Life goes on and on and on at the moment. For some reason I feel like a lizard flat out drinking! I have taken it slightly easy the last couple of days but still seems to be non-stop.
A lot of the big problem is the almost constant tantrums from Tasha. She has discovered the terrible twos with a vengeance. But they are impressive. We have the whole feet kicking and throwing the body around the place but the real kicker is the chanting/screaming "no!"
Eddie is still being a problem about school. Not because he doesn't want to go but because he does. He has 1 full day and 2 half days but it's not enough to really satisfy him. The second he finishes his last day he is counting down the sleeps until he goes back to school! And he officially has a friend, William! At least that is the only friend he will admit to lol. He has a farm animal excursion coming up, his very first school outing. Plus next Wednesday I am due at the school for a Mother's Day thing they are having. It goes for just over an hour.
Tiffany has swimming lessons in less than 2 weeks and we still haven't been told what it is going to cost. Last year it was around $30 but that doesn't mean it will be that this year. She also needs new swimmers plus there is some footy workshop thing next month which she needs money for. Thank goodness it is with the Freo Dockers and not the WC Eagles. The Weagles have such a bad rap at the moment between Cousins and his drugs and other players involved in violence. Not the sort of people I would like my daughter to be around! But then who knows how much of it is true with the media!
I have been flat out working. I do Homecare Direct Shopping distribution. My last supervisor has just quit and dumped a whole mess in my lap to sort out. I don't like the customers being let down so I have shouldered it. Mind you, not many of the customers who dealt with him had much nice to say about him so not only have I had to sort out the practicalities but I have been having to smile through the customer's dumping their frustrations at my feet!
I have just dropped big time and my brain needs a good clean. You know that feeling of dirty teeth being furry? It feels like the plaque has invaded my brain making it all fuzzy and furry lol so good night all. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Stop the world, I want to get off!!!
Today, or more specifically tonight was one of those nights. You know the one, when you want to pack your bags and just walk out! A major part is darling Tasha who has discovered how to have the kicking and screaming and throw yourself all over the floor tantrums! What she hasn't discovered is that it isn't getting her anywhere with me. But she gets a reaction when she goes and hurts one of the other kids. Usually a smack on the backside or hand and sent to bed until she calms down. I eventually sent Becker a message telling him that the way she was going she would be black and blue before she went to sleep. Besides the constant hitting and hair pulling and toy snatching etc on her part, she unrolled yet another roll of toilet paper into the toilet. That was the last straw for me and I sent her to her bed and told her if she knew what was good for her not to show her face to me again for the rest of the night.
I guess she took me literally cause she pulled her blanket over her head and went to sleep. Later when I carefully pulled the blanket back a bit, she stirred and again covered her head. Pity she didn't stay asleep. Becker stopped home, probably to do a body count and perhaps see if any of them needed medical attention, so she decided she had had a nap so time to get back up again. Boy did she get a rude shock! She was sent back to bed again and again and again and again....... You get the picture. I had to laugh when he made the comment "She is a persistent little shit". Why did he think she was in so much trouble for the night? Cause she had been a perfect little angel?? I think it would be safe to say it was because she was being a persistent little shit.
Eddie wasn't being much help. Half the time it was something he did that upset her, though to give him credit most of the time it upset her only because she didn't do it first! But he was also being naughty. He kept telling me he wanted a drink, to which he got my standard "that's nice". Eventually I asked him if he thought it would be a good idea to use his manners with his mummy. He gave a very clear and definite "NO" as an answer to which he was told that since he won't be nice to me he can go without! Yet again Daddy came to the rescue when he came home and reminded him to use his manners and to tell me he was sorry and to ask properly.
Tiffany was doing really well tonight heading off at bedtime to clean her teeth. Pity it took her an hour to clean her teeth and sort her bed out and she finally remembered to bring her lunchbox out to the kitchen. It was only a day late! Yet she didn't think about giving me the school newsletter from Tuesday that was sitting on the floor of her room. She spent the day either watching TV or reading apart from when we dragged her out the house when we went out. She had to be told yet again to empty the recycling which everyone was falling over since it was overflowing. Turns out the overflow was equivalent to another crate full. That is the one real housework job she has apart from supposedly keeping her room reasonably clean and she still can't remember it. She was already in bed when she found my final straw with her. Yet again she hadn't bothered to get her uniform ready for tomorrow so she would have had to come into my room to get her skirt which could wake up Eddie if he was still asleep. Sounds trivial but it is the trivial things that build up and bring everything to a head.
Sometimes it feels like I spend my whole life being for everyone else and not getting to be for me or getting what I want. Right now I am having a real problem with being homesick. I just want to be with my family. My oldest son had his court hearing on Tuesday and I didn't even know the exact date it was on, nor could I be there to support him or Mum. I haven't seen my son for over 4 years!! We just can't afford the airfares (min $600 per person plus expenses). We were meant to be there now, having moved back to Qld but Becker pulled the plug on that a few months ago, after I had spent 4 months planning, buying a van, etc. Seems he couldn't stand the idea of moving away from a family he rarely sees or is interested in seeing. I had even worked out with some tough saving he could come over to see them once a year or pay the airfares for his kids to visit us once or twice a year. Instead I am stuck here being the support network for him and the kids but what choice do I have? Tear this household apart because my heart is aching beyond description with the need to be near my firstborn and my parents? To spend time with my grandmother before she dies? To be able to attend her funeral when that does happen? I missed my grandfather's funeral and I had to suck it up. I had to suck it up the day I was told as we were at Becker's father's wedding reception. I had to suck it up the day of the funeral because I couldn't be there.
