Scratchy Undies

I walked with the little girl this afternoon ...

A nice stroll before dinner was what I had in mind .... but I’ve come to the conclusion that 7 year olds don’t walk and they don’t stroll.

She ran ahead .... then hopped.... broke into a skip... stepped it up to jog .....and then back to lapping circles around me, as I pounded up the hill.

“Don’t walk on the lines” she instructed.

“You’ll be sucked down.”

On I walked ....

“It was on the news!” she said dramatically, complete with realistic sucking noises.

As much as we’ve tried to include our daughter in current affairs and the news of the day, I must have been out of the room when the story about people getting sucked into the pavement made the headlines.

It’s TRUE mummy!” she implored.

So as well as saying hello to my fellow walkers, marvelling at the fluorescent pink sunsetand looking out for cars and errant bicycles, I kept looking down to make sure my feet didn’t touch the lines.

On she ran ....a skiperdee, flibbergee, pink stripe, racing ahead.

“Have you got ants in your pants?” I called out, as she streaked on.

“No!”

“Scratchy undies!”

Joy

There was a moment today when all I felt was joy...
It just sort of slid up on me... unannounced and unexpected.
Driving home from a day at the beach ... the little girl chatting away to her doll in the back seat, music on the radio and the patchwork of cane fields bathed in golden afternoon light.
That's it.
I'm happy.
Two simple words.
Rarely acheived.

To do, to do, to do .....

I've got a head full of lists .
Things to do before I go away.
Work to finish ...
Things to pack..
Stuff to take on the plane to keep the little girl occupied
Letters to write
Emails to send
Shopping to do
Chores around the house- . Dare I mention another load of washing!
Bills to pay ...
All gpong round and round and round in my head.

I woke at 6.45 this morning thinking about my lists.
Worrying about my lists
Adding mentally to my lists as I checked through them ...
In the end I decided to forget the idea of a lie in on a Saturday morning ... and just get up and deal with my lists.
Because when you've made a list there's nothing better than to do the bloody tasks and put a line through them, tick them off or in my case BOTH.
Call me anal ....
Call me organised ..
Call me a worrier ...
Probably all three are true.

So at the end of the day I've made a bit of progress on my lists with help from the boy and the little girl ...
Ahhhh that feels better ...
And I figure I'll do the rest tomorrow.


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home again

my dad is home.
Great news!
The little girl and I can't wait to see him next week.
Not long to go ....
xxx

close enough

It's getting closer
Almost here.
Close enough to feel a tingle of excitement..
A sliver of light ...
Mmmmm that first glass of bubbles
That first whiff of sunscreen
That first glimpse of the sea
Dare I even think about more ....
I'm going on holidays in 2 days!

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Tears for my dad

I cried when mum told me dad had had a stroke.
Just out of the blue ....
He woke up with a cramp early one morning.
Nothing unusual about that.
Mum rubbed it, put an extra blanket on the bed and snuggled up to him to help him get warm.
But something was wrong.
Dad couldn't feel his right arm.
Mum said it was hanging limply over the side of the bed.
That was nearly three weeks ago.
He's been in hospital since then.
All sorts of tests, hourly obs, prodding, questioning, poking
The Dr said he was a good candidate for re-hab.
And then he had another stroke last week.
He lost his speech.
He opened his mouth and gibberish came out.
My father ...
I cried more.
My lovely dad
Gentle caring man
Funny and eccentric
Mum calmly telling me the latest on the phone
This is when I hate being so far away.
Helpless, useless...

And some not so favourite things

and 7 year olds know what they don't like:

1. eating porridge
2. when mummy gets angry with me
3. bees
4. dogs that aren't well trained
5. messy hair
6. itchy clothes
7. doing maths
8. sunday nights
9. tidying my room
10. feeling sick

Can't disagree with any of those, tho mummy getting angry with me tugged a bit!

The little girl's favourite things

The little girl says she's got her own list of favourite things.

No prompting from me:

1. going on holidays
2. looking at chandeliers
3. my teddy
4. mummy and daddy
5. browsing in toy shops
6. spaghetti with olive oil
7. red rooster chips
8. american girl (emily)
9. magnolia flowers
10. green grass
11. coloured lights
12. pink

I don't think I was so observant when I was 7 ...

And a few of my not so favourite things

1. shoulder pain
   
2. packing - I'm terrible at it
3. doing the dishes
4. sweet and sour pork
5. rude people
6. processed cheese
7. whinging children
8. thump, thump, thump music
9. a hard pillow
10. picking up after people
11. filling in forms
12. saying goodbye to my parents
    

A few of my favourite things

1. a hot cuppa in the morning
2. my first coffee at the office
3. vegemite and avacado on toast
4. bubble baths
5. bubble baths with candles
6. bubble baths with candles and the Jacques Lousier Trio
7. bubble baths with candles and the Jacques Lousier Trio and the little girl
8. fresh sheets
9. spring blossom
10. the first white peach of the season
11. rain
12. feeling free
13. Paris
14. sunshine
15. Thursday night after the cleaner's been
16. soft towels
17. my boy
18. marco at the coffee shop
19. listening to the little girl sing
20. uninterupted conversation
21. holidays
22. linguine marinara
    

spot on

Choosing a template for my blog is like opening a wardrobe and deciding what to wear.

A difficult decision.

What does it say about you?

What do i want it to say?

Are the colours me ... really?

Would I look better in blue?

Maybe something a bit bolder and stronger??

I've gone with dots.

They remind me of eggs.

New beginnings.

Ooooooooh. Another tingle...

I feel like Eloise ....

I just LOVE the internet!!!

AndI just love, love, love my blog ....

Come out, come out where ever you are

And just when I was feeling so proud of myself
my own blog ... amazing ....
Do you think I could find it again??

I've just spent 15 minutes , mildly panicicing trying to get back here ....
kinda like finding your way home after a big night. Which house is mine.

WHERE'S My Blog ...

Oh my god ... I've lost my blog !

Seriously.

Where is it ??

Ohh here it is .... but I actually don't know how I arrived at this point. I'll have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs next time.

But I'm back ....

Breathe out.

I told you - technology and me - it's a weird match!

The very thought of it ...

I love the idea of this space.
A blank screen .... all mine.

No deadlines.
No expectations.

Just me ....and maybe an occasional reader!
Me, me. me... and my bad typing.
and my bad speelling. That wasn't deliberate either!

Don't youe thiung with spell check our spelling universally has gone doen the toilet?
Actually half the problem for me is learning to type on my laptop keyboard. I've resisted them for years. i'm a late adopter. If there's a new gimmick/toy/thingamy on the market. I DON"T have it.

I don't have an i pod.
I don't have a blackberry
I don't have a bluetooth phone
I live in a one tv household
I don't pod cast or or vodcastI
I don't even have an electic toothbrush ...

Why?

I don't really see the point.

but I do have a blog .....
and I feel ... oh...... just a little tingle at the thought of it..!

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