Tag Archives: Isaac’s List

2022’s List… Better late than never

Posted in Life, The List by

So… it’s been a while… 12 whole months in fact since I have logged on and updated my blog. I have started writing things, but I haven’t posted. I think there are a couple of reasons… the biggest one being that we are living through a global pandemic and it felt a bit trivial and redundant to spend time writing on here and either pretending life was still grand and we were doing super fun things or pretending to have any kind of wisdom to offer anyone at the moment. I have also spent most of 2021 growing a baby which is hard work so I guess that may have contributed too. Regardless, here I am again… between 3hourly feeds bringing another set of lists for the year.

It is ambitious to you know… make plans… especially after the last two years, but if you don’t hope and make plans you just despair, so we are going with plans, plans for fun, plans for adventure and plans for some normality.

I know this time last year I was waxing lyrical about the potential of 2021… and I have learnt my lesson… just like every other year, this one comes with no guarantees other than it will be its own mixture of good and bad, hard and easy… and that despite the challenges the world will bring, we will continue to make the most of it. Plus we will have the challenge and fun that learning how to be a family of four will bring and the fun of another additional list for her.

I am sure you probably know the drill by now… but just in case… you can get up to speed on all the previous lists here: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021. So, this year’s lists, just like last year’s, contains some safe options and some that would perhaps currently be considered wishful thinking. Isaac’s list is much the same… although this year his has more fun and than developmental milestones, and we have a brand new list for Tilly, but her’s is mostly developmental goals so I remember to document them. This year I am hoping to find a better balance between documenting and just enjoying and hopefully actually blogging. Eventually, I might even get around to writing about what we crossed off last year. Anyway, here are the lists…

My List

  1. Bring Matilda Home
  2. Try some shampoo concentrate
  3. Sew a piece of clothing
  4. Read 12 books
  5. Use the overlocker
  6. Get my inbox back to 0
  7. Keep my inbox under control
  8. Get my covid booster
  9. Exercise at least 3 times a week
  10. Take two kids out by myself
  11. Start walking regularly again
  12. Go for a run by myself
  13. Return to Parkrun
  14. Go to the movies
  15. Travel somewhere fun in Victoria
  16. Sleep in the backyard or go camping for real
  17. Use the fire pit
  18. Get my step average back up
  19. Have a child free night
  20. Blog at least 15 times
  21. Organise primary school for Isaac
  22. Call/update our grandparents regularly
  23. Take a picture everyday
  24. Keep working on the photo storage
  25. Attend an exercise class
  26. Make a costume for Isaac
  27. Plan our meals again
  28. Read to Isaac and the baby everyday
  29. Go on a date with Isaac
  30. 6 dates with Dave
  31. Brunch with 10 different people
  32. Don’t over book myself
  33. Sing at church
  34. Hear some live music
  35. Swim at the beach
  36. Sing some carols
  37. Take some family photos
  38. Visit all three zoos
  39. Try 4 new restaurants
  40. Learn how to be a better ally to my Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters
  41. Walk from cape schanck to bush ranger bay
  42. See a waterfall
  43. Seriously finish and print Isaac’s logs
  44. Fish and chips on the beach at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year
  45. Visit Inverloch
  46. Winter get away
  47. Take Isaac swimming just for fun
  48. Make some new play dough
  49. Put my clothes away within two days of them being washed
  50. Fix the storage in Isaac’s room
  51. Run down under
  52. Bake some meringues
  53. Bake a sponge cake
  54. Get some new glasses
  55. Get a skin check
  56. Attempt to get overseas
  57. Play a board/card game
  58. No Facebook or Instagram after 10:30pm
  59. Keep my car free of rubbish
  60. Do the 2020 & 2021 scrap books
  61. Go through and sort Isaac’s clothes
  62. Go to at least one of Dave’s school concerts
  63. Entertain more guests
  64. Go to the redwoods
  65. Have a cup of tea in the park
  66. Get a haircut
  67. Update the photo wall
  68. Visit 3 new playgrounds
  69. Go to a museum
  70. Have a picnic
  71. Get a solid state hard drive
  72. Have some fairy floss
  73. Remember the big things
  74. Use my gratitude diary
  75. Visit the library
  76. Making some dumplings
  77. Finish the new laundry storage
  78. Have a real iced coffee from a cafe
  79. Wardrobe clean out
  80. Eat a vegetable from our garden
  81. Use my crochet kit
  82. Phones away for dinner
  83. Have a slurpee
  84. Turn the TV off one night a week
  85. Have an Isaac decides day
  86. Start a new family tradition
  87. Have some hot jam donuts
  88. Test drive a new car
  89. Where some non maternity clothes
  90. Learn how to breast feed
  91. Have high tea
  92. Enjoy some soft cheese and dip with abandon
  93. Lie on my stomach
  94. Have soft serve ice cream
  95. Get a massage
  96. Return to playgroup
  97. Catch up with my Mother’s group
  98. Walk up mount lofty
  99. Cook a rack of lamb
  100. Re-start my herb garden

Isaac’s List

  1. Start 4 year old kinda
  2. Meet my sister
  3. Ride my peddle bike
  4. Go to the beach
  5. Go bowling
  6. Learn how to dress myself
  7. Wipe my own butt
  8. Master stand up and bush wees
  9. Grow something in the garden
  10. Go to the aquarium
  11. Go to the zoo
  12. Try a new food
  13. Start learning an instrument
  14. Start learning a sport
  15. Get ready for primary school
  16. Learn how to hop and skip
  17. Make some fairy bread
  18. Brush my own teeth
  19. Learn to write my name on my own
  20. Draw my family
  21. Bake some biscuits
  22. Ride on the train
  23. Post a letter
  24. Go to the football
  25. Learn to count to 10 in another language

Tilly’s List

  1. Be welcomed home
  2. Make some baby friends
  3. Sleep through the night
  4. Try some food
  5. Learn to roll
  6. Learn to sit
  7. Go on a fun run/ walk in my pram
  8. Get around on my own
  9. Learn to smile
  10. Learn to feed straight from mum
  11. Go to the park
  12. Start swimming lessons
  13. Go to the zoo
  14. Go to the beach
  15. Wear a dress
  16. Learn to wave
  17. Go on an adventure with dad
  18. Meet all my grandparents
  19. Do some tummy time
  20. Stand up on my own two feet
  21. Clap my hands
  22. Move into my big cot
  23. Cuddle Isaac
  24. Go to church
  25. Wear my hair up

So there you go… 3 brand new lists ready to go

2021… Here is your list

Posted in Life, The List by

Happy New Year Everyone!

Look… I really feel like I shouldn’t be doing this… making plans, and hoping for a more normal this year, I’m trying not to make a fuss… but here I am writing once again… and I think it’s what I need to be doing especially given that after 61 COVID free days, Melbourne is now hunting down contacts and trying to contain numbers again… I need some things to focus on, and what better thing than a list of plans.

