New learnings

• If fuel could be produced from snot, I'd be a millionnaire

Seriously. This needs to be looked into, stuff coal and oil.

• Being temporarily hearing impaired (due to snot mentioned above) has benefits at home and work

Such benefits include not answering the work phone due to difficulties ascertaining who the person on the other end is and what they are saying. Add to that a quieter household and I'm quite relaxed despite not being 100%.

• Australian Dog Training group is spineless (and non-existent now)

They have $400 of our money and we have an untrained Beagle. We were notified by email last week that ADT would be closing its' doors effective immediately and there is nowhere to direct enquiries. No phone number, no PO Box, nothing. Poor form ADT, despicable customer relations.

A story

Mieke has been writing stories for a while now, almost every week we bring home a new homemade book from school. She has written non-fiction pieces, such as the one about bees and their habits, but also is learning to create fictional stories which have a beginning, a middle and an end.
This is a recent one from her 'collection' which made me smile as she read it. Her intonation and facial expressions during story sharing are very entertaining. (The exclamation marks and question marks are all hers, though the question marks are back to front).

The cat sat on the mat but what did it do? The cat chewed the mat! I likd that cat so I broot a cat my salf. I like my cat but my cat ran a way! Where is it? Sum one fed it sum millk and took it for a wok. My cats name is flafey.

There is an element of truth in this. Our cat took off the day after we moved last November and we haven't seen him since. Mieke talks about him quite a bit.

Sleepovers

This is Mieke and Frederique. They are only 10 weeks apart in age and have known each other since birth. Although they don't see one another often, both are skilled at picking up just where they left off, there is never any awkwardness or reaquainting necessary. Both are energetic, strong willed, determined, charming, imaginative and articulate. I remember many a time during toddlerhood, pulling one off the other after scratching, biting or some other physical 'incident'. They have always had a rather intense relationship, one which continues now, however has evolved into a deep fondness that I think is captured here.So tonight we had our first sleepover. Well, Fred has stayed before but her parents have also been with us. This was her first solo stay. Elated little people have been making cubbies, 'baking', racing through the house and finally piled into the sofa bed way too late (it's 10pm now and they've only just stop talking). These are exciting days. I remember one of my first sleepovers, how we lay practically nose to nose for hours, making up stories and talking about our parents. I think I was about 8. Sleepovers were a special event, one which held for me anticipation and a definite buzz. I don't recall ever having a negative experience, sleepovers definitely contributed to a most positive part of my childhood.

It's so lovely to watch Mieke's friendships take on their own nuances. Even though I've got nothing to do with the way they take shape, I'm proud and invested. I feel particularly protective of this one and really hope it keeps flourishing the way it has to date. Can't believe she's 6. Whee!

Sweet dreams kiddies. xx

Quinnisms

Some award will be issued for the person with correct guesses as to what these words are:

teenaga meninja turtle
effalump
poz
uncun justin
cokowdoyle

I told him it was bedtime the other night. His response was "No it's not. You think it is but it's not".

Things that make my heart sing #1

Being presented with surprise art piece, designed and crafted entirely by Mieke whilst at home sick and whittling away a cold, grey day.

Career change

Do people do this? Change their careers in their mid 30's? I feel as though I should be grown up now, I should be settled in my profession of choice.

Thing is, I'm not. 10 years into social work and I'm still not sure whether this is really what I want to be doing. It's a tiring job. At times it's highly emotional. It's poorly paid (our sector earns about $15000 less than others). The expectations on us are beginning to exceed what is actually possible. A starting salary in Child Protection is what I could expect as a manager in my organisation and yet the jobs of child protection are gradually being shifted onto services like mine - without the remuneration to go with it. Court literally does my head in. The idea of court produces such anxiety in me that I doubt my effectiveness on the stand. Yet the foster care worker is one of the main witnesses, after the protective worker.

I was in Dusk yesterday picking up a few more of my favourite melts (If you haven't tried these I recommend that you do - standouts for me are Honolulu and Passion) and while standing at the counter I picked up a card which read 'RECRUITING NOW'. Walking out of the shop with card in hand, I began to seriously contemplate whether I should send in my CV. I often find myself fantasising about a job where I can go, earn money, leave it all there when I go home. Where I don't have to manage family dynamics and the behaviour of traumatised children. Where I don't have to supervise the sometimes fraught access visits between children and their birth families. Where I don't spend 80 per cent of my time sitting in front of a computer - in a job I took because I wanted to work with people - and worrying that I haven't seen my client enough this month.

Dusk would be a perfect job for me right now. I adore their products so I would have no issue selling them. I could work less than 3 days a week if I should so desire (a luxury my current position does not afford me). I would work at work and be a parent at home, a novel concept!

My concern with taking the step out of my chosen career path is that I will end up standing behind a counter somewhere feeling like I'm not doing a worthy job. Because all my life I've been geared up around helping people so it makes sense that it's what I chose to do for a living. Would I feel unstimulated and bored? Would the conversations I have seem a bit superficial?

Regardless, I think I will forward my CV to Dusk. I can always go back to foster care after my children have grown a little more and don't require so much of my attention. It'll be a good move for the family. And me.

Thermomix

I want one. You'll have to google it to read more if you want to. But I want one. They are AMAZING and I'm convinced I would cook much more if I had one of these on my kitchen bench.