17/52

After a few days hanging out in the jim-jams (ok, so maybe i do that most days anyway) the boys are on the mend!!  Lachy's back in full 'mischief/no ears' swing, and Olly's all smiles again for anyone who glances his way!

 Me and monkey baked some delicious biscuits that would've been more delicious if i hadn't slightly over cooked them!

The Jolly Jumper (Love the Toy Library!)!  I realise this is slightly blurred, but this kid doesn't stop moving when he's in this contraption!!

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Yay! I'm on time 2nd week in a row!!  Thanks Jodi for the Awesome link up!!



Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

16/52

My beautiful boys are sick :(  Hopefully not for too long though, so we can start going outside again to marvel at the guinea pigs and check the chicken coup for eggs!!

 This laddy was made for the outdoors!!  He'll stay inside if he has too but the second a door opens he's off getting his gumboots on!!

This little piggy, just hanging out, melting all who see him!

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"

 Thanks again Jodi for an Awesome link up!!



Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

The honesty box - random facts of me!

Here are some random facts about me that you probably don't need to know...just cause!

#  Hairdressing certificates - Check!  I can cut/colour/perm/foil and finger-wave, but i hate doing my own hair.  I have one style, called the knotted mess, and i only own a hairbrush for show.

#  I'm afraid of the dark.  I have to have a light left on in the house at night for when i get up (well, even if i didn't have to get up really).

#  I'm a 'Churchless' Christian.  For now, i find God in the everyday things, like my family, my garden, the beautiful things i'm blessed to have around me!   (please don't think i'm opposed to church, it's just not right for me right at this moment!)

# I have an addiction to beads.

#   I had my hair done in dreadlocks when i was 21.  Loved them!!  Was too much work trying to keep my fine hair matted though, so i cut them off, and gave myself a pixie cut!!

#   I've never broken a single bone in my body.  No plans to do so either.  Cause i totally have control over things like that.

#  I caught an octopus once while fishing.  I didn't know what i'd caught til it climbed up my line and tried to join us in the boat.  I hate Octopus Octopi??  many-legged beasties now.

# I don't own a skirt.  Or heels of any sort.

#  Some people have potted Pansies and Gerberas around their homes.  We have Carnivorous plants.   You know, like The Little Shop of Horrors except our plants aren't that big.  And they don't talk.  Or eat people.  Just the occasional fly that lands in the wrong spot.

#  If you couldn't tell from my afro/darker skin/ island good looks/ brown eyes, half my family are from Fiji.  Fijian-Indian to be precise.  I think there's also some Norwegian in there too, and a few other things.  Definitely a Kiwi!!

Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

4 and 23 Months! Shared aging and all :)

Things have been so hectic round these parts that i completely missed posting about my babies growing into my boys!!  So i'm joining them up today and they can share a post this month! (It certainly wont be the last thing they'll have to share!)

Olly-pop  4 Months  :) 

  
#  Let the solids begin!!  I was pretty keen to start giving you some solids in the hope that it might ease your reflux. Don't know where i got that idea, it certainly didn't work very well, but you LOVE your sloppy food!! (Especially the apple!)

#  Loving your wee dimple as you laugh at us and flash your cheekiest grins!

#  Since we were expecting you to follow in your brothers footsteps, and roll from front to back first, you decided to go against the grain and roll from your back to your front, and in just a matter of moments you became a pro at it!!

#  Your shuffling around the play mat is also getting pretty nifty! (Even when you face plant cause your head gets too heavy!)

# So curious and cute with all the expressions as you take in your surroundings!! 

# Love that you look like you can hug your big brother back now, even if you are just pulling his hair!! (It's still adorable!!)

Monkey-bum  23 Months :)
 

 
#  I'm pretty sure that your name is in the dictionary for the meaning of Mischief, Climber, Musician, Mud-pie maker (and eater), and cuteness all over!!

#  There is going to be a post on tantrums, and how sometimes ears are painted on.  And that's all i'll say about that...for now.

#  Talking.  So much talking!  We take your dummy off you most days now, and your vocabulary has just exploded!! Sometimes you even surprise me and string a couple of words together!  ('Ball-gone' followed by the cutest concerned expression) You've also started licking everything...I wont be worried just yet.

# You love on your little brother like there was no tomorrow!!  You fetch his dummy, and even put it in his mouth the right way most of the time now.  You feed him his bottle if i'm stupid enough to leave the leftover where you can see and reach it (i know, ewww).  You bounce him in his bouncer, and go running into his room to hold his hand if you hear him crying in his cot....and sometimes when he's sleeping too!!  You melt my heart!!

