Weekly wrap up #7

Seems like forever since I've written a weekly wrap up (the last one was before lent!), so I am long overdue...

1.

My daughter is a ballerina (she is the one on the left). Well, at least she participates in the class now. Last year, we started ballet lessons and she lasted, well, less than a term. It was painful. She would whine and scream during the first half of the lesson, then she would warm up and join in. After a few weeks, the stress proved too much for me, so I decided to call it all off for a while. Now, a few months older (and with the positive influence of her 'best fwend'), she is participating and really enjoying ballet. I'm so glad because I really, really want to live vicariously through my daughter and ballet is just so graceful and little ballerinas are soooo cute!

2.

Speaking about my daughter, well, she has taken up hairdressing (and she sucks). Anna took it upon herself to cut her fringe, and the top of her hair. Result, she looks terrible (I know looks aren't important, but I'm shallow).

3.

 The children were told to be sad because Humpty was knocked off the wall :(

 Benji Bear, modelling a burgundy Christmas scarf

 The dads with their offspring, well mostly

 Alex, being cool with his new friend, Aiden

Fairy Ruby is chaperoning Benji and Lola's latest date (cutest lovebirds ever!)

This weekend, we went to Fairyland with our best friends :) I think I may have oversold it just a bit (I may have told my kids that there were real fairies there), but the kids all seemed to enjoy it. And the adults, well, we enjoyed the snippets of kids free time we could grasp (literally a few seconds here and there). We finished up with a great dinner of Mexican hamburgers (thanks to the husbands) while the kidlets jumped off the couch to the mattress (all fun and games until...)

4.

On a bit of a boring note... I have prepped myself to go cloth only with nappies. I can almost hear a collective groan as mothers read this and think 'what the heck is wrong with her?' Well, the answer to that question is 'a lot', however, none of those issues are related to my using of 'clothies'. I have bought in total 15 modern cloth nappies, double inserts, bamboo wipes and some natural soaps (for the wipes solution). Pretty excited to be doing this (I've used cloth nappies on and off since having kids, but this is the first time I've really thoughtfully prepared it). It's gonna be awesome :)

5.

Also, in the 'healthy' vein, we are back into organic eating and raw juicing, however, this time we are not having our food delivered, but going to the weekly markets. It is a really enjoyable outing with the kids. We save money, buy great quality food and are not wasting as much- all round win! I have this theory that farmer's markets either have a real yuppie vibe (where everybody is eating organic to be trendy) or a real Earthy vibe (where everybody is buying organic because it's the only viable option) and the market we go to is the latter (I love).

6.

This week, my husband and I have being going to bed a little earlier than usual to watch a movie, The Burbs. Having never seen this movie, it was an educational experience (my husband often feels it is his duty to make me watch movies that were his childhood favourites- he is often genuinely surprised if I haven't seen certain movies). Anyways, The Burbs, as a light comedy, pretty entertaining. **Spoiler alert** The best bit is when Tom Hanks cracks it at the end of the movie, throws his gurney into the back of the ambulance and jumps on it, in one movement- that was hilarious.

7.

And I am STILL reading the first volume of Sherlock Holmes! Finding it nigh impossible to find time to read at the moment. Don't know if the kids are to blame or if we're just in a difficult patch this week- fingers crossed that things mellow again next week :)

And since its Mother's Day, double whammy for What I Wore Sunday- I forgot about the pic until I was at my mum's, so I made her jump in too xx (Even though you can't see, I'm wearing boots, because these days I practically live in them)

It could be worse...

I have three rambunctious kids. Nearly every day I lose it, to some degree, and some days several times an hour. But you know what doesn't help... when I'm trying to vent my frustrations and I am told, 'well, it could be worse'. Really? That is your helpful response? It could be worse?!? I know it could be worse, but hey, right now, I'm thinking it's feeling pretty difficult!

Okay, breathe, and I'm back. I understand that when people say 'it could be worse' they are well intentioned, trying to put my 'little struggles' into perspective... But, you know what, 'it could be worse' is a catch phrase that I say to myself... (It could be worse, at least I don't have to stress about money, health, being a single parent, war, being tortured). I have perspective, I am perspective gal (Sammy, did you pick up that reference?), so it's not perspective I'm looking for when I launch into a tirade about the latest kid related shenanigans (lately, many of these have included Nutella, must hide it better).

Likewise, I am not looking for someone to 'fix' my kids/routine/life. Okay, you have four kids under three, you cook everything from scratch, keep a neat and tidy house and your children are already way ahead in jolly phonics and mathletics? That is wonderful, for you and your family, however, what works for one family, may not work for another, so please, if you see me having a terrible day with my kids, please don't point out everything that you do differently/better, unless you are willing to help. I listen to advice, I really do, but not every technique works across the board. So, if I'm having a vent, it may not be the best opportunity to offer anecdotes of how you do it so much better (I'm not jealous or bitter, I'm just in the market for something else)...

And now, drum roll please, what DO I want when I'm gearing up for a longwinded, extremely descriptive and well articulated vent? I'm so glad you asked... I want you to listen, and agree!!! Yes, my life may be a walk in the park compared to the poor mother living in a war torn country, struggling to feed her eight malnourished children (oh crap, now I feel really guilty), but right now, for me, based on my previous experiences, my life can seem pretty darn hard! Whinging babies do my head in (thanks Anna and Benji), psychotic tantrums for seemingly no reason frustrate me (thanks Alex and Anna), having to constantly censor the way I word questions/instructions etc to avoid a meltdown is mentally draining (thanks Alex) and a general lack of sleep and time alone is draining (thanks, well, all three of you).

So, in order to maintain some grasp of my sanity, I need to have a daily vent, always to my husband, usually to my mum and then if I catch up with other mums, why not? Venting is not the same as complaining about your kids, it's just letting go of the frustrations that build up over the day. I kind of liken it to confession, just rambling off the issues I've had, how I'm (not) coping, and how tomorrow is another day... Venting actually helps me verbalise what the basic issues are and gives me an opportunity to break these down and process ideas of how I could resove them (by the way, when a mother is venting, she is at liberty to offer herself any advice or suggestions).

So, if I ever see you when I've had a hard day (so, like, ever), please; give me that day my daily vent and do not tell me about how it could be worse :)