Sunday, August 8, 2010

early bird

This morning for the first time I managed to get in to work for an "early shift". Horray!

The grand plan C and I have to enable me to get my Masters finished but put off childcare for M for a little while, is for me to go in for a couple of hours several mornings a week, a half day Wednesday when C can take M (which he makes up one evening) and Saturdays as needed to get some momentum going.

Well, only half of me believes it sounds sustainable as I write it - especially given my documented love of sleep-ins - but damn it, we're going to try!

So that is why I am so please with myself for getting out of bed and in by 7 today.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

a day in the life of

 My sister in law has a blog I enjoy reading and she just wrote a "Day in the life of post" such a good idea I am going to steal it. So much changes so fast with M I think a snap shot day is something I will love to look back on, and hopefully others will find it curious and interesting too.

4.45 M wakes up "Ma up" he says. I try to convince him to go back to sleep. He gets cranky. 5.10 Dad agrees "Dad up" and so the light goes on. C has a shower while M potters around the bed room, pops in on dad to see how the shower is going "Da ower". M and I read a book while he has a feed, then C finishes his morning absolution and comes in to convince M to leave mum to have a snooze in peace (ah, the bed all to myself for 40 blissful minutes!).

The boys have breaky and play, then I wake from my doze to a cross little "mum mum mum" and C convincing M that he needs his dirty nappy changed and to get dressed if he wants to go outside and before he has a feed (some days C has to work hard for my treasured sleep in!). I get up and shower and hide for a bit in the bed room till the yelling has stopped so M doesn't think that is what has got him what he wants. We have a nice cuddle and feed while C gets ready and heads out to his Thursday early morning work-out with his exercise buddies.

M wants us to go outside and mum eating breaky inside with the door open wont cut it so I take my weet-bix out with him and we play with the basketball. I look at the clock and it is only 7.15 and I think I want to get out and doing something that will entertain me as well as M so decide to do the shopping. I write my list while M plays, then get to packing the bags and remember C has taken the car this morning. So I reverse my plans and take M to the pool for and early swim instead.

We have lots of fun, but there are no other kids there that early, so we just entertain ourselves. M is getting more confident in the water and enjoys having a go at kicking, and blowing bubbles, though more often having a sneaky sip of the deliciously chlorinated cocktail.

9am and after a yawn from M I suggest we get out. No dramas today, we happily shower, change our clothes and walk home (enjoying commenting on the trees with no leaves, pressing buttons and waiting for the "eeeen man" at the pedestrian crossing on our walk home). We get home, too late to rendezvous with C and I realise I have not taken the house key, or the car key, so can't look for the spare house key I was hoping was in the car!... So, a bus trip to C's work to get the house keys in the next impromptu activity on today. Luckily I have 5 dollars in my wallet so can get a bus ticket!

M is perfectly happy to get the bus, an adventure every time. We find C in his office, grab the keys, peel M away from the "poo-ter" (computer), and head back to the bus stop. It is about 10.30 and I think M is probably hungry and so am I so we stop for a coffee, baby-chino and muffin before hopping on the bus. M feeds and falls asleep half way home and I gingerly carry him off the bus and home to bed. He wakes up just as his head hits the pillow and I feed him back to sleep.

A friend unexpectedly rings and says she is in the area, so she pops around for a tea and a chat. She is around to offer to baby-sit M for a couple of hours over the next couple of weeks. Fantastic! I am starting back at study so this is a very welcome and timely offer and M always enjoys playing with her so I am excited for him too.

M wakes happy and we have a little play before our friend has to go. As we are waving her off we hear the garbage truck so we hang around and watch it empty the bins all along our street. Very exciting! We then get our shopping list and head out to complete our aborted morning mission.

Uneventful grocery shopping. M wants strawberries when he spots them at the fruit and veg shop. I comply happily, hoping that means he will eat them and he proceeds to demolish two giant fruit on the way home (I long ago abandoned any pretence at keeping his clothes or car seat food free!) M asks for a play in the car, so he pretends to drive for a little while while I take the shopping inside. I then sit briefly in the passenger seat to join in on the game and convince him to come inside while I make lunch.

M amuses himself while I get dinner on and cook him some pasta and tuna for lunch. He sits up eating and talking to himself happily for an age while I wash all the dishes and put on a load of washing! It's a good day!!

I think we should get out of the house for a bit so we walk to the oval at the end of the street with M's new golf clubs from Nanna and Poppa. He is a bit out of sorts (cold? hungry? tired?) and gets easily frustrated trying to hit the ball, and doubles over wailing when his tennis ball gets a speck of grass on it??? I wrack my brains and try to get inventive with a game of step over the golf clubs - it gets the reception it deserves, so we head over to walk up and run down the steep side of the oval over and over instead. It is as big a hit as it was last time, plus we discover and ant hole which we have to look at and talk about for ages and keep coming back to find.

We walk home (well, I do, M gets a lift) and put some music on while M plays with his lego cars and I fold the washing. C comes home to the most organised house in a long time and sets the table with M. We eat our lentil soup and chat about our days. M seems to enjoy the soup (success!) but is keen to go outside with Dad. Despite the dark, Dad can't resist a play so they head out for a bit of basketball and to feed that cat while I do the dishes.

When they come inside M asks to eat cream, so we dish up strawberries and cream. C manages to convince M to eat some of the fruit (as opposed to just drinking the cream) by making a game of sharing "one for me, one for you" as M picks out pieces and hands them around. C and M have a bath together, then it is bed time. We snuggle in for our usual routine of C reading (it's "Byamul the black swan" at the moment) while I feed M. He drops off just as the story ends.

C and I turn on the TV and have a hot chocolate while we watch the 7.30 report election latest. Nothing else looks worth it so we turn off the box and that is why this blog is getting a look in, the first time in 6 months!

If I do another day in the life of, I had better be more succinct I think or they could get a bit repetitive if all my spare moments are filled with documenting!

P.s. nothing sustainable happened today, except when my friend popped around I gave her a milk container of worm wee for her garden.