Show us your Mess!

I have 4 of them (lucky me).

One Miss Messy child.

Two dogs.

And a man.

One thing I have learnt since being a mum, is that there always seems to be a lot of mess!

Some people have messy closets or maybe messy drawers.

Some have messy cars, or

messy children or the worst of all... messy husbands.

I don't really cope with mess very well and I seem to spend most of my days at home with my little one shadowing her and picking up all the things that she likes to 'unpack'. I really can't wait until she learns how to pack up things.

In saying all of that, I feel that I have coped quite well with the mess that is made during meal times. Not sure whether it is the fact that there is something about seeing the look of joy on her face when she makes a mess or the comforting fact that I know there are two furry friends who are right there to clean up any of the missiles of food that go flying from the high chair in an instant!

Example below is Miss A having icecream on her first birthday. No need for a spoon when you are one year old! The look of shock on her her face is the realisation that there is no Winston or Max at the restaurant to clean up her mess! Lucky for us, the restaurant was very good about the mess that was made.

So now that I have been honest about the mess that goes on at our house, it's time for everyone else to come clean and spill your mess.

Feature your mess in your blog and be sure to tag Paw Pads and Twinkle Toes as we would love to know that we aren't alone in our messy little world!

In the dog house!

So I am sure you have heard of the phrase 'in the dog house.' More commonly associated with the male species being in 'it', but have you ever thought about what it would be like to sleep in the dog house?

I suppose most wouldn't mind if the 'dog house' meant one of these pads....

Even better if it came with a pool....

I think the rapper Xzibit would be pretty impressed with these 'pimped up dog houses'.

My random thoughts led me to ponder this question when thinking about my fur babies and their sleeping quarters.

My paw padded friends dont actually have a 'dog house' that I can 'pimp up,' as they seem to be under the impression that our king sized bed is for thetaking.

In fact, it seems to be in our house that there is a race to see who can get to bed first to secure the best spot. As I write this,

Winston has already secured prime spot on top of all the pillows.

Must love comfort!

So I am interested to know....

Where do your fur babies sleep?

Check it out!

How good does this blogging space look! 

That is not a question. More of a statement. 

I was so lucky to be approached by the gorgeous Sarah and can't thank her enough for the gorgeous job that she did. I love everything about it and she definitely has a talent for this sort of thing. 

I have been a bit quiet in blogging land of late but will have a few interesting things coming up soon.

First apple

Not pureed.




Not crushed.




Not sliced.




Just an apple.

And she loved it!

Tiny imprints of three little teeth marked the juicy flesh like the claws of a rake through sand.

If only I could have kept it. Although something tells me that wouldn't be a good one for the memory box!

Instead this memory will be kept in a photograph.

Toys...

She loves playing with them.

There is something magical about seeing your child explore how something works and what they can do with it.

Banging toys against other objects creating "music" seems to have been all the rage at the moment.

However there are times when she grasps a toy in those tiny little hands, studies it with those big blue eyes, gives it the quick 'taste test' to make sure its all okay, before amazingly using the toy for its intended purpose.

My clever little girl. Yesterday we explored play dough. The non-toxic variety in case of consumption, which I might add is highly likely to be consumed with any 13mth old child. The way she manipulated it in her hands. exploring the texture...just gorgeous.
Memories of toys that I played with in the past come flooding back when I watch her play.

Wouldn't it be great if as adults, we could take some time out just to play? How good would that be for the mind, body & spirit? I guess as a mum, I am fortunate enough that I can use my daughter as an excuse as to why I am playing with toys.

Lego was a big favourite of mine. I still can not believe that there is a place in the States called 'LegoLand'! It would be great to sit down and build something with lego right now.
Would love you to comment on this blog telling me what your favourite toy was growing up.

Maybe it was one of the images above? Maybe something different?

J. Robert Oppenheimer was quoted so well in Pearls of Wisdom,

There are children playing in the street who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have modes of sensory perceptions that I lost long ago.

So keep playing. You never know when you may be called upon to solve a tricky physics problem :)

This Photo...

makes me smile.

Cuddles!

Aren't they just the best!
OKAY...
WARNING!!!!! MUMMY MOMENT AHEAD...

I remember the first time I cuddled my newborn baby... breathing in that intoxicating scent of her skin, the scent that sent shock waves of love right through my mind, body and soul...

I knew I was in love.
Just like the Huggies commercial had told me in all those months of pregnancy;
"Must be love...love...love..."
This was my Huggies cuddle momentDuring those precious moments when Ashlyn would just snuggle in, falling asleep in my arms; I imagined all the amazing times ahead for our family.
I can remember telling my partner that I just simply could not wait until my precious little girl would walk up to me with arms wide open and give me a big cuddle with arms wide open.

Well today I said to my little one,
"Mummy wants a cuddle".
I opened up my arms. She looked up with those amazing blue eyes, smiled and came toddling up to me with arms wide open. With that, she wrapped those little arms around me as far they would go.
Two words to describe that feeling...."PURE HEAVEN!"My heart crumbled into a million pieces. I think the only thing that could possibly top that will be the day that she utters 4 magical little words...
"I love you mummy"

Good times. Good times.

We spent some time outside today.

On a blanket in the backyard, we took our favourite toy Shaun the Sheep along with some other random things to amuse us and we were set for some fun in the sun.

