Time flies.....

Wow I can't believe we are now into April. It only seems like yesterday I was packing away the Christmas decorations. But in the past few weeks things have been so jam packed with a billion and one things and here we are. I have so many things I want to post about so instead of procrastinating and writing it all up instead of studying I am going to give you a taster of all the posts coming up this week by telling you what has happened in our little family. 

We have hosted a baby shower

Had our first international family holiday

Had an addition to our extended family with the birth of my niece

We spent Easter hiding out.

I have even managed to do a little sewing and cooking :o)

And I will share it all in the next few days.

Letting Go

There has to come a point in life where you have to let go of the pain that someone has caused you in the past and move on. Well for me there is a person whose actions have caused a great deal of pain not only to myself but to others. This week there came a point where I had to make a choice whether or not I held onto my fear of being hurt again or if I once and for all let it go. 

As a Christian we are taught to forgive. I believed that I had but there was a part of me that held back from a deep connection with this person because of my fear, because of my wariness. To be honest I don't believe it is without foundation, this person has never shown any remorse for the pain and upheaval and they have never apologised for the damaged they did or the betrayal their lies and manipulation cause. I was moving on at my own pace, trying to let go but being forced to make this choice had me wanting to stamp my feet and scream like a tired 2 year old in the middle of busy shopping centre because my Mummy wouldn't buy me a chocolate.

Then I realised that part of me wanted to hold onto everything. I had been deeply hurt and damn it I wanted them to care about that. But here's there kicker, its not doing me any good. Yes I have been hurt, yes I am concerned about putting my family in a position where they may be hurt again but I can not go around expecting pain because I will be short changing myself the joy of life and I refuse to live like that. So this is me.... 

Letting Go

It's official

Its official we are going to Peru!!!

I have been saying it since December but this week we finalised all our plans and booked everything for the most incredible trip in September this year.

We will be Rafting on the white-waters of the Apurimac River for 3 days, 

travelling to Ollantaytambo through the Sacred Valley, 

climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu which will take us 4 days 

and mountain biking down the Manu Cloud Forest for 3 days. 

This is the biggest part of our trip and we will be able to spend time in Cuzco in between each part. 

After this we will be heading up the Amazon to spend 4 days in the Amazon Rainforest where we will be able to walk through the jungle, take canoe trips and swim in the Gallucunca. 

From here we will head up to Puno and the out to Lake Titicaca to experience the local culture by staying with a family on one of the reed islands 

before heading back up to Lima for a few days before our massive journey home.

I am beyond excited about this trip and Louis is even more excited than I am. It seems like a long wait until September but then I remember that we are already in March!!!!! So it will be here before we know it.

204

204.....A friend of mine will be upset that I am pointing this out but 204 is the number of days left until Louis and I fly out to Peru on an incredible once in a lifetime adventure (more about this later)

So I thought that not only will I prepare by heading to the gym for some crazy work outs and learning Spanish (I can say 5 things so far YAY me) but that I would also try my hand a making some Peruvian dishes. So last night after Family Game Time we dug into Asado a la Cerveza or for those not learning Spanish, Pot Roast in Beer 

Something nice and easy to start with, I'm not sure its very "traditional" but I think it was a great place to start. You can find the recipe I used here if you are interested in giving it a go. I am going to get more adventurous but before I do that I am going to have to see if I can source some specific ingredients to be able to make some of the more traditional dishes and meals. I have a feeling I am going to be saying "No Aji" a lot while we are there.

Baked Oatmeal Casserole

I came across this recipe on Pinterest last week from Urban Nester and have been desperate to try it ever since. Yesterday afternoon Zachary was watching a movie and Louis and Michael were playing a computer game together so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to give it a go.

I had to convert the measurements because its an American site so below is the Aussie version :)

Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mixed berries (she used raspberries but I had mixed berries in the freezer)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tabelspoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, cut into 1 cm slices
1 cup walnut pieces (I didn't use these because I don't like walnuts but you might)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 190'C and spray the inside of a 29cm by 18cm baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the walnuts (if you are using them), half the berries and half the chocolate (save the other half of the berries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal)

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining berries, walnuts and chocolate on top.

 Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. 

Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. 

For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar.

I have to admit I had no idea what it was going to be like when I tried it but I was pleasantly surprised this morning. It was really tasty, the different berries added bursts of flavour and the chocolate added just the right amount of sweetness to the dish. I think this is going to be a favourite come the cooler months.

Weekly Activity Calendar

I have found that with the start of school and both of the boys being full-time there is a lot more to remember in the mornings to ensure they are kitted out and ready for the day. This means that this little Mummy has been trying to remember what needs to happen on each day and who needs to take what to school or who needs to be wearing which uniform. So to stop myself going crazy I have made myself a Weekly Activity Calendar. 

I grabbed 7 cheap frames from Red Dot ($2.99 each)

 Some trust 3M Command hanging strips

Printed out the names of the days Monday through Sunday and put them into the frames.

Then stuck them onto the coat cupboard in our entry way that we never use

 There we go. Weekly Activity Calendar in action.

Meet Monty

As you know the boys started school two weeks ago. Zachary had a little trouble settling in but did better this week and as a reward for his wonderful behaviour at school he brought home the class bear, Monty.

We have to fill in a journal of what we did with Monty so this is what we did.

Zachary and Monty’s Weekend Adventure.

Zachary was so excited when Monty came home to spend the weekend with him and what a weekend they have had together.

