New Kind of Mothers Day

I miss you Mom. November 2nd is always going to be a terrible day.

Teddy has become a great speller, I wish you knew that.

Its thw Future

Here I go, blogging while mobile. Of course in still sitting at the computer....baby steps. If this works I think a whole world may be opening up for me, one where I am considered tech saavy.


Shut up Ted, you'll scare people with laughter.

I Do Blog...I Swear to God

We moved, dealt with hellish real estate agents - Laing and Simmons Hornsby - you are evil!  We went to the US for a month and WOW it was intence.  Just fantastic.  Right now I'm really in mobile stuff - well since I got the ipod Touch - so until I figure out how to make the blog on the go apps work my blogging is a bit off.

Bear with me.  I'm a work in progress.  As usual.

Today is the First Day of the New House

Sigh...we're here.  Today we sign the lease and get the keys.  The movers come on Saturday so we're spending the rest of the week making as many trips as possible to get a lot done so hopefully the movers will just be moving the heavy stuff.

I've moved a lot in my life.  Much more than most people.  My entire life I've been asked if my family was military because we moved around so much.  That's humorous because I married a man whose family was military. There are a lot of downsides to moving...a LOT but there are some good things.

1.  Fresh Start.  There's something revitalizing about beginning again.  You can reinvent things and do things differently if you chose.  It's a physical and mental cleansing I guess.  Every time I move I try to do something different.  This last move I had to learn to do more things differently than I was comfortable with but in the end change can be good.  I still haven't seen the inside of the new house and I'm a bit giggly inside trying to imagine what it could all be like.  What wall can I place things on - how will I set up Connor's room.

2. Ritualistic Cleaning.  There is nothing like the feeling you get when you're throwing out at least 10 garbage bags of stuff.  I've given a ton of stuff away to friends and to charity.  I found a drop-off box that is solely for Aboriginal families and that has eased my social conscience mind a bit.  Well, a little bit anyway.  Not saying it makes up for things...just that I feel like I've done something - not matter how minuscule.  But there still is a lot to get rid of.  I've really inherited my father's pack rack abilities; but I am trying.

3. Seeing a new area.  We're moving from Normanhurst to Hornsby Heights.  Not very far from each other but enough that there are new people. new shops, new parks and new things to see.  I will have a beautiful view of the bush - forest to my American readers.  That is one of my favorite landscapes and when I daydream of my lottery money house it always has a few of trees.  Not bad.  Something new and beautiful.

Here is my last post for a few days I'm sure.  The moving frenzy is about to overtake me and I'll be cursing and swearing with the best of them.  I will post pictures of the house as soon as I can.  I can't wait to see it too!

Return to Basics

Of sorts anyway.  The move is in full swing and while there is always something going on with that until it's over...I mean really...who wants to hear about how I back a box or throw out the Build a Bear box behind Connor's back?  Seriously, I just bored myself typing that.

So a new topic today.  One I know.  Children.  I won't say I understand them, but I have them.  I listen to them talk and I can repeat what they say.  Well, some of it anyway.

Today's topic:  Siblings Need to Fight


Let me just start off by saying this, these kids are insane.  Not your normal average kid who test boundaries and try to define themselves in the workings of a family.  No, I firmly believe that my kids are special and suffer from an unique brand of lunacy.  That has to explain it.  Really it does.  These kids are nuts.  This is not my fault and my role as a mother is not to lovingly nurture them but to survive and keep the house standing...and laundry apparently one of my covenants is to laundry.  Hmmm, that might be tomorrow's topic.  But I digress.

Fighting.  I remember fighting with my brother as a child but in all honesty, he was an idiot and deserved everything he got.  Note to Fate - "No, I am STILL not sorry for taking the wooden train over his forehead.  Maybe that's why you keep coming at me with a 2x4 but I don't care.  You've met him.  You know he earned it"  So when we decided to have kids I really wasn't shocked at the idea that brothers and sisters fight.  What I was not prepared for was WHAT they will fight about.  I grew up fighting about important matters, burning issues that ensured my role in the family and ownership over my own belongings.  I was staking claim and protecting territory.  Noble things, quest-like honor involved here.

My kids?  Tessi and Connor fought the other day about which box they would put their Polly Pocket toys away in.  The two boxes are.exactly.the.same. They have fought over who gets to name their baby doll Baby Zoe - after a friend of theirs.  Teddy and Connor have fought over whether or not Shun is all-powerful in Bakugan.  Teddy and Tessi have fought over who can tell Connor she can't watch a show.  Connor fought with be about loving the Shrek movies but had to be told to sit and watch them.  Then she argued that even if she didn't like them she still loved Shrek 4 and it is her favorite movie of all time...and she hasn't seen it.  Tessi then cried that she didn't want to go see Shrek and when I said fine, she didn't have go, that I would take the other two during school holidays she threw herself on the ground sobbing hysterically that I didn't love her and that she had to go.

