28 May 2018

Week Twenty One

What a hectic week!  

Monday saw me finally admit defeat and I had to come home from work as my voice was barely audible, I couldn't make or take calls because people didn't need to be dealing with that squeak and my head was starting to get fuzzy.  I must have had an addled brain as I still exercised but barely being able to breathe is not cool.  Despite feeling like shit, I still did washing, cooked dinner, made up lunchboxes and generally kept up my usual duties.  

Like Mother's are wont to do. 

On Tuesday Molly and I took my broken glasses back to Specsavers and I was astonished when they said they're still under warranty, AND WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE!  The hinge of the arm was broken, I thought they'd replace that, I was happy to pay for it, did not even think my glasses would be replaced.  Win!  We also went to the chemist where I picked up some new lippies for HALF PRICE and onto the park before coming home for a nap. 

Sadly our visit to the park included pee pants, a skinned knee and blood on my new dress and my favourite bangle breaking... after such a great morning, I couldn't help but feel like someone was having a laugh at my expense! 



Wednesday rolled around and Juffin started his descent into sick town as I was still pulling myself out of it.  

Is there anything worse than a sick male? 

Answer:  No. 

Ugh. 

I upped my salad game, popped my vitamin c and ignored him. Sometimes you just have to rise above. 

When I opened my eyes on Thursday and squinted at the clock and it said 6.45, I immediately rolled over and punched sicky in the arm.  He swore and jumped out of bed and then proceeded to cough up a lung I told him to call in sick because no customer wants to be confronted with a spluttering, squeaky mess.  Eww.  He was adamant he was going to work but after 10 more minutes of that bullshit he gave in and made the call. 

Honestly. 

Then I had to endure getting everyone and myself ready for kindy, school and work whilst he lay around feeling ill. 

INSERT POKER FACE EMOJI HERE

Of course, he had to drop me off so he could have Shirley, just in case he needed to go somewhere AS THERE AREN'T TWO OTHER REGISTERED VEHICLES HERE FOR HIM TO USE. 

I made him go to the Doctor.  If you're that ill you can go to the Doctor. 

Friday is Molly and Mummy day and we always go to the fruit shop, get a baby cino, grab a steamed dim sim.... it used to be enjoyable until madam turned into a tantrumming toddler and now I need to bribe with donuts and stickers and she still turns into a nightmare. It's hectic and I can't believe that I actually forgot that this is what they're like at this age.  How could I forget?  It goes on forever too.  Then we got home and she refused to sleep.  Like flat out refused.  I have the builder here repairing the bathroom and I couldn't just leave her in her room to scream. Which I usually do.  Yep, mother of the year. So at 2.30 I gave up and we had something to eat and then went to pick up Mushroom. 

Amazing news!  Mushroom had made it to 'FABULOUS JOB' at school for doing exceptionally well in reading groups!  HUZZAH!  Maybe our hard line at home is working. Either way, stoked!  And glad that I'd thought to buy him a little lego set to put away for these small wins as a reward.  



Hooray! 

Our weekend was hectic!  We had another birthday party, housework, washing, I let the kids paint and make a mess, hill on Sunday morning for me and some Daddy time for the kids. 

Over the last few weekends, at breakfast, we've had a very friendly, beaky visitor and this Sunday, he got a whole lot friendlier. 





Can you believe that shit?!  I spoke to a friend who has experience with the feathered folk and she believes that he must have been hand raised, as literally had no qualms jumping on Mushroom's head!  I don't know if he is a boy, but I'm just calling him him.  The kids don't have a name for our friend yet, and I'd just like him to fuck off forever as his beak is way too sharp for my liking and he landed on my head as well and I nearly died, but if he comes back I'll have to be nice to him for the kids sake.... 

After all that excitement, Mushroom was lucky enough to go over to the neighbours place to play for the rest of the day and Juffin took Molly to Bunnings and hung out with her so I could get my bake on and pull out this masterpiece. 

 

I didn't eat it, but traded it for a new pair of sneakers so feeling pretty comfortable with that exchange. 

If you have something I may want, I may be interested in a trade.. haha!  

Sadly my Sunday didn't end well and I gave in to a borderline migraine and hit the sack at 8.30.  Sometimes you just need to say fuck it and go to sleep and worry about getting shit done the next morning.  

Have a great week everyone!  



