Renovations: Days Sixteen And Seventeen

I mentioned in my last renovations post that the builders were delayed a little on the extension, so they've moved to another part of the renovation: covering in our back decking.

They've spent the last two days on that, and it's looking amazing.

Yesterday 

Today

Our back decking is a part of the house that we love. A few metres wide and running the whole length of the house, it's a great space. When we moved in, it was in a state of disrepair. We held our housewarming/engagement party out there and spent the entire night worrying that it was going to fall down with all those people standing on it. It survived, though. Just. But it was rotting through at a rapid rate (it was about twenty years old).

It was also mission brown (like much of our house was back then), with cream railings. Lovely. And it was rather nerve-racking for anyone bringing their children to our house - with just a horizontal railing across the middle, it was an invitation to climb (have I mentioned there's a two-metre drop at one end?).

A few years ago, we finally fixed it. We had the whole decking replaced and new, vertical, legal railings put in. The only problem is we don't use it all that often - in summer, it's in the full sun for most of the day and in winter it's obviously too cold and wet.

We're having it covered in, so it can act as another space that can be used all year round. We'll eventually put some heating out there and a bar and barbeque area and, when our new back doors are installed, it should be lovely to look out over, towards our backyard.


Megan

Have I Mentioned...

The new love in my life?

Check out Mooo's website and you'll see why I'm so in love with them that I've recently purchased all these things...

A Father's Day t-shirt, perfect for the child who has a joker for a Dad (be warned: this t-shirt only encourages said dad jokes!).

A beautiful bag, perfect for a little girl who has outgrown a nappy bag and now carries her own backpack around. (She used to take it when she went to childcare - and if she was still there I'd also be buying Mooo's name labels! - now she takes it everywhere, with a change of nappy, clothes, drink and snacks.)

Ssshhhh - this one's a birthday present for a certain almost-two-year-old!

A generic picture from the website of the stunning party invitations we sent out for Abbey's party. This was the invitation that inspired the entire theme... I wonder if you can pick it?

I'm so in love with these height charts that I've bought this spotty one for Abbey's new bedroom, and a boyish one for a friend's new baby.

And I adore the polka dots so much that I'm now eyeing off these spotty wall stickers (they have a huge range of designs) to continue the theme in Abbey's new room!

See why I'm in love with this website? Check it out here - there are so many things that you'll be in kiddy shopping heaven!

Megan

A Parenting Revelation

I see these questions and posts all around the internet, I hear these discussions around me all the time - what is your parenting style?

We analyse everything we do. Rather than just doing it, we have to read about it, think about it, weigh up the pros, cons and possible future implications of what we're doing with our kids.

I, for one, am sick of that approach.

I'm not a parent who fits into any nice little label. Sometimes I'm really strict but sometimes I'm not, there are times I'm quite traditional and other times I lean towards more gentle parenting methods. Most of the time I'm a more patient, positive mother than I ever imagined being - to be honest, I'm a better mum than I ever thought - but at times, I'm not.

And I'm tired of analysing it. I do tend to overthink things at times (I know, you're shocked at that revelation!) but when I think and think about parenting, I always come back to one thing. And it's quite ironic.

I've thought about it and realised that I'm the best parent I can be when I stop thinking about it.

When I stop the reading, the analysing, the overthinking and the watching everything I do when I'm with Abbey, I'm actually a good mum. But when I do it, all I can give my daughter is a tired, anxious, overwrought, guilty version of myself. And that, then, affects her mood and behaviour.

The thing is, it's all very well to know the approach to take, and it's wonderful to set yourself a goal of being the perfect parent, with the perfect approach to everything your child does. But that isn't life.

And what it all boils down to is the fact that I'm with my daughter all day. Every day. Trying to be happy, perfect and watch everything I say and do just isn't sustainable. I can't do it. Nor should I expect myself to.

I already live my life according to some core principles and morals. I already try to be the best person I can be. As part of that, I treat other people well, including Abbey.

So. Here's the thing. I'm just going to go about my life, trying to do the right thing by myself and everyone around me. Which, in turn, means I'm doing the best I can in raising my daughter. She will continue to see me as I am - usually happy but sometimes frustrated or upset or angry, sometimes patient but other times not so much, and most of the time happy to calmly deal with situations but sometimes losing it.

That's the way it is.

And I'm going to go with my instincts. Because it's true, they're worth following. Almost two years of being a parent has taught me that much.

Parenting is a huge part of my life now, and I'm just going to live it.


Megan

Fantastic Adventure Fiction

I'm so thrilled to be guest posting at the brilliant Fantastic Fiction For Kids, hosted by Zoe Toft on her website, Playing By The Book.

Fantastic Fiction For Kids is a series of posts about picture books, each one involving a theme. I've chosen... ADVENTURE!

You can read about my favourite adventure books here!


Megan

Renovations: Days Fourteen And Fifteen

The last two days have seen the builders at a bit of a loss.

There has been a delay on the roof trusses (another term I don't understand!), so while they waited they began work on another part of the renovation: covering our back decking.

Two problems with this:

One. The weather has been revolting and they've faced almost non-stop rain, wind and freezing cold conditions - to the point where they left after a couple of hours yesterday.

Two. I had a slight panic when I opened the back door to see that part of the railing around the decking had been removed. Think two-metre drop combined with toddler. Then think birthday party for said toddler in two weeks, with a dozen kids running around, and combine that with the two-metre drop. (Sure, they've put a couple of horizontals along the gap in the railing, but that's an invitation to climb!)

I explained this to them and they've assured me they'll replace each section as soon as they've finished with it and have it all back in place by the day of the party.

Phew. Panic over.

On another note, we went shopping at IKEA yesterday for house things. I was on a mission for photo frames, after having a quote for custom-made frames that almost made my heart stop. I'd seen nice-looking frames on IKEA's website, so I went hunting (they SO need online shopping!).

