If Tim were to write the story he’d probably have you all believing that this was some how my fault. But I assure you…well, let’s just leave it at that. I like my marriage just the way it is.

So here’s what happened. It was the night before Jaxon’s MRI and we’d just past the hotel we were meant to be staying in. It wasn’t peak hour traffic. But when you’re a laid back country driver and you’re just a little bit stressed out in the middle of city traffic, it’s not always pretty.

So it was dark and the lights were bright and destracting. Not forgetting the adult entertainment shops on every corner (hey, we have one sex toy shop in town, and we wont go because everyone knows everyone!)

When I said, “just go right here” Tim took that in a very literal kind of way. He did exactly what I said, instead of what I meant (ie: at the next LEGAL right turn).

He turned right. Right down a one way street. Going the wrong way.

Let me tell you how scary that was. It was at the bottom of a hill and at the time there was no oncoming cars because they were stopped at the red light just over the crest of that hill. On either side of us we were blocked in by high rise cheap hotels. At any moment, those lights were going to come over that hill and we were goners.

Seriously people. If you’d been there I don’t think you would have blamed any of us for shitting our pants. Which I didn’t, in case you’re wondering.

So we got safely to the top of the hill just as the red light changed to green. I’m not sure how I know all of this since I had my hands across my eyes and I was praying.

Tim cut across traffic as it started to move. I could literally hear all of those city driver’s cursing about us country folk who don’t know how to drive.

We came to a set of lights and luckily it changed to red, so that Tim and I could finally stop and breath. Through the “I can’t believe you just did thats” and the “You said TURN RIGHTS” I saw a bus come flying around the same corner we had just cut. If that bus had come three minutes earlier we most definitely would not be here to tell the story. And I would have shit my pants. 

I was looking back over the pages of this site and found I had almost NO photo’s of Mexxi.

We named her Mexxican (had to be different) because when we moved from Melbourne to Queensland, everyone here called us Mexicans (from South of the Border)

Mexxi was my birthday present back in 2005.

She weighs 1 kilo, or 2 pound.

At one point we had the largest and the smallest dog in town!

When you find out something is wrong with your son the day after they’re born and then get told nothing can be done for quite some time, the waiting becomes a part of your life. You just don’t notice it.

But one week from today (despite the fact that this will be posted ON the day) Jaxon will be having his MRI and CT Scan. It’s a wait that’s more than 8 months in the making, or 22 months, if you count that we’ve known since he was born. For 8 months we’ve been quite comfortable being able to say “on the 25th of November” and know that it’s not next month, it’s not next week and it’s not even this week. It was some place off in the future that we really didn’t have to think about.

Even though I’ve known about this for a very long time, it snuck up on me. It IS next week.

Even though I’ve had to make all of the call’s to make sure appointment’s are at the right time and finding out all of the information about what to do on the day, it hit me today that it’s just around the corner and the wait is almost over. So I was a little surprised when that in itself presented me with a different sort of wait. The Worried Wait, as opposed to the “Plenty of time to worry later Wait”

I’m trying to just not think about it. It is just an anaesthetic so they can do the MRI and the CT Scan. But still, there are still risks involved. And let’s not forget the 7 hour fast that Tim and I have to force Jaxon in to. Really, thats what I am more concerned about. I think once they actually put him under, I’ll be relieved that I no longer have to fight a hungry and likely tired toddler to keep him quite, happy and occupied. Thank goodness my Mum is coming to stay with us for a week or two!

Keep us in your thoughts today!

Someone on the boards once pulled me up about how great the Wiggles were and did I have plans to take my children to see them? At the time I was pregnant, no children. I told her that I HATE THE DAMN WIGGLES and she couldn’t understand.

Well, the Wiggles have been here in Australia for a lot longer than they have been worldwide. When they first formed, I was 13 years old. That was eighteen years ago! At that age the Wiggles were SO NOT COOL!

But I’ve since changed my mind. Jaxon’s Nanny and Poppy bought him BIG RED CAR on DVD when he was very young. You know, like three months old. I played it once or twice and he didn’t take an interest so I stopped and never went back to it.

That is, until I found that the Wiggles keep Jaxon occupied while I do house work. About 5 weeks ago I put them on and all of a sudden Jaxon was quiet. He sat still. HEAVEN!

The only problem now is that I know ALL of the Wiggles songs. I can sing in Spanish too. Tim call’s me a Wiggle’s Mum. He once asked me who my favorite Wiggle was and I asked him to guess. Through a process of elimination that I wont go in to here, he deducted that Anthony was my favorite Wiggle. He was right, although I have a few bone’s to pick with him too. He then started calling me a “MILF with a WILF” Translation, Mother I’d Like to Fuck with a Wiggle I’d like to Fuck.

It’s not exactly an accurate description, but Wiggles fan, I am. If the Wiggles came close enough to my town, I would SO take Jaxon to see them!

Here are some facts you may not know about The Wiggles.

Anthony and Jeff started out in a band called The Cockroaches. They were quite successful here. In 1991, after they had broken up, Anthony called Jeff and asked him if he’d help him with a small project he was working on. Jeff said, “Sure, how long will it take”

The old yellow Wiggle, Greg, is better than the new Wiggle. He quit because he suffers from orthostatic intolerance. It means his heart doesn’t pump enough blood to his brain and he faints.

Sam Moran, the new yellow Wiggle, was his understudy and had been filling in for him for over three years before he quit. He’d done more than 300 live shows and can also be spotted in all of the old DVD’s as a Wiggly Dancer…all be it, gay Wiggly Dancer.

Sam, is married to Lynn Moran. Lynn used to be Dorothy the Dinosaur but is now a Wiggly Dancer.

Then, here’s the stuff that blew me away. Anthony is 45 years old. Murray (and you don’t want to know what we call him) is 44 years old. Sam is the same age as me. He’s 31 years old. And last but not least, Jeff (whose surname is Fatt) is FIFTY FIVE YEARS OLD!

The Wiggles recently topped BRW’s list of the richest home-grown entertainers, beating Hollywood-based actors Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. The quartet of children’s entertainers took in $45 million for 2007-08, putting them ahead of Australia’s most famous actors and singers, according to BRW’s Top 50 Entertainers, an annual entertainers’ rich list.

SO there you have it. The Wiggly Low Down. Jaxon’s in to them. I’m in to them, and yes, Tim is in to them too. He can sing in Spanish too. Jaxon doesn’t dance or get excited about them, but you know, I think if he went to a concert he’d 1) laugh at all the kids dancing to the Wiggles and 2) go back stage to figure out what button’s did what.

Ahhhhhh, he’s just too cute sometimes. Sometimes I think I might explode with pride when he does stuff like this.

I look at him now as he does something new. I watch him and it makes me go “wow, I made that” I made a HUMAN being. Gone are the days where Jaxon sits quietly in the corner sleeping, waking only for a feed, a shit and a goo-gah. Now there’s just no stopping him.

Not too long ago I was the child. My mother was the adult and I looked up to her for everything. From helping with homework, doing my housework, cooking…doing everything for me. And now it’s me. Now Jaxon looks to me. Now he shoves things in my face because he needs my help.

