Candy Ramble

Things nerds like

2010-04-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

When I was a young lass, a nerd was the weedy little guy with a dorky haircut who kept to themselves, knew a lot about computers, and had very little chance of getting laid till he was about 24. Being the most popular girl in school (well atleast that's what I told myself :) ) I didn't really have much to do with the nerds.

But now that I am older, its the nerds that are cool. They have grown up. Filled out. And stayed as smart. So smart that they earn good money. They can hold intelligent conversation for longer than 2 mins and don't sit on the couch drinking beer and scratching their balls while watching the footy every Friday night.

I married a nerd. And what I lovely nerd he is.

And it is because I married this nerd, and that some of his nerdness has rubbed off, that I know what nerds like. And think is cool. In nerd land anyway. And I thought I would share them, as this nerdness starts to take a hold of me, I am finding these things cool too.

Let me know what you think. :)

It shouldn't be a contest - unless your the winner of course

2010-03-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

Charley has this habit of declaring something "not a race!" whenever she is not the winner.

I can see the logic, if it is plain to see you came last, better to argue the validity of the race rather than who crossed the line first.

After all, the race is in actual fact conceptual, whereas the actual events that occured during the said race are a matter of fact, and the likelihood of winning an argument on the notion that the race never existed in the first place is far higher than that of a dispute over place.

I'm sure that's what's running through Charley's mind when she says that.

I'd always pinned this behaviour to the fact that Charley is 5, and that it takes time to learn how to lose.

Until today, when I realised that its a great fallback for adults too - particularly parents.

Of course the issue was brought into light at the damned Easter Hat Parade with the giving of prizes. My sister-in-law Tanya and I agreed - there shouldn't be prizes for something they have to rely on their parents to do. It shouldn't be a contest.

Looking around at all the fabulous (and not so fabulous) hats just made us more adamant. It shouldn't be a contest. Its not fair. They're all winners.

The sentiment remained. Until Charley was a winner.

You have never heard so much wooting from the back stalls by three women so adamant that it wasn't a contest. And it wasn't a contest. It was a contest we had WON!!! Sorry, no, that CHARLEY had won.

So everytime Charley declares a race null and void by virtue of the fact that she didnt come out in front, I may not be so hard on her. There is, after all, not that much difference between mother and daughter.

The Easter Bunny's on crack

2010-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's happened. I'm scarred. Easter will never be the same for me again.

I just attended the school Easter Hat parade.

No longer will Easter hold blissful thoughts of chocolate eggs and soft white rabbits, long weekends and yummy fish dinners (oh, and the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ).

From now on, once the Christmas celebrations are over I will feel the ever increasing pressure of creating the perfect specimen to perch on my child's head for the Easter Hat parade.

And I'm not overexagerating - even the Principal said it herself - "some mothers have been putting these hats together since January." I felt like I'd been stabbed in the chest. The inadequecy of my motherly attempts may as well have been paraded with the rest of the cardboard and crepe paper.

There were paper maiche Easter Eggs, and Ferris Wheels and wood chops - even kids throwing out eggs to the crowd (surely an instant disqualification - if bribery was allowed I'd have just brought the cheque book).

One kid was carrying the weight of an entire carnival on her head, while another had a full set of teeth adorning his noggin, with a toothbrush to boot. Apparently to remind us to brush our teeth after eating the Easter eggs, althoughI am a bit dubious about the relevance and would also like to throw the sanity of the mother into the spotlight.

But in all the madness, it appears I know the secret weapon - delegate. You see I did not spend one minute on Charley's Easter Hat - Grandma in all her crafty genius took care of it all.

And as my angel trotted up to accept her prize, I clapped and cheered, comfortable in the knowledge that I did everything in my power to make her the winner that she is - got someone else to do it.

Which Gym Type are you?

2010-03-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular gym goer or considering dipping your sneaker clad toe into the water, it's important that you know what kind of Gym person you are, so that you can fit into your stereotype once you start treading the boards and knocking out the classes.

Simply answer the 5 following questions to find out exactly what Gym Type you are.

When you're at the gym you wear

a) Boardshorts, a v-neck t-shirt and slip on sandshoes. And gloves with the fingers cut out so my hands don't slip of the weights, hey bro.

b) The latest Lorna Jane skin tight with a push up bra and my least dangly earrings. No makeup, apart from a slathering of foundation and a splash of mascara. No blush though. Too easily smudged.

c) Hubby's painting t-shirt and maternity trackies.

d) Wear? Whatever I've got on.

What do you do the most when you're at the gym?

a) Isn't the weights section the only section?

b) Pump, Combat, Pilates, Step, but not spin. You sweat too much and its dark in there so you can't see.

c) Walk on the treadmill with my headphones plugged into the TV.

d) Look in the windows at the pretty girls doing Pump.

What time of day do you go to the Gym?

a) Anytime after knock off till it closes - that's about 4 - 9. PM, yeah, PM.

b) Depends how I feel. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night, occasionally early morning... depends really.

c) Whenever there is childminding.

d) What are the opening hours?

What do you look forward to when going to the Gym?

a) Showing off my super-sexy muscles

b) Some light gossip with the girls

c) Mornings with Kerri-Anne

d) Getting home quicker - its a shortcut off the main highway

At the end of any Gym session you look...

a) At all the chicks prancing on the treadmills

b) Similar to the way you looked going in - with a light spray of sweat on your face

c) .... forward to the next child-free hour and a half

d) End? When did it start?

Once you have taken the test, look below to discover which Gym Type you are!

Mostly As - Muscles for Brains

If you scored mostly As, chances are you own more V-neck t-shirts than the girl next door despite the fact that your pecks are a long way from being Sylvester Stallonish. For this Gym Type, a visit to the gym is as much a ego-building exercise as it is a physical one, as you compete with the meathead on the next machine to see who can get the most veins popping out of their neck in the least amount of time. For Muscles for Brains, the girls in the skimpy outfits come a close second to their own reflection in the mirror of the weights room - besides, who needs a woman when you've got breasts yourself.

Mostly Bs - Dainty Diva

I seriously doubt that anyone reading this blog, as most Dainty Divas would hardly know what a blog is. Dainty Divas are those women who rock up to the gym in the latest workout gear, with their hair freshly straightened and a face full of makeup. You'll either find them in a Les Mills class like pump, or even better step, or walking on a treadmill on full incline while holding onto the handles for dear life. They are the ones who work so hard that they can carry on a full conversation over the course of the workout, and who leave looking refreshed - like they have just been in the steam room rather than working their arse off.

Mostly Cs - Bored Housewives

Albeit a little concerned with the pubdge around the middle, Bored Housewives are typically at the gym for the $2 childcare. I mean where else can you get someone to watch your kid for an hour and a half for that price? Bored Housewives tend to be a little frumpy, but look like they're trying, and frequent the Gym between 9-12am - just in time to plug in and watch the girls on The Circle.

Mostly Ds - Jim

Gym? What gym? I thought you were talking about Jim.... J-I-M. Good bloke.

So hopefully that's cleared a few things up for you all. And the next time you're at the gym, if you get there, keep your eye out for your type - you never know how much you just might have in common.

If women are cats, I'm a bitch

2010-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

I've often heard women described as "catty", but I've never really thought about it. But when I do, I can understand the comparison.

You see on the most part, cats are loving, caring, comforting, warm. They'll curl up on your lap and purr and make you feel like the most loved person on earth. They'll strut around looking all beautiful and delicate.

But when a cat turns on you, you're screwed. She may not claw your eyes out per se, but she'll give you a look that lets you know that you didn't make Santa's list this year. She'll strut with her tail in the air and leave your lap cold, empty.

But this is not to say that women are like cats all the time. I personally only call out the cat in me when required. On most part I think I am a bitch. But not in that snarly pitbull kind of way. In that dopey, bouncy Beagle kind of a way. The one that is amused by the cats going past.

Things that annoy me on Facebook

2010-03-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

Now I am going to start this post with a disclaimer. A terms and conditions of reading this post. If you do not agree to the following terms, do not read on.

The following views are those held by me and are in no way reflective of the awesomeness of my friends on Facebook. At all times please remain aware that I have certain anal retentive tendancies that tend only to come to light on this blog or when having coffee with my mothers group. The following statements may or may not refer to your actions on Facebook, but in no way should you take offence to them. You are awesome. If you think that you may take offence, please do not read on.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get to the bottom of this. Things that annoy me on Facebook.

Now I love Facebook. I love the window that it gives me into other people's lives, and that I can take a peek without getting arrested. I love the way it helps me keep in touch with people who I had literally forgotten existed, and some who I still don't remember ever meeting (but we all have those moments don't we?).

I love updating my status - heck sometimes I even think to myself during the day "Candice Pendergast is having a lovely shower" "Candice Pendergast is enjoying the sunshine" Candice Pendergast is busting for a wee".

But I have to admit, there is much that annoys me about Facebook. Here goes. (Remember the disclaimer peoples).

1. People who share too much information Say there was someone who you had a brief meeting with. Yeah sure, I'll be your friend on Facebook. But I don't want to know about your divorce, what a pig your ex is, and your pending court dates. I don't want every second entry in my news stream to be "what a effin' nutcase" or details of how you will get revenge. Where's that unfriend button again?

2. The way Facebook always wants me to reconnect with people There are some people that you simply just have no interest in reconnecting with. It suggests that you once had a connection. Take Joel for example. Absolutely lovely guy who I went to High School with. Think he even had a crush on me once, but hey, he's only human. Believe he is married with a good job now, and good on him. But frankly, I'm a busy girl, and I see no reason to reconnect with him. Or suggest friends for him. Or say hi. I'm a big girl Facebook. Stop trying to run my social life.

