Square Peg, Round Hole

 

Fitting in has never really been my thing. I remember back in my High School days I wasn't ever part of any particular group. You know what I'm talking about - the cool group, the nerd group, the sporty group, the grunge group, the really weird group - the list goes on. And while I wasn't a part of these groups I did have a knack of getting along with them all. Some days I spent my lunch hour playing handball, others days I'd sit and talk about fashion and boys and I think this knack has carried me well throughout my adult life so far. 

I'm going to give some credit to my parents here, because obviously, this had something to do with my upbringing and them allowing me to foster my own unique personality. Thumbs up mum & dad!

 

I thrive off individuality. I can't stand ever doing or having anything the same as someone and will go out of my way to be different if I can. I'm pretty sure this is often frustrating for my husband (sorry darl!)

I've always found it relatively easy to make friends. I'm a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of person. I've also very easily lost friends. I have this stupid knack of saying out loud what's in my head and that hasn't always been taken in the best of ways (sorry everyone). Emotion is not a strong point of mine either and I'm pretty sure there are a few people who would refer to me as having a heart of steel. Thankfully I also have thick skin! Becoming a mum has certainly highlighted my individuality for better or worse, sorry kids!

 

Fitting in has always been a struggle for me but now that I'm getting a little bit older and, hopefully wiser, I'm also getting more comfortable with who I am. I have a group of close friends who can appreciate me as I am. People that I  can completely be myself around and that's something that not everyone is lucky to have so for that I am grateful.

I hope that my kids can see my individuality as a good role model for them. That they too can be anything they want to be and that fitting in has all different types of meanings. I see this particularly in my eldest son, who has a talent of making everyone he meets love him. That, to me, is individuality done right. And it makes my heart sing.

Til next time,

Mel xx

What Lies Ahead

Happy Sunday!! Hope the weekend is treating you well. It is SO hot here and we have another scorching week ahead. We are staring down the barrel of our last week of school holidys - thank the Lord!

Apart from a few days at vacation care, this has been the first holidays that we have had both boys at home. I'd like to say it's been great but truthfully, it's been chaotic. Apart from some time off over Christmas, Ben & I have both been working so it's been a juggling act with the kids. Thankfully Ben's mum has been great, having them whenver we've been stuck and THANK GOD I have some awesome friends who have also helped out.

I am SOOOO looking forward to getting back into the routine of school and after-school activities. Our whole family thrives on it. Life just seems to go much more smoothly when we have a schedule to stick to.

That first week of school is a big one for us. William will be going into Year 1, Angus starts Kindergarten and I will be starting a new job. So exciting!! I'm really looking forward to seeing the boys thrive at school this year and it will be so good to have them back in the same location again. There will be absolutely no tears from me again this year!! 

I'm looking forward to having less stress on me in regards to my work commitments. My new job will allow me one day off a week which means I can be a little more involved at school plus have some time to myself which I am well overdue for! Working five days a week while juggling kids, homework, housework and general family life is tough. I take my hats off to those mums who do the 9-5 grind day in, day out - YOU ARE AMAZING!!

For those of you who have kids going back to school, or starting school this week - GOOD LUCK!! Just remember, you are doing an awesome job & your babies will be fine.

For those of you like me who still have to wait it out for another week, may you have the strength not to completely lose your shit and may the week go quickly for us all!

 

Til next time,

Mel xx

A Different Kid

If you know me well or have ever been to my house you will know that we are a 'technology' family. We currently have 6 televisions, 3 iPads, one PC, 2 laptops, 4 iPhones & 3 PlayStations. Writing it all down kind of makes me a little embarrassed. The kids have both had iPads from a young age (shock horror) and Ben's down time is often spent playing the PlayStation. We have two TVs in the lounge room which allows him to play his games with wireless headphones & I can watch tv. It suits both of us and while some men prefer to spend their down time at the pub, I like the fact that Ben is at home with us and there to help out if I need him.

Despite having all of this technology in the house we have always had strict limitations as far as the boys were concerned. They have only ever been allowed to play their iPads/PlayStation on weekends and for limited amounts of time. However with schools holidays the rules have been a little more relaxed....

 

Our youngest boy Angus can only be described as our 'difficult' child. You know there's one in every family. He's the one that rarely does as his told, pushes ALL of my buttons ALL of the time, fights, argues & is just  plain stubborn & unwilling! He can be utterly delightful one minute & have me wanting to wring his neck the next.

 

He has a passion for YouTube (kids version) and if not monitored, will happily spend all day watching Minecraft clips. This addiction soon led to more awful behaviour until we reached a breaking point last week where enough was enough! We decided that iPads and PlayStations would no longer be readily available for them to play with. The iPads were put away out of sight and they were given the use of one PlayStation for which they are allowed to watch Netflix at certain times of the day. We talked our decision over with both the boys so they knew what was happening and why. We also told them that we would be committed to spending more time doing things together as a family.

Now, it's probably not going to be a surprise to you that Angus' behaviour started to change. We knew it was bound to make a difference but I have been surprised at the amount of change and how quickly it has happened. We are nearly a week into the new routine and there have been NO major meltdowns. These were often a daily occurrence so to have these gone has been a huge relief for all of us. He hasn't asked for his iPad at all, is playing better with his brother and is even eating better. 

 

To say that he is a different kid is almost an understatement. While he's certainly not perfect, he no longer fights us the way he used to. Getting him to bathe every night is no longer a fight, nor is asking him to get dressed of a morning. We have a happy boy again!

I know that technology is a big part of our kid's lives and always will be but being able to just let them be KIDS is so important. Learning to make their own fun is an essential life skill.

 


I'm proud of Ben & I for making a change. It can be so easy just to give in. It's easy for him to bury his head in Clash Royale & me in social media but we are now on a path to a positive technology/life balance.

How do you manage technology in your house? 

Til next time,

Mel xx

Hello 2017

 

Here we are at the beginning of another year, and for me, another blog LOL. I know right? I’m a little crazy with my blogging. The problem is I just can’t decide what I want to be when I grow up!

Anyway, the good news is that I am truly invested in this Blog. I have so much ‘stuff’ to share with you this year.

So, why do I write and share? For me, there are two main reasons:

1) I want to be able to look back & remember.  The boys are growing so quickly and while I’ve never really been the sentimental type of mother, I’m starting to realise that if I don’t keep a track of all of the crazy, funny, heartbreaking things they do, I’m going to forget it all.

2) There’s always more need for good news & stories. Have you watched the news lately? I mean, seriously, what is this world coming to? It’s just one bad news story after another. It scares me to think of the world we are creating at the moment, let alone what we are teaching our kids. If there’s a way that I can make someone smile for the day or create a community where people feel they can escape the craziness of the world, then I’m all for it.

 

So, that’s my why. I hope it’s enough to keep you tuning in & reading a few posts here & there.

I’m really looking forward to getting to know you in 2017.

Til next time,

Me lxx