Happy New Year For Those In Need

Happy New Year to all my readers, I hope your passage into 2011 was as lovely as ours was.  A casual party at friends' place around the corner and the kids almost made it to midnight. L was wide awake though and keen to see the fireworks, so we went home and watched them on TV.  They were spectacular as usual, the Sydney Harbour and it's world famous icons (the Bridge and the Opera House) make a fantastic backdrop for the fireworks as the above image shows.

We are still enjoying the boys holidays and the weather has been good to our summer holiday.  However, not everyone is enjoying the beginning of 2011 as we are.  Please spare a thought and maybe some cash for the victims of the Queensland floods.  We have just celebrated a time of year which is about peace and goodwill and of course gift giving. So if you can give go to your local major (Australian) bank or to www.qld.gov.au/floods for further information on how you can help.

Happy New Year.

All image: The Sydney Morning Herald

Week of Stillness and a Very Special Lady

A few Christmas scenes in my home

This week is pretty busy, some last minute stocking fillers need to be bought and the remainder of the gifts need to be wrapped in readiness for Xmas Eve night once the boys are in bed.  There is a bit of cooking to be done for Christmas Eve dinner which we celebrate with my side of the family (as is traditional in Portugal) and then Christmas lunch with F's family. Oh and the Chrissie cards are sent out on Monday.

Last week however was a different story.

One of the things I love about reading blogs are the traditions and ideas that many bloggers write about which touch something inside me. One such post, that I bookmarked, was last Christmas when Brooke from Inchmark spoke about taking a week to be calm amidst all the shenanigans in the lead up to the 25th December. Only last week Brooke wrote of how this new tradition in her family was working this year and it reminded me of how I wanted to implement this as part of our family Christmas tradition.

What a wonderful week, L spent three days at Cooking Club organised by his school and J and I just hung out together at home reading Christmas stories and playing with each other and then all three of us enjoyed the treats L brought home from his day of cooking. The late afternoons were spent paddling in the pool. Quiet nights in with F and simple meals of grilled fish and chicken with salad.

L's delicious gingerbread Christmas tree which he made

The only crazy event last week was on Friday with a trip with the boys into the city to visit Santa where we stood in a queue for almost 2 hours!!! Having said that we walked around the city and visited one of the city's many large Christmas trees, the Nativity scene, the David Jones (our department store) Christmas windows and our beautiful Hyde Park.  The boys were so excited with all the festive elements of our trip to the city that even the 2 hour wait for Santa wasn't so bad.

The week of stillness is a tradition sure to be repeated for many years in my household and I recommend it highly. Taking time to be with your family in a simple and intimate way is such a wonderful way to experience Christmas.

More Christmas vignettes

This time of year is also when we think about those who are going through a tough time and spare some time to help where you can.  One such person in need of our thoughts and prayers is Jane at My Pear Tree House who is facing a dark and difficult road in the coming months.  I only know Jane through her blog, but I hope she doesn't think me too presumptuous in saying I regard her as a friend. She is witty and intelligent and is one fantastic writer, plus she is a lawyer which in my book means you are a special person, a community minded person.   Her blog posts are always so thoughtfully written and I always learn something whether it be about food, art, design or just life in general.

So, in the madness of this Christmas week I want Jane to know that while I can't be there for her in person as she lives in Melbourne and I live in Sydney, I am there in spirit and she is in my thoughts and my heart all the way through her forthcoming journey.  Much love to you Jane.

Holidays Are Here

We're off and running on our end of year fun. 

The boys have finished school for the year, L starts kindergarten next year which means 5 days a week for him, wow big school and J continues 2 days next year at preschool.  This means that for the first time in almost 6 years I will have child free days.  I can't tell you how excited I am that I get to spend 2 days next year doing anything I want without a child asking me for my attention. Yeah!

In the meantime we started our Christmas celebrations last week with school concerts and school carols night.  Our Xmas street party was on Saturday in our corner park and then F and I went to friends' Xmas drinks on Saturday night.

It is so warm and sunny at the moment, so both days were spent swimming and eating lost of salads and fruit.

