The stuff life is made of

Every day I wake and it seems that just as we’ve finished breakfast and morning chores, and tackled some school work, it’s already lunch time. The days are busy and fast and sometimes it seems there are not enough hours in the day.

Somewhere around 8pm I stop working, even if there are still things outstanding. I figure that’s a good 12 hour day, enough is enough. More often that not I’m still up to the baby in the night, so it’s still never really over.

Motherhood has been a great experience. Really it has. I don’t regret it for a moment. But (and of course there was a but), I’m busier now that I ever imagined. And we don’t even DO that much really. Raising kids is time consuming. Feeding them, clothing them, washing them, teaching them, disciplining them. My time is fuller than a full time job.

But I know that these are actually short years…and all too soon they’ll be all grown up and off on their own. So, I’m trying to keep it all in perspective. I’m trying to keep the joy in these busy days, even when one or more of them is driving me nuts. I’m trying to weave into these busy days, happy moments which are the stuff childhood memories are made from.

Word Girl!

The other day E5 and I were weeding the flower bed and after making several piles of weeds on the path, E5 got the broom out to sweep up. She swept the path from one end to the other gathering up the piles as she went until she was struggling to push along a huge pile of weeds.

“This pile is getting a bit cumbersome Mum.”

“Yes, it is! Where did you learn that word?”

“I don’t know.”

Later she remembered that it was from Word Girl…something she’s been playing with on the PBS kids website.

“Cumbersome means bulky and awkward” she told me later in the day.

Rainy Day in the Morning

This is B3′s finished painting number 1.

And his second one. His hand is in the photo to ‘make it cooler’.

E5′s first one…

and her second one.

R1′s painting was quite cute, but he tore it and screwed it up when I wasn’t looking.

School Holiday fun

These school holidays just gone, the kids and I participated in a school holiday program run by our church. (I posted about it over here.)

They had heaps of fun and finished with a bang on the last day with face painting. Aren’t they beautiful?

Boy Stuff

Of course, when the water rocket landed on the roof, D had to go and get it. It goes without saying that B3 had to go too and hang out with Dad on the roof for a while.

He was quite comfortable there wandering around up there with Dad while I was on the ground shouting Be Careful‘s and Not too close to the edge!‘s and Make sure you hold on to him!‘s and other unnecessary Motherisms.

Rocket Man

The other day D decided it was time to have some fun so he brought out this water rocket he’d bought. The kids had such fun with it and took turns working the pump, and the trigger. If they were a little older I could have included this in the science category too, as it’s a great lesson in water displacement and pressure and whatever else….as you can see I’d need the science refresher at the same time. Fortunately D is good at that kind of stuff, which is why I’m so glad he’s around to show the kids such cool stuff!

They experimented with using more or less water, and more or less pressure, and we had a few land on the roof to the general delight of the children (and Dad), especially B3.

 

A day at the beach

Just a family day at the beach. We shared pizza and just hung out together. The kids explored sand and sea. Great open spaces, wide skies and warm sun. I thought to myself…this is what kids need. Safe big open spaces with time to roam and explore. Time to get dirty and wet and find interesting things in nature.

E4 had fun squishing her feet through seaweed, and looking in rock pools. They drew pictures in the sand. B2 had so much fun he forgot to eat. R7 months enjoyed munching on pizza crusts and Mum and Dad enjoyed being together and watching everyone be happy.

At the Bike Wash

On a sunny September Saturday…

Soap and Sponges and Sunscreen…

Splashing …

Scrubbing…

Until bikes were shining like new. Of course at the end we played with the hose until B2 was wet to the skin, shivering and laughing, and E4 had changed her clothes 3 times.
Then we had a warm bath followed by ice cream.

Train Ride

 

E4: “We were so happy on the day that we went on a train ride. We went in the lift and down the stairs. B2 came too and Dad too, and Mum and R Bubba. I saw the sky tower and it was so tall I could hardly see it. I saw mountains. Happiness was everywhere”

 

 

B2:“Toot Toot! In the ear…the whistle: Toot Toot!”