Why do I feel the need to say thank you??

Yesterday, whilst at work, the same old question arose - why do i feel the need to say thank you? To my husband that is! He started his facebook day off with the status update ''I have already clothed and fed two children, emptied the dishwasher and made dinner''......this was at approximately 10.30am. I read it rather bemused. I had been up with Chloe since 7am, had managed to clothe and feed her AND myself, and gotten ready for work and out the door by 8.25am! My reply?? ''Get a grip!'' The updates went on for a little while, amusing our mutual friends no doubt, and more importantly - amusing me!
So when I arrive home at 5pm, with dinner cooked, and husband busily folding clothes in the backroom, I have to stop myself from saying thank you. Why? Well, because I always used to say thank you, but over the last few months or so, have ceased this due to the fact that I don't get a ''thank you'' at the end of every week day. He returns home from work to a cooked meal, bathed and fed children, and a pretty much organised household! Although I know he appreciates it, there's no thank you. Just the same as he goes to work five days a week and earns a decent pay packet to make life easier - but I don't thank him for that either!
I'm wondering how many other mothers/wives out there feel almost obliged to say thank you to their husbands when they do things around the house un-prompted?

So my quote for the day - ''The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention''. ~Oscar Wilde. Just as I do everyday things that I know will make my husband happy, I'm hoping this was his intention too! Have a lovely day!

I don't cope....

So, I'm not perfect.....I know, you're shocked, as was I when I came to this very disturbing conclusion!

It has been a while coming, but this epiphany came to me this morning, whilst I was having a minor meltdown. My youngest little dot - Chloe - has been unwell probably half of her very short 14 months of life. And so the next cycle began yesterday, when it seems the antibiotics she finished two days prior had more than likely worn off, and the fever returned, as did the non-stop whinging and sadness. And to put it very bluntly - I'm not coping!

I know we all have things and circumstances we don't cope with - mine is sick children. I thank God every single day that I don't have a child so unwell they are in hospital, or god forbid, on their death bed. And this is how my random conversation number 5976 began today - in Coles of course!

The check out lady started off talking about how she is caring for her unwell and ageing parents, and it went on from there. But it also finished with the same sentiments as above. We should always think about how lucky we are, and that there is always going to be someone worse off than ourselves.

So I took my sicky little baby girl home for a sleep, and curled up on the lounge to watch The View. Enjoyed my one and a half hour's reprieve from crying and sadness, and then made sure I was smiling when my little cherub woke up - crying. Onwards and upwards I say.....specialist appointment made and more drugs purchased from my local pharmacy, who seems to be profiting very well from the sickness dwelling in this household!

Today's quote: ''You're only given what you can handle''.....from a friend many years ago, who professed this little beauty to me when I was struggling through the break up of my first marriage, and dealing with a man who still, to this day, gives me the absolute shits! I remember this little quote on a regular basis, and it always seems to get me through. Have a wonderful day! x

Playgroup

–noun
a group of small children, esp. preschoolers, organized for play or play activities and supervised by adult volunteers.

Hmmm....I think we've been doing it wrong? I thought I would look up the definition after another manic morning of playgroup - here at my house. For the past 11 years, I have taken part in various playgroups, and am happy to say, the mothers I have attended with have all had the same definition as myself:

-noun
a group of grown women, esp. mothers, organised for tea and coffee, whilst their children play unsupervised - as long as they are happy and quiet!

I wonder how many other play groups have the same definition? I mean, seriously, how many mothers join playgroup solely for their children to enjoy themselves? Some of the greatest friendships I have, have been made through playgroup. And they certainly didn't grow in to the beautiful relationships they are, bonding over glue and cellophane. It was the tea and coffee!

Yes, playgroup is great, because it's held at a centre where you don't have to worry about the mess, noise, and general mayhem. But it's also held so that like-minded mothers (parents) can sit back and ''relax'' whilst their children run wild. Love it!

Quote for the day - ''When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out.'' ~Erma Bombeck. Found this little quote and found it quite appropriate! There is at least one day out of every week, where I would love to find that nice, safe playpen and just disappear for a little while! Have a great day!

Friends...love them

I have just returned home from a friend's five year old daughter's birthday party at MacDonalds! What a hoot! I don't know what it is about children's birthday parties that I most enjoy - the children having fun, or catching up with my friends? Gee, that was hard - I lurve catching up with my friends!