We now have a collection of beautifully simple white frames for a heap of photos I want to put up in our new, improved house (photos that have been sitting there for six months waiting for frames after our family photo session - oops), as well as some prints I've bought from Etsy and Made It recently (this one and this one - and they look amazing in their big white frames!).

I was so happy to find a solution more fitting to our current budget, that still looks great.

I also bought a gorgeous, big, framed mirror for Abbey's new room - which I'm so excited about decorating! There are lots of ideas coming together for that which I'll share with you soon.


Megan

Word Of The Week

'Sharing' Mummy's hiking boots

Abbey's Word of the Week this week is...

Share verb
Pronunciation: Sair
Usually meaning 'to use, occupy or enjoy something jointly with another or others', in this context it is used as 'give it to me. Now.'
A not-quite-two-year-old does not yet grasp the full meaning of the word, but she has taken to using it quite frequently. For example, if she takes something she shouldn't have and I take it from her, she'll say, 'Share'. If we're in the supermarket and she wants to grab something off the shelf and I ask her not to - 'Share'.
And this is always said in a very mother-like tone, complete with raised eyebrows and voice inflection, proving how very parrot-like a toddler can be.


Megan

Photo Friday

Welcome to the inaugural Photo Friday! (You can read here about why I'm starting this.)

The photo I wanted to share today is one I took last weekend, when the frame of our extension was first built. For the first time, Steve, Abbey and I were able to walk around our new rooms and I took this shot of Abbey 'in' her new bedroom:

I liked the idea of the photo - Abbey standing in her new room for the first time, and the beautiful grin on her face as though she's excited about the prospect of moving into it.

But, well, you can all see that it's technically a rotten photo. The lighting is terrible (it was a glary morning) and the framing of the shot is right off. I know that many photographers think that cropping and fixing a photo to the point that I'm about to show you is wrong. It shows a complete lack of talent with photography, only perhaps with computer software - and I agree. Except, sometimes, there's a photo that pulls at your heart strings and you just have to try and salvage it.

Surely I can be forgiven this once?

Anyway, here's what I've done with it:

I thought it actually looked quite effective, old-fashioned and timeless when I took some of the colour away, also allowing that smile to shine through. I had to remove some glare and play with the exposure, brightness, sharpness and, obviously, cropping.

What do you think?

Want to join in with Photo Friday? Give me your link in the comments and I'll come and check it out. If a few people want to do it, I'll set up a special linky tool in the coming weeks!


Megan

Announcing... Photo Friday!

An old favourite photo: I love capturing new angles of classic sights

I love photography.

I grew up with it, watching my dad create a career out of doing something he loved. He worked from home and even built a darkroom in the backyard and I loved spending time with him out there, watching a blank piece of paper turn into a beautiful picture. It seemed like magic. Then I'd watch as he sat in the lounge room with a magnifier, carefully retouching slight imperfections with the tiniest paint brush I'd ever seen.

I loved sneaking in when he met with customers or peeking around the corner during a photo shoot. I loved playing with all his cameras and lights. I even enjoyed the posing he made us all do as he tinkered with lighting and backgrounds, mainly so that I could then go to the darkroom and watch him work that magic with the film.

I felt so important when he'd ask me to come along to a wedding and help with the cameras. Knowing that what we were doing was creating a lasting memory of someone's special day was pretty special.

I used to dream of being a photographer myself. Even recently I toyed with the idea, until I realised I enjoy it as a hobby rather than a job.

These days, of course, photography is somewhat different. Digital technology has taken over the world of cameras and made things simpler, but taken away some of that magic. Retouching photos on the computer seems almost too easy when compared with how it used to be done. A few clicks here, undo that, crop it here, brush that out, and a brilliant photo can appear. I still love it, though.

In the last few months, my photography has taken a backseat - and not just in a car, but a busload full of things to do. Yep, it's the 'backseat baddy' of all the demands on my time.

So, I figured there's one way to get myself out taking photos again, and that's to set a blogging challenge... Photo Friday!

Each Friday, I'm going to post a photo - either something from my week or an oldie that I love or have been playing with in my photo editing program (I use 'Aperture' on my Mac - not a plug, just letting you know in case you're wondering). I'll do my best to explain any retouching or other notes. Hopefully this will help me experiment with my camera more again and pick up some new skills along the way. (Disclaimer: I said I enjoy it, not that I'm brilliant!)

And if you'd like to join in - leave a link in the comments for me and I'll come and check out your photo. If there are a few people who'd like to do it, I'll work out how to set up a special linky tool.

See you tomorrow for our first Photo Friday!

I used to have little photo shoots with Abbey - this will be a great excuse to do it again...

Megan

Countdown To The Big 2: The Goody Bags

Two weeks to go until my little girl turns TWO!

The next thing I need to sort out (following on from here and here) is the goody bags. They shall not be lolly bags - no, I would feel far too guilty about not serving sugary food at the party and then sending the kids home with bags full of lollies!

Here's what I'm thinking:

- A bottle of bubbles (that is, detergent stuff that you blow into bubble shapes... the other type of bubbles is what I'll be drinking that night!)
- Stickers
- A colouring picture
- Small box of crayons (if I can find some inexpensive ones!)
- Freddo Frog (I had to add something naughty)
- A pack of homemade biscuits (currently thinking three types: Anzac, choc chip and a Swiss shortbread)
- Balloon

Very special thanks to Narelle for her ideas, of which I've blatantly stolen!

Any other ideas? What lolly-free things have you put in party goody bags?


Megan

Renovations: Days Twelve And Thirteen

We now have a new front decking!

And the beginning of an entranceway!

Oh, and I've learnt the true value of having a man around the house all day - I had a spider in my car today and was able to call out for help. Yes, I know, I'm completely tragic.

