Things on Thursday

I found this link at appartment therapy of a family that takes a pic of each member on the same day each year - how amazing to see the growth of each person over time...that is just too cool!

And something about this lounge room makes me smile too. I don't think I've ever seen such HUGE lamps? That lounge just makes me want to climb on it & finish one of those glasses of wine & strum a few chords...

I just spent a while talking to a wonderful friend whose dear husband has been battling cancer & other health issues since 1995. I can be so honest with her & she is so amazing. Her love, her courage, her determination, her honesty & her faith in a good God is just wonderful. I always end our phone conversations feeling so very blessed!!! We spoke about the people who are OVERLY positive about everything, the people who are OVERLY negative, we spoke about the miraculous times when things go so well, the trudging along because you have to times, the insensitivity of some medical staff, the joy of a good diagnosis, keeping in touch with all the family...

Woke up this morning feeling like I have the flu again. Uggg. Better get some lunch & head up to school for Bon's p/t afternoon. Wonder what I'll find out?? I'll take some drugs first I think so I don't dribble snot all over the staff. 

D is having a checkup at hospital today. Busy busy busy...

Mr Happy

Today we had a little bit of an Eric & Mummy day. We went to the bookshop after gym (to buy a pressie for Poppy) & found a happy little book for Eric...we bought a chocolate milkshake & egg/bacon sandwich...YUMMY!!

Off to give my Mr Happy a bath...

Tomorrow is parent teacher night at school...hmmmm. 

The Rainbow Connection...

Last week the kid's "colour" table was orange, & today it was changed to a R A I N B O W theme...I didn't think I'd be able to find much around the house but there are quite a few colourful things. Like my rainbow beanie & a scarf & Bonnie's Carebear & a book by Petrea King etc...

I'm cleaning out Eric's room as he is moving from baby to BIG BOY. I'm cleaning out a nappy storage box & his desk & all his odds & ends...sigh. Sooner or later I will have to think about reorganising his room to make the space work a little better. I think I'll need to work out what furniture he needs in there...

Off for a Tuesday morning cuppa & cuddle with my boy now. 

(Finally finished that great book by Ruth Grahame...so grateful that some people who put out books are so open & heartbreakingly honest...I felt grateful for that in her, & felt very moved.)

"A Mummy and Bonnie Day"

It's Bonnie's last day of the school holidays so while Eric is at Preschool we are having a mum/daughter day. Somewhere in there I have a gym appointment - blauch - so she has wonderfully included a rest time in the afternoon. I will post more later on...(this pic was from Mothers Day at school earlier in the year). 

More: well, we bought yummy things, books (Little Miss), she did some art-work, had lunch out together, then we came home for a rest - I was too tired after gym to make chocolate cake...SO YOU KNOW I WAS REALLY TIRED...& then we had to pick up Eric who had a beautiful Aboriginal lady come in to visit their Preschool today & tell stories/play games/dance with the kids. She could only make one day - luckily it was on Eric's Preschool Day! So we heard all about his day, ate more yummy food, watched some TV, & then I've just finished the bath - tea - bed shuffle. A lovely day. Tomorrow I think we might just have to try to make that chocolate cake? And despite gym today, I can move/walk tonight without being too sore :-)  Yippee!! One day closer to becoming fitter, stronger, more flexible & repairing some of the damage that has been done I hope. (There's some "Deep Heat" next to the bed for later...just in case...)

Eat your heart out Arnie...

Well, I'm back from the gym & have a specialised exercise program tailored for me with all the osteo/blood pressure/Lupus considerations. I'll be going twice a week & then in 5 weeks I get checked out again!! I even have a funky photo id card - LOL!!!

We're about to go outside with some chalk & sit in the sun & create some masterpieces...

In 5 weeks I'll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?? Hee hee...hopefully not too much like this lady...ahem?

Things from today...

sun, children, lack of sleep, washing, laundry, laundry, laundry, folding, (I should be ironing), shopping & doing the never ending MILK run, toilet paper run, lunch for husband who can't get off his chair to get himself a sandwich for lunch, phone calls, building Geomag with son, reading, bathing, showering, talking, reading, praying, sun, hanging wet washing, watching TV, getting money out of ATM, buying food, cooking, feeding, changing linen on every bed in the house, writing, hunting for a friend in WA who I lost touch with, sulking, nagging, eating, coffee, coffee, coffee...sighing...wishing...

A poster I would love to have on my kitchen wall...

...so I could see it all day. So cool! Apparently it was propaganda in England in WW2. I need a bit of positive writing on my walls too to spur me on...ahhhh, what has happened to my post? 

Something very strange just happened to my page - it's blue writing & underlined...what the?? But on the actual page it isn't underlined...strange...

"I like to sing..."

Bonnie, Eric & I went to a FABBO concert this morning at Sutherland...Justine Clarke did an awesome job singing to the kids. I can't believe she is the same age as me because boy oh boy I felt old after watching her jump around the stage for a whole concert!! The kids sat with their jaws hanging open for a while, trying to take it all in. My loud noisy kids sort of retreat into themselves at concerts. 

Eric (or should I call him MR SNOT?) is about to have a bath tonight & I can hear him in his room singing "Pineapple, pineapple, I love you love Pineapple..." He's so unwell tonight. Perhaps he was quiet at the concert because he's coming down with something? He snuggled so close & at one stage grabbed my face with both hands & said "Don't sing or dance Mummy!" Ahem...

We're all pretty burnt out at the moment - emotionally, physically, spiritually & every other "ally". We've made it to a year post BMT but this flu season is really wearing us all down & D was hoping to head back into the school term rested, but instead is even more weary...D & I tossed & turned in bed for hours last night. I couldn't sleep & I know he is anxious about not being able to do his job - he really wants & needs to be there full-time, but although his MIND is so awesome, his body is so stuffed...everything just sucks at the moment & all those pat happy answers are so not helpful! 

