Plus they were serving high tea style food. I had a cupcake. I do love cupcakes.

Then Pixie was sick Friday. Pixie only gets sick once or twice a year, but when she does she is grumpy, tantrumy, miserable and needs lots of cuddles. I managed to work from home for half a day, but I admit the extra sleeping time for me because "I need you to cuddle me and I will cuddle my puppy" was a lovely bonus. You have to find a silver lining even to sickaling babies.

Friday night and Saturday I took Tink camping. I was helping to QM (cook) at a Guide leader training camp. (Apple very nicely kept the other two, even the sickaling one).

I love camping. The stillness, the time-out, the running away from technology, the campfire - it all soothes my soul.

Sitting around a campfire is one of my favourite places to be.
Luckily there was some soul soothing.

Sunday was a showcase performance for dancing. In case you are wondering, our dance school used the term 'showcase' rather than concert because it was a short concert, no costumes, and was a chance for the dancers to show friends and family what they have learnt in term one this year.

(The "no costume" bit was the important part of that last sentence that I would like you to remember for later).
Dance hair. Note the different colours? Much easier to tell them apart now.

I was helping back stage. By "helping" I mean I was in charge of lining everyone up to get on stage, checking shoes, attempting to keep them quiet, bossing around the lovely adult dancers who were helping me and the other mum helper, and dealing with random small children who may or may not know their own name.

No costumes meant less adults needed backstage just in case you were wondering where everyone else was; it was great that most of the parents were able to watch this concert.

In case anyone else finds themselves in this position, I thought I would give you some helpful tips:

  1. Take an emergency kit (ie bandaids, needle and thread, bobby pins, hair ties).
  2. Learn to sew so you can use the needle and thread for emergency costume repairs (or find out who backstage can sew).
  3. Take needle and thread out of your bag after the concert (otherwise you may prick yourself and bleed everywhere at an inopportune moment).
  4. Hair ties are amazingly useful for shortening leotard straps to avoid "flashing".
  5. Small children may not know their own name.
  6. Small children may not know what class they are in or who they are in that class with.
  7. It is highly likely most of the small children will not know the name of the song.
  8. After making realisations 5 to 6 you will be cursing the lack of costumes. When they are dressed the same they are easy to match (like dominos).
  9. It is helpful to have street cred when working with small children ("Guess what?! I am Miss Buglet's mummy" works wonders for me).
  10. Find the one small child who actually will talk to you and knows people's names to be your sidekick. Chances are they will be right.
  11. It is possible to organise large numbers of children while carrying a crying toddler on your hip. 
  12. Be confident when you give directions. Children smell fear and indecision.
  13. Know your dance teacher so you know what goes. I know I can tell kids "I promise your hair/shoes/costume/makeup will be ok, the main thing is to smile and have fun", because I know that is the ethos of the school.
  14. Take a pen. Make notes.
  15. Double check the list before so you know what is going on.
  16. Check to see how sound proof the room is. This time I hadn't realised how little soundproofing was between the room we were in and the audience.
  17. Clapping a rhythm is a good way to silence the room (if you haven't seen this done, basically you clap a rhythm and they clap it back. Lots of teachers use it, we don't use it a Guides because we have a not-so-secret be quiet signal).
  18. Glitter is awesome, but check your commitments for the next week before applying liberally. 
  19. Enjoy the moment to be part of the team. These sort of events don't happen without all the cast and crew. 
Job done for another few months! Now back to cruisey dance nights of knitting, reading and writing.


Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give dance advice, or theatre advice of any type.
  • I am not qualified to give professional advice.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.



Friday 1 May 2015

It's a girl!!!

We got a new addition to our family this week.


What's in the box?

I spy with my little eye ...

I am here! Love me!

Meet Pickles Primrose .... to be known on the blog as 'Gherkin'. (Tink gave her both her real first name and her blog name).