I take Panadol and/or Nurofen (Tylenol and Advil) almost every day in case you were wondering.

Tessi has screamed at Connor for selecting the wrong spoon from the drawer.  Yesterday Teddy yelled at Tessi for letting Connor tell her how to color in her princess homework book.  Both Tessi and Connor have bellowed indignantly for applause and thanks for helping to create meals - meaning they stirred the pot on the stove - and then cry that the food was too yucky to eat.  And last night, Tessi argued with me about whether or not she argues or not.  The good part about that was it got the Monty Python argument clinic sketch stuck in my mind and that distracted me from climbing over my seat in the car to get at her to wring her neck.


There's no way this is normal.  I don't believe it. 

Odd Moving Vibe

 I've moved a lot in my lifetime.  A lot.  I used to get asked if my family was military.  We just moved.  So, I do have a little experience with moving and I know what's coming.  What's suprising to me is how little I am stressed about the move right now.  I have never in my life been LESS annoyed about packing things up, throwing stuff out and tripping over boxes in my life.  It's an odd feeling.  Or I should say it's odd not to have the feeling.

With a move less than 2 weeks away I should be marginally hysterical now.  Fighting with Ted over the need to save items that most rational people would have thrown out or desperately trying to find people to give some of the kids stuff to because I can't bear the thought of moving it somewhere to sit on the floor.  Or maybe just trying to buy less food and supplies because I don't want to move, or know that I can't move it but still buy enough to be able to make stuff and not have to order out.  I'm doing of lot of this stuff but not stressing about it.

Our last move was a killer one.  But not the packing up bit.  We had movers pack us.  The stress in that came from getting rid of stuff they wouldn't pack (propane tank, alcohol, cleaning products) and of course the stuff we wanted to get rid of.  That was a nightmare.  I lucked out though and had some great friends help us out by getting stuff out.  The real nightmare was the landing in a foreign country and being overwhelmed by the differences and figuring out how to do things.  That and also try to raise children.  Not good.  Not fun.

But this move...well this move is different.  For one thing, the new house is 20 minutes away.  That's it.  Not everything has to go into a box.  I can just pick up clothes on the hanger and chuck them in the car and drive them up and hang in the closet.  Done.  Poof.  No unpacking.  We don't have enough boxes for all our books.  Not worrying though because we can just take the ones we have, unpack and bring them back and reuse them.  Wow.  What a thought.  As for learning the new neighborhood, all the major shops are the same and I know how to drive back and forth.  All done.

We have friends willing to help us take car loads of stuff over a few days so we have less for the movers to do and therefore less to pay the movers.  We've been packing stuff up for a month so there is a lot packed up or toys that are large enough just to be carried in a car.

So I am well on track for moving and not concerned at all.

Which is starting to scare the Hell out of me.  I mean, I live my life from one disaster to another.  I'm not one of those live and let live, smell the flowers, enjoy each moment because I know damn well that something is in fact, hiding around the corner just waiting for me to come close and jump out and get me.  No, I'm not paranoid, just practical.  As a former Girl Scout I'm just trying to be prepared.  At least that's what the voices in my head tell me.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that the obligatory glitch for this mission was the actual finding of the house and that finally, for once, we will be able to get through this without most of us sitting on a box of glassware and crying.

VICTORY! THY NAME IS MY HOUSE!!!!

In a more calmer voice, we have found a house.  Not just a house but it is not the 3 bedroom, 1 bath, with iron bars, an 1hour drive from school and no heat slum that I was starting to think we'd have to get.  No, no, no.  We got a H.O.U.S.E!!!

It's beautitful.  At least it is from the outside and the pictures on the internet.   You see, I haven't actually been inside the house.  On the day of 7 open houses that one was in the group that Ted did by himself.

Sidebar: When cracking up and having a snarling, pissy, hissy fit about doing every god damn thing about finding a house and demanding that your spouse get off of his ass and DO SOMETHING try not lump the house you end up getting in his group.  Just saying...

Anyway.  I could tell it has a roof, a kitchen, is off of a main road and Ted can walk to the bus to get to the train and get to work.  So honestly, I don't care.....but...THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!!!  There is a pool.  Yes, a swimming pool!  The yard is twice the size as the house AND there is a gated park right accross the street.  The owner is leaving his POOL TABLE because it's too heavy to move!!!!  He's also leaving a desk and some book cases in the study because he doesn't want to move them.  There is a work shed and 2 carports.  It is completely gated...the kids are TRAPPED...er, um I mean secure.

