Brick Event 2016

July 9, 2016 / Renae / 1 Comment

Oh wow. You know when you have little expectation of something (little as opposed to low) and you are just blown away by it!? I love when that happens. Those little surprises in life make me happy, especially when they also make my kids happy.

I took the kids to Rocky’s Brick Event this morning, along with a babysitter to help out, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever taken the kids to.

The reasons for my expectation level, is due to this event that we went to last year. Looking back, I can’t believe how little I wrote about it! I think that’s quite telling. As I did mention, I was hoping that there would be more interactive things for the kids, other than the trays of bricks at the end. That’s where this event was different.

The displays were AMAZING and had heaps of moving parts.

Retro train set! Wooooo wooooooooooo!

There was SO much Star Wars Lego. My kids were so excited.

See?

We were among the first to arrive to beat the crowds (which was my plan) and it was great as it meant I could put Darby in the stroller (he took some convincing!!) and he could still see everything without other people getting in the way. By the time we left, there were crowds 3 or 4 people deep at each display so it would have been impossible for him to see. He loved it!

So busy!

There were probably about 40?? displays, but this was my favourite by far.

I couldn’t stop watching it! So amazing.

After seeing all the displays, there were a bunch of tables for building Lego! And not just any Lego; the kids could build their own train carriage to be put on the back of a running train! The kids thought this was so awesome. Here’s Chance and Quinn’s efforts (the 2 end carriages). (Gotta love Quinn’s comment at the end!!)

There was a staff member there the whole time, taking carriages off and putting new ones on to go for a spin. All the kids were so proud of their creations being shown off like that.

And that’s not all! There were a few towers like this with heaps of different shaped Lego for kids to make their names. Quinny had some help, but Chance did his all by himself. Such a great idea.

Sooooo much Lego. Almost as much as our collection at home!

And of course, because I’m a massive softy, I couldn’t not buy the kids some Lego to take home. I had told them not to ask me to buy any, and they honoured that, so I surprised them at the end. Of course they wanted to go straight home to build it.

Quinn chose Cinderella (quite fitting, as one of her nick-names is Quinderella) and Chance chose the Ambulance rescue plane.

We were only there for an hour and a half, and if it wasn’t so crowded, I would have loved to go back and look at the displays again, but it was just too crazy and the kids were ready to leave. I’m glad I had our friend there to help with Darby as I didn’t want to just keep him in the stroller the whole time. There was a Duplo table for him to play at while the kids were building their creations, but he was more interested in running around.

I think the biggest difference between this expo and the last one, was this was really aimed at kids. The one in Brisbane was more about showing the design side of things, and showing off creations, which were really impressive, but not that exciting for kids after about 10 minutes. This one was all about showing what you could do with Lego and really encouraging kids’ participation and creativity. 10 thumbs up from this crew. Will definitely keep an eye out for more events in the future!

Happy Birthday Grumpy

June 1, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

We have just had my parents up for a few days visit for my Dad’s birthday, and as usual the kids had a fabulous time and were spoilt rotten, and I got to have a few sleep-ins which I have seriously been in need of. And of course Gran and Grumpy got to have some lovely time with their grandkids. Win-win-win! On the afternoon of their arrival, it didn’t take long for the Mini Magnums to appear! And as you can see, Darby has learnt to say “cheese”!

With Mum and Dad being around, I got to have a child-free session at the gym on Friday morning which is always nice for a change! And after a fairly low-key day, Dad served up an amazing slow-roasted beef which I accompanied with creamy mash and greens. Sooooo good. After which, we had CAKE! Chance requested a spider cake, which I happily obliged.

I didn’t actually get that many photos during this visit (Mum got a heap) but a wonderful long weekend was had by all. We finished up the celebrations on Monday night with my kind of Magnum. There was nothing mini about this bad boy!

(I look tired and a bit frazzled here, as we had spent much of the day lounging around with our neighbours, and having a few drinks while partaking in BBQ’d goodies! The best was yet to come that evening!)

Dad always says to anyone who will listen, that grandkids are the best thing ever which always makes my heart sing. Happy birthday Dad. You’re a wonderful father and a fun and fantastic Grumpy.

