Some days....

...it's all about the music and today is one of those days.

I've been listening to a current favourite, (Geoffrey) Gurumul Yunupingu. Gurumul is an aboriginal singer, blind since birth, who is taking the world by storm. If you haven't heard him do yourself a favour and listen now......trust me, you won't regret it.

His music is available on Australian iTunes, but I'm not sure you can get it on the international ones yet. If not go to Skinny Fish Music and order today (no I don't get a commission, I'm just a believer). Go on, I'll wait.......

If the name Yunupingu is familar to you it may be that you remember this..... Mandawuy is his uncle (or cousin - they're related in some way).

I've also been enjoying this.....

I don't have this particular version in my collection but it's the same music, different artists. Love it.

For something completely different this is another favourite of mine (and this should be evidence of the eclectic nature of my musical taste). More indigenous music, this time from a rap band called Local Knowledge - this song is 'Blackfellas' - very poor quality sound on this video - sorry. oh and it's worth waiting until the end to see some Aboriginal singing and dancing.

To keep the musical theme going, tonight we are going to see Hannah play the piano in a school performance. She only started learning this year but she loves it and her practicing has only made my ears bleed once or twice. There will be photos.

On my desk

What's on my desk? Paperwork. Piles and piles of paperwork. Happily the work that I was doing yesterday is now FINISHED - I am doing a happy dance about that I can tell you. However while finishing that I neglected some other work. So now I'm doing that. It's boring. So boring I'm not going to take a picture of it. My friend Google provided this one, but that doesn't look anything like me, the paperwork mountain is similar to mine though, at least it feels as though it is.

So not much else to tell, it's a slow blogging week what with it being all work and no play. Of course that's only because I played too much last week. I need to pace myself a bit better I think.

However if it's more exciting 'on my desks' you're after, pop over here and have a look.

Chained to the desk...

....that's me today, finishing work that should have been finished last week. No procrastinating, no distractions, no strolls around the garden. Just head down and getting on with it (I won't mention that little foray into the Druid Animal Oracle after lunch). My inner brat is having a tantrum because she's spoiled and doesn't like restriction but I've been firm.

I was only allowed to leave the house to drop off the children at school and pick them up again this afternoon. On the way out I did stop and have a chat with the neighbours - it would have been rude not to.

I like our neighbours very much, look at that beautiful face.

Now I'm home, I've listened to Aislin read and practice this week's sight words ('his', 'her', 'came', 'as' and 'was' if you're interested). Hannah had some spelling homework which I supervised. Now they're having a snack and I'm trying to squeeze in a bit more work before it's time to start dinner - except of course I'm actually writing a blog post aren't I? No fooling you.

Hi ho, hi ho, back to work I go.

Just some Monday stuff

Well I'm fully recovered from yesterday's running around and wondering what on an earth I was whining about - it's not the worst thing that's ever happened to me and I should just get over it. Not that this epiphany will stop me whining in future, no siree. In fact it's easy to be philosophical about it as I sit here warm and comfortable with a cup of coffee and nowhere I need to be for another 4 hours.

Anyway, what does today bring? Cold, rain and fog that's what - in other words my idea of heaven. I took a damp walk around the garden and found Hawthorn blossum, very pretty.

Forget Me Nots under the willows...

Lots of them...how lovely they are.

Now I'm back at my desk and about to embark on some proper work. But not before I tell anyone who has children in their life to check out Cathy's new blog Marquee, she's done the shopping around for us and you'll find some great gift ideas for the little ones - and not the usual mass produced plastic crap. Truly lovely stuff - check it out.

Taxi!

We're currently trying to manage with only one car. Tom's car has been locked and parked and we're pretending we don't have it to see how we go. He gets the bus to work so that's fine, the challenge is when we have clashing engagements at the weekends.

