it is a truth universally acknowledged

Heather and Kylee's comments about their readings of Pride and Prejudice had me thinking this week about Meg Ryan's character in You've Got Mail, when she says: "I have read Pride and Prejudice 200 times... I am always at pains to see whether Elizabeth and Mr Darcy get together." ;-)
well the thing about only posting a couple of times in the week, is that i have SO much to say!
my job interview yesterday made me realise that i am a little spoilt in what i do - as a more specialised area, while there are skills that are transferable, i don't have to talk or write daily about policy, budgets, strategy and all the other bureaucrat-speak. there is some of that, but i do get to immerse myself in projects, issues and people. that and my little corner of the office, with a window view of embassies with architecture to reflect their country, a small croquet field and Black Mountain... maybe the interview was a good thing to help me see that i like where i am. now my strategy is to make them realise they can't do without me and need to pay me more to make me stay! :p
this week N has wanted to "stay home with mama" rather than go to his nan's. i guess that's what we'd all say if we had someone gently shaking us from our sleep at 6:30 in the morning to be carried from our warm bed to the car on a frosty morning. but once he is there he has a great time. i get telephone calls during the day: "what you dooning mama?"
my housework has suffered since being back at work - i feel like i am always chasing my tail. but we just all keep rolling with the punches. at least that's what i say i'm doing!!
this week events seemed to bring small, but happy, memories to mind.
a mention of pizza and i remembered how D ordered a capriccosa pizza almost every night we were in Rome. pizza in Italy is simple, tasty - never take away, and yes you could eat it everynight (well for a week anyway...)
a 1/2 hour travel program on Paris last night brought to mind a week spent just walking and absorbing the city. huge sigh, maybe we'll get there again.
and a cause... i have really felt the need lately to be active again in something that means something to me. this is it: the Micah challenge focuses on the Millennium Development Goals (things i strongly believe in), it is Christian based and supporting it is something i can do easily from home - a letter here and there, passing news on by word of mouth... i believe it is important to have a cause.

Psalm 121

i won't be posting for a couple of days now the working week is coming around, but wanted to share one of my favourite Psalms. it has been on my mind the past couple of days.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD,
which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper:
the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

phew

i feel like i had a productive day today - storytime in the morning, then home for lunch. feeding the chooks and stocking up on our eggs (although i prefer D to do the collecting!)

i pureed some pear for A and made some muffins for afternoon tea, as i was expecting all the "girls" in my family, with my nephews. we were getting together to catch up with my aunt. HOWEVER, three boys, under three, always means a little chaos. and N seems to have spent the day practising his "naughty boy" impersonation, with "i [will] not share my toys/crayons" being a common saying throughout the day. perhaps if he sounded like Lola while saying it, it might be cute.
but he doesn't sound like Lola, so it's not cute. i gave him some grace as he hadn't had his sleep in the afternoon (despite my trying). i had a good time - laughing at the boys antics - and maybe next time we'll do it in warmer weather, outside, with room to run. when everyone left i collected one of our few remaining home-grown pumpkins for pumpkin soup.

so i am feeling quite self-sufficient. that's if you can live on eggs and pumpkin...

both kids are now bathed and (hopefully) sleeping. i'll tidy up and enjoy a hot chocolate while sitting on the couch watching a chick flick (and avoid looking at my folding and ironing...)

so, yeah, a full but fun day. tomorrow it is off to do some more pre-schooler battles at my nieces 2nd birthday!

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i just finished watching The Jane Austen Book Club and i really, really enjoyed it. and both my kids SLEPT! so i feel very spoilt. now i have a confession to make. i own Pride and Prejudice and Emma, but i have never read a Jane Austen novel. pretty disgraceful, as i think my mum has read them all. i have seen the movies though (i don't think that counts!!), and own two versions of Pride and Prejudice on dvd, as well as Emma and Sense and Sensibility.

new things

what a beautiful morning! looking out our front window i see our side garden, the sun starting to melt the frost, the tree stripped of its leaves and the blue sky clear through the branches. D has planted an apricot tree and a fig tree out there. we plan to get a quince and an olive as well. together with our lemon tree that has already borne us fruit i'm excited about how it will look in a couple of years.

because i love books and i love reading, but i can't seem to keep up with the number i want to get through, i have made a little list on this blog and will cross off the titles as i finish one. some to be read again, others long overdue to be read the first time.

i have also discovered some yummy recipes i'd like to perfect, so that they are "mine". and that way i have a number that i can prepare when necessary, and in contrast to the "too good for his own good" cooking of my hubby they will be more rustic in nature. ;-)

i already have a really simple meatloaf. Tessa's cottage pie, my chocolate chip biscuits (although i've found a new recipe to try), lemon butter, herb bread and a bundt cake recipe i want to try. a plain muffin recipe to which you can and anything you like - berries, chocolate chips, dates... so my repertoire will be small, but made well. ;-)

speaking of recipes, there is a recipe for pumpkin pie in a recent Donna Hay magazine i have been wanting to try - especially after the extra yummy pumpkin pie Heather made for HFG last night!

