Stepping into the world

Today, my little Lil-lil is reaching a big milestone – her first day of preschool. For the first time in her life she'll be cared for by someone we don't know. She'll be stepping out into the world and taking a new leap towards independence.

She's got her new backpack and Disney Princess lunchbox (essential for any girl's snack). I'm sure there are going to be plenty of tears. More likely mine than hers. I just can't believe my baby is so grown up. Best of all, I know she's going to have a ball.

How do handle the first day of school?

A mini grateful

As I said yesterday, this weekend is all about fun. Relaxing, enjoying good company and smiling until I burst.

What better way to put a smile on your dial than throwing a bag in the boot and hitting the open road? I love taking a drive and going wherever the road takes you. The kids are staying with their Grandma for the night and Skip and I are taking a long country drivve with another couple. If you're hitting the road for a bit of excitement, it's best to ditch the family wagon and take something fun and sexy, like a Mini Cooper S. In red, of course. So, that's what we're doing.

This is me on the road on our last Mini adventure.

We'll zoom up the mountain, stop where we like and then check into a pub, unwind and laugh the night away. A whole heap of fun, which is exactly what I need.

So this week I'm grateful for....

* The people who brought back the Mini. What a bloody fun car to drive.
* Grandmas who are happy to spoil and watch their grandkids.
* Good friends to share the experience.


See you on the other side! Have a fantastic weekend!

Play along with Maxabella and reveal what you're grateful for.

I'll think about that tomorrow...

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, possibly the most beautiful woman to walk the planet.

When you're a mother you spend so much time preparing. Thinking ahead and planning for all the 'what-ifs'. Contingency plans. Organisation. Trying to smooth the path so the family can travel bump-free. It's all-consuming.

There are some days, though, when you've done all you can and you can't prepare or think or plan anymore. Today is one of those days for me. Next week is going to be a tough one for my little family, but at the moment I can't do anything to make it any easier or better. It is what it is. As Scarlett O'Hara says: "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." [Man, do I love Gone With the Wind, must go and revisit it sometime soon.]


So today and the weekend will be about fun. We'll make time for all of us to enjoy ourselves and relax, individually and as a family. Laugh our heads off and put the 'should dos' and 'need tos' on the shelf. The boring, the tough and the tedious can wait for a few days.

This morning, I'm taking the girls to my aunt's house to splash in the pool and play with their cousins. On Saturday, Skip and I are taking a very fun trip to the mountains, which I'll fill you in about next week. On Sunday, we'll spend time together, just eating good food, hanging out and going wherever the mood takes us.

Bring. It. On.

A little deflated

Australia Day was hot, not as hot as predicted, but steamy none the less. We started the day with a dip at the beach to cool off, but a heavy fog made the whole experience very, very eerie.

We had a great barbie – prawns, butterfly veal, salads and, of course, Pavlova. The first pav I've ever made from scratch. It went off pretty darn well, except for  a little incident with the cream. We listened to the Hottest 100, I knew NONE of the songs, which proves I'm officially old. The kids played great imaginary games and then cooled off under the sprinkler and cooled us off as well.

After everyone had left, the kids were finally asleep in bed, Skip and I dug out the leftover pav (above). It was a  little deflated, a little tired, a little splodgy – a little how I felt. It was still delicious though!

Today I'm feeling a little flat. I seem to live with this constant feeling like I should be doing something, that something is missing and I don't know what it is. It drives me crazy. I'm hoping to cheer up and take my eldest gal out, just the two of us. Spend some time together and chat before she heads off to preschool. Play ladies.

Australians all

Tomorrow is Australia Day. A day off to celebrate. We almost always have a BBQ with Triple J's Hottest 100 in the background, well we have for the past decade or so. Tomorrow will be no different.

As I type, the pavlova is in the oven. I filled the fridge with nibbles and drinks this morning. Iceblocks in the freezer as it's supposed to be a stinker tomorrow, so I'm sure they'll be some iceblock action under the sprinkler. A typical backyard barbie. I can't think a better way to spend a day at the end of January.

