a Beer, a Whine and The Spirit

This trip to Brisbane is all about me recharging and resetting. It's about spending as much time with "my people" as I can, so I can return to Mount Isa full of positive energy and motivation. So when I contacted my friends Luke and Henna about a visit to their home in Gympie, I was delighted that they offered for us to stay the night and really make a weekend of it.

They also suggested that I invite a mutual friend and her family along for brunch and really make a weekend out of it! So that's what's happening tomorrow morning. This afternoon was spentwith our 2 eldest (they have a 4 year old daughter) playing nicely (as well as that age group does!) And Quindy bossing their youngest (they have a 9 month old son) around and trying to do all the fun things the big kids were doing, as well as sneaking bites of play dough while I wasn't looking.

When I was growing up, Gympie was always the town where we stopped on our way to holiday along the Burrum River, near Hervey Bay. We would pull into the Tram Car Bakery for a pie or sweet pastry, a coffee (or milkshake for us kids) and a toilet stop, then we were off again. I really don't know much else about the town or what is had to offer, but my friends are enjoying their time here for now.

So the kids are all in bed, almost asleep, and it's nearly time for more catching up over hot cups of tea. I love a good old reminisce. I've mentioned before that I'm a bit of a sentimental fool.

We might even swing by the bakery tomorrow on our way out of town ;-)

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I'm sure I've shared with you here that years ago, my Dad decided that he would no longer celebrate his birthday on just one day, instead declaring a "birthday week" which would include the days before and after his birthday as well. So being his birthday yesterday, we had people over for dinner last night. Today we had birthday cake with the kids, and tomorrow we are making him birthday breakfast.

I love that my Dad's only wish for his birthday was to have his kids and grandkids around, and we were very happy to help out with that. He gets so much pleasure from having Chanbe and Quindy around, and I'm so pleased we were here to celebrate with him.

Happy birthday Dad. I hope I am as happy and blessed as you are when I hit your age ;-)

Posted by Renae at 11:02 PM Comments

No, I am not having quintuplets.

About 5 months before our little Quinn was born, our friends announced the birth of their third child, Quinn. Of course we assumed they had had a girl, but then I realised it could have been a boy, so after some sneaky sussing-out, we found out it was in fact a boy! We decided that we were still able to use the name Quinn, which we actually had chosen for Chance if he was a girl.

A few weeks ago, they sent me a photo of their Quinn. I'm a little concerned that they look as though they were separated at birth!

Theirs & Ours :-) Look at those blond curls! 

Posted by Renae at 7:06 PM Comments

Home again home again jiggety jig.

Well, Brisbane home anyway. It's nice not to have to board the plane first with children. It's also nice to read a book for the entire flight. But the nicest thing is coming home to two gorgeous kids who are happy to see me.

I had such a great few days away, and it certainly helped with my resetting. It's my Dad's birthday tomorrow (which means it's also his birthday week) so there will be a bit of celebrating around these here parts in the coming days. I'm looking forward to more yummy food and cake, and also lots more walking to help with the balance.

But for now, even though it's not even 9pm, I can barely keep my eyes open so that's all from me for another day. I plan to start writing more posts on mum's laptop rather than my phone, as I'm much more likely to put a bit more effort in.

Until then!

Posted by Renae at 8:50 PM Comments

Today we caught a bus to Coogee Beach for another delicious brunch (have I mentioned it's my most favourite meal to go out for!?) and afterwards, on another day of beautiful weather, we went for a walk. We followed the path from Coogee to Bondi but stopped and turned around between Clovelly and Bronte as I was meeting up with my cousin for a catch up back at Coogee.

If you had told me I would be walking that far in my pair of $30 Payless Shoes ballet flats, I would have laughed, but I didn't pack well this trip expecting it to be much colder, and didn't have a choice. These shoes (pictured below) are what I have been traipsing around Sydney in these last few days, and have been incredibly comfy.

As per usual the view was stunning. Sydney really has been putting on great weather for me this weekend and I've had the best time catching up with everyone down here. But I am missing my little monkeys and can't wait to see them tomorrow.

