Happy Halloween ...

I know. I know. I'm not American. I don't live in the US of A (I have a whole list of arguments but this post would go on and on ...).

But I have an eight year old who loves Tim Burton - The Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland, Coraline. Freaky little girl that she is (not sure if I mean my daughter or Coraline at this point) - and Harry Potter and dragons and Monster High dolls. And she has a mother who loves a good social gathering.

So when she asked ever so politely begged me to have a Halloween party this year, I said yes. She asked the day we finished the dance room and has been looking forward to it ever since. She has been counting it down in months and then weeks and then days.

And you know what? Tradition aside - well except for the pumpkin carving which CJ declared was "pretty good fun" - it was such a fun night. We had fun setting up the dance room, we bought UV lights that lit up our cobwebs and some crazy skeleton dude with a glowing head and we danced the night away! Time Warp and Party Rockers. And that's all I'm saying about that!


We had a great mix of parents and kids and everyone had a blast. Just about everyone put in a huge effort with costumes too - I wish I could add more photos but not sure of the correct etiquette here? Do I have to get everyone to sign a permission slip or a waiver or something? Being all American, I'd hate for it to get out of hand ;p - although CJ was definitely the winner in that category this year.


I should add that we thought the night may have taken a turn for the worse when he got home and Miss Tween went and hid in her closet crying her eyes out because she thought his makeup was real and was extremely worried about him. Thankfully though she finally got the courage to come and really have a look at his makeup and see that it was just that.

All in all though, it was about dressing up and having a fun night in the company of great friends!

And it was about my eight year old organising her first Halloween party and it turning out to be a huge success! It's her thing. It's a big part of who she is this freakish, scary stuff. We both did discuss - because we both have that uncanny ability to over think the simplest of things care - the fact that it technically should be held in April next year due to its pagan origin but we're going to chalk this one up to a success nonetheless. :D

And then to top it off, a friend called around today and picked up the older two girls to take them trick or treating. We had been invited to go last night but were just too tired after a big weekend so when they heard she was taking her son, they asked ever so politely begged again to go.

The neighbourhood they went to was well prepared and they were home before 7 with a tub full of treats (which may or may not still be there in the morning).

American or not. I love the fact that my kids have had a blast and will remember this as one of those really fun things they did as kids - unlike my experience as a child where we were allowed to go trick or treating by ourselves at around the same age and got chased off a property by some elderly German couple who couldn't speak English - regardless of its origin!


It's just a jump to the left ... Or is that a shuffle these days? 

The Air Up There ...

Tonight I went to my fourth aerial class. You know, trapeze, lyra, silks? Yeah, that. I thought I'd give it a shot. I didn't expect to be good at it but I thought it would be a good challenge and certainly a great core strengthening activity.

And I was right.

Thankfully I have a friend who keeps me motivated each week in going. And each week, I come home with burning hands and spend the next three days complaining about the bruises and the sore muscles - mostly from the exercise, some from laughter - but I am already seeing a difference in my flexibility. I may never be able to do the splits again but I'm certainly closer than I was three weeks ago. And I'm certain my upper body strength has increased too.

But aside from all of those great things. It's fun! And our teacher is lovely and accommodating and encouraging which flows on to the students. To see a group of women who have no hidden agenda and are happy to see you succeed. No competition. No one judging what you can or can't do. That makes it worth being part of this group. There are so many sports I have attempted that all seem to come with a level of competition which, although not always bad, can be a little bit of a deterrent if you're really there to just get out of the house and have some fun.

It's nice to just head out knowing that there is no pressure. There's no goal to score or time to keep. It's just doing what you can and improving on that each week - like last week when I actually managed to climb the silks rather than my feet ending back up on the mat each time I tried - for nobody else but you.

Oh and getting some bruises and burns and some very sore hands along the way. ;p

What about you? Tried anything new lately?

The Meal Experiment ...

I may have said before that I have a hard time getting the whole family to eat/enjoy the same meal at dinner time. It's usually never to the point that I make a separate meal but, for instance, I might let the kids have an untainted version of the meal CJ and I are eating.

For example, if we have chicken curry and rice, I'll usually just give the girls some chicken and rice. There are other nights when it is a battle though and, although I don't make a separate meal, I find they don't eat anywhere near enough to make my time in the kitchen even remotely worthwhile. Not to mention that my dear friend mother guilt steps in when the girls opt for plain pasta for dinner especially more than once a week.

It's not that they want junk food. Actually quite the opposite. They would eat chicken fillets and vegetables seven days a week if I didn't protest. Truth be told, I have almost just bought a week's worth of the stuff to save any more meal planning headaches. The upside is I wouldn't ever have to think about what was for dinner. But I get bored. And there's only so many different salads I can eat with said chicken. Alas, usually the new meals on the menu do not stack up to that good old favourite of chicken and vegetables and I'm back to the drawing board.

So last week I decided to let the girls organise a meal plan. I was pleasantly surprised that takeaway food was not mentioned at all and even more surprised when chicken fillets only made the list once. I had prepared myself to have to allow two nights at least!

