Thursday, March 27

Thankful Thursday - The Birthday Edition

Thankful Thursday with APLThere was little doubt about where to start with my thanks for this week. After celebrating my thirty sixth birthday on Sunday it goes without saying that is where most of my thanks lies this week.

Firstly I am thankful for all the lovely new running gear that Mr Awesome and the girls got me. There is nothing more motivating that some new clothes to get a runner out on the road. Particularly if said clothes are a little tighter than what one would normally purchase.

Thankfully there was more motivational presents than tight clothing. Mr A also got me a Fitbit writs strap. Which in short is a super flash pedometer. Not necessarily the Garmin I was hoping for but incredibly cool nonetheless. While it doesn't keep track of my fastest five km's or do anything of the like, it does keep track of how many steps I walk (or run) as well as letting me know when I have reached various daily goals and whether any of my steps were particularly faster than others.

It also tracks my sleeping patterns, how many calories I have used as well as a food and water intake diary. The best bit is that there is a website and phone app to help me keep track of it all and compare one day to the next. All of which I am a bit thankful for because it really is a great motivator.


Other birthday thanks include having a wonderful day with my beautiful family and a few special friends. We spent the day at the wave pool and had lunch at the pub nearby. The only disappointing part was that the pub didn't know how to make mojitos. Though since I am meant to be a non drinker these days I guess I shouldn't have seen it so much as a disappointment as a message.

The thing I have loved most about the whole birthday thing though was that it lasted longer than just the one day. A beautiful friend took me out to lunch today as a birthday present. Another gave me a voucher to use at a beading workshop in a week or so. I really feel so blessed to have such thoughtful and giving people in my life.

I am also super thankful to all the kind hearted people who took the time to send me birthday wishes in one form or another. It really is all about the little things. As Kids Business Communications knows. Their little birthday card and notebook in the mail really made my day.

Now for some random and non birthday related thanks


  • the teachers at Lovely's school who stayed back after hours for parent teacher interview
  • the community at Zany's school that is rallying together to raise funds for a family who had their house burnt down last week
  • the fact that my ultrasound came back with the words no sinister lesions
  • my textbook finally arriving
  • frozen meals hidden in the freezer
  • having this post featured in this week's Digital Parents Newsletter
  • not working full time hours
  • a good nights sleep
  • being able to type this up in the air-conditioned bedroom on our shiny new laptop
  • discovering Webmaster Tools
  • editing some html code on the blog and managing not to delete the entire blog. Whether I fixed the actual errors I was hoping to still remains to be seen, but for now that is ok.
What about you? What are you thankful this week?


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Tuesday, March 25

It's my birthday (or at least it was)

As I write this I am one hour and eleven minutes into my thirty sixth birthday. By the time you are reading it though I imagine it is quite a few days after this fabulous day.
Note the coffee in the background?
A true sign of getting old

I should quite possibly be in bed but sleep eludes me at the moment. Or perhaps it is more a case of I refuse to give into it. Which is a bit silly because I am supposed to have a rather action packed day ahead of me.

Birthdays are a super exciting event in our house. Though I imagine that to be true in most households. Age has always been but a number to me so I have no qualms about getting older. In fact in some ways I quite like the idea because with age comes experience and knowledge. Two things I have always longed for.

Having said that though I do have a few reservations this year. All of which revolve around the silly blood clot in my arm. I can't help but feel that I am still too young to have such a thing. The fact that there is still no real explanation concerns me. The fact that one possible explanation is some obscure type of breast cancer concerns me even more.

Concerns however that will hopefully be alleviated Monday when I have my long awaited ultrasound. When I say long awaited I mean less than a month but it feels so much longer. You see I haven't really mentioned it too much here, for fear of being called out on my stupidity. But I have this crazy crazy fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer. With it's terrifying odds it feels like such a possibility. Mind you having just gone and read through that statistic page I just linked to I am currently feeling a little better about it all.

My wonderful doctors, have assured me that the ultrasound is just to give me peace of mind. After a good feel a few weeks ago the specialist is certain that the bumps I can feel are perfectly normal. All part of the monthly cycle and related purely to hormones.

Sitting here with breasts tender than I can ever recall I struggle to find comfort in their words.

However if there is one thing that I have witnessed from all the courageous women I have witnessed battle this awful disease, it is to live life to the fullest.

Get out and make the most of not just each and every day, but each and every moment.

Which in many ways is why I am sitting here typing away now. Making the most of the peace and quiet before me. The fact that sitting up meant I could get all the washing out of the way may also have had something to do with it but at least there shouldn't be any arguments from Zany about not having any clothes to wear.

Bless her little heart. She is quite taken with wearing skorts. In fact it is all she has worn for around two years now. Only she is on the cusp of the dreaded size change over in clothes and apparently skorts are no longer available in her size. The onset of winter does not make things easier either.