Many years ago, I went to an Invasion Day event at La Perouse, where we were the only white people. I don't really know why I went, I must have been in one of my 'change-the-world' phases. It was strangely quite a celebratory day with music, dancing, stalls and Dagwood Dogs. Not unlike a local fete.

In 1988, the bicentenary, I camped at Cremorne Reserve with the family so we could guarantee a spot to see the Tall Ships, Ferry Race and fireworks on the harbour. I didn't sleep a wink wedged between a sandstone boulder and drunk people blowing horns all night.

Still the backyard barbie is still my favourite way to spend the day.

How do you celebrate Australia Day?

Oh so quiet

What an unusual weekend. It was quiet, really quiet. Ear-ringingly quiet. Which was really quiet nice.

Friday, there was dinner with a good friend, where I ate too much antipasto, too much pizza and too much Nutella calzone. That's right, Nutella calzone. It's as good as it sounds too. We had fun guessing why the other restaurants patrons were there – work functions, first dates, etc and making scenarios for them.

Saturday, we spent the morning at a neighbours' home for a 3rd birthday. The girls had a ball on their waterslide, chasing their guinea pig and chickens. They also ate their own weight in chips, sausage rolls and cake.

The rest of the weekend slide by in an almost eerie quiet. We hung out at home and went to our local park. Our normally bustling neighbourhood was just really quiet. A ghost town. Perhaps everyone was recovering from the holidays, preparing for Australia, or (most likely) at the beach.

Suddenly Monday is here. An action-packed week ahead of last catch-ups before it's back-to-school.

How was your weekend?

This week I'm grateful for...

It's been a lovely week for me. I've spent lots of time with the girls, chatting, exploring and playing. We went to the zoo, caught up with friends, we jazzed up their room. I got an evening out at a friend's art exhibition and then another night out dining with an old friend. Best of all there was lots of sunshine.


This weekend, we don't have too much on which is pure bliss. We're going to a neighbour's 3rd birthday party this morning, which the girls are very excited about. This evening will be quiet night recovering from a busy week and preparing for another busy week.

This week I'm grateful for...

* The zoo. We're Zoo Friends but don't get there as often as we should. It's always a lovely day out and brings back a lot of childhood memories for me. The girls love seeing the giraffes (who have the best real estate in Sydney), the new baby elephant (which was super-dooper cute) and the chimps (always a fave).

* Our neighbourhood. We've been so blessed to live in a great community. We have a big park across the road from our home, which is the girls' second home. We can go there any time of the day and there will always be someone the girls know to play with. I also get to catch up on the neighbourhood gossip (of which there's always plenty). It's nice to live in a big city and know so many of your neighbours. Everyone watches out for everyone else. It's a real community.

* Sunshine. After weeks and weeks of oppressive grey skies, the sun has come out. A little bit of sunshine can change your mood, put a spring in your step. It's also great to get load after load of washing properly dried!

Have a fantastic weekend! Play along with Maxabella's I'm grateful for...

Vouching for it

Since the advent of the internet (yes, I'm old enough to remember life before the interwebs very well), I've heard about all types of online shopping addictions. There were the friends and family who became obsessed with Amazon, then it was eBay. Then came the Daily Deals obsession. Now almost everyone I know has their favourite online shop they turn to.

I've been a bit immune to the whole online shopping biz. I've dabbled, I've bought stuff now and again, but I'm the kind of person that really likes to see, smell and touch what I'm buying. Most of all if I buy something I want it then and there. I'm happy to pay more for the privilege of all that.

Though as much as I hate to admit, there is a recent online craze which I've become completely and utterly swept up in. It's the Spreets/Scoopons/Living Social craze. You know those sites that have a daily deal like 50% of a meal, a nights accommodation, snorkelling, car detailing, colonic irrigation.

Each day, my inbox in filled with tempting deals and I find myself thinking 'Wow, I'm not into spray tanning, but that is cheap!' Out comes the credit card and I have another voucher in the inbox. (This is just an example, I haven't bought a spray tan.... yet).

My mother-in-law is also a fan, for Christmas everyone got a card filled with vouchers for things including a night in a hotel, lunch on a tall ship, paintball.