Just like last year I do feel a little bit selfish sitting here and writing a blog about all the things that I am going to/hoping to do this year when so much of the world seems to be stuck in a holding pattern, separated from those they love and in some very very trying circumstances. But despite all that 2020 brought, and the big lessons I learnt about just taking things one day at a time and not making too many concrete plans…. I find myself feeling a little bit hopeful about what 2021 might bring. 2020 was quite a year… but to be honest, for our little family it wasn’t all bad… I learnt a lot about myself, I spent a whole year with Dave and Isaac in amounts of time that I will probably never be able to replicate again and mentally I am in a much better space than I have been in years… which isn’t a bad way to start a new year… and while 2020 didn’t bring any less adjustment, in fact it probably brought a whole lot more uncertainty, this year I am once again hoping there should be less of that, which once again hopefully leaves more space for well used time, growth and learning… so… I have written another list… although it contains mostly things that can be done at home… just in case… it’s my 13th list and Isaac’s 4th… here we go:

I am sure you probably know the drill by now… but just in case… you can get up to speed on all the previous lists here: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020, and just like all the previous lists there is much of the same in 2021’s offerings. There are tasks to help me work on myself, physically, spiritually and mentally, some things just because they are fun, some challenges, and some good old family time. Isaac’s list is much the same… although this year his has more fun and than developmental milestones. Just like last year I feel like the balance of documenting and just enjoying and also making space to write about other things as they happen is getting better… so we are going to keep running with it… although really just like all the other years this is mostly just here for me, but if you like it great. And if you see anything on the lists below we can do together let me know.

Alright, no more chit chat… here are the lists:

My List

  1. Try some shampoo concentrate 
  2. Sew a piece of clothing 
  3. Read 12 books
  4. Use the overlocker
  5. Get my inbox back to 0
  6. Keep my inbox under control
  7. Try again
  8. Exercise at least 3 times a week 
  9. Walk/Run 500km
  10. Return to Parkrun
  11. Go on 3 hikes
  12. Go to the movies 
  13. Travel somewhere fun in Victoria
  14. Go camping
  15. Use the fire pit
  16. Get my step average back up
  17. Have a child free night 
  18. Get my VIT locked down
  19. Blog at least 15 times
  20. Call/update our grandparents regularly 
  21. Take a picture everyday
  22. Keep working on the photo storage
  23. Sort of 4 year old kinda for Isaac 
  24. Go on family bike ride 
  25. Attend an exercise class 
  26. Make a costume for Isaac 
  27. Practice my mandarin 
  28. Make pasta
  29. Plan our meals again
  30. Read to Isaac everyday 
  31. Go on a date with Isaac
  32. 6 dates with Dave
  33. Brunch with 10 different people 
  34. Don’t over book myself 
  35. Go back to live church
  36. Hear some live music
  37. Swim at the beach
  38. Sing some carols 
  39. Take some family photos
  40. Lights out by midnight 
  41. Visit all three zoos 
  42. Try 4 new restaurants 
  43. Learn how to be a better ally to my Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters 
  44. Walk from cape schanck to bush ranger bay
  45. See a waterfall 
  46. Seriously finish and print Isaac’s logs 
  47. Fish and chips on the beach at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year 
  48. Visit Inverloch 
  49. Meet the newest member of our family 
  50. Winter get away 
  51. Fix the steps
  52. Take Isaac swimming 
  53. Make some new play dough 
  54. Make some oobleck 
  55. Paint something 
  56. Put my clothes away within two days of them being washed 
  57. Investigate the leak
  58. Get rid of the built in storage boxes 
  59. Run down under
  60. Bake some meringues
  61. Bake a sponge cake
  62. Get some new glasses
  63. Get a skin check 
  64. Make some sushi 
  65. Play a card game
  66. Play a board game
  67. Go a fortnight without soft drink
  68. No Facebook or Instagram after 10:30pm
  69. Keep my car free of rubbish
  70. Have two perfect months with my activity rings
  71. Do the 2020 scrap book 
  72. Go through and sort Isaac’s clothes 
  73. Go to at least one of Dave’s school concerts
  74. Entertain more guests
  75. Go to the redwoods
  76. Have a cup of tea in the park 
  77. Get a haircut 
  78. Update the photo wall 
  79. Visit 3 new playgrounds 
  80. Go to a museum 
  81. Have a picnic
  82. Get a solid state hard drive
  83. Have some fairy floss
  84. Remember the big things
  85. Do some trivia
  86. Use my gratitude diary 
  87. Visit the library
  88. Learn a new song on piano 
  89. Making some dumplings
  90. Teach Isaac a new skill 
  91. Sleep in the backyard 
  92. Wardrobe clean out 
  93. Eat a vegetable from our garden 
  94. Use my crochet kit
  95. Phones away for dinner
  96. Turn the TV off one night a week 
  97. Have an Isaac decides day 
  98. Start a new family tradition 
  99. Have some hot jam donuts 
  100. Test drive a new car

Isaac’s List

  1. Draw my family 
  2. Swim at the beach
  3. Go back to swimming lessons
  4. Go to the movies 
  5. Have a sleepover
  6. Play a board game 
  7. Go to fun hub jnr in real life
  8. Try the new park at jells park
  9. Plant something in the garden
  10. Write my name
  11. Bake some cookies 
  12. Watch a movie with mum and dad and popcorn 
  13. Hug all my grandparents 
  14. Send a letter to all my great grandparents 
  15. Pat a new animal 
  16. Dress myself… almost all by myself
  17. Try one of those cool parks with water play
  18. Go on an adventure with dad 
  19. Go on an adventure with mum 
  20. Get some of my photos printed and put them in my album 
  21. Ride a bike with pedals
  22. Fly a kite
  23. Help dad with a project around the house 
  24. Learn to make my bed 
  25. Get a haircut 

So that’s them… two brand new lists of goodness this year with a homely tinge… here we come 2021

New Year… New List…

Posted in Life, The List by

Happy New Year Everyone!

This New Years has felt a little bitter sweet, it is always such a nice feeling to start fresh and to reset, and this time we not only get to start a fresh year but a brand new decade… the possibilities are endless… but at the very same time there are some pretty terrifying things happening in Australia, we have been traveling around New Zealand for the last couple of weeks and all the news from home seems to be it’s hot and it’s on fire and right now that seem to be impossible to stop and so it feels hard to celebrate when others are sheltering on the beach and don’t know what they will have to return to as they start 2020. It’s hard to imagine what they must be going through. As we flew home last night the plane flew through some smoke from the fires and the cabin began to smell of smoke, it was a pretty sobering reminder of what we were returning to. Dave, Isaac and I are lucky to live in an area that is pretty safe from these types of fires, but my heart feels heavy and powerless to help those who aren’t. So I guess my hope is that the fires will cease and that there will be some Happy New Years even if they are a little delayed. That there would be good soaking rain and that our land would start to heal… that would be a Happy New Year.

To be totally honest it feels a little selfish to sit here and write this blog about all the things that I am going to/hoping to do this year when there is so much going on, but the reality is there is always things like this going on… I am only feeling it more because it is in my backyard… and I will be mad at myself if I don’t do it… and despite all that is going on, 2020 feels hopeful… I feel good about what’s to come, I am optimistic about the future, 2019 was full of adjusting to a new stage in life, new jobs, new routines and new expectations… this year there should be less of that, which hopefully leaves more space for well used time, growth and learning… and because I am still a sucker for a list here are our 2020 lists… Emma’s List no. 12 and Isaac’s List no. 3…

You probably know the drill by now… but just in case… you can get up to speed on all the previous lists here: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019), and just like all the previous lists there is much of the same in 2020’s offerings. Some tasks to help me work on myself, physically, spiritually and mentally, some things just because they are fun, some challenges, and some good old family time. Isaac’s list is much the same… although his is more fun and developmental milestones so that I remember to document them. I feel like I am finally starting to find some balance in documenting and just enjoying and also making space to write about other things as they happen, but hopefully I will continue to improve with that this year too… although really (and again probably selfishly) this is just here for me, but if you like it great. And if you see anything on the lists below we can do together let me know.

