At the end of last year I was full of good intentions... making several resolutions for the year ahead. Well, it's September now and I'd say I've sort-of, more-or-less stuck to them... except for the "more" part of things ("Cook more, craft more, exercise more...") But at least I haven't really done any less.
Except for this last one: "BLOG MORE!".
Darn it. I'm a bit annoyed about it. I can't help but be disappointed in myself. The months have flown by and I'm constantly writing posts in my head, or starting them and not finishing them. And nothing more than the usual LIFE getting in the way. I just don't know how to do it. To be a good mother, to be a good employee, to be a good wife, to be a good housekeeper, to be a good daughter, to be good to myself and to have time for my hobbies... and to be a good geek! Perhaps I demand too much of myself. Something's gotta give (as the saying goes). Friends complain that I don't have time for them anymore. (But really, if friends complain to you when they know how busy you are, how good a friend are they?) And yet, I'm not ready to let go. Of anything.
It's a conundrum. I don't know if I'll ever sort it out. I think it's just ME. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
He would have been 46 today
My eldest brother Arthur, and a young me. My next two older brothers are behind.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Lego Taj Mahal: Part 3
It's been a while since I've touched my poor neglected Lego. I had it out in the kitchen/dining area for a while. Box on its end, the piece on top of it... Asking for trouble, really. One day Atti and Elora were playing near it and I popped out of the room. Came back and there was Lego all over the floor.
"What happened, Atti?"
"It fell all by itself."
"Oh really? How did it fall?"
"It just did it by itself... Oh. Yeah. Doggy did it."
"So you threw Doggy and he knocked the Lego down?"
"No. It just fell. By itself. With Doggy."
"Uh-huh. Right."
I also noticed that parts of it were haphazardly put back together. Somebody knew they'd done wrong and tried to fix it... and then left it when he realised he didn't know how. Hmm. That boy!!
Anyway, Dan was out last night and the lounge room was in a semi-tidy state so after the kids went to bed I pulled out the box and repaired the damage. And then started building.
TripleJ TV came on so I watched that. Then Doctor Who. And I built some more. It was a good episode. I don't normally watch that show. In fact I don't think I've seen a single episode with David Tennant in it. But I watched it last night. It had daleks AND cybermen in it!
And I ended up going to bed much later than I should have, considering I was up at a quarter past five that morning.
Later in the week I want to build the first two corner pieces. I'll keep you posted.
"What happened, Atti?"
"It fell all by itself."
"Oh really? How did it fall?"
"It just did it by itself... Oh. Yeah. Doggy did it."
"So you threw Doggy and he knocked the Lego down?"
"No. It just fell. By itself. With Doggy."
"Uh-huh. Right."
I also noticed that parts of it were haphazardly put back together. Somebody knew they'd done wrong and tried to fix it... and then left it when he realised he didn't know how. Hmm. That boy!!
Anyway, Dan was out last night and the lounge room was in a semi-tidy state so after the kids went to bed I pulled out the box and repaired the damage. And then started building.
TripleJ TV came on so I watched that. Then Doctor Who. And I built some more. It was a good episode. I don't normally watch that show. In fact I don't think I've seen a single episode with David Tennant in it. But I watched it last night. It had daleks AND cybermen in it!
And I ended up going to bed much later than I should have, considering I was up at a quarter past five that morning.
Later in the week I want to build the first two corner pieces. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
The newest family member
I've been going for jogs/walks/runs in the mornings on the weekends lately. We have some great bike paths along the river around this area and it's very pleasant early in the morning with the sun coming up and the birds flitting and squawking.
Last Sunday morning as I headed out I saw a little creature bouncing around. I stopped and it came up and jumped around my feet then wandered off to eat some grass. I continued on my way. An hour later I came back and there it was huddled under a car tire, presumably scared off by someone's dog. So I crawled in, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and carried it home.
We've decided to call him Flopsy. And I took him to the vet on Thursday when we found out that he definitely is a "he". So now he's Flopsy-boy.
He's very friendly and tame. I think he belonged to a family before us. We did put up signs around the neighbourhood but no-one responded after five days. Apparently people dump unwanted pets in the park all the time. It's very sad. But to be quite honest, we weren't really that unhappy that nobody had claimed him!
