More Kind

I'm nearing the end of my blogging about being kind.  I'm not going to stop making that extra effort to do some extra little that makes things better for someone else. I'm off on holiday in a couple of days and then am thinking I'm going to challenge myself with something new.

Today I:

• Said thanks to one of the people that really helped with my youngest daughter's development.  We made a card (glitter, stickers, bits of bark) and it meant so much to my daughter's therapist, plus was a great chance to catch up and debrief on a bit of an icky time with my eldest daughter.  I highly recommend saying thank you.  It feels great!  
• Sent a card down to my nana.
• Chose something nice to put in the foodbank box at the supermarket.
• Turned up with a bottle of sparkling grape juice while a twelve year old friend got ready for her formal.

Doing stuff for people feels great :)
It's rubbing off on my kids too.  Love it!

Giving mums a break from their kids is kind....

...very kind ;)

And now she rants

I haven't stopped being kind.  In fact I have been pretty blimmin' busy being kind.  So much so that I've forgotten some of the stuff I've done (honestly!).
I have:

• run errands for people overseas
• been patient
• given away clothes that I was going to sell to friends
• hunted down an orderly at the hospital to say 'thanks'
• held a chrissie party
• performed with my kids for an elderly Christmas party.

And to expand on that last point I would like to add:  Warning, now entering rant territory. This world sometimes sucks big time.  Why is it that the elderly seem so disposable to society?  We are all missing out on some serious talent and experience. I think that our society needs to take a big look at itself and to start re-learning a few core values, some courtesy, love and respect.  Basically we need to stop being a bunch of self-centre fuckheads and reach out and look after each other.   Beware rant continues.  I saw loads of older people today that are clever, patient, funny, kind and lonely.  These people say they've got no family.  Many are spending Christmas alone.  I think that is bullshit.  There are people out there that could be with them and are probably just too busy with their head stuck up their fucking arses.  Thank God for the kind people out there that have the decency of heart to be there when others fail.  I'm going to make a bigger effort every day to be one of the kinder people and less of one of the arseholes!  Rant over!

Dishes.

Doing other people's dishes is very kind.
Doing the dishes for a busy mum is even kinder.

Oh and while I'm thinking about it so is passing on clothes that you or your kids no longer wear. 

Man, I might just be awesome!

Frank Beale has the right idea!

Inspired...

Latest Obsession

I quite often get a bit too enthralled (obsessed perhaps?) in books.  One of my favs is Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes.  I love books.  I love reading them and I love owning them.  I love knowing that there is a great story just waiting for me to read over and over again.  Angela's Ashes is one of the many books that I read every year.  Today I finished another of McCourt's books ''Tis'.  And now I am obsessed with the following things:

• Owning Teacher Man.  I have only read this once.
• Finding photos of Frank's first wife Mike (Alberta) Small.  Help!!!!  Google is not being kind.
• Reading all of the McCourt brother's books.
• Diving in Bali with Malachy McCourt (http://www.divecenterbali.com/instructors/instructors.htm).  This is the son of Frank's brother.
• Visiting Ireland. 
• Reading more!  
• Perhaps teaching more.  And being a nicer teacher.  Oh and making a better effort to teach my own kids!
• And just to go a little AWOL...Freaking Celebrity Apprentice!  What a load of addictive bullshit!! Ha!  

There may be a few things there to add to my list of dreams :)

Frank McCourt as a youngster.  He makes me want to dream and act 'bigger'.

 

 

A bunch of fools.   These people make me feel pretty ok about myself :-P

3 Days of Kindness, been and gone

1) Made DH a big cooked brekkie and took a couple of tweens formal dress shopping.
2) Bought my mama a couple of pairs of shoes for xmas.  This was extra kind as I was really nice and didn't drag her around the shops I like and instead went where she likes :)
3) Let someone borrow one of my fav books (I'm just about to go drop it off).