Alright, enough rambling… here are the lists:

My List

  1. Make a family plan
  2. Find a better work life balance
  3. Get my steps average up to 10000 per day.
  4. Have a child free night
  5. Find another way to reduce my impact on the planet
  6. Do two fun runs
  7. Read 9 books
  8. Go to a Finders Keepers Market
  9. Find and try 3 new parks
  10. Go camping
  11. Get my VIT locked down
  12. Go to bed earlier Sunday – Thursday
  13. Blog 15 times at least
  14. At least 6 date days
  15. Volunteer at Parkrun
  16. Call / Update our grandparents regularly
  17. Walk Dex regularly
  18. Bake some meringues
  19. Take a picture everyday
  20. Meet 3 new babies
  21. Fish and chips on the beach at the beginning and at the end of the year
  22. Go through and sort Isaac’s clothes
  23. Get a massage
  24. Sort out Kinder for Isaac
  25. Exercise as least twice a week
  26. Go on a family bike ride
  27. Take some family photos
  28. Swim at the beach
  29. Meet the newest member of our family
  30. Be a Parkrun tourist
  31. Winter beach getaway
  32. Play a board or card game
  33. Make a banoffee pie
  34. Do a puzzle
  35. Make photo book
  36. Do some colouring
  37. Cross 2 things of the list every month
  38. Use Isaac’s highlight book and my gratitude diary
  39. See some fireworks
  40. Read to Isaac everyday
  41. Drink at least 1 glass of plain water everyday
  42. Play some badminton
  43. Brunch date alone
  44. Brunch date with Dave
  45. Brunch date with Isaac
  46. Floss more often
  47. Get a housework timing guide… print it out and stick to it
  48. Use the hiking backpack at least 3 times
  49. No games on my phone for 3months
  50. No Facebook or Instagram after 10:30pm on weeknights
  51. Make some cookies with Isaac
  52. Go to at least one of Dave’s school concerts
  53. Do the 10min clean most days
  54. Remember the bags
  55. Complete that 30 day exercise challenge
  56. Swim some laps
  57. Have a perfect month with my activity rings
  58. Do a weekly plan
  59. Get some better coffee tables
  60. Entertain more guests
  61. Finish the scrapbooks
  62. Keep scanning in photos
  63. Reduce the amount of take-out meals we have
  64. Go to a carols by candlelight in the park
  65. Have a no spend day once a month
  66. Earn at least 6 of the monthly activity challenge awards on my watch
  67. Do my devotions at least 3 times a week
  68. Have dinner with our siblings
  69. Make a dip
  70. Make a pav
  71. Make some ice cream
  72. Use some herbs from our garden
  73. Go some place I’ve never been to in Victoria
  74. Go to the NGV
  75. Use my sewing machine
  76. FaceTime our NZ family
  77. Use my bees wax wraps
  78. Buy an item of clothing I wouldn’t usually buy and wear it
  79. Do Parkrun with 5 different people
  80. Paint a picture
  81. Listen to a new artist
  82. Picnic in the park
  83. Stand barefoot on grass and sand
  84. Keep the house tidy
  85. Meat free meal at least once a week
  86. Keep my car free of rubbish
  87. Do an exercise class
  88. Do a trail walk/hike
  89. Make banana bread from scratch
  90. Have a meal with the parentals… all of them… separately
  91. Toast some marshmallows
  92. Edit and finalise Isaac’s logs and maybe publish them
  93. Try one of those shampoo bars
  94. See a new Disney Movie
  95. Keep my phone time under control
  96. Spend more time outside
  97. Keep an indoor plant alive
  98. Use my standing desk more often
  99. Keep my phone clean of excess apps that just waste my time.
  100. Break the next barrier

Isaac’s List

  1. Go 10 pin bowling
  2. Swim at the beach
  3. Visit all 3 Zoos
  4. Check out the traffic park in Bayswater
  5. Go to the movies
  6. Ride my balance bike
  7. Pat a new animal
  8. Ride my scooter
  9. See some fireworks
  10. Swim in Pa’s pool
  11. Go on a train
  12. Draw a picture
  13. Jump… with both feet leaving the ground
  14. Try a new instrument
  15. Dress myself… almost all by myself
  16. Learn to use the toilet
  17. Do a puzzle all by myself
  18. Go on an adventure with Dad
  19. Go on an adventure with Mum
  20. Try one of those cool parks that have water play
  21. Kick a footy
  22. Learn to take a photo
  23. Swap to a big bed
  24. BBQ with Dad
  25. Say goodbye to my ‘num nums’ (dummies)

And there they are… two brand new lists of goodness… here we come 2020

My Baby Brother Got Married

Posted in Family, Life, Love, The List by

There are something things in life you know will probably happen in the future, yet are never prepared for when they actually do… My baby brother’s wedding is one of those things.  Maybe it is because he is the baby of the family, so it’s some subconscious part of my brain thinks that while he is now an adult… he should also still be 10 and watching me dominate at Mario Party.

The fact that I felt unprepared for the event is also ridiculous because this wedding was planned like nothing I had ever experienced before… there was a run sheet for everything, logistics meetings and 1000s of texts and calls to confirm details for the part my little family of three had to play… you would think that with all that preparation I would have realised what was happening… but I didn’t.

I still hadn’t caught on as I helped them move things into their new apartment, or when I sat through a very detailed wedding logistics meeting last weekend.  Not even when I tried on my new dress or rehearsed the song that we had chosen for me to lead the congregation in singing during the ceremony.  The penny still didn’t drop when Dave and I were watching Isaac be driven around in a miniature convertible making sure he would love his trip down the isle and not scream.  Even yesterday as I got my hair and makeup done… I still hadn’t let the reality sink in… I don’t think I actually realised until I watched my my little brother articulate clearly and beautifully all the things he loved about the woman standing in front of him as he read the vowels he had written for her.

Yesterday I got to witness two young people promise to be the moon and so much more for each other, to share their lives, to support and challenge.  To be their person for all time… and it was beautiful.  It was also a really nice reminder of the things that I had promised to my person almost 8 years ago.  But this blog is not about that.  This blog is to admit that I finally get it… he is a grown up… and he is married.  And… because of all of this I have gained a passionate, strong and caring sister who balances and loves my brother better than I could have hoped.  This is one of things that gets quickly overlooked at weddings, overshadowed by the displays of love and affection.  When people get married it’s not just two people who get joined for life, but families that grow… well that’s how it is supposed to work anyway.  Our already complex and large family grew by one and her family.  Which means that while we get one more person to care for and include, it also means we gain one more person on our team, to love and support us, just as we will her.  Marriage is an old, but powerful thing and it is most definitely worth celebrating.

Oh… and just in case you didn’t notice, this event crossed number 24 off my list and number 5 off Isaac’s list which just adds to the fun!

2019… It’s List Time!

Posted in Life, The List by

How the heck we are already in 2019 I will never understand… but nevertheless a new year means a new list… and I think it is going to be fun.

I feel like… well I am hoping 2019 is going to be a year of home and family, where we get to do things together and make the most of our family time.  A year for good health (minus all the childcare bugs we are bound to pick up), activities and learning.  I am not sure if we will be able to cross everything off the list, but we will give it a good crack.

We are up to list number 11 this year… pretty nuts ey? So if you are new here… firstly welcome… but you might want to check out some of the old lists here: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018).  What can you expect from this year’s list?  Well like normal… some self improvement tasks (physical, spiritual and mental), some fun tasks, some things I just have to do and some more baby friendly things… because mum life is now in full swing.

Seeing as Isaac did so well on his list this year he gets another one too, it has been fun to document some of his milestones through here… and I really hope to do a better job of it this year, because really that’s a long standing goal… be better at blogging interesting things more consistently.   Anyway, enough chat… here are the lists….

