7 Months

Somehow we've made it to seven months.
Were still not sleeping through the night which apparently means I should be weaning him and teaching him to sleep through the night. I'm pretty sure he has other ideas and for the sake of everyone in the family, and everyone who lives on our street, I spend most nights with him in bed with me.
Poo is still a big issue and were trying everything to fix it, I'm sure that's not helping with the lack of sleep.

He's started really getting into food, he's very interested in what we eat and has been sampling lots of different things, he's very keen on his pumpkin zucchini mash (looks awful to me, but hey) and we have weet bix for breakfast just like his big brother.
Although he's not crawling he's started commando crawling, not for long distances but it is hilarious to watch.

Gummy smiles there's nothing quite like them. 

Flying baby! 

Still no teeth but he does spend a lot of time chewing on his lips, fingers, fist, dummy, toys, anything he can get to his mouth really. 

I love the concentration on his face, oblivious to anything else. 

Charlie still thinks William is his toy and should be awake if Charlie is. I don't agree with him but considering how much of a mummas boy Charlie is I'm just glad that he loves him so much and isn't trying to get rid of him, or stuff him in a toy box. Well not yet anyway. 

See his 6 month pictures here

Pinterest Love

I read this yesterday and conversations flashed in front of my eyes. I sent this to Michael and he sent me a one word message 'Agreed" Sorry about that. 

If I didn't spend so much time on Pinterest I would get a whole lot more blogging done. Actually I think I'd probably get a whole lot more done full stop. I find myself  browsing through things at 3am while I'm feeding Will then at 4am when he's asleep I'm still flicking through things on my phone. Dangerous business but I find it very calming looking at all these crazy ideas and gorgeous things.

Seriously how cute is this kitchen? 

I'm buying this bath mat for my boys just to see their reaction, it would be so worth it! 

Anything that's called Better Than Sex has to be a good cake right?

Are you a pinterest hopeless like me or do you know better and stay away? 

Juggling

I love blogging. I love the community and 'meeting' people and seeing what their lives are like and realising although we are all so different we are all so similar as well. I love this chick and what she says resonates so much with me. After reading this post last week one sentence stuck with me
'I'm not getting time to spend with my children, I'm just supervising them'
I keep seeing those pictures around the web with a happy mumma and a small kid with the words ' The best thing you can spend on your children is time' Those mum things always make me feel guilty, always.
Although I spend every day all day with my small people I could get through the day without spending time with them. Charlie watches playschool when we get back from dropping the big boys to school while I feed William and put him to sleep, then Charlie does an activity drawing, puzzles, playdough, trains etc. I usually get it all out set him up then put washing away, clean bathrooms, tidy the kitchen etc. He usually gets bored moves on to something else, goes outside, then before I know it its time for his lunch and nap time then back to school for pick up before hectic afternoon time, then its bath, dinner, bed and the day is done.
So for the last week instead of getting William to sleep then getting on with stuff I've been splitting Williams nap time in two, half for the housework then half for Charlie. Today we played with a sticker activity book and did some colouring. By the end he was sitting on my lap and we were colouring a dinosaur pink and yellow and laughing at each other. It took three quarters of an hour out of my day but it was time well spent and yes my washing is still sitting waiting to be put away and my dishwasher needs emptying. I know it's a terrible cliche but being a mum really is a juggling act at the best of times and no matter how long I've been doing it, it doesn't seem to get any easier, different but not easier.

Quick Slow Cooking (The Martha Stewart Edition)

This is what I did on Saturday. I felt like Martha freaking Stewart. I've seen a few different idea and methods around and I've pinned some on my boards on Pinterest.

I just chose a few recipes I knew my kids would eat that would freeze well and slow cook well. Spaghetti bolognase, chicken curry, sausage hot pot, moroccan lamb shanks and chicken cacciatore. I added heaps of  extra veg to the recipes so I don't have to do any extra cooking during the week.  I spent an hour chopping the meat and veggies getting the sauces and spices in the freezer bags and we were done. My kitchen clean up wasn't that bad afterwards either considering I wont have any mess to clean up for a week. 

Five dinners ready for the slow cooker. So far we've only had one but this morning I grabbed a bag out of the freezer and chucked it in the slow cooker. Easiest dinner ever. So now instead of spending half of Williams very small nap times getting dinner ready and cooking it everyday, it's already done and I can get other things done like cleaning the outside of my fridge, because obviously I'm turning into Martha freaking Stewart, you got that right? 

Charlie, my not so little baby

Yesterday was my Charlie's first day of daycare. 

Michael and I had talked about him going somewhere next year, it's his last year before Kindy and I know that spending all day with his mumma will get boring. I was fine with that. 

Then a few weeks ago a friend who is an awesome daycare mum mentioned she had an spare spot on a Tuesday and Michael snatched it up. I really wasn't ready but I know daycare spots are like hens teeth and if I didn't do it now I probably wouldn't get a spot next year. I stressed about it, and changed my mind about taking the spot at least 10 times a day before I got over t and just took it. 

