Our Creative Endeavours

My kids love creating art. They glue stuff, draw stuff, and, when I can be bothered, they paint stuff. The kids wanted to paint the other day, and I still have my assignment to do (Am I ever going to finish it??????) so I thought I'd set them up for painting. Painting for a 2 and 4 year old is not just a 'leave ' em and walk away' kind of activity, unfortunately. It requires active and very hands-on interaction from the mother so that the paint on the hands is not transferred to the chair and the wall and the floor and....well, I guess you get the picture.

We have a routine going now. The kids say "Finished, Mum" and I carefully whisk their 'artwork away to dry and plonk a new piece of paper in front of them. After many, many new pieces of paper, I decided to join in and painted a little mini canvas thing. It was so much fun!!! (And painting is another very valid procrastination technique.....) I felt really creative and artistic and I think my art is cool.

Handy Hint Number 49: It's not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. As a Mum, it's fun to explore your own creativity (and if you're already covered in paint, you may as well do something with it.......)

Miss 4 also created a mini canvas. Hers is called 'A Windy Day' - yep, she named it, and I think her art is very cool too......

I've included photos of our art from the day. Let me know what you think.......

My Favourite Shoes...... and a Boy Visits.....

I recently had to give up on my favourite shoes - according to the shoe repair guy (with whom I feel I have become inordinately close to) there is nothing more that can be done for them. They have had a good life (about 11 years) although they did skip some years of wear - I was fickle and unfaithful to them...... They were actually a hand-me-down from my sister so they did have quite a long and exciting life. Every time I wore them I got compliments, often from guys, which is fairly amazing.

Speaking of boys...... I recently had the pleasure of a visit from a good friend of mine who I had not seen in years........ seriously, probably seven years. Sadly the last time I had seen him was pre-kids and 15kgs lighter. He gave me 3 hours warning of his impending visit. I don't know if you can envisage the frenzy that errupted in my house in that 3 hours. Apart from begging God to help me lose 15 kilos in 3 hours ("Please God, I will do anything you want....."), the kids and I dusted, cleaned, put away shopping and cooked up a massive batch of vegies and lambshanks for Mr 2 (I think I've mentioned previously how much I dislike chopping pumpkin - I was chopping it at warp speed). I also, with assistance from two friends, demolished the bunk bed in the kid's room and moved it down stairs to storage. This was perhaps not the best timing to do that job, and may have put a little extra pressure than was necessary on the whole proceedings, but hey...... I'm sure my boy visitor was thrilled to see the bunk bed out of the kid's room in the fleeting glance he gave to the room. Miss 4 was incredibly helpful as she cleaned the toys and the lounge area up, and started the washing up, and I even managed to make myself look reasonably respectable.

Handy Hint Number 48: When a boy that you used to have a massive crush on and that you haven't seen in many years says he is coming to visit, it is probably good for your sanity to arrange a date with him 3 months down the track instead of 3 hours, so you can lose 15 kgs and look stunning......

Anyway, we had a great catch up and he cooked me dinner - which was unreal. Unfortunately I had a headache, brought on, I'm sure, from no lunch or caffeine and excessive dashing around like a mad woman combined with stress over Mr Dad (who has been a bit unwell), so I wasn't the hostess with the mostest that I normally would be.......

And in case you were wondering: he still looks great. Typical.....

The Art of Procrastination

Well, I have an assignment due so the house is spotless and the washing is up-to-date. My procrastination, though, is at such an advanced level that I have accomplished many very important things in the last couple of days: I did last year's tax yesterday, I've just consolidated my super funds, I have cleaned the leather couches with very special (read: expensive) cleaner and then polished them with very special (even more expensive) leather polish stuff, I've sorted all the kids' art into display folders in date order, cleaned the fridge, and almost overdosed on chocolate (it's a procrastination technique of a quite unhealthy sort....) I am one step away from completely re-organising all my digital photos in the computer - although I am tossing up whether doing my assignment is preferable to that!!

