Friday, April 27, 2012

I'll sign your Autograph now...

That's it, I'm famous. Time to quit my paid job and retire.

HA! I wish!

But this blog has been proudly featured in the latest internal newsletter at Pumpkin Patch. My signature dish, my favourite meal and my very own creation 'Knock-Out Gnocci' - check it out!






Do you have a signature dish? Or a meal that you LOVE to cook?
I'd love to hear about it!

xx

Thursday, April 26, 2012

My Son, The Superhero



My son is a superhero. He has gone from an average, every-day 6-year old boy, to a boy with superpowers in the last 5 months. True Story.

He was a boy that couldn't see very well + had such bad hearing. I'm surprised he had developed as well as he did, and learnt as good as he did before his transformation into a superhero.

For those that aren't aware, my son Logan has Sensory Processing Disorder. It is a challenge for us as parents, but it is nothing in comparison to his own frustrations. It's a juggle, it's a learning curve for everyone involved. Especially me who lacks patience and has a strong need for quiet time.

Towards the end of last year/beginning of this year, we decided to look into his senses in conjunction with his diagnosis of SPD. We knew there were some slight issues, but we had no real idea of the full scale until we had it investigated further. And we found he had trouble.

His eye sight: Long-sighted + Short-sighted. And 2 lazy eyes. Glasses prescribed.
And he looks gorgeous in them, if I do say so myself.

Then it was his hearing. Approximately 30% loss due to a lot of fluid, at first diagnosis (turned out to be more in the end once everything was opened up).

And sleep apnea: snoring, no quality of sleep. Insert a tired boy who already has issues concentrating + focussing, to it also being combined with a lack of that real sleep. The sleep that growing boys need.

A few short weeks ago, Logan had his first ever operation, albeit a small one. He had grommets put in and had his adenoids removed. I don't think I really knew what was involved or knew what to expect from it. Especially when I *wanted* to be present when they put him under the general anaesthetic. I don't regret it now, but it was an experience I don't think I'd like to witness again. It wasn't pretty. But he had his little Superman with him, and we promised him that he would get super-hearing to match with his super-sight.


He was a trooper. He made mummy so proud with his bravery.

He woke up (a few times), minimal tears... and then he ate. And ate. And slept.
We came home and he slept some more.

The best thing? After a while, he couldn't sleep. Because the darn clock, the same clock that had been in his bedroom for the past 3-years, was ticking far too loud for his new super-hearing. And the toilet flushed far too loud. And he laughed, because he had super hearing. He was hearing things he hadn't heard his whole life.

And his sleeping? Well he still snores a little, but hubby and I aren't having to increase the volume on the TV when he gets going. Not only that, but the quality of sleep is better, he's waking refreshed and ready-to-rumble.

My son is a superhero now. He can see + hear the world beyond anything he ever knew.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Happy Wedding Anniversary




Cameron and I recently celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary.
Two years of wedded bliss. Two amazing years.

Our wedding day, as cliche as it is, was the most happiest day of my life. It wasn't just about us becoming 'Husband' and 'Wife', it was about us officially becoming a family. It was a day celebrated with those most dear to us, and those guests to this day still talk about it and reminisce with us.

The day was happy, relaxed and full of love. And I cherished every single moment.

I find myself going back through photos often. The little things; the location, my flowers, Cameron's emotion, Logan's outfit... every little detail was perfect and I love going back through it all. I want to remember it all as if it were yesterday because now, it feels as if it was such a long time ago, especially when raising children.

The two years since being married have been the happiest years of my life, thus far. They've not been without their challenges (health issues, financial issues, etc.) but as far as our relationship, and our marriage goes, we could not be any stronger or any happier.

I've met my perfect match, that perfect person for me. And I married him.
Cameron makes me laugh like noone I have ever met.
He's that perfect combination of childish and mature.
We have inside jokes. And they're stupid to anyone that doesn't understand.
But we understand, and we smile together and laugh at it's stupidity.

