Lately.....

This past week I've felt like Dorothy from the wizard of Oz and I've been for a ride in the house in the tornado and  CRASH!......I've recently landed again.........
Holidays are over, Fun run is over,  my phone has died , Ben has flown out, Kids have been sooo out of routine with holidays and daddy home and now the sun is going to bed later!!! and did I mention the crutches!?
I need to get my groove back!
This arvo the children were very "emotionally unstable" and  hungry and it seemed to be dinner time and so I just started cooking and we ate and  cleaned up and played out side for a little before bath time and then I checked the clock because recently I've assumed it was 7ish only to realise it was 9ish (and thus the emotionally unstable children!")  It was 4.50pm!!!  What had I done! It felt so right! Dinner was like afternoon tea and it wasn't going to be dark for another three hours!!!
This is me lately....Hopping around in a daze, routines out the window, everything taking 5 times longer to do, I've been a terrible friend, I was terrified when the tsunami warning went out to the Hawaii Islands where my parents are staying and I've been forced to take things a little slower or to do less actually.
The girls have a day at the farm for kinder tomorrow and I should be getting their lunches organised however I cannot be bothered and that means chaos tomorrow most likely but these crutches are wearing me out.....Seriously I had no idea the effort involved in hopping around all day and having to rethink the way in which I do most things eg,  Hmmm I've just successfully been to the fruit store, the children helped me by carrying a basket each, the staff brought the box of produce out to the car for me and of we went.  Arriving home sore and tired with three hungry children I wondered to myself how do I get the BOX of fruit and veggies up the steps and into the kitchen!?  I will do a post on this latest accessory of mine and some handy tips in the future.
Recently I did a post and  it was quite mmmm raw or real.  It made me edit it 5 times and question whether it was to personal, to inward,  also I had not planned it to take on the path that it did I had began writing with something else in mind and took a wrong turn.  I've still not published it and perhaps it's not that big a deal to others but to me its admitting a flaw of mine that I am quite aware of and is taking a lot of work for me to get over and accept.  I hope to be brave and publish it I've given it a lot of thought and this blog is based on honesty in the hope that it might help others or inspire them and also it's a record for my children who knows what's around the corner.....They will have this.
That's not to say that I publish everything, there are personal things that are kept close to my heart and our little family and these obviously affect me emotionally, the emotions I'm happy to write about.
So what else, I'm feeling tired and so will finish up but I am missing training with the girls and running.  Yesterday Ed and I took a milkshake and iced coffee break at the park by the lake and while we were slurping Ed looked at me and asked "Can we go for a run Mum?"  "Oh I would love to" I replied while pointing to my leg, so chuffed that he is missing our "thing" as much as me.
The other quick thing before I crash is last night I bought a Magnum ice cream (I've not had a nightly binge since the sugar challenge) and I ate it all, these things are huge and sweet and chocolaty and it was okay, I couldn't finish it, but did and wondered to my self what have I done! Anyhow Good night Sleep tight. xx

Crutches and happy thoughts.....

Sitting here this afternoon watching my children and our friends children play happily, I'm feeling blessed and content.  Conversations between adults coming and going, both fireplaces burning, pork roasting on the Webber.
This was a snap shot of our home last week after my friend and my 11km Fun run experience.  (my first of many, hopefully).  I ran it in 55mins, I crossed the line number 341 out of approx 870 participants.  However I hurt my leg in the last 100mt and hopped aided over the line.  I've been to physio for the second time  and not much has improved  and so a bone scan is next on the cards. I'm very keen to get back on my feet and today I started thinking about running and am missing it and a little worried about the length of time recovery may take, it's bloody sore at times I know that much and to be honest I thought I'd be back on my feet by now.
Ben flies out this week I was quite worried as to how I would manage but am feeling more confident now, the kids think the crutches are cool and Little Bear calls them rails, Ed shoots things with them and  I want to throw them at the wall sometimes.  I'm thankful however that Ben has been home and that it happened at the end of the run and that I'm able to drive and hop around usually pain free, it's not permanent and I will run again soon.
 Also I have destroyed another phone and have no house phone it will be 2-3 weeks before Telstra can hook me up with another phone as they're only distributing the new model that they've run out of.  So I'm not making much contact lately but am checking facebook and emails and your welcome to drop by, just ignore the mess!!  xx

A little dark hole....

