What did people do before....

What did people do before they had computers and mobile phones?

Lately I have been thinking about something quite a bit. More in a reflective sort of way or a wondering way. Not all depressed and sigh-worthy.....

Anyhow, I'm already going on too much.

A part of me doesn't want to ask this question cos I feel like I might seem pathetic (one last time for those up the back this is not a pity party post). I think I am just FINALLY getting it outta my head and out into the web so it can get tangled up there and not in between my ears. :)

Here is my little story.....

I wondered the other day. "What did I do before having the internet and a mobile phone". Let's break this up into 2 parts shall we.....

1. The internet (emphasis net)

I get up in the morning and feed Levi whilst going online. Basically every feed I am on the net. Plus a lot of time snuck here and there. At night when the kids go to bed.....on.the.net.till. bed.time.....sigh

I am finally at the stage where I feel like I have 'read it all'. BUT yet I am snared.....it is like I have to be on the net!

I do know when I am not online I do get a lot done but still I have this niggling 'just quickly jump on the net' feeling.

So, how to do I re-train myself and not go online so much? I feel I got into this terrible habit of 'escaping' to be online. Some reasons/past experiences that I know led me here but how do I lead myself away. I guess more importantly how do I stop thinking about this? Now it is this ingrained habit.

Getting it out now and semi re-reading I think it may seem like I should just stop.

Stop....

Hmmm suggestions have been made "Limit yourself to when the kids are in bed only". Tried that.

Time yourself....been there, done that.

I wish we didn't have a computer at all but that really would be foolish. I need to have the self discipline and not just remove the opportunity therefore I would learn nothing.

The main thing I keep thinking about is the kids. I do have the added disadvantage that they play so well like soooooooo well together so they kinda keep each other occupied but I am worrying about the lasting memories. Mummy always on the pc :(

Plus, I can't just 'snap' out of it and suddenly be this switched on mummy go, go homeschooling doing fantabulously wonderful HS projects from 9-3 then cooking these wonderful homemade healthy meals. Having family sing-a-longs after dinner. Ha! Am I just dreaming?

So I am trying to 'snap' out of it now rather than waiting till the 11th hour (bad habit I got into in school) when the children simply must have my all the time busy with them.

Ramble over, share your thoughts please.

p.s the 'old' me (when I was living at home and only dad had the computer'......I think I did watch a lot of tv but I also read and did crafty things i.e cross stitching, old fashioned hand written letters to friends etc.

Shamed to admit but if I did get into those things again. I still sit there thinking about the stupid computer!!

2. Mobile. Ben and I sms a lot. Not necessarily a bad thing

But those 2 things combined I feel very 'successfully marketed' in a way.

Entertainment driven. I really hate that and that would be the thing that annoys me the most. I give Ben a hard time about this but I am probably worse in some ways.

Don't get me wrong. I am busy with the kids, washing, cooking, tending to the yard (pooper scooping and my raking obsession)....you know the list.

Seems like I have lost sight of what I want to do and what I am actually doing.

I honestly sit here and think 'those who are much more self disciplined....what the heck do they do?'

No tv, timed or limited pc time and no mobile or only kept for safety......what do you do! Please share and now realize I am really obviously not busy enough and I do have too much time on my hands!

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My biggest baby is 5 tomorrow and we are surprising him with Puffing Billy.

Levi has cut his first tooth so is starting solids now (goodbye sweet smelling poos *sob*). Also commando crawling and up on all 4 all the time. Sooooo cute!

The girls are very cute and amazingly so Ashley is now in size 3 pants (her waist is still size 1 though).

Brothers and sisters.....the real life kind

I love how at such a young age my kids seem to have a genuine love for each other. Maybe they now know mummy isn't a push over.....they have started sorting out their own differences, treating each other with compassion and genuine concern. They are big in the 'huggling' and 'kussing' each other. I know time will pass and when they are older the whole repetitive hugs and kisses on the 'wipps' will get a bit old and maybe even become 'yucky' but for now......I will enjoy watching them (and encouraging them).

