can you believe it's july already?!

i think, in honour of the fact that we're over halfway thru 2009 - I need to revisit my goals.

Also because as I have officially finished up at work (YAY!) I just feel inspired to re-evaluate stuff.

I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail here (cause I'm sure you have better things to do than read all my randomness at the moment!) but basically, as I read thru my goals/intentions for this year, I realise that some of them are going really well, and some are just a HUGE flop. Like being creative. MAJOR FLOP :( and I am sad about that. Obviously some changes needed. And some celebrations to be had ;) all too often I forget to celebrate what's going well :)

I've been reading here about family mission statements. Does your family have one? We don't. It's definitely something I'd like to look into more tho.

Just a few little things from around here lately:

• Kai is passionate about the word 'NO'. Everything is NO. Josh wasn't anywhere near as enamored with the word as Kai is. I'm hoping it's a VERY quickly passing phase, despite how cute he looks while saying it. I am teaching him to say, 'yes mummy' instead. The idea is that he says it nicely. All we have at the moment is a nasty sounding-growling mummy. I just may throw a huge party when we get a sweet, 'yes mummy'. !!!

• Josh is transitioning. It's really cool. I am enjoying him but could do with a few less 'why' questions (like about 400 less a day...) I am also transitioning...learning when to give freedoms and when to keep a tight rein.

• Ella is 6 months old. Unbelievable. I only have 6 months left of her first year and haven't even got her scrapbook album yet. YIKES. She's awesome - has the coolest fuzz on her head that sticks up all the time, and still REALLY chubby. I am accepting the fact that decorating her room may never be finished, but just a continuing journey. Will try to post pics of what I have managed to get done soon (maybe when I FINALLY finish her blinds!)

• I am getting used to the idea that I am not going to be working outside the home for a while. I think I've said this before...but it's the first time since i started working at 14 or 15 that I've had this long off work. wow :)

well, there's a really brief update and hello from me! Have an awesome weekend

welcome march, welcome autumn

photo by toastforbrekkie

the start of a new month, the start of new season...and time for me to check whether I'm meeting my goals and where I need to make a few changes:

I did a digi layout in Feb. Spent most of my creative thinking trying to sort out Ella's bedroom (at least in my mind lol!). I'm ok with that. Am feeling hugely inspired to be creative since I had her tho - what is it about having a girl that's done this to me?! I love it, just need to accept that most of it will be completed in 15 min time slots and I'm good to go! The exercise and self control with eating need a little more work...as does the personal private time and bible study. It's happened, just not consistently. But at least it's happening :)

we just made it in with our date night before the end of Feb :) and prayer and devotion time together is improving too. So I'm pretty happy with that.

I don't count to three anymore, we look at the issue of the heart nearly every time discipline is needed and the routine is going along ok. We're getting there

Got together with work mates this month (and Ella met 2 gorgeous little friends both born last year too). Organised a play date (lol) for Ariella and her little friend Kayla (and a catch up for her mum and I) for this month so we're right on track with this one.

hmmm...the habit I wanted to re-establish was kinda hit and miss. BUT I did re-introduce my before bed routine and it's been AWESOME. So it's all good. Mornings are smoother too. YAY!

not back at work yet so no goals met there. Altho I have started praying for my class :)

some goals and some randomness...

first, a little randomness ;)

I never buy low-fat icecream. (To be honest, I don't think I buy anything low-fat...hmmm...interesting). I figure, if I'm going to eat ice-cream, I want it to taste real good and make it worth it.

BUT!

Blue Ribbon (my all time favourite brand of icecream) only make their english toffee in a low fat variety. Surprisingly, despite this fact, it is so good. And I can feel justified in eating...perhaps...more than I should, because it's low fat.

see? wasn't that totally profound?! ;) not surprisingly it's what I'm eating while I type right now lol

randomness over

I just have to share about the book I finished reading today:


I watched a trailer on the net for the movie a while ago and was so keen to see it. Then Aaron found the book at Koorong and I've just finished reading it. I LOVED IT. There's a review over here that makes me even more keen to see it now. The whole concept of 'fireproofing your marriage' has really inspired me too.

on goals for 2009:

for me as a woman -
1. do something creative once a week (I've noticed I tend to not do anything these days unless I know I can finish it all at once, so I want to overcome that this year, and get at least something done - even if it's just by baby steps - instead of nothing at all)
2. exercise & show self control with eating in order to be more healthy (lol, meaning don't eat that whole tub of english toffee icecream, even if it IS low fat!!)