22 May 2018

Week Twenty

I'm getting later and later with these bloody posts.  First it was Sunday, then it was Monday, and now here I am on Tuesday night thinking shit, I didn't post my blog yet.  I am clearly committed.

Last week marked our second in a row of no TV. 

Yes. 

We stopped turning on the TV.  Even on the weekend.

The kids have actually been fine.  It's beautiful weather here in sunny NQ and they've just been playing outside, drawing, making lego messes and generally entertaining themselves.

To say I'm shocked would be an understatement. 

I thought we'd have major issues and so far, none. 

They did watch a movie on Sunday after we got home after an outing on Sunday
 but compared to the months past, where the TV was on more and more, it's a vast fucking improvement.

BUT what about their behaviour I hear you ask?

WELL Mushroom's teacher did remark that he was very much improved!  There are a few other changes that we've made, sticker charts, removing items for bad behaviour and basically increasing our position re discipline and what's expected of him and it's been pretty good.  Like I don't feel like a shit parent 99% of the time, maybe only 70% now, so woo! 



We've had a few hairy mornings where all the boy's stickers have been removed from the chart and he's had to start from scratch but once he knew that we meant business, he's been much better!  Not sure that the 2 year old understands what is going on but she seems to like putting stickers on the chart and the threat of no stickers has succeeded thus far.  It may be too early to say it's been a total success, I mean let's not count our chickens, but there's been a marked improvement.  This parenting gig is fucking hard work.

This also happened....



Yes!  We got a new car!  Well new for us.  Juffin went to the auction and picked up a bargain.  We're a bit stoked.  It's older, and has more kms than we wanted but it is SCHMICK and it's a vast improvement on my old bomb so huzzah!  And I tell you what the best thing ever is!  Listening to my own tunes and rocking the F out!!  I can STREAM from my phone!  It's amazing!  I can now listen to podcasts on the go and do the bluetooth thing.  Feel like I've been jettisoned into the 21st century and have no idea what any of the buttons do like a proper old person but whatever. 

SCHMICK!

Before
During
Molly had her first haircut as well!  It was a big week. I took her to my beautiful hairdresser and she's just the best.  Molly was good for the first 4 minutes and then I had to utilise Peppa Pig via you tube to get it done.  Still has fluffy tentacles but at least they're not hanging in her eyes and hindering her toddler vision, which is shit at the best of times.



After


Other things of note to record from last week include eating too much at stupid work morning tea (zero self control these days!), starting and finishing book club book, rediscovering my love of dancing in the kitchen, the royal wedding and being really and truly happy for Megs and Harry, mastering the lemonade scone and our first little outing in Shirley the pearly girly! 

How's the serenity?





14 May 2018

Week Nineteen

Do you follow the fabulous Busy Phillips on Insta?  If you don't, you should.  She gives me life.. 'YOU GUYS...' She listens to fab music which she shares with us, talks a mile a minute, loves her kids to bits and is generally a super amazing down to earth celeb who I love.  Busy and Anna Paquin are my absolute fave famous ladies at present. I almost comment on their hilarious posts but feel like a stalker.  

Why is that?  They're just sharing snippets of their lives like I do, but I don't know, creeping on people you don't actually know or haven't met before seems 'rude' or weird to me. 

I know!  I have ISSUES! 

Why am I talking about this?  Because I do share lots of my life online.  My health, my life, my job, my relationships and my kids.  I know that in this day and age that it's maybe not so wise.  I guess I'm feeling a little guilty about it.  My kids never gave me permission to share every thing they do with all and sundry.  I don't want my kids to grow up and see what I shared and be humiliated or embarrassed, or hate me for sharing things about their lives that they never consented in me sharing... 

Obviously all these things make me think twice about blogging in general and I'm now questioning what I've already written.  Things online never truly disappear so even though I could delete my blog but it wouldn't guarantee that it would disappear.  It would still exist somewhere, in the online universe, never really going away.  Which sucks.  

I know that teenage Jess would hate to have read online all about her shitting in her pants at 2 or eating bubblegum off the road when she was 4 years old, I'd be absolutely mortified.  But older Jess, Jess now, I love hearing those stories, I'd love to read anything my Mum wrote back then so I could hear how she coped, what happened, what her day to day was like.  Because now that I'm a mother, I'm interested and I can relate.  And time passing has this funny habit of removing all those shitty, mundane details so you can never really remember all the little things.    

So what should I do?  I have to admit that I never asked Juffin if I could write about him in this way too and whilst I don't share too much re our relationship, I do say some not so nice things about him from time to time.  I don't even think he reads my blog. 

