Whirlwind!

I really should be packing my bags for Melbourne (we'll get to that), but thought I'd check in to report on my first week at work.
WOW!!!! I LOVEEEEEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's full on. FULL ON. So much to learn it's crazy, lucky I'm so bloody smart. But I am learning so much, it is awesome to be back in a team work environment again, and to come home to Nick at the end of the day and have something to talk about.
I don't love the hours, but once that magical flex time kicks in it will be great. I do love the Chinese man at the shop next door to work who shakes my hand and calls me beautiful and tells me he sends messages to my head. And I love that when I went in this morning he was playing "Dancing Queen" and this afternoon he had on "Somebody to Love". Awesome.
Anyway I have my first exam in the morning but I'm sure it will be fine, I really have concentrated this week and it is open book so I am confident I will pass.
The flipside, gosh I miss spending time with my kids, I think they are feeling it just as much as me. It will settle down, as mum said tonight she worked full time when I was growing up and we all managed, once again I am so lucky to have that family support. And Nick now finally appreciates what a pain in the arse drop offs and pick ups are since he is doing all of them!
Right so back to the Melbourne trip. This was organised last year, I booked in Feb to leave tomorrow morning, Murphy conspired and I had to change my flight till tomorrow night and I am very sad I miss out on a trip to "Little Smarties" tomorrow afternoon, however I have sent my proxy shopper Jacqui to get some stuff for me.
I can't wait. Girlie weekend!!!!!!!! I get to see my gorgeous mate Jacqu again, hook up again with Kristi and Janelle, and to meet Grinder (Sue), Toni, Sophie, Rosanne, Lisa, Tracey and Kate for the very first time! Can't wait. Bring it on Jedis :)
Okay so I am really going to pack my bags now, I hope Jacq bring spares of everything I will forget pmsl.
Bye for now xxxx

The End of An Era aka The Big Last Wednesday

I start full time work next week. Ever since the kids were born I have pretty much worked 3-4 days a week, with 2 weeks holiday at Christmas.
Amongst all the business of being a working mum, Wednesdays were my day with the kids. Charlotte did Fairy Ballet, the kids went swimming, grocery shopping was done and both went to Kindergym with the best leader on the planet Trisha.
Today marked the last Wednesday (or mummy day as Gus calls it) before Mummy days get canned because I will be working. And I'm sad about it.
So this is a pity party post for me. I want to document our last mummy day for a while. This is totally lame because I deliberately chose a job with mega holidays and flexi time, so I'm sure it won't be long before Angus and I have another mummy day, it just won't necessarily be on a Wednesday.
So the morning began with a little sleep in, as Wednesdays do, as all we have to do is get Charlotte to school by 8:40am, cruisy as. I accidentally slammed Angus's foot in the school gate on the way out so he probably won't miss that!
We then went to Kmart, sorry make that "KMark". We go there to buy birthday presents, pjs, socks and jocks etc and somehow the little fella always manages to twist my rubber arm and get a toy, just a little toy, please mum I've been so good. Today was no exception. He was a great help carting those 6 bags of bean bag beans though. MIL has bought 2 divine new bean bags for the new house and we needed to get the beans to go with them. MIL is officially nutso buying more bean bags as this is what happened to a bean bag on Angus's birthday last year

On the way out he conned me into a ride on a jetski thing (as he always does, isn't working mother's guilt a fabulous thing?), and we found the horn on it, so Angus pressed it and yelled out at the top of his voice "MOVE IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!". I was horrified and said "don't yell out rude words like that" and he replied with "but you say it when you beep your horn". Jeez kids make you laugh don't they.


We went to Kindergym, went to Hungry Jack's for lunch and booked his birthday party there at the same time, then watched telly together, picked up Charlotte and
came home.

I'm so lucky, and so is Gus, that my mum is picking up the slack so mummy day will be Granny day on Wednesdays now. She'll take him to kindergym and probably buy him 2 toys and give him 3 rides and he won't miss a thing.

But I'll miss our Wednesdays Gussy, love you xxxxx

What the.......

hell is a Bumerang???? I was hanging up some washing (amazing in itself) and was trying to work out how to open this stupid funny looking coathanger. Worked that out, then saw "Bumerang". What is that - a bum hanger or can those Scandinavians not spell boomerang??
Buggered if I know, but it did make me laugh, which hurt my head. I had my 20 year school reunion last night which was all time. But I came home without my camera and am hoping hoping hoping it is still at school. So post to follow when camera turns up. The funniest thing of the whole night was watching 2 fellow students looking very cosy having a pash. Nothing that unusual, except it was an all girls school........

