karrraaaatttte CHOP!

Life is full of those little "heart break" moments. Today I am having a moment.So just bare with me on this one.

I remember back when I was a teenager and I so desperately wanted this particular item of clothing that hung in the window of a shop I walked past every.single.day on my way to TAFE - it taunted me with its come hither looks and its "I'm new and you can't have me" smell.  Oh I CAN have you - and I WILL! I saved all my babysitting money and it was mine. At least I thought it was. That top that had teased me for three weeks was gone. Somebody else had bought it. Heartbroken.

When my first ever "real" boyfriend broke it off with me. ( thats the nice way of saying I got ditched) Heartbroken.

When my hair just wouldn't do what it was supposed to. Heartbroken.

Now? Four kids latter, I sit here thinking about my "babies" (one of whom is 8 now, they will ALWAYS be my babies) and think wow, I wish I was only ever "someone else bought that top I wanted" heartbroken. Not I would move mountains to stop this happening to you heartbroken. Who would have ever thought with a "job"" that could be so damn awesome would come so many tears.

I have these moments about ALL of my children. I love each and every one of them more than I ever thought was humanly possible.These particular tears however are for my baby baby. Little Maximus Owl who was born 8 weeks early fighting for life but doing just that - fighting. His little gladiator name suited him to a tee as he fought against the odds, screwed his little button nose up at the doctors and said "pfft - I don't need your help breathing, didn't you catch my name? I can do it myself!"

Now my little baby is two and facing his second bilateral eye operation for a squint. He is beautiful. I know I know EVERYONE says their kids are beautiful. Mine REALLY TRULY RULY are beautiful ( totally no bias at all of course) and the fact that there is anyone else out there that looks at my littlest big man and sees anything but what I see breaks my heart.

On the odd occasion we go shopping, well we do this alot (ALOT) and we often get comments or looks or those innocent children with the "MUM mum mum MUUUUM look, whats wrong with his eyes?" . I want to crash tackle them ALL and tell them how when I cuddle him he likes to play with that little soft bit on my ear lobe, or how he is the most ticklish right underneath his bum - that little spot just before his nappy. Or how he has just learnt not 1, not 2 but THREE new words. He isn't all about the eyes - he is so so so much more and I love him so much that my heart literally feels like it could explode and if I could, for one second - for the rest of his lifetime - take away all the comments, all the operations and all the pain I would in a heartbeat. I would undergo a million katrillion eye operations if I could just save him from this one.

Once whilst shopping we took our goods up to the counter to pay and the lady looked at Max and smiled, then she turned to the three ladies behind the counter and called them over "Girls, ( I cant remember the names she was calling) come over here, you have GOT to see this little boy - he is SO cute - look! he is going cross eyed at me!!" she said as she tried to return the favor by going cross eyed at him.
I gripped my fingers ever so tightly around the handle of the trolley. I would not ninja roll the counter and beat her with my purse. I would not! I politely told her he had a squint and therefor no choice, gripped the handle a little tighter and.calmly.walked.away. Put the kids in the car, my head on the steering wheel and sobbed. My heart broke. I saw Max's little life floating in front of my eyes. The cruel comments from the other kids at school. The first rejection from that girl he likes ( that I have of course hand picked and preapproved because this is my vision and thats how ALL my kids life partners are chosen) and then I saw myself, commando roll through my own little dream and take them ALL out with one ninja kick WHHHHHAAAACHHHAAAAAA ( that's the noise I would make) HE IS BEAUTIFUL.

I know that life will throw so many hurdles at him, squinty eye or not. There will be times he comes to me for advice, for a bandaid, for a hug and in a selfish way I look forward to every single one of them. Its the times I can do nothing about, nothing but sit back and watch that break my wee little heart. Yes I know I know, thats life and life happens and things happen and these experiences will shape him to be the man he is going to be and it will be awesome and he will be great and and and and YES I have heard them all and somewhere deep down inside I know its all true -but today, the day before he screams whilst they put him to sleep. The day before he screams when he wakes in that room full of nurses that he doesnt know desperately looking for me because all he wants to do is rub that soft spot on my ear lobe, today - the day before he screams because it hurts. Today I am just going to cry a little and pray that this time it will work and it will all be ok and wish above everything else in this world that I could take it all away.

That and ninja chop anyone who stands in our way. He is Beautiful and he is my baby. Perfect in every.single.way.

Thought of the moment:

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

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!!

dum dum de dum

Today Mrs Owl has been married to her last first kiss for four wonderful years and is taking a little walk down memory lane.... care to join in?

The perfect wedding needs the following three things (and possibly a few more!!) ....

1) A man and a woman madly in love and ready to commit....

 2) A first "married" kiss....

3) and of course, Appropriate foot wear.....

We celebrated our first year of wedded bliss with the birth of our first daughter, A wedding night blessing born 10 weeks early and an absolute little miracle.....

Followed two years latter by our littlest big man! 8 weeks premmie and a true little fighter. Translated his name means "greatest King" and we just love him to bits!!

A parliament of Owls...

What an amazing four years it has been, a whirlwind ride of babies and businesses mixed in with ALOT of love and laughter... we are living the blessed life and enjoying every minute!!

(Love the last two photos as much as I do?? check out Pure Design & Photography for an amazing Perth photographer who just so happens to also be my wonderful sister in law!!)


OHHHH and on a side note - come and fall in love with The Owl and the Elephants new FAVOURITE fabrics:

Thought of the moment:

Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day. Barbara de Angelis