Discussions about roofing have also begun. We had originally thought we'd stick with the ugly brown tiles and have them painted later on. The builders have suggested, though, that we think about changing it all to colourbond. We'll get quotes on both and have a think about it. My preference? I have no idea what's good or bad about either - looks like it's time to do some research. (There are some things you never imagine ever having to read up about - roofing is one of them for me. How boring.)


Megan

Renovations: Day Eleven

A beautiful, sunny winters day here, I caught the builders actually taking their lunch break and relaxing (albeit for just ten minutes) in the sun. Tut tut. Despite their idling ways (!), they did the frame for the inside of the house. (Previously it was just the frame for the external walls - now we have rooms. Which is always handy.)

During the day, the biggest event was Abbey actually napping - that is an event in itself, but her mean mother forced her to (she had a cold, a bad night's sleep from teething pain and had been to swimming that morning - hello grumpiness). Add to that two builders hammering, drilling, compressor going off every so often, banging and crashing on the roof, right next to where she was napping, and it was a small miracle for my light sleeping daughter.

Come the end of the day, though, and the builder called me outside to ask me something. The front decking, if built according to the plans, was going to be over the gas meter (yet another thing the draftsperson should have picked up on). Apparently this is not good, and it's likely we'd be made to have it moved which could be a pain and also costly. However, if we either put a 'L' shaped gap in the decking around it or cut the decking short about half a metre, we'd avoid the meter. I opted to cut the decking short.

Then he just happened to mention in passing where the steps were going to be on the decking. That is, not where they are on the plan. It appeared Steve had asked them to move the steps. Cue frustration, then - great timing - cue husband's car pulling into the driveway. We had a few words (the builder saying, 'just talk about it tonight and let me know tomorrow', me: 'no, we'll make a decision now', Steve insisting we had discussed this change, me disagreeing, builder shifting around uncomfortably) and I won we happily came to an agreement.

The stairs are to be back in their original spot.


Megan

Fitness Minus The Gym

I have a pathological fear of gyms.

That might be a slight exaggeration, but it isn’t far off. My experience with gyms is limited to one aerobics class and one attempt to sign up. The aerobics class was a disaster: I failed to keep up with the choreography and at the first opportunity, when the instructor turned her back, I ran out of the room.

A few years later, I decided to join one of the thirty-minute workout gyms. It was not long after I had my daughter and I thought a quick session a couple of times each week would suit me perfectly. I could go at the times that suited me, when my husband was home from work, and it was also close to home. So I went there and was introduced to someone who would show me around and tell me all about it.

The minute she began talking about weight loss, I knew I couldn’t do it. I tried explaining to her that I wouldn’t be coming to lose weight; I was only interested in my fitness and strength. I don’t even own a set of scales; I have no interest in the numbers. She looked perplexed and began measuring me. I protested and she told me that’s just the way things were done at this gym. So, I left.

Instead, I continued with the workout plan I’d been doing for years, one that I had begun when I first decided to do a hike in central Tasmania. This crazy idea came to me one day in the midst of a moment of feeling fit. It turned out I was wrong and something had to be done.

Together with my husband, Steve, who is a former gym-goer and fitness fanatic, I developed a plan to get ready for the hike we planned to do within a few months. In order to walk for five days straight, up mountains and across rough terrains, all the while carrying my supplies on my back, I had to build up my fitness levels, stamina and strength.

I began with some basic exercises at home – weights and push-ups, as well as lifts on the furniture for my arms; lunges, squats and toe-touches for my legs; and sit-ups for my stomach – and was amazed at the fast results. I did half the exercises one day, the rest the next day, and so on. I gave myself a break from it each Sunday. I never increased the weights, choosing instead to build up the number of repetitions, as I was after strength and toning rather than big muscles. I started off with small numbers of each exercise, increasing the number of repetitions once a week.

I called it my ‘home gym’.

I also walked a lot. We live in a hilly area, so that helped, and we walked a few evenings a week as well as for a few hours each Sunday afternoon.

Very soon, I noticed a couple of big differences. Firstly, I had a lot more energy. Beginning each day with my ‘home gym’ exercises before breakfast gave me a good start. Secondly, my arms, legs and stomach were much more toned, and I noticed an increase in the strength of my limbs. My knees no longer ached and, when we walked, I could easily carry a heavy backpack on my shoulders. I headed up hills without any struggle or hesitation.

I did the hike.

I felt good, and that was my main aim.

But the best thing? I didn’t have to make a stealthy dash from an aerobics class ever again.

The next step is getting back into it all properly. This is well overdue. It’s so easy to let these things slide, but those extra ten minutes of exercise in the comfort of my lounge room in the mornings really are worthwhile.

What's your relationship with exercise?


Megan

A Giveaway on Kids Book Review

What are you waiting for? Head over to Kids Book Review and enter the competition to win one of three Steve Parish book packs. I guarantee your kids will LOVE these books!

Just click HERE to find out more!


Megan

I Feel The Need

Do you know what I really, really need right now?

A big, huge, massive dose of retail therapy.

In my former life, with disposable income and free weekends and lots of time alone, I shopped a lot. That doesn't mean I had lots of amazing clothes or accessories or anything. Oh no, I tend to worry too much about spending money and instead stare longingly at things and wish I could just be an impulse buyer and forget the guilt.

I tended to buy for 'need' rather than 'want'.

Then I'd come home and yearn for said things and drive Steve insane until he'd ask me to please just go and buy them. When I did, I'd then become guilty and return at least some of the things.

Yes, I miss my (ahem) carefree childless shopping days.

But at least I had the time to keep going back to the shops to yearn, to buy and then return (actually, I didn't really have the time, but I did it anyway). And I had the money to spend, if I let go of the guilt for a moment (I'm only tight when it comes to spending money on myself, I promise!).

