Author: Renae

Living life as a wife, a stay at home mama of 3 kids under 5, a marriage celebrant, a craft and sewing amateur, a cooked breakfast lover, coffee enthusiast, extroverted socialite, and most recently, someone who is trying to keep a tidy house. It's tough I tell you!

Sometimes “yes” is the only answer

/ Renae / Leave a comment

Me: “What would you like for afternoon tea?”

Chance: “ummmmm ice cream?”

Me: “Yes!”

Chance: “seriously??”

Yes. Those three little letters make up one big word. I just got tired of saying no; of not being fun; tired of taking everything so seriously. So this afternoon I said yes to ice cream and yes to watching Captain Underpants”.

Quinn: (squealing) “It’s not even Friday and we get to have ice cream AND a movie!”

I think that’s the whole point of us limiting our kids treat food and screen time. It’s a really big deal that they get excited about and (hopefully) appreciate.

Hubs is working days as well as evenings at the moment to help pay for our new kitchen which has meant pretty much solo parenting for me. The kids have been mostly great but I’ve been mostly cranky. But not today. Today has been an easy, fun day. And right now I’m enjoying the cool breeze on our deck with a sleeping bubba in my arms while the kids watch their movie and Hubs has a much needed sleep before his next shift starts at 5.

Sometimes the most wonderful things can happen when you just say yes.

10 things on the 10th

/ Renae / Leave a comment

10 things I love about the first 5 months

1. Breastfeeding can get you out of most things and is just the nicest thing to be able to do.

2. No messy solids…. yet

3. Parents understand that you do anything that works to survive – there’s much less judgement about how you parent in the first six months compared to when they are over one year.

4. Squishy chubby legs (his, not mine)

5. There’s so much development – they go from a strange little blob, to your baby who recognises and smiles at you.

6. They stay where you have put them down.

7. They sleep anywhere.

8. Having a messy house is completely understandable and acceptable.

9. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. If you’re a social person and you’re out and about, a lot of people come up to look at the baby.

10. The gummy smile

What a lovely near five months it’s been. It’s so hard to imagine what life was like before he came along! What a treasure ☺

It’s complicated

/ Renae / 1 Comment

I was driving to the gym this morning after dropping Hubs’ boss at the airport, reflecting on my current levels of overwhelm, when I stopped myself.

For months now I’ve been thinking to myself how hard life feels. The short timeline to do the renovations, breaking the budget to do them, moving to a new town, leaving wonderful friends, tying up a whole lot of loose ends, and knowing all the paperwork and change of addresses that await me when we move. As well as all the day to day stuff that already keeps me busy.

Then it dawned on me. I haven’t suffered an awful loss, or experienced trauma, or have to deal with any illnesses. We are all healthy and well and happy; we eat good, fresh food, we live in a wonderful house, and we are moving to a lovely new town.

So today I decided on an attitude shift. It’s not hard, it’s complicated. There’s a lot going on that is stressful but worrying about it doesn’t make it better and certainly doesn’t get things done. One of my favourite sayings is

The antedote to worry is positive, purposeful action.

So I’m putting one foot in front of the other and just getting one thing done at a time.

And right now there is washing to hang out. Nothing complicated about that.

Blogger’s block

/ Renae / Leave a comment

I’m afraid I have not been in a blogging frame of mind this last week. My brain is so full of so many things that it’s hard to just sit down and write. Hoping my mojo will return soon.

This little guy got his 4 month needles today. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

Toowoomba is going to be a-okay

/ Renae / Leave a comment

I spent a night and two days in Toowoomba last week to get a bit of feel for the place and to catch up with some people I know who live there. I also got to see my lovely friend Colleen on the way up for some awesome quality chats before she moves overseas.

Toowoomba is a super pretty town with lots of beautiful areas to live, in and I noticed heaps of playgrounds, for the win! We stayed with wonderful friends who loved all the baby snuggles.

Even though there is so much to do before we move, at least I know what to expect when we get there!

What a Wednesday!

/ Renae / Leave a comment

A big day filled with wonderful (child-free but not baby-free) catch ups, seeing my nieces and nephew and sister in law, having some solid playground time with the kids and friend’s kids, a swim, an ice cream, a short catch up with Ouma (get better quick!) lots of baby cuddles and a yummy dinner cooked by Mum.

Aren’t holidays grand ☺