Finding Happiness in the Return to school and work routine!

Happiness is often harder to find when things return to the routine .....I'm not a routine person and love adventure so I thought it would be a challenge in finding happiness in the routine ....but no, it wasn't as hard as I expected!

Back to school for Mister 12....he missed his friends so seeing him so happy to return to school made my day. He is loving it, looking forward to his first year of high school, No complaints (yet) about homework or his teachers. I'm happy that he is happy.
Me: return to work and a team building day....fantastic for me to learn about my team and how we can work together. I have a feeling work will be better this year and I'm looking forward to working with some great girls.....yeah and the horrid one on my team was transferred so that made me happy!

So happy she had a good day...loves her teacher....has some friends, she is happy, which is a welcome relief from the tears last year .....sometimes time heals and things change ....here is to a good year Miss 8!

As mundane and boring as it is ....the time to shop for and cook and good meal makes me happy. Their are times when I struggle to get a healthy meal on the table ....No we don't live on chicken nuggets, but there have been nights where I have served baked beans because I just don't have the time to cook ...this year I am trying to change that and make to time. Veggies are chopped and in the fridge, I cook and freeze when I can and most of all DH has agreed to help....it will be done!

Doesn't seeing the sun brighten your day! The weather here has been non stop rain for the last few days ...but the sun came out briefly and brightened our day! The weather does have such an impact on your mood ....glad where we live we do have fairly nice weather, most of the time!

Family Sushi night at the local Sushi train! Love spending time with my family and best of all no washing up! Happiness is family time!

Taking Miss 8 to her ice skating lesson. Ice skating has been a confidence boost for Miss 8 and she loves it. Seeing her do something the rest of us can't makes me happy ....even if it does break the bank!

Anyway more mundane next week ....but in the mundane I can find Happiness ....I know!

It's just the way we are!

I see myself as a reasonable cook .....I love good food and I love to bake!
But there is one recipe my husband and I failed on .....the art of making perfect babies.

Sure they look perfectly normal

They have ten fingers and ten toes

They are normal in every way ......except they are hearing impaired!

Both were born before neonatal screening ....which is a blessing in a way because we had years of being 'normal'.....but at three Mister 12 was diagnosed with a moderate to severe loss! He wears hearing aids and a FM. We have worked hard to ensure he communicates like his peers. He probable right now hates me for correcting his language continually but I hope when he is an adult he thanks me.

When Miss 8 was two we were told she had an unusual audio gram but as her language was so advanced for her age not to worry about and get her retested when she started school .... unfortunately when she started Prep my Mum was sick and we didn't worry, so we went on until last year when she started falling behind and we got her tested! She has a mild to moderate loss! She will wear an FM in class now.

This is all good, we live in a country where the equipment is free and we are well cared for. 

So yes we didn't have perfect kids but really who does???

So what do I ask of the universe? Apart from a miraculous cure!
Really what do I ask of my Mummy peers?
I ask that when you child asks what is wrong with my child, you do not ignore or take pity - no oh the poor thing has lost his/her hearing but rather explain that my child wears hearing aids or a FM to help him/her hear.

That you don't complain or feel your child is being held back because your child is in a class with my child and the teacher is wearing an FM - believe me this has happened! But rather accept that my child has just as much a right to be in that class as yours does! 

Don't think your child is kind or extraordinary for playing with the kid who can't hear well, be happy because your child has found a friend.

Don't not invite my child for a play, sleep over or to your child's party because it's too hard. It isn't and I will help if need be.

And when I tell you that we have just had a new diagnosis, don't feel awkward and then excuse yourself because you can't handle difference but rather give me a hug and treat me like normal!
And most of all treat us as you would treat any other family!

A few more happy moments

A week of happiness - birthday's and holidays
This week I remembered the joy of birthdays as Miss eight bounced all around the house the day of her party!
She had a great party and although it was a busy and exhausting for me....Miss eight had a fantastic day and that was all that mattered.
For me, my joy was that it poured with rain after the party!

Of course the next day following her party, Miss 8 actually did turn eight and sharing her joy that day gave me great happiness. I'll be honest I always wanted a daughter, I love girlieness, I love pretty and I feel blessed to have a daughter...to be excited by Smiggle, Barbie and pillow pets! Miss 8 touches my life with so much happiness!

I also learnt this week that Joy comes from remembering your own childhood and reliving those memories .....like the Muppet's......so much loved the movie more than miss 8 and master 12!

My friends also gave me great happiness! I had a tough time last year with some people but my book club got me though and though book club some beautiful friendships were made. I am happy to be a friend to these lovely women! I am happy to give and take in all that friendship means! It is though one friend in particular that I have learnt what friendship means! 

I was also fortunate enough to go on a mini break with my family and my Dad.....my family makes me happy! They love me for who I am. I am participially fortunate to have a wonderful caring husband who spoils me rotten....I don't deserve it but he does!

This is the photo I put on facebook ......sunny perfect and everything! But this was my real moment of happiness!

 Having read a post on Facebook from another friend. I realised I was angry .....I went on a long walk and I let it go....I thought about big things, put myself in other peoples shoes. And I let it go .... happiness is letting go! And then enjoying the cocktails that follow!

And there is this ....reading by the pool, watching my family swim in the pool at the hotel...bliss! 

