day 147 - thursday - finding our mojo

Angus seemed much better today. Poor Ian was shifted into the spare room overnight as his coughing kept the baby (and me) awake until 3am. Once up this morning, though, Angus smiled a lot and it's been so good to see again.



I decided it was time my paper box was glued together as I'm really tired of it collapsing every time I need some paper. I had to call on Ian for his expertise and while he started off giving me instructions, he ended up seeing to it himself. I was very grateful, considering he really isn't feeling very well.

I think he made a funny face because I was taking pictures...

Grateful:

1. For the wonderful people at Blackwood Swim Centre who agreed to give us a full refund for swimming this term. Thank you, thank you!

2. For Ian, helping me with my paper box when he wasn't feeling well

3. For Angus starting to feel better, and Tassie and I too

day 146 wednesday

Not much happening today, a trip to the doctor, confirmed virus, though good news - Tassie all better!

day 145 - tuesday - a bad thread

No pictures today.

I called Tassie's childcare to say I was keeping her at home (for the fourth week in a row) and was shocked and surprised when the girl said that we would still be paying regardless (I had obviously misunderstand that bit when I signed her up, believing you got a discount for sick days). Ian and I talked about this later and realised that parents like us who do the right thing keeping their child at home, end up subsidising those parents who send their kids who are sick. The problem is, the centre doesn't provide any incentive to do the right thing!

I've never heard of a virus that lasted this long. But then, I've never had small children before and maybe this is normal. The doctor seemed to think so yesterday. Understandably, she was a bit stressed.

We were up all night with Angus again. I think he went to sleep at around 2.30am and then Tassie woke about an hour later and I went to her.

Gratitude:
1. For Ian, who is also sick, but who got up with the babies this morning
2. For realising this month is just part of the "rich tapestry of life" (this set us into a fit of giggles when I told Ian)
3. For blogger, my one true friend who always listens when I have something to say!

day 144 - monday - quiet (except for the sound of kids dvds)

I take Angus out of the bath and dress him ready for bed nearly every night but there are no photos! So I asked Ian to take pictures of us last night before Angus put on his pyjamas. I'm so happy to see him more interested in books now. Mainly he likes to flip the pages back and forth and look at the pictures.

days 142, 143 - weekend - the flu

So, Ian woke up sick on Saturday and now that's all four of us, sick with the flu. That's three weeks of it. Message to flu: pack your bags and go, you're not welcome here!

Regardless, since we had to skip swimming yet again, we decided to make pancakes, our little family tradition. I'm experimenting at the moment with eggless options for Angus. These 'No Egg' pancakes were disappointing though... the inside was wet and gooey.


Tassie was acting up this morning. Ian said "Tasmin, if you keep shouting and pushing your brother, you'll go into the hallway (time out area)" and she replied............................................
"Does this make you happy Daddy?" and started a break-dance routine on the floor

And here's Ian on Sunday feeding Angie (AKA Buster Molloy / Buddy / Manou / Man / Rattus).

Angie drinks his bottle expressionless and holds tightly onto his Daddy's shirt. Sometimes he moves his hand around and Daddy plays with it...

Pretending to bite his finger...

day 141 - friday - learning from children

While we were out yesterday, we picked up rental DVDs and craft stuff for Tasmin (and Mummy) at a cheap local shop to help keep us busy. Today would have been Tasmin's first time to attend Little School on a Friday, but of course we had to cancel as she's still unwell with a cold.


Little Man is soldiering on - it's so good to finally see him smiling again and we're not needing quite so many tissues to wipe his nose...

Look at these silly poses...

When he's happy he rocks his head from side to side...

so I'm trying to stay positive too :-) even though being unwell is making me unproductive which is frustrating...

day 140 - thursday - Never Let Me Go

I finished the novel one of my Year 12 students is studying. I listened to it on old-fashioned cassette tape - surprising, when it was published five years ago. Apparently there's a film. The fun with this audio book, was to skip the blurb then get a hell of a surprise to find out it was all about cloned humans and vital organ donations! Just as well, as it would have been unbearably boring. It was mildly interesting but Emilia Fox's clipped British accent put me off a bit. I believe that's three novels for me this year!

