The joy of lethargy

I've just noticed that my entire blog is no longer on one page. Now that has to be cause for celebration.....doesn't it? I keep telling myself I'm getting better and I am, however I seem to still have an average of one blog a week (and I do mean 'average' it's more like 3 weeks off and one week with a spurt of activity). So my challenge for April is to at least double it. Ha! We'll see.

I'm at a bit of a loss today. I feel like I should do some uni work (2 assignments due next week) but I also feel like a break from that. Is that so wrong? Hell no. However now I can't decide what I will do. I'm considering trying to find the surface of my desk again. I know it's there somewhere because all that paper can't be levitating in mid air...can it? I sat down today to blog and just squeezed and pushed until there was a space to put my coffee cup. I'm also learning to navigate using keys rather than the mouse, mainly because there is no room to move the mouse around on the desk.

Yes, perhaps I need to tidy my desk space.

Or I could fold laundry. There are two baskets worth there. But why? If I put them away the other people that live in this house will just take them out, wear them and put them back in the dirty wash and then I'll have the whole damn thing to do again. Nope.

I could shop...the cupboard is bare. However if I shop then I'll have to cook. Not keen on that either.

We've got bread. Toast is good.

I really don't feel much like getting involved in any domestic activity. Maybe I'll surf the net (shoes and handbags today I think), send emails to my sisters and drink gallons of tea. Yep, that sounds good.

Decision made.

What would Jesus do....

My 6 year old daughter goes to a Catholic school. This means that, in her opinion, she is our resident expert on all things religious. Today I overheard this conversation between her and her 4 year old sister in the back seat of the car.

Miss 4 - I love Jesus

Miss 6 - Why?

Miss 4 - Because he can turn into anything he wants

Miss 6 - That's not Jesus, that's God. And he doesn't 'turn into things'

Miss 4 - You said he did

Miss 6 - No, I said he is anything you want him to be

Miss 4 - silence...... then.... Good. Because I want him to be a KANGAROOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Such simple desires.

Four years on....

Last week my 'baby' turned 4. She's already started kindy, just one morning a week for her first term then 2 whole days a week from next term. She's growing up, becoming more independent every day. Thankfully she's not so independent that she doesn't want me to lie and cuddle her before she goes to sleep though. And she's not so independent that she doesn't want to spend the first 15 minutes of every day snuggled on my lap while she has her morning drink. And not so independent that she can get through the day without at least once feeling my 'cold'. That is the cool bare skin at the back of my upper arm. She strokes it. She can be quite demanding that I sit in exactly the right position and wear exactly the right attire so that she can reach my 'cold'.

She was born the week the war started in Iraq. We spent the first week of her life together in hospital, just the two of us getting to know each other. It was a wild and stormy week and every morning she would wake before sunrise. I'd get a cup of tea, open the curtains, climb back into bed and give her her first feed of the day while watching the sun come up and the storms and rain over the hills. Sometimes I would watch the morning news after our little feeding ritual. I was amazed that such drama and violence could be happening outside our peaceful little cocoon. Can you believe it's still happening? Fortunately our cocoon still exists, not always as peaceful as those first days but pretty good most of the time. Happy Birthday baby girl!!!

This one's for you M

Yes, 2 blogs in one day, I could have put this at the end of my previous blog but I felt it deserved it's own space.

Today is my sister's birthday, well actually the 8th is her birthday and it's the 9th here, but she lives in America and it's still yesterday there so she can actually read this on her birthday. Confused?

So M, I have a few things to tell you on your 'special day'.

