Feeling relaxed

Sorry I haven't been around much, I've been so busy lately, and so tired by the time Bay has fallen asleep at night.

I've had such a wonderful day today. I went to the movies with Logan to see Vampire Acadamy this morning, I was a bit shatted that we didn't realise the time when we had breaky because it meant that we were too full for popcorn.. And I loooorve cinema popcorn. 

I have been hanging out to see the movie since I first heard they were making it because I loved the books. At first we thought the movie was going to be a bad one because the acting is pretty bad, Zoey Deutch is such a good actor as far as I'm concerned but the same can't be said for Lucy Fry (maybe it is partly because she isn't what I expected Lissa to be like?). As the movie went on though it got better, we got used to Lucy playing Lissa and by the end I was hanging for the next movie. I hope they make it quickly!

After that we went shopping for new shoes for the boys because they both wore through the soles in their shoes in the same week (found some awesome sales at Kmart! Including a pair of sandels each for $2 a pair - and they are good ones too!), then when I arrived home I found my new iPhone in the mailbox. This was such an amazing feeling because a month or so ago I was walking with the kids and Zay nearly pushed Bay's stroller into a snake on the footpath  and when I reached out and grabbed him my phone smashed on the bridge so I have spend all this time with a very unreliable phone, which is so stressful when the school and daycare can't get in contact with me!

And then tonight the kids were pretty well behaved and Bay was asleep in his own bed by 8:17pm! And I didn't have to go to him once! This is such an amazing thing as he hasn't fallen asleep without getting out of bed at least 3 times, and by 9:30pm in so so so long! 

After such a good day I feel so relaxed! And tomorrow is Bay's day off daycare which I'm excited for! I've been so busy that I haven't planned any fun activities to do yet but I'm sure I will think of something. Him just being there makes me feel better.

Just a heads up, if you follow one section of my blog, say, 'home' then you won't receive the notifications for my 'kid spot' or 'recipes' and vice versa so if you are interested in any particular thing then go ahead and follow that certain one, but if you are interested in it all then you will need to specifically follow all three.

I hope you guys have had a wonderful day too, it is seriously amazing the difference a good day vs. a bad day can make on the way you feel as you climb into bed.

Yours in this crazy world of parenting,

Sami x

Toddler Activities

Bay and I had such a busy day today. I'm now exhausted!! And he is finally sound asleep, along with his big brother and sister.

We started off the day with dropping Izzy and Zay at school, we then went shopping, had lunch together, cleaned up a bit and then got stuck into an arvo of fun activities. 

We made playdoh and spent a good half hour rolling it and cutting out shapes, we did some threading with straws, we played with pompoms and we got out our coloured rice and had a play with it and some plastic animals. Then after the older children got home we cleaned up their rooms and watched some Peppa Pig (a favorite in our house) and made some yummy spaghetti bolognese for dinner. Yummo! 

That's not to mention how exhausting toilet training is!


Last night I was up until 1am, I was completely lost in my new project and I didn't notice the time. I am currently making printables for folders to organize my life and finances and whatever else I can organize. Once I am done - and figure out how - I will upload them for you guys to print and use.

Ok well I think thats about all I have the energy for tonight. Make sure you check out my links, If you have little ones there might be some ideas for you to try out.


Yours in this crazy world of parenting,

Sami :-)

Words, Blogging & Lonliness

I love words. I love reading them, writing them by hand, typing them. I love talking (my Mum will confirm that - she always told me I talk too much, which is probably true). I love how words can express things so well, and also, I love how sometimes they just can't.

I'll never be a true writer, I'm not talented in writing, I don't have a way with words like many do, but that won't stop me from using them to express the way I feel, in the many ways that words can. 

I like writing things for myself, and I like writing for you too. I know I'm not writing some wonderful piece that will make millions flock here to read, but if even just a few of you read my words and tell me you liked them then that makes it worth it.

I've always had a few close friends in my life. They changed over the years, but I have never been alone. I've always had people who I can talk to without judgement and it's such a wonderful thing to have. Friends that are just there for you, there to listen, there to talk, there to sit in silence with you. That right there is irriplaceable.

