*cough cough splutter*

Today I (Josie) have a VERY serious case of man cold...... don't panic, as bad as it may seem I feel I can push through and will make it to see another day... just. Feel free however to commence sympathy messages..........NOW. (NB: whilst drafting said sympathy messages please take into account my four children, growing pile of washing, uncooked dinner for before mentioned children and absence of husband to mine site somewhere)

I have also lost all but one of my fingerprints to this growing pile of as yet unfinished  wipes cases:

courtesy of this ...

My old faithful 'has seen better days' glue gun.

On the plus side, whilst wallowing in self pity with my trusty laptop, snuggly blanket and cuppa I DID happen to stumble across the following beautiful blogs...

A beautiful mess - well lets face it the title drew me in!!

and the lovely Gemini Stitches who blogged about some absolutely GORGEOUS purchases she made on July 15th... :oP hehehe

Now with my current state in mind the thought of the moment is out the window!! (well just for today!) and replaced instead with....


Laugh of the moment:

Today's post ...............

Is dedicated wholly and solely to the wonderful irreplacable Mrs Elephant who I absolutely adore!!! Why you might ask? Well.....

WOOHOOOO!!!!! I'm going to be an honourary aunty again!!! Watch this space for preggo updates, the occasional sneaky photo (she is not very forthcoming with those!) and of course your chance to guess... blue or pink?


Thought of the moment:

The best way to think of stretch marks is as pregnancy service stripes.

Anon

sticky fingers...

Sometimes we like to stick fabric to stuff just cause we can.....

and sometimes we like to do it just for you!! have you seen our beautifully covered trays? 

What would you like to see covered in fabric? 

Thought of the moment:

Organised people are just to lazy to look for things... anon

Stop the clock!!!

*Sigh* today master 5 owl became master 6. Where does the time go? Born 6 weeks early, weighing little more than a bag of sugar and struggling for life he went from this:

to this:

He is such an incredible blessing and we just love him to bits!!! He is our funny man. Our little performer. Always out for a laugh ( is it not unbelievable how funny the word "poo" is to a 5/6 year old?), always having a dance ( he moonwalks like an absolute champ!), always singing a song ( I would like to have serious words with the person who introduced him to "peanut butter jelly time" google it. Its not as funny the 100th time). I can not even imagine what he will be when he "grows up" I still remember him telling me at the age of 3 that he wanted to "be a mummy whene I'm growed up cause they get so many hugs and always get to choose whats for dinner"  *sigh*

The night before birthdays I always find myself as excited as a child myself. Wrapping presents and blowing up balloons - Every birthday I make sure my kids wake up to a "carpet" of balloons in their room. I LOVE hearing them wake up to it - it never seems to grow old and each year they are just as excited at the sight of them as the last. The morning always starts incredibly early with those excited "whispers" outside my bedroom door "shhhhhh is she awake? should we go in? *giggle giggle* " followed by 3 small "intruders" jumping on the bed, the retrieval of baby owl from the cot, mountains of torn wrapping paper and waaaaay to many toys!

He is so "grown up" now that Master 6 decided dinner at a restaurant was needed. As is the norm with our family the table booked for 7 soon became a table booked for 20. Many a laugh was had and we could all but hear the sigh of relief from the wait staff (and our fellow diners) as they relised that the loud, over the top table from the back was leaving!

His birthday party is on sunday and unfortunately somebody forgot to shake me when I said "oh lets have it at home!" WHAT WAS I THINKING??!! Stay tuned.... Sunday nights blog post could be a doosey!!
What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever it may be we hope it is filled with love, laughter, family and copious cups of tea and chocolate!





 Thought of the moment:
 Just a bit of fun tonight! - Go to google maps, hit "get directions" Type in "china" with "taiwan" as your destination. Read step number 48. Commence laughter!!

thought of the moment...

We are lucky enough to be part of an extremly close family. The kind where cousins are brothers and sisters, Aunties and Uncles are just an extention of mum and dad, Family dinners can mean anything from 7 to 37 people sitting around a table only meant for 8. There are no secrets. There is no " alone time". Sometimes I have had moments of absolute exasperation at the "in your pocketness" of it all. Then something happens and I realise how truly blessed I am to have married into a family that loves each other so much, so purely, so unreservedly.
Recently we receieved a phone call letting us know that one of Tyler's cousins had passed away, less than a week after his 28th birthday. He has left a massive hole in our family that can never be filled. He will be missed more than anyone could possibly imagine and we are so greatful for the good times and the memories we have. He was such a "blokes bloke" and we used to laugh at the way you would have to force a hug out of him - infact we enjoyed doing it! When my boys would go to hug him he would grunt and say "Men shake, shake or hi-5, we dont hug mate" and they would hug him all the same. His dad kept a detailed journal of his life. Every moment, big or small. Not a baby book. A life story. Photos, the works. Such treasured memories.
Its not to late to start. My oldest is 8 and my youngest about to turn 2. I have just bought a journal for each one. I am going to write down the moments that have passed and the ones yet to come. What an awesome memory to have, for me, for them, for their grandkids. It breaks my heart that our cousin will not be able to pass his on but I know how much it will be loved by his nieces and nephews to come and by the rest of our family.
As a mother the grief I have felt for his immediate family, his mum and dad, is undescribable. To loose a child is something that should never happen. Each night I hug my children just a little bit tighter. kiss them just that one extra time, and thank God for every single second I have with them. Life is to precious to spend worrying about the little things. Wondering what people think of you. Stressing about the small stuff.