There are a few things holding me back from such a shopping trip now. Partly money, but I won't go into that (one word should suffice: renovations). But also because shopping with a toddler is not quite the same as shopping alone. Alone, I don't have to wait out a tantrum or juggle snacks and drinks and other distraction devices. Other than chocolate, that is. And any toddler-free time is spent on other things. Writing. Working. Catching up with friends. Sleeping.

Then there's the other problem. What's the point in shopping for clothes when I'm almost always at home anyway? Any yearning I have for lovely new clothes comes back to the sensible thought that I won't wear beautiful skirts or high heels at home. It's jeans and sneakers all the way these days.

But how I'd love a long, dawdling shopping trip. A girl can dream, right?


Megan

Renovations: Days Eight, Nine And Ten

A lot can happen in a short space of time, although it didn't feel like that for most of this week. It actually felt like progress had halted... until yesterday (Friday).

Tuesday - day eight - the builders were digging under the house so, although they were working, no noticeable progress was made.

Wednesday - they took the day off (that is, they worked elsewhere on another job for the day). Steve and I went shopping for things for our new bathroom. We bought a shower (we've gone with normal shower base rather than a wet floor), a bath (I'm thrilled to say that, as opposed to our current miniscule bath, this is one that actually fits an adult human inside - I checked by sitting in it of course!) and two toilets. I know that's not terribly exciting, but the part when the girl in the shop told us she could knock $800 off the price definitely was.

Thursday - day nine - they worked half a day due to bad weather, and they put down some flooring on top of the sub-floor (floorboards will be laid on top of that later).

Friday - day ten - I went out at lunch time and returned home after dinner. When I left, they were measuring out the rooms and drawing it all up on the floor. When I arrived home that night, I was amazed to see...

In Abbey's new bedroom!

A FRAME! (Or at least the beginning of it.) We spent some time out there this morning walking through it - there's Abbey's new room, the new bathroom, the spare room, that's where the new front door will be...

Now that is progress!


Megan

Word Of The Week

Abbey's Word of the Week this week is...

Taylor noun
Pronunciation: Tay-a
One's dog's name.
Now having discovered that dogs do things when one instructs them to, one has taken to calling the dog - over and over and over again - and instructing her to do things such as 'sit' and 'eat' (not much instruction needed for a Labrador to do that one!) or 'go to bed'.
It's true - Abbey and Taylor are now absolute best friends.


Megan

The Dreaded Weekly Event

The supermarket shopping. Sigh.

I think it would be fair to say I dread supermarket day. It's just so... boring. I'm not one of those people who wanders for ages through every aisle in the supermarket. I'm more the type to race around, only entering the aisles absolutely necessary, and grab only the things on the list.

This may be a genetic thing. My Mum has always been the same, with the mantra 'If it's not on the list, it's not going in the trolley'. But when the supermarket shopping became Dad's job, we were all very keen to volunteer as helpers. Dad would wander around, looking at various things, but the first task was always a trip to the chocolate aisle, and we were allowed to eat a chocolate bar as we walked around (we'd keep the wrapper and pay for it!).

The best thing about food shopping since I've had Abbey is being able to go mid-week. No more weekends battling supermarket car parks and busy checkouts is a relief, especially with a little one in tow. Although, going to the supermarket with Abbey has been very simple... until now. As a baby, I'd put her in a trolley with a baby seat and when she could sit by herself she was propped in the front of a normal trolley. Easy.

The last few weeks, she's decided she'd rather 'help' me. This 'help' comes in the form of pushing the trolley and grabbing things from the shelf to put in the trolley. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

To be fair, she's been pretty restrained with this and will generally listen when I explain that we don't need that particular thing and she needs to help me push the trolley to get the next thing. Usually, a toddler is pretty willing to go along with things if they think they're actually helping and the adult involved couldn't possibly push a trolley without their help!

This week's trip to the supermarket was made even more interesting by the fact that I decided not to get a trolley. We didn't need much, so I grabbed a basket instead. But Abbey desperately wanted to carry it, so I gave her one as well. That way, I figured, I could give her a few light things to carry in her basket and I'd take all the heavy items. Simple.

And it was simple - to us. Even though the baskets were quite large, Abbey managed really well. She had to stop every now and then and put it down, and she almost tripped over it a couple of times, but that isn't something she's fussed by (her bravery and pain threshold is a whole other post!). I offered to help her a couple of things, but that was the only thing that upset her. I think she was actually quite offended by my offers! so I stopped doing that. We were going along quite well, if very slowly.

Until other people decided to stick their noses in. They started glaring at me, saying things like 'That's mean, making her carry that' and 'She's struggling, you know'.

Never one to take those sort of comments well, I responded with a simple, 'Mind your own business and don't be so rude'. But the remarks really upset me. Why on earth did people feel the need to judge me? (As an aside, this is becoming a regular occurrence everywhere Steve or I take Abbey - every outing lately seems to gather rude comments. Whether she's walking, in the pusher, in a carrier on her Dad's back, carrying things, not carrying things, whatever it is, someone feels the need to tell us we're doing the wrong thing.)

Is it because they have no knowledge of toddlers and their absolute need to feel some independence and copy the actions of adults? Is it because they've forgotten what it was like when their kids were little? (for the life of me, I can't imagine ever forgetting these toddler years though!) Neither is any excuse - it's just simply not their place to comment.

Or do they really think I decided a fun outing would be to walk really, really slowly around the supermarket, bringing my toddler just to make her carry all the stuff? Clearly, having her be my slave and carry three items barely even weighing a few grams was my plan all along (she says with an evil chuckle).

Perhaps I should go back to the genetics of supermarket shopping. I remember when my younger brother was little and throwing a tantrum in the middle of the shop, Mum gave him a little smack. A woman walking past gasped in horror and told Mum she shouldn't smack her child. Mum turned around and said, 'If you're not careful, I'll give you one too!'