Sometimes I wish I could win the lotto so that I could delegate a certain amount to be invested and the profits used to go be with my family every school holidays. In my family xmas is a big deal, at least on my mum's side. The one day of the year when if you can get there you do. With Becker's mother we get told over and over, we are spending xmas as a family, and that includes their future son-in-law, and we will fit you in one day after then. What the fuck?????? So being her oldest child doesn't make him part of the family?? See that does my head in. I love my children with all my heart and I will always want them a part of my life and they will always be part of my family NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS!!!
My oldest was lucky with his court hearing. He was given 12 months probation with no conviction recorded. It could and probably should have been a lot worse than that. What he did none of us can comprehend. He went to a park and held a knife to a girl's throat. He didn't hurt her physically but sure as hell would have caused emotional trauma. He didn't do it for kicks and he didn't try and hide it. In fact he waited for the police to turn up and arrest him. He ended up spending over a month in juvie waiting for bail which fortunately for him he got. I am so thankful he didn't get a harsher sentence but I can imagine how angry that girl and her family must be. In their eyes he is getting away with what he did. Why did he do it? He had been diagnosed with depression, he had been through hell with events that had been happening in his life but that is not my story to tell. The doctors had decided he didn't need his meds etc etc. Basically he took very drastic measures to get noticed and get the help he desperately needed. How wrong that a 16 year old should have to resort to that!
Right now I just want to lay down and give up on everything. I feel like a failure as a parent when I have 3 children who just don't want to listen or care. I just want to be back with my family but I don't want to have to tear these kids apart from either their father or me to do it. I just want to pack my bags and walk away from all my responsibilities and disappear. I am tired physically and emotionally. And while I know atm it is past time to get to sleep that is not the tired I am talking about. I am the one that has to push and shove to get things done. Phone calls aren't made unless I do them or stand over Becker while he does them. Bills don't get paid unless I do them and atm I am the one having to scrape together the money to pay for everything apart from rent and since I don't work and I am relying on family assistance that gets hard and draining.
Time to go. Becker has finished early.
I guess she took me literally cause she pulled her blanket over her head and went to sleep. Later when I carefully pulled the blanket back a bit, she stirred and again covered her head. Pity she didn't stay asleep. Becker stopped home, probably to do a body count and perhaps see if any of them needed medical attention, so she decided she had had a nap so time to get back up again. Boy did she get a rude shock! She was sent back to bed again and again and again and again....... You get the picture. I had to laugh when he made the comment "She is a persistent little shit". Why did he think she was in so much trouble for the night? Cause she had been a perfect little angel?? I think it would be safe to say it was because she was being a persistent little shit.
Eddie wasn't being much help. Half the time it was something he did that upset her, though to give him credit most of the time it upset her only because she didn't do it first! But he was also being naughty. He kept telling me he wanted a drink, to which he got my standard "that's nice". Eventually I asked him if he thought it would be a good idea to use his manners with his mummy. He gave a very clear and definite "NO" as an answer to which he was told that since he won't be nice to me he can go without! Yet again Daddy came to the rescue when he came home and reminded him to use his manners and to tell me he was sorry and to ask properly.
Tiffany was doing really well tonight heading off at bedtime to clean her teeth. Pity it took her an hour to clean her teeth and sort her bed out and she finally remembered to bring her lunchbox out to the kitchen. It was only a day late! Yet she didn't think about giving me the school newsletter from Tuesday that was sitting on the floor of her room. She spent the day either watching TV or reading apart from when we dragged her out the house when we went out. She had to be told yet again to empty the recycling which everyone was falling over since it was overflowing. Turns out the overflow was equivalent to another crate full. That is the one real housework job she has apart from supposedly keeping her room reasonably clean and she still can't remember it. She was already in bed when she found my final straw with her. Yet again she hadn't bothered to get her uniform ready for tomorrow so she would have had to come into my room to get her skirt which could wake up Eddie if he was still asleep. Sounds trivial but it is the trivial things that build up and bring everything to a head.
Sometimes it feels like I spend my whole life being for everyone else and not getting to be for me or getting what I want. Right now I am having a real problem with being homesick. I just want to be with my family. My oldest son had his court hearing on Tuesday and I didn't even know the exact date it was on, nor could I be there to support him or Mum. I haven't seen my son for over 4 years!! We just can't afford the airfares (min $600 per person plus expenses). We were meant to be there now, having moved back to Qld but Becker pulled the plug on that a few months ago, after I had spent 4 months planning, buying a van, etc. Seems he couldn't stand the idea of moving away from a family he rarely sees or is interested in seeing. I had even worked out with some tough saving he could come over to see them once a year or pay the airfares for his kids to visit us once or twice a year. Instead I am stuck here being the support network for him and the kids but what choice do I have? Tear this household apart because my heart is aching beyond description with the need to be near my firstborn and my parents? To spend time with my grandmother before she dies? To be able to attend her funeral when that does happen? I missed my grandfather's funeral and I had to suck it up. I had to suck it up the day I was told as we were at Becker's father's wedding reception. I had to suck it up the day of the funeral because I couldn't be there.
Sometimes I wish I could win the lotto so that I could delegate a certain amount to be invested and the profits used to go be with my family every school holidays. In my family xmas is a big deal, at least on my mum's side. The one day of the year when if you can get there you do. With Becker's mother we get told over and over, we are spending xmas as a family, and that includes their future son-in-law, and we will fit you in one day after then. What the fuck?????? So being her oldest child doesn't make him part of the family?? See that does my head in. I love my children with all my heart and I will always want them a part of my life and they will always be part of my family NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS!!!
