(Vanessa wears Camden handbag in black croc - a stylish yet versatile and hard working piece to help with those busy days juggling work, life and motherhood.)
Best part about being a mother: That I get to be one. It's not all roses and it's not as bad as people like to make out. I like to remind myself that not everyone gets to do this job and for all the frustrating moments and all the magic - I am blessed.
Favourite parenting advice you received: To remember that every thing is just a phase. The good and the bad bits. If it's tough, it will get better. If it's great, it won't last long. Knowing that helped me to cherish the good parts and not dwell on the hard parts when my kids were little.
What you didn't see coming: Just how much I could adore these tiny humans. Also on the flip side, just how frustrated they'd make me feel at times. And the roar I never knew I possessed as a result of that frustration.
Getting that balance between your work and motherhood: I don't know if anyone ever gets it right. You just have to do what works for you and yours and for me, that changes week to week. Some days I put work to the side and be fully present. Other weeks I let them watch more iPad than I'm truly comfortable with just to meet deadlines. Swings and roundabouts. "Phases" shall we say?
Values you want to instill in your children: Being kind and confident are the two qualities I want most for my children to learn. Kindness gets you everywhere in life and confidence the same. I want them to be able to stand proudly in a room of people and know who they are and why they're special. And I want them to be in that room with people who might not feel that way, but to know that my children could be empathetic, caring and accepting despite those differences.
The boy / girl thing?: I love it all and I feel so grateful I got to be Mama to both. I find the girl thing much more emotional, and possibly more confronting to parent because we are so alike (stubborn!), but she is soft and beautiful and adorable and I look forward to all the special things we will share as she grows. And the boys, well they're rough and tumble and farts and bum talk, and I'm definitely not looking forward to when they become sweaty stinky teens, but right now they're my little boyfriends and they love their Mama, so I'm going to lap that up for as long as I can.
Weekend ritual: We love to have a slow Sunday morning breakfast. Waffles or Pancakes followed by a walk or bike round around our local waterfront before getting stuck into jobs around the house. We love entertaining and spending the latter part of the day with family and friends over for a BBQ and roasting marshmallows on the deck with a little guitar and singalong action to finish it all off.
Mother's day wish list: Every year I say I'd love them to just not fight on Mother's Day. But eight years deep I know that's a pipe dream. This year I'm going to ask for breakfast in bed and diamond earrings. I know I'll get one of my requests.
