Happy 15th Birthday, Love Mum xx

Fifteen

Where on earth has the time gone ?

I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday

So small and cuddly

Fresh and new

You had me completely wrapped around your finger in an instant

You have grown into a wonderful young man

And to say that we are proud of you is an understatement

You are strong and kind

Funny and sweet

And not a day goes by that you fail to bring a smile to my face

My heart is filled with pride

I am so very lucky to be your Mum

You have a certain spark about you
You are full of charm
And in this life, I have no doubt that you will go far
Follow your dreams
Listen to your heart
And forever remain true to yourself

Happy birthday my sweet boy
And may your fifteenth year bring you much happiness

I love you
Every grain of sand on the beach
Forever and always
Mum
x

Super Power Be Gone

Imagine my surprise last week, when I finally discovered that hidden amongst my many talents cough cough that I do actually posses my very own SUPER POWER !

Are you ready for my power to be revealed ?

I posses the power of INVISIBILITY...........

Imagine that. I am a real life Super Mum.

Every morning as the sun rises and after my first cup of much needed coffee of the day, I start my day by ritually dressing in my Super Mask and Super Cape that is washed and pressed within an inch of its life.I rouse everybody from their deep slumber and begin my daily routine. 

In our household am I the only one ? I am head chef, the household maid, washer woman and ironing master. Chief taxi driver, head nurse, teacher and mediator. 

I am called for and yelled at, complained to and sighed at. I have had the pleasure of witnessing tantrums and eye rolls, slammed doors and even a few attempts of running away. Really ??

*sigh*

A mothers fathers job is defiantly not a glamorous one. And more often then not is down right exhausting and offers up the feeling of being unappreciated. 

This was me last week unglamorous, tired, grumpy and ignored It was the week when I finally woke up and realised that I was "special" that I did actually posses and deserve the title of Super Mum. 

To my family I had become Invisible. 

All was fine when I was doing something that was of benefit to another household member, but the moment I requested something be done for me, or for something such as a chore that needed to be attended to, everyone seemed to magically loose their hearing and their ability to move.

Nothing was important unless it was a benefit to them.

My desire to posses the power of invisibility has always been a dream. And each time I watched  Harry Potter uncovered the invisibility cloak, my desire to posses such a power increased. To me it was the ultimate, unattainable super power that I longed for.

But as my children grew into teenagers, not to mention hubby's selective hearing which has gotten much worse over the years. My increased invisibility to my family has worn down my desire to posses such a power. Being ignored, which lets face it, is exactly what being invisible actually is. Really isn't what I thought it was cracked up to be. I want to be seen, I want to be heard. I want to be included and I do not want to be left out or forgotten. 

The Super Mum title is usually one that is tossed around loosely, and is usually used in context with Hollywood Actresses and Super Models. The everyday mums that do it all day in and day out, sometimes with help and sometimes without, are the ones that deserve this elusive title. 

But is it really a title that we want to be tagged with ?

After living with my much desired power on and off for the last few years, I am happy to hand it back and live life as a normal, down to earth parent that may very well deserve the title of Super Mum but is more then happy to let someone else claim the title rights..........

SUPER POWER BE GONE

Linking up with the gorgeous Jess for another fantastic week of IBOT

A Little Healthy Competition, Or Two

As the year rushes by at an alarming speed, it seems as though lately I haven't even had a chance to  stop and scratch myself let alone keep up with all that is going on in our household. Between school  assignments, work commitments and various other activities, we have so far had an adventurous couple of months.

The youngest member of the Crafty household, Mr 13 is known for putting up his hand and throwing himself head first into anything that grabs his fancy, and so he has had quite a big few weeks lately, with a lot going on at school.

Ever since he first walked through the school gate at age 5, he has always been the type of child that gets involved in every aspect of school that he possibly could, and things have not changed since he began High School this year. 

He is a child full of confidence and has never been afraid to put himself out there. And his determination was evident this week when he challenged himself yet again and entered into the running for Grade 8 Student Council Leader......

Speeches were read 

A secret vote was taken

The winner announced 

{Insert drum roll please}

He won !

His determination had paid off yet again, and he became the third Crafty teen to be selected into the Student Council. He was full of pride the smile on his face and his puffed out chest as he made his important announcement at dinner time was priceless.  

     .............................................................................................................................

Next up for Mr 13 was a "Junior Master Chef" competition. 