Once again I think I need to up the kindness stakes.  But hey, at least I'm trying! :)

Hope you are all being kind.  Especially to yourselves!

Kind to ME!

I'm going to be kind to me today.  So far I've treated myself to a coffee and a haircut.  I have cider chilling in the fridge for a bevy and a chat with a bestie. 

Kindness to others today was in the form of Christmas pressies (making and buying).  I love Christmas :)

:(

This really upsets me.  This happened right in the heart of the community I live in.  It makes me think I need to step up my acts of kindness and do something bigger.  What though?

Today's act was miniscule.  I dropped in on a friend for a surprise visit.  I took her coffee.  I took my kids out for lunch too.  I wish I was better at being kind!

Latest update on this story is that it is all bollocks.  The guy was telling a wee porkie.  I'm glad that none of it happened and hope that he is happy now.  Life must have gotten to the wee dude on the day.  How lovely of the lady to stop and help though.  And how awesome to be in a town where someone not being helped is front page news :)

Kind. Day Six (I think).

Scored my sister's kids a bed.  All it cost me was a Powerade and a game of pool.  Score! 
I really wanted to keep it for myself but she has four kids and three beds.  I have two kids and two beds.  Math won.

PS.  How is this for an awesome chain on kindness:
Neighbours giveaway bed.  Another neighbour helps me push it to my place.  I give the helpful bed-pusher a thank-you pressie.  My sis gets a bed.  I wonder what happened next????




PPS. Oh and OMG I have a head full of blogging ideas!  Watch this space.  My brain is in spill mode!

PPPS.  And because I obviously have an aversion to pulling the camera out, fighting the kids for a turn, plugging it into the computer (let the excuses roll), here is a pic of Dr David Hamilton (the dude behind the kindness):

Kind. Again.

The thing about reporting back about being is kind is that it seems a little fake.  The 21 things I blog about here are things that are 'extra' to the other kind things that I would do every day.  Hopefully the habit of doing a little bit extra every day will become a habit.  I'm sounding a little bit like I think I'm pretty awesome here.  But in reality I think the majority of us are all pretty kind.  I know I'm very kind to a select bunch of people and probably in predictable ways.  The things here are that little bit extra.  So far they are pretty small and not the big fireworks type of kindness I'd like to be telling you about.  I hope I get better at being kind soon!

Today's little extras:  giving my mum a little mini-facial and making her lunch, buying something for the foodbank bin at the supermarket. 

Kind. Day Four.

Still being kind here.  And by kind I mean above and beyond the usual day to day stuff that you should do anyway. 

So today's little extras include making magic fairy memories with my own little fairy (hiding little fairy treats around, playing fairy games etc).  I also fed some hungry kids some brekkie.  Volunteered to donate some stuff and do a few jobs.  Oh and acted extremely kind to some people that have been extremely unkind to me!  The fairy part was my favourite act of kindness. 

We love Flower Fairies.

Still Kind

Day three of being/doing kind.  I don't even know if that is grammatically correct?!

Today I:

• Called my nana :)
• Took my kids to church for the first time ever.  This was an act of kindness in that I was finally accepting one of many, many, many invitations to go from a lot of wonderful, giving people.
• Listened without giving opinion!  

You know what all of those things above seem a bit selfish.  They were all things that were just as awesome for me as the were for the recipient, maybe even more so!  Kindness really does rock!

I dropped my perfect cake on the bench :(  but....saved it with tonnes of coloured icing.  It was very gorish  but a hit with the small people :)  We called it a rainbow cake. 

Today's kind deed = buying a wee boy a balloon.  Balloons rock!

And as I have promised (myself) here are some original photos.

'Rainbow' cake

Kindness is spreading.  Sand and rock cake :)

Being Kind

I am going to blog 21 days of kindness.


I've just read this.  And if being kind just to make others happy wasn't a good enough reason to go that extra mile, I now have a selfish reason too.  Being kind is good for you-and me :)

Performing acts of kindness have been proven to provide the good-doer with a helpers high!  I'm really looking forward to it.


