Tips for temporary solo parenting

Before I start,  I should just clarify that I am not really a proper single parent and I am hugely grateful to have my awesome hubby, Mr D around to help out with the kids (and maintain my sanity).  We just wouldn't be a complete family without him.  However he does travel quite a bit and there are often periods where I find myself a 'temporary' single parent!

He's been travelling on and off for years, and you'd think that I would be an expert by now of 'just getting on with it'!  However, for some reason, every time he leaves there is some kind of disaster and it ALWAYS happens as soon as he steps on that plane!!

When Master J was a baby, he would sometimes be away as often as every other week and I could almost guarantee that I'd be camped out at my mum and dad's for a night or two.  The boiler went once and we had no hot water, and another time the heating broke and we almost froze in our beds.  Oh and there was that time we got totally snowed in and mum and dad had to come to our rescue.

There was one time I will never forget though and it still makes me chuckle to this day!  Mr D's parents were staying with us from South Africa and I almost had the police out in the middle of the night.  My father-in-law is a journalist and although he were visiting us on holidays he still had a few stories that had to be published by a certain date (many of us know how that feels!!). One evening he decided to stay up and write them all while a (pregnant) me and my mother-in-law had an early night.  My bedroom was up in the loft of our house and at some time that night (late, I think) I heard this terrible BANG and then a couple of loud CRASHES followed by frantic footsteps!!  I absolutely froze in fear (and I totally forgot the my in-laws were downstairs).  In my panic, I managed to grab my phone and call Mr D (who was in Amsterdam).  I got through to the hotel operator "hello" I whispered (remember - complete fear) "can you put me through to Mr D's room".  Operator "Sure, of course'.  A few seconds later "I am sorry but there is no answer to that room".  "Please" I begged "Can you go and wake him up, it's his pregnant wife calling from England and the house being burgled!!!!!  Honestly, I don't know what I thought he was going to do from a hotel room in Amsterdam - in the middle of the night!!!

Suddenly the banging got even louder and I swear my legs wouldn't more.  I knew that I should peak down the stairs but I was just too scared.  Then my mobile rang - thank GOD!!  "Babe, we're being attacked - there's a burglar in the house!!! I managed to blurt out. "Just calm down" he said "and tell me whats happening"  "Well, there is really loud banging and crashing and I can hear foot steps going up and down the stairs!!!!!!!!!".  "Where're my dad" he said.  "Ummmmm (suddenly remembering that they were there) I don't know - downstairs I think."  "I think I know what this might be, said Mr D, I'll call dad and phone you back!!

Well....... it turned out that the laptop my poor father-in-law was working on had a sudden hard drive crash and ALL his work had just vanished before his eyes.  When he tried to get it back, the computer blue-screened - and we all know how bad that is!!  (This can quite easily tip even the most placid person over the edge).  So a coffee mug might have been thrown and there were a few rushed trips down the stairs and back.  NOT A BUGLAR AT ALL!!  Oh how we laugh about it now (and wonder where I got dramatics degree from).

I have also managed to crash the car and get a $500 parking fine during one of Mr D's trips too!!!!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally hopeless and the kids and I have had some pretty stress free times too.  Over the years I have realised that its so much better to be prepared than to just wing it!

My tips for 'temporary' solo parenting

1. Be organised!!!  Make sure the groceries are done BEFORE he/she leaves, have a plan of action for every day and cook and freeze meals in advance.
2. Consider hiring a nanny to help.  When Miss L was a baby our lovely babysitter used to come over every day between 5pm and 7pm to help me with the dinner, bath and bedtime. Doing that on your own every day with multiple kids is HARD WORK!
3. Ask friends for help.  There is no shame in asking a friend to help with the occasional school pick up or drop off or to have your kids for a play date to give you a break.  It's taken me a long time to master this one, but it's so worth it and you can always return the favour later.
4. Go to bed early!!
5. Make sure that any 'hard' jobs that you may need doing are done before he/she leaves (for example putting the bike rack up on the car or getting anything you may need down from the loft).
6. Make sure there is wine in the fridge.
7. If you are going to be alone over a weekend, try to arrange to meet up with a friend, so that you and the kids can have some company.
8. Try to remember that mess never killed anyone.  If you look beyond it, you'll definitely have more patience.

and if all else fails..........

hopefully with a full glass!

Do you find yourself an occasional temporary single parent?  

