On Sunday my beautiful princess turned three. I can honestly say that I do not know where the time has gone, possible to teaching her how to sit and crawl, to walk and talk and toilet training and drawing and a million other things we have learned along the way and just for the record, I think she has taught me more than I could ever teach her!
After a big grand final day the day prior (something Jaz will forever have to do battle with for birthday attention) It was great to see our nearest and dearest little friends turn up to Buzy Kidz in Frankston to celebrate Jaz's birthday with her.
A childs first birthday is a big celebration for the parents who are often amazed at having survived that first year with an ounce of sanity still remaining and a healthy child still in one piece.
On the childs second birthday, well, it's not as exciting as the first and the toddler is often still reasonably unaware of what all the fuss is about... but at three, believe me, they are very aware of what is going on.
For weeks leading up to the big day I was asked each and every morning if it was the birthday day yet? Will there be cake - yes, what about candles - yes and balloons??? - yes there will be balloons. The excitement was growing.
My friends will come and play? This was always the question that came with the most excitement. And it's not that we don't play with friends on a very regular basis, it was the possibility of having ALL her friends there all at once. Yes hunny, your friends will come and play at your party (that secret little question that often rears it's head when you plan a grown up party reared its ugy head - will they all turn up? what if something happens and no one makes it?)
There was no need for concern, the day came and we shared mickey mouse shaped pancakes for breakfast, rode the brand new 'big girl' bike out the front in our court, opened some zhu zhu pets - to mummy's relief these were met with squeels of delight! yes - touch down!!!!!
Soon enough it was time to get ready for the party, being held at a local play centre (the best move made in a long time) we toddled along and I handed my pride and joy (not Jaz, the Mickey Mouse birthday cake) over to the staff and our guests started arriving. To my delight, Jaz used her manners when given gifts, played nicely with everyone and we even spent the time 'accident' free. (this has been a bit of an issue of late, most likely since Kaydes arrival).
Each child seemed to enjoy themselves, Mums, Dads and Grandparents (thank you so much Judy, you made my day) enjoyed a cuppa and a chat while kids aged from 2-8 ran amok, jumped on the jumping castle, climbing and sliding their way to exhaustion.
After lunch came the birthday cake and although not a fan of being the centre of attention Jaz handled it all without totally freaking out and even blew the candles out with very little prompting. It was official, the party had been a success. I had a very tired but happy little three year old who had had a ball with her friends, been thoroughly spoilt and the best part - there was no cleaning up for Mummy.
After leaving the party we headed to Nan and Pops for a quick visit, which involved more birthday wishes and a big present (a blackboard and painting station which has been used more than I can mention in the last couple of days), then off home. But the celebrations didn't end there.
For dinner we had invited the grandparents (and Uncle Adam) for Jaz's favourite dinner - Pizza. There was more singing to be done, more candles to blow out and even more presents but when asked about her favourite thing she did for the day?
The answer was 'play with all my friends at the inside park' - Yay!!!!! A success by any measure.
As my three year old princess colapsed into bed I began to pack up the spoils of the day, thinking of how much she had grown and how incredibly lucky I am to have her in my life, a tear may have been shed and I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to go and cuddle her but thought better of waking an exhausted princess.
As I cleaned the dollies and ponies and dinosaurs and fur real pets were just too alluring and soon enough I was told off for playing with Jaz's toys before she had had a real chance to play with them (whatever Craig, I was just removing tags and stuff) and with that I retired to bed, thinking of all the fun we would have this week with new toys to keep us entertained, new books to read and stories to tell of playtimes had with friends.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Good Morning
As I woke up yesterday morning I hadn't yet opened my eyes but I could feel a tiny warm chubby hand touching my cheek, it slowly moved across and gripped around my nose and then down to have a tug on my lip, I gave his hand a little kiss and opened my eyes to see him smile up at me a big gummy smile so I leant over and gave him a kiss, resulting in a big open mouthed giggle and a kick of all of his limbs that signalled he was well and truly awake and there would be no more sleeping, at least for a few hours. Just then the bedroom light came on and startled both of us. A happy little girl sang 'heellloooo'. "Ohhh he sooo cute Mum" she landed a big smoochy kiss on his still quite bald head. Jaz came over to the bed and handed me a bright blue headband. I put it on and she smiled a big warm smile. Next it was Kaydes turn, he was adorned with a lovely silver bangle and finally she dressed herself in a brightly coloured straw bead necklace. 'C'mon guys, I been awake for ages, it breakfast time now'. Too true Miss Jaz, too true, it may be 5.30am and your dad may have slept through all of this but it is breakfast time. The day had begun in the best way it could. It may have only been 5.30 but I was in the best place I can imagine doing just what makes me happiest.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A search for the Holy Grail
Today just seemed to disappear. From getting up and watching our first episode of Mickey at 6am till I officially knocked off Mummy duties (at least for the next few hours) at about 8pm I somehow managed to cram quite a bit in and yet seemed to achieve very little - at least to the untrained, non Mummy eye.
