Keep Calm and....

My poor little blog. So neglected.

I think these photos of my little girl pretty much sum up how I feel lately.

I have had barely time to fold a basket of clothing, let alone sit down and type out anything. Well that is my excuse for the two baskets of clothes that have been sitting in the hall for a week. I say it at least once a day, but I'm struggling to keep up with all my responsibilities at the moment. I am feel so overwhelmed by it all that its starting to seem like everything I attempt to do is only half done. It's like building a wall out of badly made bricks and no mortar. Sooner or later the whole thing is going to topple. Something is going to give. At the moment, unfortunately, It is my blog which I love and the clothes that need to be put away.

Do you know the feeling? It's absolutely horrendous feeling like nothing is working out. I know i've been hard work to live with and I can see it affecting Jason. He tries to tell me to calm down, that certain things like the washing not being put away, the beds not being made and the piles upon piles of "stuff" that accumulates in our room isn't the end of the world. I can't see that though. I start to think about everything that needs to be done and before you know it, I am rubbing my forehead and feeling sick to my stomach.

And it's not just the simple things like chores, I think about everything that is due to happen over the next few months and BOOM! Brain explodes and Laura is one bubbling mess of stress and doubt.

I have joked in the past about needing to plan my day down to 15 minute intervals. I know this is impossible. I can, however, not beat myself up about things being left out. I can decide whats important to do and what can be left for another day. I need to be a mother first, my children need me to play and sing with them. My course work needs to be done as it is what will give my family a brighter future. I also need to find the time for myself and this I think is just as important as housework. If I can find an hour a day to write a blog post, crochet a few stitches or bake a treat for my husband I know I won't feel like my life is a routine of get up, stress about everything that needs to be done, not really accomplish anything, put the kids to bed, stress about course work, go to bed later then I should and then repeat it all the next day.

So heres to positive thinking, time management and leaving the washing to another day.

(I've been watching The White Queen on the SoHo channel. Can you believe this is Jeremy Irons son? Fangirl crush. Sorry Jase xx)

Happiness only real when shared

Jason has a much needed weekend off. When working in hospitality this is a rare thing indeed and considering how the days have just been flying past full of monotonous routine we needed a day to just spend time in each others company and enjoy our family and this beautiful city we live in before our adventure north.

Today my sweet girl had her first train trip, her first outing in the city and tonight, her first taste of mushy vegetable puree (which she LOVED). She then pooped in the bath for the third night in a row. Bless.

Slow down mouse, you are growing too fast.

Watching the sky - NSW Bushfires

Today was another hot windy day here in Sydney. Perfect condition, unfortunately, for bushfires. It's been a fair few years since fires have turned the sky around where I live a rainbow of colours. It's breath taking and horrific all at the same time.

The last time the sky had this look was back in January 1994. On my 10th birthday, I remember walking down to my aunts to go swimming and having ash fall on us from the fires burning around Sydney and New South Wales.

It certainly has put things in to perspective. Today Jason and I had a really horror of a day. I was angry at him, at the bank, at the kids. It was a bad day...

Today hundreds of people have been left homeless and everything they owned engulfed by flames. People who live barely an hour's drive from where I was cursing about a bad day.

My heart and thoughts go out to those who have lost their homes, to the firefighters who will continue battling blazes through the night and to the people in shelters who still don't know if they will have a home to return to.

Happy Birthday J-Cheese!

Today is my husband Jason's 38th Birthday and so gives me full rights to brag about how lucky I am to be married to him again. What can I say? He is my better half.

From the photobooth at our wedding 10/03/12
It's actually hard to believe that we have only had 5 birthdays together. It seems such a small amount of time and yet we have shared so many other experiences in those years. I can't remember life without him, nor do I want to. From the night he charmed me for my number, everything changed and even when things haven't been easy there has never been anyone else that made me feel as secure and happy as he does.

Taken at my best friends wedding 31/10/12
The support he gives me, the absolute confidence he has in me helps me to believe that I can be a mother to two little ones, I can study, I can do anything I want. He accepts me for everything I am and that allows me to dream of becoming more.

Happy Birthday Babe! and thank you for being the man that you are. I love you more each day x

(Seriously, these cupcakes are pretty damn delicious! Will post about my awesome box cupcakes soon! and yes those are dinosaur sprinkles. The monster decided that Jason LOVES dinosaurs and made it a running theme. He truly is my son.)

A Day at the Fair: Mattara Festival

A new craze has hit the little monster of late.

Before going away, I innocently bought Leo a Batman wallet. Leo had heard of Batman but there was no real love there... yet. I simply chose it because the only other one was Ben10 and that show confuses me. I liked Batman as a kid so I thought what the heck... Little did I know what I had started!