For now though the urge to sleep has just about reached the point where I can no longer resist. Which is a good thing. I had hoped to be up early for a run. I like to start my birthday day with a run. Since we are planning on spending the day at the Wave Pool though I may forgo the run for a bit of extra shut eye this year.
Joining in with #IBOT
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Monday, March 24

The difference of a year

This time last year I had just come to the end of the first real extended "me time" in nearly twelve whole years. I had selfishly abandoned my duties as a mother for an entire week. Leaving the children in the more than capable hands of their father. During my time away I had taken part in activities that were of benefit to no one other than myself.

I honestly couldn't even recall the last time I did such a thing. If in fact I ever had, well at least since becoming a mother.

So what was it that I was doing?

I had jumped on a plane and flown pretty much to the other end of the country to attend a conference. Specifically the Digital Parents Conference.

Looking back now I can't quite recall why I thought it was so important that I was there, but I did. And as such I pretty much moved heaven and earth to make it happen.

Perhaps it was because I expected it to be a life changing event?

One in which I saw my blog being discovered for all the wonders that I believed it to hold. Of course I am not saying it was not a life changing event, because even in the smallest of ways I think it was. It was not however the moment that launched me, or my blog into stardom.

Which to start with I must say I was a little disappointed about. Now however, not so much. Now with the passage of time and experience behind me I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that my blog reaching stardom is not the be all and end all I once thought it was.

The best thing about travelling so far and putting myself in a lot of rather uncomfortable situations, despite my stardom not being reached, was getting to met some rather love people. Particularly this one. As much as I love living in my tropical paradise there are not nearly enough wonderful people like her in it. Or maybe there are and I haven't found them, though I doubt it, because she really is a one of kind, kind of awesome chick.

While I would still love for my awesomeness to be discovered by the world at large, I realise that it probably won't. And in so many ways I am ok with that. Sure I am disappointed but I can accept it for what it is. I can also see how far I have come. Which, in case you were wondering is a bloody long way.

When I first started this whole blogging gig I never got any comments. Not one. Though I also didn't have any readers, so that quite possibly had something to do with it. It was all so incredibly disheartening. Being so certain I had words of wisdom to share with the world at large yet my voice remained unheard. Now at least I know that for the most part someone somewhere reads whatever I spew forth here. Which is incredibly nice.

However I also know that whether anyone reads or not I just need to write. Whether the words are full of wisdom or not, I need to free them from inside me.

I don't need to travel to the other end of the country to be surrounded by people I am too intimidated to talk to. I don't need to worry about what every one else is doing or how they are doing it. I don't need to know what is seen as the way to do things.

The best way to do it, is my way. Always has been, I just possibly never realised it till now.




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Saturday, March 22

Snapshots of Us - Week 12

As you can well imaging I feeling all kinds of impressed with myself right now. You see by some miracle I have managed to get two Snapshots of Us out in as many weeks. Go me right?

Though in all fairness I did happen to just quickly snap these yesterday while we shared a pre birthday breakfast at the golden arches.


A rare shot of Mr Awesome. He is rather anti his photo being taken, always has been. Though he is well aware and ok with the fact that I share this snap of him.

Lovely, is as always looking radiant. I do love it when I can catch her before she has a chance to pose.


Zany however had plenty of chance to pose. As did Teapot. Have I mentioned how they make my heart melt?


Oh and then there is me. I took this photo with every intention of sharing it for #nomakeupselfie Which over the past few days has taken the inter webs and social media by storm. I first heard about n the McGrath Foundation Facebook page when they shared this post



Since then my newsfeed has been filled with beautiful women baring their gorgeous faces. For me a #nomakeupselfie was not so much of a big deal, I don't even have make up in the house let alone wear it. I know for many though this simple act was a giant step outside their comfort zone.

One thing that surprised me though was the number of people who said it was a terrible way to create a discussion about breast cancer. Maybe they are right, maybe they are not, I don't really know. I know that I was surprised by it though.

Apparently in twenty four hours over in the UK they managed to raise over a million pound for breast cancer research from those who shared a #nomakeupselfie. The idea being that if you post a #nomakeupselfie you also make a donation. Which you can do here if you so desire.

How do you feel about it? Is is a good or bad way to spread the breast cancer awareness message?

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Thursday, March 20

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday with APLThis Thursday I had planned to write my post a little differently. On Sunday  I thought it would be a great idea to write down all my thanks as I came across them, that way come Wednesday night, I wouldn't have to sit staring at a blank screen wondering what to write.

Of course though, my thoughts didn't reach past the thinking stage.

Mind you I also didn't sit staring at a blank screen on Wednesday night wondering what to write. Instead I find myself, blurry eyed Thursday morning trying to come up with something worthy of sharing.

Regular readers would probably be aware that I am currently doing two weeks of full time work. This is the second week and as thankful as I am for the opportunity to earn some extra money I will also be super thankful to just go back to the twenty or so hours I originally signed up for. Yesterday saw me pull and eleven hour day, which is just crazy I can tell you and is the reason why this post didn't get written earlier.

So what am I thankful for this week?

