Real Aussie Mum – August
My Real Aussie Mum for August is the down-to-earth Kate, from Picklebums! She is a very creative lady, and mum to twin girls and a gorgeous little boy. Kate and her hubby are raising their brood on the Pickle Farm in “almost rural” Victoria. Her blog is always a great read, so pop over and say hi! Here she shares her five faves, and her hardest struggle as a Mum. (Thanks to the reader who requested I add Q6 to the Real Aussie Mums feature – you know who you are!)
1. Favourite outing with your kids - We love going to the various Victorian Zoos – Melbourne Zoo, Healesville and Werribee Open Range Zoo. We have a zoo pass which makes even a couple of hours at the zoo very economical and it’s the perfect outing for kids of all ages, and adults too! Best of all though, we like spending time out with friends – no matter where we go!
2. Favourite at-home activity with your kids – My kids LOVE to do anything arty and crafty. Drawing, painting, collage, more drawing. Even our two year old loves to get into the paint and crayons.
3. Favourite family meal – The girls are arguing over which is better – a vegetarian version of Planning With Kids Mexi-bake or Porcupine Meatballs. Now our home made Naan Bread has entered the debate, as well as roast lamb and chicken noodle soup… Can you tell my kids love to eat?
4. Favourite bedtime stories – The big girls love to read the Sneezle books we have been given – A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale, The Winter Child and The Faeries of Spring Cottage by Wendy Froud and Terri Windling. These engaging stories are a little longer than your average picture book, so we read a few pages a night, just right for those who are very, very fond of reading and faeries, like our girls. The pictures are just amazing. We’ve read them over and over, and even I am not bored of them yet. The small boy loves any book with animals and all Dr Seuss books. His current favourite is the Foot Book!
5. Favourite way to wind down! – I confess… I’m a tad computer obsessed, so I’ll happily vege out clicking through blogs or tweeting away. I also quite enjoy having a nice uninterrupted adult chat, accompanied by some yummy food, but that only happens once in a blue moon. Failing that, I’ll take a long, hot, bath any time!
6. Finally, what’s your biggest struggle as a mum…? – Can I just answer everything? Oh…You want me to pick just one thing? I could write a book on this subject and still not be done! I struggle with finding my way and not sweating the small stuff. Sometimes I think I know exactly how I want to parent, other times I feel so completely and utterly lost and out of my depth. Sometimes I feel like I am totally kicking goals with this mothering gig, other times I feel like I am completely letting the team down. Oh and I worry way way WAY too much.
Nice to meet you kate, I love the family photo, so natural.
Thanks so much for asking me to be a ‘Real Aussie Mum’!
It’s nice to meet the mum behind the blog with the funny name : ) I love the photo too! I was inspired to write a perfectly imperfect blog piece yesterday after reading your blog but was kinda on the tail end of the challenge week.
Great to see more of Kate here. I am with you in the over-worrying department Kate. And I too love the family photo!
Lovely interview. I sweat the small stuff too. Actually I think the whole answer to question 6 could have been for me too! Nice to know that others worry too!