June Updates

I was going to do a June goals list but we are almost mid way through June, so I kind of missed that boat haha! So instead I’ll do some updates!

Update 1. I had a lovely, much needed weekend at home.

There was a school friends birthday party for E, last dinner with my parents Saturday night before they headed home to Melbourne (temporarily-more on that below!), and otherwise the kids and I spent lots of time at home. There was kids playing inside and out, naps (O and I both days), afternoon screen-time, and I did lots of tidying up, laundry, dishes, sweeping, and grocery shopping. Oh and planning in my Erin Condren OF COURSE. After the re-set for the week, I also managed to visit a friend solo for a wine once Al was back from work on Sunday (this was REALLY needed cos I’d had the kids solo most of the weekend). Happy days. That’s what I’d so desperately needed.

Meet Queen Mallabee, she spent quite a while with us on Sunday.

O spent quite a while playing with the barbies

A clean and tidy kitchen. Aaah, that’s better.

Update 2: My parents will be moving to live near us from August! I briefly mentioned this happy news last post but want to explain a bit more. I grew up in Melbourne, where my parents and brothers and their families have always lived. I met Al there, but he’s from Sydney (and before that, South Africa). I’d always struggled with the Melbourne weather, which has long, cool, grey winters and very changeable weather at other times. This really effected by mood (a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder, perhaps?), and also I felt ready to try living somewhere new.

We decided to make a move from Melbourne 8 years ago, and after living in Canberra first, and then Sydney, we ended up 2 years ago in our current location in South East Queensland and fell in love with it. In the meantime though we’ve had two kids, and we’ve never had family live close by to help look after them (or look after us!). (We do have very generous family who will always travel to stay with us and help us out for big things if we need, but the day to day stuff we do on our own). So when my mum and dad first started to consider moving to our part of Australia some time ago, I loved the idea. Al and I really enjoy spending time with my parents, I had missed seeing them regularly, especially as they and I get older this becomes more important to me, and of course we would LOVE the kids to see their grandparents on a very regular basis. I never had this as a child, and I loved the idea of my kids having what I didn’t.

Grandparents and grandkids during their recent visit 🥰

However, this was a BIG decision for my parents to make. They had been in Melbourne all their adult life, all the rest of the family and friends were there, and they loved lots of things about Melbourne. But they also struggled with the weather as they got older, and liked the idea of moving to a beautiful, warm, place and living close to us. Also other family and friends had either recently lived abroad, or discussed moving down the track, so it wasn’t certain that if they remained in Melbourne every one would stay there. Anyway, they finally put their Melbourne property on the market, with the decision that if it sold for a good price, they would buy a house up here. And, after a nervous few weeks… it sold! For a great price! So the hunt was on for a property. And last week, they put an offer in on a house 10 minutes from us, and IT WAS ACCEPTED! So, from early August, they will be living close by and it makes me SO happy. Weeknight dinners, weekend hangs, lunchtime work coffees with mum, it’s all possible. Happy days. I’m still pinching myself that this is happening, but it really is.

Update 3: I have a “shouldless” few hours on Friday. It was supposed to be a full day but I have a work related meeting 10-11 on Friday now that I wasn’t able to move. However, I have a massage booked for 11.30, then i plan to have lunch, probably a walk and/or spend time reading, and after I pick up E from school, hope to do something fun with her (since I don’t have to work). So it should be nice, even if it isn’t a full day.