Fairy with Attitude

I'm not a mum that is really into costumes. I don't take pictures of kids in flowerpots and I'm not into wings and the like.

But the other day I weakened.

Whilst Nanna, Aunty Em, Uncle Steve, Cassidy and Isaac went to the movies on Cassidy's birthday I was meant to be doing the grocery shopping....but I had a quick stop at a girly shop on the way. I found the brightest, most rainbow-est with wings fairy dress you've ever seen...I'm not kidding, the thing just about glows in the dark! I couldn't help it - I had to get Missy Moo just one more present....

Us mummies are allowed the odd diversion from our own rules sometimes, right?!

Two Nuts

They really are as nutty as each other...a mad yet devoted pair :-)

Pa had just got back from a week-long fishing trip the day before and Isaac was thrilled to have him home!

He likes green the best

He always saves the green ones till last.

Sometimes it's worth letting them have Froot Loops to watch this little obsession unfold...it's a quite a lengthy and involved process...you see they keep floating away in the milk which makes them very hard to sort :-)

She is Three

So many photos from yesterday...she had a fabulous day :-)

Here are some of the first ones of the morning, just after she'd opened her presents from us.

She's gone off to Kindy today with what I'm sure will be yet another part of the birthday extravaganza as she had a container full of icecream cone cupcakes (fabulous recipe I found, message me if you want a copy - cupcakes that look like little icecream cones and no, I didn't take a photo!) to share with her friends :-)

Birthday Extravaganza: Part One

Our Missy Moo turns three on Monday...but the most disorganised birthday party of the century was today. We planned for afternoon tea down at the local park which was fine. Got out of the house at five to three when it was meant to start at three. Not so fine.

Good things about parties at parks:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN YOUR HOUSE AFTERWARDS!!

Bad things about parties at parks:

You have to remember to take EVERYTHING.

At last count the things we forgot were:

1. The camera. Had to turn back to get that one of course :-)

2. Gas to heat the cheerios. Steve asked me when we realised this on the way could we just eat cold cheerios. No. we. could. not. Averted though with a quick stop-off to Grandmas' house on the way to leave her in charge :-)

3. Tape to hold up the balloons. Renata made great use of herself and stuck them on the pram handles...good on you Nata!

4. A knife to cut the cake (we made do with one of those plastic ones and basically hacked the cake into pieces).

5. To think through the party games. I nabbed some $2 toys from Coles - one for a boy and one for a girl. I then realised that wasn't much chop as how the hell would we know which present to wrap up for pass the parcel?! Needless to say the games part of the afternoon was a little...well...rigged.

5. To check the weather. Just as things got underway, it started to blow about 30 knots and we were surrounded by lightening. By this point, I didn't care if we all got electrocuted, we were going to have a party and have a good time damn it!!

But even with all that - the birthday girl had a whale of a time. Within moments of getting there, she had whipped off her shoes and was running through the freezing mud puddles in her new skirt that she had wanted to wear. She was so incredibly excited, the grin never left her beautful little face. She was there, surrounded by people she loved singing happy birthday and she had a pink trampoline cake. Somehow it makes you realise that cold cheerios, rigged party games and impending electrical storms really don't matter all that much :-) :-)

Getting your facts straight

Well my husband has just informed me (whilst catching up on his every-now-and-then spy on my blog) that it was Gillian that bought him the Froot Loops.

Sorry. Bad lying blogger that I am!!

But I'm still not going to apologise to the Ironsides as I'm sure they have given us more than enough dodgy things along the way to allow me to give them a little bit of sass :-)

Memories of Ava

I don't have any memories of Ava. I wasn't blessed to know her during her three and a half years on this earth. I only knew her through her mummy's beautiful photos that she shared on the forum we were apart of together. You could never have missed a picture of Ava - she was divine; and Sheye knew how to capture it in only a way a mummy could.

A extremely talented young lass by the name of Mandy from Belle and Boo drew some illustrations of Ava that can only be descibed as exquisite. Based on Sheye's photos and their memories of Ava, Mandy has created these stunning drawings.

