And then it was February

Yes, unbelieveable isn't it. Well I thought so. And of course we had Christmas. The kids were so excited and even agreed to face painting on Christmas day - which is unheard of.



How happy do they look!

Then it was back to school, for al of us. So busy which was not helped by a bout of gastric flu (awful but good for the waist- line - and then bronchial asthma - which is not good for the waist-line). And also interferes with my studying - big time baby. I have caught up and gotten another assignment in. There even has been knitting, and baking and reading but not enough sleeping.

I have finished Glad. Made a beanie on Tilli Tomas Flurries for little one and have the yarns to make one for number 1 daughter. Such gratifying projects - why bother ever making a sweater again. But of course I have 95% finished a brushed Suri sweater for the little one. And am working on French Girl Daphne for me.

The thing is - being so busy makes me try to control everything and everyone. As my 4 year old told a friend the other day when they announced Crazy Hair Day at school :
"I won't be able to do that - my mummy doesn't like me to be crazy. It's too loud and drives her bananas"

Mmmm - food for thought, where has my sense of fun gone on holiday? Actually she is obsessed with death at the moment and has come out with some real corkers over Christmas whilst my mum was here. My father died almost 20 years ago and so this conversation started:

"Grandma, why don't you get married again - you must be very lonely"
"I'm not lonely I have lots of friends and I have you and Annie and you're mum"
"yes, but if we all died you would be lonely wouldn't you?'
"that's not going to happen" says Grandma
"Mmmm - well you are very old Grandma, so you'll probably die soon".

After choking on our food we did think it was funny but where oh where did this come from?

Enough of this frivolity. It is crazy hair day this Friday and she WILL be donning a neon pink wig. Never enough pink.

Learnings from a tiring week

1. Spending an entire weekend at school whilst your 4 year old has rehearsals and 3 ballet performances is tiring but worth it. ( I like this blurry picture)


2. Big sisters need praising when they accept that this weekend is all about their little sister and not them.

3. Eric Erikson and James Marcia had some interesting things to say about developing our identities - but my question is - ow fluid are our identities and what makes us have crises a different lie stages?

4. Sick husbands who moan are irritating. Saying they are sick of being ill makes me sick. So there!

5. Knitting is what keeps me sane - not just big projects but little projects too. In fact I've discovered this week that I really like little projects sometimes - a quick finished object makes me happy.

6. People think you're a control freak if you have Christmas shopping and some wrapping done already. I don't care though - I may be a control freak but you won't catch me running around at the last minute trying to find the "perfect (quick) gift" and panicking.

7. Writing an assignment for the first time in 12 years is scary and the cause of much procrastination.

And my question of the week:
Am I a bad parent because I'm looking forward to my oldest being away at Brownie Camp for the weekend?