Employed!

Ok so I ended up getting the job and a nice salary package too.  Pretty cool huh.  So next year I have to:
a) work full time
b) start a PhD
c)publish some papers
d) update my three textbook chapters
e) start an internal education course.
f) raise two boys
g) manage a house
h) maintain a marriage
i) lose 5 kilos.

Hmmm that seems a wee bit of lots on my plate.
Ah well I will survive.

Universe DOES hate me

Just discovered my PhD topic has been granted an ARC to SOMEONE else.  So essentially I have to figure out a new research topic.
And my son's preferred Kindy teacher is NOT going to be there next year.
Life is a big piece of excrement some days.

Interviews

Interviews are such a waste of time.  The interviewers probably already know who they are going to hire.  The interviewee wastes time preparing for it and in my case traveling too.  Travelled over 200 km for my interview. I am glad I don't believe the Universe acts against people though.  Travelled through 40 plus degrees C, a dust storm, a bush fire smoke out, a hail storm and the car next to me crashing into a wall.  Amazingly I survived and gave a poor interview.  Oh well.  If I don't get the job/s then frankly I will work locally and have fun with my youngest child.  Starting to like that idea.  And pick up my eldest from school.  Like other local mummies.
The worst part is not knowing if I will get the job until after Christmas.

December already?

OMG.  Where did the time go?  Time is speeding up!

Did not get local full time permanent job- it went to my boss.  Am applying for a full time version of my own job slightly less locally.  I know they have a short list but I am hearing nothing.  Very depressing.
I am thinking I might take up a whole new job.  A proper itty bitty stay at home mummy job.  No idea what though.
Better get on with things.

Weekend Work

I was just wondering how many other professions spend most of their weekend working - essentially unpaid.  I do all my marking and preparation in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed and usually when marking season is upon me carve out time during the day on weekends where husband occupies kids and I do marking.
It mostly sucks because it means my freetime is actually spent working.   It isn't just me being inefficient - apparently it is a real problem with all Uni lecturers now.  See the link here which is more or less on this issue.  And it is worse for us casuals.
Oh well I should probably stop blogging and instead get back to marking and writing up next week's work.

10 years

So I recently celebrated ten years of marriage. I think I am allowed now to talk about what makes for a good marriage between a me and a my husband. I am not sure I am qualified to talk about what would make a good marriage for other people! But I can think of some things I would like to say...

Lesse if I can do ten...

1) He really does love me.

2) I really do love him

3) You don't have to talk about how you love each other all the time.

4) But you should take the time to kiss and touch and say the words every day.

5) Gestures mean a lot - stop talking about feelings sometimes and look at what he does.

6) Equality is what you are both comfortable with - not what someone else says is the right balance.

7) Give credit.

8) Giggle together every day.

9) Talk code to one another - develop your own couple language and use it to bind and to bond,

10) Apologise.

Hmm that was easy. Maybe I can keep going? Orrrr maybe not.

Blogging is hard work

I wonder why I thought I would have time to blog when I barely have time to do anything else? Ah well.

Update: have job interview for permanent full time position locally. Ironically if I got it my teaching commitments would be less as only one employer!

Secondly Unit Coordination is not much fun - no wonder no one wants the gig.

Am embarking on the process of applying for a PhD. If they accept me I will be truly mad.

Housework is not happening often enough so comes in large unwieldy chunks.

Marking is behind and overwhelming me.

Marriage? Well this weekend coming is good for it I hope. 10th anniversary dirty weekend!

Must get back to everything.

Semester Resumed

So semester has resumed in its full glory.  Six hours face to face at one Uni and 9 hours face to face at the other.  

Exercise has gone in the can.  We didn't even get through the first week before the youngest spent a Thursday night throwing up.  Then gastro meandered through the rest of the family.  By the time we recovered from it and the consequent sleep deprivation it was the weekend and sleep in time!  I sleep in Saturdays, Damien on Sundays.  But Monday hubby had to fly down to another state so we had to get up early so no time for exercise.  Got home from work too late Monday night and Tuesday too knackered from 100% on call parenting.  

If not looking after neighbours kid this afternoon I might try convincing the kids to come for a walk.  

However I have lost 3 kilograms now.  So woot.

New plan

Ok.  So now we are trying to set the alarm at 6AM.  Ugh.  It is winter here too!  And we take turns being the  on-call parent.  The non on-call parent has to get up and exercise.  If you stay in bed you turn into the on-call parent.  This way we can both fit in some exercise.  We tried it this morning.  I did a 20 min weights work out.  Felt good.  And not as cold as I feared.  Tomorrow I am on call parent. If the kids sleep so do I.  If they don't then I have to do the morning routine.

Wish me luck!  

Unreasonableness

I am sure there are people out there with children that are not unreasonable but nonetheless I feel compelled to list the things that people without young children ask that is completely unreasonable.

