Last Day of school celebrations ~ memories in the making

A couple of Christmases ago when our Family Christmas traditions had all changed and my little family was threatened with not getting to experience them, an online reader suggested that we start making our own. She listed some of the little traditions that make Christmas and other times of the year special for her family. Inspired I went searching online for "Family Tradition Ideas", and came away with a list of ideas that I wanted to implement for my little Family.

One of these ideas was on the last day of school each year to have a water fight when the kids get home from school. Yesterday was our first time to implement it, and we were so excited to surprise the kidlets!

Woodi and I bought 5 water pistols, filled them up and had a bucket of ammunition - water for refills - at the ready.

We filled another bucket with water bombs, all ready to go...

When Woodi brought the girls home he told them to put their school bags down, and go straight out the back "Mumma needs your help with something!". I of course was hiding James Bond style and took sneaky shots at them, screaming "Happy Last Day of School!" :o) They were shocked and surprised and quickly cottoned on to what was in store for them!

MissC from next door popped her head over the fence to see what all the commotion was and we invited her to join in. Many Pistol refills and two buckets of water bombs later, we were all wet and filled with laughter and smiles, and the back yard looked like it had been scattered with confetti!

We had soo much fun that we forgot the time and ended up running late to a party! This is definitely a tradition that will continue in our home and will be fun for all the ages, Woodi is even talking about having super soakers next year!! I can't believe that a whole year of schooling has come and gone!

Happy end of Kindy Moo and Boo, Mumma loves you lots and lots xoxo

What fun traditions do your family have???

Kindergarten Report Cards

As mothers/parents we are constantly under the eagle eyes of our community and peers. Our actions, lack of them and the decisions we make are under scrutiny and judgement and often by those who are closest to us.

My decision to send my girls to Kindergarten when they turned 5 in the first week of school was met mostly with support but did provide me with a few scowls and negative comments.... such as "What's the point in being a parent if you're just going to send them off to school the 1st chance you get" and "I think it's too early to be sending them to school, I won't be sending my daughter until later - when she's ready" etc, etc.

Honestly it all comes down to personal preference and the individual child. In my case I felt my girls were ready and they were soo excited to be starting school! They had been to pre-school, where through-out the year I discussed my own concerns in regards to sending them too early and perhaps holding them back a year. All through the year the twins teachers gave me the same feedback - My girls were socially and emotionally developed and ready for school and their skill levels, maturity and intelligence were matched with all the other students in their pre-school & that there would be no benefit in holding them back a year.

On the orientation day last year for Primary School, I was given the opportunity to have a one on one with the Kindy teacher both before and after to voice concerns and receive feedback. She was thrilled with the girls and said that their age was not an issue and that they were developmentally and emotionally ready to be starting school.

It was with this information that I made my decision to send the twins to school this year. And wow am I glad I did!! The reports that the girls received at half year were fantastic and the feedback received from the teachers at parent- teacher interviews and at other opportunities throughout the year have blown me away!

Moo & Boo 1st Day of Kindy

But nothing prepared me for how incredible the girls yearly report cards would be! The girls have flown through all areas of their schooling, and have exceeded the "required knowledge levels" for most areas of kindergarten study. They are commended on what wonderful people they are within the schooling community and spoken highly of by both of their teachers. These reports brought tears to my eyes and an overwhelming sense of pride to our family!

I'm glad that in the face of negativity and peer pressure I didn't fold, I reviewed all aspects of my decision and went with what felt right for me and my children, now we are all benefiting from the positive outcomes of that decision.

5 reasons not to leave lunchbox unpacking until the next day!

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In case you are ever tempted to leave the mundane duties of emptying the childrens lunch bags until the following morning, I thought I would share with you 5 reasons NOT to!

1. The night of abandoned lunch bag duties is likely to be a night where you are up all night with little children who refuse to sleep in their own bed, with little sleep for all involved. This resulting in the snooze button being hit 1,2,3,4,5 several times before turning the alarm off altogether.
2. This will be the morning when one child failed to replace the lid on the sauce container before packing it away the day before. Resulting in a sauce explosion through the lunch bag coating everything left inside.
3. This will also be the occasion when the other child opens their yogurt at school, takes a mouthful and decides the content is no longer desirable, choosing to place it back in the lunch bag instead of the bin. This also resulting in a lunch bag explosion, this time of the yogurt variety.... oh the joy!
4. The last two will result in the children needing to examine the damage as yet another delay tactic in not getting dressed for school. Because just what you need when up to your eyeballs in yogurt and sauce is to be fighting with your kids every-step-of-the-way to GET DRESSED!!
5. All of the above will have you running out of time to get dressed and groomed yourself, resulting in you leaving the house in hubby's old tracky daks (cos you miss him and slept in them and your sad like that), a jacket thrown on to cover the bra-less state and hair swept up into a bun in a failed attempt to disguise your unbrushed hair! And the scenario wouldn't be complete with the argument with the above children about why we cannot walk to school this fine morning!! Umm, hello?!! Have you looked at your mother???

This experience has provided me with the wisdom, that no matter how tired and over it all you are because your husband has been away with work and the kids have been little ratbags (or whatever the situation may be) and you just want to go straight to bed..... Do not leave this "little" task for the following morning..... it's just not worth risking the above!

Things I Know - Brought to us by Yay for Home...