Perhaps I should have told the people to keep their opinions to themselves or else I'd make them be my slaves too! Next time...


Megan

Countdown To The Big 2: The Party Food

Abbey enjoying cake on her 1st birthday

The countdown continues (I started it here last week). Only three weeks until my baby turns TWO!

Many people will know that I'm a big fan of 'real' food for kids (I wrote about that here). I don't believe in giving children lots of sugary or processed foods and I don't see the need to introduce lollies and soft drinks and lots of foods with zero nutritional value at Abbey's age.

When it comes to feeding a toddler, who will on some days want to eat the entire contents of the fridge and then refuse anything the next day, it's especially important to make the food she eats is worthwhile.

So, planning the food to be served at Abbey's birthday party is a big deal for me. I refuse to have it like 'traditional' parties, with lollies and soft drinks and sugar everywhere. I really, really dislike the idea of a bunch of kids running around my house dosed up on sugar, or a two-year-old coming down from a sugar high that evening. Shudder.

Here's the menu of party food I'm planning:

Homemade sausage rolls
Homemade mini pizzas
Fruit sticks
Yoghurts
Fairy bread
Cheese, meat and biscuit platters

And dessert:

Birthday cake!

And drinks:

Water bottles with each child's name
Milkshakes

I don't think I'm being a complete party-pooper with that menu. There are some healthy choices, some fun party foods and a few sweet things too, so hopefully all the kids will be happy with something that's on offer.

Do you have any other suggestions? Anything I've missed?


Megan

Kidspot Top 50 Blog Your Way To Dunk Island

"It's too hard."

"All you're doing is transferring the feeding, sleeping and disciplining to another place."

"Kids find travelling boring."

"It isn't worth it."

I hear so many people saying phrases like these, and to them I say: No, no, no, NO! (or in the words of my twenty-three-month-old daughter, Abbey, "noo-noo-noo-nooo").

There is so much to enjoy about heading away with your family. It doesn't have to be anywhere fancy, just a change of scenery is often all it takes.

One thing I love about a family holiday is that it's uninterrupted time together. No work to do, nowhere to rush off to; nothing else demanding our attention. It's all about having fun.

And there is one thing I adore above all else when it comes to travelling with my family: the memories. Looking back over photos, I'm hit with dozens, no - millions, of memories of not just the things we saw and did, but that time we shared together.

I'd love to share a handful of those memories with you...

Every picture tells a story, and sometimes first glance is a little deceiving. This one looks so lovely - a baby peacefully flicking through a book. Right? Soon after this photo was taken, we had to remove the book as she not just chewed on it, but ate it.

Abbey was perfecting her standing skills during our trip, by getting daring and trying to stand without holding on. She perfected it in the tent in the middle of the Australian desert and was SO proud of herself!

This photo will always remind me of the importance of travelling a little slower with a child in tow. We were driving - as you tend to do a lot of through the centre of this huge red land! - and Abbey was over it. Completely. Over. It.

We stopped to give her a break from the car seat but, being rocky, prickly ground, we didn't want to put her down to crawl. Instead, we made it a dance stop - she and I spun and twirled around and danced our energy away.

You can see how much Abbey loved it.

We shared our love of wine with our baby girl when we had an impromptu stop in the Barossa Valley. As in, she loved playing in the vineyards and we loved sampling the produce offered in the area.




If you enjoy reading my blog or if you want to see me blogging about holidaying in Dunk Island, vote for me (it's just two clicks - nice and quick) to win a holiday HERE! Thanks so much!


Megan

Renovations: Day Seven

They say you learn something new every day.

Today, I learnt what a sub-floor is! It's this:

Seriously, how fast was that?! The builders even braved a small hail storm to get this done and they laughed as Abbey stood at the window shouting, "See ya! See ya!", as though she too thought they'd give in to the weather conditions.

Of course, the joy of living in Melbourne is that old saying: don't like the weather? Wait five minutes. It's so true - the sun came out after the hail. That was before the rain came again. Then sun. Then...


Megan

Writing About Travel

I've been writing book reviews for Australian Women Online for a little while now, but I've just branched out to put together some travel pieces for them.

Travel is something I'm really passionate about, and I love having the chance to share some of that in my writing.

You can see my first AWO travel article, about my long-dreamed about trip to Italy, here. And if you ever feel you'd love to have a read of any new articles I've written for AWO, just come here to Writing Out Loud and click on the Australian Women Online logo on the left!

Hope you enjoy reading it!


Megan

Scarfy Warmth

It's been cold, wet and windy in Melbourne - most definitely the perfect weather for a scarf. Although Abbey already had one scarf - a St. Kilda football scarf courtesy of Steve's family - I jumped at the chance to buy her this beautiful, warm, soft and fluffy (and girly!) scarf from one of my favourite blogger's new store on MadeIt.com.au - Sew Thea.

Thea has been clicking away with the knitting needles making bundles of scarves and beanies, and she's adding more and more to the store all the time. You can also request something if what you're after isn't already there.

Go and check out Thea's shop - you know you want to!


Megan

Renovations: Days Four, Five And Six

We now have a complete set of stumps! All in, all holes filled, all stumps level... yay!

The last few days have been pretty uneventful... which is a good thing when it comes to a renovation. We faced some pretty bad weather, but the builders worked through it. There was one day they were unable to work on the stumps but, instead of leaving, they went under the house and did some work for the next stage of the renovation.

That is, they reinforced the existing stumps to hold the weight of the huge beams that are to go in the ceiling, so we (and when I say 'we', I obviously mean 'they') can knock down a big stretch of load-bearing wall.

Because that threw them out a day, and they wanted to have the stumps finished in the first week, one of them came in yesterday (Saturday) to finish them. I love their dedication!