3. Soppy bullcrap status' that you are supposed to copy and paste to tell the world that you feel the same. Like this one.

If your Mum is your hero, whether you are blessed to have your Mum still with you, or if she is an Angel in Heaven, copy and paste this into your status and let everyone know you are proud of your Mum.

Now I love my mum, and she is an Angel in heaven, but there is no way on earth that I would post this as my status. I would rather put "Candice Pendergast is a big fat smelly turd". I suppose I am just a little cold, but this much emotion just makes me wanna hurl.

4. Other people's horoscopes Now think for a minute - if you're a Leo, do you really want to know what's in store for a Gemini? No? Then you see what I mean.

5. Quizzes For all you people who love doing quizzes, let me save you some time. If it walks like a duck, talks, like a duck, smells like a duck, and tastes like a duck, its a duck. Enough said.

6. People who "like" their own status I'm still tossing up whether this practice is a cry for help, self indulgent or just lame. We know you like it. You posted it on Facebook for goodness sake.

While there is plenty more that I dislike on Facebook, I'll save the rest for later. But there is one more thing that makes me sick to the stomach.

I don't want to know that you've harvesting your digital beetroot, or that you sheared your sheep or planted your wheat. If you enjoy pretending to be Farmer Joe, more power to you, but please don't get me involved. I'm sorry but (remember the disclaimer) I don't care.

The same goes for your cafe, or Fishville or Pokerville, or Mafiaville, or your Zooville, or any other 'ville that I've missed. And what's sad is that one day you people may get through to me and I'll start a bloody farm of my own and become one of those people who annoy my Facebook friends with the news that I've laid fresh cow poop on the lawn. But for now, its the thing that annoys me the most in my list of what annoys me on Facebook.

So there you have it - I've come clean. These are things that piss me off. Glad to have them off my chest. Thanks for reading - and please remember the disclaimer.

Why you should hire a mother

2010-03-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

If you know me well enough you know that I live my life... well... torn. Torn between wanting to be the best mother I can be and chasing the career that I've been longing to chase my whole life.

Unfortunately, the two don't mix so well, particularly while Toby is so young. For some reason, most employers have a coronary at the idea that you may have to leave the office at 4:45pm so that your one-year-old isn't waiting for you on the side of a dark road cause he has been turfed out of child care at 6pm.

I mean, wouldn't it be nice if someone invented portable phones so that you could be contacted anywhere and everywhere. If you could actually work outside the office. Or if there was some magical telepathy where you could access your work from home or send mail over wires. Even better, imagine if you could do this on that portable phone I mentioned earlier.

And of course while I have been worrying about my skills getting older and older everyday, everywhere I turn there seems to be more talk of women and work. The last B&T mentioned how hard it is for women, particularly mothers, to excel in the advertising industry. And last week's Sunday Life looked at Australian's attitude to corporate women and how hard it was to rise to the top here. It torments me.

But that doesn't mean I haven't tried. Only recently I interviewed with the MD of an awesome digital agency and gave what he called an "awesome pitch" on why he should hire a mother.

So for all you mothers out there, here is a list to keep handy for your next interview - why you should hire a mother.

One thing a mother truly craves is balance. Balance between her family life, work life and personal life. If you give her the opportunity to achieve that balance, you will have a loyal employee who will stick with you for life.
Mother's bake. And you will surely reap the benefits and get plenty of brownies.
Mother's are the masters of multi-tasking. There is no other creature who can change a poopy nappy while vacuuming and settling an argument at the same time. These skills will surely be an asset in your workplace (the multi-tasking bit, not the pooey nappies, although you never know).
Mothers are not afraid of vomit, blood, poo or snot. This will surely come in handy at the next Christmas party.
Yes, mothers may have to leave early to pick up their children. But while your younger, free-er employees are out for coffee, the mother is slaving away at her desk cause she knows that she has to get things done in time so that she can be there for her children. And she will.
For most mothers sex = pregnancy = more kids, which may make her sick to the stomach, so you won't have any problems with quickies in the copy room.
Mothers average about 5 hours sleep a night. Mothers have stamina. Deadlines? Easy.
Mothers are responsible for the lives of little people. Not just their physical lives, but what they will become when they grow up. In light of this, your million dollar account is peanuts.
When mothers go home, they go home. Not to the pub. If a mother has a hangover the next day, its becuase she mistook the cough syrup for the honey while making herself a midnight snack after getting up to settle the baby.
Being a mother puts everything in perspective. Most mothers are determined, mature, caring, but ball breaking at the same time. The ultimate woman.

So that's why you should hire a mother. And hey, if by any chance you work in advertising strategy planning, or digital marketing, you should hire me. But that's a whole new list altogether....

How times have changed

2010-02-28T02:19:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article in the paper today about how women, in particularly mothers, rarely make things from scratch anymore. With particular focus on Margaret Fulton, it lamented that women these days rely on preprepared bases when assembling the famliy meal, such as Gravox and Masterfoods, rather than making their own from scratch as their ancestors would have done in "the old days".

Luckily the journalist saved himself (yes ladies, it was a male) from a scalping by putting the change down to how busy us mothers are these days, and the many roles that we have to play in our everyday lives. But it made me think about how much things have changed in the last 50 odd years since Margaret was my age.

And it reminded me of some conversations that I had with my 80-something year old Nana just yesterday.

From these conversations it became very clear - some things have changed, some things have not.

And for those things that have not changed, it is just because there is a modern equivalent. For example, my Nana casually told me that she had a top very similar to the one I was wearing (note to self: must stop dressing like my Nan) and that she had ordered it using EBay.

I was shocked. EBay Nan? Really? Oh no, slip of the tounge. Easy Buy. A mail order catalogue.

Now when you think about it, EBay and other online stores are simply mail order catalogues online. You are picking the items you want based on a picture and you have to wait to receive them in the post. It's the same idea with modern technology thrown in.

The same goes with online banking, email, music - we really do do things the same way, its just that now its done online, and the process is a lot quicker.

But after a few more hours with my Nan, I realised that yes, some things have really changed.

The first has to do with ambition. We were talking about me starting uni and perhaps getting a part time job that I was going for. I explained that I am lucky enough that we don't really need it money-wise, but it's something that I want to do for myself. Keep my mind active.

Nan was flabergasted. Why on earth would I want to do that?

See while Nan is no pushover, in her day it was a woman's role to stay home and look after the kids. Sure they worked, but it was more just to bring in some extra money rather than forge a career. And they were happy doing that. It was the way things were done.

Somehow during the course of the afternoon the subject found its way to sex, and without giving too much of the conversation away, Nan's prompt advice was this.

Just do it and get it over with. After all, it's only once a week isn't it?

So all in all I think I was born at the right time and am a woman of 2010. I like climbing the corporate ladder with my premade dinners and my shopping done online.

And as for that last point - I think I feel a migrane coming on......

I'm 18 - no really

2010-02-24T02:41:00.000-08:00

Today I played good mummy and took our guinea pigs into school for Charley to show for news. She had her 15 minutes in the limelight while Toby teared up the classrom - it was great. I felt rewarded.

Until the end. When the whole class chanted in unison...

"Thank you Mrs Pendergast."

Mrs Pendergast? Mrs PENDERGAST? No one EVER calls me Mrs Pendergast unless they are ringing me to tell me that I have a bill overdue.

And while it was the cutest thing ever, it made me feel something that I have never felt before. Well not really anyway.

It made me feel old. These kids look at me, and they think that I am old.

Now being only 28 (for a couple more months anyway) the last thing that I am is old. I am also really lucky to look really young for my age - I often get picked for 21 or 22. Sure that was three or four years ago, but who's counting.

But as the years tick over and I get closer and closer to the big 3-0, I have to admit that I really don't feel a day over 18.

When I was 18 I would look up to people my age and think how great it would be to be in my late 20s, cause they presumably have their shit together. They are older so they are more respected. They have more confidence. They are more sophisicated.

And I think that's where the problem lies. Now that I have reached this golden age and move into the void beyond, I feel none of these things. I am not particularly confident (on the inside anyway), my shit is still all over the place, and you only have to read my last post to know that I am the furthest thing ever from sophisticated.

Maybe once I do possess all these qualities I will feel like a real adult. Until then, I don't mind being 18.

True Romance

2010-02-17T21:35:00.000-08:00

Ah Valentines Day. The stuff of true romance. This here is the card my husband gave me. I was so touched.

Let me explain.

I love my husband to bits. I love his caring nature, his thoughfulness, his dismal attempts to make dinner and give me a break. And I only want to kill him 45% of the time which is a pretty good percentage.

I don't believe in "soulmates" - the idea that there is only one person in the world for you - but I think that Rich and I match. We just fit together really well. Like a jigsaw puzzle. Or a glove. That fits of course.

Let me elaborate.

Rich is usually pretty calm and easy going. I am highly strung and a constant worrier.

I like to give the kids some space and let them discover things. Rich is a bit of a helicopter parent and follows them whereever they go.

Rich can't cook. I can.

I get up early, Rich gets up late. I go to bed early, Rich goes to bed late.

I love natural light. Rich would prefer to leave the blinds drawn all day.

I like to yell and scream when we fight. Rich likes to keep voices down.

Rich is old. I'm not. Something I like to remind him of - constantly.

He spends money like water. I tend to be a bit of a tight arse.

Rich is emotional. I'm a cold fish.

But while there are many things where we are the opposite, there is so many things where we are exactly the same.

We are both very career-driven and very smart. Which makes for some really good conversations. We both more lovers than fighters and prefer to have it out once every three months and let that be that. We are both into our sport and are very competitive.