Today Aislin had a birthday party to attend. Tom and Hannah stayed home and my plan was to drop Aislin off then go and have a coffee and stock up on books at the library until it was time to pick her up. I had just left her and was heading for my favourite cafe when Tom rang to say he'd had a phone call and had to be somewhere for work (unexpectedly). So I abandoned my plans and came home and picked him (and Hannah) up and dropped him where he had to be and Hannah and I went for coffee. She had a hot chocolate and a Funny Face biscuit as compensation for a) not having a party to go to today and b) being dragged away from her beading to do all this running around. As you can see she was devastated.

I did wonder if hot chocolate AND a Funny Face biscuit was too much but I figured that Aislin would be on a bender at the birthday party so they might as well have twin sugar highs. And they'll be at school tomorrow so it won't be me dealing with the sugar hangovers.

Then she and I went to the library. I sent her into the children's section to get some books for her and Aislin. I was browsing the grown up books and she came up to me struggling with the library bag, it was so full of books she could barely lift it. Then we went and collected Aislin from her party and now we're home.....waiting for Tom to ring so we can all pile into the car again and go and get him.

I'm not sure how this will work, to be fair we've been doing it for a couple of months now and this is the first time we've had a problem but it really is a pain the backside for the person doing all the running around...ME!

Today's weather observations

I'm a bit obsessed with the weather, particularly when it's hot because I don't like it being hot so I spend a lot of time waiting and watching for the cool change (which in the height of summer can be a long wait). I was quite outraged to hear that we were to have high temperatures this weekend, after all, it's only October! I am still traumatised by the heatwave we had back in March that caused Tom to replace our old air conditioner on short notice and right at the end of summer - the beginning of Autumn actually.

So, I woke today full of dread of the 37 degrees we'd been told to expect. It has been hot, I'm not sure it got to 37 degrees though. Instead we have grey, overcast skies and blustery hot winds. There is a change coming but so far we just have the clouds....not the cool breezes or the rain...it's looking hopeful though...

That's us down the bottom covered in cloud, we're in there somewhere. Thanks to the BOM for the image.

I finally finished my book today. I've been reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (by Sussana Clarke). It's a big book, 800+ pages in small print. I'm a quick reader but that one has taken me ages because I've only been reading in bed at night. I notice that it can be purchased in it's 3 volumes, my copy is from the library and one great, massive 3 in 1 tome it is too, very difficult to read lying in bed (aching arms). I was always worried that I'd doze off and it would fall on my face and break my nose....seriously, it's that big.

So, did I like it? Yes I did. I have to admit that that I was just coasting along with it for the first few chapters, it's an unusual book and her writing style takes a bit of getting used to - she uses footnotes, not something you come across often in a novel, and in the beginning I found them a bit distracting. However once I was hooked I enjoyed the novel, it's very detailed, covering a lot of ground and very cleverly and wittily written. The story is set between 1806 and 1817 and is about two English magicians, teacher and pupil, and their varying adventures (Strange provides magic during the Napoleonic Wars serving with Wellington) and their ambitions and rivalries as they attempt to revive 'English magic'. That description barely covers the story but it will give you an idea. She's a wonderfully descriptive writer and I particularly liked her descriptions of magic and the faery world - these are not your Victorian faeries by the way, there are no frilly, gossamer winged creatures here. In this book magic and the faery world are a much darker and more serious business than in some other books in this genre (excuse the clumsy grammar in that last sentence).

Anyway, I hadn't intended to turn this into a book review, I don't do those - not here anyway, but there you have it, a snapshot of my opinion of this book. Do I recommend it? If you enjoy your historical fantasy with a bit of meat on it's bones then yes, yes I do.

It's Friday!

My favourite day of the week.

Tom is on a field trip today so I dropped him off this morning at the pick up point where he'd arranged to meet his colleagues, then I took the girls to school. After that I went and had coffee with another Mum from their school. At her place. For 3 hours. We had a lot to say.

With half my day gone I headed home and on the way stopped at the PO box to check the mail only to find - to my great excitement - a parcel from my sister!!! I came home and tore it apart and found lots of Halloween goodies for the children (we don't really 'do' Halloween in this country so it's a big treat for them to get stuff from America). I got some Reece's peanut butter cups (I will not be sharing) as well as some hand knitted socks (she makes AMAZING socks) and some summer tops. Thanks again M!