I remember when you arrived into my life, I was 6 and really not expecting to come home from school and find a baby in a basinette in the lounge room. I can't remember if Mum and Dad said you were coming, if they did I must have blocked it out because I remember being surprised. I'd been the only one for a long time and you were quite an interruption to that. I soon realised you were actually ok, and in fact got fairly attached to you. Of course from time to time you were the typical little sister, a right pain in the arse but I still liked you. I remember bullying you a bit - sorry about that. I remember how cute you were, all blonde and smiley and quiet. I remember Mum telling me how good you were and how if you were being naughty she just had to use a firm voice and you'd stop (unlike me who only responded to a damn good thrashing seemingly). I remember watching you at the dinner table, when you were 2 or 3, playing with the knives and forks, pretending they were people, lost in your own little world. Can you imagine how I felt the first time I saw Aislin do the same thing? Most of all I just remember you always being there, my sister and my family. At the important times you (and Fi) are the people I turn to, when Dad died and then when Mum died you were the only two that knew exactly how I felt because you felt it too. No-one else could possibly know because no-one else had that shared history. Now you are married and live so far away, I miss you every day. I know you've got a great husband and family but I'm a bit cross with him for taking you away (kidding Brian).

So birthday girl here are just 10 of the million and one things I love about you.

1. You love Brian so much you left everything to be with him.
2. You are hilariously funny.
3. We like the same stuff - emails all day about handbags, music, movies, food or just whinging.
4. You know when to tell me to quit whining and I'm ok with that - but I wouldn't take it from anyone else (except Fi).
5. You use words like malcontent ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!
6. You can knit and don't get impatient with me when I can't remember what you taught me (or if you do get impatient - which knowing you I'm sure you do - you hide it well).
7. You come all the way across the world to see us, often.
8. Sometimes you pretend to be less emotional than you are.
9. You know me better than anyone else but still like me. I can tell you the most shameful thing that I'm thinking and you'll say you think it too.
10. You are really, really smart.

Happy Birthday Moy - I love you!!!!!!

The gentle art of avoidance

So this morning I got up (I tried to stay in bed, I really did but my cruel husband sent the children in to put a stop to that). I did all the morning stuff and waved husband and daughter number 1 off to work and school respectively then began my process of procrastination because I have a Uni assignment to write. First I sent my sister an e-card. It's her birthday - Happy Birthday M!!!!!!! I found entertainment for daughter number 2 and loaded the dishwasher, made the beds, generally smoothed and tidied the house then sat down at the computer. Then I read the emails that had come through overnight - God Bless time zones. I sent another couple of emails, this time totally unnecessary. Then I started to browse the internet for nothing in particular. By this time I had decided that in the interest of true procrastination I would put off the Uni assignment further by writing my blog. Now the interesting thing about that is that I usually procrastinate about blogging, as explained a few blogs back - here in fact. So it just goes to show that blogging is not top of my procrastination list.

Yep, I'm a world class procrastinator, but I'll worry about that tomorrow.

Autumn is here...

...so why the hell is it still hot? It's not hot today but the forecast is for more HOT!! I can't take it. Also it's March. March goes with Autumn in this hemisphere so that's no surprise but MARCH!! Already!!! How did that happen? Where did January and February go? Also why do people ask if anyone is vegetarian but not vegan? Ok, maybe I need to explain that last one, this is starting to sound like bad stand up.

On Saturday I attended a workshop for one of my Uni courses. The workshop was great, very informative and interesting and best of all they provided lunch. Then the facilitator announced that lunch was pizza....hmmm, ok, imaginative. Then he asked the question...'before I order, how many vegetarians are there?'. There were four....and one VEGAN!!! That'd be me!! Did he ask? Nope. So at lunch I find myself struggling with lukewarm vegetarian pizza trying to remove the cheese while still making intelligent and coherent conversation. Sigh. Note to self...take lunch next time. The other thing I'm finding is that other people find my being vegan more challenging than I do, if they're not trying to tempt me or change my mind they're explaining in condescending detail why I should still eat meat and dairy. Someone even said to me, when inviting me to dinner 'bring something you can eat and we'll take it from there'....huh? Either don't invite me or use your imagination and if that's all too hard look up a recipe. It reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons where they are in a Chinese restaurant and Lisa is ordering vegetarian food and the waiter is trying to tempt her with bee bellies and cat noses and finally says 'is there any way we can enhance your dining experience by hurting an animal'. Love it.