Big day at the office

Actually it is going to be a big couple of days at the office. Today and tomorrow will see some super exciting things happen in my little part of the world.

Image from here

Today I have been a mother for 4382 days. Which makes tomorrow Miss Eleven's twelfth birthday. Told you super exciting things were happening.

It is hard to believe that this time twelve years ago I was not so patiently waiting for my little bundle of joy to make her appearance. Like most mothers to be I can still clearly remember those first early signs that indicated labour was underway. I was particularly relived as it meant that I had managed to closely escape a greatly unwanted induction.

From the moment I felt the first twinge to the moment my darling first born appeared was a little over twenty four hours. With my then partner and I spending only the last eight hours at the hospital. At the tender age of 23 I knew nothing other than having a baby was natural and I would take it all in my stride.

Which is pretty much how it all went in the end, save for the few moments where I said I had had enough and wanted to go home. I am sure all labouring mothers go through that though.

So how are we celebrating the arrival of my eldest child all those years ago?

We are off to watch a man swim with a crocodile.

Mind you it is not just any old man that we will be watching.

It will be this rather lovely man

Image via the Love Your Sister Instagram feed

To say I am beyond excited is the understatement of the year. At this point in time my mind is still blank in regards to what I might actually say. I am hoping that when the time comes auto pilot will kick in and I will wing through it with the grace and poise that I so often wish for.

In case you hadn't heard Samuel Johnson is riding his unicycle across this great nation in a bid to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. It is a twelve month journey that will see him pedal himself some 15 000km and hopefully raise one million dollars for cancer research.

Check out the Love Your Sister Facebook page for all the latest on what is happening.

For now though it is Tuesday and I have blogged. Which means only one thing. 

Joining with all the fun that is

I must confess some of my crazy thoughts

The other day I shared an insight into some of the crazy thoughts that have popped through my head. In all honestly I cringe at the thought of some of the things that I said in that post. Even as I sit here typing this I am gently rocking back and forth in my chair wondering whether this is something I should keep pushing on with.

You see I am slowing beginning to think that we all have equally crazy thoughts at times. Some may be slightly crazier than others and others may have them slightly more often than some. But at the end of the day we are all full of our own little cup of crazy.

Which to me makes it not so crazy and more like normal.

Which I think is why I am thinking that sharing a few more of my hide in the cupboard crazies is a good idea. To create a whole new normal not just for me, but my readers at large. Failing that let's just hope it is at the least in some way entertaining.

So in there interest of normalising crazy, particularly mine here I go.


Before arriving at the Digital Parents Conference I had a whole heap of expectations. One of which was that I would be inundated with people who couldn't wait to meet me. And to some extent there was and please if you are one of those people reading this I really was touched and it did meant the world to me.

However there honestly was a part of me that expected a little more. In some ways I envisaged a whole range of different people racing up to introduce themselves to me for one reason or another. And yes one of those reasons might have been to either offer me a book deal or sign me up as their number one writer for something or another.

Not surprisingly (when you have reality firmly gripped) I was not mobbed upon my nearly late arrival to the conference on day one. I was however greeted by the lovely Tina who engulfed me with one of the warmest welcome hugs I have ever felt. My first thought was "I think she might actually know who I am" which naturally made me feel all kinds of special.

However my special feeling quickly dissipated when others did not get so nearly excited upon my entrance. Which again is totally understandable for those who have a strong relationship with reality. Unlike myself at times.

For me the entire conference was spent on an internal roller coaster trying to determine where I fitted in, not just in the blogosphere but almost in the world at large. For as much as it felt great being around so many like minded souls I also felt incredibly isolated and alone at times. Which may or may not have been a pure result of my crazy thoughts (actually it is but like I want to admit that).

As I mentioned in my last post I let my crazy thoughts get so carried away I missed out on meeting the rather lovely Tiff. Only she wasn't the only one. Oh no, there is a whole long list. For the most part I am not beating myself up about it too much but there are few that I am just gutted I didn't manage find the balls to really talk to.

Top of that list is Robomum.

