Haircuts and apologies

2 things you gotta do in life: 

1. Have your hair cut

I've cut the kids' hair for ages, often with mixed success. Usually they don't want to go to a professional. Goodness knows why not... Anyway we found ourselves out and about on a rainy day, and Nick needed his hair cut so that his school photos in a few days wouldn't have that your-mum-just-totally-cut-your-hair-last-night-didn't-she look. So although I had my scissors, I was at a loss as to how to do it myself when it was raining. He casually suggested we could go to the hairdresser.

Duh!! Best $20 spent. 

May never cut it myself again! 

Now to get Daniel to the hairdressers.

2. Apologise

Because we mess up. 

And I often take myself and this parenting thing too seriously, 

causing minor (or more) amounts of friction. 

One of the kids was not listening, ignoring what I said to do, 

that totally normal kid thing to do that can bring me to the end 

of whatever rope it is that I think I am holding onto. 

So I lose it: "You may think you don't have to listen 

to what you're being told to do and that you're your own boss, 

but you're not. I'm the mother and I'm the boss."

Yes, those were virtually my exact words. 

I told my child I was the mother. 

Newsflash, I know.

Man it's so good that we can apologise, 

but I hate it when my reckless unnecessary words hurt my kids.

For a variety of obvious reasons, the above photo is not an actual depiction of me.

Just clarifying.

Oldies and Newies

Well in this photo Andrew and I were closer 

to our teenage years than Chris and Erica were. 

But no longer. 

These two munchkins were the first ones to steal my heart 

in the niece and nephew department (of which I now have 9!!, see below). 

It's such a special thing when our siblings have kids. 

How these ones have gotten to be 13 and 14 in such a short time, I have no idea!

In more recent days, specifically 4 days ago, 

Andrew's sister and bro-in-law had their 2nd child, 

a baby boy named Drew Bear. 

He's really quite divine.

I'm with you buddy

I feel like this sometimes too...

:)

Me.

More about that bossy sister post. 

Amazing how my stages of life have shaped my view of myself. It's possible I thought of my older sister as the bossy one, but it's also possible that a few of my friends now think it's obviously me who's the bossy sister. Also possible, in the mix of all the possibilities, is that my younger sister thinks the older 2 of us are equally bossy. So be it. As long as I have friends that are more bossy than me, I'm good!! (one friend said, "i've never thought of any interaction with you as you being bossy"... followed by her looking around at her husband and mine, and saying, "ohhhh, is that because I'm more bossy?!!!"). :) Oh how we judge ourselves compared to others. 

Here's to just trying to be me. 

Bossy or not... depending on who you ask. xx

Love those sisters.

Bossy

The question is, who is it...?

Proud parent moment

Seems to me that 10 is a turning point age. It's not adolescence, nothing specific happens (not with boys anyway)... except the desperate desire to listen and understand EVERYTHING that the adults talk about. Which can be tricky.

But... at the moment, this 10 year old Daniel is in India with Andrew - visiting some non-profit work and experiencing the developing world for the first time.

And this tricky age is turning out to be not so tricky on the trip, because Daniel is thrilled to be with grownups, listening to much of the adult conversation.

I just spoke to Andrew, and Daniel received some really wonderful compliments from some of their hosts about his ability to engage with adults, hang out with other kids playing cricket for hours, and "not be on the iPad all day". Woo hooooo! Now this is the stuff that makes it all worth it. Little things are big things. Great kid. I think he'll come back taller,  his heart increased in compassion, and his bond with his dad stronger. And to think I wasn't sure he was ready.

For this I am thankful

Twas a long week last week. Puppy fell down a couple steps and 

broke his elbow. A 3-month old puppy-turned-5th-child. 

Sheesh. I nearly lost my mind. Which is embarrassing really, 

but it is what it is. I couldn't believe I was sending him off for 

surgery and now I have to take care of an invalid puppy. 

But really, it was small on the scale of tragedy, I know, I just got 

a bit overwhelmed by it all, the kids were so upset 

by it too, and I was short-tempered and snippy. 

Enough said.

And it's Monday now, which means I have to do it all again.

Hopefully with a "much improved" on this week's report card...

So it seemed the right time for a thankfulness post.

If you're really switched on, you'll see it doubles as a catching-up post. ;)

Thankful for my parents having been here for one whole month. 

Wow, what fun we had. It went faster than I wanted it to, 

and we were busier than we had realised we would be, 

but the time was precious and I'm lucky lucky to have had it with them.

This kid...apparently no one told him you're supposed to photobomb from behind.

Thankful for this sweet pretty little girl who loves stuffed animals as if they were real. 

Thanks for doing the pretzel trial with me Mom!

...For every single airport goodbye shot that we get to take, 

because that means we got to be with them.

This gorgeous, feisty, thoughtful 8-year-old-going-on-18. 

She's going to be one fun teenager, I just know it!!!

(caught unaware!)

Every new word out of her mouth is wonderful, 

even if it is usually spoken in all CAPS (I believe you know what that is Jenn!!). 

To see her mind learning and growing is priceless. 

Her latest word is helicopter, which is even better than watching kids learn to say spaghetti!

Who wants a big brother to go down the slip-n-slide when mum doesn't want to!

Warm sunny days, watching little cuddles lying in the grass, 

and thankful for another big brother that feels very deeply for his little sister.

Amazing air shows in the middle of the city during a wooden boat festival. 

Incredible!

This crew that is [only some of] my family.

For every single day I get, I am truly grateful.

Oh, and I am thankful for guitar lessons. For finally deciding I would do it for myself, and feeling like every minute spent learning to play is worth it!!

Here's to living another week, much improved or not, just keeping on trying!

Small things

Everything in life boils down to small things. Right?! Please say yes, because this past week has been one small thing after another. Wee, poo... all small things from a small little PUPPY!

We got the kids a puppy for Christmas. They jumped out of their skin, totally unbelieving that we would actually be doing it. So we've chosen this little King Charles Spaniel. We all named him Hunter. The kids are in love. And he is lovely. The wee on the floor is not so lovely, but I think he is learning and the abundance of hardwood floor is coming in very very handy.

This was Hunter when we visited him at 7 weeks old.

And when we brought him home at 9 weeks old.

You could just eat him!

And 2 girls, each with a puppy. Too cute!!

Creation

We didn't get out on the water much this Christmas. 

The weather was fine, but somehow we just got busy with kids (really?!!!)

 and playing games and relaxing on the beach with new kayaks. 

Which was so fun.

But on our last full day at Bruny we went out on the boat, ski biscuiting... 

and check out what we spotted. 

It just started with, "ooh look, there's some dolphins over there"

Can you see this one under the water?

Then they got closer (that's me on the ski biscuit)

Good pics are hard to get of fast jumping dolphins...

Here comes 2 straight towards us

If you look closely, there's one just behind and to the left of me in the picture

And here's a few also very close!

What you can't see is all the ones underneath me. 

I could see nearly a dozen at a time.

Pretty much jumping out of my skin with excitement. 

They were so playful. Such showoffs.

A really beautiful experience.

I still think it's strange and wonderful to have Christmas on the beach

Merry Christmas at the end of ours in the Southern Hemisphere, 

to the start of yours if you're in the North. :)