I read this quote somewhere the other week: It's "being in the trenches for so long that causes battle fatigue, no matter how much you believe in what you're doing. It is healthy to share the down times. I have gotten more encouragement by being honest about the hard times & realising that I'm not alone." I'm not even sure where it comes from, but I remember writing it down so I wouldn't forget it. It is healthy to be honest with people but I have gotten so used to wearing my "I'm fine" mask that I think my heart has turned to stone about everything & I am not grabing opportunities to be honest. (So I hide here in the world of cyberspace - cybersafe - & vent here!) I'm so worn out I can't even cry...

How is THAT for a post. Started out happy & grew sad by the end. 

Anyway, I'm glad I dragged myself out to the concert for the kids sake. I know things like that are so good for THEM. So glad I was well enough to go...

Big sleepy sigh here in FREEZING Southern Sydney. How much longer can we keep up this journey...how much more? I know the answer is "as long as it takes" but in my body tonight I want to crawl into bed & not get up for about a MONTH!!!!! Cancer sure does suck...it sucks that we all are weary & it sucks because of the huge toll it's taken on us all. My health is just cactus & I'm the CARER!!!! Despite peoples' lovely emails in response to the latest David update I certainly do not feel strong, or inspiring, or wonderful etc etc. I feel like I've just about had enough...AHHHHHHHHH. 

Better go bath the kids. We might have cereal for tea cause I'm too stuffed to cook...zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!

1 year ago...

...David was getting ready for a bone marrow transplant to save his life...

This photo is of his brother Peter's stem cells pouring into his body last year. It looks like a blood transfusion - what a huge change it all caused in David's body...but it gave him the chance to live. We didn't know what was ahead, but it was his best chance to LIVE. 

Nearly a year later - he is here. Not 100% but he is here...thank God for family, for love, for life....here's to defeating Leukaemia....

FREEZING FRIDAY

I tried to load a picture of a London lounge room that made me happy, but this computer is SUPER SLOW today. When we use the internet too much & go over our limit everything turns so slow...Bonnie has been on here doing maths/english work via the internet so perhaps that used up some power too?

It is so cold here today. I'm about to get dressed to take them out to the shops. A local $2 shop is closing down so everything is on sale. Maybe I can pick up some art things to entertain them through the hols? Plus return DVDs. Plus return Library books...

Poor D has a hacking cough. Kept me up for ages last night...zzzzzzzzz. He saw the Dr yesterday & apparently I have to pound on his chest/back to get that mucus up...I guess I can take out my frustrations on him??

Fabulous Friday. Tonight is Silent Witness & Spooks...tomorrow the Sat paper will arrive, full of news & books reviews etc. Bliss. But today it's so cold I don't even want to go & get the washing off the line. Psyching myself up for the day...I'd rather be in bed with sleepy head husband. How come I have to get up with the kids when I've been up all night too??? Hmmmm??? It's hard being a mummy sometimes...

Fitness Test Cancelled

...so I am able to type. 

But I am back to bed as the kids are quietly watching morning kids shows on ABC kids...zzzzzzzzzzzz

More later. I'm off to get a cuppa & fall back into bed...the darn local cats woke me at 4am. Don't be deceived by their cute looks, they are on a mission to annoy me! They made this sound like a crying child so I sat up & bolted into Eric's room (sound asleep) then Bonnie's room (sound asleep) then fell back into bed shaking my fists at the window facing the street...D said "Nothing a gun couldn't fix." I hate those cats.)

You put your left foot in...

Read this great quote today: "What if the 'hokey pokey' is REALLY what it's all about?" ~ Curtis Chapman

P.S. I got my weekly fix of "Spooks" last night. (Who'd want to be a spy after seeing that...)

P.P.S. Oops, I mean who'd want to be a real spy after seeing an episode like that one - emotional turmoil/panic attacks/stress/last minute escapes etc, not "after seeing that" meaning that (handsome) man who plays one of the characters...

P.P.P.S Tomorrow I have a fitness test (take 3), or should I call it an unfit test...we'll see how pathetic I really am. I wonder if my fingers will still be able to type after this personal trainer beats me to a pulp?

P.P.P.P.S. A good friend has radioactive stuff injected into her tomorrow. She has to stay away from her family & everyone for 2 WEEKS. Amazing. I hope that it helps her. Imagine how hard it would be not to get any cuddles for 2 weeks....sigh....

P.P.P.P.P.S. Just wanted to add another one...

I'm off to watch Dr Who - yippee!!!

P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Oh, & our colour of the week is WHITE...I wrote in grey because you can't really see white here can you?

Counting down...

...until the winter school holidays. I hope that this image is not a representation of what the holidays will be like. I'm making lists of things to do...

Now that we are not travelling up to QLD I am planning a few things we can do from home base. I hope we can visit the Aqarium at Darling Harbour, I hope we get to go on some picnics, do craft, cook, visit the Library, play games. I booked some tickets to the local Justine Clarke concert which should be fun...

I hope I don't end up screaming like the person in the picture by the end of the hols? Bonnie & Eric were already bickering this morning. Sigh...

I went in to watch her at the Infants Assembly this morning, then I hung around for "mummy duty" - helping out with odd jobs around the classroom. When I came home I wrote an encouraging note for her teacher...WHAT an amazing job, teaching 6/7 year olds. Don't know that I could do it!! Tomorrow is the last day of school. There's a two week holiday & then Bonnie has a pupil free week too, so THREE WEEKS....

...ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!