Another who requested my where abouts during the conference.

@aparentinglife Where ru ?
— RoboMum (@RoboMumBlog) March 20, 2013

Only by the time we actually managed to be in the same room at the same time there was barely enough time for a quick hello hug before we both had to rush off somewhere else.

At the time I was a bit relieved because by this stage I was on the verge of my mini meltdown, though I don't think I realised it at the time. My levels of overwhelm had soared to new heights by this stage. The thought of actually having to talk to anyone, regardless of whether I knew them or not, made my stomach turn a thousand different ways.

As I think about it now I really wish that I had pushed myself a little further. Robomum was on my list people I was hoping to connect with and I had the opportunity to and now feel like I threw it away. Not only that I have heard from numerous sources that she is as awesome in real life as she is on her blog.

Talk about rubbing salt into the wound.


The irony of the whole no one wants to talk to me despite me not being able to actually to anyone is not lost on me. Total crazy I know.

Whoa! Will someone please stop the crazy talk?

A long, long, time ago, long before Lori's life took a directional change, RRSAHM was one of the blogs that I would regularly go and read. To my littlest fish in the ocean eyes she was a much bigger fish, and with good cause. Her posts were always quirky and interesting. She was the blogger that I dreamed to be.

Especially since our blogs both had the words random and rambling in them. At the time I was blogging at Rhianna's Random Ramblings. Not that I actually had any readers, or patiences to keep going to see if I got some.

Me, after lunch, pushing myself to be silly and let go
Also evidence of my crazy and delusional mind

In my obviously crazy and delusional mind I decided that there was no space on the Internet for two bloggers who both used the words random and rambling in their blogspot address. Particularly since I was certain that our writing styles were so similar.

I worried that should anyone ever stop by to read my humble little blog they may accuse me of copying her awesomeness. (Yes I seriously thought this, mainly because we both did lots of small fonted brackets and no one else did)  It was about this time I stopped reading Lori's blog. That way if ever accused I could honestly say there was no risk of any copyright issues. Never mind all the awesome posts that I would never get to read. Told you I had a crazy and delusional mind.

As time went on I gradually forgot about RRSAHM and Lori and for a while even blogging. When I did return to have a read of the crazy jelly bean lady who had my blog name (not really though only in my crazy head) Her life had been turned upside down and I felt terrible for resenting her blog had such a cool name.

A couple of times at DPCON13 I found myself standing in amongst a group of people, Lori being amongst them. I may have managed to be on the outskirts on the conversation but there was no way that I could bring myself to actually talk to this amazing woman. You know like really talk. To say, hey I have read your blog for ages, you are a great story teller, thanks for sharing.

No there was nothing like that. I was certain the poor woman was sick of wannabe bloggers fawning over her and singing her praises. Because I am sure that really happens, just as I am sure one would tire of it eventually.

But I digress, as lovely as that story may or may not have been t'was not the one I wanted to be telling.

What I wanted to be telling you was the story of Tiff. Tiff who I do visit slightly more frequently and have on more than one occasion left a comment on her blog, but still don't have any expectation for her to know me or my blog, in any shape or form.

Tiff who tweeted me not long after the conference started, asking where I was in the room.

@aparentinglifewhere abouts are you?
— tiffany tregenza (@tiggymooshoo) March 19, 2013

Feeling all kinds of special because this totally amazing woman wanted to know where I was, I responded with

@tiggymooshoo in the middle towards the back, in purple top near @daisyrooandtwo I was only wondering this morning if you would be here
— Rhianna (@aparentinglife) March 19, 2013

Only now when I read it I want to face palm myself.

Naturally this was all before she had appeared on the blogging through adversity panel. Which I didn't really know about. I had kind of flicked over all those minor details regarding who was speaking when a few times but with so much going on minor details like that didn't really sink in to my somewhat dense at time brain.

When I realised what a tool I must of looked like, wondering whether a speaker was going to turn up or not I couldn't bring myself to face her. Why wouldn't she show up? Oh the shame of going to conference totally unaware of what was actually going on and who was speaking when.

