have been hard. And that is putting it mildly. The days themselves have been so hard because the nights preceding them have been veritable bastards.
Ever since Lexi was about 10 months old she has suffered from nightmares. Or so I thought. Of late they have quite apparently become night terrors. They occur at the same time every night, usually within an hour or two of her having fallen asleep, and they are horrnendous. So for the last three nights I have tried the 'wake her 20 minutes before she has one' theory. You may think it is difficult to do this because you don't know when she is going to get one. Not so true. You could almost set your clock by them. 1.5 hours after she is asleep, boom. There you go. So I wake her before she has a chance to wake up in full night terror. The first night she woke an hour later than usual with what I would call a very minor episode which lasted only about 15 seconds. The second night was the same, however the episode lasted closer to 5 seconds. Last night I thought we had broken the back of it until, at 2 this morning, she woke up screaming. However that I believe was a nightmare. How can you tell? Because she was able to look me in the eyes and actually see me. In the night terrors she looks awake, she seems awake, but it is physically impossible (and apparently not recommended) to wake her.
So there is that. Then there is Tabitha. She has been teething for an eternity. The last few days and nights have been off the scale. Several nights ago she was awake until 3.05am. Which meant, of course, that I was awake until 3.05am. Every time she would seem to settle I would make it just to my bed and she would wake up crying again. Having moved recently too I didn't realise I didn't have any baby panadol or nurofen so I literally had nothing with which to soothe her save for milk and cuddles. And she didn't want a bar of either of them. I should also mention that Angus decided that 3.20am was the perfect time to wake up, and Lexi coughed herself awake at 3.45am. Angus was still awake at half 4 and only began to drift off to sleep close to 5am. Mummy was fairly destroyed.
I went out to buy panadol etc yesterday. I had three shots at getting what I needed from the chemist. I went in, got panadol and nurofen, and walked out. Then I realised I had forgotten the little gummy butter menthol teddy bears I get for the kids when they have a sore throat, and which I had promised Lexi I would get. So out I went again. Then I remembered I had meant to get cream for Lexi's hand, as she is allergic to mosquito bites and has a rather nasty one on her thumb. Okay, so third time lucky all done. Get to the car, put the trolley away, drive off, then realise I have left everything in the trolley, so have to do a uturn around a roundabout, wait for lights and zoom back to where I left the trolley and hope it is all still there. It was but there was a rather suspicious old man looking at it......lucky I got there when I did.....
And then there is Angus. Little Angus. Yesterday little Angus was inconsolable. He sounded like a sick sheep that was being slowly compressed. Bleating, cooing, sounding so very very sad. I am fairly sure it was wind related. Although he did have sweet potato yesterday and has never had it before and I haven't heard of sweet potato giving that sort of a reaction. It could possibly also be a delayed reaction to the needles. In fact it could be anything. He was up every two hours last night after he finally settled for the night. Can you say growth spurt? Gotta love it. At least he woke up in a good mood.
So today is the girls' first full day at daycare. Tabitha actually stopped screaming before I had even left the building so I was rapt about that.
Me, well, I got home and logged on to the uni website to see that the three subjects I am doing this semester have been uploaded onto my page so I went through and downloaded all the study guides and assignment information. I had fully intended to use this time to unpack etc but stupidly went on to the uni site, and now I have a hankering to go onto the library site and request the books I need for the assignments before others get in there and get them before me......such a nerd......
I digress though I really should clean up here a bit. I'm so exhausted things are becoming difficult to focus on. I have so many half completed ideas in my brain, I go into a room and say that's right I must do that, I pick up something, head somewhere else, forget why I was going there, see something else, put down what I had and pick up the other thing, then get to another room, repeat the process, then one more room and repeat it just for good measure, then find myself back in the room where I first was and remember what it is I had thought I needed to do and remember that I left something somewhere else and it is a vicious circle. I achieve nothing but am buggered from all the running around. That's sleep deprivation for you.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
For the most part
Google is evil. However it does have a good side, as I proved yesterday in my search for the perfect pork belly recipe. I didn't actually use any of the recipes I found, but I got the general gist of what is usually done and then elaborated in my own special way. And oh my lord this pork belly was good. Crispy skinned slow cooked pork belly. The girls liked it too. I ate all the girls didn't. There is none left. It was absolutely sensational and I will be making it again.
Today the girls had their second orientation session at day care. The first ran for 2 hours and today's was 4 hours. We'd been working up to going to "school", particularly with Tabitha, and she seemed pretty excited about it. Lexi and I had had another long chat about the 'etiquette' for want of a better word when I go to pick her up.
We arrived at the centre and a similar thing happened as last time. Tabitha started crying even before we got in there. Great start. Again. We eventually made it through the door and thought it best to get Lexi sorted first, so we dropped her off at her room, and I was determined to get a "goodbye" today, even if I didn't get a kiss. Well, I did get a goodbye, but she didn't quite understand that she was saying goodbye to me, not to the people in the room. So she kept trying to follow me back out again. Brief visit that would have been. After several failed attempts leaving, I was finally able to go when one of the staff also reinforced the "you're staying here" thing.
Then it was Tabitha's turn. As we got into the room she goes to the meltdown commenced and she promptly dropped to the floor and tried to crawl through my legs and around the pram to get out. Oh yes, this is going supremely well. After a couple of minutes and a few more throwings onto the ground she finally stood up. It was already going better than the other day. And then the staff member spoke to her. And down she went again. Hmmm. So I knelt down beside her and pointed out a teddy bear in the corner, suggesting she should go and say hi to the bear. She seemed intrigued by that concept, enough so that I could go and sign her in and stealthily depart. As I was leaving I heard the squeal and I knew she had hit the deck again, but I didn't turn back and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. There is something deep within a mother that can't stand her children feeling sad, hurt, upset, anything other than happy. The centre manager was in the hallway and reassured me that she would be okay and she would settle down and that it would be okay if I left. And I felt that all too familiar lump rising in my throat and turned and walked through the doors.
Angus had indicated he was feeling a little peckish so we opted to go home rather than straight to the shops, which had been the original plan. Angus somehow sensed that he had my undivided attention, so for the next few hours remained awake, alert, and somewhat clingier than usual, just wanting to be held and talked to. He wasn't terribly upset, just wanted mummy. So I actually got less done than usual which I found quite funny. We did venture to the shops briefly before picking the girls up, however because I hadn't made a list and I really need lists I forgot pretty well everything I needed to get and ended up getting more coat hangers. As you do.
Arriving at the centre to pick up the girls I went to see Tabitha first. I couldn't hear her as I walked through the front door so that was a positive. And when I got to her room everyone else was lying on their little mats and Tabitha was at the back of the room again, not lying down, but sitting, and not relaxed but not screaming. I saw her, she saw me, she stood up and said 'HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!' and ran over to me and started talking, quite a lot. But she was not unhappy, and she even said bye to everyone as we left.
This was going much better than the other day.
Now to get Lexi. Whereas the other day she was sitting drawing with one shoe on, today she was sitting drawing with one sock on, shoes in the backpack. Interesting. We didn't find the sock. It did take us close to five minutes to leave though. Numerous choruses of no no no no no no no followed, but there were no tears. I was rapt.
And as we walked through the corridor towards the front door Tabitha smiled and waved goodbye to everyone and Lexi also said bye. We got to the car, the kids all strapped in, and I smiled. We made it. We did it. And I even remembered to put the pram in the car (on Wednesday I got the kids in the car and went to start it and couldn't find my keys and then remembered they were on the pram and then remembered I had not in fact put the pram in the car yet. Lucky the keys were in it or it would have been flattened)
As we were driving out I said "girls I am so so proud of you, you have made mummy such a happy mummy" and Lexi said "ooooooh mummy I love you" and Tabitha said "I love yooooooouuuuuuuuuu" and I just about cried. Such good kids.
Then we get home this afternoon and they turn feral. Tabitha bit Lexi on the arm for no apparent reason, and when they were having a bath I quickly changed Angus only to return to find Lexi had a cup and was systematically removing all the water from the bath and tipping it onto the floor. That was not the limit of the feralness that had dictated the house for the afternoon, but it was the final feralness and I popped them all into bed super dooper early at 6.15pm. Tabitha took about 15 minutes before she fell asleep, and Lexi has just now fallen asleep, nearly an hour later. Ah well. They weren't terrifically upset, but obviously unimpressed that I had put them into bed earlier than usual.
Now comes the task of cleaning up the mess the house has found itself covered in. It was not a productive day by any stretch of the imagination, but I would much rather the house look like a bomb hit and the girls did well at day care than the house be spotless and know they were unhappy.
Full day Monday and we shall see how that goes. For now I'm going to grab a glass of vino, clean up, maybe watch a little of the idiot box and then crawl into bed, wondering what time master Angus will get me up as he is on a feeding frenzy of late.
It's funny how the days you get the least achieved are often the most exhausting........
Today the girls had their second orientation session at day care. The first ran for 2 hours and today's was 4 hours. We'd been working up to going to "school", particularly with Tabitha, and she seemed pretty excited about it. Lexi and I had had another long chat about the 'etiquette' for want of a better word when I go to pick her up.
We arrived at the centre and a similar thing happened as last time. Tabitha started crying even before we got in there. Great start. Again. We eventually made it through the door and thought it best to get Lexi sorted first, so we dropped her off at her room, and I was determined to get a "goodbye" today, even if I didn't get a kiss. Well, I did get a goodbye, but she didn't quite understand that she was saying goodbye to me, not to the people in the room. So she kept trying to follow me back out again. Brief visit that would have been. After several failed attempts leaving, I was finally able to go when one of the staff also reinforced the "you're staying here" thing.
Then it was Tabitha's turn. As we got into the room she goes to the meltdown commenced and she promptly dropped to the floor and tried to crawl through my legs and around the pram to get out. Oh yes, this is going supremely well. After a couple of minutes and a few more throwings onto the ground she finally stood up. It was already going better than the other day. And then the staff member spoke to her. And down she went again. Hmmm. So I knelt down beside her and pointed out a teddy bear in the corner, suggesting she should go and say hi to the bear. She seemed intrigued by that concept, enough so that I could go and sign her in and stealthily depart. As I was leaving I heard the squeal and I knew she had hit the deck again, but I didn't turn back and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. There is something deep within a mother that can't stand her children feeling sad, hurt, upset, anything other than happy. The centre manager was in the hallway and reassured me that she would be okay and she would settle down and that it would be okay if I left. And I felt that all too familiar lump rising in my throat and turned and walked through the doors.
Angus had indicated he was feeling a little peckish so we opted to go home rather than straight to the shops, which had been the original plan. Angus somehow sensed that he had my undivided attention, so for the next few hours remained awake, alert, and somewhat clingier than usual, just wanting to be held and talked to. He wasn't terribly upset, just wanted mummy. So I actually got less done than usual which I found quite funny. We did venture to the shops briefly before picking the girls up, however because I hadn't made a list and I really need lists I forgot pretty well everything I needed to get and ended up getting more coat hangers. As you do.
Arriving at the centre to pick up the girls I went to see Tabitha first. I couldn't hear her as I walked through the front door so that was a positive. And when I got to her room everyone else was lying on their little mats and Tabitha was at the back of the room again, not lying down, but sitting, and not relaxed but not screaming. I saw her, she saw me, she stood up and said 'HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!' and ran over to me and started talking, quite a lot. But she was not unhappy, and she even said bye to everyone as we left.
This was going much better than the other day.
Now to get Lexi. Whereas the other day she was sitting drawing with one shoe on, today she was sitting drawing with one sock on, shoes in the backpack. Interesting. We didn't find the sock. It did take us close to five minutes to leave though. Numerous choruses of no no no no no no no followed, but there were no tears. I was rapt.
And as we walked through the corridor towards the front door Tabitha smiled and waved goodbye to everyone and Lexi also said bye. We got to the car, the kids all strapped in, and I smiled. We made it. We did it. And I even remembered to put the pram in the car (on Wednesday I got the kids in the car and went to start it and couldn't find my keys and then remembered they were on the pram and then remembered I had not in fact put the pram in the car yet. Lucky the keys were in it or it would have been flattened)
As we were driving out I said "girls I am so so proud of you, you have made mummy such a happy mummy" and Lexi said "ooooooh mummy I love you" and Tabitha said "I love yooooooouuuuuuuuuu" and I just about cried. Such good kids.
Then we get home this afternoon and they turn feral. Tabitha bit Lexi on the arm for no apparent reason, and when they were having a bath I quickly changed Angus only to return to find Lexi had a cup and was systematically removing all the water from the bath and tipping it onto the floor. That was not the limit of the feralness that had dictated the house for the afternoon, but it was the final feralness and I popped them all into bed super dooper early at 6.15pm. Tabitha took about 15 minutes before she fell asleep, and Lexi has just now fallen asleep, nearly an hour later. Ah well. They weren't terrifically upset, but obviously unimpressed that I had put them into bed earlier than usual.
Now comes the task of cleaning up the mess the house has found itself covered in. It was not a productive day by any stretch of the imagination, but I would much rather the house look like a bomb hit and the girls did well at day care than the house be spotless and know they were unhappy.
Full day Monday and we shall see how that goes. For now I'm going to grab a glass of vino, clean up, maybe watch a little of the idiot box and then crawl into bed, wondering what time master Angus will get me up as he is on a feeding frenzy of late.
It's funny how the days you get the least achieved are often the most exhausting........
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
It happened.
Today. The girls had their first experience with day care.
Yesterday I went in to a centre and checked it all out, had a chat with the centre manager and basically got a "feel" for the place, and it felt right. So I thought no time like the present, let's get this happening. So instead of spending the day unpacking I spent the day organising. You wouldn't think there would be a lot of organisation for the first little 2 hour orientation session, but that's where you're wrong. I knew they needed new hats because they have big heads that grow often so I had to find those. Everything needed labelling. Not just what they were wearing but the two full spare outfits they had to take as well. Which reminds me I don't think I labelled their shoes (which normally wouldn't really be that important because they'd be wearing them but when I went to pick Lexi up she had only one shoe on and had put one in her backpack. Random).
Which leads me to the fact that they also needed a backpack each. And I have to have forethought as well, because in winter down here odds are they will need a coat or jacket of some description so it had to be large enough to fit in there.
On top of that sort of stuff there was a veritable plethora of paperwork to fill out. Do you give permission for this? Is your child allergic to that? Which 6 people do you give authority to pick your child up if we can't get in touch with you and the child is still at the centre etc etc. Much as it's a pain in the bum to fill all of this in, I was pretty impressed they were so thorough.
Oh and did I mention that the girls' child care centre has a chef on staff and morning tea, afternoon tea and cooked lunches are provided?? And nappies and bottles are provided?? Seriously it really is a great place, and the staff are LOVELY!
So here's how it went. I was a little worried about how Tabitha would be simply because she is precious. I was not at all worried about how Lexi would be because she is super confident, happy, energetic, outgoing and basically just loves to be around people.
We got out of the car. We walked towards the centre. We got to the door. Someone else came up behind us and opened the door. Upon Tabitha's foot touching the surface of the inside of the centre an almighty screech emanated from her gut right up through her throat before exploding out her mouth as she threw herself against the second door. Oh yes, this is going well.
Tabitha's little outburst appeared to have rattled young Angus, for his bottom lip started to tremble and I heard a low bleat, like a wounded sheep, before he opened his mouth and imitated his sister. Oh yes, this is going incredibly well.
Best thing was to try and get the kids into their respective rooms before World War III broke out. We got to Tabitha's room and she saw all the other kiddies (all of whom were smaller than her) and plonked herself on the floor and just watched. But at least the sound had stopped. So I signed her in then stealthily sauntered out (as stealthy as one can be with a pram and a nearly 3 year old carrying a large backpack and trying to get out the door as fast as she can to get to her room).
So Lexi's room was next. They opened the door, she ran towards a table, promptly climbed on the table, grabbed a crayon and a piece of paper and sat down and started drawing. She didn't even look back. So Angus and I moved to the foyer. And I said to them "So what now, do I just leave?" They said I could stay in the staff room if I wanted but I said no, and knew that I had to leave, but I felt that lump rising in my throat. You know the lump. The one that comes when you see soppy films..... So I choked through and left. And only a teensy tiny tear was shed. And I went home. And Angus went to bed. And I sat on the sofa getting heart palpitations and feeling faint. As you do. And I got nothing done. Because I felt so odd. It was a mix of worry, nervousness, excitement, hesitation, happiness, sadness, and disbelief that my babies are growing up so very very fast.
I think the 2 hour orientation is that long not for the benefit of the kids but for the parents. The second session on Friday is 4 hours long, and then Monday will be a full day. See how they go. See how I go. And if all goes well they'll go Wednesdays and Thursdays every week, and mummy can get some study done during the day time and hopefully begin to sleep again.
So the time came for me to pick them up. And in I waltzed, Angus fast asleep which was nice. I went to Lexi's room first. She saw me and screamed and burst into tears. Oh dear. I thought this might happen. So I walked over to her in time to see her wedge one foot against the table leg, twirl the other foot around the chair, hold the table with one arm and reach the other arm out in front of her and towards me, as if to fend me off. I had tried to explain to her this morning that she was not to get upset but apparently that didn't work. Pretty soon there were three staff members standing around asking if she was okay and they thought she had been doing really well up until now. And I told them that being there was not the problem at all - she didn't want to leave. They laughed. Because it was actually quite funny. She really really REALLY did not want to leave. Hopefully she'll get the gist that she can actually come back. Regularly.
