There's a hole in my bucket...

Part of why I started this Blog in the first place... (besides being so completely inspired by Meredith at Count It All Joy was because I was feeling a little "blah" and negative. So I thought that maybe by putting my thoughts "out there" and by making a conscious effort to be more positive and to try to see the good/happy/colourful/positive things in my life and concentrate on those as opposed to dwelling on the negatives that it would help.

And it definitely has.

But I also think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to constantly be "up" and positive about EVERYTHING - at least on a surface level and how I presented myself to the outside world.

Truth is, I took this so much to an extreme ( a tendency of mine) that it actually became a bit of a facade. Not in the kind of "fake it til you make it" way - which was my intention... but more of a " no, you're not allowed to have a down day... you can't feel like that .... you have nothing to be sad about... you just can NOT feel blah anymore in any way about any thing..."

I realise that this put added pressure on me. Correction - I put added pressure on me.

I'm only human, right?

While of course I was actually seeing the Colour in my world and being thankful for all the blessings in my life... I too felt that my bucket was near empty.

 I remember years ago our wonderful [now retired] family GP told me that it was a wonderful thing that I gave so much to others and that I cared blah blah.... but that if I was constantly watering others from my bucket... and mine wasn't getting replenished in the way that it needed to be... then my bucket was going to run dry! It was one of those "ah-hah" moments for me. Might sound simple and logical but at the time it was the only thing that struck a chord.. .and I set about filling that bucket up again... or finding the way to let others do that too

I realised the other day that the red light was flashing on my bucket gauge and I needed to do something about it. I needed to acknowledge that I have needs to ( they are actually quite simple I think) and to take responsibility regarding them.

I had a conversation with a family member that perhaps put things into perspective for me. I think I've said it before that it's funny how it takes someone else to reinforce what you already know yourself. I was on a little bit of a "poor me" rant and she gently reminded me of a few home truths. Not nasty ones, but ones that made me realise that I'm feeling sorry for myself about the things that actually make me who I am and that make me the happiest.

I remembered also, the words from a couple of addresses at Church over that last few weeks about : Truths ~Your own truths and what they mean to you and Healing ~ That I can still help and heal others (pain) and remain doing what I love but must remember to draw strength from other places so as not to "sap" my energy and take on board others issues. That's where I was going wrong...

Maybe my bucket wasn't nearly empty... I think there was just a hole... but I fixed it Dear Reader, Dear reader.... fixed it!

 

Danni xx

One of the Kids Favourite Books of all time...

At the moment Ruby and Finn have a couple of favourite books that they will sit mesmerised listening to for hours on end... over... and over.... and over.... you get the idea,right?

I love that they love books and to be read to. I try to keep the books rotating on a regular basis but you can tell the favourites... the  dog-ears and milk-stains are a dead give away!

This one is the flavour of the month right now!

The Wonky Donkey - Craig Smith
With gorgeous,cheeky illustrations by Katz Cowley


This is an absolute favourite here - at any time. It is guaranteed to produce fits of hysterical laughter and edge of your seat anticipation as they try to remember which description is next - or try to work out from the illustrations.
It's about a Donkey, see... but that endearing Donkey only has 3 legs... so he's a Wonky Donkey. You then discover that he only has one eye, which makes him a Winky Wonky Donkey.... Finn's favourite is when you realise that he smells real bad ( you can imagine the illustration that would appeal to young boys for that one).. and so it goes on until he is a :

Spunky Hanky-Panky Cranky Stinky-Dinky Lanky Honky-Tonky Winky Wonky Donkey!!!
( It's fun to read too )

Hee-Haw!

Danni xx

Hope...

I heard this quote on an episode of "Criminal Minds" the other day, and it struck a chord with me. Funny where our inspirations come from isn't it?

      "Hope is the thing with feathers,

 that perches in the soul,

and sings the tune without the words,

and never stops at all."

~Emily Dickinson

When I was Google-ing (!) to find  the exact quote, I came across Nietzche's thoughts on Hope too:

  "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torment of man"

What a sad way to view the world.

 I think I much prefer Emily's

What is Hope?

What does it mean to you?

Hope gives me something to cling to , to aspire to , to encourage me to achieve I guess.

It helps give inspiration and is a driving force in collaboration with

other foundations like faith, love and determination.

I was thinking about this during the week - without Hope, I may not have been

a mother to this day.

Without Hope, I would have given up on so many opportunities and

situations in my life that have lead me to where I am in my life

right now.

Without Hope, I may not get to where I want to be in the future ~ as

unknown as that is for me

Without Hope I wouldn't have anything to
Close my Eyes Make a Wish and Blow on!

 

Without Hope I wouldn't hold onto my dream of wanting to

make a difference in other children's lives by

attempting to be a Foster Parent.

Without Hope - I'll never reach the end of my ironing basket!!!!

Pink Bird of Hope by Middleburg Folk Art Studio

Off to primp my feathers

Danni xx

Water Pump Park...

Although this week has generally been raining and miserable, Tuesday morning was sunny and lovely. Finn has been wanting to go to a local park that he calls the "Water Pump Park" - for obvious reasons - for some time now. So, I packed lunch, drinks and some sand toys and off we ventured. Finn had a ball, while poor Ruby was just starting to get sick - so she spent some quiet time just sitting eating an apple!

 Finn "talking" to his beloved Aunty "E" using the pipe thingys ...

I just LOVE this photo

I think the pictures tell the story.

