To make matters even worse, my 3G service through my phone has been hit and miss at home during this time. I feel like I’ve been completely [...]]]> Finally after almost a week, my internet service is restored. There was a fault at the exchange, so even my neighbours unsecured Wi-Fi was inaccessible during this time.

To make matters even worse, my 3G service through my phone has been hit and miss at home during this time. I feel like I’ve been completely cut off from my online community.

In other news, I had a whirlwind junket to Sydney last week. Whilst the majority of my time was spent inside the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, I did manage to catch up with Super Sarah for a couple of ciders.

Since arriving home, I’ve been frantic so my suitcase, and Boo’s suitcase (from 4 days at Grandma’s) currently remain unpacked. It’s only 6 days and that’s on my to do list for today.

The return to school on Thursday brung on the return to extra-curricular activities. This of course brings on the frantic Friday night shopping trip for accessories required for said extra-curricular activities because you’ve been too lazy and disorganised over the holidays and left it until [...]]]> That has to have been the fastest weekend flyby ever.

The return to school on Thursday brung on the return to extra-curricular activities. This of course brings on the frantic Friday night shopping trip for accessories required for said extra-curricular activities because you’ve been too lazy and disorganised over the holidays and left it until the last moment possible!

Of course, because Friday wine time has been delayed by several hours the accessories you require are out of stock!

Saturday morning jaunt to ballet lessons, and mad dash straight to swimming lessons. It wasn’t quite lunchtime but I would have welcomed wine. Instead we headed to the city and the media140 DigitalFamily event where Glowless and I were on stage discussing blogging.

To warm up the crowd, Boo put on a one-child show. Stealing the stage to demonstrate her dance moves, before transforming into a cat and posing on the stage couch.

Glow and I braved the rain to plug blogging, and got only a little bit wet whilst the sparse crowd huddled under brollies… But we were rewarded with Wine by Brad.

Sunday required extreme measures on the domestic front. I thought I’d lost my kitchen for a while there, turns out I found it under a pile of mess and dirty dishes!

To end the weekend, I thought I’d go for a run at a local lake. I was thwarted by Boo’s bike, less than 5 minutes in, there was a freaking tyre puncture. I ended up dragging that bastard round the lake.

I’m so ready for next weekend!

I watched my step-grandfather march for the first time.

Until this morning, I was not aware of the collection of medals he pins to his chest every year on ANZAC Day, to proudly walk shoulder [...]]]> Boo and I usually attend an afternoon ANZAC Day service. Today, we’ve just returned home from our first dawn service.

I watched my step-grandfather march for the first time.

Until this morning, I was not aware of the collection of medals he pins to his chest every year on ANZAC Day, to proudly walk shoulder to shoulder with those other heroes, who have done our country exceptional service.

As a child, ANZAC Day came and went. You see, my mum is a war migrant from Germany, her father and uncle had been in Hitler’s army. ANZAC Day to us was about those people remembering their Australian service relatives.

To me now, ANZAC Day is a day where I reflect on those wonderful, heroic men and women, who have fought and served to keep Australia the place it is, safe and free. They’re the people that made it a safe place for my mum’s family to come here, and to be free from a country that continued to feel the aftermath of World War 2 long after it’s official end date in 1945.

I am thankful to the service men and women, that continue to protect us today, ensuring that my precious Boo, will grow up in the Australia that all those that have returned, or fallen envisioned for the future.

Lest We Forget

I was asked to provide an article on Hand Hygiene compliance of which I did not want to do. The PR dude asked if I wanted to do an ad instead. Yeah, sure! [...]]]> There is a magazine published for the staff where I work. That would be a women’s and newborns hospital if you’re interested.

I was asked to provide an article on Hand Hygiene compliance of which I did not want to do. The PR dude asked if I wanted to do an ad instead. Yeah, sure! How hard is googling an image and adding a slogan?

I was done in minutes. I want this picture with the slogan Hand Hygiene or Hands Off!