So we left her for a bit longer and went to get Tabitha. I looked through the window of Tabitha's room to see most of the children lying down on mats for a sleep. Tabitha was standing at the back of the room screaming. Probably not exactly what I wanted to see. I went over and cuddled her, took her jacket off (they had attempted to and she recoiled so severely that they just left her be), and picked her up, after which she settled down instantly (funnily enough). Although she had been on and off screaming and crying, she did have a little success, and they said that for a first time she did really well. I reckon they were just saying that. But I do hope she does better next time.
So then we went back to get Lexi. It didn't go well. Tabitha cried, Lexi cried, and Angus cried and it was seriously a massive effort to get all three kids out the door. To give you an indication of the lengthy process....I arrived to pick the girls up at 11.30am. We walked out the door at 12.20pm.
So we got home, made a multicoloured cake, danced the hokey pokey and now everyone is asleep. Except me. But I'm not far off.
What a day.
Yesterday I went in to a centre and checked it all out, had a chat with the centre manager and basically got a "feel" for the place, and it felt right. So I thought no time like the present, let's get this happening. So instead of spending the day unpacking I spent the day organising. You wouldn't think there would be a lot of organisation for the first little 2 hour orientation session, but that's where you're wrong. I knew they needed new hats because they have big heads that grow often so I had to find those. Everything needed labelling. Not just what they were wearing but the two full spare outfits they had to take as well. Which reminds me I don't think I labelled their shoes (which normally wouldn't really be that important because they'd be wearing them but when I went to pick Lexi up she had only one shoe on and had put one in her backpack. Random).
Which leads me to the fact that they also needed a backpack each. And I have to have forethought as well, because in winter down here odds are they will need a coat or jacket of some description so it had to be large enough to fit in there.
On top of that sort of stuff there was a veritable plethora of paperwork to fill out. Do you give permission for this? Is your child allergic to that? Which 6 people do you give authority to pick your child up if we can't get in touch with you and the child is still at the centre etc etc. Much as it's a pain in the bum to fill all of this in, I was pretty impressed they were so thorough.
Oh and did I mention that the girls' child care centre has a chef on staff and morning tea, afternoon tea and cooked lunches are provided?? And nappies and bottles are provided?? Seriously it really is a great place, and the staff are LOVELY!
So here's how it went. I was a little worried about how Tabitha would be simply because she is precious. I was not at all worried about how Lexi would be because she is super confident, happy, energetic, outgoing and basically just loves to be around people.
We got out of the car. We walked towards the centre. We got to the door. Someone else came up behind us and opened the door. Upon Tabitha's foot touching the surface of the inside of the centre an almighty screech emanated from her gut right up through her throat before exploding out her mouth as she threw herself against the second door. Oh yes, this is going well.
Tabitha's little outburst appeared to have rattled young Angus, for his bottom lip started to tremble and I heard a low bleat, like a wounded sheep, before he opened his mouth and imitated his sister. Oh yes, this is going incredibly well.
Best thing was to try and get the kids into their respective rooms before World War III broke out. We got to Tabitha's room and she saw all the other kiddies (all of whom were smaller than her) and plonked herself on the floor and just watched. But at least the sound had stopped. So I signed her in then stealthily sauntered out (as stealthy as one can be with a pram and a nearly 3 year old carrying a large backpack and trying to get out the door as fast as she can to get to her room).
So Lexi's room was next. They opened the door, she ran towards a table, promptly climbed on the table, grabbed a crayon and a piece of paper and sat down and started drawing. She didn't even look back. So Angus and I moved to the foyer. And I said to them "So what now, do I just leave?" They said I could stay in the staff room if I wanted but I said no, and knew that I had to leave, but I felt that lump rising in my throat. You know the lump. The one that comes when you see soppy films..... So I choked through and left. And only a teensy tiny tear was shed. And I went home. And Angus went to bed. And I sat on the sofa getting heart palpitations and feeling faint. As you do. And I got nothing done. Because I felt so odd. It was a mix of worry, nervousness, excitement, hesitation, happiness, sadness, and disbelief that my babies are growing up so very very fast.
I think the 2 hour orientation is that long not for the benefit of the kids but for the parents. The second session on Friday is 4 hours long, and then Monday will be a full day. See how they go. See how I go. And if all goes well they'll go Wednesdays and Thursdays every week, and mummy can get some study done during the day time and hopefully begin to sleep again.
So the time came for me to pick them up. And in I waltzed, Angus fast asleep which was nice. I went to Lexi's room first. She saw me and screamed and burst into tears. Oh dear. I thought this might happen. So I walked over to her in time to see her wedge one foot against the table leg, twirl the other foot around the chair, hold the table with one arm and reach the other arm out in front of her and towards me, as if to fend me off. I had tried to explain to her this morning that she was not to get upset but apparently that didn't work. Pretty soon there were three staff members standing around asking if she was okay and they thought she had been doing really well up until now. And I told them that being there was not the problem at all - she didn't want to leave. They laughed. Because it was actually quite funny. She really really REALLY did not want to leave. Hopefully she'll get the gist that she can actually come back. Regularly.
So we left her for a bit longer and went to get Tabitha. I looked through the window of Tabitha's room to see most of the children lying down on mats for a sleep. Tabitha was standing at the back of the room screaming. Probably not exactly what I wanted to see. I went over and cuddled her, took her jacket off (they had attempted to and she recoiled so severely that they just left her be), and picked her up, after which she settled down instantly (funnily enough). Although she had been on and off screaming and crying, she did have a little success, and they said that for a first time she did really well. I reckon they were just saying that. But I do hope she does better next time.
So then we went back to get Lexi. It didn't go well. Tabitha cried, Lexi cried, and Angus cried and it was seriously a massive effort to get all three kids out the door. To give you an indication of the lengthy process....I arrived to pick the girls up at 11.30am. We walked out the door at 12.20pm.
So we got home, made a multicoloured cake, danced the hokey pokey and now everyone is asleep. Except me. But I'm not far off.
What a day.
Monday, February 21, 2011
As of tonight
I have 2 weeks off study. Bastard essay from hell was submitted today and now there is a 2 week break before the next semester starts. Three subjects then. Hmm. Shall be interesting. At least they are subjects I am interested in, not subjects (like the subject that bastard essay was for) that I thought I SHOULD do. Idiotic. Stupid stupid. Never ever do something because you think you should, because it will bite you on the bum. Yes, I have learnt a lot from that subject. No, I will never use any of it. However upon enrolment in my master of commercial law I thought it pertinent to do at least one commercial law subject, that being international commercial law. Nup. Lesson learned. Subject finished. And thank the lord for that.
Tonight has been the first night I have not had to study. To be totally honest I felt a bit lost. The kids were all in bed by 7.15pm and the house was clean. And that was that. What to do. I haven't had commercial television for 5 years or so so I have no idea what shows are on. I did have austar up north but don't have it on down here so there wasn't that alternative. Hmmm. Well, I watched my first episode ever of Glee. I really enjoyed it. The singing was fabulous. Just fabulous. Only problem was it made me yearn for a piano. You see many eons ago that was my thing. I was a pianist. And at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing my own trumpet I was pretty good at it. I started a music degree and because I was so young (I had only just turned 17 when I started uni) the freedom just allowed me to do too much. In hindsight I wish I had never skipped a year at school cos perhaps then I might have been just a little bit more mature. From another point of view I wish I had gone to a different institution for I am sure things would have been different. However I can't dwell in the past, for if I had done any small thing differently I would not have my beautiful babies. That whole butterfly effect thing.
The plumber is coming in the morning to look at the heating. I specifically chose a house that had ducted heating because moving from far north Queensland to Victoria, well, the climate is a little different. I tried to turn it on the other night and it clicked and that was it. It has a thermostat. That's all. Apparently everything is in the roof. We shall see. It doesn't work though and plumber man is coming to fix it. He said to me "what is the earliest I can come over?". I told him the kids get up around 5.30am..... He's coming at 7.30am.
I'm loving this house. It is fabulous (aside from the whole the heating doesn't work thing). The kids love it too. And it feels right. Massive thing there. The feel. It is a new house so it doesn't have "character" yet. But it has "feel", and that's enough for me. I saw enough places on the internet and at inspections to know that when you find one that feels right you go for it. This place felt right. We went for it. It was supposed to be our house. I know that.
I'm struggling with my nails at the moment. I could be seen as the envy of many a girl. My nails grow incredibly quickly and are massively strong. And I hate them. I hate having nails. It disallows me from doing anything. They get in the way. They scratch things. They are just horrid. So I cut them every week. I don't bite them (can't stand that) but they get cut regularly. Unless of course you move house, in which case you can find neither your nail scissors nor the nail clippers so you find you have incredibly long nails and no tolerance for them.
I'm going to check out the childcare facility tomorrow. I'm excited. I am very very excited. Lexi is so keen to go to "school" that she asks about it every day. I'm rapt about that. Tabitha, well, she doesn't. But every day here she is becoming more and more comfortable with "outsiders" so I'm hoping that she does ok. She's my precious one. And she is the one I will worry about. Lexi is everyone's friend. She is the most personable, happy, helpful child I have ever met. Tabitha is great, don't get me wrong, just very guarded. Angus isn't going anywhere just yet!
I'm also taking Angus and Tabitha for vaccinations tomorrow. That should be interesting. I'll prepare myself with bottles aplenty. But I am really not sure how I'll go, particularly with Tabitha, after the shots. See Tabitha is not a petite girl. She is bigger than the average three year old, in weight and in height, but being younger at 19 months she doesn't have the same level of understanding of things. Yet people see her and expect so much more from her. That said she has an astounding vocabulary and in no way behaves like a 19 month old. She behaves more like Lexi's twin. It's quite bizarre, and really quite heart warming to watch.
I should go to bed. My eye is twitching. That's a sure sign you haven't slept enough. I was going to go to bed early tonight and just catch up on sleep, but for some reason the knowledge that I have nothing that needs doing was enough to wake me up sufficiently that lying in bed produces only a horizontal feeling, not the sleep that I so desperately need.
But now I think sleep will come. And so I will let it. And shall see what tomorrow brings.
Tonight has been the first night I have not had to study. To be totally honest I felt a bit lost. The kids were all in bed by 7.15pm and the house was clean. And that was that. What to do. I haven't had commercial television for 5 years or so so I have no idea what shows are on. I did have austar up north but don't have it on down here so there wasn't that alternative. Hmmm. Well, I watched my first episode ever of Glee. I really enjoyed it. The singing was fabulous. Just fabulous. Only problem was it made me yearn for a piano. You see many eons ago that was my thing. I was a pianist. And at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing my own trumpet I was pretty good at it. I started a music degree and because I was so young (I had only just turned 17 when I started uni) the freedom just allowed me to do too much. In hindsight I wish I had never skipped a year at school cos perhaps then I might have been just a little bit more mature. From another point of view I wish I had gone to a different institution for I am sure things would have been different. However I can't dwell in the past, for if I had done any small thing differently I would not have my beautiful babies. That whole butterfly effect thing.
The plumber is coming in the morning to look at the heating. I specifically chose a house that had ducted heating because moving from far north Queensland to Victoria, well, the climate is a little different. I tried to turn it on the other night and it clicked and that was it. It has a thermostat. That's all. Apparently everything is in the roof. We shall see. It doesn't work though and plumber man is coming to fix it. He said to me "what is the earliest I can come over?". I told him the kids get up around 5.30am..... He's coming at 7.30am.
I'm loving this house. It is fabulous (aside from the whole the heating doesn't work thing). The kids love it too. And it feels right. Massive thing there. The feel. It is a new house so it doesn't have "character" yet. But it has "feel", and that's enough for me. I saw enough places on the internet and at inspections to know that when you find one that feels right you go for it. This place felt right. We went for it. It was supposed to be our house. I know that.
I'm struggling with my nails at the moment. I could be seen as the envy of many a girl. My nails grow incredibly quickly and are massively strong. And I hate them. I hate having nails. It disallows me from doing anything. They get in the way. They scratch things. They are just horrid. So I cut them every week. I don't bite them (can't stand that) but they get cut regularly. Unless of course you move house, in which case you can find neither your nail scissors nor the nail clippers so you find you have incredibly long nails and no tolerance for them.
I'm going to check out the childcare facility tomorrow. I'm excited. I am very very excited. Lexi is so keen to go to "school" that she asks about it every day. I'm rapt about that. Tabitha, well, she doesn't. But every day here she is becoming more and more comfortable with "outsiders" so I'm hoping that she does ok. She's my precious one. And she is the one I will worry about. Lexi is everyone's friend. She is the most personable, happy, helpful child I have ever met. Tabitha is great, don't get me wrong, just very guarded. Angus isn't going anywhere just yet!
I'm also taking Angus and Tabitha for vaccinations tomorrow. That should be interesting. I'll prepare myself with bottles aplenty. But I am really not sure how I'll go, particularly with Tabitha, after the shots. See Tabitha is not a petite girl. She is bigger than the average three year old, in weight and in height, but being younger at 19 months she doesn't have the same level of understanding of things. Yet people see her and expect so much more from her. That said she has an astounding vocabulary and in no way behaves like a 19 month old. She behaves more like Lexi's twin. It's quite bizarre, and really quite heart warming to watch.
I should go to bed. My eye is twitching. That's a sure sign you haven't slept enough. I was going to go to bed early tonight and just catch up on sleep, but for some reason the knowledge that I have nothing that needs doing was enough to wake me up sufficiently that lying in bed produces only a horizontal feeling, not the sleep that I so desperately need.
But now I think sleep will come. And so I will let it. And shall see what tomorrow brings.
It is done.
The essay from hell. I stayed up for the most part of last night finishing it. Well, I didn't finish it last night, but I came close. Luckily (oh yes, incredibly lucky) miss Tabitha decided 5.15am was the time to wake up, and being that I had gone to bed only a few minutes before Angus awoke at around quarter to 3 saturated so therefore awake as you like and requiring a full change of suit, grobag, nappy of course and a feed, it was quite shattering to be up not long afterwards.
Being awake at this time did however give me the chance to get the remainder of the essay completed without the assistance of Lexi and Angus. Tabitha was quite happy to watch whatever it was that was on the telly and let me get the assignment done. So it's done. And thank $@*! for that.
Tabitha was looking remarkably tired after her lunch today. She has been doing really well of late - she is in her big bed of an evening but refuses to go down for a sleep during the day. Frustrating considering she really needs a sleep. Yesterday I drove to visit the colonel and she fell asleep almost instantly. Today after lunch she laid down on the floor to watch tv and fell asleep so I picked her up (she did wake up) and gently put her into her bed and stroked her forehead and she fell asleep. Not a huge day time sleep, but a day time sleep in the big bed about which I'm pretty happy.
I do harp on about the fact that you should never assume anything. Today was another example of this. Do not assume that because your child's plate is empty that they have eaten all their lunch. I was changing Angus and heard Lexi poking around in the cupboard. I yelled out to her to get out of the cupboard and sit back down and eat her lunch. Cupboard doors shut, patter of little feet, cupboard doors shutting, Lexi sitting back down at the table, and by the time I came out her plate was empty and she was having a drink of water. Fabulous. Great work Lexi. That was a few hours ago.
I just went to the pantry to put the shopping bags in (you know those reusable bags that come in all manner of colours, as well as a great esky type bag from Aldi and a bargain at only $1.99) and I saw a container. Hmm. I don't remember putting that there. That said I don't remember a lot at the moment because I am so sleep deprived I can't even focus. So I looked in it. It was the remainder of Lexi's lunch, sitting on the bottom shelf in the pantry, in a Tupperware container, with a lid on.
I don't think she was being sneaky at all. I think she just didn't want to waste it. At least the message is sinking in.......
Being awake at this time did however give me the chance to get the remainder of the essay completed without the assistance of Lexi and Angus. Tabitha was quite happy to watch whatever it was that was on the telly and let me get the assignment done. So it's done. And thank $@*! for that.
Tabitha was looking remarkably tired after her lunch today. She has been doing really well of late - she is in her big bed of an evening but refuses to go down for a sleep during the day. Frustrating considering she really needs a sleep. Yesterday I drove to visit the colonel and she fell asleep almost instantly. Today after lunch she laid down on the floor to watch tv and fell asleep so I picked her up (she did wake up) and gently put her into her bed and stroked her forehead and she fell asleep. Not a huge day time sleep, but a day time sleep in the big bed about which I'm pretty happy.
I do harp on about the fact that you should never assume anything. Today was another example of this. Do not assume that because your child's plate is empty that they have eaten all their lunch. I was changing Angus and heard Lexi poking around in the cupboard. I yelled out to her to get out of the cupboard and sit back down and eat her lunch. Cupboard doors shut, patter of little feet, cupboard doors shutting, Lexi sitting back down at the table, and by the time I came out her plate was empty and she was having a drink of water. Fabulous. Great work Lexi. That was a few hours ago.
I just went to the pantry to put the shopping bags in (you know those reusable bags that come in all manner of colours, as well as a great esky type bag from Aldi and a bargain at only $1.99) and I saw a container. Hmm. I don't remember putting that there. That said I don't remember a lot at the moment because I am so sleep deprived I can't even focus. So I looked in it. It was the remainder of Lexi's lunch, sitting on the bottom shelf in the pantry, in a Tupperware container, with a lid on.
I don't think she was being sneaky at all. I think she just didn't want to waste it. At least the message is sinking in.......
Sunday, February 20, 2011
It is 11.27pm
and I have done 1766 words of this godforsaken bloody international commercial law assignment that is due tomorrow. It is supposed to be 2500 words but there is a 10% leway thing either way so I'm aiming for 2250.
Without a doubt this is the hardest assignment I have ever done. Foreign investment. I mean seriously. What the hell was I thinking. The three assignments for this subject have been the convention on international sale of goods, international maritime law and the changing legislation and foreign investment. Holy giraffe shit batman that is just wrong. Why the hell did I choose to do this subject??