We love. We don't go to bed angry.
We often go to bed in laughing fits from calling each other random insults.
To anyone on the outside of our relationship, that seems unhealthy, but to us... it's us.
It's what makes us laugh together, it's the moment before we go to sleep that we share and forget about what bills haven't been paid, or what chores haven't been done.

We laugh at stupid name calling. And I love it.

He lets me crack the shits. He understands my need to crack the shits, because he understands I need an outlet. And he's there to listen to my apology for said shit cracking.

I love him for knowing me more than I know myself.

I love that he's a thinker. He analyses. He listens. He plans.
That he knew how obsessed I was about Paris and the Eiffel Tower, that he could not let that moment pass without making it something monumental. So he proposed to me there. That one event in my life would have been enough, it satisfied me enough to feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

We are a team. We are a family. We have strong family values.
He is a family man. He is a provider.

He is the nicest and most genuine person I have ever known.
And he married me.

Little me.

I sometimes joke to him that he 'settled' for the first woman. That he decided he wanted to get married and have a family... and it just so happened that I was the next woman he met. And 'I would do'.

And to some extent, I get scared somedays that he will wake up and realise that he really could have done so much better than 'little me'. He could have met someone without baggage, without the moodiness and the aforementioned shit-cracking.

But then I think of what we have and the life we have created. Not just in Ryder, but our home... our great lives beyond our finances. We really are happy, and very lucky.

And most importantly, we are madly in love.

So, here's to my favourite 2-years. Happy Anniversary!!

I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow xxx





Saturday, April 21, 2012

Grateful for Julia




There's something very special about a friendship that stands the test of time, moreso when there's been a large gap of nothing-ness inbetween. And by large gap, I mean 10-years.

I've known Julia since I started High School in 1995. We weren't friends until the following year, but as soon as we became friends and I got to know her, I knew that we had the same values. I didn't completely understand our connection at the time, but as I have grown and as we have grown, I have come to appreciate the bond that we shared all those years ago.

Towards the end of Year 10, I changed schools, as did she. And being 'back in the day' where mobile phones were not readily available like they are today, our friendship also changed. It didn't take long for our friendship to fade away and before I knew it I was in my mid-20's, but I still thought of her often.

Every now and then I'd look her up on Facebook, wondering if she had 'cottoned-on' to the fad and when I couldn't find her name I would think that perhaps she's married and I'd stress that I would never find her. Then one day, out of the blue she was there.

I added her.
And the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

She had literally JUST moved back to Adelaide after living overseas.
She was planning/trying for a baby.
She was planning a wedding.

All of these life-changing moments in her life and I got in just before them. Before finding her would have been near impossible.

Our friendship has taken off as if no time had passed. We're older, we're married, we're mothers and like those days when we were 13/14, we have so much in common, and we still have those same values.

Today we met for coffee with our babies (both boys, who are about 4-months apart). Every time we catch up it's a laugh. It's talking about the babies, talking about 'those days' back at school, or talking about anything that is happening in our life at that very moment. From someone watching us, we're typical girls chatting over coffee. But today was just that little bit different.

Julia gave me a hand-written note. And I was shocked. I cried (just a little).
I put it casually in my bag, without reading it, because I knew that reading it would make me really cry.
And I just can't do that in public.

I wanted to read it while at home, in a quiet moment where if I wanted to cry, I could. And I did.

It was beautiful.

It brought back so many of the great memories I had from when we were at school. We used to write notes/letters to each other often and back then they were about nothing, they were about trivial things that seem so unimportant now. Now they mean something, because let's face it... who writes letters anymore?!

I'm grateful for Julia. For not just the letter, but for not changing who she is after all these years.

I'm grateful that as the years continue, our boys will grow together.
I'm grateful for the support, encouragement and SUCH kind words.
Strong words with meaning, and value.

I'm grateful that we have been able to pick everything up from where it was left. That even though all these years have passed, there's still something. And that something is special.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

I'm Not Dead Yet




If you don't know me, I am the sort of person that likes to be busy. I like to have something on the go, something to plan, something to organise or just generally something to keep me busy.