Except for the cat. She's not too happy. We haven't told her about her bowl yet, either.
Last Sunday morning as I headed out I saw a little creature bouncing around. I stopped and it came up and jumped around my feet then wandered off to eat some grass. I continued on my way. An hour later I came back and there it was huddled under a car tire, presumably scared off by someone's dog. So I crawled in, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and carried it home.
We've decided to call him Flopsy. And I took him to the vet on Thursday when we found out that he definitely is a "he". So now he's Flopsy-boy.
He's very friendly and tame. I think he belonged to a family before us. We did put up signs around the neighbourhood but no-one responded after five days. Apparently people dump unwanted pets in the park all the time. It's very sad. But to be quite honest, we weren't really that unhappy that nobody had claimed him!
Except for the cat. She's not too happy. We haven't told her about her bowl yet, either.
Quiet times
Kids, work... it all just takes up time. And whatever's left is spent sleeping these days.
Today we had a sausage sizzle fund raiser for child care. I spent over three hours cooking onions, putting sausages into bread, serving customers. And I still smell like barbecue!
Now I'm tired. The usual state of being at this time of night. Actually, usually at 10:30pm I'm fast alseep. But my plan tonight was to build some Lego (my poor Taj Mahal has taken some backward steps, due to two littlies and a box that was too accessible), watch Pretty in Pink (vale John Hughes, thanks for making my favourite movies) and perhaps blog about our new family member... Well, I managed one of my goals (the movie) and half a blog post (this one)... There'll be more soon I hope.
Today we had a sausage sizzle fund raiser for child care. I spent over three hours cooking onions, putting sausages into bread, serving customers. And I still smell like barbecue!
Now I'm tired. The usual state of being at this time of night. Actually, usually at 10:30pm I'm fast alseep. But my plan tonight was to build some Lego (my poor Taj Mahal has taken some backward steps, due to two littlies and a box that was too accessible), watch Pretty in Pink (vale John Hughes, thanks for making my favourite movies) and perhaps blog about our new family member... Well, I managed one of my goals (the movie) and half a blog post (this one)... There'll be more soon I hope.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Lego Taj Mahal: Part 2
More steps done on the weekend...
Atticus awoke from his nap earlier than planned on Saturday afternoon and helped me build the little arches. I was impressed with his dexterity. I didn't think he could attach those little "headlight" pieces but he managed! Got bored after five of them, though.
I sat down and roughly counted the number of steps. Not including repeats. About 330. One step a night = almost a year! Hopefully it will get faster as I get the pieces sorted out. But then some nights I don't touch it at all.
I'll get there in the end.
Atticus awoke from his nap earlier than planned on Saturday afternoon and helped me build the little arches. I was impressed with his dexterity. I didn't think he could attach those little "headlight" pieces but he managed! Got bored after five of them, though.
I sat down and roughly counted the number of steps. Not including repeats. About 330. One step a night = almost a year! Hopefully it will get faster as I get the pieces sorted out. But then some nights I don't touch it at all.
I'll get there in the end.
Template change
Hmm. I've changed the blog template after years of the same old one. Just one of the standard choices but I was so annoyed at how the main text window would not stretch if your screen was bigger than the minimum. I hate wasted screen space!
I know it's boring. There are some lovely fancy templates out there but I can't be bothered editing them! What do you think?
I know it's boring. There are some lovely fancy templates out there but I can't be bothered editing them! What do you think?
Illness strikes!
Well, it had to happen eventually. We'd been going well. Winter, swine flu rampant, kids in school and child care.
Dante had a mild fever on Sunday night and Monday morning. Atticus was okay on Sunday but had a slight fever which got worse during the day on Monday. Dan was a little under the weather on the weekend but was worse on Monday morning. (Mondayitis strikes with a vengeance?!) Everyone but me stayed home yesterday (Elora's normal day at home)... Boo!
Today (Tuesday) Dan is still sick with fever and cough. Atticus is, too. We always worry most when Atti has fevers - they go so high (39.7°C this morning) and scare me silly. I really should be least worried since he's on the anti-convulsants still but old habits die hard. Thank goodness Dante was able to go to school today. And Elora. But now she's getting a fever, too.
