2011 in a nutshell

The year 2011 was a year filled with challenges. The most difficult year my little family has ever had. We knew it would be hard. Having 3 children under 4 would keep us on our toes. Having newborn twins would make sure we were going to have lack of sleep, lack of time to ourselves, lack of time for our marriage. Its very dramatic but we said to each other at the beginning of the year that if we can stay married and not get divorced for the next 12 months then we will be ok.

I wont lie -  it was tough. We had times that we were so physically and mentally exhausted that we took it out on each other, even though we hardly ever argue.  The twins were sick a lot. They were hospitalised at 3 months with bronchialitis. They got Scarlett Fever at 7 months. They both currently have Tonsilitis and Harper spent all day Christmas Day and boxing day crying the poor little thing. We all had challenges. Charli had to adapt to having 2 sisters to share everything with. Raj had to work hard at a demanding job and come home to a tired me that needed help. I had to make sure everything at home kept running like clockwork. Money was tight with me not working and mortgage rates sky high.

But guess what - we made it and we got two new members of the family to boot! We met Harper & Sophie and fell in love. We laugh and have fun and still cant believe we were lucky enough to have twins. I count my blessings every single day that I have a wonderful, healthy family with 3 beautiful girls and an amazing husband who I love more than ever. I have very supportive parents and parents in law. I have a great brother and brother in law. I have great friends. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!

Some personal highlights:
Charli -
I have watched Charli grow from a toddler to a little girl and one that I am so awfully proud of. She is thoughtful, funny and oh so smart. I watched her learn ballet and do her first ballet concert.  I watched her learn to write her name, to read certain words, to count to 30. She does great magic tricks. She has great dress sense. She loves helping me shop. I just love hanging out with her. She calls me her best friend :)

Hubby -
I watched Raj battle through sleepless nights. Watched him work so hard in his demanding job and still have time for me and the girls.I watched him fall in love with 2 new little ladies and see how happy his 3 girls make him. I watched him compose some kick arse music, devise a plan for his band, train his heart out in running and do his best time yet.  I cant believe that I could love him even more than I did, but this year its more than ever.

Sophie & Harps
They were born so healthy and have gone from strength to strength. STill not sleeping through the night  but such good little girls who love to laugh. Harp crawls at lightening speed and follows me around the house like a puppy. Soph is alert and wants to see what is going on at all times. They both have 2 teeth each and both crawling. Both say mum and dad and know their own names. They love their big sister and are just so fun to be around. They are already good friends even at 9 months. I couldn't imagine life without them.

What will 2012 bring us?

More challenges but also more fabulous times I hope. I am going back to work in 4 weeks and the twins will start daycare one day a week. I am nervous and scared and sad but I am sure they will be ok.
Charli has her big number 4 birthday shortly. We have been planning it for months! She also starts at her new daycare shortly (the same one as the twins) so it means she will need to make new friends. That is also terrifying but I know she will be ok. She also starts swimming lessons in a few weeks and will keep up with her ballet lessons. Raj will have new tasks with his job and maybe some more travel. I will have work and time away from the children for the first time in a year. I want to organise the christening of the girls. I want to do well at work. I want to decide on a primary and high school for the girls. I want to save money. I still want my fitness to be on the top of the list and want to keep up my classes each week. For Raj and I to have time to ourselves. Maybe even a date night or two :) Potentially a holiday...?

Happy New Year All  x x

PS We are going to win lotto tomorrow night - all 31 million. We have a syndicate going with the family. Just doing you all a favour so you don't waste your money buying a ticket x

Merry Christmas!

May you all have a wonderful Christmas and may 2012 be filled with love, laughter and good health.

Best wishes from Hayley, Raj, Charli, Sophie & Harper XX

Sell, Buy, Swap - why I am addicted and I cant do a damn thing about it

Northern Beaches Sell, Buy, Swap, Giveaway

2 weeks ago I was introduced to our local buy, sell, buy, swap, buy, buy, buy Facebook page. Well what a great little invention! But what a fantastic disaster. It is fantastic because I have gotten rid of lots of crap sold lots of items we don't need on there. But it is a disaster because I have also purchased lots of great items on there that we absolutely needed at the time but now I'm notsosure.

