Day 60 - Karyn takes Maddie swimming

As I am sick again I couldn't take Maddie into the pool today. Luckily Karyn was able to take an extra hour off work to cover the lesson so Maddie could still go in. We have just changed classes to get a better teacher so Maddie was already a little puzzled and adding in me not being in the pool with her made her very cranky. Karyn and the new instructor persevered with Maddie, and I went out of sight so the tantrum stopped and the swimming started. I was able to take some photos from my hiding spot but I didn't realise it was so foggy.

The dryer was installed today in the laundry, but a big chip was made in my paint work. With that scratch, the weather and my being unwell my February target wasn't met. Its not far off though, and looks brilliant. And it is so nice to have a dryer, I have washed and folded a load of washing already, Hung another two out on a clothes rack and another is about to finish.

Day 59 - Deja Vu

Nathan had a bad day today, that just didn't seem to end. He was working on the bracket for the dryer and ducked into the bedroom for something to discover that my beautifully painted ceiling was leaking again! AGR!! 2 hours, 3 tarps, alot of pavers and  alot of rope later our roof is mostly covered and our bed is stripped and dry.

Our roof was fixed while I was still pregnant with Maddie when the same thing happened. I was over 36 weeks pregnant, tired and wanted to go to bed. Instead I ended up on the phone to AAMI and dealing with people coming through the house all night. This time was much easier to deal with as Nathan and Mark sorted it out while I was banished inside as I am sick again with a cold and laryngitis. Hopefully it is just the fascia around the evaporative cooling again and easily fixed.

Day 58 - Impending Explosion

As I am back to normal hours for the last two days of my week I thought that I should catch up on some washing. With that in mind as I walked out of the DFO I opened the weather forecast. Rain, for the next week, now how am I supposed to get all of the washing clean and dry with out turning the house and shed into a Chinese laundry? So with that question in mind I thought that I would ask Nathan when he could put the dryer in, now that the wall in the laundry is fixed and painted. I also thought that using this photo might work as a reminder, I am really hoping that firstly, Nathan actually reads my blog, and two, that it will serve as a reminder to bring the dryer home. My fingers are crossed, otherwise the washing baskets are all going to overflow and we will have washing everywhere.

With only two days left this month, I am really feeling the pressure to finish the laundry as it was my goal for this month. I am so close that I might actually make it, Only 2 more coats on the doors, 1 more on the trim, re coat on the cornice (I might have gone out of the lines a little when I did the walls) and then the clean up from the paint that splattered.

Day 57 - Stealing A Picture

With the current political environment work has been filled with travellers here from interstate for various reasons. My favourite customers this week have driven across from near Perth to see "Julia's demise." This couple spent about half an hour in store talking to us about the situation and how hopeful they were of things panning out so Julia Gillard was overthrown. Another customer today, was from a country town in Queensland, who was so excited to see a Sandler store that she nearly tried on every pair. She is here to see what happens for her work in the electorate and is also hopeful Julia Gillard will go down. I'm very grateful for the political units that I did while I was at uni so I could understand a lot of what they were saying. Events like this make me think a lot about going back to my studies and actually finishing a degree rather than having two halves of entirely different ones.

Today I worked all day, like I do most Sundays and again I missed a Patting Zoo. Nathan took these photos of Maddie today at the Queanbeyan Multicultural Festival on in the park. He said that Maddie was a lot more confident with the animals this time around and was happy to walk off towards them and touch them. It looks like she is telling the other kid that the sheep is hers though. I must work on teaching her to share a little more.

Thank You Leah for telling me how to do the frames.

Day 56 - Mystery Vegie

I noticed a few weeks ago that one of our half wine barrels had sprouted a self seeded veggie plant. Not knowing what it was I left it there to see what it grew into and forgot to look at it again until tonight. Was I surprised to see what are potentially mammoth Zucchini's or Cucumbers growing in the pot. Does anyone know what they are, and if there is a use for them?

Day 55 - SUMMER!!!

Today, we had what felt like our first day of summer as it has been so far between days over 30 degrees. Maddie and I went for a walk at 930 this morning with a few of our friends, and by the time we got back to the park an hour later it was too hot for the girls to play. The boys, however didn't mind the scorching plastic against their hands. Between mountains of washing, assembling Maddie's table that we got from Aldi and the scrubbing the dining room, Maddie and I had some time out in the sun.

Maddie loves her turfed area, and today, it was a good time to pull out some of her outside toys. The little sand water table was filled with water and then toys as Maddie collected them to splash in the water. I figured she would probably have more fun in her little pool, but to my surprise it took a fair amount of coaxing to get her into it. Maddie loved it when Tucker came for a drink, and thought it was pretty fun to try copy him.