I think what frustrates me the most is the fact that I have really enjoyed the other two subjects in this course. A lot actually. So much so that I have received honorary membership into the nerds fellowship of online study. But this. My god seriously I just can't do it. I don't understand it. I don't give a flying razoo about it. But I need to pass it. And it frustrates the crap out of me more because I did really well on the first assignment. Meh-ly on the second one. But this one, well, let's just say it ain't going down in history. And no, I'm not being modest. The only reason I have any words at all is that I have 8 books in front of me and google. There are a bloody shitload of quotes in there.
Now you may notice that in most of my posts I neglect to swear. I don't think it is necessary, and there are plenty of other words that can adequately make a point.
You will notice that in this post I swear. I am physically unable to think of any other words to describe the predicament in which I find myself.
I have until tomorrow. I do not think I am getting any sleep tonight. And that is to compound the minimal sleep I have been receiving of late. I don't think it's healthy.
And I have a pimple on my chin. And my fingernails are too long and need cutting. I hate having fingernails. They just get in the way. And feel yuck. And I see people do all pretty fandangled things to theirs and I'm like yeah nah. Don't think so. Nail polish actually feels "heavy" to me. I hate it. I hate all the stuff associated with it. I have had 2 pedicures in my life though. And they rock.
Crap. I still have to do this essay. Dammit.
Without a doubt this is the hardest assignment I have ever done. Foreign investment. I mean seriously. What the hell was I thinking. The three assignments for this subject have been the convention on international sale of goods, international maritime law and the changing legislation and foreign investment. Holy giraffe shit batman that is just wrong. Why the hell did I choose to do this subject??
I think what frustrates me the most is the fact that I have really enjoyed the other two subjects in this course. A lot actually. So much so that I have received honorary membership into the nerds fellowship of online study. But this. My god seriously I just can't do it. I don't understand it. I don't give a flying razoo about it. But I need to pass it. And it frustrates the crap out of me more because I did really well on the first assignment. Meh-ly on the second one. But this one, well, let's just say it ain't going down in history. And no, I'm not being modest. The only reason I have any words at all is that I have 8 books in front of me and google. There are a bloody shitload of quotes in there.
Now you may notice that in most of my posts I neglect to swear. I don't think it is necessary, and there are plenty of other words that can adequately make a point.
You will notice that in this post I swear. I am physically unable to think of any other words to describe the predicament in which I find myself.
I have until tomorrow. I do not think I am getting any sleep tonight. And that is to compound the minimal sleep I have been receiving of late. I don't think it's healthy.
And I have a pimple on my chin. And my fingernails are too long and need cutting. I hate having fingernails. They just get in the way. And feel yuck. And I see people do all pretty fandangled things to theirs and I'm like yeah nah. Don't think so. Nail polish actually feels "heavy" to me. I hate it. I hate all the stuff associated with it. I have had 2 pedicures in my life though. And they rock.
Crap. I still have to do this essay. Dammit.
I don't think I told you
about my first online grocery delivery in this house......
You know I actually think that I could start an entirely new blog filled simply with tales of the online grocery deliveries. Seriously.
Well I put my first order in the other day. I wasn't actually sure if it went through or not. I cut it massively to the wire - it was 4.52pm when I was finalised things and I submitted the order at 4.59pm on the dot, only to be greeted with an error message, after which it returned me to the home page and everything still appeared in my trolley but if I looked in my past orders it said the order was current. So rather than risking getting two identical orders I thought I would wing it and hope that order did go through and all was well.
I actually heard the truck when it was arriving which was bizarre considering there is very little traffic noise here. But for some reason the truck made itself apparent in my ears. And so I waltzed out to the front door (not literally of course, although that would have been rather amusing) just in time to see the delivery man drive straight past and go around the corner. Now this is a very new area so I wondered what the odds were of 2 people in the same street getting a delivery, from the same store, in the same time window. So I grabbed my mobile phone and waited at the front door. Sure enough within 10 seconds of my grabbing the phone it rang. Head office for Woolies. "The driver can't find you" she says. "I'm waving at him" I replied. "Oh" she said. So he drove past again (coming from the wrong way) and signaled to me that he would turn around, which he promptly did.
Angus was in the swing and Lexi and Tabitha were still being pyjama slobs, mainly because mummy was knackered and thought it might be nice to have a lazy morning, forgetting about the delivery. The delivery guy arrived at the door. And then it started. But in order to easily identify him let us call him Abdullah, a good strong Turkish name (yes, the driver was Turkish, I'm not just picking some random nationality).
As soon as Abdullah arrived at the door it started. The talking. Oh my lord. I have never in my life met a delivery man who could talk quite so much. He popped the first grocery bag into the hallway and Lexi politely said "thank you grocery man" to which he said some lovely little thing to her about how polite she was. Then he told me his arm hurt. I of course said that's no good. Then I was told how when he was doing a delivery that morning (not mine, oh no, don't feel bad, it wasn't mine) he went to get something out of the back of the truck and the trolley was resting badly and fell and landed on his arm and he instantly thought oh dear that hurts so much but he kept on going and has been doing deliveries all morning even though his arm hurts because he doesn't think his boss would like it if he called in sick, oh no not at all.
And as the second bag came in he noticed Tabitha's eyes and asked who has the colourful eyes? Your husband has colourful eyes? Your children have colourful eyes. My wife, she and I we have children and they have colourful eyes and my wife and I we both have brown eyes so I say to my wife where do the colourful eyes come from and she says to me the milkman and I say what milkman. My father had beautiful eyes. My father was a very attractive man. My father, he looked like the actor from the television. Only more good looking. And he had beautiful children. But I feel so ugly. He so attractive, I like nothing compared to him.
This continued for another 10 or so minutes, while I stood there, speechless, and Lexi thanked him for every bag he brought in, while Tabitha continuously waved and said "bye".
And then he left. And that was that. Wonder what he'll talk about next time.
You know I actually think that I could start an entirely new blog filled simply with tales of the online grocery deliveries. Seriously.
Well I put my first order in the other day. I wasn't actually sure if it went through or not. I cut it massively to the wire - it was 4.52pm when I was finalised things and I submitted the order at 4.59pm on the dot, only to be greeted with an error message, after which it returned me to the home page and everything still appeared in my trolley but if I looked in my past orders it said the order was current. So rather than risking getting two identical orders I thought I would wing it and hope that order did go through and all was well.
I actually heard the truck when it was arriving which was bizarre considering there is very little traffic noise here. But for some reason the truck made itself apparent in my ears. And so I waltzed out to the front door (not literally of course, although that would have been rather amusing) just in time to see the delivery man drive straight past and go around the corner. Now this is a very new area so I wondered what the odds were of 2 people in the same street getting a delivery, from the same store, in the same time window. So I grabbed my mobile phone and waited at the front door. Sure enough within 10 seconds of my grabbing the phone it rang. Head office for Woolies. "The driver can't find you" she says. "I'm waving at him" I replied. "Oh" she said. So he drove past again (coming from the wrong way) and signaled to me that he would turn around, which he promptly did.
Angus was in the swing and Lexi and Tabitha were still being pyjama slobs, mainly because mummy was knackered and thought it might be nice to have a lazy morning, forgetting about the delivery. The delivery guy arrived at the door. And then it started. But in order to easily identify him let us call him Abdullah, a good strong Turkish name (yes, the driver was Turkish, I'm not just picking some random nationality).
As soon as Abdullah arrived at the door it started. The talking. Oh my lord. I have never in my life met a delivery man who could talk quite so much. He popped the first grocery bag into the hallway and Lexi politely said "thank you grocery man" to which he said some lovely little thing to her about how polite she was. Then he told me his arm hurt. I of course said that's no good. Then I was told how when he was doing a delivery that morning (not mine, oh no, don't feel bad, it wasn't mine) he went to get something out of the back of the truck and the trolley was resting badly and fell and landed on his arm and he instantly thought oh dear that hurts so much but he kept on going and has been doing deliveries all morning even though his arm hurts because he doesn't think his boss would like it if he called in sick, oh no not at all.
And as the second bag came in he noticed Tabitha's eyes and asked who has the colourful eyes? Your husband has colourful eyes? Your children have colourful eyes. My wife, she and I we have children and they have colourful eyes and my wife and I we both have brown eyes so I say to my wife where do the colourful eyes come from and she says to me the milkman and I say what milkman. My father had beautiful eyes. My father was a very attractive man. My father, he looked like the actor from the television. Only more good looking. And he had beautiful children. But I feel so ugly. He so attractive, I like nothing compared to him.
This continued for another 10 or so minutes, while I stood there, speechless, and Lexi thanked him for every bag he brought in, while Tabitha continuously waved and said "bye".
And then he left. And that was that. Wonder what he'll talk about next time.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
I'm fairly sure
it's broken. My toe that is. It is very swollen and bruised. I have actually broken that same toe (the big one on the right) twice before. The first time I was lifting a table off a rack and dropped it straight on there. That did not tickle. The second time, well, let's just say I can not take full responsibility for my actions on that occasion.
Anyway, both those times it hurt. But it didn't bruise or swell anything near like it has this time. So odds are. Oh well, there isn't anything they can do for a broken toe anyway. The hardest part is not the hobbling around in pain, it's the avoiding children stepping on it. That is damn near impossible.
Had a much better day today than yesterday. Early start again, mini dude up at 6 or so. Little feed, roll around, and I got a very small amount more done on the essay from hell. I have all of 2 days left. I seriously better light a fire under my butt and get a wriggle on with it. I am just having so much trouble. Aside from the fact that I have zero interest in the subject matter I simply don't understand it. It is to me much like the instructions for putting together the furniture that I was unable to put together over the last few days and required assistance with (in other words someone else put it together for me).
I have now pretty well got the house set up the way I want it. There are still a few things I would like to get, however we have all the basics and a few extra bits too, thanks to some very very generous friends. We are certainly spoilt in that regard I must say. I often wonder what I have done to deserve such wonderful friends who go to such lengths to help me. It is flabbergasting really. Absolutely mindblowing. And I love that I have these friends, and hope that I can return the favours some day and hitch a carriage onto the karma train.
I think I have procrastinated long enough, time to get nasty with myself and do this bloody essay.
Anyway, both those times it hurt. But it didn't bruise or swell anything near like it has this time. So odds are. Oh well, there isn't anything they can do for a broken toe anyway. The hardest part is not the hobbling around in pain, it's the avoiding children stepping on it. That is damn near impossible.
Had a much better day today than yesterday. Early start again, mini dude up at 6 or so. Little feed, roll around, and I got a very small amount more done on the essay from hell. I have all of 2 days left. I seriously better light a fire under my butt and get a wriggle on with it. I am just having so much trouble. Aside from the fact that I have zero interest in the subject matter I simply don't understand it. It is to me much like the instructions for putting together the furniture that I was unable to put together over the last few days and required assistance with (in other words someone else put it together for me).
I have now pretty well got the house set up the way I want it. There are still a few things I would like to get, however we have all the basics and a few extra bits too, thanks to some very very generous friends. We are certainly spoilt in that regard I must say. I often wonder what I have done to deserve such wonderful friends who go to such lengths to help me. It is flabbergasting really. Absolutely mindblowing. And I love that I have these friends, and hope that I can return the favours some day and hitch a carriage onto the karma train.
I think I have procrastinated long enough, time to get nasty with myself and do this bloody essay.
Friday, February 18, 2011
When I woke up this morning
there was no way I could tell how the day would turn out. The night itself had been okay, quite a few ups and downs but to be honest I think if I got a full night's sleep without the ups and downs I'd just about have heart failure. I'm tipping it isn't going to happen in the near future. Maybe when the kids leave home, who knows.
Anyway, the day started with Angus waking up gurgling, as he does, and smiling at me, as he also does, and which I love. So up we got and Tabitha was just stirring. So up she got too. Angus had a roll around on the floor and Tabitha and I had a bit of a 'chat' which was lovely. Then miss Lexi awoke and came running out to give me cuddles (another thing I love) and we all started the day with a bowl of nutri grain (well, the girls did, I don't eat nutri grain. I had coke. Healthy).
So you see the first part of the day was lovely. It was happy, and joyful, and the kids were all wonderfully well behaved and things were great. Ah yes this will be a good day. Do you remember me saying that as soon as you assume something it turns itself around and boots you up the bum? Or something similar..... Well, I was afflicted by that today. The first part of the day lulled me into a false sense of security, waited until I felt suitably happy and comfortable, and as such less on guard, and then it took itself and rammed itself fair up my right royal in the most unforeseen way.
I think it must be a record to be in a house less than three days before you flood it.
I could elaborate. I won't. It was not my fault, and in fact even though fault technically could be passed, it was one of those freak things that really just doesn't happen. Except to me of course.
So I ring my saviour of late and she arrives laden down with more dry towels for me to mop up the carnage, and a bunch of beautiful bright pink gerberas. Such a lovely person. Such a good friend.
After a bit more mopping I made a bolt and grabbed fish and chips for everyone because I think it was needed, and we had actually planned to have fish and chips for lunch anyway.
Time passed, more jumping on towels, and before my eyes the furniture was being assembled for me. I have attempted to do this. I have come to the conclusion that I am actually a little bit retarded as far as stuff like that is concerned. Actually quite a lot of stuff. I went to get the milkshake maker out of the garage (still in a box) and dropped the metal cup on my big toe which promptly swelled up and now feels as though a truck has driven over it. So you see overall it was not really a great day. It would have been a hell of a lot worse without the help of my friend though, in the clean up and the furniture building stakes, and to whom I am incredibly grateful. Again.
I did however phone up the daycare centre. They have vacancies. I am going there next Tuesday afternoon for orientation, then the girls will be going to daycare one or two days a week. I'm HUGELY excited about this. Lexi will have a ball, Tabitha will hopefully learn to interact a bit better (although I must say every day she is improving. I think she is just a precious personality), and I will get some much needed study time and time to do shopping and whatnot. Angus will still stay home with me. He's too little to send to daycare. Well, he probably isn't, but I don't want him to go there just yet.
Last night I opted not to finish my essay because I came to the conclusion that it was stupid. I still believe that it is stupid however I have realised today that this methodology will not actually help me get it finished and thus complete that subject. So I'm sucking it up and getting my brain into foreign investment. As you do. And while I do that my toe is on fire, I have a load of towels in the dryer ready for the next instalment of jumping, and all the kids are asleep and it is 7.15pm. That rocks.
Anyway, the day started with Angus waking up gurgling, as he does, and smiling at me, as he also does, and which I love. So up we got and Tabitha was just stirring. So up she got too. Angus had a roll around on the floor and Tabitha and I had a bit of a 'chat' which was lovely. Then miss Lexi awoke and came running out to give me cuddles (another thing I love) and we all started the day with a bowl of nutri grain (well, the girls did, I don't eat nutri grain. I had coke. Healthy).
So you see the first part of the day was lovely. It was happy, and joyful, and the kids were all wonderfully well behaved and things were great. Ah yes this will be a good day. Do you remember me saying that as soon as you assume something it turns itself around and boots you up the bum? Or something similar..... Well, I was afflicted by that today. The first part of the day lulled me into a false sense of security, waited until I felt suitably happy and comfortable, and as such less on guard, and then it took itself and rammed itself fair up my right royal in the most unforeseen way.
I think it must be a record to be in a house less than three days before you flood it.
I could elaborate. I won't. It was not my fault, and in fact even though fault technically could be passed, it was one of those freak things that really just doesn't happen. Except to me of course.
So I ring my saviour of late and she arrives laden down with more dry towels for me to mop up the carnage, and a bunch of beautiful bright pink gerberas. Such a lovely person. Such a good friend.
After a bit more mopping I made a bolt and grabbed fish and chips for everyone because I think it was needed, and we had actually planned to have fish and chips for lunch anyway.
Time passed, more jumping on towels, and before my eyes the furniture was being assembled for me. I have attempted to do this. I have come to the conclusion that I am actually a little bit retarded as far as stuff like that is concerned. Actually quite a lot of stuff. I went to get the milkshake maker out of the garage (still in a box) and dropped the metal cup on my big toe which promptly swelled up and now feels as though a truck has driven over it. So you see overall it was not really a great day. It would have been a hell of a lot worse without the help of my friend though, in the clean up and the furniture building stakes, and to whom I am incredibly grateful. Again.
I did however phone up the daycare centre. They have vacancies. I am going there next Tuesday afternoon for orientation, then the girls will be going to daycare one or two days a week. I'm HUGELY excited about this. Lexi will have a ball, Tabitha will hopefully learn to interact a bit better (although I must say every day she is improving. I think she is just a precious personality), and I will get some much needed study time and time to do shopping and whatnot. Angus will still stay home with me. He's too little to send to daycare. Well, he probably isn't, but I don't want him to go there just yet.
Last night I opted not to finish my essay because I came to the conclusion that it was stupid. I still believe that it is stupid however I have realised today that this methodology will not actually help me get it finished and thus complete that subject. So I'm sucking it up and getting my brain into foreign investment. As you do. And while I do that my toe is on fire, I have a load of towels in the dryer ready for the next instalment of jumping, and all the kids are asleep and it is 7.15pm. That rocks.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Memory card full
That's what my camera had the cheek to say to me today. It holds 520 pictures. I last loaded pictures on to the computer on the 31st of January. So that means that in 17 days I have taken 520 pictures. 30 a day. That's pretty impressive. So I was forced to delete some from the memory card in order that I could take a photograph of that which had prompted me to grab the camera in the first place.
Now I'll give you a little bit of background to this photograph. Or you could just read the last blog entry. Tabitha had her first night in a big bed last night. She did well but was up quite a few times, and up for the day at 6.15 this morning. All fine and well. Went to put her down for a day time nap in the big bed. Um, nup. Not happening.