These are actually sculptures around the park that the kids can climb on,

feel the textures and use them to let their imagination run wild!

It was great that we got outside when we did as the rest of the week meant indoor play only... and sick kidlets with high temps.

Ruby with her Aunty "E" having snuggles

Best go, Ruby is coughing and needs a Mumma hug and her mattress propped up a little.

Love

Danni xx 

Colour my world....again!

Yes, I know I did a post not so long ago about this
But
It has been grey, wet, cold and miserable again for a few days now... The kids are sick with high temps etc...

As I washing up I looked at the kids plates on the rack and though how pretty the colours all looked.. Which then led me to again look for the colour in my world to cheer me up.


Hope it brightens your day too!

Wishing you rainbows and sunshine


Danni xx

Insta-cookies

I know it's not April.

I know it's not ANZAC Day.

But

The Big Cheese requested that I make some of his all time favourite cookies.
I hadn't made them since high school, but thought I'd give them a go.
So I Googled : Chewy ( a requirement - apparently) Anzac Cookie recipes and took pot luck ( there were soooo many to choose from)
These weren't bad - they got the thumbs up from the Big Cheese and I guess that's the main thing... but I think I can do better....

 I documented the experiment using Instagram App because the photos are SO much more forgiving than real life ( and I think they look pretty!)

Ok... tools at the ready

My rare, high-tech and very impressive sifting device

The dry ingredients

I just LOVED the moment the BiCarb hit the butter

and golden syrup melting in the saucepan -

like a volcano erupting, it looked so cool

This....

Became this.....

They smelt so good but at this stage I had visions of

them all melting into one giant tray of cookie!

Voila!

Maybe not quite as "chewy" as requested

Of Course someone had to be the taste-tester

Lest we forget.

Danni xx

No Matter What...

Who would have ever thought that I'd be using Boyzone as an influence

or inspiration for my blog...
or at all really????

I heard/listened to/sang this song at Church the other week,

and haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since.
( see, I told you that music has a big influence on my life
-it has a way of talking to me and makes me think)

It was only after talking to my beautiful, honest
and skeptical friend ,
(who is here from overseas at the moment)
that I realised and had confirmed just how much
I love my Church,
what it represents
and how much it's helped me to grow.
So Thank You dear friend x

I'm slowly learning to have faith
in my faith

I'm slowly learning to have faith
in me!

"No matter what they tell us
No matter what they do
No matter what they teach us
What we believe is true "

I LOVE that line:
What we believe is true
My beliefs are my truths,
just as
your beliefs are yours.
Isn't that great?
Even when I'm not certain of what my beliefs are,
and even if our beliefs vary,
isn't it nice to think that they are still valid,
that they still provide comfort and peace to us,
as individuals?

Listen to the song here (click)

 

Lots of love to you ALL

No matter what

 

Danni xx

What's your favourite word?

I saw this recently in an online parenting forum.

It was very interesting.

You could see the posts getting more and more complicated words in them - discombobulated, antidisestablishmentarianism, pants (???!!!) etc each person trying to out-do and impress the next.

I read through 12 pages and I still didn't find my favourite word in the whole wide world.....


MUM

What's yours?

Danni xx

P.S I DID find,however, plenty of people that dislike the word 'moist' as much as I do - who would have thought ? There was even talk of starting a support group.....

Playroom Postscript!

Well you saw a sneak peek... so here it is just about completed  - the kids are loving it

and I must admit, so am I.

We converted what was the "formal" dining room into the kids "Playroom" ...

much better to have their stuff all confined to one room - which will have doors on it eventually...

but for now they help clean and tidy it up at the end of each day.

It's nice to see them proud of their handy work!

Finn LOVED helping me to paint the "lello" wall!

( Although his enthusiasm soon wained as his arms became "zorsted" - as they do!)

I painted and "distressed" ( in more ways than one I think) and old

TV cabinet that we had . Put some fun handles on it

and it's a new piece of furniture!

My bargain $10 clock from the Reject Shop!

I painted the 9 Fruits of the Spirit on mini canvases and hung them.

Never hurts to have reminders.

Finn asks daily what each coloured one says and reminded Ruby the other day to

remember to use the "blue one - that's patience Ruby"

when she was getting frustrated about something!

My gorgeous friend and neighbour gave me this as we had a little joke - she thought that

LOL in computer "speak" meant lots of love....

she saw this and bought it for me so we could LOL each time we see it -

and it was given to me, with her version of LOL!

Thought the kids room was a great home for it!

Another bargain find - $5 from Kmart! I liked its sentiments

 I love that my babies are surrounded by colour, light and

cheery- ness

There was some left over paper from the "patchwork" wall so I made their names

in some frames I had lying around!

Now,

I'd love to just show you the colourful bright highlights that make this room fun ....

 but I have to be completely honest...

sooooo.... 

 I've also included the "real" images of below adult eye level!

 Including the boxes of toys still yet to be sorted and given homes....

be prepared....

 perhaps ensure you're sitting down for these next photos!

The photo on the left is Finn's "tidy" pile of cushions,

while the one on the right is the vase of "flowers"

that looks ok from a distance in one of the earlier photos!

( Did I mention BRUTAL honesty??)

Toys yet to be sorted and housed



Even the kids!  

Don't say I didn't warn you!

( I did make them smaller though to lessen the impact - see ,I'm thoughtful like that!)

Danni xx