Drove R to school this morning and was surprised that he was still upset over his locker.  He walked in and someone else's bag was in his old locker.  "I want to be the snail" he wailed, "not the fish".  He is so worked up over this.  I carried him into the classroom and he would not let go.  The teacher tried to talk to him and explain but he was too upset.  When they started stories he sat down and joined in, and the teacher assured me he would be fine.  She asked if I am happy to keep persisting with this change as it will help him long term.  I said yes, but I felt so close to tears over something so pathetic - he is so upset over it.

Otherwise the kids have been lovely.  Yesterday B asked for "Roysie" all morning and kept patting his empty car seat when I was driving.  When I picked him up, she sat and held his hand all the way home.  He was so excited about preschool - "am I coming back tomorrow and next week?"

Then today he was asking me if it is winter because it is cold and raining and I said "no, it is still summer for another month".  i could understand his confusion because all his books on the seasons classify them by the weather and we have had very little summer weather this year.

Got a badge!     Don't know what that means, but I've got one!  Whhooo-hoooo!  Why should it matter?  Somehow I have this inherent need to succeed, to be popular, to be good at something - always have, even though most of my life  haven't been (most???) so somehow this makes me feel good.  I guess that's pathetic!    oh well. 

A day for me of running around - I feel like I spent the whole day in the car - dropping kids off, things off, picking things up, popping into places etc...  Not much fun!  B was very tolerant though which was good.  I picked up a lovely plastic playgym for the kids (for free!) which I have put up in the garden and they have enjoyed.

R went back to preschool - he was very upset over the different kids in his class and his new locker, but he settled in beautifully and is asking me when he goes back (tomorrow!)  I am looking foward to a day tidying up and staying home (except for school runs).

Well, don't know how the interview went - it was about half an hour, she made the job sound a challenge and a bit daunting - she didn't really ask any questions, so I don't know.  I was hoping they would offer it straight away and start this weekend, but she will let me know next week.  WE could really do with the money - we have been scraping through and have been really blessed as to how everything has worked out, but all of a sudden all the bills came through at once and I am starting to panic.  To top it all off - went to the hairdressers - had to take the kids - went to a cheap one as couldn't afford to do otherwise and don't really like it.  Oh well, I guess you can't sneeze at $37 for me & R and she even did a trim on B!  Feeling very tired and a bit overwhelmed.....

DH and I seem to have swapped roles - he has always been the insomniac, but lately it has been me and now I have hit the wall - I am exhausted.  It has been a long hot day and we have been out all day.  Tomorrow I have my first job interview in 9 years - for a one day a week (Saturday) job, which would be my first paid job in 4 1/2 years.  So I am nervous and tired and still have to get my clothes ready.  Yet my four year old insists that mummy comes to sleep with him as he can't sleep - what do you do?...

Hi! I have been tagged by Kathryn - Here are the rules for this tag.

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Are you ready?

1. I hate spiders - yet they are also fascinating!  I particularly hate black ones and am paranoid about funnel webs.  As a child I would wake at night and check they had not crawled into my bed.  The other day a friend down the road found a nest of redbacks under her children's play equipment - so, despite my all natural stance on most things, out came the spider spray and all the toys outside were sprayed, with much squealing by me when the spiders came running at me.

2. I am addicted to books - I read 3-4 novels a week, as well as having magazines and self-help books lying around to be sampled at every opportunity.  I especially love children's books - my kids have way too many and lots of them were picked by me for my own sake!

3. As a child/teenager I hated "Katherine" and was always "Kathy" (when not "wombat" or "weed"), then "Kath" at uni - now i can pick the longevity of my friends by what they call me....

4. Before I met DH my longest standing boyfriend was 2 weeks (mind you I was a teenager) - we were friends, started going out, 4 years later we were engaged, then 18 months later were married.  Dh proposed to me on Manly Beach and we were married one month after his 21st birthday - 12 years ago last week!  He is 4 months younger than me.

5. As a child, for one year we lived in the UK in Brighton in a terrace house.  I collected snails everywhere I could find them and kept them in our garden.  My poor Dad could never figure out why he had such an infestation of snails.

6. I always loved cats as a kid - collected toy ones, display ones, posters, books you name it...  I had 2 pet cats from year 4 onwards  and they both died when i was at uni.  After that i coudln't face having a cat and so we got our dog, who we have now had for 9 years

OK so now who do I tag?  The problem is finding someone not tagged.....  So I say:

 

OK - I don't know who wrote it or that I entirely agree 100% but here is an Aussie poem to commemorate Australia Day - the day we celebrate what it means to be Australian:

Australia Day

Australians are a funny lot, you'll often hear one curse,
How things have started badly, and they'll probably get worse,
The weathers dry, the sun's so hot it's stolen all the water,
The Government has never done the things we think they oughta'.

