Cutest bundle ever.

My life has just flipped on its head, I've gone from wearing teacher frocks and heels to wearing gym gear and my lunch, all in the space of a few days. Madness I tell you!
Despite the previous post here prac was fabulous. I had a great time with a gorgeous supervisor, one of the kindest woman in my address book.

So making up for lost time, I raced to the mountains yesterday to see my new nephew. I was given strict instructions from hubby: "don't hold him for too long", and so I broke the rule a hundred times over.  In fact, I had to ice my ovaries as soon as I got home.
Talking about going home, a dear friend dropped in to my sisters at the same time and brought with her half the local deli. So as I bundled myself and Bear into the car, my sister tucked a Vietnamese roll in my bag for the drive home. Ever had one? Quite something, a massive bread roll packed with meat, spring onions, grated carrot, chillies, oodles of fresh coriander, and even more oodles of Asian mayonnaise wrapped in a million layers of annoying baking paper and paper bag.
So cruising down the freeway at 110km/hr I decided to tackle the Vietnamese mountain.
I reckon I had more mayo on the steering wheel than in my mouth and the car certainly got a spray of each ingredient plus a covering in flicked baking paper pieces. When I finally got to school Jimmy looked at me sideways and said "Mum, why is there grated carrot on the steering wheel?"
My simple answer, "well honey, I've just had lunch with the King of Vietnam."

I apologise for the above photo, there are more chins there than you'll find in a Chinese phonebook, but yesterdays (second) visit in gym gear was even more objectionable (like it, Mrs Denahy coming out).

Hope you are all well and finally enjoying the Winter woolies.
Much Love
Liv x

Hiho hiho it's off to work I go...

Almost three weeks ago (20 days ago to be exact, 6 to go…but whose counting?!) I donned heals in favour of  out of necessity, I donned a conservative ensemble in favour of instead of my comfy mumu and jeans, and I quiffed the hair a little more profesh than my daily birds nest, then I headed out the door to face the real world. Not my real world, but the other real world, the one I've never really been a part of (still not a part of, just completing my DipEd prac- visual arts). Twelve years of nappies, craft and playdates is vastly different to appropriate staffroom decorum.

It started off on a bad note when I put a ladder in my stocking as I got dressed on my first day. The only spare pair were a "short" pair and the crotch waded half way down my legs the entire day. So trying to walk professionally in heals and hike the stockings up every two minutes was probably more of a concern to me than actually teaching my first class.
At lunch I braved the senior staffroom and everyone, I mean, every single staff member, pulled out a microwavable container or tuna and salad….except me. I unwrapped the same ham sambo I sent with my kids to school. I immediately felt out of the heat-your-fancy-lunch-loop. Ah to hell with fancy, I'm a mum first and foremost, and whats wrong with a sambo anyway?
The first two days I shook in my boots, it was all a bit overwhelming and I may have thought about having another baby once or twice. Just kidding (maybe not).
When did our youth become so tall? It's got to be more than hormones in chicken, I reckon someone has laced the water too. They're enormous. I've been swimming around their armpits for weeks and I'm in heals. O the heals….horrid stupid things. I feel perfectly feminine and sophisticated in front of the mirror at home, but the second I hit the school path I'm like a walking octopus. Hubby likened it to chewing a mintie with my bottom. Too many visuals, sorry.
Anyway, I know it's been way too long between posts, but to tell the truth, I've barely had time to breathe, let only blog. And I know I promised I'd keep reading my favs but I have to fess up and say, I haven't done that either. But I will, I promise - 6 days to go and i'll catch up on all of your news and shenanigans.
Despite the fear I had coming into this prac, and the loathing of heals every morning (my feet cry, I hear them), I have had a fabulous time, and I think this new stage of life might just be growing on me.
Anyway, it's a school night :) and Mrs Denahy has to put her head on the pillow before I pass out from lack of sleep.
Much Love to you all,
Liv x
ps a HUGE shout out to my Mother in law, Father in law, Mum, Aunty and my hubby for helping me out with Bear over the last few weeks. The house will have to wait. x

Attack of the brassiere

Have you ever been attacked by your unmentionables? I have, totally embarrassing. I blogged about it here  last year, but this time it was a different scenario. (Pathetic that I even blog about this stuff, but it is mundane women's business that needs to be vented).

Last weekend, a sheer act of love found me at Alliance Stadium with the boys footy club on a cold Saturday night. The club was to do a 'march past' around the field before the big game, with a handful of other schools. Numbers were a little low, so hubby asked if I'd like to come. Reluctantly I said yes. Lulu and I were the only girls. We waited in the freezing cold for over an hour with a bunch of rowdy and excited boys, then marched with pride in red and blue around the stadium. I wish I hadn't revelled in Autumn so much and worn a few more layers. Anyhow, Bear wiggled and wiggled waiting for the game to start. A few "is it finished yet?" slipped out even before kickoff and the cold made the trips to the loo all the more frequent for everyone.
Once we'd all settled and Paul had gone to buy some snacks, Bear feel asleep in my arms. It was good because we kept each other warm, but I literally couldn't move, not even to scratch my nose because of the way I was holding him. My arms were pinned. Next thing I know ( mid-conversation with another dad next to me) I am being poked in the chin by none other than the right girl's underwire.
Can you imagine the horror. Completely pinned down by Bear, no hubby to assist in the retrieval or retraction of the wire and Joe Blogg chatting away as if nothing was amiss. Surely he saw the boomerang of wire making its way up my nose. If he did, he was gracious and didn't let on, if he didn't, he was blind.
I finally managed to end the conversation with the (false) necessity to speak to Lulu on the other side of me. Once my back was turned I pushed the wire down with my chin, trying desperately to poke it below the level of my scarf. It would have to do before reinforcement made it back with the snacks. With a beer and handful of pies in hand, my helper was all but useless, the wire stayed put until Bear woke. I spent more time checking on it's location than on the game.
Has this ever happened to you?

