When I grow up.....

Blogged Challenge #1!

I've recently joined a blog ring, to help keep my blog fresh and (hopefully!) interesting!

The first challenge is:

Challenge 1: When I grow up.A ballerina? A vet? An astronaut? As a small child, what did you dream of becoming? Tell your story, on your own blog, in words, pictures or a combination. The choice is yours. As long or short as you like.

Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day. Watching my daughter grow up and wondering who she will turn out to be got me thinking about my childhood and the careers I was so sure I would hold when I 'grew up' (still got some of that to do really....).

First I wanted to be a ballerina, but stumpy little thighs and general lack of coordination scuppered that one. But I tried really, really hard to look the part, and I did love my ballet lessons!

Then it was air hostess, (I'm sure there's a more PC name for them now, but meh), but again, my general stumpiness prevented that one. To this day I have travel reaching the overhead bins!!

The final and most long-held dream in career terms was vet. I love animals and still do, but I hate needles and anything to do with blood (and still do!), so that one was sunk as well.

I guess as a child I really wanted to do something I love, but when I actually started working I fell into a career and learned to love it. However, I do think that underlying all of those things was a theme - to entertain, nurture and make a difference, and I think my 'career' now, of stay at home mummy is the epitome of all those things and what's more, I love it!

The pay in monetary terms is pretty bad, but the joy I get from seeing my daughter's face and hearing her little giggles, watching her learn new things and delighting in the world around her - priceless!

Mother's Day

Had a lovely Mother's Day.....hard to believe that next year I'll be a Mum of 2!

Having had a test run on Saturday with a 9am sleep in and then woken up with toast in bed (thanks hubby!), Sunday I was greeted by a sleepy little girl saying "Happy Birthday.......Happy Mother's Day Mummy" (with much prompting....lol) and presents!

We went out for breakfast, which was lovely, except that I was really in the mood for pancakes and they didn't serve them! Oh well, a fresh fruit salad and toast had to make do....haha.

Then we spent time with my gran and my parents - it's amazing to have 4 generations of females in our family to celebrate such occcasions with! Then in the afternoon I went shopping with my mum, sans child - a rare treat! We browsed, chatted and had coffee together - priceless! Ok, I also did some shopping.....but that was just a bonus.

All in all a lovely day spent with the people I love the most in the whole world - my family!!




On a side note though - it's suprising the number of cafes that DON'T serve pancakes - what, is it difficult? Or are they a casualty of the whole low carb lifestyle.....either way I think it's a silly idea!!

I'm kind of sick of the whole 'let's dictate how people eat' thing.....quite frankly I think there is a lack of personal discipline in eating and it is unfair for those who are able to control what and how they eat!!

Bring back the pancakes!! Ok, off my soap box now.....Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day and spoiled your mothers - they are very, very special women!!

Another goal....well on the way!

I also set myself a goal to read 34 books this year (because I'm 34!) and so far I'm up to 22 - I think I'll make it! (Now I'm thinking 50 as a medium sized goal and maybe even aiming to double the original goal by December 31....we shall see!)

I've been interviewed!

Chantelle from fat.mum.slim interviewed me for her everyday everybody series and it's up on her blog now!

Quite exciting really, and I had to think hard about some of the answers!

Go and check it out if you wanna!

Advice to my younger self.....

I had the most fascinating and eye-opening conversation with an old school friend yesterday, in which I discovered some very interesting things about our relationship back then which would have been very different if we knew the things we know about each other and the world in general now, and whilst lying awake last night, I was thinking - what advice would I give my younger self?

If you can put aside the obvious time travel restrictions and the serious creepiness of facing 'yourself' at a different time in your life......think with me......what would you say?

To my 10 year old self: "I know that moving to New Zealand from Australia seems like the end of the world, but you WILL cope, and you will make some fantastic friends who you will still be friends with in 20+ years (and that's not old you little smart alec!!)"

To my 15 year old self: "Live a little - study isn't all there is, the world is a big place and you need to learn world smarts as well as book smarts. And that boy does like you, be brave!"

To my 20 year old self: "Okay, enough with the living - slow down and smell the roses! You are burning the candle at both ends and the sides and you are going to crash!! Take one thing at a time and solve it, don't try to be everything to everybody - you can't please everyone!! Oh, and your body is fantastic - don't put yourself down - you won't be this skinny for a long time!!"

To my 30 year old self: "Being single is ok for now, the right man is coming along all in good time. Take time to be you. Get back to what matters - family and friends - reconnect yourself"


I'm only 34, but that seems like good advice for my younger self at those stages - now to find out how to time travel!!

The project is revealed!!

The project I alluded to a while back.....can now be revealed.

Drum roll please........my new (additional) blog!

Go check it out if you want to!

Raining.....

It's raining today, and normally I'm not a huge fan of rain, particularly when stuck indoors with a very active toddler, but today I'm grateful. I'm in a stay in comfy clothes inside, just relaxing with a cup of soup kind of mood and thankfully Sophie is happy to play with her new train set while I tuck into my new book.

It's the small things that make me happy! She's happy, I'm happy, the garden is soaking up the lovely rain - the world is a lovely place today!!