This is a bit of a catch up post, as i have had a mental list off all the things I wanted to blog about, but just haven't had the time (and possibly lack of motivation may come into play also here ;)

Here's a little update on everyone;

Jackson
My big boy is LOVING school at the moment, and we are lucky enough to live just around the corner from his school. He has been able to exert some of his growing independence lately, by walking himself to school. There are no roads for him to cross, and it's only about a 150m walk, so I have been letting him go at our front gate some mornings. He loves this, and it is a huge improvement from last year, when we would have massive meltdowns if I wanted him to walk from the school gate!
Gez signed him up for Auskick last week, so in April he will begin the clinic. I'm a little unsure about this. He played soccer clinic last year, which I was happy with, but I'm not into football at all, and I didnt really want my boys to get into it if I could help it. However, the little (and big) boys at school are footy mad, and he was adament that he wanted to learn, so I couldn't really say no. He's been great this past couple off weeks. I was getting a bit worried as he was having some pretty big meltdowns a few weeks ago, and getting a bit violent toward me, which really scared me and made me feel quite vulnerable. This has stopped now, so i have concluded that it must have been a result of being overtired, and have made an effort to be extra affectionate, and talk with him more about whats happening at school, and how he's feeling.
We also had his school interviews last week, and he's travelling very well. We are especially pleased with his teacher this year, who has a caring, but no-nonsence manner, which we like and she seems to be able to understand our son well.

Riley
little man has been so cute lately! He loves his day off with me each week, when we simply snuggle up on the couch with pillows and quilts, watch television, read and do puzzles togther in between me doing some housework. He came up to me the other day, complaining that the TV show he just watched was "too short mama, I wanted it to be a long one" which cracked me up!
He's going well at Kinder, which is great, but I am noticing he's VERY tired, and has been breaking down in uncontrollable sobs over little things lately, so must try and gethim to bed earlier now that daylight savings is finishing next weekend.

Me and Gez
We've both been very busy in the past fortnight. I went on a hens weekend last week, and Gez watched the boys. The hens was great fun, although I was not really into it, as we had some major changes happen at work last week which left me reeling a bit (more on that next post) I did enjoy the time out with a big group of lovely girls though, and the wedding will also be lovely next weekend. I also am very busty with work at the moment, working on Friday night and also this coming Fri night till very late on top of my regular hours. This means poor Gez takes on extra work at home, so we all are very tired! I am taking some time off over easter, so will be glad for that little break! Money is beginning to get very tight, so I have been making a comcious effort to make plans for keeping our costs down and making life a little easier in the process. I will post about that soon, as it's qite late as I write this update, and I have cakes baking in the oven!

Take care,

Charli xo

The therapeutic care specialist and case manager visited wednesday. The appointment had been booked in for quite a while, and i reminded Gerard on Tuesday, then promptly forgot all about it lol! They turned up at midday, and I was a little upset with myself for letting the house get messy after I only cleaned up on Tuesday night!

Anyway, it was no formal assessment or anything like that, we already did that last year. They wanted to know the situation with our work, and get a feel for us as people/parents/carers/a couple etc as we (the workers and us) have not worked together directly before.

There is really only one barrier between us and a placement now, and that is our need for before school care. At the moment, there are two mornings a week where Jackson goes to school with a classmate, which couldn't happen with a foster child.

We have a couple of choices;

1. Forget about it for a while until we are in a better situation for TFC

2. Consider cutting back my hours at work (could jeapardise my position and my capability of getting everything done at work)

3. Cut back Gerard to 4 days per week (means less money, but also no childcare. also means he might have to pick up some weekend work here and there.)

4. Nope thats it, these are our choices.


Now, to decide.....

Is driving me insane at the moment

I.JUST.CANT.KEEP.UP

My husband and I are not tidy people.
I crave neatness and HATE when my house is not perfectly clean, however there is just no getting away from the fact that I am just not a naturally tidy person. Papers gather in unlikely places, things get crammed into cupboards and forgotten, and my very tall husband places his crap on top of evertything that has a top, grrrr!

Gez, when we first lived together, didn't do an awful lot to help with the housework, but did tidy up after himself quite well, meaning I only had to chase after my own messes and Jackson's. Now, five and a bit years on. He has dona a complete turn around, where he helps quite a lot in the home (a result of me working 4 days) which is just wonderful.. BUT...He is hopelessly messy now, and I fee like I'm constantly picking up after him (and us of course!)

I have been toying with the idea of getting someone to help with the housework for a couple of hours on my day off. I have been toying with this idea for the past 12 months. I'm not sure why I haven't done it yet, but I imagine it has quite a lot to do with pride ;p
I dont like the idea of paying something to do something that I feel I *should* be able to cope with on my own. I feel a bit of a failure at not keeping up, but feel as though my efforts are just scraping the surface.

Do you have help to keep your home? How do you justify it?
Please dont take this the wrong way, I just need some honest opinions here :)

I/We have had such a HUGE long weekend!