Posted by Renae at 9:50 PM Comments

Can you tell I don't have much to say today? I'm having such a lovely time catching up with my friends, eating yummy home cooked meals, partaking in delectable gelato, and doing lots of walking around Sydney in the most delightful weather.

There has also been perfectly cooked eggs benedict and beautiful coffees.

The kids are having a great time back in Brisbane which lessens the guilt somewhat, and although Hubs is recovering from a man flu, he seems to be doing okay without us, though we miss him a lot.

I'll leave you with one of the views I had today.

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I went for a walk from my friend's place today to the end of the main road and came across this. So I sat down and read my book. I love being on a holiday.

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I flew to Sydney today and had the fun experience of sitting next to a pilot. No, not the pilot. There were a few pilots sitting with us plebs hitching a ride, and I was lucky enough to sit beside one. As he was settling in, I was about to make the obvious joke.

Can you guess?

That's right, "Are you sure you're in the right seat? "

I refrained. A few years ago I made a commitment to try not to make obvious jokes or comments. So instead I said:

"I can't wait to tell my 3 year old son that I sat next to a pilot on the plane."

He appreciated that. I did say I thought I'd refrain from the obvious joke of "are you in the right seat". He agreed that it does wear a little thin. Does it still count as my not making the obvious joke? I think so...

So as we were landing, I looked to my left and saw another plane. It looked as though it was at a similar height to us, and preparing for landing.

I must say that I freaked out a little. I've never flown so close to another plane before and I didn't think it was "the norm". I turned to my new pilot friend (who had slept pretty much the whole flight) and said as much. His response was "Yeah it's pretty cool Hey." I took this to mean that all was right in the skies. Not long after, this other plane and ours performed a perfectly synchronised landing.

It was a beautiful thing. I have been on dozens of flights in my life and this was a first. It's nice to know that life can still make mundane things a bit extraordinary sometimes.

Something worth remembering.

Posted by Renae at 9:57 PM Comments

In 12 hours time I'll be boarding my flight to Sydney, Hubs-less and child-less. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it to be honest, other than a little terrified. I know the kids will be fine - they'll be spoilt rotten by their Gran and Grumpy and Ouma. I hope they miss me a little though ;-)

And Hubs is back in Mount Isa. He's okay, other than the fact he's eating meat and ravioli out of a can. Yeuch.

I had a mild panic when I realised I haven't packed yet, but packing for 1 is a little different to packing for 2 kids and a husband as well.

I think I'm a little scared of being away from my family, as in this point in time, they pretty much define me as a person. I'm a wife and a mum. And for now, that is good. That is enough.

I'm half way through my reset and restore, and I'm already feeling a little better. I've been spending great quality time with family and friends and have made a bunch of plans for the next 2 weeks as well. I'm being re-energised by those around me; by the cooler days;  by the rain I can hear right now; by walks along the water; by good coffee and good company.

All good things. And for now, it is enough.

Posted by Renae at 11:01 PM Comments

It's something I used to pride myself on. I would always try and see the best in people, but I would confuse that with assuming everyone was lovely and thoughtful and would have my best interest at heart. The problem with this, is that when someone made a mistake or acted in a way I didn't agree with, (ie they were human) I would get so bitterly disappointed in them as a person. This did not bode well for either me or the person in question. I remember Hubs pointing out to me early in our courtship that I would say about anyone and everyone "they are so lovely" and he commented that it didn't mean much if I said it about everyone.

I remember being a little hurt by this comment, before understanding what he was saying. I don't think it's a bad thing to try and see the best in people, but I do think it can be a bit misguided when I have unrealistic expectations on people (friends/family/colleagues) and react negatively when they don't act how I would in a similar situation. It's something I've worked on over the years - to really see people for their attributes and faults; to accept people as they are; to try not to judge; and to show grace and understanding when I feel let down by them, knowing that that says more about me than it does about them or their actions.

So why can't I do this for myself?