On a daily basis, it still blows my mind the way the world works. The way life works. This is my son, and 23 months ago, he wasn’t breathing. Almost three years ago he plain old didn’t exist. And here he is, living, breathing and taking it all in right in front of my eyes.

I’m bumping this post up, because the time is getting close for us to find out exactly what is going on.

Originally Posted on the 24 April, 2008 at 10:59 am

On the advice from a very good friend in America, we’ve taken Jaxon to a chiropractor to try and sort out his arm and neck problems.

Our first appointment was on Tuesday. It was THE BEST. For the first time ever, someone sat and watched Jaxon play to see what he was and wasn’t doing with his arm, instead of asking me to explain it. I LOVED this. It’s so annoying to have someone ask something about Jaxon, when just a few minutes of their time and a few toys will show them what is going on. I was very impressed.

Anyway, he wanted to get x-rays done to see what is going on. They normally don’t do x-rays on such young children. But not many kids go to them with bent necks and dysfunctional arms. He needed to know what was actually wrong before he went ahead and tried to treat it.

We got the x-rays done that day and went back today to see what they could do for Jaxon. The very last thing I expected was to be told that Jaxon only has half of his cervical vertebrae C5.

THAT is why his neck is on a tilt, it has next to nothing to do with his torticollis (although that does still exist) He explained that the torticollis is what prevents Jaxon from turning all the way right, while the missing chunk of his vertebrae is the cause for the tilt.

We don’t know what this means. We don’t know if this means surgery. We don’t know if this means that Jaxon will live with his head the way it is for the rest of his life.

Now we have to get another appointment with the paediatrician and see what HE thinks. But being that this is in his neck, or more specifically, his spine…I can NOT see a single person who would be willing to go in and try to fix it. I’m not sure I would even want someone to fix it because the chance of something going wrong would far outweigh the choice to let Jaxon live with such a small thing.

Not that I think this is small. Don’t get me wrong. I spent a good part of my one hour trip home crying. I was not expecting to hear anything like this. In fact, I was so confident that the chiropractor would be able to work his magic on Jaxon for the next year or so and have everything under control. Before he saw the x-rays I think HE thought that as well. So I am of course upset.

Here are Jaxon’s x-rays. It was very difficult to get these done. Daddy had to hold him from the front while another nurse had to support him from the back. This was the “findings” that the x-ray man reported to the chiro. He did not pick up on the missing C5.

Posterior fusions of the cervical vertebrae and loss of disc height. Scoliosis (convex to the left side in both) the cervical and thoracic regions of the spine.

Edited to add, since this we have found out that there are possibly two hemi vertebrae and that he has 3-4 fused vertebrae on the right side of his neck, and the same again down the back. I am really looking forward to knowing EXACTLY what is going on in there, and more importantly, what can be done about it. We wont find out the WHAT bit until the 3rd of December, but the spinal surgeon has already told us they have to do something and it can’t be left.

Today will make four weeks since Tim and I quit smoking. I think. I’ve lost count. It could be three.

Anyway, last night I dreamt that I was walking up a great big hill in the dark.

I had a back pack on and when I looked inside I found a single smoke.

But didn’t want it.

Instead, I went to a night club with that back pack and sold ecstasy and speed.

I ran in to an old school acquaintance there. Alberto. If I saw him on the street I wouldn’t know him.

He was selling coffee.

We traded two packs of coffee for two tablet’s of E.

I don’t even drink coffee?

Go Figure.

Sorry, it’s big, so you’ll have to click on the link to see what I am on about. Just another of my rants and raves. Am I the only one that finds humor in this youtube suggestion???

Now could you please watch this clip…

Just in case you didn’t nbotice the first time, you may want to go back and check out the last clip.

Yup, what a name change will do huh?? The Wiggles, formerly, The Cockroaches.

Please take the time to watch this clip, it’s vital to my next post. The sound is pretty bad, but you’ll get through it.

Tomorrow will make week three since the day Tim and I quit smoking. For me it will make one full week since I’ve had a smoke.

For anyone that’s ever quit smoking you’ll know that there is a distinction between the two. It’s been three weeks since I was smoking any time I want, and one week since seeing a friend down the street where we bummed a single smoke off her.

I’ve been a smoker for five years now, and for five years I’ve been trying to quit. Growing up I managed to stay “clean” and never ever even tried a smoke. But 6 months after I met Tim, something happened. Jury Duty.

Have you ever been called to Judy duty and not been called to court? Well I have. It was the longest, loneliest day of my life. Twelve hours we were kept. We couldn’t leave the room we were in, we had no TV and no music. I sat for a large part of the day doing a puzzle by myself. But there was a room just off the one we were unable to leave, that was outside and set aside just for smokers.

What I noticed that day was that all of the non smoker’s were sitting inside, all of them alone. There was not one conversation going on. But outside, with the smoker’s, everyone was smiling and chatting and no one was sitting alone.

I felt completely isolated. So I went out side and I made some friends. By asking someone for a smoke.

On my way home I bought my own pack. I had now been a smoker for 6 hours. When I got home I clearly remember sitting up against my car in the back yard talking to Tim and him saying that he didn’t want me to become a smoker. In all of my wisdom, I said, “I wont”

Now five years later, we’re using a drug called CHAMPIX to help us quit. We simply do not crave smoking like we would have in all of our previous (and failed) attempts. We have a three months supply and you can only do it once a year. But it’s working. If we play our cards right we’ll break ALL of our smoking habits. That includes smoking in the back yard when friends visit.

The problem with this I have found is that ALL of our friends are smokers. And while the CHAMPIX helps us to not crave, it only really works (for me, anyway) if the smokes are not in the house. But the second I know there is a smoke and that I could have one, I want it.

So we’ve asked all of our friends not to bring smokes in with them. We’ve asked them not to smoke while they’re at our house.

It would seem like a reasonable request to me. It’s not like they visit for ten hours at a time. They come for a coffee, they go.

But since I’ve asked those friends not to smoke at our house, they haven’t visited for nearly two weeks. It seems it’s too much to ask of them, to not smoke for 45 minutes.

So now I find myself in exactly the same situation as when I first started. I feel isolated because NONE of our friends are non smokers. I wonder now, if I’ll have to go out and find new friends, and if that will increase our chances in the long run of remaining non-smoker’s ourselves.

I was kindly told via email that one of my reader’s is “patiently waiting” for my ABOUT pages to be updated.

Now I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Since I came across to discoverboo, which for me was a little over a week and a half ago.

The problem is, how exactly do you write an about you page? To me it’s a bit like when you go to a job interview and your prospective employer says “tell me why I should give YOU this job?” Because you have to blow smoke up you your own ass at the same time as trying not to sound like an arrogant self absorbed twat.

Well, you know what?? I still don’t know what I want to write about me on my about page. All I know is what I want for my blog. I want to keep posting the family stuff and the thoughts and what not. Nothing is going to change in that regard. But there have been things happen to me in my life that I’d love to talk about. There are things you don’t know about me that you may not need to know but that I want to share. I’ve kept it off here simply because I was worried about the day Jaxon is old enough to read these pages, and what he might think or what it might make him feel about me.