Or are you a full time single parent (serious hats off to your guys).  

What are you survival tips??

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New Beginings

Me and my beautiful girl on her 1st day of 'BIG' school.

As of last week I became a mum of TWO (out of three) school kids!!  It's going to mean big changes in our house this year but it really has been a long time coming.  Miss H has been absolutely desperate to go to school since about the middle of last year.  It's been a long and sometimes painful wait, but she finally made it!!  Master J is sitting on the fence at them moment about whether or not it's cool to have a little sister at school.

I had mixed emotions on the first day.  I found the summer holidays soooooo long, especially towards in the last couple of weeks - the kids were driving me crazy!  As much as I adore them, I am pretty sure I am a much better mum when they are at school and I have a little bit of time to use my brain in-between parenting.  However, I was a little sad to see her go (and might have had a tiny tear under my sunnies) and found myself lingering around outside the school just to make sure she was ok.  She was of course, but out of experience I know that the wobbles and tiredness only start to creep in around week 4 when the novelty wears off and they begin to realise that "This is it and you have to go EVERY day!"

I am also sending my baby off to daycare twice a week this year and letting her go was so much harder for me, as at only 20 months old it was impossible to explain to her that I was coming back.  I know I've done the right thing though and she will flourish with it.

Here are a few photos of the first day of school this year.  Miss H has gone into Kindergarden and Master J will be in Year 2.

And off they go........Kindergarden and Year 2!

2014 is full to the bring of new beginnings for us and I feel so very grateful for them all.

Did you have a little one starting school this year?  Or maybe even daycare or High School?  I hope it went well and you have a fabulous year full of smiles (and not too much homework resistance).

Linking up today for Wordless Wednesday with the lovely Trish from My Little Drummer Boys and Bree from Twinkle in the Eye.

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The great camping debate!

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One of my Goals for 2014 is to go camping.  I say my goal, but it's actually a family goal.  (I'm pretty sure I can hear a few of my friends back in the UK sniggering at just the mention of me plus camping!!!)

I do have a teeeney bit of a reputation for being a princess, and camping is just one of those things that has NEVER been top of my priorities.  I just don't like the idea of crawling around on my hands and knees to get in and out of a tent (which in fairness is a temporary home) and worry about what creature might decide to join me in the sleeping bag!!  The idea of a shared bathroom - or even worse, no bathroom at all, just makes me want to wrinkle my nose up like a true snob!!

When we lived in England camping was just never on the agenda, which suited me fine.  We did actually go camping once, and in the middle of summer it was so freezing cold the Miss H and I ended up abandoning Mr D and Master J (and everyone else) and booking into a B&B.  That was only a one night trip too (and one I'll probably never live down).

However the Aussie weather just lends itself to camping and it really seems to be a popular sport (if you can call it that).  After three years I have finally been worn down enough to actually consider giving it a go.  Funnily enough Mr and D and I both camped as kids, but both our families had caravans, which is an entirely different experience if you ask me.

We have never camped as a family before.  Oh except for that one weekend a year ago we spent at a campsite so close to home that I went back to cook, wash up, shower and sleep!!!!  Not only have we made the decision to camp this year, we have also booked a whole week (over Easter) in a camp site about 7 hours drive from home!! EEEEEEEEK!!

So this is where the Great Camping Debate sets in.  We don't actually own any camping gear at all.....not a thing!  So between now and Easter we have to purchase EVERYTHING.  It's kinda cool starting from scratch and Mr D says it's 'an investment', but we just can't seem to agree on what things are essential for camping!!

So this is my vision of what our campsite is going to look like

All images and links can be found on my Pinterest board 'Glamping'

and this is Mr D's vision...... or something along these lines.

So will we be glamping or camping??  All I know for sure is that it's happening and clearly we still have a lot to learn!!  At least we have been able to chuckle about our slight difference in camping styles.  I've even convinced him to get his own Pinterest account so he can have a camping board (and I can spy on it).

The one thing that I am very excited about is that I think I have almost convinced him to buy that beautiful teepee tent.  We went into a camping shop to have a look at it the other day, and even Mr D had to admit that it was pretty cool.  No decision has been made yet, so please keep your fingers crossed for me.  Who says camping shouldn't be pretty???

The kids are beside themselves with excitement about our upcoming trip and I have to admit that I am a teeny bit too!!

excited much?????

