Thursday 6 March 2014

Slowing life in the fast lane.


By the fourth child, days filled with the park, play dough and lego sort of lose their allure and playgroup is definitely out of the question. Is that just me, or do mums of multiple bubs feel the same?

For your first child playgroup is a given. You have the little petit miam, "tarnies" and milk bottle in the zip up lunchbox that matches the mini backpack, that matches that pram you paid a trillion dollars for that fits perfectly into your new family car, that matches your handbag, that matches your shoes. You have the perfect child that sleeps, eats, a poohs when he's told, that is "so advanced" even the doctor raises his eyebrows in awe. 
RUBBISH all rubbish.
Then you have number two, and he slides into the trillion dollar pram that is stained and tarnished, playgroup is attended when there is no better offer, the mini yoghurt is replaced by a vegemite sandwich and a bottle of water and sleep deprivation becomes a talking point.
Then number three arrives and playgroup is dumped by 'Lollypop Playland' where you can let them run for a few hours whilst you have a quiet cuppa and devour a trashy mag. When they pop back for 'petit miam, tarnies and milk' you give them chips, juice and a muesli bar, unless of course you invite mum with only one bub, then you know to throw in a bag of grapes and a water bottle. When it's time for school pickup you throw #3 into the $19 umbrella pram, and hot foot it out the door taking another free lollypop as you leave (and lets be honest, sometimes the mag!).
Number 4 then makes his way onto the crazy scene and by this time you're a little older and a little wiser and noise really gets to you. You avoid playgroups and playlands all together, hoping and praying that no one will invite you to anything all week so you can spend an entire day at home with your laundry and the sunshine. Pathetic but true.
(*to my dear friends, don't be offended I LOVE to come over, just sometimes a home day is like liquid gold. You know the feeling, I know you do.)

So earlier this week, determined not to leave the house, Bear and I headed outside for a 4th child "adventure walk" bare foot and pyjama clad (him not me). I wasn't too sure what "adventure" I was going to come up with other than visit the local horses and watch the trickling water from the recent rain weave its way down the rockery to the creek.
But we came across these little beauties and Bear was mesmerised. Convinced fairies were hiding near by, he sat for a good half hour and waited. He searched high and low for the little winged people but to his dissappointment not one came to greet him.


After convincing him that the fairies had gone to sleep somewhere else in the garden, we headed off blind to find another adventure (why is one never enough??)  
We settled on a big bunch of gum nuts for the kitchen and some sweet figs for morning tea (and we may have finished it off with a chocolate frog or four).


Finally after lying down with him, he fell asleep in front of the rectangular babysitter and I headed back to the laundry !) 

(o goodness those wrinkles are terrible, I'm getting old!) 

What do you do to entertain #4 (+) ? 
My gorgeous sister is expecting #6, what a treasure she is, such an inspiration. 

Liv x





25 comments:

  1. Love the way you wrote this! I only have one, but she still gets thrown in the $20 umbrella pram from Target (while our $600 Baby Jogger sits near the front door lol).

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    1. Everyone's buggy gets tossed aside for the umbrella stroller, why do we all get sucked in in the first place?!

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  2. So in love with Bear's hair - he is just the sweetest thing. I giggled all the way through this, I "only" have 3 but this all rings so true. Home days are gold and I much prefer them to playgroups. I've ditched the deluxe mountain buggy for the easy cheap umbrella pram. The mountain buggy sits in the shed and is filthy as I use it round the vineyard. I didn't even use the cot for number 3, he just slept with us until he turned 2 (I was too sleep deprived to do the whole "sleep routine") and moved into the bottom bunk xoxo

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    1. haha, you learnt early Elaina. I don't think my hubby would have been so accommodating to the 2 y.o….now if they come in to our room he says "sure you can sleep in here, but on the floor" x

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  3. yep, yep and yep so relate! This mum of multiple bubs sure feels the same way, I'm seriously a hermit these days, well as much as I can be. I told a dear nun friend recently I wondered if I missed my vocation and should have entered the convent, she laughed! But some days an enclosed order convent sure sounds good!! I digress..

    I was only thinking today how much I loved having baby no 4, baby nos 2 & 3 nearly did me in. life was tough so tough, baby no 4 was a breeze (baby no 1 by the way for was fun, she was a doll).

    So how do my younger ones entertain themselves, well sad to say some of them don't know how, I have one lad who has been known to wake siblings to play with him (which is why Frozen's opening scene made us all roar with laughter) though our youngest boy is very good at playing with toys, his immediate two older brothers play with people.

    I've been thinking alot how our attitude to parenting, what we do, how we think, feel etc changes as the decades roll along, or is it the children, think its age actually more. been trying to start a post on what each decade with babies has bought, cause yeah I've had babies in each decade now, its kind of fascinating really. Digressing again obviously I need to get some sleep.