But the truth is that I don’t want to lie to Jaxon just to save him from facing the real world. I’m his mother but I am not perfect. The things I talk about you may not like and to that I say this. I am not forcing you to read my blog. I have free reign here, and if it hurts you, offends you, scares you or mortifies you, don’t click on the link.

So my about me page, which will be ready fairly shortly, is going to have a few shocks for you in it. Things that you don’t know. Things that I want to talk about because once upon a time, when I really thought I was alone, I really wasn’t. But no one told the truth. No one put up their hand and said “I do that too” or “I know exactly what you mean”

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I think I have a lot to offer a lot of people simply because I am now willing to put my hand up and say, this is me. I often wonder what the purpose of all of my pain has been over the years and now wonder if it wasn’t so that I could sit here and share it, so that I might help someone who thinks they are alone. Someone that might be sitting on the edge right now thinking that nothing in the world could help them.

I hope that by telling the truth about who I really am and the things I have gone through and done to get to this point in my life (happy) I can help someone else see that it’s not impossible to fall in to the depths of despair and still make it out alive.

You know, all I really wanted when I came over to a new web site was to be able to change the things I wanted to change without being limited in what I could change.

I wanted to move away from the blogger scene. Not for any special reason but I guess one of the things is that I want to change the way I blog. I want my site to be more than a Mum blog. I’ll get in to all of that later but for now I just want to say this one thing (you know, in ten paragraphs)

If you’re a blogger over at blogger.com…and you want a change, start wearing your bra and undies on the outside of your clothes. Start drinking tea instead of coffee. Wear your left shoe on your right foot and your right on your left. Get a hair cut, shave just one side of each leg one week and finish it all off the next week. Do anything, but do NOT change from blogger.com!

I don’t say this lightly and I think if I show you exactly why I am saying it you might understand.

Firstly, this shit is hard. I saw a blog I liked using wordpress…so I went over to wordpress to have a look around. If you do the same you’ll see that they say things like “easy” and “five minute install” That might be so for someone that hasn’t had their blog handed to them on a template platter, but for those of us who have been hand fed out layouts and themes from the get go…this is not child’s play.

The problems we’ve had are endless. I say “we” because even Tim, who you all know is pretty computer savvy, was gobsmacked by everything we had to do and learn. It really has taken us weeks. And when I say weeks I really mean weeks. For hours we’ve sat here banging our collective heads against a brick wall. And when we finally broke through that brick wall we found that there was another one on the other side, just a different colour.

It’s not only been trouble finding and understanding what to do with a host server, figuring out how to use FTP program’s and their control panel’s, but the methods for changing things using HTML. A word that is not so Chinese to Tim, but absolute babble to me. I don’t even know what HTML stands for, much less how to use it. Oh wait, a google search tells me that HTML stands for “hypertext markup language.” Glad I got that sorted.

So I’ve been all over the forum’s on this. There are FOUR forum’s that I have access to. And all of them deal in different sections of your site so if you should happen to post a question on the wrong one you just get redirected. I’ve been going around in circles for days and I really don’t think I’m getting anywhere. Unless step one: you’re a loser counts for anything??

So I’m not sure you heard me on the getting a hair cut thing and wanted to make sure that if you weren’t already put off, then you would be. By this.

This is simply an example. Not an actual answer. But when I ask a question (how do I edit my header?) on a forum and tell someone I’m really new to everything I’m doing and get this…

That’s easy. All you need to do is put this in your css file.

<title><?php
if ( is_single() ) { single_post_title(); }
elseif ( is_home() ) { bloginfo(‘name’); print ‘ | ‘; bloginfo(‘description’); pageGetPageNo(); }
elseif ( is_page() ) { single_post_title(”); }
elseif ( is_search() ) { bloginfo(‘name’); print ‘ | Search results for ‘ . wp_specialchars($s); pageGetPageNo(); }
elseif ( is_404() ) { bloginfo(‘name’); print ‘ | Not Found’; }
else { bloginfo(‘name’); wp_title(‘|’); pageGetPageNo(); }
?></title>

<meta http-equiv=”content-type” content=”<?php bloginfo(‘html_type’) ?>; charset=<?php bloginfo(‘charset’) ?>” />
<meta name=”description” content=”<?php bloginfo(‘description’) ?>” />
<?php if(is_search()) { ?>
<meta name=”robots” content=”noindex, nofollow” />
<?php }?>

<link rel=”stylesheet” type=”text/css” href=”<?php bloginfo(‘stylesheet_url’); ?>” />

<link rel=”alternate” type=”application/rss+xml” href=”<?php bloginfo(‘rss2_url’) ?>” title=”<?php echo wp_specialchars(get_bloginfo(‘name’), 1) ?> <?php _e(‘Posts RSS feed’, ‘thematic’); ?>” />

It really pisses me off. Needless to say we’re still banging our heads against a brick wall.

I don’t know what a CSS file is (i do now, no thanks to anyone!!!!) much less where to find it or where to put the suggested HTML.

The only forums I’ve ever been on were for pregnancy or, gasp, depression sites. All very helpful and warm places to be. But these forums, no comment.

So in short, or not so short, don’t do it. Save whatever sanity you have for figuring out just which side of your leg you should shave this week. It will be much less painful and humiliating.

This is my official welcoming message. The site is not complete, and you may not notice any difference’s from the old Kicking and Screaming. But believe me when I say *I* am going to notice, even if you don’t. I’m sorry about that big ass photo of me up in my header, I need more time to work on a real one.

People are asking why I’ve made the change and the best thing I can say is that I found a woman’s blog months and months ago and absolutely loved the layout. It was just amazing…and hosted on wordpress. When I tried to make similar changes over at blogger I got frustrated at the lack of control I had, even if I had hundred’s of options. There were certain things I wanted to change and couldn’t.

Why discoverboo.com?? Seriously? Have you ever tried to buy yourself a cheap domain name for exactly what you want? Well, let me tell you! We tried kickingandscreaming.com (go have a look! It’s not even that its already a worthy web site, it’s been stolen by some money making assholes who want me to pay $700 for it! Instead of $12 for an available one) but it was not available as a .com, only a .com.au. And to get a .com.au domain you have to be a registered business. Now I am all for my being unique and having my own domain name…but registering a business just to host a blog was out of the question.

We tried at least 30 different variation’s on kicking and screaming. We tried to come up with a different tag line. “shadesofgrey”, “littlewhitelies” “nothingbutlies”, “nothingbuttruth”, “nothingbutbullshit”, but only ran in to the same problem. It was either unavailable, or not available as a dot com. I even tried “idontgiveaflyingfuckwhatwecallit.com” Funnily enough…that was mine for the taking!

Two weeks later and we still didn’t have a domain name. Tim was sitting here at my computer typing crap in to the domain name search engine and I was watching TV. An anti-abortion add came on. It’s nothing really special. I’ve always thought that there must be more to the add than the bit they keep repeating. Because unless you actually look at their website you don’t know that “discoveremily.com” is an anti-abortion campaign. Anyway, I saw that and yelled out at Tim, who by now was pulling his hair out trying to help me find a name. And sure enough, discoverboo.com was available.

