Sandra M.

After much soul searching and more than a little exhaustion this summer, I have come to the conclusion that I need to cut back on my studies.

I miss playing with my kids.

I miss being able to sit down a read a book because I want to read it and not because it's the textbook for my subject.

I miss being able to go to bed early if I want without having ot worry that I have two exams coming up and I haven't prepared as well as I'd like.

I miss relaxing.

I miss being the fun-loving mum I always thought I'd be.

In short, I miss the study-life balance that I assured myself and my husband I would maintain throughout the study of my degree.

I was going to try to take 3 subjects per semester this year in order to graduate at the end of the year. So far this summer semester I have goofed off at every opportunity. I have done really poorly on my assignments and I'm well on my way to flunking my exams. In short, I've done everything EXCEPT study!

I admit that it was more than a little foolish for me to think that I could do 3 subjects in a regular semester when I can't even concentrate on 2 subjects over summer. So I have decided to cut back.

This year I am only taking first and second semester and I will have summer off.

I am only going to take 1 subject per semester and leave myself plenty of time for being a mum and being a person.

Most of all, I am going to ENJOY MYSELF and RELAX. Study is something I have always enjoyed, even when my subjects are boring. I really need to get back to that and not be in such a hurry.

After all, at this point in their lives my kids need a mum in the house more than they need a university graduate.

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Miss 2 is being a typical two year old. She throws lots of tantrums, either because she isn't getting her own way or because she's not able to communicate to us what she wants. This is expected and we just weather the storm. She's really good at tantrums compared to her sisters (who were quite mild) and it can get a bit wearying at times.

This morning she turned on her best show in the line for the checkout at Woolies. I'm tired and I wasn't really prepared for the volume but as usually I was patient and ignored her as best I could. She had to stay with me and hold my hand (the cause of the tantrum) and that was that. I thought I was doing pretty poorly and was getting pretty worn down by the time we finished up and were leaving.

Imagine my surprise and relief when, as we were leaving, a lovely lady said very quietly in my ear "you're doing a great job". It's not something I hear very often, I usually get disapproving looks from people as my children run up and down the aisles and scream and carry on when asked to stop.

There's nothing quite like having somebody tell you they think you're doing a great job to help brighten your day. Suddenly the burden was less heavy and I felt much more confident in my handling of the situation. There was almost a spring to my step and I've been so much more patient with the kids.

To all the mums and dads out there: you're doing a great job. I can't see you doing this great job but I know you're doing it. I'm spreading the compliment. Next time I see you in person I'll try to remember to tell you face to face what a great job you're doing. Tell your friends and family they're doing a great job. We need to support each other so much more. Parenting can be very isolating especially when you're in the middle of a supermarket and you feel like all eyes are on you. May there always be somebody there who will tell you what a great job you're doing.

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My big girl has lost her first tooth! I pulled it out myself because her adult tooth is coming through crooked and a fair way behind where it should be. I just hope the gap is big enough for it! There was a little blood but no pain and no tears. She's been obsessed with her gap ever since and keeps going to look at herself in the mirror.

Thankfully the tooth fairy has a gold coin to leave her tonight!

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Now that the weather is warm every day I have sorted out the kids' winter clothes and put them away. I also managed to beat myself around the head enough to be able to get rid of some more of the baby clothes. There are still some I just can't bear to part with though. How lame is that, I'm attached to clothes my kids will never wear again!

Anyway, so I have a box full of size 2 girls clothing to give away, and an urge to grab the newborn/baby clothes I decided I could part with and put them back into the box from which I pulled them earlier! If you're having a baby girl or know somebody who is and you wnat the clothes, let me know ASAP before my resolve crumbles and I put them back in the box.

The older girls clothes I won't be giving away just yet. Not while I still have a little girl who can wear them in future years. Her older sisters have far too many clothes to hand down. I think I need to buy some of those vacuum bags so I can fit all the stuff in the wardrobes!

I haven't gotten onto putting away the grownups winter clothes yet, but we tend to just wear the same things all year round paired with the occasional pair of jeans or a jumper. I will get to them though, hopefully this weekend while I'm on a procrastinating-law-subject roll.

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We survived quite a bit better than those on the north side. Every time we have an event such as this it makes me even more glad to be living in Logan! North/south rivalry aside, the north side gets nearly all the nasty weather and flooding! I'd have to have rocks in my head to believe the snobs who reckon it's so much better to live there.

We did spring a small leak in our sunroom here but it seems to have stopped now that the front yard is no longer overfull of water. If the drain in the front yard wasn't blocked (as you can see in the photo) then I'm pretty sure the sunroom wouldn't have sprung the leak. We managed to avoid too many casualties but my old Statistics textbook will never be quite the same.

I saw the sun this morning for about an hour before the rain set in again so I feel slightly rejuvenated. I get quite depressed not seeing the sun for several days at a time so it was good to actually get to see it this morning. They're forecasting the rain to go away for a couple of days from late today so hopefully they're right about that. I need sun not just for me but for all the washing that's piling up! The queue at the laundromat yesterday was insane so we just didn't even bother. A fan pointed at clothes hanging on an over the door hanger is the poor person's dryer and that's what we used last night.

Anyway, I guess the point of the post is that we're still alive and mostly unbothered by the deluge of rain.

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Elizabeth learned the words and actions to Agadoo and wanted me to put it on the internet for her. So here it is! :-)

Sandra.

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Here they are for Braiden :-P

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Yesterday my mum and my sister and my sister's kids and my sister in law and her baby boy all went to the park. My mother-in-law met us there a bit later. The kids had a BLAST playing together and baby Khalen was given lots of snuggles by aunties and grandmothers (including my mother in law who technically isn't his grandmother ;-) ).

Mother-in-law got the kids together for a photo session so we could have pictures of them all in the same place at the same time. That's my hair in the one which includes Khalen. I couldn't hide myself completely behind the little people. At least it's not my bum you can see!

From left to right, the kids are:

Victoria, Blake, Olivia, Elizabeth, Emma.
Khalen is the tiny one behind held up between Elizabeth and Olivia for one photo only. (It didn't occur to me until the last photo!)

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Elizabeth had a great day at sports day this year. I wasn't able to attend as I've been very ill all week, but Grandma went along with her and took some photos for us.

As you can see, Elizabeth was very enthusiastic and had a great time. Green is a colour that suits her well! She came home with a sticker on her shirt that says "Well Done".

Elizabeth spent the afternoon with Grandma and Pop and came home very tired but happy.

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My big girls made me presents and cards and my eldest bought me presents at the mothers day stall at school. I feel well and truly spoilt! Pity the batteries on the good camera died after one picture, but the old camera still works just as well for taking photos.

I don't often upload photos of myself because I'm usually behind the camera but today I decided I'd be in front for a change. I have far too few pictures of me with my girls. Don't mock my Elmo pyjamas :-P

For the record, I got a little treasure box with two purple stones inside from Olivia with a nice card attached saying what she loves about me. From Elizabeth I got a lovely card with her hand print on the fronto and an attempt to write happy mothers day inside, a heart-shaped stationary set, some nail care thingies, and a little bobbly dragonfly that can hold notes. $10 sure goes a long way at the school mothers day stall!

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