Weekend Rewind Oct 2013

It was a beautiful sunny weekend here, so an absolute no questions asked or answered 'out you go' kinda weekend. The "tronics" were muted, hidden and forbidden and out they were sent into the wilderness (well, not quite, just the yard!), a few  "what can we do?" moments turned into a whole day of imagination and creativity. I loved it and so did they.

#1 honed his skills at carving a weapon ?!?!

#2 built 'base Denahy' complete with beds, cup holders and booby traps.

#3 & #4 got up to all sorts of mischief. 

Cleaning up after them is like sweeping up leaves in a tornado.

...and us, well, take a guess who did what.

Mr perfect lines vs Mrs washing line.

Liv xo

A strange brood, but I love them.

Bear asked for a "warm tea" this morning and this is how I found it 10mins later: complete with a date, a lollipop and  2 sticks.

I was attempting to take a candid shot of Lulu making this pressie for yours truly and then she turned on me...obviously I wasn't stealth enough- got the fright of my life.

Cocooned himself. 

Now communicates via bananas. 

It's a crazy life, but a happy one. 

Happy weekend.

Liv x

Imagination is a beautiful thing.

(My imagination!)

The other night I was reading Lucy a book she had borrowed from the school library, 'Good Night Fairies' by Kathleen Hague.

The words and illustrations were beautiful and thought provoking, and as I caught her smiling out of the corner of my eye, I thought of my own childhood, the dreams, the wonderment.

When I paint, particularly more recently as my style has evolved, I use my imagination a lot. I try and downplay adult reason (only when I'm painting!) and embrace the playful imagination of a child. 

Lately I have been enjoying painting whimsical maps of life's journey, both mine and others.

I have just finished a commission for a lovely young couple and when I asked them to give me some motifs, ideas, even details about themselves without giving away their whole story, one thing they said was 'a red boat'.

As I painted this canvas these past few weeks so many stories and events have evolved in my head around everything they said, but particularly the little red boat: what it signifies, where it now rests, what it is called, how big it really is, is it a ship? a tug boat? a bath toy? who it belongs to, who fell out of it? did he propose to her in a red boat? is it a family heirloom? who knows....but I do know that my imagination ran wild.

Imagination actualises what reality can't provide, and without it life would be very boring don't you think?

With Love,

Liv xo

'Overzealous new mum syndrome', ever had it?

http://www.babywinkz.com/2012/12/stress-free-christmas-shopping/ 

Were you ever tarred with the overzealous new mum stick???
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I'm almost positive I was back with numero uno, 11 years ago. I hope I stopped after that because listening to these particular felines chant their way through the aisles and checkouts can be quite a headache. It's almost like they want EVERY SINGLE BATTLER in the supermarket to listen to their overzealous conversation with their precious bubsy wubsy.
If you have been lucky enough to avoid it, I'm going to make you unlucky enough now to read it. It goes something like this:

Conversation at the checkout: Overzealous-new-mum to 7-month-old-couldn't-care-what-she-is-saying-baby, in a decibel rivalling any major league football coach mid game:

Overzealous new mum: "Oooo sweetie peatie diddems widdems, I know you want that Toblerone but not today schnookems because you have to have your broccoli mash first....you don't even have your eye teeth yet do you....do you....do you? What would the dentist say if mummy gave you so much sugar? I think mummy would get in oodles of trouble schnooky (*Looks around to see who is listening). Do you really think chocolate is the healthy option? (*looks around again, smiles at me).
7 month old couldn't care what she is saying baby: (*no response)
Overzealous new mum: Get your little fingers off that lady's trolley, there are germies everywhere bubsy wubsy. What do you think we should cook Daddy tonight? prawn and occi risotto or braised beef cheeks in a red wine jus? (*looks at 7-month-old-couldn't-care-what-she-is-saying-baby with curious eyes and then darts around to see the reaction of the other poor souls behind her who are enduring the torment. We make eye contact, she smiles, I force one.
7 month old couldn't care what she is saying baby: (* no response)
Overzealous new mum: (* getting louder) "I can't hear you. Pardon pumpkin? Did you hear that? Not what, always pardon. I've told you that before, haven't I Pumpkin?  say it with me...par-don."
7 month old couldn't care what she is saying baby: (*still nada)
Overzealous new mum: Did you say Risotto?

[*at this point I almost chimed in with a "no pea brain, your baby can't talk and has no flaming idea what risotto is,  so please hurry up and put all your groceries through before my ice cream melts". I graciously held my tongue.]