My list:

  1. Watch a Disney Movie I haven’t seen for a while with Isaac
  2. Re-learn how to do a rubix cube
  3. Bring back date days and go on at least 6 dates
  4. Visit all three Melbourne Zoos
  5. Go overseas
  6. Have a weekend away
  7. Work as a teacher
  8. Use my sewing machine
  9. Do my 50th parkrun
  10. Use our museum membership
  11. Run most of a half marathon
  12. Finish Isaac’s quiet book
  13. Let things heal
  14. Don’t snooze – just get up
  15. Plan at night
  16. Go camping
  17. Walk Dex regularly
  18. Plan our grocery shopping and meals at the same time – preferably weekly
  19. Cook dinner regularly
  20. Moisturise regularly
  21. Finish the scrap books
  22. Consistently exercise at least once a week
  23. Keeps my useless phone time under control
  24. Go to a wedding
  25. Read 7 books
  26. Go to the footy
  27. Make some playdoh
  28. Bake meringues
  29. Finish watching Deep Space Nine
  30. Swim some laps
  31. Write at least 15 blogs.
  32. Make a gingerbread house from scratch
  33. Be ok with Isaac going to childcare
  34. Give Dr Who a go
  35. Eat 5 new foods
  36. Go barefoot on sand, grass, carpet, tiles and concrete and talk about how it feels with Isaac
  37. Read a book to Isaac everyday
  38. Try 3 new restaurants
  39. Buy an item of clothing that you really love but isn’t like anything you’d usually wear!
  40. Memorize a chapter of the bible
  41. Take Isaac & Dexter to the dog beach.
  42. Visit three new playgrounds!
  43. 5 new cafes with 5 new people
  44. Volunteer at parkrun
  45. Do some trivia
  46. Find the dragons nest in kallista
  47. Be deliberate about filling the house will lovely things
  48. Investigate our options
  49. Fill out Isaac’s baby book
  50. Go for a walk with my bestie
  51. Plant and grow some veggies
  52. Update the photo wall
  53. Go swimming with Isaac
  54. Take a picture everyday
  55. Turn off my social media for a week
  56. Lights out by midnight
  57. Finish Isaac’s logs and decide what to do with them
  58. Wear a non-black t-shirt outfit at least once a week
  59. Update our budget
  60. Keep getting closer
  61. Wash my car at least 3 times
  62. Sort out the photo storage and keep it up to date
  63. Keep my desk at home clean
  64. Scan the photos in
  65. Finally finish the bible plan I started 2 years ago… it’s getting embarrassing
  66. Have another brunch date with Isaac
  67. Have a brunch with Dave… without Isaac
  68. Have brunch by myself
  69. Work out what I am allergic to
  70. Get a haircut
  71. Go berry picking
  72. Get my steps average up to 10000 per day.
  73. Cross at least two things off the list each month
  74. Use my gratitude diary and Isaac’s highlights book
  75. Play a board game/card game
  76. Make an iTunes playlist for each season
  77. Have high tea
  78. Get a massage
  79. Have a cup of tea at robinsons bookstore
  80. Learn a new skill
  81. Have a picnic
  82. Go on a family bike ride
  83. Get a tea advent calendar
  84. Learn about 3 new Australian birds
  85. Add a quick 10 minute clean to your night routine
  86. Give something in our house a makeover
  87. Try meatless Monday
  88. Work on my feet
  89. Have a no spend day once a month
  90. Find another way to save a little bit of the planet
  91. Call my grandparents regularly
  92. Turn on music instead of the TV
  93. Boil some eggs
  94. Try one of those meal prep provider companies like hello fresh
  95. Make some banana bread
  96. Go to the movies
  97. Make the most of our weekends
  98. Read for 10 minutes a day
  99. Do my devotions at least 5 times a week
  100. Listen to at least one audiobook

Isaac’s List:

  1. Learn to walk
  2. Learn at least 5new words
  3. Go on the little trains in Eltham
  4. Go swimming
  5. Be in a wedding
  6. Play outside
  7. Cuddle all of my grandparents (including my great grandparents)
  8. Build a sandcastle
  9. Go to the park
  10. Finger paint
  11. Do a puzzle
  12. Go to the library
  13. Play with some bubbles
  14. Do a fun run / walk
  15. Go to childcare
  16. Learn to climb
  17. Go down the slide by myself
  18. Have a big boy bath
  19. Pat some new animals
  20. Go to a new zoo
  21. Go to the museum
  22. Learn the actions to a song
  23. Play with my Mother’s group friends
  24. Sort some shapes
  25. Play with some blocks

Ok… there they are… 2 new glorious lists… let us know if you want to cross anything off with us.

Our Curious Life: Week 52… Kind of.

Posted in Life, Our Curious Life, The List by

 

 

 

So, we’ve made it to the end of the year… how exactly I am not really sure, but here we are… and I’m calling it… I tried no. 27 and it just didn’t working for me… not at all, and despite my best plans, it is highly likely that I am not going to catch up on my weekly blogs… so I am not going to try anymore.  This list item seemed like a really good idea and the blogger that I pinched the idea from made it look pretty easy, but it turns out, right now, it’s actually really hard to achieve.  So in lieu of the missing weekly blogs I thought I would do an end of year list wrap up… because let’s face it, that what we all really want to know before the new list drops anyway.

So what have we crossed off this year… well lots… and like most of the updates before this, if it was lucky enough to make it into a blog of its own… well you can click the link… and if it wasn’t haven’t you can read it here… ok here we go, this could be a long one.

