I think I'm finally recovered (sort of) from the weekend.
It was one of those weekends where things just lurched from bad to sort-of-silver-lining if squinted at in the right light through rose-shaded glasses.
It was one of those weekends where things just lurched from bad to sort-of-silver-lining if squinted at in the right light through rose-shaded glasses.
It started on Friday with the Good - a guy from Jim's mowing came to take away a couple of jungle worths of tree debris and mow the lawn. The garden looks better than it has any time in.. I would say the last twenty years.
He goes, I go to get something from the car. And he's broken the front passenger window. Bad.
But we have insurance and their website says go straight to the 24/7 glass repairs people who will deal with everything. Good.
We ring the glass peoples. They would sooooo love to help. But the only glass that will fit our car is 2 hours drive away and totally out of their radius and hey. Not happening until Tuesday. Bad.
We phone the insurance company. Turns out We have an excess premium of 600. Bad.
But, it also turns out (much later) that as we live in Victoria we get one free window a year. Winner. Good.
But the kids and I still need to get to Melbourne on Saturday because I promised my mum I would attend her fundraiser and I promised my husband I would get the kids out of the house. Bad.
We are actually up and ready in time to get the train on Saturday morning. Good.
The Poppet pees all over me. Bad.
My beloved catches his bus for his day at the hospital. Good.
The kids and I miss the train faffing about trying to find a none existent platform. Bad.
Missing the train gives us time to walk to the super-market and pick up some healthy snacks. Good.
Two hours on a train with the Sprocket trying to climb the seats and the Poppet trying to throw herself through the window to all the cool looking trees and cows and fields outside. Bad.
Happiness of Sprocket seeing lots and lots of Chu-Chu trains. Good.
A few goods. Lovely to see parents. Nice fundraiser. A fun and very successful event. Music and dancing from East Timor, West Papua, Zimbabwe and Burundi. Viva East Timor! Viva West Papua!
Bad. Mega-late night. Coming home on the train grumpy as all get out. It is past the kids bedtime. It is past my bedtime. There was no fat-saturated food and cake as I had been promised. Or sweet, hot, caffeinated beverages. I NEED sugar. I NEED Caffeine if I am to stay up past eight thirty.
We saw my Granny, brother, sister in law and adorable niece on Sunday.
Bad - we only see my Bro, sister in law and beautiful niece for 15 minutes before we had to run for the train as they were late as my adorable niece was napping.
Good - we managed to catch the train home.
Bad - two hours on the train with the Sprocket trying to climb the seats and the Poppet trying to crawl up and down the aisle to flirt with everybody was... interesting. Oh and the bit where the Sprocket pressed the emergency button?
Good. We make it off the train in one piece. (Maybe my sanity was slightly twisted)
Bad, my beloved fails to meet us so we walk home from the station in the dark with the Sprocket squalling as his seat in the pusher is full of luggage, my (ex) beloved fails to have dinner ready and waiting as I had been fondly imagining all trip and my (ex) beloved has only half cleaned the house. (He was supposed to FULLY clean the house for the Poppet's birthday party coming up.)
Good. While I snap and snarl I refrain from strangling (ex) beloved until I have eaten. After food I decide I can think of more imaginative ways to make him pay. (ie. tidying the house with the Poppet clinging to his legs and the Sprocket climbing up the curtains)
Bad - I have work Monday morning and have to get everything ready. I cannot just tumble into bed but need to run around trying to find vaguely professional clothes that still fit and do not have baby food on them and then pack the kids bags and find them clothes.
Good - To be home.
Bad - Waking at ungodly hour Monday morning for the whole family to walk up to the bus stop to get the bus to uni and childcare as the buses come once an hour so we have to be mega mega early.
Good - it's only raining a little bit.
Bad - the Poppet and Sprocket cry heartbreakingly when we drop them off.
Good - I get four beautiful, restful hours of being a big person. There are no battle of wills, no one destroys my most loved stuff, no one throws anything at me, my heart does not stop as the Poppet of Sprocket puts themselves in death defying situations and I do not have to do anything involving poop.
Bad - I miss my Poppet and Sprocket.
Good - We pick them up and come home.
Bad - The house is sooooo cold. All the heaters bar an ancient oil one from mum and dads have bust. I'm so cold I dream of crawling into the dryer.
Good - No one else seems to be shivering.
Bad - Am I coming down with flu?
Good - No one else seems to be shivering.
Bad - Am I coming down with flu?
Good - We put the one heater in the bathroom and the kids and I have a hot bath and my beloved fills it with water from the kettle when the hot water runs out.
Warmth. All together. Back in routine.
And hey, the weekend is well and truly over.
And hey, the weekend is well and truly over.
Welcome week.