It's only a matter of time before it knocks me over, too. Ack! Be gone, evil germs! Infect me not!
Dante had a mild fever on Sunday night and Monday morning. Atticus was okay on Sunday but had a slight fever which got worse during the day on Monday. Dan was a little under the weather on the weekend but was worse on Monday morning. (Mondayitis strikes with a vengeance?!) Everyone but me stayed home yesterday (Elora's normal day at home)... Boo!
Today (Tuesday) Dan is still sick with fever and cough. Atticus is, too. We always worry most when Atti has fevers - they go so high (39.7°C this morning) and scare me silly. I really should be least worried since he's on the anti-convulsants still but old habits die hard. Thank goodness Dante was able to go to school today. And Elora. But now she's getting a fever, too.
It's only a matter of time before it knocks me over, too. Ack! Be gone, evil germs! Infect me not!
Monday, July 06, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Grr grr grr
There's so many posts waiting to be completed and published but tonight I have another topic on my mind. More than on my mind. It's causing a physical reaction...
Probably too much information, but it's that time of the month. That time of the month when I confirm that I'm not pregnant but also that I'm still in my child-bearing years.
And I hate it! After more than twenty years (and who knows how many more) you'd think that I'd be used to the changes in mood, the grumpiness, the pain! Oh the pain! It's almost enough to make me want to be pregnant again. 9 months without a period. Then another 10 or 11 if you breastfeed (well, that was my experience, all three times). Except that I'm not keen on all the other things that go along with being pregnant, like being weighty and unwieldy and uncomfortable. The labour, well, that's not so bad. It only lasts a few hours. But then there's the whole bringing up another child thing. That's not something I'm ready for!! Although I do love newborn babies so much!
Anyway, that's enough complaining.
Let me tell you about our weekend. Dinner at Dante's friend's place on Friday night (after he and Atti spent the afternoon there after school). Did some computer support while we were there too. Saturday Dan spent shopping at the toy sales. Heinous amounts of money spent on Lego. Enough for another blog post. More Taj Mahal building. Mother-in-law over for dinner. A second late night in a row for the kids. This afternoon we spent at a birthday party for one of Atti's classmates. The hugest 4-year-old's party I've ever been to. There must have been nearly 30 kids there (including siblings). It was great. Plenty of food, plenty of fun, beautiful sunny weather (but a little chilly). Dante spent the time at another school friend's place. Everyone was happy (and everyone was tired and crashed out in the car on the way home).
So that's it in a nut shell. How was your weekend?
Probably too much information, but it's that time of the month. That time of the month when I confirm that I'm not pregnant but also that I'm still in my child-bearing years.
And I hate it! After more than twenty years (and who knows how many more) you'd think that I'd be used to the changes in mood, the grumpiness, the pain! Oh the pain! It's almost enough to make me want to be pregnant again. 9 months without a period. Then another 10 or 11 if you breastfeed (well, that was my experience, all three times). Except that I'm not keen on all the other things that go along with being pregnant, like being weighty and unwieldy and uncomfortable. The labour, well, that's not so bad. It only lasts a few hours. But then there's the whole bringing up another child thing. That's not something I'm ready for!! Although I do love newborn babies so much!
Anyway, that's enough complaining.
Let me tell you about our weekend. Dinner at Dante's friend's place on Friday night (after he and Atti spent the afternoon there after school). Did some computer support while we were there too. Saturday Dan spent shopping at the toy sales. Heinous amounts of money spent on Lego. Enough for another blog post. More Taj Mahal building. Mother-in-law over for dinner. A second late night in a row for the kids. This afternoon we spent at a birthday party for one of Atti's classmates. The hugest 4-year-old's party I've ever been to. There must have been nearly 30 kids there (including siblings). It was great. Plenty of food, plenty of fun, beautiful sunny weather (but a little chilly). Dante spent the time at another school friend's place. Everyone was happy (and everyone was tired and crashed out in the car on the way home).
So that's it in a nut shell. How was your weekend?
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