  1. Learn how to fold a fitted sheet – completed: 14/06/2018
  2. Learn how to make 3 different balloon animals – completed: 09/12/2018
    For my birthday this year my wonderful friend Pheebs included a balloon making kit in my birthday gift and while it took me almost all year to get around to I finally made some balloon animals.  I made an Octopus, a Giraffe, a Dog and a Fish… and to be honest they weren’t very good.  It turns out my fear of popping the balloon completely out weighed my desire to learn more.
  3. Watch the never ending story – completed: 20/07/2018
    This is pretty self explanatory… I watched it, I enjoyed most of it… it’s off the list
  4. Watch some ER… maybe a season or two – completed: 07/08/2018
    This is also pretty self explanatory, but I have to admit I found it a lot more confronting than I remembered.  Maybe its my new ‘mum hormones’ or maybe its our journey over the last couple of years, but sick people and medical emergencies are just a little to real for me and I get very involved very quickly… I have realised that I need to be a little more choosy with my television viewing.
  5. Spend a weekend in country vic – completed: 27/10/2018
    It’s probably not quite what I was imaging when I popped this on the list… I was certainly hoping for something like the wonderful weekend we had in Daylesford last year… but this year we have really only stayed in Inverloch and because we stay there fairly regularly it doesn’t really count.  We did however spend a full Saturday in Bendigo with the Big Band, we even got to go for a little drive out to Lake Eppalock between gigs and I got that same sense of returning home… there is just something magic about central Victoria.  I did a terrible job of taking photos that day… so the picutre is of Isaac during our night gig.
  6. Have some family photos taken – completed: 18/01/2018
  7. Go to a wedding – completed: 13/01/2018
  8. Get a full nights sleep – completed: 31/05/2018
  9. Go down to Inverloch – completed: 10/03/2018
  10. Go camping
  11. Remember to take Isaac’s milestone pictures – completed: 31/12/2018
    Some of these were a little delayed, but we have all photos to accompany all of the milestones we had a card for… and unsurprisingly, they are super cute!
  12. Get back to running – completed: 29/06/2018
    So this has happened a couple of times… but on the 29th I started running to train for the 10km I did in the Melbourne Marathon Festival in October… since then I have slacked off again… but I have big plans for next year so watch this space.
  13. Take Isaac to parkrun at least 5times – completed: 22/12/2018
    We have not been to parkrun anywhere near as much as we should have been this year, but Isaac came to at least 5 of the runs I attended.  We really thought he would love running with us, but it turns out he finds it a little boring… but he does enjoy the trips to the park after.
  14. Go swimming – completed: 26/01/2018
  15. Go to the zoo – completed: 14/07/2018
    I have had this on my list for years… It is something that despite being on the list I have actively avoided doing.  In previous years I have done fun runs around the zoo a couple of times, I have also stopped to have pictures taken just out the front of the zoo… but this year I actually went in!  We had a cousin fun day at the zoo and saw all the animals.  Turns out going to the zoo is better than I remembered and much much more fun with a child… I have a feeling this won’t be our last trip to the zoo.
  16. Have a play date – completed: 16/10/2018
    We’ve been getting better at play dates… but the one that crossed it of the list was a play date with Isaac’s friend Jaylen, I was so nice to watch them play together… It was also nice to catch up with Jaylen’s mum Julia and eat delicious treats, I think I am going to be a fan of play dates.
  17. Check out a mums and bubs session – completed: 05/12/2018
  18. Check out the local library – completed: 31/01/2018
  19. Have a picnic – completed: 20/12/2018
    I probably haven’t mentioned enough how great my mother’s group has been, I have loved making some new local friends and sharing my mum journey with them.  Our little group finished the year off the year with a picnic in the park and it was fun.  It’s been so nice watching the bubs grow and learn together and I am very excited to see all that they achieve next year.
  20. Wear some non maternity jeans – completed: 13/07/2018
    We had a weekend away in the city… and I thought it was time… so I wore them once… and then put them back in the cupboard and forgot about them.  A little while later my favourite pair of maternity jeans ripped… so I decided it was time… I brought some new jeans that were more comfortable than my old pre-baby ones, ones that fit my new body shape a little better… just one of the many things I didn’t really think about before having babies… just how much my body would change… but you will be please… maybe… I am please that I can now honestly say I am more often than not wearing my new and very comfy non-maternity jeans.
  21. Go without games on my phone for at least 2 months – completed: 28/02/2018
  22. Work on my mornings
  23. Cook dinner regularly – completed: 21/08/2018
    This has been a fun new addition to my life… and I have discovered the key to getting me to cook regularly is just planning… If I know what I have to do and when, I am all in… but I have also discovered the opposite is true… no plan.. no dinner, not by me anyway.
  24. Keep getting closer
  25. Work on my steps game – completed: 31/12/2018
    Look… it hasn’t been a great improve… but my daily average steps is more at the end of the year than it was at the start.  I would love to say that I am averaging over 10000, but that would be a lie… my current average is just over 8000… so not terrible, but some room for improvement next year.
  26. Embrace life with the oxygen – completed: 30/01/2018
  27. Try weekly blogging – completed: 18/12/2018
    So I talked about this at the beginning of this blog… it just didn’t work the way I thought it would… I’ll have to come up with a new plan for next year.
  28. Keep the family in good supply of Isaac updates – completed: 31/12/2018
    It turns out this is more challenging that I had imagined… it’s a fine line to walk between super annoying and just enough.  I probably could have sent more, but I did send some updates fairly regularly… especially if we hit a milestone.
  29. Have a date night once a month
  30. Give Dave some time back – completed: 31/12/2018
    Well I asked him and he said ‘yeah, sure’ so I am taking that for a yep… and crossing it off the list.
  31. Embrace my independence – completed: 31/12/2018
    I haven’t always loved it, but I have been better at just trying things, going places and making the most of my time with Isaac… so technically not ‘independent’, but definitely ‘independent’ from Dave… so off it goes.
  32. Go without TV for a week
  33. Actually wash my car regularly
  34. Get the blue Kia repaired – completed: 20/02/2018
  35. Take Dex and Isaac on a walk, solo
  36. Walk to my MCH appointments – completed: 08/11/2018
    Our Maternal Child Health Nurse operates out of a centre about 500m from our house, so it is actually easier to walk to our appointments then get into the car and drive around… despite that, driving is always tempting… but don’t fret… I walked to them all.
  37. Thank the hospital – completed: 19/04/2018
  38. Do a fun run/walk – completed: 04/03/2018
  39. Play a game of some kind – completed: 07/01/2018
  40. Let something go – completed: 31/10/2018
    This was harder than I thought, I am a bit of a perfectionist, so letting things go isn’t a strong suit of mine.  This year I have tried my hand a few new things, mostly making things.  I have made some Christmas gifts and some things for Isaac.  During this process I have had to learn how to sew and stitch things, I have made things that I haven’t tried before and they are not perfect, but they are functional, I have had to learn to let the imperfections go and be happy with the progress I have made and the end products they have resulted in… I am pretty proud of my new skills…  and I will keep working on it… both making and letting things go.
  41. Remember Joshua – completed: 18/10/2018
    Remembering Josh is something that I find bitter sweet.  It’s hard to remember sometimes because there is now more that should have been than ever before.  It’s something that I want to do, but something that still carries pain.  This year he would have been 2… and we took Isaac with us to have pink donuts and turkish delight milkshakes, we let some balloons go and stopped to be thankful for what he taught us and what we have together.
  42. Celebrate the small things – completed: 22/05/2018
  43. Live oxygen free – completed: 24/12/2018
    Well we almost didn’t make it, but on Christmas eve we handed back all the Oxygen tanks and the concentrator.  We haven’t had the machine on or used a tank since October, but we had to wait and see before we handed it back, but now it’s gone and hopefully it doesn’t come back.
  44. Walk and have a mid week brunch date with Isaac at half half – completed: 12/12/2018
    I thought this would be super easy… so I left it for later in the year, for the middle months when it was harder to do other things on my list…. but then half half shut for months… and months… but good news, it reopened and Isaac and I went.  And in some listing miracle we ate our meals at the same time and no one cried.  It was actually really wonderful and something I am going to try to keep doing with him… turns out he can be a good cafe date.
