Lu is off and running

Just had to show this photo...Lukas started at his school yesterday! Huge moment for the family. I feel lost without him. So proud of our little man xxx

Never done

".....never done" womens work in the house!
I took the kids to the Power House Museum last weekend and just loved this section. They have dedicated an exhibition of housework from early 1900's up until today. I love another sign that was at the entrance it read "Housework is only noticed when it is not done! We dedicated this exhibition to the women who are always cleaning!".

What is Your Purpose?

We all need a purpose in life! Before I had children, I thought my purpose was to cook for 1000's of people through my catering business. When I was cooking, creating, running the business, I was in my element and there were days I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real, I was living my dream that I had created.

But then, it all changed. The force of the change came so quickly that I was confused! It happened when I was away in Italy (of course it did, where else would you rather this happen). I had travelled o/s with my parents and Hanna who was 19mths old. Scott had just changed careers and it was impossible for him to get away. It was the first time I had a holiday with no communication from my catering business. It was the first time I had let go.

I was on a boat sailing through Lake Como and I just felt a decision had been made for me. I kept it to myself and thought about it for the rest of my trip.

When I arrived home, I sat Scott down and explained what had happened. I told him that being with Hanna full time for 2 weeks was the most amazing experience ever and I wanted that every day of my life. I told him I was ready to sell my catering business and become a full time mother.

Well, the surprise on Scott's face was priceless. Here I was telling him I wanted to be a full time mother, when I had worked my arse off for years building this business against all odds and it became my sole purpose.

From this moment, I just knew that my purpose was to be with my children especially when they were so young. I did not want to work full time and try and even balance that act, as for me, it was not working.

The lesson, listen to your gut instinct!

After this conversation with Scott, we put the business on the market and eight months later I was pregnant with Kye. The day we exchanged contracts with the new owners was the night I found myself just 28 weeks pregnant in the toilet surrounded by blood (the story is in my book).

The timing of me letting go of my business was the most amazing crossroad of my life, because that night I started the journey of Kye's premature birth and the long windy road to recovery. I would have had a nervous breakdown trying to juggle business and the journey of Kye.

It was only two years ago that I found myself a business which operated one day a week, as it was time to find something for me. However, I was very clear on the boundaries, working from home, one day a week, minimal work.

As a woman, we need something other than our children's lives whether it be working a few days per week, running a small business or committing to a hobby/interest that we love. But as a woman, we also need to know that our babies need us and that within itself is a purpose and a full time job to be proud of!

Holding Hands...

I love this photo. Lukas is holding my hand on our way to the airport last month. Look how gorgeous his hand is....he was holding on for his security and comfort. He tends to do this more often than Han and Kye, I love it. We have a very special connection.

Lukas seems so much more mature than his ripe old age of 2.

He always opens the door when I get home and helps me carry in shopping or bags from the car. At a bbq recently, he helped himself to the buffet and served me a plate full of food. He was so proud of himself, as was I! He is always with me and makes sure I am ok in his beautiful way. Come to think of it, I tend to hold his hand for my own comfort.

Lukas has been such a wonderful influence in my life thus far. I can't wait to see what the years develop and watch him succeed in life. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to conceive when all the odds were against us.

Valentines Day

Last night I received a gorgeous surprise at my front door.

The husband is away at the moment for business. I really miss him when he is gone and count the days to when he will be back.

As we have been together for nearly 19 years, Valentines Day has changed since the early years of going to restaurants, flowers, chocolates and stuffed toys. We progressed to cards, home cooked dinners and remembering that the meaning of Valentines Day should be in our marriage every day not just that one particular event!

So, when I found a gorgeous red box at my front door step I screamed and questioned "who has sent this?".

Scott had arranged for 12 long stemmed yellow roses (my fav colour), chocolates and bottle of Bayleys to be delivered in sexy red box with a gorgeous card. He never ceases to amaze me!

When I spoke to him last night to thank him, he explained that the gift means so much more than Valentines Day ...... and it does. I just feel very thankful that we are still Valentines after all these years.

The Brady Bunch

My sister in law recently gave me the box set of the Brady Bunch, on favourite of mine from when I was a kid. I remember watching the Brady Bunch every night before dinner and wishing I could be in their family.

Now I am watching the show from a different perspective - I want Alice living with me full time!!!!!

Can you imagine life with a full time cleaner, cook and second hand around the house? This allows Carol Brady to look after her children with 100% attention, love her husband and always be around for him, go shopping, lunching with friends and enjoy her hobby of sewing. No wonder she was always a happy wife with no complaints or stress in her day to day life.

Realistically, most of us can not Alice living with us on a full time basis BUT we can organise a little bit of Alice every week or fortnight to help us with the day to day life of being a mother.

The one area I really dislike is cleaning!!! I would rather cook for 1000 people then clean my house. I am house proud and love to decorate, but to scrub a toilet does not bring me the same pleasure.

So for years I have had a housekeeper clean my house every fortnight. There have been times when we did not have the extra money, so I would place her on on hold until we had the extra funds.

The day that our house is cleaned is always a happy day in our house. I love walking into a clean house knowing it has been cleaned properly! For me to maintain the cleanliness is bearable as I know it will be cleaned again in a fortnight.

I encourage you to give it a go. Just make sure the cleaner can clean better than you otherwise you feel like you are wasting your money as you could do it yourself! Start with once a month and then gradually book every fortnight. I would rather cut back on take away, coffees, spending to save for my weekly clean. As this gives me so much more pleasure and sanity!

WICKED

We have a star to be in our family - Kye!
Kye adores musicals, dressing up and acting out all characters. One minute he is Cinderella, the next he is Superman.
For Christmas, Scott surprised Kye and I with tickets to WICKED. We were so excited.

It was a fabulous day. The three of us had a ball and it was so lovely to spend time with Kye on his own. When the show started, he did not move one inch until the show was finished, except of course to buy a wicked glowing glass during the break! He was enthralled with the stage, the costumes, the songs, the story and the actors. During the first half, he asked if I could ask Glenda (the good witch) if he could go on stage!!

Kye has taught us so much in his early years of life. One of the biggest life lessons he has taught us thus far is to be confident with what you love to do and don;t let anyone stop you from doing so!

I cant wait to see Kye on Broadway and for our family to be sitting in the front row applauding his performance. How lucky is he to have found his path in life at such a young age as there are so many adults still trying to sort out what path to take.

Growing before my eyes

We have just returned from a very special family holiday. It was priceless. Scott and I watched in amazement at the development and growth of Han, Kye and Lu in just a week of being together with no interruptions.

Time is flying by so quickly and in amongst the busyness of being busy we often do not have the time to watch the growth of our kids. Sure, we see them grow in height and other physical aspects, but to watch them grow emotionally and achieve milestones is an awesome experience.

A family holiday is a must for every family. It does not have to be an expensive trip. It just has to be time together. Your kids will thrive on the excitement and love the time together.

A tip = try and lock in a holiday once a quarter for a weekend or a week. If you are too busy and can not get away, start to adjust your priorities, remember, your family is your foundation of life.