straight back into routine!

Well I’ve been spending this morning organising stationary lists for some of the kids, checking everyone has sports shoes that fit and thinking about getting uniforms out and sorted. I realised this week we were straight back into routine as I raced around between swimming lessons, kumon and playdates. And we usually don’t do that many playdates because we have plenty of our own children in this house. But as kids get older and since we moved we’ve been doing a few playdates.

We had a beautiful Christmas with my dad and grandma visiting, we had 30 people here for Christmas lunch which was crazy busy but fun and ended in the pool and it was a special time for us focusing on the real reason we celebrate.

Christmas Eve Mass was beautiful, I had 2 shepherds who unfortunately (or fortunately for them!) were out of my sight for all of Mass. I was really hoping that my active boys weren’t being too active and well behaved. They encourage each other and are very cheeky which is cute but thankfully they were on their best behaviour (well that is what I was told!). 

I’ve got great plans this year for more craft in a cleaner craft room! I’ve been watching the Tidying up show on Netflix and done the little boys room, toys and bookshelves. The folding method really does take up less space and wardrobes that were overflowing are really looking spacious and neat and tidy. Although half of my wardrobe is still on the floor as I realised it was a bigger job than I could achieve in naptimes!

I’m booked into a smocking class to learn how to smock and bought my own smocking pleater from ebay. Some of my readers who have been around for a while might remember that I did buy a smocking pleater at a garage sale and then hung on to it for years and sold it on eBay. The going rate in australia for a 2nd hand one seems around the $150 mark and I ended up in a bidding war and got to $170ish but it arrived in immaculate condition. A new one is $400 and so I’m pretty happy with my buy and hope I have the time and patience for smocking.

I’ve been knitting a baby blanket for my sister who is having twins. Very exciting news for our family and I can craft for other people’s babies now. The pattern is fairly easy and fun to put together BUT the disappointment when I found out there were 2 errors in the pattern after I’d knitted it and couldn’t work out where I was going wrong. I’ll have to let the publisher know. Apart from the errors it’s going well and I’m up to the middle section.

And life in Melbourne is going well. I’m getting used to the weather and I’m not talking about as much as I was when we first moved down. The kids are very happy and I only have a couple of boxes still to unpack. I still find driving a bit tricky as I don’t know where I’m going and the lanes seem narrower (as do the parking spots) and there are a few tight streets I drive down but apart from that it’s going well. We have no regrets moving and are starting to feel like it’s our new home for a while.

I hope everything is going well for you and that you’ve all had a great start to the year. I’d like to write a bit more on the blog as I tend to rely on instagram and FB but want to use less of my social media this year so I can stay away from my phone! When I’m out I just see everyone glued to their phones and think it’s really sad. I’m pushing a pram so my hands are busy and I’ve got to have my eyes on everyone but we really are so attached to our phones and now that my eldest has one it’s been a battle to limit her time. Hands should be kept busy with craft I think so I’ve been doing some sewing and baking and hoping to give her some new hobbies!