Well, I am thankful that I have just about gotten over my little meltdown about not being nominated for the same stupid competition that every other blogger and their dog seems to have been nominated for. Again. The same thing happened to me last year as well and I was sure that I would have coped better about missing out this year. But no. Turns out my feelings were still slashed to discover I was left out. Again.

Sigh.

One of the things that helped me get over it though was the abundance of comments on my Facebook page on a post I had written about taking the good with the bad. For those of you who missed it I had gone to FB to share my joy in someone adding me to their Twitter Good Writers list. Which in the scheme of things is not necessarily much, just the opinion of one person. Nonetheless it made me feel rather special and left me grinning from ear to ear when I read the notification. To me life really is about the small things some days.

Anyways it was all short lived because when I got to FB I got a notification of a comment left on a photo saying I was pathetic. Suddenly the small things had to stop mattering. As did the opinion of just one person. Thankfully I was able to let it roll of like water on a duck's back. The influx of kind and supportive comments helped with this of course.

I was thankful to see this just when I needed to

Moving on though because as always I do have plenty to be thankful for like

  • having a rather lovely massage on Saturday
  • Mr Awesome purchasing a rather gorgeous Mac Book in preparation for our trip of a lifetime
  • a sleep in Sunday morning
  • McDreamy telling me I no longer have to inject myself because my levels are at the right mark
  • getting paid
  • having dinner under control when I unexpectedly had to work late last night
  • having a hot tradie install a new air conditioner in the girls' bedroom
  • being able to put our clothes in the dryer over night so we have clean uniforms for the next day
  • Mr Awesome totally understanding me making comments about hot tradies and McDreamy
  • cuddles with Teapot
  • actually making it to school early once this week
  • finding the most beautiful birthday card to send to my sister
  • unlocking the safe at work on the first attempt more than once
  • it being Thursday, making tomorrow Friday and the end of the week nigh.
  • all the beautiful bloggers that take the time to be thankful






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Monday, March 17

Writers Reveal - People of the Past, Characters of the Future

This month's Writer's Reveal prompt comes from JC, who writes over at The Wolfe's Den. Now just between you and me JC is a pretty awesome writer. In fact I think she may even be like a real writer and have actually been published in places other than her own website. Unlike some of us

Anyway as you can imagine with all the real writer stuff behind her she is super organised and gave out the prompt for March weeks and weeks ago.  Which by the way is a rather impressive prompt as well.
People of the Past, Characters of the Future

When I first saw the prompt my heart may have stopped beating a little and my chest tightened quite a lot. I had no idea on how I could possibly tackle this. So naturally I left it all to the last minute. Well actually only nearly the last minute because somewhere on Monday (the day before reveal day) I suddenly had a flash of brilliance.

For as long as I have wanted to be a writer (which is about since the age of fourteen) I have been certain that my book would essentially be a recount of various aspects of my life. Not necessarily because I have had an amazing life but more so because I have have a way with words and I am sure I can make it somewhat entertaining. Maybe.

Anyway it finally hit me that to tackle JC's prompt I could just write about someone from my past. (duh)



While the possibilities were almost endless it was actually a bit of a no brainer on who and what to choose. You see fifteen years ago, to the day, my life suddenly took an unexpected swing. So unexpected that I didn't even know it was swinging until well after it had happened. My life changed forever and while it didn't directly send me to where I am now it was the starting point.

Of course little I do ever goes to plan, which I am fairly ok with but it means my initial thought of what to share never quite made it out of my head. Not that, that is a bad thing because it gave me a chance to set the scene and develop it all a little. It also means that I have a current stream to work on.

To find out how it all starts though you are going to need to pop on over to my Fiction Blog 

Also make sure you pop on over and read how everyone else decided to tackle this great prompt

Melissa Writes
Have a laugh on me

Also joining in with Essentially Jess for #IBOT
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The Interview

Image with thanks to tsk and found here
The butterflies in Sally's stomach were fluttering at break neck speeds. Two weeks before her twenty first birthday and this was her first ever real job interview.

Sure she may have been working since just before she turned fourteen, but she hadn't needed to interview for it and after seven years with the same company she had more than found her comfort zone. One that right now she was wondering why she felt the need to leave.

Nervous didn't even begin to describe how she felt as she approached the door. Taking a deep breath she pushed against it and walked on through. Her heart was beating so fast it felt as if it may very well burst on through her chest.

As she approached the empty counter her eyes scanned the room. None of it was quite as she expected. Hanging on the walls in a rather haphazard and disorderly fashion were a few mobile phone accessories. Sally had been expecting an interview with a leading telecommunication agency to become their newest sales manager. She was now wondering exactly how leading they really were.

"Hello" Sally called out towards the back room.

"Coming" a female voice called back.

Sally heard a chair scrape across the floor followed by the shuffle of footsteps. An overweight woman appeared in the door way and walked to behind the counter. Her clothes were of a bright floral pattern and looked like they belonged on a hawaiian holiday. The amount of make up on her face could easily have been shared amongst fifteen teenagers.

