Me time.................

It is such a rarity that I give myself time...for....just...whatever.  Being both a woman and a mum (brilliant deduction going on about now no doubt lol) it seems ingrained that to spend any time 'just' on 'me' is a shocking waste of my precious time and is designed to maximise one's guilt complex.  However today I find myself in such a rare position of utter nothingness that I had to force myself to use it as I wanted to.

 Over the weekend the King had to fly back to Darwin to finalise his work contract .......
*GULP, but we are NOT thinking about that today either*
........so the kids and I had a day out at the shops, just taking our time and then a delicious coffee and a play (I must admit I caved in to the McCafe which just goes to show you can have ideals and be a normal person who needs some time out too.......without feeling too much  like a big fat hypocrite......actually it helps if you park with your 'kill the clown' stickers facing away from the front door) then came home and flicked the kids around like giant dusters, opened a new box of pot pourri (at least the place SMELLS clean, so I'm halfway there) and had bedroom cleaning races...so the place is presentable, and no need for me to spend the day cleaning for once.

And so I find myself with time to do.........ANYTHING..................I......................WANT!  *dizzy grin*

So, I have banished the guilt fairy and enjoyed an awesome day off to potter around, went for a window shop, have taken the dog for a walk in lovely winter sun, planted some more herbs for our kitchen garden, tidied up (its embedded sadly), now time for a cup of tea and a bit of a daydream before my nap (night duty tonight).....ahhhhhhhhhh.

It has struck midday and funnily enough, I haven't shrivelled into a prune, or turned into a troll (well any bigger than this morning anyway), DOCS havent shown up to demand to know why there are dishes in the sink and better still we are off to Mum's for dinner tonight so no need to organise anything.

I think I am going to love Daydream Mondays from now on.

I hope you have some time out for yourself this week too.

x

Bad mummy.................to be or not to be?

Today when I got home from a morning shift, I found a gaggle of the 'kids from the block' hanging around our front porch and our apparently uber cool ever so slight hill, which presents many options for a gleefull afternoon on scateboards or scooters or just plain old goofing around.  Infact, now that I see it so well loved, I can't see how we looked past this hillock in the first place.  It made my heart sing to see my kids just being kids and playing with the neigbours and all being OUTSIDE.  BEING KIDS, OUTSIDE.....

After the obligatory snack and drink offers, the kids have all gone their separate ways after hours of playing together (or 'hanging out' as I have been instructed to say by my daughter) and one straggler encouraged our kids to go to the local soccer oval for a kick.  The problem is.....it's *slightly* out of sight.  SO, I have to trust them, or rather trust myself that I have given them the necessary life skills to be safe and look after one another. 

I have slight heart palpitations...helped somewhat by the 'medicinal' redwine the King just poured me.  He also kindly reminded me that this is why we moved...so that the kids COULD get out from behind their 6 foot chain mesh fence and learn to be kids again, in a small wholesome community.    But, it begs the question from my ever guilt ridden mind ( I REALLY should have been born Catholic, I would be great in confession)  am I a BAD MUMMY for letting them do this?

Inspired by the writing of the blogger Free Range Kid (http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/s), and my own beliefs (namely that kids need to be able to learn to be kids!) I am trying to loosen the rope a little.  What do you think?








Ok.......I'm not proud to admit it, but moments after posting this I caved in and had to go and have a peep at my babies.   Oh well, something to work on ;)

Sunshine, scooters and thistle fairies............

What a beautiful day...............after a difficult start lol.  Yesterday we woke up seemingly in the throes of hell, the squids had woken up at a hideous 5am and it was too cold and too bleeping early to get up dammit (read NOT a morning person here....and believe me I HAVE tried), but there was a war raging which would have made the neighbours cringe (they have since politely 'pretended' not to have heard them as I have sheepishly apologised) and not even the UN could draw up a treaty.   I am surprised by the utter nastiness and almost blood thristy violence that goes on at times between siblings, though I am fightened to ask my brothers for support to this statement ......just incase their memory is *ahem* somewhat different from mine.....it was a hard day from start to finish.  I then had a difficult Nightduty to contend with at the nursing home with a nurse who just between you me and the fence post is OFF THE PLANET.  I came home expecting the ghoulish screams of sibling hatred to pierce my ears as I walked through the front door, only to find them happily playing 'checks' (chequers) together....so it seems the treaty has been temporarily reached.

So...off to a better start, I fell into a deep sleep lulled by the sounds of household harmony, to wake and find it hadn't been a dream afterall...my kids were actually lovely today......

To celebrate, we all pulled on our sneakers to bask in the winter sunshine and go for a walk together...

kick kick swooosh....our kids flying past on their scooters with huge smiles on thier faces said it all, this should be done more often.  The scooters have been a great form of free entertainment for the King and I aswell, as they are so damned FUNNY when they try to do tricks and concentrate to go fast.....

and then I found a thistle fairy on the way home, stopped to pick it and make a wish....

Thanks Mother Universe ;)