I'm baaack!!

From retreat that is :) I had a great time away - it was sooo therapeutic to be out of the house, no kids, no stress, no pressure and just be with like minded people who didn't judge and we just laughed and laughed!!! I'll have piccies and more in my crafty blog maybe later this evening or tomorrow depending on when fatigue catches up with me ;)

The thing I've really noticed when getting home is just how much I missed my kids and yeah, I guess Nathan too :P Dommy seems to have grown up soooo much over the last 3 days!! I know the reality is that he hasn't, but the time away opened my eyes on how he really is a big boy now - he's no longer a baby :( That's sad but so exciting a the same time. He's such a gorgeous kid, really happy and caring and sharing at the same time. He's so smart and inquisitive - this boy really is a full time job to keep entertained and have his curiosity satiated - and I love that!! I love that he has a thirst for knowledge and a love of life.

the older children are also growing up before my eyes. I detected the first ever so slight crack in Aleksandir's voice. He's on the cusp of becoming a man and so confused about himself and where his place in this world still - but I know that he's happy at home and that makes me confident that he will in time start to feel comfortable within himself - we simply need to continue to be a rock for him at home to which he can anchor himself to and know that there are places that he can come to if he falls or needs a hand... It's scary for me to see him grow into a man, I know that he'll grow and move out of home sooner that I want him to, I know that I'll always worry about my special boy... but I'm so proud of all he has done and all he has become in such a short time, and how far he will go - he has the determination to achieve I hope that we can get some assistance in helping him with his self confidence and learning to like himself soon so his potential can be reached.

Kahli is very very quickly becoming a young woman. She's fast becoming a teenage girl and I thin I can see a little girliness creep into her!!! She's starting to notice more about herself and become a little more aware about her moods and behaviour which is a HUGE step for her. She's always been the little spitfire of a red bead - which can be adorable in a little toddler at times, but as a bigger kid it was rather wearing!! I have no idea where life is going to lead her, but I know that prety soon we'll be needing to fight the boys off with a bat - she's a very good looking girl, and I think under all her lacking of confidence, she knows that... How to stop her becoming vain - I've no idea... Hopefully she'll take any compliments and attention she gets with grace...

William is learning that he has a skill for art. It's in the blood really as pop was always drawing and made a living as a sign writer in his later years. Pop fostered a love of art in me and I hope that I can pass this on to William :) Wil is as the others are growing incredibly fast. I think he's making up for his many years of not growing when he was younger because he's shooting up and becoming a bean pole - just the other day he was wearing his size 8 jeans and holding them up with Domeniks little size 1 belt!!! It fit Wil perfectly!!! He's not emaciated - he muscly (for a boy) but there's not one ounce of fat on him!!! A very healthy and active growing boy!!! William seems to be very popular, which has brought with it it's own problems.. mostly with his behavioral and language at times mimicking those who he's been having around with at school - not the prettiest, but he knows and accepts any correction or punishment if required quite well once it's explained to him. He seem to be quite adaptable and even though he's only 9 years old he at times seems much wiser beyond his years - he's going to go far in this world if he can keep out of the bad crowds... He is such an intelligent and quick witted boy - my hands are full but I know that he repays it with love and I pray that this continues as he gets older...

So, besides me finally relaxing I've had my eyes opened and have come to realise that I can't fight my children growing up. It's not all bad, I'm so proud of them and can see that they all have potential to be brilliant young men and women. I love that they love me, that they are usually well mannered and at the moment walking what seems to be the right path in life for them. They are intelligent in their own ways, caring, loving and depsite all their fighting and harsh words I know that they love each other and will always be there to protect each others backs...

I guess I've learned to acknowledge that my family despite its foibles and daily grind is a loving family that functions and love each other... I love them, they love me... and even though I wasn't in the house for almost 3 days things didn't fall apart - they held everything together... For that I'm secretly (don't tell him though) proud of Nathan and the kids. I think we're heading down the right road for once - and we're doing it together and with confidence.. We're finding ourselves on this track and finally growing up - all of us.