At first I was a little skeptical about the whole thing, but I've bought vouchers for hatted restaurants, places that were on my 'to eat at' list. I've found a hairdresser that I loved and would return to. So it's win-win. But I have seen the skanky cafe near my home try to pass itself off as a 'Gourmet International Seafood Restaurant' so it pays to research.

So the next few months, Skip and I have dinners, lunches, weekends away. Skip is going go-karting this weekend. I have new hair dos to do. It's a voucher-packed few months ahead. At least until the obsession dies down, which of course it will.

Have you had a online shopping obsession?

The Dynamic Duo

It's not long before Lil-lil starts preschool and I think I'm more excited than she is about it. I've adored having her home pretty much 24/7 for the past four and a bit years, but she's well and truly ready to take a step into the big, wide world.

Shortly before Christmas I was worried about how the girls were going to split. They're so used to spending every waking moment together, I was worried that they'd fret for each other. The past couple of weeks I've realised they're more than ready to tackle some individual pursuits! In other words, they've been fighting like cats and dogs, all while completely adoring each other too (which just makes my head spin).

Watching them they seem even more grown up at the moment and while alike they are also so completely different...

Lil-lil

First there is Lil-lil. Long, lean and all arms and legs. Responsible first-born, who worries about the world. She's sensitive, imaginative and oh so dramatic. She's sweet and she's kind. She can and will talk to anyone and everyone. She's a social butterfly who loves nothing more than a gathering of friends. She loves to sing loudly, very loudly. She loves to dance and skip. She's as girly as a girl can get. She's intrigued with the world around her and wants to know the name of every species of flower. She loves bridges. She loves vegetables but hates fruit (give this girl a plate of broccoli and she'll love you). She crashes out in the evening after running, skipping and dancing all day, but will be up most mornings before the sun. Most of all she is our drama queen. Life must be dramatic at every moment.
Scenes such as this are not uncommon:
"Mum, can I have Weet-bix for brekkie?"
"Of course, you can."
"Oh thank you so much. I love you so much!" as she throws her arms around me.

And then there's the cry of: "Oh no! I dropped my doll!" as she throws herself on the floor with despair.

Goosey

And then there's Goosey. Feisty, cheeky, mischievous, tough. She's patient and determined. You give this girl grief and she'll return it 10 fold. She jumps and climbs into and onto anything (literally and metaphorically). She scoots around the park at top speed, her golden ringlets blowing behind her and using her always bare foot to break by dragging it on the rough ground. She is a tomboy who must always wear a 'pretty dress'. She likes rules and order and loves bossing others people around but is so good at causing complete chaos. She's funny and has a glint of trouble in her eye. She's always being told: "You're so cute!" She attracts people to her like a magnet, but couldn't really care less if people are around or not.
She has limitless energy and never wants to sleep. Most nights she'll climb out of bed and play and sing by herself until she can't keep her eyes open any longer, but will sleep in a little in the morning. She hates vegetables but she loves fruit (give this girl a strawberry and she'll be your friend for life).


The pair of them are best friends and worst enemies – like a lot of sisters or so I've heard. Whatever they are, they're my dynamic duo.

IKEA and the ex-boyfriend

I went to IKEA today. What a mistake! In fact, while driving home, I decided that IKEA is a lot like an ex-boyfriend. Confused? Let me explain...

The first time you go to IKEA you're head over heels. There's so much to choose from, all so inexpensive. It's mesmerising. That's it! You're going to shop at IKEA forever, there's nothing better out there. You can't believe how lucky you are to have found it. Sure it's a little annoying and there's no-one to help you. Sure it's a little difficult to find what you're after, but you'll work through it. Nothing's perfect, after all.

Then you go home. Not only do you have to do all the work putting it and keeping it together, there is very little in the way of instructions. Once together you realise it's not quite once you wanted and is also a little wobbly (from having to put it together yourself). Shortly after it begins to fall apart. You curse IKEA and vow never to go there again.

Time passes and you think 'Hmmm maybe it's not that bad'. After all everyone else seems to rave about it. Maybe you didn't put enough effort it, maybe if you try a little bit harder this time it will all work out better. 