I did achieve one very important thing. I took a big step towards fullfilling a promise made to Jaz that had started to look futile.
Before the visit to play with cousins, and for two mums to share some adult conversation, shopping for a surfboard repair kit - for Craig not me, getting some finishing touches to prepare for Jaz's creche footy day, doing several loads of washing and cooking dinner, reading bedtime stories and tucking snuggly little bodies into bed. I found the Holy Grail!!!!
After filling our tummies with breakfast it was time for Jaz to play with Bella (her dolly), Kayde to attempt a morning nap and Mummy to continue on her, thus far fruitless, attempt to find a Mickey Mouse cake tin.
This may seem unimportant, but not to me. Many weeks ago when I asked Jaz what she would like to do for her birthday, instead of what I expected her to say (eat cake, play with balloons, maybe even go to the park), her eyes lit up when she told me she wanted to go to the Mickey Mouse Club House and play with her friends, my heart sank as I realised she was telling me what she really wanted and there was no way I could deliver. I negotiated with her and we agreed that she could play with her friends at a play centre and Mummy would make a Mickey Mouse cake - I was yet to realise the full extent of how far I would have to go to keep such a seemingly simple promise...
Little did I know that it would take weeks - and I really do mean weeks - of searching online stores, contemplating having a tin shipped via ebay (at a total cost of nearly $40 and possibly weeks of shipping time), traipsing around the shops, calling cake speciality stores and being told that Mickey Mouse cake tins were not available in Australia and if I could locate one under $50 to buy a dozen because they were that highly sought after. I believed I was going to fail to deliver on my promise!!! Yes, as many people suggested I could create my own, but we all know that kids really do know a fake when they see one, especially when it comes to something they love, and well, I can be a bit of a perfectionist and couldn't face making a wreck of it.
This morning, shortly after 9am I finally FINALLY heard those words I needed to hear - "Yes we have Mickey". I think the neighbours could hear me exhale!!!! (And the best part, he's for hire at a very reasonable cost)
I had had a tip off, to call a cake store that my sister in law uses for her sons cakes, and thanks to that one conversation I can now bake a Mickey Mouse birthday cake for my princess' 3rd birthday party and so on Friday I will traipse over to Hampton Park all in the name of a mothers promise to get the tin that will make the cake that will take hours to make and only moments to eat!!! But I will make sure I take a photo of the Holy Grail of birthday cakes - MICKEY MOUSE...
I did achieve one very important thing. I took a big step towards fullfilling a promise made to Jaz that had started to look futile.
Before the visit to play with cousins, and for two mums to share some adult conversation, shopping for a surfboard repair kit - for Craig not me, getting some finishing touches to prepare for Jaz's creche footy day, doing several loads of washing and cooking dinner, reading bedtime stories and tucking snuggly little bodies into bed. I found the Holy Grail!!!!
After filling our tummies with breakfast it was time for Jaz to play with Bella (her dolly), Kayde to attempt a morning nap and Mummy to continue on her, thus far fruitless, attempt to find a Mickey Mouse cake tin.
This may seem unimportant, but not to me. Many weeks ago when I asked Jaz what she would like to do for her birthday, instead of what I expected her to say (eat cake, play with balloons, maybe even go to the park), her eyes lit up when she told me she wanted to go to the Mickey Mouse Club House and play with her friends, my heart sank as I realised she was telling me what she really wanted and there was no way I could deliver. I negotiated with her and we agreed that she could play with her friends at a play centre and Mummy would make a Mickey Mouse cake - I was yet to realise the full extent of how far I would have to go to keep such a seemingly simple promise...
Little did I know that it would take weeks - and I really do mean weeks - of searching online stores, contemplating having a tin shipped via ebay (at a total cost of nearly $40 and possibly weeks of shipping time), traipsing around the shops, calling cake speciality stores and being told that Mickey Mouse cake tins were not available in Australia and if I could locate one under $50 to buy a dozen because they were that highly sought after. I believed I was going to fail to deliver on my promise!!! Yes, as many people suggested I could create my own, but we all know that kids really do know a fake when they see one, especially when it comes to something they love, and well, I can be a bit of a perfectionist and couldn't face making a wreck of it.