In this next week, they're due to build the sub-floor... and I'm due to find out what that actually is (currently I nod and smile when they talk in builders' language).


Megan

Word Of The Week

Abbey's Word of the Week this week is...

Abbey noun
Pronunciation: Addey-Addey (or, when super excited, Addey-Addey-Addey)
One's name.
Currently keen on naming everything - absolutely everything - one is most eager to name oneself and everything in one's possession - or desired possession - as 'Abbey'.


Megan

Rejection

My first book, a non-fiction for children co-authored by Tania McCartney, was sent off to a publisher in May.

The last three months have been spent trying to forget about it, which I was actually successful in doing most of the time. It helped that whenever I did think about it, I felt sick with nerves, so I soon learnt not to!

Until this week, that is.

Earlier in the week, I emailed Tania. I told her how I'd been lying awake the last few nights thinking about it, worrying that we weren't going to hear anything from the publisher, and wondering if we should start thinking about our next move. She very wisely suggested I forget about it for a while longer. After all, three months in the publishing world is like a week to everyone else.

I did pose this question to her: what is an impatient person like me doing, trying to get into this business? All this waiting is going to kill me.

But I took Tania's advice and forgot about it. I had a good night's sleep that night, and it turned out it was lucky I felt happy and refreshed the next day.

I came home during the next afternoon and checked my emails. My eyes flicked over the names and subjects to get an idea of what was waiting for me - and there was one from Tania, entitled 'FW: Manuscript'.

Uh-oh. This was it.

And it was. It was a big fat - NO.

I quote the publisher: "While we think it's a fabulous idea, I'm afraid that unfortunately it isn't the best fit for our list."

That was nice to hear, and I actually believe her. Surely she'd just say 'not interested' if they thought it was terrible? Right?

And the thing is, I know it's not terrible. I know it's a good idea.

Then I realised something: I felt okay about it. I wasn't sitting there feeling crushed or defeated or heartbroken. I thought I would have been, because I was so worried about sending out our beloved book and risking that someone else might not love it as much as we do. And yet, that fear had been recognised, and I was sitting there thinking, 'Oh well, we'll try again'.

In the very wise words of my daughter - NEXT!

And after all, every author has to face rejection, right?

So, after a few more emails back and forth between Tania and I, and some more research, we're now working on the submission for another publisher. Fingers crossed!


Megan

Countdown To The Big 2

It is just four weeks until Abbey turns two.

Firstly, I'd just like to ask when, exactly, my little girl grew from this...

... to this?

The last two years have flown by. It's all a blur, really.

But we must face facts and not look to the past too much. It's time to gear up towards the celebrations!

There are a couple of things that, as parents, you must do leading up to your child's birthday. The first thing is to buy presents.

My biggest issue here is my wish list for her. It's long. Seriously long - and expensive. Steve and I prefer not to buy her too many things; we're not really into kids having masses upon masses of stuff. Instead, we'd prefer Abbey to grow up appreciating - and playing with - a smaller amount of things. Toys that encourage her to use her imagination.

Unfortunately, this means my list will require some self control, and a lot of lines through items deemed the most unnecessary. Boo to our principles!

The second thing we must do is organise a birthday party. For her first birthday, we chose to have a small family lunch (although this is not so small when there are five cousins, grandparents and several aunties and uncles involved!). But I said I'd arrange a proper party for Abbey's second birthday.

It seemed a long way off when I said it.

A few weeks ago, I looked at the calendar and had a mini freak-out. I wanted to set a theme for the party and start organising it, but I had no ideas. None. I looked at dress-up costumes, but most of the costumes for little girls are fairies. Abbey doesn't even know what a fairy is, so that seemed a bit silly.

In the end, Steve suggested a theme-less party, and I reluctantly agreed. I knew that if I kept waiting until I'd thought up a theme, the party would never happen (exactly like my thirtieth). I went online to search for nice invitations.

And there it was! Right on a beautiful party invitation, staring me in the face, was the perfect theme! (No, I'm not telling you what it is. I'm going to be really mean and tell you when I post some photos of the party - in four weeks' time). (He he he).

So. The theme is set. The invitations are sent. The RSVPs have started coming in.

Now for the real fun: organising party games and food! But that's a whole other post... or two...


Megan

Renovations: Day Three

Today, everything fell into place.

The building surveyor gave us a call and I mentioned that I thought the builders were ready for the stump holes to be inspected. "I'll be there within the hour" he promised.

The builders were astonished. "But we're not quite ready!" they said to me, explaining that a surveyor usually needed to be told a few days in advance. So what did they do? They worked super fast and finished their digging just in time for the surveyor's arrival. Phew.

All inspected and all good.

And that 150mm discrepancy in the measurements? No problem at all, said the surveyor. Double phew.

The challenge today was the weather. It was a cold, rainy day and I wondered if they'd call off proceedings because of it.

Nope.

They mixed concrete and also got to work with things they needed to do under the house. And they tell me that they'll have the 'sub-floor' (whatever that might be) done within a week. I guess I'll find out what that means in around a week's time!

There could be another reason for their fast work today. I had a secret weapon, something I prepared a little earlier (yesterday): Lemon Meringue Cake. A Martha Stewart recipe that my lovely friend Tania shared with me. A cake that was not only delicious but full of sugar energy ingredients.

Oh yes, it's not their work ethic that will keep driving them forward. It's my sugary nutritious baking that will give them such a buzz of energy that they'll move like lightning.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for me. I didn't even manage to get myself out there with a camera today. (In fairness, I was out half the day, and it was really, really cold the other half...). I guess I'm softer than them.

PS - Steve and I also made a decision about the bathroom. We've gone with just a standard shower rather than a wet floor, i.e. the boring, practical decision. It just didn't matter to us enough to splurge the extra costs. Don't worry, there will be plenty of splurges ahead - there's lots still ahead of us!


