a very pretty distraction

images from Cote De Texax blog... thank you for making my week

Escaping from my ho-hum week of suburban wife/motherhood, I have been escaping in to the 'It's Complicated' house.  This would be my dream home.  I would even forgo a Cape Cod dream house or my Formosa Road dream house for THIS house!

Trying to live in the moment and be mindful of my time and days, although it has been hard this week.  School holidays start on Saturday and I am dreaming of the squally winter coastline of Northern New South Wales just a little too much.

The day after Boxing Day

I am back and I am still tired. We have been busy enjoying life this past month with a trip to the beach, Christmas celebrations, a camping trip for my three big boys and having visits from one of my London sisters.

Now we are back in for a 10 day stay for IV treatment (I am learning that this is called a 'tune up' in no uncertain words.

One of my New Years resolution is to post more often. Some days go so fast I don't have time to think and I want to keep track of everything. I want my life to pause some days so I can keep my boys this age forever. They are so lovely and smell so beautiful after their evening baths that they are truly the most divine things ever.

They rock my world, make me laugh hysterically, make me want to pull my hair out and press my rewind button because I swear some days I say the same thing constantly... It annoys me, I can't imagine how they must feel!

Stay tuned, we are going to be in for a massive 2013 filled with good stable health, wealth that is coming our way, simplicity of being together and peace at being home with our family under the one roof!

 

Slowing down

 

 

I found the Slow Your Home blog last night in my search for advice and motivation to make myself of aware of time and gratitude.

Feeling a bit better today in my mood, though I am going to try to do things a little differently each day... Change my normal patterns and see how things go.

XXxxx

The rain and a rut

 

The rain came over the weekend and so did my mood. I feel like I am stuck in a rut, doing the same thing over and over again and taking everyone along with my foulness. I need a change, or a challenge or something exciting to happen (not sure what sort of exciting but it always sounds so exotic and interesting).

I know I am dealing with enough to fill my days and my time, but I want to do something different and to stay awake at night with a purpose and an outlet. And maybe to feel like I have achieved something... I know I am achieving something in raising three boys to be the best people they can be, but maybe some sort of achievement that's about me?

I don't know, my head is over thinking things and I know it needs to stop.

I think maybe today I will take a step back, take my time to do things and realise that I have all the time in the world to be with my boys and with myself. I am normally Ms Grateful and I think I am forgetting that with this mood. I am going to be slow today and hope to be more mindful. Then I'm hoping this mood will pass (which I know it will).

XXxxx

Sundays

We are very bored this afternoon... But the great news is we are expecting company! My girlfriends are bringing wine and cheese. The weekends can be the hardest when I know the big boys are hanging out together, so the girls are a very welcome distraction.

I wont see the big ones until Tuesday, so I am trying not to think about time. It is such a cliche, I want to enjoy every second but then all on one thought, I just want the next 10 days over so we can go home again. At least we go home home, many of the family's stay at accommodation houses near the hospital and can be nearly 2 years without being home home for any extended period of time.

I miss my big boys, all three of them but am trying to be grateful that at least we have an end date of home time rather than never knowing when home day was which was what we dealt with for 10 months. There is really truly no place like home (your own bed, bathroom and backyard... Oh and having all of my little family under the one roof).

X

Fridays

What a beautiful way to start the day after a very very long night is the arrival of a beautiful boy for our beautiful friends.

Little one had an odd night but we are soon going back to our oncology ward so that will mean a sleep for him and a shower for me.

Mondays

The big boys being spoilt by their gorgeous aunt...

Little one's afternoon viewing with his beloved Jimmy Giggle and Hoot.

24 new hours

Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.

Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Beautiful friends

Today I am grateful for beautiful friends.

Still his favourite girl

I am grateful for Dorothy... She makes him smile.

I am grateful for... Mr Tim Hot Stuff McGraw

Photo of Tim from his official website

This morning I am grateful for Tim Gorgeous McGraw.

His music makes me smile, it has been part of the soundtrack for the past 16 months and I always imagine being a million miles away on a property looking at nothing but the horizon each way I turn (which on some days has been more than a helpful coping mechanism).

We have a very odd collection of music in our house and lately the boys are either dancing to the Jersey Boys soundtrack, Tim, Mumford & Sons or James Taylor.

We dance around our shoebox living room and little one smiles and claps his pudgy little hands. The boys favourite is Fly Away... I think because of the counting.

Today I am particularly thankful for Tim.

Thank you for helping me to get through little ones treatment and recovery. It also helps that you are a gorgeous piece of work! But my beautiful husband thinks your wife is a gorgeous piece of work and I absolutely agree with him, she is a stunner!

A slight diversion... Smiles

Sorry, no link to where I found this, but I thought it was beautiful. Borrowed from a friend of mine who is one of the most inspirational mothers that I have met in the last 16 months. She is amazing, open, witty and honest,

It's been a while since posting and I'm not sure why. Little one is doing well, still at home, still ok and still smiling like he has discovered the best kept secret ever. He smiles like there is no tomorrow and he smiles through vomit out of his nose (due to his non existent cleft palate) and he smiles when he sees me. His smile makes everything better and his smile makes me more amazed than ever that he can smile after everything he has been through.

I can spy him smiling at me when I'm in the laundry and I can spy him smiling at our Ruby dog when she walks past. I like to think he is enjoying his life outside the Hotel Royal Children's and I like to think that he is enjoying his life as part of our little family.

He makes me smile when I see him and he makes me smile when I think about him. And he makes me grateful for so many more things than I ever thought possible.

First Plasma Donation

I spent an afternoon at the Brisbane blood bank donating plasma for the first time. It was completely less daunting that I was expecting and was a relaxing afternoon with warm tea, heat packs, a very comfy chair and cosy blanket.

I was amazed about the amount of people donating plasma. The chairs were filled, donation collected and then set up again for the next generous donor. There were suits working on their blackberry's with their arm connected, there were uni students, a taxi driver and what looked like some sort of a tradie. I wanted to thank them each personally as there donations may have been received by little one at some point. I am forever grateful for such an amazing service.

I also think every day of our donor. I dont know how I can put in to words or actions the gratitude we feel for her for saving our sons life. It would have been about 3 days of pain and discomfort, but she has provided our son with a new blood system and a new life.

You can follow this link to the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and see how easy it is to join if you have the capacity. If you were able to see the amazing children going through I think anyone would sacrifice a bruised pelvis (it has been described to us as being punched in the lower back by Jonah Lomu) for a few days. I personally can't wait and would be honoured for a bruised lower back if it means saving a life (although I am very biased and have never felt so passionate about it until it has affected us directly... I didn't even know what bone marrow was until this time last year... I thought it was something you fed your dog)!

I hope that if i can raise enough awareness for even a few more people to join the Registry and allow our doctors the best tissue typing option matches for their patients, I will be thrilled!

 

 

Today I am grateful for

A room with a view...

A hot shower...

The strength of my children...