This morning, shortly after 9am I finally FINALLY heard those words I needed to hear - "Yes we have Mickey". I think the neighbours could hear me exhale!!!! (And the best part, he's for hire at a very reasonable cost)
I had had a tip off, to call a cake store that my sister in law uses for her sons cakes, and thanks to that one conversation I can now bake a Mickey Mouse birthday cake for my princess' 3rd birthday party and so on Friday I will traipse over to Hampton Park all in the name of a mothers promise to get the tin that will make the cake that will take hours to make and only moments to eat!!! But I will make sure I take a photo of the Holy Grail of birthday cakes - MICKEY MOUSE...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Ruse
It was late yesterday afternoon when it dawned on me that things were going quite well regarding the likelihood of getting Jaz into bed nice and early (she's usually great at going to bed and getting to sleep all by herself at a reasonable hour but lately she had been challenging this) - I probably should have known that just for having this thought I would be punished.
After getting a phone call from my gorgeous sister in law asking if we would like to meet her and the kids at the local playcentre (we very willingly obliged) I managed to keep Princess Jaz awake all afternoon. A very tough job indeed after all the running, playing, climbing and jumping that is done at an 'inside park'.
For the unitiated, a playcentre can be a stay at home parents complete bliss, the critters are locked away - oh I mean the precious cherubs are kept safe from harms way by kiddie proof fencing - and are able to run and jump and climb and tumble and play to their hearts content, thus burning off all the excess energy they have built up over the preceeding, gloomy, rain inhibiting, inside, telle watching, tantrum throwing days. All this with very little risk of injury
Mums and Dads and Grandparents and care givers can sit and have a cuppa and a piece of cake - or the whole gammut, wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli, pies, hot dogs, foccasias, you name it. Anyway, my point is that it can be great for both the kids and us.
Unfortunately for us if Jaz has a nap during the day I have little to no hope of her being asleep at any reasonable hour that night. So the 'keep her awake at all costs' game ensued. Yesterday it looked as though I was going to have a real battle on my hands. Her little eyes looked like they needed propping open with match sticks, there were yawns and even tears and yet she managed to stay awake. Brilliant.
Craig (My fiance and Jaz and Kaydes very proud Daddy) was going to be late home and that to me meant one thing... I could feed Jaz nice and early (no need to wait for family dinner time) and start the bedtime routine at an hour usually reserved for Daddy cuddles and play time, so I did. Dinner was served shortly after 5pm, followed by PJ's and a dressing gown to get all snuggly, a 'shake milk' (Warm milo, shaken not stirred in a sippy cup while we sing shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your milk shake, shake your milk shake... and Jaz shakes her booty to get ride of any excess energy) and two bedtime stories, then it was bed time - 7pm...
Oh I could feel the 'me time' coming, it was exhilerating...
And then it began....
Jaz - I need the light on
Me - Ok, you can have your light on for 5 minutes and then I will come and turn it off
Lights off time
Jaz - Noooooo I NEED the light on
Me - No, I will leave the hall light on but your bedroom light needs to be off, now put your head on the pillow, shut your eyes and go to sleep
Jaz - ok
Ahhh telle - nope
Jaz - Maaarmeeeeee I neeeeeeed youuuuuuu
Me - what is it Jaz?
Jaz - I need cuddles
Me - Hmmm ok, a quick cuddle... there you go, now sleep
Jaz - I need more cuddles
Me - no you don't, Mummy loves you but I know you are just avoiding going to sleep
Jaz - yeah... *smiles* but I love you and want cuddles
She knows I cannot resist cuddling her, lots of cuddles later I insist she goes to sleep - It is now nearly 8pm...
I can feel the me time fading away as I hear singing and strange clunking noises coming from her room, I leave it for a while to see if she just stops and falls asleep... sure enough at around 8.30 everything is quiet. I sneak down to tuck her in only to find an empty bed... "Hi Mum, I not asleep" (sitting on the floor with a ball)
Me - Why not?
Jaz - I get out of bed
Me - well why did you do that?
Jaz - So I not sleep
Grrrrrrrrr
Jaz - I will sleep in your bed
Me - Quickly losing patience and feeling the 'me time' slipping by quickly...Hmph, just go, now, get in and do not make me come back down here, go to sleep! (Yawn)
Jaz - Just lay with me for a cuddle? I love you lots and lots and I need cuddles (master negotiator and emotional blackmailer in the making here)
Me - Ok, but just for a quick cuddle ok?