This house is amazing!!!!!  It's incredibly expensive and we'll be cutting back even more on things BUT I DON'T CARE.  We have a house and we get the keys next week!

Here We Go

A debilitating head cold, an agonizing wait to hear about the house we want plus a 4-soon-to-be 5 year old looking for a fight are not the elements to a harmonious life.

Tessi's Horse Party

I have made the rain stop!!  By the shear force of will and mind powers I stopped the onslaught of rain in Sydney!  I think we had 7 days straight where it rained daily and then about 3 weeks where it rained at least 5 days in the week.
But not today!  Nooooo, not for Tessi's outdoor horseback riding party.  It threatened..the skies wanted to open up but NO!  I stopped it!  I swore, stomped my feet, pouted, shook my fist and then in shear desperation turned my back to the sky and ignored it.

Obviously, I was not to be messed with today.  We got through the riding and everything and the girls were happy and oh yes, they were DRY!  HOT DAMN!

Let's just hope my will has a bit left over to make us get the house I want to rent.

But no matter, my baby had her party today and she was thrilled.  She got to ride a horse, she got to eat cake and she got presents.  Life is good.

Anyone Know Any Good Swear Words that I don't Already Know?

After all the hassle of getting the application for the house in 5 days before the open house - trying to snake the house away from anyone and I learn to day that the real estate agent is holding our application until after the open house so all the apps can be sent together.  Why?  Well because the owner of the house is overseas and they don't want to spend the money on more than one contact.  Ummm, We sent our applications in by email.  I know, I know, FORWARD THE EMAIL we sent on to the owner.  NO EXPENSE.

I need new curse words.  The ones I know just aren't filthy enough.

As I Txted to Some Friends Last Night...

Whether it's God, Yehway, Vishnu, the Easter Bunny or Our Lord Jack Daniels, please offer up some positive thoughts for us.  I turned down a house we were approved for - it wasn't good, it was waaaaayyyyyy out and the house wasn't great, for a chance for a fabulous house.

I don't know when we'll hear.  I have no idea.  But I WANT THIS HOUSE.  Please, please, please, please.  It's perfect for us.

I'll suffer my oncoming head cold with unprecented grace, style and silence.

I'll be super sweet and nice to every moron that crosses my path.

I'll recycle more.

I won't use the dryer for 2 weeks.  At all.

I won't point out that Teddy's an idiot when he trips over his shoe laces.

I will gleefully watch High School Musical and Big Cook Little Cook.

I start calling the dog Sasha again, rather than Damn Dog.

Please let us get this house.

More Homes Less Choices

Ah real estate in Sydney.  I love it.  Well, actually I don't.  I grit my teeth every time I head to the computer.  I marvel at real estate agents and how they act here.  Each office is just responsible for a certain area.  If you know what area you want that's great.  If you don't, well, learn which one you want and quickly.

It's definitely NOT a renter's market right now and it shows.  Realtors don't return phone calls.  They don't worry about open houses advertising what time they'll be on.  They have that blase attitude that is humorous...or bloody annoying if you're in a hurry to find a house. 

I called about a house yesterday and was informed that an application was in and she would call if it didn't go through.  She asked if I was willing to spend more a week because she had another house to go online.  As we have already upped our maximum I said no.  Then she  said ok and we hung up.  Today I checked online and that same office, that same agent has listed another house and it's UNDER my price limit.  She had to have known about it but didn't see the need in mentioning it too me.  UGH.  I'm going to call this woman back and swallow my tongue and my toes to keep myself from asking her if she swallowed the entire bottle of stupid pills or if it was natural.

1 have 3 houses that I'm desperate for 1 to work out.  One is really far out, but nice and huge.  1 is nice, medium distance away, the last is a little far away, no yard but brand new.  I have never been inside any of these houses and right now I want to put applications in on all 3...site unseen.  Desperation is a bad, bad thing.

Real estate agents in Hornsby area - here is what I need.

House large enough so that my children have space not to kill each other.  That means 4 bedrooms.  Please.  I need at least 2 bathrooms.  Not the laundry plus spare toilet.  2 bathrooms.  I need some kind of yard.  Doesn't have to be huge.  Has to exist.  Must be in walking distance to train or bus.  Real walking distance.  Not something that Cain would look askance at.  I'm not a snob but can use a stove larger than a hibachi grill.  I can live with an external laundry. Let me keep my dog.  I'll put her outside.  Just let me keep her.  It must be within 20 minutes of Normanhurst Public School.

Come on out there.  SOMEONE must be getting ready to rent my house!