But something which I found most fascinating when we met is the fact that we both enjoy laughing at a good fart. Yes that's right, flatulence. Gas. Pops. Fluffs. It's how I knew we'd be togeher forever.

Farting in the Pendergast household is not taboo. It is mandatory. Even the kids have got the gift - Charley farts like a trucker and Toby puts his hand up and claims his emissions.

So now you see why this card is so appropriate. It may seem strange to some, but it's just who we are.

The Pendergaaaassssts.

Agent 001.5

2010-02-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

I think I have figured out what Toby's first words are going to be.

"Mum, now that I can speak, I can finally reveal the truth. I am a secret agent who has come to save the earth.

I am Pendergast. Toby Pendergast."

And I would believe him. Forget 007. He is 001.5.

How do I know? Well it took me a while to put the pieces together, but the evidence is indisputable.

Let me elaborate.

The Emu
Like most secret agents, Toby has a signature move that brings down any baddie at any moment. His is called The Emu. The Emu consists of his gathering all his fingers together in a point with his thumb underneath like an emu beak.

At any given moment he will strike his unsuspecting victim with a force that stuns them momentarily, allowing him to get away, or have a little giggle.

The bite
When hunting down a vicious enemy, every secret agent must have at his disposal a weapon that will render the enemy helpless, screaming with pain. For Toby, this weapon is his teeth.

If backed into a corner or avenging a wrong, Toby will use the bite relentlessly. He has also been known to get great pleasure out of praticing its verocity on his sister in surprise attacks.

Death pebbles
Toby is a great collector of stones. At first I thought this was an age appropriate thing - until I was being bashed in the temple with one said stone.

It was then I realised that the stones are Toby's weapons of choice, the collection of which is cleverly hidden under the cloak of toddlerhood.

Lover of women
A secret agent always has a beautiful women on his arm - and in his bed.

I guess then I should consider it natural that Toby get into practice as he continually tries to free my boobs from their clothing, on most occasion in a public place.

So people of the world fear not, I believe that he has arrived. The wonder child who will save the world from all shady looking men with a bad accent, looking to blow us up with sticks of stylised dynamite.

And his name is Toby Pendergast. Agent 001.5.

Knock knock....

2010-02-10T02:56:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about living in a digital world is that things are not so much in your face.

In most cases you don't have to have an answer right now, you can leave things and deal with them later and what's even better is that this is the accepted practice these days. You can easily return an email hours or even days later no problem at all, but if you left someone hanging on the phone for that long you may find that they get a little pissed off, not to mention a rather large phone bill.

Thankfully this has also carried over to sales, marketing and advertising. People no longer tolerate telemarketing and door-to-door salespeople are pretty much non-existant.

But there are still a few. And they always seem to come knocking at my door.

The first time I was lucky enough to see one coming and hid in the kitchen until I was sure they had gone away. Another time I could barely understand his thick Scottish accent, and he had the same problem understanding "I'm not interested" as well.

I've gotten into arguments with them, as they try to convince me that I will be better off with their electricity, because surely that electricity is better than the electricity that I have. I've had one guy try to tell me that I needed to be on a 5GB internet plan despite me telling him over and over that I use about 60GB a month and then some. I've had someone trying to talk to me about house renovations despite me telling him over and over that I am renting and don't actually own my house.

I've been told time and time again just to shut the door in their face. But I just can't. Mainly due to the fear of them going postal and breaking it down on me, but also because I feel bad for them.

It must be a terrible job. They must get some pretty nasty people. So I think that if I can atleast be polite to them, it might make them feel a little better.

But on the other hand, what do they expect?

They always come around 6pm, when people are either making dinner, eating dinner, cleaning up after dinner. People are just getting home from work, bathing children, dressing children, putting children to bed.

And by showing up at the door you aren't just asking people to respond, the confrontation of the situation demands that you give them an answer on the spot. And 99% of the time that answer is going to be no, because it is the quickest way to make them go away.

So I say, don't come to my door. I'll be nice, but I'll say no. Send me an email instead. I'll probably still say no, but I'll think about it before I do.

Don't mess with my daytime TV

2010-02-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

I am a pretty relaxed kind of girl, but there are a couple of things that really, really, really get under my skin.

One is someone turning on the tap when I'm in the shower. The other is switching on the TV during the day expecting a regular show and finding the last thing in the world you would want to watch.

Sport.

In particular, mens sport. Everytime there is a golf tournament or a cricket test match, or most recently (and infuriatingly) the superbowl, the smart people over at the TV networks thinks that the same people who settle in to watch Ready Steady Cook would also like to take in a cricket match. Because there is so much similarity between the two.

Let's break this down a little.

Let's look at your typical daytime TV audience. Firstly there is the mums at home. There are several reasons that she might have the TV on. Firstly, for background noise, preferrably that of an adult rather than a child. Secondly, she may be using it to tune out the screams from her fighting children. There is also the possibility that it is the most intelligent conversation that she gets as well as the hope that she might pick up a thing or two.

Then there is the oldies. The retired. There motive is simple. Oldies heart daytime TV.

Let's not forget the sick. Not much else to do when you're in hospital or confined to the couch or bed. These people are bored and are looking for a little entertainment. Some light humour. Even if it is includes infomercials for machines that will give you a six pack in six minutes.

So if these are the people watching, why on earth do the networks decide that this is the ultimate time to put sports like golf and cricket on TV? Mums can often think of better things to do with a bat, oldies don't have time to waste watching paint dry and sure we shouldn't torture the sick anymore.

So listen up TV programmers - while you're in your swish little offices deciding what us home-dwellers are going to be watching during the day, take some time to actually think about it. Think about what we really want. Cause 9 times out of 10 we'll take Peter Everett, Huey and Ridge over a bunch of cricketers anyday.

Hey there fatso

2010-02-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

A strange thought occured to me out of nowhere today. I was thinking about a friend of mine who shall remain nameless, but if she reads this she'll know who she is.

Over the last lot of years she has shed a lot of weight, and is now dramatically underweight - she weighs in the 40s and is taller than me. She doesn't have an eating disorder and is probably the last person on earth who I could imagine having one, but she is struggling to put the weight back on. She hates being thin as much as I hate being fat.

But being the good friends that we are, the me being the way that I am, every now and again I will call her "bones".

But thinking about it today I realised - what if the tables were turned and she turned around and called me "fatso"? Or "lard arse"? or "fatty bom ba"? It would definitely not go down too well.

It's sad but true but giving a skinny girl hell about her weight is accepted, but you would never openly tease a larger woman about the way she looks. Granted this can be attributed to the waif celebrities and supermodels that have been put up on pedestools and our natural instinct to cut down the tall poppy, but in this day and age, where there is so much focus on body issues and what a real woman looks like, why am I still thinking that "skinny bashing" is in a different basket to, well, "fat bashing"?

I guess I am lucky that my friend knows what I am like and takes my comments in jest, which 99% of my comments are 99% of the time. But on a more serious note, this little light bulb moment has made me determined to not assume anything.

Because even those with what I consider to be a perfect body have something about themselves that they hate.

It hurts being this good looking

2010-02-07T03:12:00.000-08:00

At about the same time every morning Charley has a bit of a screaming fit. And it seems to coincide with the exact time that I am doing her hair.

I offer to take her to the hairdresser to let her have it cut short, but she declines. She loves her beautiful hair.

Well, I explain, more often than not, beauty is the result of pain.

I was reminded of this recently during my last trip to the hairdresser when I nodded to streaks rather than foils and had a condom shoved over my head and my hair pulled through with a crochet needle. I stayed in this cupie doll state for around 45 minutes before it was suctioned off me, washed, dried and cut.

And once again I was my good looking self. Because I am one hot mama. Just ask me.

But it hasn't been easy to get myself looking this good.

I've had hair ripped out of my eyebrows, legs, underarms, and other places women get hair ripped out from. I've beared all to be sprayed with brown goo and braved piercing guns and even worse piercing needles that have been shoved through my ears and nose.

I squeeze pimples, pluck stray eyebrows and shave gross skin off my feet. I exercise till my feet are numb.

It's not easy being beautiful. It hurts like hell.

What pain do you go through to keep looking good?

School orientation for mums

2010-02-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulate me. I have just become a new mum.

A school mum. And what an experience it is.

It seems that only months ago life was so much simpler. We could stay in our jammies till midday if we wanted. They could sleep in. Spend all day at the beach. She could go and get snacks for Toby while I watched Ready Steady Cook.

Those days are gone. She is a big girl now. And I am a school mum. Of sorts.

And my first order of business is to put in a complaint about the lack of orientation that school provides. Not for the children - for the mums.

Let me elaborate:

We were told that we would get plenty of notes sent home. We were not told that they would more than likely be smushed at the bottom of their bag under a quickly rotting apple core.
We were told to drop them off at 9am. We were not told that bringing a pram with a toddler in it would mean squashing copious amounts of little fingers that refused to get out of the way.
We were told that there would be permission slips and monies that would need to be returned from time to time. We were not told that this would be every single day and that we would get RSI from signing our name and opening our wallets.
We were told that the kids would eat the glue. Well, yes, we were told I guess.
We were told that the kids would probably lose their hats a couple of times a year. We were not told that this would be a daily event if we did not go searching for it every time before leaving school.
We were told to pack them a healthy lunch. We were not told that hours of toil over perfectly cut sandwiches and lovingly baked slices and hand picked fruit would come home day after day after day. Untouched.

So here's to the next stage of motherhood. God help me when she becomes a teenager.