I can't take any photos because Tom has the camera with him today. I tried the old camera and can't get it to work - it appears that it has finally died completely.

So as I sit here writing this I realise that I have to go and get the girls in half an hour and I haven't done any of the work that I'd planned to do today. However I'm not going to feel guilty because it's not very often that I shirk my duties by gallavanting about having coffee and collecting parcels. It's also not as if I won't do any work today...I have two children after all.

On my desk

Boy, these on my desk posts come round quickly don't they?

So today I have a pattern, fabric and notions for some light weight, casual trousers....boring black I'm afraid but as I'm very much the amateur when it comes to making clothes I decided to keep things very simple....if these work out I shall be more adventurous next time. I'm hoping to make a wrap dress to wear with them and I have some lovely fabric for that.

Then, after lunch I may go down to the willows with this....

I'm feeling a little bit artistically inspired today by this....

Beautiful woodblock painting by Cressida Campbell. Not that I'm planning any wood block work, if only I were so talented (and patient). Cressida has just released a book of her work which I would love. I'll have to drop some heavy hints as I have a birthday coming up...and of course there's Christmas too.

Restless

I'm feeling edgy today, restless and cross for no reason. Well probably not no reason, life is slightly stressful just now and to top it all I'm homesick again and all of that is manifesting as a kind of restless crankiness. It's a beautiful thing to behold, just ask Tom.

I don't know why I can't just settle here and accept it as my home. I want to, I don't enjoy feeling this way, I really want to let go of the desire to return to the UK and get on living my life here, but I just can't seem to. No matter how hard I try. It still feels temporary, like it's the place I'm living until I can get back to the place I LIVE.

In other news the girls brought home the annual note about school swimming. Every year they spend a week having lessons with the school. The note reminded us that we have to pay $50 for each child. So that's $100 we're up for a month before Christmas. Fabulous. I'm sick of giving that school money (told you I was cranky).

Tom sent me an email from work telling me about a terrible training session he'd attended. He got a feisty email in return for his trouble. I have spent a good deal of time as a college lecturer and I know what it's like to stand in front of groups of students of varying opinion about a) the subject matter b) whether they actually need to be there (because they know it all already) and c) your abilities. It sucks. It's a hard thing to do at the best times and on the occasions that you get some smarty pants, know-it-all git sitting there judging you it's enough to make you pull out the pepper spray (no, I never actually had any pepper spray..... unfortunately). A different story altogether when it's their turn to stand in front of the group and present their major project....with me grading them. Karma I think you'd call it.

Ok, I think I'd better stop now, I'm frothing at the mouth. Be careful with the comments won't you?

Frustration (Alert! Boring geek post)

You know what makes me crazy? Well I'm going to tell you......computers, software, the internet, blog providers, hosting, domain names, ISPs, IIS's, PHPs and HTML.

I'm not finished....Wordpress, Blogger (sorry Blogger), Typepad, Godaddy, Squarespace and Netregistry....ah to hell with it, I'm still not finished but I can't go on because if I do I might have to smash my fist right into this computer and that would end my blogging/website building efforts. Which may be a good thing, but I'm not ready to quit just yet.

I honestly don't think my needs are outrageous. All I want is a blog provider that will allow me to host one more than one blog (well done all of you), have extra pages (thanks for nothing Blogger - hello Typepad and Wordpress), allow javascript and html stuff like sign up boxes in the sidebar (goodbye Wordpress) allow easy importation of Bridget's Flame (Typepad, you've disappointed me) and allow me to keep the blogs separate and authored under different names (get stuffed the lot of you!!!!). Not ONE of them has all of those things.

So I turn to Squarespace, they provide everything except the multiple blogs....I can live with that....it will cost a bit more, but not much.....then they change their editing to the MOST clumsy, hard to operate system I have EVER come across. Every little changes takes ages while pages load in a clunky and uncoordinated fashion. Goodbye Squarespace. Netregistry? Forget it. Not worth a mention except to say how crap they are.