This is so going to end badly!!

So are any of you experienced campers??  Especially camping with kids??  Tell me everything you know........

Linking up today with the lovely Jess for IBOT at Essentially Jess.

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My Bucket list for 2014

Ok, so we're almost at the end of January and I STILL haven't put together a list of goals for the year ahead.  It's not been easy trying to use my brain concentrate with the kids still at home on school holidays.  I can almost guarantee that the minute I sit down in front of the computer or grab my ipad, this actually (in kid code) means "Quick, ask mum for food, or a movie or lets tell her we're bored or maybe just climb on her lap and bash at the key board a bit!"

I've got them all (my goals that is) scribbled down somewhere in my head, but after reading so many other great bucket lists online this month, the most important message I've picked up is that for any of them to have any chance of actually materialising YOU HAVE TO WRITE THEM DOWN!!

In my experience having things written down makes me so much more likely to remember them and I also get a real buzz from 'ticking' things off my lists.  It's very motivating and things often look a lot different when they are written down and you SEE them, to when they're just floating around in her head.

So without too much further waffle and procrastination - here is my list (and it's in no particular order of importance)!

This is one of my favourite places to just sit and think!

1. To double my current number of lovely blog readers.  This is going to involve me having an actual proper blog plan for the year - something which I have never done before.  I got one from Bloggers Bazaar and I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed putting it together so far.
2. To stay sugar (fructose) free.  I quit sugar on 29 December last year.  After doing loads of reading up about it's effects on the body I've decided that it's just not for me anymore.  
3. I will not being using my phone/device for any form of 'work' or social media between 3pm and 7pm.  This time will be for the kids.  (I have a feeling this might be another form of detox!!)
4. Read!  I don't think I read more than one book last year, so this year I plan to read at least 4.  (I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's a 300% increase!!) I also want to read more to the kids, so if anyone has any good book suggestions for a 5 and 7 year old please send them my way.  We're currently on "The thirteenth Story Tree House".
5. I know I've said this SO many time before but I WILL loose that extra 5kg of weigh that is STILL hanging around.  My exercise routine last year was pretty sporadic (and rather pathetic actually), but this year I have teamed up with my neighbour and we are doing the OPERATION MOVE WALK 400 challenge.  We go out for a walk together 3 evenings a week and I so look forward to them. Walking + catching up = winning!!  I've also 'ahem' re-joined the gym and that starts today - eeeek!!
6. Camping.  This year Mr D and I have decided to bite the bullet and invest in some camping gear (and then actually use it).  The kids are desperate to go on a proper camping holiday and after A LOT of resistance I have finally decided to give in!  But if just one snake (or spider) makes it's way into our tent...................that might just be the end of me!!  Oh and I've also decided that we're going to be glamping, not camping - it just sounds so much better don't you think?? (baby steps).
7. Visit England to see my little niece for the 1st time and all my friends and family who I am missing heaps.  Unfortunately it will most likely have to be a solo trip this year as taking the whole family is just too expensive.
8. I would LOVE to do a creative writing course.

So there it is, in black and white and about to make it's way into the world wide web.  I'm going to print out this list (and add some washi tape to make it pretty) and put it up on the wall next to my workspace so that it can stare at me every day to make sure I stay on track!

Do you have a bucket list for 2014??  What's on it??  I'd love to hear from you.

Oh and good luck to all those kiddies who are starting Big School this week (and a big hug for the mums too - I swear it's harder on us!!).

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What a Sunday looks like these days and a few Instagram snaps

I know it's Monday today but being a post Australia Day Holiday it totally feels like a Sunday to me  - and mine has looked a bit like this:

• Washing was sorted, washed, hung up and then re-sorted and put away!!  Three loads I might add, as I've for some reason I decided to wash all the bed linen today too!!  The kids followed me around (bored) pretending to help, but actually not helping AT ALL - except to laugh at me when I jumped around like a mad women after finding a spider in a pair of underpants.  It's like a jungle out there in my Aussie back yard - I can't tell you how many horrible creatures seem to hang out on my clothes line!

• Vacuumed the whole house, only to wonder why I bothered as five minutes later Miss L emptied a whole packed of rice bubbles all over the floor and Miss H 'accidentally' opened up her pencil sharpener dropping tiny bits of rainbow all over the carpet.  Yep, deep sigh!!!