I Loved Shae's Things I know - My Mentally Sexy husband Edition you really should go have a read and link up what you know :o)

This week I know:

* This week has been so huge, including today that I almost thought I wouldn't get to attend one of my fave bloggy link-ups! But I'm here :o)

* This beautiful weather has been such a lovely sneak preview of Spring , my kids and I are loving it!! I know some of you have yet to experience this warmer change, and I hope it is headed your way real soon!

* A Funeral and the Celebration of a life lived and lost is a sad but amazing way to find some much needed perspective on life. I am grateful for the wisdom I took away from my Uncles Funeral this week.

* At times it feels as a Mum you can never win or keep everyone happy, but truthfully it doesn't take much to make a child smile and feel loved & special. The way my kiddies faces light up when I arrive to volunteer or watch them perform at their school makes my heart sing. I am amazed how one simple act from me can hold so much pride and happiness from them.

* It also doesn't take much to make another child happy or feel special. This week helping out the Kindy's at the Athletics Carnival was such an amazing experience. I know that not all Mums and Dads have the leisure of making it to these events and wish they could, and I know how hard it can be on a kid to not have them there. It didn't take much to extend myself to these kids, to cheer them on, give them Hi-5's and even a hug when they needed it. Seeing these little cuties having a go and looking over to see if I'm watching, and then watching their faces glow when they saw my smiles and encouragement filled my heart with so much warmth. I definitely took away much more than I gave :o)

* It is amazing how much love, joy and happiness can fill your life when you remove the negativity and the people who weigh you down. Everyone deserves to be loved, treated with respect and without judgement, and we shouldn't be made to feel guilty for wanting to be treated so. Many doors are waiting to be opened, and I am enjoying those that are opening in my life. I truly am surrounded by wonderful people and opportunities :o)

I love hearing what you all know, Have a wonderful weekend xox

There's hope for me yet...

Image found on Pinterest

I've always known the kind of Mum I want to be or felt I should be, but always doubted my ability to live up to my high hopes. I've always looked at these awesome school and sporting Mums that do so much with and for their kids and then some. I hoped and wished I could be even slightly like these mums, but didn't hold much hope for myself.... I mean there are days where getting out of bed seems almost impossible, so being an active part of my girls schooling, social and sporting lives really seemed like some far off dream.

But this last fortnight has shown me I don't need to hope and dream, I just need to keep on being me! I am a great Mum and what I do with and for my kids is working for them. I don't need to worry about what other Mums are and aren't doing, some may be more organised and capable, but what I do, I do well. (Please don't think I am tooting my own horn here. I'm not a person who thinks very highly of myself, but have come to realise "I'm OK")


At the beginning of the year I volunteered for the canteen, the usual is once a month but our poor canteen is very short on volunteers, so I offered to do once a fortnight. Loo is in care on Thursday's so it is nice to be able to give this time for my Twins at school. In term 2 the kindy classes requested parent volunteers for 'Structured Play' groups. With only having 1 free day a week (and that being booked with canteen), I didn't put my name down and my girls were devastated. I felt like the worst Mum on the planet with the tears and hurt feelings because their Mum wouldn't be in the classroom when other Mums were!!

This term notes came home from Kindy again for both Structured Play and reading groups, learning my lesson and still feeling guilty I put my name down for both! I'm lucky enough to have a young family, so even though my Mum works full time and can't help out with Loo, My Grandma and Grandad are still young enough and very eager to look after Loo :o) So on Mondays Loo loves going to GG's and Grandpa's after lunch for a lovely little visit, allowing me to go do 'Structured Play' for Moo & Boo. Reading Group is only for a half hour in the morning, so I put my name down for the Thursday as I'm already there and figure the canteen can do without me for half hour.

This past fortnight has been pretty huge for me, my first 'Structured Play' Day and the twins 1st Parent Teacher Interviews were last  week with play dates and sleep overs too. This week I had Structured Play on Monday, (A funeral Wednesday making the week seem even bigger), Today was the girls 1st Athletics Carnival... I figured I'd be there anyway so why not put my name down to help out and then tomorrow Kindy to Yr 2 are performing at a Shopping Centre for Education week, so I will be Trekking up there to watch that of course :o) It has all been fun and enjoyable, but has been a lot! I'm not one that could keep up this momentum for a long period of time and I'm thankful that things will be back to normal next week!

The feedback I have received at the Interviews and from my days of volunteering from both teachers and other parents has helped me to look at myself in a kinder light and acknowledge that I do what I can, when I can and when I do it, I do it well. And that is something I should and can be proud of :o)

Things I Know - brought to us by Yay for Home... Thanks to Daisy,Roo and Two :o)

This week I know:

* I have a pretty new blog and haven't been able to blog on it yet (because of me - not the blog), and this is pretty exciting!

* I am so in love with the work of April at A Mommy's Blog Design Studio and my blog design :o)

* Daisy is so lucky to have been bestowed the honor of hosting 'Things I know", and it was an awesome choice by Shae :o)

* I am loving hearing about Blogopolis and seeing the photos on Instagram, it makes me wanna go someday when my blog and I grow up ;o)

* Parent teacher Interviews aren't scary or intimidating

* Hearing " I wish I had a whole classroom of Moo's & Boo's" at the above, made this Mumma get all teary.

* I am so unbelievably proud of my amazing daughters, and have been shown I need to have more faith in my parenting and the decisions I make for my girls

* I am loving the weather today and hope this is the start of more sunny days to come :o)

What do you know this fine Friday?