For two weeks he and his friend/cooking partner worked hard preparing a menu and planning their attack on the world of cooking. The winners would go on to compete against the winners of other local High Schools, and from there whoever won would go on to compete for the state title of "School Junior Master Chef" 

The day of competition arrived and excitement was in the air. Spaghetti and Meatballs was the chosen dish, and as the ingredients were packed into a cooler bag for the trip to school, I reminded Mr 13 that no matter what the out come, he was already a winner for  giving the competition a go.

As it turned out, they came equal second, not a win but a job very well done none the less. I was proud of my little master chef and am looking forward to him recreating the dish for our family next weekend.........

Happily linking up and sharing Mr Thirteens adventures with the adorable Jess for IBOT :)

Answered Prayers - Happy Teen

Some time last week, when all the planets were aligned and I actually had some spare time to write. I published a post expressing my concerns for my second eldest sons lack of enthusiasm since graduating Grade 12 last year.  find it here

Since then, I am happy to announce, that things have taken a turn for the better thanks to some gentle nudging and he has been bouncing off the walls full of beans and excitement.

Thanks to our God above, I discovered an old news letter in the bottom of teen number three's school bag. Usually when said notes are found and dated back a few weeks, they are immediately tossed into the bin I hate clutter but for some reason I decided to take a few minutes to read and see if I had missed out on anything that may have been going on at the school.
On the back page under the heading "Community News" was an invitation for any past or present students who were interested in a career in the "Medical Field" to attend a University open night to learn more about the courses that would be running next year.
Knowing that my boy at one stage had expressed a keen interest in Psychology, I wondered if I should approach the subject of the open night and see if he would show any interest in attending.

I approached with caution !

I have recently backed off, giving him the benefit of the doubt that in good time he would work things out for himself.

To my surprise, he was totally up for attending and even asked if I would go along for moral support. I Immediately accepted his request.
On Tuesday night we set off together, my fingers crossed behind my back, that this may just be what he needed to bring back his spark and determination.

HALLELUJAH
My prayers were answered
I stood back and let him do the talking, I felt so proud as I listened to him asking questions and finding out as much as he could about the University course that interested him most. He was animated and showing general interest, my heart was singing because he was once again showing signs of happiness for his future.

Up until recently, Central Queensland University (CQU) did not offer any courses in Medicine. But as of this year, the University is expanding and slowly more and more courses are being introduced. Imagine our surprise when we found out on Tuesday night that as of next year Psychology is one of the courses being offered. When these words were spoken, he turned and gave me the most gorgeous smile. It was then that I knew God had answered my prayers.

So, as mid year approaches us fast can you believe its May already ? We are getting ready to fill out application forms and submit them to the University. My boy has decided that in 2014 he will enroll and aim to achieve a Bachelor Of Psychology. A dream he once had but let fade away when his confidence was shot down early last year.

I am of course having such a proud Mum moment which meant that I just had to share this news.

Since attending this open night on Tuesday, I have had time to stop and reflect on why he had changed his mind from studying at University in the first place, and I came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe he was worried that he may have had to move so far away form his family, his friends and his comfort zone. I am not sure if this is the case or not, all I can do is express my delight in his new found happiness and be proud that once again his future is glowing as brightly as the stars in the sky..........

Thank goodness I took the time to sit and read that old school news letter.

Flashback Friday - ROXETTE - The Sound Track To My Youth

                                               Hello you fool I love you !

For today's Flashback Friday I'm heading back to the 90's, re-living my teens and the band that had me and much of the world in a frenzy at the time........

                                                         ROXETTE

The band, a Swedish pop duo consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, formed back in 1986 and became a world wide hit when they released their breakthrough album "Look Sharpe".

Their songs became the "anthems" of the early 90's and you could not turn on the radio without hearing the duo's hits. Listen to Your Heart, Dressed for Success and the ever popular The Look. They were the songs of my early teens and the idols of my time !

Marie was responsible for me chopping off my long locks. And Per, well I thought he was a God lol.......

On December 7th 1991, I was lucky enough to attend "The Joy Ride". The world tour that took Australia and the entire World by storm. It was the first concert that my then boyfriend / now husband attended together.
It defiantly took us on a "Joy Ride".
Much to our excitement, we even made it onto the recorded "video" now that is showing my age that was filmed as part of the tour at the Sydney Entertainment Center. Our sons have had a giggle or two over the years when we have played it to show them that Mum and Dad are "Rock Stars" in their own right LOL........

(Unfortunately I have been unable to find any photos of us all dressed up in our 90's " Rock Star" finery).

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Roxette were on their way back to rock our shores last year. I was determined to be there, I wanted Hubby and I to relive a wonderful memory from many years past.

And so on Valentines Day 2012, 21 years later at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, we got to relive that wonderful memory when we attended our second Roxette concert.