Let me take you on a short tour of the fantastic bargains that I have won purchased:

1. A trike for $4. Yes it is used. Yes the paint is flaking in parts. But it is one of those full metal well built trikes from Germany. Boy does Charli like it! She has a phobia of anything that she can loose balance on (like swings and bikes) but this one she actually rides and peddles. Yay.

2. A Lamaze chime toy for $5. Was thinking of getting this for the twinnies for Christmas anyway so WINNING

3. 2 pairs of ballet slippers for $15. I am putting these away for the twins. What if they don't do ballet I here you say? Lets think about that later cause right now it was a bargain.

4. A Christmas light in the shape of a bell. Yes they are for sale in Big W for $6 and I bought it for $5. BUT I was going to buy it anyway and therefore saved a dollar. Totally worth it! TOTALLY.

I know, I know. I need to stop. But its highly addictive and the next bargain could be being listed right....now!

Catch you later, in the meantime you know where to find me...

Things that I 'like' and 'unlike'

What delights me at the moment is:

* That the Christmas tree is up and the lights are blinking at me from across the room
* That Charli's ballet has finished for the year and I don't have to do any more ballet buns
* That for once the twins aren't sick
* That Raj is not travelling for work this week
* That my mum won 2 free ham's at her local club and is bringing one over today
* That I have lost 2 kgs in the past few weeks
* That I have my work Christmas party this Friday even though I havent been at work for nearly a year
* That I have sold $70 worth of crap on our local buy sell swap facebook page this weekend
* That I just got my hair done and the colour is awesome

What I 'unlike' at the moment is:

* That even though I lost 2 kgs in the past few weeks I put on 600g in the last few days
* That I wasnt invited to the Mega danz christmas party even though I go every week (seriously they are racist towards mums, mums are still cool you know)
* That the only people I spoke to last Thursday was charli's kindy teacher for about 5mins and the lawn mower man who is lovely but seriously he just wanted to mow the lawns and get out)
* That is is freezing and raining even though it is now officially summer
* That I have bought over $100 worth of crap on the local buy sell swap facebook page this weekend
* That Raj has got 6 billion rehersals and gigs lined up over the next 3 weeks which means he will be MIA and I will be stuck with the kids forever.

There are good people in the world

This morning I was at my local mall and was waiting for a coffee when I saw an elderly couple sitting down at a nearby table. Well they weren't actually sitting down. He was using all of his might to help his wife into the chair and then he picked her up under the arms and moved her back into the chair. He then rearranged the table in front of her so she couldn't slide out. He then reached into a bag and took out a bib and placed it around her neck. He kissed her on the cheek and then walked over to the greengrocers and picked up a basket to do his shopping. They both would have been in their 70's or 80's and he was very lean but still used all of his might to help her around. I got my coffee and approached him and I said that I couldn't help but notice how lovely he was and that he was amazing. I asked if I could help him do his shopping but he just smiled. He said that his wife lives at The House with No Steps and for 35 years he has picked her up on a Saturday morning and takes her to the shops so she can get out and about. He didn't complain. He just smiled and wanted to know all about me.

I little piece of my heart cried when I heard his story. What a beautiful, kind man. All of those years helping his wife, when he was elderly himself. What perfect love. What giving, selfless love. I hope I see them again next Saturday. Maybe he will take me up on my offer to help next week.

How I know I am getting old

Every morning on the days that I drop Charli to day-care we turn on the radio in the car and sing the songs together. Even when she doesn't know the words she just makes them up as she goes. This morning I was flicking through the radio stations and couldn't settle on a song I liked. I tried Triple J and didn't know what the hell they were playing. I tried 2dayFM and they were playing an RnB number (yuck). I tried a few more and they were too loud, or too dancey or too ravey. And then I found it.  95.3FM - Classic songs. They were playing " I want to know what love is" from Dirty Dancing. I let loose and sang at the top of my lungs. Charli said to me "Mum, what IS this song?". I sang away, so happy that I knew all the words. Then I realised, that song is about 18 years old. HOW OLD AM I?