• Made bolognese sauce with the mince I took out the freezer two days ago and still hadn't done anything with.  Oh and I made some pesto too, with the basil that I bought a few days ago to make said pesto, and is now looking very very sad!!  Only be told by Miss H.. "Mummy, whatever you're cooking in the kitchen smells SOOOO gross!!"

And that was just my morning!!  I still had to think about lunch box baking for school next week (silent happy dance coming up).  It seems like a hundred years ago when Sundays were all about staying in bed until almost mid day, reading the papers, sipping hot coffee and then drifting back off the sleep again for another hour so before getting up heading to the pub for a big Sunday Roast!!

Anyhoo, I was just thinking that I haven't done a round up off all my instagram photos for absolutely ages, so I thought I would leave you with a few from the last couple of weeks.  Happy Monday!!

Date night with Mr D.  We were sipping Mojito's and co-ordinating our diaries in an attempt to do some yearly planning.

Dad's little helper!  She is such a Daddy's girl when he is home that I don't even get a look in!!

Dad's building bunk beds!!  First night was a complete disaster but it's been plain sailing since then (hope potty training is as easy when we have to tackle that!!)

Rocking the one shoe look.  It's off because she can take it off - simples!

My two girls are finally actually playing together.  It is the cutest thing EVER!!

Shade glorious shade!  We've had such scorching hot weather recently that this beautiful, huge shade tree in the park was just AMAZING.

These kids are having the BEST summer!  Aahhhh life as a kid, hey!

I don't normally take food photos but this brunch was so delicious I thought it would be rude not too.  First time I've had an avocado smoothie too and it was YUM.

It's the little things :)))

I have joined in on the #100happydays challenge on Instagram where you have to post something that makes you happy for 100 days.  It's awesome - you should try it.  

Man I love this motley crew!

More school holiday fun

Cheeky x 2

Riding a camel on Australia Day - as you do!

How is your Sunday/Monday looking??  Did you spend the day in bed with the papers?? (If so don't tell me) or have you been baking for the return of the lunch boxes this week??

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What Australia means to me and a Sugar Free-Anzac biscuit recipe for Australia Day

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In the short time we've been living in Aus we've never actually celebrated Australia Day before. In fact the first one we spent at Northmead Children's hospital while Miss H had emergency surgery on a tooth that had come through without any enamel, causing her to get blood poisoning. My poor little mouse was so sick, that the last thing on my mind was celebrating - in fact I don't think we even realised it was Australia Day until the staff mentioned it.

This year I'm really looking forward to celebrating all things Aussie.  I love how enthusiastic the whole country gets about 'their' day.  Australians are one of the many things I love about living here.  In the short time we've been here I really feel like we've been taken in and welcomed into the community (both locally and online) and I'll always be grateful for that.  Moving countries is not an easy thing to do, especially with a family but I don't have one single regret.  Australia is everything I imagined it would be and more and it is also somewhere we are now very proud to call home.

Here are a just few things that make me think "Ah yes - I'm in Australia"

1.  The smell of eucalyptus trees
2.  The beach
3.  Glorious sunshine and HUGE blue skies
4.  Sausages wrapped in white bread
4.  Nippers
6.  Crazy, stalking magpie birds
7.  Sunscreen
9.  SPIDERS (and all other kinds of creepy bugs/lizards and snakes)
10.  Cockatoos and pelicans
11.  Camping
12.  The way no one uses the letter 'T' for example, taddoo's (tattoo), scooders (scooter), wader (water)
13.  Jacaranda's and Frangipanis
14.  Thongs (flip flops) - worn all year round
15.  Banana bread and flat white coffee
16.  Ocean swimming

My little contribution to Australia Day baking will be some Sugar Free Anzac biscuits.  Oh how I would love to bake the real deal, but I am very much still SUGAR FREE and I have to tell you, these are a pretty damn good alternative.  I dare you to try them!!!!

Ingredients:
250g butter
100g rice malt syrup
1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
3 tbs boiling water
2/3 cup stevia
120g desiccated coconut
180g oats
300g plain flour

Method:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with greece proof paper.
2.  Add the butter and rice malt syrup to the thermomix and set it to 90 degrees for 3.5 minutes on speed 2.
3.  Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the boiling water (in a separate cup) until it fizzes and dissolves and add it to thermomix.  Mix for 10 seconds on speed 2.
4.  Add the dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute on speed 3-4 until it forms a dough.
5.  Roll (squeeze) into balls and flatten each one with a fork.
6.  Bake for approx 8 minutes until they turn a golden brown colour.  Allow them to cool and harden before enjoying them with a lovely cup of tea.