#  You're still a Truck/Train/Car fanatic, but last week you also started 'strumming' on everything! (You say 'brung-brung-brung' for your guitar sounds)  Today we found you a cheap little plastic guitar at the $2 shop, and on the way home you strummed it and sang me a song! ("mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-Truh")

#  I love that you're still young enough for me to dress you...in whatever i can find sometimes.

Dear boys.  You Rock Awesomely.  Me and Daddy are so Proud!!

Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

It's in the Jeans!!

After i started reading blogs, i started comparing myself to all the beautiful images i saw.  I noticed myself starting to complain more about my appearance.  I didn't wear enough make up (or own any), didn't have voluminous, shiny, perfectly styled hair, wasn't the right weight, and definitely didn't wear the right clothes!  I started to hate my reflection, which i saw as plain and dowdy.  The more i read about putting together fashionable outfits, and how to do these simple hairstyles, and how to make your 50 layers of make up look natural (?) , the more i despised the 'country bumpkin' i saw in the mirror.  I started wearing different clothes, and begging my long suffering Hubby to buy me more skinny jeans (Damn skinny jeans!) and asking for new make up and skin products and hairstyles.

  Alas, i am a naturally lazy person at heart, and i don't want to spend hours putting on make up, or trying different hair-do's (like my kids would afford me that time anyway!).  And so my problem got worse as i started to realise that i would never achieve the image i was longing to fit.  I was one dissatisfied little tart, but wasn't able to put my finger on what the issue was.  Being an all or nothing kinda gal didn't help either, as i thought if i cant do a whole makeover, i wont bother at all.

But something happened to me the other day, and it had such a profound affect on me that i just had to share it.  I found a pair of jeans that fit.  I can almost hear the gasps of "Seriously? that was profound?" but it really was.  I've been without a pair of comfy jeans for some time now due to weight fluctuations and baby bellies, and while i didn't think anything was 'Off', now i know with a certainty that everything is Right!  
(Aside from whatever is trying to get into our rubbish out on the deck)

It suddenly didn't matter that my hair was a knotted mess, and my top was covered in food stains.  I had comfy jeans that fit me!!  And now i want to make an effort!!  Since i've been wearing my jeans, i've chosen my tops with care, brushed my hair, like, twice, and even put mascara on once!!
I do realise how ridiculous this all seems, but my identity does indeed seem to be wrapped up in a pair of blue, wide leg jeans, scored for $8 at an op-shop.  And i am totally good with this! (Did i mention that i wore pretty earrings too!?)

 These jeans have served as a slap onto the reality train.  I will Never achieve that image i coveted, because that image isn't Me. It's not who God intended me to be.  I am not a stylish person.  On a good day i wont clash, but that's about it.  I can put mascara on without poking myself in the eye now, but i really couldn't tell you what to do with concealer...well, aside from concealing....stuff...


 Does anyone remember my 13 things for 2013 list?  Number 3 a-ringing a bell??  I need constant reminding about this because i keep trying to be someone i'm not, to please someone that's not even there!!  And so i shall be issuing myself a challenge. 


 Make an effort, but make sure it's My effort for Me.  And remember that even a little effort goes a long way!

 "Hi, my name is Renee, and i don't own a skirt.  Nor would i ever intentionally go shopping for one.  I have a dress.  It sits in my wardrobe, covered in moths.  Sometimes i take it out and consider whether an op-shop would take it, but then i think naaah, i might wear it one day" (Insert Tui billboard here).

Now if you'll excuse me i have to go wash my jeans so i can wear them again tomorrow :)


Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

Moving on up!

*To begin, i hope everyone's doing well! Our thoughts and prayers to anyone and everyone affected by the  bombings in Boston!!*


What a week!!  Actually a week n a bit, but who's really counting!  We're all but unpacked into our new place and aside from tripping over boxes every 5 seconds it's just AWESOME!!  It's soooo quiet!!  We have sheep on 2 sides (and some trees),  and quiet neighbours on 1 side and that's it!! The road we're on is off the main road, so traffic is barely a ripple on my radar (although i did hear a tractor today)!  Now i get to listen to these two all day!!

Love those cheeky lil eye's as he grabs his brothers hair!!

 The yard is smaller than the last place, but i've accepted the awesomeness that was the back yard in the previous Magical Cottage, and that we'll probably never find it again, and i've come to peace with that fact now!  What we do have is a veranda on one side and a small deck on the other with a smaller yard wrapping around, so i'm good :)  I also LOVE having an open plan living area, and bedrooms that aren't right across from the lounge!!