Ah Christmas in Australia, I don't think there is a better way to celebrate it than enjoying parties on balmy nights and days by the water.

I hope your end of year celebrations are being enjoyed as much as we are.

Have a happy day.

Travel Tips

So after many weeks (actually months of missing in action here in blog world) I'm finally able to share some moments of our 6 week trip to Europe.  First, a few tips I would like to pass on to any first-time long haul travellers with young children:

1. 
   
   Do not let your 3 and 5 year old watch every single kid movie on their personal TV screen over and over again or play all the games you've packed repeatedly.  An overstimulated child will not sleep despite how tired they are (it was a 25 hour flight to Paris not including the 3 hour stopovers).  Your fellow travellers do not appreciate being woken by kicking (I kid you not) and screaming children.
2. 
   
   Don't forget to order the kids meal 48 hours before you check-in (we made this mistake both to and from Europe!!). Despite the snacks we packed, they hardly ate on the flight.
3. 
   
   If travelling in Europe in late July and all of August with a 3 and 5 year old, forget site seeing, you'll spend pretty much every day at the beach or in a pool. Actually forget site seeing altogether, their not even interested in castles.
4. 
   
   Stay in a house rather than a hotel. This was the best decision we made, the boys settled quickly and it provided a sense of familiarity for them which made the trip that much easier.

Ah, the joys of family life!!

Despite a few hiccups, we had a great time.  So on to the good times. I hope you enjoy just a few of my holiday snaps in the following posts.

Touching Base

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Hello there, I just wanted to stop by quickly and let you know I'm home. Thank you for all your emails and comments enquiring asking if all is well and it is.  Life is just really busy right now, the boys are home on their Spring holidays, we have overseas guests, the weather is just too wonderful to be sitting in front of a computer and I have a few more things on my plate at the moment.

I will soon post some holiday snaps, so I hope you will be patient.

Oh, last night on a current affairs programme, this American mum was interviewed, I don't know how contreversial I am being posting about her, but I think what she has to say just makes so much sense, what do you think?

Three

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I have been tagged, by Brooke of Pure and Noble.  I have to provide three answers to a series of questions (yes a week of revealing a bit about myself). Here we go again...

Three Names I Go By

Engracia

Mama

Grass

Three Places I Have Been

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New Zealand, one of the most beautiful places on earth

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Italy, so romantic

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New York City, enough said

Three Favourite Drinks

Champagne, my drink of choice

Tea to start my day and beyond

Water, plenty of it

Three Jobs I Have Had

Solicitor (lawyer) for most of my working life

Book publisher for about 6 years (loved it)

Mama, toughest but best job by far

Three TV Shows I Watch

The news

Grand Designs, one day I want to design and build my own home on a country beach

Brothers & Sisters, pure escapist fluff I love it

Three Places I Would Like to Visit

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Brazil, would be nice to pop in meet some of my cousins

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South Africa, I've been seduced by the World Cup coverage

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Kakadu National Park, I'm really keen to discover this place with the boys in a few years

Three Favourite Retro TV Shows

The Brady Bunch

That Girl

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Three Places I Have Lived

Potts Point, Sydney

Paddington, Sydney

Darling Point, Sydney

Three Favourite Dishes

Scrambled eggs on toast

Piri piri chicken

Vincisgrassi from Buzo Restaurant, a lasagna with porcinni mushrooms, prosciutto and truffle, so good I always take home an extra serving (try this recipe by Nigel Slater or if you own it, The Silver Spoon version)

Three Things I am Looking Forward To

The trip to France and Portugal with hubby and the boys

Having a romantic dinner with F in Paris (we've been to Paris many times but this is our first trip together)

Watching my boys grow into wonderful, caring and decent adults

I am supposed to tag three people, but I'm just going to tag one, Jane from My Pear Tree House (no obligation Jane, but over to you).

Have a happy day.

Happiness Is

Last month I was the lucky recipient of two awards: The Happy 101 from My Sweet Prints and The Versatile Blogger from Let's Go Moerkabout!. 