Lately, I haven't had to go searching for anything. I have been that busy... some would say too busy and to a certain extent I agree. You only have to see me today, recovering from a stupid head cold to see that I have started listening to my body and it's need for a bit of a break, and maybe a bit more sleep.

Because of this busy-ness, my social life has suffered. And I thought that was OK because people would be supportive and understand the Why/How/What, etc and especially understand that it was for a good cause and for something I love. It turns out that this is not the case, and instead of feeling like I am being supported, I feel forgotten.

And it's sad. It makes me sad.

To feel like I don't exist, or I am not a part of someone's life anymore (or a lesser part), purely because I've been sidetracked over the last couple of months... it makes me sad.

I'm not dead yet.

I'm still here.

I am still the same person, I would still make time for you.

It may take a bit longer than usual to get a reply if you SMS me, but I still reply.
It may take a bit more of a date-setting situation in order for me to see you, but I will still see you.

It reminds me of that feeling when I had both of my children. When the excitement of a new baby wore off, the visitors stopped and I was sitting at home, alone, with a baby that slept. All. Day. Long. (Until he wakes which he then screams. All. Day. Long). Hubby was at work... so I had noone to talk to except randomly mumbling to the idiots on Judge Judy, Days of our Lives or even worse, Ready Steady Cook.

It was such a lonely time, but the best thing was I was able to see it was getting me down and I needed to get out of the house to save my own sanity. I did exactly that and it was brilliant. I learnt so much about myself and my need to get out of the house - cabin fever can strike so easily and it really gets me down... it becomes a rut that's difficult to get out of.

This week has been a great time for me to get back to my friends, and back into some form of routine.

I've started filling some of my newly found spare time with seeing those amazing, supportive and understanding friends that I am so thankful for.

The ones that have forgotten me? I don't have so much time for them.
I'm still the same person, but I have learnt to not make as much time for them.
Because the time I make for them, takes away from the time I could be spending with the ones I love and the ones that accept me for everything I am.

And those people are the ones I want to surround myself with.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

8 Months of Awesome




Monday this week marked 8-months of being a mother of 2 little men: 8-months of Ryder's life and 8-months of sleep deprivation to the extreme.

This week also became the week Ryder learnt his tongue could come out of his mouth. Failed attempts of blowing raspberries became a success, as did constant tongue poking. Cheeky, heart-melting grins are now replaced with evil raspberries or just the showing of tongue.

This month also marks the beginning of Controlled Crying. Success!

This month has been THE month of movement. The month where Mummy and Daddy have had to watch what's on the floor, where he's going and what he's up to.

Everything goes in the mouth, and of course he crawls to things he shouldn't. Shoes and bags are chewed on and he beelines for the antenna cord, all while his toys lay abandoned on the lounge room floor. Even when we pick him up, he stands and proceeds to jump - a simple cuddle is something of the past.

As if movement wasn't enough, this month has also become a month of noise.

Not just any noise though... shrieking.

If Mummy doesn't have the next spoonful ready - shriek.
If Daddy comes home from work and doesn't immediately proceed to drop everything and come running for a cuddle - shriek.
Try to change his nappy and don't let him roll around - shriek
Take away some random object he's found - shriek

Can you tell who's child this is?

As I type this blog entry, he is currently gnawing on the side of his Bumbo. He has just crawled to my Havaianas and attempted to eat them... if he's not trouble now, in a few months he will be. This Mummy isn't excited by that, so the word 'no' is being taught early.

That being said, this month marks 8-months of awesome:

8-months of having another baby in the house,
8-months of being a complete little family of 4
8-months of being totally and utterly in love with all the men in my life
8-months of big brother Logan, and

8-months of my-heart-will-burst-love at the site of my two boys cuddling/laughing together


The more he grows and the more he develops, the more I don't want him to grow up. Ever.




Thursday, April 12, 2012

I married a John Farnham fan


My husband is perfect in many ways, his taste in music is not one of them.

