Gosh. This statement could apply to so many areas of my life at the moment. Another year renovating (inside instead of outside this time); another baby on the way; another rainy day in Rocky (bliss!!); another coffee; another year over and a new one just begun.

But the “again” I’m actually referring to, is a road trip to Brisbane. We leave on Thursday afternoon once Hubs gets home from work, and hope to arrive sometime before midnight! I do love a good road trip, and I love coming to Brisbane, there’s just so much to organise before we leave. Snacks and activities for the kids, devices charged and topped up with movies. Oh, and the packing. I’ve tried to simplify my packing as much as possible lately, but we still end up with too many clothes. I go for the idea of four outfits per child, and washing (thanks Mum) every second day. But then of course I have an emergency set of clothes, and what inevitably happens is that on the day of leaving, the kids choose something different to what I’ve laid out for them, so it ends up being five or six sets! That’s a lot of clothes!

Anyway, I am excited, and I have organised a few catch-ups already. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday up at Toowoomba, and we will be child-free for about 24 hours (thanks Lsl!!) so I might even catch up on a few zzzzz’s if I’m lucky. I’ll also be in Brisbane for my birthday this year, (without Hubs as he has to come home for work), so that will be nice. Then we will drive home the following Friday, in time to rush around and get Chance ready to start school on the Monday. Oh and Quinn starts kindy on the Wednesday! It’s going to be a big week!

So if you’re around Brisbane town next week, I will try to catch up. Otherwise Rocky is a short eight hour drive up the highway! 🙂

This was our Santa photo this year. I think I’ve only ever done two or three. The kids were not overly keen but I bribed them with a cafe visit after. But there was no way they would be doing it on their own! Can you tell by the big gap they left between them and Santa?

Chance was holding on to me for dear life!

I felt a bit sorry for Santa. I felt like he was being overly cautious not to touch the kids or to freak them out. He didn’t even ask what they wanted for Christmas! It was very much a snap and move on kind of photo.

Are there still happy Santas around or are they all too scared of being accused of inappropriate-ness?  I hope there are and I hope to find one some time.

I love having the time and inclination to make pizzas from scratch. I know that they are not difficult to make, but in a small kitchen with no full size oven, it does make it more challenging, so I only do it every six months or so. It’s also fiddly and messy so I like to not have to parent too much at the same time.

Today was batch up day for our home made tasty BBQ sauce so I figured it was a good night to make pizzas and utilise it!

Tasty BBQ sauce

I didn’t actually get any photos of the making of the pizzas but here are the end results. So delicious and so worth the effort.

My full size oven is actually on our deck at the moment. (And conveniently not in this shot…)

And this is why I don’t make pizza very often…

Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!

When you have three children and another on the way, and a husband who does occasional shift work, you never really expect to have regular good night’s sleep. I remember, from when Chance was about six months old, “helpful” people were insisting that he should be sleeping through the night and not waking up every two hours for a feed. I would go to bed every night for the next 7-8 months, hoping, wishing, praying that tonight would be the night I’d get a full night sleep.

I actually remember the first night he slept through, I still woke up every two hours of course and by 3am I was so full of breast milk that I ended up giving him a dream feed just to relieve the pain! And just hoped that he stayed asleep (he did!)

Ever since then, with two more babies added to the household, a full night sleep for me is a stretch of five uninterrupted hours. And when I get that (maybe once a week??) I tell you I feel like a million bucks!

Last night was not one of those nights. I feel like every time I got settled and started getting into that nice deep sleep, I got ripped out of it by cries of neediness.

I need a blanket on. I need some water. I need you to take me to the toilet. I need to get into bed with you. I need to wake you up because I noticed you were drifting off to sleep again.

What I need to do on mornings after nights like this, is to jump out of bed, armed with a PMA (positive mental attitude) and a plan for the morning so I can start the day well. What I in fact did, was ignore the children and let my good friend Kate step into parenting for me. She’s the best.

I might still have time for a quick nap now…

Rocky has had a couple of impressive Lego events in the past year that the kids and I have been to. Remember Brick Event? I still talk about that! Today we went along to the Art Gallery to have a look at the Towers of Tomorrow display and to do some building of our own.

I say “we” and “our” but I was merely the chauffeur. Chance and I went with our friend’s teenage son who lives down the road who my kids adore (as do we) and who is always up to playing whatever the kids want.

So while I read my book and blog, they were busy building their creations.

The display consists of sky scrapers from around the world and they are super impressive!

Recognise any of them?

