Giving it a go

I  took the plunge into making my own jam.....and it worked! I am very impressed with the end result and let's be honest, myself! haha!

It is very important to be organized and have some company

Levi will be turning 2 in early September.

I am a bit torn with having the laptop on the ledge to 'help' me. The independant part of me gives myself a bit of a pep talk about 'winging it' but the learner part of me sees the usefulness of looking a few things up at least the first time. The photo below was me googling to see ways I could wisely use up my squeezed lemons. I'm keen to try drying lemon rind in the near future.

Lemons straight from our tree. Another blessing from our great backyard!

 I was quite shocked at how big our lemon tree seems to have suddenly gotten! It is heavily laden. I am thinking of making lemon butter and lemon meringue pie. Lemon meringue pie is my favorite pie along with cherry pie. Actually pretty much any pie if I'm being honest! Pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, coconut cream pie. Pie, pie, pie!

Isn't it funny how we can put off doing something for awhile because it seems like a lot of effort but in the end when you do give it a go it ends up a lot of fun and not too difficult!

Kiwifruit jam bubbling away. The kiwis were given to me by a very generous friend from her backyard. Organic, grown all by itself fruit tastes a million times better than store bought stuff any day!

 The photo below shows you where the children stand whilst I cook. They all try to argue about who gets the step Levi is on but it basically is a combination of first come first serve, being generous and shortest gets it!

The end result! I'm thrilled! 2 to keep and one for my friend who gave us the kiwis! Finally doing more and more of the things I really want to do! I highly recommend challenging yourself to try something you have been thinking of. For me it is mostly learning new skills, less waste, using what I have. 

Oh and if you ordinarily throw your glass jars out would you mind saving some for me? We are using less and less 'jarred' foods so would love some of yours if they are otherwise going into the recycling bin.

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!