It had been two weeks since my last workout and I was chomping at the bit!!  Sunday we went for a 2km jog, the girls on bikes and Mr Spaghetti in the pusher it was a beautiful day and so nice to be getting some vitamin D...finally.  Afterwards a play at the park  and quick catch-up with friends while I drooled over those able to jog freely for as long as they desired.
Monday was finally the day!!  The children were healthy and the car running smoothly and so of to kinder and then time to run....I was so keen and ready to improve on my time...bring it on!
6km later and a slight feeling of nausea  mixed with elation and I was on cloud nine, best time ever and proud as punch.
This run however symbolized a lot more than just running better, faster.  My weekend consisted of an overdrive in hormones resulting in feelings of blue and grey, that mixed with the realization that my dog is missing and that my son needed to be put to bed roughly twenty-eight times.  I NEEDED this run and I new that I could climb out of that hole at the bottom of the hill and get back to the top!!!  And there I was QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN!!! (I allow myself an enlarged ego directly after a run!)
 Challenge yourself, push yourself, If your unhappy with a a part of yourself  or your life CHANGE IT,  It may take a couple of weeks, a year or seven attempts to get to the first step of your goal, but if you continue to remind yourself of your goals and why you want to reach them,  keep inspiring yourself let others inspire you, have gentle reminders and be okay with failing, I believe its trying again that's the real test....Dont give up, GET TO THE TOP OF YOUR MOUNTAIN!!.x

Sunday thoughts...

All is peaceful all is calm. The house is empty at this point in time.  The children are with Ben (hubby) taking Cooper my step-son home to Geelong after a lovely, noisy, excited weekend with us.  I love having a full house.  The noise and the mess don't worry me for temporary catch-ups with friends or family, it's messy love... So Ben is taking them out to lunch and then to the park by the bay, it will be warmer there and I wish I was with them although we don't all fit in the car and the solitude is so so so lovely for a while, Ben knows that I need it and this memory for the children of them with daddy on this fun day running around at the park by the bay full of freedom, fresh sea air and daddy, will be a happy one that they will remember forever....
 I'm feeling tugged at times when Bens home, I want to spend every moment with him and the children, however I also need to rejuvenate, I really do need some down time and some private time with my beautiful husband.  Saturday night I'd organised a double date night with good friends of ours, we were so excited babysitters organised, outfits chosen and then Miss S, 'oh dear' became ill....poor bubba, poor mama and papa.  Not to worry ! We've had a lovely weekend, some moments to ourselves, Miss S is fully recovered and everyone is happy.  Good food, snuggles and cuddles, laughs and dreams and some wet, cold days.  Winter will not last forever I am telling myself....
Friday I registered for the 6km Ballarat fun run and the following day caught up with a group of social runners.  Running without the pusher I surprised myself completely and am now mentally prepared to train for the 12km run instead.  I'm so proud and excited and hooked on running, the mental challenge, the physical challenge and the tight butt!!  Ben and I have a bet actually, we are both going to run and first to finish between us gets either a fishing charter or a day at the spa!!!  I've got this in the bag for sure!!!  I'ts our own little challenge...together...I'ts already so much fun and it will entertain us even while we're apart.  I'm so proud of my darling for setting this up and even though I laugh at him and my own jokes (I honestly am soo funny!!)  to much, I love him to pieces, he's so supportive and romantic and knows me so well, we are so different, complete opposites and sometimes that is hard, but we're good at getting through "stuff" and he laughs at my jokes and me his.  I get  scared that one of us will leave this world to soon, so again take note and enjoy the little things!!!! xx

