little white truths

Sometimes I do my monthly posts out of order, and I think that February will be one of those months because I don't feel like reviewing anything today but I do think it's one of those days where finding the positives would help. 

I'm still exhausted from our recent horror trip and I'm now stuck home with two kids on my own (my husband is away on business), so it may still take me a few days yet to feel like the dust has settled and life has returned to some degree of normality. 'Normality', as always, being a loose term.

I've 'lent out' our dog

Let me explain. My younger sister is sick so she's staying with my folks for a while, and since she loves dogs and I'm flying solo until my husband gets home from New Zealand, I offered to send Sai (our Golden Retriever) down to my folks' house to keep her company. 

This is good all round because it's given me one less 'child' to look after, plus it's cheered up my sister because she now has a companion to watch telly with - and one that she doesn't have to speak to. 

You forget sometimes just how wonderful dogs can be, but we've sent Sai to stay with a sick member of the family before because, unlike the kids, she can't catch whatever bug the person has but she still brings joy. Plus Sai's happy because she's getting plenty of extra pats and attention, so everyone's pleased with this arrangement. Dogs rock.

We're heading into March, my 'big' month of the year

I don't know about you, but I have one month of the year that always seems to bring the most change and always gives a fresh start, and for me that month is March.

I think I was in my early teens when I realised that big life things always seemed to happen for me in March, and each year I've waited for that month to tick around with anticipation because I know that life will shift by the time March comes to a close.

Some people don't like change but I welcome it because there's nothing like a breath of fresh air. Now I have no idea what change March will bring this time around, but I always look forward to it and that's a positive in itself.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a month of the year that always seems to bring big news and life events. Do you have one? Let me know in the comments.

I'm off cleaning duty for the moment

Every day, an hour or so before my husband gets home, I start the daily clean up. Other primary carers will know exactly what I mean: you've let the kids run wild for the day and throw their toys wherever they want, and when it comes to the end of the day, you start picking them all up and putting them away so your partner doesn't come home to a house that looks like a rubbish dump. It's not worth doing the daily pick up more than once because if I do that, my daughter takes the toys out immediately and I end up doing it all over again anyway.

So while my husband is away, I'm leaving the toys wherever they damn land. My back doesn't need the extra work and so long as food is cooked and the washing done, so long as the kitchen and bathroom are hygienic enough, the rest of the cleaning can bugger off. I'm hereby excusing myself. Woot woot!

The kids have lost their night coughs but they're still on the mend

It's awful when your kids are sick - particularly when they're up all night with gastro or coughing and they're not getting enough sleep to help them get better (not to mention the impact on your own sleep).

I mentioned in earlier posts that both kids got sick during our trip up to Sydney, and while that's of course a bad thing, what's good is that we're on the other side of it. Almost.

So what I have now is two kids who are happy enough but still healing so my crazy daughter in particular is slower than usual and both kids are sleeping longer and more deeply. As a parent you can't help but feel that's a good thing for your own sanity, particularly when you're looking after them on your own. More sleep is the one good thing about sick kids! Plus my daughter (she's two) has wanted lots of cuddles from me, so I'm enjoying that because I don't often get them ; )

My son is on solids

Last but certainly not least, I was given clearance by our Maternal and Child Health nurse (these are assigned to you when you have kids in Australia) to start my son on solids at the beginning of February, even though he wasn't yet four months old.

It had become obvious to me that he was ready to start solids about a week prior, but I waited until my scheduled appointment with her because we get told that you shouldn't start solids before four months. Obviously that's just a line that's drawn for guidance because she took one look at him drooling all over himself as he watched my daughter eat a piece of fruit and agreed with me that I could start him straight away. 

We haven't looked back! He probably wondered what the hell I'd been waiting for. The good news about this, of course, is that anyone can give him solids but there's only one person who can breastfeed him. I'm still breastfeeding him all day long but at least there's now some relief!

In sum

This was a well-timed post, methinks, because it's perked me up a bit and I now feel ready to face the day.

I hope all's well with you guys and that you're finding some positives in your month.

Speak soon x