After two weeks of messing about with one tiny little detail, we took it. And here you are. Welcome to my site. I hope you enjoy what you read and I hope you enjoy the changes I make, please leave me a comment if you do or don’t.

A quick word of warning. Over at Kicking and Screaming I left a lot of stuff that I would have liked to have posted off the site in case it might offend people, or that one day Jaxon might read it. None of that here. If I want to say it, it’s going here. Get used to it, it’s all about discovering the real Boo

We’re in our new home sweet home now. I have so much to say that I don’t quite know where to start.

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to MaryBeth for keeping everyone company over here at Kicking and Screaming! You didn’t have to, since we’re not so important here that we have hundreds of reader’s, but it was fun to see what you had to say in reply to my questions.

Seriously, Da Burgh does sound very romantic and wonderful but I think Tim and I will stick to Australian soil. We just moved 10 kilometer’s from our old place and that was bad enough. I think we’ll stick to one child for the moment too

I’d also like to thank Pizza Hut, KFC, MacDonald’s, Subway and our local Chinese Restaurant for making this move possible.

I must not forget to send out a big thank you to Milanta ant-acid tablets.

And the makers of Kleenex Toilet Paper. Not that I need toilet paper at the moment since I’m so blocked up from all the junk food we’ve consumed in the last week. But I AM trying, and they tell me thats what counts.

Then of course I must get a little serious and thank all of our crazy ass friends who helped us this past week. Especially Nicole. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and would 100% help you to move (just not yet ok?) Thank you for everything. Thank you for throwing our stuff in boxes and then throwing it out at the new place. Thank you for the hugs when I cried in stress. Thank you for knowing that we needed the help. Thank you for forcing me to accept it.

So stayed tuned. I’ve not yet told the full story of all that has happened. I’m not sure I am ready to!

We’re in our new home sweet home now. I have so much to say that I don’t quite know where to start.

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to MaryBeth for keeping everyone company over here at Kicking and Screaming! You didn’t have to, since we’re not so important here that we have hundreds of reader’s, but it was fun to see what you had to say in reply to my questions.

Seriously, Da Burgh does sound very romantic and wonderful but I think Tim and I will stick to Australian soil. We just moved 10 kilometer’s from our old place and that was bad enough. I think we’ll stick to one child for the moment too

I’d also like to thank Pizza Hut, KFC, MacDonald’s, Subway and our local Chinese Restaurant for making this move possible.

I must not forget to send out a big thank you to Milanta ant-acid tablets.

And the makers of Kleenex Toilet Paper. Not that I need toilet paper at the moment since I’m so blocked up from all the junk food we’ve consumed in the last week. But I AM trying, and they tell me thats what counts.

Then of course I must get a little serious and thank all of our crazy ass friends who helped us this past week. Especially Nicole. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and would 100% help you to move (just not yet ok?) Thank you for everything. Thank you for throwing our stuff in boxes and then throwing it out at the new place. Thank you for the hugs when I cried in stress. Thank you for knowing that we needed the help. Thank you for forcing me to accept it.

So stayed tuned. I’ve not yet told the full story of all that has happened. I’m not sure I am ready to!

Hello it’s Irishembi again from Because I Said So. I’ve talked to Boo briefly via text and she is anxiously awaiting Internet access. But until then you’re stuck with me. Luckily Boo had the foresight to write and schedule some blog entries ahead of time. Otherwise you’d be sitting here listening to the crickets chirp waiting for me to post.

Boo says: Give me 20 sound reasons why I should move to Pittsburgh??

I’m going to assume you can all figure out from that question that I am from Pittsburgh.

Then I could go on to give you the standard Pittsburgh line. “Why WOULDN’T anyone want to move to Pittsburgh??!!!” But that’s not what Boo’s looking for here since she and Tim are seriously considering making some big changes in their lives.

I could send you to one of those “Rah-Rah Pittsburgh” sites, but I think Boo is more interested in hearing my personal opinion.

1. I’ve never lived anywhere else but Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs my entire life, so it’s familiar and comfortable to me. I’d be a great tour guide Boo. And showing someone else Pittsburgh let’s ME learn more about my hometown.
2. People from Pittsburgh tend to be fiercely loyal to their city. Yes it’s a city, but there’s a reason most of us call it our “hometown.” It has more of a “town” feel as opposed to city, almost anywhere you go in Pittsburgh.
3. And this love of and loyalty to Pittsburgh is not an exclusionary thing. We LOVE to welcome new people and convert them to “Burghers”. So you would find yourself welcomed and loved here.
4. Pittsburghers would adore your Aussie accent. And yes you DO have an accent Boo, but just wait until you hear a Pittsburgh accent.
5. We have chipped ham.
6. KENNYWOOD! I have an entire blog post of my own to write about the joy of taking my children to an amusement park that I went to when I was a child, and their grandparents before them. I used to think Kennywood was, at the risk of having rotten tomatoes tossed at me by my fellow Pittsburgher’s rinky-dink and small-town and couldn’t possibly compare to some of those national amusement parks like Six Flags or Cedar Point. Until I went to one of those national amusement parks. There is no comparison. You can actually move and breathe and enjoy Kennywood with your children as opposed to having consumer goods shoved down your throat at every turn and waiting in line for a minimum of an hour for every ride. Try standing in line for an hour with a four year old when it is 95 degrees (that’s 35 degrees celsius for my international friends) outside. There is nothing “amusing” about that.
7. There are 44 colleges and universities in the Pittsburgh area. Good to know for you and Tim, but even better for Jaxon.
8. Jaxon would have the best treatment available. There are approximately 30 or more hospitals in and around the Pittsburgh area. TOP hospitals. Pittsburgh is where Dr. Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine, Dr. Thomas Starzl pioneered transplant surgery, Dr. Peter Safer developed modern-day CPR and where they developed Mr. Yuk.
9. You can save your parking space with a folding chair. And nobody will steal it. Really.
10. People wave to you all the time. People are just friendly here. It’s not hard at all to strike up a conversation. Sometimes that conversation is with the crazy lady in the grocery store that calls you a drug dealer and rams you with her cart when you’re 9 months pregnant (yes boys and girls – TRUE STORY!), but 9 times out of 10 it’s just a nice person willing to chat about the weather.
11. Er, let’s not mention the weather.
12. OK, the weather. Well, it is true we have a higher than normal percentage of overcast days in Pittsburgh, and we do have the famous three H’s (hazy, hot and humid) in the summer, but we also experience a glorious four seasons here. You haven’t lived until you’ve walked down the street on a crisp sunny Autumn day in Pittsburgh when the sun is shining and there’s just the faintest hint of nip in the air. It’s what we like to call “jacket weather”. Take a light jacket or sweater with you and you’re good to go for the day.
13. There is something to do here all year round. We don’t just hibernate in the winter. Even the outdoor Pittsburgh Zoo is open all winter.



