Now that is what I call a haitus!

Wow. It has been a while.
So much and so little has happened.
In my last post I was going to Canada to visit my family and spend time with my Granny. It was a wonderful trip and I ended up staying just over two months. It was a magical summer spent with them. Beautiful weather, beautiful people but most of all beautiful memories.
It was my Granny's last summer and she past away a few months after we left. She passed in her sleep after a brave battle with cancer. She never seen herself a strong women but she was in every sense of the word. She'd had some hard times in her life as a first nations woman and always managed to pick herself up and keep going.
It hasn't been a good couple of years for my family, so much tragedy. We lost both my Grandpa, Granny, my cousin R and my Uncle R. We have lost too many people in our family and so hopeful things will start looking up. It has been extremely hard on my Mom. She also suddenly lost her best girlfriend that she's know for years.
It has been hard on me as well but living so far away for so many years I don't have the day to day loss as the rest of my family. But it is hard none the less.
Anyways, enough of the heavy stuff...life is a yo-yo and what goes down must come up. Right? RIGHT???
So I did what I perceived as the impossible for myself. I started uni. I never seen myself as someone who was clever, smart, or whatever enough to enter the academic world. But gosh darn it, I went and did it!(A bit of Stuart Smiley for ya!)
I had to do a tertiary prep course and upon successfully finishing it they gave me an offer! I still keep waiting for someone to jump out of the bushes and tell me that I've been "punked" and to get off campus. Those thoughts are slowly fading and I'm getting used to my new label as a uni student. I passed my first semester with flying colours so I'm breathing a wee bit easier.
Mabesy has grown up sooo much. I no longer have a baby but a little girl. Sniff, sniff... She is a happy, funny, cute and typical two year old full of tantrums and battle of the wills. Love her. I know that she will never be pushed around and told what to do.
Oh yeah, I also got my Australian citizenship. I would like to thank the Australian government by allowing big to accumulate a ginormous HECS debt. Thank you! Seriously thank you...without you I'd have to sell crack in a back alley to pay for my tuition...

We Are Leaving on a Jetplane.

Tickets have been booked, plans have been made and we are going to Canada. We managed to book a direct flight from Sydney to Vancouver, no stop overs and only 14 hours. Not bad, I think I can handle that. Of course I say this sitting on my couch while Mabesy is napping and it is peaceful and quite. I might change my tune when we are 30,000 feet in the air and Mabesy is screeching and having a meltdown because she is over tired and confined from doing what 18 month olds do. But heh, no biggie. It is only 14 hours and as they say,"This to shall pass"( This will probably be my mid flight mantra) I am looking forward to seeing Mabesy get very excited at the airport when she sees all the airpowaynes. Mabesynese for airplane.

I getting very excited to see everybody, especially Gran. It will be my first time in Vancouver during the summer in years, I'm looking forward to it.

On another completely different note, I think Caillou is a whiny little a-hole. Unfortunately Mabesy watches it when it is one so I will just have to learn to suffer through his little whiny a-hole-ness.

I Love Jemaine and Brett

I probably find this so amusing because this probably most accurately describes "business time" in our house.

Happy Mothers Day

I am very lucky to have the mom I have. I remember my childhood fondly. She was always up for doing fun things. We would make cookies and/or play doh together regularly. Or go on nature walks and look at all the bugs and flowers. She would wipe away my tears with a warm wash cloth and give me all the cuddles I needed when I would come home from school after a day of being bullied and make me feel all better. She even helped me egg one of the bulling bitches mailbox. The biotch deserved it. She also tried very hard not to laugh at me when I got sprayed by a tiger at the zoo but of course I got all pissy(no pun intended, haha) because that just what preteen girls do best. My mom was my best friend growing up, still is and always will be. Being an only child she made sure I was never bored. We've had so much fun together, going to movies, shopping and people watching. She didn't kill me still loves me even though a a 16 year old girl went to the Vancouver riots and didn't come home until 4am. while she watched the news in horror thinking her little girl was going to get killed, or when I put her car in the ditch and got delivered home but the cops. I have a new appreciation for this now that I'm a mother, and I'm so very sorry for those things.I got a tattoo when I was 13, ya I was a mighty badass, and a few years later when I finally felt I had to tell her, hiding was just getting to hard. I told her I had something I needed to tell her and ummed and awwed for ages and told her that she was going to be upset. She started getting concerned about what I wanted to tell her and thought that I was going to tell her I was a lesbian. When she asked me if that's what it was I told her "no, I have tattoo" She said, "Oh, that's it? I thought you were going to tell me you were a lesbian, a tattoo? That's alright then." She wouldn't care if I were gay anyways. I hope that I can be the kind of mom to Mabesy that my mom was/is to me.

