Yesterday was my Wedding Anniversary. Apart from being delighted to have actually survived thirteen years together in this messy thing called life, it was also a good chance for me to stop and think about exactly why I love my husband. Here are my 13 Reasons Why…
It’s just as well I don’t believe in reincarnation, because if I did the events of the past 24 hours would be making me wonder what terrible deed I had committed in a past life. Parenting is wonderful and fulfilling and rewarding, but it is also the most highly unpredictable vocation around. read more…
My boys are physically alike and genetically identical. But they couldn’t be more different in every other way if they tried. I find it so fascinating I thought it was worth compiling a list. read more…
I’ve decided to add a new moniker to my titles list. Alongside teacher, author, wife, daughter and friend I now proclaim myself to be a certified Kid-Wrangler. read more…
It was a Monday like no other before and hopefully, none to come. We had risen early to get there in time and the drive was easy in the gentle morning light. We carried our bags through the corridors to our allotted meeting point, keeping a light banter of chit-chat to keep the fear that accompanied us at arm’s length. read more…
Well, we did it! We got through open heart surgery with our little guy and we’re now home and doing well. He had a record-breaking recovery and came home just 4 days after his operation. If you’d like to read more, you can check out the link to Powerful Squiggles on my other blog. It’s so good to be home!
We were scheduled for open heart surgery to fix Possum’s Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) on Thursday. We spent Wednesday afternoon at the hospital for pre-admission with Possum undergoing blood tests (he was so brave – he didn’t move at all) and a chest X-ray. We had a tour of the hospital from Level 8 where we will be admitted, down to Level 5 where Possum will go into theatre and we will spent the first 24-48 hours after surgery in the PICU (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit), back up to Level 8 where he will go to the Close Observation Unit and then the main ward. We also got to see the Starlight Room where he can go for entertainment and the various play areas around the hospital. We came home exhausted and overloaded with information, but feeling like we were as ready as we were every going to be. read more…
Possum
It’s just under 3 weeks until Possum’s open heart surgery and I must say the reality of the situation is starting to sink in. Although the logical side of me knows this is for the best and that the surgery is essential for his long term well-being, the mum in me is just wishing it would all go away. The thought of my baby being put to sleep and his chest cut open is pretty heartbreaking. I’m trying to keep it all in perspective and yet allow myself to feel those very normal emotions. My optimistic thinking skills are getting a good workout and I can’t begin to tell you how much they are helping me cope.
Today was an ordinary day for me. I went to the gym, I hung out washing, I supervised the boys while they played outside. We had our regular Friday night special Blessing Dinner and the kids went to bed at the usual time. What was not so ordinary about my day was that I squeezed in some time for writing. Normally, I don’t write until the kids go to bed at night. That way I can focus on being 100% Mum when the boys are up. Today, however, was an exception. I put the babies down for their afternoon nap, let Possum watch some Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) DVDs for a treat and sat down in an attempt to finish the first draft of my novel. Guess what? I did it! (If you want to read more about the process and the novel, you can pop over to my writing blog, The Unutterable Phrase.) In my post-writing euphoria, I wrote on Facebook that I’d finished my novel and within minutes, had lots of people sharing in my excitement. One comment that I got is the stimulus for this post: ”How do you do it? How do you fit it all in?” read more…
I adore my twins. They are cuter than speckled pups under a red wagon, full of more sunshine than the yellow brick road and mischief personified. JJ and Moo have very different personalities from each other and from my oldest son, Possum. Possum was a very placid child. Even from the time he was tiny he was very content. He was happy to be a spectator, watching the world go by, only joining in when he felt confident or when it was necessary. He was easy to reason with from a young age and was disciplined with a simple, “No” most of the time. Possum was (and is) a very sensitive, gentle, intuitive kid. Not surprisingly, he has developed into quite a deep thinker even at the tender age of 4. JJ and Moo are most definitely not like Possum and they are most certainly not placid. read more…
