Isabellas family birthday party

On Isabellas actual birthday we had her family party (I will eventually charge our camera batteries and get photos up of her opening presents and will put my memory card into hubbys phone and get her first day of school photos on here.Better putting something up then not at all right?!).Again we were so fortunate that my big brothers girlfriend A took a few photos for us!!!I love them though and plan on putting them all in a photo book soon.

 When we asked Isabella what colour she wanted the family cake castle to be,she said blue (cute story,her little friend Vili put something in his card about her having a blue cake which influenced her idea :) ).

 Sienna and Grandpa (Steves Dad) blowing bubbles

 Miss Sienna and that friggin party blower! (those slowly 'disappeared' :p )

 Isabella blowing out her candles.

She wanted to be a tiger again!!!Makes a pretty gorgeous tiger though :)

Isabella had such a fun day and LOVED being the centre of attention!!

Birthday walk

At Montessori they do a birthday walk.I dont fully understand it,but they ask the parents to write down milestones for each year of their childs life,they read it out at the birthday walk,walk around the "sun" for each year then at the end light a candle then all the kids sing happy birthday and get all excited about whatever treats the parents have bought in for them all :p

It is actually pretty cool and unique.

So these are photos from Isabellas 5th birthday walk (again thank you to S for taking these so I could use our camera to video it for Steve.Again,not all the photos,trying to not get other kids in them is hard!!).

 Being a bit bossy hahaha.Beginning of her birthday walk

 Walking around the "sun"

 Blowing out her candle :)

 hahaha her adorable cake covered face!The kindy were awesome and gave her a drink bottle and swimming bag!

 With Malachi and Sienna

And Nana (Steves mum) and Grandma (my mum)

Isabella's 5th 'friend' birthday party

Yeah thats right!Isabella got two birthday parties this year,our house is not laid out to practically have over 50 people in it!But she loved it :D

On the 2nd of February she her friend party.Oh my gosh,so much fun!!!!15 kids between 8months-6 years.I thought it would be so hard to do but (Im hoping here) everyone had a blast!
Now both Steve and I are so slack about taking photos at important events,so thank God for S who took photos on the day,what a God send!

This isnt all the photos (I dont like to put photos of other peoples kids on here),but how awesome are they?!!!

Her birthday invitation (thank you to my big brother for helping me out and figuring out  doing all the hard work in making these for her!What a flippin cool man.

 The crepe paper flag bunting that we had in the lunge,out the front door,in the dining room and all along the back fence.I reckon it looked pretty cool

 As requested,a pink castle cake....

 ....that was a rainbow inside!!

 How do you tell a 5 year old that presents should be opened in an orderly fashion,not at the front door as soon as someone walks in?!

 Isabella wanted to wear this tiger hat for most of her party (which is why she looks all sweaty haha)

 S told me that Sienna requested she take multiple photos of her on the tramp.I love this photo though!!

 It wasnt supposed to work out this way,but Sienna was so stoked she won the prize for pass the parcel!

 Ignore me in this...but pin the tail on the donkey!!!!!!! (we only did two games,and I think we were lucky all the kids were from Montessori,otherwise neither game would have been played lol)

And our beautiful Isabella!!!!!

Last school visit

I woke up this morning and realise that at 12pm today I was in labour with Isabella!Where the heck has the last 5 years gone??!It honestly feels like only yesterday I was ringing Steve and telling him I thought I was really in labour (I shouldn't have been such an eager beaver for it hahaha considering Isabella wasn't born until 1.26pm on the Sunday!). I'm feeling like I should have really listened to my Nan when she told me to really enjoy and treasure these years because I would never get that kind of time with her again.Trying to have no regrets but I'm aware I focussed too often on the housework and things other than simply just playing with my kids.But at least I have been trying harder in that department the last few months :)

Anyway,Isabella had her last school visit today.Her kindy teacher,Ms. Yu came with us (for part of her training I think).We went to what will be her class,hung her bag up,she sat on the mat.Stupid day for a visit really as it was school assembly,she didn't want to line up with the class without me and spent the next hour off and on quietly crying (kid knows how to break me heart!).Once she got back to the class she settled in a lot more,thank God!They did the abc's,and here is where I started to think 'thank God she goes to a Montessori kindy',she knew all the sounds for the alphabet (when the teacher said at home we are not to focus on the name of the letter but rather the sound,another thank God for Montessori moment-there were a lot of those!).The kids then broke off into separate activities,and the teacher talked to another mum and I (her sons birthday is the same day as Isabella's and will be starting on Monday with her),and was telling us how hard it is for kids starting to be focussed on one activity and to have to clean up after themselves and to be responsible.Again,THANK GOD FOR MONTESSORI.I talked to Ms. Yu about it and she said Isabella will have no problem settling in because it is so similar to Montessori.You have no idea how much it eased my mind hearing all this and being able to think she's going to be fine.It has worried me,especially with her crying the last few visits.

She was fine and when morning tea time rolled around she was happy to go off and play,and bless her little friend Zaria,she came and found Isabella and played with her.She is so excited about starting school,and I hope and pray this is the start of an amazing at least 13 years of schooling for her!

(there was this one boy who will be in her class-unfortunately-in front of the whole school he punched his teacher,the principal took him off for a while,he came back and started doing it again and then announced to us his mum is naughty for something she put in his lunch.Its not funny that his behaviour is like that,but the other mum and I were giggling in a "this is awful,what kind of kid does that,what do we do" kind of giggling.I have never seen a child act like that before!.Maybe I should be praying for him??And for his teacher to have patience.Yikes!)

