Small town, big heart

We just returned from a week away in Phillip Island. I went there with my parents when I was younger but can't remember much (strangely I remember that Mum bought a Gucci t-shirt...). This time, the Mr and I took the boys. We hired a house and two other families joined us for a few days. It was chaotic at times but a brilliant thing to do - all the little boys (5!) had such fun climbing up sand piles, looking in rock pools and generally just mucking around.
After the other families left we had some rainy days where we layed low and I went into town with #1 and visited the CWA shop. Two lovely older ladies were knitting and crocheting while I looked around. #1 proudly showed them the contents of his backpack and started a long detailed explaination of just how much he loves Lightening McQueen. When the conversation started to die (the ladies clearly were not well aquainted with Lightening), #1 began to tell them how he helps mummy with knitting and terial (material). And sometimes he and mum do cooking together and we make yummy pancakes. And then he proudly announced, I love knitting.
So cute. It made me realise that those moments during the day when you share something with them - let them have a go of the knitting needles or a press of the sewing machine button - it's those times that they cherish more than I realise.
Later in the day he said to me, 'Mum, I like those girls.'
'Which girls?' I said.
'You know, those nice girls in the knitting shop.'
I bet they'd love to know that he called them 'girls'!!

Division of responsibilities

It's funny how the jobs are divided up within a family. We are going away on a holiday tomorrow and it got me thinking about who does what in this household.

I definately take care of the lists. I like lists. I look after the food (generally) and the social calendar (who am I kidding...that should have said, the kids social calendar).

Packing is the Mr's domain and he is so good at it. If packing were a game show or a reality TV show - well - we could be millionaires. He can fit pretty much anything anywhere. His golden rule is that he MUST have everything in one place before the packing commences. Nothing frustrates him more than someone (ok, me) saying 'Oh, here is another saucepan for the dishwasher.'

So that brings us to other household jobs: tidying (me), hardcore cleaning (him), changing lightbulbs (him), setting mousetraps (him), shopping list (me), remembering things like pyjama day at childcare (me), sewing (me), washing (both), nappies (both), making the peppermint tea once the kids are in bed (him), cracking the Tim Tams open (me).

Grocery shopping (me), Bunnings (him), outside stuff (him), paying bills (me), putting out the rubbish (both), remembering birthdays (me), writing letter to (his) grandma (me), writing on the birthday and christmas cards (me and this is a commitment that he believes was written into our wedding vows), figuring out how things work (him), map reading (him), driving (both), making appointments (me), choosing the music (him - he always makes the best music choices).

Turns out that for the most part I suppose we are pretty traditional.

Love that I'm really happy with him doing his jobs and I think he's pretty happy with me doing mine. Meant to be.

Sleeping babe

Recently, #1 had a nasty fall and his chin was pretty badly hurt. We needed to put special antibiotic cream on the wound but of course, how do you do that to a 3 year old. He would not let me near it. So I put the cream on after he'd fallen asleep. It was a very sweet moment in time.

There is almost nothing I love more than watching my boys sleep. There is something so amazing about children when they are asleep. So peaceful. So innocent.

It reminds me of a time when they were just newborn babes in my arms. That feels like so long ago.

Putting pen to paper

Although you'd never know it, I actually write blog posts in my head daily. However, it seems that they rarely get beyond my mind and actually posted onto my blog. Sometimes that gets me down. I think that I'd love to post more frequently but it seems I don't often have everything in one place - the camera might be elsewhere, the picture might not have been taken, the camera cable misplaced, the big boy wanting to watch Thomas on the laptop, the dinner not made....things just get in the way sometimes. So I got to thinking today that if I just didn't worry so much about posting images, more posts might actually make it to the blog.
But a picture says 1000 words and posts without pics aren't always that interesting or inspiring. I love looking at other people's beautiful blogs. But I figure that I'd rather have a post up, a thought out of my head and actually documented than not. So you know what? This is my blog and I can do whatever I please with it.
So I'm going to.

Pretty rainbow

I meant to post this pic ages ago. Discovered it again when I was downloading the memory card. On this day, there were three rainbows above our house - this was the clearest one.
I love rainbows.

Tape

image from notemaker.com.au

Well, life got in the way of posting in May. We've had lots going on this past month...a new nephew, my birthday, my son's birthday, my sister's birthday and what seems like weeks of a household with at least 2 people sick - damn colds.

I thought I'd share an image of the present my two little boys gave me for my birthday...a beautiful, beautiful sticky tape dispenser. Infact the most beautiful sticky tape dispenser I have ever seen.

I saw this tape dispenser on NoteMaker a while back and absolutely loved it. The Mr remembered and sneakily bought it for my birthday. Such a fitting gift to be given from my sons. #1 LOVES sticky tape.

I keep telling him that I love the gift he gave me and he keeps insisting that he did not give me Spencer. Still doesn't quite understand what dispenser means....