My Big Fat Rut, Bum dents and Me.

Hi Peabodies.

Today was the first day of spring. Hooray!!
Its time to wake up from my hibernation and start living again. Hoo.....really?
And when I say living, I mean more than existing.

You see I've been in a dirty great big fat Rut.
A rut. A hollow place where Lord Grumpiness ruled and Captain Lazy was too tired to get up and usurp him. 

But boy was it good to be there. So goooooooooooood.
So Good.

It’s comfy here,in my Rut, on the couch. Not showering everyday. Eating loads of bad food. I even elected myself mayor of Sugar Squarf City. 
Such a fun place, Squarf City. 

I even managed to knock out season 1 to 4 of Dance Moms. Tragic isn't it. 
Tragic, but totes fun y'all.
I’m a Cancerian. We love hiding in our crabby shells, and I’ve been hiding in mine for quite some time. But because it's all cosy and the company is great its hard to get out and pop back into the real world.

Sometimes being an adult really sucks balls. 
Especially when sometimes you’re waiting for other people before you can move forward. Banks. Government departments. Lawyers. Dumb grown up people who get up and go to work and slowly turn the wheels of industry.

So, sort of while I was waiting  (still waiting by the way) I started to feel sorry for myself and I started to make such a distinct bum dent in the couch I sort of just stayed there. Only doing the minimal. With two kids there isn't really a 'minimal' but I think I perfected the art.

But the time has come where my, although glorious and a little bit self loathing rut, has got to go.

So what am I going to do, to haul myself out? 
oh I'm so glad you asked pea bodies…. I'm. so. glad. you. asked.

I got a haircut. That helps I think. Apart from the, you know hygienic grooming side of it, new hair always makes you feel shiny and new.

Ahhhhh get me out of this Rut. Also, New hair.

I'm doing sugar free September, inspired by Cass from Live it. Do it. 
You can check her out here.
You might want to join! It's never too late.

Sugar Free September Day 1 - Nourishing Breakfast.

Along with my sugar freeness I’m trying out some meditation. One with an app - I'm trying a few so I'll let you know which one I like best, and meditation through adult colouring.

Adult Colouring. Don't scoff till you've tried it!

I’m really interested in the slow movement. More on that later - I’m sure thats a blog post all on its own.

I'm generally just trying to be a bit more patient and happy and grateful and less of an asshole. I'm trying to be more aware of myself and those around me and focus on what really matters like trying not to yell when the kids take 10 minutes to get in the car.

I read some helpful books while I was in the pit of ruttiness. 
Sometimes a pep talk is good. These books were real kick starters:

Craft for the soul - By Pip Lincolne from meet me at mikes  - Buy it here

The happiness project - By Gretchen Rubin - Buy it Here  - Incidentally she talks about September being the new January  on her website.... its a good read. Also I think I will get her new book too!

And I’m half way through The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up - By Marie Kondo. - Get that here.

So spring, the suns out and now its time. 
I need you to spring me into action so I can be awesome again!

Are you waiting to be awesome again?
Are you in a Rut?
Do you like to Colour in?

Peas Out

Jane.

AHA! Parenting pennies dropping like crazy!

Welcome Peabodies.

I read an article to day that gave me a HUGE parental AHA! moment.

Let me start this blog post by giving you a little bit of context..

I often get told, and I mean often, several times a day actually - that my children are really well behaved.

Yes! Thinks me - Then I give myself and the Husbeast a little pat on the back. 

A mental high five.

We have high expectations, of and for, our girls and they meet them the majority of the time. They are good girls.

The very next thought however that comes into my head after the pat on the back is - they are good because I yell at them and nag them all the time. 

I am on their case 

All. the. time.

In fact sometimes it keeps me up at night that I nag them too much.

I have been accused of being a tough mamma. “You're hard on your kids” I've been told by both family and friends

 And I wear that badge with pride. Don't get me wrong, I'm no 'Tiger Mom'. I'm more of a 'Lynx Mum'. Smaller than a tiger but still a wild animal - no domesticated puss here!

