Time for Something New and Other Thoughts

Late last night I was snuggled down under the covers in my comfy bed devouring my latest book with the thought of our early morning start nagging at the back of my mind. Stubbornly and maybe a tad selfishly, with a good mix of defiance for wanting something completely for me, I ignored the fact I should be sleeping and continued to read.

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I'm regularly amused by how my life works. I feel led to things - ideas and opportunities - and even when I want to turn away from it, the message is going to find me anyway.

Back in September, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was a cinema must do but, well, I tend to shy away from whatever the latest 'thing' might be. I've never been cool and I can't be bothered starting now. But, faithful, loving daughter that I am :P found that my Mother wanted to see this movie. I Googled a review and the commentary was mostly negative. Basically the review boiled down to, if you're unhappy in your life, with your job and your partner, don't see this movie as it will likely be a negative and unsettling influence on your life. I'm happy, I just choose what to put into my head proactively - if I can. So despite my Mother's wishes I made it clear I had no intention of seeing this movie which then changed when we both visited my Sister Sunshine. She shared our Mother's sentiment. Ultimately, I'm pretty easy going so we ended up at the cinema watching, with initial misgivings, this said movie and... I Loved it :)

Ha! Hilarious!!! :D


Then for Christmas I was gifted the book in a Secret Santa. So hopefully, after all my rambling, someone may see how I come to feel that I've been led.

I'm only a dozen or so chapters into Ms Gilberts' novel but have found myself struck by her ideas on God, because they are similar to my own. It's kind of a Hallelujah moment for me. I have for so long wanted to identify my thoughts with someone elses' faith path. To know I'm not alone in my intuition. Until now I was yet to find anyone else who thinks the same or even remotely similar to myself. I won't be going into the details of Gilbert's ideas on God because I don't want to get into a theological discussion and come off the short end for my lack of knowledge :) I just wanted to share how I'm enjoying my own increasingly gaining strength in my right to my beliefs and perhaps encourage others to be strong in their own journey.

Although the book has kept me awake at night and interested, I haven not been enthralled by some of the authors life choices but I can appreciate the journey she has taken and be amazed by the courage she had to make drastic changes in a life that, to her, was really broken.


So that was what kept me up late last night but why was I out of bed and out the door so early with my boys this morning? Six thirty am we were in the park blinking blearily in the harsh summer morning light ready for our first Tai Chi lesson with my Awesome Aunty. Awesome Tai Chi teacher, cool crafty chick extraordinaire. Both boys made it through the warm ups pretty well, about fifteen minutes, but Kangaroo took a swift exit for brekky about then while Kookaburra and I continued.

Kookaburra intently watched my Awesome Aunty, concentrating hard and imitating as his interest took him on and off for the remainder of the hour. Kookaburra really seemed to enjoy the lesson and has said that he's keen to go back next week but then too, that could be because we played in the park afterwards. I'll give them the the benefit of doubt hey?!


Today was a great day for trying new things. After Tai Chi and our park play we packed up our craft projects and headed to my Aunts craft group for company and a devoted time for crafting. My boys each had a little box and an inexhaustible supply of collage materials and set to work creating little houses complete with wallpaper, doors and windows, floor coverings and even pictures hanging on the walls. Pleased with the results we made little wooden peg people to play in the houses. Great fun and my boys stayed put creating and concentrating for an hour and a half.


When we said our goodbyes, we noticed a cycle velodrome in the same area we were visiting and discovered that the gates are unlocked so take a guess what we're doing tomorrow morning!


By the way, Happy New Year all!

Smile, life is eggscellant

As always, it seems, I've been thinking. I want to be so much more than I am. Calm, in control, peaceful, content. I want to be happy with what I have and where I am. I want to live right here, right now and not be somewhere else in my head making enormous mental to do lists or creating discontent within myself and my family because I think the grass is greener elsewhere. That just makes my family and I miserable.

Maybe things do happen in their own good time. Maybe... there's a plan for me that I can't see.

I've begun to read Seasons of a Mother's Heart by homeschooling, Christian Mother, Sally Clarkson.

Under the heading of Celebrating Life and Thoughts on the Living Word, Christine writes;

God never assures us that the Christian life will be easy. Quite the opposite, it seems he goes out of his way to let us know it will be difficult. On the other hand, the Sciptures are filled with promises and expressions of the joy that is ours as believers. That seeming paradox is nowhere better expressed than in our Lord, "who for the joy set before him endured the cross." Christianity does not give me an easier life, but it does give me an easier way to live. It does not make me a happier person, but it gives me a reason to be joyful. The joy of the Lord - born of the hope of eternal glory - should be the mark of every true believer.

It's difficult to think I may believe in something I can't see. But as Kookaburra points out, "We can't see the wind but we know it's there because we can see what the wind does and we know that there is a God because we see His work in every non man made thing." Yep, my eight year old philosopher boy really said that. Sometimes I just know he's smarter than me :)

For now, I'm just going to keep on thinking.