I knew his love for the big JF in the early days of our relationship and it humours me that someone who is only 3 years older than I am has such a different taste in music. Not just genres. It feels like decades, like the music I would assume my mother listens to.

Except the music my mum listens to isn't that bad.

We often get into that relationship 'banter' about music in our household. It often consists of me wanting to listen to an awesome song on the radio (or just music in general), and he wants to listen to the footy/cricket/{insert crap sport} commentary. He thinks my music is a collection of whistles, doof-doof and buzzing, I think his music belongs in an elevator.

His idea of music is knowing all the words to Vanilla Ice.

You know those couples in the car that take turns pressing the radio controls? ... that's us.
Luckily for me, I also have a husband that knows how to pick his battles. He knows that battling with his wife is a battle not worth fighting, so most often our fights involve me winning. And I am fine with that.

He thinks he gives up... I win.

When it comes to John Farnham, Cameron is met with the biggest eye roll known to man, so much so I put my back into it. He hasn't gone as far as playing the music in the house, but the singing? There's been occasions of singing that would make anyone's skin peel. So you can imagine my awesome eye roll, and the banter that ensued when my husband came home from work earlier this week, took off his work shirt and exposed an 80's John Farnham t-shirt that he found at his mother's house earlier on the same day.

Everytime we go to my mother in law's house, it's like a time capsule of Cameron's childhood. We bring home boxes of random stuff like photo albums, school books, hats, stamp collections... and John Farnham t-shirts.

This shirt was from his childhood. It still fit, albeit snuggly and he wore it proudly. All. Night.
When he took it off, he folded it oh so neatly and put it away in his drawer, whilst the pile of washing from goodness knows how long ago still sits on his side of the room waiting to be folded away, just as neatly.

I love my husband for his love of all things child like. His collection of dress up costumes, his collection of Transformers toys and his collection of model cars. I also love him for his ability to recall his childhood with all these memories that we collect from his mother's house. But John Farnham? I cringe.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Counting Down the Days...




I haven't been out 'on the town' for a long time. Like over 12-months.

It's been a good break, I have been a bit over the whole drinking/dancing/clubbing scene for a while now, but there's a part of going out and having some cocktails and a bit of a boogy with the girls that I really love. I don't know if it's the fun factor (you know, having a laugh, a few drinks etc), or if it's just because I am getting out and letting my hair down, but I come home feeling as if I have got it out of my system to last me until the next time, which is usually another couple of months down the track when I am bursting for another night out.

So as you can imagine, right now I am VERY overdue.

I am finding myself dancing in the car. While driving. It's not a cool look, nor does it impress Logan.
Or the adjacent cars.

I find myself dancing while doing housework. While having a shower.
I think that's a pretty good hint that I need to boogy. Big time.

And if it cannot be any more perfectly timed, one of my perfect partners in dancing crime Nicole is coming to visit me in a couple of weeks. She lives in QLD so we don't see each other often... not often enough for two girls who are so well aligned to one another.

The last time we went out, it was only a few weeks prior to me meeting my now husband. It was my birthday, it was messy, but it was a night that I look back on fondly because she was there...

Previous to that, it was a couple of years prior. We got a hotel room in the city and had a messy night/morning/weekend. Again, it was a blast. I look back on this one as probably one of my most favourite nights out. In history of all nights out.

This time around, we plan to 'classy it up' a bit, seeing as we're a bit older and apparently a bit wiser.
So we've planned a High Tea, a night out and some winery touring... and plenty of time in between to relax, shop and catch up on the 2+ years it has been since we last saw each other. Yes, it has really been THAT long.

I cannot wait!
I cannot contain my excitement!


xxx

Sunday, April 8, 2012

An Open Letter to Teething



Dear Teething,

I am a nice person, but I despise you. You're evil.
You're painful and you're hurting my baby boy.

Up until this week, he has managed to cut 6 (SIX!) teeth without much of an issue. A bit of a grumble, a small appearance from the 'rosy cheeks' and some not so nice nappies... but this week you decided to knock him around while he was sick. That was plain cruel.

