The Sweet Spot.

I had just finished the school run. 

It was a sweltering hot afternoon. As we drove back home, (just a super short five-minute drive, for the luxury of which I had to arrive an hour before the school bell just so I could find a spot to park near the school, so I could justify driving to school in the first place), I couldn’t hear myself think as the AC in the car bellowed loudly at me. The sweat moustache was annoyingly adamant today. 

As we pulled into the driveway, I had only one goal. To dash back inside as quickly as I could, tear off the ‘presentable mum clothing’ that I had on, slip into a singlet dress and hold my face as close to the blasting fan as I could! The picture of a dog’s head out of the window of a moving car, tongue out, cheek rippling in the wind, strangely came to mind as I closed my eyes. 

Anyway, sweat moustache eliminated, I felt like a good, strong cuppa. The spot between my eyebrows was threatening to pulsate harder and I dared not let it win! As I quickly set up the kids with a snack and fixed a good dose of caffeine for myself, I plonked onto my favourite spot on the couch. A quick (unintentional) glance around – there was clutter everywhere. It only took a couple of seconds for my brain to register an empty sandwich bag, a hairband, the plastic packaging from a 30cm ruler I’d bought as part of the school stationery list, and other random stuff, all strewn across the coffee table and all the cushions knocked off the couch and on the rug. Meh! 

As the Vornado (heavy duty fan purchased from Costco) blasted cool air towards me, coffee mug in one hand and a chocolate bikkie in the other, all that mattered was the sweet taste of coffee, dark chocolate and the cool breeze! I closed my eyes and savoured it all – it was my moment! This mumma had hit the sweet spot, everything else could wait! 

It's The Time to Disco!

This craft loving mumma gets super excited whenever there’s a chance to get creative Our little monkeys have their school disco this evening and the theme is super fun - NEON! 

But let me begin by being very honest here. Only yesterday after school, I was made aware of the event by my Little Miss who had a very frantic expression on her face that I’d not known earlier, but heaps of excitement in her voice as she declared I could still buy tickets on the morning of the disco, phew!
Now, what would they wear to the disco? They didn’t have anything in bright, neon colours. And the only thing that kept flashing (pun? ) in my head was high-vis clothing  Obviously, there wouldn’t be any that’s kids’ size easily available at the shops. Nevertheless, I was confident that a trip to Kmart would certainly be fruitful. And it was! 

In the beginning, I scoured the party section in the hope that I’d find some bright, funky accessories that would be an easy, quick fix. I picked up a pack of glow-in-the-dark bracelets. The kiddos seemed happy enough with wearing half a dozen of them each. I, however, wasn’t content. You see, I’m a crafty mumma and I have an obsessive need to do more! I wandered around looking for something more when I found a pack of neon shoelaces. The bright neon pink, green and orange colours were just screaming for me to pick them up! Then somewhere through the maze of aisles, little miss found a hot pink vest that she was certain met the criteria for her school disco this year. That it was workout gear didn’t seem to bother her! I wasn’t too keen on spending $8 on 
A. a workout vest that was probably way too big for her anyway and 
B. something that I couldn’t squeeze into either (and I won’t say much about my workout scene right now, ermm) 

So after convincing her that her crafty mumma would magic something really cool, I walked on, musing over my options until I hit the art/craft/scrapbooking section...paints! Of course!! My mind was instantly picturing something cool, as promised  
I knew I had plain white tees that I had got for them when they had a colour-run event at school, washed but with some faint traces of colour still on them, their verdicts declared to be home wearing clothes. So, I didn’t need to spend more loose change, awesome! I grabbed a pack of ‘Neon Pump Paints’ and after a $100-ish at the checkout, walked out very excited about my craft project! What? Oh, yes...the shopping for the disco was only $12.50, (for both, with supplies still left over for another project, and little miss needed new shoelaces anyway, so...score!) but hey!, it’s Kmart! You don’t just walk out with ‘only what you need’! 

Anyway, at home after the school run this morning, I set out to work. Located the said white tees, phew! Lined the insides with some paper towels and went to town with the pump paints! So easy, so fun, so quick! Trust me, anyone can do this! Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!! The paints were already in pump/spray containers which was super convenient! They’re water based and do come off easily with a wet kitchen towel, but best to protect your work surface with a splat mat or some newspaper. 

While I let them dry, I made a quick, fun accessory for little miss to wear - a braided necklace with the neon shoelaces. Super easy, but would make a funky statement! 

With the leftover shoelaces, I added some more oomph to little man’s already cool light-up shoes, yo! They're being charged, as I type 😄

And with a couple of those glow bracelets, my kids will be neon disco ready this evening! I’m sure their smiles will be brighter than the neon colours themselves!! Right, so this crafty mumma signs off here! 

