lovely starts to days

The girls blessed their ma this morning by secretly (as secretly as a 5 and 7 year old can - bang, crash, susshh) getting their bags ready, breakfast made and themselves correctly dressed for the day, without one mention from me!

They were so excited to surprise me. it was very cool.

The older one is quite fascinated with boys at the moment, the talk of kissing or seeing it on a movie, suggesting that her sister has a boyfriend and all sorts of things like that. We talked about how it is a normal thing to be friends with a boy and that she needed to work on making it normal and not a big and silly thing!

The younger one is quite a natural at being friends with boys. She has one who wants to marry her (she isn't aware of this) and one that told her he loved her out of everyone, as they played in the sandpit together. Funny, it is rather cute and provides a great platform for some motherly input.

Here is Christmas, yes a little early but here it is.

The lounge is already on the teeny side so add a Christmas tree and some tinsel, we're all full at the inn! Girls are going to d's this weekend so thought we would get the christmas feel for as long as we can before we have to take them down. I am constantly on alert for what is coming up and how i'll cope or manage (or control-freak it!).

I'm not blasting the girls with presents just because i want to feel like the 'better' parent. I've been careful and thoughtful not to spend heaps and also to get appropriate sized and numbers. I've chosen to do their presents when they get home from christmas with d, so they can appreciate them then, rather than forget them. I could have waited till the boxing day sales!

I read a sign this morning on a blackboard - "Buggar, only two pays left till christmas". It's true - i love Christmas and i'm wondering how this first one of this kind, will be. No kids. Will the fun of christmas be present without kids to wake up and harrass about presents? Will i want to just sleep in? Will i cry? ah yeah for sure. Will I be OK? i think yes. i only think yes because i've realised that the weeks prior to a potential emotional storm of sorts, i'm anxious and carrying it close to me heart. And then the time comes and it's usually better than i expect.

That's good aye.

Anyway, not sure why i wrote what i wrote today but in all things there is good and lessons and stuff. I'm getting older and hopefully slightly wiser.

This is a chicken pie i made today, slapped it together and shoved a lid on top - doesn't it look like it! last night i tried a potato bake thing from the latest dish mag. I did it my own kind of way, it took about 7 hours to cook and it was pretty bad. I'm hoping for a better cooking day soon! oh a few friends and i are going out for thanksgiving this week. We are going to a restaurant but with a small note of thanks from each person. We will share these round and read them out, anonymous. It's an idea i've had for awhileland perhaps should have some pumpkin pie but for now it's a great excuse to go out and not have to cook and to be THANKful.

I am thankful to you God. I am thankful for my wonderful friends and family. God bless.