for me as a child of God -
1. consistent personal devotion time (bible reading, prayer etc)
2. grow - do more bible study

for me as a wife -
1. date nights...probably aiming for once a month, seems the most realistic goal at the moment
2. devotion and prayer time together each evening

for me as a mum -
1. focus on training my children in righteousness (I read 'Don't make me count to three' by Ginger Plowman - great book)
2. follow a flexible routine

for me as a friend -
1. make time to get together more

for me as a homemaker -
1. establish one good habit each month (for getting things done that I've 'let slip')
2. follow morning routine every day

for me as a teacher -
1. enjoy my class
2. keep on top of marking!

Now that I've got something a little more concrete than my random thoughts, I'm going to do what some people have termed an 'action plan' so that I'll actually be working towards meeting my goals each month and they won't just get forgotten over the course of the year (don't worry, I'm not going to post that here and bore everyone senseless!). There was an inspiring article in the January Creating Keepsakes magazine on how to make your resolutions (or whatever you call them) visible and therefore help you remember them. It's a good idea, we'll see if I get time lol.

Have a great week everyone :)

Plans for 2009

Ok, so my 'resolutions/goals' for 2009 are still in progress. But in the meantime, the most important thing for me right now is getting back into routine. Being pregnant (and mostly exhausted) last year saw me totally drop the ball in this area and I'm really keen to get organised again. So I'm joining up with biblical womanhood who is doing the same thing right now.

Starting with a morning routine of 5 things:

1. Wake at 6am and feed Ariella, read bible and pray
2. Make the bed
3. Shower, dress
4. Hang out load of laundry that was on timer from night before (I LOVE the timer on my machine!)
5. Get boys up, dressed, make beds and head down for breakfast. Don't forget bible reading and prayer with them when they finish breakfast!

I figure 4 & 5 might end up switched around but that's ok.

So here's to getting myself organised again :)

they're gone...sniff...sniff

So Aaron and Josh just left with Granddad for their first big 'men's fishing trip'. ;)
I am so excited for Aaron and Josh, they have been looking forward to this for months and months. I knew I'd be a little emotional (can't escape that right now!) but watching Joshy waving like crazy with excitement thru the car window as they drove away was just a little too much for my pregnant self...I bawled.

Thankfully it hasn't lasted long, and I am starting to get some healthy perspective that I have a relatively 'easy' weekend ahead! Mum bought the first 3 vids in the 'Love comes Softly' series and I plan to finish watching the 3rd one this weekend. I also have a TONNE of marking to do so I guess I'll get around to that (ugh...big...sigh...) eventually. Our study is looking rather *interesting* right now so may clean that...the possibilities are endless.

And of course lots of snuggle time with my not so little anymore baby boy who's hanging out here too.

see you tomorrow at church :)

a few changes

Hi there :)

So I made it private. and changed my web address to something without my name in it. and so completes my paranoia ;)

been really tired and unmotivated this week. feeling pretty sick too :( but I managed to clean the fridge today and go grocery shopping!! normally Aaron and I are really good with keeping the fridge ok, but lately we've let it go so it was FUN cleaning it today! a few science experiments brewing ;)

no excursion for us this week, but next week we're off to see 'Possum Magic' (Mum, Josh and I) and I can't wait. I just realised on sunday that it's on the same night as the first night that our visiting ministry will be here so I'm disappointed we'll miss that. I didn't realise it clashed when i booked it, although mum works saturday so we really couldn't have gone any other time so it wouldn't have made much difference.

Josh and Aaron and Granddad head down the coast this weekend for Josh's first fishing weekend away. All 3 of them are SO excited! It occurred to me last night that it'll mean I'll have a pretty free weekend...what a concept! Might get some scrapping done (or maybe just lots of marking for reports...or lots of SLEEP!)

we've had lots of painting and playdough and singing/dancing this week. lots of fun. Josh is about to do some drawing now too. and he brought me flowers again yesterday (will never get tired of that!)

OH OH OH!!!! And Malakai is calling me MAMA!!!! Just started today (which also happens to be his 9 month old birthday) he's been calling Aaron 'dada' for about a month now (I actually was seeing whether he'd pick it up with me actually 'teaching' him, so when he looked at daddy or went to him I'd say, 'DA DA' and he just started doing it! Then I thought - forget that! Teach the kid MAMA!! So I did)

gotta go, lots of drawing to do :)

Preschool...warning, long post (written mostly just for my own records)

Since it's that time of year, we've been looking at what's going to happen with Josh next year for preschool (Just like Pam has been for Matthew).

