2011!

Happy new year!

I'm not usually into making resolutions, but here are my goals for this year.

- Spend more time with my kids laughing, playing, and having fun

- Limiting Jimmy's television veiwing time

- Incorporate more music into our day through singing, rhythm games, and listening to all genres of music

- Do more baking, with or without the children's 'help'

- Do more sewing. I would like to complete at least one project a week (doesn't sound like much but I'm very slow), and limit my WIPs to two at a time

- Do regular flute practice. Don't know how or when I'm going to acheive this...maybe on Saturdays before or after my students?

- Organise some gigs for my band and improve my improvisational skills.

- Keep the house tidy and do one big cleaning job per week, eg. clean the fish tank, clean the blinds, vacuum (that is a big job for me).

- Spend less time on the computer

- Try not to be so nasty to my stepdaughter

- Eat more, exercise more, and put on a couple of kilograms

- Walk the dog more than once a week

Christmas!

My day started at the usual time of 5am. Jimmy woke at about 5:30 and so did his big sister. Jimmy and T found their stockings on the tree and got their little gifts out- an Iggle Piggle finger puppet for Jimmy and a bag of marbles for T.

Daddy woke around 6:15 and then it was present time. Jimmy was not in a very good mood. He was very excited about his first present (a big bag of 2nd hand plastic sea creatures) but he was annoyed that we kept trying to make him open more gifts. I think we gave him far too many little presents and it was a bit overwhelming for him. Next time we will give him one or two gifts instead.

We all did very well. T was happy with her presents. She got 2 books, a snowflake charm for her 'Pandora' bracelet, a really cool quilt cover set with Japanese dolls on it, 2 tops, a DIY craft box, a DS game, a Lego truck, a Hallmark Christmas ornament, and a Smiggle pencil case.



Elizabeth got a cute handmade hat, a handmade knitted doll, a mummy made quilt, 2 tops, a dress, 2 nappies (one mummy made), a toy (from big sis) and some books to share with Jimmy.



Jimmy got the sea creatures, a Kidorable frog umbrella, a tiny Duplo set with 4 pieces in it, a Duplo paint with water book, 3 Click Clack wooden vehicles, a small John Deere tractor, a mummy made quilt cover set, and a set of Mr Men books from big sis.



Daddy got a Star Wars Lego encyclopaedia, a Star Wars Lego Brickmaster book, The Pacific DVD box set, and a Star Wars Lego set which he bought for himself.

I got a fantastic slimline hi-fi thingy with a CD player and Ipod dock. I don't have an Ipod but DH does, and the CD player in my stereo isn't working so I really missed having music in the lounge room. I love it!




We headed over to the in-laws' around 10:30. On the way, the creme caramel I'd made the day before lost some of its sauce when we went around a corner. I had soooo much trouble making the damn sauce (it took 5 attempts) so I was almost in tears!



We got spoiled rotten by MIL, FIL and BIL. Jimmy got a scooter with flashing lights on it, finger paint, a smock, and an art pad. I got some sewing stuff, T got 8 charms for her bracelet and some earrings. DH got books and an awesome remote control helicopter. My family turned up just before lunch and gave the kids some nice gifts. I didn't really speak to my mum all day because she was down the other end of the table and I made myself busy so I didn't have to speak to her. I'm surprised Jimmy remembers who she is sometimes.



The food was fantastic and my desserts were a hit. The creme caramel was out of this world, and the fruit tarts were delicious too. It all became a bit much for Jimmy at about 3pm when he fell asleep on his little wicker chair in front of the TV.







T went to her mum's house in the afternoon where she will be staying until the weekend. I'm really enjoying the break from her as she has been very difficult lately. We notice that if she doesn't see her mum for about 3 weeks, her behaviour becomes very erratic. It had been 5 weeks since she'd last seen her mum, so needless to say, things were a bit tense here. I wish her mother would spend more time with her.

