Welcome to the world Olivia Paige Brueckner

One of my long lasting friends Louisa, had her second baby girl yesterday morning at 12:53am - so close to being a leap year baby and only ageing every four years!!

Olivia Paige, welcome to the world beautiful girl.  Please adjust to the hours of daylight and night time quickly so that your mummy and daddy can get lots of much needed sleep.

Isabella - I hope that you enjoy having your new sister in your life.  A best friend to share many wonderful playful moments together - and no doubt get up to lots of mischief together also.

Children are precious and you all are going to create many eventful moments together. Enjoy the arrival of your new family member who is going to bring you an extreme amount of love and happiness xx

High Tea - a magical excuse to catch up with the girls!

Have you ever experienced High Tea?
I hadn't until yesterday afternoon - I can't believe it has taken me 34 years to finally tick that one off my bucket list!
My beautiful high school friend Jandy - aka Flossie, organised for a group of her close girl friends to unite over High Tea at Cloude Hill in Olinda, The Dandenongs.
The special occasion was a send off for her, she flies out in two sleeps time to teach English to children in a Balinese orphanage. What a wonderful journey awaits her.
We didn't have cucumber sandwiches.......but we did have china tiered plates laden with delicious treats.  Savoury quiches, sausage rolls, various types of sandwiches - and the one at the top was our absolute favourite.  Scones, chocolate tarts and lemon tarts - yummo!!!  All topped off with tea, lattes and some bubbling champagne.  The scene was perfect, outside in the sunshine surrounded by beautiful manicured gardens.
The most wonderful thing about this day, was that I was reunited again with a group of wonderful friends from high school.  The girls that I grew up with drinking home made ouzo, partying at Jooce, Metro, Barrel bar etc.  The girls who I can always have a laugh with.
Oh and Jands, I can't believe that I got my dress stuck in my underwear...... at least it wasn't toilet paper traipsing out........!
All the best for a wonderful experience in Bali, a time for you to "grow" and prosper, to teach some gorgeous kids our language, a chance for you to climb some rungs on your ladder in life.  You will touch the lives of everyone that meets you, your smile and personality will stay with them for eternity.
This is your chance to shine xx

Time to return........well, try too!

I feel like I haven't written in ages, I haven't put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard - but that doesn't mean that my thoughts have not stopped!

Ever since I returned to work, the wheels have at times, fallen off the wagon. "This" Wagon, is a lot more rickety since pre October. Poor little blue eyed Charlie has had constant ear infections, to be precise, 6 in 4 months.  Now let me tell you, that's a lot of sleepless nights and a pretty miserable bubba at times. However, he really tries to be a trooper and after having so many, we can pick the warning signs as soon as one hits.  I feel like I am solely paying my doctors wages and keeping the chemist's cash flow going nicely too - but I constantly have to remind myself, it really could be a lot worse.  Sleep deprivation is tough, and for some reason an ear infection always seems to hit on one of those days that I have to work. Bleary eyed I drag myself out of bed before the sun has even woken up. Insert caffeine drip (not really, just a take away skinny latte to kick start my drive!).  Although, sometimes I think caffeine inserted straight into my veins would have a much more desired effect.... And I soldier on, because I have too, because this is what mother hood is all about. This is what I signed up for when those little tadpoles swam their hearts out to reach my eggs to bless us with our two beautiful boys.
I always knew what kind of mother I wanted to be, and at times I am definitely not that mummy.
But I try my best, and I like to think that my boys know that - what am I saying, of course they know that.  Their cuddles, kisses, wanting to hold my hand, sing and dance with them, play trains, run on the beach, wrestling, reading of books, mummy this, mummy that (sometimes I want to change my name from mummy when I hear it 100 million times a day!)
They love me every second of every day, with every inch of their bodies. Through tantrums, tears, laughter and smiles, I am their mummy, the mummy that makes everything just right for them. And that makes me happy and complete.
Many people I know would give their all just to have that extra heartbeat in their home.  That pure soft skin to comfort in the middle of the night, someone that calls them mummy.
So, I may not always be the mummy that I want to be, but I feel blessed that I just got given the chance to be one.