Did you know I am really really ridiculously good looking?

No?  You didn't know that I was really really ridiculously good looking?  Well I am.  Or at least I was a couple of times over the past few days.  Which means I am in a position to join in with the lovely Lauren over at The Surprise Beginning.

Being one of the blogs that is at the top of my reading list I felt terrible when I saw her groovy button and had no idea what it was for.  How could I have missed one of my fav bloggers and a linky that she hosted?  Granted Monday's are not really one of my blog reading days, but still I thought I was a regular reader.

Anyway today I made the time to check out how I too could become a part of Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Monday.  Much to my super excitement it turns out that it is super easy to join in.  If of course you did something a bit exciting and got dressed up and happen to look really really ridiculously good looking.

Which would you believe I happened to have done twice in the last few days!  yes yes I know that most people probably take/make the time to prettify themselves at least once a week but if you haven't worked it out by now I am not like most people.


Now where was I?

Oh that's right I was about to share with you how pretty I looked.  Though I should warn you it is not often that I even have my photo taken let alone share said photo with anyone else.

 So here I am in my lovely new orange shirt and accompanied by an equally new and lovely necklace.  I went all out and even got matching earrings which you can just see if you look really, really hard.

My sister's beautiful best friend (since like forever) got married this weekend and since they have been such best friends for such a long time I got to be a part of it all.

This was me already to party at the hens night.

As it turned out partying like the old days wasn't exactly what happened.  Instead I was left feeling rather over dressed and a lot older than what I actually am.

It was sort of nice wearing make up.

Though it did reinforce to me why I don't normally bother.  A mixed combination of lack of skill and time.  Which I am sure would both be fixed with a bit of practice but living in the tropics just doesn't seem to suit a made up face.


Fast forward a few days and it is time for the big day.  Thankfully I was able to reuse the rather expensive dress I purchased a few years back to wear for my brother's wedding. It is always nice to get a second wear out of things.

I think it is safe to say that self portraits for me do not necessarily provide the best of angles.  Something for me to work on in my free time I guess.

Due to the house cleaning taking longer than expected my preparation time was greatly shorter than I intended.  In fact it was so short that I was actually doing my hair in the taxi on the way to the ceremony.  Lucky for me I work well under pressure and am not what you would call high maintenance.

I didn't do as well with the make up this time round.  Mainly due to the lack of time but also due to the fact that at the hen's night I noticed how other people wore make up.  This sort of highlighted my own skills if you will.

Now I am pretty sure that the whole idea of this really, really ridiculously good looking meme is to release and share our feminine beauty.  You know be all positive about ourselves and all that.

I know on the surface it may sound as if I am being a little negative.  I assure you I am not.  It is mostly tongue in cheek.  Truth be told I did feel really, really ridiculously good looking.

How could I not with bling like that under my seemingly large bosom?

Not only does this post join in with 

but also

Make IT Matter Monday

It is really hard for me not to start this post with, OMFG, is it really already Monday again?  It just always feels like Monday pops around to quickly.  Unlike Friday which seems to take forever to get here.

This Monday is also the last day of the school holidays which means there is even less reason than normal to get excited (or not) about Monday.  While there is a little part of me that is sort of looking forward to the return of school there are many more larger parts of me that wonder if the whole school thing is really worth the while.  If it weren't for the fact the resumption of school allows for more running, writing and me time then I would be just fine for there to be no school.

But I digress.  This is not supposed to be a post about my lack of confidence and faith in the education system.  I am saving that one for a rainy day and I bet you can hardly wait.  What this post is supposed to be about though is what will matter to me over the next week.

Given that I am not an overly organised person I don't have any idea what that may or may not be.  Well that was the case until I read this slightly awesome post over at Diary of a SAHM.

For those to lazy to click the link and read the post for yourself it puts out a bit of a challenge.  One that just so happens to fit in with making it matter.

There is an idea that there are five languages of love.  Meaning that love, like any language has different ways of being communicated,  Most people tend to prefer to use one or two of these languages.  The challenge that Jess is putting out there is to choose which ever language is the hardest for you to communicate and make an effort to communicate to your family in that language.  Total brilliance or what?