Megan

A Strange Language

Some might say that toddler-speak is a strange language.

Personally, I think that the English language they are trying so hard to learn is even stranger.

Reading one of Abbey's favourite stories to her recently, I was faced with these two examples of how difficult it is to learn this language of ours:

1. The line "she soared like the music of the wind" prompted Abbey to point to her ear and say, "Sore! Sore!" (she had inflamed ears a while ago and still likes to tell me how sore they were). How confusing - the one word for two meanings.

2. Another line: "she leapt with the lyrebirds", prompting Abbey to stand up. I knew she didn't really know what 'leapt' means, so I was curious about what she would do at this point. She began marching. 'Leapt, right. Leapt, right' she said, smiling at me, obviously very proud at having put this line into context.

How on earth does one teach this crazy language to a child? It's very, very confusing - and I'm sure it becomes even more so as they begin reading and writing themselves.

And for me, someone who loves writing - hearing these little wordplays, these uses of words that an adult just wouldn't think of, is priceless.


Megan

Renovations: Day Two

On day two, they managed to get this digger into our front yard. Laying down tarp, sand and makeshift wooden steps, they drove it down our narrow steps. When I commented at how amazed I was that they got it down, they laughed nervously - 'It's getting it back up that we're worried about!' I'll have to make sure I'm home that day. Preferably with a camera at the ready.

Abbey spent most of her day at the window telling me about the 'tractor' which was, apparently, 'blue' (it's orange but, hey, blue is easier to say), in our front yard. Very exciting for a toddler.

So we now have holes all through our front yard and, living in the hills which are renowned for rocky ground, we were all relieved that they didn't come across much rock. They were relieved for obvious reasons, and we were happy because more rocks equals more labour which, of course, equals more money. Phew.

The main thing I will remember from day two, though, is the realisation of our building designer's big mistake. Her measurements are 150mm out. This, apparently, could cause problems later on with the building surveyor's inspection, when he could deem that the entire house has to be demolished. Slight exaggeration. Nonetheless, apparently he won't look favourably upon such a thing. Sigh.

This was also the day that our builders informed us of the dodginess of the house's original builders. Tradesmen love to tell you that they're better at their job than the last person, but I fear they might actually be right this time.

You see, our front entrance way is 70mm narrower at one end than the other. This is in a space of about two metres. They thought it was terrible. I shrugged and said, well, that's what you get with an older house.

The next thing is to see if the wild weather and gusty winds forecast for tomorrow in Melbourne will eventuate and, if so, what sort of conditions it will take to halt the work.

Day three also marks the day we have to make a final decision as to whether we will be having a wet floor in the bathroom or a traditional shower base. So far, we have changed our minds every two hours. Whichever keeps our interest for more than that length of time will win, I guess.


Megan

Renovations: Day One

Before

There are some moments in life when you realise - this is it. There's no turning back now.

Like when we bought our house and signed all the paperwork. We were home owners. We had a mortgage. That was scary.

Most recently, I've had a 'this is it' moment with our house renovations.

We bought this house nine and a half years ago and, after first driving past it and dismissing it as 'too brown' (the lovely cedar boards were painted mission brown), we decided to look more closely. When we did, we noticed a few things: the colour of the outside was terrible, the colours on the inside were also terrible (each room was a different colour), the carpet was shocking, the kitchen was brown and pink, the curtains were a definite peach tone (that also matched the peach architraves!) and the archways (and the yellow glass doors!) were straight from the 1970s.

We also had a realisation. Everything we didn't like about the house was superficial. Paint and curtains could be changed, cupboards could be replaced and archways could be squared. Carpet could be ripped up, especially considering it was hiding a houseful of beautiful hardwood floors.

In short - we've done a lot of work to make it look like we imagined. All of that, though, made us see even more potential in the loveliness of this place, so that's what we're working on now.

This is not a fancy house. It's a little cedar place on a quiet street surrounded by gum trees. This is not a house that is architecturally designed or will ever be found on the cover of a home decorating magazine.

It's our home. We fell in love with it from the moment we stepped inside.

So, it's a big deal to be completely changing it. As I've mentioned before, we're not only adding more rooms, we are also changing almost all of the existing part of the house.

At the end of day one, here it is:

This is it. There's no turning back now.


Megan

I'm Elsewhere Today!

I'm so thrilled to be writing about travelling with young children over at Kids Travel Blog today.

You can read my article here.

And have a look around the website - there are heaps of tips and destination reviews that are great for any traveller!


Megan

The Clean Truth

If your whites are still white, you’re not doing it properly.

Camping, that is. In fact, you shouldn’t even TAKE whites if you’re heading off on a camping trip.

When we camp, we really camp. I mean a tent by a river, washing by way of a swim in said river, cooking over a campfire, and visiting the bush with a shovel in hand every so often. If there is a toilet, electricity, other people in sight, access that we consider too simple, or cooking facilities, we feel stifled and mumble that we’d be better off at home.

There is dirt galore.

The only white thing we take camping is our dog. Being a white Labrador, Taylor is filthy a few moments before we arrive at the campsite. Or at least that’s how it seems, because she’s a blur of speed and excitement as soon as she jumps out of the car and the next time I see her, she’s already brown.

So, really, we’ve broken the rule before the esky is even open.

It doesn’t get any better. Taylor will spend an entire camping trip in the dirt: running, eating, swimming, eating, running some more, eating (she is a Labrador), and eventually lying down. In the dirt. And eating the dirt. Because, despite our attempts at providing a bed for her, she seems to find the ground much more appealing.

I think she enjoys being a chocolate-coloured Lab for a short time. I guess we all need a change every now and then.

The ‘no whites (except for the dog)’ rule applies to all clothing. No white t-shirts, definitely no white jackets or, even worse, pants, or white hats. Considering I struggle to keep white things clean even in my house, which is predominantly free of dirt, this is a wise rule when camping.