To care for others, first we need to care for ourselves

This one is for my spirit :) What do I mean? Well, a couple of posts back I mentioned a reevaluation on my priorities, of the five, the first one is spirit. I want to care for my soul, to nurture and cultivate my spirit. I'm doing just this when I recognize the great things and wonderful people that touch my life in a day. I hope that it will be a kind of talisman for when I slip into negativity and allow myself to become overwhelmed. Feelings of inadequacy do twist my spin on the world. But every moment I breathe, I have the opportunity to control those feelings. I have also been known to offer up a prayer to angels and God, and have asked for people to pray. I find that it does help :)

So tonight, even though its nearly ten pm, am recklessly tired, and have a sink full of dishes awaiting me, I first want to share the moments that have fed my spirit over the course of my Wednesday. Be warned, they aren't grand things, just happy moments and little finds, but it's the small things that are often the best.

Mr E, my hubby, is away with work for a few days and even though he is incredibly busy, I'm glad that he makes time to call us as often as he can and enjoys my calls to him. I try to share the funny little things our boys do when they happen, so he feels involved. Even though he's not physically here, Mr E is able to laugh over our boys everyday doings at the same time I am. Todays' call concerned Kangaroo needing to go to the toilet and being a typical boy and our upstairs just being way too far, he peed on a tree, that's not the funny part though, the dog joining him at the same tree was. It was horrendous and hilarious.

Kangaroo doesn't get the time I want him to have from me. There is always something that seems to need me more, how crazy is that?! My child, my little boy, is more important but striking a balance between giving Kangaroo what he needs from me and all the duties that I perform like some crazed circus acrobat... can be hard. Books really get inside this little fellow, and one of his favourites from the library of late, has been the adventures of a dashing, seafaring hero named 'Captain Horatio Fleet', who saves damsels from mortal danger and is thanked with a kiss on the cheek. Going into town today Kangaroo has donned a flowing, red cape, announced himself as being the afore mentioned hero, and was suitably equipped to save us from any peril which may dare come our way.

Kangaroo has a nasty cough which he can't seem to shake and has been plagued by it for about a month and our trip into town was to be our second appointment with the doctor. When we arrived, I asked what the wait may be and unfortunately it was going to be about an hour! So understandably, we rescheduled for Friday and went bargain hunting at the op shop next door.

We love to hunt for great books that cost only my spare change and I really enjoy the way our boys pour over any lucky and wondrous finds. Today, in our op shop hunt, we were fortunate and scored a number of books. For three dollars we picked up, 'The Reluctant Dragon' by Kenneth Graham, the very same author of 'The Wind in the Willows' which Kookaburra in particular enjoyed. A copy of 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams for fifty cents. 'Tuppeny, Feefo and Jinks' by Enid Blyton for twenty cents and a new favourite by Arthur Lobel, who wrote all those lovely 'Frog and Toad' stories; 'Mouse Soup' for fifty cents. This book is a real gift, Kookaburra is just finishing up 'Mouse Tales' by the same author and having a great old time reading them too. I really recommend the op shops for books.

A late lunch of croissants with my boys before picking up their cousins from school. Sharing half a chapter of 'Mr Meddle's Muddles by Enid Bltyon before the girls were let out from school, have both my boys intent on finding out what silliness Ms Blyton's odd little character will be up too.

My little nieces are always great company. More children does make it harder but I've found the benefits of having them as often as we do well worth the little bit of difficulty I might experience and I'm sure we bring something to them too;)

Wednesday night is my night. Dancing and piano lessons. My Aunt and Uncle who live in a small town near our little city, still a good twenty or so minutes away, spent the late afternoon and evening caring for our boys. Bathed, fed, copious amounts of books read and the best is my sweet Aunt has taught my eldest, Kookaburra, to knit with a french knitting Busy Bee. Kookaburra kept at his new skill for most of the evening, only stopping for food and happily continued on to make this very exciting 'tail', pictured below. Kookaburra has grand plans and has declared the results of his knitting will be a scarf for his kitkat Merlin.

Seeing friends at dancing and *learning* to dance, it is honestly going to take forever if I don't remember the steps :( but on the up side, creativity on a larger physical level despite the fact I'm over thirty.... pretty happy with that :)

Piano lessons with my lovely friend, just beautiful. I'm so lucky to have this special girl in my life, I've talked my heart out with her over the past year and learnt music to boot. Who could honestly ask for more?!

So like I said, all small things, but important. Family love in forms encompassing more than our immediate foursome and valuable friendships through which I gain so much.

My spirit, that number one priority, is nurtured everyday. I'm just about recognizing those moments. Even right now, with my boy Kangaroo in my arms, in complete happy, trusting, peaceful repose, my needs are also being met.