So, you go back. At first you're mesmerised again. Look at it all, it's wonderful! Then suddenly you feel trapped and all the things you hate about IKEA come rushing back to you. Putting in all the hard work, having to do everything yourself, the cheap shoddy product you get for all your effort. Being treated badly or like you're invisible. Often you simply feel like they're speaking a totally different language.

Tears, frustration, anger. Worst of all you can't work out how to get out of this damn place!

So, this time, this time I swear I will never go back to IKEA again. I've managed to put that old relationship in the past and replace it with a much, much better one, now to find a replacement for my retail relationship...

I'm still here

Sorry for the silence. I've been busy washing, gardening, cleaning and tidying. Most importantly I've been soaking up some time with Lil-lil before she heads off to preschool in a couple of weeks. Focusing on the kids, the house and all the domestic stuff to get the year on the road. Oh yeah, and bit of cuddle time too.

Dry homes, time and Australia

Well, it's Saturday yet again! What a week it's been. Three-quarters of the state of Queensland flooded (that's the size of Germany and France combined for my international readers). Terrifying flash flooding in Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley. Major flooding in Brisbane. Flood waters still high in Rockhampton and central Qld. Some towns flooded for the third time since Christmas. Scarily it's not over yet.

Not to mention flooding in Northern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Yep, it's been wet. Two years ago severe drought and fire, now this. Dorothea Mackellar really knew what she was talking about when she wrote:

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!


Mackellar really sums it up. Her beauty and her terror, was never more true this week. 


We are having a lot of quiet family time this weekend. Catching up with family returning from overseas. Catching up with family celebrating a birthday. Spending time just the four of us. 


This Saturday, I'm grateful for.....


* A warm, dry home. A safe place to sleep, that's free of mud. It's hard to feel anything else with the images that are being beamed into our lounge rooms 24/7 at the moment.


* Time. Uncomplicated, free time to spend with friends and family.


* Good friends. A lovely friend is taking Lil-lil to the movies today. Yesterday, I got to spend time gas-bagging with a good friend while our daughters played happily together. As Lil-lil said: "We'll be friends forever!"


* Australia. It's a tough country that serves up such heartbreak, but we also are so lucky to have communities, government, public services that help us in incredible ways in dire circumstances. 


Have a good weekend. x


Play along with Maxabella's I'm grateful for.... here.

Anti-Fashionista

I wanted to support Lori today as she's burying her husband Tony. I've talked about Lori a bit this week, so I'm sure you all know her story. In her last post before Tony was injured she talked about being an anti-fashionista, so this week's Polly Dolly (a day late) is about my own anti-fashionista moment and what I wish I could dress like. So on the left is my daily uniform for going to the park, the shops and hanging at home. I pretty much wear this most days. I like to wear skirts and dresses (not really into shorts) so the black mini serves most occasions well. The ensemble on the right is what I'd love to wear – if only I could be a '50s movie star or Princess of Monaco.

So feel free to join up with Polly Dolly here. Or more importantly help Lori out here.

Lori, our thoughts, prayers and love are with you today. x

Wagging on a Wednesday

The chemistry between Ryan and Michelle is electric in Blue Valentine.

This morning, my girls went off with their Grandma to the kindy group they go to each Wednesday morning. I use these free couple of hours to catch up with errands, paying bills, going to the bank/shops/medicare – any of the things that are hard to do with two kids.

Occasionally, I take a little time for myself. Go for a walk. Have a lingering coffee. Read a book.

Today, after I dropped them off, I noticed the cinema next door had a morning session of Blue Valentine. I thought, 'What the hell, a few hours by myself in the movies would be great.' Feeling a wee bit guilty, but pretty excited by the idea, I headed for the box office.

It's been a bad news week and I thought a break away from reality would be really welcome. A break from the constant stream of updates and bulletins. A great luxury, I know. It's just a shame Blue Valentine is so heart wrenching. I really enjoyed it, the acting was fantastic and it was a well directed film, but I came out exhausted. I now also have a bit of a girl crush on Michelle Williams.

