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October 28, 2003
28 October 2003
I’m back at work today after 5 days off so forgive if I sound a little miserable! No, it’s not that bad but things at work at very chaotic at the moment and I am feeling just a tad overwhelmed! Plus the fact that I enjoyed those 5 days off with Ryan SO much – more on that later.
First let me say that I hope all you American and Canadian readers have a good Halloween this week. We don’t observe it here in Australia but it looks like a lot of fun. As a child in England, we used to go ‘trick or treating’ on that cold October night dressed as all manners of goblins, witches and other scary things. It was great! It was so much fun coming home and checking out the loot! Do you all go trick or treating with your children?
OUTINGS WITH RYAN
During my time off I took Ryan here and there, doing some fun things that we don’t usually get time to do together. Last Saturday morning I took him to a new playgroup from 10am – 12.00 noon and he had a blast! I think he was blown away by all the wonderful things to do, new children to interact with and songs to sing. It was quite funny in the last half hour where we sat in a circle and sang songs – it was like ‘pick out the working mum who doesn’t know all the words and actions’. How embarrassing to have to improvise to ‘I’m a little tea pot’ and ‘Sea Shells, Clam Shells’! Hee Hee. But we did know most of them and Ryan especially enjoyed ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ and ‘I Hear Thunder’(lots of stomping feet). I got along well with the other mums so maybe I might make a couple of friends there. Each mum (or parent I should say – there were a couple of dads there) takes turns to organise an activity each week (craft, cooking etc). Eeeekkk, it can’t be that challenging, can it? I’d really appreciate a few simple ideas, girls!
Yesterday Ryan and I met another Ryan and his mum, Phillipa at the Fun Factory which is a huge indoor adventure playground with slides, tunnels, ball pits (is that what they’re called?) – that sort of thing. It’s the first time Ryan has been to one of these and ………….he got stuck and/or scared inside it twice and I had to go in and rescue him, poor little bubba. I thought I would get stuck inside – these things aren’t built for adults of course. How embarrassing would that be? Ryan was so tired by then that I took him home for a marathon 3.5 hour nap.
WHERE OH WHERE HAS MY BABY GONE?
Ryan had a haircut on Friday and he looks so grown up now, it’s scary. It is short, short, short all over and looks adorable. I will get some new photos up on the web page soon. I also had my hair cut and now have a quite short, messy style which I’m really happy with. It took me 2 minutes to blow dry it this morning – that is a major plus in a busy working mum’s life!
In just over a month, Ryan will be 2. Wow, it seems like yesterday I was pregnant. His friend, also called Ryan, was also born on the same day in the same hospital. I remember the midwives telling me about ‘the other Ryan’ and all the amazing similarities between our situations (both C-sections, same birth weight, both mums had trouble with breastfeeding and the list goes on! Freaky!) I’ve kept in touch regularly with the other Ryan’s mum, Phillipa, so we can compare our 2 boys. The other Ryan has overtaken our Ryan in height and weight now – he is one big boy!
MY GRIPE THIS WEEK
Sorry to vent but it helps to write all this down. My work situation is crazy at the moment. I might have mentioned that I am helping to organise a 3 day conference in mid-November and it is fast approaching. They want me to work the whole weekend of the conference, single-handedly. There will be 50 attendees and they will take a lot of organising in terms of paperwork, handouts, catering and all the million other things that need taking care of. My department’s administrative assistant is not doing anything to help and seems to have got the boss thinking that she is so busy and run down all the time – this is someone who has 2.5 days off each week and has 2 teenagers who basically look after themselves. She does a course at the local college a few afternoons a week and I found out today that because of this course, she will only be working 2 afternoons a week and has got study leave for the other time. So it falls to me to keep the department running, doing all the Coronial reports, answering the phones and organise this *$!@#& conference! I feel like I am currently doing the work of 2 people. It would just be nice to be responsible for my own tasks and not carry the rest of the department who take advantage of my obviously ‘not assertive enough’ nature!
Oh, how I wish I could win the Lottery and kiss this work caper goodbye. I do enjoy my work – when everyone is pulling their weight and everything is not loaded onto my shoulders. Two days a week would be perfect for me but financially this is just not possible right now, if we are to maintain our current lifestyle (which is nothing extravagant or indulgent) and provide Ryan with a secure future.
There, that feels better already! Thanks for listening.
BELATED BIRTHDAY DINNER – OR NOT?
DH & I had planned to go out to dinner this weekend as a belated birthday celebration (Nanna was not available to babysit last weekend). We were going to go to our favourite Italian restaurant as we had not been for a while. This morning I heard on the news that there was a fire there last night and it has been all but destroyed!! Typical huh? I hope they rebuild – their chicken dish with mushrooms, accompanied by some garlic pizza bread with a glass or two or three of wine is to DIE for. But we won’t be having that for a while! DH will just have to book somewhere even better!! I really don’t mind where we go – it’s just nice to have ‘couple time’ now and again, isn’t it?
BABY PHOTOS
I love getting Ryan’s photo taken, although it is a challenge these days trying to get him to sit still. I have a voucher for one of the studios in Hobart and I’d really like to get his picture taken to use as Christmas gifts. I’m thinking of having the photo taken of both Ryan and I, so I can keep him still! DH & I went to a photographer when I was about 36 weeks pregnant and she did the most beautiful shots. I would love to go back to her with Ryan but she is very expensive! I know in Ryan’s first year I used to think ‘hang the expense’, he is only going to be this little (and cute!) for such a short time. We have just bought a digital camera so I will be taking shots like a crazy woman once I work out how to use the thing. I am also making a more concerted effort to get the video camera out. When Ryan was tiny, that video camera was there to catch every little movement and cute expression – I love watching those early tapes now! But I guess I have become a little complacent (and BUSY) as time has gone by and I realise that I haven’t captured his antics on camera for quite a while - shame on you, mummy! Isn’t that supposed to happen with second children, not first?! I know there are 100’s of photos of my older brother in mum’s albums but nowhere near as many of me – boo hoo.
NEAT & TIDY BOY
Have I got the only toddler who likes everything in its place? I know this will change but at the moment Ryan loves to tidy up, pick things up off the floor and help me put his toys away before bedtime, without being asked. He hates it when his hands or face are dirty – I intend to enjoy it while it lasts! I am hoping that his need for order and cleanliness will translate into relatively easy potty training – oh well, I can hope.
Until next time
Happy Halloween!
~ Sue
www.babiesonline.com/babies/r/rg
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