First, a big, if rather late, thank you for the award.  I know I have said this before, but I never expected any followers when I started this blog and I have "met" some really wonderful ladies across the world.  I have had the great pleasure of actually meeting on a number of occasions Janette from My Sweet Prints (she lives in the next suburb) and hope one day to meet many more of you in person (even those of you overseas, especially if you live in the States, I am planning a trip there later in the year to visit my sister in Seattle). This is my long winded way of saying thank you to my followers and readers who comment and to those who are to shy to comment but still pop in for a visit.

Secondly, as a recipient of these two awards, I am now meant to post 10 things that make me happy, so here goes.

1. My Family

My mum and dad, siblings, husband and boys.  This group of individuals give me more happiness, love and understanding than I can ever describe. I only hope that what I give in return is just as wonderful for them.

2. Motherhood

I'm going to be honest, I have found motherhood really tough. The sleepless nights, the worrying about their happiness and wellbeing, their future in a world which sometimes isn't too nice. I worry about J and how he will cope with life as he gets older, will he ever overcome his developmental difficulties. But there is no way in the world I would trade my life today for that of the life I led before L was born. Motherhood has taught me many things (patience ISN'T one of them I must admit) and the thing I most value about motherhood is the magic of unconditional love. I don't think there is anything like it in the world.

3. Books

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Whether for escapism, education or eye candy, I just love books.  I spend a lot of money on books, new, vintage, thrifted, swapped or received as gifts.  I love my books so much I can't lend them, I feel they are a part of me, it would be like chopping a limb off me and handing it over to someone. I think my love started when I was a little girl and every week as part of her weekly grocery shop, mum would buy us all a little gift, for me it was a Little Golden Book. I still have many books from my childhood, including the Little Golden Books, which I share with the boys. I see glimpses of that same love in them and you can imagine how happy that makes me feel.

4. Breakfast

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You can probably tell from my weekly menu posts that I like food a lot and of course I enjoy cooking it, I find it relaxing and creative.  I have to confess my favourite meal of the day is the first, but especially if it has been prepared by someone else.  Yes I would rather go out to brekkie than to lunch or dinner.  It can be as simple as scrambled eggs on toast (my favourite) to pancakes, or porridge, or ham and cheese croissant. I just love sitting down to a lovely meal first thing in the morning. 

The reality of my breakfasts is nothing like this though: a couple of pieces of toast with a cup of tea on the run and prepared by me.  I look forward to the day when the boys can get themselves ready for school and I drop them off or they go themselves while I head off to the local cafe for a cooked breakfast like the one pictured above. It is the simple things ladies, the simple things.

5. Lists

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An organised life is a happy life, well for me anyway. So lists, charts, diaries and notebooks are everywhere in my house. I'm not talking electronic tools, all on paper, so pens and pencils are also everywhere. I have always been this way, I had a chart in my bedroom (which I shared with my sisters) for shutting curtains, turning off lights and closing the door to our room. Yes I was slightly retentive as a kid!!!!!! I am so much more relaxed since having kids (one of the gifts of Motherhood for me), but I still like to maintain some level of tidiness, organisation and schedule to our little household.

6. Summer

Sun, warmth, beaches, sand, sundresses, shorts, thongs (those toy wear on your feet), that is how I like to live. I grew up on the beach, our summers are pretty long and winters mild here. We lived near the beach so many days spent playing in the sea. There is no more perfect time than those long days of summer.

7. Chocolate

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I do like to have a few squares of dark chocolate (my preference is for Lindt) every night after the boys have gone to bed.

8. Sewing

(Source unknown, please contact me if you know the source)

I really enjoy the sewing, apart from the crafting I do with the boys, nothing gets my juices going quite like putting something together from some material and string. A great way for me to relax.

9. Frangipani

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My favourite flower, it reminds me of summer, my honeymoon and my hometown Sydney.

10. Paris Perfume

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My favourite perfume, I wear everyday.  Makes me feel so girly and groomed everyday, even when I look frazzled from everyday life.

There, all done.

I'm supposed to pass this on, if you're up to it (don't feel obliged) I would like to pass the Happy 101 Award to Annie of Elsa May.

Have a happy day.