  45. Join a mother’s group – completed: 30/01/2018
  46. Drink a bottle of water everyday
  47. Keep track of the things I am supposed to be doing – completed: 31/12/2018
    I am actually terrible at this, and could have done a much better job than I did, but I tried all year… man did I try… and I think it has been worth it despite the struggle.
  48. Plan at night
  49. Take a photo everyday – completed 31/12/2018
    You may have seen some of these across the year… (January, February, March, May, June, & October) and some of them didn’t make it…. but trust me they are all there in my phone… and they look good.
  50. Visit a museum / gallery – completed: 20/11/2018
    Just like the zoo, this is way more fun with kids.  We took Isaac to the museum, starting at the children’s section which he loved, but after a play we also checked out the rest and he seemed to also like that, lots of fun things to look at and explore.  I am really looking forward to taking him back her over and over again as he gets bigger.  I hope he loves learning as much as I do.
  51. Sort out my photo storage
  52. Scan the photos in
  53. Recycle the VHS tapes – completed: 25/09/2018
    This year I have found myself morphing into a bit of environmentalist… which I am actually really enjoying.  My own little war on waste is coming along nicely… with my new compost bin, our multiple bins for different types of recycling and our new found love of ‘Who Gives a Crap’ toilet paper.  But to make it even better we also found a local place that was willing to recycle our VHS tapes.  Unfortunately for them, they had to pull them all apart manually, but I don’t mind because as much of them as can be will be recycled.
  54. Read 6 books – novels… not picture books – completed: 17/11/2018
    I really wanted to be able to say I read way more than 6 books, but like my weekly blogs, it has been hard to find time to read… but I read 6 and I am reading number 7 at the moment… this will stay on my list and hopefully I will get better at finding time to read.
  55. Cross at least one thing off the list each month – completed: 05/12/2018
    Yep… at least one a month… this is a good thing to have on my list… I like the challenge and the spread.
  56. Be deliberate about filling the house with good thinks like flowers and music – completed: 01/11/2018
    I could have been better with this, but it’s a start, and it’s nice… I am also going to try and keep doing this.
  57. Edit and finalise Isaac’s logs and maybe publish them
  58. Make a photo book of Isaac’s 1st year – completed: 30/09/2018
    Again this was not quite what I had in mind when I popped this on the list, but I did make a book of Isaac’s 1st year, but I didn’t keep it, we gave it to Dave’s grandparents when we were in New Zealand.
  59. Return of the fit pig – completed: 31/05/2018
  60. Throw things out / recycle / donate – completed: 31/12/2018
    I am all over this, recycling, reusing and donating… I hate throwing things out and I have become quite the anti waste warrior.  This will continue long after this year’s list… the world needs it.
  61. Clean out the garage – completed: 10/11/2018
    Nothing makes me happier than when everything has a place and everything is in its place… and that’s how the garage is now… and it makes me happy… far happier than it should… there are even labels on all the boxes… it’s a magical thing.
  62. Finish the scrap books
  63. Finish Isaac’s room – completed: 16/01/2018
  64. Wear a real bra – completed: 07/04/2018
  65. Figure out how to be a working mum – completed: 10/08/2018
    As you can imagine this pretty much coincided with the end of my weekly blogs… just as I got us into a routine at home… I started working from home.  I am back 2 days a week this year and hopefully a little more next year… It’s been a strange adjustment, using my brain a little more regularly on things other than parenting and having a little more interaction with other adults.  I have really enjoyed going back, but I won’t lie.. 12 months without work was also really nice.
  66. Go somewhere with out Isaac – embrace the baby sitter – completed: 28/09/2018
    I’m still not totally comfortable doing this, but I know it needs to happen… and I have done it a few times…  I am sure it will get easier as time goes on and he gets bigger… but it’s still hard right now.
  67. Make a cake for Isaac’s first birthday – completed: 01/08/2018
    Oh man, was I proud of this… a blue monster cake for Isaac’s monster party… you should really check out the picture on the right… it looks pretty great.
  68. Go overseas – completed: 02/10/2018
    This really should have had a blog all of its own.  It was a wonderful wonderful trip where we got to hang out with family and Isaac was able to meet his great grandparents.  We went exploring, fed some ducks, touched the black sand and Isaac learnt to crawl while we were there… it was really really great.
  69. Make a Lolly cake – completed: 09/11/2018
    Inspired from our trip to New Zealand we had some more lolly cake… it’s a strange cake… super sweet and fun to look at… and it was made, and I still have more ingredients so we might need to make another.
  70. Keep the pantry and fridge under control – completed: 31/12/2018
    Except for perhaps the last couple weeks over Christmas, we have been pretty good at this… Dave should take most of the credit, but I have been trying… just like the garage, everything needs a place and everything should be in it’s place.
  71. Watch a Disney movie with Isaac – completed: 16/06/2018
  72. Add Isaac’s pendant to my necklace – completed: 22/01/2018
  73. Organise the casts we had done for Isaac – completed: 01/05/2018
    You would have thought this would have been an easy task… but it turns out the Lady that did these ones was much less helpful and reliable than the lady that did Josh’s casts… but we finally got them done and they turned out really well, despite the challenge… they aren’t hanging up yet… but they are framed and ready to go.
  74. Use the go-pro more
  75. Make my language child friendly
  76. Check out ArtVo – completed: 23/06/2018
  77. Finish the bible reading plan I started last year
  78. Exercise weekly… hopefully more, but at least weekly – completed: 31/12/2018
    Here’s the thing… it wasn’t every week… but on average it was weekly… there were some great weeks and some down weeks, but some weeks I smashed it… and there were less slack weeks than there were good weeks… so we are claiming this as a win.
  79. Make a key lime pie
  80. Purée some food – completed: 20/02/2018
  81. Have a spend nothing day once a month
  82. Make the most of our delivery saver – completed: 20/12/2018
    Only just, but we did save a tiny bit of money… turns out the bigger Isaac gets the easier it is to get groceries with him.. he can go in the trolley now… I am sure that it will probably get hard again in time though.  Either way, we used the delivery saver just enough to make it worth it.
  83. Get a mani/pedi and get a colour you’ve never had before – completed: 28/11/2018
    I love the idea of this… and all year I have been looking forward to it… but then I got stuck thinking about foot fungus and other people’s feet and couldn’t bring myself to go and get it done.  So I gave myself a foot spa at home and painted my toes… and decided that I could cross this off the list.
  84. Get a massage – completed: 21/12/2018
    Seriously I know I say this every year… but I should do this more often… it is soooooo nice.  Thanks pheebs for my voucher that made this happen.
  85. Do a Mums and bubs exercise class – completed: 19/04/2018
    Isaac and I attended a mums and bubs exercise class for most of the year and we loved it.  We stopped at the beginning of term 4 because it just got too hard to make work… but it was great while it lasted.
  86. Get some kind of routine – completed: 31/12/2018
    It keeps changing, but we do have a routine of sorts… we’ve worked out meals and naps and bed time all pretty consistently… and I won’t lie… I love the structure.
  87. Contribute – completed: 31/12/2018
    I would have been pretty ashamed if I hadn’t been able to achieve this… especially given that I have spent a lot of this year at home.  I think spending so much time at home has really helped me get on and do some house work because I have to live in the mess I create… and it turns out I am pretty intolerant of my own mess.  This item on the list that is a win win for Davo.
  88. Hang up the pump – completed: 08/04/2018
  89. Update some photo wall photos – completed: 04/01/2018
  90. Get the pictures framed
  91. Hang out with my besties – completed: 08/01/2018
  92. See Coco – completed: 06/01/2018
  93. Have a meal with all of our parents and siblings (separately) – completed: 31/12/2018
    I was terrible at documenting these meals… but they happened… you’ll just have to trust me.
  94. Have an ice coffee at 3 different places – completed: 03/02/2018
  95. Touch the ocean – completed: 10/03/2018
  96. Have a fun fight
  97. Fix my computer – completed: 02/01/2018
  98. Wear something other than a black T-shirt for a whole week – completed: 20/01/2018
  99. Keep our bedroom tidy – completed: 31/12/2018
    There was some contention over whether I achieved this or not… but I have actively kept the room tidier than I did the 12months before… but maybe not as tidy as I could have.
  100. Save some money