Day 54 - It Must Be Love

I wonder how many people had shoes pegged as something that might be under the title 'It Must Be Love', those who know me well I suppose. One of the many things that I love about my job is that I get to see all of the new season styles and do my shopping while I am at work. These funky shoes that I am calling almost flats are so incredibly comfortable that as soon as I tried them on I knew that they were coming home with me. With a patent leather upper, leather lining and a fabulous thick sole and wedge these shoes are just fantastic for working in. Oh and did I mention that work gives me a shoe allowance to spend, and that I have been good and only bought 2 pairs since returning as Manager in October. Not including the three pair I purchased to wear outside work of course. Nathan said today the real reason we are considering extending is that we need more room for shoes, but I counter that argument by saying that no one needs as many clothes as he has, and if we got rid of some of those, then I would be able to fit tonnes more shoes in.

Day 53 - Mums Strange Pets

Its Geoff's 52nd birthday today so we all popped around for dinner. Mum's facebook status read 'MKR at my place tonight, dinner for 10, should keep them waiting 2 hours for the main haha' and she nearly did! OK so maybe I am exaggerating a little, but it was almost 8 by the time us humans got to eat. I am blaming the extra two mouths that turned up for their dinner and demanded the chefs attention. Mum pretty much inherited a few magpies when she bought the place last year and has to feed them everyday. As you can see Maddie has obviously seen it happen before as she was more than happy to help.

Day 52 - A New Record

My clever little Maddie has slept through 5 whole nights so far this month, which is a new record. Although these days she comes with a new set of challenges, the dreaded tantrums and even more clinginess than ever. Mum says that yesterday Maddie had a huge tantrum because she wouldn't let her carry around a photo of Nathan and I. Today she had a big one when Mum picked her up from work so that I could start working for the day, and then another one when I dared to lock her out of the bathroom. The biggest one I'm sure is when I went to aquacise with Mum tonight, Maddie screamed and poor Nathan was left with a very cranky child. We walk away from Maddie when she has a tantrum, and Nathan takes her away if she is screaming as she cant get me, but it doesn't seem to be teaching her not to scream. Does anyone have any tips for stopping the dreaded tantrum or clinginess?

 

Day 51 - Tricks

I was introduced to freecycle by Danita about a year ago and have found it a great way to get rid of unwanted items without clogging up my bin and landfill. We were lucky enough to scoop this Futon up to use a couch in the 'scary room' so we have something for people to sleep on if the shed is taken. As Amy, Nanna and Kim have had to sleep on it, I think they are relieved that the shed is vacant again, although Amy does prefer to sleep on the lounge room floor. She is a strange one that Amy, I think she actually chooses to sleep on the floor most places she goes. When mum Amy and I went around New Zealand in a 4 berth camper van Amy slept  in the tiny corridor as she didn't want to share a bed with either of us. She used my textbooks (yes I took study with me on holidays) as a chock to keep her pillow from moving away..

Anyway, on topic, when we got this futon it was covered in pen marks from a cheeky little boy, and when I saw it I was tempted to tell Nathan to take it back. Suede is a hard fabric to keep clean, even worse to remove marks from, But a dab of Windex on a cotton tip removed all the pen, and a good clean with some soapy water had it looking like new. I have heard some other great tips for getting marks out of things, like hairspray to get texta of walls. I wonder how many of these tricks I'm going to need over the next few years.

Day 50 - Rain

Global Warming, does it exist or not? I am still undecided on this topic, although I do have to admit this has been a very unusual summer for Canberra. But then, isn't the concept behind Global Warming that it is getting warmer? Because it certainly hasn't here. Summer is my favourite time of the year, as it holds Christmas and my birthday, a lot more parties, barbeque's, loads of sunshine, and a lot more time outdoors in parks, which I really love. This year has just been strange, it hasn't been warm enough to go swimming aside from 1 week early on, we have had afternoon storms that you would expect to see in Queensland, and on more than one occasion I have had the heater on. It is nice to be able to snuggle up in a blanket on the couch and relax of a night time, but I am wondering when the long hot summer that was predicted is going to arrive. Late into last summer we had 2 air conditioning units installed to help keep the house cooler, as well as with the hope that a cooler room may help Maddie sleep. I guess it is good that we haven't needed to use them much, as everyone tells me they cost a fortune to run. I am still hopeful for a rise in the temperatures before winter sets in though.

