Phone Pics: The Week in Summary

This week was half-term break so it was a busy week with the three boys at home as well as the fact Austin had a full-on week with work - something to do with a Britney Spears tour... 

So I was playing solo-mum for most of the week.

I would really love to say that I love the school holidays...but that would be lying. 

The thought of school holidays and looking after the 3 boys all by myself without Austin around to help actually fills me with dread...

But I did it. We all survived the week without too many tears from the boys and the Mamma.

And it was raining so we had mostly 'inside' days. But that's ok because we did lots of drawing, reading, baking, building with blocks, racing cars and only a very small amount of DVD watching. Yuss!

In amongst all that we even had a Baby Milestone.

Max, the wee rascal, is still waking 30 billion times during the night for a feed which also makes the other boys restless in their sleep, so unfortunately sleep-deprivation still reigns supreme in our household.

Which also means tantrums from a certain four year old are more frequent and severe than normal, and so of course when we ventured outside they also became very public.

But with a determined objective each morning to enjoy the day and with the helpful assistance of coffee, chocolate and wine I made it through the week.

And we actually had lots of very wonderful moments together.

Luca's back to school tomorrow and although it will be nice to get back into our normal routine and go for a run again with the two little people, we'll miss having Luca share our day with us.

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This is what I do

I often wonder if what I consider to be normal about my life is, actually, a little bit on the crazy side.

I'm not one to be particularly concerned or bothered about other people's opinions, but I do quite often notice looks that are lingering with a sympathetic half-smile as I pass them by and go about my life and busy-ness as a Mamma of 3 active boys.

Lately, once I've dropped Luca off at school in the mornings, I've been taking Beni and Max out running in the stroller.

At this stage in my fitness, while pushing 20 kg worth of children + a 12 kg buggy, my aim is to run to the top of 'The Hill From Hell' in Richmond Park and back again which - there and back - is a 4 mile (6.5 km) run.
The view at the top of the hill is reward in itself let alone the opportunity to catch my breath.

I'm working {reasonably} hard at getting my fitness and body back again through running (I say this as I sit eating chocolate while I type) and although it would be so much easier to lug only my own body weight around the park, this is just how it is at the moment.
This is what I do.
I run up hills pushing my babes, singing songs, pointing out dogs and squirrels as entertainment and dishing out snacks as bribery to stay put.

And if you see dampness on my top around the nipple area, it's not sweat, it will be leaking milk.
This is what I do.
I am a nursing mamma who runs.
But don't worry because my babe is clearly thriving.

Come 15:10 I can be found collecting Luca from school amidst the choas of a million and one strollers, children and parents.
Of course this is when Beni INSISTS that he wants to be a big boy and clambers out of the buggy then manages to rapidly weave his way through the crowds towards the road and I can't keep up with him or chase after him because I can't get my own buggy past all the other parents with prams and children on the loose.
And of course he doesn't respond or come back when I call.
Every. Single. Day.
This is what I do.
I am the parent who is constantly calling out for her boys to "Don't touch that it's dirty", "don't eat that you'll get sick", "Come back please and hold my hand", "stay away from the road", "take your finger out of your nose", "don't you dare eat it that's disgusting!" etc.

And today was not dissimilar.
Toddler on the loose.
Toddler falls over and whacks his forehead on the pavement.
Toddler starts screaming (which is understandable).
Concerned parents close at hand pick him up and look around for whose child this is.
Mamma manages to weave her way through the prams and people to her screaming son while she calls out to her oldest son (who is somewhere up ahead doing who-knows-what and eating who-knows-what) to please stop and wait because Beni's hurt himself.
Another mamma-friend conveniently walks by and offers to push the buggy while I am carrying Beni, who is still screaming and now has a big egg on his forehead.

We manage to locate Luca who is waiting (good boy) and eating his afternoon snack of peanuts but then another child pushes past him and he drops some peanuts and so of course this brings on the tears with loud wailing and gnashing of the teeth.
Then I look down at Max in the buggy and see that he has vomited all over himself.
And I think to myself "This is awesome"


But you know what?
This is what I do.
I'm a Mamma of 3 boys doing the best she can to raise her children to be happy and healthy.

There will be bumps and falls and tears and snot and vomit and tantrums, but that's just life.
It's a little bit on the crazy side, but I'm learning to be cool with that.

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Household Happenings

I was supposed to do this post for yesterday, for Friday "Lovings" but fell asleep last night before I could even start writing...

So now the children are in bed {all before 8pm - yesss} but oh me oh my what a mission.

Tonight I totally felt like I was going to lose the plot with the boys.