While we were in Thailand, my brother booked us tickets to see Coldplay live in Melbourne. The concert was on Thursday, and Gez and I took Friday off work. We dropped tho boys in Lilydale, where they didn't even bat and eyelid at being left with Amanda and Josh overnight! The concert wasd FANTASTIC! We knew almost all the songs, and they were just captivating the crowd. We both absolutely loved it, even Gez who wasn't so keen at the start :p
I was a bit unsure as well, I must admit. I have always avoided live music, as I have for some reason, a very sensitive ear, and If the singer is slightly out of tune, It completely puts me off, and is all I can hear. Drives me crazy! Anyway, I needn't have worried at all, because they didnt put a foot wrong! On Friday, Josh dropped our boys into the city in the morning and we went to the Melbourne Aquarium which the boys loved, and then to the Museum. It was lovely to spend the day together and share experiences with the boys. They had thier first tram ride too, which they have been talking about ever since, and now Riley pretends he's taking us for tram rides on the couch!

On Saturday night Julianne came over, and we went out for a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant in town. We shared a bottle of wine, and lovely meal and had a great night catching up. We planned to have a girls weekend soon in Albury, and visit the day spa etc, which will be divine! We also talked about having a family weekend over easter, camping and fishing with the two boys and two girls! I cant wait. Gex and Mark will enjoy fishing with the kids too, so if it works out, it will be great.

Yesterday I had to work all day. I cant really complain though, cos I spent my day at a music festival, getting double pay, and listening to some great new Australian music! The Pushover festival is a drug, alcohol and smoke free event for young people, and while it's not really my scene personally, I was excited to see this singer live, Kate Miller-Heidke who i've been listening to for a while and LOVE her voice. She's Opera trained, so she has amazing range and her tone and pitch is close to perfect! She was as good live as on my cd (which I got autographed!). The beautiful and very talented Kate Miller-Heidke, live in the flesh!
Left home at 8.30am, and got back at 12.30am though, so I was absolutely stuffed, and had a little sleep in today :)

(As a side, the other day, after spending half an hour refreshing my screen at work, I got tickets to Lily Allen in June, which Im stoked about, so I have another great concert to look forward to!)

Glad to be home with my boys today, thay are just the sweetest little things at the moment, and Im wishing I had an excuse to stay home with them instead of working!
Made a lovely luch of grilled pesto cicken on a yummy mixed salad with sundried tomato balsamic dressing. Craving good food and wine at the moment, so brought things for a feast of Roasted tomato and basil Bruchetta for entree, and a chicken, mushroon and Asparagus pasta with creamy white wine sauce tonight. I also got a sweet Brown Brothers champagne to try (Gez wont drink dry)

My aunty and uncle came up on the weekend from the mornington peninsula, and brought thier three boys. The boys are getting so big now, Mitchell is 11, Josh 9 and Thomas 6. They are going to become big brothers again, as Julia has just found out she's pregnant! I am excited about getting a new baby cousin at the end of this year, but also worried for her as she has had pretty bad post natal depression with the last two children. I hope that she'll be ok this time, now that all the other kids are at school, but am worried about if it is another boy, as she's desperate for a little girl. Jackson will be ecstatic, he adores babies, and Julia's kids will be such loving big brothers!

Wow! My first tag also, and unfortunately I will not have any to pass it on too cos most have already done this one :) If you haven't though, feel free to do it on your own, and let me know you've done it so I can take a peek!

Here are the rules:

1. Go to the section of your computer where you store all of your photos.

2. Select the 6th folder.

3. Select the 6th photo from that folder.

4. Post and explain about that picture.

5. Tag 6 other people.

I have just done this with out looking at the photo beforehand, so it's a bit of pot luck even for me (hope it's a good one!) It is a photo from our wedding, on the 25th November 2007. Gez and I decided after 3 years together, that we would get married, and gave ourselves nine weeks. Yes you heard right, nine weeks to plan a wedding etc! We had motivation, as Gerard's father was very unwell, and we got a bit panicked about whether his health might deteriorate quickly, and so were sprung into action to make sure he was around to see us get married. (His health did not get worse quickly after all lol, but we had such a wonderful day, and were glad that we didnt put it off longer!) The weather was wonderful on the day, although I do remember sweating under my dress in the church, but that might just have had something to do with nerves! Our wedding planning came together beautifully in such a short period of time, and I dont regret any of it, as i'm just not the type to spend a year or so agonising over the perfect touches.

Ok, so it's just uploaded, and here it is.....

The sixth photo from the sixth folder in my computer;
This is a photo of my whole family on my side. From left to right is my Dad, Mum, Jackson, Myself, Gerard, Riley, My sister Rachel, and brother Geoff. I love this photo, and am so glad it came up for this post, cos I don't talk about my family too much here, and I love that I am now given an opportunity to. My family are the most important thing in my life, and also the people I can rely on for anything I happen to need from them. They have stuck by me through some bad times, as well as the wonderful times, and I could not ask for a better support system. My brother Geoff is a great person to call when I need to talk, and we have some great conversations when we have time together. Rachel is a moody teenager at the moment, but she's also a sensible, fun kid and I love spending time together doing girly things, and treating her to things :) My parents drive me crazy a fair amount of the time lol, but they are really just amazing parents, and I wouldn't be the daughter, sister, wife and mother that I am now without them.

Wow, that was very gushy, wasn't it :) I do love em though, and what better chance to write about it!

Thanks Kirsten for tagging me!

Back soon, have heaps to report ;) Charli xox