"How can I help you?" The woman asked in a less than helpful tone.

"My name is Sally I have an interview at..." Sally started but, was distracted by a man who was pacing around the back room while on the phone.

"...f*&k no!!" he yelled into the handset

Sally looked back at the woman, suddenly forgetting the rest of her sentence.

"Oh that's right dear, so you do" The woman's demeanour suddenly changing. "Just take a seat, he shouldn't be too long and then he will be right with you" she continued as she motioned to an empty chair for Sally to sit in.

"Thanks" Sally stammered as she made her way over to the chair and sat herself down. Exhaling a breath she hadn't realised she was holding on to. The butterflies eased off somewhat.

Sitting there looking around at what she assumed was some sort of show room Sally couldn't help but hear the man's booming voice as he continued on his call. She wondered who he was possibly talking to. Every other word seemed to be f*&k. By the time the call had ended Sally's nerves had well and truly dispersed. This interview was by no means going to be as intimidating as what she had imagined it to be.

"Hi I'm Will" the man said as he appeared from the back room "you must be Sally, thanks for coming in and sorry about all of that" he went on. Waving his hand in the air as if to just dismiss all the profanities Sally had heard

Sally jumped to her feet and suddenly felt the butterflies return.

She couldn't help but notice the way Will seemed to look at her. His eyes never leaving her and half a smile on his face. It created a stirring in her that she wasn't too sure on how to interpret.

Determining age by appearance had never been one of Sally's strong points, but she figured that Will had to be at least thirty, probably even close to forty. Despite numerous crows feet around his eyes though there was still something rather dashing and youthful about Will.

His light blue business shirt had been freshly ironed. Crinkles were begin to form from the wear of the day. His grey slacks still had firm crease lines and she couldn't help but notice the shiny black shoes he wore. While he may not have sounded much like a business man on the phone two minutes ago, he certainly looked the part.

"Come on through and have a chat" Will said as he led the way to the back room, readjusting his pants and tucking his shirt in again as he went.

The back room was much more office looking than where they had just been. There were a number of desks with chairs on either side. Some had computers that looked like they may well have been some of the first PC's ever invented.

Will sat down behind a desk and offered Sally a chair on the opposite side.

"So tell me a bit about yourself and why you want to come and sell my phones" Will said with a smile while staring right into Sally's eyes. Something she found a tad unnerving yet sexy all at once.

Sally may only have been young but she was old enough to know that she was not exactly what most would call ugly. In fact quite the opposite. While exercise was not something she regularly took part in, spending most weekends dancing at nightclubs had helped keep her enough in shape to not worry about too much flab.

Her brown hair was highlighted with various shades of fire engine red through it. A year or so earlier she had shaved all of her hair off, but it had now grown so there was a enough length to style it into a rather funky do. Sally liked the way she could get bits of it to stick out everywhere or slick it back. Depending of course on how the mood took her. It really was hair for any occasion.

Today she had opted for a combination of the two. Slightly slicked down at the front with spiky bits at the back. The kind of hair that said I am hip and young but I have a mature grown up aspect to me as well. Or at least that is what she thought it said. Which to Sally was all that mattered. Sally had a tendency to exude confidence despite not  necessarily always possessing it.

Once she started talking the words just started to flow from Sally's mouth. She explained how while she loved her old job she knew there was more she could do. As a small family business, that the family was still heavily involved with, she knew there was only so far she could go and given her ambitious desires to go far in life she needed to look for something else.

A brief stint as a temp with the biggest national telecommunication company had shown her that she didn't need to go too big too soon but she most certainly wanted to work within the telecommunications industry. It was an innovative and exciting new area that would be bound to change the way that people lived their lives.

By the end of the interview Sally felt completely at ease. She again found herself scrutinising Will's appearance. He had a certain charm that she couldn't quite put her finger on. There was something very manly and grown up about him. Unlike the boys that she lived with.

"Well I think that is about it for now" Sally heard Will say. "Thanks for coming in, it was lovely to meet you, we will be in contact shortly, make sure Janet has your number" he went on as pointed to the lady in the floral outfit.

"Oh, ok, thank you" Sally replied as she stood up. Slightly disappointed that she had not been offered the job on the spot. Everything had seemed so positive while they were talking her inexperienced mind had just assumed the job was hers for the taking.

Walking out the door Sally turned to close it behind her. It had a glass window in the middle of it and she found herself looking through it staring at Will, who just happened to be staring right back at her. Perhaps there was still a chance the job was hers after all.

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Sunday, March 16

Snapshots of Us - Weeks 10 & 11

When I started this whole Snapshots of Us idea I was adamant that I would be able to maintain the weekly update thing. After all how hard could it be to make sure that I took a snapshots of us all every week?

Apparently the answer is very.

Last week again saw me with out a post, though I did have a few photos of myself that I could have used. This week saw me madly rushing out to where the girls were just playing to get a few snaps of them. Which is fine enough I guess but not really the true spirit of things. Lucky I am not a stickler for rules.