Godaddy, be my knight in shining armour. I own the domain names, I can get some free basic hosting but they have very affordable hosting packages with extras so I'm prepared to pay.....and they have access to the same Wordpress blogging software and I can download it for free. By doing it this way I can have the javascript and HTML stuff I want. Huzzah!!! All my prayers are answered. Except no matter what I do I get a message telling me that my various hosting plans (I tried the free and the paid) are not compatible to downloading Wordpress.

To say I am frustrated is an understatement. I just didn't think the great big swearword I'm using is suitable for a blog title.

Is it really too much to ask to have all my blogs (Bridget's Flame and the business blog/website) in the same place, doing what I want them to do in a reasonably priced (better still FREE) fashion and providing all the appropriate tools for blogging?

Apparently it is.

Sure if I had an enormous website budget I could just pay someone to sort it all and tell me when they're finished. But I don't have that enormous website budget so it's down to me. Plus I am stubbornly independent and want to do it myself.

I have spent days....DAYS I tell you, on this stuff. It's not a lot of fun, and at the end of them I feel a lot like this cow....

But I have learned a LOT of stuff and can have a fairly competent conversation with tech support when I have to, not that it ever really solves anything. Sigh.

Ok, off I go, into the abyss once more.....wish me luck.

Trees

Today had a bit of tree energy. Tom was hogging the computer working on his consultancy job all day and I got the impression we were a bit of a distraction to him so the girls and I packed a lunch and headed out for a drive. We ended up at an 'old favourite' playground near where we used to live and stopped there for an hour or so.

We ate our lunch there, under the oaks...there are several gigantic ones, and they were a beautiful vibrant green that doesn't really show in the photo......

....and the girls had a play.....Hannah is looking decidedly relaxed.....

Then we came home and pottered about in the garden for a while. Aislin decided to climb one of the trees, both girls enjoy a bit of tree climbing and we're lucky to have suitable trees in the garden for them to do it. She chose quite a small tree, she's climbed much bigger ones, including our enormous willows, but for some reason this one challenged her and she got 'stuck'. Tom encouraged her to find her way down instead of being 'rescued' and she took offence at that.

In case you can't tell she's really quite cross here....I think the body language speaks volumes.

Eventually she decided that she probably could do it after all (I did offer some help but was sent away). She started to work it out.....refusing to look at me......

....and in the end got down quite easily (as you can see, she wasn't very far from the ground).

There is no photo of the liberated Aislin because as soon as her feet hit the ground she stormed off and ignored us all for 15 minutes - until she forgot she was outraged and came to show me her feather collection and tell me she's my 'number one fan'.

So, a bit of a late post today, Tom is now reading the girls some bedtime stories, I've laid out their clothes for the morning (the girls' clothes not Tom's - although I do know someone who lays out her husband's clothes for him - barf) and packed tomorrow's lunches. Now, I might have a glass of wine and put my feet up for an hour. It's a hard life.

I had plans...

...for today. A list of little tasks I intended to complete. It's now 4.30 and I haven't done any of them. I'm not even sure why....just can't get out of my own way for some reason. I had hoped to do some more work on the website, but T is waiting to use the computer now so that's out of the question. I thought I might do some more sewing but it's getting a bit late in the day to start that, the children will be expecting a meal sometime soon and they'd only interrupt me with their demands right in the middle of it I expect. I was going to make hommous, I suppose I could still do that and make the children eat that for dinner - kill two birds with one stone. I had also planned to measure the armchairs and work out how much fabric I'd need to make loose covers for them. I might still do that. Or not.

It's a little hot today, I don't particularly enjoy the heat and it's the first of the warm weather and I think it's thrown me a bit and made me unproductive. However I comfort myself with the fact that in the last couple of weeks I've been really quite busy and achieved lots of things, it can't hurt to not achieve much occasionally. Can it?

Anyway, I think Scarlett had it right..tomorrow is another day (and I look exactly like her as I sit on my grand staircase with my clothes elegantly draped - ahem).