What kind of try hard fraud was I?

As it turned out by the time the first session ended, my nervous coffee drinking habit, followed by a sudden desire to flush out my insides with water, meant my bladder felt like it was about to exceed it's limitations. (It didn't just in case you were wondering) Rushing off in the opposite direction everyone else in the bid to find the loo I soon began to fill my head with all kinds of nonsensical  notions.

The morning had so far gone less than I had planned and the reality I was facing myself with took a bit of adjusting to. The details of which are too much to include in this already essay length post. Suffice to say though I was not exactly being as kind to myself as I should have.

By the time I returned to the main area, fresh coffee in hand, my self esteem had become so battered and bruised I couldn't bring myself to talk to anyone. Let alone a brave woman about to take the stage and share her heartache, trials and tribulations with essentially a bunch of strangers on many levels.

Not that it actually mattered because by this time the next session was ready to get underway and all chances of interaction were suddenly removed from me.

I was so pleased as that meant a reprieve from the expectation of making conversation with people that I didn't know. Until I actually arrived the whole concept of actually interacting with these people had not found it's way inside my head. When it did I was overwhelmed with how to handle all of what was before me.

As I sat there listening to these women share how blogging has helped them get through some of their darkest hours and days, I started to cut myself some slack. After all, my life was suddenly becoming more appealing. If these women could get up and through each day after all life had thrown at them, then surely I could survive a two day conference?

Sometimes, when I write a post I find out that I have a lot to say. Too much in fact to say in one post. This is one of those posts. It all started when I went to share a few of the blogs I love for MTA's little linky. I wanted to share my love for the three bloggers who spoke on the blogging through adversity panel at the Digital Parents Conference I went to in March. It turned out there was much more than just love to be shared. Apologies if it was long winded, thanks for making it to the end.

What crazy thoughts have run through your head lately? 

I Love Your Blog -As you blog through adversity #DPCON13

This week's inspiration for the blogs I love comes from experiences at DPCON13. In fact so much experience has come from these three blogs that I have actually had to break it all up into two posts.

One of the discussion panels at the conference was on blogging through adversity. It was moderated by Grace from withsomegrace.com who by the way, did so wonderfully.

The discussion created by these amazingly strong and resilient women is one that is both heart breaking and warming. There strength, determination and pure ability to just keep on keeping on is of endless inspiration to me.

On the panel was

Lori from  Random Ramblings of a SAHM (RRSAHM), 

Tiff from My Three Ring Circus, 

and

Rachel from Mummy Muddles. 

Three amazing women, each with their own heartbreaking story to tell. Each doing so with beauty, poise and an honest openness that touches my heart in the most deepest of ways.

My Three Ring Circus and RRSAHM were both blogs that were already on my totally love list prior to the conference. In fact there is actually a whole other post about them here. Mummy Muddles however was one I had not before read. Upon returning home and having a read through a few posts, it didn't take me long to decide that it was on the totally love list.

Actually just hearing Rachel read one of her posts later on that evening I knew I would love her blog.

The rawness of Rachel's pain and grief is very confronting, and I will be honest, I can't stop in there all the time, I am an emotional reader at the best of times. It is like I absorb the sadness and sometimes it can be hard to shake. Which I feel terrible saying because I am sure that is how Rachel must feel only she doesn't get the chance to click away or not go and read...Through all of this though Rachel's words are penned in such a beautiful way that it is a criminal for them not to be read. By everyone.

Have you got a blog you love to read? 

Join in the I Love Your Blog meme hosted by MTA

Things I Know - School Holidays, Birthdays and Interviewing Superstars

It feels like forever since I shared some of the things that I know. Which makes me want to say the first thing I know this week is that it has been all systems a go here for the past few weeks.

The excitement of the Digital Parents Conference led straight into the onslaught of birthday season in our house. It really feels like the last few weeks have been nothing but a blur.

But complaining I am not. For the most, perhaps even nearly all, there has been an abundance of joy, fun and laughter. Naturally there was the odd day where things all got a little too much but that is just part and parcel of living a life. I blogged, tweeted and shared and before long my worries seemed gone.

