Celebrating Maxabella's 52 weeks of Grateful

Over at Village Voices this weekend, Maxabella is celebrating posting about being grateful for 2 years. Over that time there have been 52 weeks of grateful posts and she is inviting everyone who have ever linked up to join in again to celebrate.

I used to join in the linky before Maxabella took the grateful link over to Village Voices. But I decided to bite the bullet and actually check out village voices. It's not so scary over there and I think Maxabella deserves as many link ups as possible so I'm back in at least for this week. Without any further ado, here are my gratefuls.

I am grateful that we have absolutely nothing planned this weekend. This meant today I got to sleep in until almost 12. A really restful sleep. So I am also grateful for my family for leaving me alone so I could get my sleep in.

I'm also grateful for the Toy Sales. With Target, Kmart and Big W all having their sales on at the moment I have got ideas for both the children's birthdays and possibly Christmas as well. And hopefully at decent, reduced prices.

Next week, Girl Child's school is having a morning tea to thank the parent volunteers. I am grateful that I was invited and that have the time and opportunity to help out at school.

Also next week, Boy Child is getting an award at a school assembly. While he is not impressed that it will only be an effort award not an achievement award (his theory is that an achievement award means you are good at something but an effort award means you suck but you tried) I'm very grateful that he is being recognised for his work.

So that's it for me. Come and join the party.

 

Things I know - 29 Jun 2012

I'm joining in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity again this week for Things I Know.

Considering how many of the bloggers I read have big stuff going on in their lives (both positive and negative) I know that my little corner of the world is fairl quiet. My heart goes out to those who are struggling with health issues - whether their own or family members. I hope things are on the improve for you all.

I know that Mr E. is set on getting healthy. I am so proud and impressed with the lifestyle choices he has made. I have matched him by giving up sugar in coffee. I only added it to proper (non instant coffee) which I generally only have have when I'm out and about. Now we both drink decaf coffee made with skim milk. Some may think that is tasteless but so far it's working out.

I know that the whole getting healthy thing will be good for us. We are eating a lot more vegetables than before and I'm sure we will be better for it. I'm also learning to cook differently. Any ideas on cooking spinach so it's not mush (which tonights was) are very gratefully accepted.

I know that when I get a phone call from an unlisted number from Girl Child's school then it's likely that Girl Child is in trouble. I also know that these phone calls upset me. Or rather, the information that I am given upsets me.

I know that her social skills are delayed. Some days I wonder how much of her behaviour is hers and how much learnt from her brother. I know I don't believe she has enough traits to get an ASD diagnosis. But I also know that siblings of people with ASDs have more traits than the general population.

Are you going to join in this week? The linky will be until Sunday evening.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Image from Here

When I was growing up, at various times I wanted to be a librarian, an author, a vet or a journalist. And these are the only ones i remember. I never planned on being a stay at home mum (SAHM) or even a work at home mum (WAHM). In fact my plan had been to return to work, doing finance in the Public Sector, when Boy Child was six months old. But then life got in the way. Still, I went back to work only slightly later than expected when Boy was about six and a half or seven months old. Although it was only part time, I had a job I mostly enjoyed where people listened to my opinions. I was more than just a Mum.

I worked part time until he was about three. I then worked full time while studying part time for a year. My last uni assignment was handed in late due to the all day, every day morning sickness due to Girl Child being on the way. Due to the morning sickness I had to work reduced hours for a few months. But I still felt useful. When I went on maternity leave with Girl Child I planned to go back to work at 18 months and I did. But the section I worked in was undergoing changes which resulted in staff leaving, work being redistributed and after 6 months my section had only 2 staff. So I quit.

Since then (and a bit before) I have been working at home, doing finance. It's something I fell into and apparently have an aptitude for. Along the way I have been employed for 3 years as a treasurer for a community organisation and spent 4 months doing finance for an organisation that dealt with children in care.

I was reading this post over at Home Life Simplified. It seems that I'm not the only one contemplating the future and the possibility of a working life outside of home. The thing is though, I don't know what I want to be. Unlike Deb, I don't have a plan.

I still want to write but i know I need to devote time to it. I want to make a difference in people's lives but I know I wouldn't make a good social worker. My time with the organisation dealing with kids showed me that some things are just too close to home.

I'm not sure where this navel gazing is leading me. But I wonder if I had my time again whether I would make different decisions or be less influenced by other peoples ideas about what was good for me. I wonder if its too late to work out what I want to be?