I had a favourite in the series, Ava and the Carousel, which I had to have :-) It arrived the other day and today I got it into a frame and up on Cassidy's wall.

I want it there to remind me always; of Ava, of Sheye and especially to remind me to never take one single moment with my children for granted.

To see the entire Ava series and the rest of Mandy's incredible work go to her Etsy shop. Be warned: if you like all things vintage, it's not for the faint hearted :-)

Last Minute Birthday

So how's this for all you mob that bag me for my organisational skills!

Cassidy's birthday is on Monday and I have not planned a single thing yet.

So I'm thinking...afternoon tea on Saturday afternoon at the same park as last year (hopefully minus the wind this time!) All she wants is a pink cake with candles :-) so I'm off to try to be imaginative in the pink sense.

Sorry for the super short notice, hope you can all come - shall we make it about 3pm? If we feel like it we could have an early dinner with a sausage sizzle or something too :-)

Rough Night

for Cassidy I reckon.

When she came out of her room this morning, I think she took the phrase bad hair day to a whole new level. I think this is a pretty good accomplishment as she still barely has three hairs for mummy to clip together. Maybe she figures the teased look gives her more volume :-)

Note: I want it to be understood that I do not condone in any way feeding children Froot Loops, surely the worst cereal available on the market. Some friends of ours who shall remain nameless (yes you Graham and Katrina Ironside!) gave Steve the biggest box of Froot Loops available because he loves them. Steve doesn't eat breakfast most days so this is the gift that just keeps on giving - it has lasted for ages. I'm guessing because of the pure sugar content they just won't damn well go off! I keep the box on the top shelf of the pantry but every now and then one of the kids will spot it and then its a froot loop free for all....

Life's Essentials

Life's essentials...the things we can't do without. For me it is of course Steve and the kids, but this time I'm taling about another part of our family that I, or rather we, simply couldn't do without.

It's no suprise to most to know we are very close with Mum and Lyall. Saying they are always there to help doesn't really cut it though in explaining how much they are actually THERE for us.

Simply put, we would not be doing what we are doing right now if it wasn't for them. They are ALWAYS there to help and it is unusual if a couple of days go by and we haven't seen them...they only live 7 minutes away which of course helps :-) But these last two weeks especially, as I have been trying to get ready for the babies onslaught, and this week the expo as well...they have basically lived at our house.

Lyall has been over every day tiling, helping me paint and do any other handy jobs he can to fill in for Steve while he's at work. He only asks for coffee :-) and nothing is ever too much trouble...if I need help with something, he just stops what he's doing (which is just something else for us anyway!) and helps me. Over the last week while I was losing the plot trying to get organised for the expo and taking babies calls, he has done everything from printing out pricelists, running to the shops to get ink, keeping me calm when orders weren't arriving and basically putting off anything he wanted to get done elsewhere to help me. There are not many guys that do this - he is something very special.

Mum. Well most of you also know that she works like a trojan at the best of times but this past two weeks she has kept my life going for me. She has cleaned, washed, ironed and cooked. Not a morning has gone by where she hasn't rung and said "ok, what's the plan for today, what can I do". She has dropped off and picked up the kids from kindy so I could stay here and keep working. She has organised the shopping and cooked dinner. I know to any woman this is incredible...to me at the moment...it means more than I could ever say. My mum makes it possible for me to keep both my "lives", my home and my work one, going. As things have got busier lately, I have only been able to allow that to happen because of my mum.

On top of that, they are the most adored and wonderful Nanna and Pa :-)

And if I dare try to voice an objection to either of them about how much they do they either tell me to shut-up (that's usually Mum, Lyall doesn't say shut up :-) ) or just reiterate that they are only too happy to help.

What do you do with that? Thank God, that's what. I wouldn't trade them for anything, could not imagine our lives without them and love them beyond measure.

With all of our hearts...we love you both very much..and thankyou xxoo

...and the best I could do was find a photo of them with the kids taken last year...hmmm, you just can't find a good daughter with a camera these days...

While the cat's away..

my mice had a great play!

