I went over to Mum's to pick her up for an appointment this morning and as I was waiting for the garbage truck to move away from the end of her driveway so I could back out, I noticed a car sitting about 10 metres down the road. Because Mum lives second house in from the corner of a main road, I figured they were waiting for the truck to go around the corner instead of trying to pass it.
The truck moved on a bit further and the driver of the car waved for me to back out in front of her. Just as I went to do so, I realised the truck had gone into reverse and was backing up towards the car so I stopped and waited, thinking the truck driver had seen her and would stop.
You can probably guess what happened ... he hadn't seen her and didn't stop until he'd run the truck right up the front of her car, all while we sat there in stunned disbelief. I sounded my horn as soon as I realised he hadn't seen her but unfortunately it was too late. Luckily she wasn't moving forward or I'm sure he would have driven right over the top of the car.
We were out of our car like a shot to check on the driver of the car who really needs to buy a lottery ticket as she wasn't hurt, just very shaken up. The truck driver wasn't much better and I thought we'd have to call an ambulance for him because he seemed to be in a greater state of shock then she was!
She lives just around the corner so was able to call her husband to come and get her and the car, which it turns out is only 3 months old. Her husband was trying to make a bad situation better by joking to the truck driver that he should have just finished the job, then they'd be able to get a new car, but the poor guy just went even paler at the thought that it could have been worse. His bosses arranged for him to swap with one of the roadside junk collection crew members so he wouldn't have to drive, but I think they should have sent him home. He didn't look well at all!
After swapping all our details for the insurance companies, the car driver had calmed down enough to go home, the truck driver was back at work and we were free to go on to the appointment at the financial planner, which was a massive anti-climax, let me tell you!
Coming home to deal with Bradley and his bowel problems after all that excitement was another anti-climax, but at least Brad produced more of a result than the financial planner. Basically the same stuff, just in different formats!
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Sunday 23 August 2009
"Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of ...
... winter."
I know that's not how the song really goes but that's what it's been like around here today.
Very lazy ... all I've done for most of the day is read and the kids are quietly entertaining themselves without hurting each other, so all's good on that front.
Rather hazy ... due to the laziness and the inevitable sleepiness that comes with not doing much and the cloudiness outside that is contributing to the lethargy.
Crazy ... pretty self-explanatory around here. There's always at least one of us pondering the mysteries of the universe and coming out with totally random thoughts.
I had about twenty things lined up in my head to do this morning but then I finished waking up, realised it was all just a nightmare and I didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to .. except for the washing. Why do we all seem to run out of underwear on the one day I decide to not do any laundry? I do washing every day of the week and yet there never seems to be enough clean underwear in this house! Now that you know all about my house and it's underwear problem, I think it might be time to change the subject.
I was also going to scrap today, but mojo must be hiding with the underwear because I have absolutely no inspiration whatsoever. Sorry, there's that underwear word again. I'll try harder to change the subject next time.
Alex just asked me what my favourite part of life was and when I answered "waking up every morning because it means I'm still alive", he laughed at me. I thought it was a fair answer but there's obviously some hidden meaning he gets that I don't.
Ooh, look at that ^^ ... a whole paragraph without the word underwear. See I can do it!! Just not for two in a row ... oh well, need more practise.
On that note, this lazy, hazy, crazy person is going to take herself off for a cup of tea, a good book and another session of ignoring the eldest child who is now sitting in the doorway of his room telling all and sundry how bored he is, at full volume. I just love this parenting gig .. it pays so well and the hours are so reasonable.
Drip .... drip .... drip .... drip .... drip .... drip ....
(^^ That's the sarcasm dripping. Just in case you didn't notice.)
I know that's not how the song really goes but that's what it's been like around here today.
Very lazy ... all I've done for most of the day is read and the kids are quietly entertaining themselves without hurting each other, so all's good on that front.
Rather hazy ... due to the laziness and the inevitable sleepiness that comes with not doing much and the cloudiness outside that is contributing to the lethargy.
Crazy ... pretty self-explanatory around here. There's always at least one of us pondering the mysteries of the universe and coming out with totally random thoughts.
I had about twenty things lined up in my head to do this morning but then I finished waking up, realised it was all just a nightmare and I didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to .. except for the washing. Why do we all seem to run out of underwear on the one day I decide to not do any laundry? I do washing every day of the week and yet there never seems to be enough clean underwear in this house! Now that you know all about my house and it's underwear problem, I think it might be time to change the subject.
I was also going to scrap today, but mojo must be hiding with the underwear because I have absolutely no inspiration whatsoever. Sorry, there's that underwear word again. I'll try harder to change the subject next time.
Alex just asked me what my favourite part of life was and when I answered "waking up every morning because it means I'm still alive", he laughed at me. I thought it was a fair answer but there's obviously some hidden meaning he gets that I don't.
Ooh, look at that ^^ ... a whole paragraph without the word underwear. See I can do it!! Just not for two in a row ... oh well, need more practise.
On that note, this lazy, hazy, crazy person is going to take herself off for a cup of tea, a good book and another session of ignoring the eldest child who is now sitting in the doorway of his room telling all and sundry how bored he is, at full volume. I just love this parenting gig .. it pays so well and the hours are so reasonable.
