Brownie the Rat!

Yes, we have a rat and his name is Brownie!

I can't stand the smell, so I cleaned his cage out this morning as Miss 12 was at a sleep over. His routine while his cage is getting cleaned is to run around the room till the cage comes back. On my return to the room he launched himself onto my foot, it gave me a terrible fright. Then I realised he was happy the see me, so I scratched him behind his ear and he was paralysed. I could not believe how cute he was. So I picked him up and he snuggled into this cute little ball in my hands.

He my stink, but man he was so so cute today almost for a moment I did not see him as a rat!! X

Enough is Enough!

Enough is enough! What does it mean for you?

I can think of a few situations in my life that this can relate to.

When do you decide? How much to you go through? Then the breaking point!

There are always lessons to be had from "Enough is Enough" and know that you will get to the other side! x

My Dad

My Dad
Its nearly 12 months....how time flies.
Miss you x

Reward

I was at a shopping centre last week with my diaries, and this lovely lady approached me with this big friendly smile. You know you have seen the face before but you can't place it!!!
She had bought a diary from me from another market I had been to. As we had a general chat... she then told me she would like two more diaries for Christmas gifts. Love it!!

The reward is...people having the appreciation for what you do! x

Time Out

I have a dear friend suggest to me that I need some time out! The suggestion is to have  a day or night just to be me and clear a few cobwebs.

As I was driving home after dropping off my daughters friend, I stopped at the shops to pick up something. When I was walking back to my car I could feel the wind on my shoulders and the freedom of clarity. It felt like I could get in my car and keep driving and find a place to just sit in peace and absorb more of that wind on my skin.

How's the serenity..... I think my friend is right time out is what I need. x

Miss 12

My big girl turned 12 today!! Where did the time go?

From nappies, teething, crawling, talking, walking, learning to ride a bike, kindy, school to cool!!

Its oh so cool to be a tween!!

I have mixed emotions....I'm gaining a friend but loosing my baby to the big wide world!! x

Blow my top!

Miss 9... missed the terrible two's, but has comes back with vengeance at 9 years!

OMG! The crying, tantrums, nagging and winging!! (Yes, I'm sure you have your on thoughts on handling this situation)

I always say to my girls I wish I could squish them down to be a baby again, I must say a baby was much easier than Miss 9 and Miss 11.

Well mum... its my pay back!!!

xx

Pebbles in the Road

I had the pleasure of meeting author Ryll Paul a few weeks ago.

What an inspirational lady, I could talk to her all day!

Please visit her web site www.ryllpaul.com

Brisbane News Issue 906

Hi All,

Please check out this weeks Brisbane News, page 5.www.brisbanenews.com.au
x

Miss 11 #2

Miss 11 has a slight personality disorder at the moment, as life starts to change for her!!!

I was dropping her off to school last week and kissed her good bye! She muttered under her breath as i said good bye to her, I said "you will regret that one day".

Miss 11 response was "WHATEVER".

Has to be the hormones!!! But, "whatever" really...and its only the beginning of life's changes. x

Thinking

I'm a thinker, and I possible over analyse!

My mind runs 24/7, my dreams even seam to accommodate my thinking. I drift between thoughts and get frustrated, because I cant think of the thought before the other thought.
Yes, I hear you write it down but I'm depending on my thoughts to remember it.

I kind of like my thinking it keeps me motivated, driven and mostly on my goal! x

Lotto

We just had week at Rainbow Beach on the school holidays. Which was an amazing sea change and I so wish we were back there.

Whilst we were there I had no phone reception (not to mention any names). On the way home I started to receive a week of text messages and emails. I passed a comment to Miss 11 "it sounds like I won lotto"!!
Miss 11 replies "did you" in her innocence. But it gave me a good giggle.

I now understand why my 3 big brothers had so much fun teasing me. x

Miss 11

My Miss 11 has totally hit the puberty roller coaster!!

We have had door slamming, attitude you would not believe, tears good and bad, death stares that would scare the devil and wanting to straighten her hair!!!

I was doing my hair for work and she asked if I would straighten her hair,  "not today we are running late". Miss 11 storms out of the bathroom and says " you just want me to look ugly".

I guess this is that vicious circle coming to bite me in the butt, I don't think I was like that was I !!!!!
X

Battle!

Most of us at some stage have had Cancer touch our lives in some way!

I lost my dad to Cancer last December. Although it feels like a blur, the remnants still live on.

 I have a close friend that has been very positive through her experience. She has remand positive and keep her future in her focus!

What do we have to complain about?? I know I have my health, family, friends and so on. Can you imagine the pain and the anguish or friends and family go through when they have cancer!!!