I send to the PR dude who promptly emails me advising me that they are not sure about severed baby hands, but here is an alternative image.

BORING! BORING! BORING!

I promptly reply that I want something attention grabbing like baby hands.

PR dude replies with happy to include something attention grabbing but not the severed baby hands, they are inappropriate and not suitable.

At this point I’m seriously considering leaving a severed doll’s head on PR dude’s desk!

When I want what I want, I shall have!

I phone my Director, whilst flicking off an email with my severed baby hands photo. She thinks I’m a genius and loves my severed hands and slogan. She escalates my case to the CEO, who also loves my marketing skills. They undertake a poll of the executive poll and give me the go ahead to run my ad!

Sucked in PR dude!!!!

Not to be completely defeated, PR dude wants photographer approval and higher resolution.

Within an hour, I’d sourced the photograph to a Creative Commons Licence and found the resolution requested. Never underestimate a staff member with awesome social media networking skills!

If you’re interested these are soaps available here Imaginary Animal

And yes, I am seriously considering purchasing some to leave on PR dudes desk!

Boo’s first introduction was Sunday night at the start of The Logies, where One Direction performed. This was backed up with a [...]]]> This time two days ago, Boo had no idea who One Direction were. Last week, thanks to the very informative Twitter, was the first time I was aware of the One Direction phenomenon.

Boo’s first introduction was Sunday night at the start of The Logies, where One Direction performed. This was backed up with a day at vacation care where a bunch of tweens spent the day indoctrinating her to believe One Direction is the best thing E.V.E.R.

It won’t be long before Boo herself is a tween. I honestly don’t think I’m ready for that!

It’s bad enough that, despite the fact that I buy her age appropriate clothing, my little fashionista can mix and match the clothing in her wardrobe to make herself look like a mini-teen. Add to that an interest in boys, boy bands and a fair shot of attitude. I’m quietly shitting myself of what lays ahead!

There really is only One Direction, and that direction is up… Growing up! Whilst it’s exciting to think about the sort of person Boo will grow into, she’s my baby and I want to keep her like that as long as possible.

I don’t like that there are tweens influencing my little chick, enticing her to grow up quickly. I’m not prepared for the next phase.

I want time to stand still. I want to savour this time in her life, our lives. I don’t want to lose my job as the major influence in her life. I’m not ready yet.

Carry on luggage allowance is 10kg on Tiger. I had no idea how much [...]]]> As it was I missed my flight home from Melbourne last week. In the fuzziness of my head at 7am, post the night before (DPCon12 Dinner Dance), I did not think to book extra luggage to get my swag bag home.

Carry on luggage allowance is 10kg on Tiger. I had no idea how much I carried over. Perth Airport did not weigh my carry-on unlike the nazi check-in staff at Melbourne Airport. My guess is, about 8 or 9kg accompanied me to Melbourne.

5kg needed to be dispersed prior to boarding in Melbourne, or pay $70 to check one bag!

I could have argued that at 59kg, I was already carrying way less than the average person boarding the plane… If I was not so hungover and foggy, I may have attempted inciting this argument.

First stop, the bathroom, pull on every piece of clothing I possibly could, and swap ballet flats for knee high boots.
Next, share the pasta goodness and baby accessories with the pram pushing mother who is watching on completely bemused.

Reweigh luggage. Bugger 2kg or so still to discard!

Lightbulb moment…

Comfy,stretch jeans to the rescue. Hallmark cards, iPad, notebooks, and cleaning products shoved into top of jeans.

Reweigh luggage. Still another kilo to remove!

Goodbye Viva kitchen and bathroom wipes, you will not fit in my jeans.

10.5kg and they are letting me go.

I walk around the bend and there are two large CCTV cameras hanging from the roof, not to mention the X-ray machine and the frisking man!

Key lightbulb moment number 2.

Drop swag bag contents all over floor and let everything fall out of jeans at the same time, then repack all in swag bag, put on X-ray conveyor, and hope Funniest Home Videos never get hold of the CCTV footage.