Why can't I see the best in myself? Why do I constantly feel like I'm falling short, and that the life I'm leading isn't "enough"? I compare myself to other people every day. They have a career and I don't; they are more attentive with their kids than I am; they have been able to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle and I can't seem to stick to anything; they know what they want in life and I'm still searching; they are home owners and I am not... the list goes on.

What a waste of time and energy. This is something that I clearly need to work on. Seeing myself how others see me: Accomplished; confident; pretty; kind; resilient; adaptable; brave; a good mum.

These are the things I need to be thinking throughout my day. I don't need to live up to other people's lives, or at least how I perceive them. I need to start believing in myself more; as an example to my children if nothing else. How can I teach them that they can be anything and anyone they want to be, if I don't even believe that of myself. I'm not talking about a grand gesture or revelation, I just want to stop those everyday thoughts of not being enough, and start knowing that I am.

Posted by Renae at 10:13 PM Comments

Playing Scrabble with mum and dad tonight. This was my first round of letters. Coincidence?

Posted by Renae at 9:35 PM Comments

Flying with kids. The mere thought of it can send some people into a tailspin. (har har) By the age of two, Chanbe had been on over 20 domestic flights, so my little guy is a seasoned traveller. And he was always an easy baby on a plane - he would fall asleep as soon as we would take off and not wake up til we landed.

Quindy is another story. My little girl is the easiest baby in so many ways, but she is quite the handful on a plane. Not in a misbehaved, bratty way, just in a 1-year-old curious way. And she has never slept on a flight thus far. No matter what I distract her with, each thing only works for a few minutes before she's looking for something else to do.

Her most favourite thing to do is walk up and down the aisle, grinning at her fellow passengers. It's completely adorable, albeit a little tricky when we hit turbulence and we're supposed to be sitting down. She does not like to be strapped into her seat belt on my lap.

Chanbe is now at the age where he is happy to do stickers or watch a movie, as long as there is a constant supply of food avaliable. He's actually really great on flights which makes my life a little easier. So even though they're both pretty well behaved, it's absolutely exhausting travelling on a plane with kids.

On our most recent flight, with about 40 minutes to go, my energy stores were running low, as was my arsenal of kids entertainment. And then Quindy spotted it. "Bah! bah! bah! bah!" which means "please hand me that thing I'm madly pointing to immediately!"

An apple.

This magical apple got us all through the end of the flight, as well as the baggage collection, and half the car trip home. She couldn't have been happier.

Posted by Renae at 10:10 PM Comments

So yeah! Woo!

Your questions answered:
- yes it was planned (though it happened rather quickly!)
- I'm due early December
- morning sickness (ie regular nausea) and exhaustion is all but over
- we are not going to find out the sex
- we have not chosen names

Anything else?

Looking forward to sharing updates as they come to hand :-)

Here's the first photo of the little footus ;-)

Posted by Renae at 7:27 PM Comments

You know how kids latch on to things and suddenly it's all about that thing? Whenever we see a plane taking off or flying in the sky, I ask Chanbe where he thinks it might be going. This question has been met with all sorts of answers, generally places we have previously lived. And lately, for some reason, it's been all about Mount Beauty. Every plane we see is on its way to Mount Beauty.

There isn't even an airport there, but I don't want to dash the little guy's hopes. I'm sure the air strip where Hubs used to go gliding can handle all the extra traffic.
I'm also a big fan of his pronunciation of "Mount Booty". We often wonder how our friends down there are going; how the lovely folks we met at the church are travelling along; who is now enjoying the amazing view of Mount Bogong from our old living room. That's the thing about moving so much. You have the privilege of meeting extraordinary people from all walks of life, but then there are so many good byes to be said and so many people to wonder about.

I know the same will happen when our time comes to leave Mount Isa, and I'm sure I'll wish I made more of an effort and complained less, so it's certainly something I'm going to keep in the back of my mind on my return in a few weeks. Hubs leaves tomorrow to head back to work while I swan around and socialise :-) It's been a really nice little family holiday and although we'd love it to continue, real life awaits.