So on a Tuesday while the big two are at school Charlie will be off playing with three gorgeous little girls while William and I hang out together and I get some housework done. 

This is what my bench looked like this morning, I can only imagine what it will look like when all four start school.

All ready to go, he didn't want his photo taken here, he wanted to 'Outside photo mum!' 

We dropped the big boys off at school and then it was Charlie's turn, after we got out of the car while I was still getting his stuff, he waved and said goodbye mum and ran up the front steps, thanks for the love Charlie.  I wasn't too worried about him he's been there before for a play with the kids but never without me before, so as the day went on I was wondering how he was going, then I got this:

Seriously the best message ever. She sent me a few pictures and updates during the day as well, made me feel so OK with sending him much earlier than I had planned.

She brought him to school with her at pick up time and he was so excited to tell me about his day and give me a big hug. He looked so big and grown up in someone else's car. It was a big shock but it really is only another 12 months before he starts Kindy then he'll be at school then he'll be moving out. 

I'm so not ready for all that! 

Just a minute

We've had a busy week, a little busier than usual and I've fallen off the organised train a little lot. So this morning when it was time for breakfast and we had no milk left for cereal and no marg left for toast or to make school lunches with, I thought we were in for a rough day. A quick look through my bag found enough change to buy the boys tuck shop for lunch, one crisis averted, for breakfast we snuck through the maccas drive thru for some pancakes, it's Friday after all. One maccas breakfast won't kill them.
So once we'd dropped the big boys to school Charlie, Will and I headed for Coles. I was still feeling pretty hopeless so we whipped around the shop past the deli for a cheerio for Charlie and with kiwi fruit and strawberries he couldn't go past we were out of there. As I was dumping all our stuff at the register an older lady that usually serves us walked past, she stopped and put her hand on my arm then this happened:

Her: 'I just wanted to tell you, you are a wonderful mother, whenever I see you in here no matter how many of your kids are with you, your always smiling, the boys are always talking to you and your listening to them, and your never as stressed as half the mums we get in here with just one or two kids with them, they are well behaved children your obviously doing a wonderful job'
With that she was done and red faced I stuttered out a thank you and tried to explain to her I am called cranky mum and she must have missed all the crazy shopping trips where I'm dragging a crying kid out of the shops because I wouldn't buy him a lollipop. She shook her head at me and told me off, because kids always have a bad day now and then it's not a reflection on you.
I paid for our groceries and we were out of there, once I stopped feeling so silly about it I felt so much better about sending the kids to school with maccas in their bellies and tuck shop for lunch.

It was so nice of her to stop and talk to me, it made me all warm inside and it took her just a minute.
As mothers we can be so critical of each other, especially across generations, it's so easy to see another parenting style and shoot them down straight away. I'm putting this in my memory bank for when I'm old and I stop young mums in the shopping center instead of telling her she's doing it the wrong way or to cherish these moments before there gone I'll compliment her. After all, were all trying the best we can to make small people grow to be amazing big people and sometimes when you think your not being the best you can be as a mother all you need is a kind word from a stranger to cheer you up.

What's the last compliment you were given?

Pooh, not of the bear variety

William has bowel issues. It's making him a seriously cranky boy and as my friend from The Crap Housewives Association told me 'nothing makes you more pooh obsessed than a constipated child' She's so right. It's the first thing I talk to people about lately and I've asked everyone I know for advice.
So now I'm blogging about it, which obviously just makes it worse right?
Well he's taking drops, drinking prune juice and isn't eating anything that doesn't have a high fiber content so I expect some movement soon then my hopefully he won't have a sore belly anymore and he'll cheer up a bit. A cranky almost 7 month old baby isn't fun or anyone let me tell you!
Bring it on!

Bling!ll

I had big plans for mothers day this year. I was of course at home with the tribe by myself so it involved washing which isn't really in the spirit of mothers day but hey.
I decided to get myself something I wanted so I ordered a personalised necklace with the boys names and birth dates, now I know it's been a while since mothers day (well a long while) but after a long wait my Lovestamp necklace arrived and I love it! I keep forgetting to take a photo of it, but here it is! It's not quite long enough for me so I'll have to get an extension from the jewellers and of course convince William not to tug on it every day, that will be super easy I'm sure.

Have you got any new bling lately?

Sunday Picnic

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and with Daddy home I quickly made a family plan before he disappeared with the boat for the day.

We hadn't been to the beach for ages, it had been cold wet and we'd had sick kids for ever (well it felt like it) so we packed up the sandcastle stuff some snags and we were off. 

Bubba Will hanging out on the beach

Charlie is really getting the hang of the sandcastle making, kinda.

Michael likes to bury the children. Wierdo.

The water was so flat this little sail boat wasn't going anywhere very quickly

I was obviously not the only one who thought the beach on a Sunday for a picnic was a good idea. Luckily there is loads of tables and enough BBQ's to share. I have so enjoyed winter time and being able to wear layers of clothes and my jeans but I've really missed hanging out by the beach. It's going to be a beachy kind of summer I think.