New House, New Job, New Term

Ah as Mr T would say - or was it the old grey dude on the A Team "I love it when a plan comes together".
Right, so, this week I was a little bit stoked to find out I got a new job. When the decision was initally made to sell the business back in January, I had a bit of a think about what I would do next. I couldn't go past being a public servant with the great flexible hours, insane superannuation contributions etc. So mission "Georgie wants to be a public servant cos it will rock" quest began in earnest. I was going great guns for a job at the Tax Office until in a typical waste of our taxpayer money style, the position I was going for was held off until next financial year as the budget had run out and no positions would be offered until July at the earliest when it was supposed to start mid May. Crazy. The recruitment costs to do 3 hour behavioural assessments on people for a position that isn't there is just mental.
So I applied for another one with a different agency and bugger me I got it! This one starts 12th May, so bye bye libraries hello someone who pays me a salary that pays our mortgages, sweet as a nut.
Meanwhile down on the library farm, Nick has bravely committed to running that on his own, I actually think he will do really well without the interference from his lovely but impatient and dominant wife.
I've worked with Nick day in day out, popping kids out in between, for 6 and a half years. I cannot WAIT to come home so I can say "hey Nicko how was your day?" and he can say "it sucked but yeah how was yours?". Awesome.
The only downside to this job is that blardy Murphy. For months I have organised to catch up with some lovely girlies in Melboring from 16-18 May and had my flight booked months ago for 10am Friday 16th May. I could chuck a sickie but ethically I just can't. Don't worry, I'll be getting tanked on the plane and getting to our apartments as fast as that plane and taxi will carry me.
Now back to that house we are building. It's apparently about 4 weeks until we get the keys. So we have madly organised landscaping (inadvertantly copying the Watsford driveway), flooring, air conditioning, flowers and shit for the garden, and the great debate over the new vacuum cleaner.
So here it is so far, I hope I didn't choose a pink eave and green door, pretty sure that's not finished yet. And there's some fancy spires and shit to go on methinks

This is our, whoops I mean Nick's kitchen, which I must say looks completely boring and lame but once we have that nice blue splashback thing, the stainless steel stuff that cooks, cleans stuff and keeps my wine cold, and that timber flooring, I rection its gonna look a bit of alright.

As for the rugrats, Charlotte went back to school on Tuesday, she had a fantastic holiday spending lots of time with the doting grannies. Here she is out the front of the in laws place, hard to believe she's been at school since July last year and is going great guns, especially in the monkey bar department which I think is vitally important, she's a champion!


And so the Gus Man isn't left out, here's a piccie of my gorgeous boy, don't try and copy the outfit, he's dressed exclusively by "Watsford Hand Me Downs" boutique

I've Been Tagged!

These are the rules:

Link the person who tagged you
Mention the rules on your blog
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

This is my first try at tagging too! The lovely Grinder, alias Sue wants me to come up with 6 quirky things about me. I really don't think I'm quirky but here goes, you decide!!!

1. I don't drink coffee or tea. I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste. I cannot however last longer than 10am without a carton of Farmers Union Iced Coffee. Here in SA we drink more of this stuff than Coca Cola. The downside of this stuff is that it is loaded with calories, on the bright side I will NEVER get osteoporosis with my calcium intake.

Until recently it was very difficult to purchase this interstate, I still remember finding a 2 litre bottle of it in the Nowra Woollies a few years ago, finding that on the shelf was the closest thing I've had to a religious experience!

2. I like to play with grammar. Kate F doesn't call my writing a "grammar rodeo" for nothing! In fact, I muck around with it so much I forget (whoops - have forgotten) the right way to write things most of the time. For example, I am even blonde, and tonight I unknocked off none Rockfords Alicante Bouchet (alias Rockford's Cordial) with one of my bridesmaids.

3. I am a spelling Nazi. Bad spelling shits me no end. I am still spewing I came second in the Year 9 spelling competition because I spelt "interchangeable" wrong.

4. I very very rarely cook, like maybe 3 times a year if that.

5. I check the birth notices in "The Advertiser" every Saturday to see how many Charlottes and Anguses are in there.

6. I never used to clean my teeth in the shower until I met Nick. Brushing my teeth in warm water seemed revolting. Now I do it all the time.

Hmmm I just re read them and have decided I am actually a nutjob.

Let me get back to you on who I tag cos I think Sue pinched all the ones I thought of!

xx

Mum's "No Presents!" Present

My mum is hard to buy for, because she has lots of stuff (understatement!). Ken refers to her handbags and shoes as her superannuation fund to give you an idea.....
So for Mother's Day this year I decided to call upon the talents of Lisa at GigglenGroove. Lisa is funny as all get up, has 3 gorgeous kids and makes the best jewellery and hair bows going around. Go visit her website, I'm sure you won't be able to leave without getting something!
So the talented Lisa got to work with my oh so not very specific design criteria (I am as creative as a dead fish remember), and came up with the perfect bracelet on the first go. It has all 4 of her grandchildren's names on it, and I told my sister in law if she has another kid she can pay for the alteration!

So a couple of weeks ago mum sprouts "I don't want ANY presents for Mothers Day this year I don't need anything". Yeah ripper mum I'd just organised the bracelet.
Sooooooooooo, I gave it to mum today so she gets NOTHING for Mother's Day as requested.
Of course she loved it and I am now her favourite daughter. The fact I am her only daughter is irrelevant.
Mum, you do so much for us, put your life on hold for us, and you are always there for us. And you are so much fun, I bet not too many of my friends have their favourite wedding memory being their mother dancing on stage with the band, tapping your shoes above your head! And like that time in Noosa when you.......ah just kidding I won't tell that story :)
So happy "No presents day", love you xxxxxx

When the Big Fella wasn't quite so big!

I've been organising invitations for Nick's 40th extravaganza coming up in May and scanning all these old photos. They've cracked me up!
Being the youngest of 3 boys, we did struggle to find baby photos!

This was taken by Nick's brother with a Box Brownie

The budding rugby star who turned into State Union Captain


And no self respecting rugby boy wouldn't have a photo of himself in drag "Miss Collegian 1998"


Charlotte commented on his hair being a different colour in all these photos, I guess I've turned him grey and larger, how do I get the big fella back to looking like this?? I think that stuff in the brown bottle was the beginning of the end of all that!