was such a great day! PBP opened and it was a hit!! Lots of wonderful, talented people came and joined up at the site! It was such a fun environment to be in and I’m sure the main Pickleheads – Kate, Annette, Heather and Mr Heather – were thrilled with how it all went!

So just to give you a taste of what is to come! First off, the Brand New Day multikit which will be given away, kit by kit over the next few weeks:

The first part of this kit, by Annette is already available for download. Our first chat is Tuesday night – 1st August, at 9pm, AEST.

Here are some samples of the wonderful products in store!!

Harvey Blue by Poppy Monkey Designs

Cornflower’s Blue by Chris Turnbull

Sophisticated Sepia by Annette Farrelly

Desert Rose by Faer Oak

Country Kitchen by Kate Fairlie

Big Boy Now by Lisa S

Sunday was also my birthday!! I had a wonderful dinner party Saturday night one of my brother’s and his wife! A yummy dinner, way too many drinks and lots of laughs, was perfect!! They left about 2am, and just as I was about to stumble into bed, Trenty woke. He’s got a nasty cold….have never seen so much snot come from one kid!!! Poor man could hardly breathe and kept coughing…not easy staying up with a sick child while you are a tad on the drunk side either!!!!

So Sunday was a quiet day to keep him indoors and out of the cold, but it turned out ok, got lots of time to play at PBP!! Just wanting to thank my wonderful, dear friends at PBP who sent me e-cards, made me cards, sent me messages and even told the whole forum it was my birthday *mwa*!!! Thanks for the birthday messages waiting for me at Macdigi when I got up yesterday morning, blog message from the beautiful Sue, and a lovely suprise message for me at Shazzy’s blog!! I feel incredibly special, and blessed to have all you wonderful people in my life!

Ok, enough rambling, off to clean up after the snot monster…….

Only 2 more days until PBP officially opens. I feel so priviledged to be involved in this site, such a wonderful bunch of talented, helpful and creative ladies, who create such a friendly and welcoming environment.

Special big thanks to all you wonderful girls who have helped me with my thousands of questions and have been so very patient and open in doing so! What makes this site a winner from the start is that Kate has created such a great ‘team’ and allows us all to be involved and has nurtured our creativity (or often in my case, lack of!!). So will be posting some of my kits here over the next few days and advertising at all the usual sites in the mean time

Yesterday headed in to the Quilt and Craft show. Was amazing!! Some of those quilts took over a year to make and the detail in them is amazing!!! I was so inspired and want to start learning to do more and more things!! MIL brought me a new 4×18″ ruler, a pattern and paid for me to get into the show for my birthday. Trent was sooooo incredibly well behaved, he’s such a pleasure to take anywhere, and only had one little tanty when a very rude lady nearly sat on him trying impatiently to get passed us..WTF???

We got back to MIL’s and took Trent over to the park to play for a while and run off some steam before we got back in the car and went home.

This morning we had a playdate with Annette and Caleb. Been ages since we’ve seen them. Poor little Caleb was sick, but they still happilly sat up at the table and ate the Donuts I got for them

Such spunky little men!!

So I’m on a diet, really….but decided to treat Trenty and I to a nice brekkie today of drop scones and coffee. Yummo, so nice to have a change from cereal or eggs on toast!!
They are pretty easy to make to and cook in only a few minutes. But felt so guilty after having them, decided we had better do some serious exercise today! I got the rope out and did some skipping, followed by some sit ups, push ups and some weights. Trent LOVES working out too, well, he just loves to copy when we are doing something energetic. So some photos of Trenty’s workout….

Sit ups…

Being cheeky with the rope….

Then off ‘trying’ to actually skip!!

He looks so damn cute trying to work out how to skip! He just throws the rope around and occasionally jumps on it and yells ‘yay’ when he thinks he’s done the real thing!

Just for Annette, a photo from our quick visit to our duckie pond the other week. We love it down there, Trent and I often head down a couple of times during the week on our walks, it only takes 5-ish minutes to get there, the ducks are really friendly and eat straight out of your hand. There hasn’t been many around lately, must be too cold for them, so it’s nice just to have a small crowd to admire and feed. There’s a big playground, so we usually go for a quick play. We’ve gotten to know one of the local ladies quite well. She has a 2yo Melamute called BJ that Trenty has become quite fond of, and she lets him feed him a couple of treats and we walk most of the way back home with her.

Off to the Quilt and Craft Fair tomorrow with Matt’s mum. Really looking forward to it, she is a big quilter, makes some absolutely beautiful quilts and embroidered blankets, so will be a nice day out, hopefully Mr T will be up for it!

