from somewhere in my imagination

Loving Life - A Walk On the Sand

Since we moved we haven’t had many opportunities to really take advantage of the beach…and it’s just up the end of the street.  I run along the esplanades at least a couple of times a week so see plenty of it.  The kids had a full season of nippers so we spent some time down there on Saturday afternoons, but there were often other places we needed to be or things to be done.

With Steven away onsite a couple of nights most weeks, me working three days a week and weekends filled with T-Ball, swimming lessons, cooking, running, cleaning and spending time with family and friends our days and nights fill up pretty quickly.  Somehow we have been living in our new house for 4 months already.

Crazy.  I’m going to turn around and blink and Steven and I will be back from NYC already.

We had the most glorious weather here in Adelaide over the weekend.  28ish both days with a breeze that kept the temperature pretty much perfect under the bluest of skies.  Steven and I got our Saturday afternoon jobs done and agreed to rendezvous at 4pm.

We served up ice creams with ice magic and sprinkles then toddled off down the street towards the beach.

I walked in the water for a bit of recovery on my right foot, which had gotten pretty sore from the wrong new running shoes...thankfully I have rectified that!  J walked with me most of the time, she ended up pretty well wet from head to toe and was somehow surprised by it!

Love that I managed to capture his footprints before the water washed them away.

It was perfect.

The kids enjoyed being kids, jumping off the sand mounds.  This included a rather spectacular face plant by J who stood up in tears, dramatically spat out all the sand in her mouth and immediately clambered back up to jump down again.

As nice as it might have been to indulge in some fish and chips, my body just isn't wired for deep fried food any more, so it was home for a snapper on the BBQ with a quinoa, carrot & chickpea salad.

Our move back to the city has been headspinningly hectic but oh so worth it.  I have changed a lot of my priorities, I'm working three days a week and we are taking advantage of the sports and other extra curricular activities that haven't been at our disposal until now. 

I have had a huge personal focus on my fitness and working towards that 2012 Marathon goal...my first half marathon milestone is just around the corner now, I got massive butterflies when I filled in the registration last Wednesday!  I love the changes that have come from my hard work so far.

I have been wondering about my blog...use it or loose it...but I love it too much.  I love the sharing and I want to continue to write and build my community.

Earlier in the week and sat and made a list of all the types of things I want to share, I see a bit of a shift from where things have been.  Hopefully you'll like where I'm heading, I'm looking forward to sharing some of my personal changes with you especially.

I'm loving life.

Hope that you are having a lovely week.

Tatum xx

She Finally Got It

For weeks, if not months, I have resisted writing about this on here.  No one really wants to read about toilet training, but I am feeling the need to share this experience.

After having done it with three children I expected that the fourth would be a breeze.  I knew all the tricks right?

Turns out that, no, I didn't have all the tricks.

Miss J did, in fact, have more tricks than me.

For her first trick she learnt sign language for toilet.  It was more or less instant.  That was in January.  The verbal language wasn't far behind.  That was about 4 months before her second birthday so despite the tricks I really wasn't that interested in actually toilet training her.  We had been there done that with an 18 month old Lil who was determined to use the toilet and not wear a nappy but to get it consistently right took some time.

Some months later, after our trip to the USA and several months after her second birthday I felt it was time.  Her language was more than adequate and would have appeared that she had the desire.  Her trick, she was a good pretender...and an acrobat to boot.  She'd be on and off that toilet quick as a flash, she's very quick and quite strong, declaring she didn't need to go toilie.  Only to piddle on a desk or chair minutes later, have I mentioned she's a climber?

Next came bribery.  Marshmallows and/or stickers.  Neither worked, she'd hop on and off the toilet with no result and still demand a marshmallow.  If I didn't give her one she climb up the pantry shelves and snaffle one anyway.  Yes, she is THAT kind of climber.

The wearing knickers bit she liked, the sitting on the toilet part she did not.

Even on her days at daycare she would have more misses than hits.

I read different resources but didn't really learn anything I didn't know already.

Last Tuesday I was ready to give in an leave it until after we had moved and Steven was on holidays for 2 weeks.  I told her that.  Back to full time nappies, she didn't seem to mind.  I know that kids are toilet trained to their own schedule not ours.

However, with J this was confusing be she clearly had the language and cognition to understand what needed to be done but didn't want to put them to work for this particular piece of development.

Wednesday morning Miss J was up early so Steven dressed her.  With knickers.  I don't know if the little chat had an impact or if something just clicked.  We had a completely dry day, all hits no misses, backed up with a second one on Thursday.

Things have been pretty successful ever since.  Hooray.  Miss J does get pretty focused on whatever she is doing so I have no doubt that has had something to do with her go slow.

 No doubt we'll have our good days and our bad in the coming weeks but for now I am thankful that we are well on the road to her being toilet trained.

I'm linking up with Kate from Kate Says Stuff today for thankful Thursday.  Hope that yours is a good one.

Tatum xx

PS I am guest posting today for the lovely lovely Lucy of Diminishing Lucy...pop over there and have a look!

10+1 Totally Random Things That I'm Loving Right Now

Ahh, sweet Monday morning.  I actually love Mondays...especially when all the washing is done and the floors and kitchen are clean.  Just a quick post this morning sharing 11 completely random things I am loving right now.

My Kitchen - Definitely loving cooking and trying out new things right now.  Think I'll be even more inspired in about a month when I have my lovely big kitchen in our new house to put through it's paces.  I just wish I had a kitchen cleaning fairy....recipe for this one later in the week!

Baseball - Slowly but surely the whole family has become hooked on baseball.  We are all loving that the ABL season has started.

Simon Says - It's a game I'm going to be playing regularly over the coming months with my boy (and most likely Miss J too because they do most things together).  He's just been diagnosed with a degree of tongue tie.  It's a relief to finally have an answer to what, exactly, has been affecting his speech.

Foo Fighters - Plenty of listening to their old and new stuff in preparation for the 5th December.  I saw them the very first time they toured and Dave Grohl has remained the sexiest man I've seen on stage ever since,  and I don't even like guys with long hair.  If they play the Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners I am fairly certain that I will cry.

Dining Chairs - I am pretty much sold on a 10 seater with a glossy white top for the dining table (just need to convince Steven).  The jury is out on the dining chairs.  Loving these yellow babies from Domayne, the style is probably the closest we have come to agreeing on.

Paper, Paint & Glue - I've been loving me some papercrafting over the weekend.  With such a massive month ahead of us I have decided to do a December Daily for the first time so I have been busy putting my base pages together.

Bubbles - Our supermarket has $2 bubble wands.  No explanation necessary for why and how much I am loving these.  Bubbles make everyone happy.

Running Shoes - I'm loving them, but unfortunately not getting to head out on enough dates with them over the last couple of weeks.

Work - Very excited about my new job and really loving it right now.  I'm especially looking forward to dressing up for the office in the city when I start there after we move. The idea of working in the city makes me feel all kinds of grown up and gives me a perfect excuse to buy new clothes.  (Bet you are saying what a dag, can you tell I've lived in the sticks for the last 12 years, I am only moving to Adelaide LOL!)

NYC - Steven has been looking at booking flights for us to head over for 10 days in July/August next year.  That city has gotten under our skin.  Good thing S is planning on playing baseball for the Yankees when he grows up.

Summer - I love this time of the year when summer is upon us and the days are warmer.  It's time for beach days, swimming, dresses and fruity cocktails.

What are you loving this morning?

Happy Monday to you!

Tatum xx