Spoilt rotten on Mothers Day

I had the most loveliest of Mothers Days yesterday.  In fact, I think I heart just grew a little bit bigger.

Last week I helped out at the school Mothers Day stall, so I kinda knew what I was in for in the gift department.  I had to cover my eyes so many times while they chose their perfect gift for me to make sure that I wasn't 'cheating'.  They both chose gifts (the obligatory mum mug and choccies) that I probably would never have chosen for myself, BUT the look on their little faces as they handed over their money was something I will always treasure.  They were both bursting with excitement and total pride that they had picked out a gift for me, all by themselves.  I couldn't have loved them any more in that moment.

On Sunday morning they were even more excited to give me their gifts (which they had both managed to keep hidden) and of course I acted TOTALLY surprised and told me they were PERFECT!!  I was also showered with the most beautiful and thoughtful homemade cards and origami flowers.  I know its a cliche but I really felt like the luckiest mum in the world.

We spent a very chilled day together by having ice-cream cones BEFORE heading to our favourite surf club cafe for bacon and egg burgers on the beach.  The kids picked me all the beach flowers they could find (sorry Mother Nature) and put on a 'dance and trick' show for me to watch. Master J has an incredible flair for acrobatics, but sometimes it really does give me the heebie jeebies!

Later that afternoon Mr D took the kids out to burn off some energy and I went home and watched catch up TV on the sofa.

According to Master J, Mothers Day is the best day EVER because "We get to have ice-cream before breakfast and then dad takes us out somewhere cool so that mum can be alone!!"  Love it.

My precious 3.  (although Miss L managed to swipe my ice-cream)

I think my face says it all!!

aaaaaand relax........

Did you have a wonderful Mother's Day?

My kids don't need a Super Mum, they just need me!

Having a child of your own is not only the fastest way to grow up but also the fastest way to learn everything about yourself that you didn't already know (which is a lot, believe me).

I thought I was SO ready for a baby when Master J was born but my world came tumbling down around me when I was diagnosed with Post Natal Depression (PND)*.  I gave myself such a hard time too, for not being the perfect mother that I imagined I would be (or should be).  For not fitting in with all the cliches about motherhood and bonding with my baby.

I think the truth was that I had absolutely no idea about what to expect, and I was totally unprepared for the onset on PND, which can happen to some us, even the best of us, without any fault of our own. I didn't know how to be a mother or how becoming a mother would affect me.

Amazingly I was still able to take care of my precious little boy, even with PND and not really understanding how I felt.  At the time I didn't think I had bonded with him at all (in fact I was convinced he hated me) but looking back now I can see that I actually had.  I loved him, nursed him and protected him without even realising I was doing it and that, I believe, is something that only a MUM can do.

I was lucky to get another two chances to feel that initial bond when both my girls were born.  I know it was there with Master J too, it just took me a little longer to realise.

As time has passed it's been my three kids that have taught me how to be their mum.  They love me, no questions asked and all they need is the same in return.  They don't care what I wear, what our house looks like, whether or not I have stuck to my weekly goals or whether or not I am doing things the right or the wrong way.

What they do care about is that I am there after school so they can rush out and show me their latest masterpiece, or that I am on the side on the rugby pitch watching the game, or reading them a story before bed or just giving them cuddles when they're hurt or sad or just plain soppy.

There isn't one single formula to being a perfect mother we can only do our best and the greatest thing of all is that they love us for it.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL MUMS (and especially to my mum too, even though it's not yet Mothers Day in England).

*You can read more about my journey through PND here.

Top 5 places to take the kids in London

Today I'd love to introduce to my first ever guest blogger on Mrs D plus 3.  How exciting!!  I met Jacinta from Jacintaz3 through the Digital Parents International Blog swap and we will be guest posting for each other this week.  I think we were paired because we are both mummies of three awesome kids.  We've been doing lots of emailing and chatting over the last few days and it has been so lovely getting to know Jacinta, and just that little bit special for me to meet a fellow blogger from England (my home country).  Oh how I do miss London some days, especially after reading this fabulous post about how to show your kids around London.

Take it away Jacinta.