Oh and when I chatted to her teacher (so much for me being shy huh?!) I asked if she does parent help,and seriously she told me she has never had a parent ask to help out in the classroom!She said we could sort out a day that would suit when I bring Isabella in on Monday :) I was so nervous asking,seriously,I dont know why I worry hahaha.The teacher was so enthusiastic about me helping,it was nice really.

And now that  I have spent some time writing this,I need to go ice the 40 muffins I baked for Isabella's kindy thing that you do on their birthdays :p Eloquent aye?!

I am seriously not old enough to have a 5 year old! Don't be surprised if you find me on Tuesday rocking in a corner :p (Monday doesn't count,Sienna will be at home with me lol).

I am a little bit of a blog stalker.Yup...But anyway I was reading Life of a Pint-Sized Mama today and she had written this:

To the mom who lacks purpose.

To the mom who feels like she's not doing enough.

To the mom who wishes she could do more, give more, be more.

To the mom who hopes her life's work amounts to more than the occasionally bathed child.

To the mom who feels like her dreams might be trapped under a pile of wooden blocks and laundry.

To myself. To my tired body and my eager heart. To me, as I face myself in the mirror every morning:

Your job is of incredible significance.

You mean more to your children than they know how to express.

You are a teacher, a friend, a role model, and reflection of the heart of God.

Your job is an opportunity to daily learn humility, service, patience, and gratefulness.

You will look back in not too many years and wish that there was a mountain of tiny laundry to fold.

Your lack of sleep, desperate prayers, sea of tears, and countless apologies will someday all be worth it. 

How awesome is this?!What a good reminder of what being a Mum is all about and how worth it is at the end of the day!Both Steve and I are struggling with our girls at the moment. Hes gone from 6-5,5 days a week,comes home and I'm stressed because the girls are really playing up at the moment.I don't know if its the heat,or whether its in Isabella's case because shes so more than ready for school.Either way,what a challenge.But Im glad I read this today,its a big reminder of why it is all worth it.And like I keep saying and thinking all the time,its our jobs as their parents to guide them and we are responsible for how they turn out.Instead of freaking out about it I am trying super hard to remind myself that it is an amazing privilege,and one I wouldnt give up for anything in the world.

Life of a Pint-Sized Mama

My faith has been renewed in family!My brother and I had a brother-sister date (in a non gross way annnnd I know my brother wouldn't describe it as such :p ) this morning.We ended up sitting in Starbucks for over 3 hours chatting.I decided to bring up-again-our decision to go to a LDS church,and he amazed me,no criticism,nothing.We agreed to disagree on most some things,but seriously he was more then willing to listen as I explained my reasons for wanting to try this church out.It shouldn't have surprised me but it did (in a good way lol).It has in an awesome way made me remember why I have always been so close to my brother.

Not that he will probably ever read this blog,but if for some reason you do G,thank you so much,it meant so much to me!

(oh and how much more awesome is he for going into clothing shops with me?!Don't know many brothers who would do that-I was his ride home so maybe he just couldn't escape without having to walk his way home?).

On a funny note,picked the girls up from kindy,Isabella insists to me and the teacher she was stung by a bee (she is badly allergic to them),20 minutes later,talking to a frantic teacher then another teacher tells me she pulled a rose thorn out of Isabella's finger,and Isabella still insists not only was it a bee but it was a bee leg they had to take out :p Kids are awesome!

I have hmm'ed and haaaéd about writing about this.I even wrote a post a few weeks ago and deleted it!

I have written before about what churches we grew up in,what happened for us to stop going to church.Over Christmas (because it was the first time in a long time Steve and I had time to talk to each other for longer then an hour at a time),we (really mostly me) decided we wanted to try out a LDS (Mormon) church.We have gone two Sundays and so far so good.Doctrine is a lot different to what we grew up with and its a bit hard to sort through it all.But its the first time in years (like 6!) that I have felt comfortable in a church and didn't want to head for the door and leave as soon as I walk in (spiritual stuff can give me the heebie jeebies now,but I go with my gut feeling a lot of the time,which I think is the Holy Spirit letting me know what's right and not.So feeling good in a church is my sign to keep trying it)

It is a massive step for us and not one we have or are taking lightly.We aren't decided on anything yet,and I know not everyone understands this but I wont join any church unless we do so as a family,which includes my husband.So time will tell.I have decided I don't want to be hiding anything so haven't hidden it from my family and friends (it is up to Steve to tell his family).I have had only one friend be ok with it,the rest aren't happy and neither are my family.Which sucks.I try so hard to be loving and accepting of everyone and their choices that it is hard and hurtful for me that people I love cant and aren't doing the same for me.I'll get over it haha,I mean the same people were so vocally opposed to Steve and I getting married,and here we are 7 years in and still together!So maybe we do make good choices lol.

But yeah,huge step for us.BUT it was so SO adorable and heart warming yesterday when Isabella and Sienna were playing and I could hear them singing "I am a child of God,he has sent me here".I forget that though we teach them about God at home,they have missed out on learning the Sunday school songs that we were taught.Hearing their little voices singing that melted my heart!

So for all of the 6 people that read this :p Keep us in your thoughts as we start on this new adventure!