The 2 girls share a room.....

Ashley is very loving and 'motherly'. Ashley is also very independant. She rushes off after breakfast and puts her dishes in the sink and then promptly dresses herself. She then asks Grace is she needs help getting dressed and of course Grace's face lights up! A bit of a struggle usually ensues. You know, the old needtotakeglassesoffBEFOREshirt part?

Grace is showing signs of being just as loving and 'motherly' as her older sister. She has graduated from saying 'Wawwy' (her version of Larry) to saying 'Weewye' (her version of Levi). There was a bit of confusion when we decided to ditch Levi's dummy cold turkey as she loved *giving it to him (*read shove it in his face at every opportunity).

This is such an encouragement to me. To think deliberately about my actions. Cos they are learning from me and watching everything!

Grace has taken to her new glasses like a champ. Keeping them on all the time. Oh and boy oh boy is she funny! Always hamming it up for us! She really is so funny.

Grace looks very much like me (but exceedingly more cute and with devine blue eyes). I love it for many reasons. One reason is the joy it gives my parents. Grace is a good version of me as a little child. I was grumpy, she rarely is. I think I got away with being grumpy too much! She is also at this young age showing a major preference to using her left hand. I am left handed as is my dad. Time will tell!

So these little girls have each other for sisters for life! What a blessing to each other and to us! They like to chat in their room. I find it so funny how Ashley says they 'talk to each other'. When I ask what they talk about I get all sorts of exciting responses. I feel like I have gone on a journey with them. Into their little 'sister world'.

Brothers.....ahhh! These little guys melt my heart! A nearly 4 year old and a 7 month old to be such little buddy's already! These two little guys share a room too. On a side note I am a huge fan of siblings sharing rooms. Ethan and Ashley actually cried when I told them they wouldn't be sharing a room anymore in the new house. :( I am not opposed to boy/girl siblings sharing a room and have even thought about putting E,A and G on the same room but Ethan said 'Levi will be lonely, I will stay with him'. Melt my heart!

The similarities between the boys are amazing. Well least to me. Having Levi is like having a baby Ethan all over again, just with a different eye colour. Both boys have such tender hearts. They love cuddles (especially Levi who looooooves mummy and no, not just for my milk....although that helps). Ethan only sparingly gives out 'kusses' now. I savour each one he gives me!

Hairy hair hair

Little Grace is two years old. January 11th is her birthday and my oh my I love her long locks!

Oh those lips!!!  Kiss, kiss!!

This is a shot from the back

These photos were taken a while ago and it is longer now. Wow! Just wow!

Who would think I once said. I only want boys! No way! My two beautiful BEAUTIFUL  girls are such a blessing!

All sweet, sweet babies sleeping and I feel like going to bed too!

Thrifty finds

I was thinking back the other day about all the 'treasures I have found over the years. Deceased estates, garage sales, op shops.....some great stuff for sooooo little!

Here is a picture of some recent finds

Oh books.....getting soooo many books. Need a bigger house....for the books! Average cost 50 cents

I was so giddily excited about the binoculars that I was using them in the van on the way home....not a good idea (no, I was not driving). MAJOR headache! hehe Three stamps I have been looking for, for ages....this book belongs to, handmade by and can't remember the other one right now. I get mostly excited when I see things that I have bought from op shops and garage sales in the shops for HUGE amounts and I have paid so little.

My younger brother recently worked at the winter olympics in Vancouver and sent over a ton of stuff for the kids. Here's little Levi trying his gear on. The little guy kept tipping over but man he is cuuuute!

Did an i-spy swap with Wendy. Here are almost all of the swapped bits! Very exciting! I have sewn them in rows so far but holding off till I a) get more and b) grow some more quilting brain cells. My mind can just not get around it at the moment. I am busy with the kids and my mind is very bogged down trying to work out how to......