(Why oh why is Hubby watching Amish Mafia??)

In other AMAZING news....The Magical Dish Washing Appliance that i had been so desperate to obtain, fell onto my Trade Me watchlist, and then into my home!!!   Welcome 'Nemo',  i'm so very pleased you've come to join us on our new adventures in the new Magical Cottage!!!! 

Welcome, oh noble Dish Washing Appliance!!

So for the last week we've pretty much been trying to get sorted, get our winter gardens (on a smaller scale) sorted, and unpack everything.  We're only failing on the unpacking part so far so that's good!....Except that we forgot to ask when rubbish day was, missed it, and now have 4 rubbish bags waiting for Thursday!!  

My poor Kale was annihilated by these green suckers! :(

 So now that i'm back, and raring to go, brace yourself for a few new projects that i want to make regular, and for a few old ones to resurface (the ACV experiments Will begin again!!)!

Oooo, did i mention we were getting 2 Magical Chickens (From my generous sisters brood) to come and lay some Golden eggs for us!?  Cause we are!!  They can bunk down with Brian and Ryan (the Cottage guinea pigs steeds) in the coup, if they get along that is!!  Yay for fresh eggs!!

Lachy enjoying the sunshine with his 'Truh'

And if anyone's noticed the wee Shopping cart in the top left of my blog screen, well that will hopefully be a reality by the start of May!!  So flippen excited!!!

And so now i need to go and face the remaining boxes in our lounge, so that Lachy stops trying to climb them and pull stuff out!!

Gnite!!

Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

15/52

 Man i suck at this game!!  I feel like i'm neglecting my kids by not showing off their cuteness on time every week, but this time i have the very good excuse of 'We moved and i could barely find the kids, let alone the camera!'.  Now that everything is falling into place (as in i have a camera, a computer, and 2 very photogenic kidlets) you can expect these posts to actually pop up weekly!!

Here's week 15/52

The new craze of 'Pointing' has begun! Lachy will point at anything and everything, regardless of whether he's looking that way or not!! Love when he has dirt on his face, it completes him!

Little Olly-pop is on the path to self discovery now, and Loves the mirror!  Watching him explore his reflection makes me wish i could see things how he does!!

That's my lads this week!  Being amazed by every new thing, and amazing Hubby and me with every new thing too!!

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"

 Thanks Jodi for an Awesome link up!!


Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

We're Heeerrrreee!!

We made it!!  This past week has been a complete mission and i haven't even unpacked half our crap stuff!! I promise i'll have a proper post up tonight or tomorrow, but for now here's a pic of a couple of our new neighbours!!

Ps:  Check out this awesome post about what we choose to teach our kids over at Don't Quote The Raven!!


Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

Moving Day!!!

Tomorrow is moving day!!! Whoop whoop!! As an unfortunate end to our time here, the Village Guards have stopped by, AGAIN, (for once not called by us) because the Villages Evil Trolls are getting beaten up by a neighbouring Villages Evil Trolls.  I feel like we live in the flippen bronx'!! (For the record, we don't! It's a lovely neighbourhood most of the time!)

I pray this night goes by fast, cause our country house is a-callin'!! (as are the guinea-steeds i'm sure!!)  I have so many plans and thoughts and ideas for the new place, and kind of a new start for myself, a nice stress free start with no Evil Trolls!! (Maybe even that Magical Dish Washing Appliance!)

This is going to be a busy month on-line i feel (unless the internet provider Gods are feeling fickle, apparently we could be waiting 21 days for our connection :o ) and i'm very excited about a few new things that i'll be attempting, and cant wait to share!!

And now Hubby's waiting to pack down my computer so i have to say something witty to keep you all around, just in case i can't get back here for 21 days.......since that's not gunna happen, have a cute  pic' of my boys instead!!

Brotherly Love at it's Finest!!!

Hope everyone has an Amazing weekend!  See ya's back here soon!!

Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'

13/52

 Oh, how unlike me to be so behind....again (*sarcasm-central*)!!  I'm not even going to try to catch up on the weeks gone by (insert witty excuse here), so here i am, linking up with Jodi, for week 13 of A portrait a Week!!

Lachy learning the 'ways' of the selfie!!  After spending all day trying to chase the wee mischief monkey away from the camera, i gave up and gave it to him.  Excellent choice, Kid takes better pics than i do!!

And this wee (or not so wee) chappy, after trying all day, has achieved his very first unassisted roll onto his tummy!!  Such a proud mama!!!

Love these Gorgeous wee people that my life has been blessed with!!

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"


Renee  :)

'Not all who wander are lost'