Gloom and Doom

Alright, maybe not doom.  That's a bit melodramatic.  It's just rained every day for a week, the laundry has really piled up and of course, there's no news on the home front.  It's hard not to get a little dejected.  I have a house to call about this morning - only because we're raising our weekly price maximum.  Not excited about that but we really have to find something now.

  The good news is that the packing is coming along and Ted picked up a ton off boxes from his office yesterday.  So we're on our way.  Tessi's birthday party is this weekend so I really have to get going on getting everything organized.  At least she's pretty easy on the toy front still.  I wonder if I can sucker her into having a donut cake too?  Doubt it...she's in FULL horse mode.  Hmmm, maybe I can get her to let me serve a trough of hay?  I mean, we want to be authentic don't we?  Better not try, she's not one to be crossed lightly.

Ren Your Houses People!

ACK!  Sydneysiders!!  Don't you listen to the news?  It's a bad time to try and sell property!  Just rent it!  Rent it, I say!

Especially if you live within a 20 minute drive of Normanhurst, are within walking distance to a major bus line or train, have 4 bedrooms and allow pets and will rent for under $700 a week.

Thank you.

New Look for The Blog

Thank you Ted for helping get the new template for the blob.  I still have to fix some things and get my fancy widgets back as I really did like that revolving globe I had found.  But no matter, at least it's different looking.  A little more cutesy than I normally like but I am happy it's something new.

Today's plans.  Pack.  Pack like there is no tomorrow.  Well, pack until I'm out of boxes, which isn't too long as I only have 4 or 5 left.  I did get rid of a bunch of the girls toys the other day.  Some very sacred stuffed animals that they really, really don't care about anymore.  Of course, with Tessi's birthday just around the corner I'm sure a few more will be making an appearance.

The other goal for today is some bow-making.  That's the fun part of the day.  Seems silly I know, but it's one of the few things I feel I can do well and that I have complete control over.  Control....sigh...that is something that is sorely lacking in my life right now.  The move, the kids, LIFE.  Ack.  When you're a control freak and you don't have control over things - well BOOM!

Hopefully today I can get some things accomplished and that will make me feel a bit more in charge.  Not to worry though, the more I think about it I must be in charge.  Why else would Connor and Tessi be constantly trying to overthrow me if I wasn't?  Hmmm, maybe I need to wear a fake military uniform with a cool sash....

I Take it Back....

Even if the house isn't exactly what I wanted....it sucks to be rejected.

So much for being Penny's neighbor.

D-Day

Well sort of.  Today we should hear about the 3 applications we put in this weekend.  I'm really blase about all 3 of them.  I want a house but none of them were Shangri-La so I just can't get too excited.  Would be nice to have something though.

Wish us luck!

Sometimes a Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

So I'm up again in the middle of the night.  Reaccuring Acid Reflux can be helpful in that it does make me sit up and not want to do anything constructive, so I sit at the computer.  I just added a few fun widget thingys to my blog and I thought I'd get a new template.  It's a shame I'm not married to anyone who knows how to design a webpage or anything.....

So I know a little bit about computers.  Not a lot, but a little.  I've decided that is is way more dangerous than knowing nothing.  I've just spent 20 minutes trying to download a cool, spiffy, free template and all I've gotten is more acid churning in my stomach.  Just what I needed.  I would have been better off knowing nothing and sticking with what I had but nooooooo, God forbid I do that.



Now I'm going to spend some more time trying to fix what I changed and hope I can get it to look a little more normal.  Suppose it's better than looking at more more house listings...which I did already...but that's another posting.

How to Pack A House

It's really not hard.  The best way to do it is get into a really, and I mean REALLY bad mood.  Then as you are looking at the beautiful stuffed animal lovingly given to your daughter 4 years ago when she was 2 you can say, "Oh to Hell with it.  She doesn't play with it"  and chuck that bad boy into the trash.  It helps also to be packing the things that belong to the child or spouse who has most recently pissed you off.  Swear to God, you can get it done in an hour or so.  Right now I could pack up Connor and Sasha and have no real proof of their exsistence in a matter of minutes. 

Easy Peasy.


  Now, people you like or stuff you care about...well....that can take a while.

Finding a House

I've moved around my whole life.  Enough times, in fact, that a lot of people assumed we were military.  We're not.  My folks just moved a lot.  As an adult, I move too.  The sad thing is most times I don't even want to...it just works out that way.

I really had hoped to only move one more time in my life.  But no joy.  We're going to another rental.  Ok, so here we are searching and once again I have found the perfect house.  Sadly, it's in 3 different locations.  Every house we lok at has "something" off about it.  Something that really doesn't work for us.  Unfortunatley time is running out for us and I hyperventilate every time I see the calendar so perfect is no longer a goal, manageable is what we need.