The five languages of love are

• Physical Touch
• Encouraging Words
• Gifts
• Acts of Service
• Quality Time

For more information on the languages of love check out this wonderful series on the topic over at Life on a Hill.

I can't decide between focusing on Encouraging Words or Quality Time.  Both are areas that I think I struggle with the most.  Especially with my big girl.  It always seems harder with the older ones.  Not that it means they are loved any less just that encouraging words are easier to come by when there are always so many new and exciting things that the little ones do.

So that's what will matter here this week.  Giving encouraging words to all the girls, especially the biggest.  

What is going to matter this week at your house?

Are you going to take up the challenge?

I am going to #LMS

I know it should be #LYSF (Lose Your S**T Friday) but as Delightful Tacky Lil Squirts would say

Source

So if I wanna put #LMS (Lose MY S**T) as my post's title then by golly I will and don't dare anyone say anything about it!!!

Now as a rule I am all airy fairy and lets make love not war, peace to one and all and all that jazz.  I  don't see the point in holding on to negatives.  Sure there are times when things don't go the way you hoped but anger is not the way to deal with.  I guess I like to think I am a rather rational and level head person.  

Someone in control of their emotions.  Well at least most of the time.  There are instances when I may yell and scream but generally speaking they are not times I choose to share here.  Today I am not generally speaking.  Please be warned if you continue further into the post I can guarantee you that you will encounter an f bomb on at least one occasion, possibly more.  If this will offend you in any way please stop reading.  Consider yourself warned

Today I am fucked off in a rather major way.  And really, I shouldn't be.  But I am.  And that just makes it all a thousand times worse.

#FFS I say to it all.

Why? Why, must I drive around the god dam car park five times looking for a park near the entrance to the only shop I actually *need* to go to at the major shopping centre in town.  The shopping center that I would actually prefer to avoid like the plague yet have been there twice in the past two days.  

Neither of which were a pleasure as such.  On the second trip I was able to score a few bargains which may have made it an enjoyable outing had it not for the bad mood I ensued thanks to Miss Eleven's inability to act upon simple requests.

Why? Why must there be a newly erected fence preventing me from taking a short cut to somewhere I really needed wanted to go?  Making me think I would never be able to find the perfect top I needed to wear out.

What's that?  Did I say I was going out somewhere???  Surely not?  How could I be losing my shit over the opportunity to have a night out child free and in a totally adult environment?

Easily.

Coming home to a child who has spent the day being a total pain in the arse as only a pre-pubescent eleven year can be is a sure fire way to lose your shit and want to scream #FFS!!!

Given that the same child has refused to listen to a single request from you for what seems the whole week long it can be particularly trying dealing with their ever swing moods.  Somebody give me a gun cause I still get to go through this two more times.

Oh and that night out I spoke of.  

Well I got way over dressed and felt a lot older than what I am.  I felt humiliated by the fact that Miss Pain in the Arse I spoke of earlier can apply make up better than I.  Yet my stupid foolish pride could not let her do mine because she had been such a little shit earlier in the day.  So I went out looking like a clown due to my lack of make up skills, while she flitted around at home giving her sisters a hard time while wearing a 'perfect face'.

Then to top it off, I was not able to wear my lovely new shoes because the little boat we were going on was exactly that.  Little.  Well it wasn't that little I guess, apparently 10 x 6 meters, but still a lot smaller than I thought and in no way suitable for my lovely heels and champers while out on the open water.  

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This is perhaps more what I was expecting hoping we were going on

This post is joining up with Lose Your Shit Friday over with the very very lovely Miss Cinders at Saturday Morning Orge Mum.  Part of getting your grump on with her is that you have to come up with five awesome things as well.

1. I really like the new stuff I got to look pretty in.  Especially since some of it came from a voucher meaning I saved money.
2. I had a lovely time on the boat, despite it being no where near as large as the one pictured.
3. I landed a few little editing jobs which gave me just enough to buy the shoes I just had to have
4. On Sunday I get to go to a beautiful wedding.
5. Not only did the MIL come and look after the kids so I could go out before Mr Awesome got home from work but she came with dinner as well.