Image from here

So what is it I know right here right now?

I know I went to make this post all about my love of all things school holidays. But then I realised I had already done that here.

I know I then thought I could carry on about birthdays. Until I realised I had already harped on about birthdays quite a lot lately.

I know that every time I think about being in the same room as Samuel Johnson my knees seem to go weak. Not to mention the rapid increase in the beating of my heart. When I say beating I may possibly actually mean pounding.

I know that it is actually easier and possibly best not to think too much about it. Else I send myself into a state of worry that for some crazy ill fated reason it all never takes place.

I know I need to have faith that all will be ok. In the end it always is.

I know that the Love Your Sister campaign is beyond awesome. Really and truly. I could not urge people enough to get behind and show support. Have you checked it out yet?

I know I need to just remember that at the end of the day, regardless of what kind of acting superstar he is, Samuel is still just a brother with a very sick sister trying to make a difference.

I know that I am actually being super organised and writing this well ahead of time. Hence it is actually late at night right now. Which means it is time for this little blogger to head to bed.

Make sure you check out all the other things that people know and share with Miss Cinders

Imogen's Angels and Princess Ladybird

One of the many fabulous people that I had the pleasure of meeting (be it all to briefly) at DPCON13 was a lady by the name of Fiona. Fiona had the most coolest cards to handout.

Inside the little plastic bag that held her card was a little printed chick with some eyes and nose to stick on and create your own little chick. There was also a little magnet to attach to the back of the chick so you could stick it on your fridge (or wherever). Best idea ever I say.

Fiona blogs over at Imogen's Angels where she is full of good ideas and shares her love of all things craft. In fact Fiona loves craft so much that she actually has craft packs for you to purchase so you can have your own crafty fun at home. 

So why am I telling you all this?

See that lovely new button on the top of my sidebar?

It looks like this and belongs to Fiona.

<div align="center"> <a href="http://imogensangels.com.au/princess-ladybird/" title="Princess Ladybird" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z380/lourhi/Banner-280-pxs-wide_zpsbb3f36db.png" alt="Princess Ladybird" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And this is why I am telling you all of this. 

Heartbreakingly in 2010, after a courageous journey through illness, Fiona's daughter Imogen, earned her soft feathery wings and joined the angels.

Imogen, 2009
Image courtesy of Imogen's Angels.

Imogen lives on though, each and every day through the creative magic that Fiona creates with her range of high quality handmade products that she sells through her site. 

During the week of April 24 to May 1st each year, Fiona sells Princess Ladybird brooch pins to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It provides her with a way to honour her beautiful daughter's memory as well as giving back to the organisation that helped Imogen fulfil a wish of her own.

Princess Ladybird brooch pins
100% of the profits go directly to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation
Image courtesy of Imogen's Angels.

The Princess Ladybird brooch pins will be available for sale soon. If you are in a position to buy one, or even two, it would be wonderful if you did. Alternatively spreading the word around family, friends and the Internet at large would also be great.

If you have a blog and would like to put the button on your side bar the code to do so can be found above.

For more information go here or check out the Facebook page

How to throw a fun, easy and stress free birthday party. At the last minute no less.

As I mentioned yesterday, birthday parties can be exhausting.

In my mind a birthday party should be fun, easy and stress free. This weekend just gone saw the first of our birthday party holding for the year. Thankfully it went off like a frog in a sock. 

Not only was it a huge success but it was incredibly simple and did not break the bank. Talk about winning hey?

Being the awesome caring sharing blogger that I am, I am going to share with you how I managed to throw a stress free, yet totally fun birthday party for a three year old.

My Top Tips For Stress Free Birthday Parties

1. Keep It Simple. Never let go of the K.I.S principle.
   Know your limitations and don't feel the need to push past them. Not every party has to look like it would send Pinterest users into overdrive. In fact it is probably best to forget that the evils of Pinterest even exist. (Unless of course you are going there to pin my photos/posts to let others know of how easy a party can be)
   The food was incredibly simple.
   
