The Big Blue Frog Song

And while I'm in the mood for finding out the lyrics of the obscure songs my parents used to sing, heres the full version of one my Mum used to sing! (the bits in bold are the bits Mum sang.)

"I'm in love with a big blue frog,
A big blue frog loves me.
Its not as bad as it appears
He wears glasses and he's six foot three.

Well I'm not worried about our kids,
I know they'll turn out neat.
They'll be great lookin' cause they'll have my face,
Great swimmers cause they'll have his feet!

Well I'm in love with a big blue frog,
A big blue frog loves me.
He's not as bad as he appears,
He's got rhythm and a PhD.

Well I know we can make things work
He's got good family sense.
His mother was a frog from Philadelphia
His daddy an enchanted prince.

The neighbors are against it and its clear to me
And its probably clear to you
They think value on their property will go right down
If the family next door is blue.

Well I'm in love with a big blue frog
A big blue frog loves me
I've got it tattooed on my chest
It says p.h.r.o.g. (its frog to me!)"
P.h.r.o.g.

Now I can sing it right to my girls! LOL!

I Love Little Baby Ducks

My Dad used to sing me a song when I was little (that he now sings to my girls) and it went like this...

"I love little baby ducks, pick up trucks...

And I love you too!"

I always assumed there was more to the song, and finally bothered to look on Google and discover the rest of the lyrics...

I still like Dad's version best!

What A Friend

This hymn, has so often been a great source of encouragement and challenge to me,

What a Friend we have in Jesus

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised 

Thou wilt all our burdens bear

May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer

Rapture, praise and endless worship,

will be our sweet portion there."

Jo­seph M. Scriv­en

Pride Comes Before a Fall

A few weeks ago I was cocky, downright smug... I had seen some things and was feeling pretty good about myself and about my relationship, kids and life. I even remember thinking 'pride comes before a fall'... but I took no heed. I found myself somewhere, they would never have gone, few people would have been so stupid...

And soon enough I find myself being humbled... It really hurts you know. To see yourself as you are, so see your own fault and failings ... to have the finger pointed at you and after my anger fades to be able to whisper ... oh it's true! How pathetic, how vile, and to look into loving eyes hurt and the importance of my own rights and hurts fade...


To see that they (the hurts) are not as important as they felt, that I am not so important at I have any right to make him feel like that. I thought I was the victim, and then I saw I was the perpetrator...

And then this is real love that comes and holds me anyway, and exhausted we despair, that we didn't look to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, that we didn't look to him.

In the words of the old hymn...

"O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

It was a terrible night, one of our worst, but yet somehow today has yet been sweet, theres healing still to happen and wounds that would have been better to have never been made, but I am so thankful for the power of forgiveness and the fact that we both could so quickly enter into that!

And the good thing about trouble, is that what you have suffered for, you don't easily let go of. I trust that this experience, while we would never have chosen it, will bind us closer together, strengthening our bond. (but it's a fine line and you don't want to dance too close to that edge!)

Preparing for Christmas

I have been thinking lately that, while it really irritates me to see all the Christmas stuff in the shops already... it might be a good idea to follow through with the plans I make every year and start thinking about what I can do now to prepare for Christmas. To make it a beautiful and memorable time together with family, reflecting on Christ's birth, instead of a time when we are all a bit stressed and flustered and irritable with one another... collapsing on boxing Day glad that it's all over.

These thoughts also tie in with reading this blog about raising contented kids, (esp the bit about contentment starting with us) and my own thoughts about contentment and the new creative streak of late. I'd like to hand make as many gifts as I can, as well as preparing people(family members) for and sounding out how they feel about getting and giving gifts like those from TEAR, SIM and Baptist World Aid. My idea is to spend half on a gift for the person they can unwrap and half on one of these. We did this last year with Dave's Mum's side and I think it worked, I hope people will be happy with that... (best of both worlds)

It will also include a return to fly lady for her tips and ideas for getting ready for Christmas and making a plan of what I'm going to make when and how and for whom, as well as the list of those I need to buy things for. I'll also encourage my fam to start writing wish lists via last years blog, which always makes things easier (when you have a direction)

At the end of the day I want my kids to reflect back on Christmas and feel warm and fuzzy, to remember the special dessert of drink they loved, the family traditions and rituals and the love felt between us! I want them to enjoy giving to others and that to be a great focus to them and for them to be happy and thankful for what the receive! I want them to really know that Christmas is about Christ's birth and why that is important. More than anything I want that to be real and meaningful to them!

I think that being involved with things like the Christmas Child shoe boxes, getting them to make things for others and thinking about the traditions we would like to do, putting as much time and effort and emphasis on that as gift stuff (if not more)

When I think about that is it really surprising that kids focus on the presents part of Christmas, if that is what they see us putting effort into, running around and stressing about? Do you have any more ideas for helping prepare of a helpful focus on Christmas and what its really about!

My Beautiful Tummy!

Comments by Sara (aged almost 4) on my tummy:

"Mummy your tummy is soooooooo pretty! It has pink and purple on it!"
"Do you think I will get a tummy like that when I'm a mummy?"
"Pink and purple are my favourite colours!"

My tummy when Sara was still in residence

Wordless Wednesday

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Creativity and Inspiration

Well I just recently participated in the Great Down Under Nappy Hunt, it was a lot of fun and I got to see lots of fantastic businesses run by Mums like me, just making cool things to sell. It really seemed like fun! Couple that with spending time with the Cath from Ginger Crush I felt inspired! I have long toyed with the idea of making hair clips and other things that seemed within my realm of ability and suddenly I feel like before I have even done much research at all I'm on the road towards being one of those creative Mums! I'm excited, I feel like spending, I'm lying awake thinking of ideas ....

But the niggle at the back of my mind it that I'm not great at follow through. (I can't count the number of great ideas that never happened or took a very long time) I know I should just start by making them, then if they turn out any good, give some as gifts and then if the response is good THEN start thinking bigger.... but I'm already planning a store and all the things I can make in my *spare time* (LOL)

Oh and we want to have another child soon, so... yeah I'm highlighting here how unrealistic I am in hope that my brain will slow down a bit, but it's not it's just getting excited!

I have ordered some supplies and plan to go to spotlight or Lincraft this week to get more, I really can't wait!! I think it would be cool to have a name in mind now, so when I give a gift etc I can sort of have a label in prep for IF things ever get more serious.

I can't really read Dave's reaction to this, which in part I am grateful for, he is being supportive and not saying much, I imagine he has his reservations...

So any ideas re the name? I want something cute and happy and fun but not just tied down to hair clips.

All I have so far is "Sweet Ingridients" or "Saraliese designs" but neither hit the spot with me...
I also thought of "Cute as a Button" but a quick google showed that it's already taken.

Also let me know if your interested seeing what I make (I'm sure I'll post pics here when I have
made some things)