Drip .... drip .... drip .... drip .... drip .... drip ....
(^^ That's the sarcasm dripping. Just in case you didn't notice.)
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Sunday 16 August 2009
Saturday 15 August 2009
Back on deck .. sort of!
After spending most of my life struggling with my weight, I finally decided to do something a bit more permanent about it than just fad diets and meal-replacement-shakes. I managed to lose 33kg on one of the shake programs but over time, I put nearly 40kg back on!
I had gastric-banding surgery done last Wednesday and came home from hospital yesterday. I probably could have come home on Thursday morning but was feeling a bit of a wuss so I stayed the extra night. I'm still a bit sore, which is to be expected after having people poking around in my insides, but overall I'm feeling a lot better than I thought I would.
Peter and the kids are being really supportive so now the rest is up to me...
Wish me luck!
I had gastric-banding surgery done last Wednesday and came home from hospital yesterday. I probably could have come home on Thursday morning but was feeling a bit of a wuss so I stayed the extra night. I'm still a bit sore, which is to be expected after having people poking around in my insides, but overall I'm feeling a lot better than I thought I would.
Peter and the kids are being really supportive so now the rest is up to me...
Wish me luck!
Monday 3 August 2009
I have cuddly children ...
... and I don't mean in the "Gee, I can't say they're fat. I know! I'll call them cuddly" kind of way.
I mean in the "I want you to stop whatever you're doing and give me a hug right now" kind of way.
Despite the fact that I am very much a "stay out of my personal space unless I invite you in" kind of person, I actually quite like the fact that they are always willing, and more importantly wanting, to give me cuddles or to just sit on my lap to watch TV. Not that they can do that much any more because as well as them getting bigger over time, my lap has gotten significantly smaller! And I'm sure their butts are getting bonier as they get older .. no extra padding for any of them in that department!
To save my sanity, I set some ground rules when they were very young along the lines of asking for a hug and respecting the fact that it was my body they were hugging .. not some soft toy without feelings or sore spots. The reason I made/make them ask is that when Andrew was a baby, Alex would quite often pick very inappropriate and dangerous times to decide to hug me, or my legs. After a couple of near falls and almost dropping Andrew, Alex just had to learn that it was too dangerous. It has helped with Alex in that being autistic, he quite often can't read body language or is unable to interpret it correctly, so by asking both he and the 'hug-ee' are aware of what's going on and coming next. It also helped to reinforce the concept of personal space for him as stepping inside the circle of my arms was stepping into 'my' space.
A lot of people I've come across are horrified that the boys had/have to ask for hugs, but once they see how often the kids want a hug and then how often I actually refuse it tends to reassure them that I'm not damaging them in any way. They take the few refusals with good grace as they know there will be another time and that by refusing them this time, it doesn't mean I love them any less. I actually think that it is helping them to respect boundaries and will hopefully stand them in good stead for when they have a girlfriend who says no.
Of course, all bets are off if it's in public .. actually it's all hands off in public .. but currently only for Alex. He is a teenager after all .. it's just not cool to hug your mum in public .. and God forbid she should kiss you and leave lipstick on your cheek .. that's the worst!!
(note to self: go buy the brightest red lipstick you can find for 'those' times when he needs to be reminded of who is in charge around here!)
I mean in the "I want you to stop whatever you're doing and give me a hug right now" kind of way.
Despite the fact that I am very much a "stay out of my personal space unless I invite you in" kind of person, I actually quite like the fact that they are always willing, and more importantly wanting, to give me cuddles or to just sit on my lap to watch TV. Not that they can do that much any more because as well as them getting bigger over time, my lap has gotten significantly smaller! And I'm sure their butts are getting bonier as they get older .. no extra padding for any of them in that department!
To save my sanity, I set some ground rules when they were very young along the lines of asking for a hug and respecting the fact that it was my body they were hugging .. not some soft toy without feelings or sore spots. The reason I made/make them ask is that when Andrew was a baby, Alex would quite often pick very inappropriate and dangerous times to decide to hug me, or my legs. After a couple of near falls and almost dropping Andrew, Alex just had to learn that it was too dangerous. It has helped with Alex in that being autistic, he quite often can't read body language or is unable to interpret it correctly, so by asking both he and the 'hug-ee' are aware of what's going on and coming next. It also helped to reinforce the concept of personal space for him as stepping inside the circle of my arms was stepping into 'my' space.
A lot of people I've come across are horrified that the boys had/have to ask for hugs, but once they see how often the kids want a hug and then how often I actually refuse it tends to reassure them that I'm not damaging them in any way. They take the few refusals with good grace as they know there will be another time and that by refusing them this time, it doesn't mean I love them any less. I actually think that it is helping them to respect boundaries and will hopefully stand them in good stead for when they have a girlfriend who says no.
Of course, all bets are off if it's in public .. actually it's all hands off in public .. but currently only for Alex. He is a teenager after all .. it's just not cool to hug your mum in public .. and God forbid she should kiss you and leave lipstick on your cheek .. that's the worst!!
(note to self: go buy the brightest red lipstick you can find for 'those' times when he needs to be reminded of who is in charge around here!)
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