Another Aspie "moment"

This morning we had bedlam in the house....

To run up to the situation I should explain that the kids school had a renowned teen book illustrator (Craig Smith I believe - I'll confirm this when I'm suitably alert LOL) come to the school early this week. There was a master class where 30 students in the school would have a private session with him and to get into this master class they had to have their parents write a letter explaining the childs involvement in art, the child then also had to complete an answer as to why they like art and what art means to them and then they had to include 3 pieces of artwork to the application. From this (as I mentioned earlier) 30 students in the whole school were selected. My 3 older kids all applied... And William was lucky enough to be selected!! he was the youngest approved applicant and over the moon!!!

So on Tuesday William had his master class with Craig Smith and came home all excited that he had one of his own drawings autographed by the artist!!! it has been his prized possession and all Wil wanted to do was draw and draw and draw ever since!!!

So what is this moment I'm talking about???

Well Aleks has always loved art. He's not bad at it either, it's been a way for him to express himself, but when his little brother was accepted for this opportunity and not him he became very jealous. He missed the general class session with Craig Smith because he pulled a sickie on Tuesday - he didn't know that the classes were having general sessions until the next day when he found out that he had missed the opportunity once again...

So this morning at around 6.30am all i could hear was the boys screaming and fighting. William was inconsolable and it was all I could do to get him calm enough to find out what had happened. Aleks was was walking down the hallway to his bedroom, I could tell he was shutting down and no emotion in him at all. So we get out of William that Aleks took his autographed picture and had thrown it into the fire. It was gone :(

I've no idea where to go with this one. We were hoping that Craig Smith was going to be at the school again today so we could get another picture autographed, but no, he's already gone :( We've had absolutely nothing from Aleks in relation to what happened. It;s as though it never happened - he has however been trying to get William to take his art kits from him... so I know he understands he has done wrong and has some emotion about it all - I just wish at times that we could break down the brick wall that is around his emotive side and get through to him that he can't lash out and then shut down like this !!!

It's been a while since I've had to deal with him doing something like this.. He used to be quite viscous and hostile with his actions, he'd shut down and become very spiteful - with no emotions or anything of the like... it';s so hard to explain. But I saw this in Aleks again this morning.. I know there's not much we can do until we've ran the gamut of testing etc again through the school... but deep down it's shaken me... I thought we were past this non-responsive state... it looks like we can't be complacent with this at all anymore... Not only has he now shown the capability to destroy items again, but he's done this with a lit fire!!! this really scares me, if his sleeve caught alight what would happen whilst he's in a shut down state??? I just don't know...

He's getting so big too - he's taller than me now... I hate to think what he could do or how I would restrain him if I ever have to again.... I think I need to get back onto the school counselors to speed up this testing... I think we're going to need help and soon with Aleks - and especially for the other kids to cope if things to escalate, they can't ever feel they're being pushed aside and Aleks is being cossetted because of bad behaviour - they don't understand at the moment that Aleks is different, and that we're dealing with something even adults sometimes don't cope with - they don't need to be lumbered with this condition as well... it's not their fault!!! for that matter it's not Alek's fault either - it's no one's fault!!! We've been told things can get worse at puberty - I hope they don't get as bad as they were many years ago... I want my loving big boy to be happy, adjusted and comfortable in his own skin - I didn't think that was ever too much to ask.....

Not Long Now....

Until we head off for the retreat! It's in an are of Victoria I'm totally NOT familiar with so getting there will be an adventure for me - Luckily I've got the gorgeous Vicki to come along and she know's where she going - kinda LOL

It's such a weird experience for me to be traveling in areas I don't know... I've grown up very familiar with Tassie from when dad was a truckie and we used to sit in the back of his truck (he had a sleeper berth) and we'd go along for the ride - seat-belts weren't mandatory then.. hmmm not that safe now that I think about it!! LOL So I've known just about all the roads of Tassie from a baby girl.. to be traveling areas and not know what they look like, where to turn off etc etc is really foreign to me - another thing to add to the excitement!!! :)

