#3027 Family Saturdays

I used to feel like I HAD to be doing lots of busy, social, outward things on the weekend to feel good, productive, happy about myself and my life.

And while being social and seeing people IS fun, I have learnt to embrace this quiet, routine, family part of my life, on Saturdays.

The trip to the shops with the kids – coffee, treats, groceries, and baby boy running amuck.

Chilling at home/walks around the front and back yard with baby boy.

Doing some kind of ‘passion task’/house stuff as baby boy naps.

Then a homecooked, or junk food style homecooked meal made with Hubbie when he gets home from work – tonight, spaghetti bolognaise. 😋

Lots of fun, games and craziness ensues. Music, dancing, clapping (ALL OF US NOW!)

Ice cream with chocolate topping on the couch.

Talking, connecting, bonding. Tickles and laughs too.

(Come to think of it, we get less ‘quiet’ as the day goes on!)

They are the best days/nights. 🥰

#2873 First beach visit Summer ’23

I had a lot of things that made me happy today.

My Saturday morning coffee date with baby girl and baby boy, where I furiously feed him, and myself, trying to keep my shit together while listening to baby girl at the same time. 💖🤣

Playing ball with baby girl in the house as baby boy napped, and cracking up laughing over silly things like “don’t laugh” “don’t smile” “don’t bounce the ball” and then doing the very opposite. 🤣

Finally, Hubbie thought of the lovely idea of going out to dinner this very early evening. We obviously aren’t as able to do this as we used to, but we knew if we stayed local, plus went early, it would work with baby boy’s schedule.

But baby boy slept in slightly today (after yesterday’s later bedtime due to surprising 3rd nap in car!) and that meant everything moved later… so his bedtime, could also move later. 💪

After a really nice, fast dinner (🤣) where we kept baby boy busy with his food and Wiggles on YouTube, we decided in the 6:30pm daylight savings light that we had time to visit the beach. Which was conveniently right across the road from the restaurant.

It was the best idea. It was simply a short, not even 10 minute stay. We took pics, walked onto the sand, and all the way down to the water. Baby girl got her feet sandy, and wet, and did cartwheels. Baby boy squinted against the light, staring at the water like “what is this giant bath?”

Hubbie and I just smiled like, ‘good idea.’ 😁😁

So, it’s been a good day. 🙏🥰🌅😍

#2561 Let the games begin

We are on a very short family holiday spell… as of tonight.

It was mine and Hubbie’s last day of work, for a little over half a week… and sure, we are going to chill, do holiday stuff, go to holiday places, and try to sightsee, as well as relax majorly.

Tonight was the opening ceremony for all that, so we headed to a predictable fave restaurant that we like to go to, and followed it with some games.

Baby girl was almost screaming the place down as the motorbike swung her from side to side, and it really was fabulous to watch, and hear… it was the sound of freedom, and many fun times to come. 🥰💞

#2554 Visions for our new chair

Tonight we got a new chair for our deck.

It’s an egg chair. You know those dome-shaped things that hang off a strong hook, and sway slightly?

Our deck is actually its second home. My sister and bro-in-law very kindly dropped it off tonight, as they don’t want it anymore. When they asked us, we did some thinking and thought, maybe it could have another purpose in our yard?

And I love it, not just because we have a brand new thing (nothing like a brand new thing to excite you!) but having loved ones over on a weeknight, really makes you realise it is holiday time.

HOLIDAY VIBES!

Apart from the great company tonight, is the knowledge that all of us will be using the egg chair for varied and happy reasons.

Hubbie might sit in it and enjoy music from the portable speaker while sipping on a cold bevvy. 😉🍺

Baby girl might read in it or do her latest fave activity, play on the Nintendo. 📖🎮

I might read in it, or just sit, because you know, movement is becoming an issue as of late. 😂🤰

And in about a month or so, I might just be rocking a baby to sleep in there. 🤱🙏

The best vision of all. 🥰😍

#2549 The new gamers on the block

I am trying to relax and have as much down time as I can these holidays.

So it kinda comes as perfect timing that we bought baby girl a Nintendo Switch for Christmas.

This was a BIG present, for her, and us. But we came to reason that a) she was old enough, b) she wanted it and outright asked for it, and c) we might be home a lot more over the next few months/year, so I want her to have something to keep her busy for when she’s bored!

Today she got to play it for the first time after we set it up. She was so happy, jumping on the couch and squealing with glee as she took her character around the maps in Mario Kart. After a while she said to me “can you play with me?”