Fit Mums – 1 year on

May 19, 2016 / Renae / 2 Comments

This is me to an absolute tee right now:

Wow. A whole year of doing regular exercise. This is definitely noteworthy for me. I’ve never stuck with anything (other than team sports) for this long. Like, ever. Sure, I’ve joined gyms; too many to count, but I’ve never actually attended them for more than a month or two. Previously when I have joined a gym, my aim is to attend six sessions a week, and once that starts dropping back to one or two a week, which it always would, I would think “what’s the point” and drop out. I now see how much of a difference those two regular sessions a week can make to my life.

I’d be lying if I said I’m exactly where I wanted to be a year on. If I was to be completely honest, I was hoping to be down another 16kg and at my “goal weight”, but the fact that I’m still showing up each week, and getting cranky when I have to skip a session, and never (seriously, never) looking for an excuse not to go, I’d say, at this stage, that is a much more important achievement. It means that I have a baseline to build on. It means that I know how it feels to be fit and strong, and I know it’s possible to continue to get fitter and stronger.

So let me break down the last 12 months for you:
73 Fit Mums sessions attended
18kg* lost
A bunch of muscle gained
Plenty of lessons learned
A dozen new friends
A newfound respect for my body
Plenty of good food eaten

Things I’ve learned:
It takes more than a month to get nice arms; (woo!)

Two sessions a week makes a huge difference to my lifestyle;
Eating two chocolate biscuits or having a glass of wine will not ruin my hard work;
Eating two chocolate biscuits and having a glass of wine almost every day will make a difference;
There’s more to it than weight loss;
Putting back on a few kilos is not the end of the world; it’s what I do about it that counts.

It’s this last point that I’m most proud of. At the end of last year, and the start of this year, old habits were creeping back, but instead of giving up and ignoring the issues, I addressed them and refocused and that has never happened before. And now that I’ve done that, I’m not starting all over again, just merely picking up where I left off.

So thank you Ben (our trainer) and Michelle and Ash (the child-carers) and all the other Fit Mums for being such an amazing and supportive community; for all the encouragement and high fives; and for being the “thing” that finally got me to love getting up in the morning and exercising. Here’s to another 73 sessions!

Here’s the first part of the journey ☺

*I’ve lost the same 2kg twice after putting on a few kg over Christmas. Still counts!

A happy mothers day

May 12, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

Simple. Easy. A bit relaxing. That’s all we ever really want isn’t it? Hubs has been working pretty much every day lately so I assured him that I didn’t mind going out and buying my own mothers day gifts this year. I picked out a couple of new shirts and a few other things I’d been eyeing off. All I asked was for a yummy brekky and some time to myself.

I didn’t snap any photos of the yummy brekky but Hubs delivered as always. And we had our friend and 2 of her boys over to join in as her hubby was away at the time.

We just spent the rest of the day pottering about and I got to do some baking which was awesome. We headed to the neighbours for arvo tea and then I had to drop Hubs off at the airport to go to Brisbane for a course for 2 nights. We stayed at the neighbours house for baked beans dinner so by the time we got home it was time for bed!

Yummy cupcakes

Squashy cuddles (see that spoon? I bribed Quinn with more icing if she sat in the photo with us. Oh yeah.)

Hubs was a bit apologetic that it was a bit of a nothing day, but I assured him I had a lovely day and that the ending was the best.

Kids in bed, leftover garlic mushrooms on toast for dinner, house to myself, a glass of bubbly, and some Nashville to catch up on. What more could a Mama want?

1 hour in

May 4, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

I have a “day off” today.

Well, actually it’s a “morning off”.

And by that, I mean I have 21 things on my to do list that would be great to get done while I’m child-free. In my first hour, I’ve made and drunk 2 cups of coffee, paid bills, ordered some more Jamberry nail wraps, fb chatted with a friend, looked on Gumtree for a new induction cooktop, and spoken to the bank about our renovation loan. Only 2 of those things were on my to do list, but it’s a start!

I have so many blog posts floating around in my head at the moment, but nothing has made it to the blog. Sorry about that. I’ve got a zillion photos and stories to share, but I’m just enjoying having those moments with my family. I know. So selfish.