DH is on holidays for 4 weeks now. We have recently refinanced our mortgage and have put a bit aside to do some home improvements. Our roof was supposed to have a restoration done a few weeks ago but the weather has been too wet. Hopefully the rain will stop soon because we would like to have all the work done before DH goes back to work. As well as the roof, we are having a repair done to one of the supports for the roof, 4 new ceiling fans installed, and a new back patio built. DH will be tearing down the existing patio and chopping down all the trees in the garden to make room for an extended section of patio roof. If there is enough time and/ or money left, we will have all our gutters replaced because it looks like Niagara Falls outside when it rains.

On a sad note, tomorrow marks 5 years since my dear old dad passed. I miss him still, and dearly wish he could see his grandkids, but the pain isn't as raw as it was 5 years ago. It has become more of a dull ache that I have learned to live with.
So much has changed since then- I have graduated from university, become engaged, married, and given birth to two amazing children. I know he would have adored Jimmy and Elizabeth.

Some recent creations

This is my grand total of FOs for the last two or three months. I very rarely get (or make) the time to sew lately. I plan to change that. I always seem to have 3 or 4 works in progress at a time, and I need to just concentrate on one before I move onto another. First up is Elizabeth's Christmas outfit. I love the dress pattern. It is actually a top- the dress would have come down to Elizabeth's ankles! I prefer dresses that skim over the bum for babies and toddlers, both for ease of crawling and nappy-showoffability!

I actually made another dress from this pattern the week after I finished it, but didn't take photos. I plan to make another one soon, modifying it to be fully reversible, and with snaps at the shoulders instead of a zipper on the back.



A nappy for Kristie's bub. This was my first time doing applique on a nappy. It would have turned out better if I could actually draw a mushroom!



It wasalso my first attempt at a cotton panel, AND adjustable rise! Kristie assures me that the nappy is performing well.



And these are some shorts for Kristie's bub, made using fabric she sent me. It's so cute! I made an adjustable waistband for the first time. I really need to learn to ask for help or research when I attempt new techniques instead of making it up as I go along!



This was my 2nd attempt at an adjustable rise nappy. I just can't seem to get the legs to roll inwards, but I'm very happy with everything else. The fit is awesome, and my booster system is super thirsty. I use a double layer snap in trifold, and a double layer, fleece topped hourglass snapped onto the trifold.



Elizabeth's cot quilt. It was bloody hard work. Yet again, my first real attempt at a quilt, and yet again, I made it up as I went along. It looks very pretty, just don't look at the fine details!



Jimmy's quilt cover and pillow cases. This was really hard too. I'm sure he'll love it.

I wanted to make a quilt cover for T but ran out of time and patience, so I bought her one from Spotlight with cute Japanese dolls on it that I saw her eyeing off.

Today, Jimmy was involved in his very first concert.
His daycare centre put on its Christmas concert, and even though he only goes one day a week, I thought it would be nice for him to be involved, so we went along.

It was the funniest concert. It was very hard to see him because we were all sitting on teeny tiny toddler chairs, and he was sitting near the back of all the performers, but I did see enough to know that he didn't do very much singing. None at all, in fact. He just sat there and sucked his thumb the whole time! At least he didn't cry like some of the others- that would have broken my heart.

Afterwards, Santa came and when it was Jimmy's turn to go see him, he was terrified. His big sister had to grab the gift because Jimmy wouldn't even look at Santa.



He was happy to get the present, though. It was a little book and he just adores books.



This afternoon T had her ballet break up party. Ms Ripoff Merchant was handing out a few awards, and when she got to the 'funny awards', she talked about a particular student who talks non-stop in every lesson. As soon as she said that, I knew who she meant. My stepdaughter can talk the ears off a concrete elephant.

I tried to take some pics of the kids to send away to relatives. I only managed to get one nice one of all three of them, but Elizabeth has a kind of funny expression on her face. Oh well, it will have to do, because I'm not one of those mums who will go to any length to get the perfect photo.


I do love this one of Elizabeth. She looks so sweet, cheeky and kissable! She sat for about a minute while I took some photos. She's still very wobbly.