Our 2012 V.I.P Passes

It was like stepping back in time, we were teens again. The songs were a sound track to our youth.
It was most likely the last time we will ever get to see Roxette live, but the memories are ours to cherish for as long as we live.

A concert "selfie" to cherish 2012

Linking up with the ever lovely Cathy for another Flashback Friday Enjoy your Friday everyone !
                                     

Teen Crossroads

Growing up is hard. It is a journey that we all go through, a journey that leads us all down different paths. Like many young people, I was in a hurry to grow up and lead my own life, to follow my dreams and start my journey. Now that I am an adult, I cant even begin to wonder why I wanted to grow up so fast in the first place.

Watching my boys grow up over the years has been nothing short of pure joy. To say that I am proud of the young men that they are growing into does not seem enough, but proud I am. Watching them strive to do their best, and succeed in so much, has shown me that so far the choices that they have made have been the right ones for them.
But life can be a struggle at times, and what it can throw at you can be hard. To see your children come to a fork in the road and be unsure with which turn to take can be frustrating to say the least, but I know, that to much interference could back fire and make some situations worse.

One of my teens has been struggling since graduating High School last year, to make a decision regarding his future. Watching him go through this agonizing process has left me feeling helpless, and I am now beginning to run out of "good" parental advice. I am worried that if I place to much pressure on him, I will cause more confusion and ultimately force him to choose a path that he is not completely sure of.
University has always been high on his list of dreams, and until about a year ago, he had a path all mapped out. He is now beginning to stray from that path and toss other ideas around, with out much enthusiasm. All this is completely normal I guess, and I for one do not want him to spend his life on the wrong journey. I am concerned however with his lack of motivation to try sort things out. He seems to have lost his gumption, his will to be strong, and seems to be floating along aimlessly, spending his time wallowing away the days without much focus.
Yes he is working part time, but from where I am standing the shifts that this part time work is giving him is allowing him to much spare time, and in my eyes he is not using this time wisely.

I guess this makes me sound harsh. But I do not want him to get so comfortable with the way things are, that he starts to let good opportunities pass him by. I am not forcing him to make a decision about University, after it all this is not a path for everyone to follow. I am trying though to bump him in the right direction and start applying for full time work, that may get him motivated to get his life on track, meet new people, make new friendships and allow him more life experience. This may just be what is needed to help him find a place in the world that makes him happy, and that may  help him decide what he wishes to do with his life.

He is a bright boy that received excellent results in his QCS and could do just about anything that he puts his mind to. I know that eventually he will begin the journey that is the right one for him and I guess until then I need to back off and just lend support, encouragement, and a listening ear.

Linking up with the lovely Jess for IBOT

       

Hiccups Happen

Taking time away from blogging and trying to concentrate on getting myself back to the basics of living, and discarding the negative thoughts and feelings that had been consuming my world was like giving myself a well deserved holiday.
It was tough, but I had to shake myself free of the pressures that I was placing on myself.

While I was on my hiatus, the opportunity came my way to join in a sport that I hadn't played since my High School days. It was an unexpected opportunity. I mean who in their right mind would put themselves in such a position ?
It was crazy, it was impulsive, but without thinking I said yes and was put right in the middle of an adventure.

I loved it !
I fell in love with Squash all over again.
I felt free !
It made me feel as though I was taking back control of my life.
I was regaining my power.
I didn't realise  that by doing something so simple, would give me the opportunity to clear the cobwebs that had been forming in my head, and would allow me to breathe deeply and put the negative far from reach.

I am the type of person that allows things to get at me. They pile high in my mind and eventually I fall, and when I do, I fall hard. I become an emotional wreck and the slightest mishap sends me into an uncontrollable spiral. It makes me feel very weak as a person and I find it very hard to recognise myself.
I'm the type of person that needs an outlet that requires me to put all my energy and thought into it, and allows me to put everything else on hold, even if it is only for an hour.

It is amazing how clear things can look after hitting a tiny ball with force......
It was quite liberating :)

I found muscles that have been hiding for years. My family got quite the laugh watching me live like an old Granny for a few days.
But the aches and pains were worth it.
I was smiling again. I have found something that I enjoy doing, something that I never thought I would return to. I have found my new outlet and I am counting down the days until my next set of games.

I am back and I am good.
Its time to once again tackle life head on. To reinvent myself and realise that in the end nothing is ever quite as bad as it seems.
Hiccups happen, and they will continue to do so. They are something that no one can avoid in life but I am slowly learning that it is how we decide to handle them that counts.

What doesn't kill us, can only make us stronger.
Or so they say anyway !