Stuff With Thing

I’m working on the centre square of the Winnie The Pooh quilt for my niece who is due to be born on 25th Dec.

Chose the centre square to start because it was quick and easy, makes me feel like I have a finish under my belt after working for so long on the bell pull. Just got the back stitch to go on this square but sick kiddies = no stitching time.

Dropped Annie off at childcare then went to the post office with Heidi. Forgot the pram so she was walking, holding my hand being a very good girl, well at least to start with.

We stopped for a drink and a muffin. Yum. Nice little break for me.

Then I decided to get Heidi new shoes as her new runners I got a month ago are already too small. Seems she has jumped from a size 6 to a size 8.

While I was in KMart I spotted a ‘Cars’ magnetic whiteboard/blackboard with chalks, duster, paint pot holders and clipboard attachment. It was in the reduced to clear pile for only $20 (down from $40). Impulse purchase time.

I was worried it would be missing bits but I put it together and it is fine. Just needs a little glue to hold the pins in place - although then it would not fold to put away but that is no great problem.

Annie loves it and has been playing with it since we got home. Well except for the tantrum that Heidi got new shoes and she didn’t. : rolleyes.

Heidi spent most of the time in KMart running away, she thought it was a great game. Must make sure the harness is in the car for pram emergencies. She hates shopping trolleys and will not sit still in them, constantly climbing out instead.

We got home and Heidi went straight to bed, no wonder though she has been up since 4am.

Annie is pretty hysterical too. Am going to try and convince her to sleep as well.

Jim is coming to dinner tonight and Ralph should be home sometime around 8-9pm.

My little brother rang while I was at the checkout at KMart. He wanted me and the girls to go into the city with him to the Subaru Test Drive centre at Docklands. I declined. Can not see me or the girls coping well with that. Especially with all of us so tired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2sPCBjCi7g

What a night. Got to bed at 9.30pm but didn’t fall asleep for ages.

Ralph got up at 2am with upset tummy. Came back to bed at 3am slept until 4am and was up again.

Heidi woke up the second time he got up, she was very hot and crying so off to the doctor for her today.

The alarm went off at 4.30am but I hit snooze until 5am when I finally got up. Really hate broken nights sleep, it makes me feel so dead the next day.

Heidi was having hysterics while Ralph got ready for work, all she wanted was Daddy and he had to shower/get dressed etc so couldn’t hold her all the time.

She was screaming face down on the floor when he left, I put the teletubbies DVD on and spied his wallet sitting on top of the tv cabinet. So I grabbed it, ran out the front door and down the street yelling his name. Thankfully he’d only walked about 20 meters up the road and heard me.

Poor Heidi though, first Daddy leaves then Mummy runs out. Fuck!

He made his train in time and Heidi has calmed down now although not before waking her sister with all the screaming.

I’m amazed sometimes at the topics Annie and I end up discussing. Bedtime seems to lead to many deep and meaningful talks.

Tonight it was how some boys wear sparkly princess dresses and bras because they want to look like girls and some girls don’t wear bras or sparkly princess dresses at all because they want to look like boys and that is okay.

Strange stuff to have to explain at a level she will understand.

Almost done with wash day.

Started at 6am with a load of cleaning clothes (old cloth nappies) that had been soaking in bleach over night.

Then the whites, next up blacks, after that colours. Stripped the beds and left them to air so the next load was the blue sheets and doona cover from our bedroom. Currently the cot and bottom bunk sheets and blankets are going through.

Last load for the day will be Annies sheets and doona cover.

Then it is just one maybe two loads a day until next Monday/Washday.

It is painful doing so much washing in one day, thankfully the summer weather means everything dries without resorting to the tumble drier.

I do think though it is better to get it all over and done with on one set day of the week rather than be mucking around everyday with changing sheets/airing beds and all that gumpf.

Crossing fingers I have the energy to fold and put stuff away tonight with Ralph away for a 12 hour shift.

My tummy is starting to bother me which is a worry with both Ralph and Heidi hit by a gastro bug.

The girls are watching Barbie Princess and the Pauper while I am supposedly making their beds and mine.

Done the letters to my grandmothers for this week. Just have to post them.

Shower has been covered in creme cleanser but I’ve yet to wash it off. Must do that tonight before Ralph comes home and has a shower.

Ralph got home from work on Saturday in time to take the girls to music.

After music Annie and I went out and voted.

Labour retains power.

Labour party did well in my area although I’m more interested in the fact the Greens got a third of the votes that the Liberal candidate did.

I like the comparison info on the electoral commission website.

Tells me the median age in my area - 34 years (I’m 31).

The median weekly income we fall far far below, but I knew that by the rental prices.

Only 23% of people in this area were born overseas copmpare that to 35% where we used to live and it is no wonder this place seems so white bread some days.

Only 5.8% unemployment here compared to 10.5% in the old place.

I do so love statistics.

