Taking Stock - end of Summer

My mornings have started far too early for my liking over the past week, with bubs deciding that 6am is much too late to start the day and therefore choosing to rise before 5.30am. Each morning, her waking cry has had me dragging myself out of bed, donning my fluffy white dressing gown and stumbling bleary eyed through the dark to her room. Being up this early I can't help but notice the curtain of darkness, the chilly air and the condensation covered lawns. It seems summer has drawn to a close and autumn has snuck up on us. 

With the weeks, months and now seasons speeding by, it seems like an excellent time to stop and do a little bit of reflecting. Taking Stock is an idea I came across in another mummy blog Teacher by trade - Mother by nature and as I quite like the idea, I've decided to adopt it. I have slightly modified the list and decided to do it on a seasonal basis (as opposed to monthly which a number of bloggers do). 

So here goes, the first edition of Taking Stock. 

Sewing: the first of my super cute elephants for the BubbyBudz range which will soon be available on Mubs 
Baking: a vast amount of delicious ginger kisses. Not for myself, but for Mainly Music, (although let's be honest, I made sure there were some left over for us!)
Reading: The White Shadow by Andrea Eames. I'm not sure it can qualify as reading as it seems to have taken forever to read this book, not because I'm not enjoying it, just because reading is difficult to get to at the moment. Gone are the days I zoomed through books. 
Wanting: to find a sustainable income that allows me to be at home with bubs as much as possible but also relieves financial pressure...hubby suggested a lotto ticket...if only!
Looking: forward to catching up with old school friends next week. They're the kind of friends that can bring you down to earth in a second with your most embarrassing high school moments; the kind with far too much high ammunition information that require restricting on what can and can't be shared with others. It should be a good catch up :)
Deciding: on what to get several people for presents...I've got a few different upcoming occasions, birthdays and baby showers mainly. Always a tricky task...and I'm the kind of person who needs to ensure I have the best deal so it takes a lot of research!
Wishing: that I had enough money to fund some travel! On my wish list: a trip to South Africa to introduce my husband (and now my daughter too) to my home land and the family there; a trip to Europe, particularly Germany, to visit friends who will be relocating there in a few months; a camper van and the funds to tour New Zealand and finally, a trip back to Samoa, our home for just over a year.
Enjoying: making the most of the final summer days and amazingly warm sea water. Hopefully there will still be plenty of swimming to be had before it gets too cold. 
Waiting: for the end of Lent so that I can once again enjoy the creamy, smooth taste of Whittaker's milk chocolate, or just any chocolate! 
Liking: my new facebook page, check it out if you haven't already. 
Wondering: which team is going to win the Cricket World Cup???
Loving: the hours that hubby works and the fact he gets to spend time with bubs in the afternoon.
Buying: lots of fruit and veg to make into baby food as we're a couple of weeks into solids now. 
Watching: a James Bond movie, I have no idea which one it is but I heard the first dance song from our wedding, "All the time in the World" playing in it. 
Hoping: to visit school and my former colleagues sometime in the next few weeks. 
Marvelling: at the fact that I have an almost 6 month old. How is this possible? I need time to just stop, it's slipping through my fingers and she's growing up way too fast. 
Cringing: at the amount of work that needs to be done in the garden. We have meter high weeds, and not just in one place! One good thing about winter and the lack of sun is that this out of control growth slows way down. Maybe I should just wait until winter to tackle everything...
Needing: a full nights sleep!
Questioning: what to make for next week's baking extravaganza? 
Thinking: about all the things I need to get done this week. I'm a list person. I think I need to make a list for the week as otherwise it just feels like all the tasks are far too overwhelming (plus since bubs arrived my previously pretty amazing memory has disintegrated). 
Admiring: the peaceful sounds surrounding me - cicadas chirping, birds tweeting, leaves rustling - love our location!
Sorting: out the mess in the house constantly. There are forever baby items everywhere, cushions strewn around and various other items covering all the surfaces in the lounge. 
Praying: for many, many things...my business to do well, a job that works well with bubs, good friendships with other mums, lots of blessings for my husband (because he's amazing) and on a more world wide scale, the end of Isis (yes I know it's very simplistic given a complicated situation).  
Disliking: the fact that I probably need to visit the doctors to get a few moles checked out. Then there's the dentist too...
Feeling: so many emotions! Tired, stressed, full of adrenaline, creative, optimistic, hopeful. It all depends on what I think about really :)

So there we go, a little bit of reflection for the end of summer. It'll be interesting to compare come the end of of Autumn, but in saying that, I have no desire at all for that time to arrive too quickly. 

Your turn now, choose one or two (or as many as you want) words from the list and share your own Taking Stock with me, either in the comments below or on my facebook page.