Since being in QLD I have had to rely on written words so much more. Other than my man, other than my kids, I don't have anyone here. The few people I have met already have their lives with their friends in it and I just can't seem to fit in there. Though I have tried. I have tried making friends, and I like to blame my friendless-ness on QLDer's (well, I've never had an issue with making friends before!) but maybe it is the fact that it is just harder when we get older, or maybe it is me not getting out enough (obvs I'm a tad busy to be sweeping the streets for friends) or maybe they just don't like me for some reason? but whatever the issue is, it leaves me in the same place. Alone with my keypad.

And that is where my blogging started. I, of course, message my girls daily, how could I not? But there is a huge difference between hanging out with people, and just chatting via instant messages. The messages help. They keep me in contact with the people I love and they keep me from feeling alone at night while my man is at work, but they just don't quite fill the gap, almost, but not quite.

So I just decided maybe the thing to do here is to just do it more. To write more. So I found blogger, and I found you guys, and now this is what I do. Because I love words, because I love people, because I love to share my life. Because you, my readers, help to rid me of that void that is my loneliness. 

You don't do much to make yourselves known, but I see you there, and you help. And I hope that here, you may find words, if written poorly, that help you in some way. Even if it be fairly insignificant.

If you have been thinking about starting a blog, I say do it. Blogging for me has just been amazing. It is not just all the things I mentioned, but relaxing too. Sometimes I feel like I have no words available, like I couldn't possible find a way to express to you my feelings, my life. Sometimes when I have a terrible day, like today, I wonder how I could ever find a way to talk to you without sounding overly depressed and dramatic. Without being a downer. Boring. But I do (maybe, maybe you are bored?). 

Somehow the words just come to me. And they relax me. They leave me feeling just wonderful because surprisingly those shrinks who tell you to write things down, actually do know what their talking about. So give it a go!

The coolest thing about blogging is that unlike Facebook, your not writing just for your friends to read, you don't need to think about what they would and wouldn't be interested in, because your writing for the world. And your readers will find you. And there is just something so cool about that. Those people reading, they are not there pretending to be interested but really rolling their eyes, they are there because they want to be. Your supporters aren't people just trying to make you feel good because they are your friends or family and it's their job, they are doing it because they actually do believe in you. In your words.

This is something I want to get Izzy in on. Writing can give you so much. I want her to be able to express herself. I want her to know that her words are important. And I want to hear what she has to say!

Well, that's why I do this. What do you think? Is it for you?

Yours in this crazy crazy world,

Sami :-) x

How To: love your kids

Have movie nights. Let them be loud. Kiss them often. Play hard. Say yes as often as possible. Stay up late. Get muddy together. Have PJ days. Stop yelling. Teach them it's okay to cry. Say "I love you" every day. Do crafts with them. Remember your childhood. Sing songs really loud. Build forts with bed sheets. Pass on the importance of a good book. Surprise them with excursions. Replace anger with 'The Tickle Monster. Have water fights at bath time. Play dress-ups. Make mud pies. Let them choose dinner. Invite them for morning cuddles. Show them how to express their feelings. Share a plate of fruit. Kiss them while they sleep. Ask them how their day was. Teach them to be honest, kind and respectful. Tell them how special they are, just being themselves. Tell them you love them, even when they misbehave. Make sure they know that you are always there. And never forget how important fun is.

One Of Those Days.. Again

So I'm pretty sure that every day is 'One Of Those Days'. In their own individual ways obviously, but still classed as 'One Of Those Days'.

This is how my day went today:

• I sweated my ass off (not literally unfortunately) walking the kids to school and daycare and then home with some shopping; and
• Looked after a baby for a friend - which took 6 hours instead of the 1 it was supposed to and was a very loud time for me as the baby cried on and off the whole 6 hours (thanks for the help with this one Logan); and
• Got absolutely no housework or studies or website building done because said baby is rather clingy; and
• Sweated my ass off yet again picking the kids up from school - which was rather eventful what with Zay cracking it and running off and Logan having to chase him and then Zay screaming the rest of the way home; and
• Looked at my website finally, but by then the brain had already switched off so I just closed it for the day; and
• Picked up Bay, resulting in a lovely walk in the cool cool breeze (finally a plus) only to;
• Decide to be rid of the spiderwebs on the front screen door/window, when Izzy closed the front door behind her only to then find that we were locked out.

