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October 1, 2003
1st October 2003
New entry time! Does anyone else have a hard time trying to think of something vaguely interesting to talk about in their diaries? That’s a bit tragic really, I think this is only my 4th entry and I waited patiently to have my own diary for so long……… I was reading on a TTM board (sorry, I forget whose board it was) and this writer had received an email from IP about not updating for 3 weeks – gosh, there must be a lot of us receiving these emails just lately! Daily life is very hectic in my neck of the woods and I have to put aside some time (usually at work – oops) to get my thoughts together and come up with a new entry that I hope some will find enjoyable to read. Which brings me to my first point –
TTM BOARDS
Is anyone reading my diary? I’m almost afraid to ask in case I get no responses on my board. Please come out of the dark and introduce yourselves, I’d love to get to know you. And thanks to those who have already ‘visited’ me in cyberspace – isn’t it amazing, here I sit on the opposite side of the world from most of you in the USA or Canada and we can just ‘drop in’ on each other via the boards. I love it! The boards are a great concept (if we are all respectful of each other’s views of course). When the boards get ‘out of hand’ as happened with a board on Mom’s Today recently, it is a huge shame. I really don’t want to start that up again, suffice to say it was unfortunate and I hope we don’t see that sort of thing again in a hurry (I can just see some of you searching the boards frantically for any sign of a ‘disagreement’ – it seems to have been taken ‘off air’ for a cooling-down period no doubt). It’s weird though, as distasteful as it is, I think most of us would admit to reading through some of those posts – it’s like looking at an accident scene, you just can’t seem to tear your eyes away! Human nature is a funny thing.
CHRISTMAS FINERY ALREADY?
It’s the first of October and already the Christmas decorations are on sale in the supermarkets – what’s with that? I’m not one of those super organised people who buy their Christmas bits and pieces in October, in fact I actually enjoy that last minute rush when there is more of the Christmas spirit in the air. I’m the one rushing through the bookshops, department stores and music stores searching for the perfect present on 23rd December at the earliest!
The Christmas spirit is a bit harder to find here in Australia, simply because it is generally stinking hot and there is not a snowflake, candle or carol singer in sight. Over here it’s Christmas BBQs, long evenings spent outside with children playing with their new toys and trying to keep cool over the traditional Christmas dinner. I spent my first 10 years in England so I have great memories of cold traditional Christmases and my mother ALWAYS cooks a Christmas turkey with all the trimmings when the temperature hits 33 degrees Celsius. A lot of people here prefer a cold meat and salad type of approach. Not for us - we sit around that table, red faced and sweltering, in a valiant effort to enjoy the Christmas cheer, with the fan going full blast! Once dinner is over, we usually retreat to the veranda around my parents’ house where is it a degree or 2 cooler. DH always puts up beautiful Christmas lights around our house and weaving through the veranda, it looks fantastic – we hope that Ryan will stay awake late enough this year to enjoy them! Christmas is still wonderful in the height of summer though, believe me!
STEPPING OUT
Last Friday DH & I went out for the first time in a LONG time! We really should ‘book’ a date more regularly. We went to a Queen tribute show – they were fantastic. Are you aware of the British rock group Queen? Yes, of course you would be. Well these guys were so like them and the singer was just amazing as Freddie Mercury. DH & I had some dinner out before the show and enjoyed a really nice evening. It doesn’t happen often enough anymore. My mum cares for Ryan 2 days a week and she works the other 3 days so I am always reluctant to ask her to baby-sit as she is so busy.
THE ‘EX’
This will freak out any of you second wives out there – we had DH’s ex-wife baby-sit one night! How weird is that?!! We have always got on well and there has never been a problem with all parties being civil, thank goodness. My stepdaughter visits with us every fortnight so we see a fair bit of DH’s ex and she just adores Ryan. She was very supportive of me when DH was in hospital for so long when I was pregnant with Ryan and I will always be grateful for that. Anyway – DH and I took my parents out to dinner back in August for their 40th anniversary and DH’s ex stayed at our place to baby-sit. Weird, but it works for us! She has remarried and everyone has moved on with their lives so things are fine.
MY BOY
Ryan turned 22 months on 29th September. I remember when he was tiny, waiting eagerly for that monthly date to come around, to proudly announce that he was 2 months, 3 months, 6 months (you get my drift)! At what point do you stop counting in months?! I could say he is 1, but he is so much more than just 1. He is such a ‘little boy’ now, no longer my baby. I must get him weighed and measured again soon but let me just say he is a big boy – about 17kg and 93cm tall (sorry, I know you guys talk in pounds and inches over there, don’t you?) He is going into size 3 clothing and wears the biggest size nappies (there is my motivation to get him potty trained). He’s tall enough to continually bump his head on the kitchen benches, poor little darling. And he is such a sweetheart – I’ll crouch down on the floor and say ‘come and give mummy loves’ and he will come running across the room, arms outstretched and give me the biggest hugs. When I put him into his cot (crib?) at night he waves to me and blows me kisses – aaawww, aren’t they just cute enough to eat at this age??!
WORK ISSUES
As you might be aware, I work full time as assistant to the State Forensic Pathologist (I do paperwork, not the yucky stuff). Ideally I would like to work 2-3 days per week, that would be just fine. I’m hoping to have a Friday and Monday off in late October, giving me a 4 day break with my little treasure. I long for those days off as a Monday to Friday working week is so stressful to me. The very nature of my work doesn’t help – don’t get me wrong, I find it all incredibly interesting and I am involved in a wide range of Police and Coronial cases which I find fascinating. However the wide range of cases also involve children from time to time and since having Ryan, I find it hard to ‘detach’ myself and I’m often thinking of how those poor parents are coping. Losing a child must be the hardest thing, whether it is a natural or accidental cause. I clearly remember coming back to work after 6 months maternity leave and the first case for the day was a little one who had passed away from SIDS. THAT was hard. My department was also heavily involved in the Port Arthur massacre investigations which was just so stressful. But having said that, I would not want to work anywhere else – I do love my job – does that make sense? I do not dwell on the things I read or see when I am at home – most of the time, I am able to ‘switch off’ when I walk out the door at work. At the moment I am organising a 3 day conference for 40 Forensic Pathologists coming to Tasmania in November – the conversation should be fascinating!
BIRTHDAY IDEAS
Ryan will be 2 on 29th November. Last year we went all out to have a birthday party with all the trimmings and it was great, but exhausting! I think we will be a little more low key this year – just family and close friends. I’m thinking of getting him a couple of Fisher Price Little People sets and a flip-out sofa. He just has so many small ‘things’ that end up all over the floor, do you know what I mean? I think he would have more fun with perhaps some play equipment for the garden. Any ideas for a 2 year old?
ME
The Weight Watchers thing is going in fits and starts……..I need to be more disciplined and count those points more closely and find time to fit in a bit of exercise. I KNOW I would feel better, but it is so difficult getting home from work at 5.45pm, feeding and bathing Ryan, playing with him, getting him off to bed, squeezing in some dinner for DH & I. By then I am well and truly exhausted and want to collapse in front of the TV (or get on-line!). I’ve got to stop finding excuses and JUST DO IT!
That’s about it for now, thanks for reading! Please come and say Hi on my board, I’d love to hear from you. By the way, do you have any tips on getting a toothbrush anywhere remotely near a toddler’s mouth?! It is a constant battle between mummy and little ‘lockjaw’.
Until next time
Sue (Ryan – almost, almost 2!)
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