1) That you be on time.  Goodness knows I hate being late, but when you have young children things do not always go to plan - no matter how good your plan is.  Absolutely guaranteed that if you are running on time a poo nappy/diaper will happen just as you about to walk out the door.  A big smelly escaping poo that takes ages to clean and involves a change of clothes.

2) Keeping your young children quiet (at any time for longer than say 5 mins).  The reason is that children do not have impulse control.  If it is in their head it is spoken a second after, usually at maximum volume.  If they want to jump up and down then they will do so.  It is not naughtiness it is because their brain has not developed enough for their impulse control to kick in before the action does.

3) That they keep things clean/unbroken/untouched.  If you don't want an under 12 to touch it don't leave it out.  If they can reach it it will get touched.

4) Expect you to have a conversation when your children are present.  Sure we can, so long as it is realised that it will be interrupted, usually at the most critical moment in the conversation.  Kids have radar that way.

5) Stay up late (even if kids have gone to bed.  Two reasons.  I am tired - have spent the day with kids - that is exhausting.  Two: I have to be up first thing in the morning.  No sleep in to catch up (kids wake anywhere from 5AM onwards) and almost never get a chance to get a nap in during the day either.   So no I do not want to stay up past 11PM unless you want to be the one to look after the kids in the morning while I sleep in?

There.  Got that off my chest.  I am sure there are others but those are the biggies!

Cooking

I have to cook dinner most nights.  Especially now I have to watch what I am eating.  No more pizza dialed up for dinner.  

Anyway my problem is I have to cook for 2 young children, at least 2 adults and most nights a third adult.   On weekends another adult is not uncommon.  Sometimes 3 other adults and another child.  And everyone has food issues.  Driving me nuts.  As is inventory management.  Almost guaranteed that whatever I decide to cook someone will not like.  And no one apart from my husband is grown up enough (some are real children) just to lump it and eat it.  One of my pet hates is fussy eaters.  Young children I can understand (and have had from time to time) but once they reach the age of reason that is it I am afraid.  Eat your food even if it is not your favourite.  

If someone prepares food for me I eat it.  Even if it was beetroot and brussels sprouts.  Whole.  Boiled.  I'd ask for salt n pepper and condiments but otherwise I would eat it and thank them!!!!  Anything else IMHO is rude!

Health Un-News

So there appears to be no underlying cause for my heart acting up. What kind of deal is that?  So I still have to lose weight, eat healthily, exercise moderately and drink less coffee and alcohol.  Where is the fun in that?  

Well marking continues - almost done.  11 papers to go.  So sick of marking.  Children at daycare today.  Must get things done!  So much to do.  I feel like the White Rabbit!  

Am going to a tax seminar next week.  How exciting!  Well it is for me!  Very very interested to see who or what turns up.  It is in Canberra - more than three hours drive away so I will be spending the night before in a HOTEL on my OWN in the city.  I booked a room with a spa so I can have a nice time.  Will get there at 2PM on the dot so as to enjoy spa and quiet and stuff.  

Meanwhile my eldest learnt an important lesson.  Don't be cruel to animals or you lose your friend (the other mum and I agreed that ending the play visit was the most appropriate punishment).   Interestingly they both blamed each other for the idea but of course it was the stupidity of two silly boys together that caused the idea. 

Healthy Heart

Well my heart is not doing what it should be doing.  It is all tachycardia-y and irregular.  So I went to the doctor and the doctor checked my BP.  160/110 which is BP for red alert!  Am on beta blockers.  So far it is still not settled and have a headache.  If it gets worse I will have to go back to the Doctor.  Suspects are: the implanon = my body hates female hormones.  And the other is my thyroid.  It has been really sudden onset.  

So upshot.  Have to cut back on caffeine (goodness knows how I will work as much as I have to with reduced caffeine), fat, salt and exercise more.  Sigh.  As if I need more things to do and less "rewards" in the way of food.  

Life is hard right now.  

60 papers to go.  

More marking

Thus I did mark and mark and mark until I could mark no more.  And still they said unto me - yay verily we need you to do more.  And I did reply But how will I possibly do all I need to do?  And then I had a revelation.  The revelation was thus.  I should no longer sleep and all will become clear unto me.  

We shall see how that goes shall we? 

Student amusing quote of the day (for yesterday) " and then the company put the money into the suspense account."  

Ikea for Dummies

Am marking tax papers now - having finished Business Org papers.  Much easier to mark - lots of numbers! 

Paper count: 15 down, 67 to go!

Went to IKEA today with the whole family.  Bad bad idea.  Saw what I want in one instance but what a horrible hassle the whole thing was.  Have decided I will just buy locally even if I have to pay more for more or less the same thing - at least I won't have to drive so far and push people around or be pushed around and queue only to find things not there or not the colour I want etc etc etc.  GAH!