My oldest was lucky with his court hearing. He was given 12 months probation with no conviction recorded. It could and probably should have been a lot worse than that. What he did none of us can comprehend. He went to a park and held a knife to a girl's throat. He didn't hurt her physically but sure as hell would have caused emotional trauma. He didn't do it for kicks and he didn't try and hide it. In fact he waited for the police to turn up and arrest him. He ended up spending over a month in juvie waiting for bail which fortunately for him he got. I am so thankful he didn't get a harsher sentence but I can imagine how angry that girl and her family must be. In their eyes he is getting away with what he did. Why did he do it? He had been diagnosed with depression, he had been through hell with events that had been happening in his life but that is not my story to tell. The doctors had decided he didn't need his meds etc etc. Basically he took very drastic measures to get noticed and get the help he desperately needed. How wrong that a 16 year old should have to resort to that!
Right now I just want to lay down and give up on everything. I feel like a failure as a parent when I have 3 children who just don't want to listen or care. I just want to be back with my family but I don't want to have to tear these kids apart from either their father or me to do it. I just want to pack my bags and walk away from all my responsibilities and disappear. I am tired physically and emotionally. And while I know atm it is past time to get to sleep that is not the tired I am talking about. I am the one that has to push and shove to get things done. Phone calls aren't made unless I do them or stand over Becker while he does them. Bills don't get paid unless I do them and atm I am the one having to scrape together the money to pay for everything apart from rent and since I don't work and I am relying on family assistance that gets hard and draining.
Time to go. Becker has finished early.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Kids Central
Boy what a busy afternoon I ended up having. My friend/neighbour's daughter has been visiting her this last week and she has her sons aged nearly 3 years old and three month old with her. I looked after the 3 month old for a couple of hours so nearly 3 and mum could spend some one on one time together. Then my friend finished work and I wandered over with the kids to see what time I was needed to babysit both the kids while they did some personal shopping. It was decided that I would leave my 3 there while I quickly did the grocery shopping.
I was finished and back by half 5 when all the kids came back over to our house and they got picked up again about 8 at which time Tasha decided she needed her "afternoon" nap which lasted less than an hour but about 9 my friend needed to duck back out and her daughter had gone out with friends so the 3 month old ended up back at our place again. The nearly 3 was asleep and left under his uncle's care.
But I came to the conclusion today that while I do still have times when I would like another baby, my life wouldn't be over if I didn't. I enjoyed having the baby here but Tiffany was cluckier than me though at least I know that until the novelty wore off, the only time I would have to do anything for another baby would be dirty nappies and feeds. Tiffany barely let the little fellow out of her arms!
I made some more cookies and cream ice-cream tonight. Good thing the recipe is so easy because everyone but Eddie scoffs it! Eddie has never really been a sweets kid. Makes easter hard but at the same time means we don't have to worry too much about missing out being the adults cause his is there for us! He likes his chocolate plain but doesn't like the little solid eggs!
As for Tasha and Tiffany, they have well and truly inherited their sweet tooth from me! But Becker had better watch out cause Tiffany has developed a liking for dark chocolate which used to be his domain. He has always preferred dark over milk chocolate so for easter he got 2 blocks of dark chocolate, one of which was 70% cocoa so really rich for him. Plus he got a dark chocolate "bunny with the bell" lol
We still have to do the easter thing when we have the step kids next weekend which makes easter (as well as christmas) a bit more expensive. Not only do we have to buy from the easter bunny but also from us. Some people can't understand this but I think it is wrong that our kids get easter bunny stuff but nothing from us when we give the stepkids something. After all, they don't know that we are the ones that buy it all and imagine how unloved they would feel thinking that we didn't love them enough to buy them something for easter. I know it sounds complicated but to try and simplify things. ALL the kids get a visit from the easter bunny (our kids at home and the stepkids at their place) then because it is the "done thing" for the non-custodial parent to give the kids a present for the event it would mean that our kids get the one lot from the easter bunny while the stepkids get 2 lots - 1 from the bunny and one from us. Kids have a very strong sense of what is fair and what is not and they know that isn't fair.
The same goes for christmas but I try to set a limit on what we spend and what santa spends on each child though this year santa is contemplating the merits of a swing set. I am sure Becker will have an opinion on this and it would probably not be good lol. And yes I know it is 8 months away but I effectively have 8 kids to plan for so I tend to work on it through the year.
Which reminds me, we have a birthday to think about in less than a weeks time and presents haven't been sorted!!
My mind has gone blank so I will finish up now!
I was finished and back by half 5 when all the kids came back over to our house and they got picked up again about 8 at which time Tasha decided she needed her "afternoon" nap which lasted less than an hour but about 9 my friend needed to duck back out and her daughter had gone out with friends so the 3 month old ended up back at our place again. The nearly 3 was asleep and left under his uncle's care.
But I came to the conclusion today that while I do still have times when I would like another baby, my life wouldn't be over if I didn't. I enjoyed having the baby here but Tiffany was cluckier than me though at least I know that until the novelty wore off, the only time I would have to do anything for another baby would be dirty nappies and feeds. Tiffany barely let the little fellow out of her arms!
I made some more cookies and cream ice-cream tonight. Good thing the recipe is so easy because everyone but Eddie scoffs it! Eddie has never really been a sweets kid. Makes easter hard but at the same time means we don't have to worry too much about missing out being the adults cause his is there for us! He likes his chocolate plain but doesn't like the little solid eggs!
As for Tasha and Tiffany, they have well and truly inherited their sweet tooth from me! But Becker had better watch out cause Tiffany has developed a liking for dark chocolate which used to be his domain. He has always preferred dark over milk chocolate so for easter he got 2 blocks of dark chocolate, one of which was 70% cocoa so really rich for him. Plus he got a dark chocolate "bunny with the bell" lol
We still have to do the easter thing when we have the step kids next weekend which makes easter (as well as christmas) a bit more expensive. Not only do we have to buy from the easter bunny but also from us. Some people can't understand this but I think it is wrong that our kids get easter bunny stuff but nothing from us when we give the stepkids something. After all, they don't know that we are the ones that buy it all and imagine how unloved they would feel thinking that we didn't love them enough to buy them something for easter. I know it sounds complicated but to try and simplify things. ALL the kids get a visit from the easter bunny (our kids at home and the stepkids at their place) then because it is the "done thing" for the non-custodial parent to give the kids a present for the event it would mean that our kids get the one lot from the easter bunny while the stepkids get 2 lots - 1 from the bunny and one from us. Kids have a very strong sense of what is fair and what is not and they know that isn't fair.