So that was my list… not a bad effort really… 79/100… Not quite my best year… but certainly not my worst.  But how did Isaac go with his list I hear you ask… well lets take a look:

  1. Try some food – completed: 16/02/2018
  2. Ditch my oxygen – completed: 24/12/2018
    Isaac was also the beneficiary of our Christmas miracle… although he really ditched his oxygen in october, we couldn’t make it official until the tanks and machines were gone.
  3. Sit up by myself – completed: 22/06/2018
  4. Suck on my toes – completed: 30/12/2018
    And it was forced… turns out he just isn’t that interested in his toes… I thought all babies loved this, but I was wrong… maybe it was the time he spent in his brace… maybe he just doesn’t like his feet… who knows?
  5. Go to the park – completed: 07/10/2018
    We have been to a few parks this year, but the one that crossed this of the list was a special park in Whanganui, one that Dave went to as a little boy, an amazing park along the whanganui river… it is seriously epic and I think we will go back here as often as we can.
  6. Pat Dex – completed: 23/11/2018
    Dex and Isaac are still working each other out… sometimes they just want to be near each other… other times they need to be far far away.  Dex likes to visit and lick Isaac… but Dex does not like to be touched by Isaac… they’ll work it out eventually.
  7. Have a party – completed 04/08/2018
    This should have had a blog of its own too… it was an epic party with balloons and donuts, friends and family… but when your first year was a rough as Isaac’s, it’s worth celebrating!
  8. Visit my friends at Monash Children’s – completed: 10/04/2018
  9. Go on a fun run/Walk in my pram – completed: 04/03/2018
  10. Get around on my own – completed: 03/10/2018
    There is nothing that makes a parent feel more relaxed about being on holidays than a baby deciding its time to crawl the second you get off the plane… no baby proofing… no safe spaces… random hotel carpets… yep… it’s wonderful.  What makes it even more wonderful, is when the newly mobile baby also likes to lick the floor… we should just go ahead and insert a huge face palm right here.
  11. Go for a swim – completed: 27/12/2018
    We have been a bit slack with swimming lessons… we will get to it, but we haven’t yet, so instead we have had to wait until the weather warmed… after a few failed pool attempts, we finally won with a swim at the beach… he is not totally convinced… but we will get there.
  12. Try story time at the library – completed: 31/01/2018
  13. Make some baby friends – completed: 10/04/2018
    I know I have talked about Isaac’s baby friends… well my mother’s group a lot in other blogs…. but not in this context… Isaac is lucky enough to have lots of friends… and this includes the little gang of 7 we hang out with each week at mothers group.
  14. Go on an adventure with Dad – completed: 29/10/2018
    Isaac and Dave have been on a few adventures because Dave likes to run errands when he is in charge… but the adventure that crossed this off the list was a trip up the 1000steps… with Isaac in the baby bjorn…
  15. Sleep through the night – completed: 01/03/2018
  16. Get some teeth – completed: 26/11/2018
    I thought this might never happen… It feels like we have been waiting for teeth forever… but we had to wait until November for the first little tooth to pop through, now we have 3 with maybe more on the way… well hopefully a lot more… but I think another will be here very soon.
  17. Watch a Disney movie with Mum – completed: 16/06/2018
  18. Have brunch with my ladies – completed: 08/01/2018
  19. Go to the beach – completed: 10/03/2018
  20. Learn a word – completed: 23/11/2018
    About 5minutes after we left the pediatrician who would have liked him to have a least one word, Isaac said Dad in the car on the way home… he really likes to do things in his own time.
  21. Cuddle all of my grandparents and great grandparents – completed: 03/10/2018
    This was the main reason for our trip to New Zealand, for Isaac to meet his great grandparents… it was just as magical as we would have hoped.  Before we went overseas he also got cuddles with all his other grandparents… He has 11 grands and greats all up… he is a very loved little guy.
  22. Make a keepsake – completed: 11/05/2018
  23. Go on a plane – completed: 08/06/2018
  24. Try my jolly jumper – completed: 30/05/2018
  25. Grow – completed: 31/12/2018
    Lets face it, we could have crossed this off on January 2… this guy has been growing all year like a champ!

So there you go… he finished his whole list… maybe it’s beginners luck… maybe he is just better at listing than me… I guess we will find out in 2019.

Our Curious Life: Week 49

Posted in Family, Life, Our Curious Life, The List by

Far out… how is the year almost done, and how the heck am I still so behind on these blogs… these were supposed to be an easier way to keep the blog up to date… but it would appear that more often than not other things have taken my time. Anyway, somehow here we are at week 49… what have we done?

Well despite this week only starting on the 2nd of December Christmas is in full swing at the George house. This week Isaac and I attended the annual Ladies night out, Isaac was our special guest, due to the fact that he is not a lady and I sung with the Grammarian Singers Christmas Concert. This is the first year in many that I have been caroling, so to speak, and while it looks different to the caroling that I used to do it has made this December feel a lot more like Christmas.

We’ve also had some non Christmas fun, we started the week with brunch to celebrate Meg’s birthday and a stroll through the botanical gardens. We celebrated Ann’s birthday on Saturday and right in the middle of the week we had out finally Thrive group for the year. We love our thrive group and they have been such an important part of our village. We also had a follow up sleep study for Isaac and you will be please to know that this time I remembered my pillow.

Oh and in a desperate attempt to finish this years list Isaac and I went to a mums and bubs session at the movies… which was not super successful… turns out Isaac does not care to watch a big TV… he would rather just crawl around on the floor. Ideally we would have done this earlier in the year, but it has actually has been very difficult to find a cinema that shows movies that aren’t super adult at their mums and bubs sessions. If we wanted to see action flicks or 50 shades of grey we would have been set, but I just couldn’t bring myself to take a baby with me. So, if any people that run the scheduling for cinemas… maybe stick with PG movies… or chick flics… leave the others for date night.

No Photos this week… too much to do, not enough time…

Our Curious Life: Week 44

Posted in Life, Our Curious Life by

      Guys, I am so behind on these weekly blogs, it isn’t funny… but it turns out balancing mum life, work life and something that resembles an occasional social life is harder than I imagined. I have started writing a blog several times recently but it always seems to be after I have been rushing to get other things done during Isaac’s nap, and it’s like he knows the second I start typing… because nap time is always over. Anyway, in fear of jinxing it, Dave and I have been trying to change his routine a little so that he might sleep for longer than 20min in the middle of the day… and I think it is working… maybe.

So… what have we been up to? Well it’s November… which seems a little nuts, but my calendar tells me it’s true. We started this week at the Walk for Prems a fundraiser for Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, a foundation that supports families with premature / sick babies. While Isaac was in hospital last year they helped Dave celebrate father’s day with a pretty neat lunch box, they gave Isaac a blanket to celebrate him reaching 100days of age and they provided us with information and support. The walk not only raised money, but also celebrated preemies and the families they come from and remember those babies that weren’t able to hang around. The event was full of people who had been through what Dave and I had which was a really nice reminder that we are most definitely not alone. It was also a really hopeful, seeing kids primary school aged kids wearing t-shirts that displayed them in hospital at 25weeks, 27 weeks, 30 weeks etc. It also reminded Dave and I how blessed we are given that Isaac is so healthy and developing so well.

On Wednesday we celebrated Halloween by taking Isaac to the physio! We have been taking him every couple of months to keep an eye on how he is tracking with his movement, because while he is slowly doing all the things he should be, he just takes a little bit longer to get there than the average baby. Just like last time we went Isaac wasn’t super keen in playing the games he was supposed to, but whatever the physio did because all the things we learnt were basically redundant immediately. Now that Isaac was commando crawling, the physio was keen for us to help Isaac learn how to kneel and pull himself up on things so that he could start learning how to walk… well after half an hour at the physio, since Wednesday night Isaac has been up… climbing on everything, pulling things off shelves and doing everything he was supposed to achieved between now and our next appointment practically over night. This seems to happen every time we go to the physio… I guess I can’t complain though, he is just doing things he should be and getting better at it everyday.. it does mean this weekend Dave and I need to increase our baby proofing and lower the cot.

This week Isaac crossed number 14 off his list… he went on an adventure with Davo, up the 1000 steps!

We finished the week and started our kind of long weekend celebrating my soon to be sister-in-law at high tea, where I got to make my very first flower crown.

Week 44 also brought us to the end of October… so here is what out October looked like in pictures.