On Friday Monty joined Zachary and his Mum on their afternoon tea date at McDonalds. Zachary shared his Raspberry Friand with Monty who thoroughly enjoyed it before they went outside to play together. Monty loved going down the slide with Zachary and playing pretend in the rocket ship.

After their date Zachary and his Mummy took their car through the car wash. Monty thought this was very exciting even if it was a little noisy. Zachary even showed Monty some very interesting games in his iPad while they were waiting to have their turn.

On Friday night Monty got to sleep in Zachary’s bed and even got to choose and extra story for Zachary’s Daddy to read before it was time to go to sleep. Zachary’s Mummy and Daddy said that something very exciting was happening the next day and everyone needed to get a good night rest so they had lots of energy for the next day.

On Saturday Zachary, Monty and Zachary’s big brother Michael all packed a bag and went to their cousin’s house to stay the night. They were all very excited as this was the first time they were able to stay with Kieran. They had lots of fun playing games, reading books, watching movies and playing outside with the neighbour kids. Monty had so much fun and it was very hard to go to sleep because everyone was so very excited and had had such a great time that they didn’t want it to end.

When Zachary, Michael and Monty were picked up on Sunday, Michael and Zachary were very excited about taking Monty out for a family lunch. Monty enjoyed sharing Zachary’s chicken burger, chips and juice.

 

Zachary’s mummy and Daddy had planned on taking everyone to the beach but because it was so cold and windy (and everyone was so tired) they decided to have a movie afternoon instead. Monty enjoyed relaxing on the couch, having a big cuddle and watching the movie with everyone.

 

Zachary and Michael’s Daddy let them have a special treat, they got to spend a little while playing computer games together, before Michael and Zachary had to do their chores and make sure that everyone, including Monty was ready to head back to school on Monday morning.

Every Sunday night after dinner Zachary and his family play a game. This week they played Uno and Monty was thrilled to be included and had lots of fun playing with Zachary until it was bedtime.

 

Zachary enjoyed having lots of adventures with Monty this weekend, they have had a wonderful weekend together and Zachary hopes Monty has had a great time with him and is very glad he got to spend some special time with him.

A little school sewing

Before school start (two weeks ago!!!) I managed to get in some essential sewing for my little guys. The boys got to choose their own fabric which they think its just the Bees Knees. I used the free pattern from Oliver + S available here for the boys hats, I had to enlarge the pattern for Michael's, it took a bit of work but he loved it in the end, which makes it all worth while.

The emotional ups and downs of parenthood

Here's the thing about parenthood..... No one ever lets you know what you are truly in for. We all know there is no handbook that they give you when you leave the hospital to tell you what it's going to be like or how to understand your baby, or how to survive. But more concerning than not knowing how to deal with the tiny human you just brought into the world, is that no one tells you about the changes that happen to you as a parent. They never tell you that the gooey emotional stuff doesn't end when you pregnant hormones level out or when your kid/s are finally sleeping through the night and you start to get your life back. Or that it still happens when they aren't babies anymore and they aren't those sweet smelling, toothless smiling balls of adorableness.

They don't tell you that all those really awesome firsts will not only make you feel unimaginable joy but they will also break your heart into teeny, tiny, insy, winsy pieces. Or that it wont only be these momentousness occasions but that you will feel them at random moments throughout every single day. When you look over at them and you notice that they have grown just that tiny bit more or when one of your little men hold the door open for a lady or when you tuck them into bed at night  and you see that ghost of the tiny baby you brought home.

Last weekend Michael last his second tooth 

and now we are heading for one of those momentous firsts come Monday morning. Its a bit of an end of an era for us as Zachary will be starting Pre-Primary. This means that both of our little men will be at full-time school for the first time. 

Part of me is so excited about this, he is such a smart little guy, both of them are and he is going to do so well . As a parents half of you looks forward to these moments, you look forward to the moments when they grow up a little more, their first teeth, first word, their first step, first parent-less play-date but the other half of you weeps at the fact that you aren't going to have this particular first every again. 

I know this Mumma is going to have to resist the tears on Monday morning and will be keeping herself very busy with errands and an extensive trip to the gym. But other than that until my Internship begins in term two and I finish my degree I will childless 5 days a week during school hours and I'm not exactly sure what I will do with myself yet. Any suggestions?

Australia Day Weekend

Can't believe we almost through January already. School starts next week, which means both the boys will be in school full-time, I shall freak out about that later. But the past weekend we celebrated the Australia Day long weekend with a trip down to The Farm with a friend and his Dad who is visiting from the UK.

The Farm for those who aren't aware belongs to my wonderful in-laws and is located just outside the town of Margaret River and is just awesome. 

Our trip down had the regulation stop here

The Swag that I bought for Louis for Christmas was finally used

A second tooth was 'lost'

Cows were visited

Goodies were eaten

Motobikes were ridden for the first time

(totally in love with this shot I took so I'm sharing it) 

And before we knew it, it was time to head home.

We made a pit stop for lunch at The Cheeky Monkey Brewery on the way home for lunch with Louis' parents and a play. They are have a great playground for the kids so its well worth a visit if you are down that way and I have a couple of very cheeky photographic monkey's

Louis and his lovely Mum Jo

My lovely in-laws (love these guys) 

Monday was spent at home chilling and make some changes to Zachary's room (more on that to come later) All in all a lovely relaxing weekend that although didn't involve fireworks was full of family fun and quality time together *bliss*

Hope you had a wonderful Australia Day Weekend