The rule also applies to children – especially to children – and babies.

My daughter came on her first camping trip at the tender age of six weeks. It was the best time to take her, really: she wasn’t moving and she didn’t require food (except for milk, of course). She had no choice but to lie in my arms and watch the world go by. Or, more to the point, feed and sleep with a few minutes of world-watching here and there. Simple.

My biggest mistake was dressing her in white jumpsuits for the entire trip. Why had I not thought to bring any other colour? I can only use the oldest excuse in the book: baby brain.

I guess I thought that since she wasn’t moving she wouldn’t be able to get dirty. But I forgot that the people holding her all the time – my husband and I – would have dirt on us. And when we weren’t holding her? She’d be lying in the tent, which was bound to attract its fair share of dirt. Or in her bouncinette, which would be sitting directly atop a dirty ground.

Hence, I should have foreseen the end of my baby daughter’s beautiful little white Bonds jumpsuits. I threw them out when we returned home; they were so brown that it wasn’t even worth the effort.

Camping with children is fun, but remember: the ‘no whites’ rule applies to the entire family. And if you have a white dog? Just don’t expect to see it white until you return home.


Megan

Word Of The Week

Life is a blur of 'What's next?!' for a toddler

Abbey's Word of the Week this week is...

Next adj
Pronunciation: nets
Coming immediately after the present one.
This word has come to be used when a song ends - 'NEXT!' - or a page of a book is about to be turned - 'NEXT!' - or a book has been finished - 'NEXT!' - or a new toy is ready to be played with - 'NEXT!' - or a meal has been finished - 'NEXT!'
It makes one sound rather impatient. But that, of course, is because the person in question is rather impatient and always ready to move to the NEXT! thing.


Megan

A (Fake) Smile For Your Friday

Things have been a bit heavy here this week. I've been a bit down because I'm not feeling too well and I've been avoiding Facebook and Twitter and the urge to whinge to everyone.

So today I thought I'd go for a bit of light relief, and share a photo that makes me smile...

Who can resist a toddler's fake smile and an eggy eye?

On another note - I've had so many wonderful, lovely comments on my blog posts this week. They've all brought a smile to my face, so, THANK YOU everyone!!


Megan

Involuntary Services

I wrote this piece a while ago and posted it on another website. We recently attended the annual formal dinner for our local fire brigade, where my husband is a volunteer and part of the management team. A friend of mine, who welcomed everyone to the dinner, read this out. I was so nervous that everyone would think I was terrible for writing it, but I was really overwhelmed with the positive response. So many partners of volunteers feel the same, and many volunteers hadn't thought of this side of it. I wanted to share this with you all...

Dinner is on the stove. The toddler is at my feet, loudly reminding me that her evening grumpiness has arrived. She is hungry and tired, as are her parents. We have a plan for our evenings, a routine that works every night: dinner, bath, story, bed. Amongst that comes the cleaning of dinner dishes, packing up of toys and, finally, a glass of wine as my husband and I collapse on the couch after a long day.

This is a familiar scene to parents everywhere.

Just as I am serving the dinner that I have begrudgingly cooked, refusing to give in to the urge to call for takeaway, a beeping sound comes from where my husband is standing. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and remind myself to stay calm. ‘Bye’, I say to my husband. ‘Take care’. I hear the door slam and watch him through the window, as he races to his car and drives away.

Once he is gone, I allow myself to stop for a moment. In the midst of the evening chaos, my eyes well up, I swear to myself and wish he could stay home to help. Sometimes it is difficult to be okay with having to drop everything. Our toddler, having watched her dad race out the door, now turns her attention back to me. I pull myself together and continue with the routine.

This is life as the partner of an emergency services volunteer.

Sometimes I feel that our world revolves around his sense of duty. As though we are waiting on a knife’s edge, our plans can change at a moment’s notice if the pager begins its incessant high-pitched call. I dread hearing that sound and I loathe the rush that follows it, the plans for the day or evening ruined.

Sometimes I am angry at the expectations, the need for me to happily go along with him running out the door at any time.

During an emergency, I must hold the fort, be the only one responsible for our child. All the decisions rest on my shoulders, with no partner to share the load. The responsibility of keeping our family safe, ensuring all other family members are informed of his wellbeing and keeping our house and precious belongings in one piece – it is all up to me.

As the partner of an emergency services volunteer, I sometimes tire of attending formal events and listening to the same obligatory speeches at each one. I cringe each time a speaker refers to the volunteers putting their lives on the line to help others. As someone who loves one of those volunteers, albeit a faceless and necessarily selfless one to the person speaking so formally, I do not wish to be reminded of this fact.

In these speeches, they usually also thank the volunteers’ partners. I always wonder if they truly understand what it means to be one of these people. To have your plans put on hold, to ask your partner if they are free that weekend and often hear the response, ‘I said I’d make myself available in case there is a call’ or ‘I have to do some fundraising’. Again.

I did not choose to be part of this organisation. I have never had any say in the impact it has on our lives. And, good and bad, it does play a huge part in our existence. We have made so many good friends and had some amazing times thanks to this wonderful service. But it can be tough.

Throughout the year, all these thoughts and feelings come to me countless times.

The feeling that overrides them all is pride and I have an overwhelming sense of respect for my husband. I chose to be with a person who wants to help others, be a part of his community and live his life doing something worthwhile that truly makes a difference in people’s lives.

Some view emergency services volunteering as an heroic act, others wonder how or why they do it. Everyone appreciates their efforts. A few question how the volunteers’ partners deal with it. It is not always easy and I know I am not constantly supportive. Sometimes the needs of our family need to be put first, and for that I will not apologise. Most of the time, it comes down to understanding that I am with someone who needs to do this.


Megan