day 139 - wednesday - colourful day

Despite getting to sleep late - well after midnight (Ian and I waited up to finish my audio book, Never Let Me Go) - I still hardly slept a wink. And despite another day of we three feeling a bit under the weather, I felt so HAPPY. Tasmin accepted painting instead of going to the playground and I felt grateful to go to my job. I love teaching and I love my students.
Grateful for:
1. Finishing another layout last night. My mojo's coming back
2. Getting paid to teach
3. sunshine

day 138 - tuesday - washing washing and more washing

There's always something to brighten up the dullest of days :-)

day 137 - monday - resting up

Children are very resilient little creatures. Despite both children suffering from infections, Tasmin was mostly smiles today, but took a while longer to wake up after her afternoon nap. Angie didn't tolerate me leaving the room very well, but perked up pretty quickly.

days 135, 136 - weekend - babies and Mummy unwell

We had to give up swimming for the third week in a row. Both babies and even I spent lots of time resting in bed, needing lots of tissues. Spiritually, I've asked Ian to help me recognise more of the good in our lives. So on that note:

I'm grateful for:
1. Ian, who took great care of us this weekend, which let me get extra sleep
2. The Weekend Australian, with our home delivery service resumed at the weekend
3. Spaghetti Bolognaise, our staple Saturday dinner, which Ian made for us.

134 - friday - joan's pantry lunch

Lunch on Friday - Tassie scored a strawberry milkshake, industrial sized, and raspberry muffin, which was gorgeously fresh. We had a little play at the playground before heading home. Angie not feeling well, too tired to get out of the pram.

day 133 - Tassie's first letter

Tassie has been asking lately for a whole apple, then actually eating it! She didn't finish this one today.
To my absolute amazement, she called "mummy, look, it's a T for Tasmin". My child had quietly gone and written her first letter EVER! Wow. And she's not even three. Gifted!

Here she is showing off her handiwork. Too bad the light was a little bright this morning.

day 132 - wednesday - Angie and Mamarazzi

This poor child is trying to get his own lunch...


The mamarazzi is interfering...

I'm hungry already!

day 131 - tuesday - fabric expedition

Mum agreed to come with Angus and I across town to a huge fabric warehouse to find the right material for a retro 1960's capelet I want to make. I found the right pattern on ebay recently and was so delighted to find a remnant which seemed perfect! I hope it will be worth it. I can't following a sewing pattern to save my life.

Later in the afternoon on our return after we'd collected Tassie the tree service guys surprised us and took away all the fallen wood. which was great, only it wasn't much of a "day off". Never mind! Tassie had fun pushing Angie on the swing.

day 130 - monday - lovely normal day

I took the Mountain Buggy for a test drive today. It was NO JOKE getting it up Mt Everest at the end of our street. I did it. But probably won't again. I made it to the first set of shops and found the flower stands had blown over in the wind. So we stopped to fix them for the florist then bought a bunch of pink roses for Tasmin for $2 (silk ones not real!) The florist was glad we helped though embarrassingly I tried to paid the customer for the flowers at first!

Neville, our local photo developer - yes, we're on first name basis, I'm there every week! - took this photo for us...

And this was my attempt at self portrait in a shop window...

We walked on to the playground, had lunch, then came back again to collect our photos. The feeling of freedom today is indescribable. Having this stroller is amazing. The sunny day was wonderful and I'm feeling happy again.

Grateful for...

1. the Mountain Buggy.

2. sunny days and feeling happy and random acts of kindness.

3. the babies who slept at the same time in the afternnon. It meant I could have a great chat with Manda and she collected her CD of photos I took of her yesterday...

day 129 - sunday - mothers day

It's our tradition for my sister and I to take Mum for lunch on Mothers Day but this year we went for breakfast. I made these 'edible blooms' for her (see my post at Rock Paper Scissors Scrap on how to make these: easy!) It was a decadent buffet breakfast in style!

Couldn't resist the hot brekkie

The venue: lovely historic Mt Lofty House. Ian and I stayed here one weekend to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary nearly four years ago...

Beautiful distant hills in the background view

Me and my lovely Mum...

1. So grateful for my Mum

2. Grateful for Ian watching kids so I could have a granny nap in the afternoon

3. Grateful for Mum's comment about how much the handmade gift meant to her