So I think I've packed too much already - I need to cull what's in my scrapping bags - oh clothes, easy peasy... when you don't have that big a selection it kinda selects itself ;) But scrapping supplies... that's another thing... I don't know what I'll need exactly so want to be prepared for anything, but know I can't take everything!!!! I've got tomorrow to get things finalised because we'll be leaving reasonably early Friday morning - and returning Sunday afternoon - a weekend with no kids!! that's going to be bliss!!!! Well, except for coming home to a bombsite, but it'll be worth it ;)

So the countdown is on, bags are already groaning at what is in them... and I'm getting nervous about meeting a heap of people I've chatted to online but never actually met... all the insecurities are zooming around my head but I'm trying to push them aside.... I'm sure they are all as lovely as they seem to be online - hey I know they will be.. my insecurities lie within myself - I'll get over it I know... it all takes time - one little step at a time...


Most of all I KNOW it's going to be a great weekend ;)

About to have a *moment*

Augh!! I'm feeling so blah today!!! Tired, no strike that physically exhausted!! My brain feels like mush and I really feel like sitting down and bursting into tears from exhaustion!! I know it's mostly hormonal oh, you know that dreaded cycle we women put up with Grrr.... Anyways it's dreadful here at the moment.

Nathan's snapping - or is it just the way I'm reading it - dunno, really couldn't care less at the moment LOL Just wallowing in my miserableness (wow! I didn't realise that was actually a word!!!) He's started re-arranging the house - something he used to do all the time on leave... Something he's obviously still doing when on holidays!!! It's probably going to work out for the better because when we moved in here we had no furniture and when it arrived we didn't experiment because we were just so happy to have a house and be 'home'... but still - it's not helping my misery guts at the moment ;)

I've also got Aleks home with what appears to be the flu - so in kind I'm hoping he's not sharing it with me and that's why I'm feeling *blah* School sent him home yesterday with a headache/earache so I spent all day nursing a pre-teen who thought he was sick enough to be home from school but well enough to be up playing the PS hmmmmmm yeah - kids hey ;)

Anyways, I'm here wallowing... wallow, wallow, wallow.... I really should do something productive today but thinking I'll just sit down and finish some swaps for the month and vegetate ;)

Foot in Mouth???

Do you ever feel like you're always saying the wrong thing or don't know what to say in social situations? Well that is me. I'm so socially awkward and unsure of myself it's been easier to avoid social situations rather than constantly feel like I'm so inept in something as simple as conversation. I often feel (even if it's not said or indicated) that I've said or done the wrong thing. Often I find that there's a funny little silence when I'm around as though no one knows what to say or do - myself mostly there too...

It could be me totally mis-reading the situation too... I know I can be sensitive to things like that...

But this evening someone we know recently lost a baby. She posted on a social networking site that she couldn't believe that she wasn't pregnant and wishing those who were pregnant that they have healthy babies. Anyways I (in my stupid non thinking way) went forward and commented, saying that she should be kind to herself, not feel any guilt and that we were thinking of her. She quickly came back with that she wasn't feeling any guilt and all is getting better... I think I could have offended her. I don't know to be certain, but I feel I've said the wrong thing to have her come back so quickly...

Anyhoos, this is my life. Trying to so the right thing, be supportive etc... let people have a shoulder to cry one and I so often feel I've not said or done the right thing, let alone offended people with stupid things like this.

I know my heart is in the right place. I really do care about my friends and family, I guess that I want them to know I'm here for them... but all too often foot in mouth syndrome kicks in!!!!

Mummy Guilt....

really suck doesn't it! I'm pushing it aside and trying to look forward to relaxing next weekend at the Scraphappy Kat's retreat...

I know I need to relax, it's just been totally confirmed by Ursula's recent visit (and she came back for a second, however but less poisonous visit last night)

I'm hoping that I can shake off the last few months and really relax and feel 'safe'. that feels really funny saying that. I don't know if 'safe' is really the right word or not, but less anxious I guess... I can't really put my finger on it. I want to feel that I have people around me who are happy and want me to be there, that will be friends with no knives in the back kind of situation - the situation that I've been living these past 2 years.

