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The idea of moving to the Mount first came about about a year and a half ago.
I'll admit, when the topic of conversation first got brought up, tears would roll down my face. It scared the living daylights out of me. We were leading very social lives in Auckland, always out and about.
All my best friends who have been in my life since I started high school where there, and my family.
I've been asked to be a monthly columnist in the Bay of Plenty Times Indulge magazine and in my first I introduce myself, so here we go...meet, well, me!
Two very adventurous boys have led to many mishaps in the health and safety department. Let’s see…a fractured skull, broken nose and gash to the forehead have been the worst. But it’s not always massive injuries like that that keep this mum busy and the pharmacy in business. The number of cuts, scratches, scrapes and bruises this little family has had in our 4 years is incredible.
I’ve been sitting on this blog for weeks. Waiting for the “perfect” topic, searching for the “best” books or articles for inspiration, hoping something “clever” delivers.
**Cue tumbleweed**
Through the frustration, procrastination and judgment, there’s been no action. In search of perfection (which we all know doesn’t actually exist) I haven’t any sooner been able to simply share my simple story about one of the most GAME CHANGING experiences of my life.
Recently I have found myself holding onto the boys in a hug that little bit longer, smelling their hair and holding their hand as I sit next to them. I'm basically holding onto them more than I used to and I think it's because mentally I'm trying to hold onto their tiny selves as they are almost 4 and really turning into BIG boys. My babies, in short, are most definitely not babies and not toddlers anymore and it breaks my heart. Why? Because I spent the first year and a little bit of time after that wishing away the time. We went through so many rough patches with the boys in terms of their health (non stop crying with reflux and collic), my mental health and then just the general relentless tiredness that comes from looking after two rambunctious babies/toddlers that are the same age and collude to get into mischief. It was hard and I remember hearing all the older twin mums saying it got easier and I literally couldn't wait....
I have been making this Chicken Marbella for over 10 years and it is still one of my favourites and a crowd pleaser. It's so easy to make, which means it's perfect for when you have a lot of people to feed but still has that wow factor. I know some of these flavours sound like a weird mix but it gives the perfect sweet and sour flavour. A few people said they hated olives, if that's the case then they can be left out and it won't ruin the dish. I find this best served over cous cous with the extra juices spooned over the top.
If you have kids then you know that it feels like you blink and they seem to magically grow up, I can't believe they are three and a half!? Where did that time go? That's why it has been so important for us as a family to freeze time by having professional photos of us and the boys.
Almost three and half years into this parenting gig and I’m still learning things every day. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to not get caught up in what you “think motherhood should be like”. Those daydreams set me up to fail, hard. It’s the nitty gritty and often taboo topics around motherhood that people shy away from talking about, which is exactly what I did at the beginning of my motherhood journey. Looking back I wish I had the guts to talk to people about what was really going on, so here is a letter to myself full of truths that I would have loved to hear if I magically could turn back the clock.
As a population, we are generally all stuck in this awful habit of putting people into a box to make sense of their decisions.
But our bias of what we think fits in that box or what we deem "normal" depending on gender isn't something we should force upon others.
One of my sons is into all things pink, unicorns, rainbows and mermaids.