I’ve definitely had a change in mindset lately about my place in this crazy world. I was getting to the point where I was resenting the monotony of being a stay at home mum, but I’ve decided to embrace it more, and am finding myself less bogged down in the daily grind. I’m allowed to be fun and not cranky and not always looking for things to tidy or clean or wash. I’m allowed to say “stuff it” and sit down and play instead of fussing about and feeling bad about having an untidy house.

Since my existential crisis back in 2013, I’ve had a bit of a cloud over my head. I’ve been trying to figure out what life is all about; what’s my purpose? What’s the point? Why bother doing the same thing day after day, week after week etc etc. And I’m not saying that I’ve figured out the meaning of life or anything, but I’ve found more meaning in my own life. And I finally realise that I don’t have to answer all of those questions, as trying to find the answers leads me to a place of hopelessness and disinterest which is neither fun nor helpful for those around me. I’m just feeling lighter than I have for a while and even though I know those questions will always be in the back of my mind, it’s okay if they are left unanswered for now.

Life is good up here, and I hope you find something lovely in your day that puts a smile on your face. Like these crazy cats 🙂

Happy Easter

March 28, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

We have a tradition in our house of giving Lego for, well, pretty much all occasions. And Easter is no exception! We have our friends Kate, Liam and Alex visiting for the week and it’s always more fun with other kids (and another adult) around!

We started off with an Easter Egg hunt in the back yard

Then it was time to find the colour-coded packets of Lego in the front yard.

Then the next hour or two was bliss for both adults and kids 🙂

We headed to the botanic gardens after that to feed the ducks and have a run around

Two foxy ladies 😉

It’s just so nice having another adult around and the kids are having a great time together. Looking forward to the rest of the week.

When love came to town

March 2, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

Hubs and I have lived in many cities and towns together. Starting off in Brisbane, where we met, fell in love and got married, we then headed south to Melbourne. Then came Wangaratta, Mount Beauty, back to Wang, then north to Townsville, Ingham and Mount Isa, and finally Rockhampton.

Looking at this list now, I can tell you that into our lives have come kindred spirits, unexpected connections, small-world coincidences, and four top-class Godparents. We are blessed, we are grateful and I like to think we do not take these blessings for granted.

So when an opportunity comes along to see one or more of these fine people (like on our recent trip to Melbourne) we grab it with both hands.

Enter The Godfather.

We struck up a friendship with Felix in Mount Isa very early on through a friend of a friend (I think!?) I still remember the first time I met him – it was at the races, and I had no idea that this was the beginning of a very special friendship.

One thing that really draws us to people is when they are interested in doing things spontaneously and we found ourselves going 4WDriving with an hour’s notice and it was great. Then there were the Saturday morning garage sale ventures where Hubs and Felix would go and “look at some stuff” with the kids on a Saturday morning while I had a sleep in. This would be followed by brunch and maybe even plans for Sunday would be made. And of course the kids grew to love uncle Felix.

So when Darby-doo came along, it was not a hard choice or Godparents. We had already become friends with Sonia in Townsville and had all moved out to the Isa together. We were a strong support for each other, especially in this early weeks and months, and when we found out we would be in Rockhampton together I almost burst with excitement.

So en route to his new soon-to-be home town of Orange, Felix decided to pop in and stay for a couple of nights. It was so nice having him around to play with the kids, and they fell in love with him all over again. And I just loved having one of our little crews back together, albeit only for a moment.

Honestly I’m just feeling so grateful right now for all the incredible people in our lives.

Holding an ice-cream-eating toddler while wearing a white shirt? Now that’s love. (And Napi-San a couple of hours later…)

Offering and being excited to come to playgroup, AND getting crafty with the kids.

Getting the Godparents back together in the same town again!

Coming to watch Chance get his special prep award.

Reading at storytime (so I don’t have to.)

Buying a completely adorable outfit at an op shop.

For these reasons and so many more, it has been a simply marvellous couple of days around here. I look forward to the next reunion!

Quinn is 3

February 22, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

Did you catch that? Yeah, it surprised me a little too. I mean, remember this little munchkin?

Well her hair kind of grew, along with her sass, and now she’s more angelic than ever.

Don’t get me wrong. She still loves to be Captain Underpants.