Pretty soon I bet you that I am going to be listening to talk back radio in the mornings. 2GB here I come.

M'ladies

The twins are now 8 months old and Charli is 3 years and 10 months. Such good ages!!

Root Canal - the cost of a small car

Hello, I have just gotten back home from my fourth round of root canal. I feel like I have been punched in the jaw, not to mention the back pocket. Why oh why is root canal so expensive? But wait -  lets also talk about the pain factor. I honestly think the pain is worse than having a Cesarean.

Back in June this year my tooth was really hurting. I had a previous filling a few years ago on the same tooth and after the twins were born it really starting to ache. It got to the point where I couldn't eat or even talk, so I made an appointment for the next available time 7 days later. For the next 7 days I lived on a diet of Nurofen and Panadol. I am sure my liver wasn't very thankful but I had no choice. Then my appointment came and it was awful. They had to drill in and I was in agony, but once they killed the nerve then it was just plain uncomfortable. I went back for 4 more sessions over the course of 5 months and now I am $2780 out of pocket. Nope, nothing covered on private health insurance, Nada. Why on earth do we have it!!!!!

I have now rearranged our private health insurance to be covered for major dental so after the 12 month waiting period I can go back and get a crown on the tooth. It is $1950 for a crown and you get back $600. How generous.

One of my school friends told me a story about how her dentist was a really good looking guy, only slightly older than herself. While he was working on her tooth she accidentally licked his finger! Awkward.

My dentist is a girl younger than me. She is very good, but you think for that price I could get a good looking guy too.

Someone famous in the family?

My dad is a character. A ladies man if ever I saw one. He is currently single and very charming. On a recent trip to Mexico to visit my brother (which is another long story) he sat next to a lady who was also Australian. He was his usual charming self and they got talking. He explained that he was coming back from visiting his son in Mexico. The lady said what a coincedence, I am just coming back from visiting my son in LA. Dad asked what her son was doing in LA, and she explained that he lived and worked there and he was a musician. She said he was a singer/songwriter. Dad asked his name, the lady explained my son's name is Ben Lee. They swapped photos' - she showed pictures of her little granddaughter Goldie. Dad showed her the twins. The swapped cards and Dad said he would be in touch.

Now, to put this into perspective I have been a fan of Ben Lee since I was 14. I used to go to his shows at the Metro when he was a member of Noise Addict, and my best friend and I were addicted. We tried to stalk him back stage. Later on I then pretended to be Claire Danes.

Last night I had a dream that Dad and Ben Lee's mum got married. I flew my family over to LA to have Christmas with them. We were laughing, sharing stories, my husband and Ben wrote songs together, the girls played together while we all sat around listening to music. Then I woke up.

This morning I found out Ben Lee's mum is in her 60's - 70's. And probably married. Good golly miss molly - there goes that dream!



Do you have someone famous in your family? What is it like?

M'ladies

On my wish list

Loving this Pixel ring from www.hardtofind.com.au

This online store has fabulous one of a kind gifts for everyone in the family.

I love my family

10 Things they don't tell you about having Twins

When I was pregnant with the twins I found it really hard to get information about having twins. Not just the birthing process, there was plenty of info on that but on tips about how to get by day-to-day with twins and another toddler running around. So here you go - these are my top 10 tips on what to expect  with new-born twins.

1. Nothing will prepare you for the moment that you hold both babies in your arms for the first time. Seeing those 2 sets of eyes staring at you for the first time will floor you. You wont know where to look, who to look at first. They will both be looking at you and you can literally feel the love pouring out of you for two babies at once.

2. Telling them apart will be difficult. Even with fraternal twins, they can look so damn similar! The only way I knew who was who in the first month was by keeping the foot tag on one baby and checking constantly. There was many a time that we put the wrong baby in the wrong cot!

