Ignoring my heritage

September 6, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Today is Fathers Day.

Hubs doesn’t like to be rushed.

So there will be no rushin’ today.

See what I did there? Ha ha ha ha. Classic stuff. (For those of you who are new here, my grandmother was Russian. Actually she was Ukrainian but that wouldn’t work for this joke… I know it’s not the same but i don’t want the truth to get in the way of a mediocre joke…)

Happy Fathers Day honey. I love how, even when you’re running late for work, you never say no to “one more kiss and cuddle, Dadda?” Even if it’s the third time they’ve asked for “one more”. It’s my favourite thing right now.

How did you spend your Saturday?

August 8, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

The pork belly agrees

July 10, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

I cannot tell you how much I laughed when, after an hour of roasting this tasty little mushroom and haloumi stuffed pork belly, it came out looking like this:

Even the pork belly has had a sh*t. Day.

I laughed and laughed. I’m not going to lie. My jovial mood can be slightly attributed to my sampling of the craft wine. (Kind of like craft beer but more crafty) And the fact that all 3 children are sound asleep in bed and it’s Friday night and Hubs is home and it’s raining and we get to watch a movie and eat yummy food and drink yummy craft wine and snuggle up together on the couch.

So all in all a good end to a sh*t day.

Except that I just remembered I have a clothesline full of half dry washing.

Had.

Now I have a clothesline full of wet washing. Meh. Whaddayagunnado?

Happy Birthday Hubs

June 25, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

It was Hubs’ birthday on Tuesday, and after a weekend with his BFF Ben, we had a fairly low-key day. Hubs had to work but he got home at a reasonable time and was met with the smells of his favourite meal; lamb shanks. And so easy for me as well. Win win!

Before that though, I cooked him a yummy breakfast and we did some presents before he went to work.

This was the closest I could get to everyone looking at the camera 🙂 I made a fresh loaf of bread and dropped it off for morning tea, and when Hubs came out to pick it up, he informed me that there was a ridiculous amount of food that people had brought in. 3 different people had made him birthday cakes (which got me off the hook!) as well as brownies, cookies, and other delights. I thought it was so lovely that they made a bit of a fuss for him – he really felt the love!

Chanbe asked him over dinner “how old are you turning Dadda?” which we were very impressed by! Hubs, of course replied “I’m turning 21!” After pondering this for a minute, Chanbe proceeded to say “so on your next birthday you’ll be turning 22. Then 23 after that.” It was completely adorable and very insightful for the little guy!

I was going to bake him a cake, but after I found out how many he already had, I opted for his favourite chocolate mousse. He brought some cake home and we recycled it to sing happy birthday and for him (the kids) (Chance) to blow out the candles.

Happy birthday honey. You’re still my favourite 🙂

He may never

June 20, 2015 / Renae / 4 Comments

After walking around the house and picking up Hubs’ boots from the front door, shirt from the loungeroom, pants from the toyroom and bag on top of the open dishwasher door (yes, this happened), I realised that Hubs may never be the guy who picks up after himself.

I was considering this the other night, and as you do at 9:30pm after a long day, I started thinking of the other things that drove me crazy about him. And then I smiled. Because there were so many things for me to be thankful for. I went to bed, snuggled against my husband of almost eight years, the father of my three gorgeous children, and I was content.

Because even though he may never put his breakfast bowl in the dishwasher, he will always give me a sleep in when he can. I slept in three days in a row last week, one of those days I was in bed until after 10am. He took the kids to playgroup (so many brownie points there!) and then looked after them while I had a physio appointment.

He may never understand why I prefer to clean up the kitchen before going to bed, but after a long day at work, when he comes home to a messy house with feral (but happy) children, with his wife on the couch reading the internet (yes, the whole internet), as long as he is greeted with a big smile, a warm hug and a cold beer, all is right in his world.

He may never pay much attention to the time, which will sometimes mean he’s running late for things, but it also means he gives the kids and I his full attention when he’s around. And all he wants from us, really, is our full attention from time to time.

He may never be interested in the “sensible” choice for buying a car, but he will always have reasons behind his ideas, and expect the same of other people. This may mean I might not get the minivan I want, but it will always mean we will have a great, fun car for our family.

He may never be the kind of guy who will see a household job that needs to be done, but he will take the kids to the park at 5:15pm just so they can get out of the house for a good runaround before dinner.

So even though there are things that will always drive me crazy, they don’t compare even slightly to all the wonderful things he brings to our marriage and to our lives. He really is such a catch and I am so thankful we found each other.

Happy Mothers Day

May 14, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

I’ve been meaning to blog about Mothers Day since Monday, but our computer died and I just haven’t had the inclination to fire up our new laptop (which we coincidentally and fortunately bought two weeks before the death of the PC.)

This year was a bit haphazard in that Hubs was working most of the weekend so things were a bit spread out. I got a nice sleep in and some time to myself (well, just with Darby) on Saturday morning, then Hubs worked most of Saturday arvo/evening. He had to work early Sunday morning, so I just hung out with the kids and made pancakes for us all. Hubs came home around 10am and I was given a few prezzies which was nice. Then most of the household had a rest/sleep/nap/movie time from noon til 3, at which time Hubs had to go back to work. So the kids and I spent the afternoon outdoors and did some painting and lounging about.

Thankfully Hubs didn’t have to work at all on Monday so I got another bit of a sleep in, followed by more presents! And some cuddles in bed.

That was actually Hubs’ first full day off (aka 24 hours) in 3 weeks. Yeah, it’s been full on! We then all went out for brunch and The Giddy Goat, our favourite place in Rocky, and spent the rest of the day just pottering around the house which was actually really really nice. I didn’t want him to go back to work the next day 🙁

Being a Mum to these three monkeys is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and will ever do I’m sure. And even though I sometimes miss the days of sleeping in and not having to be responsible for anyone but myself, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Now, I have half an hour before I pick Chanbe and Quindy up from their respective places of care, which begs the question: Coffee, or nap?