Hi, I’m Jacinta blogging all the way over from the UK thanks to Tots100 and Digital Parents hosting International Blog Swap Day.  And of course a big thanks to Robyn for hosting me today.

I live in London with my husband and 3 children and we try and get out every weekend to do something or the other. Sometimes it’s a visit to an attraction, at other times it’s a walk in one of the lovely parks around London.

It feels strange to be writing for another blog. Although I know that it is relatively the same thing as I do not really know all my readers either, I still kept changing my mind about what I should write about.

In the end, I decided that since I have children and live in London, it may be nice to showcase places that we have visited and really enjoyed as a family.

1.  London - The City of Westminster, Big Ben, Buckingham  Palace.

You can’t really live near London and not visit the city itself. We travelled into London on the tube. This is the best way to get into the city – parking is extremely expensive in London. The children were completely in awe of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. They didn’t complain once about the walking around and we had been walking for quite a long time. We even walked around Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace and then into Hyde Park. It was a lovely day. If you have time, it would be a good idea to go on one of the Thames River Cruises. It is a wonderful way to take in the sights.

2.  Windsor Castle

This is a short run from London and the castle is lovely. The children were really interested in the history of the castle and I was quite surprised that my 5 year old listened attentively to the audio guide right through. Food is not allowed inside the castle but there are many restaurants and cafes just outside. Don’t miss out on the cream tea that is served in the cafes just outside the castle walls. It costs about £50 for a family ticket.

3.  Natural History Museum

This is a wonderful experience for children.  It is a free attraction and there can sometimes be long queues, but it is well worth the wait.  With many different species of animals and birds on display, the museum enthral the children.  The best bit is of course, the land of the dinosaurs.  You can take picnic or eat in one of the cafe inside.

4.  Warner Bros Studio Tour

A must for Harry Potter fans.  To enter the realm of Hogwarts has got to be the best adventure ever.  My five year old son loved every moment of it.  The best part of it is the model of Hogwarts which is awesome.  It will set you back about £90 for a family ticket but it is well worth it.

5.  Chessington World of Adventure

We had an unbelievable time there - there are so many rides to suit all ages and there is also a zoo and aquarium, so there is so much to do here.  Again you can carry a picnic or purchase food inside the park from the many restaurants.

There are many lovely parks that one can visit with children and many of these have adventure playgrounds that the children love.

I moved from a little town in the north of England to London and life has been so different. There is so much to see and do in and around London.

I would love to visit Australia some day as I have so many friends there. It has been lovely meeting Robyn over the internet and getting to know about her through her blog. I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

Jacinta  xx 

You can follow Jacinta on Facebook and Twitter and of course her fabulous blog Jacintaz3

Who I am inspired by......(right now)!

So we're on day 8 of Blogging every day in May.  Admittedly I have skipped a couple of days with the extremely poor (but very real) excuse of just running out of time!!  Yesterday was one of those days but it had a great prompt ..."who is your mentor" and just incase you're reading this mum, it's you!!

So, getting back to today....WHO AM I INSPIRED BY??

I'm going to live in the moment on this one and the people I need inspiration from right now are those that do NOT suffer from procrastination and the terrible habit of perfectionism!!

Why is it that I cannot sit down and do some much needed work when the floor needs vacuuming, the dishwasher needs to be unpacked, the washing needs to be folded and put away, and the toys on the floor..........well don't even get me started on those!  I WISH I could just turn a blind eye and concentrate on the list of things I would actually love to do with my (minimal) child free time.

I was like this as a kid too.  I remember that I could never sit down and do my homework until my desk and even my bedroom, and sometimes even my wardrobe were tidy!!  (Sadly none of my kids have inherited this).  Everything has to be 'just so' before I can concentrate on anything else.  It's procrastination at it's best and it's a TERRIBLE habit.

I so aspire to be like those people who can just overlook the mess and actually achieve something in their day.  I could do so much more with my time, if only I would just let myself (and stop wasting time).

The worst part about about needing to clean up all the time is that it never ever stays clean and tidy ......... and I know that!  So why can't I just ignore the mess - even for a day???

Are you a perfectionist??  Or do you suffer from procrastination?  Tell I'm not alone.

If you're not hung up on everything being perfect before it's finished, or you're able to overlook the mess in your house, please please send me some inspiration (and tips)!!

