Just Nicky

Gimme, gimme February 18, 2007

I want … something. I want to buy something for me. I want to buy something nice for me. I want to buy something nice and expensive for me.

I’ve been shopping a lot on eBay recently. Clothes for Leila (too many). Clothes for Finn (I think I’ve just about got his winter wardrobe sewn up). A couple of clothing items for Mark. But I haven’t bought anything for me. I want to give myself a present. I want it to be something special. But I have no idea what that might be.

Clothes for me are pointless. In a few weeks I’ll be a different size and shape and need completely different things to what I need now. Shoes are also pointless. My feet are going to change too. And I can’t argue that I actually need any shoes since I have pairs gathering dust under the bed. Books, nup. I don’t have the attention span for them right now. A DVD or two might be a possibility, but not really special enough. Jewellery is out too. I haven’t worn the bracelet that I ‘never’ take off for the last month or so because I can’t stand wearing anything on my wrists, neck or fingers.

Intellectually I know that this is just an end-of-pregnancy-feeling-uncomfortable-and-tired-wanting-some-thing-to-make-myself-feel-better delusion. And I know it won’t work. But that doesn’t stop the little voice going ‘gimme, gimme’ in my head. The only thing I can think of to quiet it is to try to find myself some small object that I can manufacture a special feeling about - something that might be rare, or pretty - and tell myself that it’s the thing that it will do the job.

It won’t work of course. Long years of credit card hammering have taught me at least that much. But it doesn’t really need to work. It just needs to stave off disastrous expenditure until I get through the next few weeks and have other things to think about. So a-browsing I go…

It’s raining, it’s pouring … February 16, 2007

It’s raining, it’s pouring … by Nicky P

and the temperature has dropped about 9 degrees in the last 10 minutes.

This is almost the kind of thunder storm I’ve been craving. For once there’s a cluster of red pixels over us. All that’s missing is some spectacular lightening.

Finn is quite excited about the rain. It may be the heaviest downfall he’s seen…

The dogs are nervous, but behaving themselves. Every time there’s thunder Em gives me this look that says “You know the thunder wants to eat me and you don’t care, do you” I do care, but if I show her the slightest bit of concern she’ll end up wrapped around my head.

I haven’t seen Lola, but I’m going to assume she’s got herself tucked away undercover. It’s too wet for me to go out to check.

And, of course, I have a basket overflowing with wet washing that I was planning to hang out …

Neighbourhood Gossip

Well it looks a bit like not everybody has moved out of the house next door. It appears that Alice & the kids have gone, but Rick is still there.

We hope they’re doing a staged move and Rick will be joining the other soon. Given the arguments we’ve heard from there recently, though, (one of the joys of the proximity of the houses) we’re not particularly optimistic.

It’s sad.

Flossie February 14, 2007

Flossie by Nicky P

Here’s a pic of Mum & Dad’s new cat, Flossie. She’s not terribly new anymore. I think they’ve had her for 3 or 4 months now.

Floss is not quite 12 months old and is the light of my folks’ lives. She has a lovely outgoing nature and keeps them well amused with her antics. She gets on well with Sandy, the dog, but hasn’t managed to make friends with Audrey who chases Floss very chance she gets.

Moving Out February 13, 2007

Moving Out by aniaKrakow

6 and a half years ago we were the first people to move into our street. We were alone here for about a month before another 6 or 7 households arrive and that core group has been pretty constant since. In the last few months, though, it’s all begun to change.

Our next door neighbour, Lynn, sold her house and moved out mid-late last year (I can’t remember when). Then the Merrifields - probably our favourite neighbours - took off to Tassie in November. And today there’s a moving truck parked in front of Rick & Alice’s house, our other next door neighbours…

Of course, there’s still us, Trevor & Lynelle, Simon & Michelle, the Fijian family and the English couple left of the originals, so it’s not like we’ve been totally deserted but it does make me wonder how long it will be before we are.

You’re Moving out Today - Bette Midler

I stayed out late one night and you moved in.
I didn’t mind ’cause of the state you were in.
May I remind you that it’s been a year since then?

Today the landlady, she said to me,
“Your loony friend just made a pass at me.”
Perhaps you might enjoy a cottage by the sea.

So pack your toys away,
your pretty boys away,
your forty-fives away,
your alibis away,
your silly lies away,
your old tie-dyes away,
your one more tries away.
You’re moving out today.

You nasty habits ain’t confined to bed.
The grocer told me what you do with bread.
Why don’t you take up with the
baker’s wife instead of me?

Pack up your rubber duck.
I’d like to wish you luck.
Your funny cigarettes, your sixty-one cassettes,
pack all your clothes away,
your rubber hose away,
your old day glows away.
You’re movin’ out today.

“I hate to do it”
“You gotta”
“I hate to do it”
“You gotta”
“I hate to do it”
“You gotta”
“I hate to do it”
“You gotta”
“I hate to do it”
“You gotta”

Pack up you dirty looks,
your songs that have no hooks,
your stacks of Modern Screen,
your portrait of the queen,
your mangy cat away,
your baby fat away.
You’re headed that a-way.
You’re moving out today.

[additional lyrics from the single]
Pack up your forck and spoon,
but leave my Lorna Doones;
Your map of Mozambique;
Your waterbed that leaks.

la la la la la la la la la.
la la la la la la la la . . .

“The reason I’m singing la la is because I’m so happy you’re going.
Gosh, you’ve made me miserable.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so unhappy as I’ve been this last year with you.
You are really a dirty, dirty guy. Did anybody ever tell you that?
Oh, uh, by the way, would you, uh, take off that coat you’re wearing?
That’s my coat you’re wearing. Ah, yes. Thank you, oh. Goodbye!
Parting is such sweet sorrow . . .”