And even though we have stopped using the cards… here is Isaac… 15months old… he is cheeky and loves to climb. He likes making piles of toys and balancing things on top of each other. He is also excellent at putting things in containers. He still finds sneezing funny and is working hard to talk, although so far we just get ra ra ra and golly golly with an occasional mamamamamama and a barbara.

Our Curious Life: Week 25

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Every now and then, I think I am finally getting the hang of this parenting thing… I get through a few days in a row nailing the feeds, doing some exercise and even attempting some domestic life tasks during the middle of the day nap, that I am slowly learning how to make happen… and then comes a day that completely destroys the illusion of control… there are tears from Isaac and from me… there is no routine, no order and the house looks like a small hurricane has been through it as all the of the attempts for peace… toys, food, milk are scattered through every room of the house.  That was week 25.

It has been my third week in a row without an appointment… and it is very very very strange.  I suddenly have so much more time at home… I don’t seem to be rushing from one place to another… and although there have been times where I have felt isolated and a little lonely, for the most part it has felt empowering.  I feel like I can actually get on top of some of the things I need to do.  I have time to make food for Isaac and for Dave and I, I have time to go for long walks with Isaac, I have time to sit down and blog, because I had time to do the chores, so I don’t need to feel guilty about it.  I have also realised that for me, the secret to not getting lonely when I have a day or a few days at home, is to make sure I’ve planned for it… that I know it is coming.  That I have chosen to be at home… because if I am not ready for it, I hate it and that is when things fall apart… but when I plan for it… it’s the best.

In a strange way, now that I have been at home a bit more, I am beginning to feel like I am actually on maternity leave.  I am actually able to start working out how to mum and live…  I am finally finding my feet.  Before this point, I had been waiting for something… which I guess, now that it is here, is just time… time for me to choose what to do with.  Time to enjoy Isaac and not just survive between appointments.  Time to choose who we see and actually be able to offer to do things and go places without having to work out where to fit it in… This is what I had imagined it would be like when I was still pregnant with Isaac, and even though it will be a much shorter period than I would have liked, I am glad we made it to this point before I have to go back to work.

So what have we been doing with our gift of time? Well, Dave and I cleaned out the study, so that I have my desk back, which I means I can sit here and type in a fun purpose built space just for me, rather than on the couch where I get immediately distracted.  I finally used my slow cooker.  We were given the slow cooker as a wedding present over 7 years ago… Dave has used it… but this is the first time I have… and I love it… I am a slow cooker convert.  I have even started googling the best way to tackle some condensation mold we have on some window sills.  I have also been contributing a little more with all the other household chores… and even though it’s never my first instinct.  I like the feeling of accomplishing the tasks and the clean house it leaves behind… especially now that I am spending a lot more time here.

This week we also used the last of the frozen breastmilk… I stopped expressing back in April, but thanks to a period of greater supply than demand while Isaac was in hospital, we were able to stockpile.  At one stage we had three freezers full of the liquid gold as it is often called.  But, now it has all been used.  The last bits were spread out over a number of months as Isaac only has the breastmilk when we are at home… and previously we hadn’t been home all that much… but now it’s over to solids and formula.  I am a bit sad that it is all gone.  It felt like it would last forever… but I am thankful that I was able to be able to make it and that he tolerated it… the female body is pretty gross… I mean great… it’s totally great!

We also farewelled Matt and Fee at their final service at Hobson’s Bay corps before they move.  Isaac and I caught up with my high school buddies and their kiddies, and I was reminded how blessed I am to be able to call this group of crazy strong women my friends.  We had dinner at Dave’s mum’s and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Isaac with his Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Ness and Uncle Hugh… family is so so so good.  We practiced our sitting and rolling and I can finally say Isaac can both sit (no. 22 on his list) and roll*… (*at least in one direction).  And on Saturday morning Dave, Isaac and I tackled ArtVo at the Docklands… which is made by some supper supper clever people.  It is something that I have wanted to do for a while, thanks to all the fun photos I have seen on other peoples social media… so we finally made it out there and it didn’t disappoint… it was great and we have so many fun photos from it.  Plus it is now off the list.

So there you go… that’s week 25.

 

Our Curious Life: Week 24

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Hello week 24, and thank you! You have been just what I needed. After getting back from Brisbane on Monday, I think it is safe to say that we were all stuffed! So this week has thankfully been very low key… I have been trying not to go out too much so that Isaac can sleep in his own bed during the day and we can focus on getting our solid meals in… three of them plus his milk feeds.

It’s been really nice to be a bit of a homebody… something I didn’t really expect. When I found myself in a similar situation last week, I found it all a little disconcerting. Having nothing planned felt uncomfortable, but this week it has been refreshing and restoring. I feel a little more on top of my motherhood list… the food situation seems to be improving and I am getting the hang of a couple of regular naps and I’m trying to make the most of Isaac’s awake time rather than just spending it wondering if he should be having a nap. One of the benefits of the big weekend has been a tired little boy, so the naps have been a little longer this week which has meant I have had some time to try and catch up on some blogging, which has also been wonderful.

But we haven’t spent the whole week at home, we also did a couple of fun things. On Thursday and Friday Isaac and I checked out the updated Glen shopping centre… firstly with mother’s group and then with my mum. After mother’s group on Thursday night Isaac and I went to the brand new woollies to grab some food for dinner, I also decided that despite having a loaded up pram with Isaac and the groceries I had already gathered, I could indeed manage a slab of diet coke as well, seeing as though they were on sale. When I made it to self serve to pay I started with the coke so that I could put it down ready to carry to the car once I had organised everything else. As I swung the slab up to the scanner, the side feel out and cans went everywhere. Some busted open creating small puddles of diet coke and showering Isaac and I in a fine diet coke mist… he thought it was hilarious… I was mortified and quickly asked someone to come and help… we went back and got a more secure box and thankfully made it home without another incident… but it wasn’t quite the quick shopping experience I had expected. But as a fun side effect, now every time Dave or I make the noise of a fizzing can Isaac giggles.

We also had dinner with two lots of very good friends, one as a goodbye, and the other as a welcome home. On Friday, we had dinner with our friends Rachel and Dustin… their’s was the welcome home as they have just returned from a holiday. We had such a nice night, delicious food, great company and an open fire… perfect for a freezing cold Melbourne Friday night.  Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, we had dinner with our friends Matt and Fee before they head over to Canada for a couple of years for work. Matt and Fee have been friends of ours for a very long time. In fact, I think Fee might have been one of the first people I confessed my love of Dave to when I was still a teenager, so it seems appropriate that she was the one that conducted our Wedding a few years later. They are the type of friends that keep you accountable and check in to make sure you are spiritually on track. Every time I hang out with them I come away thinking about how intentional I am in my faith and devotions and what I need/want to be doing better in that area of my life. Every time we hang out with them there is also a lot of laughing, they are super fun. This visit was no different, and while it might be the last one we will have on this side of the world for a while, I know that the distance and the change in chapter won’t really change our friendship. We will miss them a lot, but the world doesn’t seem that small any more thanks to the power of the internet (which I still think is kind of magic).

On Saturday we used some gold class vouchers to go to the movies and because it was an unplanned adventure, we took Isaac with us. We saw Incredibles 2, which means that Isaac and I, both got to cross seeing a Disney movie with each other off our lists (no. 17 on Isaac’s list and no. 71 on mine). He was a dream, watching at least half (the beginning and then end) and having a nice nap in the middle… seriously this kid is a superstar! I also crossed no. 1 off my list this week, using my time at home to conquer folding fitted sheets… so far I have only attempted Isaac’s cot and bassinet sheets, but they are still fitted and I feel like I have done enough that I could transfer my new skills over to a real size fitted sheet!

Thanks week 24 for letting us breathe again.