The things we think but do not say

2010-02-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

Children have a tendency to say exactly what they're thinking. Sometimes really loudly.

For example Charley, today, when I was asking her about her new teacher, she came out with "she's a little bit fat, but that's ok".

I was lucky on this occasion that this conversation was taking place just between the two of us, as in previous occasions it hasn't been so private.

Like the time at dancing, where the principal of the dance school was well endowed in the bottom area, when she announced "That lady has a big bum."

Or the time we were behind a man in a wheelchair when it occurred to her "hey that man sits in a chair with wheels all day. He must be pretty lazy hey mum."

And then there was the time we encountered a woman with a rather large mole on her face that happened to have a long hair growing out of it. Upon walking away Charley loudly observes "that thing on that lady's face was gross. It was all hairy."

Now in any normal situation, these little observations would be considered extremely rude and offensive, but from the mouths of babes they are innocent and endearing.

But it has led me to ponder - what if we all said exactly what was on our minds?

"Whoa... too much cologne mate...."

"Pwoar! Ever heard of deodorant?"

"She has not aged well has she..."

"Should I tell him he has parsley in his teeth?"

"This guy is SO full of himself"

"Oh shut up already"

(while having a conversation with someone) "I wonder what we should have for dinner tonight"

"What a skank"

And the ultimate, most often thought but never said would have to be....

"oh my, that is an.... interesting looking baby."

A letter to my daughter, the day before she starts school

2010-01-31T02:03:00.000-08:00

My dearest Charley

It seems like I met you an age ago, but I remember it like yesterday. There was so much going on, everyone was so scared, but somehow I was very, very calm. Sometimes I think that maybe I was just in shock, or maybe it was the sickness that dulled the fear, but maybe it was just that I knew you were strong enough to make sure you would be ok.

So much was at stake, but I knew you'd pull through.

Which is why its funny, strange I guess, that its now that you are about to start the next chapter in your life that I am scared. And not because I don't think you can do it, you'll nail it, but its that it's not just you up against your little body this time.

It's you up against the world. And though I'll protect as much as I can, there will be some things that you will have to do for yourself.

So here are my words of advice.

Don't listen to people who say you can't do it. But take this advice with a pinch of salt - when I say don't do it, don't do it. I know best a lot of the time.

Don't ever wear pink and orange or orange and red as a complete outfit. Same goes with leather pants. They chaffe trust me.

There are only a handful of really evil people in this world. Most people who are mean to you are doing it because they don't feel good about themselves or someone is being mean to them. When you can truly understand this, you will see their actions in a different light and they will create less impact in your own life.

Please please please wipe your bottom when you're at school. As if Mummy doesn't have enough to contend with Daddy's skid marks.

You will have your heartbroken many, many times in your life. Sometimes it will feel like it's being ripped out of your chest. You will not feel it at the time, but each time this happens you get stronger. It is these heartbreaks that will shape the person you will become.

When you fall, get up. Quickly. Brush it off. Try again. Repeat.

Stop n grow tastes like crap. Just ask your Aunty Vetty.

There is a piece of advice that your Poppy gives me that always rings true. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.

When a boy teases you, it means he likes you. Tell him to grow some balls and ask you out. But don't let him kiss you before you're 16 or I'll rip those balls off.

Eat your crusts. I don't know why you should eat them, but you should eat them anyway.

There will be many moments when we will not see eye to eye. Many, many, many moments. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, I will be wrong. But no matter how much we fight or disagree, you will still remain the most important thing in my world and I will always do what I believe is the right thing by you.

I don't care if you're gay or straight, just that you're honest with me.

Don't smoke. If for no other reason than it's damn expensive.

If you're anything like your father and I, you're smart. Harness it. Don't throw it away. Study, challenge yourself, Beat the others. Just because you can.

There is so much more that I could say but we'll leave it for the moments you need it. For now, just one last piece of advice that we have been through over and over.

If someone teases you or hurts you follow these steps. 1. Tell them you don't like it and you want them to stop. If that doesn't work, 2. Call the teacher. If they don't come, 3. Punch em in the face like I taught you.

Remember, they may be big, but so is your right hook.

I love you baby. Have a magical day at school tomorrow. It'll probably be the best one there for the next 13 years.

I am so proud of you.

Love always,

Mum.

LUVU4EVA

Growing up = too fast

2010-01-29T03:40:00.000-08:00

I don't have many clear memories of when I was a young child. The only real clear one is stepping on dog poo, throwing up round the side of the house because of the smell, and then mum sending me off to school anyway.

But I kinda wish I had some more real clear memories than that, cause I look at kids, namely Charley, and it looks like its pretty fun.

Not only can you run around for hours on end without running out of breath, or pee your pants without being stared at, or be called gorgeous because your face is covered in chocolate. You can even tell a woman she's got a big bum really loudly in the shopping centreand its the adults around you that get embarassed and have to apologise.

But unfortunately, this wondrous stage in the lives of the little people around me seems to be going to quickly.

They appear to want to be grown up.

I have especially noticed this this week with Charley's first day of school getting closer and closer, but other things have also pointed it out.

Like my 8-year-old nephew staring at my boobs the other day. And after I pointed it out to him he laughingly replies "but they're really saggy". It was sad, but I had to tell him that he had a good 8 years at least before boobs would be made available to him, and then only 15 years max before saggy boobs would be some of the best options.

What's more, my girlfriend's little girl who is also 5 wants to shave her armpits and legs. Why? It's a pain in the arse and quite frankly if I had known that after a day or so they would resemble a 40 year old mans face, I would have hit the wax straight away just like my mum told me too.

As for Charley, she has also been asking about boobs. When is she going to get boobs like mine? I told her it takes some pretty serious gravity to get those going. But she didn't leave it at that.

When Grandma was over the other night, Charley asked about her boobs. And of course, Grandma replied, "I have boobs like your mummy. Girls have boobs when they get older."

To which Charley responsed. "But some boys have boobs. I saw them on Mummy's show when she wasn't looking. There was a big man and he had big boobs and he was just wearing a towel. His boobs were massive. Even bigger than mummy's. And yours Grandma."

When you have to explain man boobs to a 5 year old, you know they're growing up WAY too fast.

Bratz? Or Skankz?

2010-01-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

This post has been freshly inspired by a post from Mia Freedman about her dislike of the fairytale characters like Cinderella and Snow White, because of the lessons they teach young girls.

Well I have the same dolly issues, but mine are with Bratz. I mean, look at these things.

Firstly there's the fact that their makeup and clothing resembles something that I saw at a club last night on a 40-year-old woman trying to look 20.

Secondly, they are a total advocate for plastic surgery - you can't tell me those aren't collagen lips, and that she hasn't had a facelift and that unchanging expression screams botox.

Thirdly, there's the dolls themselves. The disproportionate dolls themselves. Now I pride myself on generally being in proportion, despite being a little tubby, but what is going on with these chicks? Their heads are inflated, they have hair to their knees (imagine brushing that every morning) and their feet come off! I mean honestly, what are we saying to our children, particularly the ones with ugly feet. Just take them off?

No, no, no, Miss Charley (or Toby for that manner) will not be participating in any Bratz play. I've accepted Dora and her "We did it!" (well duh) and am happy to co-exist with her for a little while longer.

Who in my kitchen?

2010-01-20T03:06:00.000-08:00

Being a sub-editor before I became I mother, I can relate to the laborious task that many subs hate of trying to be creative with sub-headings, but at the same time still making it clear what the paragraph was all about.

I don't want to be harsh, but this one I think is a #fail. It is from the most recent issue of Super Food Ideas, and is a story about keeping your kitchen safe for your kids. Have a look for yourself.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't think that having Bin Laden in my kitchen would deem it safe at all. I would say that if he was in my kitchen there would be a "poison alert" that was "too hot to handle" and I would be looking for something that would "stay sharp".

But that's just me.

Daytime TV - my BFF

2010-01-18T02:57:00.000-08:00

Over the past 5 years that I have been a mum, daytime TV has become my friend. My very good friend.

So good a friend in fact that when I hear someone bagging it out (namely my husband) I go into bat for it.

You see on most days, daytime TV is the most adult conversation that I have. Sure it may be mindless dribble, endless woop woops and incestual women that never seem to age, but to me, it is beautiful.

It doesn't need feeding. It doesn't care what I'm wearing, if I don't feel like talking or if I walk away from time to time. If I don't show up one day, its cool with that. It happily entertains me while I fold the washing, and I', sure that if it could help, it would.

It even comes with me to the gym, and reminds me that if I don't work my arse off, I might look like one of them in a couple of years.

And what would a day be without Ellen, Oprah, Barbara and Whoopi and a bit of Dr Phil if I'm in the mood. I'm sure Peter Everett would love a bit of Dr Phil. I love waking up to Kochie and Mel (one on either side preferably) and throw in a bit of Judge Judy and Huey and you've got a real party going on. Definately not one that Brooke Logan would turn her nose up at.

Yep, daytime TV never lets me down. Except, perhaps, when the cricket's on.

(As an aside, I always wonder what programming directors assume that the same people who would watch Ellen and The View would be interested in the cricket for god's sake?)

So for all of you who are nodding as you read this post, we have another coming to the party, cause David and Kim are sick of getting up at 9am. For all you early morning daytime TVers, you will now have The Circle.

I'm not sure that I am going to be able to stomach Denise Drysdale at 9 in the morning, but she will be joined by former Big Brother Chrissie (who I have no idea is, but will prob realise when I see her) and Yumi Stynes and Gorgi Coghlan, both also unknown to me.

But I'm not shooting it down before it starts, despite that fact that an Australian "The View" attempt bombed a couple of years back with The Catchup. Let's see how we go.

