I GOT IT!!!!!

Whoo hoo. I found out on Tuesday that I got one of the positions as a casual nurse educator!! I am so excited. This is defineately what I've been looking for. I needed a change in direction with my nursing and this is it!! I am so excited to start in a new area and to have some new challenges and to be doing what I love! I start in two weeks. Best thing is too that one of my mates from uni who I hadn't seen for years also ended up applying AND got the job as well. So I'll have a mate! I'll keep you posted how I go.

Good to do something new...

I have just been reflecting on my weekend. It's funny when I drop off Zoe at school on Mondays, people ask me, "so how was your weekend?". I just go blank! How come I can't remember what I did over the weekend?? Now that really is living in the now!! ha ha.

The most exciting thing for me was that I went to my first roller derby game. I'd seen it on telly in the past and thought it was pretty cool. I mentioned this to my sister and law (Bree). Hi Bree :) Anyway Bree has an amazing memory for details like this, so when her sister was booking tickets they thought of me. So I had a "date" with Bree's Dad and sister! It didn't take too long to work out how a game goes. (it did help that the program had a summary of the rules). Soon I was barracking for the Vics at the appropriate moments!! We played Texas and there were some big girls there with BIG elbows and bums. (Sticking out your bum to block was a technique I picked up!) The crowd too was an eye opener. There were mainly rockabily types, rock, punk and lesbian! Lots of body piecrcings  and tatts too...which made me think of putting my earing back at the top of my ear....)
Good to go out of your compfort zone and to see a part of Melbourne that you don't usually see. I'd go again.

Well I hope you have a good week.
I have fallen off the track fitness wise (and eating mindlessly). So I will try and focus on this week. Started on the treadmill this morning and I hope to start Personal Training on Wednesday nights.
Also waiting to see the result of my interview last tuesday. I was pretty happy with the interview (with about 20 drops of Rescue Remedy on board and a scarf on to try and conceal my nervous blotches!). I so hope that I get the job. It sounds perfect. So flexible too. Will fit in perfect with family life. ...

Back into it...

I've decided I love routine. Getting up this morning to get Zoe off to school was hard this morning...but I am enjoying feeling like I am productive with my time again, getting out early for the day. It was lovely too seeing the familiar faces at school, going to assembly and being part of "something".

Today I played squash with Ant and Rach. I loved it. I don't think I've had a game since Zoe was 8 months old. Well I can still hit a ball!! I loved it. I defineately want to include a regular game in my schedule. Rach gave me a weight watchers tracker too today. So I think it is a sign... to get right into the weight loss/fitness/healthy eating again. During the holidays I had a sinus and chest infection and I didn't exercise at all. I didn't realise how sluggish I had felt..I am pumping now I've got theose endorphins going. I am also going to start personal training with Sue. So this combined with my treadmill will keep me on track and not getting bored. I love exercising with friends..it doesn't feel like you are doing exercise really.

Another exciting thing..I have a job interview tomorrow for a job as a Nurse Trainer (for enrolled nurses)...I would love to go into that direction...I hope I get it!!

Chickens, tractors, steers, cows and calves

This week we headed up to my Auntie's farm in Kanumbra (near Yark). It was just the kids and I. We had a great time. The kids loved helping Jane and John with feeding the cows and collecting the eggs from the chooks. Jane treated us with some neautiful home cooked meals. It was so nice to just be with the kids and not have to worry about the house, chores or what time we should be somewhere. I learn what a Heffa is (a cow that has not had a baby (calf!) yet and a steer (a bull wth no balls!). We were hoping that some of the cows might have had some calves whilst we were there, but no luck. We did see some of the two weekers though.

It certainly is a different world. I had a chat with John about the whole business side and what you need to know about breeding, feeding, selling, buying, fattening farms and renting a bull to "service" the cows (usually a bull can service about 25-30 in one go!!!!!!! People who are brought up in the country have been brought up with this knowledge but it is an eye opener for the city slickers....my hats off to John and Jane who have worked so hard and learnt so much as city slickers. What confidence...and passion.

I had a dream..........

The other day Alice and Zoe were singing along to the song “I had a dream…” in the movie Tangled.

Alice: What is your dream Zoe?

Zoe: to have a wobbly tooth (gorgeous!)

Zoe: What is your dream Alice?

Alice: actually, I had a BAD dream that Lucy turned into a monster (chuckle)

Zoe: What is your dream mum?

Me: Oh…..to go overseas

Zoe: But you’ve already done that.

It was a gorgeous conversation but it got me thinking what IS my dream? Have I lost my own dreams? Then I was quick to realise that I was LIVING my dream. Loving husband, beautiful healthy children, our own home in the hills….(I wish I was quick to respond to Zoe with that one).

But really, I am a Pisces. I am always dreaming. That is what is causing me some inner turmoil. Being a mum is a dream and one that I rank very highly and would never change…

I have dreams, lots of them.  A lot of them I can’t act on right now. It’s all too hard to fit my dreams and goals into family life. I know you should live in the now, but I do have a nagging feeling that I won’t be able to act on my dreams in a few years when the kids are at school, or when we have more money.   