The same goes for christmas but I try to set a limit on what we spend and what santa spends on each child though this year santa is contemplating the merits of a swing set. I am sure Becker will have an opinion on this and it would probably not be good lol. And yes I know it is 8 months away but I effectively have 8 kids to plan for so I tend to work on it through the year.
Which reminds me, we have a birthday to think about in less than a weeks time and presents haven't been sorted!!
My mind has gone blank so I will finish up now!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Catch Ups
It's been quite a while since I got to post anything. A lot of that has been a simple time factor. By the time I get a chance to sit down at the end of the night I am too tired to want to spend a lot of time typing. Another part is there seems to be so much going on that I wouldn't know where to start.
It is currently school holidays and while I enjoy getting a sleep in I have a 4 year old that is counting down sleeps. We count down sleeps til he goes back to school and sleeps until we have sticks and paper (barbecue, another story) and sleeps until we have McMummy meal (friday nights), etc, etc. Now I am happy that he loves school but it is very draining when your child is obsessed with going and there is 2 weeks school holidays to get through!
Tonight I finally finished his "school" track pants and jumpers. They are a wonderful bottle green and I am sick of the colour. Have had 6 years already with Tiff but I have usually bought her uniform. But Eddie has to be different and doesn't like bought pants because the elastic annoys him. The difference is that bought pants have the elastic stitched in place whereas mine is just loose in the waistband. I wasn't going to muck around with putting in side pockets so he has 2 pockets on the back of each pair and his jumpers have the pocket on the front where his both his hands can go in, just like Daddy's jumper!
I am over the knock knock jokes as well but there is no ignoring them if you want any chance of keeping sanity intact. Generally it goes:
"knock knock"
"who's there?"
"Eddie"
"Eddie who?"
"Eddie loves Mummy"
Now that was sweet to start with and was also a stirrer for Daddy cause he would give a really funny reaction over the fact it wasn't him but Tasha also does it. The other night it went along these lines:
"Naknock" (little hand punches once at air"
"Who's there?"
"Atashie"
"Atashie who?"
"Atashie loves mummy"
Next time around - loves mummy - and then - loves bird - and then.... you get the picture. They learnt knock knock from one of the wiggles dvd's but don't grasp the fact it is meant to be funny and not just repeatative. I know they will grow up and one day I will miss it but it's a bit like watching the same movie over and over again. It is mind-numbing!!
Now would probably be a good time to explain the sticks and paper. Tasha kept coming inside with black on her and it was finally traced back to the brick barbecue which we had only used to burn private papers in until now. We have been living here for 6 years but hey, better late than never lol. So Daddy in his infinite (and bloody stupid!!!!!!!!!) wisdom decides to show her what the barbecueis actually intended for. So they went around the yard collecting sticks and leaves and such and Daddy built them a nice fire.
For my part I decided to be mean and put him on the spot and produced sausages and onion for them to cook along with a roll of alfoil since the plate was definitely not clean (it is now but I still produce the alfoil to cut down on my work cleaning the hotplate). Now we are constantly being nagged for sticks and paper so we have set aside Saturday nights as we only have 2 nights a week to eat dinner as a whole family and one of those nights is McMummy night where I can cook food just for the adults to enjoy without worrying about who will eat what!
I have also made curtains for Becker's room. Some nice, bright, cheerful ones. They have replaced a fading dark grey one which was only for the purpose of helping to darken the room but which also helped the room look drab. I have some floral curtain material for Tiff's room to replace the kiddie one that is currently there and is the worse for wear. I can't do much about the clown wallpaper unless the landlord agrees for it to be stripped which would be a massive amount of work moving things and painting but it will at least give the room a touch of grown up.
We also had a funeral on the 30th March for Becker's grandfather who succumbed to cancer. It was very quick and for that we are thankful that he didn't have to suffer a great deal. He died on the 22nd and will be greatly missed by all. He was one of only a couple of people that I felt really accepted me into Becker's family and even though we didn't see them very often I thought he was a wonderful man. He valued his family more than anything to the point only one of his children was biological. The other 7 were his step-children who were aged 15 months to 15 years when he married their mother but he treated them all as his own. I do regret not pushing Becker to keep in better contact with his family as I think he would have been a good influence on Tiff and possibly even helped her open up a bit more.
I also missed my grandfathers funeral back in 2002 so in some ways this was also a surrogate funeral for me to say goodbye to another great man. I can only hope that the men of today and the men to come will aim to become like the men who have been.
Becker used to look up to his father but since he married his current wife and since Becker has been with me he has become an absolute prick. He did suffer a brain injury from a burst aneurism but he also has Becker's ex-wife up his arse and in his ear. I really think the stupid woman has told his whole family that I caused their marriage break up despite the fact that I didn't meet him until 6 or more months after he moved out. But then we are talking about a woman who appears incapable of providing the basic medical needs for her children, usually because it isn't convenient. She couldn't even notice the youngest child has epilepsy and needed the school to tell her there was a problem. I had been saying for 2 years before then that there was a problem but I am the competition and I am just causing problems. But better get off that subject or I am likely to get very insulting about the woman. And no it's not sour grapes. After all I have what she couldn't keep or make happy, Becker!
