I'm Nesting. Run for your life!

I find myself 17 weeks pregnant, and this week saw some very intensive cleaning of my home. Not the usual type of cleaning. I managed to find things to clean this week that I hadn't even noticed were dirty. Things that had actually never been cleaned.... needed to be cleaned. This is what nesting does to you. You become possessed by the Cleaning Devil for a short period of time and then your house returns back to the usual rubbish tip it was after the baby arrives.

Suddenly dusty tops of wardrobes had begun to annoy me. I am not sure why. My cleaning motto is "If you can't see it, you don't need to clean it". Dusty doilies and table runners had me in fits of panic. Never before had the black inside of my fridge begun to annoy me as much as high pants do. The inside of the car, which had rotten plums, biscuit crumbs and other miscellaneous residual parts of food located in it, had me running for the Dyson and vacuuming like a mad woman.

With my other children I didn't start to nest until I was ready to pop. This time it has come early. Perhaps there is more to do this time around? With a 2 and 3 year old running around the house the place has certainly never felt dirtier.

Then suddenly 4 years worth of unfinished renovations began to shit me. It had really caused me no issues before. I was just happy to see the bulk of the reno's finished and to a point where we could actually live comfortably with a lot of extra space.

Then I realised we need more furniture to like, put stuff in. All the toys in our house need a home rather than being placed around various vantage points around the house. Suddenly I felt underseige from all the Fisher Price and Thomas The Tank Engines. The mess is out to get me!

My undressed windows need to be jooshed! They look ugly! They have been this way for SEVEN WHOLE years but suddenly I am concerned what everyone must think about the unfurnished state of our home. I really never cared before. Only when I am nesting.

Husband conveniently made himself scarce when he saw me twitching and ranting under my breath about how I was still waiting for the jarrah architraves to be put around all the new doors 4 years after they were put in. He is a smart man.

Because with nesting comes spending and he doesn't like to spend money.

He hasn't always been like this. Husband used to be the "spender" before we were married and I was the "saver". Somehow during our marriage we seem to have switched roles. He became more like me and I became more like him. I guess being with someone that long does that to you.

So off I will trott today to Spotlight to buy curtains. Then to IKEA for some children-toy-hiding solutions and then off to to the Rug Shop to do something about these barron wooden floors.

I might see you at the shops. I'll be the one twitching, moving frantically at warp speed.

Poor Mastercard.

Old Friends

I need to publish a new post just to show I am over the lengthy debate that followed since my post about Terri Irwin's High Pants. Boy that was intense. I am always being a bit silly on this blog poking fun at things that annoy the crap out of me (bad pants, Jeggings, loose buttons, my husband...the list goes ON and ON) and I make no apologies for it. Needless to say I craved for a bit of champagne (by "bit" I mean "the whole bottle") after the debate that followed, and then as I rushed to the fridge to pop the cork I looked down and saw my huge pregnant belly. Damn it, life can be cruel.

Let's change the pace a bit.

I went through my wedding album recently and was reminded of a few friends who were at my wedding that we just don't see anymore. I was a bit saddened by it all really to see that we had lost touch for one reason or another over the years. It got me thinking about old friends in general.

Friends who I went to school with, uni with, work with - that were MY WHOLE LIFE at the time but were not strong enough to withstand the pressures of everyday life and everything that fills it.

Could it be possible that friends serve their purpose at the time and then we let them slip, involuntary as that part of us that we have in common slips away too? Are there those friends that have a deeper connection to us where no change of circumstance can alter the relationship? Why is this?

Something happened recently that made me a little saddened. By "saddened" meaning "rightly pissed and outrageously mad". A male friend of mine, who I had been quite close with over a number of years pre children, up and got married after a whirlwind romance. I didn't get invited to the wedding.

While I am very happy that he has found happiness, it made me sad that I didn't make the cut. Then when the pictures appear on Facebook, I felt saddened even more.

While welcoming new children to our family was a big change in our life, perhaps I could have done more to facilitate the friendship. Perhaps I got caught up so much in the children that I didn't have that time to spend on nurturing a friendship that was once, great. But lets face it. A married mother of two no longer has much in common with a single male.

While I will not blame myself (not my style), I had organised a few gatherings and included him in it (well ok, just one) but I tried didn't I? I do miss him, but he has changed. Things just aren't what they were and there isn't any going back.

Where does this leave our friendship? Is it over? When I want to arrange dinner with common friends do I invite him? Do I not invite him? That seems a bit rude to not invite him to something but he did that to me didn't he? To his WEDDING.

