Seasons

These are snapshots from my travels in life.

Itchy grass and biting ants in a splash of spring sun on our first holiday together.

Flushed cheeks and woolly scarves under Melbourne’s grey autumn sky.

Crunching snow underfoot on our wintery Tasmanian honeymoon.

A crisp, early summer evening, wading in the water, reaching for our jackets and snuggling as the sun dipped over the horizon.

What do seasons mean to you?

blogthis

I have hope

So, yesterday the car become the not-so-fun-place-to-be again. I didn’t expect the whole car thing to be all fixed overnight, but I didn’t expect it to go completely back to SOB-SCREAM-CHOKE. Oh well, small steps. At least I know that we can have a successful drive – there is hope!
Pebble and I had a quiet day in today, following a VERY busy week and weekend. I pushed the pram around the neighbourhood for half an hour, enjoying the nearly-autumny weather, got three loads of washing done, and ironed all of Paul’s work shirts. Quiet domesticity :)
The light and the gum trees reminded me of this weeks blogthis challenge – a room with a view. I’m certainly no photographer, but here’s a couple of snapshot of one of my favourite views.
From our bed we can see our front garden and the trees standing tall and proud. Occasionally we see a koala in the gum trees, hear a kookaburra laughing and, more often, the squawk of galahs.

The wardrobe mirrors reflect the view so that it feels like we’re surrounded by nature (hmmm, I really must plant in front of the fence).

I love cuddling in bed on lazy Sunday mornings, especially in winter, with the wind howling, and the rain drizzling across the grey sky. Fingers crossed that I’ll get a few cuddles this winter – even if they are with two people instead of just one :)

Weekends

With the new addition to our family, and being on maternity leave, my days and weeks are all blending together into one, long, baby-filled, sleep-deprived haze.
Weekends have a new meaning though. Weekends are when everyone else is off work too. Weekends are when Paul is home to play with Pebble and I. Weekends are my time to chill out a little with an extra pair of hands around the house. Weekends are time to catch up with family and friends.
This weekend Paul and I took Pebble shopping for a new rug for her bedroom…..
 
Yes, the early childhood teacher (me!) bought a rug with an incomplete alphabet. Pebble was very unhappy about this shopping expedition, and I couldn’t face shopping around (or more time in the car…. dread!), so we bought the first one we saw. I didn’t even look at it properly. Now it will be a daily annoyance (and a bit of a giggle).

I went looking for some new ugg boots, but instead bought these Bonds home socks – which come without the clomp, clomp sound on the floorboards at 3am while I’m carrying a sleepy baby.

I did lots of washing, including a brand new fitted sheet, that is now crisp and clean on the bed, waiting to be snuggled in. I am SO over our old fitted sheets that had long ago lost their fit.

Paul got his morning exercise (with a little help from his friend).

I put on a little make up to go out the house, and had baby snuggles.

I played with Pebble while Paul did some tinkering on the computer. I love her expression in this pic…. “Daddy’s on the computer again”. In all fairness, Mummy is always on the computer too….

Don’t you just wanna squish that toosh?
How was your weekend?
This post is for BlogThis.

Guilty Pleasures

Oh, this one is easy!
1. Fritz.

I love it. I miss it (fritz is not baby friendly). Some of you may know it as Devon. It’s that non-meat sold in the fridge or deli section that is made of dicks, lips and arseholes (Mr RG’s words, not mine) . Salty, rubbery, ever so lightly spicy fritz!
Mostly I enjoy a 2cm thick chunk on it’s own, or topped with Heinz ketchup. Sometimes I partake of a few slices of Smiley Fritz from the deli. Bung Fritz is quite good, but it really depends on the supplier. I’m quite fussy about it.
Unfortunately, Fritz is not well known to the interweb. Google is pretty clueless, as is wiki. In case you’re visiting from far away and I have no idea what I’m talking about go here.
2. Reading in the toilet.
Yeah, you heard me. I struggle with it, because anything I read in there is forever contaminated (in my mind). I am very particular about which hand I use to hold the book and which I use to wipe – much the same as I imagine Indian’s are with the whole hands on eating/wiping  situation. Magazines and catalogues are popular choices, but right now it’s baby and pregnancy books. Anything that doesn’t require too much focus (I am doing two jobs at once, you know).
3. Gossip Girl

‘nuff said.
4. Facebook.