Jaz - Ok,
As I lay there next to her, warm and snuggly, in my own bed, she snuggled right into me and put her warm soft, still slightly toddler chubby hand on my face, I could feel the cozy, warm, fuzzy embrace of sleep taking over, just as a little voice said "you so cute Mummy, you sleep now"
It was a ruse!!!! The nearly three year old princess had conned me into getting into bed and falling asleep before her!!! No doubt she had plans of getting up and watching Mickey Mouse and Dora till the wee hours... For a second, wrapped in fuzzy sleepy thoughts I wondered if it would really be THAT bad if I DID sleep???
And then as if in answer to my question the phone rang (Thank you Jo) - jolting me out of la la land....
10 minutes on the phone and Princess Jaz was fast asleep, it turned 9 o'clock and Craig waltzed through the door.
No me time whatsoever and after being awoken at 5.30am (after a 2am feed) by Kayde, shortly followed by a still very sleep looking Jaz I know that today I am bound to have a grumpy, sleep deprived toddler on my hands who I will inevitable have to prevent from having a nap, in the vein hope of some 'me time' tonight...
After getting a phone call from my gorgeous sister in law asking if we would like to meet her and the kids at the local playcentre (we very willingly obliged) I managed to keep Princess Jaz awake all afternoon. A very tough job indeed after all the running, playing, climbing and jumping that is done at an 'inside park'.
For the unitiated, a playcentre can be a stay at home parents complete bliss, the critters are locked away - oh I mean the precious cherubs are kept safe from harms way by kiddie proof fencing - and are able to run and jump and climb and tumble and play to their hearts content, thus burning off all the excess energy they have built up over the preceeding, gloomy, rain inhibiting, inside, telle watching, tantrum throwing days. All this with very little risk of injury
Mums and Dads and Grandparents and care givers can sit and have a cuppa and a piece of cake - or the whole gammut, wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli, pies, hot dogs, foccasias, you name it. Anyway, my point is that it can be great for both the kids and us.
Unfortunately for us if Jaz has a nap during the day I have little to no hope of her being asleep at any reasonable hour that night. So the 'keep her awake at all costs' game ensued. Yesterday it looked as though I was going to have a real battle on my hands. Her little eyes looked like they needed propping open with match sticks, there were yawns and even tears and yet she managed to stay awake. Brilliant.
Craig (My fiance and Jaz and Kaydes very proud Daddy) was going to be late home and that to me meant one thing... I could feed Jaz nice and early (no need to wait for family dinner time) and start the bedtime routine at an hour usually reserved for Daddy cuddles and play time, so I did. Dinner was served shortly after 5pm, followed by PJ's and a dressing gown to get all snuggly, a 'shake milk' (Warm milo, shaken not stirred in a sippy cup while we sing shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your milk shake, shake your milk shake... and Jaz shakes her booty to get ride of any excess energy) and two bedtime stories, then it was bed time - 7pm...
Oh I could feel the 'me time' coming, it was exhilerating...
And then it began....
Jaz - I need the light on
Me - Ok, you can have your light on for 5 minutes and then I will come and turn it off
Lights off time
Jaz - Noooooo I NEED the light on
Me - No, I will leave the hall light on but your bedroom light needs to be off, now put your head on the pillow, shut your eyes and go to sleep
Jaz - ok
Ahhh telle - nope
Jaz - Maaarmeeeeee I neeeeeeed youuuuuuu
Me - what is it Jaz?
Jaz - I need cuddles
Me - Hmmm ok, a quick cuddle... there you go, now sleep
Jaz - I need more cuddles
Me - no you don't, Mummy loves you but I know you are just avoiding going to sleep
Jaz - yeah... *smiles* but I love you and want cuddles
She knows I cannot resist cuddling her, lots of cuddles later I insist she goes to sleep - It is now nearly 8pm...
I can feel the me time fading away as I hear singing and strange clunking noises coming from her room, I leave it for a while to see if she just stops and falls asleep... sure enough at around 8.30 everything is quiet. I sneak down to tuck her in only to find an empty bed... "Hi Mum, I not asleep" (sitting on the floor with a ball)
Me - Why not?
Jaz - I get out of bed
Me - well why did you do that?