14. Libraries. I don’t know about anybody else but I love libraries. I know I’m a complete geek, but when I was a kid I would ask my Mom to take me and my (also geek) friends to the library instead of the mall. We have libraries everywhere in Pittsburgh. And you can return your books to any one of them as long as they’re part of the Allegheny County Library Association and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (which most of them are). Yay for no more overdue books! I can dump them wherever I happen to be when I remember. They also have great children’s libraries in just about every library here.
15. You can have your pick of doctors and hospitals to deliver your next child. I never realized Pittsburgh has an obscene amount of choices when it comes to maternity until I mentioned online my dilemma of selecting which hospital to deliver at. Apparently it’s rare to have so much choice within such a close driving distance. And all of them are top-notch and most have an excellent NICU.
16. Computers. Computers, computers, computers. All of those doctors and hospitals in Pittsburgh? They are all using or in the process of switching over their systems from paper to computers. When I worked for a General Contractor, the guy we paid scads of money to set up our network was SELF-TAUGHT. Does this sound like anyone you know Boo? And if Tim does need a credential, there are several accredited programs right here in, you guessed it – PITTSBURGH.
17. Food. Pittsburgh loves its food. We have a restaurant for every possible ethnic group, culture, style, etc. That Turkish artichoke dip you love so much? I’ll bet you an Isaly’s chipped ham sandwich you can find it here at one of the many Turkish restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.
18. I just did a Google search for “stained glass Pittsburgh” and it immediately came up with at least 10 local business results for stained glass near Pittsburgh. And you can find a class for any kind of art or craft you find interesting in any community in Pittsburgh. They offer them at the community centers, local High Schools, colleges, or art schools. You want to learn how to do it? You can find an instructor in Pittsburgh.
19. Jaxon would be the coolest guy in school. Pittsburghers, and Americans in general, are fascinated with all things Aussie. Yes we know you’re not all like Crocodile Dundee, but you talk cool, and you’ve got guys like Steve Irwin and Hugh Jackman. We even have a restaurant called “Outback Steakhouse.” It has nothing to do with Australian culture that I can tell other than serving Foster’s, Cooper’s, Toohe
    y’s and James Boag’s beer (at least the menu claims those are Australian beers). But still – we think it’s cool to be from Australia.
20. I live here!

This move has put a lot of “crap” in to perspective for me. As I sit here and contemplate the packing, I can see a whole heap of shit that I just don’t use, want, need, or have space for.

Among those item’s are soft and cuddly stuffed animal toys that belong to Jaxon. I am seriously going to need a spare room JUST to store those, now that I can see that they’re strewn all through the house.

I’m not sure what it is but every single person we know has bought Jaxon a soft toy. A teddy here, a lion there, a bear there. Perhaps everyone give’s those out in the hope that "their teddy” will become THE Teddy. The master card of Teddy’s, wouldn’t leave home with out it.

Long before Jaxon was born, while I was pregnant, my friend Tasha gave us a cute little duck that sings “singing in the rain” (or at least, it did) I’ve known Tasha for 27 years. We met in kindergarten. She is my best friend, regardless of how often I see or talk to her. So the fact that Jaxon has chosen her duck to be his best friend is NO surprise to me.  

The duckie goes EVERYWHERE with Jaxon.  But I can tell you that if you filled a ball pit with teddy’s and toys and hid the duck deep within it’s furry depths, Jaxon would throw them, walk on them and ignore them until he found his beloved friend. And then….he would be content and he would walk off in to the sunset, duckie in hand, never to look at or consider those other teddy’s ever again (much like he does to them right now)

I’m here to say, if you don’t mind, that Jaxon and I are well and truly teddied out.

Did you really think I would take a photo of my shit covered wall’s for you??

You sick freak!

This is the first time Tim and I have moved in almost 3 years. It is on the top of our list for things we avoid like the plague. I would rather a root canal without anesthetic. 

It’s not really just the moving bit either. I grew up in a family home. I was there when I was young and my Dad only sold it to move 3 years ago. I know that house like the back of my hand and it makes me sad to think of other people living in it. It was the safest place in the world because my Mum and Dad were there. I want that for Jaxon. I don’t want to move him around lot’s.

Aside from that, I hate packing. I hate taking things to the car and I hate driving to the new place and I hate taking it out of the car and then finally, finding new homes for places.

So it shocked me yesterday when we first told three of our close friends that we were moving because each of them jumped at the chance to help us move. They didn’t even bat an eye about it. Right off the mark they all said “Oh cool, do you want help to move"?”

Does this not strike you as odd? Or is it just me. Perhaps it’s just me. I’m pretty sure it’s just me.

I know I’ve helped three friends move in the past. But we were all in our early 20’s. That means that all any of us had to move was a bed and a washing basket of clothes. A few old pots and pans taken from Mum’s kitchen and TV. Easy as pie. Even moving in with Tim I only had a bed and a few other choice items. Now, we have three bedrooms and a house full of crap to move and a life of junk to pack.

I would never in a million years offer to help someone move. Don’t get me wrong. If my friends needed me to clean for them, or take them on a four hour drive to get somewhere, or shop for them…I would have no hesitations in doing that. And if they ASKED me to help them move I would. But I would not offer willingly.

I was hesitant to accept their offer’s because then perhaps one day they might need MY help to move and I might have to say yes, because it would be returning a favor. And why would anyone want to move anyone? I don’t like doing it for myself much less doing it for someone else.

It is just me isn’t it??

Hello everyone! This is Irishembi from over at “Because I Said So.” Boo is off having fun moving to a new house (if you define “fun” as packing up and moving yourself, a husband, a toddler, a dog and two cats and all the accoutrements that go with those things) and has asked me to be a “guest blogger.”

If you read my blog regularly you’ll know I’ve been suffering from constipation of the brain recently so luckily Boo has handily provided me with a list of questions to answer; graciously providing me with something to write about. I’m not sure if she intended me to answer all of the questions in one post, but since I tend to be long-winded (as evidenced by the fact that I’ve already written two paragraphs without even stating the topic question yet), I decided to take them one at a time.

Boo says: “I was going to ask you what number of children you thought was a good deal. One two or three?”

Well the “good mom” answer would be “three” seeing as I currently happen to have three. But my answer to that question is different at any given time of the day (at 6:00 a.m. it’s ZERO. Zero children is a good deal.) or any different time of my life. As a little girl I remember telling my best friend I only ever wanted two or four children as I didn’t ever want to make someone the “middle child.” I guess Jamie will just have to deal.

There was truly never a time that I thought I didn’t want children at all. There were times that I thought I wouldn’t have children either because, well, that whole male + female thing is kinda important, and there were definitely very, uh, dry periods in my life. And then with both of my marriages there were stages when I thought having children was just not a wise idea. Obviously that stage was permanent with the first marriage.

I jokingly tell people that when I had my first baby I knew I only wanted one child, and then after having my second I knew I wanted more. This is only half tongue in cheek. Sabrina was a difficult baby. I had to be cajoled and convinced to take a pregnancy test the second time, disbelieving all the while it could be positive. My first response on seeing that second line? “Oh crap.” The only reason it was worded so mildly was because Sabrina was in the room.