Doesn't he have enough teeth at the moment? Why couldn't it have waited a few days?
It's not like he doesn't have enough for his age, he's only 7-months after all. It's not like he is going to sit down with a T-bone for dinner tonight (much to Daddy's disappointment).

You're trying to give him fangs. Fangs?!
Pray tell, what on Earth does he need those for right now... opening beer bottles? Opening his baby food tins? Sucking blood, perhaps?

PLEASE back off. His temperature has only been at a normal level for 24-hours after being sky high for almost 3-days. Please take the hint and bugger off for just a little bit.

Having a clingy baby, whilst it is great for cuddles, has left the house in a bad state. I haven't been able to put him down for any more than 5 seconds. Grandma had to come over on Friday just so I could shower.

Mummy needs sleep. Daddy wants his side of the bed back. Brother wants the baby to stop crying all. the. time. And Baby just wants a break.

PLEASE, pretty please, either get it over with FAST, or postpone it for a bit. If you have doneso already, then thanks and please disregard.

Yours Sincerely,



Mummy. Who shalt not be messed with.

Ps. May you PLEASE restore his appetite for solid foods? Having a baby back on bottles almost full time isn't welcome either! Thanks!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

An Afternoon at the Footy


You know you're a mother of boys when you find yourself at the Football.

That was me last Sunday.

My husband, Cameron won tickets through a local Radio Station. We didn't have a great deal of notice - but for the 2 days that I knew we were going I was dreading it. I had images in my head of sitting amongst 'insert football team' colours, having a mass of drunk brogans swearing around my children and I was not picturing myself having any fun whatsoever. But being the good wife + mummy that I am, I smiled, packed the car with the boys and we headed on in for a late Sunday afternoon game. I even managed to wear some appropriate coloured clothing. That's just how good a wife I am.

I had always wanted to go to a Football game, I wanted to experience the atmosphere and see what the big deal is. I'm not a sport person at all, but it was something to tick off the list... and I thought at least by going, I'd have proven that I have tried to enjoy it.

From the moment we got out of the car, Logan was a ball of excitement. He had a Port scarf from Hubby's collection and was rearranging it from a crop top, into something that resembled a nappy, then a belly scarf, a hat... basically he was messing around with it + waving it around with pride. He was proud. He was seeing Football 'like TV!' + he took the scarf and his entry ticket to school for 'Show and Tell' the following week

My husband was one of those people that yell out to the players. "Honey, they can't hear you!"
Luckily for me, his voice was on the way out as he was a bit under the weather before the game... so his little outbursts weren't long-lived.

Ryder slept! He slept for almost half of the game. In my arms, holding my hand and sleeping soundly.
Not even flinching at every goal. And there were many.

All in all though, I did enjoy myself, the kids enjoyed themselves AND I'd go again. Yes, I'd go again!

AND towards the end of the game when it was a bit climatic... I was cheering.
Yes, I was cheering... at a football game! Holy Guacamole!!

The atmosphere and the sheer excitement of the game (especially when you're winning) is so easy to get caught up in. I know NOTHING about Football... I know what a goal and a point are and what a mark is, but the rest of it makes no sense to me. BUT with every goal and every mark, I had my hands up in the air, clapping. Cheering.

Football in person is SO MUCH BETTER than watching it on TV.

I still dislike it on TV... but if another game comes up that works with whatever we're doing on that weekend, then I think we'll go.

And the kids are getting Port Power memberships (THAT I don't have choice over... hubby is a Port Supporter)

I eat my words now. Football isn't totally bad. Sorry hubby

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

So... Who is Megs anyway?





For those that aren't aware, every week on Adelaide Mummy Meetings, a Mummy is interviewed as part of 'Interview With...'. It has been a success with a lot of interest from mummies that want to take part and be interviewed, but also successful in allowing all the other mummies to become familiar with their fellow friends on a more intimate level.

