When life goes topsy turvy it's time to focus

Last week did not go according to plan. At. All.

But it taught me a good lesson - the kind you feel you know already but need reminding about from time to time. In fact it taught me more than one.

Lesson: Health is everything
On Monday Bear's asthma kicked in and boy, oh boy did it hit him hard and fast. A trip to the Doctor's confirmed what I suspected and then we were off to Emergency. Then transported from our lovely local hospital to Sunshine so he could be observed by a paeds specialist. By then it was obvious we were in for an overnight stay. Equally obvious - the week we thought we were going to have wasn't going to happen.

Lesson: Good friends are valuable treasures
Bear threw up in the car on the way to Emergency. Beanie was freaking out. A couple of calls and one of my gorgeous friends met me at the hospital to take Beanie off my hands. "Let's see the dogs" was all it took to calm him down. Bless you Amber, you are a gem!

And yet another gem, delivered food - dinner to my door, handmade, super delish dinner. There is nothing better when you or the kids have been poorly than a meal made with love arriving on the doorstep with nothing more for you to do than heat it up. Thanks Jenxx

People texted, rang and facebooked to check in on Bear and it made me realise that despite having no family here in Melbourne REG and I are rich in the network of friends we have built around us in the past three years. And oh so grateful too.

Lesson: Sometimes "I'll just work through it" is not a good plan
REG and I tagged teamed work versus nurse duties for the remainder of the week. He cancelled a trip, I cancelled meetings. But by Friday it was clear the "do a bit here, do a bit there" approach was no longer working. I felt stretched very thin, and REG was fighting off some lurgy too. Sometimes you just need to focus on one thing. So on Friday I did. Just me and the Bear.

When it all goes pear shaped it's important to just focus on the essential thing, on the thing right in front of you. Not the myriad of things that are on the to do list, or the wish list, or what other people expect you to do.

Lesson: We really are incredibly lucky
A night in the Children's Ward is enough to make you realise how incredibly lucky you are. How lucky that your kid while ill is not in serious danger. How lucky that you can afford health insurance. How lucky that Australia has universal access to healthcare. How lucky we are to have such high quality professionals in our health care system. How lucky we are to have flexible jobs where we are able to chop and change to suit the needs of our family. How lucky we are to have the aforementioned friends. It was a crappy week for sure but our fortunes outweighed the misfortunes when all was said and done.

Lesson: No matter how old your children get they'll always be your "baby"
At about 10pm at night as I was trying to encourage Bear to sleep despite all the noise and interruptions in the children's ward this gorgeous little man who'd spent most of the day struggling to breathe squeezed my hand and with those earnest blue eyes of his staring at me intently said: "Thanks Mum for being with me, I'm not nervous because you are here." He's my big boy but at that moment all I could see was my baby.

From this...

...to this

What will life look like in 12 months time?

No I am not wishing 2013 away already but hey it is February after all.

But like most people I spent much of January reflecting on what I'd like to achieve this year. I've always liked the fresh sheet of paper that comes with the New Year, that first clean page of a new diary or journal. The promise of the possible, and maybe even the impossible.

I'm really good at writing resolutions. I just really suck at keeping them. I'm better with goals but they tend to be the same things year in year out. You know the usual chestnuts: lose weight, exercise more, read more, spend more quality time with REG, be more eco-conscious...

In 2011 I was inspired by Gretchen Reuthling's Happiness Project which I had finished reading over the holidays and was convinced I was going to tackle my own project - I even had my areas written down and everything. And. It. Just. Never. Happened.

So this year I decided I needed a different plan of attack. Setting goals and meeting them has probably never been more important. I am on the cusp of having the job I dreamed of when I moved back to Australia in 2009 - in fact I am 80% there really. So I really need to deliver.

Bear is starting Grade 1 and we know so much more now about how we need to support him through the ups and downs of school after our tumultuous year of prep. Beanie is trying our patience and stretching our love in equal measure as nearly three year olds are won't to do.

Yes I want to get fitter, eat better, sew more, procrastinate less. But mostly I want to do. I want to get stuff done, I want to look back in 12 months and think, wow look at all that great stuff I did.

So what will life look like in twelve months? Hmm, watch this space...

The making of 2012

The end of 2012 came and went in such a flurry here I am on the second day of a new year only just taking time to reflect on what has been.

It was a year of change for our little family. Bear started school, which was exciting and challenging. Beanie took on an extra day of daycare and flourished, as I took on an extra day of work and floundered before finding my feet. We moved house and got a new car. REG got a new, old boss - ironically a former boss from London is now leading his organisation.

For a while there with so much else going on the crafting, making and sewing took a back seat. It came back with a vengeance in the latter part of the year as I signed up for my first ever craft market selling hand made goodies at a Christmas mini-market at Bear's school - an experience that was terrifying and rewarding in equal measure. Mostly it taught me that if I set a deadline and have a clear goal I can make the time to achieve whatever I set my mind to.

A sewing machine cover for my dear friend T

Gap trousers refashioned to a now favourite skirt

Red Riding Hood cape from Oliver & S's Little things to sew

Knight tunics for Bear's Knights & Dragons Party

Portfolio Tunic made from thrifted navy wool

A less than successful attempt at a self drafted skirt from Sew What Skirts

Still waiting to be sent - a vintage tea towel cushion cover for my Norway-based in-laws

Cupcake dresses for a friends 3yo

My first ever market stall

An overlocker cover - my crafty Kris Kringle for a lovely friend

A dragonfly costume for Bear's Bug Parade

A Santa Sack for a little man's first Christmas

And that pretty much sums up the making of 2012 - see what I did there ;) Already the 2013 craft list looks long. The cut projects box looks fairly full. And these fingers are itching to get started. What were your crafty highlights of 2012? Do you keep a photo record of your favourite makes?