I'm starting right now.

Act of kindness number one: I am baking a cake for a friend that flies into town tomorrow.  I missed her son's first birthday as they live a plane ride away.  I think a bit of birthday cake and a play at the beach will be fabulous fun for us all.

Waiting

This is kind of living up to my goals of the last post (no photo but meh, I don't care, lol).  I'm sitting here waiting for my big girl to Skype me.  She is on her first big girl sleep over!  I'm so excited for her.  Missing her loads too.  He little sis is missing her even more.  I am sooooo glad that they have each other and hope that they are always the best of mates (hey even besties have beef sometimes!). 

I <3 my baby girls! 

More food and no pictures

Predictable! Man am I boring or what?!  No need to answer.
So anyway, whole foods is hard!  I think because we live in a world that isn't whole foods.  I don't een know if that makes sense.
I'm going back on the Weight Watchers wagon and am staying there until goal weight (55 kilo).  I am going to make a huge effort to live off the food that mother nature has provided me with but am not going to have any 'not allowed' foods.  Having no-no's seems to make me rebel a tincy (HUGE) bit.  
Oh and this is not a weight loss blog.  It just seems to be something really on mind lately.  Maybe it is the sunny weather and the threat of having to wear less clothing!

I am making a wee goal of making the next post way more interesting.  My OWN photo and not about boring old 'woe is me, I eat all the time' me!

Food is thy saviour???

So anyway, my latest obsession is trying to balance my food and exercise so that I am fit and healthy (and not fat-I am so sick of being a chubba!).  This week I am trying to rid my body of all the crap I have slowly been sneaking into my diet.  eg. chips, bikkies and all those other nasty little chemical filled tasty tidbits that taste not that great but sucker you in to wanting more and then before you know it you actually love the taste.  Food is a drug? 
I am working on getting back to living on what the world has provided me with.  I love the theory that nature has grown and pre-packaged everything that we people creatures need to survive.  I am fucking with my food a little by heating some veg and drinking cups of green tea, and dandelion tea.  This week I am all fruit, veg and tea.  Next week I'll be adding whole grains and seeds.  I'm gonna keep to the same exercise routine.  I'll let you know how it goes :)

Clever lady over here :)

P.S I am grateful about heaps lately.  I should say it more.  I am grateful for challenges and the way they make you stronger.  I am grateful that stages come and go.  I am grateful that love seems to be able to heal and be healed.  I am grateful for family as always.  I am grateful that friends are patient. 
Life is good! The world is getting better.  Let's all be happy!!!

Food is thy ENEMY

Fuck you cake and cheese.  You too bread and chips.  And mostly fuck you beer and all your deliciousness and fun making. 

I AM GOING TO BE THIN!  I AM!!!




P.S Thanks to these guys for the bad food porn (as in bad food, and bad porn) http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=2400. 


Night y'all.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

Apparently said by C.S Lewis.  According to the hoardes of people that like to quote stuff on the net anyway.  There is actually no evidence of this that I can find, and just saying but....If you are quoting someone shouldn't you be able to at least partially cite it?  Or am I an even bigger geek than I thought?  Not that it matters anyhow. I am totally off track.

Anyway...I have decided I got a little scared off blogging because it is so concrete.  It puts my scatter brain into a format that can prove that I am totally erratic and fickle (quite probably not a very good quality to have!).  But anyway, that just leads me to another favourite quote which totally sums up my life lately HATERS GONNA HATE (guess what?  UNCITED!):P

Peace
x

To blog or not to blog?

Can I be bothered?
Is it a bit cheesy?

Where Was I?

I feel like writing something.  I feel like there is lots I meant to write about and haven't got round to it.  I also can't be arsed reading my own blog to find out what.  Says a lot about the quality of my writing huh?


