Saturday, March 17, 2012

It's a Snail's Life

Last weekend, Paige found a snail in the front yard and decided that she wanted to keep it as a pet. She brought it around the back, got a shoe box, gave it a jar lid of water, some leaves, called it Delancy and left it in the backyard.

A few days later after some very warm weather, I checked of the snail and found it rather dried out. She saw me throw it in the garden and was not impressed. She was even less impressed when Daddy informed her that it was dead and she couldn't get it out of the garden.

Today when I was brining the shopping in from the car, I saw a snail on the pathway and called Paige out to see it.

 "Delancey" she cried. "I've found you!"

 She then promptly marched inside and declared to her Daddy "See! I told you she wasn't dead!"

There is now another snail in the shoebox.

Folded Up

Tonight after making a super awesome dinner for the boy and the little girls, I crashed on the couch while they "tidied up" in the kitchen. When I stopped resting my eyes and came back, the girls were in bed. Judd was telling me that while I was sleeping, Charli decided to hide from him.

She hid in the cupboard under the laundry sink. Not a good hiding spot if you ask me, cold and hard and very tiny. But Charli had a plan, she took a cushion so it wasn't so uncomfortable. Once she was found, the boy asked her to get out, apparently she was taking a very long time and when he told her to hurry up the response was:

"I'm trying Daddy but I my muscles are all tight because I've been folded up"

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Falling Apart


Charli started school this year. For her it was really exciting, for me, not so much. I am happy that she is going to school as she was so ready for it and I am happy that she loves school, but I am sad that she is not here anymore. I am sad that they are both not here anymore. That year of 1 day a week of childcare and the the following year of 3 half days of kinder still didn't prepare me for the total and complete silence when she is not here. She sings, ALL THE TIME, she talks, she plays, she watches TV or bounces on the trampoline. When she is here, there is the noise of another person in the house. When she is gone, there is silence. I don't have to constantly help her with stuff or watch her do stuff or make her stuff....I just have to look after me. She is not here.

I think now, more than ever, I will look forward to the school holidays and yes, after 4 days they may be making me insane with their constant needs or fighting, but they will be here with me. Charli is home today and it is the second last Wednesday that she gets off of school. She is tired and resting, barely making any noise at all, but every now and again, she will ask for something or tell me that she loves me and that is what I miss the most. I have work to keep me busy, but it is not the same as having a gorgeous, adorable, annoying, crazy person around all the time.

I know that this is all about Charli and you may say, what about Paige? The thing is, I went back to work full-time when Paige was just 5 months old. I worked full-time for a while, then part-time and then I had Charli. Paige is now in Grade 3 and is doing really well. All of this with her was exciting, she was ready, she is doing well at school and she was the oldest. When she went to school I still had a little one at home, someone to take care of and do things for. I missed Paige, but I was occupied. Not any more and work doesn't take the same energy as looking after a child.

So, Monday night I fell apart. It was messy, ugly crying and The Boy was not sure what it meant or what to do but we got there and I feel better now. I miss Charli and I miss Paige (not enough to keep them home with me forever) but enough that when I pick them up in the afternoon, I look forward to it. I push myself to get my work done so that I wont have to be working after I pick them up, I try to spend time with them, helping with homework or just talking. I yell less as I try to make the most of the time we have together and I try to be more organised so that we can do that. I may or may not buy them treats sometimes on the way home just so they know that I care and am happy to see them and I most definitely hug them A LOT!

I love both of my amazingly wonderful girls and I realise even more now just how much I love them as they get older and more independent.