Busy days

I have never sat down to make a list before of all the things that I do in a day. I have just sat down at the PC and the washing machine is beeping at me yet again, to signify the end of a load. That's the fifth load for the weekend, and doesn't include the one I did Friday night. Housekeeping is without a doubt a full time job, and I still can't comprehend how people with children can work full time. My house is very small, if it were the size I would like, I would spend much much more time on cleaning.

I awoke yesterday morning, rudely, by an early phone call responding to a gas stove I am desperate to sell. Then I stayed in bed for another couple of hours and arose the greet the day at around 9am. I put on some washing, then filled the laundry sink with warm water and washed down all my benches. Dh had cooked a meal the night before and gotten the kids dinners, and the kitchen was far from how I like it. I got Billy-Joe to vacuum as my arms are still giving me trouble and the two things that really aggravate it, are vacuuming and carrying shopping bags. I scrubbed my bathtub, shower and vanity, and now I don't want anyone to use it lol. Fortunately I have my family well trained, that they don't leave water all around the vanity every time they wash their hands. That's one of my biggest pet hates, it just grosses me out when the surrounds of the basin are left wet. It's no drama to just dry it up with the hand towel, keeps the area clean for ages longer too. I scrubbed the toilet and floor (four boys in the house!) and then dusted my entire house. I breed dust, of that I am certain.

One person came to see about the oven that I have for sale. He said he was happy because it was clean, but he said it was for his father and that he would talk to him. It' s after one on Sunday, and none of the people who rang have come today, and the man who came yesterday hasn't come back. I don't know what to do. It's still a good oven, and it's will deteriorate just being left in my front yard, it's covered of course, but should be in someone's kitchen. I've spent nearly $60 on advertising so far, and still nothing........ Maybe I will put in on ebay and just take what I can get. Anyway, after dh came home, I made the kids lunch and then we headed out to town, to vote, get some groceries, get Billy-Joe's hair cut and then we came home.

I bought the latest A Good Taste, I love buying Christmas food recipe magazines. I jotted down some ideas for Christmas dinner this year. I want to go into a little bit more effort. With the new kitchen and all, space isn't a problem anymore, so I can be more adventurous. I will still get everything organized the day before, and then I can spend the afternoon drinking and not worrying too much. I may even write up a time table thing, as often the time gets away on us - and as we don't guts too much food in the afternoon we are quite hungry.

I cooked a lamb roast for our dinner. It was yummy, but as we had a really lovely evening, we didn't actually eat until nearly 10pm!!! I went to bed after 11, so yet another late night.

Up this morning, late again, which was nice. I'd much rather sleep in and go to bed late than get up early and go to bed early. I miss out on too much kid free time, if I go to bed early, and those hours after the kids go to bed keep me sane, and are meant for fostering my relationship with my husband. I don't buy into 'I get up early, it's the best part of the day' type mentality............ I am a night owl, much much prefer that.

So, this morning, more washing, and then changed some curtains in the little ones' room. I had curtains in there for a long time, they were navy blue with bees on them and they are starting to get a bit big for that. So I put the red curtains on that were on the sliding door in the dining room from before we re did the kitchen. I can't put them back on as the room is not there either side of the door frame for us to hang up the tracks properly. And they weren't cheap curtains, so I have two lovely sets of red 213cm drop curtains which I can't use anymore. So at least one lot is now on the window and looks much better.

I have also done the ironing so all the school uniforms are done for the week.

I am off to church this afternoon. It should be interesting. After Sammy was born, I started attending a MOPS group. It's a Mothers of Preschoolers group which is under the auspices of a church. There are many MOPS programs run in Australia and it originated in the US. That group was literally my life saver. The program ran fortnightly. You spent two hours with other Mums. The first hour was spent completing some craft activity. The next hour was spent in discussion over a Christian based parenting or 'life' book. There was always morning tea, and the part that made it so special for us Mums and enabled it to even happen were the carers who looked after our kids for the entire two hours. It was just heaven. To feel grown up for two hours in the day - to be able to chat and not have to worry about our toddlers. We usually kept our babies with us, but the toddlers all went to Moppets. Anyway this group became special to me as it started one of the most important friendships of my entire life. It was there I met Barbi, my best gf whom I spend every Friday night with and who I started Daisy's with. Her graciousness, her kindness, her knowledge, her amazing ability to make you feel welcome, loved and cherished, just drew me to her like a magnet. She is Christianity personified. Never preaching any bible bashing rubbish, she just lives it on a daily, and minute by minute basis. She is a true inspiration. And I was so lucky to have met her and to have become her friend. Barbi was the co-ordinator of the MOPS program (and also playgroup and was also involved in leading worship at the church services, and singing in the band). I started MOPS at the beginning of 2000 and then at Easter time, the ladies from the church had given us all easter eggs with good wishes and the church service times printed on a little piece of paper attached to the egg.

I went to that church service. First time I'd been inside a church for a very long time. I felt so drawn to the church it was an odd feeling. When Sammy was a baby and in NICU (neo natal intensive care) in Brisbane, I so needed to see a chaplain,but as it was over the Christmas/New Year break, there was no one there. So I knew at that point that I was searching for something again. I had never left my faith, just had become slack! So that started my attending the church. It was the Church of Christ and the church service was unlike anything I had ever been to before. Gone was the traditional format - completely. I walked into the church to the sound of a band belting out a gospel song, and the angelic voice of Barbi, gave me goose bumps! I went to church for a few years, until Mickey was about 12 months old. It was then the shit hit the fan and stuff went down in that church that to this day I don't understand. The upshot was that Barbi was asked to leave and had to stand down from all her commitments. Naturally many of us who had begun attending that church through the ministries that Barbi ran, were quite upset by the whole thing. I kept attending MOPS for another two years, but it was never ever the same again. The church services were hollow without the leadership of Barbi and without her heartfelt words and songs.

So a couple of weeks ago an invite comes in the mail, inviting me to a thanksgiving and reconciliation service - and I have decided to go. I don't know if this will recommence my attendance to the church - I am not sure, all I know is that I would like to go and see the people from before and see what has changed, and just sit through a service again, without feeling like I shouldn't be there anymore, which is how I felt when Barbi was no longer there.

Barbi is going too. This year, she has started going back that church, after years at the Baptist church. It's a fairly progressive Baptist church, but she never felt the closeness to that church as with the Church of Christ.