Yesterday, We went to an indoor play centre for the morning and then to the shops for some retail therapy. At the play centre there was a face painting pirate. Which meant by the time we got to the shops our boy was no longer a little boy. Now he was...

Na na na na na na BATMAN!

So the obsession list now is: Cars, Toy Story, Peter Pan, Dinosaurs, Crocodiles, Pirates, Trains AND Batman. Sigh.

Today we went to the Kids Carnival Day at the Mattara Festival, A Spring festival that's been held at Nobbys Beach every year since 1961.

Leo fed the Clowns...

Rode some teacups...

Was unimpressed by the little Merry-go-round...

Had his first taste of Fairy Floss (He didn't like it!)...

Got a Batman (Sigh) Tattoo...

And slid down the giant slide!

Zoe hung out in her pram, no doubt dreaming of the day she too can run amok at a fair with her big brother.

Today is our last full day of our trip. This time tomorrow we will be home in Sydney. I am going to miss Newcastle. I love it here so. It's the people, The lifestyle, The beaches... and Big Dog on TV saying good night at 7pm.

Thanks for the adventures Newie! We will be back!

A Day at the Beach: Merewether Ocean Baths

Our holiday adventures gave us a perfect Sunday. I fell in love with Newcastle just that little bit more today and I think I asked Jason a few hundred times if we had to go back to Sydney after all.

We spent our morning at the Islington Markets, rummaging through stores and listening to two sweet old guys play Jazz and croon. I bought a framed advertisement for red lipstick from the 1950's that I simply adore. Leo found a second hand batman doll. Jason ate sausage on bread. Everyone had a win!

We headed off to the beach, towels and buckets at the ready. Merewether Beach and Baths are quite possibly one of the nicest beaches you could visit. I am from Sydney, I have been to Bondi a zillion times and yes, it is beautiful. It is also nearly always packed with people and tour buses. Merewether, even on a day like today (a balmy 27°- that's 81°F) has room to breath and such a laid back atmosphere. Even someone like me, who isn't the biggest beach bunny, could spend hours relaxing there.

One of the clearest memories of being a kid, for me, is spending weekends at the beach. I can recall so vividly the blue of the water, the games my brothers and I would play, My dad jogging along the water and the taste of salty chips bought from the beach cafe. I loved the beach till I hit about 16, Hanging out at the beach just didn't go with wearing black and listening to heavy metal. Not to mention the fact that I have the type of skin that burns to a crisp, Peels and then recovers in freckles.

My children clearly get their love for the sand and surf from their dad. We had to bribe the monster with promises of more beach adventures in the future to get him to leave.

Halfway through our vacation and I'm loving it. Even sitting here after everyone has gone to bed, working on my course, I just feel so relaxed and content.

Do we have to go home?

A Day At The Farm: Oakvale Farm and Fauna World

Please excuse any typos or bad grammar in this post. For you see, my beloved football team, The mighty South Sydney Rabbitohs, have lost their chance to make their first grand final appearance since 1971 and I'm finding it hard to see through my tears. I will rally on because, besides the crushing defeat and my broken heart, The rest of my day was pretty tops!

Whenever we are up in the Hunter, we try our hardest to go to Oakvale Farm and Fauna World at Salt Ash. We have been coming here since Leo was a year old and still have a lovely time each visit.

This visit really drove home how grown up my monster really is getting. Last time we were here he held my hand and was a little wary of the animals. The time it was hand in the feed bag and hangs with his Dad. We fed Camels, Kangaroos, Wallaby's, Geese, Goats, Lambs, Pigs, Shetland Ponies.. You name it! It's whats really great about this place. The animals are everywhere and it's all hands on and up close.

What was little miss doing when all this animal feeding was going on? Oh you know, waiting for HER next feed, discovering her hands, farting... the usual.

I am on a mission to try and convince Jason to let me have chickens when we move this way... and not just any chickens. Pastel chickens.

Pretty Pastel Style, eat your heart out!

After we fed the animals, and then ourselves, Leo got to have a play in the playground. I plonked myself down on a bench next to some other mums, made some conversation and was all ready to enjoy the gorgeous weather when... IT happened.

Goats. I refuse to put a photo of the buggers on here after one of them chewed a hole in my dress whilst I was chasing another one away from sampling the pram. When I turned around to confront the dress eating goat, the other found the feed bag and ripped it open... All over Zoe and the pram. Aghast, I lifted my baby (who actually had an amazingly large smile on her face) out of the pram and started to brush the feed pellets and sand off her, smiling embarrassingly at the other mothers who were NOT being bothered by the damn things. The bloody goat, sensing my distraction, decided to take the opportunity and hopped IN the pram. I had to lift the damn thing out of it! More then once!

Goats. Seriously.

Happy, If slightly gnawed on, We had a quick browse through the gift shop, leaving with a few souvenirs and headed back to Newcastle. First full day of vacation classed as a total winner.