What do you think?

Letters to Life - Pavlova in the Oven

Dear Pavlova in the oven,

I made you because I don't like the pavlova you can buy at the shops and top yourself. They just aren't crunchy on the outside anymore. I am not sure why this is. They just don't make them like I remember when I was a kid.

I saw you on Masterchef and with only 4 ingredients I mocked the contestants for not being able to achieve such a simple dessert within the timeframe.

And now that I have done it myself I appreciate that it isn't as easy as it looks to get your eggwhites to a perfect glossy, sugar dissolved stiffness. My apologies.

I hope it tastes alright. I am sure none of my guests will be complaining. They are just happy to be in perfect company.

I tried.

Love Taryn

Letters to Life - My Daughters Muffins

To my beautiful daughter,

I over-toasted your English Muffin today. You made me laugh when you asked me if I put vegemite on it.

It did look like I had.

No sweety I put butter and honey.

I will pay more attention next time.

Love Mum

Letters To Life - Carman's Muesli

Dear Carmans Gluten Free Muesli,

There are too many sultanas in your breakfast cereal.

This coupled with very tough dates requires an additional 5 mins in the morning so I can pick them all out.

Just Sayin'.

Love Taryn xx

Letters to Life

I am starting a new string of posts here on This Is Taryn.

I am going to call them "Letters to Life".

These are short messages to aspects of my life - people, places, things.

Actually they are my facebook status updates which everyone finds interesting/lame/hillarious (depending on who you are).

They might be daily. They might not be.

This post is "inspired" by Leah's ThxThxThx blog. I love these little messages that she puts up. Mine won't be Thankyou Notes however, but they will have the same spirit to them.

I will post again with my first "Letters to Life".

Bloggers Without Makeup Friday 14th May

Tomorrow is BLOGGERS WITHOUT MAKE UP FRIDAY.

Bet you never heard of it. That's because fellow blogger, Jodie made it up. You can read about that post here. I like it when people make things up. It's out of the norm. Stepping out of the four walls. For a cause. So you can all see how ugly we are without make up? No, its to show the real us. Without the glam photo's.

I gotta say though. The pic of me on my blog is so not glam.

I got no problem with being makeup-less for a photo because people who know me (you know like. IN PERSON) see me everyday with not a skitch of makeup on most of the time. Because I am a busy mum and I would rather eat breakfast than put on make up when given the choice. Because quite frankly I don't care what you think. I have a lot of inner beauty. Focus on that would you?

Recently I have bought one of those vibrating mascaras. When faced with a make up choice I will ALWAYS PICK THE MASCARA. It's a NO CONTEST. And now they are vibrating? Although it's a very good mascara, the vibrating action does absolutely nothing to enhance it's effect. In fact. It's a little bit annoying.

Here is my photo which I took with the webcam while little Harry had his daytime sleep. I look like I really need to do the same. Here is the real ME:

Tired. Pregnant. Large pores. I could go on and on.

Happy Bloggers-Without-Makeup-Friday!

A Perfect Day with Clean Floors

Mothers day is one of the best days of the year. With motherhood you get ownership in Mother's day. It's your entitlement after sleepless nights. Cleaning their nappies. Feeding them. I could go on and on and on and on.........The only job that never ends.

I was looking forward to wafting around the house in my kaftan (that I don't own), listening to Enya (that I do own, where did I put it?), enjoying some sweet relaxation and praising sweet children on their excellent behaviour while eating Go Natural Fruit Clusters in excessive quantities and enjoying the day off.

The children wake at a lovely 7am. The best wake up time. My beautiful daughter has drawn a picture of me which she drew at Kindy. It has "My Mummy" written underneath it. My green hair is in its usual unkempt state. My ears are very large and red. And my arms? Well there aren't any. But it actually resembles a person. I am so proud of her. It's the first time she has really drawn anything resembling a person. This picture we will keep!

My husband bought me a top of the wozza Homedics massager to try and relieve the problems I have been having with my lower back. He might be hoping to cut out my weekly deep tissue therapy massage but I told him he was dreaming. Then I realise that was not his aim. He wants to use it too. I'm happy to share but he just needs to build a soundproof box with a lockable door so I can sit on it without small people wanting to use it too. Now THAT would be bliss!

I was looking forward to escaping the breakfast shift and getting husband to feed the kids but they both started to cry when faced with the prospect of having their father fetch their breakfast cereal. He just doesn't do it right you see? I have a special knack for reaching up high and putting processed food in a bowl. I was back on duty.