After having Jamie I had the “perfect family.” One boy, one girl. And yet. I still had this longing. It was almost as though there was another soul out there telling me, “wait for me, I’m not ready yet.”

And sure enough when I got pregnant shortly after Jamie’s first birthday, I had a much more positive response to the news. But that little soul still wasn’t ready for me, and she (I’ll never know for sure, but have always been convinced it was a girl) slipped away at 6 weeks.

I’ve now had my third child, a gorgeous little girl again, bringing my tally of children to three. I don’t have that feeling of someone waiting anymore, but there is still a certain wistfulness of maybe another…..

And then someone keeps me up all night and I remember how much I like to sleep and that I’d really like to get back to it someday.

• Being on hold for half an hour to connect a service that you really need connected while your 20 month old son is not feeling well and is in a rather cranky and loud mood is NO FUN.

• I’m not so sure I like the new yellow Wiggle.

• Calling a robot answering your phone’s “customer service”  is just wrong.

• Yelling at the soulless robot answering my question’s still feel’s wrong.

• Shit, we’re moving!

• Screaming at her feel’s much better

• Had better put the sex toys away now…

• Must buy cupboard locks for the kitchen

• How did we get THAT much CRAP?

• I wonder if I can complain about the new yellow wiggle??

• Jaxon is SO CLEVER. It’s no secret he’s watching the Wiggles while I pack and organize phones and power at the new house. They JUST played that song “Wave my arms and swing my baton” Jaxon went and got his wiggles drum and pushed on the button to play that song. He had four buttons to chose from, and he got the right one?

• No, I do not want my child’s photo taken

• Letting your teenaged daughter wear matching pink flannelette PJ’s and high heel clogs down the street is a bad look.

• We have the best friends ever!!

• No, I still don’t want my child’s photo taken.

• Why aren’t the summer boy’s clothes out yet? It’s boiling hot!

• Why can’t all kitty tray liner’s be the same size?

• NOOOOOOOO!

I. DO. NOT. WANT. MY. CHILDS. PHOTO. TAKEN!!!

• Where do I start packing? What do we take first? When will we be ready for the gas to go over? Oh that’s three…hmmmm.

• FUCK! We’re moving!

• Did I mention we have the best friends?

• Is it bed time yet?

Last night friends of ours came over to see the new house. The first thing one of them said to us when they came through the door was that we were “lucky bitches” because we were going to get a sum of money from the government and they weren’t. 

If you don’t know, the Australian government is handing out a bit of money (10.4 million) to help with the “economic crisis” in December. They’ll be giving low income family’s/earner’s some money, pensioner’s some money and some other people some money. About $1000. Apparently it’s a per child sort of thing for people with kids. Not to mention doubling or tripling the first home owner’s grant for $7 grand to 14 or 21 grand.

So these friends of ours collectively earn double what Tim and I earn and they live with their parents to save money for a home loan, they probably pay a quarter the amount that we pay in bill’s per fortnight. Let’s not talk about “rent” they pay. They don’t have kids.

This is not specifically a bitch about them or what they said…but seriously. If you’re not having to figure out what dietary item you can go without so that you can put petrol in your car just to get to work to earn your pittance, quit your bitching.

If you can afford to go to the movies more than once a year AND go to dinner without having to reorganize your weekly budget on a regular basis….quit your bitching.

If going for a two hour drive for no reason other than to get out of the house is something that you do without batting an eye…quit your bitching.  

If you have kids and can buy them a full new outfit ALL AT ONCE, not one item a week, quit your bitching.

If you answered yes to any of those scenario’s, quit your bitching. You don’t need help, you’re just being greedy.

I could maybe understand your rant if we were going to get this money simply because our name started with a “P” and yours didn’t. But thinking that we’re LUCKY to be getting this money because we’re low income earner’s is just not on.

I’d rather count myself luckier not be on that list, thank you very much.

We’re MOVING!

Can you believe it? I bet you can’t. Because Tim and I can’t believe it either.

We started looking on Monday. Yesterday. We looked in three homes. One we really wanted and two that were not worthy of human inhabitants.

Anyway we put in an application today at 12pm and by 2pm they told us we could move in. We’ve paid our bond, we’ve signed the papers…we have the keys!

Are you still in shock? Well how do you think we feel? We thought we would have trouble getting a place simply because we have a dog and two cats. We thought it would take WEEKS to find someone who would let us have them inside (many places say pets ok- outside only. But Mexxi is NOT an outside kind of dog/rat)

We haven’t even packed anything yet! I have packed our books away and I’ve packed up the stained glass room too. That’s it! The rest will be on the fly!

Needless to say, we’ll be gone for a while until everything is set up at the new place. Any posts you see from here on in are pre-written.

I’m not here.

Above: a preview

That’s not normally the kind of word that people use to describe me. I promise. Really.

But the other night, that’s exactly what quite a few people would have been calling me.

Let me set the scene for you. Friday night. It’s late. It’s dark. It’s raining.

Insert one Ten Pin Bowling Alley. With disco lights and loud music.

Add four fully grown adults.

And bumper’s.

The game was going really well. But it got boring so we decided to make it a little more challenging.

The Challenge? Hit the bumper’s four times before you hit the pins.

It sounds pretty simple but in all honesty it’s not. Getting three bumps before you hit the pins was hard enough.

After a few failed attempts, it was finally my turn.

Being that I couldn’t just be a normal person I decided to bowl my ball from lane twelve. We were in lane thirteen.

I threw my ball with all of my might. It went rocketing down the lane at full speed ahead. Nothing was going to stop it.

It hit the bumper head on. Instead of a light or even moderately hard tap that slid along it more than hit it.

SNAP!

TWANG!

BANG!

Tinkle… as the springs from the bumper burst from their safe house and flew all over the lane.

Dying of embarrassment, and laughing our collective asses off (me nearly peeing my pants on the floor) one of us finally had to volunteer to go and tell the people behind the desk. Even though they’d been watching the whole time.

Two minutes later the fifteen year old manager comes over to me. I’m sure he’s going to tell me that I now owe the center $2000 to replace the bumper. But no. He tells me in his most “adult sounding” tone, that “that’s what happens when you extreme bumper bowl” 

I’d like to think that in years to come, for all of eternity (or at least the next two weeks) people throughout my district will be telling whacky tales about a wild and free spirited teenager (hooligan,thug, delinquent, idiot) who broke the bumper’s at the bowling alley.

Above: I’d like to say this was my own photo but it’s just a google one. I did take my camera, but our batteries are dying and though they were newly charged, were too dead to take photo’s

Perhaps I’m just in a bad mood. I don’t know. I really don’t think it has anything to do with my mood and more to do with people doing stupid things.

I am speaking specifically about my babysitter. Who is giving Jaxon a bath as we speak.

I get a Blue Care babysitter once a week for four hours. I pay $5 for the service, which is government run. I get this service because I have no family to help out every now and then. So I sort of feel like I don’t have the right to say anything about this.

Recently Blue Care has been changing the way it utilizes it’s staff. This means that the lady we’ve been getting since Jaxon was 8 months old no longer works our area. It also means that each and every week for the last 3 months we’ve had a new lady come to care for him.