House #1 - Perfect location.  It's in Normanhurst, it's the same street as 3 people I know, one of whom is a dear friend.  PENNY, this is you.  Seriously, it's a dream.  Ted can still walk to the train, I could conceivably walk the kids to school.  I won't, but I can say that I can.  The downside is that it's a bit small.  There are enough rooms but it's small.  The fridge won't fit in the kitchen but it'll work in the dining area.  I have a nice fridge and I'm NOT giving it up.  The laundry is below the house and thanks to my elbow I won't be able to carry laundry up and down the steps...so that will be an issue.  But it's a nice house, with a nice yard. 

House#2 _ House is great.  Huge, extra rooms, Gigantic master bedroom with REAL closets.  Yard is good, not great but a good size.  Locations is eh.  Not sure how Ted will catch the bus, have to work on that.

House #3.  House is mirror image of house #2 - must be same designer.  Only, it's ever so much smaller.  It doesn't have 2nd living area and upstairs feels cramped.  It has a pool.  This would be a dream for the kids.  A living dream.  The bus stop is 2 houses away.  Bad side is that it's on a very busy street.  Really busy.

So if we take the second house, plus the pool of the 3rd house and put it on the location of the 1st house, we're good.

Since that's not going happen we have to learn to settle.  I'm hoping we get the Normo one.  Dear God, please don't anyone ever tell Teddy about the house with the pool.  I'll never live that one down.

More False Advertising

Moving boxes are expensive here.  I mean EXPENSIVE.  The small book size ones are anywhere from $4-$5.  There's an online place that will do them cheaper but they want a 100% deposit and you get that back when you return the boxes.  What the Hell?  Don't know about you but it takes me a LONG DAMN time to unpack everything.  In fact, a very long damn time.  I say with pride and with shame that there is a box in my bedroom right now that was packed in San Antonio, 2 moves ago.  No way I'd betting a deposit back.

So, I'm looking for cheap boxes.  I see an ad in yesterday's Bunning's catalog.  That's the local Home Depot.  Lo and Behold!!!  Boxes, many sizes and a fancy, wizz bang tape dispenser.  And the boxes are almost cheap!  Hot damn!  After school drop off I race out to my local, grab a trolley and march in.  I decide to not be a guy and cheat and ask where the boxes are from the first employee I see.

And that's where my good luck end abruptly.

The employee gives me the blink hard, and look here little missy look that you can only get from a home improvement store employee.  "We don't have 'em"  He decides to censer himself and responds.  I roll my eyes and point out the flyer.  Plain as day, there they are!  He grunts, nods that he can read too but then in his best, you damn fool voice, "A large Bunnings would have them, not us"

Ahhh, yes, this is not a LARGE Bunnings.  I forget that in Australia, home improvements stores the size of the ones back home are LARGE ones and few and far in between.

My thoughts vacilate between, "Jesus, I'm a dumb ass, I've lived here 3 years and I don't know that?" and "Jesus, you people are dumb asses, why don't you print that those are only available at certain stores?"

Now I have to plan a trek out to the LARGE store.  No problem, I have nothing else to do.  Except pack.  Except pack and find a new house.  Except pack, find a new house, get laundry done.  Except pack, find a new house, get laundry done and get the kids to school.  Excecpt pack, find a new house, get the laundry done, get the kids to school and get Connor to her special class after school in Chatswood.  Except...oh to Hell with it.  There's way too much to do.

I quit.  I may spend the day unpacking the wine.

Guidelines for Renting a House in Sydney

Dear all Home owners trying to rent property in Sydney,

When listing a property for rent please take a moment to consider proper wording for your home listing.  This will help make the process of finding renters as smooth as possible.

As you think about the selling features of your property please do not entice families in with your beautiful rooms, your huge kitchen, your built-in backyard cubby house and your sparkling clean in ground pool and then accept a family only to learn they have pets and then tell them they are welcome to rent as long as they give away their animals.  It will save you a lot of time if you simply put the words, "No pets" on your listing.  The real estate agent who spent the day checking the references of the applying family and drawing up the contracts because in his words, "This is the winner" will thank you.  Particularly since he had already emailed the family prior to the home inspection saying that pets were ok.  The family, who dragged 3 children to your open house and pried their fingers off the gate to the pool, and waited for 4 days for approval: only to learn they could have their dream home if they give away 2 members of their family, will thank you.

To the Home Owner of the home in question in Hornsby Heights.  I know you will find a suitable family soon.  There's no way a house as beautiful as yours will be vacant for long.  Forgive me for being less than charitable when I wish beyond hope that your new, pet-less family has children that cover your beautiful built-in closets with fairy stickers, fills all the power points with play dough, has bowling practice through your picturesque lounge room window and decides to make the pool the biggest mud pie making facility in NSW.