yesterday i had a call to come for an interview for a job application i wrote in early June. now i am nervous - not about the interview, but about the possibility of having to make a decision if i am offered the position! contrary person that i am.

happenings

here i am, the middle of my second week back at work. and it doesn't feel like i was gone for seven months!! work is still ironing itself out. ensuring my projects are running smoothly, when come Wednesday it feels like i'm gaining momentum, but in reality it is the end of my working week - not that i would change that for anything.
i am seriously having to look at managing my time. how i long to be one of those people that spend a leisurely afternoon on Sunday planning the meals for the week. and then civilly shopping appropriately for the ingredients. soon, soon, i tell myself...

i now limit myself to three daily blogs, which i read in the morning. the others i get to a couple of times a week, when kids are asleep. maybe i'll have to post myself once or twice a week, on regular days. lots of thoughts i'd like to post about. about a song or a poem that inspires. about a cause to support that makes me look beyond myself.

on something completely different, here is another photograph from my collection. my maternal great-grandmother (second from the right) Bertha, and her sister (second from the left) Charlotte. their formidable looking mother is in the centre, also Charlotte. i look beyond the faces, to the house, and wonder what daily chaos and activity consumed their family life...

a bit of music

D is getting used to my "world/folk" music. here is a little ditty i discovered recently. i'm not sure if the band is Swedish or Finnish... something like that. ;-)

actually, they are from Iceland...

a post in photographs

work

a quick post - here i am to say that week one at work is almost over. already, tomorrow is the last day of my working week!! this three day thing is perfect. all has been going well - i didn't cry this time and i'm enjoying the adult company, although i do miss the little world i created of kids, craft and words.
the best thing though is the beaming smile i get from my little girl when she comes home - and the "i wuv you" from N. :-)

time

Henry David Thoreau said "Cultivate the habit of rising early. It is unwise to keep the head long on a level with the feet."

and that is this weeks agenda. we are now on the down hill run of my time at home, so i am getting the kids "accustomed" to rising early. when going to their nan's they will need to be out the door at 6:30am! thankfully that will only be for two days in the week. but it may help with the night sleeping!! ;-) there are benefits to everything.

i'm impressed that this mornings early start saw all of us dressed and fed, beds made, dishes done, and even playdough made - all by 9:30am. i hadn't intended on the kids being up so early with me this morning, but they woke of their own accord.

so a quiet-ish week for me. i did go out briefly yesterday and added a couple of books to my collection. a couple from a second hand book store too... so nice on the wallet (when you have a literary addiction like mine).

i read this the other night before going to bed:
"For whatever the political, social, or cultural reasons... there has been a tremendous flood in recent years of people learning, or in some cases relearning - and bringing the art of handwork into their lives. The age-old skills of knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, spinning, and more have seen a resurgence among people of all ages. I believe people crave a bit more of a simple, heartfelt, and handmade presence in their lives. They long for something unique and individual as an alternative to the manufactured." amen to that!

i think that is why i am so into craft these days - well in my thoughts i am. my time seems to be consumed by so many other things that have to be done. it makes me realise how much of it was wasted before kids!! one day i hope to have a cupboard of 5 or 6 patchwork blankets, that can be pulled out to sit on at picnics or while playing outside. and then this morning i saw a picture of one being used at the beach. great idea! and then maybe one day N and A will remember them fondly. i remember a crocheted blanket of mum's. and a purple bag, full of fabric pieces. i wish she still had them!

so, here's to time, and finding more of it!

reflections on everything!

could i have set this up better if i tried? i don't think so. my biggest concern was that one of them would move away while i got the camera. making custard last night with dad:

i've been posting pretty consistently the last few days. i expect that is about to change! i am entering my last week of maternity leave. so this has been it for me - the only time in my life i will have been a fulltime, stay at home mum! including my mat leave after N was born, that has been a total of 14 months. now i enter the rest of my life! not that it is meant to sound negative. :-)
because we are entering the last week i'm at home i have let a few things slide so that we can just enjoy the moment. there is a constant train track of one sort or another across our lounge room floor and where there isn't a track there is a blanket for A to practice rolling around on the floor. she's only done it once. so this all means no vacuuming! N was blessed to receive some different Thomas the Tank Engine toys for his birthday - trains, tracks, puzzles, games... and a great mini Thomas set. it now has pride of place in his top bedside drawer. i am going to make a little marble bag as this will be our "to go" Thomas set, for holidays and visits to the homes of family and friends. a great gift!
i have posted about a blog, and a book, i enjoy by Amanda Soule Blake. for anyone interested, here is a clip of a radio interview she did recently on creating with children.
it is holidays, so there is no playgroup and no swimming which means my next week will be full of the indulgences of being at home. in preparation for my return to work i have cleared out my folifax, and uploaded some podcasts and music on my ipod, ready for my bus trips. really, so many people i know couldn't imagine having to rely on the bus, but when i am on my own, it really is my time - reading and listening to something uninterrupted. it is only when you are trying to get around with a baby and a toddler it can be frustrating, but even then, N looks forward to the bus ride - it is like an excursion for him.
i have been finally able to get some decent amount of reading done while D sits up late into the night doing his essay. i'm really proud of the way he has tackled essay writing. he has never written one before, and here is his first - a tertiary level essay. tonight we are celebrating it's completion with a bucket of KFC! and D and i can get back to our ritual of watching West Wing once the kids are asleep. i'm finally getting through People of the Book. i'm keen to get it finished as after seeing the Isabel Allende interview there is a book of hers that i haven't read i want to get stuck into, Paula.
i still have dreams of moving away. in my mind there is this life that is slow, that doesn't have so much running around, so much activity, so many people and so many expectations. and to show that what i'm talking about isn't just something in my head, see here.