On Sunday the kids and I drove to Morpeth and met up with Mrs Mum and Mr Dad. Morpeth has lots of quirky, arty clothing stores and interesting trinkets. I am in a dangley earring phase and Mrs Mum bought me some very nice ones for a belated Mother's Day present. I think they're gorgeous - now I just have to work out somewhere to wear them!

Miss 4 and I have actually become quite the little earring makers. I purchased heaps of assorted beads and sorted them into little containers (a tedious task which took ages and I'm sure if it wasn't already done I would be doing it today as another procrastination exercise!!!!) and Miss 4 regularly designs earrings for me. Some of her designs are really cool, and others I gently suggest removing or adding different beads.

Handy Hint Number 47: Encourage your kids to be creative and use their imagination and don't impose your own ideas on their art attempts. The other day Miss 4 created an amazing art work using multiple textures of paper, textas, stamps and glue. I love it because there was absolutely no input from me. Tell your kids they are creating art - and put it in a display folder. It may not be all that rivetting for the visitor who gets to look through the 'art' book, but it's lovely for your kids.

While at Morpeth Mrs Mum walked along with Miss 4 looking at roses and camellias and other flowers. Mrs Mum always has a hard time believing I'm her daughter because I just seem to have missed the gardening gene that seems embedded in the family, and I don't know flower names all that well. (I do want to have a vegie patch one day, though - that's the extent of my gardening desire...)

I am conscious that I am lacking in the botanical knowledge department, (and have been shamed by Mrs Mum and my brother and sisters) so I do attempt to point out things to the kids. As we drove along recently I pointed out the beautiful trees with purple flowers to the kids: "They're called magnolias. Can you say 'Magnolia'?" The kids were in the back trying to say 'magnolia' when my friend in the car said: "Aren't they jacarandas?" Whoops.

By the way, thanks to all the people who called or emailed to say they were happy to see my blog back. It's nice to be back!

OK...... here I am ........ again........

After several months off, I am back. I have actually spent a couple of months thinking about what to write to explain my long absence, and I've decided to go for a very brief explanation: Met somebody, fell in love, spent every possible moment talking on phone (hence, no blog...), had heart broken, cried a lot, ate way too many Tim Tams......

So, them's the breaks. I'm a bit over love at the moment.

Now the time has come to focus on uni, which is of course why I am back writing my blog... (Hey, I inititally started this blog while procrastinating and avoiding uni assignments......... I notice a pattern forming). I also have to get back on my bike (literally, an exercise bike) and work off my Tim Tams......

Handy Hint Number 45: Be warned - Kids can be brutally honest regarding weight loss. While looking at myself naked in the mirror I patted my smaller tummy and Miss 4 said earnestly "You better start working on your bottom."

Shortakes:
I have still not finished my movie and am therefore still no closer to meeting Matthew McConaughey. However, I am actually thinking of casting another lead man in the role - Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny off Grey's Anatomy..........how could they kill him off??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) He's a bit of a spunk.

Just on Grey's Anatomy. Does no-one in the hospital wear their hair up?? They flounce through halls, pash in elevators, and look after patients, all with their long hair flying around like some Pantene commercial. I am hard-pressed to have my hair out for 1 hour, let alone a 20 hour medical shift!!! (And imagine the shedding of hairs all over the patients!!!)

Mr 2 has moved out of his cot and into a big bed. My little baby is no longer a baby......... He is, however, a massive fan of dancing. He was teary in the highchair (or 'upchair' as we call it, thanks to Miss 4) and when I asked what was wrong, he answered: "I want to dance." I plucked him from the highchair, and he danced around like a mad thing!! He often brings a CD to me and says earnestly 'Mum, prease..... I want to dance' (prease = please, for those non-parents amongst you).

Miss 4 is growing up so fast. It seems so much faster than I grew up! I told Miss 4 the other day that I loved her and her response was this: "I know you do. You don't have to keep telling me." (Picture it said with the tone of a 13 year old responding to being nagged.)

Handy Hint Number 46: Kids grow up so quickly. It is actually a good idea to have a blog or journal just to remember their cute little moments.