Broccoli

Not much to update, kids not back to school until tomorrow so had last day with my son.

We cleaned his baritone and struggled to get all of the water out and stop the gurgling noise.

We went to the park for a bike ride. Miss T loved her new Independence on two wheels, I hope it never progresses to two wheels and an engine.

I had a friend visit for a coffee and a catch up this morning for an hour and a friend around lunchtime.

We talked to my sister and brother in law and nephew in the UK.

Jon called lots, he has hit the shops and keeps calling to tell me what he has bought/is buying. He is also bringing his mother back from the UK with him. Hmmmm

Miss T is a budding artist, I think she is fantastic and maybe I am biased but I don't care. Above is one of her recent pictures. I thought it was a great foot, but she informed me that it is a broccoli. I don't know what inspired a 4 year old to draw a broccoli, but I like it.

We've had tears

It has just hit me that sometime in the next couple of hours my husband is going to see my mam, dad, brother and sister and nephews all of which I have not seen for nearly seven years (if at all), with the exception of my mam who I saw a year ago, (but still, a year...) and I am really sad about it, I really want to be there. I am trying to hold it together for my kids, but am struggling.

I miss my husband and I miss my family.

The rain stopped today...

...and the clouds cleared long enough for me to send the kids outside to play for a while, feeling quite confident that it wasn't going to rain again, in the next hour or so.

What did my middle daughter do? She went outside and rode her bike. No biggie I hear you say, but - SHE CAN'T RIDE HER BIKE. We have been trying to get her to ride her bike for a few months now, on and off.

Last week Jon took the pedals off and got her to just push herself along and get used to balancing. She was doing really well that on the day he left for Europe, he put the pedals back on and off we went to the nearest flat park to try and ride the bike.

The tantrums were unbelievable and if TJ does not want to do something, there is no way. So instead she ran the oval with CJ who is training for the Mother's Day Classic next month. She did really well with her running, but was not in the slightest interested in her bike.

Then in typical TJ style, in her own time, with no one watching and no pressure on, she went outside and just did it, she came in to tell me what she had done. Barely a wobble, it was like she had been riding without training wheels for months.

We knew she had been ready for months but I think she is the one that is never going to listen or take advice from her parents. Not that she will admit anyway.

On a more sad note, we lost CJ's Siamese fighting fish to fish heaven today. The other 2 are going strong (I think) though I have a feeling they won't be with us much longer. We always seem to lose them as the weather cools. Maybe he was the mini egg thief and just couldn't live with the guilt any longer.

I think we have a mouse

Our calendar system of counting down the days until Dad comes home is not working. Something or someone is sneaking the mini eggs.

They are almost disappearing from under our very noses.

No one is owning up to it. However, each child except the smallest has had at least one go missing.

Inspector CJ clueless (my Son) has concluded that it must be the smallest one, though it is the middle one that cannot resist chocolate. Is she smart enough to eat one of her own eggs to try and sway the jury?

Either way on the basis of the egg calendar, dad could be home tomorrow.

Weather report

My daughter predicts that tomorrow is going to be "a really really happy sunny day so that we can all go to the playground and not get wet and cold."

Sounds good to me.

The wonder of technology

...but what about the time difference?

My husband touched down in Zurich last night our time after 24 hours of travel, he then had to drive, on his own, on the wrong side of the road, with only a map and find his way to Ludesch in Austria.

I got a call from him as he was driving and trying to navigate, this was at 10.45pm last night. I did not stay on the phone long, I always have a fear of hearing him have an accident while he is driving, so said my goodbyes and that I would talk to him later. Now, I couldn't decide whether to get out of bed and go to the bathroom or wait until morning. I decided to wait, but 20 minutes later, I got a frantic call asking me to log on to google maps and direct him to Austria, cos he wasn't sure whether he was going in the right direction.

I had to wait until he saw a road sign (in foreign) and then try and figure out where he was. He was as it happens driving in completely the wrong direction (as he suspected) and was on his way to Germany and not Austria. (Germany is not until Tuesday afternoon)

An hour later he is on the right track, so I had my trip to the bathroom and off to bed (again). I slept so soundly that I didn't even hear his text telling me he had got there safely.

So the wonders of modern technology, I can navigate with the use of the internet and mobile phones from the other side of the world, but I can't change the time.

Life's disappointments

I have 2 little girls that are very sad right now. We were expecting friends to come over for a play is afternoon and I have just had a text to say that they can't come and would have to re-schedule.

I am desperately thinking of ways to cheer them up that does not involve chocolate or any other food bribe or shopping and the promise of something nice.

Luckily children get over these let downs much quicker than adults.

So last night we had the traumatic goodbyes, Jon flew out of the country for a trip to Europe. He is going to Zurich, Austria, Dusseldorf for business and then flies to the UK to spend a bit of time with his (and my) family.