Just bits and pieces

Quiet day today, just messing around on the computer (I hesitate to mention the 'w' word, but there you have initial). It's warm and sunny and I can feel hay fever coming on. There are a family of Magpies in the tree outside my office window and the babies (not tiny babies, big babies) are still being fed by their mother and she is run off her feet (or flown off her wings) going backwards and forwards with food for them. They've no sooner guzzled it down their throats then they're calling for more. It's a noisy call too. Bet she can't wait until that lot leave home.

Today I also tried using blogger in draft. In 'normal' blogger I am always having to tweak the HTML version to get my posts to look the way I want them to, I had high hopes for BID however it's just as irritating as the original one, more so in some respects, so I've abandoned it.

There is a man erecting a 'For Sale' sign in front of our neighbour's house. I hope it wasn't something I said. Ha, not really, we knew they were selling, they both work in town and apparently they aren't enjoying the commute - that's what they're telling us anyway.

Also today is the day to.....

Support the global call to action and make poverty history. Find an event near you...look here or here. Some events were yesterday so you're too late for those (in case you hadn't realised).

Our school assembly today was dedicated to 'Stand Up'. There has been some fundraising recently but today in assembly two classes (including Hannah's) presented a short film about people living in poverty and gave some information about the background of 'Stand Up' and talked about how we can help. Some children stood in silence holding candles throughout the assembly. Father John read from the gospels (Jesus washing the feet) and he asked the children what that story meant, of course there was a lot of talk from the young ones about dirty feet, wearing sandals and not showering enough. Some older chidlren were able to articulate the idea of being humble enough to wash another's feet but I think most of the little ones just thought Jesus was helping the disciples with their hygiene - and they were all ok with that. One little girl pointed out that her mummy washes her hair for her.

Hannah had the job of carrying the Gospels today. She was thrilled by this and made me promise to put a photo on the blog. Here she is....(she's the short one).

It must be serious....

....there's a second pot this morning.....

Yes, I had another of my sleepless nights. I've mentioned before that I suffer occasionally from insomnia, last night was one of those occasions.

I blame this lady.....

I love the moon, completely obsessed I am. I was born at full moon, it must have got into my system then. Although I love the moon at all times, especially those horned crescent ones. Very special. Moon watching was one of the first things I taught my daughters - now they're obsessed as well. I'm not alone Leanne likes the moon too.

However, sometimes when she's full....I can't sleep. Last night I couldn't sleep. So once again I am tired. I have lots to do today so I think the only answer is coffee, lots of fresh, organic, free trade, dark roast. I don't seem to have that manic energy that I had last time I had a sleepless night (last week). Just exhaustion today.

So today I shall quietly work away, drinking coffee and sparing a thought for Dave, who is having eye surgery today. I'm looking forward to seeing him in a monocle.

On my desk

Today I am still editing. So on my desk you will find....

The reference texts....

....the hard copies and my red pen - ('old red' as my students used to call it)

...and Sophie (the maid) - a blurry shot because she was about to jump away - she's camera shy.

There is also a magnifying glass, because I am in denial about needing glasses, a cup of tea (what would 'on my desk' be without at least a mention of a cup of tea?) and some dust. I need to dust the office. Not today though.

How's the serenity...*

Well, the girls are back at school and Tom's at work. It's all quiet and I'm all alone. Well, alone except for Sophie but she sleeps all day and doesn't make much noise - or conversation. It's peaceful. Lovely and quiet. Tum te tum te tum. Yep, loving the silence. Now what?

It always throws me when the girls go back to school after holidays. For the first day or so I can't quite adapt to an empty house. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind an empty house and I love having the time to 'get on with things', but it just takes a bit of getting used to after having the girls home for a couple of weeks (or even longer in summer).

