18mths old

 

 

 

 

Yippy-ay our little girl is 18 months today (okay technically yesterday, but whats a day between friends?) We decided to upgrade some of her outdoor play equipment & found a second hand Hills swing set on Gumtree. What a beauty! A marshy back yard (due to the crazy amount of rain over the last few weeks its-raining-its-pouring) didn't deter this monkey from trialling out her new swings. I can see this pre-loved play set, will bring many hours of play, learning & fun.

 

Enjoy little Rose x

It's raining, it's pouring...

It has been raining here non-stop for over a week (which is a long, long time, by Queensland, otherwise known as the "Sunshine State" standards) and my 'indoor activity' ideas for toddlers, are quickly running out.

• We have exhausted all the local libraries for Rhyme time and reading time 
• We have visited our local indoor play centre, Rowdy Rascals
• We have gone to our local Museum & Art Gallery
• We have visited Grandma & Nana & Poppa (numerous amount of times...)
• We have played on every merry go round & motorised car in our local shopping centre
• We have coloured in, build with blocks, nursed "babies" (her dolly's), played with all the pots & pans & Tupperware, played with the measuring cups & spoons with rice, helped mummy bake, played hide & seek
• We have read & read & read every book in the house

What I hadn't considered, was to simply let Ebony play outside in the puddles, in the rain. Day in, day out our little toddlers face has been squashed up against the glass sliding door, watching this stuff fall from the sky. Some days she would yell across the room "rain" (just in case you had forgotten it was raining), other days saying it quietly to herself, as she stood their staring. Unbeknown to us, this little girl, with big ideas, was planning an escape, biding her time to play in the puddles... It happened within seconds, one moment I was carrying boxes to our garage, the next, Ebony (all clean & dressed, ready to go to Grandmas' mind you) had scooted out the back door & found the biggest puddle in the garden to walk, jump, sit & finally, belly flop in. Fully clothed, shoes and all... In true Ebony style, this girl loved it. I ended up letting her play in this single puddle, then eventually the whole back yard, in the rain, fully clothed.

Now i'm waiting for the rain to let up, so I can wash all of her clothes :o)

Australia's Mother of the Year 2012 - Ros Dodson

I was organising a catch up with my close friend late last year when she mentioned she couldn't meet with me on a certain date as she was having lunch with Ros Dodson, our Australian mother of the year for 2012. Without thinking I rushed in like a bull in a china shop & asked if she could arrange an interview for me, as I would love to meet her! With no social etiquette involved & none required (luckily) with close friends, Anna said she would see what she could do. It then dawned on me, I didn't know a thing about this woman & I knew very little about the event that awarded this mother her title.

The Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards I later found out, is the only national event that recognises the achievements of mums and their enormous contribution to the Australian community bamya. Enjoying an extremely close relationship with my mother & cherishing a similar relationship with my daughter, I ruminated how this woman could be a stand out nominee for the selection process? After spending over an hour googling Ross Dodson, I got to know the woman behind such an honoured accolade. and yes, what a truly inspiring & deserving woman for such a prestigious award.

According to the Barnados website, our very own Queenslander Ros, an Indigenous woman of the Pangerang people,  is the second indigenous woman in the awards 17 year history to receive this prestigious Honor. A woman and mother of enormous strength and deep compassion. A strength, she says, she inherited from her mother. Ros experienced an abusive early childhood, one that would have continued if not for her mother’s courage to stand up to her abusive husband, Ros’s father. Laying charges for this abuse, a court proceeding followed and he was jailed. As a result, at age 14, Ros became the sole supporter of her mother and her disabled older sister. This meant Ros couldn’t complete high school, but after having two children of her own, Louise, 26, and Danielle, 22, she returned to studies and went on to complete a degree in Social Work. Ros also provided kin care for three of her relative’s children. Ros’s care for children extends far beyond her relatives. Over the past 24 years, Ros has assisted 14 people of the stolen generation find their families. She has also helped create the Building Strong Mothers and Babies program for Indigenous parents of Brisbane as well as support the young homelessness program of the greater Brisbane area. Now working as Manager, Senior State Negotiator Native Title Services Southern Region for the QLD Dept of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Ros is married to Wayne Dodson and is step-mum to his four children, Troy, 39, Ty, 37, Todd, 35, and Suelin, 33. Barnardos

I had goosebumps reading about Ros's life lesson's & achievements & felt inspired about my own - both acquired & to be attained. It got me thinking. what is the one thing as a mother, that I would like to impart on Ebony while she grows up? I thought long and hard. Keeping in mind that I am a first time mother to a young child & have yet to gain years of experience to make use of, I found this question quite daunting. How could I possibly impart any wisdom when I am trying to figure it all out myself? Then it came to me. I would encourage her to be kind to others naturally, but above all, be kind to herself. If she can be kind to herself through all of life's adversities' she will be a better woman because of it. If we strip away our family, our friends, our social status, our money - everything we have, we are left with ourselves. If we can love ourselves, be kind to ourselves when we make mistakes, our resilience to adapt & strengthen will be greater. Here is a woman who shows great resilience & who is an exemplary winner for Australia's Mother of the year 2012 - Ros Dodson.