Do you ever sneak off and do something indulgent like go to the movies on a weekday morning?

Image: Davi Russo/The Weinstein Company

Sadness

It's with a heavy heart I sit down to write this morning. How could it be anything else?

You turn on the news and see the horrific, terrifying images coming out of Toowoomba. An 'inland tsunami' it's being called. A sudden and deadly deluge. Large torrents of water engulfing the city. Cars swept away with helpless people at the wheel. People stranded on rooves, the tops of trees, telegraph poles – still waiting to be rescued. The news that bodies have been found and many more people are missing, children included.

Of course, Toowoomba isn't the only town suffering. The flooding in Queensland is widespread and expected to effect Brisbane today. It seems almost cruel to see an area that was in the grip of such severe drought not so long ago now drowning.

To all those in affected areas, please stay safe and know our thoughts are with you.

In my own selfish moment, it's likely we'll have to wave Skip off on a plane this week to head to flood affected areas.


My heart has also been greatly saddened by the news of the loss of Lori's husband Tony. I wrote about Lori last week, saying Tony was fighting for his life. Unfortunately, he lost that fight and passed peacefully yesterday, leaving Lori and their two children aged just 3 and 1. I can only imagine the hole that Lori feels in her heart right now.

Lori is one of the few bloggers I have met in person. We met at a cafe last year with a few others at a bloggers' meet up. I was surprised and delighted when Lori gave me the warmest smile and said: "I love reading your blog! It's great." Over the next hour or so, her bright smile and kind energy lit up the table.
Since then we've bantered on Twitter and she's always left the kindest most supportive comments on my blog.

I've been in awe of the outpouring of support for Lori in the blogosphere. I truly hope that it helps her get through this very dark time.

Lori, from my family to yours, we offer our most sincere condolences. Sending you much love. x


You can donate to help Lori and her two bubs. With Tony being the breadwinner, Lori faces not only great emotional struggle in the coming months, but the fact that she must now support her young family on her own. The blogging community has banded together to help raise funds to help ease the pressure on Lori at this awful time.

The Moment

Saturday evening rolled on without me really noticing its arrival. I'd had a lovely afternoon catching up with friends over tea and arrived home ready to relax.

I made the kids dinner while Skip bought a lovely bottle of Pinot. I put the kids to bed while Skip set up a table on our newish lush green lawn. The night was balmy and perfect to be sitting outside. We ate BBQ'd steak and washed down with the Pinot. We talked about life and how important it was to live in the moment. That moment. To not miss the good parts of today by worrying about tomorrow.

As we sat there on that perfect evening, eating good food, enjoying each other's company, soaking up that moment, I was awash with happiness. I realised how much I loved my husband, even more than when I first met him. I realised how lucky I was to have two beautiful kids. I felt pure contentment.

The past 12 months have been gruelling. Sometimes it's felt like a day-to-day survival. The mundane drowned out the extraordinary. Skip has been working exceptionally hard and travelling a lot. Looking after the girls 24/7 has been a challenge. Finding the right balance has been elusive. But in that moment, everything felt lighter, better.

Sometimes these moments pass you by, other times you stop and really look around. Soak up how blessed your are. Those moments become precious memories.

Books, husbands and choices

I haven't played along with the gorgeous Maxabella's Grateful Saturday for a while, so here goes....

This sunny (so far) Saturday, I'm grateful for....

* Having Skip home after a few days away for work. The kids missed him terribly after having him home 24/7 during the holidays. We're all glad he's home today.

* A weekend with no plans. No rushing here or there. Just two days to relax and spend time together as a family.

* Christmas books. I love having a pile of books on my bedside table to work my way through. I'm currently reading Keith Richards' Life.


* Despite whinging earlier in the week about making decisions, I realise how lucky I am to have choices. So I'm grateful for having good, viable choices, especially in regards to looking after my family.




What are you grateful for this Saturday? Play along with Maxabella's I'm Grateful For...

Step back in time

Do you ever have moments when you can go back to a certain time to talk to a younger you? Reassure them about the future and the choices they will make?