Yes we have had our ups and downs and believe me the downs were a long way down but with a lot of fighting, perserverance, 8 months separation, and a hell of a lot of heartache for all of us we seem to have managed to build a solid relationship. It's not always bells, whistles and fireworks but hey there are 3 kids in the house and it's part of life to sometimes get caught up in the whirlwind of living but there are the times we manage to get 5 minutes to ourselves like last night lying down watching tv, snuggled into each other (ok I admit we were both trying to find some warmth) and dozing off for 5 minutes. We have been under the weather with a cold I have been fighting for a week and him for a few days so the nap was well needed. But sometimes that is all a couple needs, 5 minutes not talking or getting it on but just being.
It is very rare for us to have kid free time. His family aren't there as a support network. The last time I asked his sister to babysit she didn't even bother returning my messages and then chose to ignore Becker when I told him what I had been trying to plan as a surprise and he messaged to ask her.
Well this is more than long enough. I have a game patch to install (sorry dear, spoils all your fun! lol) and then a message to send once I am settled in bed to let Becker know that I am going to sleep.
See ya
It is currently school holidays and while I enjoy getting a sleep in I have a 4 year old that is counting down sleeps. We count down sleeps til he goes back to school and sleeps until we have sticks and paper (barbecue, another story) and sleeps until we have McMummy meal (friday nights), etc, etc. Now I am happy that he loves school but it is very draining when your child is obsessed with going and there is 2 weeks school holidays to get through!
Tonight I finally finished his "school" track pants and jumpers. They are a wonderful bottle green and I am sick of the colour. Have had 6 years already with Tiff but I have usually bought her uniform. But Eddie has to be different and doesn't like bought pants because the elastic annoys him. The difference is that bought pants have the elastic stitched in place whereas mine is just loose in the waistband. I wasn't going to muck around with putting in side pockets so he has 2 pockets on the back of each pair and his jumpers have the pocket on the front where his both his hands can go in, just like Daddy's jumper!
I am over the knock knock jokes as well but there is no ignoring them if you want any chance of keeping sanity intact. Generally it goes:
"knock knock"
"who's there?"
"Eddie"
"Eddie who?"
"Eddie loves Mummy"
Now that was sweet to start with and was also a stirrer for Daddy cause he would give a really funny reaction over the fact it wasn't him but Tasha also does it. The other night it went along these lines:
"Naknock" (little hand punches once at air"
"Who's there?"
"Atashie"
"Atashie who?"
"Atashie loves mummy"
Next time around - loves mummy - and then - loves bird - and then.... you get the picture. They learnt knock knock from one of the wiggles dvd's but don't grasp the fact it is meant to be funny and not just repeatative. I know they will grow up and one day I will miss it but it's a bit like watching the same movie over and over again. It is mind-numbing!!
Now would probably be a good time to explain the sticks and paper. Tasha kept coming inside with black on her and it was finally traced back to the brick barbecue which we had only used to burn private papers in until now. We have been living here for 6 years but hey, better late than never lol. So Daddy in his infinite (and bloody stupid!!!!!!!!!) wisdom decides to show her what the barbecueis actually intended for. So they went around the yard collecting sticks and leaves and such and Daddy built them a nice fire.
For my part I decided to be mean and put him on the spot and produced sausages and onion for them to cook along with a roll of alfoil since the plate was definitely not clean (it is now but I still produce the alfoil to cut down on my work cleaning the hotplate). Now we are constantly being nagged for sticks and paper so we have set aside Saturday nights as we only have 2 nights a week to eat dinner as a whole family and one of those nights is McMummy night where I can cook food just for the adults to enjoy without worrying about who will eat what!
I have also made curtains for Becker's room. Some nice, bright, cheerful ones. They have replaced a fading dark grey one which was only for the purpose of helping to darken the room but which also helped the room look drab. I have some floral curtain material for Tiff's room to replace the kiddie one that is currently there and is the worse for wear. I can't do much about the clown wallpaper unless the landlord agrees for it to be stripped which would be a massive amount of work moving things and painting but it will at least give the room a touch of grown up.
We also had a funeral on the 30th March for Becker's grandfather who succumbed to cancer. It was very quick and for that we are thankful that he didn't have to suffer a great deal. He died on the 22nd and will be greatly missed by all. He was one of only a couple of people that I felt really accepted me into Becker's family and even though we didn't see them very often I thought he was a wonderful man. He valued his family more than anything to the point only one of his children was biological. The other 7 were his step-children who were aged 15 months to 15 years when he married their mother but he treated them all as his own. I do regret not pushing Becker to keep in better contact with his family as I think he would have been a good influence on Tiff and possibly even helped her open up a bit more.
I also missed my grandfathers funeral back in 2002 so in some ways this was also a surrogate funeral for me to say goodbye to another great man. I can only hope that the men of today and the men to come will aim to become like the men who have been.
Becker used to look up to his father but since he married his current wife and since Becker has been with me he has become an absolute prick. He did suffer a brain injury from a burst aneurism but he also has Becker's ex-wife up his arse and in his ear. I really think the stupid woman has told his whole family that I caused their marriage break up despite the fact that I didn't meet him until 6 or more months after he moved out. But then we are talking about a woman who appears incapable of providing the basic medical needs for her children, usually because it isn't convenient. She couldn't even notice the youngest child has epilepsy and needed the school to tell her there was a problem. I had been saying for 2 years before then that there was a problem but I am the competition and I am just causing problems. But better get off that subject or I am likely to get very insulting about the woman. And no it's not sour grapes. After all I have what she couldn't keep or make happy, Becker!
Yes we have had our ups and downs and believe me the downs were a long way down but with a lot of fighting, perserverance, 8 months separation, and a hell of a lot of heartache for all of us we seem to have managed to build a solid relationship. It's not always bells, whistles and fireworks but hey there are 3 kids in the house and it's part of life to sometimes get caught up in the whirlwind of living but there are the times we manage to get 5 minutes to ourselves like last night lying down watching tv, snuggled into each other (ok I admit we were both trying to find some warmth) and dozing off for 5 minutes. We have been under the weather with a cold I have been fighting for a week and him for a few days so the nap was well needed. But sometimes that is all a couple needs, 5 minutes not talking or getting it on but just being.
