threelilprincesses.com

Category: Laugh out loud

  • FEATURE: Are we there yet?

    FEATURE: Are we there yet?

    Cuddles with Ella in our hotel room.

    THE O’Briens took a bit of a working holiday to Hobart on the weekend, complete with an introduction to the phrase “are we there yet?’’. This is how the weekend played out:

    Friday morning: Hit the road from Devonport to Hobart. Unfortunately, what used to take us 3.5 hours, now takes nearly a whole day. What with stops to milk the cow (me) and feed the masses (Ella and Holly …. oh, and The Bloke in The Shed). Five minutes in, Ella asks: “are we there yet?’’. My first real introduction to a phrase I will now hear for the next 18 years. Strangely, Bindi the Jungle Girl got louder and louder through the CD player as the trip progressed. Memo to self: Buy car DVD player with headphones for the kids.

    Friday afternoon: Booked into The Old Woolstore Apartments (our regular haunt) and spent the arvo watching Ella jump on her big bed. The temptation of a trampoline indoors is just too much for her. This time The Bloke in The Shed and I took the King bed and Princess Ella had to settle for the Queen.

    Trying to get a decent shot of Ella is challenging!

    As you can tell…

    Friday evening: Ate at Hogs Breath, mainly because it was right across the road from the hotel. Baby Holly ate half an avocado, all my carrots and a curly fry. Yet she still woke during the night for feeds. Sheesh.

    Saturday morning: We headed further south to the “bush’’ for lunch with Barb from Suenos De Alhambra – Life in the Huon Valley and her family. Visit her newly revived blog – it’s fab. After attacking the dress up box (a lady in heels through to a robot), Ella came away with this gorgeous hat to take home.

    The tiger hat and pumpkin hat.

    Saturday evening: If you were on Facebook and Twitter, you would have read my tweet/status. It said: “ The girls are sound asleep and hubby’s at a work-related dinner. It’s just me, the laptop and lots of peace and quiet! Bliss!’’ Need I say more.

    Sunday: We headed home to Devonport. It was one of the wildest trips we’ve had in a while. Rain and wind on the outside of the car and wind in it (Ella+tummy ache=pppeeeewwwww). Boy, was I grateful to finally be back home. And not just because of the weather, but also due to one small question: “are we there yet?’’.

    Sunday evening: One of Julian’s old work shirts died to make a pirate bandana. Ella might just smell like Cap’n Jack sparrow today as part of Pirate Week at child care. True character acting.

    Arr, me hearties!

    What did you get up to on the weekend?

  • FEATURE: I’m grateful for manners

    FEATURE: I’m grateful for manners

    Holly's toothy grin.

    This week I’m grateful for:

    • Manners. Three-year-old Ella has the most wonderful manners. After noticing my post baby belly the other day, she was quick to point out “you’ve got a fat tummy, Mum’’. Sarcastically, I repied: “Thanks, darling’’. Her response: “You’re welcome’’. Hmmm. Three year olds do not get sarcasm.
    • Having the opportunity to work with the wonderful Tina from www.tinagray.me on the Aussie Giveaway Linkup, which starts here on the blog Sunday. Make sure you link up your giveaways and/or enter to win some prizes. But please be aware, I’m feeling rather lucky!
    • Someone finally leaving our home. I sniffed out that our guest was making the girls miserable, so I told him, quite frankly, “our relationship blows’’ and he finally went running out the door. Be gone snotty noses.

    I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.

  • FEATURE: Do real men cry?

    FEATURE: Do real men cry?

    The Bloke in The Shed with Baby Holly

    I MARRIED a crier. Not just the high-pitched cry you hear accompanying your name because a spider is in the kitchen. That happens, yes.  And not just the victory cry when Collingwood make it into yet another grand final. That whimpering sound in the background is usually me. And not just the cry when he kicks his toe on Ella’s train set… again.

    He’s a full-on emotional, tears streaming down the face kinda crier. Usually, complete with sobbing.

    The topic was brought up the other night on Twitter. Tina from tinagray{dot}me tweeted she was watching Love Actually – one of my all-time fave movies. It prompted me to tweet how I’d coincidentally just mentioned the movie in Julian’s submission for Reservoir Dad’s Mentally Sexy Dad Competition. You see, Julian cried in Love Actually – all five times he watched it. Tina then tweeted how her hubs cried during The Notebook. But shhh, she didn’t tell us that, OK?