For a sugar free biscuit these are actually so delicious that the kids haven't turned their noses up at them - which is always a bonus right!!  They are definitely not as sweet or as chewy as traditional Anzacs, but for a something that is completely guilt free (and yummy) I am definitely not complaining.

What's your favourite thing about being Aussie - or living in Australia??

Happy Australia Day everyone and I hope the sun is shining where ever you are (and you're near the water if it's one of those ridiculously HOT days).

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Exxopolis, moving statues, blue skies, the harbour bridge and the Sydney ferry - all in a days work for mum!

I was going to post all these cool colourful photos for Wordless Wednesday but my iphoto has gone crazy and is starting to test my patience!!  I should add that I am not very technical and when things don't do what they're supposed to do and Dr Google is no help, I start to get very cranky (stamps left foot!!).  Anyway Mr D sort of, somehow, managed to get it half working so todays post is just going to have to be a bit more of a wordy not so Wednesday post.

I decided the kids (plus one extra) into the city the other day to wear them out for a bit of school holiday fun and it turned out to be the most specular day, and I even had fun.  I sound like a bit of a pessimist here, but after nearly 5 weeks of school holidays the kids are just bored, bored, bored at home and I'm finding it sooo much harder (quite exasperating actually) to keep them entertained.

Sydney Harbour twinkling in all it's summer glory.  It always 'wows' me no matter how many times I see it.

Going into the city in the school holidays with four kids has it's challenges - like making sure they don't get run over (which nearly happened), making sure they don't fall in the water (almost nearly happened) and not losing any (actually that did happen - but only for a second!!).

We got the bus straight in and then took a slow walk around Circular Quay.  I would have been happy to have sat down and watched the view for hours but they kids were far too excited. "Come on mum, look at this guy - he has no head!!!" shouts Miss H.  "Yeah he has, it's hiding under his shirt" replied Master J sarcastically, as only a big brother could.  Aaaah, wouldn't things be so much easier if sibling rivalry didn't exist!!

Master J soon changed his tune though, when one of the 'statues' we were staring at suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him in.  He jumped so high that even I had to giggle.  After regaining his 'cool', he and his little buddy did their absolute best to get the 'statue' to talk, but he never uttered a word.  It reminded me a bit of the Beefeaters outside Buckingham Palace in London.  I don't know how they do it!!

Miss H is her element - if only she could have worn those sparklies ALL day!

We finally made it round to the Opera House where the Exxoplis Exhibition is set up (just in front of the main stairs).  It's HUGE balloon like structure is quite impressive and the kids couldn't wait to get inside.  We'd pre-booked our time slot though (which I highly recommend as it means a LOT less queueing in the sweltering heat), so we had an hour to kill before we could let them loose inside.  Only one way to deal with that .......... FOOD!!

Once inside it was like being transported to different world.  There are all sorts of different tunnels and rooms all glowing with different colours.  It was like being tapped inside a gigantic balloon.  The kids absolutely LOVED how each room made their skin and clothes change a different colour.  The shapes on the ceilings and the walls were pretty cool too and it was like being inside a really pretty rabbit warren (the kind I'd like to live in if I was a rabbit).  The kids ran, crawled, rolled, laid upside down just soaked it all up like little sponges.

Lots and lots of coloured tunnels.  I'd love to know what it must look like through her eyes!

Me joining in on the fun!!  It's pretty cool watching your feet change colour as you walk (or maybe thats just me, lol)

It's called the Festival of Air and I must say is was strangely relaxing walking around.  They didn't let too many people in at once, so it wasn't over crowded and there was a really subtle, gentle music wafting around.  If I didn't have four kids with me I could have laid down and had a nap.

Anyway, if you are in or around Sydney for the next week I can highly recommend you check it out!  Anyone of any age will love it and you can either book tickets online or just buy them when you get there (but I would get them online if I were you).

After we rolled out the balloon and back into the real world, there was only one thing left to do and that was head straight back home to the beach for a cooling dip in the Ocean.  The ferry ride home was just spectacular too (apart from almost loosing two boys overboard)!!!  I do love Sydney in the summer.

How are you school holidays going??

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