Making it Matter Monday

Yes that's right folks Monday has somehow managed to sneak up on us again. Rearing it's ugly head well before I was ready to say goodbye to the weekend.  It is no wonder we as a society struggle with the whole work/life balance is it?  I mean with only two out of seven days put aside for weekend frivolity and the remaining five assigned to work there is really a lot of hope for evening things out is there?

Today also happens to mark the start of the last week of the school holidays.  Which is not exactly cause for celebration.  I love having the kids around.  Or rather perhaps it is more I despise the morning rush that comes with trying to get to school on time.  To say it is something this house struggles with is an understatement at best.

Even though the holidays last for four weeks it is still not enough.  We have not done nearly half the things I thought we would, of course this was not helped by the vomit bug that hit the other week.  Mind you that wasn't without some blessings as it gave Mr Awesome three days off work to help care for everyone.  Yes that's right the kids were so sick that I needed help in caring for them.  I needed someone to do the day shift while I caught up on sleep missed at night.

Moving right along now though.

I had planned that this break would be all about strengthening the family's bond as a team.  A week before the holidays began I had visions of grandure where jobs would be evenly distributed between everyone and all would do their share without complaint or grumble.  There would be plenty of sharing caring moments where the girls thought of each other and helped out when they could.  You know the kind of stuff that the Brady bunch would be proud of.

Naturally none of that happened.

There were moments where I ceased to be the slave for one and all and I was blessed with assistance here and there.  There were also melt your heart moments where the girls did something beautiful for each other.  Like Miss 2 who wouldn't take a drink or bite of food without making sure she had some to share with Miss 6.  Miss 11 also did a rather fine job at times of keeping everyone nice and quiet allowing for a sleep in here and there.

One thing that really needs to matter this week is the house.  Mr Awesome and I have been invited to a wedding on the Sunday.   One that the kidlets are not invited to.  Which means I need to have someone come in and look after them.  Which means in order for that person to feel comfortable I need to ensure the house is in order.

At this particular point in time it is not too bad.  Mount Washmore is not quite at epic heights and the leaning towers of dishes are under control so that is a good start.  We did a bit of furniture reorganising yesterday so there is a lovely new feel to the place which will hopeful translate into easier maintenance. Feel free to wish me luck on this one though as I really can't begin to explain how much I struggle with the mundane chores that others seem to breeze through.

For now though I must be off.  There are egg and lettuce sandwiches waiting to be made.  We are off to the wildlife park for a bit of a wander and a picnic, after all this is the last week of the holidays!  Not only that but if we are out the house it is harder to make a mess in it.

Catching up with what matters

Surrounded by a jumbled mess that is my life, I thought I would take a minute or twenty to make some time to spend here.  I have been rather absent on this platform of late.  Somewhere in amongst everything this little project seemed to get a little lost.  Which is a shame because really making IT matter is what life should be all about.

So what has been mattering to me?

Just surviving really, not in a by the grit of my teeth kind of way either which has actually been a bit nice.  My survival is more just getting through each day the best I can, comforted in the knowledge that tomorrow is always just around the corner, ready to be what ever you want it to be.

Tomorrow is such a funny concept.  It is the day that some say never comes, yet there are those who claim it the opportunity to start again, brand new and fresh.  Perhaps that is why they say it never comes, because really we rarely start any day brand new and fresh.  The past, no matter how hard we let go of it, still leaves its mark upon us.  One way or another.

But I digress, tomorrow is not really what I want to be thinking of at this moment.  For what that is what really matters.  This moment.  The here and the now.  And the here and the now right now is about getting as much writing done as possible.

I may have been a bit quite here but I am pleased to report I have somehow managed to get a few rather great (even if I do say so myself) posts out, including some stellar fiction.  I am actually thinking of an exciting new way for me to share more of fiction as I get closer to making that writing dream come true.

Speaking of making dreams come true, I have been a bit inspired by the mothers of Olympians that I have caught up with recently.  Make sure you head over and check out my Olympic section.  With only two weeks till the kick off I am starting to get more than a little excited.  If all goes to plan I should have some more rather interesting Olympic posts to share.