I do. I can’t help it. I’m on it only about 10 minutes a day. But I can’t give it up. Total voyeurism.
5. Blogging

I always think I really should be doing something else.

Makes me smile

Here’s what made me smile today:

I was at work, talking with the kids (Year 1/2, aged 6-8yo) about our latest unit of work, and all that we have learned now that it is coming to an end.

One of the kids put up his hand and says:

“You know, it’s funny because we always think that the new thing (topic)  is going to be boring or bad, and we want to keep doing the old thing because we like it so much. But then we start learning about the new thing and it’s really cool and we really love it and we don’t want to stop learning it!”.

This little moment gave me one of those lovely warm teaching fuzzies, that remind me of why I love doing what I do.

Shhhhhh…..

Check out my guest post on BlogThis about privacy and the interweb.

Living in the past

On 22 April 2005, Mr RG and I met.
We were set up by two of our best friends. I was nervous, excited, but also feeling quietly cool about it. It was just a drink – whatever, right?
We had spoken on the phone and exchanged photos by the time we met. He gallantly met me at the public bus stop in the middle of the city. I remember checking him out with sidelong glances, struggling to keep up with his long stride, and thinking “this guy is too good for me”.
Later I found out he was thinking the exact same thing about me.
We found a bar, eventually, and some soothing sparkling ale to take the edge off. We exchanged the usual banter - family, friends, work, travel. He said he’d love to try dancing lessons – I will never forget that, and no we never have.
He carried my coat all night.
We ended up going for a meal. He paid for dinner, but I was so unused to chivalry that I ran up behind him to offer to pay my share. He didn’t notice that I’d left the table, and when he glanced at it and saw I had gone, the expression on his face was priceless.
We went on to drink more beer, listen to a random band, and ended up in a club dancing to old 80s tunes, where we had our first kiss. The most beautiful, light, feathery, gentle kiss.
He waved me off into a taxi after 1am. I rode the whole way home with a grin to rival the Cheshire cat.
I thought he was too good to be true.
He wasn’t.

Love you, babe.
This post was inspired by

Meet the Parents

Inspired by the blog this challenge for this week, I have been thinking about my childhood memories of my mum and dad a lot as I go about my business.

(I was an ugly critter I know – being premmie will do that to you!)

Some favourite moments:

• cuddling up on Dad’s lap while he rubbed the “growing pains” out of my aching legs. I remember resting my head on his massive chest and hearing his heart beating. It felt like the safest place in the world.
• getting to spend a rare day with Mum all by myself, instead of having to share her with my siblings. I can’t remember why these days occurred. Maybe I faked a sick day!? I remember going shopping, having lunch together, and just hanging out. This was precious time.
• being insanely terrified of learning to ride my bike. Dad followed behind, holding on to the back of the bike. Unknown to me he’d let go after a few metres, to let me give it a try alone. I’d be all good – until I glanced back to see him way behind. That was the point that I jumped off the bike and landed on the median strip. I’m sure I must have done this too many times to count, but Dad hung in there and eventually I learned to ride all by myself.
• dancing to Madonna clips in the lounge room with Mum and my sister – copying all the dance moves from Dress You Up in my Love. Classic.

I love you guys!

Blog This Challenge – What’s on your bedside table?

I just joined the Blog This challenge and here is my first challenge entry.

Right now my bedside table includes two books that I am reading very slowly – I guess over about 9 months?! At 17 weeks pregnant all my reading is currently pregnancy books and websites, because I don’t get a lot of reading time and it’s what I need to know right now.
My two books of choice right now are:


They’re practical, easy to read and keep it simple. Essential mummy to be reading!
UPDATE: Whoops, looks like I joined BlogThis too late and didn’t get included in the comp. Next time!