As always it has been an actioned packed few weeks.

In my last Snapshot update I mentioned that I finally had the long awaited specialist appointment. Turned out that the appointment at the hospital was with the same doctor I had the private appointment with. So I only ended going to the first one. Which was great because it introduced me to my new GP. Who in case you missed it earlier is very McDreamy. Handy since I have to seem him rather regularly for the next few months.

Sadly I still need to be injecting myself though hopefully Tuesday will see the end of that. Leaving me taking daily doses of wafrin till September.

Yesterday we looked at our first caravan to take away on our trip of a life time. I don't think it was the one for us as the price was a little high for what it was but it was certainly fun to start looking.

We did however make one purchase in preparation for the trip. A lovely new Macbook. I am not sure yet whether it is mine as an early birthday present or whether I have to share it with Mr A. either it is lovely and super inspirational for getting some writing done.

Speaking of our trip of a life time, I have been trying to think of a great hashtag for it. Any suggestions?

Last weekend saw Mr Awesome and I escape our parenting responsibilities for the night and spend the night in a hotel room. All thanks to his company I might add. I made the most of the child free time with


a run, followed by


a bath with a glass of wine

Me all dolled up.
It's a shame I didn't think to take a full body selfie, in the dress I got when I was 21!
The past week has seen me enter the perils joys of full time work. I am beyond thankful that it is only for two weeks. To say we are not coping is somewhat of an understatement. I can't help but wonder if it is the mindnumbingness of the job that is driving me up the wall more than the inability to create enough organisation for everything to run smoothly at home. Either way it made for a long week.

Once again Lovely has had all her electronic connections removed. An email from the school and a letter in the mail let me know her behaviour has been leaving a lot to be desired. On the upside though the free time she now finds herself with allows her more time to play with her sisters. Which apparently involves exercising.




Though Teapot was more interested in trying to get into the pool than playing over on the grass. And given the heat of the day, who can really blame her?

I think that is about it for now. Well actually it has to be about it for now. Mr A has just taken the girls  to trade in some old PS3 games and then to Bunnings for some new door handles. Which is more trip preparation.

A lovely new air conditioning unit was installed in the girls bedrooms yesterday which means they need to be able to close their door properly. Which they haven't been able to do for a while since constant slamming broke the handle quite some time ago. As we will be renting the unit out while we are away we need to make sure everything is in tip top shape.

I escaped the trip under the pre tense of needing to do food shopping. Which is not really a pre tense because I really do need to go food shopping. Which just quietly I am less than excited about because every man and his dog seem to need to do the same on a Sunday afternoon.

Sigh.

When do you do your food shopping?
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Thursday, March 13

Thankful for electricity and the lack of it

Thankful Thursday with APL Wednesday morning saw me waking up slightly after one thirty to discover there was no electricity. Thankfully it wasn't the hottest of nights and nor is it the most uncommon event at this time of year so I didn't think much of it and rolled right back over and went to sleep. 

Before long the children had woken up and felt the need to let me know there was no power. Not something I was particularly thankful for, but what can you do? After a few rounds of musical beds we finally decided on the coolest room and settled down for the rest of the night. 

When morning finally dawned we were still without electricity. Only it wasn't just our little suburb, it was the entire city and stretched for nearly 400km. Again not something to be overly thankful for. At least not on the surface. 
image thanks to the NT News Facebook page

By the time it became clear that the power would not becoming on any time soon and schools were closed for the day I was starting to feel a little thankful. I was even more thankful for the fact we have a gas cooker and were still able to heat up water for some coffee. Something my mother was also thankful for as her house is all electric.

Since mum was over so bright and early in the morning, she decided to tackle the disaster zone that is (or at least was) my house. As thankful as I am to have the opportunity for full time hours (and pay) for two weeks, even after two days it is evident the housework is not coping with my absence. I was supremely thankful for mum being a driving force is sorting out some of the mess.

Mind you I would have been even more thankful if we could have tackled some of the washing as well, but as I seem to be saying a lot lately, you can't win 'em all.

As the day wore on I found myself becoming thankful for a fridge with great seals and the ability to remain cool, even without electricity. Same goes for the freezer. Other crazy little things I found my self thankful for included a second battery in the car meaning I could safely charge and use my phone and keep abreast of all the news. Thankfully the news services here did a fantastic job of keeping Facebook updated with all that was going on.

While some suburbs had their power restored as early as 9.30, thankfully where I live was not one of them. I say thankfully because if I had of been I would have had to go to work and I was quickly become accustomed to the idea of a day off. Despite that meaning I would not get paid.

By the time power was restored at home it was nearly one o'clock, making it nearly twelve whole hours without electricity. Work had been turned on a little earlier so off I went. Thankfully, Mr Awesome, who had been at work all morning, was now home and able to hang in the clean house with the girls.

