Greatest. Blogger. Ever.

Man alive, I suck as a blogger.  G starts school in two days...I didn't really blog our 18 months together terribly well.  But in conclusion:

• it was awesome.

I suppose this ends the tiring challenge of thinking of things to blog about once every 8 months.  It really has been a great experience being off with G, and I am very proud to say I passed all my M.Ed papers.  I am so happy I had the opportunity to take 18 months off to spend with my big baby.  Here's hoping I can do that again with number 2 - PhD maybe?  I wouldn't recommend looking out for regular blog entries if I do, we all know that's as likely as me enjoying any John Mayer song.  Over and out. x

Attack of the slacks

This past six month period has been so hectic.  Sooo much has happened and I had completely forgotten to update on the fun of being a poor, but fun, mum. I guess on the theme of being poor, I just changed banks.  That's of virtually no consequence, but it's a really pathetic segue to the donkey G drew while we sat there.  She did NOT get her drawing skillz from me:

G is now 4 1/2.  We have visited two schools, but not quite sure as to which yet.  I have the amazing dilemma of both schools being incredible.  Her development amazes me daily, and while she has the most enormous tantys you ever did see, her communication skills are unreal.  Just yesterday, she told me "I have a brilliant idea", and asked me to write in her buddy's card "you are a delightful friend".  Of course, I adore her despite the tantys!  G recently went to her cousin's superhero birthday party as Super Lady.  Super Lady has soap in her bracelet and she can wash germs off your hands.  Handy.

Pumpkin is now 11 months old, and almost not a puppy.  I couldn't find a photo of her that was unflattering, but she is a little fatty pants now.  And incredibly badly behaved.  I've been doing a lot of training with her, but she fights the system!  Also, she needed surgery for a luxating patella (that's Latin for extremely expensive surgery that requires intense post-op care) and has been allowed outside off the lead (but supervised) for exactly one day, after seven weeks either in her crate or on her leash.  Don't worry, even from her crate she continued to bark down the neighbourhood.  I need a dog whisperer, STAT!

I am LOVING my studies.  It is amazing, and totally got my brain on the go.  I think I needed that.  And I am way smarter than I was when I did Masters papers 15 years ago...toot toot (that's me blowing my own trumpet like a giant wanker).

I also donated some eggs last month (which coincided with my mum having a TIA.  Timing 1, me 0).   You don't get paid to donate eggs in New Zealand and there are a lot of ethical implications, but I know this was the right thing for me to do as infertility sucks.  The whole daily blood test/scan/self injecting was quite overwhelming at times, and the stress of waiting to see how many follicles were ready...and then how many were viable, how many fertilised, and how many made it to day 5 was full on.  Anyway, five embryos made it to day 5.  After weeks of daily calls from Fertility Associates and the numerous text messages from my friend, it's all gone quiet.  The logical part of my brain knows that is the completely normal chain of events, but another part of my brain feels a bit sad that my part is all over.  Anyway, here is the embryo that was implanted in my friend.  Isn't she beautiful?

So in long (as opposed to short), we are still having a ball.  I am totally out of love with being broke, but I'll be back at work in January and I knew this is what it would be like.  Because how couldn't you love the Annie soundtrack, here is G trying to sing me to sleep with a 'Maybe' serenade, combined with a head massage.  If I hadn't been recording it, it totally would have worked.  On that note...goodnight!

Embracing the 'stay at home mum' title

Man alive. Having a new puppy and a highly strung preschooler was taking its toll. I had a few weeks where I was questioning my decision to be at home. I even had two very tempting (and unsolicited) job offers that didn't help. Thankfully, I diagnosed myself with not-using-my-brain-itis and post puppy blues. I prescribed myself a kick in the slats.

I definitely deserved the kick in the slats. I have been blessed beyond blessed with my wilfil, intelligent, loving, independent miracle baby and I'm getting hung up on the dumbest shit. I start my first Masters papers in November so that'll be the brain in overdrive and Pumpkin was gifted an Adaptil collar at Puppy Preschool so she's calmed down 500%.

And seriously, this little face. Being home is really great for G, myself and moulting Pumpkin. I've stopped saying "I'm a senior teacher taking time out to blah blah..." Now I say "I'm a stay at home mum". A seriously skint one. But skint and happy.

Unleashed poo monster part deux

G is in love love love with Pumpkin and loves nothing better than carrying her around like a hairy dolly. Which I strongly discourage. On the day in question, I told her to pick her up and give her a big cuddle on the step while I discarded of, and bleached my entire laundry in record time.

Unfortunately, Pumpkin actually didn't get ALL the shit, but I'm hip:

ALWAYS leash your dog...a cautionary tale

This is Pumpkin:

G is crazy for animals and I thought maybe when she was 5 I'd get her a cat.  But we happened to meet the Canine Formerly Known As Church And Princess and I bit the bullet. The whole reason I decided to take this time was to enrich my daughter's life. And what better time to train a puppy! Which brings me to Pumpkin's serious skill in shit detection.

She's just had her vaccinations so there's still a 9 day wait until we can walk her. Therefore, she's only allowed in our yard for her toileting (which is going great - so glad I was talked into the crate as a den training!) She cries to be carried up and down the steps as she's so dinky (so endearing!) Pumpkin is also doing terribly well on her lead, even with the Beta:

G and I took Pumpkin out leashless as puppy was desperate this afternoon. Meanwhile, some dirty cat had slunk onto our property and done a stinking turd on the top of a flax in my garden. I'd literally not noticed it but Pumpkin found it. As soon as I saw it [close your eyes, weak of stomach] IN HER MOUTH, and told her to drop it, she took off into the house. Lo and behold, she CAN get up the steps. Worse than taking it in, she drops it then runs back down the steps. Now here is the conundrum - one leashless puppy + one preschooler unsupervised in the ungated garden VS. a shit from an unknown cat in my laundry. I'll tell you how it ends tomorrow,  I desperately need sleep in case I'm up with my fur baby in the night.

First snow experience

We really don't get a lot of snow so when there was a little dusting on the hill up the road from us, we had to check it out.

We didn't stay long, G was freezing. She had plenty of time to craft a snowperson, have a feed of snow and experience the magical effect the cold has on your bladder.

Am I missing work? Not. At. All.

Head abrasions and pink fish

G and I had a semi stress-free weekend. Aside from a G VS. the corner of a plastic picnic set (see below) incident - thankfully witnessed and treated by nurse Grandmother - it's been beautiful. It's such a huge change of pace not going to work and having all the stress that goes with it, I'm certain it's changing G for the better.

This afternoon, she made 2000 playdough fish, which I had to pretend to eat of course.