Kiddy Time/Mummy Moments Challenge

We're currently living with my in-laws, now let me just give a quick run down of how that's turning out: My MIL is the stereotypical perfect housewife and mother. Her house is always completely spotless (no worries about dropping in unexpected here!), she's a fantastic cook and is currently thinking of doing pastry-making courses once she finishes the chefs course she's currently doing, everything in her home has a place and there's decorative pieces everywhere, she sews and quilts, she's an award winning gardener and - get this - she actually enjoys playing with kids! And she's fantastic at it! It's a little like living with Martha Stewart, which as you can probably tell makes me feel like an even crappier mother. Luckily she isn't quick to judge and embraces me as a member of the family despite my - many - flaws.
Now I'm never ever going to be like my MIL. She cleans and sews and bakes and spends time with the kids because she genuinely enjoys doing these things. I usually have gritted teeth while forcing myself to play with my nearly 3 year old son, and surreptitiously check my watch every 5 minutes ("Have I forced myself to spend enough time with him yet??"), my idea of cleaning is bringing the laundry inside and leaving it in a central place where everyone can get their clothes over the next few days until there's only one pair of socks left to put away (central closeting system? ...Without the folding and hanging and general organised-ness??). But being here and seeing what A is missing out on from me is motivating me to change our relationship around to a more positive one.

Hence Kiddy Times/Mummy Moments.
I am determined that for every day over the next week I will do at least two activities every day with A - even if it's only two ten minute activities, it's a starting point.
I will take the kids to the park which is located only one block away at least 3 times a week.
If I find myself going to the shopping centre with the kids I will stop at the kids play area and let A run around for at least 15 minutes while I have a cuppa. It's a great break in the middle of dragging the kids around to all the shops, let's him burn off a bit of energy (which he has plenty of!) and distracts him from the toys I had refused to buy because he has far too many as it is!
I will bake something with A at least 3 times a week.
I will encourage him to be a bit more active in the afternoons, playing games that will help tire him out so that bedtimes go smoother.

I'll let you know how it goes :) Checkout some of my ideas and plans on my Pinterest board, Kiddy Time/Mummy Moments.

Hiatus officially over!

Well I'm finally back after a brief hiatus. In the past...4 months??...since my last post a LOT has happened! For starters we made our interstate move, moving into my in-laws house where we'll be living until the garage conversion is ready for us to move into. My husbands started a new job, started and finished a couple of courses at the local TAFE, we're getting ever-closer to a big overseas vacation we have planned to visit my family in the states, and - probably the biggest change of all! - we've welcomed the newest addition to our family: Z.

Zavien, born 22nd May.

Oh, and I got my drivers license! For those of you not in the know (which none of you are, since no-one reading this actually knows me IRL!! lol) I've had my learner drivers license for the past 8 years. I drive quite often with my husband in the car and I'm a confident driver but never bothered going for the test (don't ask me why! I thought I had a fairly reasonable explanation but came to the realisation that it was total bull!). Well I recently discovered I only had 2 weeks till my license expired and thought it was probably high time that I attempted the test! And I passed first go, woohoo!

So anyway, now that I've found where my blog was actually based (totally forgot where the hell I'd signed up for the blog - oops), I'm ready to pick back up the reins. For those of you looking forward to reading about our garage conversion I'm going to have to disappoint you here and let you know that I've made the decision not to base this blog solely on the conversion anymore since I have so many other things that I'd like to start tracking my progress on:

• My anti-procrastination challenge. I am a self-proclaimed, no holds barred procrastinator. Why do something I don't want to when I can simply put it off and do it tomorrow? (or the next day, or the next, or more likely, never!). It's an aspect of my personality that I really dislike and I'm determined to change. So from now on I'm determined to work hard at becoming a good mother and a good wife, and fulfill some of my goals.
• Mummy moments. As I mentioned above, I'm working very hard on being a better mother. A is turning 3 next month and over the past year has increasingly become more and more of a handful. I think this is largely out of boredom since A is an extremely active child and I have absolutely no idea what to do with him. I'm good with babies, I know how to interact with them and love playing with them, but I am a completely sucky mother for toddlers and pre-schoolers. I have no freaking idea what to do to engage him or keep him entertained and occupied. Over the past year I've pretty much just left the TV going all day and let his grandparents watch him for me! Slack, I know, which just proves my point about being a sucky mother. So I've been researching toddler and pre-schooler activities the past few days and am determined to tackle this mothering thing head on.

Anyway, thats enough of my blathering on about what I'm going to do and why I'm doing it, keep checking back to watch my progress and see what I achieve.