*Side note: this all unfolded in ALDI and you know from here and here that Aldi and I are not the best of buddies, he just pleases my budget...so I get to the counter and stoney faced Mr ALDI is putting my goods through faster than a cat on a hot tin roof, all the while Overzealous new mum still hasn't moved on and my raw chicken  rolls off the counter and bounces towards the door.

I mean seriously woman, your enthusiastic "motherese" is as welcome as a fart in a phone box, I almost gave in to the equally pathetic trump card 'I'm a mother of four, I've been there', but once again I held my tongue .

Rant rant. Sorry, but I feel better now.
Liv x

ps. Don't get me wrong I'm a baby lover, and I don't mind ooing and arring, but talking to a 7 month old about braised beef cheeks so loud that the deaf can now hear, WTHell!
pps. I know I write a lot of rubbish on this blog too, but you don't have to read it, unlike me trapped in a queue behind Overzealous new mum.

Homestretch

It's that time of year again. 4th term marks the homestretch of another year, ending in exams, parties, presentation nights, Santa Claus and the celebration of Jesus' birth.
Shoes are polished, shirts are ironed, lunches are packed, afternoon tea is (for now) sushi and fruit but I'm sure, come the end of term, they'll be sucking on candy canes and running out the door with shoes that resemble little more than rubber flippers and shirts so stained that they are thrown in the bin on the last day, with out so much as a thought of Napisan.

I woke up early this morning with my happy face on, but by 7:45am it was on the droop. Reality slapped me in the face in the form of 'Our Morning Show'.....nothing has changed, thats the reality of our school morning routine. It's tough going. One is organised, two are not. One is quiet, two are not. Two tease, one doesn't. One back chats, two don't. One does his jobs, two forget. None brush their teeth unless I put a bomb under them....and on and on it goes.

So God, I will offer up Term 4 for those who need it most, but I beg you for patience and a joyful homestretch to Christmas.

With Love
Liv xo

PS: I'm a little stoked with this new photo App I scored today, 4 pics in 1, Thanks Janie (I'm a bit  hell of a long way behind the times, but slowly catching up!!)

I'm back

(I apologise in advance for the photo bonanza this post but I have a week to catch up on for the kids memories on this blog.)

For those (bored?) people who read my blog, firstly thank you and secondly, sorry for my absence, it's been a while.
I scoffed about being immune from bugs when the rest of the family was falling down around me over winter, and then WHAM, I got it. BIG TIME. I literally couldn't lift my head off the pillow for 10 days.
I can't recollect what my kids did in the first week of holidays, because truthfully, I have no idea. I'm not even sure if they ate, slept, killed each other, played like angels... well, I know they didn't kill each other and I'm pretty sure they didn't play like angels but they are alive and well.
*A huge shout out to family who helped me last week, especially the sweetest aunty/Godmother in the world who brought us a meal and cake.
Honestly you'd think I had man-flu, but it was quite something, I promise.
Anywho...so this week I have over compensated, trying to win the mother of the year award.
Nothing amazing, just trying to be a little more present and have a little (cheap) fun.

Putt putt.

Lost 'our' temper...once

...twice

....three times a lad-y

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Did crazy things.

Enjoyed our own 'Dancing with the stars' competiton. 

We did some craft, a gift from Maisie! (Thanks Maise! mwah)

Had interstate friends stay for 3 days

(road tested the new spit, twice)

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Went to the beach.

(breath...just testing their limits again!)

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Hired a tinny on the Hawkesbury River with some friends

They got there in 20 mins, it took us 1hr & 10min (same distance), hoons we were!

Ambushed by 3 water dragons.

Jimmy caught two fish.

Mike was MIA, cutting himself on oysters beyond the cameras reach for most of the day with a friend.

O my, I look like a real pear from this angle, nasty.

 Bear was pooped after a big day week and slept the whole way back, dribbling all over the hire jacket, and now I have a very burn't left shoulder.

So here is to hoping I made up for last weeks non event.

With love and a beverage in hand,

Liv xo

Spring is...

Spring is.....Ballet flats.

Spring is....fragrant camellias. 

Spring is.... playing outdoors.

Spring is....coffee on the deck with your back to the sun.

Spring is....blossoms galore.

Spring is....thinking it is warm enough to dive in...but its not!

Spring is.....planting strawberries.

Spring is.....waiting in anticipation for the transplanted blossom to bloom...and she didn't disappoint!

Spring is....getting excited when a different colour of Iris pops up unexpectedly.

My garden is delighting my senses at the moment!

With love and a spring in my step!

Liv xo