Maybe Denise Drysdale is just the spark this party needs. Or maybe not.

Mummy likes the power tools

2010-01-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

Was feeling very proactive today and decided to give the ghastly lavender that devours our front garden a much needed trim. After spotting me nonchalantly topping them off with the hedging shears, my neighbour Leo kindly offered me the use of his hedge trimmer.

That's when the fun really began.

Armed with my very own power tool, I lopped of the lavender heads like a true pro. The smell was enchanting, the rush addictive. And it got me to thinking.

Where else in my daily life could I use a power tool? I am going to do my best to keep this clean, but here is a list that I have been putting together.

Electronic childrens seatbelts - no more stuffing around putting each one on individulally. Press a button and they're not going anywhere.

Cone of silence - too noisy? A flip of a switch and a cone descends providing instant quiet.

Barney stopper - seperate fighting kids without having to leave the couch. Also known as a cattle prod.

Baby bidet - similar to a potty, pop on the baby and it does the rest of the nappy change.

Now I'm getting too tired to think of anymore, but will do my best. Maybe a good one would be an eye-open-upperer for moments like this.

Can you think of anything electronic that would help you in everyday life (keeping in mind that I have kept it relatively clean) :) ?

A whole lot of crap

2010-01-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

This post has been inspired by two things. A week of changing very poopy little boy bottoms, and a call out to the plumber when our toilet sprung a leak.

When Charley heard that the plumber had to fix our toilet she asked "but won't he get poo all over him?" "Maybe darling, but that's his job".

Moments later, changing another pooey nappy, it occured to me. Mothers are just like plumbers. It is very possible that we will get covered in poo, but that's ok. It's our job.

Don't look at me like that old lady

2010-01-14T02:58:00.000-08:00

I was raised to have the utmost respect for my elders. And I do. Most of the time.

The problem is that many of them forget things. Like what it is like to have very young children. And that they should not judge, nor contort their face into ugly when the youngins are a little rowdy.

Let me elaborate.

True to my word, I signed up at Weight Watchers today. The meeting was at 6, so I had to take the kids with me.

I thought it would be relatively quick. It wasn't.

I thought they would be relatively good. They weren't.

Charley decided that tonight was the night that she was going to run around in circles, and funnily enough, Toby copied.

In unusual fashion I was running late and so the meeting had already started. The kids were running relatively quietly so I let them go rather than loudly and noticably rousing on them and trying to get them to stop.

This did not please the woman signing me up. Looking over her shoulder, she started to say "could you...." multiple times, but didn't take it further. I took to ignoring her, just wanting to get it done.

My cousin, Chan, who was also signing up with me, had not had such a good day, so loudly announced, "don't apologise. If this place isn't going to be kid-friendly then its not for us." Go Chan.

Well that seemed to shut her up but did nothing for the ugly. I felt like saying do you not remember having children this age? And because I have young children do I not deserve to be a bodacious babe? Do I have to wait till I am your age and bitter and twisted to drop the pounds?

She was not a happy camper at all, but atleast I am all signed up and can now continue to torture her every week. Perhaps I'll feed them all the sugar I'm not eating just before I go.

I'm sure she was glad to see me leave. Until she realised that Toby had taken all her pens. Hi-5 Tobinator.

Today's Daily Booth - Tired girl

2010-01-13T03:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back!

2010-01-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

So if you are very observant you will notice that there seems to be about a year and a half of posts missing from this blog. Yes, I haven't been around.

In fact, this blog has just moved home. I have promoted myself from Mad Mad Mummy, as I think I have gone well beyond that now to just completely insane. Hence, Candy Ramble.

But rather than start a whole new blog, I wanted to bring those posts over here and continue the madness of all those years.

So now here we are. Charley is 5 and starts school in a couple of weeks, Toby is 18 months and a right terror, and I am chasing a whole lot of new ventures to keep myself semi-sane. Mumspace will be back eventually, I am working on it.

So here we go again. Looking forward to rambling, I hope you enjoy.

10 reasons I am overweight

2010-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

So let's start by being a little bit honest. I am a bit overweight. Not massively, and if you saw me you wouldn't say that I was fat, but technically, I am overweight.

Not for lack of trying not to be though. I have "doing" Weight Watchers and working my arse off at the gym for a good 9 months.

But the last 10kgs just won't budge.

And today, while scraping the reminents of a chocolate wafer biscuit off the carpet, I realised why.

And then I realised I was wrong, and that there was more than one reason why, so here they are.

1. Before giving my children anything to eat, I "check" it for "poison".

2. My son likes me to lick the chocolate off his hands when I give him a chocolate bikkie. This started a long time ago, but I still continue to oblige.

3. Yes, I must admit it. When I see food that the kids have dropped on the floor that it still edible (ie not covered in crap) I will pop it in my mouth to save the trip to the bin. This is particularly true for sweet things.

4. I continually make cakes and meringues and desserts, because I "love to cook".

5. I am bad at maths - 1 ice block is half a point. Does that still count at number 10?

6. I try to coax the kids to eat by pretending I am going to eat their food. And the experts do say, if you are going to threaten, follow through.

7. Perhaps that bit of juice that I skull from the end of the bottle is not 250ml, and is closer to 2500 ml. Whoops.

8. I doubt that the leftover Honey Weets will clog the sink. Must stop telling myself that.

9. Just because I have done a spin class that day does not mean I can eat and entire cheesecake.

10. I obviously have no willpower.

So there you go. Now that I have gotten that out into the open, its time to try again. Going to go to Weight Watchers meetings this year so I have to stand in front of someone and admit that I am a glutton and steal my childrens food, rather than tell it to the mirror and go and eat an entire roast chicken.

I'll let you know how I go.

Introducing Toby Michael Pendergast

2008-06-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don’t already know (sorry, it’s been a hectic five days!), Toby Michael Pendergast was born at 9:11am on Friday 20 June 2008. We ended up going with a c-section, which went well a part from the fact that they had a lot of trouble with my spinal block, so I ended up numb to my cheekbones and unable to feel myself breathing!

Besides that, Toby weighed in at a healthy 3.35 kg and was 50cm long. Charley is absolutely besotted with her baby brother and we are settling in well at home.

Will write a big post with all the gory details over the next couple of days, but in the meantime, here are some piccies!!

Nearly there.

2008-06-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on for this baby! 39 weeks now and the end is definately in sight.

I'm in full cleaning mode - well, I'm not actually cleaning, more just ordering my husband around - and getting ready... and getting a bit nervous. I have been pregnant for so long now that it is weird to think that I won't be pregnant anymore! And that I'll finally be meeting my little man!

Will keep you all up to date...

35 weeks - and the flu

2008-05-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

Oh I have been a bad bad girl - almost a month since I last posted! As the big mummy of mumspace, that is very naughty!

I plead complete busyness though - life was quiet there for a moment, but now that I am in my last weeks of pregnancy, it seems the world has exploded and everything is happening at once. Our little design and branding agency is picking up clients here there and everywhere, and we haven't even got our own website happening yet! Rich has resigned from work and finishes up in 3 weeks which should be just in time for the baby to come. There were a couple of issues around the baby, but I think they are going to be ok. And there are a hell of a lot of other things "going on" that I can't really get into, but let me tell you, my head is spinning!

Great to see that people have still been mumspacing even though I haven't been as active as I used to be and am not marketing it at all! Once Rich finishes up work we are hoping to put some time back into it and fix up a lot of the bugs that have crept in since I have been pregnant - have found some new software that as well that should make everything heaps better too, so hopefully we can get that going asap. :)

But as for right now, I have the flu. No infection or anything, just the bloody flu, which is sending me for a six cause I can't take anything. Add that to the heartburn and the swelling and the headaches and the dance party that seems to be happening on my bladder, and sleep is near impossible.

Be back soon, promise. :)

All going well

2008-04-22T02:55:00.000-07:00

Well 31 weeks now, and everything is actually going really well!

I am feeling better now than any other time during this pregnancy, which is weird cause I am so big and bulky. My blood pressure is great and it looks like I am going to go full term. I am starting to get a little nervous must admit, but excited at the same time. I can't wait to meet my little man!

Rich and I have also started on a little venture, developing our company, Not At All Strange, which was responsible for the start of mumspace.net. We are moving in a slightly different direction for a while, to build the company up, providing branding and multimedia services to small businesses, which is what we are qualified in, so we make a good team. Things are looking really good at the moment!

So when it comes to further developing mumspace, it is going to take a backseat to babies and business for a while, but once we are up and running, this kind of pro bono stuff is next on our to do list. And what's more, we won't have to stick ugly ads all over the site or start charging for anything to keep mumspace running!

I'll keep you all updated...

The milestone - 29 weeks

2008-04-06T00:22:00.000-07:00

Well this week I will be 29 weeks, which is how far I got when Charley was born. Funnily enough, it is one of the very few weeks without appointments etc. so I will have a lot of time to sit and reflect!

I'm not worried - Charley was born so early due to severe pre-eclampsia, and there is no sign of that so far, so this bubby will get well past this point. But it's just weird to have seen Charley at this stage on the outside, and know that he is like that on the inside....

Oh gosh, I think that I am in for a week of heavy reflection.... :)

Taking a bit of time off

2008-03-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already noticed, I have been MIA for a couple of weeks, and have decided to take a little bit of time off from my mumspace, which basically just means that I won't be posting as frequently as I ususally have for a while.

I'll be 27 weeks this week, and while all is still going well pre-eclampsia wise and I'll think I'll get alot further than I did with Charley, I seem to be constantly hit with one illness or the other! Last week it was tonsilitis, and this week the whole family came down with a nice dose of gastro, which I am still getting over. Problem is, that these things take their toll on me for a couple of weeks before I really start to get over them!