Latest word of the house……Matt keeps telling me off that he says it because of me, but I remind him that is better than some other words he could be coming out with!! More new stuff:

Dance Dino, Dance Dino….stomp, stomp, stomp….

Aaaah, good old Playschool. It was once a good show to watch, now it is an obsession. Sad part is, it’s becoming that way for us too, we are constantly singing the songs!! If it’s not Dino, it’s Three Little Fishies….you know…Boop, boop, dittum, dattum, wattum…Chu!!

What did you do?? Is another new catch cry this week

Quiet week this week, Matt’s had my car nearly all of it, his car is trying to die on us again, which has put a few plans on the back burner. Something else has been bugging me in the last week and a bit, a situation I think I have misjudged a little, and just have to really re-evaluate some stuff.

Anyway….busy week ahead, lots of play dates and a trip to the Quilting show, am really looking forward to that!! This latest quilt is coming along very slowly, so hoping to get some inspiration to keep me going!!

Credits: Faer Oak’s Naiad Falls Kit

Trent and I have kept up our daily walking routine and according to Matt, it’s really starting to show! Actually, I’ve just incorporated some skipping into it also, but that has been hard work!! Haven’t done that in ages! We were cleaning out some boxes in the shed and I found all my Kickboxing Gear, so decided to make use of the skipping rope again.My friend Danielle had her 2nd bubba in June! This gorgeous little man is Lachlan!! Can’t wait to see him when they bring him home to Melbourne soon! Cluck cluck!!!

Have a nudey run happening here so best go before he gets cold!! Something to keep you all thinking about for a while though

Trent had a 2nd birthday party with Matt’s family on Friday night. With the help of MIL, we made him a soccer cake, it was a big hit! He LOVED it!! I brought the players and nets at Spotlight to decorate it.

He was, as usual, a very spoilt boy!! He got a ball pit, (which he uses mostly for doing somersaults in!), a ball, a big playdough set, a Wiggles book and the ‘Cars’ doona set.

He loves his new bedding and runs around calling it his ‘Brrroooommm’ bed!!

He got so much playdough and paints we decided to get him one little extra surprise and brought him the playdough Activity Table, which he loves and spent most of Saturday morning playing at!

Saturday evening we headed up to Yea for a visit with my parents. He loves the farm and all the animals. The photo below is my dog Tyson and their goat Lou Lou.
We headed up into the paddocks Sunday morning to help put the new electric fence up. It was a lot of walking for such a little boy (50 acre farm), we ended up having to push him in the wheelbarrow, which he loved and sat back and took it all in!

Once we got up there, he ran off to pat the cows in the adjoining paddock, the calves were too scared to come near him, so he had to settled for being slobered on by the bigger cows! We headed home late Sunday afternoon to an early night after a busy few days!

Blogger has refused to let me upload my layouts and finally it will! No…haven’t done these in the last day or two, but over a few weeks!

Credits: Superstar Kit by me!!
Credits: Iris Kit by me!!
Credits: June Sampler Freebie by Holly and Kristy Ann
Credits: In the Groove Album by Shabby Princess
Credits: Shabby Fall Page Set by Shabby Princess
Credits: Explore Your Senses quick page by Doris Castle
Credits: Big Boy Now kit by me!

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post and the emails. Slowly working my way out of my grump…thankfully I have a very patient husband and some very understanding friends who are allowing me to sook and let me work through things…but always offering me an ear when I’m ready xxx

Just grumpy, very grumpy, frustrated, annoyed…………..and grumpy.

Struggling to make some decisions, I know the outcomes of them will be very rewarding, but the processes to get there are long, emotional and draining. I have no patience or tolerance and some things are just really bugging me, things and situations that I would normally be able to shake off, I just can’t right now.

But you know, it’s been a long year so far, a trying year, some real health issues that have been draining for me, for Matt and for Trent, so maybe I just need to cut myself some slack and stop trying to do the right thing by everyone, when it doesn’t make me..or us happy.

Just grumpy.

Yes, that is all we hear around here these days. Trent has become a walking television advertisment!!! The list has slowly been growing….

e-e-eeeasy (Clive Peters)
aaa aaaa better now – translated to I feel better now (Medibank Private)
Eny, eeennny – translated to Henry, Heeeenry (Whiskas)

Around the house, in the car, walking the shops, it’s all I hear all day!!! Guess it’s a nice change from the usual Playschool or Wiggles songs I’m usually inundated with!

Ok, was tagged a while ago by Shazz so will finally do it!!