I guess the real message is enjoy life, family, your health and love. Each day is a blessing not a battle!! x

Hard Cover Diary

Visit www.mums-diary.com.au

Brisbane Mums Diary 2013

Visit, www.mums-diary.com.au

Launch

We have officially launched the Brisbane Mums 2103 Diary.

Thank you to Riverbend books for hosting my launch on Friday night. www.riverbendbooks.com.au

Emily-Jade Okeeffe for being my host and presenting with total ease. www.emilyjade.com.au

My gorgeous mums thank you for being part of my journey! x

Sleepover!

Call me crazy!

I have two children and we had another 3 sleepover on Saturday night.

I had a method to my madness!! I needed to work on my launch night and write my speech. It worked, I got it all done and my children did not have to put up with me working most of the weekend. The children all played together and we had no dramas.

I feel like it was a success all round!

I think I now have a different spin on sleepovers now. xx

Loss!!

I lost my father to cancer last December. I understand it's a celebration of life, but sometimes its not that easy.

Some days I live in denial and other days you just grab on to the memories as you fear you will forget.

My father wanted the best for us, and sacrificed his life so we can be looked after when he was not here.

Thank you Dad and I hope your watching its for you now!

xxxx

Ekka

My children have been driving me crazy for weeks about going to the Ekka.

It's like "mum if I don't save enough pocket money will you lend me the rest to buy my show bags"!!!

My youngest cant save money to save herself and my eldest has saved enough for show bags and the rides.

It's going to be a long day but I'm looking forward to a strawberry ice cream and dagwood dog. Yum Yum.x

Worlds Longest Bra Chain

My dear friend Caryn is attempting to break the the world record by joining a bra chain of 200'000 bras. This attempt is to beat the current world record of 150'000.

Caryn is also fund raising for Cancer Council, as she is hoping to get $1 per bra donated.

So, Don't dump it! Donate it!

Visit www.mylifemystyle.com.au for your closet bra collection point. x

Flu

My youngest and I have been down with the flu this past week!!! Grrrr!!

My mind wants to work, but my body says otherwise. My little possum has seamed to solider on and has wanted to go to school (most mums would be happy) but I see her exhaustion at the end of the day.

I had to cancel a long awaited dinner on Friday night, very frustrating!!!

I hope you all are surviving this flu season OK!! x

New Puppy

Call me crazy!! We have a new puppy that is super cute.

But it is so like a new baby. Up at 11pm to play and have a drink, then again a 4am for another play and drink. Then I'm up at six looking at my exercise machine shattered and know full well that I'm to tired to exercise.

Not even coffee helped me today! I'm sure it will get better!

3 Times

I don't know about you, but my children drive me crazy when I have to ask them 3 times to do something.

Look I don't want the perfect child, kids need to test the waters so they can learn boundaries. But 3 times kids, come on!!!

So, needless to say new strategies have taken place in our home!!! My eldest now has her phone confiscated and my youngest has just lost her sleepover privileges.

Seams to be working so far.....x

Believe and Dream

Believe and Dreams are my two new favourite words to live by.

Believe for me is, believe in yourself what you love and what makes you happy.

Dreams are for you to make them come true.

Dream big and believe they will come true.

50 Shades

I don't know about anyone else but I can not put 50 shades of grey down.

I'm starting book number 2, I cant wait to start reading it. I never thought it would be so addictive.

In fact I have never been addicted to anything like I am with reading this book (except my family).

Happy reading if you are reading this trilogy. x

Enough!!!

I had that sort of day today!!

From the moment you step out of bed, till 7.30 when my kids go to bed!!

My pool is leaking, a friend was trying to tell all about her troubles as I'm trying to get the kids out of the house for school, then I freak out I left the iron on (and I didn't), then I stub my toe on the vacuum (so every step i take it reminds me of how sore it is), my kids want to be at each other all day and I forgot my wine when I did the food shopping.

Enough now!!

But, I do have 50 shades of grey to read!!!

Time Out

Being a  mum you don't have much time for yourself! Between kids, working, housework, homework, driving around to afternoon activities and whatever else I forgot!!!

The need for time out is huge! Just to have your own head space for 5 mins or remember to shave my legs and not rush out the door and go "thank goodness I'm wearing pants today".

You know the strange thing when I do have time out I miss my kids and wonder what they are doing.

I have to say my sanity is my coffee before I get to work, once that coffee is in my hands it's all OK!

Rain

How are you all holding up with all the rain (Brisbane folks)??

Well, my lovely mother is here with my children and they have been house bound for the last 3 days due to the rain. Whilst I work my mums is stuck inside with a 11 and 8 year old!!!! On Monday they attempted a scooter trip to the shops, but my 11 year old had a fall off the scooter and skinned her elbow and knee and has been the walking wounded for the last two days. My 8 year old talks like you would not believe.