Comfort factor

May 6, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Last year sometime, Hubs made a comment that went something along the lines of “you don’t like to be uncomfortable.” Of course I took offence to this, as I’m always happy to leave my comfort zone for new adventures. I was living in Mount Isa for goodness sake!

But that’s not what he meant. He was saying that I don’t seem to like being uncomfortable. Like if it’s too hot or too cold or I’m pregnant or I’m sick or I’m injured. And I had to admit, once I thought about it, and after a couple of months of noticing certain behaviours of mine, he was right. I liked my environment, which included my physical self, to be comfortable.

So I started stepping out and seeing what I could do to better adapt to uncomfortable situations. And this year, I’ve really stepped it up a notch. When it’s hot, I still go for a walk. It’s always going to be hot, and commenting on it (read: whinging) will not change that fact. I sweat almost immediately, and start puffing not long after that, but I’m doing something positive for my body, so it’s worth being temporarily uncomfortable.

That’s the other thing I’m having realisations over. Nothing is forever. Everything is temporary. This too shall pass. (Yeuch. Cliche time.) My mother-in-law reminded me of this months ago: No matter how bad of a day I’m having, there has never been a day that hasn’t ended. I seem to have been having a few of those lately. It’s a mixture of exhaustion from solo parenting, and challenging two and four-year-old behaviour. Even Hubs’ patience is being tested and that guy is a saint! So I know it’s not just me.

But I know it won’t last forever. This behaviour is a time of learning, and with the right direction and encouragement, the kids will continue to thrive. I just need to continue with my deep breathing, and let a few things through to the keeper. I don’t have to connect with every delivery.

So in keeping with this theme, it’s 30 degrees today, and I’m about to walk to and from Chanbe’s kindy for the third time today. The first time was at 8:30am for drop-off and by the time I got home (pushing our huge pram uphill all the way) I was dripping with sweat, but I felt good. Then I walked back at 10am for the Mothers Day morning tea that they hosted and home again, and now I’ll be heading back again for pick-up. It’s okay to be uncomfortable, and it’s feeling better and better every day.

Rocky rocks

January 25, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Okay so it’s not exactly the most original title, but I’m sleep deprived and have had a (rather generous) glass of bubbly so it’s the best I can come up with right now.

It’s been a good first week. We arrived last Monday just after midday and it was an absolutely stinking hot day, but I dare not complain. We drove to the hospital to pick up the keys for our temp accommodation and while Hubs went to do that, I took the kids to the cafe and bought 2 huge bottles of water. It was at this point that both Quindy and Darbs decided to fill their respective nappies. I bundled them up and found the baby change room and took a look at myself in the mirror. Yikes. I was extremely glad I had decided not to meet Hubs’ colleagues that day. My hair was dripping wet and I I didn’t have sweat patches – I had dry patches, and very few of them let me tell you.

Anyway we arrived at the accommodation and were pleasantly surprised. It’s a 3 bedroom house and although it’s on the main highway through town and is a bit of a hike from the hospital, we are grateful for the space, the air con in every room, and the luscious, green grassy yard!

We spent that afternoon and the next day looking at rentals, and even a couple of houses for sale. Hubs started work on Wednesday and I took the kids to the lovely big shopping centre. We had a 100% successful trip and I was particularly impressed with the parent rooms there! I arrived home feeling very confident that this year is going to be a good one. The next 2 days were equally great with the kids and after exploring the beautiful botanical gardens this arvo, I know that there will always be things to do with the kids here.

We have a couple of things brewing in regards to housing but I’ll share more when we know more which will hopefully be very very soon!

Squeaky McGrunty Pants

January 1, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

For such a little human being, Darby sure can make some noise. I’m getting used to the squeaks and snorts and grunts but I’m still amused by it all. My little man seems to be either completely content and sound asleep, or building up to get rid of gas. At either end.

After a feed, he starts with the grunting, then there’s the whinging, and then he builds up to some yelping and screaming. And then after an explosion at either end (or both!) He relaxes again, although often he’ll throw in a case of hiccups to finish things off. And considering how often he feeds, this process can occur every 2 or 3 hours! As Mum says, it’s really quite exhausting for everyone involved!

Hubs is on his last night shift for this block and we really should do some organising for our move in his few days off. What will most likely happen however, is going out for coffee. But I’m okay with that…

Happy 7th Anniversary (and Happy Due Date!)

December 1, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

Dear Hubs,

I love you. Very few days, if any, go by where you don’t somehow make me smile.

We have been talking a bit lately about how much we have both changed in the last 8 years. Some changes have been intentional, some not so much. Some positive, some still need refining.

At the end of the day, I know we are in this together. We are a team and we have everything at our disposal to keep our marriage going the direction we want it to. Even though it won’t all be rainbows and unicorns all of the time, the hard stuff makes the good stuff even better, and there’s plenty of that to speak of.

On this day 7 years ago,

I made vows to love you and cherish you forever. It’s hard to imagine what “forever” means on your wedding day. Even 7 years isn’t actually that long, but it still excites me that I found you; that I found a man who I do want to share life’s special moments with, as well as the day-to-day mundane that fills the gaps. With you, there is always some new idea and adventure to talk about; always dreams to be dreamt and plans to be made.

Don’t stop dreaming with me; don’t stop getting excited about ideas; don’t stop sharing those ideas, no matter how crazy.

Don’t stop believing (hold on to that feeling) (I don’t love Journey)

Love, Wifey xx