Nuffnang

Friday, 8 July 2011

Things I know... and a flog...

Joining in with Shae from Yay for Home! again this week as well as Where's my Glow for Flog Ya Blog Friday (it's a ripper this week, you must look!!).

Just because I can...

Have a great weekend everyone!

***
- A watched pot never boils, or in my case the much anticipated natural beginning to an IVF cycle never comes.  Going to need a druggy jumpstart if anything is going to happen in 2011.

- Two days pre-school is enough for the Little Man.  We are all reaping the benefits of this little discovery after battling through the last six months of three days.

- Wind makes my boys turn into ferals (but it's a nice kind of feral, if you know what I mean).

- The wind makes strange sounds in my house at night, where there are only the boys asleep but I swear there are doors opening and closing...

- You tube is the biggest time waster of all.  There really was no need to watch every version of the Weeds intro credits and make a decision which I like best at 2am in the morning when everyone else is sleeping.

- Avon really does sell itself.  Quite surprised by this.

- The light at the end of the tunnel is not usually a train afterall.  Sometimes it really is the Sun and a magical new beginning.

Not exactly what I was searching for, but made me giggle so here it is!
image from here: http://www.makemymood.com/content/light-end-tunnel


Now click over and see what everyone else is knowing this beautiful Friday (well it is here in Sydney...)!


  FYBF

Thursday, 7 July 2011

The Little Man Returns

The Little Man that we all know and love, here at the House of O has been AWOL for quite a few months now.

I dumped Thursday pre-school two weeks ago in a last ditch attempt to find him.

The Little Man is loving it, he's happy.

Two weeks in a row Nanny and his cousin Lizzy have come over for a play date on a Thursday.

The lack of stress and structure is so freeing.

The benefits of this decision are far reaching, we are all feeling happy about this.

Calm has returned to the house of O.

Smiles are back.

Behaviour is no longer being continually described as "Unacceptable".

Sometimes it is best to listen to your gut - two days pre-school is obviously all the Little Man needs.

I could have saved a fortune in Occupational Therapy and Speech pathology testing if I had just gone with my gut months ago.

He is himself again.

BRUINS GET THE SWEEP!!  DOIN’ THE HAPPY DANCE, DOIN’ THE HAPPY DANCE….


Happy Dance!
(So glad I remember how...)

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Meatball Octopussy's - Totally forgot to take a photo after they cooked...



Mad Motorbike riding at the park


There 10 seconds and I look up to see the
22month old Munchkin flinging himself down
the giant slippery dip as it is known in our house.

Feeling brave and not wanting to be shown up
by his baby brother, the Little Man had a go.

And another...


I'm joining in with My Little Drummer Boys & faith hope and a whole lotta love for Wordless Wednesday.

Thanks for dropping by.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Stressed about school

(and I left school more than 20 years ago!)

I am currently coming to terms with the Little Man starting school next year.  I know it's not until the end of January but there are a few things weighing on me and of course I'm probably expending way too much time and effort thinking and stressing on it when I could be enjoying having him home.

Yes, Of course I read this book!!

12 months ago we completely changed our plans for the education of the boys when aspects of the Little Man's personality came to light and the pre-school suggested we place him somewhere he can stay for his entire education.  At the time I investigated the three local options, decide on one, applied and was accepted.  We paid the enrolment fee and forgot about it until recently.  Now I am so nervous about it being the wrong choice and keep stressing about it.

It means BIG fees.  It means an all boy education.  It means a 13 year commitment for BOTH boys.  It means a non Catholic school.

The Workaholic has changed jobs and it has been so long since he had a regular income, I am thinking budgets and plans.

We know a couple of people who are battling illness and it has made me very aware of our mortality and what happens to the boys if we are not around.

When I left my job pre IVF and opened my relaxing little "let's relax and get pregnant" bead shop, I was well qualified and sought after.  Now there is a new qualification that is a lower qualification than the one I have, but must be obtained (go figure) if I want to return to the career I left to have children.  It really annoys me and I am rebelling against this ridiculous rule!  As a consequence I have some decisions to make if I plan to return to paid work for any reason.

If the boys start at this school I want them to finish at this school.  I must be able to keep them there even if our circumstances change.  I know this is a stress of my own making, but I just want them to have a stable educational experience.

I'm doubting the choice now.  I even spoke to the principal of the Catholic school last week at the Info night our Pre-school ran.  She told me it is not too late to apply but it is getting close.  I can't get the Workaholic to even discuss it.  You see he ALWAYS wanted them to go to the Boys school.  He had been badgering me to apply from the moment we moved to the area.