But I do know I yell too much. 

And I know I get better results when I don't yell.

So if the girls behave even better when I'm not yelling - why do I yell? 

I don't know why.

I couldn't tell you.

One of my resolutions for 2015 is to yell less at the kids and to slow down and enjoy their childhood more.

Then the other day this blog post  from Hands Free Mama came across my facebook timeline and I took the time to read it.

You too should take the time to read it.

I am my response.

Those words really resonated with me.

You are your response.

I've read many other parenting-esque articles like this with a similar message and always I've thought " yeah yeah I yell at my kids too much ......I know....."

I'm not sure why these particular words stuck a chord, but strummed they did!

I am my response.

I'm thinking of getting that tattooed somewhere……… 

Perhaps I'll just make a poster!

Lately over the last 2 years or so I've been getting grumpy at the the kids and and the Husbeast for no good reason, I won't say no reason because there's always a reason

 (lets face it ladies.....) 

But lately I've been asking myself  'is it worth getting grumpy?'

So what if the bin is full again. I'll just take it out.

So what if it takes an extra 5 minutes to put on the girls shoes?

I'll enjoy that extra 5 minutes with my kids. 

So what?

So what?

So what?

Does it all matter at the end of the day?

Once the end of the day approaches and the girls are in bed I certainly don't think - 'gee whizz I wish Miss L would get in the car quicker'

No.

 Often once the girls are in bed my thoughts are of regret.

Regret that I hurried her because of my own disorganisation.

Regret that I yelled because she stopped to look at ….. the sky, that dog, that toy, that snail.

Regret.

Regret.

All of my own doing. All from my own pressure.

so....

Lighter and Brighter.

I am my response.

Two mantras for me for 2015.

I'll keep you updated though the year with how I am going.

Are you a yeller?

Are you a Tiger Mom?

I’d love to hear your parenting Aha! moments Peabodies! Share them below.

Peas out.

Jane.

Catching ZZZZ's - Project Sandman

Hi Pea bodies

Are you a night owl?

Do you have trouble going to bed? To sleep?

The Husbeast and I are so tired, but yet we don't go to bed.

As part of my new years resolution I resolved to go to bed earlier ( read more here)

But thats not happening. 

Miss L drags me out of bed at about 7 ( I know, I know..... thats not even early) and it takes me till about lunch and two coffees before I function.

It's terrible.

Every night we say "tomorrow we must go to bed earlier!" 

Then we say it again in the morning.

But for some reason it never happens.

Whats wrong with us?

We are adults. Like proper grown ups, but yet getting up to going to bed is really hard!

Once the kids are in bed then thats our free time - we get so little of it we try to hang onto to every second.

But we are wasting it - being a zombie in front of the telly is not effective use of free time.

Its no wonder that Miss L throws a tantrum every time she has to leave the park - her free time is over.

The Husbeast and I aren't throwing tantrums but perhaps  if you think about it maybe we are silently. 

We are sticking to the man! 

The only problem with that is we ARE the Man in this situation and the only person we are hurting is ourselves.

Enough is enough Peabodies.

Enter project sandman.

Here are the rules.

1. This project goes for 1 week.

2. At 9.30pm the TV gets turned off

3. We have 30 mins of reading time (no screens before you go to sleep is said to increase the quality of your sleep)

4. At 10 its lights out,

5. The only exception from these rules is to include 'business time'

(for more clarification on 'business time' visit The Flight of the Conchords here)

I've got big expectations for this project,

I want to get better quality sleep - (quitting sugar has helped me with this)

I want to get out of bed earlier and happier - I've got fantasies of drinking a HOT coffee without any interruptions while the kids are still asleep! Imagine that!?

I want to read more and value my tv shows more!!

So tonight marks night 1 so I had better go and get some zzzzz!

Goodnight 

Peas Out!