order

...before....

You may already know but I have some .... control...issues. One of these, yes one of many, is my clothes. First - there is a lot of them. But in my defence I make most of them with bargain fabric and hold on to them for a long time. With a high rotation, they don't get worn that often. I found a dress still on rotation that is over 16 years old. So, a little obsession is clothes and shoes.

So, with this little collection obsession goes one of my issues - putting them away. I am quite particular as to how things go away and would rather them not go away, than be in the wrong spot. So, I can live with a pile of clothes on the floorthat I have to sort through and iron from(floordrobe as Julia coined but I have long been practicing) rather than dealing with finding a shirt in the jacket section, or a tshirt in with singlets!

I cannot explain nor really understand my logic, but I am today saying GOODBYE to my FLOORDROBE. What this means is that I have to actually put my clothes away. I can live with my little obsessions:

• of the hangers all facing the same way- ideally all matching hangers;
• the clothes all facing the same way (hanger hook facing left when looking at front of garment)
• like garments togethers - skirts, shirts, knits, suits/jackets
• garments colour coded from white to black within their section

I don't think this is weird but apparently others do - so I shouldn't tell you that I fold and colour order my undies?

happy fathers day

Wishing all the dads a happy fathers day.

We had a lovely day - and went with the flow.

An early start - present opening - breakfast out - bbq lunch at ours - watch new dvd - early to bed.

try

The boys have been winning lately. Their behaviour - or rather lack there of, and the tantrums have stopped me doing things, or even wanting to do things. They won't get into the pram - the mere mention of it causes a major meltdown and the thought of chasing or carrying two two and a half year olds (who are not very light either) fills me with terror. As a result I have been doing nothing and going nowhere.

Whether we have turned a little corner in their development, or I am coping a little better - who knows, but today I went out. I had all three kids, I picked up mum and we cruised Knox City. We didn't do a lot of it, and we didn't have anything in particular that we needed so it was a good opportunity to give it a try.

Throwing caution into the wind, we approached the centre. The kids walked and they were all good. I'm not saying marching like the sound of music kind of kids, more like the matching curtain wearing ones - still having fun, but listening, walking together, wandering. And it was nice. Nice enough to try again and restore my faith that we can do it - I just have to keep trying.

Oh - and Benji has gone off the toilet again which makes wandering possible.

smile

It is true what they say that your attitude is contagious.

I have spent too long wallowing, resenting what others are doing, what I'm not doing, not getting. The only thing this does is makes me unhappy. When I am unhappy I spread this around quicker than swine flu in an airplane. Then when I have made everyone unhappy, I am even grumpier because everyone around me is just awful....NO MORE.

Today's change - is to smile. Sounds simple - the idea is that this should be just as contagious, and make everyone feel better. Even today after such a short time, I noticed an attitude shift in the boys and I am not as agitated by things that would normally drive me mental. Their behaviour is better and this means that we have even ventured out, also making me happier. We are managing to negotiate situations before they erupt and the mood is much calmer. Who would have thought?

control

Todays change wasn't mine - seems we are all getting into it this month! Actually it is Benji - who has suddenly decided he doesn't want to wear nappies. While I knew this time had to come, I wasn't rushing it, and also waiting for warmer weather (where at least they can go outside!) But, apparently it is not my choice to make, so this afternoon, with a sugar withdrawal headache, we spent most of the afternoon in toilet.

Goodbye my friend...

Today's change is giving up my good friend - refined white sugar, that comforts me in my nice hot cup of milky tea. Not as big a change as yesterday, but they cant all be! Still this will be a challenge in itself. No longer a white and one, just white (maybe that will be another farewell?)

Also hello to my new friend. I broke my bucket cup by knocking it on the stone bench (it has claimed a few victims) but here is its replacement. While not as big, seriously surpasses the old one in the groovy stakes. It is china and the lid and the brown are silicon. My new friend for my new tea...

Change

Photo from Flickr - flightlessXbird

Today I made it to breaking point. It has been coming for a while but today was just too much.

The morning was spent -

• using nappy wipes to clean black texta scribble from a school library book (which works)



• chasing a defiant child to get dressed



• stopping the car and putting a child on the footpath because he kept getting his arms out of the car straps and refusing to put them back in



• dealing with two screaming children in car due to other one being on footpath



• 'footpath' child having yet another episode at the Glen, where he didn't want to be in the pram. Every old lady tried to help, but it was a fight I had to win

This was all kinda normal, but it was when I was reading Naomi's and Julia's posts and was interupted but the phone. Yes, just the school principal ringing to let me know she had had a 'meeting' with Alexander, and he was in TROUBLE - more so with me than school.

Turns out the whole school thing was a bit of an overreaction and is simple playground issues that we have been trying to deal with for a while and hopefully this has given us a new strategy, but getting that kind of call from the school was all too much.

So - I have decided to make a change. Much like Naomi drawing a line in the sand, or Julia's month of gratitude, I am making this September my month of change. Every day I am going to change something - whether it be a simple clean, declutter, finishing something or like today a change to routine.

Tonight I was in control. We had a nice dinner together at the table, did readers, bath and bed. I know it sounds simple but I was sitting on the couch at 8:30 with all the kids asleep in bed, the dishes done and things relatively tidy. The twins were asleep before 7 which is amazing around here and I have tried to approach things with a happier demeanour - which seems to be working. Lets hope the times are a changing!