Sorry Mum but I can't control mother nature. Rain, rain go away!

Universe

I was having a chat with a friend yesterday about what you put out into the universe.

It's so funny, you get what you put out their, but then you have reservations about what you put out their.

So our suggestion is to suck it up and embrace the change. It's what we wanted in the beginning. x

Pain

I read a quote today, 'sometimes it takes the worst pain to bring about the best change'.

I think at some stage in our life we all may of needed to hear this quote!

For myself, my friends and my friends friends, seeing the ones you love the most go through pain you just wish you could skip to the change. But you realise it's all a process, go through the pain and bring on the change!!!

It's the roller coaster of life.

Proof.

So excited!

I'm about to proof my diary this week. Then its in production!

I can't wait to have the diary in my hands!

And I'm looking forward to sharing the finished product with you! x

Lost it!

So mums! I lost my cool with my 11 year old today.

For the last 12 months the puberty blue's have set in but, the attitude is enough! The whole house has to go through puberty my 8 year has also be at the brunt of this cyclone, and who knows how long it will last.

I had enough today and got very made and raised my voice till my throat hurt, not good!

In search of a good book, any suggestions???

Letting Go!!!

We  have all had situations in our life, that are big or small that we have had to deal with.

Well, my situation reared its ugly head over the long weekend!

When I was younger things seamed to happen and life went on, but the older you get you seam to hold a grudge. Guess what it's not good for you! From someone that has had there fare share of situations. I decided it's time to let go, and be happy that I know who I am. I control my situations not the situations control me.

Ride the roller coaster! x

Diary Cover

This is a sneak peek at the diary!

Brisbane Biggest Morning Tea

The wonderful Caryn from www.mylifemystyle.com.au is hosting the biggest morning tea at Bulimba memorial bowls club Morningside from 10am till 2pm.

Rain or shine we go ahead. Hope to see you there! xx

Live in the now.

I was lucky enough to go to a meditation class a month ago. She was talking about how we live in the past and we live in the future. And yet we wake up every day and it's a new day. We wish our day away by worrying that today is Sunday and tomorrow we have to got to work! Its Sunday not Monday!

So the idea is to enjoy each day as it comes, and don't wish it away. Live in the now!

Max n Boo

I'm very pleased with my logo!

I Forgot

My brain totally failed me today! I forgot my lunch, my emails, the kids new school shoes at work and yes dinner tonight. And no its not pregnancy!

Could have something to do with that possum crawling around under my house last night and the night before, Grrrr!

Early night for me tonight! x

Tweens

For those of you that don't know what tween is, its the in between name when them not quite a teenager and your over 10 years old.

My tween has an enormous attitude! I'm sure I feel like the only mother in the world that has one, but I know there are more Mums just like me!! And I feel your pain, every day! I tried to explain to my tween today that you are a long time an adult, so enjoy being a kid. And try to speak to your sibling nicely and you will appreciate that relationship one day.  So Mum, it's pay back for me for what I did to you. But I'm sure I was perfect!! x

Negative

I was talking to one of my wonderful mothers the other day, and I asked her in her interview for my diary "do you have any words of wisdom or philosophy you live by? She replied " Don't walk away from negativity, RUN!". I think it says it all! x

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful Brisbane Mums. x

Stars

Star signs!! So, I always go to the page in magazines with the star signs in hope that it's going to give me all the answers I'm looking for! Some days they read better than others.
I found an astrologer's book in my pile of books that I never seam to have time to read. So, I read my sign and realised the astrologer's know me better than I do and it is accurate.

Can you guess what star sign I am from this "Wait and see"???

OMG!

My mobile phone lost its network for about 10 minutes tonight!! How dependent on modern technology we are.

Passion

I was thinking about inspirational words today as I was driving to work. Passion sprang to mind.  What does that word mean to me and others?
 I saw a sticker on a Ute on the way home  (yes I'm in the car a lot) and the sticker said " you don't know love until a boxer loves you" (boxer meaning dog breed). First I thought why would you make a sticker like that!!! Then this morning driving to work I thought, that's passion and love. They love their boxer so much, they are passionate about telling people. I bet if I had five minutes of that person's time I would feel the passion and love they have for their boxer.
Passion I feel is your own interpretation of what you love and can't get enough of. x

Another shoot cant wait, soooo much fun!

Photo Shoot

Had a great day on Thursday with three of my beautiful models. Its all starting fall into place.
Thank you to Connie's Magic Moments, you rock!!

Hi There,
This is my first Blog. So welcome to me.

I have created a 2013 Mothers Diary. To be launched later this year. I would like to think I will blog daily but realistically it will be weekly to keep you posted on my diary progress.

Claire x