Happy mardi gras

The other day I was feeling nostalgic, as I'm want to do at this time of the year, so I pulled out my huge bag of mardi gras beads from under the bed.

This is what happened.








Happy mardi gras everyone!
And to my New Orleans loved ones? I miss you. Have a daiquiri for me ok?

Everyday...

He seems to grow an inch, or change just a wee bit.





No longer my little baby, but a little boy.
♥

Eclair - 6 months

Beautiful girl

My best friend in the whole world's little girl. She takes my breath away.
It was such an awesome experience meeting her for the first time.

New Friends

I hope they grow up to be as close as their mamas. ♥

Eclair, 5.5 months

Heidi

Long crazy day, but just had to share this picture - Heidi - one of my beautiful nieces.

More tomorrow. But now, tv on couch with man and sleep!

One day

six fifteen am
Waking up to Evie. She slept in today to just before 6. This is awesome.


six thirty nine am
After the shower, out the window.


Seven fifteen am
Time to get ZJ up.


seven forty eight am
I love this view as I come down the road into St Heliers. 


eight thirty eight am
Cris, being... Cris.


eleven twenty six am
Processing requests, for the third hour of the day.


one oh seven pm
Stopping by to say hello to some of the protestors down the road. I'm in the 'don't really care' camp about them knocking the houses down and i think whats being built is going to be kind of beautiful BUT, i get where they are coming from and alot of them a regular library patrons (and a couple of ex workers!).



one fifteen pm
Lunch.


three forty eight pm
Learning Maori in my breaks.


five oh four pm
Work done for the day and the court has ruled the houses won't be saved. Demo crew moves in.


six oh four pm
Home to a toddler tantrum.


eight oh one pm
Dishes, cleaning up the house after the Toddler hurricane has gone through. 


eight thirty four pm
Me.

Bed Hair

At the park

Zander was in one of his screamy monster moods, so I took him for one on one time at the park. We played 'lets try and do self potraits while balancing the camera on some dirt' and then had a go on the seesaw and slide. He crawled through a tunnel and attempted to climb up the jungle gym.

Sometimes I look at him and my heart almost explodes. I made him. How could I make something so beautiful, something so worth every bit of stress and happiness i can muster up?

What is that quote about when you have children you heart is permanently on the outside? Thats me these days.

Spotted through the rails

2010, a recap.

2010 has been a big one.
I celebrated the first birthday of my first child, saw him take his first steps and develop into a fabulous little boy with uber personality. I gave birth to my second child, a beautiful little girl who smiles at every chance she gets. I will always remember my first snuggles with her - the days i spent in hospital where she lived in my bed whenever a nurse wasn't looking and we would snooze and snuggle and wonder.

Theres been downs emotionally, loosing Simon's grandmother (who is ZJs namesake), his father and also my grandmother all in a matter of a month or two. 2010 saw the fifth anniversary of my nephew's (and ZJ's other namesake) death which was horrid and opened up emotions I had thought I had managed to tuck away. The bullying in hospital. Theres been lows financially too but I have no images to mark those and in 10 years time those nights I spent sobbing in the shower wondering how the hell am I going to continue feeding my family will all be a blur.

I would say I will remember 2010 as being hard, but also one of the best. I'm happier than I have ever been. I'm in love, I have beautiful children that amaze me every day and full my days with every emotion possible. I have fantastic friends who have my back completely and deserve a better friend than i make! I have my health (more or less, ha!) and we are going to be ok.