So that's where I am for the next couple of months - that and giving birth I guess!

Once all this is done, I am looking forward to sinking my teeth back into building mumspace again!

Have a great Easter everyone!

Week 24

2008-03-04T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been really slow on the blogging lately - have just been so sick is all!

So I have decided that the best way to fix that is to document the rest of this pregnancy - this week is week 24!

Still feeling really sick - have had every possibility ruled out, so it is being put down to pregnancy. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing - not complications, which is great, but no real cure which is frustrating. I am learning to deal with it though and have tried to change my attitude to it, considering it's not going anywhere soon!

I also think I have a little footballer inside of me - this baby never stops kicking! And they're big kicks - you can see and feel them on the outside so clearly.

I'm starting to get everything sorted and have brought lots of the baby stuff up from the garage for washing, so we are starting to look like we're in baby mode. It's exciting. :)

Have also organised my baby shower for two weeks time - I'm not missing out this time!!!!! :)

Till Week 25.....

Hands up who hates hospitals

2008-02-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Me me me!

Just home from yet another stint in hospital, my first for this pregnancy. Explains where I have been!

Have to get some rest now, but shall explain more at a later date!

Chop chop

2008-02-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well I finally did it - got Charley's hair cut that is! I had finally had enough of the screaming sessions every morning, it was just so painful!

So I finally got it cut. Just to her shoulders, but it really is a dramatic change. She looks so much older! Sure, I had to hold her down kicking and screaming and beg the hairdresser to just cut it, but we got the job done!

So we still have a couple of knotty issues, but for the most part, hair brushing isn't so much of a drama anymore - thank god!

Getting better - I think

2008-02-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

I have been so sick for around 2 weeks now, it is SO debilitating. Makes it hard to even look after Charley, let alone do anything else.

But this afternoon I feel like i have turned a corner, managed to get some stuff around the house done, and even though I am a bit tired, I'm feeling pretty good. Charley even seems happy!

So fingers crossed this time it will last - and I can get some stuff done!!

Pic of my baby boy

2008-02-07T03:16:00.000-08:00

Didn't realise that Rich had uploaded this, so thought the best place for it was on my mumspace!

First pic of my little man...

Babyology

2008-02-06T00:58:00.000-08:00

Oh, I forgot to mention, lately I have found myself missing being a writer, so have started writing some reviews for Babyology, which is an awesome site that reviews really funky things for kids.

LOVING seeing my stuff published by someone other than me - has always given me a kick. Today's post is one of mine, check it out. :)

Still sick

2008-02-06T00:55:00.000-08:00

Just a quick explanation of where I am - pregnancy hates me and I have just been told I have an infection, which is prob why I have been feeling so crap lately. And I have protein in my urine, which for anyone who knows anything about pre-eclampsia is not good.

So where am I? In bed, especially as today is Charley's preschool day. Even though it is the first sunny day in a week and I am dying to get out into the garden and repot my jasmine climbers, which are going spastic which is great!

Be back soon. Promise.

MIA

2008-02-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

So I've been a bit MIA the last couple of days - been a bit under the weather, feeling really tired and run down to be honest.

Hopefully just pregnancy getting on top of me, but I have been getting some rest and will be back on deck soon - promise!

It's really a

2008-01-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

BOY! Very prominent little doodle in there, waving around for all to see.

Typical male. :)

It's a.

2008-01-29T11:19:00.000-08:00

Just teasing!

Find out tomorrow, so will have to post it then. So excited! :)

A lovely Australia Day

2008-01-27T01:51:00.000-08:00

So how was everybody's Australia Day?

We had a lovely Australia Day. Mainly relaxing and a little shopping in the morning, watching the tennis final early afternoon, then had a visit from our friends with their (newish) little baby, and then off to the Menai Australia Day celebrations where Charley got to meet Dora, pat an alligator and a snake, go on some rides, and capped the day off with some fireworks with much-loved cousins. A good day all round. :)

It was lovely catching up with Daria and Marty and little baby Kaia, who was born at 27 weeks, spent a long time in hospital and has only recently been allowed to visit people. It was a little weird to be around a little baby, especially since I am expecting one myself, but it was good to expose Charley to a little one, and once I was holding him, she wasn't shy of him at all. So I am thinking that she will be really good with the new bub.

Then later that night we headed out to the fair, mainly to see the advertised Dora. It was all a little overwhelming for a tired Charley, not so much the kids, but the parents all pushing for a photo of their kids with Dora! I nearly decked one father who practically pushed Charley out of the way to get his kids in there!

There was also a great little reptile show, where Charley got to pat the alligator and the snake. It was really funny when it came to the alligator - she just picked up its tail and went "check out this tail!" No fear at all! :)

We were about to head home when we ran into Channie and Grant and Charley's favourite cousins Jackson, Lachie and Tristan. So we decided to stay, and the kids enjoyed the rides and fairy floss and we stayed for the fireworks, which scared Charley a little, but the fact that it turned pitch black when her and Lachie had gone for a little run might have a bit to do with it!

A great Australia Day - hope everyone else had a good one too. :)

Heath Ledger dead

2008-01-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

How tragic....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLrOsRNeQfw

Need some cheering up?

2008-01-22T00:25:00.000-08:00

This cracked me up...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vKLeAYXM3JM&feature=related

Sleeper-in-erer

2008-01-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Well I have to say that I am a little bit chuffed with myself - I think that I have gotten Charley back into her sleeping through the night. So much so that now she sleeps in till 10am, and still goes to sleep at night!

My problems began during my morning sickness period where I would treat every stir with a bottle to get her to go back to sleep cause I really needed to get some sleep! But it was starting to get ridiculous, with sometimes 3 or 4 bottles a night - I was starting to think about buying myself a cow! :)

So a couple of weeks ago I decided - no more bottles, and minimal attention when she calls out. And now she sleeps through no problem.

Only problem now is getting her to get up in the morning!

Just put them on already!

2008-01-17T00:26:00.000-08:00

There is another thing I hate about January - the constant advertisements for the new shows coming up this year. They run way too frequently all through January, teasing you by including a little more information each time about the show you are interested in.

The worst for me at the moment is The Biggest Loser. The other night, I counted over 10 advertisements during the one show - and the bloody thing doesn't start until February! That is two and a half weeks away!

So ladies and anything else who may be reading this blog, I am asking you to do what I do. Boycott the ads. When they come on, turn off the tv for about 10 seconds, fold your arms and huff, while your husband laughs at you and tells you you are a freak.

another beauty

2008-01-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here is Charley at about 4 months corrected, pooing of all things! I will have to upload some of our old videos!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sU7Wsq9yShE

devil child

2008-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

i loved this... crazy baby!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qsm8HtkSsjU

Loving the beach

2008-01-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm loving the beach at the moment. I especially love going in the surf and bodysurfing the waves, particularly now that I'm pregnant. I don't think its bad for the baby, and it's just so nice to float over and dive into the waves...

Not so big after all

2008-01-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit paranoid with this pregnancy, thinking that my belly is too big for how far along I am. But I am about 17 weeks, so I googgled 17 weeks, and found plenty of belly pics at 17 weeks.

And I look pretty much the same! Don't feel so bad now!

First tag of 2008

2008-01-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

So I've been tagged by Melissa Khalinksy for the first time this year, so here goes!

Here are the rules:

1.Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2.Pick your month of birth.
3.Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
4.Highlight the traits that apply to you and if you would like write some wit or not.
5.Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6.Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

I was born in May. So let's see...

Stubborn and hard-hearted: Stubborn - yes. Just ask my husband. Hard hearted? Well I must admit to having a slightly bitchy side sometimes, but I'm a bit of a softy.

Sharp thoughts: ummm. ???

Easily angered: Depends what time of the month.

Attracts others and loves attention: DEFINATELY!

Deep feelings: Yeah, tend to listen to my heart before my head.

Beautiful physically and mentally: Goes without saying doesn't it?

Firm standpoint: Yeah, pretty much.

Needs no motivation: I tend to make my own. :)

Easily consoled: I guess.

Systematic: Does that mean I like to be organised? Definately. Not that I am often enough though.

Loves to dream: Yeah, I little too much sometimes. Daydream that is!

Strong clairvoyance: Tend to think its all a bit of rubbish.

Understanding: Most of the time.

Sickness usually in the ear and neck: I get a pain in the neck when my husband is around, does that count? :)

Good imagination: Definately

Good physical: Yep.

Weak breathing: I think that more has to do with my years of smoking rather than the month I was born!

Loves literature and the arts: Sure do.

Loves travelling: Haven't really had the chance to do so!

Dislike being at home: I don't know - I good rainy day usually sees me stay home.

Restless: Most of the time!

Not having many children: 2 is it for me, if that's not many!

Hardworking: When I need to.

Highspirited: yep. I tend to see things on the bright side.

Spendthrift: No, that is my husband, who was also born in May!

Here are the summaries for each month:

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas.Difficult to fathom.Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

12 people to tag! Will have to get to this bit later!

Little diva

2008-01-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well Charley certainly has turned into a little girl... Her latest thing is that she decides which shoes she wears depending on the colour she is wearing.

The other day she nearly had a breakdown because it was too hot to wear her white sneakers... "But I am wearing white mummy!!"

She has turned into... well... me. :)

Holidays - good or bad?

2008-01-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Now we all love holidays. Time off work, relaxing, catching up with family and friends etc.

But here are the things that I hate about the holidays.