As much as I was settling into the whole having a day off thing I was also quite thankful to escape for a few hours. After a night of little sleep and a morning of cleaning and no electricity the girls were all a bit grouchy so it was nice not to deal with them for the afternoon.

Thankfully for the time being at least it appears as if the problem has been fixed. Even more to be thankful for is that it was only twelve hours that we had to make do without power. It was a great chance for the girls to realise just how lucky we are to have the wonders of electricity. Something that for the most part I think we all take for granted.

What about you? What are you thankful for today?




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Tuesday, March 11

Tom Ronald The Monkey Dog

 It's a funny thing being a blogger. Especially one such as myself that for the most part shares whatever random thoughts just happens to be floating between my ears at any particular point in time.

Over time I have realised this place that I have created here at A Parenting Life is not the hub of parenting advice and knowledge that I originally envisaged it to be. Instead it is a candid reflection on my life. Which I am by no means complaining about. In fact quite the opposite. I love the fact that I have this collection of my thoughts to look back and reminisce on.

When something big happens in my life I immediately want to share it here. Generally I don't give it a second thought and share away. Taking comfort that the event is safely recorded. Recently, well on Friday actually, something big happened in our lives. As yet I haven't shared it because sadly it is a heartbreakingly sad thing and quite frankly I am a bit over myself whinging and carrying on about all my worries.

Only it just doesn't feel right not sharing it.

In fact it feels somewhat disrespectful to just omit and exclude our pain and sadness.

So sorry if you were hoping for rainbows and happiness today because you ain't going to find it here.

Tom Ronald The Monkey Dog
(called the Monkey Dog on account of the noise he would make when happy)
2004-2014
On Friday Mr Awesome and I had to make the heartbreaking decision to put our beloved pooch down. Feeling like the worst person in the world doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about it.
Despite knowing that in so many ways it was for the best and that he is no longer suffering it still sucks big hairy balls. Watching my poor babies grieve makes it all even worse.

At the beginning of the week I had thought that something wasn't quite right with the old fella but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. In hindsight I think that maybe he had been looking at me with pleading eyes for even longer but caught up in my own woes I was ignorant to it all. By Thursday there was no doubt that something wasn't right so I insisted that Mr Awesome take him to the vets.

Which he did. He returned with a range of different pills and a follow up appointment on Tuesday. Initially we had thought he was suffering from a severe bout of blocked bowels. The vet however pointed out that it was probably more likely to be related to his prostate. Since he was the one that had been to doggie medical school we went with his idea.

By the time Friday morning came along there was no doubt that the problem was with his prostate/penis area. The pool of blood dripping from him was a bit of a giveaway really. Thankfully (for me) Mr A had popped home for a car change so I insisted that he drop everything and go back to the vets. Which he readily agreed to and did just that.

You know how sometimes your brain just goes and thinks silly things?

Well this was one of those times for me. As Mr A was gently coercing Tom out the front door and into the car I suddenly had the urge to tell the girls to give Tom a cuddle and say goodbye to him. They were home from school due to a teachers strike. Not wanting to be over dramatic or worry them I decided not to make too much of a big deal about it and they said goodbye in the same manner as if they was just going for a walk

As much as we love our dog we are sadly not made of money. A point which Mr A let the vet know when he arrived. We have heard some horror stories of vet bills and couldn't face a thousands of dollars bill. The vet, who was different to the one they saw the day before, said he totally understood and would be able to investigate the situation without X-rays and only a minor procedure.

Within a few hours the vet had called with the news.

He still wasn't sure exactly what was wrong just that it wasn't good. Far from it in fact. He could operate and investigate further however he still couldn't guarantee he would be able to fix whatever was wrong.

Given his age of ten years and the lack of hope from the vet it honestly felt like there was little option. It seemed like the most humane thing to do.

Thankfully there was enough time for me to take the girls in to say their goodbyes. Though the vet and my mother did question whether that really was the best thing to do. I had no doubt that it was. While the girls were upset as they sat with him and stroked him I think they would have been even more upset to have not had that opportunity. I know I was glad to be able to see him one more time.

He was so much more than just a pet or just a dog. He was our friend and companion, a protector and guard and he is so sorely missed. The house feels empty without him. So so empty. I almost don't want to open the back door anymore because it is such a horrid reminder that he is gone.

Even now as I sit here writing at some ridiculous hour in the morning, I am only too aware that he is not sitting by my side as he once did. Keeping me company while I tap away at my keyboard.

For now though I must go sleep. Which just between you and me is easier said than done. You see there is a part of me that can't help but feel I asked for this to happen in some crazy way.

A few months ago a friend asked me what we would be doing with Tom when we go away. I flippantly replied with a comment about maybe he would die before then. In much the same way I made an offhand comment about Mr A's grandma passing and leaving us a heap of cash when asked how we would fund our trip.

How both those statements haunt me now. Yes that's right Grandma passed away as well.

One of those I can't sigh enough moments.