But her tastes have certainly changed over the last year or so. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I was adamant that I wanted to re-create the little garden tea party that didn’t quite go to plan at her Baptism. Except, it seems that our little girl is somewhat of a rainmaker, and for the few days leading up to the party, it rained incessantly.

I made the call the night before that we should have the party indoors, and since our house isn’t exactly “open plan” we arranged the rooms into “food room”, “general toy room”, “Duplo room” and “all kids Lego room” and I’ve got to say, it worked an absolute treat!

Here’s the “food room” aka our dining area/back sunroom:

See Tammy Turtle the cake in the background?

So much awesome delicious fooooooood!

Then there was the Duplo room

And there was also the Big Kids Lego Room and the General Play Room.

Hard to believe our little chatterbox is 3. Happy birthday baby girl.

Your endless chatter and running commentary of our day to day life keeps me so entertained.

The way you look after your brothers and give us lots of kisses and cuddles delight us in every way and I love how you only ever want to eat the icing and not the cake. This tells me that you’ll always look for the best in life, and you so deserve it.

We love you so so so much. Always remember that xxxxx

Decisions decisions

February 4, 2016 / Renae / Leave a comment

Even though we’re more of a ‘good choice/not a good choice’ family, today’s post is about the decisions I’ve been making lately. You see, I’m not quite with it at the moment. Things are being forgotten or not carefully considered. Or not at all considered. Take Monday, for example. I decided that I could pop out at 2:50pm on foot, with the pram, to pick up my big prep boy. (Side note, if you ask him how school is going, be prepared to be corrected. It’s prep.) I decided that a few drops of rain was no big deal. I just wasn’s quite prepared for the deluge we got caught in, on the way home.

Then came Tuesday. It’s been absolutely positively sweltering up here as of late. Like, sweat dripping onto the dinner plate while eating hot. So gross. And rainy. Very very rainy. And stormy. So at 1pm on Tuesday, I’d had enough of the heat, and decided to ask my friend down the road what she was up to before ~~school~~ prep pick up and invited myself over to enjoy her air con. This was definitely a not-at-all-considered moment. The 500m walk down with Q & D in the pram went fine. 15 minutes later, the rain came. And boy did it come down hard. And all I could think while I was sitting there, keeping cool was THE WASHING! THE HOUSE WINDOWS! THE CAR WINDOWS! And I was powerless.

It’s the sort of thing I would get cranky at Hubs for doing – leaving everything wiiiiide open and going out.

And then there was last night. Did I mention it has been stormy? I had to go to the other side of town to meet up with a couple I’m marrying in a couple of months. It wasn’t raining when I left home, but by the time I was half way there, I was caught in a massive thunderstorm. Lightning, gusts of wind, torrential rain… I had to actually pull over at one stage as I couldn’t see anything in front of me. This is exactly the kind of weather one should not be driving in. I eventually arrived, got absolutely soaked, as I hadn’t considered bringing an umbrella, and then after our meeting was done, I had to politely ask if I could hang around until the storm eased off a bit.

It has been seriously crazy up here lately. I am very grateful that our roof got replaced before it all hit. We are supposedly in for a cool change tomorrow and over the weekend, which I’m really hoping will come to fruition as we are celebrating Quinny’s 3rd birthday then. And then it’s off to Melbourne for Hubs and I on the Tuesday.

Booking that trip was definitely a good decision.

My big boy

January 27, 2016 / Renae / 2 Comments

Chance started prep today. He was so keen to get into his uniform this morning. He asked me if he was the most perfect prep boy ever.

He wanted a Star Wars backpack but all the ones I found were cheap and rubbish. So Hubs and I decided to hit up the Army disposal shop in town for a black canvas backpack, then it was off to Spotlight for the fabric. And hey presto!

I also love that it’s a one-off so he’ll always know which bag is his. I think he likes it.

And the books! Oh the covering of the books! I secretly love it 🙂

Since Hubs is home on study leave, he took some time out this morning to be a part of Chance’s first day which was lovely. The kids crammed into the pram and off we went on this stinking hot morning.

We were obviously hanging around too long at drop off time, as Chance very politely requested for us to “please leave now”.

And the verdict? “It was even better than kindy!” And let me tell you, this kid LOVED kindy.