Signed with Love and Regards,

Future Renters in Sydney

Oh Dear God

How the HELL do people move in this country?  Box size cardboard moving boxes are $4-$5 and mid-size ones are $5-$6 a piece.  WHAT??!!!  Where is the U-HAUL store when I need it?


I'm going to go buy a few boxes and beg for the rest. 

Australia, someday you people are going to realize that you don't have to pay an arm and leg for everything.  When that happens the revolution is coming my friend, it's coming!

Return of the Blogger

Ok, I'm going to make an effort to blog again.  Not because so many of you are pining for my words of wisdom but more in a attempt to try see if I have any.

Unfortunatley we have a new and dominating theme for the blog for the next weeks or even 2 months.  Today's magic word kids is MOVING.  Blah.  The owner of our house has decided to try and cash in on rampant commercialism and is reclaiming the house to sell it.  GOOD LUCK BUDDY!  That first inspection report showing what is usually referred to as electrical wiring is going to take a few $1000 off that asking price.  HA!

No, I'm not bitter.  Thank you for asking.

So today the packing has officially done.  I did one box.  Teddy one after having to re-do it 3 times.  Umm, sorry Hon, you can't pack heavy hardbound books in a box that's 2 feet tall.  No, YOU pick it up.  Oh, you can't....see???  No?  Just take the books out and but the rugby ball in.  Sigh....Boys are special....

Connor attempted to pack.  She got 1 doll about 4 inches long, 1 Littlest Pet Shop diary and and 3 stuffed animals.  Apparently she's not too trusting of me and thinks that I'm throwing it out.  I wonder where she gets this notion....could be from me threatening to throw out any toys I see left on the living room floor.  I least I know she can hear me.  She doesn't care what I say, but she hears it.

The house hunting has begun and we've found a place I want but 4000 other people want it so I'm trying not to get my hopes up.  Failing miserably but I'm trying.  We'll know soon and I have 2 open houses tomorrow and another in the works.  So we're not panicking yet.  By we I mean Ted.  He's fine.  "It'll work out" Tencza thinks everything will be fine.  I, on the other hand, my myself hyperventilating a lot.  I don't like change.  An odd thing to say from a woman who has moved enough times to be confused with being military and willingly moved around the world, but there it is.


Well, wish us luck, let me know if you know of a nice house in NW Sydney, within a 20 minute drive of Normanhurst Public School and whatever you do, save me your boxes and newspaper.

Why Don't I Blog Anymore?

Tessi breaks her 3-week old glasses after, "I did not nothing.  They fell off my face"  Glasses have to sent off and welded together again.

Connor begs to have new little girl from school over after school.  New girl picks fights with Connor's BFF from preschool and with older neighbor girl.  Very, very long afternoon.

Teddy has to have clarinet tutor.  Everyone around us booked out.  Have to hire guy 35 minutes away.  Start to panic but manage to find someone 3 streets away!  Whew!

Speaking of Band, Teddy now has to be at school an hour early on Monday's for band practice.  First morning, Teddy sits and stares at his Nutella Toast without eating for 5 mintues before I caought on and asked why he wasn't eating.  Wasn't what he wanted that morning.  Ate the same thing ever day for 3 months but I should have known THAT morning he wanted Milo cereal.  Had a minor meltdown...me, not him.

Ted has spent the last 3 months gone an incredible amount.  Reward?  He gets to go to the States for a week and work even harder.

Week before he leaves I come down with Strep Throat.  Hardly able to move.  Beg for help from friends.

Friday Ted leaves, he trims the tree blocking the new place the tv satelittle receiver has to go.  I help move branches.  Start to feel sore in elbow, blame arthritus and swear about wrongly being considered old.

Drive Ted to airport.  Elbow really hurting bad.  Notice red patch on leg.  Think it's allergic reaction.  Teddy spends night at friends house and handle angry girls at bed time.  Both very, very angry that Daddy is gone.  So am I.

Get up early and pretend to read that Connor's cricket game is cancelled.  Take girls to indoor play place and get swallowed in noise.  Meet up with Teddy at birthday party friend has taken him to and race him to last cricket game...for which he complains that he's late.  Suddenly notice that sun is out and it's hot.  Damn hot.  Texas hot.  No sun screen excellent.  Proceed to roast to death for 2 hours.  Fortunately have Dora on my iPod for Tessi.  Connor is still at playplace with one of her friends.

Go home make some dinner and go to park to have end of season cricket party.  take kids home.  Wow..arm, really hurts and can't straighten it but still not sure if I'm just a wuss.  Leg still looks bad, spend time looking up Australian trees to see if any are deadly.  Don't laugh.  Wouldn't shock me if they were.