Luca, poor wee guy, has got a tummy bug and has been destroying the toilet all day.

I hate dealing with poos in general so I was not at all pleased to be dealing with his explosiveness...

Beni, now that he is in a Big Boy Bed seems to think it's a game to be put to bed, told very firmly to stay there and then for him to get out of bed, walk right up to us and wait for us to growl at him.

Then he runs off squealing with delight as we pursue him back to his bed *exasperated sigh*

It's just felt like a real battle tonight and probably heightened by the fact I am so tired and eager for them to all be in bed asleep... and my boobs are leaking everywhere because Max seems to be not-so-interested in them anymore. Hmph.

But all is now quiet, we have a nice chilled glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Austin has just confirmed that, yes indeed, we have three boys out for the count. Phew!

Anyway... I wanted to share some of the Happenings in our Household this week.

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Luca is cracking us up with some of the things he's been saying lately.

Quite randomly the other day while eating pasta for dinner he says "Mamma, when you spew up your pasta on yourself you will get told off."

"...ah, what was that?" I replied, not quite sure I was hearing correctly.

"When you spill your pasta on the floor you give a bad, bad message."

"Right..." What are they teaching him at school??...

Random indeed.

We awoke this morning to Luca coming into our room and declaring "We will go to the shop and we will buy a phone for me so I can play Angry Birds." Oh. dear.

Have you ever played the mobile phone app of Angry Birds? If not, don't do it!!

It's terribly addictive.

But Luca has become a true genius at it.

He constantly gets three stars (the highest) and smashes Austin's previous high scores out of the park.

Austin is constantly being humiliated and humbled by Luca's uncanny skills with this game.

We are in the middle of a heatwave.

In the middle of Autumn.

It's awesome!

All the boys are baring their torsos.

Like their father they love having their shirts off.

And I'm so fine with that.

Especially when they are as delicious as this.

Now I may be a little slow on the uptake.

I'm sure this is not a lightbulb idea for anyone other than me (!)

Austin and I, due to our extremely tight budget at the moment, have come up with a bi-weekly menu for our dinners during the week and weekends so that when we shop we are only shopping specifically for exact items and quantities needed according to our menu.

And I do believe it's working!

I'm quite excited about this because I am a lists and routine girl and this makes me very happy.

My days feel more manageable because I don't have to think "What shall we have for dinner?" or "What have we got in the cupboards that I can rustle a meal together with?"

I love having that already decided for me.

We like to get our groceries delivered.

This saves us much time and effort - online grocery shopping is from the Lord I tell you!

The funny thing is our boys get so excited about the fact that the 'Asda Man' is here.

They enthusiastically get right in there taking receipt of the bags of groceries handed to them at the door and take great delight in unpacking them and discovering the exciting things we have bought.

Loving the Brother Love.

I often walk into the room where Max is sleeping to find he's been 'gifted' some cars by his brothers.

You have to remember that cars are a commodity around here.

And they are not given away light-heartedly nor flippantly.

Can't believe this little man's on solids now - craziness!!

But he loves his food. Oh yes.

His eating and appreciating noises are really quite something.

I'm pleased to report I'm back out running.

For real.

Blisters on my feet and everything.

Check out these wicked sock marks. I thought I had suddenly got tanned legs but then realised it was just dust.

Loving children who can sleep anywhere.

Just give them their dummy and muslin cloth and together they work like an immediate sedative.

But this is what happens when the d&m are carelessly left lying around...

Proud big brother.

I'm loving watching the interaction between Luca and Max especially and watching the relationships between the three boys develop.

They are very proud and protective of their little guy Max.

...and he's pretty darn cute!

The multi-tasking Mamma.

Trying to convince one child to eat while balancing another on her lap.

When you bake cookies make sure you reward yourself with one fresh out of the oven with a nice strong cup of coffee in your favourite mug.

Heaven on Earth.

Friday's treat was a white & dark chocolate chip cookie still hot from the oven (I actually burnt my mouth on it) with a coffee in my favourite mug I got in Helsinki, Finland.

As you do.

Maybe I have a foot fetish

but I just can't seem to get enough of these little chubba bubba feet.

And don't even get me started on the chunky thighs...!

Deliciousness.

Totally.

Check em out.

This little guy rocks my world.

Posted especially for the grandparents to have a cry over...

Happy ROCKtober everyone! X

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Linking up here

Wordless Wednesday: Earnestly Slumbering

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Linking up here

And yes I did cut his fingernails after I took this photo...

Wordless Wednesday: Early Morning Cuteness

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Joining in with Wordless Wednesday here.

How it is on Monday

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Linking up with Life Made Lovely Monday.