Wardrobe Refashion February 11, 2007

WRbutton by nikkishell

In the midst of getting ready for Leila to arrive I’ve been thinking wistfully about what I will be able to wear afterwards. Months of the same few maternity clothes combined with giant tshirts make it tempting to get all carried away and shop my head off. But I have resolved to resist.

I’m not going back to work for some time and we will be living on a teacher’s wage, so the old ’shop till you drop’ mentality just isn’t going to cut it. And neither should it. I already have more clothes than I know what to do with and I certainly could be making better use of them. My current incarnation as stay at home mum type person affords me more scope to dress casually and express myself than the office environment ever did. It’s an opportunity to get a bit creative. And so I shall.

The Wardrobe Refashion blog encourages people to take the following pledge:

I shall abstain from the purchase of “new” manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recylcled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings!

Now is not really the right time for me to take the pledge but I think that by about mid-year I could be ready to make the committment. By then I hope I will be far enough along the path back to a normal shape for it to be a worthwhile exercise (of course I won’t be all the way back to normal - that’s going to take 12 - 18 months if last time is anything to go by). It might also take a bit of the sting out of being flabby and big for a while.

In the meantime, though, I’m not going to buy myself any new clothing items that are not necessities (eg. I’ve been eyeing off more maternity clothes - I don’t need them, I’m just sick of the stuff I’ve been wearing). I’m also going to refrain from buying anything new for Finn or Leila. I may still comb eBay & Oztion for not-to-be-missed secondhand bargains, but there will be no new things for us.

This will be an interesting exercise for a born shopper…

A moment … just a moment February 10, 2007

Degraves Scream by Jael

I was trying to get Finn to tell me what he wanted on his toast while he was yelling at me to shut the front door. Then I stubbed my toe trying to avoid tripping over Zelda and Cosmo who were yowling at me to let them out. Then Finn started screeching about not wanting any breakfast…

I bellowed, “STOP, JUST STOP NOW!”

The cats scattered. Finn froze.

I gave Finn toast with just margarine on it, turned the telly on for him and let the cats out.

Then I had to have a little sit down until the light headedness passed … The joys of late pregnancy.

I’ve never been an optimist, but… February 8, 2007

Smooth Sailing by Catalia

While the last two or three years could be said to have been a bit rough for Mark & I, life at last appears to be evening out for us. And we’re very happy about it.

Mark appears to have landed the right job in the right place at exactly the right time for him. A teacher’s first year out is hard work (and it has only been a week or so), but it’s a long, long time since I’ve seem him come home so positive and happy about what he’s doing - even when the year 9s are being shits. Yes, he’s incredibly tired. On top of settling into the new job he’s still doing a lot around the house as I slow down and has started walking the dogs every morning to stop them from going potty. He’ll correct me if I’m wrong, but I’d say he’s mostly a happy kind of tired.

I’m really looking forward to Leila arriving, aside from just being sick of being pregnant. There will be pain, sleep deprivation and extreme tiredness, but I’m really looking forward to the joy and the love that comes into your life with every child. And I can’t wait to see Finn with his little sister. I’m not the ’stay at home for years and years’ kind of mum, but I’m enjoying being the ’stay at home for a while’ mum and, who knows, that while may end up being years and years - I wouldn’t mind (somebody remind me of that in twelve months’ time, will you?).

Finn has always been a joy and the light of our lives, but he just gets better and better. He could talk the leg off a table and sometimes I wonder if he’ll ever go to bed without a fuss, but they are such minor things that I don’t really mind if they never change.

Life is still going to have its challenges - that’s what living is all about really, isn’t it? But I can’t help but feel that we’ll take them all in our stride and come out the other end in good shape.

Awake when I should be asleep and vice versa February 7, 2007

Today I should have had a nap when Finn did. I full intended to. But there was a job that I wanted to do without 3 year old assistance and I chose that time to do it, thinking it would only take 10 or 15 minutes and then I could nap. It actually took close to an hour and by then it was nearly time to get Finn up. Consequently there was no nap for me and when Mark arrived home, tired himself, I simply had to go and lie down for an hour or so and leave him to Foozle wrangle alone. I feel bad about doing that.

I went to bed about an hour ago, but I’m up again. Although I’m tired and should be asleep, I was feeling restless and twitchy and couldn’t lie still long enough to doze off. If I don’t go to sleep soon tomorrow will be horrible.

Finn is staying home from childcare and he & I are going into the city to get new moulds (the bits that go inside his ears) done for his hearing aids. The last ones disappeared at childcare on Monday. Right at the moment I can’t get my head around the logistics of how we’ll get there - drive & train, drive & tram or drive & walk. I’ll work that out tomorrow morning based on how energetic I’m feeling.

For now it’s back to bed to see if I can keep still long enough to go to sleep.

This is today February 6, 2007

I feel as though I haven’t posted much lately. I’ve been quite busy, yet nothing I’ve been doing seems worthy of posting. My life these days is mostly made up of mundane things that don’t make for interesting blogging, although at the moment those things interest me greatly. Odd really.

After yesterday’s weather (thirtysomething degrees and yucky), it’s much cooler today and I’m having trouble waking up and getting warm. It hasn’t reached 20 degrees here yet and I feel bad about sending Finn off to childcare in shorts and a tshirt, while I’m sitting here with a cardi on. Being a small boy, Finn will be tearing around burning up energy so he’s probably not cold, while I’m sitting on my bum being sleepy which doesn’t warm one up very much at all. Still, I wish I’d put a jumper on him…

My third cup of tea for the day (water doesn’t seem so attractive when it’s this cool) should pep me up enough to start work on today’s ‘must dos’. If not, I might go back to bed, again.