Shake things up a bit

Morning all!  The days are getting slightly warmer and we've even seen the sun for a moment or two recently.  One cannot help but think of sunny happy days ahead where lifestyle turns to outdoors, bare feet and sun kissed cheeks. Oh I cannot wait, have recently begun feeling a bit of cabin fever, I feel as though we are watching to much t.v, we need to get outside for an entire day and play and play and play.  I'm also over colds and such bugs....yuck!!! so over it although I have noticed this month that bugs are short lived, our immune systems are finally gaining some strength.
Earlier this week I was reading Planning with Kids  Nicole gave an overview of her routine during the week, I love getting insight into other women's days how do they manage? What do they let slip from time to time? Which are the main priorities within that household and most importantly I always come out with a handy tip or two.  The thing that stood out for me in this blog was that playtime with the children was included, it's obviously an important part of the day and one that I sometimes find tricky to include each day.  So after reading this blog I felt inspired and changed things around in my routine, we usually have play time in the arvo and usually its after the cleaning or a busy day out of the house and before cooking dinner and bathtime, looking back now I'm thinking "der Jodes!!!, tired, busy, hungry time of day!!!" what was I thinking???  So last week we changed things, after breaky and clean up we played (it worked out well as Little Bear was recovering from a bug and we weren't planning on being anywhere all day) It happened naturally actually the children were asking for me to join in and so we built towers and Mr Spaghetti the dinosaur knocked them over, we built leggo houses and castles and after an hour or so I set up a little doctors bag with bandages and syringes etc and the children went on to play nurses while I began on the house work.  I couldn't believe the calm through out the house everyone happy and satisfied, and in giving the children the full attention for that hour they were content on letting me do my thing for an hour before lunch.  After lunch we made muffins together as a yummy treat.  The girls made rasberry and chocolate (cocoa) and Mr Spaghetti and I made Date and Sultana, all without sugar and packed with oats, almond meal and chia seeds, a drizzle of Maple Syrup before putting them in the oven and fingers crossed.  Wow, these were great!!! I am still getting use to this old oven and create more disasters than wholesome goodness in the cake department, but these worked a treat I forgot to mention we used Jalna Vanilla yogurt (no sugar) also and it gave them a lovely moist texture. MMmm mmmm, we were very proud.
So what is on for today, well you wouldn't believe it Little Bear and I came down with sore throats last night and Little Bear a temp also, so today another day at home no ballet or kinder.  A light  lunch lots of fruit and I think a bush walk afterwards.  We fed the kookaburras on Sunday it looks as if they're building a nest in a tree at the front of our house we shall take the binoculars out with us for a closer look.  And a bit of house cleaning ....of course.
I went for a 4km run with Mr Spaghetti in the pusher yesterday, my leg felt great and I noticed myself smiling half way through.  It felt so wonderful,  a beautiful day at the lake, still and misty and not as cold as previous mornings and Mr Spaghetti and I were just happy.....Such a lovely way to be and jogging 4kms I had time to enjoy it,  a lovely distraction for the hard work of my legs and lungs!!
I hope you all out there are enjoying your happy days and if your missing out on them lately hang in there and  perhaps shake things up a bit.  x

Rewarding Challenges

Today I had an appointment with the physio to treat these painful shin splints (pain in the muscle), I will hopefully go for a small jog tonight or tomorrow morning and following stretches three times a day and arch supports for my shoes I should be back to pounding the streets and longer distances (or should I say gracefully striding along on my toes) fingers crossed as I'm finding running very rewarding of late.
 Speaking of rewarding, today was the end of our sugar challenge!!!  I found it really helped my diet in ways previously mentioned and although I cannot wait to indulge in pancakes with maple syrup and strawberries I have no desire to eat 2-3 rows of chocolate or add sugar to my coffee.
 Another area that I've been challenging myself lately is the dreaded budget.  I like to go over it every couple of months, especially when I feel like going on a big shopping spree it changes my perspective of whats important.  So this month the aim was to cut food and groceries down buy $100 per week and general spending/shopping down by $150 per week.  In two weeks I've gotten groceries down by $200 and I've not been shopping for myself or the children or home etc in a fortnight!  I don't know how long this will last but if I can achieve a month of no clothes shopping etc every say six months and stick to the new budget every spending month than  that would be quite wonderful.  My budget is quite generalized for spending I have food (this includes cafes,groceries and even magazines), general spending(clothes, entertainment, toys, car wash etc),  bills, house repayments/ interest, fuel and cash out.  I find this gives me a little more freedom, if I want to eat out a lot one week I'll cut down on some items at the supermarket etc.  Some days or weeks we need a little frivolity as opposed to counting every last dollar.  Next month I'm going to compare our electricity supplier with others and hopefully safe a bit there also.  Going back to my groceries and food budget I've replaced one of my Safeway shops with Aldi and have found a great little fruit shop which has great tasting produced (sometimes a little blemished, less chemicals perhaps?) and it's really very cheap.  We only eat meat 2-3 times a week, although we eat fish 2-3 times which can be expensive however very HEALTHY so worth it, And also I'm going to save heaps on Chocolate and Sugar!! x

Happy thoughts before bed

I'm on my way to bed, I feel drained and sleepy and am going to bed earlier than usual which is another of my little challenges this week.  It has been a long day, very emotional and I've thought way to much, am sure that I shall sleep well tonight and a new day should be there waiting in the morning.  I did go for a run today which of course helped but I later realised that my phone is not working at all and so have missed my husbands little message's throughout the day which always give me strength.
 So happy thoughts before bed, I have a beautiful little life that I'm very in love with, I am still challenging myself and growing as a person, meeting wonderful people, my beautiful husband is home in 3 or 4 sleeps, I found words of encouragement and although written by a stranger I'm sure they were aimed at me, my 3 little angels are safe and well tucked up in their beds dreaming of their special places and I remembered to lock-up the chickens  tonight (Jack frost has been out of late). Nighty night. x