   Sausages cooked on the barbie, complete with sauce and rolls or bread
   Fairy bread cut into fun shapes
   Chocolate crackles and honey joys
   Dip with celery, carrot and capsicum strips
   Celery with peanut butter
   Kabana & cheese
   Chips
   
   Most of which can be prepared ahead of time and popped in the fridge till party time. I think it took me all of an hour to cut up what was needed.
   
   
2. Don't go overboard with the invites.
   Especially if it is a party for little ones. My mum has a great rule that you only invite as many children as the age of the birthday.
   
   With that in mind Miss Three choose three friends (one of whom couldn't make it). By the time we invited our besties, who have three children, and two children from the complex we live in (it seemed wrong to have a pool party at the complex pool and not invite them), we suddenly had a total of twelve children. Since they were all manner of ages though it was quite manageable. Particularly since there were some older children that were able to entertain younger ones. Winning right there I tell you.
   
   
3. Accept help when it is offered.
   There was a time when I mistakenly thought I had to do it all myself. Not this year though. Mum offered to make chocolate crackles and honey joys. My instinct was to say no it's fine I'll do it but thankfully common sense won through and before she even finished the sentence I was gratefully accepting.
   
   
4. Remember that children don't need a lot to have fun.
   Being blessed with a large pool makes last minute parties easy because who doesn't want to spend a lazy afternoon by the pool. Throw in a few water balloons or even some water guns and you have just found hours of entertainment for rowdy kids.
   
   I also did a very simple rigged game of pass the parcel. When I say rigged I mean it was one of those ones where everyone got something, be it a lolly, sticker or balloon. The end prize was a pack of textas picked up from the local $2 shop. Everyone walked away with a smile on their face.
   
   
5. Any cake is good cake.
   Seriously it is. Especially if you are a child. Store bought or homemade, at the end of the day it makes no difference. A cake is a cake.
   
   I did give the birthday girl a cake book to flick through and choose from but she couldn't decide on one and quite frankly neither could I. As much as I like the whole homemade cake thing, it is also a rather stressful and time consuming affair.
   
   Thanks to the cute little creatures you can pick up from the local supermarket I was able to create a simple masterpiece. I don't mind baking the odd cake every now and then so I just whipped up a simple chocolate orange mud cake type thing, slapped on a bit of butter cream icing, stuck some cute little creatures and hundreds and thousands on it and Bob's your uncle birthday cake complete.

One last minute cake, complete with dodgy icing.

Joining in with Jess and the IBOT gang

I must confess that birthday parties wear me out

Last year as birthday season approached I boldly declared that this would be the year of no parties. For anyone at all. We would still have a birthday celebration complete with cake and lots of fun. It would just be restricted to family and the super of closest friends. 

image from here

For some reason the thought of arranging birthday parties for three children sent my brain into shutdown and it refused to process the possibility. After eleven years of parties, plus the extras once I had more than one child I just could not face it again. I refused to. The money, the effort, the completely worn out and exhausted feeling at the end of it. I just wanted nothing to do with any of it.

Since my brilliant idea stretched across the board and since I offered such fantastic alternatives everyone agreed with my plan. I let out a sigh of relief and once again began to look forward to the celebration of the birth of my children.

Thinking I had found an easy way around birthdays I was rather impressed with the prospect of no parties. I was however slightly mistaken with the whole easy aspect though. As lovely as the birthdays all were, each one still equated to a fair bit of work for me and left me thinking that maybe a party would have been the way to go after all.

This year, Miss Turning Twelve had made it quite clear she was not having a bar of the whole there is no party thing this year. Which was fine because with Miss Two Turning Three I had decided that she was in need of a party. Miss In The Middle, who celebrates her birth in June rather than April with the other two, is still not overly fussed about the party as long as she gets to go camping again. Odds are certainly in her favour.

After my birthday the other week it was rather evident that the little one was well and truly switched onto the whole birthday caper and as such deserved a bit of a party. This also tied in well with the fact that our pool has recently had a shade cloth erected over it making it perfect for all day swimming.

