The best job in the world...

My check in for the week.

Tuesday is weigh in/measure day.

I hate doing it on a Tuesday.  I am a Monday girl.  Start the week, weigh in and measure.  But when I started my new eating plan I quit the junk on Monday and started Tuesday.

I am one of those people who says, oh well, it's Tuesday, I will start on Monday - and then spends the rest of the week over-indulging knowing that I am supposed to start eating good come Tuesday.  This time I just bit the bullet and began.  I can't force myself to weigh in a day early to get to a Monday weigh in.  I'm a bit pedantic. hehe.

Anyway, I have lost another 1.3kg and a few more cm from the main parts of my body.

I still haven't mastered the exercise, but kindy resumes tomorrow and I'm hoping to find a 30 minute out each morning after kindy drop off to pile the boys into the pram and go for a walk. 

My eldest baby is starting morning kindy tomorrow!  People always tell you when you have littlies, time goes so fast.  It hardly ever feels like it at the time.  But when the day rolls over and your child enters the education system, even if its a half day, 5 days a week - you suddenly realise, time actually DOES go fast.

And as the littlest one looks up at me with his big blue eyes, I can't help but think that this stage of life, with babies in arms, needing lots of time, cuddles in laps, being brought crumpled flowers, having full, clean dishracks pulled off the bench to the floor... tornado worthy destruction in and out of the house every day, kids at my ankles, never ending hungry tummies and a little bit of chaos in every waking moment - it's short.  And you know what - it's a lot of fun.  It is totally worth it.

People have looked at me a bit sideways, seeing me out and about - I probably look like chaos on legs.  A 3 year old in the near distance, chasing a daring toddler and lugging a capsule along for the ride.  Someone commented about how busy I look...I just looked around with a big grin and said "I LOVE it!"

I have never felt more settled, more content and more happy in my role as a mum of little ones than I do right now.  My babies are beautiful, they make me laugh, they drive me wild, but they are SO awesome.  I have taken a long time to feel like this part of my life is ok.  This is what I'm doing, and it's ok.  In fact, it's good.

The pay isn't great, and as for rewards - it's incomparative to the business world which I clung to, now some 4 years ago.  It might be 5 minutes of quiet for a coffee on the deck, a big cheeky grin, watching someone master a new tunnel or height that they haven't yet scaled, say a new word or sleep an extra hour at night, a big sloppy kiss or just to play nicely with the other sibling for 10 minutes - but the real rewards are eternal.

These are artworks, but they carry their own brushes.  I must provide the materials, the paint, the studio for the beginning stages - but at some point, they will be displayed in the great exhibition of life. The strokes that they make with their brushes will be those that shape their worlds, and more so, change their worlds and the worlds of others. 

The investment requirement is 100%. All or nothing.  The hours are long, with a permanent on-call basis, the job description ever changing, task-list never ending.  Seems a crazy business deal. 
You don't quite realise what you've signed up for when the contract first arrives, even though you've read ALL the small print.

But the best job on earth? Some days, I think it comes pretty close.

Pregnancy 101 - #1

You know how it is - starting from early Monday am (or Sunday late pm if it's real bad), you long for Friday to arrive.  Living out the days, passing the time with whatever routines your week is filled with - as well as the additional extras.

Friday finally arrives, and the weekend seems to disappear in a blur of catching up with husband/wife, extended family, doing chores, outings because daddy's home, Sunday morn church, Sunday night too if you're extra committed, Friday night too if you're totally crazy (as we are) ;-).  Trying to squeeze in a bit of time for each other and then comes whatever else that is thrown in the mix.

That takes us right back to Monday morning.

I for anyone, am not an expert at dealing with life's mundane routines.  So, I am trying - to enjoy the moments.  Things like this:

Monday = clean house/do washing day

Tuesday = grocery shopping/toy library/visit Nana (my Mum) day

Wednesday = playcentre/free afternoon day

Thursday = visit Oma (my grandmother)/visit Grandma (my MIL) day

Friday = alternate coffee group/free day - usually with some form of visiting

Saturday = daddy's home day/date night/visit his grandparents/everything else

Sunday = church day/sometimes free afternoon

Not to mention the numerous frequent night activities/practices/meetings that are attended by either of us.

Sometimes I am a shocker for longing for the years with the "little people" to go by.  I look forward to getting back to some form of paid employment, and then on to having teenagers who are more independent - but I'm sure they still require a great deal of time.  I look forward to it one day being "just the two of us" again.

Maybe that is the price I pay for having children while I'm young.   I think it's more to do with the things that are in our hearts for the future.  The hubster and I have big dreams - and we find a struggle often goes on between living for our dreams and parenting.  I have come to realise there is a fine line, and if it is not walked wisely - family will always pay the price.  That is not a price he or I am willing to pay.

Anyway, the point is - if I slow down just a bit - then my Monday (house clean day) can become a treasure.  Not because of the chores, but because of all the bits in between.  The seconds, the minutes and the hours that I can fill in with fun - and make special memories.

Confession: I have NOT been enjoying this pregnancy.  I have been longing for it to be over so I can "have my body back" and enjoy my little prince.  I AM ONLY 25 WEEKS!



Then I realised, I only have around 15 weeks left before life is going to change FOREVER - again.  My sidekick and I only have a short time left before we become a three - and I'm sure sometimes it will feel like three is really a crowd.

So, I'm back at the beginning again.  I'm not a clucky sort, I don't enjoy being pregnant.  I do enjoy thinking about my baby and feeling him move.  That's about where it ends.  BUT, I'm going to try hard to enjoy the last 15 weeks!

Stay tuned. x