 But if we hear a tourist say his home is much more grand,
They had better be prepared to make a very solid stand.
For although we Aussies may complain at what's become our lot,
When someone knocks this country, we defend with all we've got.

 We may criticize some teenage brat, may even wish them failure,
But we stand behind them cheering when they're playing for Australia.
Because, if this is home to you, the country of your birth,
Then you back the native player to beat anyone on Earth.

 When the cricket bats are swinging or when someone scores a try,
When a home grown horse has won the cup and made the owner cry,
When some paralympic athlete hits the front and sets the pace,
You'll hear 'Aussie Aussie Aussie' as the crowd goes off their face.

 And although we like to take a break in overseas locations,
If you take the time to question this nomadic population,
They will tell you without blinking that wherever they may roam,
The best part of the journey was the last bit, ....coming home.

 For the sun was never brighter on the beach at Waikiki,
Than it is on all the sandy shores Australia has to see,
The water never purer nor the air as fresh and clear,
The people never friendlier than those that we have here.

 If you venture to the outback where grass is scarce as snow,
As you swelter you may wonder what it was that made you go,
But just look at the locals who have lived there since their birth,
And I know you will not find a better class of folk on earth.

All across this wide brown country from the Cape to Hobart town,
There are people who will help you when you find the chips are down,
And if someone should abuse you, and does it just because,
Then that person's not Australian, and that person never was.

So when you feel disgruntled just remember this rendition,
And never blame the country for the acts of politicians,
Look up and count your blessings when you see our flag unfurled,
And be grateful that you live in the best country in the world.

Happy Australia Day 26th Jan.2008  

Well, my little man is home.  We had a lovely time in his absence - B& me together most of the weekend, though we did manage dinner out with DH last night (nowhere flash).  I worked on the kids room and discovered it does have a carpet!  Then today I sat and watched videos with B asleep across me. Lovely!  It is lovely when my little guy comes home and gives me a big hig and kiss.  Then he asks me if he can stay with them for another week.  That makes it twice this week he has asked for a sleep over - am I doing something wrong that he doesn't want to be home??  I know it is healthy and means he is secure and independent, but it is hard to admit that he doesn't need mummy any more all the time.  This from the lad who asked me if I would be with him forever a few days ago....

My little angel has always been determined and strong minded, but after the challenges I faced with her brother, I thought she was easy - wrong!  Having just told someone that at 20 months we still haven't really started tantrums yet, i have never been proved so wrong.  A few days ago she started screaming when she didn't get her own way - and kept it up for a good half hour.  Since then we have had it every day - over the craziest things!  She is so bad that my husband could hear her from the street yesterday and told me she sounds like she is being tortured.  Yesterday I ended up walking away from her, going to my room and burst into tears, it was so upsetting.  Is it because she is not well?  Is she tired? Is she teething?  Or is this the way of things for the next 2 years??  If so, can I quit now??

For those who've noticed our absence, just to reassure that all is well.  We had a busy time - leading up to Christmas, then after New Year we went away for ten days. 

We had planned to camp at the in-laws but it bucketed down so we slept on the lounge - it was nice to get away, but we had 6 adults & three children in a very small 3 b/room house.  After a week tempers were frayed and we were glad to leave when we did - even though R (as always) chucked a HUGE tantrum on leaving - despite plenty of notice.  Then all week he has asked me if he can go again, so we have agreed to let them take him away this weekend.  Not a bad idea as DH is busy all weekend - so it will be a girl's weekend (even though it is our 12th wedding anniversary).

B is not well - in between times perfectly happy and normal and then huge bouts of really distressed screaming followed by intermittent sleeping&screaming for long periods.  She also had what looked like a fit to me the other night. So today we went to the drs and got antibiotics for a UTI (and possible middle ear infection) and he assured me that it was not a fit but a kind of severe shivering that accompanies a rapid increase in temperature.  Hope she picks up soon as it gets really wearing after a while.

On a high note, while she sat screaming last night I lay on the lounge with her and put on "Little Miss Sunshine" - hillarious & teary all at the same time - very good and it really took my mind off my worries - so i went to bed quite relaxed.  Recommend it if you get a chance...  Anyway must go as need to rescue DH from overtired kids in the bath - good night!

R today:

Mummy when I grow up, will you be with me and stay with me every day?  And will I look like Daddy?

Just had to share........