I must say the feeling I experienced was not dissimilar to the feeling you get when you are juuuust about at the top of the hill on a roller coaster, just before it goes hurtling down at speeds that leave your stomach well behind. For when Lexi went into the big bed, the day of this occurrence was the last day we saw her have a daytime sleep.
I am not ready for Tabitha to not have a sleep in the day. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
So I tried to put her down for a nap, and it was only a few minutes (during which time we could hear her happily talking away to Julia) before she surfaced from her room with a big grin on her face. She has discovered she can get down all by herself and she is chuffed about it. So I asked her if she wanted to go and have a sleep and I got a very firm "no". Oh. Crap. Please no. I'm seriously not ready. Seriously not ready for this.
But what can you do? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. So she was up. And Angus was nearly asleep. So Lexi and I popped up to Kmart while mum looked after mini chick and mini dude, and Lexi and I perused the sale items to see if we could get some important additions to the house. Additions? Well, not really additions. Necessities more like. Coat hangers. We bought coat hangers. Dozens of coat hangers. And when I went to the chick who worked there to ask where they lived I could not for the life of me remember what they were called. I asked "do you sell clothes hangers?". And she replied "do you mean coat hangers?" And I replied "Um, yes, sorry, I forgot what they were called." Well, if ever you want to know what look people give you when they think you are the dumbest person on the face of the planet, tell someone you can't remember what coat hangers are called. Then you'll see. I felt so special. Like really special. Like cork on the end of a fork special. But I got my "clothes hangers".
The fridge and washer and dryer were getting delivered today. I say were because they were, but it makes it sound like they didn't arrive when in fact they did. Now I had many different phone conversations with the company from whom I rent these items (funnily enough rentals is in their name, and something about a wireless.....). Now, I am the first to complain if something isn't right because I believe that things need to be done competently, to the best of the ability of the person or persons doing that thing. However I am also the first to give praise where praise is due, and my word praise is due. The chick I spoke with did a miraculous job of finding me some fabulous items at a sensational price, delivered only the day after I moved in here with the kidlets. I'm actually going to write the powers that be a letter and cc this chick so she knows. I'm massively impressed. Massively. And with my real estate agent too. Seriously so very impressed.
Anyway, I did have a point. What it was has, yet again, escaped me. But I'll leave you with the photo that had to be taken. And you should then understand the earlier discussion. Toodle-oo.
Now I'll give you a little bit of background to this photograph. Or you could just read the last blog entry. Tabitha had her first night in a big bed last night. She did well but was up quite a few times, and up for the day at 6.15 this morning. All fine and well. Went to put her down for a day time nap in the big bed. Um, nup. Not happening.
I must say the feeling I experienced was not dissimilar to the feeling you get when you are juuuust about at the top of the hill on a roller coaster, just before it goes hurtling down at speeds that leave your stomach well behind. For when Lexi went into the big bed, the day of this occurrence was the last day we saw her have a daytime sleep.
I am not ready for Tabitha to not have a sleep in the day. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
So I tried to put her down for a nap, and it was only a few minutes (during which time we could hear her happily talking away to Julia) before she surfaced from her room with a big grin on her face. She has discovered she can get down all by herself and she is chuffed about it. So I asked her if she wanted to go and have a sleep and I got a very firm "no". Oh. Crap. Please no. I'm seriously not ready. Seriously not ready for this.
But what can you do? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. So she was up. And Angus was nearly asleep. So Lexi and I popped up to Kmart while mum looked after mini chick and mini dude, and Lexi and I perused the sale items to see if we could get some important additions to the house. Additions? Well, not really additions. Necessities more like. Coat hangers. We bought coat hangers. Dozens of coat hangers. And when I went to the chick who worked there to ask where they lived I could not for the life of me remember what they were called. I asked "do you sell clothes hangers?". And she replied "do you mean coat hangers?" And I replied "Um, yes, sorry, I forgot what they were called." Well, if ever you want to know what look people give you when they think you are the dumbest person on the face of the planet, tell someone you can't remember what coat hangers are called. Then you'll see. I felt so special. Like really special. Like cork on the end of a fork special. But I got my "clothes hangers".
The fridge and washer and dryer were getting delivered today. I say were because they were, but it makes it sound like they didn't arrive when in fact they did. Now I had many different phone conversations with the company from whom I rent these items (funnily enough rentals is in their name, and something about a wireless.....). Now, I am the first to complain if something isn't right because I believe that things need to be done competently, to the best of the ability of the person or persons doing that thing. However I am also the first to give praise where praise is due, and my word praise is due. The chick I spoke with did a miraculous job of finding me some fabulous items at a sensational price, delivered only the day after I moved in here with the kidlets. I'm actually going to write the powers that be a letter and cc this chick so she knows. I'm massively impressed. Massively. And with my real estate agent too. Seriously so very impressed.
Anyway, I did have a point. What it was has, yet again, escaped me. But I'll leave you with the photo that had to be taken. And you should then understand the earlier discussion. Toodle-oo.
Tabitha's first night
in a big bed went remarkably well. I was actually pretty rapt with how it went to be honest. When she first got in she did get out again, a couple of times actually, but I popped her back in and told her this was her special big bed and she needed to have a nice big sleep in her special big bed with Julia (her doll). She fell asleep. She woke up. She was a little confused as to where she was and whatnot, which is completely 100% expected, but she went back to sleep. She woke up again and it was later and she asked for a bottle. I gave her one. I don't want her to feel as though things are massively different being in a big bed and if a bottle makes her feel better then a bottle she shall have. And then she slept for several hours. Several. She did really well. I'm one proud mummy. She did wake up for the day at 6.15am, as did Angus, and I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, thinking it was only about 4am, but checking the time lo and behold there it was, 6.15am, and I instantly didn't feel so bad, particularly considering if we were still in Queensland it would be 5.15am. So really it isn't that bad.
Angus is lying on the floor on his play rug, still in his little sleeping bag. I might take that off him actually. And through the wonders of technology it is now off him. Tabitha is licking his forehead. Actually licking is probably the wrong word. She is kissing his forehead, but she has her tongue out. Poor Angus. He is very tolerant.
Tabitha is currently sitting doing a puzzle. There are six pieces in the puzzle. She is removing them, one by one, and counting as she does it. All the way up to six. Clever chicken.
I don't know how to work the ducted heating. I have absolutely no idea. I push buttons, nothing changes. Ah well. Might ask the real estate agent when I drop the condition report back.
I hope the fridge arrives fairly early today. I hate the feeling of having no food in the house. I literally have a couple of tins of tomatoes, a box of cereal (which only arrived here yesterday), some rafferty's pouches and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Oh, and 8 packets of 2 minute noodles. And I can't cook them because I bought saucepans from Ikea and they need the handles attached and I don't have a screwdriver. That's on the list. Actually I think one saucepan may have the handle on. I'm not sure now. Actually I could probably do them in the microwave anyway. Alright fine, I could have made 2 minute noodles. But I didn't. Now let's just drop it about the noodles hey.
Today I have a lot of things to do. Investigate child care centres, go to Aldi (yay!), and also check out this big wholesale fruit and veg and meat place too. With any luck things will be massively cheap, because we'll be on a budget from here on in that is just a little stricter than we have been on up to this point, as we are paying slightly more rent than we probably should be (not for the place, just full stop) but I think it is worth it because where we are is fabulous.
Oooooh actually I should get a roast thingy and give the oven a run tonight. That's the shot. Must remember to add salt to the shopping list. And Gravox.
Okay I suppose I should humour Tabitha with her mobile phone game. She is walking around the house mimicking how I speak on the phone. Hilarious little "hello" followed by mumble mumble mumble yes mumble mumble ha ha ha ha mumble mumble bye.
Angus is lying on the floor on his play rug, still in his little sleeping bag. I might take that off him actually. And through the wonders of technology it is now off him. Tabitha is licking his forehead. Actually licking is probably the wrong word. She is kissing his forehead, but she has her tongue out. Poor Angus. He is very tolerant.
Tabitha is currently sitting doing a puzzle. There are six pieces in the puzzle. She is removing them, one by one, and counting as she does it. All the way up to six. Clever chicken.
I don't know how to work the ducted heating. I have absolutely no idea. I push buttons, nothing changes. Ah well. Might ask the real estate agent when I drop the condition report back.
I hope the fridge arrives fairly early today. I hate the feeling of having no food in the house. I literally have a couple of tins of tomatoes, a box of cereal (which only arrived here yesterday), some rafferty's pouches and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Oh, and 8 packets of 2 minute noodles. And I can't cook them because I bought saucepans from Ikea and they need the handles attached and I don't have a screwdriver. That's on the list. Actually I think one saucepan may have the handle on. I'm not sure now. Actually I could probably do them in the microwave anyway. Alright fine, I could have made 2 minute noodles. But I didn't. Now let's just drop it about the noodles hey.
Today I have a lot of things to do. Investigate child care centres, go to Aldi (yay!), and also check out this big wholesale fruit and veg and meat place too. With any luck things will be massively cheap, because we'll be on a budget from here on in that is just a little stricter than we have been on up to this point, as we are paying slightly more rent than we probably should be (not for the place, just full stop) but I think it is worth it because where we are is fabulous.
Oooooh actually I should get a roast thingy and give the oven a run tonight. That's the shot. Must remember to add salt to the shopping list. And Gravox.
Okay I suppose I should humour Tabitha with her mobile phone game. She is walking around the house mimicking how I speak on the phone. Hilarious little "hello" followed by mumble mumble mumble yes mumble mumble ha ha ha ha mumble mumble bye.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
I should really
be unpacking. But I'm not. I'm sitting here with glass of wine number 3 (tee hee) reading over past blog posts. It is actually quite funny you know because the way in which I write them is probably different to others. I can quite honestly say that I don't actually think about what I am writing before it becomes indelibly blobbed on to the world wide web. I touch type, so there are around 100-120 words a minute popping themselves on to the virtual page in front of me, and I basically just type what I am thinking. For the most part anyway. It is rare that I actually stop and think before I type something. Much the same way as I am in real life really.
Here's my theory. I'm 37 years old. I've been on this earth for long enough to know that not everything is sunshine and lollipops. I have no tolerance for incompetence. I will always say what I think. ALWAYS. If you know me in real life you will know that this is the case. I won't sugar coat things. I won't lie. I hate lying. Actually lying is the thing in life I probably hate the most. Other sins of the flesh and whatnot, yep, they are pretty ordinary too, but when you think of it lying is the common denominator isn't it? So yep, I don't lie.
I also tend to have conversations with myself. So you may see things that I have written and think that is me 'discussing' it with the online world. Nope. Discussing it with myself, just writing it down and others get to see it. There really is an awful lot going through my mind. Seriously riveting stuff. Like only today I realised that a suitcase is called that because SUIT and CASE, case for a suit. My god, how on earth did I live for so long without realising that?? I have mentioned this before in the case of supermarket, but this one was a newie. Hadn't realised that before.
Anyway, there was a point to this post and I have no idea what it is. I guess I just wanted to say thanks for being in my brain with me for a bit. Even if it is only a small amount of what goes through it, it's kinda nice that someone else can 'hear' it too.
Might play a game of poker and have another glass of red......I'm tipping there'll be a few more wake ups yet......
Here's my theory. I'm 37 years old. I've been on this earth for long enough to know that not everything is sunshine and lollipops. I have no tolerance for incompetence. I will always say what I think. ALWAYS. If you know me in real life you will know that this is the case. I won't sugar coat things. I won't lie. I hate lying. Actually lying is the thing in life I probably hate the most. Other sins of the flesh and whatnot, yep, they are pretty ordinary too, but when you think of it lying is the common denominator isn't it? So yep, I don't lie.
I also tend to have conversations with myself. So you may see things that I have written and think that is me 'discussing' it with the online world. Nope. Discussing it with myself, just writing it down and others get to see it. There really is an awful lot going through my mind. Seriously riveting stuff. Like only today I realised that a suitcase is called that because SUIT and CASE, case for a suit. My god, how on earth did I live for so long without realising that?? I have mentioned this before in the case of supermarket, but this one was a newie. Hadn't realised that before.
Anyway, there was a point to this post and I have no idea what it is. I guess I just wanted to say thanks for being in my brain with me for a bit. Even if it is only a small amount of what goes through it, it's kinda nice that someone else can 'hear' it too.
Might play a game of poker and have another glass of red......I'm tipping there'll be a few more wake ups yet......
You know that feeling you get
when you can't stop smiling and you end up with sore cheeks and cheekbones and your forehead feels as though it has developed a billion more wrinkles and your gums almost tingle? I've got that :)
We moved today. Yes, there were a few minor hiccups, not the least of which was the fact that there was no power when we got here. After half an hour on the phone with the power company, my temper unfortunately got the better of me and I said to them "if my power is not on by today I will personally come down there and rip you all a new asshole". I think that probably just about sums up the stress levels.
The power was on within a few hours. Hmmm.
I don't have a fridge yet. Few little hiccups organising that but it will arrive tomorrow hurrah!
Furniture is here. Sort of. Well, in my little dream thought process of when we moved I envisaged the delivery men arriving with my furniture and setting it up there and there and there and me saying "oh no, over there please" but um, well, no. Flat pack. All the way. Devastation in my eyes? Yes. Why? No screwdrivers. Or drills. If, however, you need an Allen key, I'm your girl.
I could not possibly have got through the day without the help of a friend. A new friend. But such an amazing friend. I can not believe how much she has done to help me in such a short space of time and I am so very very grateful. And another new friend brought us KFC for lunch. What a day.
I didn't put Tabitha down for a nap today. Nope. It was sort of planned, partially because things were just too hectic and there were 7 kids here, but also because it is her first night in a big bed tonight and I thought perhaps if she was absolutely knackered that might go a bit better. All the kids are asleep now, and things are going okay thus far. Lexi has woken up twice, but I am putting that down to the bump on the head she got the other night. Hopefully she will settle down soon too.
I'm sitting here drinking a glass of red and wondering what to tackle next. I made the executive decision to put everything in the garage. Except the furniture of course. But I figure if it is all in the garage I can attack it bit by bit and the house won't get messy. That was the theory. Just remember though that when you put the kids into the bath that theory is wonderfully impractical when you realise that somewhere in the mass of boxes and bags in the garage are the pyjamas the kids will need to wear to bed. I found them. Eventually.
So tonight is going to be a bit of a potter along semi relax kind of chillish night. I am absorbing the new place and the new environment and the new sounds that come with it and just basically thinking to myself. It's nice. I'm very happy. The situation isn't 100% perfect, but when is it ever? The house however I think is fabulous. It truly is. And the kids love it. AND the carpet is heavy duty. Rock on.
Now if only I can work out how to use the dishwasher I'll be set.......
We moved today. Yes, there were a few minor hiccups, not the least of which was the fact that there was no power when we got here. After half an hour on the phone with the power company, my temper unfortunately got the better of me and I said to them "if my power is not on by today I will personally come down there and rip you all a new asshole". I think that probably just about sums up the stress levels.
The power was on within a few hours. Hmmm.
I don't have a fridge yet. Few little hiccups organising that but it will arrive tomorrow hurrah!
Furniture is here. Sort of. Well, in my little dream thought process of when we moved I envisaged the delivery men arriving with my furniture and setting it up there and there and there and me saying "oh no, over there please" but um, well, no. Flat pack. All the way. Devastation in my eyes? Yes. Why? No screwdrivers. Or drills. If, however, you need an Allen key, I'm your girl.
I could not possibly have got through the day without the help of a friend. A new friend. But such an amazing friend. I can not believe how much she has done to help me in such a short space of time and I am so very very grateful. And another new friend brought us KFC for lunch. What a day.
I didn't put Tabitha down for a nap today. Nope. It was sort of planned, partially because things were just too hectic and there were 7 kids here, but also because it is her first night in a big bed tonight and I thought perhaps if she was absolutely knackered that might go a bit better. All the kids are asleep now, and things are going okay thus far. Lexi has woken up twice, but I am putting that down to the bump on the head she got the other night. Hopefully she will settle down soon too.
I'm sitting here drinking a glass of red and wondering what to tackle next. I made the executive decision to put everything in the garage. Except the furniture of course. But I figure if it is all in the garage I can attack it bit by bit and the house won't get messy. That was the theory. Just remember though that when you put the kids into the bath that theory is wonderfully impractical when you realise that somewhere in the mass of boxes and bags in the garage are the pyjamas the kids will need to wear to bed. I found them. Eventually.
So tonight is going to be a bit of a potter along semi relax kind of chillish night. I am absorbing the new place and the new environment and the new sounds that come with it and just basically thinking to myself. It's nice. I'm very happy. The situation isn't 100% perfect, but when is it ever? The house however I think is fabulous. It truly is. And the kids love it. AND the carpet is heavy duty. Rock on.
Now if only I can work out how to use the dishwasher I'll be set.......
I can't remember
the last time I was this excited about moving. Seriously, moving is generally pretty crappy, there is heaps of packing to do, organisational things and the like, and then there's the fact that there are three midgets to keep track of and look after as well. And even the fact that radio rentals are annoying me with their lack of organisation I am refusing to let them take the jam out of my donut, and am still massively excited.
Why am I so excited? Because this is the start of the next phase of our lives. This is the place that I hope we can live in for a few years, and if all goes well and the area turns out to be as nice to live in as I think it will, then perhaps we will get a house of our own there.
I've packed as much as I can, things are ready to go. I have furniture being delivered this afternoon and I will be phoning radio rentals again in 1 hour and 41 minutes to follow up and hopefully, fingers and toes and every other thing that crosses crossed, we can get the fridge and washer this afternoon. If not then, well, hopefully tomorrow.
I got my essay finished and submitted yesterday, a day early, but I'm not sure how much time I'll get today, plus I will need to find another source of net as the stick goes back to its owner today. I fear I may be netless for a few days however, sad to say, but these things happen now don't they.