1. Continue to keep my house clean
2. Get all morning chores done i.e breakfast eating, dressed, clean up, vitamins, brush teeth, make beds. It is very time consuming. Ethan and Ashley have been wonderful and want to do these things for themselves BUT they are still very little so need help still. Then stopping to breastfeed Levi......I just suck at the being still and just spending time with them. Onwards and upwards and keep on trying. Then the 'teaching' them part. It is so hard to 'un learn' the way I did it. I went to school and I do not want to replicate that at home.

Also, not to repeat myself but the kids are little. I just feel a bit pressured with people asking me 'how's school going'......all.the.time. I almost enjoy being a bit of a recluse because adding on anything other than our weekly food shopping is too much at the moment. Most days are very relaxed and nice and slow. Just don't want my brain to shrivel up too much and to become too lazy.

I am glad I am back online blogging out some thoughts to the deep abyss of the world wide WEB.

Life is good....most of the time :)

Look a like's

Someone told me the other day that Grace looks nothing like me.....what do you think?

Catching up and relearning to take time out

Hello non dial up speed! Yay!

Ok here is the latest update from the Murphy household

Mr Levi is now 7 months old and such a good little boy. He is still 100% breastfed and his 'only' downside is his waking time in the morning. Bit too early for me but he hangs out for his first feed at 7am. I do not feed him before then!

He has amazed us with his willingness to try crawling! We find this to be very funny cos our 'earliest' crawler was at 14 months! His eyes are very different to the other kiddies. His are more grey blue with a hint of brown. He is just so cute!

Grace Bethany. I just love her full name and find it funny hearing little Ashley saying "Grace Bethany you stop that". I have many conversations with both Ashley and Ethan about them not being in charge.

The only way she will stay still for the camera these days is if I say "Where's the camera Grace". Then I get a cute "There it is" along with a chubby little pointing finger.

Her new glasses have been going well. Only one visit back to the optometrist for a re-jig. She has only ever taken them off once and her eye only turns in when they aren't on. We reassess her eyes at the end of this month.

Little Ashley. Very independant and helpful. Folds washing like a champ. Dresses herself. Pretty much will give anything a go. Loves to tell me "Mummy your my friend". A precious little girl with hair getting longer every day.

Lastly my 'big' boy. Ethan will be 5 on the first of May. He is very funny (just quietly Grace is the funniest but that is partly biased cos her mannerisms and perfect pudgyness tips it over) I am loving my big boy. LOTS of questions and incessant chatter make some days seem long. His level of comprehension and understanding is amazing. He is very helpful these days and now able to do many things (i.e buckle his own harness buckles)

The prince aka Levi is beckoning his handmaiden (me). This trying to crawl thing is ever so frustrating! Why won't his arms move? He's got the legs going but arms are still learning what to do. That, and he has not pooed in a couple days so I am expecting one of his trademark 'blow outs'.

One last photo to share. Grace and her friend Zia

Oh yeah and me with the 2 little ones. Grace is looking pretty trendy with her headband on! Levi fell asleep in my arms. Oh the sweetness of that little guy!

I will update with more pics soon. Ben has taken them off the camera and put them?????

Well that's it. Busy times people, busy times!

p.s. apologies for typo's no time to check :)

I'm coming!

Due to being on dial up speed I cannot do (aka be bothered waiting ten hours) any posts. I am seriously contemplating standing over the stovetop to toast marshmallows but instead I might (still do it) then go to bed. :)

A wonderful cold and rainy night here. Great for snuggling because except for nights like this we have the ceiling fan on every.night HOWEVER my wonderful (sometimes drive me crazy) hubby has gone out all.night.long to a friends house as he starts on nightshift this week and needs to jolt his body into it. Poor guy. He never complains!

So yes on the 15th when we are back to full speed and said 'wonderful' husband realises he is banned from downloading hehe I will be back WITH pictures!

Sleep well dear friends!

xx