Today's picture was taken at Rodney's Nursery out at Piallago, which is one of my favourite shops in Canberra. While we were out there a massive downpour hit and we only just got undercover in time. I was amazed to see the masses of water running off the roof of the shelters that they have over a lot of their plants now, and then even more surprised to see that all that water was not captured for later use in a tank, but rather ran through the Garden centre and into drains that could barely keep up with the water flow. Maddie and I have spent a bit of time in the rain lately as she seems to really enjoy it, and it has been warm enough to let her. Maddie couldn't resist the chance to splash in one of the puddles today, I wonder what Grace was thinking as she watched Maddie.

Day 49 - Fears

After last nights terrible night sleep I tried so hard to not wake up, which meant missing yoga. However Nathan seemed to make as much noise as he possibly could, and my phone kept buzzing in my ear, so I dragged myself out of bed and in a record 15 minutes got Maddie and myself out the door to walk around the lake with Simon and Grace while Mum and Leah did Yoga. We let the girls out to play where yoga is held and Maddie ran straight to the waters edge to look over at it.. Terrifying for me, but she wasn't fussed so I pointed out that you could see the water between the cracks in the deck. Never in a million years would I have thought that this worked as a way to keep a child from running away. Poor Maddie was terrified and kept grizzling when I tried to walk away, I wonder where so many of us learn to fear the water below.

Day 48 - A Late Post

What a day we had yesterday, I was Ms cranky pants all day, and then Maddie refused to go to sleep. Maddie had her first lamb cutlet for lunch today, which she didn't enjoy as much as I thought she would, although she did make sure she ate every last pea on her plate after showing it to the meat. I had thought the nights of Maddie screaming until she made herself throw up were over with the change to a primarily lactose free diet, but last night Maddie managed to get to wear 3 different lots of pyjamas. Eventually sometime between 930 and 10 she fell asleep in bed with me, although I think I won that race. My blog for yesterday had to be done today, as there was no way I was coherent enough to write it when Nathan came to bed too. I did get an extra shot though of Maddie and Nathan sound asleep, I wish the iPhones flash was better though.

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Day 47 - Quiet Baby Always Means Trouble

Today I started to tidy the study, and with Maddie helping me I was making some progress. I ducked out to put on a load of washing, and came back to find Miss Maddie sitting quietly on the desk, pulling all of the pens out of the holder. Once she had finished doing that she tried to put them into a much smaller container and when they didn't fit she threw them one by one on the floor and around the desk. Maddie loves sitting on the computer chair playing with the mouse and keyboard and sneaks in every time we don't close the door properly. I am thinking I need to get Maddie her own keyboard before she destroys mine.

Day 46 - Diesel

Nathan bought this cat home a few years ago from a trip visiting Kev and Brodie, he was a tiny little monster with a cute blue ribbon that day. Now, he is one of the biggest cats that I have ever seen, not very intelligent, and a few people are terrified of him. Over the past few weeks I have been spending a fair bit of time with this cat in particular trying to test how he will fare either out on his own, or around Maddie. I have been pleased to see he comes back as soon as I want him too, and he is gentle with Maddie, and not terrified of her anymore, but I still don't think he is intelligent enough to be allowed to roam freely. Diesel is the biggest most wussy cat I have ever met, he is a sook, and both times that he has escaped he has been found hiding under the house crying until I came to his rescue. However, while I think he is a scaredy cat, both Amy and Tucker seem awfully nervous around him, Amy because she tried to move him with her foot once and he thought he would play with it, and Tucker must have had his nose hit once by him as he wont go near the cat. I love this pic of Diesel checking out the turf today, he is getting more playful outside chasing leaves in the wind, and his own shadow, but today he just wanted to come and check out the phone I was taking this shot on.

Day 45 - Valentines Day

60 Tulips, and a lovely romantic dinner at La Cantina equals a very spoilt me. After a long day at work listening to young teenagers giggle over boys I was relieved to come home to my toddler who is still years away from that stage. We have been trying to teach Maddie about flowers so I took this opportunity to let her play with one while I was trying to squish them all into the two vases we have that were suitable. Maddie was pretty excited to get to smell the red one while she was waiting to have her shower, and then even more so to taste the yellow and pink one. She even made sure that she showed Charley Bear her favourite flower.