We are absolutely loving these Autumn days where the sun is just enough to warm your skin and the air is fresh.

The dogs were never too far away.

Winston had quickly stolen a ball from Ashlyn's ball pit on the back verandah and was out running a muck. Max chose to soak up some of the suns rays whilst having a snooze. Ashlyn started exploring her basket of goodies and I got snap happy!Enjoying a French baguette!

"Mmmm...You smell like sunshine!"

Several studies have shown that regular, unstructured playtime in nature makes kids smarter, calmer, more self-disciplined, more cooperative, and happier. As a child, I loved going outdoors. Sometimes it would be to play with my sisters on the trampoline, explore the reserve that backed onto our property, practice throwing netball passes, ride our bikes on the driveway and footpath or my number one favourite; to play with our dog Laddie. Miss you mate.

I want to make sure my daughter experiences that as well. I want to cuddle her on the lounge at the end of the day and inhale her beautiful scent and whisper to her "Mmmm, you smell like sunshine."

This afternoon Ashlyn, Winston, Max & I headed off to the park for some much needed sunshine. At the mere mention of the word 'walkies', the residents of our home were in a state of uncontrollable excitement to be heading out the door. Leads, drinks, baby bag, pram, camera and if Winston had a baby bag, his most important must have item to be packed would be a ball, so that was also included.

On arrival at the park, there was a race to see whose feet could touch the ground first.

The grass is just amazing at this time of year. Soccer season is just about to start so the grass is in pristine condition. It is a lush shade of green that is soft underfoot and I am sure the boys loved it under their paw pads.

There were many good times to be had.
Grass to run like the wind on...
New play equipment to explore...
Slippery Dips to slide on...
And at the end of the day, someone needed a ride home. It's a tough life!

For the love of mopping

I did something yesterday that I never thought I would love doing. Mopping floors...
In case you were worried, no I did not use my white fluffy dogs to mop my floors. However I would be lying if I said that the thought of putting a long handle on my dogs and setting them to work had not crossed my mind. Can you see the similarities?
With 8 little pawpads and a set of twinkle toes toddling around on the floors, it is a job that needs to be done more regularly. Now I am almost certain that the images of an unhappy looking housewife wearing gloves and a scarf on her head, slaving over a bucket are going through your head and you are possibly thinking, "How can a person in their right mind actually 'enjoy' mopping?" True, true. While I may not look as happy when mopping as the lovely lady below....
I certainly am enjoying it more now that my gorgeous mum gave me her Kenwood Steam Mop after she upgraded to a new one. No more buckets and dodgy mops that seem to just spread the dirt around on the floor. I am sure my partner thinks I am going insane when I get excited over the latest steam mop infomercials on TV (and don't think that I haven't noticed when he tries to change the channel before I see these wonderful inventions), but it truly makes mopping easy. So don't knock it until you try it!



I can say with pride and a wink in my eye that I am a self confessed steam mop addict!

Now to see how long my nice clean floors last before three little friends wake up from their sleep!

The unexpected psychological benefits of having a dog

I was reading an article the other day about just how beneficial it is for children to grow up with pets.

They can:
- enhance social skills
- teach children to be more co operative
- teach sharing skills
- promote a child's role playing skills
- help children to understand feelings
- be a buffer against loneliness

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/11/us/health-children-and-their-pets-unexpected-psychological-benefits.html?pagewanted=1
I have attached the above link if anyone wants to read further into this article.

Melting Moments

Ever wondered how magical it could be to have your child grow up with a dog?

Have a look at these melting moments that I have found for you.
I am sure they will make you smile...

Are you smiling yet...

One of my favourites...

And saving the best until last...

My three babies
Max, Ashlyn & Winston xo

Magical Moments from the past

It is hard to start a blog about Ashlyn, Winston & Max when so many magical moments have already occured.

Like when Max first came home, only to get very sick with Parvo Virus. I honestly believe if he hadn't come into our home filled with love,met his big brother Winston and his new human mummy & daddy, then maybe he sadly wouldn't have been with us today.

Lucky for us he is a real fighter and made it through those tough early days.

When I was 9 months pregnant with Ashlyn and 10 days overdue, Winston cuddled up to my huge baby bump and showed me a love for his new little sister and a protective instinct that words can not describe.
He knew that she was soon to be here... maybe even before we did...

When bringing Ashlyn home, Angus & I had no fear about how Winston & Max would interact and accept her into our family.

We had made 'pack life' pretty cruisy for our two fur babies but there has always been a definite heirarchy and no discrepencies over the order of our pack. Angus made sure that as leader, the dogs knew that Ashlyn was above them.

Ashlyn bought new meaning to the dogs life. At first glance there were inquisitive eyes from all parties and then some accepting licks placed on Ashlyn's feet. It was then that our pack became five.

Ashlyn became of great importance to Winston & Max. They would watch over her like she was a puppy of their own and would soon learn that she would become a fantastic food source!

On the day that this photo was taken in December 2009, Winston, Ashlyn & Max were
discovering and taking joy in the most simple thing....

A blade of grass...just magic!

To describe each and every moment of interaction between these three beautiful friends and their lives so far would be far more difficult than you could possibly imagine.

I hope over time I can add in lots of details about their lives, how they happen to come into our lives and the journeys and adventures that each one has been on so far.

In the mean time, I am hoping pictures will speak volumes...