Blue Care normally look after the elderly. They go to their home’s and help them shop, or clean, or make sure they take medication. They do shower’s and wound dressings, that sort of thing. Jaxon is the only baby/toddler they have on their books.

I can’t talk on behalf of the elderly people who get these services, but I’m finding it really hard to get a new person each and every week. It means that an hour of my four hours is used up making sure they know where everything is, what to feed Jaxon and when to do it and making sure that I trust them enough to leave them alone with him. It’s hard for Jaxon too. He really loved his regular carer and now he doesn’t know the person that comes to care for him when they walk through the door.

I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent there. It’s the last three ladies I want to call stupid people.

The first, a younger girl, spent most of her four hours on her mobile phone. She gave him a bottle that was 6 hours old. And no solid meals at all. When she put him down for his nap she didn’t put his cot rail up. Is that not common sense??

Last weeks lady took him to the park for THREE hours. She didn’t put suntan lotion on him. He got very burnt on his arms and legs. Not to mention that in that three hours he didn’t get given anything to eat or drink. When he got home it was time for his nap but he was too hungry too sleep and too tired to eat.

And this weeks lady, the one in my home right now. Well. I normally stay home but stay in separate parts of the house. Unless I have to go out. It happens that today I had to go out. She had taken him to the park at the end of the street. As I drove by I saw our pram sitting at the play ground, no Jaxon. No blue care lady. As I drove around the corner I found them at the toilet block. Half a BLOCK from my pram. And you know why? Because the Blue Care staff are not allowed to use the toilet’s in clients homes. So they ALL use this set of toilets. This lady had left my pram in the middle of nowhere, couldn’t even see it much less know if it’s still there…because she and Jaxon were having a social visit with friends from work.

I slowed down as I drove by, not sure exactly what I should do. The chances of the pram actually being stolen are low, but you never know. And although the pram was a gift, replacing it would cost us $500 or more. If it was stolen would THEY cover that cost? I think not.

So I stopped and walked over. I didn’t bother with small talk. I simply said “I’m not sure I appreciate you leaving my $500 pram in a park that you’re no longer in” She seemed shocked. I don’t know if she was more shocked that I had the ball’s to come and say it, or that I’d said it in front of her work mates. I don’t care. She said “Oh, do you keep it with him?” Are you kidding me?? Would you leave your car in the middle of nowhere unlocked with the keys in it when you were going to be away from it? When you couldn’t see it. No, you wouldn’t.

I’m just a little bit over these stupid woman being sent in to my home to do a job that to me is the most important thing in the world. I want responsible people. I’ve called and requested that we be given the same lady each week. I don’t care if it’s not the lady Jaxon really likes, as long as it’s the same person each week. But I don’t think my request was taken very seriously since that was 2 months ago.

As I said before, I pay very little for this service. And up until the shit hit the fan at Blue Care the service was one that I could never have faulted in a million years. I’d love to just say “you know what, don’t bother” but this four hours is like heaven to me. It’s the only time in my week when I get to say “haaaaaa.” It’s the only time when I get to not worry about anything but myself.

This is a photo of Mexxi just after getting her nail’s cut at the vets. I tried to get a video, because she’s a vicious little thing when it comes to getting this done. But she was quite good. Normally I come out of the clinic with my arms and chest scratched to shreds and the vet normally get’s growled at, snarled at and snapped at. So the video is very mild and I can’t get it to upload at the moment. I’ll try again next time we get her nails cut.

I was having a discussion earlier this week with a friend that does not know very much about blogging. She asked some questions that I thought needed answering.

Why blog?

Well for me, blogging is my way of reaching out to the world. I’m a stay at home Mum. I get to go out with Jaxon two or three time’s a week but other than that I’m home. With a child that isn’t talking yet, with animals that don’t talk and away from my husband, who needs to work. I get lonely and I go stir crazy. Blogging is my way of getting to say the things I want to say, and to read other people’s thoughts on the same topics. In short, it gives me something to THINK about.

Four years ago Tim and I moved away from family, and 1 year ago the only family we had here moved away from us. So this is a great way to keep them in the loop. They not only get to see photo’s of their grandson, but they get to hear the story behind the photo’s and often get to see video’s that otherwise would be too big to send via email.

I also like to think of it as a living and breathing baby book. I have one of those baby books that you write things in as they happen. But I never go to it, because it goes here. I have Jaxon’s first steps here, I’ll have his first words here too. I have photo’s and video’s, something you can’t put in that paper book and something that would be lost on a disc somewhere if it wasn’t here. Here Jaxon will not only get to see when he first started doing things, but he’ll be able to see the video footage of him jumping off the couch, and talking and walking.

I hope that one day Jaxon will read back over these pages and know exactly what life was like with us. I’d like to think that if anything happened to both Tim and I and he was with his grandparents, that they would continue to show him the blog as he grew up without us. I like to think that if we weren’t around that them showing this to him would make him feel like we really were still here. That the words I write, be it how I really feel or just about the things that we do, would be something that Jaxon could take with him wherever he went. Instead of only having small memories of us, he would have a world of information about how we lived and how much we love him.

Posting pictures of Jaxon on the web, is that safe?

Well, maybe not. But the way I see it, who is really reading MY blog? There are MILLIONS of mummy blogger’s out there. A few Daddy blogger’s too. We all have the same things to say, in different ways. I’m not a famous blogger like dooce or Sweet Juniper. I have friends from my forums who read what I write, I have a few family and friends who keep up with what we do here. I might be lucky and have a few other people that have found me through links from other blogging mummies. I don’t have thousands of loyal followers. So maybe there are people out there that I specifically don’t know. Who come here and read what I write. I do not feel like it put’s Jaxon in any sort of danger. We’re just another face in the crowd.

How do you find the time?

I honestly don’t spend a lot of time here actually blogging. But it does consume a lot of my time. I could be changing a nappy or giving a bath or cooking dinner. I am always thinking of things that I could put here and how I could spin them in a better or funnier light. Everything in life now has become a possible blog entry. Just ask Tim. When something is happening and he see’s me reaching for the camera…he has to say “No, this is NOT going on the blog” because he knows exactly what I am doing.

There’s also a wonderful feature within blogger and the program that I use to write blog entries, that allows you to write entries ahead of time and have them posted automatically. I often blog really late at night and have them set to be published the day after when I’m still not at the computer. Time’s like today, when I have a Blue Care babysitter here for four hours, I can sometime’s have three entries written up and ready to go.

How long are you going to do it? 

As long as I can. I love blogging. It gives me something to think about, a way to reach out to people and a way to give something to Jaxon that I was never given. LOT’S OF PHOTO’s! This is my on line diary. One day, when I am old and gray and starting to lose my mind…I’ll be able to look back and remember just what it was like to be a mother to a 20 month old.

How do your family feel about you blogging?

I honestly don’t know. I do know they come here often for updates. And I do get asked why I haven’t updated if it’s been a few days between posts. I think what people reading this blog need to understand though is that a lot of the things I say about things that have been said to me or about me, or whatever…have been exaggerated or taken out of context. Just to make them funnier.

