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| [Miss Fab's new DIY hairdo; the new blog-spot and Enforcing Boundaries: "Out of my room, Scrag!" says Miss Fab] |
Get ready for some unrelated off-topic, seasonal randomness from me. Like you, I have a gazillion Things-To-Christmas-Do riccocheting around my brain, but rather than attend to any of them I am taking a Pause, sipping coffee and sharing my muddle with you, my lovely readers, from my new blogging-spot in the hallway.
See the desk there? The computer has been moved. It was lovely in my sunroom; I could gaze out at the lavendar and lilac beneath my window, let the breeze in, feel the warm sunshine... but there was just one problem. ONE COMPUTER, MANY KIDS. My bedroom was constantly being invaded by small people wanting to play Club Penguin, or Moshi Monsters or Strike Force Heroes.
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| [where it used to be] |
Sometimes I would open my door and find a kid with all his neighbourhood pals gathered around. Kids perching on the windowsill. Dumping my piles of clothes that were "artistically arranged" on the chairs onto the ground, to make room for their little butts.
Gah.
I needed to establish some boundaries. Some Privacy. Some Respect.
So as soon as Mr G left for Brazil, I unplugged the computer and dragged the beasty desk into the hallway. Instant Privacy. Boundaries re-established. respect for my space returned.
It's not pretty, but it works.
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| [Look mum I tidied my room! And look, I can do flips on my wardrobe rail! And some candles. We all need candles sometimes.] |
Did you catch that about Mr G being in Brazil? Yeah we are great travellers around here. there's always somebody jetting off. So I have been sole-parenting for the past week. He returns on Sunday. We have missed him but coped amazingly well, especially considering the busyness of the season.
Filming for Glow, putting up the Christmas Tree. The Literacy Festival at school. Wrangling three kids day in day out. Getting them off to school on time. To bed on time. To eat their dinner and do their chores.
It's exhausting on your own. Hats off to all the sole-parents out there; you are Legends.
Then the ten year old starts asking for deoderant because the Teacher has asked all the boys to start wearing it to reduce the pong-factor in class, now that some of them are approaching Puberty.
Do you know what Puberty is? I ask.
Um, is it a kind of sickness? he replies.
Daddy we miss you.
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| [Paper Bag Princess at PJ and Jellybean Night; "Thea Stilton" - Geronimo's sister - for the Character Parade ... and an eye test] |
Just to keep life interesting the school planned a two-week literacy festival right at the busiest time of the year. PJ and Jellybean Night. Book Fair. Character Parade. Cake Competition.
And then Miss Fab started complaining about not being able to see the board properly. Her teacher was requesting an eye test.
Oh boy, another pair of glasses in the family?? Off we went to the optometrist. Who was somewhat
(There were actual tears when the optometrist told her that in fact, she didn't need glasses. Sobbing, in fact.)
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| [Egg 'n' soldiers, my book goes to Kindy and a Christmas Angel] |
I am getting through it all by not making any lists.
There is no Advent Calendar, no Elf on the Shelf round here.
If the boy wants boiled egg and "soldiers" for afternoon tea, we go with it.
If the house remains unvacuumed for a few extra days, so be it.
I am very very relaxed about this Christmas.
I learnt last year that the best way for us to have a fab Christmas is to take the pressure off.
These days I have a potential Grab-bag of possible Christmassy activities, which we can partake in as the mood strikes us.
But the most important thing for me is to find a way to connect to the meaning behind Christmas. And I've found it again already through my Book, the Glow movie and sharing my story with others. This week I took my little book to Scrag's kindergarten and gave a copy to the teachers for the kindy to keep (signed by the *ahem* author).
They loved it. One of them even had tears in her eyes. They read the story to the children at mat-time (and they loved the story.)
I have realised that even if actual book sales are slow (and they are); even if Blurb has lost my records and my (very small) profit payment has not come through and I make no money on my book... the reason I wrote it and want to share it is because the story is wonderful. It really is.
It's the wonder of the Nativity. The inconceivable craziness of the plan to send Humankind's Hope in the form of a Helpless newborn, not even born to people of influence, but to simple folk with questionable parentage (remember the Virgin bit? How many people in Mary's village do you think believed her story about an Angel?) But even this wasn't humble enough. This baby would be born in a barn, surrounded by animals, welcomed by shepherds.
I want to share that story.
So if you have an iPad, email me at greatfun4kids@live.com and I will send you the eBook for FREE. Just because I want to bless you this Christmas and share my story with you.
(But if you want to buy the book, hey there's nothing like an actual book... and it IS really gorgeous if I do say so myself. And if you order it now it will be landing on your doorstep by about the 18th, well in time for Christmas.)
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