Today I'm editing. I like editing, it suits my ridiculously fussy nature when it comes to spelling and grammar (especially other people's). However today I'm having trouble settling to it. I sit down, look at the document, correct a typo then jump up and go and clean the toilet. Then I come back, look at the document again, change a sentence around....and jump up and go and make a cup of tea. As you can see writing a blog post is the current distraction of choice. It's only a matter of time before I'm standing in front of the fridge looking for an edible distraction. You're getting the idea aren't you? It's just not flowing for me here today.

However as Thursday is the deadline for this work I'd better get to it.

Just as soon as I've dusted the piano.

*Classic line from the movie The Castle

Here I am!

Well, where did the weekend go? On Friday afternoon it seemed like we were heading for a weekend like any other, little did I know that the universe was conspiring against me. On Saturday morning Tom announced that he was going to have to work, he's currently doing some environmental consultancy work (as well as his normal job) and had a project with a looming deadline and needed the computer all day. I didn't realise he actually meant ALL DAY. He even ate lunch at the desk. At 11pm I gave up on getting a turn and toddled off to bed. So bang went Saturday's post.

When Tom finally came to bed he was feeling a bit guilty about abandoning us all for the day and since it was the end of the holidays he suggested we took the girls out for the day on Sunday. So we did. ALL DAY...again. We finally got home, cooked dinner, ate dinner, organised the children and read them stories. Then I did some general tidying, ironing and preparation for the week and thought 'blog post!' and came through to the office. I read two blogs, opened blogger to start a new post and the computer crashed (it's been doing it a bit lately). I stared at it in dismay for a minute, considered rebooting and trying again but decided to just accept my fate and went to bed.

So here I am today, writing a post about not writing posts. Riveting isn't it?

Anyway, moving on....although I was unable to post on Saturday I was productive in other ways, I still have some of my manic energy and so I did the 'seasonal clothes shift' with the girls wardrobes. I put away any winter stuff that will still fit next year, I bagged anything that was still in good condition but didn't/wouldn't fit ready to take to Vinnies and chucked the rest. Then I got out the summer stuff and checked it all in case they'd grown more than I expected. They had. Then I made a (long) list of what we still need. That took the best part of the day because it also involved a general cleaning out of the drawers and wardrobe, there were piles of clothes everywhere. It's all tidy and sorted now (you're enjoying all this aren't you?).

On Sunday we did some of this.....

And this......

'scary, scary' hee hee, and also this.......

I've got no idea who that is saying 'wheeee' at the start, it isn't me - I'm way to cool to say 'wheeee'.

Then just to show how perfect my life is, sometimes a princess reads me a bedtime story - even if her tiara has slipped slightly.

Finally, because Dave faithfully returned to Bridget's Flame several times over the weekend only to find nothing new to read, here is a gratuitous picture of Shane Watson apparently having 'more fun than he's ever had' which in my book merely illustrates that he needs to get out more.

Thanks to Fox Sports for the picture.

Preparing and What I did yesterday

The girls go back to school on Tuesday, commencing the first of the 'summer terms' - different uniform, sandals, sun hats every day. This morning I thought 'I hope those uniforms fit'. So we got them out and tried everything on. They were fine. Hannah needed new school sandals so we went and bought those today. Boring brown school sandals. $85. All the nice shoes we could have bought for $85, but no...they were the ones we needed. And did I mention.......$85!!?

We also went to the pet shop and saw the puppies. I'd love a puppy. Just saying.

Then we went to the supermarket which was a hoot (no, I'm kidding, it was supermarket shopping - same as always).

Now we're home. We had lunch and now I have work to do (yes, the kind you get paid for). I'd really like to put my feet up for half an hour but I'd better not.

Speaking of such things remember how tired I was yesterday? Well, I don't know what happened but despite being so tired I started a couple of jobs I've been intending to do for a while.......and couldn't stop. I was like the energiser bunny on speed...I was still going at 11pm!! Tom was worried that when I did eventually go to bed I wouldn't be able to sleep I was so strung out and manic.

I.......