But of course I can never just do nothing so I decide the floors are looking a bit crap and I vaccuum and mop them.

We went to Mum's for a lovely breakfast and heading to my mother in law's soon for some dinner.

I must not forget to tell you husband took the kids to the soccer for 2 hours to give me some Taryn Time. Ahhhhhh.

All in all. A great day. Wish they came a bit more frequently!

Baby Brain Is Not a Myth

I have been pregnant 3 times. Although my sample size is still relatively small I can vouch for the fact that Baby Brain is like totally real. Man.

Here are some dumb things I have done recently.

At about 5 weeks pregnant I bought a lovely white cotton long sleeve top for my daughter at Big W when we were on holidays. This will come in handy for Winter I thought to myself, to pop under all her dresses so we can get her summer attire to get some wear during the Winter months.

We begin to pack to go home and I start to panic. Where did I put the bloody thing? Now I know it's not fricken Ralph Lauren but the fact that I could misplace something is very strange. Because I am very organised.

I headed down to the car. Did I leave it in the boot? Nope. I empty all the suitcases (there are a few because we have kids... remember?) Nope. Not there. I search our hotel room, displace everything in my anxiety to find the missing top but nothing. Na da.

So I look in the fridge because I really have looked everywhere else. And there it is. Sitting under a pile of half munched on apricots. With apricot juice all over it.

Seriously I put her top in the fridge with a bunch of half eaten apricots. A few questions here:

Why didn't I just throw the half eaten apricots in the bin? Not sure.

Why did I put the top in with the half eaten apricots? Not sure.

Why did I put the entire lot in the fridge?

Because I HAVE BABY BRAIN.

And yesterday I spilt an entire 2L milk all over the floor at the Fruit Shop. I can't blame the kids because it wasn't their fault. So we will just blame..

BABY BRAIN. Because Baby Brain makes you clumsy too.

What are your baby brain stories?

First Post Ever Revisited - Challenge

I have been challenged by the lovely Linda at What Happens Next to repost my first post.

My first post was only in September so nothing has really changed! I am still whinging about the effect that my kids have on my shopping habits. Which is non existent now and on a purely needs only basis!

I realise now that I never really had one of those Introduction to Me blog posts where I tell you why I blog and how the blog came about. I just launched straight into it!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Before my two little monkeys came and turned my world up-side down I had a hobby. Shopping. It used to occupy my life so beautifully. We had a great relationship, shopping and I.

Oh there were some great memories. Calmly browsing stores, "ooing" and "ahhing". There was a lot of purchasing too might I add. The instant pick me up. Feeling tired? bored? stressed ladies? It's time to go shopping.

And shopping I did go, because what else was there to do really? It went something like this. Taryn gets out her Mastercard. Taryn gets a bag with lots of nice new pretty things in it. Such a beautiful time, a special moment if you will.

That was then. This is now. Taryn has a double stroller and a trip to the shops is frought with dramas.

With a double stroller there is a lot of window shopping going on for one reason mainly. I can't get the pram in and navigate through most shops. I can't tell you how MUCH THIS SUCKS, and it is funny because I never noticed before how much retailers were over-merchandising to a point where YOU CANNOT MOVE. It seems very possible that one store could quite possibly clothe the south island of New Zealand for a year. Cotton On is a good example. I just can't get into these shops. Which is a big shame because sometimes they have nice things.

Perhaps now is a good time to mention how hard it is to navigate in a double stroller. Because I am the tight ass who wouldn't spend over a $1000 on a good pram. Mine cost $229. That's why it was so cheap because you can't bloody move it. So if I run into you at the shops and I run over your toe, I'm sorry, really I did not mean it... blame the Child Moving Apparatus (CMA).

However there are some advantages... well one really. With my stroller though I win the stroller battles. You have one baby? Oh sorry I have TWO. My stroller is bigger than yours. I win. I go first. So nerrr.

And so the days of calmly browsing the shops are long gone because this lady is stressed and now has to lug around a bag full of snacks to throw at her kids to shut them up when the need arises. It weighs approximately 50 kilos and that is WITHOUT the drink bottles which have permanent residence inside the above mentioned suitcase ... I mean... bag.

Now I keep shopping a quick brisk excercise to minimise screaming for other patron shoppers and stress on their mother. It goes something like this. Make a list. Do not venture from the list. Get the things you need because the little man has a limited tolerance for all boring things and does not like to be stationary for a extended period of time. Get your jobs done and (if you are lucky) you might get to glance longingly into the store that you just can't get into.