Still not overly comfortable with an all out blow your mind party I decided for a very low key affair. While it sounds like a lot when I say I made twelve party bags, one for each child, they were all of such a range of complementing ages that it actually didn't seem like many at all.

There were a few big ones, that helped look after the littlest ones. Though they also did a great job of playing with the middle ones as well. In fact all in all everyone just got along beautifully and it was the most relaxing enjoyable  party I have thrown for a very long time.

Adhering strongly to the  keep it simple principle that applies so often life we had plenty of lovely food that was not hard to prepare and didn't break the bank. Though if you want all the gory details on that you will have to check back tomorrow.

For now I just wanted to join in with Kirsty and confess how after being worn out by the mere thought of a party last year, this year I am glad we partied partied.

Do birthday celebrations exhaust you?

In the space of one month we have a total of six birthdays in the extended family. 

Two of which belong my children and one of course being mine. 

Is it no wonder I find it a bit much at times?

Klaus, this one's for you. Let's petition Jetstar

Sometime in early March I received an email from change.org regarding a petition against something to

do with credit card charges and Jetstar. I skimmed over it and pressed delete without giving it a second thought. After all I had a conference to get ready for and I while I was flying it was not with Jetstar.

Despite living in a capital city that is in the middle of no where, flying is not something we do very often. With five of us it is just to dang expensive. Last year when we were invited to Cairns for my sister's wedding it worked out more economical to road trip than fly. Which is just ridiculous. It was a round trip in the vicinity of 6000km.

So when I do fly I like to do so in style. And by style I mean an air carrier that provides me with food and drink without any exorbitant extra charges. Which kind of only leaves me with one option. Thankfully, for the most part if there is only one person flying and if you time it well and in advance, you can generally pick up a reasonably priced ticket. As such I rarely pay much attention to any of the airline kerfuffles that are often in the media. Hence the skim and delete with the whole Jetstar petition email.

Anyways fast forward a week or so to the end of conference dinner. I was fortunate enough to be on a table with many wonderful women. One of whom was Coralie. Next to her was her sponsor for the conference. The founder of 1st Available (which by the way is an awesome idea so make sure you head on over and check it out)

So there we were, all talking about this and that and whatever. Who has had what results in social media and what not (what else would a bunch of bloggers be discussing) when the 1st Available guy, who goes by the name of Klaus, pipes up with, "well my petition on change.org has nearly 35000" or something to that effect.

Naturally he had all our attention.

Turns out that Klaus was referring to the Jetstar petition that I had simply thrown to the trash without a second thought. Meeting the person behind something I so quickly discarded made me feel a tad bad. To make up for my indiscretion I promised to write a post sharing the wrongs of Jetstar's ways.

So what is the petition about?

Well every time you book online with Jetstar and pay by credit card (essentially the only means available) they hit you with a $8.50 surcharge per passenger per flight. So if I wanted to take my little family of five on a return trip, I would be charged $8.50 a total of TEN times. Which for those to lazy to do the maths is an extra $85.

And that my friends is beyond crazy. In fact that is half the price of what I paid for a one way ticket to Sydney.

To add further insult to injury the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has recently put out a statement saying such charges are just not acceptable and should be dropped.

Let's help Klaus make a stand against Jetstar.

You can find the petition to sign right HERE 

Please sign and then share with your friends.

If you want further anti Jetstar information then check out dontflyjetstar.com

In an effort to get as wide a reach as possible I am joining in with FYBF

One of those days

Image from here

You know those days where everything feels like it is turning to crap? Where no matter what is going on it is sure to go wrong in some shape or form, possible and most probably even both. 

Those days where you just wished you had of stayed in bed, or at least in the house. Those days where it is best if you removed yourself from human interaction because undoubtedly people will drive you to distraction. Even when they don't mean to. Those days where patience has run out the door and every little thing will invariably rub you the wrong way. Most likely because you doubt there even is a right way.

Today feels like one of those days.

It shouldn't but it does. And shaking it just doesn't seem possible.