On that note, I'm going to have a nice hot shower and get under a nice warm doona with Hubs. Too much info? Too bad ;-)

Posted by Renae at 10:11 PM Comments

Mama, can you play with me?
Sure Chanbe, I'll just put this load of washing on
I'll just finish these dishes
I'll just hang this load out
I'll just pick up these few toys
I'll just get the veges ready for dinner
I'll just finish my cup of tea
I'll just get Quindy something to eat

I'll just... I seem to say these 2 little words a lot during my day as a mum. All of these things listed have to be done, sure, but it's the stopping as soon as I've completed one thing that I seem to struggle with. If I finish the task at hand, and Chanbe is momentarily distracted, it's so easy to"just" quickly start the next thing. And so the cycle continues until Chanbe takes matters into his own hands and starts hassling Quindy to get my attention.

I remember hearing or reading somewhere, years before I had children, that if you give a child your immediate attention when they ask (nicely) for it more often than not, they will feel secure in that relationship and not be so in need of that constant attention, whereas the more you delay that attention, the more that seek it out.

I have no idea if that has any merit but it makes a bit of sense. So while I don't feel that I need to drop everything every single time Chanbe wants me, I am being more aware of his request and weighing up the importance of what I'm doing. More often than not, all he wants are a couple of rounds of hide and seek or a few puzzles and he's on his way. I know I'm going to miss it when he stops asking me to play, so I'd like to say "yes" more often than "I'll just" in the future.

(Incidentally, the word "just" is the most commonly mis-Autocorrected  word on my phone. It usually comes up with either Jay or Keady. So ridiculous....)

Posted by Renae at 10:46 PM Comments

It's 11:20pm. Hubs and I have just finished watching X-Men: First Class. Hubs saw it without me at the movies when it first came out and I've been wanting to watch it for ages. I should have blogged earlier today, goodness knows I had the time, but here I am, in the 11th hour (literally!) hoping you'll forgive the lack of enthralling content.

In hindsight I should have left all the incorrect Autocorrects in this post. That would have been pretty funny. I'm sure my new phone (Galaxy Note 2) has much worse Autocorrect ability than my Galaxy SII. But never mind. I'm quite sure that's the definition of a first world problem.

Now it's 11:28pm and we're both in bed all snuggled up and warm. The light from my phone is providing the light for Hubs to read his e-book reader.

Wow Wifey. Riveting stuff.

I guess this is one of the reasons to do NaBloPoMo. To show the everyday stuff as well as the newsworthy events. Today was a nice day. Hubs gave me a sleep in, I had coffee and chats with a good friend of mine, I went for a walk... I just remembered a post I put together in my head on my walk, when I saw two 12 year old girls taking funny steps (big, small, wonky,) together add they walked along the path and I pondered the innocence of youth. But that seemed a bit cliché.

Where was I? Oh yeah. My nice day. When I got home from my walk I had a cup of tea and not long after, our friends came around for a BBQ. The three boys ran around like crazy which meant Chanbe went to sleep easily, and Quindy was out like a light as well.

So yes today was a good day.

It's now 11:35pm and I feel as though I have waffled on enough for one day. I might try writing a little earlier tomorrow. Emphasis on try...

Posted by Renae at 11:38 PM Comments

Right now, this is what makes me happy. Seeing these three people. Knowing they love me and trust me and believe in me. Being able to hold them and nuzzle into their hair; to kiss them whenever I want. I tell them I love them, often. I want them to know every single day how much they mean to me, and how they keep me going when all I want to do is hide away. They make me want to tell anyone who will listen, all about them.

So, here they are.

Posted by Renae at 8:45 PM Comments

We are a Lego family. Hubs grew up loving Lego, and that love has never wavered. His Mum tells me about the hours and hours he would spend on the Lego mat, surrounded by the stuff, building all manner of things. When we had Chanbe, people would always ask what they could buy for him for Christmas and birthdays, and although in the beginning I would ask Hubs for gift ideas, I soon realised that this was a pointless exercise as his response was always the same.

"Lego."

Funnily enough, it was always the same when I asked for gift ideas for him too... and Quinndy...

