just because its thursday..

Busy busy busy is our household at the moment.. but then again who's household isn't when there are kids around right? right! Well our household has taken on a bit of a change in perspective.. we have made a conscious decision to get out more.. to do more and really love life..

I received this little email a couple days after we made that decision and it really fit..

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect.. 'in case someone came over'. Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun! NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Dust if you must... but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake   and  lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but  there's not much time.. with chocolate to eat, rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must… but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a  flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must… but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind.. And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

I've gathered information about local activities for kids, and where possible 'free' activities and week by week we are checking them out to see which ones we like the best.

We make a weekly trip to the library so the kids can pick out the books they want and I get to get a few for myself too..

We go to get-together's we may have missed otherwise..

We play outside when its cold.. when the grass is wet and when the length of grass resembles a paddock..

We run around the house laughing, yelling and screaming.. only rule is that we run in the same direction..

We are making play dates with friends we haven't seen for ages...

We have one junk food evening and one other treat day during the week and then its all about bananas.. you want a treat.. here's a banana..

If things need to be done.. we do them with the kids instead of waiting till they go to bed..

And nicest of all.. they are so tired by the end of the day that they are in bed asleep at a reasonable hour and me and the big one get some time together as adults...

My kids are great.. and I mean really really fantastic!! And its so so wonderful to see how they enjoy different experiences and interact with different people in different situations...

Love you my little pumpkins!!