Muddle through Sunday.  Go to shops.  Yell at kids.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  Hmmm.  Leg mark is now the size of my open hand, purple, burning up, ankle is swollen and it hurts to walk.  Also have strep throat reaccuring and what's that?  Is that a sinus infection brewing?  Ok.

Monday begins early and I have Tessi.  Too sick to go to swim lessons, I cancell all 3 for the day.  Good thing as I get phone call to get Teddy from school.  Seems he's sick.  He comes home and we all sit and wait for Foxtel.  The company that runs the tv.  He never shows.  Hours later and after I have a friend walk Connor down from school I find note in mailbox saying sorry he missed me.  Um missed me?  How the Hell did I miss Sasha barking her head off at a stranger at the door?  Oh that's right, I DIDN'T.  He wasn't there.  I called bellowing and regp basically calls me a liar, saying tech doesn't get paid unless he shows - so they always show.  then he reads me the notes of the tech describing my house.  Excellent discription too....of my NEIGHBORS house.  Too bad, so sad.  Tech is gone now and he can't come back.  I can be inconvenienced all day, but not the tech.  I'm too angry to reschedule.  I know I'm cutting my nose off to spite my face but I don't care.  Damn, my leg really hurts.  Call dr and make appoint for next day.  Also elbow is spasming and can't grip anything.

Go to drs after drop off and WHOOPS.  Not an allergic reaction.  I have a staph infection on the skin of my leg.  A pretty good one considering that I've been on 500 mg of Keflex for 10 days.  Have to return to dr's tomorrow to make sure leg is still attached (it is) and that I don't have to be hospitaliezed (I don't)  Later that day I go to my friend the physiotherapist.  Apparently my elbow felt like it had rice crispies in it.  Not news I want to hear.  She proceedes to manipulate my elbow into positions that most yoga masters would scoff at.  Arm does improve but DAMN!  That hurt!  Now she wants me to give arm a rest and try not to re-aggravate it.  I try not to giggle in her face.  Rest, she says, ah, that's a good one.  But she really did help my arm so I am grateful.  I take this as a sign that I am to never, ever do yard work again.  Ever.

That afternoon I have Connor's gymnastics and then Teddy has a clarinet lesson.  A girlfriend takes pity on me and cooks dinner for us all.  Bless her.  Today? A haircut!!  Ceramics class 'cause I'm finally starting to feel a little better.  Then after schol AFL practice and then I managed to offend and upset yet another friend!  Whoo hoo.  On a roll.  Pretty soon we'll be needing Ted to make friends for the family 'cause I keep driving everyone away.

Tomorrow, Teddy has AFL again. Friday another sleepover here.  Saturday Connor has cricket again and then Sunday Ted comes home.

Why don't I blog that much anymore?  It's a mystery.

Autism Discussions

I've been talking on FB about the Autism article and I've even just had someone post a comment here...someone I don't even know!  A first for me.

In the end, I can not believe that all of us...parents, people living with Autism, strangers who see Autistics, governments who are being foreced to doll out money do not have the same goal.  Fundamentally we all want to live the lives we choose; not the one we have to settle for.  Why does this concept have to some sort of Uptopian ideal?  I'm not asking for chocolate covered strawberries to grown on the wall...I just want my daughters to be happy.  Hell, I want my son to be happy too.  I just want to know that when there is a problem there is a way to deal with it.

Please don't confuse this as some rant crying for everyone to come help me.  I don't need your charity; neither do my girls.  But if millions of dollars can be poured into a pill to help cure low libidos why can't that same amount go into helping my children; ALL CHILDREN be able to live a normal, happy life.  One that let's them contribute to society.

So much time, money and effort has been wasted, just WASTED on this fighting amongst ourselves.  It's the vaccines!  It's wheat!  Gluten!  It's Mommy not wanting baby - yes, I was asked that for Connor's first evaluation.  It's Mommy taking Zoloft during pregnancy.  It's an excess of peanut butter! 

No more.  Please.  No more fighting.  Here it is.  I'm sorry, it wasn't vaccines, I wish it was...it would have been great to have some tangible to blame.  Something concrete to hold accountable...but this wasn't it.  And now there's so mcuch dischord that we're all arguing with each other and the pool is being diluted.

That's it you know.  The pool of resources has been diluted so much that it wouldn't shock me to find out there's a government grant to study Jimmy Hoffa's role in the Autism plot to tamper with drinking water. 

Enough.   There has to be a singular source of educated people...people who do more than study at the University of Google to sit down and really cut down the list of what we're looking at and parents, caregivers....we have to come together and support it.  So scientists, researchers, doctors - give us something concrete to believe in.  Our childrens lives are on the line. 