Thankfully up until now, for Chanbe and Quinndy at least, it has all been about the duplo. Duplo I can see before I stand on; Duplo doesn't get sucked up the vacuum cleaner; Duplo can't be swallowed by a 1-year-old baby sister (though she will try!); Duplo is simple and easy - even I can make a plane out of Duplo. But Lego is another story all together. I wasn't ready for Lego, but Hubs was, so it has been introduced into the family home.

And once we arrived at Hubs' sister's house, the childhood collection didn't take long to re-surface. The problem is, it's been years since anyone has really played with the family Lego, and all sorts of bits and pieces have been thrown in with it.

You can't actually tell by the look on his face, but he's having a great time here, sifting and sorting through decades of collected Lego. The stuff on the left of the photo (on the coffee table) is the broken bits and fake Lego that are to be repurposed/discarded. The stuff in the box is yet to be rifled through, and the big pile in front of him is what he's been swishing around for the last 2 hours, ever since the kids went to bed. I think the sound of Lego being "sorted" may do my head in if he keeps it up all week!

One thing he has found somewhat concerning, is all the bits and pieces of Lego people, and the severe shortage of hands. He is afraid something like this may have taken place over the years:


Anyway, he's having a lovely time playing "big boy Lego" as it is currently called in our house, with Chanbe, and looks forward to even more Lego building with Quinndy once she's old enough. In the mean time, I'm happy to stick with the Duplo.

Posted by Renae at 9:13 PM Comments

And what a lovely wedding it was. Since becoming a marriage celebrant, I pay much closer attention to the ceremony at a wedding. This wedding was in an Anglican Church, and I must say I was very impressed with the Priest who conducted the ceremony. He made it personal by sharing a little something about his marriage; he made a timely, appropriate joke to calm the nerves a little; and I felt he really engaged with the audience with his friendly manner. He also partook in gelati with the wedding guests in the church car park afterwards! I'm not sure I could take any pointers as such, but I hope that when I am officiating at ceremonies, I am as relaxed and engaging as he was. And if not yet, then it's certainly something to aspire to.

Here's a photo of Hubs and I walking to the reception. Yes, he looked rather lovely too!

Hubs and I stayed at South Brisbane for 2 nights (Friday and Saturday night) and had this rather nice view from our balcony:


On Saturday morning, we went searching for a good old fashioned brunch. We checked out the menus for pretty much all of the places along Little Stanley St at Southbank, and when Hubs saw Brioche on the menu, he wanted it, and he wanted it bad. And bad it was. Actually, Hubs' Brioche French toast wasn't too awful, but my "Mediterranean Breakfast" was. I left half of it on the plate, and if you know me and how much I LOVE breakfast food, you know that's a big deal. The poached eggs were not only completely cooked through, but hard and dry, the haloumi was like rubber and the toast was completely soggy. I gave them the constructive feedback, and in hindsight I should have said I didn't want to pay for it. Has anyone ever done that??? I wouldn't know how??

I know I seem to be complaining about food a lot lately, but I just get disappointed when we're paying good money for bad food. Especially when Hubs makes me amazing breakfasts at home for me often.

So when we woke up this morning, we decided we needed a good brekky to make up for it. And it happened. We ended up at Paddington at a lovely place called Anouk. The service was friendly and speedy, the coffee was hot and strong and the food... aaaaaah the food. Hubs ordered the spicy creamy mushrooms with cheesy toast...


... and I ordered their simple and delicious version of Eggs Benedict:


We also ordered a fruit "shake" to share. Everything was top notch and I made sure I told them at the end. I would recommend this place and cannot wait to get back there.

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Wow. That's what a dinner out is supposed to be like. We met some friends at a place at Southbank called The Point and it was a great night out in every way.

The food was delicious, (I had prawns and gnocchi and Hubs had the brisket) the service was friendly and prompt, the ambiance was hip and happening, and as usual the company was wonderful. My dinner was simple yet so full of flavour, and not something I could easily make at home.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post about The Wedding!