Day 44 - Present suprise

I seriously contemplated not getting Nathan anything for Valentines day this year as he still hadn't opened his Christmas present last time I checked. I raced into woollies on the way home tonight to grab a few things and did two laps looking for red wrapping paper, thinking that they would surely have some out. My plan was to cover the Christmas wrap in red, if he hadn't opened it tonight. They had run out so I wasn't going to be wrapping his present again, but I did figure a nice red ribbon and bow would work. Luckily I did grab something small in my lunch break today as when I went to add the ribbon to his Christmas present I found it unwrapped!!!
I have gone plain paper, so if you don't open it tomorrow Nathan, someone else can have whats inside. Happy valentines day

Day 43 - Maddie visits me at work

Today, like every other Sunday at the moment, was my full day at work. I find on these days I really miss Maddie, and as my Nanna arrived to watch Maddie for the next few days I was really finding the afternoon was dragging by. About half an hour before i was due to close Maddie, Nathan and Nanna popped in to say hello. Nathan went to grab a clothes basket for Maddie's room and Maddie sussed out the store. She loves rearranging the shoes, and has become quite fast at re-merchandising, I guess because she practises her merchandising skills at M&G every week. I showed Maddie a handbag today, which she thought was fantastic, and had to check out how every bag looked in the mirror.

Day 42 - Maddies First Hair Cut

Between Yoga at the lake this morning and then the horrible Bikram Yoga late this afternoon, Maddie had her first hair cut. It was quite an emotional milestone for me, and one that I have been putting off for a long time, but I managed to keep my cool in front of her. Victoria is the only person I trusted to cut Maddie's hair, and I was very grateful it was in her home salon which was lovely and relaxing and also meant that Dean was able to take the photos as I was holding Maddie. All I could think while I was walking in the door was that I hoped that I didn't throw up or cry, and thankfully I didn't.

Amy was always terrified of the hairdressers when she was young, so I am very hopeful that Maddie doesn't end up with that fear. Now the first cut is done, and her hair looks so much better I am sure that the rest of the cuts will be much easier.

Day 41 - A day of Friends

Today was a lovely day for Maddie and I, as we spent most of it catching up with people we haven't seen for a while. We started off with a 9 am walk around the Jerra Wetlands, spotting planes and birds along the way. The highlight of this part of the day, other than catching up with Claire and Hugh, who we haven't seen in a long time was seeing the tiny Dusky Moorhen chicks that were out swimming on the lake. Later in the day we had people come visit us here for a cuppa and a play which was lovely. Lastly April, Danita, Leah  Jacky and I all tried Zumba, WOW was it hard work. I am definitely looking forward to yoga in the morning to stretch what I suspect are going to be very aching limbs

Day 40 - Pet Peeves

After a couple of days of ignoring Nathans empty beer packaging I can do it no longer! Leaving the empty things in the fridge or freezer, I am sure, is not something he did before he asked me to be his fiancee. Nathan knows I hate this and will often leave or put empty packaging into the fridge to annoy me.  This time I am not sure if it was because he was in a rush to go have his beer, or to get a reaction from me. Maybe he overheard a few of us ladies talking about it when we had dinner with the neighbours last week, I really don't know, but I'm sure when he reads this he will have a little laugh and think gotcha!

Day 39 - Newest Addition to the Family

Well i bet some of you were expecting a cute kitten or puppy picture, and some of you may have even thought I was announcing something even more exciting, but no, no more animals and no exciting news this month. After being told i was holding out on Leah for not telling her about my $29 hand held steamer I thought I better let her and everyone else know about it, and my cordless vacuum too. Shopping for a new vacuum for work, I spotted the little steamer on special and walked out with the prices of new machines for work and Maddie in one arm, and this funky little red appliance in the other. I'm a fan of the steam mop, and will try to convert anyone that will listen to me as they are so much easier to use, much quicker, there are less chemicals around and the floors dry super fast. As I have only used the steam cleaner once, I haven't decided if I love it yet, but I suspect I will.
My cordless vac I have had for a while as we saw one being expertly used by Nathans Aunt, who has the most amazingly pristine house you have ever seen. It is beautiful! It certainly comes in handy when I only have a small area to vacuum like under Maddie's highchair. I am all for things that speed up or make housework easier. Does anyone else have fabulous tricks up their sleeves?

Day 38 - Chalk

The old saying, 'you learn something new everyday' couldn't have been more accurate today. Knowing we are expecting rain tomorrow, I picked up some Jumbo chalk for $2 from office works, with the thought that drawing outside with Maddie might be fun. Already dressed for work, in black, I opened the chalk and poof out came a cloud of residue, I should have stopped there! I pulled out the blue chalk as Maddie stood by watching with puzzled interest and wrote her name on the driveway, then handed her the chalk. It wasn't until I was taking this photo of Maddie that I realised my hand, phone, pocket and hair all had blue chalk on them. That might explain how I managed to cut off her hair. Maddie had a great time showing tucker the chalk, drawing and taking it on her car with her until she fell over and hit her head hard enough to get a decent egg. To finish my outfit off, I received lovely hand prints on my top, and one on my face too from being pushed away so Maddie could rest her head on my shoulder.. Apparently checking out her head for injury was not what she had in mind. Maddie has always gone to bed after a reasonable injury and today was exactly the same, only with me repeatedly going in to check on her. I knew she was OK when Maddie rolled over and said go away. We get told this anytime we offer her a drink she doesn't want, definitely not my favourite words, but today they were fantastic to hear.