I'm trying not to be so cynical. If you asked me this time last year about being cynical I would have laughed at you - I wasn't as cynical and feeling as burnt and blistered this time last year. i had faith that the people we have befriended were going to be our friends, and a good strong long term friendship...

But then I don't want the evil they brought into my life to dampen any future friendships and relationships I have.

I want to feel carefree again, I don't want to be sitting here thinking that they're only my friend for a reason or they're just pretending etc etc...

I know this feeling will pass in time - I just with that time would fast forward so I can relax and stop thinking that I have to do something to have someone be my friend - I want to know that they want me to be their friend because they like me, not for that I bring to them...

This probably sounds really stupid, but I know that stories are still being bandies about in Tassie - I'm so happy I'm not there... because if I was I would have no idea who to trust, I'd feel so unsafe not physically, but emotionally and with my reputation - it's amazing how someone in a reasonably places position in society can all but wipe someone out with their lies because of their own jealousies! I wont let them beat me, but it's sure hard to keep getting back up!!!

So here I am, open, raw and trying to find myself... trying to realise that i do have positives that I don't need to 'earn' friendships... I want to be the 5 year old in the school yard who could go up to anyone and know that they would be her friend because that's what kids do.... I want to trust humanity again... and I want to feel worthwhile, not just being able to say the words - I want to really know and feel that I'm worthwhile and wanted and have a place in other peoples lives... I guess I want to have trust in myself and my own worth...

I want to be able to go away next weekend and relax, know that I'm really wanted, appreciated and not just another bum on a seat... I want a lot in words, but I don;t think it's all that much in reality - I want to find myself and be loved for myself....

So mummy guilt is there, I feel guilty about taking money out of the kitty to go away, I feel guilty about leaving my kids for something 'frivelous'. the last time I left my kids for any amount of time was to stop my so called 'friend' from committing suicide and keeping her on earth for her children - the only time I've ever left my children was to be doing something for someone else... I've never left my family to do something for me... This is where the mummy guilt is kicking in... I don't know if I'm doing the right thing in leaving them for something I want to do - but at the same time I know I need to get away and relax and be somewhere I feel I am wanted for simply being 'me'...

Sorry for the ramble, it probably makes absolutely no sense at all... I need to get these thoughts out of my head and try to process...

Monday, Monday...

Yep, it's Monday, another work week has begun... What's different abut this week is it is the last week of electioneering here in Australia and I'm soooo glad to be nearing the end of it all!! I was over the ads within 24 hours LOL. I think I feel the nationwide apathy towards the election at the moment... There's not much being offered and it's not that exciting really! Another swinging voter left swinging here ;)

Anyhoos, I hate talking politics so wont any more (well not for today) The last couple of days Ursula (the ulcer) has taken her toll. Yesterday I was able top perk up enough to go take some photo's for a friend who just had her first baby - what a gorgeous little family they make!!! It's re-kindled my desire to get into photography... I don't know how I'll work getting out there, or if it'll work but you have to give your passion a go hey ;)

Charm has been urging me to have a stall at the market to sell some scrappy creations I've been making so I'm thinking I might put some fathers day and baby welcome cards together with some of my images and print off a portfolio album and maybe some business cards and have a stall this weekend - it's all kinda last minute, and will depend on how Ursula is behaving... I wont go in with any expectations so wont be disappointed, I would like though to sell a few items to cover the cost of the stall though...

Talking business I'd only be able to work on Nathan's RDO's - but at least they are rostered so I know when they are!

So whatcha think? Am I blowing into the wind? is it a pipe dream? In a way I hope not because now more than ever we need to start looking at maybe another income in this house, especially if we need to start weekly trips to Adelaide to get Dommy's feet treated... so much to work out - I think it's time to start getting pro-active again - I don't like not working LOL sad eh ;) I feel at such a loss as what to do with myself, I think that's also cause for my loss of mojo.

well off to continue urging Ursula to leave me alone... I've spent most of the day on the couch dozing whilst Dommy had his nap... he's now up so I need to be more alert... but I'll try to keep things low key because I think I can feel Ursula slowly loosening her grasp on my stomach!!! well here's hoping the week runs smoothly and this time next week all the election, pain and doubts will be over!!!