Until my next creative/crafty venture...stay happy and keep crafting! I’ll be sure to insert some pictures of them all dressed up later this evening!

List of supplies I used: (I live in Australia and Kmart is a popular store here. But I’m sure these products would be easily available anywhere/everywhere.)
Glow bracelets ($2 pack of 20 from Kmart)
Fashion Shoelaces ($5.50 pack of 3 pairs from Kmart)
7 Pump Paints ($5 pack of 7 from Kmart)

Do visit my page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecraftangel

And please come look at some pictures that I share regularly on my Instagram profile: mycreadivlife

"Amma, I'm bored!"

It's that sentence all mums dread. "I'm bored!" Here are a few of my usual reactions to combat those two deadly words -
'Find something to do then'
'Don't keep saying that'
*grinding my teeth in frustration*
*hiding in the toilet*
Quite possibly in that order!

Well actually, I'm not a bad mum you know! I do muster all the patience and energy I possibly can and do come up with fun things to do with my kids, every once in a while. And one such activity is what we like to call 'the catalogue game'. It's easy, it's fun, it's educational and it's free!

So, the supermarket catalogues stay a bit longer than other recyclables at our home (much to hubby darling's annoyance). They're great for a quick and fun interactive activity with my kids, who are now 7 & 5. My 5-year old still enjoys it, my older one might just have grown out of it. Anyway, so what we do is simply flip through the catalogue, looking at all the pictures of the products. And as we do so, I point out to things and ask them to identify/attempt to read them. This facilitates simple learning, in a fun and interactive manner. Here are some things we talk about -

1.'What is this?' - They identify the product. This creates awareness of common, everyday items and they visually memorise the colours, packaging, etc. This helps connect them to the memory of having seen them on the shelves at the supermarket or at home while we're putting stuff away from the shopping bags. Here, we also talk about something new that they spot, that they haven't seen or noticed before. For example, my younger one pointed at a can of deodorant and asked me what it was. We spent some time talking about it, nothing too complicated, just a lighthearted conversation about how sometimes grownups need a quick spray of it on hot, sweaty days.

2. 'Have you eaten this before?' - While looking at pictures of veggies, fruits or other snacks, they try and recollect if they've eaten them before. If yes, when or what was the dish? If not, then why haven't they tried it before? Is it because it isn't very healthy? Does it fall under the 'sometimes only' food category? There's a whole lot of potential here to engage them in an educational conversation and teaching them the importance of healthy, fresh, wholesome produce.

3. 'Remember when...?' - My son finds it very amusing to talk about the time when he was a toddler and used to have nappies on. He almost always giggles sheepishly as he points out to the pack of diapers and then it leads to some recollection, memories from when they were little and such.

4. 'Can we get this?' - They show interest in a particular product they see. This also helps trigger memory as they remember  a friend who brought it for lunch at school, perhaps, or if they had seen it in an advertisement on TV. We then proceed to discussing if we should buy it or not. When we could buy it, for example, for a special occasion, as a treat, or for dinner tonight, etc.

5. Testing quick response and reflexes - As a bonus fun element, which is what gets them excited in the first place, I ask them to shout out 'chocolate!' in a funny voice whenever they spot something with chocolate in it. I know, I know...kids are kids! The silliest of things make them laugh and they enjoy every minute of it with all their heart! We probably need to take a few notes from our kids sometimes! And when they laugh and squeal in delight, it's so easy to laugh out loud with them!

This whole activity generally lasts about 20-30 minutes. But hey, we did something together and no one was fighting, whining or screaming (or pulling their hair out!). And in the process, we all spent some time together having a meaningful conversation with each other. That's a big win for this mumma!

Try it with your kids! I'd say this activity would suit kids in the age range of about 2-6 years. Just a glossy, colourful catalogue and heaps of questions and answers. I guarantee 20 minutes (at least) of giggles, laughter, learning and a big warm feeling deep within your heart :)

The Language of Love

I speak four languages. Hubby does too (maybe even more!). The kids speak English. I say that now, a little less guiltily.

I have accepted that they might never be as fluent as we are in our native languages, that they might never chat incessantly with their grandparents in Tamil or Kannada. No, we haven't tried teaching them Tamil or Kannada either. Nor do we send them to a language school, no! But hey, maybe that's okay!

Being multilingual sure is awesome, but it's not the end of the world, really. Between making sure they're growing up to be good kids, they're learning to wipe their bottoms after a poo, they're sleeping in their own rooms, they're practising good manners and a whole bunch of other things that matter, we never found the time and energy to try hard NOT to speak to them in English. We spoke. They understood. They spoke. We understood. We moved on.