But enough of that. Let's end on a slightly happier note. A few years ago I wrote about It's a dog's life



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Monday, March 10

I must confess I was a terrible linky host last week

My Home Truths
As you are probably well aware on Thursdays I host a little linky called Thankful Thursday. Taking it on has been one of my bloggy dreams come true.

I love that it encourages people to stop and think about what they have to be thankful for. Actually I love that it makes me stop and think what I am thankful for as well. Some days are much easier than others and it is the harder days to find thanks that I am generally the most grateful to have made myself stop and think about it.

It is kinda like stopping to smell the roses I guess. Even when there aren't necessarily any to be smelt.

image found here

As there are generally only a handful of bloggers that join in I am able to go and read each and every one of them. I also tend to tweet the links and then pin them to a Pinterest Thankful Thursday board. I was sharing on Google as well but due to me not having a Google button on my web browser and not enough people having a Google share button on their posts I stopped.

Last week however I must confess I didn't do any of that.

In fact it wasn't until very late on Sunday night that I even got around to commenting on the posts that had joined in. Which makes me feel all kinds of bad I can tell you.

I mean if bloggers can go to the trouble of writing a post about their thanks and then linking it up the very least I can do is have a read and leave a comment isn't it? After all the other thing I love about hosting Thankful Thursday is the community that it is creating. And we all know blog communities are only created by sharing lots of comment love.

Between going to the dentist, working and then the poor old dog, I just couldn't make the time to sit at the computer. Much to my disappointment I assure you. And while I know that chances are everyone is completely understanding of all of this I still needed to get it off my chest so to speak.

So there you have it. A terrible blog host I was. And with two weeks of full time work kicking off today I am not sure this week will be much better. Fingers and toes crossed that children go to bed nice and early Thursday night and I can do it then.

Got something you need to get off your chest? Join in here Well at least for this week while the lovely Kirsty puts her feet up and takes care of herself xx
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Saturday, March 8

Things I Know About Being Vague and All Over the Place

 I know that right now I am not sure if blogging is quite what I should be doing.

I know that most times when I sit down to blog I wonder if it is what I should be doing.

I know that I generally don't go and do all those things that I should be doing anyway so I may as well get my blogging on.

I know that I really do love blogging. With my whole heart in fact.

I know that there is something I really want to share but I just can't find the words to do the topic justice.

I know that in time I will, so I guess till then you will just have to bare with me as I fumble around trying to find them.

I know that right now my heart is filled with an immense sadness.

I know that you should always be weary of what you wish for.

I know that so often I hear of other people's heartache and I wonder what right I have to be sad of my own.

Deep down though I know it is all relative and we all have equal rights to wallow in our own heartaches. The trick lies in how deep we wallow.


I know that I am terribly sorry to all those who have joined in with Thankful Thursday this week. I have not yet read or shared your wonderful posts.

I know that I have a valid reason for this and I promise I will get there. I just don't know when.

I know that tonight Mr Awesome and I have a child free night, thanks to his work.

I know that for so many reasons I wish it were not the case.

I know that being a newly non-drinker is one of those reasons. There is nothing worse than free alcohol, lots of drunks and being sober.

I know that it is for my own good that I become a non-drinker.

I know that I have been practising in my head for days saying, I am a non-drinker.

I know that it will be easier said than done. Despite it not even being that easy to be said.

I know that it felt rather awesome to slip on a little black dress I got when I was 21 and have it fit.

I know that it is nearly time to go and check into the company paid hotel room.

I know that I hope there is a big bath in said room.

I know that I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and head over to this week's stand in Things I Know host and see what others know

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Thursday, March 6

Thankful Thursday


Thankful Thursday with APLAs it tends to do Thursday has once again become upon us and I am here sharing all that I am thankful for.

On account of feeling particularly blessed at this point in time it is rather hard to decide exactly where I want to start with my thanks this week.

Being incredibly tired may also have something to do with it. And is also the reason as to why I am opting for a bullet form type of thanks this week.


image from here

This week I am thankful for...

... the fact my private health insurance covered ALL of my dental bill last week. In fact I wasn't just thankful but surprised as well. I am hoping for a similar miracle today. Though I am not really expecting to be so lucky twice in a row.

...my wonderful mother who is the biggest help ever when it comes to looking after the girls when I need to work.

...all the super bloggers who joined in with Thankful Thursday last week. There were 13 in total, which I do believe is a bit of a record for me.

...finally seeing a specialist about my clot.

...discovering a new GP who just happens to be a bit on the McDreamy side of things.

...comfort and guidance from the fairies and friends that everything is as it should be.

...being told it is more than ok for me to get back to running. Not that I have actually done so yet due to working most nights this week, but at least I now know I can.

...Friday being a no school day for the children. It must be nearly the middle of term because the drag of the everyday school thing is starting to get to me.

...bedtime. Mine and the children's.

What about you? What are you thankful for this week?