I have had a couple of my best friend's birthday in the last week, and have thoroughly enjoyed trawling through card shops trying to find the perfect birthday greeting for them. I stood in ''Wrappings'' last night with tears in my eyes, reading touching verses on beautifully decorated pieces of card. I could literally spend an hour looking for the perfect one, but as per usual, was dictated by time (or lack thereof) so did some speed reading and picked a card I kept gravitating back to! Last night's purchase was for the mum of today's birthday girl, so it was with much pleasure I handed it over, with a gorgeous little magnet featuring a photo of a cheeky little girl with the words ''Love ya!'' on it. It is a greeting I use in all forms - written and spoken word, on a regular basis.

I am so very lucky to have such a wonderful and diverse group of friends in my life. The birthday girl of the moment, is a beautiful soul I met when I first moved to Melbourne 19 years ago. We were in year 10, and she has been an important person in my life ever since. She has been there through every good and bad time, as well as some pretty hilarious ones!

Another very wise friend of mine, whom I met through first mother's group, said to me one day ''friendships evolve'', and I couldn't have ever imagined she would be so right! I do not have just one 'best friend', but many, who all have different and wonderful qualities which make them all uniquely special. Some friendships have mellowed with age (funnily enough, we haven't though) and others are just getting better and better. My Mother has always said to me that I am extremely lucky to have some long lasting and enduring friendships. I am still very close with a handful of girls I met in grade one, and hope to keep it that way til the end of my days.

Today has brought me much happiness, because I could sit back with three very beautiful friends, and watch as our children laughed (and cried) whilst still managing to get a good gossip and catch up in also! I think my Mum was right - I am very lucky.

Quote for today - ''A girlfriend is a sister you choose''.......so very true, I have so many sisters.

About getting older....

Good afternoon! After a burst of energy after my debut here on blogspot, I felt the need to sit back and wait until I had something really worthy of actually putting to words. So this is it!

At a ripe old 34 and a half years of age, I am now coming to the point in my life where I am (gasp) feeling old! I have been fighting these thoughts for quite some time, because logically, I know I'm not old. Old is when you don't work anymore, your kids have grown up and left home, you have a plethera of pills to accompany your breakfast each morning - just so you can function. Old is when you fart and don't realise, your body just doesn't function like it used to. I KNOW I'm not old - but gees, I feel it!

Part of the reason I try not to have these thoughts, or actually say them out loud, is because my gorgeous husband is a whole four and a half years younger than me. He is turning 30 in December, and I truly think this is why I'm thinking and feeling older more often! When I met him, he was a young 21 year old 'boy'- I was a 26 year old, divorced mother of a three year old! So the years have flown by, and amazingly, we have now been together for almost eight years.

I have been re-arranging photo frames, in the anticipation that I will actually sort them out and get them all hung on the huge wall in our back room. And as I go through old photographs, it occurs to me that I look different......I am actually starting to look like someone who has had a life, and has experienced life for all of its ups and downs. I look in the mirror every morning, and I really do wonder where that young girl went? At what stage did I start to get wrinkles? They just creep onto your face when you're not looking!

In saying all of this, I must also add that I think I'm looking pretty good - for a mother of four! I said exactly the same thing Saturday night. We were at my husband's cousin's 21st birthday party. I had seriously never seen so many short dresses in all of my life! But I was glammed up, and had my all important LBD on, and made the above statement. But then, just as quickly, followed it up with ''actually, I look pretty good full stop''!! Why did I always add the ''for a mother of four'' to the end of such statements? Why do we always label ourselves? Hmmm.....

Anyway, I'm certainly feeling all of my 34 years of age. I am trying even more so to stop feeling older!

My quote of the day - ''You're only as old as the man you're feeling''. Well, in that case, I have a few more months of being 29! Have a great day!

Nothing of great importance!

Good morning! It is a beautiful, crisp and sunny morning here in Melbourne, and I just remembered something I found on The Hip Infant that I found last week and thought I would share!

Chloe is the only one of my children to wear sleeping bags to bed, and I was wondering how I was going to manage this coming up to Summer - but I have found the solution! http://www.thehipinfant.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=AU8001 This Aden + Anaais muslin sleeping bag is perfection! So I will be making my purchase asap in anticipation of what I can only imagine is going to be a stinking hot Summer! Have a great day!