They speak to their grandparents about school, about what they ate at dinner, about how they made a painting, about their new toy and they do so with no barrier of language. Because the only language they both understand and speak so well, is the language of love!

I'm not here to start a debate. I understand the argument about how there's an advantage to being multilingual. But I'm also happy and satisfied that my children speak English. For now, as long as they're uttering kind words, saying whatever it is that they are with confidence, and rattling away with happiness in their voices, I'm a happy and proud mumma! 

When the little ones are unwell...

**This post is by no means any form of formal medical advice. Please consult a professional for specific medical advice for your child**

Dealing with kids falling sick is not easy. It's the most horrible thing ever! It's so hard to see them all tired, weak and beat down. They're not themselves, you're not yourself - it's just a really miserable time. As parents, it's one of life's most difficult things to handle. And in true Bollywood style, I've said it every time my little ones fall sick - "Oh God! Please let it be ME and not them!"

Blocked little noses, sad little eyes, hot foreheads, drooling little mouths, lost appetites, and everything else miserable, that's what it was like in our home for the last week and a half. Little Miss and Little Man both took turns at being unwell. It's the onset of the flu season here in Sydney. It's such an irony that I used to L.O.V.E winters. That was before I was a mum. I loved winters and everything associated with the season - warm woollens, hot chocolate, snuggling under a blanket, being with loved ones inside a warm home - the works. [Oh and of course, wearing boots with a dress :-)] Now, it's more of a general nervousness and less of being a foolish romantic :-) And so the inevitable happened, both my little ones caught the bug. What followed were sleepless nights, constant checking of temperatures, lots of throw-ups, and untouched bottles of formula and bowls of food. Of course this isn't a first for us, but it gets us down every single time. This time around, it had me thinking and I said to myself, "I'm going to blog about this very topic!" I thought I'd list a few handy tips - both as a reminder for myself and for other mums (and dads) out there.

I've come to learn a lot from all the 'unwell episodes' so far. Here are my Top 5 tips -

1. Stay calm! Easier said than done, I know. But in the simplicity of these two words lies the magnitude of it. It's so easy to be stressed, go into panic mode and bring the roof down when our precious little darlings are in pain or discomfort. It's our natural mum-instinct working over-time. It's okay. But what helps is to stay calm. I've learnt it now, I know it works. When I'm calm, my brain functions better, I'm able to think clearer and am able to be focused. It also radiates right off me and permeates the atmosphere, and funnily enough, the kids and the hubster are also calmer. And calm certainly helps, as opposed to chaos! So yeah, please stay calm!
2. Trust your instincts. The usual suspects this time again for Little Miss, so we started her off on paracetamol right away. But then, I noticed some tiny red bumps on her legs and wasn't very comfortable skipping a visit to the doctor. Hubby wasn't as paranoid as I seemed, but we took her in anyway. Turned out it was some (harmless) insect bite. But at least my head seemed a lot quieter after that, no more of those scary voices warning me anymore, ha! So, safe is always the best choice here. If your gut speaks to you strongly, listen to it!
3. Everything can be cleaned! I find this approach particularly comforting. I'm talking about the vomit, snot, spit-ups, half eaten food, etc, etc. Don't stress! It can all be cleaned later, promise. Yes, it does mean more work ( and not very pleasant work) but it can be dealt with. I constantly keep telling myself that the kids need me and my full attention. So I try not to get sidelined by that nagging "you've got to clean that mess!" thought in my head. It helps. There's a washing machine and all-purpose wipes for everything! (and a thoughtful and kind husband too!)
4. Stay well yourself. Kind of a no-brainer this one, huh? It's like what the flight attendant tells you (you haven't been listening to those safety instructions??), in case of an emergency, put on the oxygen mask on yourself first and then attend to your child. Makes sense, doesn't it? I couldn't possibly take care of my sick children when I'm not a 100% fit physically. So that means, it's okay for me to eat. Yes, really. So all those mums I'd seen on TV who starve themselves because their little ones are unwell are not real. I need to eat to stay strong and, well, not faint on my frail little girl and break her little arm in the process, heaven forbid! And, totally not necessary for me to mention it here, but...I'm not the kind of girl who starves when upset. No ma'am. I'm the sort who eats more when I'm upset! There, classic foot-in-the-mouth syndrome. But hey, that's me! Point is, it's okay for you to eat when your little one isn't. In fact, it's quite necessary that you do.
5. Be positive. Fevers, colds and sore throats are all part of growing up. That's how our little ones build their immunity in the long run. It's very very natural for us to get our nerves all tied up in complicated knots when our babies are even the slightest bit uneasy, in pain or in discomfort. But it's all just a passing phase. So, do all that your common sense dictates you to do and stay positive. Every thing will be okay and soon your little ones will be their bubbly, happy selves again!