Thanks to gastro infected children running has been a little less than I would really like but at least there has still been no more than a five day gap between runs.  Which actually sounds terrible but is better than only once a week or worse still not even once a week.  The school holidays haven't really helped either.  There always seems to be someone who complains about going or wants to do something else.  I will be glad in some ways to be able to simply slot a run in after I drop them at school again.  Mind you I also don't want the holidays to end of course.  There is just no pleasing some people!

There have been plenty of grand plans flying through my head of late.  Which of course is nothing new but buoyed on by some lovely comments by readers of late I am full of confidence and just about ready to take on the world.  Personal growth at this point does not seem as scary as what it usually does.  Nor does change for that matter.  Though I have found that the two, personal growth and change, more often than not go together.

If only I knew why I found the pair so confronting I might be able to open myself up to them a bit more.  Mr Awesome commented the other day about my adversity to change.  To which I naturally took great offense because you know I am progressive and all that, I can't be anti change and progressive now can I?  Only upon deeper reflection I realised the truth in his words.  I really don't like change.  I like things staying the same.  It makes it so much easier to know what is going on.

One thing I have been trying to change though is the relationship I have with Miss 11.  I am concerned that we are not in the best possible position to begin our journey towards the teenage years.  Naturally I want one of those fairytale mother daughter relationships where we talk about anything and there are no secrets or lies.  Just lots of feel good heartwarming moments where I can commend her for her good choices and me for my ability to mother.

sigh...if only

Make it Matter Monday

As always Monday feels like it is creeping up way to fast.  Arriving much earlier than expected and leaving me questioning where the weekend actually went.  This Monday is week two of four of the holidays.  Yep up north we get a full four week break and it is beyond awesome.  Of course come September when there is only a week between terms it is a slightly different story.

On the whole I have been doing ok with making time to stay afloat of the perils of housekeeping.  That is not to say that the house has been sparkling clean, just that I have been making more of an effort than days gone by.  Mind you it is a little disheartening to see that perhaps a little more is still needed.  I am sure I will get there eventually.

Just quietly though I quite like the concept of disposable clothes, crockery and cutlery.  With environmental benefits of course.  It would be a mother's dream come true.  Could you imagine if they found a way to eliminate the need for washing clothes and dishes...

While the writing has been a little lack luster here, I have done some more than awesome posts over at A Parenting Life.  I was fortunate enough to have been asked if I was interested in chatting with two mother's of Olympic champions.  Which naturally I was.  Who wouldn't be?

Last week I shared my time with Karen Seebohm, mother to Emily, one of our amazing athletes of to vie for gold in London in a few short weeks.  Tomorrow I reveals what it was like catching up with none other than Pam Sullivan.  Yep the mother of the rather dashing Eamon.

Pam shared some of the ups and downs of having a son that is one of the countries most eligible bachelors.  Pam also shared a couple of cute baby shots to accompany the post, which goes live tomorrow.

Being given the chance to share these stories has made me feel like a bit of a real writer (despite that possibly being one of the worst sentences ever to have been written).  I feel inspired to try just a little harder to see what happens.  Deep deep down I know I have to work a lot harder to make it happen, and I know that eventually I will but I just wish I knew how to go about it a little more.

I guess for now the key is

Source

The other area that I have loosely managed to keep making matter is running or rather being active.  I am getting out at least twice a week for thirty minutes or more.  I am also trying to slot smaller bursts in when ever I can.  I haven't been as much as I would have liked to in the last week or so but school holidays do make it tricky.   I am justifying it all by looking at my overall levels of activity not just intense exercise sessions, if that makes any sense.

I know that I have come to far with this fitness thing to let it go now.  There is still so much to do before I really am as fit as I would like to be.  I want the girls to be saved this midlife realization that I am having regarding health.  I want them to always be making the best healthy choices and lead an active life.

Trying to think of specific goals is a bit of a struggle for me.  In some ways I do feel that I am struggling to stay afloat at the moment and I am hesitant to add more.  At the same time though I must remember that I need to push myself as well.  The tricky balances in life hey?