Day 37 - Bed Time

So I know it seems like I'm obsessed with Maddie sleeping, and admittedly I am, but isn't this shot cute? Maddie really wanted to go to bed tonight and straight after her bath she went and tried to climb in before I had even dressed her. I love watching Maddie develop and seeing her actually say she is ready for bed is awesome! Hopefully tonight, like last night is another full nights sleep.

Day 36 - Mottephobia

I think moths are quite possibly the most disgusting things there are. Just the thought of them sends shivers down my spine and if one is in the room I cant be in it. Last time one landed on me I was in Harvey Norman with Nathan and I was sure I was going to be sick, and Kev's shed warming party was the most unimaginable torture you could ever think of. Kev built a shed at the place he lived at in Quaama which was right on the edge of the bush. He hung what I think was fluorescent lights in the shed that attracted the biggest Bogong moths I have ever seen. I thought I would be brave today and get close enough to zoom in as much as I could to take a photo of this moth, ugly isn't it!! My bravery isn't as great as I am making it sound, the moth had been flicked off Nathans boot, and was barely still alive. I was terrified it was going to get a boost of energy and fly up at me.

Day 35 - An Early Foggy Start

It is the last month of summer right? Well you wouldn't have thought so from today's photo which I took just before 8 this morning at Lake Burley Griffin. This morning, like last Saturday morning I gave in up my sleep in to go do some free yoga at the lake with Leah. Last week I found that doing the yoga had improved my flexibility and made a huge impact on lowering my back pain, so I was eager to go back. I was really surprised on the Sunday how much my underarms and ab muscles hurt so I am a little nervous about waking up to pain tomorrow, especially as today's seemed to be a lot harder than last weeks. Mum and one of her friends also tried out Yoga today with us, and from what I heard a few hours ago, mum is already hurting. I am hoping to continue with Yoga on a Saturday morning for the whole month of February while the free classes run. Of course that being reliant on being able to get a babysitter, so if you are free come and join in!

Day 34 - Nightly Rituals

Almost since the day Maddie was born we have tried to get her into some form of bedtime routine, and I have to say we have had it a lot easier than other mums that I know. Maddie can be put down awake in her cot and has been able to get herself to sleep for over a year, its just that she cant stay asleep. Nathan now reads Maddie a book as part of the routine while she has her milk and a good night cuddle. This particular book is a favourite of Maddie's, and I suspect if she keeps choosing it as a bedtime book, Nathan will soon be able to read it with his eyes closed. Tonight when I walked into the room to get Maddie she shook her head at me and pointed at the book as if to say no Mum its not finished yet. Then to prolong the reading experience she added in some counting which is what they are doing in this photo. Both Nathan and I are hoping for a better night than last night with Maddie, as she ran a temp all night and didn't sleep much at all!

Day 33 - Meeting An Old Indian

Today we went to pick up the Mazda 9 from Dads work, as it had needed some work done on something with the wheels, and I had hogged a courtesy car for long enough. While we were there Maddie drew on his desk and all over his note book in pink highlighter, before proceeding to do some computer work. Luckily this time Dad was quick enough to move the mouse, as his little yellow Volkswagen mouse had already met an early malfunction in Maddie's care. Before we went to leave Maddie and I got to see the Indian in what I think is its completed form. Dad restored this 1941 Motorbike over the past year or so, when he wasn't helping Amy do something to her car, Leroy. You can see a bit, or maybe all of Leroy's engine in the background of the picture. Maddie got to have a sit on the bike which she clearly loved, before she decided to help Amy by having a tinker with Leroy's engine.

Day 32 - A New Month

Maddie's sleep has gotten a fair bit better in these last few weeks, and for the month of January she slept through the night 4 times. Lactose free seems to have really relaxed her as she sleeps, as now she sleeps on her back instead of curled into a ball like she used to. I suspect February wont hold much of a difference in Maddie's sleep pattern for us as it seems she is now teething, but I am hoping for more full nights than the past month.

In case you are wondering, no Nathan hasn't opened his Christmas present yet. I am thinking of getting some red hearts wrap and recovering it for valentines day. The new re-gifting, saving his unwrapped Christmas present for another occasion. The crazy thing is that this is something he wanted, and said he wanted the previous Christmas as well.