And I tell myself to remember -

• Loss of appetite is normal when little ones are unwell. So it's okay if my child isn't eating as much as they normally would or not eating at all. I have been told several times by doctors that this is absolutely okay, as long as they are well hydrated. So shoving "at least 1/4 of a bowl of porridge" into that exhausted tiny person's mouth will only mean more vomit to clean up!
• Watching TV or playing on the iPad for a teeny bit more than usual is okay. If it means they're relaxed, warm and comfy, it's fine to let go a wee bit. Actually, the other day, when my sweet Sia was unwell, she fell asleep on the couch watching Play School, bless her! 
• It's okay to give (stronger) medication (on doctor's advice) if required. We're all for letting their bodies deal with it best. But if it means they're unable to and are clearly finding it hard to cope, it's absolutely okay to succumb to a dose of antibiotics, of course, on the advice of our family doctor.

So these are this mumma's thoughts on dealing with little ones' sickness. What are your thoughts? Do you have any go-to tips and strategies? I'd love to hear!

Stay happy, stay blessed! 

A Human. A Mum.

In the last two years and eight months, I've been puked on, sneezed at, had my hair smeared with gooey baby food, even had the occasional poop explosion all over my clothes! Find it disgusting, do ya? Well, me too. After all, I'm human. BUT I'm also a mum. Quite a conflicting combination that. As any other person, I have all these naturally strong feelings about not wanting to have another (little) person's snot all over me, or wanting to be able to wee in peace, and you know, just being me. As a mum though, I need to be okay with anything, everything. Okay, wait, I think I'm turning this into a sorrowful rant and I don't want it to sound like that. So I'm quickly going to tell you that that's just one side of the story. The slightly challenging, testing my nerves, make-me-want-to-scream-like-mad side. There's also another side to it. The beautiful, dreamy side where I've been hugged by tiny warm hands, smiled at like a gazillion times, been kissed by Nutella-smeared lips and been showered with the happiest giggles. The joys and woes of being a mother! The happy things far outweigh all the small inconveniences. Yes, there are times when I secretly wish someone would take them for a day, a few hours, a few minutes so I could actually finish my cup of coffee while it's still hot. But that isn't a real wish, no. It's just some weird chemical reaction in my mad-mommy brain sometimes.

I know I want their playful presence, their squeals of delight, the constant babbling and chattering, the prancing about, all the crawling and tugging and exploring. I want my little man to pull my hair with his chubby little (very strong) fist, I want him to use my nose as his teething toy, I want him to demonstrate his limited skills (waving and clapping) over and over again and I want to laugh and say 'Good boy!' every single time. I want my little missy to force feed me pretend toast by the dozen and make me drink 12 cups of pretend tea from her pretty pink teacup, I want her to make me read her favourite book for the twenty-second time in a day, I want her to point her little finger at the pantry and ask for jelly beans and I want her to drag me to her room to play dress-ups when I'm in the middle of cooking. I want it all. I want all of it, I want every bit of being a mum :-)

The difficult bits, the happy bits, the challenging bits, the fun bits; the love, the laughter, the tears, the frustration; the quiet times, the noisy times, the hunger tantrums, the nap times - I love them all. Because I'm a human. Because I'm a mum!

Our family has grown!

As cliched as it sounds, we're now a complete family! Our little man arrived in September this past year and we're over-the-moon chuffed! Quite a happy little coincidence that both our babies are September babies. Hubby darling was even hoping they'd share their birthdays. Unfortunately, I ended up having Gestational Diabetes this time and had to have a scheduled Cesarean. But it all turned out pretty well in the end as our latest little bundle of joy arrived on our wedding anniversary. Sweet eh?

A two-year gap, we thought, would work well for us (and for the little ones!). We were told warned by a couple of our friends, who've also had children (almost) back-to-back, that the initial years will be quite challenging. Almost five months in and we totally agree! Having two little ones in nappies is not really a party, BUT it also means double the laughter, double the love, double the joy.

I have to say though, we're much relaxed parents this time around. I mean, the thought of ringing the hospital and asking them to take my wailing baby back never crossed my mind with this little guy, ha! Well actually that could also be because he's been quite a happy little boy right from the time he arrived. Still, I'm a much calmer, more confident mamma. I do have my moments, but I bounce right back :-)

So anyway, I hope I'll be able to blog here more often, now that I'll have plenty more experiences to share (wink) I do have some posts in mind and will be back soon.
Until then, stay happy, stay blessed!