- Changed the sheets/quilt covers etc

- Vacuumed and dusted the whole house

- Did 4 loads of washing, the whole washing line was full plus two small dryer loads

- Completely tidied, ordered and organised the top drawer of the filing cabinet (got 4 supermarket plastic bags of papers – I really need a shredder)

- Tidied and organised the bills folder, did a new fortnightly budget spreadsheet and another financial spreadsheet

- Folded most of the clean washing and put it away

- Took a cup of tea to bed at 11pm and read until midnight.

This is all as well as the usual daily bits and pieces, supervising children, making lunch, making dinner, bathing children etc. Once I went to bed I did actually fall asleep easily and slept well. I've got no idea what caused the wild energy burst, especially considering I was operating on less than 3 hours sleep, but whatever it was I'd like some more of it.

The calm before the storm

Yesterday was uneventful. A peaceful day spent indoors, playing games, doing puzzles, watching a movie....staying out of the cold. Hence the lack of material for yesterday's post.

I should have known....it was too quiet. Way too peaceful.

The girls went off to bed at the usual time (7.00ish) Tom read them stories while I tidied up and loaded the dishwasher. Then I read a few blogs, played around on the computer a bit and watched a bit of TV (not all at once). After that I went off to bed to read my book. All was quiet.

At 10pm Aislin woke up crying....then screaming....we rushed in and she was curled in a ball saying her tummy hurt. This went on for a while then Tom decided he'd carry her around* a bit to calm her down. I was straightening up her bed when I heard him calling me, I hurried through and she was being sick in a plastic bowl that Tom had grabbed just in time. Violently sick. Then she was in pain again, then she was sick. It was lovely.

I'm not good with people throwing up, I'm sure most people aren't 'good' with it but some people seem to cope....I'm the one sympathetically holding the vomiters hair off their face and gently rubbing their back while quietly retching myself. I have been known to throw up in sympathy. After some time she seemed a bit better, we decided that she would sleep with me because there was a chance this would go on all night. Tom is exhausted at the moment because he's had a couple of big projects that have kept him up working in the wee small hours. He had to go to work today, I didn't. So I sent him off to Aislin's bed to cuddle up with Dorothy the Dinosaur and I took Aislin in with me. She lay groaning and dozing for a while then fell asleep. I read my book and kept an eye on her. Eventually I decided to try and sleep too. I was just dozing beside her when she started again with the throwing up. Not in the bowl we'd provided of course. No. All over the bed. Great.

It was 12.43am. She was washed and generally cleaned up, fresh pyjamas were put on, the bed was stripped and re-made (Tom did that, the commotion woke him up). Fortunately we have a mattress protector that did its job. We got back into bed - this time with layers of towels and cloth nappies** in case she was sick again (why didn't I prepare better the first time, it's not like I've never done this before?). The lights went out, we settled down, she was asleep in seconds.

I wasn't. Every time she moved I grabbed the sick bowl just in case. I was on edge. At one point she was cuddled right up to me and all I could think was 'please no, not ON me'. It was hell. The last time I recall looking at the clock it was 4.30am. I must have gone to sleep sometime after that.

Aislin woke this morning at 7.10am, bright eyed and bushy tailed, fit as a fiddle and raring to go. She opened her eyes and began to chat cheerfully to me about something or other. I groaned and cried a little bit. I tried to entice her back to sleep to no avail. We got up. I'm on my second pot of coffee.

I'm still tired.

The End.

*he's done this since they were babies and is very skilled at it, he has this kind of rocking, swaying action that works wonders with sleepless babies, cranky toddlers and sick children. We call it the 'Daddy Dance'. He still resorts to it in times of trouble even though they are now 5 and 8 years old.

**the greatest invention EVER, I still use them for various things around the house - not as nappies though, thank God.

Don't look at me....

....I got nothin'

Clock fiddling

As usual the first week after Daylight Savings begins has left me (and others apparently) feeling a bit tired....sort of jetlagged in fact. It takes me a few days to get used to the new rhythm. I happened upon a forum today where some outraged people were complaining about it. They said it wasn't 'saving' anything it was just 'clock fiddling'. That amused me. What amused me further was the letter to the editor that supposedly appeared in the print version of the Border Mail 'Points of View' section.