It was suggested last week by fellow mummy Emma, that I take part and allow the mummies an opportunity to get to know 'Megs', not just the admin/creator of AMM. I was torn - I didn't know if getting involved would take it from being this community of mums, for mums... to 'The Megs Show'. I don't want to detract from the purpose of AMM... until the idea came about to get this blog back.

This blog is a part of AMM - this is MY story and my personal touch to an otherwise 'everyone else' focussed community.

BUT... Before I continue, may I add... I am an imperfect mother. I don't claim to be perfect, I don't claim to be right... but I do claim to know what is right for my children. After all, this blog is MY story.


So... Who is Megs anyway? Well let me tell you!

- I am Megs (Megan). I'm 29, a Leo and am therefore stubborn, high maintenance (honest!) and loving.

- I'll be 30 this year. I have looked forward to turning 30 since I was a young girl.

- I am a mother of two boys, Logan (6) and Ryder (7-months). I have a husband, Cameron... he's amazing. He's the love of my life and the creator of all of my accomplished dreams.

- I was born in Adelaide. I grew up in Adelaide. I live in Adelaide.

- I am a natural blonde, but I am indecisive so I change my hair colour often. At the moment I am dark. Next week I may be blonde again (I'm not kidding!).

- I am an optimist. I love positivity. I love to be inspired. I seek inspiration from those that are the same.

- I LOVE to cook. I LOVE to go to the gym + do my morning beach walk. I LOVE my job. I LOVE meeting new people. I LOVE my life.

The Interview Questions:

Are you currently working/studying? If so, how many hours?
Other than AMM, I work 2-days a week. It's a job that I love for an employer that is incredibly supportive.

What arrangements do you have for your child/ren when you are working/studying?
Logan is at school, Ryder goes to day care.

Where in Adelaide are you from? Have you always lived here?
I grew up in Mitchell Park and moved on to Aberfoyle Park where I lived until I was 18 and moved out of home. I've always been a Southern Suburbs girl and now live in Hallett Cove.

How old were you when you had your child/ren?
I was 23 when I had Logan and 29 when I had Ryder.

How did you find out that you were pregnant? How far along were you?
Logan: It was a bit of a shock as my then husband (I have been married previously) and I were trying on and off for quite a while. I was working a lot of hours and was feeling very run down so I had a sickie and went to my GP, thinking he'd give me a certificate, and I just needed a day to sleep it off... NOPE! Turns out I was pregnant (about 7-weeks).

Ryder: I had monitored cycles due to PCOS, second cycle in + we caught the egg!

Baby birth stats, for each: (Gestation, length of labour, pushing (or c-section), spontaneous/induction/elective, weight, head circ, length.)
Logan: 40+6, spontaneous labour of 30.5 hours (posterior). 8pd, 36cm head circ and he kept forgetting to breathe (thanks to pethedine) and was admitted to neonatal for 4-5 days post birth.

Ryder: Induced at 38+4 due to pregnancy complications (SPD + large size), BRILLIANT labour! 13.5 hours (5 active), 8pd 12oz, 36cm head. Such a positive experience considering I had a lot of anxiety!

Were you happy with the outcome of your birth/labour?
With my first, not at all. It wasn't just the complications during birth (I had pethedine which caused heart rate issues for Logan + breathing difficulties post birth), BUT I had very, very poor care from the staff. With Ryder, I went Private - I had a lot of anxiety about having another baby and wanted to take control of as much as I could.

How much Maternity Leave did/will you take?
With Logan I was back at full time work when he was about 8-weeks old (I think!), but when he was 6-months old I stopped working and studied from home for a while. With Ryder, I stopped work at 32-weeks (due to SPD) and went back to work just shy of 6-months old, but only 2-days a week.

What are your hobbies? Things you enjoy doing just for yourself
Gym/Walking + catching up with my girlfriends

What is the BEST piece of advice you received whilst pregnant/a new mother?
Happy Mummy = Happy Baby.
You can't give 100% of yourself to something when you're not feeling 100%.

What has been the hardest thing for you so far?
Finding that balance between everything. I feel most days that I am just keeping my head above water and not making any progress.