And guess what? They ate everything on the menu. We had tuna patties - Punk Chic = not a fan - and vegetables, burritos, chicken fillets and vegetables, beef stroganoff - Not sure what went wrong with that but not even I liked it. To their credit, the girls ate it though - and spaghetti and meatballs.

It has encouraged me to continue on for another week and see how we fare. I was too scared to mention it before the end of last week in fear that the beef stroganoff was going to be my undoing. But here I am. Doing it all over again.

And again, the girls have surprised me by thinking of other meals to add this week. Chicken fillets still made the cut though. But I'm quietly confident that I'm onto a good thing here.

Provided I can keep to the plan!

Eight Weeks to Go ...

And Punk Chic will have completed her first year of school. How did this go by so quickly?

I haven't participated in The Weekend Rewind in forever and had some spare time this morning to indulge in a quick spot of blog watching and the topic was January 2011 so I thought I'd go back and have a look.

And although so many things happened that far outweigh our grand debut to Prep, I just can't believe my little girl is already firmly inducted into the school and its community. She loves it - although two of her little friends left this term which has been difficult - and she is thriving!

And in the next couple of weeks we will be ordering her books for Grade 1! Grade One!

I am holding the schooling calendar responsible for time flying by so quickly!

Oh and this is the post I linked to The Rewind today!

Pop on over and Rewind with Multiple Mum @ And Then There Were Four!!!

Happy Rewinding ...

Holding Back ...

The tears that have been threatening to burst for over three weeks now.

But every time they prick my eyes, the timing seems inappropriate and I hold them back. Push them back down, promising myself I'll find a time to let them out. But it never comes.

And I'm finding myself in a bit of a situation. I think know there are a number of contributing factors. There are a couple of incidents that I need to let go of. One I can't really talk about and the other was a nasty note left on my car last week at the supermarket. Insulting my parking of all things. I pride myself on being a very considerate parker. I am that fanatical person who drives in and out of a car spot until I'm lined up so as not to be too close to another car or parked on an angle or over the lines. So the note really hit a nerve. But mainly because of the other attack which occurred a few weeks back.

I am sensitive at the moment. I know it. I can't help it but I know it.

And then there is the fact that Gumboot Girl was sleeping in her own bed all through the night until she went on holidays to Grandma's house and now she is back in our bed every night at some time or another and this is determining the amount of decent hours sleep I am getting. So I'm thinking part of the problem is sleep deprivation because although I'm thinking I'm getting some sleep in there somewhere, it's obviously not quality sleep and a vicious cycle is occurring for both Gumboot Girl and I.

Which then leads to my days. With Gumboot Girl. Who has been an absolute shit an extremely difficult child of late. It is taking any patience I have to just get through my days with her. I have had the eyebrow raise from people at the supermarket. I have the sympathetic nod from other mothers throughout my day to day interactions. And I have had the excuses from everyone on her part. The excuses. That I'm sick of hearing. Because frankly, right now, I don't care if she's teething or tired or just being a pain. It doesn't matter. It won't make me feel any differently when she is having her thirteenth tantrum of the morning and we haven't even left for school.

It won't make me feel any less relief on her kindy days to know that somebody else is going to take her off my hands and I can breathe. It won't make the feeling in the pit of my stomach go away when it's time to pick her up. And it won't make me stop hating myself for feeling all of these things about my baby girl.*

And yet, those damn tears are just waiting. Because there never seems to be a good time. And I do think it would make me feel better. I need to let go of so many things that have happened over the past few weeks. It takes me that little bit longer than others because it has to be looked at from all angles. Dissected and analysed before it can be laid to rest.

I'm finding it a little foreign too because I usually can cry at the drop of a hat. For me, crying is really second nature to me. It usually comes so easily. Happy. I cry. Sad. I cry. Frustrated. I cry. Angry. Yep, you guessed it. I cry.

So why, or more to the point how I've even managed to hold them back for this long is a mystery to me.

But the worst part of all ... it's going to be over the tiniest little thing when those tears do fall and people are going to scratch their heads and wonder what on earth is wrong with me.

His -v- Mine ...

Yesterday my husband sent me. Well us. Well the girls.* This.

"Hey beautiful girls. Today we're going to use this.

To build one of these.

Have a great day. *insert lots of love hearts*"


The girls love to know what Daddy does at work all day. So I showed them and they did all kinds of oooohs and aaaahs. And I sent him back this...

Look at meeeeeee.**

But really. What I wanted to send back - and scarily enough the thought came to me as soon as I read his text. There really was no hesitation in my comeback I'm proud/ashamed? to say - was this ...

Today we're going to use one of these.

To create this!

But I didn't. Because he probably would have laughed at me and congratulated me on such a funny comeback! And, you know, sometimes funny is just masking the reality that is little devil girl a misunderstood toddler.

*I'm pretty sure he knows I'm not that excited about cranes putting up cranes.
**This was the only time she was happy in the pool this morning. Heaven forbid her teacher would see her through her cutesy little request for cuggles as a way to avoid doing something she didn't want to do. ;p