I love IKEA and yet am tormented at the same time.  Does it count as an abusive relationship you think?  

C is for Car.

Well what a busy day today!  Started out by going to a friend's place to let our boys all run around.  And a small victory was granted today - my friend Kerrie can take my two boys on Fridays for semester!  Such a relief.  I was worried I'd have to back out at the last minute!  Daycare - where they go 2 days a week cannot take them, my neighbour who is very good with kids is unlikely to be able to take them and my usual babysitter/nanny has a class herself that day that she cannot reschedule.   GAH!  But luckily Kerry who is a very nice person can take them!  

The next part of the day after we got home was to drive a 230km round trip to pick up my marking.  Only to leave 1/3 of it behind.  Not. My. Fault.  My boss forgot to give them to me.  And only discovered this when I was 1/2 way home.  He's going to come down tomorrow from Sydney and drop it off for me.  Phew.  I suppose I'll have to clean house for a bit so it's not a total disaster.  

Finally home again and next door for pizza with the neighbour and her three kids.  Sadly it didnt go to well as the kids were all tired and wound up and couldn't quite get along.  I left a rather nice bottle of bubbly there too.  Dammit.  

Now both my busy boys are in bed and I am putting off the marking.  Husband is out with workmates for a drinks/dinner event.   I am seriously thinking of going to bed even though it is only 8:10PM!  

Promotion!

Well.  That was quick work of the Universe!  Just accepted a promotion to Unit Co-Ordinator of a LLB subject.  That means teaching law students tax not trying to teach accounting students a law subject (tax).  Happy dance. 

Envy

I try not to envy others.  Not for any spiritual reasons but because you never know the full story - what sacrifices were made, what choices wished to be undone, not really.  

But boy I felt it tonight.  A friend from high school has just made partner at one of the major firms.  International firm.  Not in my area but hey partner is partner.  She has a child, a mortgage (although it must be getting smaller by now) looks great, travels heaps and has a husband with a demanding career.  But to do what she has done - and she deserves it - she would have not done what I did.  Work part time.  

I bet she didn't play Bob the Builder crossover with Lego Lightning.  I did.  

Playing Bobs is the right thing to do.  Isn't it?  

Success is just a meal away

Well the endless fruitless attempt to get my children to eat a reasonable dinner was not a complete failure.  

We had

Microwave chicken (from Aldi - actually quite good - skin comes up crisp and spicy) Mummy got to eat extra skin as neither child eats it.  It has flavour or something.  

Mashed potatoes (ignored as usual - my kids only eat mash made by someone not living with us)

Spinach fried in a splat of olive oil with garlic, spring onion, celery and broccolini.  Also a spider came out of the spinach as it was cooking!  4 year old ate once I explained the spinach makes you big strong and do smelly loud farts.  Anything to get them to eat greens.  It works actually.  

mashed sweet potato - ignored.    4 year old had a hissy fit when sweet potato was put on his plate.

Nuked frozen peas - eaten by both.  2 year old mostly to drop half masticated onto floorboards.  I thank everyday that I have floorboards.

Also my brother - the one who lives with us - won't eat orange food.  Except carrots.  

Then each child ate fruit for dessert.  Youngest 1.5 bananas and eldest 3/4 apple.  

Mummy ate chocolate (for dessert!).  And drank a glass of wine.  

Exercise

Yesterday: rode new bike approx 25 minutes (still learning gearing on new bike); vacuumed house for 1.5 hours (it hadn't been done for ages)

Today:

Where is the balance?

I am looking for a way to balance the work life family thing.  Everyone has the same advice.  You need to prioritise and make decisions as to what is important.  But I say sometimes everything is important and all at once!  How can one manage parenting two active boys, a toddler and a pre-schooler and work a professional job that demands "facetime" and after hours work? I am a casual law lecturer for two Universities.  

In addition to parenting and lecturing  I am also supposed to do all of the following:

a) exercise 30 mins at least 3 times a week (although I have also read 1 hour a day every day - what is with that?) or I will get fat and die of health failure

b)  have sex with my husband twice a week or his mental health/our marriage will suffer.

c) continue legal education so I don't accidentally lecture from the stone age

d) keep a clean, decorated, renovated 40 year old house (it needs more cleaning, more decorating and basically a new houseworth of renos)

e) cook healthy nutritious family meals on a budget (admittedly generous) but if anyone knows how to cook a meal that both a toddler and a preschooler will like on the same night please let me know.

f) Everything else a woman is supposed to do.

All of them seem hugely important all the time.  

So far my polciy has been to sacrifice vast amounts of so called metime and sometimes sleep to manage it all.  

I think I had better stop blogging and get back to marking.  2 papers down and 105 to go.  Or something.