It is very rare for us to have kid free time. His family aren't there as a support network. The last time I asked his sister to babysit she didn't even bother returning my messages and then chose to ignore Becker when I told him what I had been trying to plan as a surprise and he messaged to ask her.
Well this is more than long enough. I have a game patch to install (sorry dear, spoils all your fun! lol) and then a message to send once I am settled in bed to let Becker know that I am going to sleep.
See ya
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Peas Please!
The darling little horror Tasha has struck again! Her latest victim is frozen peas. Yes that's right, frozen peas or more specifically peas meant for our dinner.
Lucky for the little scamp they were not yet cooked. Only 3 of our 4 hotplates work (landlord doesn't see the need to spend money on repairs, after all it mostly works!) so consequently the peas are usually left waiting until a hotplate becomes available. As I had many times before, I had the peas and water in the saucepan ready to go sitting on the bench.
I wasn't in the kitchen. You know the saying, a watched pot never boils. But darling little Tasha got the step stool in the kitchen, got the saucepan down and proceeded to tip the contents into the rubbish bin, water and all. I have informed her Daddy that he can have the pleasure of emptying the bin.
She was so proud of herself for helping but it is exactly this sort of help that is turning my hair grey! And of course everyone has found it highly amusing, but they are the very same people who get to go home at the end of the day lol.
And we have been having a number of hot days which seems to turn her into Mr Hyde! And it is usually her long suffering brother who suffers having things thrown at him, hair pulled, skin pinched, etc which usually ends up her being sent to bed to calm down. Mind you he does give some back in amongst it all. Sibling rivalry, what fun!! lol
Lucky for the little scamp they were not yet cooked. Only 3 of our 4 hotplates work (landlord doesn't see the need to spend money on repairs, after all it mostly works!) so consequently the peas are usually left waiting until a hotplate becomes available. As I had many times before, I had the peas and water in the saucepan ready to go sitting on the bench.
I wasn't in the kitchen. You know the saying, a watched pot never boils. But darling little Tasha got the step stool in the kitchen, got the saucepan down and proceeded to tip the contents into the rubbish bin, water and all. I have informed her Daddy that he can have the pleasure of emptying the bin.
She was so proud of herself for helping but it is exactly this sort of help that is turning my hair grey! And of course everyone has found it highly amusing, but they are the very same people who get to go home at the end of the day lol.
And we have been having a number of hot days which seems to turn her into Mr Hyde! And it is usually her long suffering brother who suffers having things thrown at him, hair pulled, skin pinched, etc which usually ends up her being sent to bed to calm down. Mind you he does give some back in amongst it all. Sibling rivalry, what fun!! lol
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Joke of the day - driving in Perth, Western Australia. The ultimate guide
Yes I know I should have been in bed hours ago but I found this posting and it had me in stitches. Unfortunately I can relate to this because Perth drivers really are like this! LOL!!
http://msmvps.com/blogs/brianmadsen/archive/2007/03/14/joke-of-the-day-
driving-in-perth-western-australia-the-ultimate-guide.aspx
http://msmvps.com/blogs/brianmadsen/archive/2007/03/14/joke-of-the-day-
driving-in-perth-western-australia-the-ultimate-guide.aspx
Joke of the day - driving in Perth, Western Australia. The ultimate guide
Phil, a colleague of mine (yes, the one with the funny hair and big appetite), threw this one out and it had me cracking up..thanks for that Phil.
- Indicators will give away your next move. A real Perth driver never uses them.
- Under no circumstances should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, or somebody else will fill in that space, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
- Crossing two or more lanes in a single lane change is considered “going with the flow.”
- The faster you drive through a red light, the less chance you have of getting hit.
- Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive repairs. The other guy doesn’t have anything to lose.
- Braking is to be done as hard and as late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it’s a chance to stretch your legs.
- Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as suggestions and apparently not enforceable in the metro area during rush hour.
- Please remember that there is no such thing as a shortcut during rush-hour traffic in Perth.
- Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tyre.
- Everybody thinks their vehicle is better than yours, especially 4WD drivers.
- Learn to swerve abruptly. Perth is the home of High-Speed Slalom Driving thanks to Main Roads, which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and keep them on their toes, not forgetting the ‘Test your skill’ chicanes in suburbs.
- It is traditional in Perth to honk your horn at cars that don’t move the instant the light changes.
- Seeking eye contact with another driver revokes your right of way.
- Never take a green light at face value. Always look right and left before proceeding.
- Remember that the goal of every Perth driver is to get there first, by whatever means necessary.
- Real Perth women drivers can put on pantyhose and apply eye makeup at 75 kph in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
- Real Perth men drivers can remove pantyhose and a bra at 95 kph in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
- Heavy fog and rain are no reasons to change any of the previously listed rules. These weather conditions are God’s way ensuring a natural selection process and creating a need for panel beaters, junkyards, and new vehicle sales. It is an acceptable practice to increase your speed in comparison to the rate of rain fall, i.e.: the harder it rains, the faster you go.
- There is a commonly held belief in Perth that high-speed tailgating in heavy traffic reduces petrol consumption as you get sucked along in the slipstream of the car in front.
- It’s OK to cut off fully loaded semi-trailers, road trains and buses because, hell – they have brakes.
- It is an essential duty of the driver to preserve the life of his passengers. Hence no matter how much of an inconvenience it may be, always find a detour around The Causeway, The Narrows, and Guildford
- Always anticipate oncoming traffic while driving down a one-way street.