Did you become any of the things you wanted to be when you were younger? Do you regret it if you didn't follow your dreams?


I hope that as my children grow up I can support their dreams and aspirations. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a doctor and singer in my family.

 

Things I learnt (& know) this week - 15 June 2012

I'm stealing this idea from Allison Tait who, as you probably all know, blogs a Life in a Pink Fibro. While Allison is busy packing to leave the Pink Fibro, she needed blogging motivation so she have borrowed this idea from Maxabella. I need blogging motivation too, so I have borrowed the idea as well. I'm also linking up with Dorothy from Singulair Insanity for Thngs I Know.

So here's my list:

1. Discovering that you were right about something isn't always a good thing. However, it can be slightly gratifying to hear the words "You know that thing that said was going to come back and bite me, well it has." I'm just hoping there won't collateral damage this time around and if there is that it won't involve me.
   
2. Long weekends mean extra chances to sleep in. I took advantage of all 3 of them.
3. Spending a fair bit of the long weekend working and trying to get things ready for end of financial year and the accountant can negate the great sleep ins.
   
4. It's been 5 years since my mother died and 3 years since the last stalker phone call (her ex decided to stalk us for a while). But I no longer freak out when we get a strange phone call on her birthday, Mother's Day or the anniversary of her death. I am very happy that when recently someone accidentally pocket dialled us, my first thought was NOT that our stalker was back. That is huge!
   
5. Giving up the girls night away so I can be in town for when some extended family is visiting is a little sad. But discovering that they have actually been in town at some point during the week and they haven't called has, for some reason, devastated me. I shouldn't let it get to me.
6. Resigning from the volunteer job I had for six months was a huge relief. I am able to sleep in again and don't have to prioritise my life around things that other people's timetables.
7. Girl Child is getting so much better on the bike we converted to a balance bike for her. At the rate she is going she may actually be able to ride the new bike she will be getting for her birthday in a few months.
8. The two children I read with at school every morning are progressing. It may sometimes be slow but it great to see the changes.

So how has your week been? Have you learnt anything? What do you know this week?

I am...Me

I'm joining in with Eden and a ton of others for Edenland's Fresh Horses Brigade - Who The Hell Are You?

Here we go, in no particular order.

I am a wife and mother.

I am a reformed chocoholic and caffeine addict.

I almost exclusively wear jeans and Tshirts. I am comfortable with that.

I love deeply and trust cautiously. Once that trust is broken, I will forgive but rarely forget.

I can be aloof, talkative or a smartarse depending on my mood and how well I know you. I'm much funnier in my head than in real life. I know because Boy Child has told me.

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Sometimes, this bothers me. A lot of the time, it doesn't.

I want to make a difference in the world. I think that explains why I'm a serial volunteer. Either that or I'm just a sucker.

I'm not a domestic goddess and I probably never will be. And that's okay.

This time last year...

We had travelled to an Eisteddfod to see Boy Child perform in a dance troupe. They performed in the open age section and came third out of 13 acts in that section. We were so proud of him. He was only 12 and the youngest in the troupe. He was also the only boy.

The girls he danced with last year have been to the Eistedfodd again. I'm not sure of their results (Highly Commended i think) but I know they had fun.

In September, Boy Child missed the second Eistedfodd he was due to dance in as we were coming home from New Zealand. This time the troupe won and it was without him. There were only 3 acts in that section. Not that it would have made any difference. Boy decided the troupe didn't need him and that seems to have been the beginning of the end. Less than a month later we were told by medical professionals that he had to quit.

The stress of performing teamed with starting High School caused a whole slew of issues. Looking back if I hadn't gotten my headache, things would have been different. I would have noticed that he wasn't coping very well and that he was very worried about me. Well, at least I hope I would have.

So he quit dancing. We bought the end of year dance concert DVD because Girl Child is in it. But my heart hurts when I hear the song that he performed too in the Eistedfodd. It's the first one on the DVD and it makes me feel sad.

Girl Child watched the DVD a few weeks ago. I forgot how much this DVD affects me. I have trouble watching it. It's not the dancing itself but the fact that Boy Child was supposed to be on it and he is not. The first dance of the DVD, the one missing my boy, it makes me cry.

I've had a version of this post sitting around since March. I thought I would post it and then move on from the angsty, whiny stuff I've been writing lately.