Anyway, here's an update:

• Life is good.
• The weather is crap.
• The babies are beautiful and more fun, less work (or different kind of work that is more enjoyable) every day.
• I want another baby (shhhhh).
• I probably shouldn't have another baby. 
• I am useless at keeping iron in my body.  I'm a weak blooded fool.
• Rarotonga is fabulous and I loved being there (little happenings in the job world there).
• Nelson is treating us well (big happenings in the job world there-I hope Raro can compete).
• I am accepting the fact that I like money.
• I'm re-motivating myself to lose weight.  I want to be a size 8 (not unrealistic for my height).
• Home is where the heart is :)

Ummmm, that's about it.  Until next time when I can think of something more meaningful x

So Anyway, I was....

Going to write a blog post.  I was going to tell you how awesome the Wiggles were.  How my girls were introduced to the snow.  How we are leaving to visit a little island paradise in a mere week.  And loads of other stuff.  But...the mother fucking phone rang just as I settled both my lil brats darlings.  So now I'm off to clean the house, cook a dinner that everyone will complain about, fold washing and get picked on by tired kids. 

Note to self: Unplug phone in afternoon!  Grrrrrrr!!

M.I.A

I think I've lost 'me'!
Not as tragic as it sounds, as now I get to go find me.  Should be fun :)



P.S.
I have a new camera so I might stop pinching other people's images and add some of my own!
Wiggles next week, YAY!
Rarotonga in a month, bigger YAY!!

Lonely

Ever wondered how you can be right next to someone but still be so unbearably lonely?  I'm sure I can't be the only one. 
I spend all day with kids whom I love and adore.  They are perfect.  But they are children and can't give you that adult conversation I crave. 
I have a husband that comes home every night but hardly has a word to say to me.  He is tired of course.  We are busy with the house and kids of course.  We take each other for granted of course.  
I have people that are friends because we are in the same domestic boat.  We are parents.  Our kids are similar ages.  We make the effort to be friends during the week.  We don't really know each other.  Not enough to dislike each other anyway.  Or honestly to like each other.
So there it is.  I am lonely.  I am in a house full of people. I have a busy life with a day that stops only when I sleep and I am the loneliest I have ever been in my life.
:(

To Do....

I've been thinking that I neglect this little thought purging blog of mine.  So here is a to do list of some of the things I mean to blog about.  Maybe I'll get round to it.  If I want to.

• Re-visiting some of my goals,
• Weight issues,
• My business,
• Losing my baby,
• Democratic and home schooling,
• Babies,
• Five year and ten year goals,
• A little more feeling grateful and sharing stuff with the baby gals.

That's it for now.  Definitely in order of importance.

Oh and by the way, my beloved kanuka tree stabbed me in the butt cheek.  I sat in the sun, underneath lady Kanuka and OUCH!  A sharp little leaf pierced my flesh.  A little reminder perhaps?

I can now be assured that Lady Kanuka is definitely a kanuka and not a manuka.  The leaf the stabbed me is the proof.  Check out some kiwi bush facts here.

Haere rā

In my last post I said good-bye to my dear, dear friend.  Over the last couple of years I have learnt that I need to cry.  I need to not keep everything inside and become a cauldron of bitterness, a hoarder of hurt, a person consumed by anger.  So now I cry when I need to.  It's hard to fight the urge to hold it in.  My instinct is to joke or to distract myself.  I tend to disguise sadness with anger.  I am learning to feel my emotions and to be with them a while.  I am a better person for this.  Well I think so anyway.

I was unable to fly up to my friend's final farewell so I decided I would have my own little good-bye for her.  My daughters and I picked up some helium balloons in bright colours (four for my pal, one to keep for my nearly three year old).  We then headed to the beach and sent them off to the angels in heaven.  I've decided that angels in heaven is how I am explaining death to my children.  I cried lots and then I felt better.  I know my dear friend would have loved this.  And somehow I have a feeling that the idea was her's all along. 