Questions;

1. What made you accept the nomination for Mother of the year 2012 & begin the selection process to begin with? My daughter Danielle whom nominated me for the appreciation certificate, was so excited that I had been preselected as a Queensland finalist, I dare not let her down. So I accepted the nomination to be considered as a finalist amounts all the wonderful mums out there in Queensland and there are so many great mums, I did not think anything would eventuate from it anyway.
2. What do you see as your three greatest strengths? Being able to share my story, have compassion for children and my fellow human being and I think being open and ready to risk being hurt for the love of another person.
3. How would those closest to you describe you? I am not sure, I think it might be along these lines - honest, caring, compassionate and hard working.
4. What do you love most about being a mother? Being the one the child entrusted to you depends on to guide them, nurture them and encourage them to reach their full potential.
5. What's the one thing you would have done different as a mother? Put the demands other than parenting further at bay. So I could savour the most precious times with my children when they were still children. Time flys far to quickly.
6. What has been your greatest accomplishment? Giving birth to my daughters.
7. Have there been any disappointments or regrets? Yes, upon reflection, I would have loved to be a stay at home mum.
8. What advice would you give to your teenage self, if you could go back in time? Patience.
9. How has your view of the world changed with age/experience? It's truly amazing, we game our wisdom as we age, that's when we don't really need it as much as when we are young.
10. What do you look forward to in 2013? Making more time for the heart felt activities I want to do and not working for a salary. 

Further to our interview, Ros wanted it to be known that she would not have had the recognition as an every day mum and the contribution she makes to children in her life without the Award and recognition of Barnardos. An award that acknowledges the valuable contribution Mothers make in the development, nurturing and supportive role for our children as they grow into who they become.

www.barnardos.org.au What an inspiring woman.

I feel privileged and blessed to be part of an elite group of people called 'mums', you do an amazing job.
Bex x 

Happy New Year

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Happy New Year! We are back from our break away & raring to go, bring on 2013! I had intended to blog whilst away but with limited Internet access, amazing weather & gorgeous Beach's on our doorstep, it was never really going to happen... With two weeks of down time, it was nice to reflect on 2012 & all of the wonderful experiences (& not so wonderful experiences, luckily not many) we were blessed to encounter throughout the year.

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I am a firm believer that the people & experiences we have in life, aren't always the ones we want (or choose) but are always the one's we need. How else do we grow & become the people we are supposed to be, if we aren't challenged?

Our family is looking forward to actively making 2013 our best year yet. With travel on the horizon, family moving closer, house renovations (maybe??) exciting new foods & flavours to explore, spending more time with our beautiful (& inspiring) friends & family & simply choosing to let positive influences enter our home & lives, instead of being bogged down with the negative stuff... I am well excited about this new chapter in our lives titled '2013'.

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Love Bex x

Summer time

Wow summer is definitely here, this past week has been hot, hot, hot! We finally got around to buying Ebony a blow up splash pool, for the back yard. It is hands down the best $10 we have ever spent. She played all afternoon in it until she had turned all wrinkly & we decided it best to get her out.

Oh happy days little Rose x

Meditation, Nature & Toddlers

i know what your thinking meditation, nature & toddlers all in the same sentence, it must be a typo? sure nature & meditation make sense & toddlers & nature fit but all three together? okay, maybe not meditation in the capacity of nirvana, as in the imperturbable stillness of mind (got to keep an eye on these toddlers!) but meditation merely as a form of relaxation can certainly be achieved with nature & toddlers. in fact it seems to be one of the few places i can completely switch off from my care as a mother & companion & undividedly enjoy my time with Ebony, without any distractions. (did my washing machine just beep - back in a moment)...

i have always had a great affinity with the outdoors. from a young age my three sisters & i would be off exploring our local surroundings, whether it be our next door neighbours farm in NSW or the countryside in our backyard in QLD. we have always had great opportunity's to get outside & appreciate nature. climbing trees, playing games as a family, exploring local cemeteries, family road trips to the beach, picnic's, you name it we did it outside & we loved it! growing up as a teenager & young adult my love for the outdoors grew. from bush walking, hiking, rock climbing, canoing, camping, travelling, canyoning, white water kayaking & rafting i found myself most relaxed, most happiest, my most comfortable outside. i am present.

it wasn't until i started meditation classes just recently that i  understood my affinity with nature lies much deeper than a love for the outdoors.

according to meditation philosophies our very being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, feeling of the breeze. These experiences wake something up inside of us, and help to set our lives into a more natural rhythm meditation oasis. meditation i have learnt, can be done while sitting, standing or walking, with eyes opened or closed. Buddhist monks involve 'awareness' in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training in an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way.