We have various options:

• Leave Josh just as he is in the preschool room of his child care centre
  
• Enrol him at a local government preschool like Monash or Wanniassa
• Do a combination of the above so that he has 2 days at the preschool and 1 day at child care
  
• Private preschool (and possibly 1 day of child care...)

I find the whole process daunting, cause we've never done it before. I'm sure it's not all that scary, but I feel overwhelmed in these sorts of situations where something really MATTERS to me and I feel uninformed and like I don't know what I'm doing.

Leaving Josh only at child care for his preschool year was never really a consideration. So then we moved onto the next option - government preschools.

Josh and I visited both Wanniassa and Monash yesterday afternoon and the teachers were so lovely, gracious and accommodating (since we showed up unannounced right at the end of the day!) I really liked both and found it hard to choose which one we'd prefer to send him to. Josh really liked both as well (altho Monash had baby chicks! Cool huh). Both are relatively within walking distance from our house too which inspired visions of me and the babies walking Josh to school...

The only issue with the government preschools is that they both have either mon/tues full days or thurs/fri full days. Neither of which works for us (and half days aren't really an option either). Mon/tues doesn't work cause then Josh would have to go to child care thurs/fri while i work and I'm not happy with the idea of him away from home 4 days a week just yet!
Thurs/fri seemed perfect until I realised that meant i could never drop him off (there goes that vision!) or pick him up or attend an excursion or help out. And while I was talking about that with Aaron last night, I actually cried at the thought of missing all that. (I blame the tears on the baby hormones!)

So I was a little stumped then.

But while talking with Pam about her options for Matthew, I remembered Canberra Christian School in mawson. Which is an option cause it's not that far away. And it's christian. And turns out it's not that expensive. and their classes run on MONDAY AND THURSDAY!!! So I could be a part of things on mondays. And mum can take Josh thurs and he can still go to child care fridays. It's perfect.

The only issue I had was that it is a Seventh Day Adventist school (nothing personal, just that we're not). But when I rang and spoke with the pre-kindy teacher today, she was SO lovely and told me she wasn't Seventh Day Adventist either and basically when they do christian life studies (or whatever they call it) they read a bible story and do an activity - sounded a lot like sunday school! She really put my mind at rest. And another interesting thing is that they are more academically focussed than play based like government preschools. That also really appealed to me since Josh will still get his play based stuff on fridays at child care, but will also be exposed to more of what he'll experience in kindy.

OH YEAH, and I read that the government preschools have 25 students in the classes. And I know I'm spoiled, cause at TCS the max class size is 27 except for kindy which I vaguely remember being 20 or so. So, well 25 just sounded like a LOT for preschool. And CCS only has 15 max in their pre-kindy class.

But ultimately, I'm just grateful that we have found a 'doable' option that means I can be involved in my son's first experience of formal schooling. That means the world to me :)

full

wow, what a gorgeous day today :)

i barely know where to start! my heart is full...just really FULL! lol

~ of love for my husband who inspires me with the way he continues to look up despite the things that try to make him look down, for his generosity and love for me, my 'shy' boy, and my cheeky monkey that shows such determination and good humour for his tiny age :)

~ of inspiration! I find I just keep coming in contact with inspiring people. and they write/say/do inspiring things. and i love it, i LOVE the way it inspires me to be the best I can be, to refocus and stop 'sweating the small stuff'

~ of awe regarding this God who thinks of me...who cares when i cry...who protects those I love and loves them more than I do (wow)...who makes everything alright, no matter how dark the night...who wants to use me even more than I want to be used by Him...

~ of gratitude for - countless blessings, mercy that I so desperately need and that God is helping me get everything done that needs to be done this week.

Josh and I are making paper & paste collages today after being inspired by Playschool. i love playschool, and I love that Josh loves it. I have such sweet memories of watching it as a kid.

And maybe later I'll get some pics from our holiday up :)

Right now I'm gonna go eat a banana choc chip muffin. I got the recipe from Kathryn (have I posted that before?) they are AWESOME!! Will post the recipe one day. Honestly (aside from the ones Ruth made me once, with crumble on the top - cool huh?!) I've never had such good banana muffins.