Where do you like to shop for kid's clothes, toys, etc.?
I am a Bonds FREAK. I love their range.
Other then that, my boys are dressed in a bit of everything - Logan loves Transformers + Ben10, so I tend to buy him a few of those so he can express himself.

Tell us a funny story involving your child/ren.
I took Logan to the after-hours Doctor going back about 12-months ago and it still sticks with me! The Doctor happened to be Indian and Logan looked at him, and asked me 'Mummy, why does that man have a chocolate face?". Luckily, the guy had a sense of humour and explained to him where he was from, etc.

Do you know where you'll send your child/ren to school? What are you looking for in their education?
I was of the mind that I would send my children to public school until they reach 'Middle School' age and then move them into private... until my son started school. I am not at all happy with his school, nor the way the public system operates, and as such will be moving him into a Private School as soon as he is accepted.

What are your favourite children's book/s?
Logan loves 'Max Power' - It's like a younger kid's novel. He also loves 'Where's Wally' or anything that involves having to find something... As for Ryder, we just read 'The Hungry Caterpillar' to him at the moment. I have a few books in mind that I want to get him for his 1st birthday.

Do you know of any great apps/websites for kids?
'Cool Maths Games' + 'Poptropica'

Best trick to keep kids entertained while out of the house?
Nintendo DS, iPad.. Food, Drinks

WILDCARD! Tell us something we don't know! Or something people wouldn't normally know about you.
Bah! Some of you are friends of mine and would know this already... but I used to sing in front of large crowds (like Festival Theatre, shopping centres). I kick myself sometimes that maybe I could have done something with it, but now I have stage fright, can't even sing in front of my husband!

Tell us your favourite moment thus far about being a Mummy.
There really are so many moments. I love that my son makes me love notes and brings them home from school. I love that Ryder says 'Mumma' and 'Dadda' and is such a placid baby and is SO happy.

Do you know any good jokes?
My latest one... How many abstracts does it take to change a lightbulb?

'Fish.'

Do you come from a large family?
Not really. I grew up with my mum and sister, who's 7-years younger than I am.

If you were to win $10,000, what would you do with it?
Pay off the credit card, which I'll probably max out the next day.

If there was one thing about yourself that you could change, what would it be?
I'd change my lack of confidence - people think I have a lot of it, but I really don't!

AND for those who wanted to know MORE!

What was your ultimate drive to start this group?

Check out this blog post :)

How do you keep yourself motivated with the page and keeping up with your children?

I keep myself motivated by meeting the mummies, it's really that simple! It helps that I am doing something I am wholeheartedly passionate about and people are grateful for this little community.

I have days where my confidence is low and I question if this is really making a difference... but it only takes a Mummy Meeting, or a Buddy Match to see how much of a difference I am making.

How do you balance family, friends, etc?

Honestly? I am struggling to keep up with friends, I feel like a very poo friend at the moment.

My husband has been nothing short of amazing, picking up my slack and helping out with dinner/kids when I am in the midst of replying to emails, etc. It's give and take though, I help him when he needs it.

As for the rest, it comes down to learning to prioritise and manage time effectively. I'm not always sitting on the couch replying to each of you... I take the iPad out with me, or use my iPhone. Being on the go and having access to awesome technology allows me to multitask to the extreme!

What's the strangest things you've eaten be it during pregnancy or not?

I craved GREEN bananas when pregnant with Logan. I would say that's the weirdest thing I've eaten! I'm very plain when it comes to food, I don't like to experiment much.

Favourite holiday destination/where you'd love to holiday if you could go anywhere?

This one is SO hard! I have an obsession with Paris and the Eiffel Tower (hubby proposed to me there), so I would give anything to go back and relive that moment. BUT I also love Langkawi, Malaysia (where we were married) and I really want to go back for a wedding anniversary.

Then there's the Harry Potter Theme Park + Hawaii...

Where is the strangest place you have changed a nappy?

LOL! In the car in the carpark at Melba's Chocolate Factory.

What's your favourite ice-cream flavour?

