Im off to buy some new picture frames to hang some of my favourite pictures in the big houses devine hallway. Here’s a little something I found via Tumblr to give you a little idea. I have also learnt to try grouping the similar colours and shots and hanging just above eye level height for the best effect and viola you have hung like a pro.
Have a great weekend
xxD
xxD
Okay here’s the other question I get asked alot. How do I manage to get everything done? Well the truth is there is always washing to do, there is always dishes in the sink, there is always something to be done. Some days I manage it other days I don’t. What I have learnt is a basic flexible (you have to be flexible working this job) routine is ESSENTIAL. Well for me in any case I tried to wing it for a little while when my last baby was three months old and it ended up with the whole thing going to custard and they seriously considered carting me off to some kind of ward where someone does all the wiping for you.
The first time husband left for fifo in this industry my son was four days old and I was a new mum. To say I was nervous was a understatement. I had no support with the exception of the book which became my best friend ‘kid wrangling by Kaz Cooke’ I took what I needed as I do with all advice and discarded the rest. It was the only baby book I read and referred too.
Everyone says not to worry about a routine with babies especially newborns but I found starting a basic routine from day one was helpful not only for them but for me. It depended on each baby but I put in place a stricter but still flexible routine at six weeks and its continued ever since.
Here is our basic routine that we have followedfrom that day to this day.
I wake at 4.30-5am. Its at this time I have breakfast in peace which is important to me. I then put on a load of washing, fold and put washing away. I get lunches ready. Answer any emails and I always write husband a email at this time. I will often try and get some exercise done on my runner- exercise is essential.
7am-8am The boys wake, they dress and have breakfast.
800am I hang the washing and they have a play before B1 does some homework (b1 is 6 and in prep but I have him do ABC Reading eggs its been great for him). As babies I would bathe and change them. While I was doing this my other babies would watch TV – TV isn’t bad its necessary for your sanity in our case.
830am B1 is off to school (we live across from the school so easy). My other two babies play while I get morning tea ready for every one. As babies we would play and have a bit of tummy time.
900am Morning tea for everyone. We chat. As babies I would feed then change and put down for a nap.
930am Dishes. Boys play. Babies would sleep and I would go nuts for the next hour and half vacuming and doing floors.
11ooam-123opm I start getting lunch ready. babies would wake and I would put them on the floor for some play. We have lunch. As babies I would feed then I would have lunch.
1230pm We all lie down, read a couple of books and I have a 15-20 min nap.
100pm I get up and finish any chores I want and then enjoy the peace for a little while.
300pm B3 gets home from school and we have morning tea and chat about his day and ours. Babies would be fed changed.
330pm I send the boys outside so I can finish tidying up and finish getting dinner ready.
400pm We go for our afternoon activities. Monday is nothing we play in the garden, Tuesday is our takeaway night at macca’s, Wednesday we go to the library, Thursday swimming, Friday movie night. When the boys where babies I would start there bath feed and book read and they would be asleep in bed by 6pm.
50o-6pm we have dinner and showers for the boys
600pm boys watch tv while I feed the dogs, tidy up and have a shower myself.
700pm boys are in bed. We read a book and then I chat individually to them about what ever they want.
730-930 that time is mine to do what ever. Paint toenails what ever.
The key is being flexible and with babies don’t be afraid to put them down on the ground and letting them cry. If they are safe they are okay. Arsenic hour as babies (the time just before bed) is the hardest when you have other children so that’s when you need to be prepared and ready to somewhat block out the crying. I should also mention that I have my two youngest boys in daycare every Tuesday which is when I get the shopping and all the other errands where taking three kids is a nightmare done. If you have support such as family use them. I didnt and I was to afraid to ask my friends for help. Dont be.
It gets easier as they get older. The children can take on more responsibilties and be more helpful. Routine is less strict but an order is good.
So this is what worked for me but every family is different.
Thank you my friends
Xxd
Weekends I hate them. It seriously is the hardest part of this fifo life. As soon as Friday morning hits my brain goes into over drive thinking of ideas on how too keep busy on our two longest days of the week. Its the weekend when the boys and I notice that daddy is not here the most. Keeping busy is the key to getting through the four weeks without too much trouble; so come the weekends there is no school, no day care, no training activities (yet I seriously look forward to that) and we get forgotten by friends and family as their lives go full speed for what is to them the shortest days of the week.
So I seriously put my thinking cap on to try and think of what we can do as a family that’s both cost effective and fun. I try to only spend the afternoons busy as spending the whole day would leave the boys ratty and I think tired for the coming week. Also going in the afternoon only is a good bribe for them to help me with the house work.
Here’s what I manage, bear in mind I have three active boys of 2 , 4 and 6 so most are outdoors and we live an hour from the city. You also want these things to be easy not stressful do what you can manage.
1.Friday night is pizza and movie night and I might add the boys only ‘late’ night-9pm.
2.Dinosaur hunting. Currently our house is ruled by T-Rex and alike. So we head to the walk that loops around the nature reserve looking in the bush for dinosaur’s. We often hear them to!! (the cars that we cant see but hear rumbling past sound just like a roar!! Make sure you use your imagination)
3. Picnic at the dam. We live just five minutes from the dam. So I will pack a lunch and we head to the dam for a couple of hours. They go nuts. (We also go once during the week for a dinner picnic the kids love it)
4. Local Swimming pool. Great value. Four of us costs just $4 (check with your local council). The boys love it as its free play as opposed to lesson’s they normally attend the pool for.
5. Scooter and bike riding to the park. Usually this ends with me carrying a scooter or a child home but the tired child is worth it.
6. My favourite because it means we don’t leave the house..the water slide or slip and slide (depending on where you are from) a $20 piece of plastic that I tent peg to the ground and run the soak er hose along, which also doubles as the middle for when they race, some washing liquid and away they go. The plastic can be reused over and over again and just check for water restrictions in your area.
We also end the day with a movie. I pull out the foam mattress put them on the floor of the lounge and we all just veg after a big afternoon out. Its great. How do you fill your weekends can you give me some idea’s?
Have a great weekend my friends,
xxD
I am constantly searching the net for inspiration on how to sleep my three beautiful babies in the one room (when they eventually sleep in their own beds) I have seen many an idea but I keep coming back to this fantastic hanging day bed design firstly created by Ana White and then recreated here by the bumper crop.
Hanging the bed creates more room and more light- an argument Im still putting across to husband. Changing his mind is like work in progress it takes time but will be done. I mean whats not to love about hanging your children from a piece of rope suspeneded by a metal hook?
In the mean time the horrible white pipe double bunk along with the equally ugly single pipe bed will suffice.. sigh..there is only so much good sheets and pillow art can do for a bed..
What do you think? Isnt this a great idea wouldnt the boys love it?
Okay so parenting confession number three. In the month that my husband works away, I let my boys sleep in the bed with me. All four of us plus a couple of dogs all pour on in and some nights its good others not so much and I wake looking like a pretzel. We have a king bed so at the moment there is enough room.
I never used to allow it, the boys HAD to be in their own bed. Then sometime last year my body told me it was on a gradual down hill side from tiredness. Now they don’t wake, they sleep, I sleep and everyone is happy.
The confession: I like it, I like them being near. It’s not going to be this way for ever. So enjoy it while it last I think. What do I do when my husband is home? Well, they all sleep in their own room and they go there with no problem. They do however share a bed. A double. They all have beds of their own and use to sleep separately but when B1 started prep this year they just wanted to be together. I know that won’t last forever either so why stress about it. What do you think?
xx Deb