5 minutes to watch the world drift by.

I'm busy.  I have list that is never ending.  Sometimes it feels like the list is my life and somewhere near the bottom I might find myself again.

However most of it is me, aspiring to be the best I can by doing things I love for the people that I care about.  Foolish?  Yeah probably.  Will I change? Unlikely. Solution? Sitting in my favourite chair in the lounge and watching the clouds drift by.  And I mean this literally.  I have just done this very thing and without trying to sound all 'Zen' and 'new age' it felt good for my soul.

The Farmer is working late.  The kids are in bed after a super busy day topped off with teacher-parent interviews.  A follow up appointment to the Dr (after a fairly stressful last visit) for Miss 3 concludes she has Asthma.  Which in itself isn't a major, there are drugs to help and she's likely to grow out of it, but it still worries me - cos I'm her Mum it's what I do.

And when I truly feel that these things are really getting the better of me and I'm rushing around like a headless chook my 5 mins, it's amazing.  It's what keeps me sane(ish).

Everything has a solution. Things do work out.  Problems are resolved.  It doesn't really matter if your washing gets wet - in fact the kids told me today that "the world won't stop" "the clothes will be even cleaner Mum" - so in my 5 mins quiet world watching moment I've taken stock of this stuff.  Filled up the life juice again (and no I don't mean with wine....) and am ready to tackle the next 3 hours before I go to bed.

Just gin and bear it

There are things in life we all do to be polite.  There is the little white lie.  The big fat white lie.  And the Grin and bear it.  Or as I have renamed it "the Gin and bear it"

Now I'm always up for a drink but the gin and bear it is a different kettle of fish.  It's that time where you wish you could slug back a bottle of gin as the grin is turning to a grimace and your about ready to lose it - tears or tanty.  One is highly likely to happen.

I'm not going into specifics here but needless to say if I had gin in the house, I would probably have an empty bottle for recycling.

There is no overcoming this thing we do to be socially acceptable and/or polite when in fact we just want to say "for the love of god shut the F*(# up'.  We just keep smiling serenely and hope that the smoke isn't pouring out our ears.

Regardless, am all out of gin....wine anyone?

Grey clouds

It doesn't take much to find the beauty in the grey clouds, you just need to be open minded.

The reality of growing older - Jane Style!

I have a Birthday on Saturday.  I will be 36.  And I'm delighted!

Why?!  Surely after you hit 30 age is something we don't like to talk about....Ha!  Why the hell not!

Cripes we are all in the same boat....there is no stopping it, unless you are a gazillionaire that can put yourself in a freezer and hope the tree of eternal life is found.  Unlikely.

36 is my lucky number.  In fact 6 is my lucky number and if you multiple 6 x 6.....well....work it out.

Anyways I think that Birthday should be celebrated.  That you should mark the day you came into the world in any sort of fashion.  Coffee with friends.  A special breakfast.  A family outing.  Something. 

If you are number phobic then just don't tell anyone but it doesn't really matter, does it?!!

Sure it would be easy to think about the negative...and I know that I don't look as smokin' hot as I did 10 years ago but 10 years ago I didn't have 2 kids, a farm and although I was with my Farmer we weren't married (I'm pretty sure married life may have added to my shapely figure and a couple of "laughter lines"...)

I am choosing to celebrate 36.  And although I could name 36 reasons why turning 36 is a good thing I will just do 6....lets face it you would have stopped reading by number 10!

1.  I am wiser now that I have ever been.
2.  I am aware of WHO I am, on the inside and the outside
3.  On my birthday my toy boy Farmer will be 2 year younger than me for 2 days...I'm a cougar!
4.  I'm another year closer to a European holiday
5.  At 36 I'm feeling like I'm coming into my own as a Mum
6.  It's a bloodly good reason to have a dinner out with friends!

So getting older....truely it's not a biggie.  Go with it!  Celebrate it! 

xx Jane

Back to real life and I'm still smiling!

So I got back from my fan-tab-u-lous Melbourne adventure with my Ma and Pa late Tuesday......I was buggered, we had an early flight out, a bit of waiting, sitting and after 4 full on days of walking, eating, shopping, laughing, eating more, drinking and hanging out I was pooped.  Need a holiday to get over the holiday!

Lucky for me I had a couple of easy days to get back into the realistic things, LIFE, WORK, FAMILY in no particular order!

Full credit to my Farmer for dealing with trying times - sick child, bothersome Bulls, broken washing machines, work, Gym lessons, Pet day and general life with the kids.  I am blessed to have a Farmer who can manage, give me time off and now can truly appreciate me!!

Back in the normal world I find myself still smiling at 5.00 and laughing with the kids over their incredibly funny sense of humour - when just 2 weeks ago it was probably lost on me as I raced about.

Can this new found lease of life be sustained?  I bloody well hope so!  I think the lesson my Mum taught me by taking me away was the importance of still being Jane.  What does that mean?  Realising that your kids are such an important part of your life, that your husband, partner, significant other is also immense in your world but YOU are still you, not just someone to be relied on, but a person in your own right. 

Knowing this, having time without the responsibilities whether it be by yourself or with girlfriends is so very important......and yes I was lucky enough to get to do this with my folks and in Melbourne (!!?) a afternoon out, long walk by yourself or a movie would work wonders too.

In conclusion (always wanted to say that!) find the time, however you can because as the people that hold the family together we need to realise that even glue can come unstuck now and then.

Holiday Part 2 - Melbourne

Whoo hoo!  One more sleep!  Till what?!!  Till I get to have a mini break with my Ma and Pa without the Farmer and kids.  And yes I might miss them......for maybe a nanosecond??!! HA!

My list of to do jobs before I go is diminishing and the excitement building.  Tomorrow morning I will be almost unbearable to be with.....

Destination Melbourne.  Staying for 5 nights....really only there for 4 days but 4 days of fun, food, shopping, and of course photos (Sorry Dad.....!)   I'm even looking forward to just waiting for the plane - I can whip out my book and read with out feeling guilty about all the things I should be doing.

When I get back I hope to be relaxed, recharged, poorer, appreciated and missed......will see!

And before you think what a spoilt tart.......I really DO appreciate this and know how incredibly lucky I am to be going away!  I quite possibly have the Bestest Parents in the universe!

So Thanks Mum and Dad.....am really looking forward to spending some quality time with you and Making Memories!!