I now find myself madly researching increasing our life insurance versus School Fee insurance (who knew there was such a thing?) and looking at my own study options for my future employment options.  I'm weighing up finishing the Masters program I started, changing to a program I'd love but the career path is not obvious and doing a completely different Vocational program (leaning this was today - I'm feeling all practical and pragmatic!). 

All this stress at a time when I am supposed to be relaxed and getting mentally and physically prepared for IVF.

It really is crazy how much emotional energy goes into our children starting Big School.  I'm sure it will turn out to be one of those things I will look back on in amazement and laugh!

Saturday, 2 July 2011

This week I'm grateful for...

a bunch of random little things that are making me glad this week.

- The Workaholic starting his new job and being a little bored with it already. This is great.  We have been living with his stress from running the company for too long.  The boys are loving him being home before they go to bed.  I know he'll realise the advantage of having breathing space in his work.  He's just been firing on all cylinders 24 hours a day for so long that he doesn't know what to do with the extra down time and brain space he now has!

- Weekly wage - enough said!

- Dropping a day of pre-school so the Little Man gets an extra Mummy day until he starts big school next January.

- Seeing the Little Man genuinely happy again after months of dramas with bad behaviour and an underlying unidentified sadness in everything he has been doing.  This week was amazing, I had almost forgotten how gorgeous he is.  I'm so Glad that it appears it really was just a phase.

- Bathtimes.  Because it has been so cold in the evenings, I have been making the boys have showers in the mornings instead of a bath before bed.  Last night the boys and I got in the tub together and had a lovely time.  I had honestly forgotten how much fun a bath can be.

- And finally, again I am so grateful for my health.  I have mentioned the likelihood of the Little Man's mate losing his Dad to cancer, the latest news is not good.  The little ray of hope we had after his first surgery (to remove a brain tumour) was wiped away when it and the remaining tumour grew while he was on radiation therapy.  He's had the new growth of the original removed, the other is still inoperable and the doctors have him on a trial which may or may not prolong his life.  Knowing that this man who is younger than myself and the Workaholic is probably not going to be around this time next year is tough.  I am so grateful that we are both healthy and we are determined to get fitter and stay healthy for my boys sake.

Sorry for ending on a downer today, but I think that it is things like this that should make us truly grateful for our lot in life.


This post is part of the 'I'm Grateful For' link-up by hosted by Maxabella Loves. Click over and take a look.




Friday, 1 July 2011

Things I know...

Joining in with Shae from Yay for Home! again this week as well as Where's my Glow for Flog Ya Blog Friday.

My brain needs a reboot and Things I know definitely helps (I guess that's a thing I know!).

Things I know:

- The pre-school starting big school info night is a great way to get the local area schools together and to make easy comparisons.

- There is also something to be learnt by the absence of the public school located closest to the said pre-school, just in case I had missed the tone of voice when I rang to check on whether my street is in their unadvertised catchment area - I didn't miss it, by the way ;) and yes, it is in their area.

- The owner's of my sons pre-school were not expecting my detailed response to their parent survey.


- It was a good thing that I answered it and then edited it down before I sent it, as it was apparently the worst they had ever had (I thought it was actually quite positive...).

- Almost 20 year old cats, need to be locked in the laundry at night or the house is covered in puddles in the morning.

The old girl likes to take up residence is places like the
bag I am unpacking from a weekend away.


- The four baskets of washing currently cluttering my bedroom are not going to magically put themselves away.

- I need a skip to clear out the garage which has accumulated lots of strange items in the last 12 months without a car parked in it.  It's not my junk, but someone has to do it, especially once we return to two car family status as the carport is too tight a fit for two.

- Four year old boys love noisily smashing their Matchbox cars, alot.

- Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar 6 times in a row, is 5 times too many.


- Roast lamb sandwiches are the bomb!


Thanks for dropping by, now go and visit some others!!



FYBF

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Matching Cars PJs to sit and watch the Cars movie on DVD
The Workaholic took them to see Cars 2 on Sunday. Boys gave it Thumbs Up!

Checkers is still getting the royal treatment after his 4 week
adventure to parts unknown.

Lamb Cutlets - Nom nom nom!


I'm joining in with My Little Drummer Boys & faith hope and a whole lotta love for Wordless Wednesday.

Thanks for dropping by.