Warning, this may be a hoax I can find lots of references to it but none from the source. Of course that doesn't make it any less enjoyable for me.

A meme of sorts

It's a public holiday here so busy doing some more of the jobs mentioned yesterday. So, a meme ....from Blackbird.

Outside my window my neighbour is fixing his fence....in a gale.

Daily rhythm: Up, coffee, cuddling children while we have morning drinks, then whatever the day brings.

I am thankful for too many things to list.

In the kitchen there is a 'to do' list...with quite a few things crossed off! But some still to do.

Breakfast - Toast with marmalade.

Lunch - Soup - homemade vegetable broth.

Supper - Ummm, haven't decided yet - it's only midday after all.

I am wearing - Functional work clothes (remember that 'to do' list? Not all done yet).

I am feeling positive and content today.

Bringing beauty to my home by making things...sewing various soft furnishings. I'm enjoying that.

I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel....God it's long. Good. But long.

I am hoping that the rest of the year is better than it has been up until now (have to say, haven't had a fantastic 2008).

Making plans for the future - 2009 in particular. Good plans.

Puttering

Daylight Savings started today. Don't have much to say about that really except I'm all confused and out of sync - but that will pass. Tonight will be a battle to get the girls to go to bed in broad daylight. Happens every year.

We've all been busy doing lots of little jobs around the place, some of those things on the 'list of things to do' that wait patiently (for weeks, sometimes months) to be done. There is rarely time to spend just getting on with them, however, this weekend it's all go at our place.

I even got this out...

No Haute Couture or anything, just some simple 'soft furnishing' type jobs. No complications, plenty of straight lines.

With all this cooking and sewing I'm quite the Domestic Goddess these days.

Today...

..nothing interesting ('is there ever?' I hear you ask). Only cleaning, tidying, organising and sorting. I love organising and sorting and today it was my office that got the special treatment. Not finished yet, but it feels different, and better, already.

I also did some cooking, which, you may recall, I don't enjoy doing at all (don't follow that second link Dave, it's the needle-in-eyes post that upset your sore point).

Tom is now mowing the lawns and trying to finish before nightfall so he can call it done and not have to get the mower out again tomorrow.

The girls put on a combination puppet show/play for us this afternoon, about 15 minutes in they admitted they hadn't planned the story, it was all ad lib and they had no idea where the plot was going. After some gentle encouragement to keep going but for the love of God not too long (I didn't really say that - not to their faces anyway) there was another 15 minutes of aimlessness and it all ended happily ever after. Thank goodness.

Now we're going to settle in for evening, watch something entertaining (I hope) and eat that soup I made. Assuming it's edible. There's no guarantee and seeing as I burnt the first batch it's touch and go really.

Well that didn't last long

After yesterdays blue skies and bees, today we have grey skies and cold.

See....

Compare it to yesterday....HUGE difference!

It's also raining.............on my weeds.

So indoor activities are the order of the day. The girls got busy making 'stained glass windows'.

A fish....

a flower....

and a dragon......

I have to say the dragon is freaking me out a bit, looks like it just emerged from the very bowels of hell. I'm not telling the girls that though, don't want to cramp their creative style.

Now we have to think of something else to do because the natives are getting restless and Aislin just blew a raspberry at Hannah then cried when Hannah said she was disgusting. We might have to pop out and buy wine first, because I feel certain Mummy's going to need her little helper tonight.

Blue skies and bees

It's a beautiful day, perfect temperature, perfect blue sky and the buzz of bees.

Here's the sky....

Here's a bee...

There are actually hundreds of bees on that shrub but you're just going to have to take my word for it because I couldn't get them all to stay still long enough for a photo. They were quite unco-operative, dashing - in a rather wobbly way - from flower to flower, buzzing their heads off.

Drunk on pollen I suspect.

On my desk

As it is school holidays I am not at my desk, but on the table we have......

Cluedo....

.....Junior Scrabble....

..and Snakes and Ladders...

Most enjoyable.