Ouchies...

I'm in a reasonably amount of pain at the moment - physical type that is. I think my stomach ulcer is trying to remind me it's still there lurking under the surface... I'm sincerely hoping it doesn't play up and will be back in it's bopx by morning - I've tooo much on this month to be brought under by an ulcer!!!

Besides that I know what the docs will say if I ahve to go to hospital - the first thing will be "are you under or been under any stress?" Hmmm what would my honest reply to that be I wonder ROFL

Anyways, bedtime here to see if I can get this under control with a little relaxation and sleep

xxx

The Journey of Finding Me....

That seems to be what this blog has become. I'm not ashamed of it - sometimes it's been my only 'friend' who has been really here for me, the fact that this 'friend' has spoken to other people is nothing to be ashamed of. I like the idea that I can look back on my blog and see just how far I've come.

I think I'm slowly coming to realise that I'm not that bad a person - And I'm saying that with no pride. I am generous, loving, curious, sometimes funny, often shy and lots more - but these are all little bits that make me. I know that I hurt easily and have been hurt bad by people throughout my life - but those little hurts are again things that make me me.. it's because I've hurt like this that I know I'd never ever hurt anyone in the same way. Of course there are negatives about me... I'm shy - painfully shy at times, I have a LONG way top go before I feel self confident about myself.. I thought I was getting somewhere with that but the previous 18 months before moving really shot that to pieces... I have trust issues, enjoy food a little too much and excercise a little to infrequently (but hey, I know there's a lot who have that to own up to LOL) so yeah., there are things I need to work on still... but I'm starting to learn how to acknowledge these things and embrace them within myself. I may never become the life of the party - but at least I know that I may just be invited to a few parties because some people out there think I'm worth it - so if they think I'm worth it then I must be!!!

So I'm starting to grow up I think - maybe it's the new independence I've found since moving that's shoved this all in my face? Who knows, but I'm starting to feel ok, things are alright.. it's ok that some things go pear shape and others are perfect... I have my family with me and by my side, and even if people don't like me or want to try to cause trouble for me that's ok - because that reflects mostly on them - not me!!!

So as I sit here watching Domenik play make-believe, knowing my older kids are safe and learning at school I can smile and know that I'm doing a good job at raising them, my kids love me, and I them, I have a husband who loves me and friends throughout the world who care for me too - so things aren't all bad, they're not all painful.. things are definitely looking up :)

Finally...

I think I'm starting to relax - properly relax!!

I realise stressing about things, playing them over in my mind and making myself sick about things wont help. Things that are done or that are coming up will happen and have happened. It's a case of one step after the other and trying to make everything as positive as possible and moving forward.... Like I said, one step after another :)

I'm finding my body is telling me to sleep of a night now, something I've not had for a long time. I'm getting tired and my brain is switching off for me. I think it's the acceptance of change and knowing that whatever may come we've been through some of the worst that life can throw at us, we can and will cope with whatever may come our way...

I've also come to the conclusion that the reason I've struggled so much with moving etc is simply (what I've mentioned before) the lack of preparation. I didn't think of myself as a control freak before but I probably do want to have things controlled and planned out - it comes from having kids who are different from the norm and who need to have even going out for the day planned down to how many cloth nappies, epi-pens, snacks etc to take with us - I didn't used to think I was that anal, but I most likely am... 9 years of planning everything down to where the closest hospital and quickest route has made me this way :)

Soooo I can't change the preparation thing, but I can start to accept that it's happened, we are here - we're all in one piece and I just have to take one step after the other and embrace the opportunity we have now to become MAINLANDERS!!!! Something I never thought I'd ever say but no need to run from it - the word hasn't stopped spinning, water still runs from the taps and is drinkable, the sky is still blue and you know what - the best thing is the locals still speak English - and with an Australian accent - fancy that!! ROFL

Onwards and upwards, no regrets, no looking back, only looking forward :)

Lots of Giveaways...

are now listed on my crafty blog :) They're painless to enter and you can score big :) I'm also posting all my crafty and scrappy creations on this sister blog so please come over and join my new blog and have some fun in the process :)

My Crafty Creations

Slowly Becoming South Australian....