I've had a Red Bull, kettle has just boiled for coffee, Angus is rolling around on the floor with an elephant and things are good.
Lexi is MUCH better in case you wondered. Relieved is the understatement of the century I can tell you.
Now for my shameless plug for the day - I'm involved in Relay for Life this year. The kids and I are going to go along to support a fabulous cause and hopefully raise as much money as possible. All the kids will be doing some laps too (although Angus in the pram, he's not so good on his feet just yet). If you have always wanted to be involved but don't have the time and would like to donate, just pop on over to my Relay for Life page. Every little bit counts.
I had better get myself organised as I need to leave the house in a few hours on my merry way to the NEW house (and by new I mean new.....nobody has ever lived in the house before!).
Wish me luck (as you wave me goodbyyyyyyyyye).
Catch you on the flip side.
Why am I so excited? Because this is the start of the next phase of our lives. This is the place that I hope we can live in for a few years, and if all goes well and the area turns out to be as nice to live in as I think it will, then perhaps we will get a house of our own there.
I've packed as much as I can, things are ready to go. I have furniture being delivered this afternoon and I will be phoning radio rentals again in 1 hour and 41 minutes to follow up and hopefully, fingers and toes and every other thing that crosses crossed, we can get the fridge and washer this afternoon. If not then, well, hopefully tomorrow.
I got my essay finished and submitted yesterday, a day early, but I'm not sure how much time I'll get today, plus I will need to find another source of net as the stick goes back to its owner today. I fear I may be netless for a few days however, sad to say, but these things happen now don't they.
I've had a Red Bull, kettle has just boiled for coffee, Angus is rolling around on the floor with an elephant and things are good.
Lexi is MUCH better in case you wondered. Relieved is the understatement of the century I can tell you.
Now for my shameless plug for the day - I'm involved in Relay for Life this year. The kids and I are going to go along to support a fabulous cause and hopefully raise as much money as possible. All the kids will be doing some laps too (although Angus in the pram, he's not so good on his feet just yet). If you have always wanted to be involved but don't have the time and would like to donate, just pop on over to my Relay for Life page. Every little bit counts.
I had better get myself organised as I need to leave the house in a few hours on my merry way to the NEW house (and by new I mean new.....nobody has ever lived in the house before!).
Wish me luck (as you wave me goodbyyyyyyyyye).
Catch you on the flip side.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Priorities
become glaringly apparent when curve balls are thrown your way.
I have an essay due tomorrow and I have been stressing somewhat about this essay because all the kids have been sick and up most of the night so study time is very limited, as is sleep time.
Last night I could not have given a flying razoo about the essay. Lexi was spinning around in the kitchen with Tabitha (kids love to spin and stopping them doing it is something like trying to stop the sun rising in the morning). She was having a wonderful time until she lost her footing and fell, landing head first on the lino. She screamed. She cried. I cuddled her tight. This lasted about 10 minutes. She then toddled over to the lounge chair and promptly fell asleep. Not a good sign.
So I picked her up and put her into bed thinking that she may wake up in the next 10 or 15 minutes to have some panadol for what must be a ripper of a headache. I wasn't prepared for the massive onslaught of continuous vomiting that occurred. And fall + drowsiness + vomiting spells danger.
I packed her into the car and off we went to the hospital. We didn't make it 5 minutes before she threw up again. That reminds me I still have to clean the car. And then we drove another 5 minutes and she threw up again. A small sleep and another few hurls before we arrived at the hospital, literally covered in vomit. I had towels in the car and kept placing them on her but the vomiting was violent and the towels were moving and there was not a great deal that could be done.
So we rocked up at emergency reeking of vomit, and covered in it, they asked what had happened, and, with a waiting room literally full of people, they rushed Lexi through, she vomiting just before we got to the room she was put into.
I can't believe just how good the nurses and doctor were with her. They made her feel comfortable, explained everything to her in a way she could understand, and made me feel more at ease too.
We were told that with head injuries the worst things usually happen in the first four hours, so they wanted to keep us there until it had been four hours since the injury. I agreed. That was fine. The doctor was fairly sure that she had sustained only a low velocity head injury, she was still complaining of pain in the back of the head as well as the front, but as the nurse explained, often times head injuries are like a tomato in a glass jar. If you shake the jar the tomato is going to bruise on both sides. I think that about sums it up.
Anyway long story short they gave her something to stop the vomiting, gave me a rundown and a printed sheet of all the things to look out for and let us go home, Lexi still wearing the pink hospital gown they had given her to wear as all her clothes were covered in vomit.
We got home, she was asleep, and I put her into bed. I then did my essay for an hour and a half, then Angus woke up so I fed him. Then Tabitha woke up so I gave her a bottle. Then I checked on Lexi. I crawled into bed at about 1.30am and at 1.45am Angus coughed waking himself up. The rest of the night really just went Angus, Tabitha, Lexi, until morning arrived and we all got up and started over.
Lexi is much better today. Angus is getting there. Tabitha still has a runny nose but the cough seems to have broken. Mummy is absolutely shagged but got the essay finished this morning.
I had other things I was going to say but to be quite honest I don't even know what day it is let alone what it was I was going to say. Oh, but I need clothes pegs and coat hangers. That is one thing I have to remember.
I have an essay due tomorrow and I have been stressing somewhat about this essay because all the kids have been sick and up most of the night so study time is very limited, as is sleep time.
Last night I could not have given a flying razoo about the essay. Lexi was spinning around in the kitchen with Tabitha (kids love to spin and stopping them doing it is something like trying to stop the sun rising in the morning). She was having a wonderful time until she lost her footing and fell, landing head first on the lino. She screamed. She cried. I cuddled her tight. This lasted about 10 minutes. She then toddled over to the lounge chair and promptly fell asleep. Not a good sign.
So I picked her up and put her into bed thinking that she may wake up in the next 10 or 15 minutes to have some panadol for what must be a ripper of a headache. I wasn't prepared for the massive onslaught of continuous vomiting that occurred. And fall + drowsiness + vomiting spells danger.
I packed her into the car and off we went to the hospital. We didn't make it 5 minutes before she threw up again. That reminds me I still have to clean the car. And then we drove another 5 minutes and she threw up again. A small sleep and another few hurls before we arrived at the hospital, literally covered in vomit. I had towels in the car and kept placing them on her but the vomiting was violent and the towels were moving and there was not a great deal that could be done.
So we rocked up at emergency reeking of vomit, and covered in it, they asked what had happened, and, with a waiting room literally full of people, they rushed Lexi through, she vomiting just before we got to the room she was put into.
I can't believe just how good the nurses and doctor were with her. They made her feel comfortable, explained everything to her in a way she could understand, and made me feel more at ease too.
We were told that with head injuries the worst things usually happen in the first four hours, so they wanted to keep us there until it had been four hours since the injury. I agreed. That was fine. The doctor was fairly sure that she had sustained only a low velocity head injury, she was still complaining of pain in the back of the head as well as the front, but as the nurse explained, often times head injuries are like a tomato in a glass jar. If you shake the jar the tomato is going to bruise on both sides. I think that about sums it up.
Anyway long story short they gave her something to stop the vomiting, gave me a rundown and a printed sheet of all the things to look out for and let us go home, Lexi still wearing the pink hospital gown they had given her to wear as all her clothes were covered in vomit.
We got home, she was asleep, and I put her into bed. I then did my essay for an hour and a half, then Angus woke up so I fed him. Then Tabitha woke up so I gave her a bottle. Then I checked on Lexi. I crawled into bed at about 1.30am and at 1.45am Angus coughed waking himself up. The rest of the night really just went Angus, Tabitha, Lexi, until morning arrived and we all got up and started over.
Lexi is much better today. Angus is getting there. Tabitha still has a runny nose but the cough seems to have broken. Mummy is absolutely shagged but got the essay finished this morning.
I had other things I was going to say but to be quite honest I don't even know what day it is let alone what it was I was going to say. Oh, but I need clothes pegs and coat hangers. That is one thing I have to remember.
Monday, February 14, 2011
There is no room
in my car. And by no room I mean not even the kids can fit in. Well, Lexi can because she came to the shops with me yesterday so I had to make sure she fit.
When you move interstate and decide not to bring anything with you, as had always been the decision (when we first moved up north we didn't take anything and decided then that we would do it the other way as well) just remember that there are a lot of things that you don't really bank on remembering that you need. Until you write a list. Which I did. That list is enormous. So yesterday I set out on expedition "get everything I need to make sure when we move on Wednesday we have everything we need". I'm pretty bloody happy with the result too. I managed to get everything from mattress protectors to a toasted sandwich maker, from dustpan and brush to microwave. And I did it on a budget. How? One word. KMart. Or is that one word and a letter? Ah no matter, whatever it is I went there and got truckloads of stuff at a really good price, so now we're all set.
I am going like a bat out of hell to try and get the essay completed by today so that tomorrow can be spent packing and getting organised. I'm nearly there. But having little sleep doesn't help.
As a mum you do things a certain way and sometimes you think to yourself I wonder why I do them that way. Well, last night was one of those times. I usually feed the girls between 4.30pm and 5.00pm. It's early, yes, but that's just what I do. I couldn't actually remember why until last night. Rellies popped over for dinner so we didn't eat till around 6pm. After the main course there was dessert which was closer to 7.15pm. Tabitha had gone to bed around then but Lexi stayed up to play with her cousin and eat some cheesecake.
It was only an hour or so after she went to bed that I remembered why I usually feed the girls early. It's because of the reaction Lexi seems to have if she eats later and then goes straight to bed. It isn't good. It isn't good at all. So it was around 10pm before she finally settled down, and then I had to knuckle down and do the essay. I went like a woman possessed till around 11.15pm when Angus woke up. And he didn't want to go back to sleep. Disappointing. Eventually went down around midnight. Tabitha woke up at 12.41pm and wasn't too happy with the state of the world so I, being the knackered mummy, gave in without even basically being hounded and gave her a bottle because I just needed to get some sleep. And then Angus woke up again around 2am and talked and carried on for a good hour before nodding off again, I then checked on the girls, covered them both back up and stealthed back into bed and actually managed to get about 2.5 hours straight sleep. Amazing. Who the hell gets excited about 2.5 hours straight sleep? Me, that's who, cos sleep is not forthcoming of late. I do have a feeling though that once we move into the house with ducted heating (hurrah) then sleep will come a lot easier. The kids are simply not used to it being so cold at night and when they wake up and breathe in the icy air they find it difficult to get back to sleep.
2 more sleeps. 2 more sleeps. 2 more sleeps.
And I already have our first meal planned. The colonel would be pleased.
When you move interstate and decide not to bring anything with you, as had always been the decision (when we first moved up north we didn't take anything and decided then that we would do it the other way as well) just remember that there are a lot of things that you don't really bank on remembering that you need. Until you write a list. Which I did. That list is enormous. So yesterday I set out on expedition "get everything I need to make sure when we move on Wednesday we have everything we need". I'm pretty bloody happy with the result too. I managed to get everything from mattress protectors to a toasted sandwich maker, from dustpan and brush to microwave. And I did it on a budget. How? One word. KMart. Or is that one word and a letter? Ah no matter, whatever it is I went there and got truckloads of stuff at a really good price, so now we're all set.
I am going like a bat out of hell to try and get the essay completed by today so that tomorrow can be spent packing and getting organised. I'm nearly there. But having little sleep doesn't help.
As a mum you do things a certain way and sometimes you think to yourself I wonder why I do them that way. Well, last night was one of those times. I usually feed the girls between 4.30pm and 5.00pm. It's early, yes, but that's just what I do. I couldn't actually remember why until last night. Rellies popped over for dinner so we didn't eat till around 6pm. After the main course there was dessert which was closer to 7.15pm. Tabitha had gone to bed around then but Lexi stayed up to play with her cousin and eat some cheesecake.
It was only an hour or so after she went to bed that I remembered why I usually feed the girls early. It's because of the reaction Lexi seems to have if she eats later and then goes straight to bed. It isn't good. It isn't good at all. So it was around 10pm before she finally settled down, and then I had to knuckle down and do the essay. I went like a woman possessed till around 11.15pm when Angus woke up. And he didn't want to go back to sleep. Disappointing. Eventually went down around midnight. Tabitha woke up at 12.41pm and wasn't too happy with the state of the world so I, being the knackered mummy, gave in without even basically being hounded and gave her a bottle because I just needed to get some sleep. And then Angus woke up again around 2am and talked and carried on for a good hour before nodding off again, I then checked on the girls, covered them both back up and stealthed back into bed and actually managed to get about 2.5 hours straight sleep. Amazing. Who the hell gets excited about 2.5 hours straight sleep? Me, that's who, cos sleep is not forthcoming of late. I do have a feeling though that once we move into the house with ducted heating (hurrah) then sleep will come a lot easier. The kids are simply not used to it being so cold at night and when they wake up and breathe in the icy air they find it difficult to get back to sleep.
2 more sleeps. 2 more sleeps. 2 more sleeps.
And I already have our first meal planned. The colonel would be pleased.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
You know you're tired
when you get to the end of the day and all the kids are finally asleep so you sit down at the computer and open up your blog to type in a bit of an entry and you realise you have actually already blogged what you were just about to blog.
Blog. Blog. Blog. I know it's short for weblog. But still. Blog. It's a funny word. I think that has to be one of the contestants (a winner no doubt) in the "let's add a word to the dictionary" competition.
I wonder how many people around the globe actually use "nahmate" as I do. I wonder.
Little man is coughing. Sigh. I don't like my babies being sick. Lexi coughs at night lately. Throughout the day she is fine, but at night, after she has been asleep for a short time, she wakes coughing. I put it down to the colder air here, and the fact that she got a cold. Tabitha coughs too. But she is only coughing because Lexi and Angus are coughing and she doesn't want to be the odd one out.
Phone voices annoy me. It's like an auditory disguise. Thing is, once you see that person in person then you hear their real voice, and if it isn't their phone voice it is very disconcerting. It just doesn't fit. Kinda like the internet chat room where you see the photo of the stunning buxom blonde with perfect skin and teeth, when in reality it's probably a big fat hairy trucker called Bruce.
What has annoyed me the most today is the fact that I was not as observant as I should have been. I was under the impression my next assignment was due on the 18th of February. We are moving on the morning of the 16th of February so I thought that would be okay, I can get some study done that night then will be settled enough the following day to finish it off. Oh no, that would be too easy. The assignment is in actual fact due on the 16th of February. Yes, the day we move. And because we are moving in the morning that rules out the morning, and most likely the afternoon, and I can't bank on the fact that the kids will be settled in the new place, so essentially I must have the assignment done by the 15th. Three days.
Wish me luck.
Blog. Blog. Blog. I know it's short for weblog. But still. Blog. It's a funny word. I think that has to be one of the contestants (a winner no doubt) in the "let's add a word to the dictionary" competition.
I wonder how many people around the globe actually use "nahmate" as I do. I wonder.
Little man is coughing. Sigh. I don't like my babies being sick. Lexi coughs at night lately. Throughout the day she is fine, but at night, after she has been asleep for a short time, she wakes coughing. I put it down to the colder air here, and the fact that she got a cold. Tabitha coughs too. But she is only coughing because Lexi and Angus are coughing and she doesn't want to be the odd one out.
Phone voices annoy me. It's like an auditory disguise. Thing is, once you see that person in person then you hear their real voice, and if it isn't their phone voice it is very disconcerting. It just doesn't fit. Kinda like the internet chat room where you see the photo of the stunning buxom blonde with perfect skin and teeth, when in reality it's probably a big fat hairy trucker called Bruce.
What has annoyed me the most today is the fact that I was not as observant as I should have been. I was under the impression my next assignment was due on the 18th of February. We are moving on the morning of the 16th of February so I thought that would be okay, I can get some study done that night then will be settled enough the following day to finish it off. Oh no, that would be too easy. The assignment is in actual fact due on the 16th of February. Yes, the day we move. And because we are moving in the morning that rules out the morning, and most likely the afternoon, and I can't bank on the fact that the kids will be settled in the new place, so essentially I must have the assignment done by the 15th. Three days.
Wish me luck.
In four days
we move. And I can honestly say I am almost beside myself with excitement. The place we are moving to is a brilliant house, has a great yard, spacious inside, close to heaps of things and is basically everything I could want. And for a rental property it is amazing that it checks all the boxes. I even did a drive by today.... caught up with some more of the kids cousins not far from the house so thought the opportunity was too good not to just swing past and have a look see. I am so glad I did too, for I was able to see that the owners had completed the fencing such that the sides of the house are now completely enclosed, which means it is a 100% entirely kid friendly and safe (as well as dog friendly and safe) property. Brilliant.
The only problem is that time has apparently decided to go at half speed, if not less. Since I was given the all clear that the place was ours time has dragged like nobody's business. Every day feels like a week. Every night feels like a month. The latter is probably because all the kids are still sick and waking up a bazillion times a night. And Angus. Well. I don't know where to start. He has taken to waking in the middle of the night and remaining that way, very vocally, for quite some time. I do believe it is his quest to drive me even more insane, for when he wakes in the morning after however much sleep I didn't get he looks at me with adoring eyes that smile and a cheeky little grin as if to say "wasn't that fun mummy?". Cheeky little monkey.
And now he is squawking like a parrot that has swallowed a galah so I guess I should get back to feeding him.
I will leave you with a lesson for the day (or shall I say night). When sitting feeding your child in darkness, a light "walking" touch feeling against your arm may not be the spider you fear it is, it may simply be your child's fingers. Reacting as though it were a spider will ensure that your child stays up and remains that way, vocally, for some time. And there endeth the lesson.