7 things I’d like to do before I die:

1. Have another baby 2. Go back to Thailand 3. Go to Ireland 4. Buy another house 5. Own a new car

6. Pursue my desired career 7. Renew my wedding vows!

7 things that I can’t do:

1. Please everyone 2. Sing 3. Work until my children are at school 4. Save money 5. Design freehand or doodle 6. Sit still for more than 10 minutes 7. See without my glasses

7 Things that attracted me to my husband

1. Tolerance 2. Patience 3. Support 4. Unwavering love 5. Understanding 6. Laugh (it’s really dorky!)

7. Sensitivity

7 Books that I love

1. Any Sydney Sheldon 2. Any Martina Cole 3. Dawn Fraser Autobiography 4. Elvis 5. Any by Dave Pelzer

6. Most True Crime novels 7. A Girls Night In

7 Movies I’d watch over and over

1. The Wizard of Oz 2. School Ties 3. Pearl Harbour 4. Coyote Ugly 5. The Other Sister 6. Dead Poets Society 7. How to Make an American Quilt

7 People I’d like to tag

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 – Any/All of my friends

I just read this on Shazzy’s blog:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for thatPerson… When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is Usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for a reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die.Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on. Sometimes people come to your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joyBELIEVE it, it is REAL. But only for a season. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must buildUpon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

I am incredibly blessed at the moment with a handful of what I consider to be the most wonderful, ‘lifetime’ friends I’ve ever met!! You know who you are and I feel I am becoming a much stronger, wiser, confident and tolerant person because of you all.

Bigs *hugs* to Annette today too

Happy birthday to my little brother, who is priviledged to share the day with his nephew!!

And happy birthday to my gorgeous boy!!! The day started off wonderfully with him actually sleeping right through the night, and coming down to me, singing ‘Mummy, mummy’ down the hallway at 7.05am this morning. Jumped into my bed for some cuddles and good morning moochies before a few choruses of Happy Birthday and counting 2 on his fingers!

He had his 2yo assessment this morning, all went well, he showed off his skills with lots of kicking and throwing and catching before the calmer tasks of identifying items and building towers with blocks and picking up 100’s and 1000’s and putting them into a cup! His speech is fine, can use a handful of little sentences and speaks lots of words quite clearly. I have noticed he’s not as vocal as some of his little friends, but he sure makes up for it with his motor skills! I was dying for measurements. I know comparing him to his little friends, that he is sooo much smaller than them….I mean, he still fits into size 0 clothes!

Height: 85.5cm
HC: 47.6
Weight: 11.15kg

A fair decrease on his growth chart, particuarly for his weight. I was actually surprised, I thought he was closer to the 12kg mark than that. But we are not worried, he has a very healthy appetite, he’s just a very ‘busy’ little man and burns everything off!!! We don’t eat much junk food and he eats mostly fruit and veg and healthy snacks anyway. My brothers and I were all small babies, and Matthew’s whole family is slim so I guess he’s keeping in line with the family

She’s happy he’s showing signs of wanting to use the toilet. He tells us when he’s about to do wees and poos, (and did while we were there!) and will do wee on the potty after a bath, and often runs for it during the day. She said if he really starts wanting to use it all the time to encourage it, but otherwise to wait until this summer before making any real inroads with it.

And we discovered 1 eye tooth has just cut and 2 others are sitting just under it so should cut any day, the fourth is no where near ready so that was a nice little surprise…and may also explain the sleepless nights, although he’s no where near as whingy as what he was when he cut his pre-molars. We went through all the behavioural things and when she asked about tantrums I said they were well and truly happening. She commented how placid he still is…but when we were leaving he threw a ripper tanty when I wouldn’t let him take a ball home with us

We popped around to Nan’s to say hi and get his pressie off her. A toy vaccum cleaner which he loves and busily got to vacuuming her floors! Last night he opened the presents from his godparents…some dinosaur figurines, a Mega sketcher/doodle thing and some maracca’s and tambourine. He also got a 3 wheel trike (a real big boy bike), with the ‘Cars’ movie theme from Matt’s sister and her partner. We got him Bob the Builder jarmies, a polo top, some Wiggles socks and a Bob the builder workbench. His uncle Brett called in to give him his new gum boots!

We got home for some lunch and a sleep for him, so I could clean the house and wrap his presents and finish off his cake before his granny and grandpa come over for dinner! From them he got a cool soccer goal and net, you can imagine all the running around, kicking and yelling ‘goal’ that went on last night!! We had a yummy dinner and a few drinks and he fell asleep just after 10pm all tuckered out!

We have a combined birthday party for him and FIL in 2 weeks with Matt’s extended family so more fun yet to come then, and another cake to be made!!!

Thanks to all my scrapping friends for his birthday wishes, Selena & family, Nerida & family, and his little buddies Luke, Isaac and Caleb for your emails and e-cards! He had a wonderful day!!!