Two Sleeps!!!

Only two sleeps to go until the Big Girl and I head off for our exciting, action-packed holiday across the Bass Strait. I am a teensy bit excited!!! mind you, the excitement has been tempered a little by my Pop's failing health. He was admitted to hospital last Saturday and is still there, quite unwell. I guess he is 94 and his time on this earth has been good, but it is still sad. He is a great grandad, and I am very sad to see him so very frail and unwell. Nevertheless, Melbourne beckons, and we will be heading off Saturday morning. Yippee!!!

Coming Up for Air

Little One

Annabelle Clare

Whew!!! What a few weeks it has been . My stint as single parent is now officially over (yeehah!!) as the Husband started holidays on Friday. Mind you, he has spent most of today at the orifice/office tying up loose ends, but it is now all done and he is officially on three weeks holiday - yay!!!! In other news, the past fortnight has been pretty sad with our two lovely bunnies getting myxomatosis and having to be put down. I have never been with a pet before whilst it was euthanized and I can safely say I NEVER want to do it again. Very traumatic indeed. So R.I.P Annabelle Clare and Little One - two lovable bunnies who are greatly missed, especially by my Big Girl who was their mum.
In other, more cheerful news, the Big Girl and I are off on a bit of a holiday in less than a fortnight!! We are off to Melbourne for a girly trip, focusing on shopping, shows and fabulous food. I have also been conned into going to a football match at the MCG by my baby sister. Now those of you who know me well will be familiar with my passionate hatred for all things football, but the Big Girl convinced me that we should go for the experience - not to mention the fact that her team is playing her Auntie's team on the day we are attending!! We are also off to see King Tut at the Melbourne Museum, and to see a show at the Melbourne Comedy Theatre. We are going all out and staying in a beautiful inner city hotel, and for those of you who are interested, I will be revealing a special little surprise when I return - photographs will be posted, so keep watching!!
Must be off and conjure up some dinner for the starving troops. Catch you again soon xxxx

Single Parenting in a Marriage

Ahh, back again! Sorry for the absence, but, as you can see by the title above, life has been just a little bit hectic. Just a warning - the post you are about to read will more than likely contain a fair bit of gratuitous whining and whinging, as I have nowhere else to vent.
Don't get me wrong, I love my husband TO BITS!!! He is a fantastic man. We met almost 18 years ago at Uni, and the first time I ever laid eyes on him, he was wearing a sassy little silver mini dress. Unusual I know, but he was the lead actor in an ancient Greek comedy, and I had gone to watch with my then (but not for too much longer!!) boyfriend. Sitting there watching the play, I thought to myself that he was a pretty hot ticket item, but well beyond my means. Fate, however, had other plans. Thanks to a last minute withdrawal from the next Classics' Society production, I was invited to join the chorus of 'Orestes' and the rest, shall we say, is history. It was lust at first (or for me, second) sight, and we embarked upon a deliciously illicit affair. Long story short, we married three years after, had our first baby seven months later (yeah, you do the math) and have been married fifteen years this August.
We have had our ups and downs, as all couples do, with a pretty spectacular turning-thirty crisis on my behalf, but our love has remained strong and secure. But right now, things are hard. I am pretty much a single parent at them moment and I am not enjoying it much. He has a supreme court trial starting tomorrow, combined with his usual caseload plus several other major business-related issues, so he has been pretty much camping out at the office, coming home only to eat and sleep. His patience levels with the kids are at an all-time low due to the massive amounts of stress he is under, and he can be pretty difficult to deal with when he is like this. So single-parenting is my lot right now and I can't wait until it is over!!! Handling three kids, being Mum's taxi, solo-disciplinarian, homework-helper, chief cook and bottle washer, as well as all the other stuff that goes on in an average week, is pretty exhausting. But it will all be over (I hope!!) on April 15th wen my lovely husband starts three weeks holiday - WHOOHOO!!! He is planning to spend a fair bit of time on the golf course, but payback for me comes on April 30th when my big girl and I head off to the north island (Melbourne) for a three night mother/daughter getaway. We are going to a show, checking out the King Tut exhibition at the museum and shopping til we drop! We are also splashing out on a beautiful hotel, The Marriott, and generally indulging ourselves for a 72 hour period. We are both pretty excited, needless to say!!
So, in a roundabout way I have had a bit of a grizzle about solo parenting and the challenges it poses, but all in all, I wouldn't swap my spot in life for anything. I am blessed with a hard-working, loving and dedicated husband who still loves me, gray hair, extra kilos and all!! I am also very fortunate to have three healthy, happy, beautiful children who never cease to amaze and inspire me. God is good indeed!!!