A perfect morning to say "good bye"

Good-Bye

Thirty years and about six months ago I came into this world.  Six days after that my mum's good friend came made her appearance.  My mum and her friend and our dads spent many late nights in the weekend together.  Listening to records and drinking too much.  Dancing and laughing.  We kiddies would play in the bedroom with dolls, up the road at the park or sneak into the lounge to sneak a bit of late night telly (wrestling or Married with Children, back in the days when television finished up at night and everyone went to bed).  Mum and I, and then Mum and I and my little sister too would visit often for coffee and play dates.  During the week we'd often go out 'visiting' as a family, all four of us (Mum, Dad, me and sis).  This family was the most often visited for years.  We'd camp with this family.  I guess there wasn't much we didn't do with them.  We were close enough to fight.  To sulk.  To share secrets with.  To throw tantrums at. 

When I was ten my family moved far away.  It was at least one plane ride away.  Or a car/bus/train trip then a ferry and then back in a car.  That is quite a distance and money always makes these things more impossible.  We kept in touch.  My family visited a couple of times.  Their family once.  When I was a teen I moved closer (just an over night bus ride away).  I visited every couple of months for a couple of years.  I never asked if I could stay.  I just turned up and stayed as long as I wanted.  I was fed.  I had a mum to spill my guts to.  I was loved. 

Today I found out that the mum in this family is dying.  She has battled cancer for a long time.  She has fought hard.  She has been brave and courageous as only a mum and nana can.  Now she is losing the battle.  She cannot talk and I cannot be there to say good bye.  I have sent many messages to her in the last year sharing my positive thoughts and cheering her on through her battle. Today I have cried like a baby for a dear friend and for all the big parts of my childhood she has been a part of.   My thoughts are with her and her pained family.  She has been a mother in so many ways to so many people.  An amazing women with an amazing tale to tell.  She has loved and been loved.  She had been caring and funny.  Shy yet popular.  Practical and hopeful.  I hope her final journey is safe and her landing place in the next world is soft.  I will miss her and for the rest of my life be thankful for the time and I have shared with this women and the little bits of her that have influenced my life.  I wish her peace. 

Safe journey my friend x

Sunset, Piha, Auckland NZ

Boredom

Right now, at this current moment, I am bored. The children are asleep.  My husband is in bed resting his mind and body from a busy week at work.  The washing is folded and the dishes are done.  Crackers have been eaten.  American Idol has been watched.  The net has been surfed.

How lucky I am for the luxury of boredom. But you know what?...I don't like it!  Being bored is lonesome.  So I am going to go to bed and partake in one of my major weaknesses, telly in the bedroom (evil).  I will wait until my precious one year old wakes and I will snuggle her in between hubby and I.  I will wait until morning when Miss Nearly-Three wakes and comes in for snuggles with her blanky (or maybe beforehand if there are any bedtime accidents).  We will then sneak out to the lounge for cuddles and breakfast.  When hubby wakes we have planned to enjoy a yummy plunger coffee together (another weakness) and we will plan a day of busy-ness.  I will not rest all day.  But I will also not be bored or lonely.  I will be thankful.

This week I am thankful for the safety we have been blessed with every moment until this one.  Terrible things have rocked our world and destroyed many lives.  Unimaginable hurt and terror has changed many people forever.  Some have left this earth and many families have heavy, empty, lonely hearts.  I am so grateful for those that have survived and for the amazing ability the human heart has for recovery and compassion.  I hope that healing comes quick for those suffering from the earthquake in Christchurch.

