Beyond the Edge of Adventure

I often feel like giving up. I feel like I'm getting nowhere and that my children are more interested in wearing me out than listening to my training and guidance. I often struggle with discouragement over an idea that I've had that hasn't worked. Some days, I wonder why I even open my mouth to remind them to put things away, clean their teeth, not speak to me that way or to be nice to their siblings. But then I think about giving up. Just letting them do what they want, as long as they're not killing each other. And do you know what gets me? Not the fact that if I withdraw my efforts in training and guiding my children they will turn into selfish, spoilt people who end up isolated by society (although I don't particularly like that scenario). It's more what they will think and feel when they realise that I just don't care any more. That their own mother, the one who brought them into the world and loved them before they were even concieved has decided ...

Lately, my youngest daughter, Neve, has gone through a bit of a change. She looks a bit different and she's doing more toddler-ish things like trying to dress herself, brush her own hair and of course, toddle! She was always a beautiful baby, but I must say I am enjoying this transformation -as I have with all of my children- from a sweet baby bundle to a real little person with a budding personality. One of the sweetest bits of this transformation that our children have gone through is their bonding with their father, my awesome husband! Ben is the best Dad I have ever seen - honest. No bias! He loves our children before they are even out of me - I know this from the way he puts his head on my tummy and speaks to our unborn child. I know it from the way he holds them, talks to them and laughs with them (and sometimes at them) when they're newborn. I know it from the way he manages to play with all our children simultaneously no matter what their age. I know that he loves the...

I have been so busy lately! I am definitely enjoying the busyness before my traditional rest period before a baby arrives. I just love being busy in general! Last Wednesday I did grocery shopping, visited Ben at work for lunch, went home, unpacked it all with help from my little J-man, while the children had a rest, I had my lunch during which I received the most fantastic phone call which is another blog post all together! Then we did school runs - but I got to go into the city for a meeting (woo!)while Ben took the children home for rush hour and then I had dinner with a friend before going to a try-it-before-you-buy-it food party at another friend's home. Awesome day! The sad thing about being busy is that my body struggles to keep up. After my amazing day on Wednesday, I had a crazy day Thursday which I wasn't expecting. Then came Friday, which I had been looking forward to for ages! My MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) friends and I went down to Brisbane F...

Most things in life are cyclical. Life itself is cyclical. I'm finding that I'm used to the cycle now of having a baby. Ha! At the moment, I'm on the easiest and my most favourite part of the cycle. The sleep-ins, the cutest fifteen-month-old bubba crawling around, no breastfeeding (not that I don't like it, just that it's hard for me to establish and it's another 'thing' I have to do in the day), a tidy but maybe not especially clean house, time to potter about doing odd jobs, the ability to get away for a little break overnight, a fair amount of free time during my day, no pregnancy nausea and no big belly leading the way for me wherever I go (and leaving dropped jaws and raised eyebrows in its wake!). I feel like I've got it all together......almost. However......soon, I'm going to head into the 'hard work' stage. The sleeplessness, the painful breastfeeding, the continual juggling act, from dawn 'til dusk with the odd juggli...