What a wonderful day!! 

Luckily a wonderful couple two houses up, who, by the way, don't speak much English - which of course didn't make them any less pleasant, but did cause a bit of awkwardness when I had to tell their maybe five or six year old daughter what I wanted so she could translate it - helped us out by lending me their phone to call the front office for assistance and then the lovely male of the couple rode his pushy down to the office to collect and then return the spare key for me. 

This kindness actually made my day.

So after a very long and mostly unproductive day, I'm chilling out with the kiddies for a movie night. A very nice way to end a stressful day! You know what else lifts my spirits? Seeing this;

Cute right? That's Fireman Ted right there, getting all dressed up for dinner. Gotta be ready you know? Never know when the stove might catch alight.. especially with Izzy cooking ;-)


Yours in this crazy world of parenting,

Sami :-)

What a day

Well oh my gosh. So frustrated.

I finally sat down to get working on my website today, seven hours later and I am just so over it! Because of course nothing is going right. And after 7 hours sitting at the table working on it my back is drilling. It's a good thing that I don't quit easily, because I wouldn't mind quitting right now.

Ah well tomorrow is a new day! Thankfully. Then that lovely weekend will be making an appearance again! Yay!

On the up side, Bay had a wonderful second day of toilet training. He had an accident this morning just after breakfast, then he went to daycare and at some point in the morning he had another accident and then that was it for the day, he spent the rest of it using the toilet like a pro! So so proud! I guess I picked the perfect time to get started! Wont be long now until nappies are a thing of the past! Now that is good news!

Logan went back to work last night after two weeks off and I was surprised at how well I just fell back into routine. I've gotta say, being at home alone at night certainly is a lot easier than it used to be. 

I know this isn't much of a post but I'm having so much trouble thinking and I'm yawning so often (I'm talking every like, 30 seconds) that I can hardly see what I'm doing. 

It's tiring work being a studying mum, or, I should just say, a Mum.

Yours in this crazy world of parenting,

Sami :-)

I made it through the day

So here we are at the end of day one of toilet training. I admit that it did get a little stressful by the end. After the first two wee's in the potty that was it. Suddenly it wasn't fun anymore so it didn't happen. I've chosen not to reward him with lollies and he doesn't like stickers, because I don't want the kids to learn that they should do things only when they receive material rewards, so without bribery, all I have left is a little hope. And of course the art of persuasion. 

You know what though? We will get there! It's only day one and for day one he did a wonderful job. Tomorrow he will be back at daycare so hopefully all the other children going to the toilet will encourage him to go too. Just in case, I have packed his bag with every change outfit he has. Which probably isn't as many as you would assume.

But that isn't all the excitement that happened today.

This afternoon when Logan went out to pick Izzy and Zay up, and I was out the back hanging washing, Bay moved his chair to the front door, opened it and went for a wander.

So of course I freaked out and went looking for him. First off I should probably mention that we live in a gated community where the speed limit is only 5km/h and there is a huge sign out the front warning cars to be careful as children are more often than not playing on the road. For this reason, I was not as freaked out as I would have been if we were living on an ordinary street. That's not to say that I wasn't freaking out.. but I wasn't quite at the point of calling the police.

Anyway, when I did find him he was walking with a very judgmental woman who had obviously never made a mistake in her life. Despite Bitchy McBitch needing to have her say about my poor parenting, and probably planning on evil eyeing me and every other young parent from now on (if she didn't already), I had my boy back! So whatever.

 I'm honestly surprised he got as far as he did, he had no shoes on and the road was burning my feet. All he had for me though was smiles and giggles so I guess it all worked out in the end.

When I got home I put a nail in the wall up high near the front door with the screen door key hanging from it. Problem Solved.

Well I best be getting some sleep I guess, I really need to get my website started tomorrow. Wish me luck!


Yours in this crazy world of parenting,

Sami :-)