I had this feeling last night as I drove through the pouring rain. On our way home after dinner out with my mum, Skip interstate for work, me driving and listening to the girls chat and giggle in the backseat. They live in their own little world, speak their own little language and simply adore each other. I can't imagine life without them, I can't imagine one not having the other in their life.

A little over three years ago, I discovered I was pregnant. I was terrified. Pure and simple. Lil-lil had just turned one and it had been a difficult year. Lil-lil rarely slept. Ever. In the early days her reflux meant that she cried, screamed and squirmed a lot. At the end of her first year, I was exhausted from months of little and broken sleep, as much as I adored her, I felt like I was failing at motherhood.

At that time I was not myself. I was a shell of myself. Living in a fog. I felt completely alone and cut off from the world. The only person who understood was Skip. I was just beginning to feel slightly normal again when I discovered I was pregnant.

I didn't think I could go through all the baby stuff again. What would I do if I had another baby who didn't sleep? How would I cope with two bubs that didn't sleep? I had images of the three of us sitting up all night together.

As I sat in the car last night, listening to the girls' gorgeous giggles, I wished I could go back to that Corinne. The one who felt so scared. The one who felt really isolated and alone. The one who wondered how it would all turn out. I wish I could tell her that life would become full and happy again, with the love and support of family and good friends. I wish I could tell her of the joy that new baby would bring. The special friend that Lil-lil would have. Yes, the new baby wouldn't sleep either and things would certainly get worse before they got better, but that little girl, so full of life, would be worth every moment. A precious sister, daughter, granddaughter, niece, friend.


A friend and fellow blogger Lori is suffering a terrible tragedy at the moment. Can you please read her post and offer your good thoughts, prayers and well wishes. Lori, you're in my thoughts and prayers today. You've always been so kind and thoughtful to me, I truly hope that everything works out OK. Many thanks. 

Shades of grey

Generally I'n not a person who needs to be black or white. I'm quite happy to live in shades of grey knowing that the answers to life's questions aren't always right or wrong. I can be quite content knowing things don't have to be one way or another and I'm able to beat the path that is right for me. If it turns out I've chosen the wrong path, I'll go back and start again.

At the moment though my mind is whirling with questions that I want answers to. Strong black or white answers. The problem is I can't get those answers, I have to decide for myself. Weigh things up. More than likely I'll just have to close my eyes, hope for the best and dive in.

But dammit, I wish, just for once, someone would tell me: "What you must do is this...."

Lame Claim to Fame

Before Russell & Tom, John hung out with me.

I hear singing with me was Kamahl's greatest triumph.

Val just won't quit following me.

In the Canadian Wilderness, Alec didn't expect to run into me.

Yesterday, Twitter was abuzz with people playing #lameclaimtofame, where they shared their 15 minutes of lame fame. Things like 'my cousin went out with Shane Warne (when he was married)' and 'I was an extra on Hey Dad!'.

I started thinking about my own lame claims to fame and realised there were so many that my life is essentially just a collection of lame claims to fame. So many, in fact, that I could write a blog post about them. So here goes:

1. I was photographed for a Melbourne newspaper sitting on Muhammad Ali's lap (I was three at the time).

2. I appeared on Simon Townsend's Wonder World singing 'All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. (No, I didn't get to meet Woodrow, but many years later I applied for a job with Simon Townsend and he made me cry because I didn't have access to a fax machine).

3. In 1983, I appeared in the Sunday Telegraph's fashion section after I was photographed at Paddington Markets with lots of punks. Apparently I was the epitome of child punk fashion.

4. Ben Mendelsohn and John Polson came to my house so I could interview them for a school assignment. Ben had a shaved head as he was trying out for Romper Stomper.

5. I saw Val Kilmer walking down Malibu beach.

6. I saw Val Kilmer hiding from school girls in Kirribilli. (Man that guy won't quit following me).

7. John Howard (the actor, not the ex-PM) taught a Shakespearean drama class that I took. He swore more than anyone I've ever met.