 I would love to try any of the following career paths:

Midwifery

MCHN

RDNS

School nursing

Teaching

Psychology

Physiotherapy

Osteopathy

Having a B&B with:

a) my own café

b) wellness workshop/guided walks

c) mediation/guided imagery facilitation

I also wonder about nursing. At the moment I know that I need a break from working with sick children. I love nursing though, meeting families, reassuring them, being able to help them, teaching them and listening to them. I also like the professionalism and the respect that nurses get. I will always feel at ease with the human body and medicine. I am not ready to let all my training and experience go down the drain. It has been a long time since I worked on the wards. An even longer time since I nursed adults. I feel like I have narrowed down my options with paediatric community nursing. It doesn’t help that I live an hour away from the major metropolitan hospitals. I feel like that I will need to study in a specialist area to change nursing directions. When can I do this? When is it the right time with young kids??

Marcus suggests I just go for a job in a new area. Don’t like my chances. Why would they give the job to me?? All things that keep buzzing in my head…

I need to take baby steps I know, in doing little things (or short courses) that keep me interested and feel like I am “growing” personally outside of motherhood.

Some areas of interest are (mini dreams I suppose you could say):

Doing a drumming course

Doing regular yoga

Immunisation course

School nurse course – not sure whether you have to have a job in the area first?

Infant massage instructor course

Pregnancy massage course

Doing some workshops at the local community house

Doing some volunteer work

Getting some chooks

Building a billycart

Getting my garden in order

What are your dreams????  Does being a mother affect your dreams and goals??

My sister's parties are amazing...

Today was Lucy's (my neice) 9th birthday. My sister LOVES kids parties. Every year we wonder what the themes will be for her girls. They are so lucky to have a mum so in to it. The build up to the party is all part of the excitement..all the planning and sourcing all the bits required to decorate and make edible food to also go with the theme. Lucy's theme was a rock party. We had an early lunch at Dan's and had rocky road, rock cakes, rock and rolls (sausage rolls rolled up)...you get the idea. Then we went to the indoor rock climbing centre. The kids loved it. I was so proud of Zoe she really got it and scrambled up the wall in no time. Must take her with (big) Alex to Arapiles...Then we went to the cold rock ice creamery...yum!! Alice is now here for a sleep over... it didn't take long for sleep to come...

HAPPINESS: Being grateful

Happiness is when you reflect back on your day and think about all the things you are greatful for. At night, at the end of the day, Zoe and I do "good and bad", telling each other our good and bad moments of the day. It gives me a chance to see what's going on in her head. I also try to emphasize what I am grateful for and to give her a bit of a mention in a positive way.

Today we were both very grateful for having a lovely day with Dan and the girls. I am so lucky that we are so close and just "hang" out together. A lady saw us at ACMI and commented on us being twins and wondered whose kids where who! I love it. The kids look out for each other. They were so well behaved and loved a bit of freedom in ACMI. Being in the city was "busy". Zo and I noted how much space we had when we got off the train and walked home. Whilst in the city she had to stay pretty close to the pram and was constantly having to get out of the way of people. We both agreed that we loved the excitement of the city but loved coming home to the hills.

KIDS: parenting highs...and parenting lows

Yesterday the kids and I went out to Zagames for lunch to meet with friends. Miss Zoe was upset that everyone was having icecream and jelly (as part of their kids meal deal). I didn't get the kids meal deal. Instead I thought the kids would enjoy a margareheta pizza (spelling?). Also this was alot cheaper. Well a long story short there were tears and an insistent mummy who a) didn't wan't to stand up to peer group pressure, b) din't want to spend MORE money on food that we didn't need (as school holiday spending does seem to sky rocket) and Ididn't wan't Alex (2yrs) to down ice cream and jelly at that time of the day right before his afternoon sleep. I've noticed sugar REALLY impacts on my kids. They get a BIG sugar high and I was being selfish...I didn't want an afternoon of that. SO I was the mean mummy. Probably could have handled it a bit better at the time...but Zo and I had a talk about peer group pressure in the car.

I got my rewards though.... Zoe was a delight when she helped me cooked dinner, we even played a game of "pairs" together. When Alex woke from his sleep Zoe played pairs, bingo, connect fourand hungry hippos with Alexander. Not once did the telly go on, I didn't even hear any fighting! I finished making dinner and all was at peace.......

What have I done?????????

This morning I woke up and decided I might dabble in the world of blogging. I have been reading other people's blogs and have been inspired, so I thought I'd give it a go. I am still working out how to make it all look funky and to work out what all the "gadgets" mean. I think I'll have to have an inservice with my graphic design sis, Dan.

I am not in the groovy world of web design, graphic design, or anything "design" but gee I can talk!!!! I think this is the perfect place for me to lay down all that mind chatter. My poor husband gets a bit over my "blurting" so now I will get it out for the world to see!!

I have a few areas that I want to cover. When I can work out how to do "tabs" or "pages" I'll blog them in a more orderly way.

1. Happiness
2. Health/exercise
3. Food/recipes
4. Family and friends
5. Work

It's funny, when I wrote in my diary (for many years) I would write under the above headings. It's just how my mind works. I would love to gather links, blogs, pics all relating to the above headings as well.
Well I'm excited....