The final masterpiece

Brick event is still my favourite just because it was so interactive and the people who ran it didn’t have the “look but don’t touch” attitude of the previous one we went to. I really hope it comes back to town this year!

In the mean time, there’s always our ridiculous Lego collection to keep us occupied. 

And yes we are finally starting to sort it!

My dear friend Kate and her lovely son Alex are staying with us for the week which is just fab. Hubs mentioned yesterday that he could take the four kids for the morning so Kate and I can have some kid-free time together. He had a rostered day off and that’s what he offers to do. That’s just the kind of guy he is. No fuss. Just love.

Ummm heck yes please honey!

So of course this morning came around, we packed the kids into the car to go to Yeppoon, and we couldn’t decide what to do!!! Ha ha. We narrowed it down to brunch and a massage and then maybe an indulgent midday nap when we get home.

The weather has been rainy and cool which I absolutely adore so I’m thinking a movie at home with the kids this arvo will be just the ticket.

Thanks honey. You really are the best…

For those of you who weren’t aware, my Nanny was born in the Ukraine and during WWII, when she was just 18, she was marched from her home, never to return. She never saw her family again and never went back. My Grandpa was born and raised in Poland and was also a prisoner of war at a German farm where he worked for years until the war ended. This is where Nanny and Grandpa met – during their time working at the farm (I say farm, as it wasn’t a concentration camp, but they were prisoners there.)

There is so much to their story that I’ll never know, but I have a keen interest in the events of WWII because of their experiences. Years ago, I read the graphic novel  Maus written by Art Spiegelman and it was like I was listening to Grandpa telling his stories. I felt like Art had interviewed my grandparents and had written a book about them, and it gave me a new insight into their lives during that time.

So when my friend gave me The Book Thief to read on my holiday in October, I knew I was going to love it. And boy did I ever. I finished it last week and I already miss the characters and their stories. I would even go so far as to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. The writing is so compelling and the short chapters made it easy to keep my sleep-deprived attention. It’s one of those books that you can’t put down but you don’t want to finish because the magic will be over. (I have an antenatal appointment today which will no doubt mean lots of waiting around, and I’m sad that I won’t have my book to pass the time.)

It’s really re-awakened my interest in that time in history, and I’m now on the look out for another book written about WWII. If anyone has any suggestions, flick them my way! I have also read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which was a real heart-breaker. I saw the film shortly after and thought they did an absolutely brilliant job with it. I do want to watch The Book Thief as well, but Hubs wants to read the book first. Lucky he’s a much faster reader than I!

I also remember watching the movie Life is Beautiful no long after it came out (20 years ago??!!) and I still remember it had a huge impact on me at the time. Anyway, suggestions anyone?

So many of you who know me well, know I have a tendency to be impulsive.

Blog everyday for a year!? Am I serious!??

I really want to commit to this guys, I do. But I don’t want it to become a burden. I need to cut myself just a little slack. But I also don’t want to appear as though I’m copping out after just 2 days!

But you know, I’m my own boss and I’m allowed to change my mind. Another thing I have a tendency to do. (Hello 4th pregnancy! Am I right Mum!?)

So instead I’m going to aim for 250 posts in 2017. That’s roughly 5 a week which is still a lot but does allow for the occasional missed day. Like you know, when I’m in labour in May.

Still 2 from 2! Might even see you tomorrow!

Sooo I’m sitting here watching the kids and I was trying to think of some goals for the year. I mentioned a few things in my wrap-up yesterday along the lines of not comparing myself to others and to just focus on my own journey. I also want to add to that: “be encouraging and supportive and excited for other people, particularly women, as they are on their journey”. I want to be more intentional about this. So often I think to myself “I should tell that person blah blah blah” but I don’t have the courage. I will try to be more courageous in 2017.

But that’s not what this is about. I mean I also want to practice daily gratitude, daily meditation, mindfulness and a bit of yoga. I also want to make a conscious effort to spend less time on my phone when I’m with the kids and be more present when I’m with them.

But I’m still getting off track! What I’m wondering “can it be done???” Is this.

I want to blog every day for a year.

I know, right. Some of you will be thinking “yes Renae you can do it! Please do it! I love reading your blog!” (I know who you are.)

Others will be thinking not much at all about it. Both reactions are fine. I need a challenge and I’ve been loving writing lately so I thought this might be a good way to document my year as well as try out a few new things.

So this is day 1. So far so good right? I’ll need to set myself daily reminders for the year! Wish me luck and I’ll see you tomorrow!