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Tuesday, March 4

Everything happens for a reason

It is no secret that I am a bit of a fairy believer and comfortably put faith in higher powers taking care of everything. I am constantly looking for messages from the universe, signs from above and all kinds of crazy things to confirm that things are as they are meant to be. Sometimes the faith is easy to find and others I wonder how I could possibly believe such ridiculous notions.

As a regular reader you have probably heard me harp on a bit lately about having some health issues recently. Namely a rather large blood clot in the basilic vein of my left arm. I have been waiting nearly a month to see a specialist so that I can find a way forward and get my body to sort itself out.

Last week saw me melting down and demanding that my doctor give me another referral this time to see a private specialist in the hope that I would be seen sooner. It worked a treat because not only did the private specialist give me an appointment for a week's time but when I got home I found a letter from the hospital saying I finally had an appointment the day before my appointment with the private guy.

I did contemplate only taking the private appointment but then decided that the smart thing to do was to see them both. It was not like I had anything to lose and the thought of waiting an extra didn't set well with me at all.

Yesterday was appointment day at the hospital.

As it turned out the Doctor was the same guy that I had the private appointment with the following day. Which I found rather reassuring. It also turns out that he has a Registrar who doubles up as a GP at a clinic in the city.

Right from the onset of discovering the whole blood clot thing I knew that I would be needing to have regular doctor appointments. While my GP is ok, he is not actually someone I was keen on regularly seeing, despite the attractiveness of his bulk billing clinic. This new Registrar/GP dude though, well, I could quite happily see him daily, despite him not being in a bulk billing clinic.

Yes that's right I now have my very own McDreamy doctor
Image found here
I left the hospital feeling as if everything were as it were supposed to and I was right where I needed to be.

I needed to get that appointment with the private specialist so that when I saw him at the public hospital I had that little bit of extra confidence in him. And I needed to have the appointment at the public hospital so I could find this wonderful new GP who has a lot more knowledge on the whole blood clot thing than what my last GP did.

Crazy as it is I have even rationalised a reason behind the whole clot as well. As a result of the clot I am now in the process of looking after myself in a whole new way and ensuring I am taking the best care of my body possible. Without being too dramatic it has all been a bit of a wake up call to make sure I am making the most of my life.

And the reason behind this post? Well, that is easy, so I can join in the joys of IBOT

What about you? 
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? 
(Even if sometimes the reasons aren't so clear at first)


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Monday, March 3

Snapshots of Us Weeks 5-9

It always amazes me how quickly time flies. The whole idea of Snapshots of Us was so that I could keep track of time a little more and record how it had passed. Instead all it has done is rudely remind me that the weeks can easily slip away before my very eyes if I am not careful.

Oh and how terrible I am at taking regular photos of us all.

So here are the few photos that I did manage to snap of the last month.


Zany and Teapot had a measles scare. Thankfully it was all totally unfounded and nothing to worry about. However not so thankfully it just so happened to take place on my first day of work. Thankfully though Mr Awesome has plenty of sick leave up his sleeve and was able to take on the caring duties.


There are five years between Lovely and Zany and then four between Zany and Teapot. While they all get along (most of the time) the three of them actually playing together is a rare occurrence. On this particular day they weren't necessarily playing together so much as watching Lovely create stuff on Minecraft. There was lots of laughter and giggling that I just couldn't help but take a snap.

Sadly though Miss Teapot was only in her knickers, which for tropical born children is not exactly a rare thing but not really something I am comfortable sharing on here. As such I have blurred her out in this copy.


A dear friend launched his second book and it went without saying that we were in attendance at the launch. As it were a Sunday (they day I had earmarked for sharing Snapshots of Us) I made a point of taking some photos. I think that poor Teapot was facing the sun in this one, hence the funny look.


Miss Lovely the wanna be model however just about always has her pose ready when there is a camera about. Unlike her sisters. (Which is why there is not a shot of Zany, her eyes were closed in every shot I took)


I know you are probably sick of this photo by now but it was taken for such a good cause I can't help but share it again. I really wanted to do something with fairies or butterflies but so far the right idea has eluded me. My thinking cap is still on though so stay tuned.

So what else was there?

The working thing is going well. I am surprisingly enjoy all the human contact, though it does take a lot out of me. The main thing to suffer has been the housework (naturally). Though  blogging has been put on the back burner as well (sadly). I have really only been able to get out a post for IBOT and of course Thankful Thursday Not being able to comment on my on blog from my Mac is frustrating me no end as well. On the upside though commenting from my phone has suddenly become a lot easier. Go figure.

Uni starts this week, thank goodness for the joys of online learning because I do not know how I would possibly be able to fit in going to actual classes. I already feel a bit behind the eight ball because I am yet to have opened the course outline or read a few of the emails that have been sent my way.

Sigh.

After daily injections (for a month) of some blood thinner that you should really only be on for a week, I finally have an appointment with a specialist today. I also have one tomorrow because the public system was taking so long that looked for a private option. The private option gave me an appointment a week after I asked for one. I naturally then got word from the hospital they finally had an appointment for me as well.

Double sigh.

And that my friends I think is it for now.
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