    You should read Folk of the Faraway tree to Bear, then he'll be looking for fairies:)

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    1. O I'm hearing you Erin, I've often thought of the cloistered life when I'm having a bad day!

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  4. I love this! I certainly relate to the "trillion dollar pram" because I'm rocking a double stroller that's worth more than my car!

    Before I had kids I thought they would be a great excuse to go ahead and live the life of my dreams, i.e. never leaving the house. You're telling me this tendency gets worse? This doesn't bode well. ;)

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    1. Kate one more hub and that double stroller will be scrap metal (enter umbrella pram!) x

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  5. I have 6 and its just like that here. Alison

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  6. Ha! This just cracked me up as I was just at my brother and sister-in-laws baby shower this past weekend. All the gadgets and cute outfits! My sis in law actually came over several months back and asked if she could see my youngest daughters nursery to get some ideas for their baby room. I smiled and led her up to my beans room which contains a couple art pieces I made for the wall and a crib! She asked me where I change her..me..um on my bed or the floor or wherever I am running to with her in my arms after the other two! There is no rhyme or reason! Just chaos! So yes though I don't have 4 I do have 3 and I watch my niece during the week which makes it 4 so I can so relate! I find that slowing down is actually a bit more my speed anyway. I'm more of a mom who like you would rather be home on the hunt around the garden! Love these shots by the way! They are outstanding! And you do not look old!!! God bless your sister! My mom had 6 and it is just awesome!!! Lovely weekend to you friend! Nicole xoxo

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    1. haha Nicole I'm with you, I got rid of the change table after my second. The bed and floor for me too, 95% of the time they are standing whilst I change them anyway. These newbies must think we're crackers x

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  7. Liv I'm already up to the (now $25) cheapo stroller and Rachel hasn't worn shoes since yesterday because I left them in Paul's work car again (and we're away for his work so only have one pair!). I think maybe I need to rethink things, otherwise by #4 the kids might be nudists...Glad your exhibition went well, have had my eye on a couple for a while know they're great ox

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    1. A nudist colony Luce, sounds like fun, although I think my boys would die a million deaths if I revealed my post-4-pregnancy-curvaceous-self!
      Thanks for your kind words on my exhibition….plenty left if ever you need to fill your walls x

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  8. OH YES!!!!!! Especially hoping for no invites! I remember even fibbing about gastro strains to ensure no one would come and hassle us in the school holidays - we seem to be the "go to house" . I loved those school breaks in the early years - PJ's all day, just us hanging out. I get that indoor playground love too! Love a blogger that speaks the truth!!

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    1. haha…I think we have all fibbed about a gastro strain at some point!

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  9. I love this so much. 1st and 2nd for me had a zillion playdates the third though.. not so much as I am exhausted from making special little morning teas for the other 2. No more healthy packed lunches when the littler two accompany us for sports games - a box of shapes and a bottle of water gets them by ;) xx

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    1. snack packs all the way Sonia!
      I actually made a batch of biccies today for the first time in weeks….the days just seem to disappear under the mountain of "to dos" x

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  10. What a great post! I only have 2 cos the second one wouldn't sleep! then I got too old. : )

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    1. Mine never slept well. They finally slept through the night at 18m, 18m, 15m….and heavens 8m! I get very jealous when i hear "oh mine slept through at 6 weeks". They must put a nip of something in their bottle?!

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  11. Hi Olivia
    wow what a GREAT post !!! I have 4 and your post is so true hehehe..aww your son is Gorgeous .I love how he was searching for fairies !!
    In reply to your comment on my blog about the Kangaroo Thank you and I haven't got a shop yet..{thinking about it } but the pattern I used I cant make and sell things made from it BUT Im HAPPY to just make you one just let me know on colours ! My email address should pop up in your email .ive just got to finish a few things then happy to sew one up for you.
    hugs xo
    Lisa

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    1. make you one for no other reason then "JUST BECAUSE " :)

      oh and also wow your sister is having her 6th great work.My Great Nannie had something like 22 pregnancies ,16 Babies and 13 survived .{something like that }

      I originally wanted 8 but settling on 4 hahaha xo

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    2. O you sweet thing, I'd love one of your gorgeous creations, what a treat! Although I know two little people in my house will fight me for it! (i'd like to give you something in return, i'll email you x)
      As for the baby scenario, I always wanted 5, and i've got to 4 (+ and angel in Heaven) and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with mothering them all. 4 is my limit at the mo….time will tell ?!?!
      You're great Nannie sounds like she was an amazing woman, what an inspiration
      Liv x

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  12. ah Liv, woman after my own heart. I always wanted four kids...until I had three. That did me :D. Love how you keep it real!

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    1. haha…it took a lot of wine….i mean courage!

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