3. Breastfeeding will be hard. I breastfed my first daughter till she was over 13 months old. It was hard to establish of course but once we did it was fantastic. It was easy. I took that same attitude along with me when I was pregnant with the twins and knew that I could do it again with them. I started feeding them tandemly straight away and one baby could do it and suck easily but the other needed help. Once you help one baby the other comes off. You need to reattach both and then of course they need to burp, each at different times.  I always needed someone to help as I needed another pair of hands. The whole process took a long time and I had to top them up with a bottle each and every time as I didn't have enough milk for both. I still kept at it for  2 months. Then I got an infection and the migraines started from being so dehydrated. It killed me to stop  but I had to admit that I couldn't carry on. I felt like a failure and I STILL feel guilty about it. But I want to stress that I have friends with twins who are still breastfeeding them both happily so you can do it. The point is to try.

4. Being 38 weeks pregnant with twins in the middle of summer without air conditioning is torture. I had to lie on my side (as you cannot lie on your back) under the fan and suck ice cubes. You had to swap sides as you can feel them moving all the time and it is very uncomfortable. You also cant believe just how far your stomach can stretch. Which leads me to my next point:

5. Your stomach will never be the same again. For those of us who cant afford a tummy tuck after birth the sad reality is that your skin has been stretched soooo far (especially if you went full term like I did) and it will not return to how it used to. My personal trainer at the gym even admitted that all the sit ups in the world wont return it to its former glory. Her advice was to work out and sweat, work out and sweat and gradually over time it will improve. Until then I have to live with looking like I am still  4-5 months pregnant. Nice.

6. The exersaucer will be your best friend. Every twin mum needs at least one of these little beauties. Or should I say big beauties as they are quite bulky. They are a godsend from 6 months onwards as you can sit them in there and they are safe and love to play with it. I bought one on ebay for $50 but you can also get them brand new for $200.

7. Twins are definately twice the fun but you WILL get half the sleep. On a good night I get up twice (at 11pm, 3am and then they wake at 6.30am for the day). On a bad night they will wake up twice each, so I am up at least 4 times a night. They have NEVER both slept through the night. The truth is they are in the same room and the do wake each other up. Its a fact. It can also be hard to settle them as one will almost be asleep and then the other will cry. It feels like you are trapped in a viscious circle of settling and re-settling sometimes. Thankfully my 3 year old is an excellent sleeper who goes to bed at 8pm and I don't see her till 7am.

8. When you go out with twins you feel like a celebrity. You will get stopped constantly. Elderly  men are the worst! My dad proposed that I make a sign to attach to the stroller:
YES THEY ARE TWINS.
YES WE ARE BUSY.
NO WE ARE NOT GETTING MUCH SLEEP.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.
Of course I didnt do it. Sometimes it is nice being stopped by strangers to show them off :)

9. As a twin mum with other children you will become the multi-tasker of the year. I can feed the babies bottles at the same time, as well as play with my 3 year old and read a magazine all at once. I have 3 hooks in the laundry with 3 packed bags ready to go at all times. I do 3-4 loads of washing a day and the number one rule is to clean as you go otherwise your house will be messy in no time.

10. The twins will be such a fabulous addition to your family that you will count your blessings every single day at how lucky you are to have been chosen for this amazing role. The relationship they will have with each other and their other siblings is so special. Children are such a blessing and to have two at once is amazing. I have started to see them less as twins and more like I have 3 children but two of them just happen to be the same age.

11. I had to edit this to create another point. You will forever be in debt to your mum/mother-in-law/ relatives for all the help they can provide. I am lucky in the fact that I have a wonderful mum and parents in law who help me so very much and give me a much needed break. It is also fantastic to see the girls grow up and the special relationship they have with their grandparents.

xx Hayley

How do people do it all?