And last but not least ....Grown up time with my best friend....Love her! She makes me happy!

So what have I learnt?
That their is joyful moments in every day.

That when you reflect on the positive ....the negative is harder to remember!

Even in negative times, when you look for positives they will shine though.

I really don't give a dam if my Facebook friends think I'm mad

......Someone said this was a big commitment for a year.....I never said I would commit for 365 days but I will do this for as long it takes to change my outlook!

My moments of Happiness

I wrote a goal and posted it on Facebook

The goal was simple

2012 I will be Happy and everything else will just have to sort itself out!


Amazingly within twelve hours of posting this goal .....it changed my life!
When someone wrote 'That's a great goal simple but hard to achieve and another person agreed with them! The person who agreed was a person who had given a very good friend a hard time for caring about them. But her agreeing statement showed me what sort of person she was! I'm from the belief that if someone wants something you support them in their need (well if the need is reasonable). But being happy is reasonable! With her one little statement I became aware that no my friend was caring and loving and that what we had been struggling with was a very negative personality!
So as to the statement of happiness being hard to achieve ......I'm going to show them by posting a photo each day of my little moment of happiness or gratefulness! I'm going to achieve my goal and do it with a smile on my face!

Happiness is coffee with these cherubs and my Dad ....my family means everything to me! They define me and  I love each and every one of them! Simple

Well behaved children: I was so sick on this day and my two cherubs entertained themselves ....they trashed the house but they did entertain themselves and let me rest .....why shouldn't I be happy about that!

Living in a country where hygiene, good food and a wonderful medical system means that my little girl will get better! I read on a facebook status of a friend that where we are born is pot luck, you could be born in Africa or India but it's just pot luck where your soul is born....I like that and I guess I'm glad that my pot luck allows me to live in such a wonderful country!

Loving that my kids love their cousins and I love GOMA......one of my favourite places in Brisbane!

5'o'clock happy hour - drinks while the kids swim on a summer afternoon - happy me :)

Impromptu sleepovers - I love making my kids happy and creating memories!

Mango's which remind me of summer: So perfect!

Big Love: cousins- mine was sixteen years older but these two define what cousins should be!Watching them makes me happy

Cleaning up Miss 8's bedroom and that moment when you can see the floor! Perfection! It took me three hours to bin and sort but it was so worth it!

A chocolate cafe- chocolate always brings a smile to my face ......Love Love Love it!!!!

Beautiful old friends coming to visit! These are old workmates who are just beautiful people and wonderful friends! Love them and they make me happy!

And yes there have been bad things that have happened: sickness, my son who is exerting his adolescent independence, a major holiday in tatters: thanks Air Asia, but you know what it will sort itself out and I will focus on the happy moments!

Two years on!

Two years ago my whole world changed when my best friend took her final breath. I always expected she would go before me....she was my mother but I never expected she would go so early.... 67 years young! I wanted Mum to see my children grow!I wanted her to see my big boy go to high school and little girl progress though primary!
I miss her when I go my children's school events, she would have been delighted to see little girl play her Cello with such concentration and pride! She would have been delighted in seeing little girl sing at her Christmas concert! She never got to see her sing a a school concert, she was too sick when little girl started school!
Mum would have been so proud when Big Boy started at his new school earlier this year, looking so handsome and grown up in his uniform. She would have been even prouder when he graduated from primary school!
But she wasn't at these events, she was heaven watching from above but she wasn't here with me sharing her pride!
It's not only my or should I say our proud moments I miss it's also the bad stuff when I miss her most!
I've had a tough year with people, probably because I've been missing Mum and hence I've made a few social mistakes ......nothing terrible, just a few foot in mouth moments! But my goodness have I paid a price, of having a disastrous complaint made about me by a colleague (no one from work reads this so I'll let it be known my colleague is completely insane and quite frankly a bitch). But in feeling sorry for myself and not thinking a bitch took hold of my vulnerability! I wish Mum had of been here to guide me though that dark time! But she wasn't ....she never will be!
To the person who said everyone loses a Mum.....get over it! What I say back is, you are absolutely right, we all lose our mothers but not everyone loses a best friend and confident! I don't think that person has experienced unconditional love and has no idea grief is! To her I say.....continue in your shallow life but I am there when you experience a loss I will be there for you because I know grief has no limits!
So yes my grief has only got harder!!
However, in the last two years I have grown! I've learnt to say no, to stop and smell the roses and that are along the path of life. I've learnt to be grateful for what I have and who I am! I am grateful for kids and my husband who sticks by me in thick and thin! I've learnt that it those three who are my true friends and the ones who will be with me not the people I meet along the way!
I've also learnt that what matters most is the opinion I hold of myself not that that others hold of me!
So would Mum be proud of me two years on.....yes I think she would be!
But I wish she was here to tell me!
Miss you Mum, even more than I did two years ago xxoo!

Welcome to our adventures!

A good friend of mine recently started her own blog ....Super Ordinary Mum! Which is a laugh but it reminded me of the fun I had blogging when our family had our huge adventure last year ....their is something kind of fun about writing about life's adventures .....so here goes this are post about the adventures we have a family, the adventures we have at home, when we go away and when dream of going away or renovating our castle (a 1920's Queenslander)
So if you hate it don't read and if you love it, read on! It's my rambles on my life!