Tired

What an emotionally draining week. Problems at school, problems at work, and oh the news this week has been diabolical.

First the Collie murder then the murder of little 8-year-old Sofia who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Goes to the loo and is murdered. Just like that.

How many of us have sent our 8-year-olds off to the loo at a public shopping centre - why I did just last week - and she got lost, or lost me - on her way back. And I got the security guards to search for her. It could have been my girl. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

(Bizarrely enough the shopping centre I lost my girl in was Innaloo.)

What was interesting was that the information lady I spoke to advised against putting out a loudspeaker announcement in case that alerted would be n’er-do-wells that my angel was unattended and lost. Instead she advised security guards through their headsets to look out for her. We found her safe and sound a few minutes later.

Will I be sending her off to the loos by herself in future? Probably not.

But at the same time I don’t want to wrap my kids in cotton wool. They need to learn independence and win the self possession that comes with that experience. What kind of childhood is it when you don’t have any freedom?

Lessons

I’m doing assignments again - this time my own! I’ve signed up for a TAFE shorthand course. It’s such fun - a little code language that no-one else in my house knows… I can write myself notes and they won’t be able to read them (insert evil mwah ha ha laugh)…

My teacher says “I feel like a bit of a dinosaur - teaching shorthand in the 21st century!” but I don’t know why they don’t teach it at school - it would be SO helpful at University when note taking and there are so many other times when some shorthand would come in handy… meetings, taking phone messages, I can’t wait to become proficient.

Already I can write “with the” and “I shall” with just a flick of my pen.

And as well as shorthand I’m getting some lessons in Bridge. Well we’ve kind of started on email with some questions where I reckon BT (Bridge Tutor) is assessing just how much he has to teach me. Certainly gets my brain ticking over and such a lovely distraction at work… er during my breaks of course.

What tree are you?

Walnut Tree, the Passion
Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egoistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromises.

Sound like me? My girl has the same tree.

The C word

When my kids were 7 and 5 they were delighted with themselves because they said they knew the C word.

“Oh really?” Says I. “What word would that be then?”

“Will we get into trouble if we tell you?”, says my canny oldest child.

“No, you can tell me once just so I know you really know the word”, says their equally sneaky mother.

“It’s crap!” They chorus from the back seat.

“Oh my goodness! That’s disgusting! I don’t EVER want to hear that word coming out of your mouths again!!”

Naughty giggles were heard from the back seat.

This morning my young daughter -still under ten says - “Mum, what does (insert real C word here) mean?”

The age of innocence is over.

The Football

“Oh YES! Bad bad bad, oh this is horrid, I don’t like this. Good! Yes. We like this. Oh no bad bad bad. How can this happen? I can’t watch.”

And silence.

Stunned horrified annoyed silence.

Who’s project is it anyway?

I always vowed NEVER to get involved in my children’s projects. Lets face it how are they to learn if they don’t do it themselves. So worrying about presentation, buying coloured card, helping my child write neatly - that was never going to be me. It is after all their responsibility.

Okay, so she had some help. Yes I confess I did cut all the magazine letters out - who knew Star magazine had a purpose? Yes, I did advise a little on layout. Yes, I did suggest some sentence construction… but my girl did ALL the research. And that’s the main thing. Isn’t it.

Isn’t it?

We both know A LOT about the White Cheeked Honeyeater now.

By the way how good is The Chaser? Brilliant satire. Worth hitting the website for a telling piece called “Muslim Photos” and of course the fab “Go Gary go”.

What else? Who has time when you have assignments to do? Well actually I did go and see Clive James with WASO. I took my girl who sweetly fell asleep in the second half, on the floor at my feet. Must be all that homework tiring her out. It was a lovely if not challenging program and Mr James was as witty and urbane as ever.

Snapped

Yes heeellloooo daaaahling! Mwah Mwah. Note image (right) from Western Suburbs Weekly. One could be cynical and say that it took a blonde wig to get into the social pages or simply be honest and say that lets face it - I rarely go out.

There are no social photographers at bridge (and just as well as I wear my ugg boots on cold frosty nights).

In fact I think it was the wig - it kind of stands out in a crowd and considerably adds to your height.

Far from being the wallflower as per, this one night I was photographed 3 times although once the Slimes realise that both the Worst and the WSW have published my tresses, they may choose not to run it.

And now I have something in common with my gorgeous daughter. We are both blondes!

How boring

Katie has been evicted from the Big Brother house. Now we have to put up with Jamie adjusting his hair a thousand times a day, pouting at the BB06 cameras and crying and David being more holier than thou, or even the Pope. Not even their good looks can save their dull personalities.

In an effort to spark up the house BB is introducing three more intruders - yup once again we are left with all the boring people while all the interesting ones are evicted. All apart from Camilla.

Go Camilla.

(I can’t be bothered commenting on the other housemates - they are all non-events. Yawn.)

A rare moment

I’m discovering that the older my kids get the less cool I am becoming (obviously only in their eyes!!) so when I impress them I need to crow about it.

Yesterday I put my daughter’s hair up in such a cool and groovy chick way - she actually asked to have her hair put up today - a Sunday. A you-can-wear-your-hair-out day.

(As my son would say)

Sick.

And I suspect this will also elicit a similar remark from His Nibs…

create your own visited countries map

Note stopover for 1 hour in Dubai also comes up!! A bit of a cheek really but good fun.

This is my son’s map:

create your own visited countries map

He points out that while his has less red on it - he has visited more continents than I.

Found on Adelaide Writer.

Now this is funny

First… have you seen the videos of people mixing Diet Pepsi with Mentos?
No? Well look at this…

There are a lot of these videos around and sales of DP and M have gone through the roof apparently…

But what happens when you try it like this?

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