This is my second mothers day, I can't believe how lucky I am to have my baby lady. She completes my life. I thank the stars everyday that she is happy and healthy and can't wait for our years together and what adventures they may bring.

This morning I was awoken by B and Mabesy with coffee and doughnuts in bed. It was lovely. I also got a pair of pink ugg boots because I've been bitching commenting on how cold my feet have been lately. B also got Mabesy a matching pair. I took a picture but the computer will not read my new card. Bummer. This afternoon we are meeting some good friends at the beach who have a little girl 3 days younger than Mabesy.

To all the mommies out there, I wish you a happy mothers day and hope you have a lovely day with your family. Too the mommies that my not have their babies to hold and hug because they left too soon and the mommies that no longer have theirs, I'll be thinking of you today. Love to all! I love you Mama!!!

I've Got The Expat Blues...Da na na na na

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing living on the other side of the world to my family. Although I love Australia, it is where my own family is. It is where I fell in love with B, it is the country where I gave birth to my daughter and have raised her so far. But everyone I want to share it with is a bazillion miles away. It makes me feel sad and guilty. My gran is quite sick and when I think about it, this is when I get my saddest. I am so far away and all I want to do is be able to spend time with her and for her to spend time with my daughter. I know it would light her heart up to see Sue-Sue again. And I also feel terrible that I have denied my mom the experience of being a hands on Grandma. I know it breaks her heart and mine too. Mabel would love to see her Granny and get spoilt rotten. I would love to go home and visit everyone, but the thought of flying 24 hours with a 1.5 year old scares the bejesus out of me. Maybe I need to get over that and realize that it is only 24 hours and we'll survive and get my ass on a plane...

Life's a Beach

To be young and free.



Stepping out of your comfort zone.



Finding new adventures



Learning to trust.



Making friends.



Being with those you love.



Most importanly not forgeting to stop and smell the wah-wah's(flowers)

We Are So Moving To New Zealand For The Next One!

Seeing Miss Mabes did not sleep through until a couple of months ago, I'll try anything if it means more sleep with numero duo...(I feel as if I should add a disclaimer here, as my mom is probably the only one that reads this...) There is no numero duo on the way at the moment.

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(Apparently)New Zealand Babies Sleep The Best
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An international survey has found New Zealand babies sleep better and go to bed earlier than any other babies worldwide and, crucially, wake less during the night.


The survey, commissioned by baby product developer Johnson’s Baby, examined the sleeping habits of nearly 8000 babies aged 0-36 months in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK and the United States.
The survey also discovered babies here were less likely to be difficult to settle to sleep.

The survey said New Zealand babies woke less than average during the night (0.9 times per night), were less likely to sleep in their parents’ bedroom (18%) and were more likely to have the same bedtime routine (82%).

Dr Alex Bartle, director of the Sleep Well Clinics, said parents who were worried about their children’s sleep patterns needed to focus on routine.

‘‘Establishing a routine is the essence to getting babies to sleep better. For infants up to 6 or 9 months old, parents should try and establish a routine of half-an-hour quiet time before baby is bathed, massaged and put to bed,’’ Dr Bartle said.

‘‘For toddlers, parents can allow up to an hour’s quiet time before their bedtime routine begins. This routine should consist of pyjamas, teeth, toilet and bed. Once the toddler is in bed, parents can read them a story then lights out.’’