the benefits of meditation are countless & significant, the results are profound. but i am hardly a guru in this area, quite the opposite in fact. having just started my journey with meditation i have a lot to learn & discover. tip of the iceberg comes to mind... i have gained however, in such a small amount of time, a broader perspective on events in my life & found that living better is easier with the rhythm of nature.

i love the affect nature has on my family. when Ebony is irritable or inconsolable i remove her from her indoor environment & simply take her outside for a walk or play in the garden. the effects are almost instant. the sound of the trees, birds, natural hums & vibrations provided by mother nature calm her little soul, & everything in her world (& mine) is at peace once again.

have you had any experiences with meditation, nature & toddlers? or perhaps one of the three? i'd love to hear from you, drop me a line below x

Family

 

 

 

it has been a long week at our neck of the woods. Ebony had her 1st gymnastics class which was super exciting for our energetic toddler! we had another opportunity to get adventurous & go for a hike with my wonderful girlfriends & new baby carrier!! (so stay tuned for the Summit Track - Mt. Cootha post) & a couple of Ebony's bottom teeth finally came through (it came with a couple sleepless nights & big cuddles/sleeps in mama & papa's bed too). so what better way to finish it all off than celebrating my older sister's birthday @ Moo Moo restaurant in Brisbane city. my wonderful husband gave me the night off to let my hair down (literally, i seem to wear it up in a bun now that i am a mummy!) and a rare occasion to get dressed up. it was a fabulous night with my sisters & ma & pa (Sarah we were thinking of you nudge, nudge). these people are my world. x

 

 

Burleigh Heads - Rock pools

i used to love visiting the beach as a child with my family & exploring all of the rockpools in low tide. it seemed only fitting then that as soon as Ebony could walk we would share this experience with her. it was wonderful... to see the intensity on her face as she foraged through pools of water to pick up shells, chase seagull's on the shore & to haphazardly wander through sandcastles made by older children was bliss. not to mention how well she slept that night!

 

 

what i hadn't considered when i was younger & even up until now, was how much planning actually goes into a 'simple' trip to the beach, with bubs in tow... there is always so much to pack when going out with a toddler!

the last thing we wanted to be doing was carrying a whole heap of gear when navigating our way across the sand to find a perfect 'spot'. for those of you that have tried to push a pram through sand with beach bags on top know that this is near impossible (**pulling a pram is always easiest or try leaving the pram in the car, depending on how lucky you were with a park!**) after all wasn't the whole idea of going to the beach to relax with the family and have a stress free day?

so how much  gear do you actually need to take to the beach?? or more importantly WHAT do you need to take to the beach with a toddler?

our Top 10 things to pack when going to the beach with a toddler
 most importantly, pack light.

 

1. first of all you will need a large beach bag. a bag with dividers & pockets will make finding the smaller stuff later on alot easier!
2. sunscreen - an all natural, preservative free sunscreen is a good idea.
3. towels
4. water & sippy cups, if your child uses these (keep an eye on your toddler & the sand with the cup!)
5. Food & snacks
6. Hat & swimming clothing + dry clothing after a swim
7. nappies - swim nappies are very popular for toddlers - wipes & tissues 
8.  Bucket & spade or some beach friendly toys - a ball can be quite fun. I picked up a balloonball at Mathildas Markets' which has proven to be a great purchase. we fold up the cover for the 'balloon ball' for easy packing & blow the balloon up when we get to our designated play area.
9. Umbrella/ sun tent
10. Camera! I can't believe how quickly they grow...

 

Balloon Balls move a lot slower in the air than standard balls, making them easier for younger children to learn the basics of catching, kicking and bouncing, and are safe for babies and toddlers as they conceal the inner balloon and reduce the risk of swallowing small pieces of popped balloon. when the balloon goes down, you just need to insert a new one and inflate it to keep re-using.

 

i'd love to hear what other families take to the beach, drop me a comment below x

Brisbane Powerhouse

 

 

Ebony-Rose & i were lucky enough to hang out with Ebony's godmother Anna this week, so we packed in as much as we could to make the most of our time together. stopping off in the Valley first we grabbed some takeaway from The Tea Master (for those of you that have not tried the vegetarian delights from this restaurant need to check it out!) & headed off to New Farm Park for a picnic. being a weekday we had alot of room to spread out & enjoy this little oasis just outside the city. The Jacarandas in full bloom looked amazing, sprinkling the park with little purple flowers.

 

 

 New Farm Park is a fantasy wonderland for little minds (& big minds too...) most of the adventure playground equipment is built in the middle of the most amazing Banyan fig trees. the root systems on these trees are particularly specatcular & are worth taking a look just for themselves.

 

 

 after our tummies were completly satisfied & Eb's was thoroughly exhausted from all of her climbing, running, sliding & exploring we stopped by the Brisbane Powerhouse to check out the photography exhibition ,'Galapagos Surreal' By Fernando Espinosa Chauvin.

 what an amazing city we live in so much to see & do! until next time...