The wisdom I'd like to share with my girls is to be prepared. I was going to say that you should always thank your lucky stars for what you have because you never know when it (or they) will be gone.  But how about I be practical this post.  Getting sorted is important.  You can't be prepared for everything but an emergency kit will surely come in handy.  Ok, sensible mum over, here's sentimental mum back.  My next bit of advice is that giving and helping feels good.  Try it :)

Lodgings

 We have lodgings in Rarotonga.  We are staying here.  And can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home Sweet Home

I nearly forgot some wisdom and gratitude!  So here goes, just for my darling baby girls:

You are perfect just the way you are.  Know it in your heart and no one will ever be able to hurt you.  And just in case they try, just remember mama's got ya back!

And as for gratitude.....thank the lord for FAMILY!  Hubby's whanau are coming to paradise with us, woohoo!  Things are so much better when you share them :)

I Love You

I have had a grumpy grumpy grumpy day.  The youngest bubba has had a bit of a tummy bug and the eldest bubba is being hard work (out of routine, bored, sick of having to share her mum with her sister-all very hard for a two year old to deal with).  There has been whinging from the girls, yelling from us all and lots of cuddles and apologies.  I'm feeling a bit icky about all of the grumpiness and wanted to get it out of my system with a bit of love and gratitude.

Pearl of Wisdom Number Two

Your mama loves you.
Always.
No matter what.



A Little Bit of Gratitude
Today I am thankful for new days.
Tomorrow we will hug more, laugh more, show our love more.

  

That's me, loving YOU.

Notes to my Sweethearts

Yesterday's post sounded a bit morbid.  I am not in any risk of dying soon.  A will is just one of those important, grown-up parent things I SHOULD have done.  And the thought of dying made me want to make sure that parts of me that my children may not know as little ones but would meet when they are grown, were around somewhere just in case.

So I have decided to do two things at the end of each post.

1. A wee pearl of wisdom for my daughters.
2. A note of gratitude for this wonderful life.

Wisdom: noun

• the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise:listen to his words of wisdom
• the fact of being based on sensible or wise thinking:some questioned the wisdom of building the dam so close to an active volcano
• the body of knowledge and experience that develops within a specified society or period:Eastern wisdom
  (thanks Oxford Dictionary).
  Pearl of Wisdom Number ONE
  I have decided that even with (only) thirty years under me belt, that I am qualified to share a few of the things that I have learned.
  Most things I am still learning and opinions and perception often changes.
  Many things are being unlearned.  Some with hard work.  Some unwillingly.
  
  
  My pearls of wisdom are for my daughters of the future.  The grown up women they will
  become.
  We will read together and apart and laugh at me.  I love to laugh at me.  You do too while you are babies and tots. 
  I hope you always do.
  That is my first pearl of wisdom. 
  Laugh.
  It never hurts.
  It always helps.
  I love you.
  
  
  A Little Bit of Gratitude
  Today I am grateful for words.
  First words from my tiny premature baby turned eleven month old!
  Words that my two year old can use to tell me she needs me and loves me.
  Words that I can use to tell my husband I love him.
  Words that I can use to tell my girls I love them.
  Words that I can type so that I can share parts of me with my grown up girls.
  Thank you world for words.
  
  

  

  Paolo Veronese (Italian, 1528-1588). Wisdom and Strength, ca. 1565. Oil on canvas. 214.6 x 167 cm.

  
  

Leaving Footprints

I have been thinking more about who this blog is for lately.  Me mostly.  And little tid-bits offered about stuff I find out about my to and fro interests.  Then when I was sitting and talking about getting wills made with my hubby I had a little flash (spark?) of an idea.  I want to make this blog also for my darling girls.

I worry that if something happened to me that my girls would never know how much I love them.  I worry that they would not grow up being told how completely perfect and wonderful they are.  I worry that they won't be brought up the way I envision.  Of course they won't.  They will be fine and hopefully and almost certainly I will be around until I am an old lady and they are mums themselves.  But just in case I am going to use this blog as a vehicle to impart some of my mama wisdom to my baby girls.

Thanks La.Joie.de.Vivre for sharing this pic on Flicker

Note to self: Make getting a will sorted one of my goals for this year.