Happy Mother's Day (for tomorrow) to all you superb women who constantly make sheer acts of love….unconditionally.

Much Love

Liv x

Autumn

Autumn is a time when nature bursts with its last little bit of beauty before it bunkers down for Winter. Revel in it. Commercialism would have us all wrapped in cashmere and onesies, gloves and fluffy boots this May if it could, but don't do it. it's Autumn not Winter.  Enjoy the crisp warm tones of Autumn, crunch some leaves underfoot and feel the chill in the air, don't shut it out just yet.
I've been enjoying a cuppa on the studio deck most mornings with Bear. We always find a creature or two when we are down there and he insists on bringing them home too.

…and hold onto your hats, I have begun a lifetime relationship with wool! (Mum taught me last weekend and even allowed me to knit one square for her blanket, but after unpicking it half a dozen times, she sniggered "you're a liability". I was as slow as a wet week, but practice makes perfect, right!?

…..yep, snails-pace

And just one more Autumn image. I "borrowed" this image from a friend on Facebook, the cutest toadstool you have ever seen, right in her backyard. Magical!

Happy Autumn

Liv xo

Last weekend of the holidays

I've been a bit absent of late, blogland has taken a back seat to my other life (family + uni)!
I do love the hols, but when you have 4 kids you have to play the role of Mrs Even ALL THE TIME. If one has a play date, a party, or a friend over, the others want it in equal portions. It does my head in. So this past weekend, the last weekend of the Easter hols before freedom  school started again, was a stay-at-home weekend. I had assignments coming out my ears and 4 bored beans to entertain, but by hook or by crook we weren't going anywhere. When push came to shove, we put our boots on and went as far as the creek down the back.

(Bear looking a bit "special in his PJ's , keeping an eye on the dog in the creek and trying to smile for the camera at the same time)

 The boys made a "wall of fame", even I got a gernsy.

We found this lonesome cray making his way down the creek. He hissed at the dog and made for some nervous excitement. 

Boredom abated for a spot …

Sunday saw us entertain the newly engaged lovebirds and I met Ez's gorgeous parents and sister for the first time.

And that's it, back to lunch boxes and homework for another 8 weeks.

This term is short but massive. It's exam term for the big boys, and I have my first ever prac for 4 weeks.  So I may not be around much, but rest assured I'll still be reading my favourite blogs.

(I have one more stash of photos for an AUTUMN post already lined up for tomorrow, but after that we'll just have to see?!)

Just one other thing:

A wonderful man was canonised on Sunday in Rome, Pope John Paul II. I was lucky enough to be blessed by him as a 6 year old girl.

Much Love

Liv x

A country Easter!

This Easter we headed to my inlaws for a big family reunion, the first time in 8 years all of hubby's siblings have been together. It was a relaxing affair with the usual hit of tennis, fishing, music session, joke-athon, egg hunt, 8mm slide show, plenty of grape juice, plenty of laughs and all of the Easter services (well I only made half of the vigil Mass,  Bear projectile vomited down my cleavage, 3 massive heaves to be exact (never a dull moment with kids). 

The cousins had a ball, Grandma fussed a plenty, and we all filled our lungs with some fresh country air.

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter too, surrounded by loving family and friends. I hope you also got some time to yourself to stop and reflect on the real meaning of Easter. Jesus lived and died for us, that's pretty amazing. On Good Friday I always think of Mary having to watch the execution of her only son. The image of her at the foot of the cross cradling Jesus is so powerful.

….and I hope you all had as much chocolate as I did, because I'm feeling pretty cross with myself with my lack of self control!

Much Love

Liv xx

and while we were away I got a phone call….

My little (big) brother is getting hitched.

So thrilled to welcome Ez to our family. (I really shouldn't have had that many chocolate eggs, I have a wedding to get to)

Liv xo

…and don't you dare come out of your bedroom.

…those were the last words I spoke as I marched down the hall and into the quiet of the lounge room, leaving the three year old tantrum to cry itself to sleep.

You can generally tick the box, don't you think?!: 

  … little bugger

  … coming down with something

  … worms

Today,  my guess is the first and third. Mum always used to say that whenever we were grumpy and irritable (even just one of us) she would worm the lot.  So today, my dear family, you're all going to be wormed. Husband included. 

The joys of parenting.

Liv x 

(definitely a mundane post, but just needed to vent)