The remainder of the weekend passed in a blur of ironing with both Meg and Phil being out on Sunday afternoon....Megan swimming with her friend Sophie at the Triangle and Phillip at a birthday party at the Lazerhub up in Crawley. The first two days of this week have also seemed to just sweep by and poof before I know it it is midday on Wednesday and it has been 3 days since I last did a post.
Nicholas and I walked to Kindermusiek again this morning as the sky was blue (for a change) and although it is freezing cold I enjoy getting out and getting some fresh air....there is something a bit stale about warm centrally heated air and I think both Nick and I benefit from the 10km round trip.
It was on this walk that I started thinking about how lucky I feel to be alive today (I know I know a bit corny, but it is true), it was not so much about counting my blessings (of which I have many) it was more about the fact that life can be so short and we just don't know what is around the next corner.......hundreds of families are being destroyed in Australia at the moment by fire and people left home on Monday morning not knowing that by that evening they would have no home to return to and that members of their family may have perished in the blaze.
A story which has stuck with me constantly over the last few days is of the reporter who left to go and do a story on the fire only to receive a phone call from his wife to say that their home had been overrun, shortly after that he lost contact with her and had no way of knowing if she was alive or dead.
It is just something we don't think about I guess, but it is something we should think about.....live life to the full and like it is your last on earth are sayings we are all familiar with, but a friend of mine's mom has just been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and given 6 months to live....what would I do with those 6 months if I knew they were my last and if I would do something differently to what I am doing now, then I am doing something wrong.
Fortunately I don't think there is much I would change, yes I may go into debt to travel more, but other than that I believe that I give my family everything that I can every day and I never let them leave my sight without telling them I love them.....it may be as many as 5 times in a day, but I want to know that the last words they ever hear from me will be "I love you".
7 comments:
Hi Andrea, I know it is very hard for me too, to cope with the noise & the mess. For noise, when they get older then Ipods & MP3s are the way to go so you don't have to suffer their music, lol! Noise I like if it's not too much. Don't let TV's be too loud & shouting, etc get out of hand. I tell my kids they are like a gaggle of geese at times & sometimes my house reminds me of Paddington Station, but imagine the alternative? Only boring people have tidy houses all the time! Leave them be in their bedrooms within reason. I have a good cleanout with them every holidays & in the mornings they can't leave if there is anything on the floor & cupboard doors must be closed (just don't look inside...);-)
Take a deep breath...count slowly to ten......see noise and chaos not nearly as bad as you first thought!!!!!!
Remember the state of our bedrooms as teenagers?? My mom is still amazed that my own home is as tidy as it is when you think back to the tip I lived in growing up. Our kids live with us for such a short time in the grand scheme of things, it feels like forever when it's happening but I know that this too will pass. Mike and I try to keep just our own space pristine and then turn a blind eye to the rest where possible. No toys in the main lounge and no kids in our bedroom unless invited!Noise is another thing, don't quite know yet how to manage that one but try to live with it unless it's related to a fight. Yelling or slamming doors in anger is not acceptable but shouting in fun is just about do-able. Does help of course that we have plenty of open space for them to escape into. Hang in there, if it's unbearable, buy earplugs! Not particularly good advice but practical!
OMG "News from Botswana" Nita is that you....please please be, I was beside myself when I saw that "Biline" I have been trying to reach you in just about everyway imaginable and now possibly the blog has worked (holding thumbs)....if it is you, send me your phone number I want to phone and chat chat chat!
xxx
A
hi my friend - lovely post thanks....
regarding the noise and mess this is what i do to COPE. The girls are not allowed to leave ANYTHING downstaires at the end of each day - so we when it is their bed time the home is neat and lovely for us to enjoy OUR evening alone - we often help them to pack it all away fast while the bath water is running if need be....their bedrooms have to be neat not perfect - the floor must be clear and everything near to where it should be - so each and every morning we all wake to a near perfect home - during the afternoons they can playa nd play and make a mess and just be kids - i am fine with it all as i know in a few hours it is all neat and back to normal.
as for the noise - eish i battle hey - i am noise sensitive and always will be - so they know it and sometimes when it gets really hard ot handel i throw a wobbly then it calms down again - but to hear them singing or laughing or playing loudly is fine - its just yukky noises i cant stand -
i know for sure you arent alone in this and as i always hear my husband say - wouldnt you rather have mess to clean up and noise to shush than bury a child and never hear them again or clean up after them -
we are so terribly blessed to have children - we simply need to remind ourselves of this when the noise and mess become hectic
Yup, it's me.I've sent you probably close to 20 emails,had no reply so just figured you were too busy, were cutting back on your Christmas card list...... sorry to hear you've been struggling to get me, don't know why. Am hesitant to send you my details via internet but will try your email again. Let me know via here if you don't receive it. Love to you all xxx
hi my friend.You have been given such good advice from people on the blog.I agree with the lady that says we must overlook things sometimes & be grateful that we have kids that can make a mess & noise.Isn't that one of the reasons God blessed us with children.
When I look at Natasha, it hurts me so much to know that she grew up in her own home as a prisoner. Was never allowed to be a child. Hang in there.
Love you guys, Mary
Post a Comment