Whilst I was tacking the fluoride people on Saturday :-) Steve and the kids went up the coast for Annaliese's 4th birthday. Sounds like they had a great day...the kids have gone on and on about the pig bubble blower which Annaliese got as a present and was obviously the hit of the party (as you can see it features in most pics!)

Check out the Care Bear cake that Heidi whipped up...how gorgeous is that! Heid I must say I missed the standard "what am I going to do for Annaliese's cake" phone call (it's a ritual, Heid usually does this before every party :-) ) but I can see you had it all figured out you fondant icing master you!!

Also just had to add this pic Steve took of Cheyenne. Fi - I saw that looking through the photos and just couldn't believe how big our little Chey has got...and how cute is that missing tooth?!

Happy birthday Annaliesey, I'm sure sorry I missed it xxoo

My Expo-se :-)

No, not really. No exposing going on here at all!

So the huge weekend is finally over..it was madness, sheer madness. Steve and I "bumped in" (do you like that Katrina, pulling my techo-talk?!) on Friday afternoon and I soon realised I my site was next to the Fluoride Prevention people who I'm sure have a very valid point, but I'm a tad concerned they didn't get it accross very well cause they were so SCARY. They accosted people waving their mountains of flyers and most did that slow back away thing with eyes averted to try to escape :-)

So I think it all went okay...lots of interest and poeple taking flyers and brochures so all good awareness....quite a few told me I was very different to the norm which was nice to hear - especially considering there was like 10 photographers there in total!!

So Steve snapped one of me at my first ever expo and one with the kids who were being rather nutty :-) Will I do it again? Hmmm, maybe after a few stiff drinks and only on a stand far far away from the fluoride enthusiasts...

Come visit me!

This weekend at the Natural Baby Expo at the RNA. I'll be there Saturday and Sunday from 10am till 4pm.

I will be there. All alone. Okay, except maybe for a few visits from my mum whom will hopefully come armed with a thermos and teabags because refreshment options at those sort of events are usually fairly limited. And I hate drinking awful tea from those styrofoam cups.

Ok, so there's my little moan :-)

Seriously, if you would like to visit me in my booth, bring me food or just keep me company for a while, I'd love to see you :-)

Thanks in advance those that will come. I'll pay ya later ;-)

Why?

Why does something about myself that I have never liked - freckles - look so adorable on my daughter? :-) She only has a sprinkle on her nose so far but considering that's how mine started at about the same age I'm sure she's due for a complete dose like her mummy...but you know what? I can't imagine them ever looking anything but completely beautiful on her....

So this is Missy Moo, in one of her rare quiet moments, just after a lovely lunch round at Grandmas and Grandpa's...clutching onto Baby as usual and the gift of the moment from Grandma...Starwberry Shortcake stickers.

Mum and Dad's Bed

If I lie down for all of two minutes on the bed, not even to have a sleep (moo-har-har, what on earth is SLEEP??!!) but more just to catch my breath, it's granted one of the kids will find me there. It's like they hear my body relax or something and a little timer goes off in their heads to go and jump on mum!

I already had the camera in the bedroom so when Steve came in I got him to snap one of the kids and I...

In the News!

For anyone that remembers... the Smile with Centro competition that I entered recently...I won my local area prize!!

I am now the proud owner of a Sony Cybershot and it's matching Picture Station printer. Now most people find it pretty funny that I have a lot of trouble operating point and shoot cameras. People usually think my big camera looks complicated but I'll let you in on a little secret...we photographers just like putting big lenses and battery grips and the like on them to make them LOOK more impressive! Really, I found it easier to learn to operate my big hunk of a camera than the point and shoots I have owned..I think it's the small buttons, I'm half blind you see so I'm not so good with small buttons...

So a couple of the local papers called and wanted "the story"! Ummm..the story?? I'm a mum/photographer that spends a lot of her time chasing after her children that would rather eat raw spinach than have their mother take one more photo of them!! Apparently that was newsworthy, but they wrote it in a much nicer way :-)

If you click on the article to view it larger you should be able to read it :-)

I've been Tagged!

Thanks Martha and Sunshine !