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In 10 year time I will be......

The mother of two teenagers and a tween!!!!  Eeekkk!!  That is one thing I know for sure!! Instead of lego towers, play dates and My little Ponies, there will be make-up and dating (and homework that I'll probably be hopeless at helping them with).

It's a little sad to think of my babies entering a whole new stage of their lives but at the same time but it's pretty awesome that I will be there with them the whole way.  There is so much still to look forward to luckily all my memories along the way will never be lost.  I must admit, I'm pretty damn grateful for that! (and I seriously can't imagine being the mum of teenagers!!)

Excuse the grainy photo - I had to scan it!!

So where will I honestly be in 10 years time??  I don't know!  I think it's too far ahead to even try and predict.  If I was asked this question 10 years ago, there is absolutely no way I would have predicted that I would be a mum of three beautiful children and living in AUSTRALIA!!  I could not be any happier though, and I can only hope for the same in the next 10 years.

So that was Day 6 of blogging every day in May!

Do you know where you will be in 10 years time??

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Back to the very beginning...

It's day 4 of Blogging Every (single) Day in May with Claire Hewitt and today's prompt is:

Your Earliest Memory 

This is a tough one (especially after having 20 five year old girls over for a birthday party in our garden this morning).

When I think of my earliest memories I can't quite differentiate between what I actually remember and what are in the photographs my mum has kept.  Do I remember the event or just the picture? Does anyone else have this problem??

I thought I'd just a list a few of the really early ones that really stand out (and in no particular order - except that they were all loooong ago).

• I remember being a bridesmaid for my Aunty's wedding with a boy haircut because my cousin cut all my hair off during a game of hairdressers we were playing the day before.

• I remember getting the bus to school and the bus driver was in love with our nanny and always used to give me little love notes to hand to her.

• I remember cutting my shin on something swimming in the lagoon at the beach and almost passing out from the all the blood, while trying to find my mum. (Nothing has changed there as I'm still just as squeamish when it comes to blood).

• I remember when we got our first puppy, Sparky, and he had to have casts on both his front legs.  We though it was so funny when he tried to run down the passage at home and kept slipping and sliding all over the place.  Poor little thing!

• I remember when the boiler on the outside of our house caught fire.

• I remember when the sugar cane fields surrounding our first house where burnt (harvested) and the soot fell out of the sky like black rain all over the garden.

• I remember when my Gran got chased by an egyptian spitting cobra across the lounge room of her house (only in Africa!!)

• I remember spending hours (or what seemed like hours) totally engrossed in books in the library when my mum was working as the local Librarian.

• I remember when my baby sister tried to eat a frog in the back garden.

• I remember looking for lizard eggs under this huge tree in the garden and then wrapping them in cotton wool and putting them in a match box, hoping they would hatch (they never did).

• I remember loosing my first tooth and being too terrified to look under my pillow the next morning just in case the fairy was still there.

• I remember going on a family holiday to Zimbabwe and the house we stayed at had big, scary fish in the swimming pool.

• I remember being happy.

Wow!  I have loved writing this post.  Thanks for the prompt Claire.  I hope my kids grow up with some wonderful memories too.

What's your earliest memory? It's not that easy to pin point is it?

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You and Me ....

Day 3: Changing Tracks - A song that you hear that reminds you of a certain time in your life 

You and Me by Lifehouse is one of my all time favourite songs, mostly because it has a double whammy meaning for me.  Every time I hear it (which isn't very often) it stops me dead in my tracks and I just listen......... I love that about songs, how they can just transport you to a whole other time in your life in a matter of seconds.

You and Me was released in 2006 when I was pregnant with Master J.  It was my first pregnancy and I was utterly consumed by it.  I had every book you can imagine and I obsessed over every detail and picture of how he was changing and growing inside me every day.  With no sibling to look after it was literally just him and me.  I couldn't stop listening to this song and it still reminds me now of how I treasured that little thing growing inside me.

Mr and D and I got married 18 months after Master J was born and 'You and Me' was the song we chose for our first dance.  This time is was just him and me in that moment and I will never forget that either.

Do you have a song takes you right back to a moment (or two) in another time?

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