Well it's happening... they are draining the Tasmania out of the little Taswegian.. slowly but surely all signs of our previous existence are being drained away... being replaced with a new stamp of ownership - that of being South Australia.

I have now received my confirmation that we are registered to vote as South Australians!!!!

I'm still resisting changing my license - although that has to be done within the month **sob** then will be our registration of the car... then **sob** all outwards signs of us being Tasmanian will be goneded (with the exception of the car yard sticker on the back of the car and the Tassie Devils in 5kn radius sticker)

I'm not shattered by this, but feel a little odd - a little out of my depth because I've no idea what it means to be South Australian - unlike Tasmanian... it's kinda odd not knowing anything about the place where you're living - I mean I don't even know who our local politicians are that we're meant to be voting for in a couple of weeks... it's a really surreal experience still - but we're learning and we WILL adapt and our Taswegian skin may be shed but deep down I know that we are Tasmanian born and bred - just no longer Tasmanian in address...

I guess what concerns me a little is that I know Tasmania, I've lived and breathed her, I'm an advocate for her - I want my kids to know their roots and know how lucky they are that they have ties to this gorgeous state and have known a different form of existance - I want them to remember Tasmania and growing up there, but I know that those memories will be distant as they grow up, and they will become faded and little sketches in the back of their heads - not vibrant and bright like my memories of living in and growing up in Tassie are... I guess they will make their own memories and possibly even grow to love SA in the way that I love Tassie... I guess I owe them the right to make their own memories and have them as bright and vibrant as mine... I owe them the right to love the way they are brought up - I mean, in reality It's not necessarily where a person grown up but who they are with that creates the best memories...

I know I'm struggling with something that can't change, something that is a given now and in all respects is a result of a decision I've made!!! I have to work hard to make sure no matter where we live, no matter what state we are in that they have the best memories of each and every day... I owe them that - and not to forget where they came from, they came from love, my family and yes, they were born in Tasmania - that is something I'll never let them escape from, but to keep it in perspective, they are Tasmanian, but ultimately they are also Australian and they are my children whom I love and adore and only want the best for!!!

Have you ever....

looked up at your ceiling, be it kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom etc and noticed a spot. A spot could be anything... something out of the ordinary that obviously should not be there? Well I've just done that.

I was calling Dommy to the kitchen to collect his "Dum Dum" for "Nigh Nigh's" (if you can read through the baby talk there you're obviously a parent - it's dummy for nap) and I noticed that my little stained glass glass frog on a leaf that dangles on a crystal that I hang in the window was showering the room with rainbows. When looking around I noticed a spot on the ceiling! I've not seen it there before, but the more I looked the more I noticed this spot seemed to be multiplying!!!

There is not one spot on our ceiling but many little ones!!! You could say my ceiling had contracted a virus, and I should really just feed it paracetamol for a couple of days and the spots should clear - oh and don't scratch because it can scar....

Well the itch came over me.. I had to scratch!!!

So off I climb on a ladder (I'm quite vertically challenged you know - wish I was horizontally challenged too!!) and I started to scratch at the spots - that is clean them.... Orange spray out and armed with a microfibre cloth I attacked those itchy spots with gusto... one by one, and then I looked behind me... The spots were gone., but there are now scars on my ceiling!!!

What are the scars?? they're the clean areas that are now surrounded by the not so clean areas that have never been cleaned!!! Augh!! The whole ceiling needed cleaning down!!!!

