20 September 2012

Friends and changes

Thursday Teacher


I saw this beautiful quote tonight and had a great big laugh. The last two weeks I've spent catching up with two of my closest girlfriends. Both of these lovely ladies have names starting with H and sometimes I start to call one by the other, and quickly try to catch myself. We've all been busy raising families, but when we do get together it's amazing how we can still 'pick up where we left off'.

A change has begun for my family and with mixed feelings we are heading to the Sunshine State. While Leo is away working, the boys and I are at home doing the organising, sorting and packing. After five years at his school, tomorrow is 8-year-old Aries' last day there and I've organised a farewell party for his class.

After the madness that is an interstate move (our first) I can't wait to blog regularly. I've missed my new blog friends too.

15 September 2012

Flying high with a toddler


Last year we flew overseas to my island home for a relative's destination wedding. It was also Tauren's very first aeroplane adventure and boy did we strike out on this very eventful flight - both ways! I thought the worst that could happen would be, he wanted to run up and down the aisle. This is normal for me, I've been on flights since I was a child (always in my seat) and remembered children even then doing this. As a Parent, I can see why. Have you ever had to hold a very determined and strong toddler during a flight? It's best to let them stretch their legs and meet new people. However, the looks we got from other passengers made me think otherwise.

During the first flight, at night, I held Tauren as best I could. He would kick the seat in front and apologies were made. Eventually and thankfully, he fell asleep. When we landed and other passengers started to disembark, suddenly our toddler threw up on me. Okay, I can deal with this it was part of our normal routine on land too. Tauren had reflux issues.

It was the flight back that would have people talking! Throughout the whole flight our toddler son would cry and fight to get out of our seats. Mistakenly, we thought the noise would be the worst of it. We gave him Panadol to calm him down as he was becoming hysterical. For a blessed twenty minutes all seemed fine... until Tauren threw up on himself, then his Father, then himself, then on me - three times!

I could deal with the whole situation because that was basically our home life most of Tauren's second year. It was a female flight attendant that was shocking. I was literally drenched in vomit, and as I was quite embarrassed from the obvious smell, I had asked one female flight attendant if she could please enquire with a fellow female passenger, if it was possible for me to buy from her a sarong I had seen draped over her lap. The flight attendant blatantly refused and suggested that maybe the sarong could be a gift or a souvenoir from her trip. I told the flight attendant, I would be very happy to pay twice the value and of course, on landing I'd offer her a replacement sarong too. The flight attendant was ridiculously uncooperative. So I returned to our seats and sat in my rinsed but still smelly clothes for the remainder of the flight humiliated and embarrassed. Leo was holding Tauren and couldn't believe how unhelpful she was.

It was a male flight attendant who came to us afterward and told us of similar flights he had encountered with his own children. He recommended Phenergan and made us feel less uncomfortable with our situation. He also made me think twice about writing a complaint against the useless female flight attendant that refused to help me. As soon as the plane touched down at Sydney Airport we bolted out of the plane. Grabbed our bags as quickly as we could and cleaned up in the Parents Room. That first shower when we arrived home was bliss.

Although we had packed three outfits for our toddler and the usual 'baby bag' items, we should've also packed an outfit or two for ourselves. Every flight since we've always made sure to do just this. Thankfully, those flights are only interstate like our recent trip last week to the Gold Coast. At just over an hour per flight, Tauren is more than happy to look at pictures in the magazine, play guessing games and wave to the passengers behind us.

3 September 2012

Late Night Monday

Monday Medley



Songs I've heard and wanted to share. Click on the Star for credit:
Beach House - Zebra *
Carla Bruni - Raphael *
Regina Spektor - Don't Leave Me *
Phil Collins - Look Through My Eyes *

Phil Collins writes and performs so many wonderful songs for film, this song is in Brother Bear. It always calms our toddler Tauren and sometimes, it even helps him to snooze.

I am packing for a trip to the Gold Coast tomorrow, and I'm posting just before Midnight. Typical me, always leaving things to the last minute. Not a good idea with two young kids. Must improve!

Image: unknown

1 September 2012

That blue dress

Saturday Sights



I first spotted Natalie Joos in this cobalt blue dress on look see. Not knowing who she is, thankfully she blogs. I've been checking it out today and I recommend reading her posts Blame the Olsens, Croquet Alice and Misty Rabbit. I've read about people I wouldn't know about otherwise and normally would see in glossy magazines - such is the quality of Natalie's blog.

Since I couldn't stop thinking about 'that blue dress' I found these cobalt blue dresses on Etsy:
Top - Below - Right


The dress on the right is so perfect, it has been Sold.

Image: trendycrew