Token Baby photo

Alseep at the dinner table.

Quote of the Day

"I remember the good old days, when it was just me and big brother. "

Said the 8 year old. Said in relation to the fighting going on over who would sit next to Poppy.


"Hera Mummy, for you" (From the 3 year old)

"What is that? Oh yuck honey, what is that?"

"From my ear-a. I got it out"

"It's earwax hun, get a tissue"



"Is that a bit of hamburger the baby is eating?"

"Yeah"

"As in, hamburger we ate LAST night for tea?"

"Yeah, it's ok, it's still good"

Ok! Looks like the 15 second rule has been stretched out to the 14 hour rule at our house. This could save me a fair amount on the shopping bill.

Yay, another dot point post, what fun!

Meh, it's Monday, I'm lazy. A few things you may not know about me.

1~ I am lazy. Well you have probably figured that one out already actually. I am the worst kind of lazy. The kind who every now and then gets a burst of motivation and goodness help everyone else who is not as energetic, excited and ready to pop like me.

2~ I am extremely good at short cuts. If there is a short cut with running a large family, housework or anything else I have to do again and again you can bet I have fine tuned it to still get the same quality in a lot less time.

3~ Sometimes I give the kids sandwiches for tea, and sometimes for breaky too.

4~ My all time favourite movie is My Friend Flicka, the original, from 1943. I adore the characters, the horses, love it. I have always loved the Mother in this movie. In once scene she is in a dress cooking up breakfast, and in a later scene she is wearing 'mens clothes' riding a horse and hops off and has a conversation with her husband and another man, holding her own and being respected. I love that the director included these scenes, that were not very contemporary for the time.

5~ I wear tracksuit pants far too much, but they are comfy damn it!

6~ Since cutting out and down on non nutritional food I have lost over 14 kgs. I walk a few times a week to the park or shops but nothing hardcore. This is very telling to me about the size my body is meant to be.
I feel soo much better for it! My energy level is higher, I hardly get a headache anymore, I can get up out of my bed and chair with ease, I can run around with the kids, play ball and push them on their bikes without huffing and puffing, and best of all I can breathe so much easier, it's fantastic.

7~ I don't think I love my children more because we are Home Edders. Really. I am flatter some people think that I think a lot about this, but really, I don't.
So long as others care and love their children with respect and compassion, they're good with me.
My oldest sons best friends go to school, and they get along wonderfully, and have done so for 6 years. I too get along just as well with their Mum who is a very dear friend to me and my family.

8~ I don't have a favourite child. Hand on my heart honest. I have read elsewhere about Mums who do have a favourite, and they believe mothers who say they don't have a favourite are lying and just trying to be nice to all their kids.
I honestly do not. I can't imagine picking one child out of the six. Every child is so different and all of them have their own little ways that make me laugh, or fill my heart with joy and pride.

9~ I do not believe in one size fits all learning philosophies. To say one is the way to go for all children is to discount just how unique our children, and also us as adults learning, are.
The best way of learning is what suits the individual child.
One learning philosophy is not better or superior than another.

10~ One of my favourite memories as a child was laying on the floor in the cool mornings. Watching the Early morning TV and cartoons as the sun shone through the window warming me up. Mr Ed, Leave it to Beaver, Worzel Gummidge and of course The Smurfs!

Honest Motherhood

We all have intentions as mothers.
Intentions to be good role models for our children.
Intentions to yell less.
Intentions to not sweat the small stuff.
Intentions to cook wholesome meals for or family.
Intentions to listen attentively to our children's questions and wanderings.
Intentions to make the most of every moment with our children.
Intentions to not brush our children off when they say 'Hey Mummy....' for the 243rd time that day.
Intentions to put down what we are doing and go look at the newest, and greatest Mega Lego creation.
Intentions to be the best Mother we can be.

What happens?
Reality? Laziness? Tiredness? The need for time to just sit, alone, with no one asking questions, wanting something, needing us? Things piling up, causing stresses and headaches which in turn leaves us with less patience?

All of the above and more? I'd say yes.

Lately I have felt overwhelmed. Not all the time, but enough for me to sit down at the end of the day, children and hub all asleep, the house quiet, and let out my frustration.
I vent, whinge, sook, let it out.
Then I think about what is happening, why, how, and most importantly if it is not working this way, what can I change? Another just as important question is, could the change need to come from me?

One thing on my mind is yelling. I hate it. I hate how it makes me feel. I hate how I know it makes the children feel, and Hub too.
Usually it is over the floor. Pencils, food, toys, shoes, clothes, staples, sticky tape, blu-tak, books, cups, cutlery, paper, pillows, substances now unrecognisable.
It really drives me nuts, or really I allow it to drive me nuts. I have 6 children, hello? of course there is going to be crap all over the place.

Lately I have made a few tweaks and reminded myself to breathe deeply when I see stuff all over the floor, rooms and stairs.
It's not easy, I'm still getting there, and no doubt will always be working on it.
I am finding more ways for everything to have it's own home. This is what works best for us so far. Slowly over time we have added furniture, boxes, corner nooks, little tables and tubs for all our stuff.
The kids are able to see something on the floor and know where it lives when it is not being used.

Then there is working on me. I don't think I will every be truly zen. Are any mothers?
I actually don't want to even try.
Of course I don't want my kids to see a raving lunatic mother yelling over a Mr Potato Head moustache like it was the end of the earth, but I also don't want them seeing me as something I am not.
I want them to see my emotions. I want them to know emotions are good and healthy. But an emotion that can be frightful or scary, for both Mumma and child is not good. Yelling, and feeling out of control is not good.
This is mine to sort through and work on.

When I have yelled or lost control and become frustrated I quickly recognise it and stop, feeling horrible. Take a deep breath, and say sorry to my kids for losing it. Telling them that it's ok to get frustrated and angry and upset, but not ok to take it out on others.
A parent apologising to their child is important. For the child and the parent.

I adore my children, and have a love for them I never knew was possible. I know that when I am angry or frustrated it is not about them. I am the parent, the adult. It is about me and trying to work out the tools I need to help me.

As well as being more organised with our stuff another thing I have added in is going out once a month with some of women friends. Just a few hours to go to dinner or a movie, talking, laughing, venting and supporting each other.
I appreciate being able to do this, and feel much better after my night out.


Being more organised, having time for me and adding more rhythm to our house and the running of it is helping.
Baby steps.