Our son was devastated, he is the only one who understands the amount of time his dad will be away. The girls are too small.

I have given them each 12 mini eggs (left over from Easter) and they can have one each day after dinner. When they finish the last one, they get ready for bed and in the morning their dad will be either here or on the way from the airport - assuming they don't get up too early.

Jon isn't telling his parents he is going home, he is hoping it will be a surprise. Personally I think that is a bad idea, but it is not my choice, all my family know he is coming and are really looking forward to it. Apart from my mam, neither of us have seen our families for 6 and a half years, and most of them have not even met my girls, our son was 2 when we left the UK.

Jon gets back on 3 May and on the 10th my Dad remarries, I would really love to be there but unfortunately it just wasn't/isn't possible financially. I would also like to be there for my mam, I am pretty sure she is not ready for my dad to be getting married again. Also I have nieces and nephews that I have not met.

At least it is something to look forward to sometime in the future.

School sports

I tried not to become a mother that got involved in school politics. I thought that my children would go to the local public school and high school. Granted we moved into an area that was renowned for good public schools, but beyond that we didn't think too much about it.

My son is in year 3 now and I am finding myself frustrated with the education system. I also find it difficult because coming from England, I have not experienced first hand the system here.

The thing that got my goat most recently is the sport, physical education, exercise situation.

At the beginning of the first term, we were offered the option of paying an additional fee for my son to play tennis at an outside organisation during his sport lesson. We chose for him to play a variety of sports and therefore stay in school for his lesson.

At the end of last term he tried out for the junior soccer team. For many reasons, including that the team included kids from years 3,4 & 5, he did not get in this year. What I didn't realise until later was that 50 children tried out for 11 places plus 2 substitutes. It really upsets me that there is only one team, I think it is extremely sad that 37 children that were keen to play a sport are missing out, especially with the childhood obesity rates as they are. What is even more sad is that I am sure our school is not the only school with keen children unable to play.

I tried to encourage my son and say that at least he had his sport lessons and that he could have fun there and learn a range of sports. His reply, it is so boring mam. We can't even throw the ball. When we play cricket we have to roll the ball along the floor. What else do you do I enquired? Not much it is all boring.

Next term I will do my best to get him in the tennis coaching lessons.

I admit I haven't pursued my disappointments with the school or the education system, but still feel the school should have a duty to get our kids moving.

Not stupid

My daughter just figured the relationship between numbers and chores.

When I ask my children to tidy up, I give them a number and that is how many things they have to pick up and put away. This evening I asked Miss T to pick some toys up. She asked how many. I told her to pick a number, a couple of seconds passed and she started to giggle. I looked at her and she said, I was going to say 1. I said she needed to choose more than 4 (because that is how old she is) she said 5.

Conclusion - she is not stupid.

Breast Cancer/Mothers Day Classic

My son has agreed to run/walk, the Mothers Day Classic with me this year. It is our first fun run/race together and he is quite nervous about it.

He thinks he will be left behind and that he is not good enough. Despite this he has agreed to do it, we are training together for it and enjoying this time together. I am very proud of him. This is totally outside of his comfort zone.

If you would like to sponsor us and help us raise money for such a worthy cause, you can do so here.

Any words of encouragement you can send him will also be very well received. He can do this and I am going to be there when he does. How cool is that?

Please don't call DOCs

Today did not get off to a great start.

Got home after a client training session and was making a cup of hot chocolate as my son was getting his breakfast.

My hot choc was not mixing well and was lumpy so I put it into the shaker and started to shake, whilst holding the lid on (a nervous habit). However, I did not hold it on well enough, it exploded and spat red hot chocolate all over my near naked (jama pants only) 8 year old son. It went all over his neck and shoulder - as well as the rest of the kitchen and everything in it, although not my concern at the time. He was screaming, but I managed surprisingly, calmly, to get him to the bathroom and started splashing cold water on and until I made him strip and get into a freezing cold shower. Every 5 minutes he got out for a cuddle and warm up and then back in until the 20 minutes was up. Meantime, I had given him Panadol and called his dad back from his way to work, just in case, I needed to go to the hospital.

Thankfully, he was and is ok. it did not really burn him, he has no scars or red marks, anymore. I still feel guilty, but glad that I knew what to do. It's really important, not just as a trainer but as a mother to keep up to date with first aid.

Unfortunately this is not his first incident with burns, he burnt the palms of his hands a couple of years ago when on the monkey bars, that time was much worse, but again, thankfully no lasting scars or problems.

He is really winding me up by running a mile whenever I boil the kettle or sit down for a calming peppermint tea, he is not going to let my guilt disappear anytime soon. Regardless though, it is his bedtime and he is not staying up late.

Drunken phone message

This morning, an early start for a 5.30am client, well 3 actually but only one turned up.