The only problem is that time has apparently decided to go at half speed, if not less. Since I was given the all clear that the place was ours time has dragged like nobody's business. Every day feels like a week. Every night feels like a month. The latter is probably because all the kids are still sick and waking up a bazillion times a night. And Angus. Well. I don't know where to start. He has taken to waking in the middle of the night and remaining that way, very vocally, for quite some time. I do believe it is his quest to drive me even more insane, for when he wakes in the morning after however much sleep I didn't get he looks at me with adoring eyes that smile and a cheeky little grin as if to say "wasn't that fun mummy?". Cheeky little monkey.
And now he is squawking like a parrot that has swallowed a galah so I guess I should get back to feeding him.
I will leave you with a lesson for the day (or shall I say night). When sitting feeding your child in darkness, a light "walking" touch feeling against your arm may not be the spider you fear it is, it may simply be your child's fingers. Reacting as though it were a spider will ensure that your child stays up and remains that way, vocally, for some time. And there endeth the lesson.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Oh. My. God.
Don't you hate it when you see posts like that on forums, with no further information but the statement Oh. My. God. ?? Well, in this case I'm sorry but it is justified. For today I went to Ikea. I am now no longer an Ikea virgin. And I can tell you, judging by my experience today I could quite easily become an Ikea junkie (which is not of the same verbal example but I don't really fancy being referred to as an Ikea whore, so junkie it is).
I don't really know what I was expecting. People had been saying for such a long time how wonderful it was and how cheap and how this and how that. But it's like having a child. Until you have one of your own you just don't understand. I now understand.
Needless to say I am going back next week. I must go back next week. I managed to get out today with only 2 frypans, 3 saucepans, a broom, 6 drinking glasses, 5 kids plates, 5 kids bowls, 5 kids cups, a pair of scissors, a doormat, a massive drying rack, cutlery setting for 8, a salad spinner, 2 hot dogs, 3 donuts and a big M and spent under $100. As I said earlier - Oh. My. God.
I'm going back. And next time I'm not taking the kids.
I don't really know what I was expecting. People had been saying for such a long time how wonderful it was and how cheap and how this and how that. But it's like having a child. Until you have one of your own you just don't understand. I now understand.
Needless to say I am going back next week. I must go back next week. I managed to get out today with only 2 frypans, 3 saucepans, a broom, 6 drinking glasses, 5 kids plates, 5 kids bowls, 5 kids cups, a pair of scissors, a doormat, a massive drying rack, cutlery setting for 8, a salad spinner, 2 hot dogs, 3 donuts and a big M and spent under $100. As I said earlier - Oh. My. God.
I'm going back. And next time I'm not taking the kids.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sleep arrived
eventually, after a very shaky start to the night. Incredibly shaky. So shaky in fact that I think the time space continuum has been ripped beyond repair. However it is now morning, and we made it through the night. To give you an indication of how horrid it was I was relieved when I heard each and every child cough and cry out, at roughly the same time, this morning because it meant they were still here.
I think I worry more than the average mother. I know most mother's worry and that is completely understandable. However at 23 I was told I would never have children. So in some strange little way my beautiful little babies were never meant to exist, and sometimes I fear that because of this they will be taken away from me, because every day I have with them is literally a miracle. Some days I don't behave as though they are, some days Lexi tests me to the limits and Tabitha sends my blood pressure soaring and Angus ends up with clumps full of my hair in his fist and on those days it tends to float out of my mind just how lucky I am. But at the end of the day, when all is quiet and there is time to reflect, I check in on my babies, as I do several times every night and probably will do several times a night until they leave home, and I smile. Because I do have them. They are real. And they are here. And they are mine. And although I know not what the future holds, I cherish the past and try as much as I can to live in the present, looking only towards the future with the hope that their little lives develop and they are happy and healthy. So today we're going to work on that. The healthy bit. And then on we'll go.
I love Blistex. The little tub. My brother reckons that Blistex is an addiction, much like cigarettes or drugs or alcohol or gambling or shopping. He reckons you used to see women everywhere crack open the miniature tub for a "fix" at regular intervals. I think that's a bit of a stretch, but I do like the way it makes my lips feel, especially right about now considering I'm also sick and the temperature has changed a fair amount and my lips are no longer smooth and rosy but more like spiky, raw and luminescent. Not a good look. So I slather the Blistex on and hope that it will ease things a bit, even if it makes me look as though I have been eating KFC with no hands.
I'm just about to thaw out some steak. I'm not having steak for dinner, but I'm going to use it in the slow cooker. It's oyster blade steak. If you've never had that then you're in a for a treat. It is a great cut of meat, when cooked the right way. It is a good one for the bbq, but I don't have a bbq so won't be doing that. I must add that to the house wishlist actually. Bbq. Check. Another great way to do it, which is how I'm doing it today, is in the slow cooker (or pressure cooker, whichever you have available). The sauce I am going to put with it is called panrem sauce (pantry remnant sauce). It involves cutting up the meat, and an onion, and a carrot or two and some celery if you have it, and a couple of potatoes, then chucking them in the slowy with a liberal splash of soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, flour, salt and pepper, cajun seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and basically any other sauces or things you can find in the pantry. It started off as a very simple four ingredient recipe and has grown to incorporate much of the stuff you buy and use once for a specific recipe then never use again and I figured this was wasteful so why not figure out a way to use it all. Slow cookers are brilliant for that. Chuck everything in, turn it on and in 8 hours there's your meal. I could put in a tin of tomatoes too but for some reason I don't think I want to involve them in it today. I do have some mushrooms though, they'll go in there. Hmmmm. I have probably got a splash of red wine hanging around somewhere too, that'll be nice.
I'm going to continue my fight against the stereotyping of foods by having a poached egg on toast and some olives for breakfast. As you do.
I think I worry more than the average mother. I know most mother's worry and that is completely understandable. However at 23 I was told I would never have children. So in some strange little way my beautiful little babies were never meant to exist, and sometimes I fear that because of this they will be taken away from me, because every day I have with them is literally a miracle. Some days I don't behave as though they are, some days Lexi tests me to the limits and Tabitha sends my blood pressure soaring and Angus ends up with clumps full of my hair in his fist and on those days it tends to float out of my mind just how lucky I am. But at the end of the day, when all is quiet and there is time to reflect, I check in on my babies, as I do several times every night and probably will do several times a night until they leave home, and I smile. Because I do have them. They are real. And they are here. And they are mine. And although I know not what the future holds, I cherish the past and try as much as I can to live in the present, looking only towards the future with the hope that their little lives develop and they are happy and healthy. So today we're going to work on that. The healthy bit. And then on we'll go.
I love Blistex. The little tub. My brother reckons that Blistex is an addiction, much like cigarettes or drugs or alcohol or gambling or shopping. He reckons you used to see women everywhere crack open the miniature tub for a "fix" at regular intervals. I think that's a bit of a stretch, but I do like the way it makes my lips feel, especially right about now considering I'm also sick and the temperature has changed a fair amount and my lips are no longer smooth and rosy but more like spiky, raw and luminescent. Not a good look. So I slather the Blistex on and hope that it will ease things a bit, even if it makes me look as though I have been eating KFC with no hands.
I'm just about to thaw out some steak. I'm not having steak for dinner, but I'm going to use it in the slow cooker. It's oyster blade steak. If you've never had that then you're in a for a treat. It is a great cut of meat, when cooked the right way. It is a good one for the bbq, but I don't have a bbq so won't be doing that. I must add that to the house wishlist actually. Bbq. Check. Another great way to do it, which is how I'm doing it today, is in the slow cooker (or pressure cooker, whichever you have available). The sauce I am going to put with it is called panrem sauce (pantry remnant sauce). It involves cutting up the meat, and an onion, and a carrot or two and some celery if you have it, and a couple of potatoes, then chucking them in the slowy with a liberal splash of soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, flour, salt and pepper, cajun seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and basically any other sauces or things you can find in the pantry. It started off as a very simple four ingredient recipe and has grown to incorporate much of the stuff you buy and use once for a specific recipe then never use again and I figured this was wasteful so why not figure out a way to use it all. Slow cookers are brilliant for that. Chuck everything in, turn it on and in 8 hours there's your meal. I could put in a tin of tomatoes too but for some reason I don't think I want to involve them in it today. I do have some mushrooms though, they'll go in there. Hmmmm. I have probably got a splash of red wine hanging around somewhere too, that'll be nice.
I'm going to continue my fight against the stereotyping of foods by having a poached egg on toast and some olives for breakfast. As you do.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I hate nothing more
than when the kids are sick.
Tabitha and Angus were so obviously unwell today, runny noses, coughing, red cheeks, just generally crappy. Lexi was not. She sounded as though she was getty a little husky but I was glad she wasn't as sick as the others. Until they went to bed. And now Lexi is much sicker than they are. She is waking up breathless, coughing, spluttering, freaking out because she can't breathe properly. And I am powerless to help her. I have put vicks on her chest and feet, have a sudoclear plugged in, and she is presently sleeping, sounding as though she is Darth Vader's long lost daughter. It is horrendous. And when she wakes again, which she will, but not fully, she will freak out again. And it is scary. And makes me cry. She screams and coughs and struggles for air and kicks and pulls my hair and I literally have to squeeze her close to my body and tell her that it's okay, that I am there, and she needs to calm down and breathe.
I don't think I have ever felt quite so helpless as right this very moment.
And my "ideal" lifestyle of living in the country with no neighbours far from the city but close enough to commute is losing appeal. The closest hospital is 30 odd kilometres away. And in an emergency that is just too far away.
I am very happy with the choice I made for us and where our new place is located. Still not next door to a hospital, but much closer, and with neighbours, and friends, close by.
Sometimes what we think we want we want only because we haven't seen what the future holds for us, or the little curveballs that might pop up, and although we may end up in a place that we think is not perfect, in many instances that place, the place that is not our ideal but is a decent substitute, is, for all intents and purposes at that moment in your life, the place that you need to be.
Sometimes, not always, I think things happen for a reason.
Tabitha and Angus were so obviously unwell today, runny noses, coughing, red cheeks, just generally crappy. Lexi was not. She sounded as though she was getty a little husky but I was glad she wasn't as sick as the others. Until they went to bed. And now Lexi is much sicker than they are. She is waking up breathless, coughing, spluttering, freaking out because she can't breathe properly. And I am powerless to help her. I have put vicks on her chest and feet, have a sudoclear plugged in, and she is presently sleeping, sounding as though she is Darth Vader's long lost daughter. It is horrendous. And when she wakes again, which she will, but not fully, she will freak out again. And it is scary. And makes me cry. She screams and coughs and struggles for air and kicks and pulls my hair and I literally have to squeeze her close to my body and tell her that it's okay, that I am there, and she needs to calm down and breathe.
I don't think I have ever felt quite so helpless as right this very moment.
And my "ideal" lifestyle of living in the country with no neighbours far from the city but close enough to commute is losing appeal. The closest hospital is 30 odd kilometres away. And in an emergency that is just too far away.
I am very happy with the choice I made for us and where our new place is located. Still not next door to a hospital, but much closer, and with neighbours, and friends, close by.
Sometimes what we think we want we want only because we haven't seen what the future holds for us, or the little curveballs that might pop up, and although we may end up in a place that we think is not perfect, in many instances that place, the place that is not our ideal but is a decent substitute, is, for all intents and purposes at that moment in your life, the place that you need to be.
Sometimes, not always, I think things happen for a reason.
Does antipasto count
as dinner? Cos that's what I'm having. For lunch I had a ham and salad roll. Very nice indeed. Fresh baked bacon and cheese bun thing from the bakery. Lovely. For breakfast I think I had a partial stroke and a coffee.
Who decides what is dinner food, and what is lunch food, and what is breakfast food? And what is a snack? I say if you want to eat something eat it. If it is 10pm and you feel like cereal, have cereal. If it is 4am and you want a steak then if you can be buggered cooking a steak then do it. I don't believe in following foodie rules. If I did then I wouldn't get a mega box of KFC and eat it for every meal until it was gone.
Anyway, I digress. Tonight I am having mixed antipasto of olives, semidried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, and also some itty bitty teensy tiny olives which are as of now my new favourite thing. I also have another of those bread rolls from lunch and some good quality olive oil with some balsamic vinegar and I'm doing the ole dippy thing. It is a very very nice dinner. It is only happening because I'm so shagged after last night and today dealing with the sick kidlets that there is no way I could have trusted myself around open flame. The extent of the kids cooking involved the microwave. Salad for lunch too. Healthy stuff, all good.
It's so hard seeing the kids ill. Particularly with the breathing thing. They are quite understandably leaking phlegm from every available orifice at an alarming rate, however their breathing is laboured and heavy and you can hear the congestion in every breath they take. I can feel it too. I hear them breathe and I feel the pain they feel. Does that happen with all mums?? My little ones hurt themselves and I literally physically feel their pain. Perhaps it is my way of trying to will the pain from them and into myself, for I would far rather suffer myself than have them endure even a moment's pain or sadness.
Angus had his second "taste" of solid food today. The first came courtesy of Tabitha running over and trying to put a meusli bar in his mouth. The second came courtesy of, hmmm, oh, let's see if we can guess shall we? Yes. Tabitha. Again. What was it today? Apple, with just a tiny bit of banana on the side. So why do I let this happen? I am right there. I'll tell you why. Tabitha is stealth. Tabitha has speed. One minute she is beside you, the next she is reprogramming the VCR. There is simply no stopping her. She may well end up being a spy when she grows up. Or a ninja. She's that good.
I'm thinking I should start doing some of the essay. I have done 58 words so far. 33 of them are the topic. So technically I have really only done 25 words. Pretty impressive hey. Of a 2500 word assignment I have done 1%. I just have to repeat that 99 times and I'm done. Sensational.
Who decides what is dinner food, and what is lunch food, and what is breakfast food? And what is a snack? I say if you want to eat something eat it. If it is 10pm and you feel like cereal, have cereal. If it is 4am and you want a steak then if you can be buggered cooking a steak then do it. I don't believe in following foodie rules. If I did then I wouldn't get a mega box of KFC and eat it for every meal until it was gone.
Anyway, I digress. Tonight I am having mixed antipasto of olives, semidried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, and also some itty bitty teensy tiny olives which are as of now my new favourite thing. I also have another of those bread rolls from lunch and some good quality olive oil with some balsamic vinegar and I'm doing the ole dippy thing. It is a very very nice dinner. It is only happening because I'm so shagged after last night and today dealing with the sick kidlets that there is no way I could have trusted myself around open flame. The extent of the kids cooking involved the microwave. Salad for lunch too. Healthy stuff, all good.
It's so hard seeing the kids ill. Particularly with the breathing thing. They are quite understandably leaking phlegm from every available orifice at an alarming rate, however their breathing is laboured and heavy and you can hear the congestion in every breath they take. I can feel it too. I hear them breathe and I feel the pain they feel. Does that happen with all mums?? My little ones hurt themselves and I literally physically feel their pain. Perhaps it is my way of trying to will the pain from them and into myself, for I would far rather suffer myself than have them endure even a moment's pain or sadness.
Angus had his second "taste" of solid food today. The first came courtesy of Tabitha running over and trying to put a meusli bar in his mouth. The second came courtesy of, hmmm, oh, let's see if we can guess shall we? Yes. Tabitha. Again. What was it today? Apple, with just a tiny bit of banana on the side. So why do I let this happen? I am right there. I'll tell you why. Tabitha is stealth. Tabitha has speed. One minute she is beside you, the next she is reprogramming the VCR. There is simply no stopping her. She may well end up being a spy when she grows up. Or a ninja. She's that good.
I'm thinking I should start doing some of the essay. I have done 58 words so far. 33 of them are the topic. So technically I have really only done 25 words. Pretty impressive hey. Of a 2500 word assignment I have done 1%. I just have to repeat that 99 times and I'm done. Sensational.
The only good thing
about last night was that it is finally over. All three of my little ones have a cold. It is heartbreaking listening to them struggle to breathe, hearing the phlegm in their chests and throats and noses. And when they cry and you try to cuddle the pain away they fight because they feel horrid and don't understand it.
I have had no sleep. That is understandable. When one child would settle another would awaken. On many occasions there was an overlap and I just had to deal with whichever child was more distressed of the two and go back to the other once I had settled the mega distressed one. It is not an easy situation to be in, looking after three sick kids. Daytime is okay, they are awake, you are awake, you expect things to be pretty dodgy. At night it is a case of trying to sleep. On nights like last night I don't say to myself "please I just want to get a few hours sleep" I say "please I just want to get five minutes sleep". Anything. Something. But nothing.
So today I'm fairly shattered.
I am trawling online stores today. Well, not so much online stores as catalogues for stores that I can find online. I figure if I can work out what I need asap and then organise how I can get it where it needs to be then that solves one problem, or indeed several. I need to do a mental checklist of what needs to be done. Actually I can't really rely on my mentalness so I might write a list instead.
And away I go again....children beckoning.....and in between I shall shop.....
I have had no sleep. That is understandable. When one child would settle another would awaken. On many occasions there was an overlap and I just had to deal with whichever child was more distressed of the two and go back to the other once I had settled the mega distressed one. It is not an easy situation to be in, looking after three sick kids. Daytime is okay, they are awake, you are awake, you expect things to be pretty dodgy. At night it is a case of trying to sleep. On nights like last night I don't say to myself "please I just want to get a few hours sleep" I say "please I just want to get five minutes sleep". Anything. Something. But nothing.
So today I'm fairly shattered.
I am trawling online stores today. Well, not so much online stores as catalogues for stores that I can find online. I figure if I can work out what I need asap and then organise how I can get it where it needs to be then that solves one problem, or indeed several. I need to do a mental checklist of what needs to be done. Actually I can't really rely on my mentalness so I might write a list instead.