Today feels like a day where I could quite easily walk into a the doctor and walk out with a bunch of little pills in the hope they are the magic ticket to happiness. Of course I know that is not how it really works but still...

Right now it feels like the weight of the world is resting purely on my poor weak little shoulders. My back feeling like it is unable to withstand much more and likely to give way at any given moment. Leaving me crumpled up and squashed, not unlike a deflated ball kicked aside, no longer of worth to anyone.

All rather dramatic I know.

The worst part about this all is that there have been some rather exciting moments to the day.

Things like getting confirmation that when Samuel Johnson is in town I will get to meet him and have a little chat. I am beyond excited, and nervous, but at the end of the day the excitement will win. 

Or at least I hope it will. 

If you haven't already heard Sam is riding a unicycle 15000km around Australia in a bid to raise awareness for breast cancer as well as $1Million for the cause. You can donate here

Sunday will also see my darling little Miss Two become Miss Three. It is the first birthday where she really gets the whole birthday concept. Today we walked around the shops and she pointed out various things the birthday fairy will bring her. A concept which just melts my heart because after nearly 12 years of children's birthdays this is the first time I have heard of the birthday fairy. Who knows where she picked it up from but it is beyond cute.

Though it was at the shops that I could feel the unhappiness grow.

As much as I live in a capital city, it is a small capital city. In fact I am sure there are some country towns or even inner city suburbs, that possibly have more than what we do. Turns out in the whole shopping centre there is only one shoe shop that sells children's shoes. Naturally they didn't have a single solitary pair in the nearly birthday girl's size.

"Are you *$#%ing kidding me????" I somehow refrained from screeching at the shop assistant as I stormed out of the store. Go me huh?

I now have to ring said store to ask if she happened to come across a cute little hand knitted bunny rabbit that Miss Nearly Three insisted on taking to the shops that never quite made it home.

Again I refrained from my overwhelming desire to scream "Are you *$#%ing kidding me????" I am sure my mother of the year award will be here any moment.

The worst part about the whole losing the stupid toy (that my mother had made and only given us two days before hand I might add) is that in all my years of being a mother I have never allowed toys to come shopping. Never, ever, never. 

My blood starts to boil at my idiotic resolve to bend the rules a little. Surely I should know by now that rules are there for a reason. (And contrary to whatever I may have said earlier, some rules are not meant to be broken) Live and learn I guess.

Sigh.

None of this is helped by the fact I am acutely aware of there being real problems that people, some of whom I love dearly, are suffering from. Not that it can be discussed here though. Something about lack of privacy and not my stories to tell...

Double sigh.

On the upside though, because as a regular reader you would know I am all about the upside, did I mention I get to meet Samuel Johnson? 

Seriously though there is a lot to the upside. Stuff like I managed to find some great birthday presents for the upcoming birthday girl. And by great I mean what I was looking for and on special. Win win right there peoples. I also scored some free movie tickets. Winning again. 

Then there are just the everyday winning things like having a home, food, loving husband and all that jazz. Blessed is what I truly am and for that I am thankful. Just sometimes a whinge is what we all need. It is good for the soul. The weights all now feel lighter as my burdens have been shared. Thanks for listening.

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Wordless Wednesday - Sydney Royal Easter Show - Cakes

It just so happened that the day before I left Sydney was also the second day of the Royal Easter Show. Now regular readers will recall that I am a bit of a show girl. You know in that I love going to the show. Who doesn't?

When I worked out that I would be in town for the start of the countries largest show I couldn't not go. As always I was a terrible blogger and didn't take along my SLR. Leaving me to the perils of only my iPhone camera. Which I must admit is not exactly perilous but I always feel limited when using it.

As such all I really took photos of was the cake section. 

OMG.

Never have my eyes seen anything like it. But enough from me because this is supposed to be a somewhat wordless post!

 My sister assured me this was no where near as cool as her hungry caterpillar cake

In much the same way I am certain I prefer to think my pigs in mud cake is better than this one

Though really at the end of the day they are all pretty cool 

 The detail in some of the cakes was nothing short of amazing