Off to soccer, my son has joined a new team this year and last week was not a great success, this week was much better, still a loss but some really good play. It is hard when new teams get together, especially as about 2/3 of the team are playing one or two age groups up.

When I got home, there was a drunken message on my home phone, someone professing their love for me. I'm not sure who it was but from what I could gather from the message, it was a girlfriend from my past, probably school, who had bumped into my sister in a nightclub back home. She must have called me from my sister's mobile phone. The person said she had not talked to me in years but that she will talk lots soon as my sister is giving her my email address.

I left the UK nearly 7 years ago and my hometown 16 years ago, so I figure it is at least that long since I spoke to her, if not longer. I may have last seen her during our high school exams.

I look forward to the email - and talking to my sister, she can hopefully shed some light on who it was.

Quiet day

A quiet day for me so far. A client early this morning, then make lunches and get kids off to various schools and preschools. Back home for a bit of paperwork and reading and then off to the physio.

The physio went well, improvements all round. Still no increase in training though, another week of the same and then hopefully next week, I can ramp it up a bit. Did manage a couple of very little runs this week - v little - but runs none the less.

Picked the kids up and now listening to my son practicing his baratone upstairs. At least now we have a tune coming out of it.

School holidays now. Will I survive?

Hold on to your ears

My youngest daughter hates noise, even as a baby, the wind and waves on a beach freaked her.

Yesterday, she was sitting on the toilet, in full view, as people with kids well know. Her feet swinging about a quarter of the way to the floor, elbows on knees and hands on ears.

I asked her what noise was scaring her, the music, the washing machine, no she said, "I am just keeping my ears warm."

Why I ask, "Is it cold in here?"

"No," she replies, "it's just when I do a poo, my ears get cold."

I thought this was bizarre and had to phone to tell my husband. Later when discussing it, my son overheard, and didn't think it was strange at all, and tried to tell us of his experiences with cold ears.

Am I the only person with strange children?

Cheap Tuesday

I know that fuel is cheaper on "Cheap Tuesday" and I always try to get fuel either on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, but when I was on my way home from my client last night there was a queue about 15-20 cars long on the road outside the petrol station.

I consider myself to be a calm and patient person, however, I know I would not wait that long for cheap or should I say cheaper fuel $1.35 is not really cheap.

Conclusion, maybe I am not as calm and patient as I think I am.

Nutella

My son just asked, "Can we buy a jar of Nutella?"

Er - no

1 You can't take it to school (allergies or something)
2 By tomorrow, I would have eaten half the jar
3 The other half would be in the bin

I don't know how many half jars or Nutella I have thrown in the bin over the years. Every time I think I have mastered moderation, Nutella bites me on the bum.

So - no!!

The gym

I had a very short workout today, my youngest daughter was very clingy (not at all like her) and didn't want me to leave her at the creche. I think though it had more to do with me forgetting her lunchbox - even though it was only 9.30am. She likes to have it with her.

I didn't think it was fair on the staff to leave her like that but they kicked me out and said she would be fine. They gave up their own morning tea to keep her happy.

I did a quick cycle and 10 mins on the treadmill (don't tell my physio - he has banned me from running, but I figure I would rather try it just before an appt than after one) and 10 mins on the cross trainer, a very quick and very light leg press and stretches and out. That is pretty much all I am allowed to do on lower body at the moment anyway.

I've been thinking of changing gyms. Does anyone else get to the stage where they feel it is time for a change. I have been there 2 years now. The staff in the creche are so good though and at the moment that is a really big thing for me, but I just have that niggle, I hated the change rooms, but yesterday they opened the new ones, and very nice they are too. I know too many people and spend a lot of my training session talking.

Then again, I think I am down on the gym because of my injuries and they didn't cause them, nor will they disappear if I join somewhere else.

I'm trying not to make any rash decisions but it's tough.

Where have you been?

I know, it's been ages. I have been keeping upto date with everyone and reading a few new blogs (to me anyway).

Our friends are back in the UK now and complaining about the weather (not surprising) I haven't however told them that it is cold and raining here this week, I still want them to move here. (Helen if you are reading this, sorry!) At the moment they are planning on September. Fingers crossed.

My house still isn't straight, not because of them, just because I can't be bothered to do it. I hate housework. I was so houseproud before children, but not anymore. I don't see the point. I can quite happily clean, but I hate tidying up especially after other people. Not really sure what I thought having 3 children would be like but there you go.

Jon is away again tonight and not back til late tomorrow so again I, have to find someone to watch my kids while I go to work. And then he goes to Europe for 2 weeks soon and again, I will have to (Jon just called while I was writing this and arranged a sitter for tomorrow, he's not all bad) either cancel or arrange a sitter then.

Another option though is to perhaps, see if my clients would come to me just for those dates.

OK off to school to get my son.