FAQ

Why does a kitten need a blog name? When I started the blog DB insisted that I use aliases for the girls. The Pixie insisted that the puppy needed a blog name too. You may be relieved that the dog is not actually called 'Flip-Flop'!

Why does the kitten have a middle name? When we got Flip-Flop (real name 'Alice Sally') she had a middle name and a surname. We kept her full name and tacked our family surname (aka the girls' and DB's surname on the end). The kitten therefore needed a middle name too.

Who's surname does the kitten have? She has my surname and then the girls' surname. This gives her four names like the girls and Flip-Flop (and me when I use my married surname as well as my own which I do sometimes!)

Do you realise it is weird that your pets have four names? Yes. What about my life makes us seem normal?

Where did Gherkin come from? The girls' grandad (DB's dad) rescued a kitten who had kittens of her own. We adopted this one.

How is Flip-Flop coping? Flip-Flop is besotted with the kitten. She just wants to love her and lick her. The kitten is tolerating this quite nicely.

Meeting her sister.
Pixie is not coping too well with Flip-Flop's obsession with the kitten. I am sure she will get over it. I anticipate that the three of them will be inseparable in due course.

Pixie is home sick today and was a bit miserable that Flip-Flop wanted to lick the kitten rather than snuggling with her. I am hoping a day at home with all three of them (Pixie and the pets) will help solve any jealousy issues.

Totally besotted!
 
There is one question that I haven't answered. Did anyone notice that we brought her home in a rations box? If not, something to ponder on until my next post!

Happy Friday everyone!

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give pet advice.
  • No kittens, puppies or children have been harmed in the making of this blog.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Social media madness

I have a confession to make. I may have accidentally found myself looking at uni courses earlier this week. It was an accident. I promise! Nevertheless, expect a spate of blog posts as I remind myself that writing is a more fun, cheaper, less stressful, and a more manageable lifestyle choice for me at this point in my life.

See. All written down. And on the internet. So it must be true.

The internet is the point of this post, and more specifically the sudden increase of social media types that I have suddenly found myself using.

I've written before about how much I love Facebook, but in the world BFB (Before Facebook, for those not in the know), I did have a very short affair with Myspace. My Myspace page had a pet pig that belonged to me and a pet tiger that belonged to DB. I still occasionally visit them.

Buglet was highly amused to discover this, when it randomly came up a friend's birthday party. Much to our amusement she promptly opened an account. About two days later she closed it after declaring that she didn't get it. I am pretty sure that this is the 21st century version of messing around on a typewriter for those of us who grew up learning to type on computers, however basic those computers may have been. Black screens with green writing anyone?

In the last two months I have started a Pinterest account, a Twitter account, and an Instagram account. (Links in the side bar. Except to Instagram, I haven't worked out how to add a link to that one yet, but you can find us at @philosophy_minors).

There is a reason for that sudden influx. In February I went to a Progblogger event, and having a profile across multiple platforms was one of the tips I was given. See I can follow instructions!

So far I think Twitter is working well for me, and probably for all my Facebook friends who may have been sick of being spammed by me. From a Philosophy Minors point of view, I am still using the Facebook page for quotes from the Entourage, for stories, and for sharing other people's memes. Twitter is more of a stream of my consciousness. That said, check out #Buglet, #Tink, and #Pixie if you want to find posts relating to the girls. I also use the #lifewithteenagers a lot for posts about the girls. But if you want an insight into the vagueness of my mind and if you enjoy random thoughts that is the place to go. If you do check it out, I will leave it up to you to decide which of the girls' traits come from me!

There has been family interest in the Twitter account. Buglet was totally thrown by the fact I had started one. The Pixie suddenly started offering all sorts of useful tips on how to increase my followers so that I "could beat Buglet". She doesn't have an account, so how she became the Twitter expert I don't know.

Blogging while watching the girls' dance class in my Dance Mum Hoodie
Instagram photo.