1. No routine = psycho child. Charley has been so hyperactive these last two weeks with Daddy at home, no preschool and lots of "events". Last night was a beautie when she woke up at 12:30am and decided to not go back to sleep until the ungodly hour of 6am. Great holiday fun.

2. School kids. Everywhere. While most are pretty well behaved, many school kids don't know the meaning of courtesy. Very frustrating.

3. No regular activities. No dancing, no swimming, no, nothing. I even wanted to start a prenatal yoga class, but of course, it doesn't start until school goes back. Argh!

Maybe I am just a creature of habit, but as far as I am concered, Christmas is over, so let's get back to normal!!

Getting back on the ball

2008-01-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

... slowly, but surely. Am starting to feel a little better now for the most part. Am still quite tired most of the time, which is really frustrating. Especially when all of a sudden it takes alot of effort to walk from the shop to the car when three or so months ago it was nothing for me to jog at a reasonable pace for half an hour or longer!

So I am hoping to get all these fabulous things on mumspace that I have promised you all - thank you for being so patient with me. :)

Wishing everyone a

2008-01-01T01:35:00.000-08:00

Bubble and Squeak

2007-12-27T10:24:00.001-08:00

One of the best things I love about Christmas is the bubble and squeak you get for the next couple of days.

For me, bubble and squeak consists of mashing up all the leftovers from the Christmas roast, heating it all up and putting in on yummy warm toast made out of fresh bread.

Love it!

Bee Movie

2007-12-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Well today we took Charley to see Bee Movie - it was a funny one, although with Charley around I have seen so many animations lately that the one-liners tend to be a little lost on me these days!

Tomorrow, the beach weather permitting. I love the holidays!

Merry Christmas everyone!

2007-12-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Just a quick blog post before hitting the sack after a long but lovely Christmas Day - hope everyone else's was as happy as ours. :)

Deck the halls - of your mumspace!

2007-12-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

Well as you can see, we've added a Christmas theme just in time for the holidays - it's available to everyone so why not change yours over and get in the holiday spirit!

How quickly you forget

2007-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I am hating being pregnant at the moment. Today I am feeling heavy, tired, emotional, swollen, just overall gross.

It's funny though, even though you are told that this will all happen, and you've done it all before, it always comes as a surprise!

I'm just really looking forward to feeling better - surely it has to be sooner than later! And then you'll all have to stop hearing me whinge! :)

I'm happy to report

2007-12-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

that my Xmas shopping is all done!

YAY!

BUSTING!

2007-12-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

Well today I got to see my baby - yes just one thank god!! - for the first time. But not before a bit of an ordeal!

With my first ultrasound with Charley, I apparently didn't drink enough, and the sonographer was not happy about it. So this time around, I overcompensated a little. Bad move.

When I got there, I needed to go to the toilet so bad that walking was uncomfortable, so when they told me that one of their sonographers had called in sick, and there would be a wait, I took them up on the suggestion to go to the toilet and refill with water.

An hour later, I was back in the same situation - and still waiting! I was in so much pain, and the morning sickness didn't make it any better! I tried letting some go, but was scared that there wouldn't be enough to see the baby!

Funnily enough when it was our turn the sonographer asked me to go and empty my bladder a little cause it was too full! I have never felt that kind of pain before - and I hope to never again!

All said and done, the baby is looking healthy and everything is coming along nicely - and I'll never hold it again!

My dancing princess

2007-12-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well Charley had her first dance concert amid a very busy weekend on Saturday.

And she did the whole thing!

From start to finish she did all the steps, even finding herself a new spot in the line when she was kind of bumped out. I was SO proud of her I was balling my eyes out. :) And when it was finished she didn't want to get off the stage. :)

Wish I could show you pictures, but we weren't allowed to take any, so you'll have to take my word for it. :)

Kids say the darndest things

2007-12-07T03:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Charley and I were waiting for dancing to start, when a rather large lady bent over in front of us.

So Charley felt it appropriate to say "she has a big bum" when I sshhed her she said it again. Upon being ssshhed again she whispered it "she has a big bum".

I don't think the lady heard, but I told Charley that that wasn't a very nice thing to say.

She replied "but she does!!!"

a flat tyre

2007-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the littlest things that are the most frustrating.

Today, after a successful shopping trip, I clipped a gutter in the mall carpark and got a flat tyre. Now this really should be no big deal, but my roadside assistance expired a month ago, and so I found myself calling the NRMA. And then my phone went flat.

Luckily for me I was still at the mall, so I went in and found a pay phone and recalled the NRMA, trying to join up to get someone to help me. But no, cause my car is registered in my dad's name (haven't gotten around to changing it) they wouldn't let me sign up! And of course I couldn't get in contact with my dad, or anyone for that matter!

Two and a half hours later after buying a car charger and desperately trying to get in contact with people, I finally got a hold of my dad, who joined the NRMA for me ($300 at Xmas, great) and someone promptly came out and changed my tyre. And all of that was enough to emotionally exhaust me and I came home and slept for the rest of the day.

Thank god I didn't have Charley with me!!

A busy busy week

2007-12-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post before a very busy week begins! This week we have weddings, dance recitals, christmas parties, medical tests, the works! Good thing I am starting to feel better!! :)

a good day today

2007-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

aahh, finally, a full day where I functioned. Still felt a little off, but basically a whole day which didn't require couch with a rag over my face time. I even managed to do the shopping, practice making a Xmas pav (that didn't work), make a roast for dinner and put the Xmas tree up - YAY!

So here's hoping the morning sickness is on it's way out! Am really looking forward to actually enjoying this pregnancy. :)

When do you put your tree up?

2007-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

We tend to put ours up the first weekend in December, so this weekend looks to be decorative!

When do you tend to put yours up?

Getting busy

2007-11-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Well Xmas is like 4 weeks away - and gosh is it getting busy! We have some kind of event on every weekend and during the week from now leading up until Xmas - and that's without organising our own festivities!

Needless to say though, with all of this and my progressing pregnancy, I am going to finish up work at the bar in the next couple of weeks - I just can't keep up with it anymore, and am working so little that it doesn't seem worth it. It's very scary though - although it was just a on the side job, it was a mainstay that delivered that bit of extra money that kept us well above hot water, so we'll have to tighten our belts atleasy for the next 9 months or so!

How is everyone else's Xmas leadup looking?

Quote of the day

2007-11-23T05:13:00.000-08:00

Got this one from a friend...

"I don't mind coming to work each day, it's the eight hour wait to go home that sucks"

LOL :)

Dancing = complicated!

2007-11-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know how any of these mums with multiple dancing children do it - organising and sewing the costumes, and all the bits of the costumes, plus recital tickets, plus dvd payments, plus dress rehersals, or just plain rehersals at the concert halls, to half up half down hair with curls and orange ribbons and official photo days - and then there is just getting the kids to the classes themselves - yikes! :)

Bring on the election

2007-11-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Argh, I am so sick of this election campaign.

To be honest, I am undecided as who to vote for, and with most politicians attitudes it doesn't make it easier. I wish they would just state their case and be done with it.

Did anyone see Peter Costello on Sunrise this morning? Every time he was asked a question, he just veered on off on a bitch session about Labor - it was actually really annoying, and swung me towards Labor to be honest. Can't wait till it's over!

What I got done today

2007-11-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

With this morning sickness as bad as it is, getting out of bed every day is a feat for me at the moment, but today I managed to tick some things off my to do list.

1. Pay Charley's very overdue dancing fees

2. Get money out for the dancing performance DVD

3. Finalise neice's birthday present

4. Send off neice's birthday card

5. Send off handprints for a christmas present

6. Vacuum

7. Make the beds

8. Make dinner

9. Write this blog post

Having Charley in preschool today helped, but this I think is the most I have gotten done in the last 4 weeks or so since this kicked in. I was pooped by midday though, and was out of action from 12nn - till about 4:30 when I started dinner.

I'm looking at putting Charley to bed at 7, and then put myself to bed at 7:30. How much longer is this supposed to last!! :)

Things kids do

2007-11-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

Charley is so cute and helpful lately. :) Last night, she wanted to help me get her bottle ready for bed. So she ran over to the cupboard, opened it up and got her bottle out and gave it to me. The doors were still open, so I said to her "now close the doors", and she just ran off.

Now I assumed that she hadn't heard me and was in her room waiting for me. But a minute or so later she comes running back out and said "I did it!".

She had run around the house and closed all the doors - just like I asked. :)

How careful is careful?

2007-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

After my last pregnancy I always said that the second I fell pregnant again, I would be sitting doing nothing, to make sure the pre-eclampsia didn't come back.

Now here I am, pregnant, and trying to work out ways that I can do that, but still earn a buck at the same time. I am still at the pub one night a week, but even this early, 6 hours on my feet in a nightclub is not the best atmosphere. I am trying to sort out some freelance subbing work, but don't really want to have to trump into the city every day on trains etc cause I don't want the stress. I have also stopped playing netball for fear of something happening.

Am I being too careful? For those who don't know I had Charley at 29 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia, and desperately don't want that to happen again... Maybe I should just stop second guessing myself. :)

Vegemite toast and lemonade

2007-11-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sounds appealing, doesn't it? Well it's been my diet for a week now, and it's doing the trick for me.

When I was pregnant with Charley, I was really tired in the early days, but never sick. This time around, I am finding it hard to function!

I am ALWAYS nauseous - I get about 5 minutes relief if I manage to shove something down my throat, but then it comes straight back.

So this is why I have been a little bit AWOL - hopefully it will all get better soon!

Happy Birthday Charley!

