24/7 - 365 days per year

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001) American writer and aviator.

One of the most difficult things about being a housewife and mother (otherwise known as a 'Stay-at-home-Mum) is that there appears to be a perception that staying at home is the same as 'having a day off work' - except that it happens every day.

Now I have been a 'Stay-at-home-Mum' for nearly 22 years and I wouldn't swop it for the world. I just wish sometimes that I could get paid for it and have 2 days off per week, like everyone else.

The joys have been seeing my children through every moment good and bad, even to being able to take the time right now to 'home-school' Sarah through her difficult patch. I have loved the social aspects of Mother's groups, Kindy groups and yes I do have some 'ME' time during the day . . .

But . . . from the moment I wake up in the morning and get up to feed the dog, the puppy, make the breakfast, the lunches, do the dishes, the washing, the cleaning, the school drop off, the accounts, the appointments, the food, the school pick-up, the homework, the dishes, the tidying up, the counselling, the tidying up, the prayers, the goodnights and falling into bed each night - I am on duty.

My job is 24/7 - 365 days per year . . . and funny I feel as though I am the most blessed person in the world. I wouldn't swop my job for anyone else's. I love what I do.

Could someone just pay me something for it - other than just a compliment???

Or maybe, they already do - and the financial reward is not what is important. Rather it is the happy, successful, joyful family that I have and the time that I have to write this post.

So to all Mothers and Housewives I say - congratulations - you are the best workers in the world.

Back to my studies!

Semester 2 of university has started.

I am only doing one course this semester, as I am home-schooling Sarah for term 3 and this is going to take up a lot of my time and attention. I don't want to short change her, but I also don't want to give up completely on my studies.

So I have signed up for American Literature and had my first seminar today. Dr Hilary Emmett is my lecturer and is FANTASTIC! She is so knowledgeable and interesting and we have a good size group at 22 students. The seminar will be conducted with 30 mins of background lecturing and then discussion time.

We are covering some amazing material from Walt Whitman, Hawthorne, Emmerson and Thoreau to Poe, Melville and Henry James. We then move into the 20th Century and look at Faulkner, Ginsberg and McCarthy. The reading list is extensive and I am going to experience a variety of genres and styles.

I just can't wait!

So look out for some reading recommendations and wish me luck, as I will have a 2000 word essay to write, 5 x 200 word online discussion posts and a final exam worth 50%, which will be the most difficult for me - as 'remembering' stuff is not my strongest skill.

Something to think about

"If you think you can you can. And, if you think you can't, you're right."
Mary Kay Ashe

This is very similar to a saying that I grew up with and it is:

"There is no such word as 'Can't' it is actually 'Can try' - I guess in life if we decide to do something before we even try it, we will at least have a chance at success, but if we decide we can't before we even try, then we are certainly going to fail.

Something to think about.

Visitors

Yesterday we had visitors to the garden for a feed. First of all our new family of Kookaburra's arrived. There are five of them, older juveniles as well as this very cute little one. The older siblings stay with the family for a year to help feed the younger ones.

So out I came with the leftover Roast Beef and it was devoured.

Then our local Magpie arrived along with 3 Butcherbirds to join in the meat buffet.

Of course the Rainbow Lorikeets and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets saw me out there with the meat and started calling, so I filled the seed trays and gave them some bread and sugar water. Soon we had about 60 birds calling and feeding.

Digital scrapbooking

Today I have had all four of my family members in bed sick with the flu. I have had the day doing washing, tidying up, looking after the puppy and cooking dinner, dishes etc.

However, tonight I have had an hour to spend scrapbooking and have achieved a huge amount. I finished up my April-July album and sent it off for printing and have also completed 5 pages in the July album, so I am truly getting up to date.

The highlight of my day was watching Bella and Abby play together for an hour. Bella is cheeky but submissive to Abby and Abby is remarkably gentle with the puppy. The funniest was watching Bella sneak around the back of Abby and grab her tail, then Abby would pound away and back.

Laughter

"There comes a time when suddenly you realize that laughter is something you remember and that you were the one laughing." - Marlene Dietrich (1901 -1992)

My Circle of Women calendar had this great quote this morning and made me realise how quickly we can 'grow-up', become serious and forget to laugh. I love laughter, I love the feeling of breathlessness and bubbles that start in your throat and then move to your belly.

Don't let laughter be a memory, make it a gift to yourself every single day. Read a funny joke, watch a comedy and most importantly laugh with family and friends.

New hobby

I have been tempted to make cards for years, but with all the other things that I do, I have resisted for as long as possible.

Finally, I have succumbed, these are three that I made tonight as part of our 'Creative Challenge' week.