And away I go again....children beckoning.....and in between I shall shop.....
Monday, February 7, 2011
Unexplained thuds
should always be investigated. Do not automatically assume that the thuds are a result of an unbalanced load in the washing machine that is going. They may in fact be a result of your middle child realising that if she stands up in the cot she can reach the bookcase. And those thuds may just be the sound of books being dropped from said bookcase to the floor, one by one. And you may come in to see a very guilty looking child, book in hand, and a rather large pile of books unceremoneously plonked at the foot of the cot.
We had another road trip today. In many ways a very successful one, in other ways not so much. The success was that we went to look at a rental property and it ticked every box. And it "felt" right. And I think that is more important than anything to be honest. So I filled in the application on the spot, as I had brought everything I may need with me just on the offchance that it was the right place, and within half an hour the real estate agent had phoned me to ask some questions, phoned the owner of the property and phoned me once again to tell me the application was successful. So next week starts the next chapter in our lives and we have a beautiful new house to live in.
Lexi picked it. Odd? Yes. We were looking through numerous properties on the internet and she was looking at the photos with me then this house popped up and she said "I want this one mum". I said "really?" And she said "yes please mum". Interesting. So I phoned, made an appointment, we loaded up and off we went. When we got there Lexi was beside herself with excitement, standing at the door waiting patiently for the real estate agent to arrive to show us through. As he opened the door she ran through all the rooms excitedly, landing finally in the lounge room with a huge smile on her face and promptly said "this is my new house mummy!". Okay then. So I looked through the rest of it, out the back, fabulous yard, house itself is pristine being that nobody has lived in it before, and it really is just lovely. Application filled out and time to get back in the car. Hmmm. Lexi again. "Noooooooooooo!!! This is my new house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Needless to say she liked it and did not want to leave. She would have been happy to move in then and there. So I explained to her that we needed to go through the process (yes, pointless, but still, I tried), we hopped in the car, did a drive thru at Maccas to grab some food, Angus is screaming by this stage because he is starving, Lexi is screaming because she didn't want to leave and I am desperately searching for a park in which to eat our lunch. I did not find a park, I found a large grassy area that was good enough, or so I thought. I didn't factor in the huge rains that have fallen of late and discovered too late that the dirt was not dirt but mud, so everyone was pretty well covered in it, although happy because they had some food and drink.
Angus fed. Check. Girls fed. Check. Mud everywhere. Check. Nappies changed. Check. Let's get back in the car and head home. Phew. Massive effort.
Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to settling in there. I don't actually have any furniture as yet, save for a few things that friends have very kindly donated, so that in itself poses a few challenges. I'll need to get my boots on and get organised, for I have only 9 or 10 days to do so. Can't move in without beds for the kids so that is top priority. Me, I can sleep on the floor. Angus, he can sleep on some blankets on the floor until the cot arrives a few days later. No problems. Just gotta get the girls beds sorted. And a fridge. And a microwave. And a tv. We'll be right.
Results of one of my assignments came back today and although I didn't do as well as the first one I wasn't terribly surprised, for it was the assignment on shipping law that I found about as exciting as pulling the hairs out of my big toe one by one. Pointless, painful, and something I really never need to do or know about. But it means that even if for some random reason I don't complete the next assignment I have still passed the subject. That's a nice feeling.
I'm having a glass of champers to celebrate the impending move because I think it is cause for celebration. Moving forward. Thinking to the future. I chose the location for several reasons. It is not too far from family, and importantly it is close enough to be commutable to Melbourne for when I start work once my Masters degree is finished. It's all good.
Now I must continue the efforts at actually getting the Masters done and head down bum up it and do some study. Each of the kids has been up already, Tabitha in a very messy way. She does not handle teething well at all. Poor poppet. And Lexi, well, let's just call her a sympathy crier shall we. At least tonight it isn't as cold as last night and hopefully my chapped lips will stop burning so I can enjoy this champers and get stuck into the wonders of the Privacy Act of 1988. Fabulous.
We had another road trip today. In many ways a very successful one, in other ways not so much. The success was that we went to look at a rental property and it ticked every box. And it "felt" right. And I think that is more important than anything to be honest. So I filled in the application on the spot, as I had brought everything I may need with me just on the offchance that it was the right place, and within half an hour the real estate agent had phoned me to ask some questions, phoned the owner of the property and phoned me once again to tell me the application was successful. So next week starts the next chapter in our lives and we have a beautiful new house to live in.
Lexi picked it. Odd? Yes. We were looking through numerous properties on the internet and she was looking at the photos with me then this house popped up and she said "I want this one mum". I said "really?" And she said "yes please mum". Interesting. So I phoned, made an appointment, we loaded up and off we went. When we got there Lexi was beside herself with excitement, standing at the door waiting patiently for the real estate agent to arrive to show us through. As he opened the door she ran through all the rooms excitedly, landing finally in the lounge room with a huge smile on her face and promptly said "this is my new house mummy!". Okay then. So I looked through the rest of it, out the back, fabulous yard, house itself is pristine being that nobody has lived in it before, and it really is just lovely. Application filled out and time to get back in the car. Hmmm. Lexi again. "Noooooooooooo!!! This is my new house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Needless to say she liked it and did not want to leave. She would have been happy to move in then and there. So I explained to her that we needed to go through the process (yes, pointless, but still, I tried), we hopped in the car, did a drive thru at Maccas to grab some food, Angus is screaming by this stage because he is starving, Lexi is screaming because she didn't want to leave and I am desperately searching for a park in which to eat our lunch. I did not find a park, I found a large grassy area that was good enough, or so I thought. I didn't factor in the huge rains that have fallen of late and discovered too late that the dirt was not dirt but mud, so everyone was pretty well covered in it, although happy because they had some food and drink.
Angus fed. Check. Girls fed. Check. Mud everywhere. Check. Nappies changed. Check. Let's get back in the car and head home. Phew. Massive effort.
Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to settling in there. I don't actually have any furniture as yet, save for a few things that friends have very kindly donated, so that in itself poses a few challenges. I'll need to get my boots on and get organised, for I have only 9 or 10 days to do so. Can't move in without beds for the kids so that is top priority. Me, I can sleep on the floor. Angus, he can sleep on some blankets on the floor until the cot arrives a few days later. No problems. Just gotta get the girls beds sorted. And a fridge. And a microwave. And a tv. We'll be right.
Results of one of my assignments came back today and although I didn't do as well as the first one I wasn't terribly surprised, for it was the assignment on shipping law that I found about as exciting as pulling the hairs out of my big toe one by one. Pointless, painful, and something I really never need to do or know about. But it means that even if for some random reason I don't complete the next assignment I have still passed the subject. That's a nice feeling.
I'm having a glass of champers to celebrate the impending move because I think it is cause for celebration. Moving forward. Thinking to the future. I chose the location for several reasons. It is not too far from family, and importantly it is close enough to be commutable to Melbourne for when I start work once my Masters degree is finished. It's all good.
Now I must continue the efforts at actually getting the Masters done and head down bum up it and do some study. Each of the kids has been up already, Tabitha in a very messy way. She does not handle teething well at all. Poor poppet. And Lexi, well, let's just call her a sympathy crier shall we. At least tonight it isn't as cold as last night and hopefully my chapped lips will stop burning so I can enjoy this champers and get stuck into the wonders of the Privacy Act of 1988. Fabulous.
From one extreme
to the other it would seem. I left a climate where it was 26 degrees and 98% humidity at 6 in the morning, even earlier. Now I'm sittting here, in February, with the heater on because it is 5 degrees and I can't feel my ass. Not, as I have mentioned to others, that I actually want to feel my ass, but you know what I mean.
I tried a different method to keep Tabitha in bed this morning, and I'm sorry to say it was a rousing failure. However I will know for next time that that method doesn't work. I'm not really surprised to be honest. It was a long shot, and being that she is only 19 months old I didn't really anticipate she had the maturity to comprehend what I was saying. Lexi doesn't either. Actually, I'm not sure it would work on anyone of any age. I speak of begging. Pleading. Pleeeeeeeease go back to sleep Tabitha. And you can't bribe them with food in the middle of the night or early morning either. There is no "I'll make you a milkshake later if you go to sleep now" because all they hear is "blah blah blah milkshake blah blah blah" and you're done for. They want milkshake now.
I didn't end up doing any of my essay last night. I needed a night off. I didn't get great things achieved though, I just fluffed around on the internet. And then went to bed. And basically as soon as I was in bed Angus woke up. He does it on purpose, I swear. At least Tabitha had a good night. Just an early morning. But I'll be thankful for small mercies.
What can we do today? Methinks it is day 'o cleaning today. I need to vacuum again, I have been all together slack with that, however the thought of roaming the floors on my knees to accommodate the lack of vacuum sucky pole thing is not terrifically alluring, particularly considering I can't feel my ass, and as such, bending down etc is slightly less easy than it would be were I able to feel said ass.
I think I should cook something today, get the oven going to warm the place up a bit. I have some apples that are looking a bit greener than green so I think I'll make an apple tea cake. Just gotta find some brown sugar. Actually I might chuck some golden syrup in too, just for good measure. Wonder if there's any vanilla essence anywhere....hmmm......
I'm not much of a baker, although I can bake. I just don't. I don't really like sweet foods. I much prefer savoury, any day of the week. Except when I'm pregnant, then I could eat the entire contents of the cabinet at Donut King and ask where we're going next.
I had a hankering for roast pork and crackling this morning. Okay, I'll be honest, I hankered just for the crackling. Very tempted to make a mercy dash into town to buy a roast, however there is no such thing as a quick dash with three kids so perhaps I'll just use my imagination, google a picture, and get one next time I'm in town.
I should probably get organised. I have had half a cup of coffee and that is beginning to warm me up in conjunction with the heater. 5 degrees. In summer. That's insane.
I tried a different method to keep Tabitha in bed this morning, and I'm sorry to say it was a rousing failure. However I will know for next time that that method doesn't work. I'm not really surprised to be honest. It was a long shot, and being that she is only 19 months old I didn't really anticipate she had the maturity to comprehend what I was saying. Lexi doesn't either. Actually, I'm not sure it would work on anyone of any age. I speak of begging. Pleading. Pleeeeeeeease go back to sleep Tabitha. And you can't bribe them with food in the middle of the night or early morning either. There is no "I'll make you a milkshake later if you go to sleep now" because all they hear is "blah blah blah milkshake blah blah blah" and you're done for. They want milkshake now.
I didn't end up doing any of my essay last night. I needed a night off. I didn't get great things achieved though, I just fluffed around on the internet. And then went to bed. And basically as soon as I was in bed Angus woke up. He does it on purpose, I swear. At least Tabitha had a good night. Just an early morning. But I'll be thankful for small mercies.
What can we do today? Methinks it is day 'o cleaning today. I need to vacuum again, I have been all together slack with that, however the thought of roaming the floors on my knees to accommodate the lack of vacuum sucky pole thing is not terrifically alluring, particularly considering I can't feel my ass, and as such, bending down etc is slightly less easy than it would be were I able to feel said ass.
I think I should cook something today, get the oven going to warm the place up a bit. I have some apples that are looking a bit greener than green so I think I'll make an apple tea cake. Just gotta find some brown sugar. Actually I might chuck some golden syrup in too, just for good measure. Wonder if there's any vanilla essence anywhere....hmmm......
I'm not much of a baker, although I can bake. I just don't. I don't really like sweet foods. I much prefer savoury, any day of the week. Except when I'm pregnant, then I could eat the entire contents of the cabinet at Donut King and ask where we're going next.
I had a hankering for roast pork and crackling this morning. Okay, I'll be honest, I hankered just for the crackling. Very tempted to make a mercy dash into town to buy a roast, however there is no such thing as a quick dash with three kids so perhaps I'll just use my imagination, google a picture, and get one next time I'm in town.
I should probably get organised. I have had half a cup of coffee and that is beginning to warm me up in conjunction with the heater. 5 degrees. In summer. That's insane.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Teeth are a bitch
Doesn't matter how old you are or how many kids you have, teeth are a bitch. Nothing surer. Tabitha has managed to crack one of the canines as I believe I mentioned the other day, however there are three mongrels of the same variety, plus the double molars, to come. And are they coming or what. Mini chick is absolutely inconsolable. Now that's not really too much of a stretch when you take into consideration that she is a bit precious at the best of times, but now, well, it isn't good. Combine that with the fact that my "advanced" child is well and truly in the terrible 2s six months early and it's all happening chez moi.
Mini dude, it seems, is also having the same frustrations. Identical. How identical if he is only four months old and she is not? I'll tell you. Because it appears the first tooth he is getting is, wait for it, a canine. Impossible? No. Tabitha's first tooth was a canine. It popped out the front of her gum when she was 6 months old, then two months later it disappeared again. What a bastard. So I wait and see if Angus will cop the same sorry fate. Poor little buggers.
I'm usually one that needs a little bit of warning to do things, some preparation time, however today I was absolutely rapt to receive an invitation to meet one of my online friends IRL (in real life for those of you who obviously haven't spent any time on forums or facebook....). It was the opening of a kiddy playland thingy so I thought yep, that'll be the perfect distraction for mini chick and Lexi will love it too. So I went like a bat out of hell, dressed all the kids, coped with tantrum after tantrum from both Tabitha and Angus (although I can't really call Angus's a tantrum cos after all he's only a baby but I thought it would save some words, which apparently it hasn't because I've just gone on for two sentences about how it isn't really a tantrum. Go figure) and then we were off.
Note to self - when you save a new mobile phone number into your phone make sure you have the numbers in the correct order. There is some random waiting for me to arrive as I said I was well on the way about 9 hours ago.
I don't think I actually fully thought through the ramifications of my actions today. It was only once I was almost at the kiddy playland place that I realised that this was, in fact, the first time I had ever been anywhere "public" with the three kids by myself. I have been places with them before, but always meeting someone at the other end who would help me dismount the kidlets from the vehicle. Today, well, I was on my own. I felt my blood pressure rise and got a hot flush. I can do this. I can do this. I was that little engine that could.
When we arrived (which in itself was a monumental effort considering I didn't actually know where I was going, couldn't seem to negotiate google maps on my phone and went up and down the same street half a dozen times before pulling in at the wrong place, on the nature strip purely by accident which was waterlogged from the storms so I got mildly bogged then spewed brown mud everywhere) I was ready. Psychologically. Physically. We were going to do this. I must add though that after the fourth take down the street I thought it might be a sign that I had just bitten off a little more than I could chew.
Anyway, in the car park and I had a chat to Lexi and explained to her that she had to be a big girl and stand by the car once I got her out so I could then put Angus in to the pram, get Tabitha and the bags out of the car, and then we would all walk in to the centre together. She did brilliantly. I was uber proud. I love the word uber. Sounds like goober. Or doozer. And that makes me think of fraggle rock and those mini dudes that used to make the little structures that the fraggles would eat. I loved that show. And the dog, Sprocket. He rocked.
So we made it inside. Phew. Massive effort. And Tabitha held my hand, which is also a massive effort because it is such a recent development, one which I am rapt has sunk in. It's quite funny when you ask someone if they are using a chair and they say no that's fine take it, and you do and you sit at the table beside them and then send a message to the person you are meeting who you haven't met before and they send you a message back and say that they are sitting right behind you and it is in fact the person who you just asked for a chair from. It was a "bahahah" moment. And I felt like a knob. As you do. Oh well. I got over it.
Lexi had a BALL. She loved it. She was in her element, bouncing on the trampoline, playing in the ball pit, sliding down the slide, then sliding down the stairs of the slide (couldn't quite understand why she felt the need to do this but she was quite content so I let her be). Tabitha did better than I would have expected. In strange situations where there are many new people sometimes she retreats into herself and becomes very clingy. She did this on occasion, but she managed to get into the play area for quite some time before the inevitable mini panic occurred and she came out. But overall she did brilliantly.
The scenario that terrified me the most was when we had to go. I had prepared Lexi that she should be good when we leave and not cry. Yep. I know. Delusional. She was not good. She did cry. Actually howl might be a more appropriate word. Still, I managed to put her shoes on (actually I put her shoes on Tabitha first then she freaked out because I was trying to put Tabitha's shoes on her, so then I had to unshoe Tabitha and reshoe her with the right ones then shoe Lexi and it was all very complex). There were tears as we were leaving and I was grateful to have my previous online friend and now new IRL friend walk out with us, which just added that extra buffer zone.
Kids all in car. Check. Bags in car check. Pram in car. Um. No. I have borrowed a pram. I do not know how to fold this pram. The few times I have done it successfully have been a miracle and I was stupid enough not to pay proper attention to how it was done. So I needed rescuing there....and it appears that you need to unlock the handle before the pram will fold up. That is today's lesson.
Another lesson for the day? Taking Lexi to a kiddy playland induces sleep. Rock on.
We took a bit of a detour and perused the various different areas we (read as me) are considering moving to. I am mighty glad we did actually. It is so difficult to get a proper indication of what a place is like by simply online photos on realestate.com or google earth. It doesn't give you the feel of the place at all. And so what I had thought at the start of the day and what I now think are two totally separate things.
I'm going to have a slack night tonight. Maybe half an hour or so of essay research, fluff around on facebook for a while, then chill in front of the box and have a semi early night. Sounds like a plan.
Mini dude, it seems, is also having the same frustrations. Identical. How identical if he is only four months old and she is not? I'll tell you. Because it appears the first tooth he is getting is, wait for it, a canine. Impossible? No. Tabitha's first tooth was a canine. It popped out the front of her gum when she was 6 months old, then two months later it disappeared again. What a bastard. So I wait and see if Angus will cop the same sorry fate. Poor little buggers.