2007-11-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well my little girl is 3 today - THREE! Far out time goes fast. She's not my baby anymore. :)

We had a party for her on Sunday - just family and close friends over for a barbie, but she had a ball being the centre of attention. She dressed up as a fairy princess again and lapped up being sung happy birthday and blowing the candles out - she has been waiting for this for a long time! :)

I've posted some more photos here.

How quickly you forget

2007-11-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

Been a bit MIA these last couple of days - but for good reason. I had underestimated how full on early pregnancy can be!

The last week especially Ive been exhausted and irritable to say the least, and, different from my first pregnancy, I am really coping it on the morning sickness front. No actual vomitting, but just this constant pain in my stomach similar to that of the flu. Yuk. :(

I have to keep reminding myself - I wanted this!! :)

Happy Halloween, my fairy princess!

2007-10-31T03:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween today! Pre-school was having a dress up day today, so Charley went as a fairy princess... beautiful girl. :)

Art schmart

2007-10-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

I have been looking to buy a nice print for our lounge room - something to match my bright green and bright red couches.

But everytime I come across something i like, I can't help but think to myself "that looks like something Charley could have done!"

So I put my thoughts into action, and went to my local variety store and bought two $8 canvases. And then, with a little direction, let Charley go to town. And the result? Something not dissimilar to what I was going to pay atleast $50 for! And what's more, I love the fact that Charley painted it. :)

6 weeks pregnant!

2007-10-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

Heavens knows how I managed it, especially considering over the last couple of months I have had the flu, an infected wisdom tooth, tonsilitis, a blocked gall bladder, mild septecemia and now the mumps!! But somehow through all of that I managed to fall pregnant - yay!! Very early days yet, so hoping it sticks, but thought that I should tell you all!!

Missing my baby

2007-10-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of being sick - it's going on two months now! But what I really miss is the little routine I had going with Charley, which I think is the first thing to go out the window when someone gets sick.

But at the moment I am really missing Charley. Due to my recent ailment - the mumps - I haven't really been with her for four days now. Friday she was at preschool, with grandma over the weekend, and has picked up an extra day of preschool today to give me some more time to recouperate. As much as she drives me crazy, I miss her litle antics so much.

Hope she misses me too :)

Mumpspace

2007-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

No it's not a spelling mistake. On top of it all, I have just found out that I have the mumps.

Great.

man oh man

2007-10-26T04:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know whether they still have them, but I seem to remember reading in my mum's old Woman's Day mags the "Man Oh Man" section (I think it was called that) where women told about the silly things their husbands or partners did. :) Here is one of my own.

Last night, Richie was a darling and helped me clean up the kitchen. He opened the cupboard and pulled out the disinfectent spray and started wiping down the bench, squirting it and saying "orange power" which was evidently the name of the stuff he was using. At this point I will mention that they stuff we normally use is actually orange. :)

When he was done, he left the spray he had been using on the sink. It was orange power all right - orange power carpet and upholstery cleaner!!!!! LOL

What a week!

2007-10-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Been MIA a little this week - Charley got that virus that has been going around as all you mums would know, when the kids are sick, all else seems to be abandoned!

But this week was a doozy, particularly Monday and Tuesday. Charley started getting a bit feverish on Sunday night, but on Monday night it got so bad that she started hallucinating - badly. She was screaming that she had bees all over her biting her and seemed to be reacting to them biting her, so was thrashing about. Despite all our attempts to reduce her fever, the hallucinations continued for about an hour, so we took her to the hospital.

Her fever calmed down while we were there, and so did the hallucinations, but we figured we were there, so we may as well wait for the doctor. When she finally saw us an hour and a half later, Charley was happy and playful, despite it being 4:30am!! But the doctor was concerned, and so ordered some brain tests etc.

Another 5 hours later, a very tired mummy sat with a very tired Charley while they put a special hat on her that was connected to a thousand wires. I think the idea was that she would lay in mummy's arms, have a bottle and go to sleep. Instead, Charley screamed her little lungs out for half an hour as I wrestled with her not to take the cap off.

Needless to say a couple of days later we have all come out unscathed. Charley's brain is fine, and the hallucinations put down to the fever, which is also gone now.

Now... if I could just catch up on that sleep. :)

Sew.

2007-10-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

Charley is just loving dancing - I can see her doing it for years to come. She is just a really musical child. :)

But there is something that comes with the territory that I didn't expect. The mums are expected to help sew their children's costumes for the end of year performance.

Now when it comes to sewing, I am a complete novice. So when I was presented with a nearly complete outfit that needed the sequeins to be sewn on, I nearly died. I can't even hem a skirt properly!! :)

All I can say is thank god for my step mum, who kindly agreed to do it for me... I guess I should try and learn though.! :)

Overnight turnaround

2007-10-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a time where everything on every front seemed to be going wrong and then somehow magically turned around overnight? Well Thursday was a bit of a day like for me - on a business front and a personal front!

On the business front, we have been working with designers on the new mumspace.net design to coincide with the new release. And the designs we were getting were, well, AWFUL. It was looking like we were going to have to do the design ourselves, which would push back the release date AGAIN. And then on Thursday night, a day before the deadline, the good designs started rolling in, and now we have a HOT new design for your mumspace homepage - if I do say so myself. :)

On the personal front, well I can't say too much yet, but time will tell... and so will I in time... :)

What a difference a night can make!

Put on your dancing shoes - if you can find them!

2007-10-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Having a little dilemma - I can't find jazz shoes in Charley's size! She needs them for her performance at the end of the year, but everywhere I am looking doesn't have them any smaller than a size 8, and Charley is about a 5 or a 6! Was so upset the other day cause she was so excited about getting them, and then I couldn't get them for her!

Anybody have any ideas as to where I could find them?

Weet Bix

2007-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

... should be used to build houses.

When wet, then dried, it is stronger than concrete.

A day in the NICU

2007-10-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I spent the day today with my friend Daria in the NICU at Royal North Shore. Her son Kaia, born at 27 weeks, now nearly term, is doing really well, and will hopefully be comin home in the next couple of weeks.

How it brought everything back. The smell, the babies, the routine. It's funny, you never forget. I knew every part of the routine that I watched her carry out - because I had done it myself so many times.

But boy am I clucky. Really really want to fall pregnant, and not impressed with having to wait. I'm not a very patient person. :)

Come home soon Kaia. :)

Did I overeact?

2007-10-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Charley has been a litle sick lately. Nothing huge, it just seems like a mild virus. She is a little quieter than normal, but still quite active and playful. The doctor prescribed her some antibiotics so it wouldn't get worse, and it seems to be getting better.

But this morning something weird happened - Charley refused to walk, saying it was too painful. She screamed when I put her on her feet and and limped along when I tried to get her to walk. I was worried - isn't it the joints that are the first to go when something is serious? I made sure that she wasn't just playing, then I rushed her down to the doctor. After a while she started hobbling around, and after examining her, the doc said she should be fine, but just to keep an eye on her. She has been a bit whingy all day, and went to bed really early, but I think she is going to be fine.

Did I overeact you think? What would you have done? Maybe it is first child syndrome. :)

I'm obsessed

2007-10-10T03:11:00.000-07:00

with smelly candles at the moment. Nice smelly candles in case that wasn't obvious. :)

Toilet trained - sort of!

2007-10-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Charley is getting really close to being toilet trained! On Monday she did all her wees and poos in the toilet despite being out and about all day. Yesterday wasn't so good with a couple of accidents, but she is getting really good at going to the toilet anywhere we are. I bought this really cool portable toilet seat that folds up and I keep in my handbag (is that a toilet in your handbag or are you just happy to see me?) and we go at the shop, yesterday at the doctors and when we go visiting.

I am guessing that there will always be the odd accident for years to come, but we are getting there. My little girl is getting so big - I want another one!! :)

getting close to launch!

2007-10-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

To the new mumspace release that is! I don't usually blog about this stuff on my mumspace, but am starting to get really excited! It has taken us so much longer than we thought, mainly because of unexpected happenings, such as illness, sickness, and ailments!!

Everything is set to change - for the better. The interface, the design, the way you do things - everything is hopefully going to be so much easier!

Along with all of this will come a new design, which we are in the process of writing the brief for. To be honest I have absolutely no idea what it is going to look like, so am looking forward to seeing what our designers come up with.

Our current deadline is the end of October, so hopefully come then you will start seeing some the transfer over to the new platform and the new design!

In the meantime, we are starting to think about getting testers on board to check out the new functionality in its raw form and make sure not only that it works, but that it is in fact easy to use. If you are interested in helping us out, let me know!

Counting the sleeps! (or lack of.... ) :)

Getting back on track

2007-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

Ah, starting to re-emerge into the real world today. Have Charley home with me which is nice cause I have missed her and our little daily routine. Still a bit under the weather but getting there. :)

One thing I always really notice when I am sick or things are a bit mad is how important routines are to adults as they are to children. I am always so thrown when I am out of routine! I am used to going to the gym in the morning, doing a bit of shopping, coming home for lunch and a rest for Charley and then back into play etc in the afternoon. The last few weeks has all been about rest rest rest, so I am looking forward to getting back into some of the normal stuff next week hopefully!!

SO SO SICK!

2007-10-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

Well it seems that the last two weeks of sickness have finally come to a head, and landed me in hospital yesterday with a raging fever, tonsilitis and other sorted excruciating pains.

Home today though, and trying to recover. Have some nice heavy duty antibotics that I am chewing down and hopefully this will get rid of the worst of it. Need to catch up on what everyone is doing, so that is first on my list when I can keep my eyes open for longer than 10 mins at a time!

On the plus side though at least I can put of having my wisdom teeth out til next week. :)

No rest for the mother

2007-09-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one this morning - but why don't mums get sick days?