You bet I did! I didn’t need any arm twisting. I love a good game as much as the next person, and though I’m not a child, those days where I played my sister’s hand-me-down Commodore 64, my bro-in-law’s Sega, the Gameboy my cousin passed down to me, or the Nintendo 64 I bought myself at Cash Converters, those days of gaming in front of the screen feel really close in memory, even though they are far away in years!

I used to love it, and today, I loved it!

We sat next to each other, playing competitively. Laughing as we threw things at each other, overtook one another, and raced through the finish line. When we were done with the 4 maps of the race, she asked for another round… and even though I had stuff to do, I agreed! 🤦‍♀️ I can see how one gets sucked into this kind of thing, and I dare say that won’t be the last time I say yes, giving a royal ‘stuff you’ to my chores!

I totally lost… one game out of all of them I won, but she won overall. I was so cranky, I was like “that’s it, I’m shitty, not playing again.”

Guess what happened tonight?

We were playing again! 🤣

Taking advantage of these laid-back, mother-daughter game sesh’s while I can…

#2475 A new traitor

So, many moons ago, I used to LOVE a show called The Mole.

It’s not in production anymore, but it involved a group of people competing for challenges to add money to the ‘money pot’ in order to be in the running to win the whole lot at the end.

If they correctly guessed The Mole, that is.

One of them was a mole. Someone chosen by the production team to try to sabotage their money-making efforts, and as the audience we didn’t even know who it was until the end.

I love these kind of mystery shows. Actually, I don’t think there are enough on TV… but tonight I got lucky.

There is a new player on the block. And it is called, The Traitors.

It has a very similar premise. A group of people are playing for an end money prize, but there is a traitor, or in this case, traitors, trying to sabotage their efforts and go home themselves with the money.

The insane difference to this show that I watched tonight, was we watched the host tap the shoulder of who was chosen to be the traitors… so we as the audience are in on it!

The mystery! The mind games! The gossip, the intrigue, the guessing, oh my oh my oh my.

I am in my element. I have a new fave TV show. I am all for this premise, and I hope to God that others love it too so it comes back again and again.

The game begins!

#2410 Plans and parties

I should have grown used to hiccups by now. After all of these years of delays and roadblocks, really, I shouldn’t be surprised.

And there was a damn full moon today too. 🤔

But we are nearly there. Sure there were times today I felt quite down about things not going to plan… but I won’t focus on those, because they are not part of the gratitude ‘quota.’

Instead I will pat myself and Hubbie on the back for all of our hard work done! All the tasks we achieved. The fun that is going to erupt. The playlists we tested out.

The awesome day that is going to be had. 😁

There is a lot of life that you can’t control. But what we can control is our attitude, and we will go in tomorrow smiling, music pumping, drinks flowing, food in abundance, and with games galore to keep old-er and young, happy. 💖🥰

#2372 Wordle progress

Here it is.

Now I’ve had a lot of heart attacks during my time playing this, evidenced by the 13 times I made it to the 6th row, like tonight. 😬😬

But overall I have done well, and it’s not just the 159 streak that makes me happy…

It’s the group play, the fact that my friends and I share in our group chat our result each day, we all have a day that we pick a word (yes we are that slightly obsessed) and it just brings us together each day, sometimes when nothing else does.

With that in mind, let’s definitely keep it going. 🙏🥰

#2277 Thank God it’s Friday

It is cold.

I can hear trees rustling in the wind, and their branches squeaking against the fence.

CCs sit reliably next to me. (🤣)

Yes. Yes, it must be Friday.

Some weeks are easier, some are harder. This one just past felt long.

I am soooo enjoying this Friday.

All I can think is yes, it’s Friday.

Yes, it’s Friday. And I will sit here, bundled with a throw on the couch, watching Dawson’s Creek, snacking, playing wordle and heardle and any other -dle game you wanna throw at me, ’til I grow sleepy, then I’ll lazily go up to bed.

Friday. 💖

#2235 Disney sing-a-long

Sharing some cute moments with baby girl tonight. 💖

So she’s playing a game on her ipad, and there’s this Disney princess soundtrack playing behind the game in the background…

All night the songs are changing and we’re bursting out with –

“That’s Belle.”

“Pocahontas.”

“And at last I see the light,

And it’s like the fog has lifted.” (Rapunzel!)

“Under Da Sea!” (Surely this one’s obvious).

“And no one knooowwws, how far it gooooeeeessss.” (Moana).

And then the killer, where she stood on the couch and I burst forth too with our little Frozen re-enactment:

“For the first time in forever,

There’ll be magic, there’ll be fun,

For the first time in forever,

I could be noticed by someone!”

Um, can you tell we both love Disney? And breaking out into song?

😂😂😂😂

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