Hug your kids. Crazy dance in the loungeroom. Lick the spoon. Love the life you have. Write down the "moments" and smile at strangers. You never know who's day your making  a difference in.

Ten things

Just to be completly random - ten things you may or may not have known about myself and the ever lovely Nat!!

1 Favourite thing at the mo?


Josie: Cadbury Pineapple chocolate - at least Im sure it will be once I get to try it!!!


Nat: Cadbury Caramel Mousse chocolate


(is it sad we both said chocolate??)


2 Least favourite things?


Josie : green peas and the press studs on bonds wondersuits (does anyone REALLY ever get them done the right way first time? ever?)


Nat: voice recognition phone services - they never understand me especially when I shout at them,
pictures hanging crooked on a wall, spelling mistakes or bad grammar and punctuation (there, I said it!!)


3 Favourite book?


Josie: Dessert flower by Waries Dirie


Nat: Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

4 Pet hate?


Josie: when people say "youse" as in "youse guys" or "see youse latter" ITS NOT A REAL WORD PEOPLE!!!! and the word moist.... its just weird.


Nat: 'text talk' or spelling when not used in a text


5 Five things we could not live without (and none of the mushy my kids, my husband bizzo!)


Josie: My GHD's, my slippers, vegemite, my iphone, poofy unnecesary cushions. Oh and Nat! I know thats six things but maths was never my strong point! and yes its a llliiiittttle bit mushy but  meh it happens!! :oP


Nat: ugg boots, my bible, my computer, 'lists' of any kind (they organise the chaos in my mind!), chocolate


6 Hidden talent?


Josie: My ability to have a "song for every moment" paired with my total inability to hold a note.


Nat: I am really good at picking things up with my feet!


7 Fold or scrunch?


Josie: Scrunch


Nat: Scrunch (and might I add, there is a correct way for toilet paper to hang off the roll, people! It should always fall over the TOP of the roll and not down towards the back near the wall. If I find it hanging wrong in your house I WILL change it!)


8 Fav facebook/webpage at the mo? (apart from the totally awesome The Owl and the Elephant website!)


Josie: Choosing just one is hard but I am loving sisterhood sewing's cute chalkboard owls!!


Nat: Totally hooked on Pinterest. It keeps everything I find on the net bookmarked for me but in 'visual format'...its just how my brain works :o)


9 Favourite movie?


Josie: Fried Green Tomatoes (laugh it up Nat! If you were a REAL friend you would have watched it by now - just to see!)


Nat: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon




10: Most embarrassing moment?


Josie: Splitting my pants in Master 5's classroom and having to hobble back to the car looking like I had wet my pants and praying no one saw it!


Nat: Losing my credit card inside a car park ticket machine because I put it in the ticket slot and not the credit card slot! With a massive queue of people behind me waiting, Josie peeing herself laughing at me and the voice on the 'help button' being less than sympathetic. Still laughing. 


Thought of the moment:


" Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid"


Albert Einstein

Brownie points

Today's brownie points go to....


The entirely lovable Mr Owl for my happy unbirthday present.....

The Pom tree just cause they are fluffilicious....

Bloomin fabulous for utterly delectible goodies..

and last but by no means least Monkeys Over The Moon a lovely lady with lovely things!

Thought of the moment:

Love your husband. Sometimes they surprise you and buy you stuff.

find of the moment...

Love it when your researching *cough* wasting time on the net *cough* and you come across something that just makes your heart smile!

I (Josie) have been desperately searching for ways to calm master 6's night time terrors and through the wonders of Pinterest (don't know what that is? Google it... now!!) I found this.....

Isn't it cute? And just a incy bit brilliant? I am off to buy a spray bottle tomorrow fo shizzle!! I would love to hear of your favourite internet finds. Leave us a comment with a link so we can go take a gander too!


Whilst speaking of things I love I thought I would chuck in just a couple more.....

Our local shopping centre has a little public noticeboard and I think I am going to post one of these on it:

and this.... well my exercise routine is sorted!!!

Nat having just become the proud mother of a BEAUTIFUL little SLR camera is imagining this on her wall....

and in light of her OBSESSION (yes Nat ... we both know you have a problem!) can also imagine this hanging somewhere...

What have you found online lately that you just love love love? We would love you to leave us a link!!!

Meanwhile, Mr Owl is complaining he has no clean socks so I'm off to ...

 *sigh*


Thought of the moment:


Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks only when driven to speech by something outsider himself - like, for instance, he can't find any clean socks.

Jean Kerr