The photography forum I am apart of has started a game of tag where I have to share eight things about myself that people might not know, so here goes...

1. I got married when I was 18 (close on 19 though!) to my wonderful husband Steve who is my best friend, supporter and the best father I could ever imagine to our two beautiful kidlets. I can say this because even though I was completely un-organised for Father's Day and had nothing to give him, he loves me anyway :-)

2. I am absolutely petrified of cockroaches. As in I run yelling and screaming with my hands over my head like a mad woman if I happen to spot one. The flying types are what my nightmares are made of...can you imagine if one ever got into my hair? I don't think I would live through it. One night I was home alone when Steve was away and there was one over my bed...I had to ring Lyall to come get it at 1am...I was a dithering crying mess on the floor when he got there. I know, I need help. I'm having pills and injections to try to beat this terrible, and as Steve tells me, completely unjustified, fear.

3. I left school after doing less than 2 weeks of grade twelve and deciding I couldn't live through it for another year (let's just say I have very high expectations of myself!) I had always thought I wanted to be a vet nurse, so I quickly went out and found myself some part time work experience at a vet surgery. I changed my mind rather quickly after that when I opened a normal, household freezer in the common room and there were three frozen cats staring out at me.

4. Just after Steve and I got married I worked as family day care provider from home. Most days I loved it but being a rather social person :-) it did get a bit lonely sometimes....not that chatting with two year olds isn't usually entertaining!! I did family day care until I became unwell during my pregnancy with Isaac and started fainting, not a good trait for someone looking after four kids under five!

5. If you offered me sweet or savoury, its savoury any day. I can take or leave chocloate but offer me cheese, dips, salami and sundried tomatoes, I will be yours forever :-)

6. I never thought I would be a photographer...it never even entered my head at school although I enjoyed our brief photography course in science. My interest picked up again after I had Isaac and was introduced to scrapbooking, then went to another level when one day Steve and I were standing in the now-studio room of our house and said "I wonder if......" Yeah well, that "wonder if" is now taking over the entire downstairs section of our house!!

7. Although Carrie may say otherwise, I make the best lasgane ever...and will remain telling myself that until she drags her cheeky self over here and we have the greatest lasagne cook-off ever (seriously, I think it should be televised just so we all know who the winner is). Come on, bring it girlfriend... :-) :-)

8. My grandmother is Italian and is the. best. cook. in. the. world. I'm truly sorry if you don't know her, cause that means you haven't eaten her pasta and I'm telling you...it's to die for. We all tell her we're in big trouble when she dies cause no-one can make it the same and we'll all have withdrawals. I can say this comfortably at the moment as we just had dinner there :-) but I don't think any of my family like to think about what we'd ever do without her.

so tagging eight more people is going to be tricky cause I think everyone's had a go but here's four I think have gotten away with it so far....

Carolyn

Laura

Maki

Kylie

Missing in Action

For friends wondering where on earth we have been over the past week or so...

The reno bug has bit again and we're painting like fiends! Lyall is tiling as fast as I can make him cups of coffee :-) Our daggy timber VJ panelling in the entry is now a lovely chocolate brown and our walls are "antique white"....quite the change from that lovey shade of peach oh-so-popular 15ish years ago!

Steve and I were painting away recently when he said to me "Glad we got some photos of what it looked like before". Hmmm.... that WOULD have been a good idea, wouldn't it?!

Well, for those that haven't seen it, believe me it was daggy.

So there will be the finished pics to come but for now, her's Isaac and Cassidy "helping" Pa paint Mummy's storage cupboard. Check out the look on Cassidy's face...she's saying,

"I'm painting. With a roller. Pa said I could. Watcha gonna do, Mum?"

Happy Birthday Em

My beautiful sister turns 23 today.

As you can see, the kids absolutely adore their Aunty Em. In saying that, I had to take these pics whilst Uncle Steve wasn't around (Aunty Em is great, but nothing can drag the kids from Uncle Steve when he's around!)

I think the kids reckon their lives would have been much better if born to Em and Steve, they are like, WAY so much more fun than mum and dad :-)

Em, we love you very much and hope you have a fantastic day xxoo