Posted by Renae at 10:04 PM Comments

When I was down this way a couple of months ago, we got some takeaway Japanese from a local cafe/restaurant and it was quite enjoyable, so I was looking forward to taking Hubs there next time we were staying here. As soon as I made the plans to come down, I started looking forward to taking Hubs for a nice dinner out. You see, it took us 8 months to find a really nice place to go out in Townsville. We were recommended this Japanese restaurant and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best meals Hubs and I had had out all year. Although the ambiance was a bit lacking, the service wasn't great, and the clientele was varied, the food was fresh and delicious. Like, seriously amazing. Every dish that came out was a work of art, and was hot and so tasty.

Tonight's meal? Not so much. The entrees were pretty nice, but they just didn't have that light, freshness that this other place had. And the main meals were huge and heavy, rather than light and delicate. There were some lovely flavours there, and the ambiance, service, and company of course were lovely (Hubs' Mum joined us) so overall it was an enjoyable evening, but I won't be rushing back for the main courses unfortunately.

Regardless, it's lovely having Hubs with us again, and we have a whole week of holiday to look forward to. And I'm sure there will be lots of lovely meals, not to mention coffees, shared in that time.

Posted by Renae at 9:49 PM Comments

The kids and I touched down in Brisbane 24 hours ago. My head is still quite fuzzy and my eyelids are heavy, but after a lovely big, snuggly sleep in, I'm feeling a bit more refreshed. Yesterday afternoon, all I wanted to do was to curl up on the couch and have a snooze, but I decided to go for a walk instead. I'm really wanting to make good use of my time down here; to recharge and reset, and I knew that if I went for a walk yesterday, I'd be more likely to go for a walk today.

On my hour long walk, I decided that this would be the perfect month for another NaBloPoMo, as per #75 on my 101 in 1001 challenge. There are a number of things I want to achieve in this month, mainly focused on my health, both mental and physical. For instance, I'd like to aim to walk 5 times a week, do my sit ups and push ups challenge (#3) and stretch for 10 minutes each day (#4). Yesterday I went for a walk and did the sit ups and push ups. I think first thing in the morning would be good for my stretch, so I need to incorporate that into my morning routine.

I also just want to write more. I want to write about things that excite me and fulfill me, instead of whinging about my life at the moment. I've done enough of that and I've had enough of that. My family and friends nourish and fulfill me, so there will be a lot about them featured on the blog this month. Hubs joins us tomorrow for 9 blissful days. We are having 2 nights away, just the 2 of us this weekend (#29 on my challenge list!) and I can't wait. Hubs has been working very long hours for a while and we just haven't had time to connect which isn't any good for anyone.

I'm going to try and tick a few things off my 101 in 1001 days list, as I'm falling a little behind. This will also give me some good content for my NaBloPoMo. So today is day #1 and I will finish on the 6th of June. I know it's a little unorthodox not to start on the 1st of the month and finish on the last, but that's how I roll. Sometimes rules need to be stretched a little, and since I hardly pushed the limits growing up, I have some catching up to do.

See you tomorrow.

Posted by Renae at 12:21 PM Comments

... here's what we will be up to for the next few weeks:

The kids and I will be flying down to Brisbane on Tuesday thanks to relatively cheap flights. We were going to drive down but circumstances changed so I booked flights last week. I must say it's a bit of a relief. That drive was going to be long and boring! And it really would have eaten into the short amount of time Hubs has off to visit. He will fly down on Thursday, and then we're leaving the kids in the capable hands of grandparents while we live it up in an apartment in South Brisbane for a couple of nights. We have a wedding to go to Saturday arvo/evening - the reason this trip came about - which will be a lovely excuse to doll up and have a dance. (As if I need an excuse!)

Hubs will be staying until the following Saturday so we'll just be catching up with friends and family in that time. After we farewell him Saturday morning, the following few weeks will be filled with socialising and a good old relax. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to all that sleep! I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this.

We've had a lovely few days with Hubs' Dad and our nephew visiting and working on the kombi. They are driving it back to Brisbane and left this morning. It was a little sad, but for the last 6 years, it's just been sitting outside our various houses and not being driven, so hopefully that will change in Brisbane.

I should really go and pack now! Might see you soon.

Posted by Renae at 12:13 PM Comments