It's too late to be asking these questions right?  Like duh Jess, probably should have thought about this shit 5.5 years ago.  Am I overthinking shit as per usual?  Not that many people even read my stupid blog so not sure why I'm even worrying about it.  Hardly going viral over here.  Just thinking about privacy and how I've been remiss, especially when it comes to the kids!

Is it time to shut this shit down?  Would anyone even miss it?! It's not really the point though because I like doing it, for me.  As my little online diary.  So I know what was happening at the time and I can go back and read it and laugh at myself.  

 

8 May 2018

Week Eighteen

It's May!  May!  WTF

I feel like I repeat myself which this shit weekly, but guys, it's fucking May!  It's week 4 of term 2 already, and we're hurtling towards mid year... What in the world?!

Things I achieved this week:

  • Washing Queen
  • See amazing portrait paintings for Percival Prize
  • Car research
  • Sheets washed and changed
  • Juffin application writing
  • Sister chats
  • Hill walking
  • Fit into dress haven't been able to wear for 3 years
  • Floors
  • Flash child free dinner
  • Quality family time
  • Not die after alcohol consumption


Mushroom is still carrying on for school drop off and citing various reasons for his bullshit behaviour. Have had a few chats with his teacher who's all over it so crossing fingers this is yet another phase and school will improve again.  This morning was more to do with being jealous because Molly and Mum were staying home and he wanted to as well so he could play lego and watch TV.  Don't blame you there mate.  We had a good chat about it, school being his job now etc and obviously life means doing things that may be hard but you'll get to your goal in the end.  And his current goal is become a Scientist, "so I can do 'speriments' all the time".  Brilliant.  Not so brilliant is his behaviour at school because basically he thinks it's fucking social hour over there and talks to anyone who will listen, like will not stop talking.  To anyone.  Teacher included.  And, I'll be really sexist here, like a typical man, cannot seem to multitask and work at the same time so is not getting any work done as a result.  None. 

Ugh.

I know that you all think that this is hilarious given my particular fondness for chit chat.  Talk about chip off the old block! Seriously though, if he doesn't start focusing soon, I will lose my shit.  Juffin and I had a chat tonight and we've decided to limit the TV time to the weekend.  We're both guilty of putting it on when we need some down time and that's a bullshit cop out so we're both going to work on being more present, spending time outside and actually playing.  I will need to hit Kmart for some crafting supplies and we'll set up a little activity corner for them so they can go nuts.  Yes, the cleaning up will suck but maybe they'll have longer attention spans as a result.  One can only try these things but something has to change.  My boy is clever, he just needs to stop talking and focus.... god that feels like karma at work right there!  Haha!

My folks came to visit for the weekend and it was so lovely having them here.  I'm blessed with parents and parents in law that actually want to spend time with their grandchildren.  They happily babysit, even during the week, and luckily we've had a few sleepovers as well.  I know that they've already raised their kids, but they're only too happy to help out when we need.  Some are not so lucky and it's just really sad.  Working full time is exhausting, I get that, but helping out your kids by taking care of your grandkids for a day or two over the school holidays, picking them up from school or daycare, taking them for a night over the weekend so they can get some sleep, that's not too much to ask is it?  Apparently for some it is.  And that fucking sucks.

Art


Best of a bad bunch! Kids did not participate well in photo taking

Exercise has been non-existent after a few late nights trying to get applications done (Juffin), hens party planning, dress shopping, flight booking, finance sorting, washing... it never ends.  We're looking at getting a newer car soon and had to get all our ducks in a row, so fingers crossed we'll find what we're looking for shortly.  To be perfectly honest, my piece of shit car may not survive that long, and it's pretty embarrassing clunking around town in it.  On the positive side, I've yet to be carjacked and can leave it unlocked anywhere I go and no-one even attempts to take anything.  Probably jinxed myself now... 

I did get the hill done with the rents over the weekend, but haven't done an actual work out in almost a week.  I really do just need to get out of bed earlier but my constant late night's lately hasn't helped me there. I've also been plagued by headaches and I think it's directly related to my lax attitude to sugar, namely lollies, and carbs in the last few days.  I almost attempted hill walk with Molly today but couldn't bear to listen to the whingeing.. which really is redundant as listen to her whingeing all day every damn day... ahh 2 year olds, aren't they the best?

Worth the slog up there for this view!