 I got this print from Donna Hay and framed it in a white Ribba frame from Ikea. It hangs in my kitchen and makes me smile on days like today when I feel exhausted. It's not even 11.30am and I have been up since 5am (thanks girls). I've  done 2 loads of washing and hung it out on the line, got 3 kids breakfast, dressed etc, searched high and low for the appropriate show and tell item, loaded all in car and out the door by 8am, dropped 3 year old out day care, went shopping for some pressies for birthday parties coming up, came back home and fed twins, cleaned up house, vacuumed, settled babies to sleep and made lunch. All I can think of is what I havent done yet, like my gym class and the mound of damn ironing sitting in the corner giving me a death stare. Ironing kills me, it is SO BORING. If I am not organised and I let one task slip them we are that little bit more behind tomorrow. I am supposed to go back to work in 3 months (which I am looking very forward to) but how will everything get done then?? I think I need a PA.

How do you get it all done? What are your secrets? Gin and tonic anyone?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

It's time to make a change, ch-ch-changes...

This design a blog thingy is so much fun! I have been tinkering away today and finally found a look I am happy with. It creates the tone of the blog, so I wanted to make sure the design of it was 'us'. I have to give full credit to Clover Lane for the guide. Thank you! What are your favourite website/blog designs?

Recipe of the Week - Sticky Sesame Chicken Legs

I made these yesterday and they are a sure hit for little ones. My 3 year old ate all her chicken and you can drizzle the sauce over vegies and rice.



Ingredients

• 125ml (1/2 cup) salt reduced soy sauce
• 125ml (1/2 cup) honey
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger - I grate mine with the microplane thingy
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 12 chicken legs - for those on a diet you can remove the skin
• 1 tbs sesame seeds

1. Combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in a glass pyrex jug. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate.

2. Preheat oven to 200 c. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on the lined tray.

3. Bake in oven, basting occaionally with reserved marinade for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for a further 10 mins or until chicken is golden and the juices run clear. 

YUM! (I was given this recipe from Charli's kindy but I think it originated on Taste.com).

Twins are now 7 months old

Their little personalities are starting to show. Boy are they different! Harper is quiet but so active. She started rolling very early (I think by 3-4 months?) and she hasn't stopped since. She moves from one side of the room to the next. She says 'Dadda' and cannot sit still for one second. She is a little pocket rocket. Sophie is very alert, she knows what is going on. She is always watching, knows where I am in the room at any given time. She smiles ALL DAY LONG. She wants to play with Charli. When Charli looks at her she laughs. They both dont have any teeth yet but they are dribbling like mad. The most precious times are when they look at each other when they are lying in their cots. The peek through the bars at each other to check the other one is there. Even at 7 months they have a special bond.

Where has the time gone??  And yes that is my washing in the background. All 3 loads a day of it. I have turned into the washer woman. I could open a laundromat.

About Me

Hi my name is Hayley. I am a mum, wife, daughter, sister, friend. I like to laugh with  hubby, watch, dissect and discuss movies, have long lunches at restaurants,  travel overseas, see bands. Living near the beach makes me happy. I love my 3 girls to bits. Having twin baby girls and a 3 year old daughter has been my greatest challenge yet.

When I was 19 I moved to America to go to university. It changed me. I loved it.

The day after I got back I met my husband Raj. We have been together for 11 years. I still cant believe it has been that long. He is truly my best best best friend. He still makes me laugh every single day. We got married on February 26, 2006 and it was beautiful.

In January 2008 I gave up my demanding but fabulous job in an advertising agency and became a mum for the first time to our darling daughter Charli. She is such a girly girl. She loves princesses and sparkles and anything pink. She goes to ballet school and has been planning her ballerina party for the last 11 months. Wow we found it a challenge when she was a baby but now she is almost 4 she is such a good girl and oh so well behaved.

Then in June 2010 we found out we were having TWINS. I cried. Raj stared into space. My mum laughed hysterically. The pregnancy was hard. So hard. I sweated through the hottest summer on record and in March 2011  our new two beautiful girls Sophie & Harper were born full term. Without a single blemish. They were perfect. The midwife at the hospital nicknamed them Scrumptious and Gorgeous... 

Our days can be a struggle at times and we are constantly busy. But we try and do it with a smile and laugh through the tears! 

x Hayley

My first Post EVER

We have all been ill this week, or as my English friends say - poorly. Not much sleep and constant washing & cleaning to get rid of the germs.