Even managed to smuggle through this photo booth photo, too.

Not only did I miss a plane and miss Boo’s ballet recital. I missed her being the emcee at her school assembly. Thankfully Grandma took some video footage (not the best as she is an iPad learner but better than [...]]]> Whilst away, being a mum on the loose, I missed a couple of special moments.

Not only did I miss a plane and miss Boo’s ballet recital. I missed her being the emcee at her school assembly. Thankfully Grandma took some video footage (not the best as she is an iPad learner but better than nothing)!

And I am thankful to the lovely mum, who sent me photos from her phone on Friday whilst I was at the conference.

What did you miss when you were at the Digital Parents Conference?

I had an absolute blast!

I caught up with some of the handful of bloggy buddies I already had met IRL, I met up with [...]]]> Thank you Digital Parents Australia for the extreme exhaustion I am currently experiencing. There is absolutely no doubt that I am not the only blogger in Australia feeling this way.

I had an absolute blast!

I caught up with some of the handful of bloggy buddies I already had met IRL, I met up with those I already called my Internet friends, and found many more bloggers to add to that list.

My story begins with the dinner dance where I probably should have left when the lights came on. With the absence of parenting responsibilities for at least another 18 hours, I consumed more than my fair share of bubbly, and red.

Glowless and I procured ourselves a bottle of red, and had it under the table. The hotel staff were not to be outsmarted and sneakily removed it as they cleared the table. Off we went to try and retrieve our half bottle of red. They were not giving it to us!

Bring on Benny. Benny sent us down to the bar and provided the stragglers with enough wine to continue for a couple more hours. If you were about on Saturday, the stragglers would have been easily identified as those wearing their sunglasses inside!

All well and good… Except that I had a 7am flight!

I planned to go to my room, pack up my stuff, have a shower, and drink lots of black coffee.

What happened however was that after packing up all my stuff, I thought I’d lie down for a few minutes. What harm could it do? I had a wake-up call scheduled for 5am.

Now I’m not saying that the hotel did, or did not make that call, but if they did I missed it!

I woke up at 7am and spent the next hour, in a possibly still inebriated state trying to arrange another flight home! In the fogginess of my brain, I didn’t think to pre-purchase extra baggage but that’s tomorrow’s post!

I wasn’t overly distressed by the fact I missed my flight though the $250 it cost would certainly have been useful for Boo’s winter uniforms. I was distressed that I had promised Boo I would be at her ballet recital later that morning!

I am thankful for the loving I received from the bloggers I saw on Saturday morning. And I am especially thankful to Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit who made sure I got safely to the airport for my later flight. I am so glad someone as lovely as her won the Disney trip

Since booking said airline tickets and accommodation, I have been having shocking anxiety dreams and getting very [...]]]> I spent ages procrastinating about buying plane tickets, and booking a hotel room in Melbourne for the Digital Parents conference this week. I only procured both in the last 10 days, despite having a conference ticket for months.

Since booking said airline tickets and accommodation, I have been having shocking anxiety dreams and getting very little sleep.

My anxiety and procrastination doesn’t stem from meeting new people. No, that’s the least of my worries!

My anxiety stems from leaving my little Miss Boo for a couple of nights. This will be the 3rd time in 6.5 years I’ve left her overnight. She’s left me a couple of times for sleepovers at Grandma’s!

I think my anxiety is made even worse because the Year 1 assembly is on Friday morning, and as usual she is talking and introducing. She also has a ballet recital on Saturday morning, if my planes late, I’ll miss it.

I’m also feeling the mummy guilt, as I’m off to Sydney for a few days in May without her, and again she’ll be with my parents. I also feel guilty leaving her with my parents because as much as they love having her, she exhausts them.

If you’re at the conference, I’ll be the one with the massive bags under my eyes from the effects of mummy guilt induced anxiety and insomnia!

See more Aussie Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys