What the? Where have I been??

Hello out there. I do hope all is well with everyone. All is well here. We have had major changes and some things stay the same.


The kids are 4 1/2 going on 14. Right now they are laying top to tail on the couch complaining that the TV shows they are watching  SUCK MAMMA!!

They started preK in September and luckily we are in a great catchment zone. Mimi's teacher rocks. Pip's teacher needs to take some antidepressants I swear!  However, they are reading and writing and counting and socializing and all is fine for PRE-K kids.

I had a major health issue. Went in to hospital in October and had a big operation. It was a very difficult time but the upside is I lost 60 pounds and its got me on the way to healthier me. I still have weight to drop believe it or not.  Food means a while different thing to me now. It's odd. And good.

Work is the usual roller coaster.  I am in the process of changing jobs again. Again. Its all a bit odd. My present employers are trying to get to me to resign quickly. Most of it is that my Boss is incompetent and is worried that I will spill the beans.  Blah - corporate bullshit. What matters to me is that I stood my ground, counter offered and even if they get to feck me over I am proud of my work, team, integrity and basic human decentness in a totally morally bankrupt environment.

New Stuff
Kids and I went snow shoeing for the first time - rocked.
We walked on a ice lake
We are about to buy big kid beds.
We camp. A lot!
Pip is superhero mad
Mimi is pink mad.
Whining still driving me insane.  I.N.S.A.N.E

Whats happening with you ?

Holy Crapola they are 4! Now where is my bed?

The kids just turned 4. We were on vacation which I have realized means kids having fun, mum running herself to the ground, dad catching a head cold (aka man flu) and not helping in the least.

Oh JOY

So here i am, back from holiday and i am totally exhausted. What a joke.

I did give the fella a kick up the pants - an intervention of sorts. I went to see his therapist with him and alone and just let it all hang out. I told him that he either engages or gets out. No half measures. He committed and has been doing well (except on holiday where is totally got an E-)

the kids didn't notice coz they are used to daddy being useless but they did appreciate anything he did for them - which I can't actually remember at the moment.

We got back last night and it all went to shyte. Mimi screamed from midnight onwards coz she wanted to sleep in our bed (nooooo!) and DH was roaming like a vampire complaining of a really bad pain in his back. At 2am he went to the ER and it turns out he has kidney stones. OK, I know, they are super painful but omfg here comes the suffering.

While he was in the ER he updated me every time anything happened. He got back at 4am and woke me up to tell me all about it. Then Pip got up at 5am.

Seriously folks. I cannot do this. I work hard and balance my life well (I think) but after no rest on vacation and no sleep last night I have face ticks and a heavy head cold. When I go back to work on Monday it will be full on with back to back catch up meetings and the absolutely crazy ass that is my chosen profession.

Then I look at the kids. Pip is such a sweetheart. He is cuddly and cute and funny as hell. He giggles as much as he can and is as smart as a whip. Mimi is a firecracker with smarts way beyond her years. She can count and read even tho we are the laziest parents ever. She is kind and polite and bloody tempered and mean witch when she wants to be.  They both discovered their water baby heritage on vacation - splashing around with me in the pool for as long as they could without getting hypothermia.

Pip decided to quit diapers and is completely potty trained. He just decided one day. Just like he decided suddenly to quit teddy bears and binkies. Mimi needs a night nappy and hates using public toilets (don't really blame her).  Basically they are pretty damn amazing all around.

And in no time at all they start PreK in a very good but fairly ancient public school. It looks like something from my childhood and I love it. Big heavy doors, little tables and loo's. The smell of boiled cabbage and concentration. Good luck, dear teachers, you will have a major challenge with my guys and I have no intention of curbing their spirit.

OK. I have 50 mins to the cavalry arrives and I can sleep for two hours, uninterrupted. Two whole hours.

OH! I nearly forgot - I read a full novel for the first time since the kids arrived. Whohooo!

Hope all is well with you.

stargazer

Amazing how much more fun this summer is than last. The kids are independent and excited by the littlest things. For their upcoming birthday a friend got the kids a stargazer tent. It the kind that is basically all mesh on top so you star gaze but has a wet cover for privacy and rain.
She got it when we were hiking last time. Apparently a group of very disgruntled campers abandoned a whole bunch of tents - 8 people whoppers to this small two person tent.