I'm usually one that needs a little bit of warning to do things, some preparation time, however today I was absolutely rapt to receive an invitation to meet one of my online friends IRL (in real life for those of you who obviously haven't spent any time on forums or facebook....). It was the opening of a kiddy playland thingy so I thought yep, that'll be the perfect distraction for mini chick and Lexi will love it too. So I went like a bat out of hell, dressed all the kids, coped with tantrum after tantrum from both Tabitha and Angus (although I can't really call Angus's a tantrum cos after all he's only a baby but I thought it would save some words, which apparently it hasn't because I've just gone on for two sentences about how it isn't really a tantrum. Go figure) and then we were off.
Note to self - when you save a new mobile phone number into your phone make sure you have the numbers in the correct order. There is some random waiting for me to arrive as I said I was well on the way about 9 hours ago.
I don't think I actually fully thought through the ramifications of my actions today. It was only once I was almost at the kiddy playland place that I realised that this was, in fact, the first time I had ever been anywhere "public" with the three kids by myself. I have been places with them before, but always meeting someone at the other end who would help me dismount the kidlets from the vehicle. Today, well, I was on my own. I felt my blood pressure rise and got a hot flush. I can do this. I can do this. I was that little engine that could.
When we arrived (which in itself was a monumental effort considering I didn't actually know where I was going, couldn't seem to negotiate google maps on my phone and went up and down the same street half a dozen times before pulling in at the wrong place, on the nature strip purely by accident which was waterlogged from the storms so I got mildly bogged then spewed brown mud everywhere) I was ready. Psychologically. Physically. We were going to do this. I must add though that after the fourth take down the street I thought it might be a sign that I had just bitten off a little more than I could chew.
Anyway, in the car park and I had a chat to Lexi and explained to her that she had to be a big girl and stand by the car once I got her out so I could then put Angus in to the pram, get Tabitha and the bags out of the car, and then we would all walk in to the centre together. She did brilliantly. I was uber proud. I love the word uber. Sounds like goober. Or doozer. And that makes me think of fraggle rock and those mini dudes that used to make the little structures that the fraggles would eat. I loved that show. And the dog, Sprocket. He rocked.
So we made it inside. Phew. Massive effort. And Tabitha held my hand, which is also a massive effort because it is such a recent development, one which I am rapt has sunk in. It's quite funny when you ask someone if they are using a chair and they say no that's fine take it, and you do and you sit at the table beside them and then send a message to the person you are meeting who you haven't met before and they send you a message back and say that they are sitting right behind you and it is in fact the person who you just asked for a chair from. It was a "bahahah" moment. And I felt like a knob. As you do. Oh well. I got over it.
Lexi had a BALL. She loved it. She was in her element, bouncing on the trampoline, playing in the ball pit, sliding down the slide, then sliding down the stairs of the slide (couldn't quite understand why she felt the need to do this but she was quite content so I let her be). Tabitha did better than I would have expected. In strange situations where there are many new people sometimes she retreats into herself and becomes very clingy. She did this on occasion, but she managed to get into the play area for quite some time before the inevitable mini panic occurred and she came out. But overall she did brilliantly.
The scenario that terrified me the most was when we had to go. I had prepared Lexi that she should be good when we leave and not cry. Yep. I know. Delusional. She was not good. She did cry. Actually howl might be a more appropriate word. Still, I managed to put her shoes on (actually I put her shoes on Tabitha first then she freaked out because I was trying to put Tabitha's shoes on her, so then I had to unshoe Tabitha and reshoe her with the right ones then shoe Lexi and it was all very complex). There were tears as we were leaving and I was grateful to have my previous online friend and now new IRL friend walk out with us, which just added that extra buffer zone.
Kids all in car. Check. Bags in car check. Pram in car. Um. No. I have borrowed a pram. I do not know how to fold this pram. The few times I have done it successfully have been a miracle and I was stupid enough not to pay proper attention to how it was done. So I needed rescuing there....and it appears that you need to unlock the handle before the pram will fold up. That is today's lesson.
Another lesson for the day? Taking Lexi to a kiddy playland induces sleep. Rock on.
We took a bit of a detour and perused the various different areas we (read as me) are considering moving to. I am mighty glad we did actually. It is so difficult to get a proper indication of what a place is like by simply online photos on realestate.com or google earth. It doesn't give you the feel of the place at all. And so what I had thought at the start of the day and what I now think are two totally separate things.
I'm going to have a slack night tonight. Maybe half an hour or so of essay research, fluff around on facebook for a while, then chill in front of the box and have a semi early night. Sounds like a plan.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
There is no privacy
when you are a mum. You have little shadows that follow you around everywhere, and pop up behind you, or in front of you, or beside you, or sometimes whichever place is the least convenient for them to pop up. You can certainly say goodbye to going to the bathroom by yourself, or to the toilet. I went to the loo this morning followed by my two little shadows. As I had a little sniffle I grabbed a piece of toilet paper and blew my nose. Silly me. Lexi pipes up in a very perturbed tone "Nooooo mummy!! That's for your BUM". Hmmm. Maybe I should say bottom instead of bum when I say I'm going to change them.....
We went visiting today. Lexi knew we were going visiting today when she went to bed last night. This was perhaps a mistake. For she awoke at 7am and the first thing she said was "is it time to go yet?". We were due to leave at 2.30pm. I was in for 7.5 hours of this. And dutifully, every five or six minutes, Lexi would ask a variation of the same question. "Is it time yet?" "Can we leave now?" "Should I get my shoes?" and my all time favourite, "Dee (this is what Lexi calls herself because she can't say her own name...) wants to go now, Tab Tab wants to go now, Angus wants to go now, Mummy wants to go now". Yep. By 11 o'clock I thought I was going insane. By 12 I knew I was and by 1 we were all dressed, ready and in the car and had prepared the visitees for our early arrival because I simply couldn't handle it anymore. Methinks words must be said next time we have a visit arranged, or perhaps no words and we can make it a surprise. Either way, something needs to be done before next time.
All three kids slept for most of the hour drive. It is an amazing feeling to know three little folks that you created are mere feet behind you, sleeping gently, dreaming of Elmo or Play School or food or whatever it is that goes through their mind. And as soon as the car stops the eyes pop wide open, much like one of those dolls whose eyes close when they lay down and pop open when they sit up. And the car starts again and the eyes close and the heads droop and Bob's your uncle.
The kids had fun playing with their cousins, and ate far too much chocolate, which is something they don't get a great deal of here unless it is splattered onto a meusli bar because I'm allergic to chocolate so I simply don't buy it. Anyway, they had yummy special treat food, got to play dress ups and also to spend some time with family which was great. Bathed them all there and then when we headed home I could (theoretically, this is the key word) get them out of the car and pop them straight into bed. That theory worked really well. Bahahahah. Tabitha got out of the car first, and started crying hysterically once I put her inside. Good start. Angus I got out next and popped into his cot, but he stirred and I knew it wasn't long before he would fully awaken, so I had to move quickly. Lexi, I unbuckled, lifted her out of the seat, she wrapped her arms around me like tendrils of a passionfruit vine wrap around that which they are climbing, and I took her past the screaming heap of tears Tabitha, down the hall and popped her straight into bed whereupon she plumetted into the land of slumber literally without batting an eyelid.
Back to Tabitha, gave her a bottle, she was happy, hugging Julia (her doll), and so I changed her and popped her into her cot. And then Angus woke up (for which I was fully prepared) I changed him, gave him a bottle, la di da di da, and into bed he went.
All down for the count by 8.30pm. Not bad. That said Angus has woken up once and Lexi has woken up once and it's not 9.30pm yet, but they did settle straight back down again.
I've managed to get on to the uni website so all my books are now requested. Now it is a case of do I wait for them to arrive to start the essay or do I start researching articles. I know what the answer is bugger it. It's the bloody latter. Why can't, just for once, it be the former?? Once these essays are done I commence the next lot of subjects, five more to go till the course is finished, three of those this semester. It should be okay. I think. I hope. My philosophy is this.....each subject this semester had three assignments. So that's six for the semester. Next semester I am doing three subjects however they only have two assignments each, so theoretically even though it is one more subject it should be no more work than this semester. Good thinking? We shall see.
I should keep going now I'm on a pseudo roll. The weather is still playing funny buggers so I might light the "just in case the power goes out" candle and get to it. Hope one and all are having a relaxing weekend.
We went visiting today. Lexi knew we were going visiting today when she went to bed last night. This was perhaps a mistake. For she awoke at 7am and the first thing she said was "is it time to go yet?". We were due to leave at 2.30pm. I was in for 7.5 hours of this. And dutifully, every five or six minutes, Lexi would ask a variation of the same question. "Is it time yet?" "Can we leave now?" "Should I get my shoes?" and my all time favourite, "Dee (this is what Lexi calls herself because she can't say her own name...) wants to go now, Tab Tab wants to go now, Angus wants to go now, Mummy wants to go now". Yep. By 11 o'clock I thought I was going insane. By 12 I knew I was and by 1 we were all dressed, ready and in the car and had prepared the visitees for our early arrival because I simply couldn't handle it anymore. Methinks words must be said next time we have a visit arranged, or perhaps no words and we can make it a surprise. Either way, something needs to be done before next time.
All three kids slept for most of the hour drive. It is an amazing feeling to know three little folks that you created are mere feet behind you, sleeping gently, dreaming of Elmo or Play School or food or whatever it is that goes through their mind. And as soon as the car stops the eyes pop wide open, much like one of those dolls whose eyes close when they lay down and pop open when they sit up. And the car starts again and the eyes close and the heads droop and Bob's your uncle.
The kids had fun playing with their cousins, and ate far too much chocolate, which is something they don't get a great deal of here unless it is splattered onto a meusli bar because I'm allergic to chocolate so I simply don't buy it. Anyway, they had yummy special treat food, got to play dress ups and also to spend some time with family which was great. Bathed them all there and then when we headed home I could (theoretically, this is the key word) get them out of the car and pop them straight into bed. That theory worked really well. Bahahahah. Tabitha got out of the car first, and started crying hysterically once I put her inside. Good start. Angus I got out next and popped into his cot, but he stirred and I knew it wasn't long before he would fully awaken, so I had to move quickly. Lexi, I unbuckled, lifted her out of the seat, she wrapped her arms around me like tendrils of a passionfruit vine wrap around that which they are climbing, and I took her past the screaming heap of tears Tabitha, down the hall and popped her straight into bed whereupon she plumetted into the land of slumber literally without batting an eyelid.
Back to Tabitha, gave her a bottle, she was happy, hugging Julia (her doll), and so I changed her and popped her into her cot. And then Angus woke up (for which I was fully prepared) I changed him, gave him a bottle, la di da di da, and into bed he went.
All down for the count by 8.30pm. Not bad. That said Angus has woken up once and Lexi has woken up once and it's not 9.30pm yet, but they did settle straight back down again.
I've managed to get on to the uni website so all my books are now requested. Now it is a case of do I wait for them to arrive to start the essay or do I start researching articles. I know what the answer is bugger it. It's the bloody latter. Why can't, just for once, it be the former?? Once these essays are done I commence the next lot of subjects, five more to go till the course is finished, three of those this semester. It should be okay. I think. I hope. My philosophy is this.....each subject this semester had three assignments. So that's six for the semester. Next semester I am doing three subjects however they only have two assignments each, so theoretically even though it is one more subject it should be no more work than this semester. Good thinking? We shall see.
I should keep going now I'm on a pseudo roll. The weather is still playing funny buggers so I might light the "just in case the power goes out" candle and get to it. Hope one and all are having a relaxing weekend.
For some reason
I'm feeling excited. I have no idea why. There is nothing astoundingly monumental coming up, but there are a few minor things that perhaps have grouped themselves together in the butterfly cavity in my stomach and thus it becomes excitement.
I just said to Lexi "I'm going to change Angus's bottom" and she said "good girl mum". I love it. Positive reinforcement. Just proves to me though that she hears me when I give her and Tabitha (and Angus to a lesser extent) positive reinforcement. It's actually quite hilarious when Angus lets out a ripper burp and I say good boy Lexi basically comes running over and with huge enthusiasm shouts out "good BOY Angus, well DONE". Gotta love it.
I got a bit done study wise last night but the whole uni site down thing did me no favours. I went to bed earlier than usual. Unfortunately Angus awoke earlier than usual so I didn't actually get to sleep any earlier than usual.
Tabitha just sat down on the little mock car toy thing. Well it isn't a car, but it is a seat and pedals and a steering wheel and it makes noise and has a little seatbelt. Anyway, as soon as Tabitha sat down Lexi said "my turn". So I have just tried to explain to her that just because Tabitha is playing on something (which subsequently reminds Lexi that that something exists) it does not mean that it is automatically her turn. She doesn't quite seem to understand. So she stands there stalking Tabitha as she sits on the toy, waiting until she stands up then stealths herself into the seat. Voila. Success. However Tabitha then moseyed on over to the table where Lexi's breakfast remains were, dutifully sat herself down in front of the bowl and started munching on Lexi's breakfast, where in Lexi arose from the car seat (which has now lost all appeal because nobody else wants to use it) and reminds Tabitha that it is HER breakfast, not Tabitha's. It's a constant battle really. Why is it that kids only want what others have, then as soon as they get it, they don't want it?
We're having a little get together this arvo with some of the cousins so I'm hoping the kids all run around madly and get exhausted which will then make them sleep on the trip home, which granted is only an hour or so, but I hope this sleep extends enough for me to get them all out of the car and plonk them into their beds. My goal for this morning is to get the house and bedrooms etc clean and wonderful looking so that when we get back later this evening I can chuck the kids into bed and everything is done. It's a modest goal, although depending on how the day goes it may be completely inachievable, or not unreachable. At the moment Tabitha is kneeling on the ground in front of Angus's swing swinging it back and forth and Lexi is back on the car toy thing. And everyone seems happy. For now.
Me, I have had one coffee, my first in several days, and I am thinking that another is due. You'll be happy to know that it is has been several days since my last Red Bull, not that I haven't wanted one, just haven't had access to one. I have had coke, but not a huge amount. I'm even thinking of not ordering it in the next grocery shop.......yes, I realise that is idiotic, however give me some cudos for at least thinking about it.
Don't you hate when you realise, in the morning, that you forgot to wash the pan you made dinner in last night? I did all the other dishes but for some reason the pan (and I mean pan in the big sense, it is one of those electric banquet frypan things which are enormous so pretty hard to miss) is still sitting there, unwashed. Domestic blindness must have struck.
Lexi just saw a bird. And another bird. "I see another bird mum!!!" "And another bird mum!!!!" "LOOOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Gotta love the excitement. And she is now holding out a spoon with a piece of nutri grain on it to the window saying "here you go bird." Precious. But if I find out it's that insane kamikaze bird from the other night I won't be happy......
I just said to Lexi "I'm going to change Angus's bottom" and she said "good girl mum". I love it. Positive reinforcement. Just proves to me though that she hears me when I give her and Tabitha (and Angus to a lesser extent) positive reinforcement. It's actually quite hilarious when Angus lets out a ripper burp and I say good boy Lexi basically comes running over and with huge enthusiasm shouts out "good BOY Angus, well DONE". Gotta love it.
I got a bit done study wise last night but the whole uni site down thing did me no favours. I went to bed earlier than usual. Unfortunately Angus awoke earlier than usual so I didn't actually get to sleep any earlier than usual.
Tabitha just sat down on the little mock car toy thing. Well it isn't a car, but it is a seat and pedals and a steering wheel and it makes noise and has a little seatbelt. Anyway, as soon as Tabitha sat down Lexi said "my turn". So I have just tried to explain to her that just because Tabitha is playing on something (which subsequently reminds Lexi that that something exists) it does not mean that it is automatically her turn. She doesn't quite seem to understand. So she stands there stalking Tabitha as she sits on the toy, waiting until she stands up then stealths herself into the seat. Voila. Success. However Tabitha then moseyed on over to the table where Lexi's breakfast remains were, dutifully sat herself down in front of the bowl and started munching on Lexi's breakfast, where in Lexi arose from the car seat (which has now lost all appeal because nobody else wants to use it) and reminds Tabitha that it is HER breakfast, not Tabitha's. It's a constant battle really. Why is it that kids only want what others have, then as soon as they get it, they don't want it?
We're having a little get together this arvo with some of the cousins so I'm hoping the kids all run around madly and get exhausted which will then make them sleep on the trip home, which granted is only an hour or so, but I hope this sleep extends enough for me to get them all out of the car and plonk them into their beds. My goal for this morning is to get the house and bedrooms etc clean and wonderful looking so that when we get back later this evening I can chuck the kids into bed and everything is done. It's a modest goal, although depending on how the day goes it may be completely inachievable, or not unreachable. At the moment Tabitha is kneeling on the ground in front of Angus's swing swinging it back and forth and Lexi is back on the car toy thing. And everyone seems happy. For now.
Me, I have had one coffee, my first in several days, and I am thinking that another is due. You'll be happy to know that it is has been several days since my last Red Bull, not that I haven't wanted one, just haven't had access to one. I have had coke, but not a huge amount. I'm even thinking of not ordering it in the next grocery shop.......yes, I realise that is idiotic, however give me some cudos for at least thinking about it.
Don't you hate when you realise, in the morning, that you forgot to wash the pan you made dinner in last night? I did all the other dishes but for some reason the pan (and I mean pan in the big sense, it is one of those electric banquet frypan things which are enormous so pretty hard to miss) is still sitting there, unwashed. Domestic blindness must have struck.
Lexi just saw a bird. And another bird. "I see another bird mum!!!" "And another bird mum!!!!" "LOOOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Gotta love the excitement. And she is now holding out a spoon with a piece of nutri grain on it to the window saying "here you go bird." Precious. But if I find out it's that insane kamikaze bird from the other night I won't be happy......
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