From this
To this
In the blink of an apple.
They were pretty good apples…
Category: 250 in 2017
I am committing to writing 250 posts in 2017. It was going to be 365 but I think that’s a little ambitious…
Hmmm
Do I still blog if I have nothing to say?
Trying to figure that one out.
I said yes to Hubs cleaning the kitchen tonight. Actually I asked him to do it/told him I was going out and it needed to be done. Same same but different.
We have just started a new TV series called Mr Robot. It has Christian Slater in it; one of my huge 90s movie star crushes. He’s still got it.
I guess I did have a couple of things to say. It’ll do for another day.
A lesson I need to learn
I am not a control freak by any means. Well I don’t think I am. But when it comes to things around the house, I am definitely, and to me detriment, of the opinion that if I don’t do it myself it won’t be done properly, which will in turn make more work for me so I should just do it myself to begin with.
For the love of my sanity I need to let that go. Hubs and I have a deal that he offers to clean the kitchen each night and I accept when I really need it. Except it’s been literally months since I have taken him up on the offer because he doesn’t do it the way I want him to.
Who cares?????!!!! Done beats perfect, right? Right??? Good grief Charlie Brown!
I am going to have to start not only accepting help but asking for it when baby time draws closer. I’m already struggling to keep up with the vacuuming so when my darling Chance was desperate to help me vacuum today I took him up on his offer. Sure it took twice as long and since I was the one picking everything up off the floor it was actually more work for me, but I want to get the kids involved in the upkeep if the house.
I’m not the only one living here so I should not be the only one keeping it clean and tidy. And Hubs needs to lead by example so next time he offers I’ll be saying yes please.
And I will not find something else to do other than plonk myself on the couch. And blog.
Slightly uncomfortable
I really must delve into the archives for some photos of me at 33 weeks pregnant with the other kids. Bending over is getting tricky, so I do it sparingly. I’m often asking the kids to grab stuff for me since they are so much lower to the ground. It does mean that the place is a little more untidy than usual and that is saying something. I find that once I’m bent over, picking something up, I do think to myself “well while I’m down here, is there anything else I can collect?”
Of course, there always is.
My lungs are running out of breathing room, so even though I’m keen to keep lifting my heavier weights at the gym, my breath just can’t keep up, and according to our trainer, I’m supposed to be able to carry on a conversation while working out. If I’m too puffed for that then I’m pushing too hard. I definitely pushed too hard on Monday which saw me completely exhausted and utterly useless for the rest of the day.
Lesson learnt. I now know my new, albeit temporary limits.
Getting up off the couch is not something I look forward to, nor is getting up out of the kids seats I sometimes sit in to play with the kids.
It’s hard to believe that in just 7 weeks (probably 8, let’s face it) I’ll be holding a little bubba in my arms and saying goodbye to sleep for a few months. And all this discomfort will be worth it. (And be replaced by other discomfort but again, only temporarily.)
I seriously can’t wait I’m so excited ❤
I know I’ll be made to eat my words
But kids get easier the older they get, right? I mean my Mum and her dear friend always say “the challenges don’t ever go away, they just change” or words to that effect. And yeah I get that. Maybe I’ve just been eyeball deep in the same challenges on repeat for the last 5 years that I’m looking forward to different challenges?
Like I’m really looking forward to not having to run interference with 2-year-olds every 30 seconds all day; I’m kind of looking forward to not having to wipe tiny bums anymore; I’ll be glad when my children are all old enough for school drop off and pick up to not involve me tearing after a toddler while trying to hold in my pelvic floor; I’m looking forward to engaging in more in depth conversations with the kids and reading chapter books with them.
I’m not wishing this time away and as I said, I know parents of older kids are reading this and laughing at me while shaking their heads. It’s all a challenge I suppose. The trick is to enjoy the ride!
Yee-ha.
Nearly got away with it
We went to Yeppoon today with my friend and her three kids as both of our husbands were working, and you know, safety in numbers. The weather forecast wasn’t great but we were determined. The first couple of hours looked a lot like this
Threatening but nothing much happening
The kids had an awesome time at the water park. It was a little more stressful for me than usual as I lost Darby 3 times – little bugger is doing runners and exploring as he pleases which had me on red alert the whole time!
And just as we were settling in to lunch the rains finally came down
Darby was safely tucked away in the stroller (where I had put him to stop him running away from me!)
In one of the slight lulls in rain we decided to make a dash for the car. The lull didn’t last long and we ended up getting completely drenched. It was pretty funny.
Look I’m not going to lie. I had contemplated just staying home all day with the kids and watching movies but I’m glad we got out and about. We all do better after we’ve been out of the house for the morning and we had a great afternoon and evening to start the week off well.
Hope your Sunday was a good one too.
33 weeks
My little dude
Sometimes it’s all I need to do
There’s a common belief going round about how, if you think you’re a crap mum, you’re actually not because the fact that you feel overwhelming guilt about being impatient with your 6-year-old, or feeling terrible about yelling at your 4-year-old, or getting so upset when your 2-year-old throws something ELSE off the deck, means you care. It means you want to do better. It means you will try harder the next day. It means you will read your kids their bed time stories even though your tank is empty and you still have to clean the kitchen and make the next day’s lunches. And it means you’ll tuck them in to bed with huge cuddles and unlimited kisses and your heart will burst and you will vow to try harder tomorrow.
There are some moments where I honestly feel like the worst mum in the world but I know that these moments pass and my kids are very forgiving and they teach me so much every day and I do vow to try harder every day.
I’m scared to admit that I’m struggling at the moment. School pick up is particularly hard when I have to take Darby. He’s a runner, but up until today I had it all under control. Today he decided that my threats of leaving and statements of “okay bye Darby” were empty. He called my bluff and didn’t stop running down the hill. I could feel the tears coming as I tried to run after him, with my heavy belly and weak bladder, and I’m so glad that the car park he ran into was quiet, and that it was a dead end.
Back in the safety of my car, after carrying him back up the hill, the tears flowed freely. It’s a daily occurrence at the moment. I call it my daily cry and it just seems to be a part of this pregnancy’s third trimester. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I also know that I will find a way.
As my dear friend reminded me today, only 11 more pick-ups to go before I get a break for two weeks. And in that time I will definitely be putting some plans in place to help with pick-ups in term two.
This blog post was supposed to be a short one about lunch boxes. Sometimes all I need to do is make the lunches and I feel a bit better. Like I’m slightly on top of things, even if it’s fleeting. I guess lunch boxes can really bring out the stuff that’s bubbling under the surface?
Who’da thunk it?
Talk about a cool change!
People have been asking me for months how I’ve been coping with the heat and to be honest, up until three weeks ago I was going okay. Then it got hotter and I got bigger and all of a sudden I feel completely sapped of energy and patience.
Monday and Tuesday this week were particularly hot and humid and I was on the brink of tears for most of both days. And actually reduced to tears towards the end of my parenting day yesterday. 5pm meltdowns aren’t just for kids I tell you. We had the a/c cranking last night while watching a movie and kept it on as I fell asleep.
Then the rain came and the temperature dropped and I’ve had a spring in my step all day. Well comparatively anyway. Today has been so lovely. Rainy and cool and just what I needed for a break from the heat.
I’m not sure how long it will last but I promise I will be enjoying every minute.
UPDATE: It didn’t even last until school pick up ? I walked outside and almost gave up on the spot. Back to teary and cranky.