8. I sang on stage at the Sydney Opera House with Barry Crocker and Kamahl. (Yes, I did).

9. My brother appeared on Perfect Match and struck out. He refused to kiss the girl as he went round the screen and stuck his tongue out when Dexter claimed he was the 'perfect match'.

10. I lined up behind Alec Baldwin to pay a restaurant bill in Canada. He's one of the most striking people I've ever seen.

11. I had a conversation with Goran Ivanisevic before a tennis game in Sydney. Actually my dad did, I just stood there and nodded.

12. Lil-lil's face was on a news graphic for the intro of a story on Channel 7.

13. Lil-lil has been a cover model for a magazine.

14. Goosey appeared in a promo for Johnson's Baby products.

15. I used to do the voice promos for my radio teacher's radio program.

16. Julian Assange's step-dad gave me a Christmas present.


Ah the path to great mediocrity! Please don't hate me because I'm so fabulous.

All good things...

Skip is back to work today. The Christmas tree will come down today. The daily grind will return. It's official – the holidays are over. Sigh.

It has been the most blissful week. We relaxed, spent a lot of family time together, ate a lot of food, went to the beach, caught up with friends, went to the park, read books. The week between Christmas and New Year is my favourite week of the year. Most people are on holidays, everyone is relaxed. It feels like a real bonus week. We rarely go away as we really enjoy spending the week hanging around home and Sydney.

Any way, that's all comes to an end today. The clouds have rolled in, it feels quite chilly and my mood fits.

Up until now, I haven't really thought too much about the year ahead, but now that life is returning to normal and the pace will pick up again, it's time to ponder 2011.

There are going to be a few challenges in the next month or so, the week of relaxing was really needed to prepare for this. I don't really feel like I'm starting the new year fresh, more like I'm at the bottom of really steep hill that needs to be climbed before the cruising starts. 2011 is going to be the year of big change I feel. I suspect the year will end with us all in a very different place than which it began.

For me, the most immediate challenges are changing the way we handle our finances, Goosey's sleep apnoea being treated and Lil-lil starting preschool. There are a million other things running through my mind too. So there's 2011 off and running!

My faves of 2010

Being in holiday mode, I have decided to be like the telly in non-ratings period and give you a little re-hash of the past 12 months. It's kind of like those 'flashback' episodes of a sit-com where they sit around and remember when. A cheap filler really.

So here are my favourite, most commented on and controversial posts of 2010.

January
This month I was pondering what the hell I was going to do with my life. Trying to find a passion and a reason, aside from my family, to jump out of bed each morning. It seemed like I wasn't alone in this boat.
When I grow up I wanna be....

February
Tripping over toys in my small semi-detached house, I was looking at the good points of living under the flight path and not being able to swing a cat in my back garden.
City limits

March
As we headed into autumn, I was pondering how to be a good mother when you feel completely flawed.
A crack in the mirror

April
April was a bit of a weird and freaky month for me. So it's seems appropriate that I won the Blog This challenge for my post on Weird & Freaky coincidences.
Weird and freaky coincidences 

May
I wrote a lot in May. Must have been feeling a bit reflective. So I have chosen two posts:
First was a popular post about looking for happiness in the here and now, instead of wishing away your life.
The Dangling Carrot

The second, is about being enslaved by technology. How technology has not made our work lives easier but in fact made has made us more enslaved to our employers.
Modern Slaves

June
I reflect on the close bond Lil-lil and Goosey share.
Sister Madly

July
This was the month of my birthday, going away with my brothers and their families and Goosey's birthday. It was also the month Lil-lil started ballet.
Ballet Bliss

August
Lil-lil had her first haircut.
I go shopping for race frocks. Racing retro

September
This month I reflected on my weight battles in Slim Pickings.
I also talked about how shyness has affected my life. Shy low.

October
In October I wrote probably my most controversial post ever about urban versus suburban life. The Great Australia Dream

November
I contemplated about why I blog. Why Blog?

December
I found peace in a bookshop. Booked out
I finally saw U2 but it wasn't the day I had hoped for. It's a beautiful day... or is it?


So that was the year that was in The Daze of my Life. I wonder what 2011 has in store for this little soap opera....

Normal programming will resume shortly. x