Well, well, well

So the study that came out and said that Autism was links to MMR immunization shots was done under flawed conditions.  The paper that printed it, The Lancet, had to retract it.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/02/lancet.retraction.autism/index.html?hpt=T1

My, my, my.  So Autim isn't caused by the shots.  I'm going to refrain from my usual tirades and just say this, "NOW CAN WE ALL STOP FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER AND FIND OUT WHAT DOES CAUSE IT?!

It would be nice if ONCE, just ONCE I could enjoy my daughters without having to scrutinize their every action and wonder how I need to teach them to do things the "right way"  I do this so they can survive childhood and not be traumatized by other children for being different.  I would LOVE to only have to explain something one time because even at 5 1/2  Connor needs constant repetition for even the simplest of concepts to sink in.

So please, now can we all just get along?  Let's fight the problem; not each other.

Good Good its Hot!

Let me repeat...this is why I LEFT Texas.  I HATE the heat.  HATE it!  Almost 36 today, 40 tomorrow and then well over 40 on Sat.  W.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l.  Just soooo not what I need.

Here in Australia we hear a lot about gloabl warming and them impact of running the a/c on the environment.  I DON'T CARE!  I'M RUNNING IT ALL DAY  HA!!!

Sorry, going a be crazy from the heat.  And it's only 9am.  Sigh....ice blocks for dinner again.

Good news for me is that I do get to stay inside for most of the day.  Teddy, poor kid has cricket camp until 1pm today and tomorrow.  Will be stopping for emergency gatorade and ice blocks afterwards.  Think it's time to start looking at the weather in Anchorage and day dreaming.

Joys of School Holidays

It's an old tale I know.  Mom has kids home from school for holidays.  Kids go crazy.  Mom goes crazy.  Shoots up post office.  Film at 11.  I know. 

But dear GOD, are you kidding me?  This is child rearing?  Listening to Teddy and Connor argue the finer points of proper driving skills while playing Need for Speed on the Wii?  Get serious.  I keep turning around and shouting, "Unless you're playing for money, there's no need to shout and call names"  Unless it's me...then I get to shout and call names all I want.  Price they pay for me NOT using the really good drugs during childbirth.

I must say, this is yet another reason why I'm glad we're not in the States anymore.  Summer holidays are 6 weeks here.  BOOM!  That's it and they are back in school.  I could.not.survive. 3 months off.  Nope, I wouldn't make it.  I would end up on the news.  I'm just not one of THOSE mothers.  The ones who go on and on about how they live for their kids and cry when they go back to school.  I grew up with one of those moms and believe me there is a down side.  Most people never think of this but moms who tell their kids how much they live for them should know that the kids believe them.  In my case I grew up thinking that I was responsible for my mother's happiness and every time I screwed up I "damaged" her in some way.  I would be panic struck about doing the right thing and making sure I did things so Mom could be happy.  It really had a negative impact on my life.  I know that only I can let myself feel guilty...but I do feel guilty about the impact of my moving had on my mother's life and her death.  I shouldn't be because I do have as much a right to have a life as the next person but growing up knowing that if I was sad, my mother was sad did change me.

I'm not doing that to my kids.  I love them.  I care about their happiness; I want them to be happy.  But the'll never hear,"I don't want to live without you" or"I live for when you're home"  I don't do everything I possibly can for them.  I'm the evil troll mom who never carries their kids' backpacks.  No kid is leaving my house not being able to sew a button on shirt, do a load of laundry, cook a meal (albeit a crappy one if I teach them) and change a tire on a car...which I still haven't done.  My point today is that seperation can be a good thing.  Why does saying, "I want my children to go back to school so I can have peace in quiet" make me a bad mother to a lot of people?  I don't ever want to live for my kids and therefore die without them.  They shouldn't ever have to worry if messing up in school is going to ruin my life.  They should worry that messing up in school is going to make me end theirs.

Of course, if I don't get away from this damn Wii game some endings may be in order...

New design

No, no, no.  This isn't the new design.  The new one isn't ready but I can't handle seeing the Christmas junk anymore.  Sooooooo over Christmas and everything associated with it.  So now I have blue.  Very blue.  Will update with real website soon......

Just so You Know...

If it's 40 degrees (well over 100) and you take your youngest child out of preschool an hour early to go swimming and she's mad.  Mad because this means she has to get up off the couch.  Then  you go to the friends house and take her swimming and she steps in the pool and says it's cold and gets out.  Gets out, sits on your lap, eats a few chips then falls asleep on the floor while a cricket game is played on PS3 for an hour then yes, she's sick.

Just saying...in case anyone was wondering.


Well, so much for MY plans tomorrow.