For example, in my last post, about my father in law sending me an email about being a better wife I KNOW that he didn’t send it along to TELL me I wasn’t a good wife (did you Poppy??). My father in law is a lovely man with a wonderful sense of humour. I know it’s something that he sent along to make me laugh.

In my post about asking my Mum about Jaxon being ready for time out’s and what not she didn’t really tell me she was too busy and needed to wash her hair and couldn’t help me with making the right decisions for Jaxon.  It was just written that way.

When you’re reading my blog, or anyone else’s blog you need to take everything that is said with a grain of salt. Everyone has their own style of writing and story telling. And that’s all a blog is. One great big story. History in the making.

Besides, when I want to tell the truth about them all…I write it on my secret blog.

This came via email. Courtesy of my father in law. Think he’s trying to tell me something??

Don’t tell him, but I think I am failing miserably!

My doctor told me to go back on the pill, for reasons that don’t need to go here.

He warned both Tim and I that it would take a month for it to work properly, we should use other forms of contraception in the meantime. I always wondered what the science behind that was.

That was nearly four months ago. I started taking them again a week ago. I just kept forgetting.

I’ve forgotten 5 times already.

Now I know there is nothing scientific about it.

It takes a month for you to remember to take it every single day.

Looking back at high school is the most painful memory I have. And I’ve got plenty of terrible stories I can tell you that should be higher on that list.

You called me a slut, a whore, the devil, a bitch. You screamed it at the top of your lungs in public places.

You kicked me and punched me and pushed me to the ground. You pulled my hair, pulled my pants down, trashed my school books and grafitti’d my locker.

You told me I was fat, ugly and worthless. You started rumor’s about me being pregnant, three times. When I’d never had sex.

You sat and teased me with your friends but acted all nice to me alone. You pretended to be my friend to get more ammunition to hurt me with.

You ruined my self esteem, my confidence and my self worth. You made me cry more than I will ever admit.

You broke me.

So don’t you DARE request to be a friend of mine on Facebook. Don’t think that 12 years has made me forget the person (people) that you are, and the person that you made me think I was.

I hope you feel guilty about what you did to me. I hope the shame eats at your insides when your world is quiet.

Just like the pain you caused still makes me cry.

Twelve years, you are not forgiven. None of you.

I’ve been going over and over it in my head for weeks.

The question?

Is Jaxon ready for time out’s?

The answer?

I DON’T KNOW!

I was just talking to someone about it. I don’t think Jaxon is. He doesn’t appear to be a naughty kind of kid. He’s never bitten anyone, he doesn’t scratch, kick, punch or throw things at you. He is a pleasure to take shopping and out to restaurants.

So I asked what exactly would be deemed “time out worthy” behavior? Her answer? He needs to be socially acceptable. Thanks for that. Have you seen the way kids and teens act in public these days?

I asked her what I should do when Jaxon wants something and I don’t think he should have it? Like when I give him a glass of water and he spill’s it out without drinking any of it only to ask for more.  Because he wont stop crawling up my legs bitching about it until I give in. What do I do then?

Well that’s easy, you need to set boundaries for him.

How do I do that?

Her answer…I have to go to bed now, busy day, long hours…beauty sleep. You know how it is.

Um, thanks Mum!

Seriously, where is the book about this? Where can I sign up for classes?

Do’s and Don’ts of Parenthood,

7.30 tonight

BYO Alcohol and Tissues

They have classes for woman just about to have a baby.  They tell you exactly how to get that sucker out. But when that’s all said and done  it’s “hey, raising kids is fucking HARD…and WE don’t know shit about it, so you’re on your own buddy. Good Luck with that there child”

Sometimes, I sit and wonder just how the hell I am going to get out of this parenting thing alive. I see that my own mother did it, and Tim’s did it too. I see plenty of woman who got though it and wonder…why don’t you START CLASSES!?!?!?!

We recently got our tax returned to us. It was a substantial amount of money (that is, to a single income family) and I’ve had my heart set on saving it and not spending it on anything this year.

Tim had not said it specifically to me, but I knew that he really wanted to upgrade his computer.

“It really needs this, that or the other” or “I could do more if I had THIS in my computer” “A 22″ screen would be SO cool” could often be heard two or three times a week. Just very subtle hints.

I said no. I kept saying no, and I was determined to say no. In fact, I was never going to say yes. Unless he wanted to do it one bit at a time he was never going to get an upgrade.

So Tim was tickled pink when we won $2500 on a scratchy ticket. We never buy scratchy tickets. It’s like a blue moon event in our home, it happens on the very rare occasion that we buy a news paper from an actual newsagency that sells the tickets. I happen to think that saving the money you would normally spend on lotto and scratchy tickets, is better than a win in the long run.

I gave in, with very little persuasion. I wanted an update too. But we did better than that. I don’t know spics and specs, for computer’s are Tim’s domain…all I know is…my new computer ROCKS!

Above:
My old desk

Above:
Tim’s old desk

You can tell the above computer desk is mine from the sippy cup sitting on it!

Above:
Our new set up.

Tim ordered the parts on line and picked them all up. He built us each a new computer, everything from screen, graphics cards and cases. All new. The only difference between the two is our cases, mine glow’s in the dark with it’s blue inner lights and Tim’s has a lock and ALARM on it!

Tim’s a happy chappy, and he finally got his 22″ flat screen…it looks like a monster compared to my old 15″ screen!

Because he built them himself, we still had enough money left from our little win to build hutches to make everything look nicer (and neater!)

We recently got our tax returned to us. It was a substantial amount of money (that is, to a single income family) and I’ve had my heart set on saving it and not spending it on anything this year.

Tim had not said it specifically to me, but I knew that he really wanted to upgrade his computer.

“It really needs this, that or the other” or “I could do more if I had THIS in my computer” “A 22″ screen would be SO cool” could often be heard two or three times a week. Just very subtle hints.

I said no. I kept saying no, and I was determined to say no. In fact, I was never going to say yes. Unless he wanted to do it one bit at a time he was never going to get an upgrade.

So Tim was tickled pink when we won $2500 on a scratchy ticket. We never buy scratchy tickets. It’s like a blue moon event in our home, it happens on the very rare occasion that we buy a news paper from an actual newsagency that sells the tickets. I happen to think that saving the money you would normally spend on lotto and scratchy tickets, is better than a win in the long run.

I gave in, with very little persuasion. I wanted an update too. But we did better than that. I don’t know spics and specs, for computer’s are Tim’s domain…all I know is…my new computer ROCKS!

Above:
My old desk

Above:
Tim’s old desk

You can tell the above computer desk is mine from the sippy cup sitting on it!

Above:
Our new set up.

Tim ordered the parts on line and picked them all up. He built us each a new computer, everything from screen, graphics cards and cases. All new. The only difference between the two is our cases, mine glow’s in the dark with it’s blue inner lights and Tim’s has a lock and ALARM on it!

Tim’s a happy chappy, and he finally got his 22″ flat screen…it looks like a monster compared to my old 15″ screen!

Because he built them himself, we still had enough money left from our little win to build hutches to make everything look nicer (and neater!)