Mocha Almond Fudge from Royal Copenhagen

Whats the craziest + funniest thing you did as a kid under 5?

I have no idea! I remember slapping my friend across the face for something... she reminded me of this YEARS later when we reunited at high school a good 12(or so) years later.

Oh! And I stole a toy from the local shops... but I am sure most kids have done that (Ryder already has!)

And whats the craziest + funniest thing your kid(s) have done?

Logan is obsessed with cardboard boxes, or anything that can store something. He is forever turning them into houses for his teddies and our Family Room is now full of cardboard boxes that are decorated to the extreme. He even has string from each house as power lines. That makes me laugh... the simplicity and sheer amazement of a kid's imagination. It's not crazy, until you come and see our Family Room!

Most embarrassing thing done by you and most embarrassing moment out with the kids (either what they've done/said or what's happened with mummy brain)

Mummy Brain? I have that ALL time! I am forever forgetting things, confusing the kids names (as well as hubby and the dog)... Nothing overly embarrassing though. Maybe I over think things too much?

What do you do to help your son (and you) manage his Sensory Processing Disorder, what do you find helps with this?

Logan has a range of Sensory Diet activities to assist with his SPD: We keep him active every couple of hours, use deep pressure massage (a large pilates ball that we use to 'squish him like toothpaste') and have recently implemented the brushing technique which is used to help stimulate all the nerve endings in his skin.

We also attend fortnightly Occupational Therapy appointments to monitor his progress and give us advice on what we are doing, or what we can do more of etc. It's still very early days and there's been a lot of change in the last couple of months (he now has glasses, and has recently had grommets inserted and adenoids removed due to sleep apnea), so I am sure that with persistence and time, we will see some changes.

He is such a good natured, happy child, he just has a lot of issues focussing/concentrating and he's just a very 'go, go, go!' child.

And that's MY Interview! Thanks for the opportunity, for the ongoing love + support that I get each day... and thank you for being such a GREAT group of Mummies! I really love what I do, and I hope that you love what I do... if not, please let me know! xx

Monday, April 2, 2012

Bye Glamour{hood}

Say hello to 'Mum on the Run'. And goodbye to 'Glamour{hood}'.

Mum on the Run has been created as a replacement to GH - A Blog that I grew quite fond of, but given my current circumstances and my desire to combine my passions, it was decide that Glamour{hood} be retired in favour of this new story.

Glamour{hood} was young + it didn't really have 'it'. I don't particularly know what 'it' was to begin with, but I struggled to find where it fit in with everything else in my life... and honestly, it just didn't.

MOTR (or how I like to call it MOtheR), is a blog about being a mother and raising two amazing little men. It's about being a loving wife. A loyal friend. And most recently, a business owner.

7-weeks ago, I was sitting at home, on the couch, having a quiet afternoon + rest on Facebook, killing time before having to leave the house to pick up Logan at school. I'm minding my own business (or as much as you can whilst on what is known to be 'stalkerbook') and I notice a post pop up from a fellow page, Adelaide Baby Bargains about a woman who has recently moved to Adelaide. She wanted to know how to go about meeting mums, but her children were just that little bit older.

Within seconds, this particular post had a lot of interest, and it didn't take me long to recognise a common theme: There was nothing available here. Not unless you joined a Playgroup, Sporting Club or anything else that meant either commitment, or money.

Instantly, as if by a sudden rush, I emailed the owner of ABB and ran her through my idea. It was brief. I wanted to create a page to cater to these women, but I wanted to make sure she was OK with it. After all, the inspiration came from her page.

Within minutes, I got a reply: "Of Course!"

I quickly rushed, set up a quick + basic page... designed a quick logo (which has turned out to be the BEST decision!), and 'Adelaide Mummy Meetings' was born.

That day was February 15th 2012. It's now the 2nd April and I have over 1,800 Members (Mummies). It's been a whirlwind. It's been amazing.

So please welcome 'Mum on the Run'. And farewell the short-lived Glamour{hood}.
I've decided to keep some of my favourite entries... so I hope you enjoy what remains!