Jaz - So I not sleep
Grrrrrrrrr
Jaz - I will sleep in your bed
Me - Quickly losing patience and feeling the 'me time' slipping by quickly...Hmph, just go, now, get in and do not make me come back down here, go to sleep! (Yawn)
Jaz - Just lay with me for a cuddle? I love you lots and lots and I need cuddles (master negotiator and emotional blackmailer in the making here)
Me - Ok, but just for a quick cuddle ok?
Jaz - Ok,
As I lay there next to her, warm and snuggly, in my own bed, she snuggled right into me and put her warm soft, still slightly toddler chubby hand on my face, I could feel the cozy, warm, fuzzy embrace of sleep taking over, just as a little voice said "you so cute Mummy, you sleep now"
It was a ruse!!!! The nearly three year old princess had conned me into getting into bed and falling asleep before her!!! No doubt she had plans of getting up and watching Mickey Mouse and Dora till the wee hours... For a second, wrapped in fuzzy sleepy thoughts I wondered if it would really be THAT bad if I DID sleep???
And then as if in answer to my question the phone rang (Thank you Jo) - jolting me out of la la land....
10 minutes on the phone and Princess Jaz was fast asleep, it turned 9 o'clock and Craig waltzed through the door.
No me time whatsoever and after being awoken at 5.30am (after a 2am feed) by Kayde, shortly followed by a still very sleep looking Jaz I know that today I am bound to have a grumpy, sleep deprived toddler on my hands who I will inevitable have to prevent from having a nap, in the vein hope of some 'me time' tonight...
Monday, September 20, 2010
Starting in the middle or somewhere like it...
I guess I should start at the start, or really somewhere in the middle.
So to start in the middle, I am Mum to a gorgeous soon to be three year old princess, Jaz, who loves to wear her fairy dress teamed with pink polka dot gumboots and a beanie on her head and to a five month old little man, Kayde, who I am still getting to know and enjoying every minute of it - even the sleep deprived, loony, caffeine riddled moments that are common place among new Mums the world over. I am also engaged to a wonderful man who has given me two beautiful children and although he too amuses me endlessly, that's for another blog entirely.
Having children is the most wonderful, enriching, tireing, amusing, exhausting, rewarding thing that can happen to a person. It changes your life wholely and completely forever. The changes are mostly for the best but inevetably for the most pants wettingly funniest and sometimes most embarrassing times of your life!
I plan on sharing with you the tantrums, the laughs, the tender sweetness of a goodnight kiss and the joy of meeting your childs first imaginary friend (usually by inadvertantly sitting on him or her).
I warn you, there is very little that is special about me... I am not famous, I am not a comedian and I am not rich. And I am no SuperMum (the ones that manage to do it all and stay sane, otherwise known as a complete fallacy) I am just your everyday, ordinary Mum who is proud of the most amazing people in her life - her children. They amaze me everyday, whether it be by cooking me up some 'chicken soup to feel you better Mum' in the play kitchen or by rolling over for the first time when you least expect it. I will share it all in the hope that you too can revel in the joys of motherhood and either laugh at or empathise with a motherism or two.
Please enjoy The Daily Motherism.
So to start in the middle, I am Mum to a gorgeous soon to be three year old princess, Jaz, who loves to wear her fairy dress teamed with pink polka dot gumboots and a beanie on her head and to a five month old little man, Kayde, who I am still getting to know and enjoying every minute of it - even the sleep deprived, loony, caffeine riddled moments that are common place among new Mums the world over. I am also engaged to a wonderful man who has given me two beautiful children and although he too amuses me endlessly, that's for another blog entirely.
Having children is the most wonderful, enriching, tireing, amusing, exhausting, rewarding thing that can happen to a person. It changes your life wholely and completely forever. The changes are mostly for the best but inevetably for the most pants wettingly funniest and sometimes most embarrassing times of your life!
I plan on sharing with you the tantrums, the laughs, the tender sweetness of a goodnight kiss and the joy of meeting your childs first imaginary friend (usually by inadvertantly sitting on him or her).
I warn you, there is very little that is special about me... I am not famous, I am not a comedian and I am not rich. And I am no SuperMum (the ones that manage to do it all and stay sane, otherwise known as a complete fallacy) I am just your everyday, ordinary Mum who is proud of the most amazing people in her life - her children. They amaze me everyday, whether it be by cooking me up some 'chicken soup to feel you better Mum' in the play kitchen or by rolling over for the first time when you least expect it. I will share it all in the hope that you too can revel in the joys of motherhood and either laugh at or empathise with a motherism or two.
Please enjoy The Daily Motherism.
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