Instagram is brand new. I only started the account on Friday. But there will be pictures. Of the Pixie's artwork, of Tink's hairstyles, and lots of food posts because Buglet specifically gave me instructions to not become the sort of person who posts pictures of all her meals. So far I have only posted one in five days so don't let this put you off. I think I have been spending too much time with teenagers. The urge to start an account increased just to be contrary. Annoying my children seems to be a trait I have been developing lately.

That should distract me from studying for a while, right? Updating multiple social media accounts and attempting to not be totally boring takes a quite a lot of effort. I can see why businesses outsource it for time management purposes. So much fun though!

Any thoughts on the most useful social media platforms? What do you find the most fun?

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not qualified to give social media advice.
  • The Pixie is definitely not qualified to give social media advice.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

Monday 20 April 2015

Bouncing by

Like a ball ... or an Easter bunny.

Yep, this is my greatly delayed Easter post. For my regular readers (hello!) my work life has changed back to normal levels of business after the five weeks of absolute insanity, and after the choir performance and legitimate soap box moment on Saturday, my Guide life has gone back to normal too. (Soap boxing and choir will get a post of its own later).

So ... finally back to Easter.

We had a good one! I've written about our Good Friday Fremantle adventures separately, but I did have a particularly proud moment.  My heart may have swelled with pride over the cry of "Look Mama! A selfie with books". Our official family motto is "There Is No Such Thing As Too Many Books". Tink decided this at about the same time as she created our family coat of arms.

Back to the rest of Easter. This year was the first Easter Buglet has been home ages. The last three years she has been camping with one of her friends.

She has grown up.

*SPOILER ALERT, IF YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH*

Buglet informed me that as they all know there is no such the Easter Bunny (I told you not to read it? Who told my children such travesties), that she should hide the eggs this year because "you will have more fun looking for them than I will, Mother". Oh. Ok. Fair enough. To be honest, I had a great time looking for them! Buglet said hiding them wasn't as much fun as she had thought though so, who knows, I may get to be the parent again next year.

Our Easter tradition is that we give pyjamas as a house family for Easter. It means the girls can pick out whatever they want for me, I can give them something (because the Easter Bunny leaves the eggs!), and that we all have something new to wear which is a very old Easter tradition. Practically, it also means they have new winter pyjamas.

Easter pyjamas and bed socks
Tink, me and Pixie, Buglet

Because I am the world's best ex, I took the girls to visit DB at work for dinner on Easter Sunday. 

Daddy's Angels

Because I am the world's worst mother, I may have worn my lovely leopard print pyjamas to dinner.

Pixie had been grumpy with me all day because I had insisted on wearing my Awesome Red Hat. I kept teasing her and telling her that I was going to wear it all day. I had driven up to Boddington in my pyjama pants (because they were comfy), but I had intended on changing. I told the Pixie I was going to wear them to dinner just to tease. DB said I could wear pyjamas, but I couldn't wear my Awesome Red Hat. I decided to pick the pyjamas. He also said I would not be the only one in the pub in pyjama pants, and he was right! Pixie was so mortified that when I sent her sisters outside for fighting she went to because "I don't want to be seen with the pyjama lady". It was a nice quiet 5 minutes. 

Dinner at the pub ...
 and they think I am the embarrassing one!


I am pretty good at trying to not embarrass the girls, but sometimes, just sometimes I can't help myself.

Awesome Red Hat

My hat is awesome. I don't know why the Pixie hates it. Example below (in case you missed in on Facebook).

I found the Pixie wandering around in my Awesome Red Hat.

Me *happy*: Aw. You are wearing my hat!
Pixie *smiling sweetly*: I am going to hide it so you can never wear it again.

Luckily my evil fairy child hid it on the hat stand. Sneaky! 

Disclaimer:
  • It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
  • I am not an expert on Easter traditions.
  • My children tell me I should not be allowed to give fashion advice.
  • I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.
I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature (except possibly on book choices, but then, please take at your own risk).