- It’s O.K when driving in Northbridge to air your grievances at bad drivers by giving the “one finger salute” while screaming out ”#%*#”. However, it is imperative you are driving at least a 5-litre V8 with a crow bar in your lap.
- Perth drivers are experts at merging, when in two or more lanes travelling in the same direction, ensure that if you see someone politely indicating, waiting slowly trying to merge into your lane, show them that they must ‘Wait their turn’ to use your lane. Speed up, try to cut them off, should they succeed and get into your lane never mind that it was actually legal for them to do that, ensure that your flash your lights, honk your horn, use extreme hand gestures, even tailgate them, just to let them know, IT WAS YOUR LANE.
- Ensure that when merging into traffic travelling at any more than 40kph that you stop in the merging lane, backing up traffic for miles behind you, ensuring that you have given yourself or no-one else that opportunity to merge. Again, forget that the traffic handbook states that you should speed up to meet traffic speed then merge. If you are travelling in a lane near a merge lane, don’t change lanes to make it easy for them, instead see rule 24, after all they deserve it.
- While using Perth roundabouts, particularly two lane roundabouts, ENSURE that you are in the left lane to turn right, or the right to turn left, hell lets keep those people in those other lanes on their toes.
- If you are an TransPerth bus driver, you must win at all costs, getting to your destination prior to any other driver is life and death. Never worry about your passengers bouncing round in the back like tennis balls, hell it’s a cheap form of theme park, in fact Perth’s very own.
- Perth taxis, see rule 27, except you are now qualifying for the GMC 400.
- Pedestrian crossings – What are they?
- If you are a cyclist, remember YOU ARE INVINCIBLE, you are stronger than ANY vehicle travelling at speed, MAKE SURE you take the whole lane for yourself, and at night NEVER use lights, remember They Will See You!
- Remember, the wider, smoother, and safer the road…. the lower the speed limit
- When driving on the freeway, find somebody who is going slow, drive next to them, so that nobody can pass you. Its called, speed prevention.. its your duty
Mischief Incorporated
Has anyone had one of those times when they look at their children and all they can do is shake their heads in despair? When if you don't laugh the men in white coats will find you sitting in the corner of the kitchen jabbering like an idiot? I had one of those nights Friday night! And it was all caused by a 3 foot bundle of trouble.
Now I know that doesn't sound very loving but I am talking about a child that friends who know her shudder at the thought of babysitting. It's not that she is naughty, she is just very inquisitive, creative, explorative and strong willed. Hey give me a break! I am trying to describe her in a positive way instead of the "devil-child" that I really feel like at times! She is 2 years old yet creates more havoc than Cyclone Larry! I know part of it is trying to keep up with the older kids but I don't see the older kids drawing on the walls/doors/furniture/appliances/other kids/etc with pens/chalk/felt pens/permanent markers/ etc. Now I know there are people thinking, "so put them out of her reach". As any parent would know, easier said than done! She knows how to elevate herself by any means possible to reach that high spot. She just knows how to get into mischief!
Her latest achievement Friday night just topped the lot. Now because Becker had to get up about the time he would normally be going to bed that morning, he flaked out on his bed about 6 or 7 pm. Now I am used to this. He is home generally only 2 nights a week and he does have a habit of disappearing for a couple hours sleep on those nights off.
Friday nights have become McMummy night again. That's when instead of spending a fortune buying McDonalds I cook the kids chips and nuggets (there are nice fish nuggets which would probably be healthier than chicken nuggets) in the oven, give them a drink of soft drink and a surprise. I have even gone to the trouble of buying plastic take away containers (washed up and reused of course!) and special cups. I also had to get small jelly moulds to use as sauce containers for Eddie and Tasha.
Surprises take a bit of thought as I have 3 age groups to cater for but for Tasha there are The Wiggles board books, toy jewelry etc. Eddie has bags with 2 toy cars atm. I gave him a mini cricket bat Friday night but I need to get a few more things to add variety. Tiffany has a couple of care bears and books. Now it pays to shop smart and at the discount stores and to buy big and break it down. For example, the cars I have came as a pack of 12 and the jewelry and hair stuff came as a pack which I separated into smaller groups.
The kids absolutely adore this special treat and since it is easy to shove a bit of food in the oven I can make it a special meal night for adults as well. We can have curries or stews or try a new recipe.
Anyway I have digressed away from Tasha's antics. Now for those with a weak bladder I suggest emptying it now!
Her first piece of mischief came when Becker was still awake. It has been hot and she was sticky and dirty so she got thrown in the bath. The two young ones love pure cold water in the bath so we can leave her without worrying about the water going hot. The only flaw is times like Friday. I was in the kitchen doing dishes and Becker was half-heartedly helping me while Tasha had a soaking. And of course she turned the tap up and overflowed the bath a bit but like a good girl she had removed herself from the tub and stood there watching the action. While I was throwing some towels down I noticed the bath had lots of bubbles but hey Daddy had obviously been nice to her and put bubble bath in. Reasonable assumption until it comes to Tasha at any rate.
It was only later when I was washing my hands that I noticed a new bottle of shampoo in the handbasin. Yep, the little munchkin had managed to get her hands on it and emptied the lot into the bath. At least I finally knew why I was sliding around on the floor, it wasn't just water! I just threw my hands up in despair because really I should have found room at ceiling height to keep it safe!
So now we get to later in the night. She has spent the day getting in trouble, woke up too early and not had enough sleep, didn't sleep until mid afternoon and still not long enough. That always spells stress and trouble with her. Becker had hidden in his room for a sleep and while the kids dinner was cooking I had wandered outside to get some more gnomes painted. I am doing them in batches and painting one colour at a time to keep the mess down.
