Hard, Happy Work

Mothering is hard, happy work. Sometimes it's more "hard" than "happy", and at other times, the "happy" part of it takes over immensely, and it doesn't even feel like work. Like around Mother's Day. Michael and Sienna have been spoiling me at their special Mother's Day morning and afternoon teas at school. Michael greeted me yesterday with the biggest hug and kiss - in PUBLIC (he's been cuddle-shy since he started school this year). He painted my nails a bright red, and did such a good job (even though he painted my nails sideways). He was so pleased with himself.
At Sienna's morning tea this morning she spoilt me with a handmade card, a handmade ornament and other bits and pieces. She gave me a nice shoulder massage and was soo attentive. All the kids are so grateful for their mothers at this time of the year. But i feel even more grateful to be a mother. It's the hardest job..really. Sleep is usually interrupted, sanity at times challenged, but the opportunity to guide these little children and teach them, like no other person can - not even at school, is the most important thing I've ever been able to do. And despite the challenges that arise from parenting three young children, i wouldn't change it for the world. So, to mothers everywhere, especially my own mother, happy mother's day. And may we all enjoy more hard, happy work.

It's autumn time!

I always have a "good" excuse for arriving a few minutes late to church. This time it had nothing to do with the unusually extreme circumstances that unfairly and unpredictably spring up on me in the last 15 minutes before we have to go.. this time it had everything to do with totally losing track of time. I took photos of the kids playing with the fallen leaves from our apricot tree. It's autumn time in Melbourne, and we love it!

  

It's autumn time, it's autumn time. The leaves are falling down.

It's autumn time, it's autumn time. It's all around the town. 

(Children's Songbook)

 We had a huge leaf fight afterwards. 

Yeah, we find the simplest things the most fun at times.

I took some of our fallen leaves into nursery and sang this song to the littlies as we threw the leaves up in the air. Of course, they loved it. But, uh, i won't be doing that inside anymore. Dry leaves disintegrate into tiny pieces which are way too hard to clean up! 

cute and adorable

When not running around the house chasing each other (and chasing away my sanity), our children actually get down and do some truly adorable things. Today they all got their favourite teddies and put them to bed. They created a teddy family, even Joshy knows about how a family is made up of a mummy, daddy and baby.  It's amazing how well they can play together sometimes, despite being different ages. It's a joy mothering little children. Now if you'll excuse me, i've been asked to go and find another teddy to add the existing teddy clan.

Growing things

Finally we're starting to see veggies in the veggie patch. And the sunflowers have bloomed too. Here's Joshy saying cheese for the camera. It's nice to grow things. Sometimes from the seed stage, sometimes from the seedling stage. In any case, it's so nice to responsible for creating something that wasn't there before. I love that the earth has so much to give.
It's been raining for almost three consecutive days here in Melbourne. I love the rain. Nature needed it badly after that extremely hot weekend. It's been raining so much that the branches of the trees are holding +++ water. So much so that when Louie came out of the car, he accidentally pushed a branch and got a little wet. He started giggling and so i started laughing. BUT IT WAS NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT HE DID NEXT: As i was coming inside, he pulled on a branch above me with all his might and   got me DRENCHED. He laughed at me of course (he's a professional trickster) but it took me a little while to see the fun in it. Must be the fiery latino in me, he said. And i reckon it was that there's nothing worse, than for someone who wears glasses, to not only get drenched, but also be made temporarily blind because you can't see past all the water on your glasses. GRRRR....
He's funny, my Louie. He looks serious on the outside, but he loves to have fun, often (very often) at my expense. Patience and stuff huh.

Family updates

We've been busy these last few weeks. We had a little Halloween party here at our place for the kids' and their buddies. It was so cool.

The "Conte" Dracula Family (ha ha)

Our lounge room filled with 3 - 8 year olds!

We also recently celebrated Michael's 5th birthday. On the day of his birthday we took him to the Melbourne aquarium and then we threw an "Under the Sea" party for him. Most of the decorations were home made, including the pinata, which Louie and I made together. It was soooo much fun (and a little stressful, but mostly fun). Michael was spoilt rotten that day with gifts from his kinder buddies, church friends and neighbours. Maybe too spoilt actually.

Michael on the day of his 5th birthday

Joshy and Michael as deep sea divers :) this was our photo prop at the party.

Sienna and Michael "under the sea". I love this one!

Recently Louie finished the chicken house. We have two little chicks. Initially we had three but the littlest didn't make it past day 3. We gave it a proper burial. Her name was Kooki. The other chickens are Maria and Madison. They will one day grow up to be healthy, egg producing hens (hopefully).

We're spending so much time outside nowadays, especially since some good friends donated a swing set for the kids. So generous.

And now that the weather is fining up, we're also making every possible excuse to go 'adventuring'. A couple of weeks ago we went to the beach, fired up some sausages for dinner and looked for sea shells on the shore. How romantic huh? It was on a Monday night, meaning it was our special Family Home Evening activity. Normally we have FHE at home, and have a proper gospel-themed lesson, songs etc. Our excuse: we're appreciating Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's creations.

Sunset at Werribee South Beach.

Today (Monday) we also went out for family home evening, this time looking for tadpoles in the nearby creek. Our children are so into nature. I love it. They say we now have more than ten pets (they're counting the tadpoles and yabby we caught today). When little, Louie used to do the same. It's nice he shares some of his childhood experiences with the kids.

Catch up...again!!

Don't know when i'll be able to blog more than once a week, but here's a catch up one (again!)

FATHER'S DAY
We celebrated Papi in grand style with a cooked breakfast in bed last month. You might notice he is not actually in our own grand four poster bed, but rather on Joshy's little (and i mean little) bed. Yeah. That's our life right now, we like playing musical beds at night.

Sienna made him a crown with the title "the king of the Conte family". Very cute. Michael gave him 101 handmade pressies he made at kinder and he donned a spanking new suit at church that very day. He looks very handsome in his new suit :)

HOUSE IMPROVEMENTSIn the last few weeks we managed to finish painting our kitchen (love white country kitchens) AND restored our floorboards. We love the result - and it was worth all that hard work and +++ dust.

this is our wooden kitchen, painted white (used to only be stained clear). Notice the raw flooring!

 This is the first sanding of the floor in the lounge. It required several grades of sanding (from very coarse to very fine). We're now pros using the sanding equipment!

 A glimpse of the finished result. Much better than before! Whereas before it was rough, now we can slide across (with sockies on). What i really love about it is that it still has lots of character. No question about it being real timber flooring. Dents and all.

finally back after a pc virus removal..

It's nice to be blogging again. Just thought i'd put up some photos of what's been happening in the last few weeks.

At our recent visit to Collingwood Children's Farm

the farm cat!

With the delightful Davenport kids

On an outing to the city with Abuela. Ah Josh and that photo face!

We celebrated Joshy's 2nd birthday by going on a family outing to the zoo last Friday 12th August. It was awesome. I especially loved the primates!
Oh Joshy, how much you have grown. And although your babyhood is now gone, i still see you as my baby. Thank you for the laughs and giggles you bring to us all. For your cute and growing vocabulary, even for your temper tantrums, which are far more dramatic than anything i have ever seen. For all those things and more, we're grateful to have you in our little family. We love you Joshy!!! And happy birthday once again. Lots of love, Mami, Papi, Sienna and Michael.

A gorgeous poster Sienna made at school.
Her teacher posted it on Twitter!



Joshua Elias Conte, born 12th August 2009



At the Zoo, with our 2 year old Josh.