    Then Kym, from Mumma’s Mini Mes, added how the only time her hubby had cried was in their wedding and birth of their Mini Mes. “Tough country bloke’’, she said, followed by an “lol’’. I assured her he cries – just on the inside.

    Next, Lisa from Hey Hoe Warren dobbed in her Dad. “I’ll nominate my dad, Kellie… he cries watching TV commercials! Such a softy. Lol’’ Now, if it’s the Fred Hollows ad (you know, In 1993 Australia lost a friend, a husband, a father), then I can understand. If it’s the Oz Zoot Reviews ads, then he’s got a problem.

    Lastly, Kelley from Magneto Bold Too chimed in with: “My husband cries during Grey’s Anatomy. I WIN!’’ Yes, Kelley. Yes, you do. Our men don’t hold a candle to yours.

    It got me thinking about all the times The Bloke in The Shed has cried. I started a list, but the paper wasn’t long enough. So I thought I’d just mention a few highlights. He cried:

    • During the birth of the girls, Ella and Holly. There were also quite a lot of tears trying to get to the hospital on time with Ella.
    • Numerous movies – Love Actually, Juno and Shankshaw Redemption. Well, that last scene was a real tear jerker.
    • The video of Ella’s first year. I always know when he’s clicked on the link, because I start hearing slow breathing, followed by little snorts and then a grab for the tissues.
    • The blog post Love you to the moon and back. See above.

    But we wouldn’t have him any other way.

    What’s your hubby or partner like? Is he in touch with his emotional side or is he too man enough for that whimpy stuff?

  • FEATURE: I’m grateful for patience

    FEATURE: I’m grateful for patience

    Our new li'l crawler

    This week I’m grateful for:

    • Being an extremely patient person. Just listen to this conversation. Ella: “Can we go to that place again?’’ Me: “What place?’’ Ella: “You know.’’ Me: “No darling, I don’t.’’ Ella: “Well, either do I.’’ Who knows!
    • Having the luxury of staying home to watch Baby Holly as she begins to learn to crawl. OK, so it’s more like a backwards scoot, but she’s getting there.
    • The Bloke in The Shed regularly posting on this blog. It’s a way to find out what’s going on in that head of his, including Be careful what you ask for. Yes, he’s ratting on me again.

    I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.

  • Lessons for Blokes No. 1: Be careful what you ask

    NEVER, I repeat NEVER, ask your wife if she wants you to pick something up from the supermarket before you come home. Listen to the voice of experience.

    Yesterday I emailed Princess Kel asking if she wanted me to pick up some steak for tea before I came home. What followed was, well, you might as well read for yourself:

    “Yep, can do. While you’re there, can you get:

    * milk

    * pumpkin

    * wipes

    * nappies (if on special)

    * apples

    * Be Natural cereal

    * baby rice

    Don’t worry about eggs, we have a whole carton + couple in a second carton.’’

    Far out. Was I sorry for asking.

    I’d previously had the whole trip home planned in my mind. I’d figured, a quick trip into the supermarket, home in five minutes, cuddles with girls, crack a cold beer, help feed and bathe the girls and settle into the couch for some tellie.

    How wrong was I? Serves me right I guess.

    Joining in with FlogYoBlog Friday over at Where’s My Glow.
    FYBF

  • FEATURE: I’m grateful for first words (sort of)

    FEATURE: I’m grateful for first words (sort of)

    Baby Holly “talking'' to her Uncle Rick while on holiday in Melbourne last week.

    This week I’m grateful for:

    • Hearing Baby Holly say her first words, including “bubba’’ and… “dada’’. Hmmm… Not so grateful for that last bit. After all that hard work trying to get her to say “mum’’ and that’s how she repays me. Not to mention wiping bottoms, feeding tummies and singing lullabies. We’re now not on speaking terms. Which defeats the purpose of her learning to talk really.
    • My Twitter friends, who last night helped my new PR business Mum PR reach 120+ @MumPR followers in a matter of hours. That blows me away. Thank you to each and every one of you. Now to work on building upon my 14 Mum PR Facebook friends.
    • My first pair of big nanna knickers. I think it’s time to pack away the cute hipsters and invest in some full-support beige-coloured nanna undies. Or as my late Nan used to call them, her “footy shorts’’. Although, I really doubt any footballer has ever worn shorts that big. No offence, Nan.

    I’m joining with  Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for. Don’t forget to enter our giveaway of two nights in a one-bedroom Medina apartment (valued at $1000).