As the kids were all inside when their dinner was ready I just put the paintbrush down and walked inside. Worked out my mistake? Yep, I left the pot of paint open and within Tasha's reach. But she was safely occupied in the lounge room. That was until I wasn't looking. Here I was getting ice in cups and containers ready when in she walked with 2 green hands like a pair of gloves. Oh hell! So I turned her around, grabbed her under the arms and marched into the bathroom calling Tiffany.
Tasha was very unceremoniously dropped back into the bath which mercifully still had the cold shampoo infused water in it and Tiffany got the task of getting her cleaned back up while I grabbed a toy bucket, dunked it in the washing up water, grabbed a sponge and surveyed the damage. What a nightmare!
The chair, brick wall, 5 gnomes all had been painted. Thank god for water paint! So here I was frantically scrubbing all the excess paint off before moving the untouched gnomes to hose the whole area down (we live in a rental and I don't think a green wall would be overly appreciated!).
But at least it gave the food time to cool down! She sat down with her dinner like a perfect angel before proceeding to upset her brother by sticking her fingers in his sauce and wanting his drink and taking his food etc etc.
I must say when she finally went to sleep it was a massive relief! I love her dearly but sometimes she pushes the packet beyond endurance! She is a bundle of non-stop energy.
Now I know that doesn't sound very loving but I am talking about a child that friends who know her shudder at the thought of babysitting. It's not that she is naughty, she is just very inquisitive, creative, explorative and strong willed. Hey give me a break! I am trying to describe her in a positive way instead of the "devil-child" that I really feel like at times! She is 2 years old yet creates more havoc than Cyclone Larry! I know part of it is trying to keep up with the older kids but I don't see the older kids drawing on the walls/doors/furniture/appliances/other kids/etc with pens/chalk/felt pens/permanent markers/ etc. Now I know there are people thinking, "so put them out of her reach". As any parent would know, easier said than done! She knows how to elevate herself by any means possible to reach that high spot. She just knows how to get into mischief!
Her latest achievement Friday night just topped the lot. Now because Becker had to get up about the time he would normally be going to bed that morning, he flaked out on his bed about 6 or 7 pm. Now I am used to this. He is home generally only 2 nights a week and he does have a habit of disappearing for a couple hours sleep on those nights off.
Friday nights have become McMummy night again. That's when instead of spending a fortune buying McDonalds I cook the kids chips and nuggets (there are nice fish nuggets which would probably be healthier than chicken nuggets) in the oven, give them a drink of soft drink and a surprise. I have even gone to the trouble of buying plastic take away containers (washed up and reused of course!) and special cups. I also had to get small jelly moulds to use as sauce containers for Eddie and Tasha.
Surprises take a bit of thought as I have 3 age groups to cater for but for Tasha there are The Wiggles board books, toy jewelry etc. Eddie has bags with 2 toy cars atm. I gave him a mini cricket bat Friday night but I need to get a few more things to add variety. Tiffany has a couple of care bears and books. Now it pays to shop smart and at the discount stores and to buy big and break it down. For example, the cars I have came as a pack of 12 and the jewelry and hair stuff came as a pack which I separated into smaller groups.
The kids absolutely adore this special treat and since it is easy to shove a bit of food in the oven I can make it a special meal night for adults as well. We can have curries or stews or try a new recipe.
Anyway I have digressed away from Tasha's antics. Now for those with a weak bladder I suggest emptying it now!
Her first piece of mischief came when Becker was still awake. It has been hot and she was sticky and dirty so she got thrown in the bath. The two young ones love pure cold water in the bath so we can leave her without worrying about the water going hot. The only flaw is times like Friday. I was in the kitchen doing dishes and Becker was half-heartedly helping me while Tasha had a soaking. And of course she turned the tap up and overflowed the bath a bit but like a good girl she had removed herself from the tub and stood there watching the action. While I was throwing some towels down I noticed the bath had lots of bubbles but hey Daddy had obviously been nice to her and put bubble bath in. Reasonable assumption until it comes to Tasha at any rate.
It was only later when I was washing my hands that I noticed a new bottle of shampoo in the handbasin. Yep, the little munchkin had managed to get her hands on it and emptied the lot into the bath. At least I finally knew why I was sliding around on the floor, it wasn't just water! I just threw my hands up in despair because really I should have found room at ceiling height to keep it safe!
So now we get to later in the night. She has spent the day getting in trouble, woke up too early and not had enough sleep, didn't sleep until mid afternoon and still not long enough. That always spells stress and trouble with her. Becker had hidden in his room for a sleep and while the kids dinner was cooking I had wandered outside to get some more gnomes painted. I am doing them in batches and painting one colour at a time to keep the mess down.
As the kids were all inside when their dinner was ready I just put the paintbrush down and walked inside. Worked out my mistake? Yep, I left the pot of paint open and within Tasha's reach. But she was safely occupied in the lounge room. That was until I wasn't looking. Here I was getting ice in cups and containers ready when in she walked with 2 green hands like a pair of gloves. Oh hell! So I turned her around, grabbed her under the arms and marched into the bathroom calling Tiffany.
Tasha was very unceremoniously dropped back into the bath which mercifully still had the cold shampoo infused water in it and Tiffany got the task of getting her cleaned back up while I grabbed a toy bucket, dunked it in the washing up water, grabbed a sponge and surveyed the damage. What a nightmare!
The chair, brick wall, 5 gnomes all had been painted. Thank god for water paint! So here I was frantically scrubbing all the excess paint off before moving the untouched gnomes to hose the whole area down (we live in a rental and I don't think a green wall would be overly appreciated!).
But at least it gave the food time to cool down! She sat down with her dinner like a perfect angel before proceeding to upset her brother by sticking her fingers in his sauce and wanting his drink and taking his food etc etc.
I must say when she finally went to sleep it was a massive relief! I love her dearly but sometimes she pushes the packet beyond endurance! She is a bundle of non-stop energy.
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