Here is the overall data for Victoria:

quote:

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At the 2001 Census, Victoria had the following characteristics:

Age - median: 35 years
Income - median weekly household income: $812
Birthplace - percentage born outside Australia: 24.7%
Mobility - percentage changing address since 1996 census: 41.4%
Unemployment - rate: 6.8%

---

After voting Annie and I went to the shops. Annie had her pram with her, with a teddy bear inside it, we got many smiles as we walked around.

I got a ballerina outfit for Heidi so she doesn’t have to fight Annie for the one we had. Also got some fairy wings and a wand for Annie which she wore as we walked around the shops, that garnered many more “oh isn’t she cute’ comments.

Heidi is almost 2yo so I got here the 3-5 yo sized ballerina outfit - it was too small! Fits Annie perfectly though! Wont belong before Annie is wearing her little sisters hand-me-downs.

Saturday night we had dinner at L and D’s place. That was lots of fun, the children all played really well together. Led to nephew M being invited over to play on Wednesday morning while L is at craft.

Iron Chef America started on Saturday night, very weird after being used to Iron Chef Japan. Not sure I like it. Will give it some more time.

Sunday morning Ralph went to Church and did the service and sermon. Girls and I stayed home because it is too much for Heidi to cope with seeing daddy but not being able to play with him.

I got naps in on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Did a fair bit of cleaning - kitchen, living room, master bedroom, toilet.

Still need to do the bathroom and the girls bedroom. But feeling good about how much i did.

Sunday afternoon Annie, Ralph and I sat down and made some Christmas decorations with cardboard and glitter. That was lots of fun, we have red circles, green stars and green Christmas trees. Big mess in the dining room now that I need to clean up though - that glitter gets everywhere.

Heidi has had really runny diarhoea for the last couple of days. Got her on milk and toast today to see if it will settle, if not we are off to the doctors tomorrow.

I love watching the girls learn about the world around them. Heidi was watching me cross stitch last night and I told her I was stitching a butterfly, she said bufly and has been practising saying it a lot since. We saw one fly past outside so now she keeps looking out the window for bufly’s.

Annie put her yogurt tub and spoon in the sink to wash and was fascinated that the spoon sunk but the tub floated. So we’ve been putting things in water to see what sinks and what floats.

She has also been running around the house with a magnet to see what it sticks to and find all the metal things.

So Thursday morning I went to playgroup. Still feel very weird and out of things at playgroup. Afterwards went to Wriggle It with SIL L and her boys. That was lots of fun. There is a fabric shop near Wriggle It that is closing down, got 8 meters of this horrible pink net stuff that will look great turned into a tent in our living room. Will suspend it from the fan to the corners of the room.

Heidi got very tired in the afternoon so at about 1.30pm I got Annie ready to leave Wriggle It. While I was getting her shoes on Heidi fell asleep. We left anyway but unfortunatly Heidi woke up while I was getting her out of the car and did not go back to sleep.

Was a difficult afternoon as Ralph was working a 12 hour shift. Thankfully the girls calmed down enough that I got them both off to bed at 6pm. Heidi woke up screaming at 7pm but a drink of milk and lots of cuddles from me got her back to sleep 15 minutes later.

Friday morning was busy with the girls and I leaving by 7.30am to get to the market. We dropped off library books on the way there. Got to the markets and made an impulse decision to get a hair cut. That was a great idea, both Annie and I look much better now. Heidi was not impressed with the hair dressers so no hair cut for her. Thankgod for good friends who don’t get upset by screaming babies and are willing to lookafter Heidi while I get my haircut.

Pizza for breakfast then off to the optometrist for my new glasses. I love them. Got the mail, parcel for me - pads :rolleyes. Even came with emergency instructions if something goes wrong with your pad.

Then fruit and veg shopping. No apples this time. Lots of watermelon, bananas, apricots and grapes. Yum.

ALDI was pretty easy this week, saw SIL L and FIL at the checkouts as I was going in. I was out of there with everything packed in my car while they were still putting shopping in the car. Suppose I’m shopping for 4, while they were shopping for 7.

Off to Sara Lee, got lots of yummy snacks for the family. Should help on those super hot days.

Got Red Rooster for lunch on the way home. Settled the girls with their lunch and a DVD. Then unpacking the car. Lord I hate that after a long morning doing the grocery shop. After everything was unpacked I went into the lounge room and found massive blue stains on the carpet from the girls drink. Spent an hour cleaning the carpet and the stains are faded but still very visible. Bummer.

Finished off Mums cross stitch - see the previous post about that.

Started on SIL S baby cross stitch last night but was very tired and went to bed early.

Ralph is off at work again this morning. He is running the emergency evacuation test run. Very proud of him.

Really should start getting the girls ready for music.

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YAY!

On 22nd July 2005 I started the William Morris design Bell Pull for my mum. Finally today 24th Nov 2006 I have finished.

It will be a gift for my Mums 60th Birthday in December.

I’m so proud of how neat the back of the design came out so I took a picture of that too.

Annie helping me with the cleaning this morning.