As I indicated earlier I'm quite vertically challenged so this was doing my back and neck in... So the ceiling will have to remain a little scared for now... I'm looking at maybe a chemical peel (full surface cleaning) later in the weekend - performed by Nathan of course haha he's 6ft 2 so taller than me and as a cleaner in a previous life more qualified at performing such a radical treatment as a full chemical peel on the ceiling than I am ;)

So should you ever notice spots on your ceilings - be forwarned.. they might be itchy but scratching isn't always the best thing... My suggestion - go in with the big guns first (and let someone who is taller than you do all the work ROFL)

Emotional Rollercoaster...

Do you ever find yourself in the shower thinking about everything that has happened in your life? Well I do. I stand under the hot stream of water and let it cleanse my thoughts as well as my body. I stand there and think about all the things I'd love to say to people, all the thigns I'd love to write here... but I never do. I hate to see people upset and don't like causing trouble for others (despite what they have done or do to me) that may make me a martyr to some, but honestly I think I'm simply weak.

If I was strong I would be standing up for myself more and not feeling the pressure that is my life coming down on me all the time. Right at the moment I'm living one of those pressure days... I could cheerfully crawl back to bed and have a good sook... instead I prepare my kids to take them to school and get ready to go downtown and work out what I can or can't put in the shopping trolley.

Anyways, I might get the strength to come back and write what is really deep down inside of me and go hang with the consequences. I think it'll be good therapy to get it out - to finally deal with the hurt that at least one family has dealt me over the past couple of years... one day - maybe...

For now, I log off and take my kidlets to school and do all other things a mother must do.

xxx

Feeling the Vibe? QV mum2mum

I had the opportunity to trial the range of QV skincare the last few weeks as part of marketing research at Vibe Villiage.

I must say that I'm suitable impressed. We have allergies in this house (as most would know) so to find something that doesn't flare up little Dom or William skin on contact is really important. I was aware of QV products from when Wil was a baby and we used them with him so was really comfortable bringing these into the house to try.

The skincare range doesn't feel cheap or nasty, it's really quite soothing with a clean almost fragrance free scent. It's been really good for my normal tending towards dry skin type. I'm not really one for skincare, but that will have to change now we're in a drier climate. I've noticed since starting up a regime with it that my skin is not feeling as dry as it had been since moving to SA so really happy with that :) I'm about to start Kahli off on some of it, she has a dry exzema on her upper arms and thights, it'll be interesting to see if these products help clear it for her as she heads into her teenage years.

So I definitely recommend this product if you're in the market for something new, or even if you're not - go give it a try! There's no harm in a change - especially if that change doesn't cost you a fortune hehe.

Winters Days...

Well after a hint of spring it seems that the weather has decided it likes to be winter more... So the fire is back on, hot coffee in hand (well not right at the moment I'm typing **doh**) and cardi's re-dusted off ;)

It's definitely a different winter her in the Mount. We haven't had any of the bitingly cold days that we have back in Tas... I know some people here say they've had a few frosts, but at this house where we are we've had a grand sum total of 2 frosts to date - and at that they were very light frosts, as in they were melted totally by 9am!!! Totally different to spending half the day thinking it had snowed outside because the frost was still white and thick on the ground at midday!! I could easily get comfortable with wet winters here, but the summer still has be very afraid!!!

Summer... Hmmm back in Tassie, it meant sunburn and beaches (yeah I know, not very slip slop slap) I'm one of these dreadful people who still sunburn despite putting sunscreen on - no idea why, but it's always been a pain (quite literally) but the sun here is different, we're a bit further north meaning it'll be more intense, coupled with the heat we've been warned about (40*C c'mon.. please nooooo!!!) I don't think I'm going to be too much of a happy chappy come this summer... I know it'll be the worst one as we're still acclimatising, in fact that is the only thing that is preparing me for it all - knowing that it will be the worst one because the next one we'll be that little bit more ready and experienced... But still, I can see me being a total hermit come summer - everyone will have to come to me if they want to see me LOL

Seriously - this little black (or terribly white as the case may be) duck even gets sunburnt in the car!!! Augh!!! I'm probably imagining things to be a lot worse than what they can be....

but in the meantime, I'm enjoying the slowness, the snuggliness and wetness of a winter in the Mount - yes enjoying the rain, I have gone around the loop ROFL