Loving Your Family but Needing More?

Once the boys came along, then I have not worked full time since. I mean, we never had the boys so that someone else could look after them for us, we wanted them and we were prepared to put in the hard slog. We were happy to have them in care but not fulltime.
I went back to work when Ben was 7 months old, only 2 days a week, but it did both of us good. It gave me interaction with adults and made me have to use my brain again and it gave Ben time to interact with other people and create great people skills.
When Alex came along 21 months later, well I took time off from work and when he was 7 months old I went back to work. This time however I went 3 days a week.
I have kept 3 days a week right up until I started the current job I am in, 18 months ago I decided that with Ben now at school and Alex 4 yrs old, then I could manage 4 days a week, which is kind of what the job was asking anyway.
It has sort of worked, even though the boys are out of the house from 7.30am until 5pm on the days that I work. However, getting a student home helper for the boys 2 afternoons a week has made things way easier.

Life however, is still very rushed, lots happening and loads to do. Work is not a breeze, it is not time away to interact anymore, it is work, it is hard and somedays I come home more tired than when I left in the morning, wondering how I am going to get everything done in the evening, still go to bed at a decent time and still manage to wake up the next morning. I also want to try and get things done in the evenings as well so everything does not get left until the weekend therefore encroaching on family time.
With doing my current study then I am using the one day a week that I am not at work as my study day. I take the boys to school, then spend the day studying, then pick the boys up at 3. It works, although I do love the quietness when I don't have any study to do and I can just dawdle along for the day having some me time.

Because out of everything that we do as a family, craving me time, is still there big time, and I know from a lot of the blogs I have read that I am not alone on this either.
People are always trying to help others understand how to fit in quality "me time"
Whilst surfing the blogs the other night I came across this post on this blog, she talked about time to ourselves and shared a link to a post she had found.

I love the idea, I think this could so work, even if you shared it around so that it wasn't every week but maybe it was taken in turns. Making say Wednesday the night off and then 1 week it was mum's turn and the next dad's, then back to mum etc.
Although I think I may crave this more than Steve does, but currently he is out twice a week at Judo, now I know this is an organised activity and there is sweat, blood and tears involved, but maybe that is enough for him?
I do have the PTA Meetings, but these are once every 6-8 weeks, so not regular.

However, being able to disappear for a couple of hours and just hang would be wonderful. I know the main library downtown is open until 8.30pm, would be so cool to just sit there and read, or watch the world go by.

What would you do?

New Family Pictures

We had some family pictures taken a few weeks ago.
well the boys had some pictures taken for part of a photo competition, but I realised that we didn't have any of just me and my boys, so I jumped in a few of the shots.

These are the proofs of the ones I have choosen, sadly they are not the greatest pictures as I scanned them from the printouts I was given, but you get the idea.

Mother's

A reminder that all mum's are human and going through exactly the same things as everyone else!

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up...
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mummy to Mum to Mother.....

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mummy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mum knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn’t know everything!
14 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother? She wouldn’t have a clue.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's so five minutes ago.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mum's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mum would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mum.

I forget all this when things get out of hand, but then when I read it again I remember that we are all only human and that everyone goes through this, we are not alone.

Mother's Day

We are alarm clocks, personnal dressers, cooks, chauffeurs, counselors, doctors, teachers, maids and many other things but most of all we are mum's.
We are awesome at what we do and we give it 100% at all times.

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous mum's out there wherever you may be.

This has been around a long time, but I love it.
It sums up this special day to mum's so well.

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:


WHY GOD MADE MUMS ?

1. She's the only one who knows where the sticky tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's' bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mum?

1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's Mums like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mum?

1. My Mum has always been my Mum and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mum need to know about Dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mum marry your Dad?

1. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mum eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My Grandma says that Mum didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mum doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because Dad's such an idiot.
2. Mum. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed
3. I guess Mum is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.

What's the difference between Mums & Dads?

1. Mums work at work and work at home and Dads just go to work at work
2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Mums have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Mums have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mum do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't have spare time.
2. To hear her talk, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mum perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. You know, her hair. I'd die it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mum, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mum smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Happy Mother's Day to you all

Why God made Mums

Answers given by 2nd grade (8 yr old) school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the sticky tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mum?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's Mums like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mum?
1. My Mum has always been my Mum and none of that other stuff
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mum need to know about Dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mum marry your Dad?
1. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mum eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My Grandma says that Mum didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mum doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mum. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mum is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.

What's the difference between Mums & Dads?
1. Mums work at work and work at home and Dads just go to work at work.
2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Mums have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Mums have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mum do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.....
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mum perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair.. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mum, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mum smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

They sure do have a habit of telling it like it is!

Bad Day

On Monday I didn't want to be a mother anymore.

Ok I know I don't get much choice in the matter now, but it was the first time ever that I just didn't want to be anywhere near my kids. They had managed to push me to the final limit.
It was an accumilation of several things that ended with me calling Steve at work and asking him if he was free?
I then told him to meet us downstairs in 10 minutes outside the hospital.
When we arrived, I got out of the car, gave him the keys and told him they were his for 5 minutes, because if I had to speak to them, look at them or listen to them again, then I was going to physically hurt them and then I walked off down the street!

Not sure what he said to them during that time and I really am not bothered, but the rest of the day went ok sort of.
Still wasn't too impressed with them for the rest of the day, but at least I got through it all and I never hurt them.
So far the rest of the week has gone good, but difficult to be bad when they spent the day in daycare yesterday!
What is really nice was that a friend called this morning to see how I was and how yesterday had been with the boys? It was so nice to have someone think about me.

Mummy goes Red

I got bored and so I went red, hair colour that is!

This is not the first time I have gone a red shade, and would you believe I got the biggest compliment the next day....

The lady in the kitchen shop noticed I had had my hair coloured and told me it made me look younger.

Now who could ask for anything better than that to make the day go well.

Me, him and varnish

Today was one of the days that Alex spends at Daycare and so Ben and I have the day together.

Ok that may all change in a little while as I had a job interview today with a Private Hospital in town called Braemar.

For those of you that don't know I am a Theatre Nurse, or a Surgical Nurse for those in the US. Anyway, this is what I have specialised in since I qualified almost 13 years ago. OMG, 13 years! Were does the time go?

So if all goes well from today I may have a part time job again soon, so Ben will join Alex at Daycare.

Well I thought I looked really nice today, I felt good to plus it was a beautiful day so all things were on my side, but there was only Ben to take a picture of me, and seeing as I am usually the one taking the picture then there is never very many of me.

So here is one...

I also repainted my toe nails, because with it being summer your toes have to look good in sandels and I of course had a little helper and also someone who wanted to join in on the action.

So all 20 toes in the house at the time got painted!

Even now as I write this at 9pm his father is still bothered by the fact Ben has cinammon on his toes! Me I think it looks so cute, matches mummy!