I am psyched. I've always wanted a stargazer

The kids will freak out when we go camping. Of course, all the spots we want to go are booked but I'm hoping for a cancellation.

Next time I'll post pictures of my intrepid explorers.

We went camping. TICK ALERT!

Growing up I was quite outdoorsy. Weren't we all back then! I was an avid venture scouter - free weekend outdoor fun.

Since moving to the states I was prettified of going anywhere near the real outdoors. If I hiked I did so out of season when it was cold enough to kill any living thing.

Well, this weekend we all went camping. Now, granted we had a cabin but it was four walls and a floor type cabin. We still needed all the usual crap of sleeping bags and backpacks galore. I love all the crap that you have to take. I love the hooks and water bottles and torches.

We were by a river, in the woods and each day we would get up, have a lazy breakfast, then hike hike hike. The little ones might be short but damn they can walk.

We had a campfire at night and ate s'mores (a first for me - how have I lived this long and not had them before) and at night, as the kids fell asleep on their awesome travel beds (lightweight, no fuss and keeps them off the ground) I could smell the wood smoke in their hair.

I may have overdone the anti mosquite stuff but when I was a kid the worst you could get was a little mossie bite.

Snakes, bears, mosquito's the size of tents, buzzies and of course ticks.

Did we get a tick ride along? Of course.

When we got home I checked every inch of those kids. EVERY INCH. And there it was. Hidden in a crook on my little fella. I grabbed the tweezers and went to work. FREAKING OUT ALL THE TIME.

Seriously. I just don't get why it's so hard to go camping. I got it and washed the area and then wiped it with alcohol. I shall ask sn to take him in to the docs tomorrow just to make sure.

Now its over and I googled the facts - only 1 - 3% chance if an infection and even then its treatable - shall I go back on my 'hell no camping' promise? Yeah. I think so. Although the kids will be hermetically sealed from the neck down for the entire trip.

Mr Man along. NOt your camping type of fella but he did to be with the kids and that in my book is a good guy.

So, a lovely memory making weekend. Now it's time for True Blood.

Hope you are all doing well. 

School News

Normally getting into pre K in NYC is usually insane. Impossible is more an accurate description. However, by a stroke of amazing luck, the new major has funded universal Pre K for all. So my kids got their letter of notification this week and we are not only going to PreK its an all day program, at the school we wanted and there are two classes so the kids get to learn in their own way.




Whoooooooooooop.


I am in shock to be honest. I am just didn't believe it would all go so easily. When I say easy I mean stalking the school since I was pregnant and checking the websites every day twice a day.


Its so much fun right now. They are loud and noisy and talk all the time. Pip is a character. Funny, indignant, super friendly. He says hi to everyone. Mimi is a beauty inside and out. She is super smart and really needs to get to school! She says wonderful things like " I want to be pretty like you". Since i am not pretty and was never told it, oh it feels nice.

Which brings me to my body. I am still on the track to bariatric surgery.  I've been to a few seminars and lots of doctors, read tons of books and sites and spoken to a few folks post surgery. I am 80% convinced I should do it. I lost weight and put it back on to the tune of about 500 pounds or so.

Anyway, that's what is going on. That's the monthly download.

Hope all is well with you

Good grief..

its a long time since my last post.

I've been really busy but basically we're still potty training and waiting with bated breath to hear if we got a pre school placement.

I'm spending most of my time reading about weight loss and in a six month preparation phase. I have to pass tons of pre requisites over the next six months. Supposed to be living clean and healthy for the six months. HA!!!

Mothers Day is sugar and carb laden as is every other day :)

Happy Mother's Day to one and all!

Ooopha

Pip has been ill.  From bug bites to temp, stomach upset and all around icky. We took him to the docs but they just did what I call 'mechanic' test (looked under the hood). No blood tests etc.

Now, call me a pushy NY mother but kid gets covered in bites and a day or two later comes down with lethargy and temp…

He's on the mend but I am keeping my mamma bear eyes pealed.

Mimi on the other hand seems to be going through her terrible two's in her 3's. All attitude, stomping and manipulation. She seems to be testing boundaries all over the place. Know what I want for mothers day? peace. No sleep.