i can see the house we would live in 'cause we went there in April. too bad it is a friends family home! i wish i had pictures of the inside. it was gorgeous. small and beautiful. here is the outide...

i now tell myself not to entertain those thoughts, but instead to be grateful for what i have here, and now. the funny thing is though, when i think of the lifestyle i'm seeking, these pictures from when i was little come to mind. you can't even see the house and i can't really remember it. only that it was old and i think i recall the living area was immediately to the left when you walk in. the house has been demolished. so my dream probably comes from some sentimental memory of being a child! besides, my biggest fear is that i would get want i dream for, only to find it isn't what i expected!!Anyway, on my list to do today is to write up a rough guide to the routines for both N and A to assist the wonderful family who are sharing in their care while i am at work. and then i am going to prepare another job application. i have been on th computer long enough already!

things to do...

yesterday i received a surprise package in the mail - a book and some cards on activities to do with your children - thank you to my Aunty Chris!

i was really touched that she considered me and thoughtfully chose these. this morning N and i made these puppet mice - he loves them!

the calm after the storm...

...just kidding. N's party was a lot of fun. i never get stressed about stuff like that. one of the benefits of having no cash to do all we want to our house is that while the kids are little we don't worry too much about the carpet/walls etc. although we do teach them (N) to take care.

i'll let the pictures tell the story. when it was bedtime N said "where all my friends go?" on Sunday as we came home he was naming all the kids at church and then said "i have lots of friends!!" he starts Sunday School next week and i'm looking forward to it. it seems so grown up - he'll have memory verses and everything! ;-)

anyway, to the party...

ready and waiting!

the Island of Sodor!

a present from pop and gran

a party game thanks to Aunty Mel!

the quiet afterwards. :-) thanks everyone for making it a fun day for N - as you all heard, he just loves singing Happy Birthday - even for himself!!

and it was fun for N as that day he went to get the mail and there was a card for him from his great-aunty Chris!!

sigh. a three year old already. i liked Heather's advice~ "don't blink!"

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last night when the kids were in bed i watched Enough Rope on the ABC. Andrew Denton is doing a series on Elders. last nights interview was with Isabel Allende. i have a couple of her books and find her a very interesting person. her uncle was the President of Chile in when the CIA backed a military coup, resulting in his death. (the US were good at backing coups in the '70's and '80's).

i take a bit of an interest in Chile as in primary school one of my best friends had come from Chile with her family after the coup. anyway, i liked what Isabel Allende had to say when she was asked what she felt women today should know about their history:

"I think that young women today don't want to be called feminists because it's not sexy and they think that their mothers and grandmothers have achieved everything they want. They don't know how poor women live, how women in rural places live, how 80 percent of women in the world are the poorest of the poor, how still today there are 27 million slaves, most of them women and girls. Two thirds of the work in the world is done by women. Women own 1 percent of the assets. Young women are sold into prostitution, forced labour, premature marriage, forced to have children they don't want or they can't support. They're abused, raped, beaten up. Domestic violence is supposed to be a cultural problem. They are the first victims of war, fundamentalism, conflict, recession. And young women today who have access to education and health care and have resources think that everything was done, they don't have to worry. Well that makes me really angry. I feel that I have to shake them and say, "No, it's your responsibility to make things happen." The women's revolution, the women's movement was something extraordinary that changed a generation. It began the movement. We still have a lot to do."

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so i said when my kids went to bed. but while they go to bed, they don't go to sleep. no matter what time i put N to bed, he spends two hours hiding under his blanket calling out for us to find him, or on occasion, putting cd's on, doing puzzles or "reading" books. this has only been going on for about a week, so i'm hoping it will change.

and is it a coincidence that A will call out, and then cry out, on and off between 1am and 3am until i am so tired i put her in our bed and she then goes straight to sleep without a sound??

two weeks and i'm back at work, so i have to sort it out, right? i think i have been slack about concerning myself too much about sleep as i've always thought people who say their kids slept through the night from day blah blah, were either lying or exaggerating!! but maybe it is true and maybe it is possible! ;-)