May 17, 2007

Tagged!

Well thanks to Sal I've been well and truly tagged. My brain is not working on full capacity at the moment and I'm surprised I'm even posting, I should be in some floatation tank somewhere, listening to whale music and drinking champagne (can you drink champagne in a floatiation tank..hmmm?) after the day I've had with my two little testing, screaming, demanding monkies! Enough of the rant and on to this tagging business...

The rules of the tag are: 1. Start with 7 random facts/habits about yourself 2. Then write them on your blog 3. Then choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names. So here are my 7 random facts:

1. I am totally addicted to tea. When I say addicted I mean I just can't do without it and will go completely insane at the mere thought of not having any teabags in the house (in fact one such mad morning I knocked on 3 of my neighbours doors looking for a teabag, before locating one across the road). I think I would hyperventilate at the thought of not being able to have a cup of tea in the morning and I am known to make the tea in other peoples houses as well as my own. The mugs I have for my tea are the hugest ones I can find, in order to have as much in one go. I do however now drink decaf and have done for some time, after realising my tea/caffeine consumption was leaving me lethargic and with headaches!

2. I can't get enough of stripes or spots whenever I seem something with these patterns I instantly want it. One time, a while ago I really had to have stripey socks, but could i find any? I searched high and low until I found some. I love those socks.

3. I love reading. At the moment it is the one place I can totally escape from the world and I love to totally immerse myself in my book. Although I only ever read in bed, just before I sleep. It is such a habit that no matter how tired I am (or drunk! and thats not often), I still insist on reading at least a page before I sleep. Reading for me is almost like meditation.

4. I have a botched up tattoo on the top of arm that I got when I was about 18. I don't regret getting it but I do regret the fact that its not great. I often think about going and somehow seeing if I can add to it to make it better, but I'm too much of a scaredy cat these days.

5. As much as I love my house I can't stay in. If I stay in, even for a short while over the duration of the week, you can be sure that I will crack. In fact I think thats what happened today! I am always out, either round someone elses house or out and about doing something. I don't know why I am like this and sometimes I wish I could be more contented, but its just me. I think this probably contributes to my lack of success with my housework.

6. I have quite a big crazy family, with one brother, one step brother, three step sisters and two half brothers. The additional family came when my dad remarried. Also you should not that my step dad is only 41 and takes great pride in announcing me as his daughter! My mom married ten years younger and my brother married 10 years older so Nige, my step dad is the same age as my brothers wife! Our wedding plans were very interesting indeed and also very confusing for my husbands family who are a lot less complicated!

7. I am a roamer in life. Not lazy, just not focussed. Throughout my life,even at school I have never really known what I want to do or what I want to be as a 'grown-up'. Nothing as changed. All I knew back then and now is that I wanted creativity in my life and that, although money is very important in a lot of ways, I have never been driven to further my career or get a promotion. This is probably why it has been so easy for me to give up work in favour of childcare. I have always envied people who knew exactly what they wanted and just went for it, followed their chosen path in life. I feel I am bit of a nomad and drift from one thing to the next, with maybe a subtle connectivity between things but never enough to make me super successful or super rich. I often wonder if I will find my true path or if I will spend my life with a myriad of things going on.

Well I never knew I would end up feeling so philosophical! Now the business of who to tag..its a tricky one but I think its going to have to be...

Karen , Donna, Marilyn, Caroline, Susan (come on and get blogging again!!), Darren ( I know you're out there!), Sara. Hope you all don't mind being tagged!

Posted by Maxine at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)

May 14, 2007

48 Hour Day

Some indulgent pics before the ramble...

They sum up how I feel and in the light of recent events how emotional I have become and how precious my children are to me. I feel very lucky.

...I have just fed my two little cherubs and they are now plonked shamelessly in front of Cbeebies for a pre-bedtime tv fest. So I thought I would take a very quick moment to finally get around to paying some attention to my blog, so this is a very rambly post as half of me is listening out to hear if there are any demands (they are just in the next room).

Even though they both had me up at 5.30am this morning, I still managed to be 15 minutes late to moms & tots and I really don't feel like I have achieved very much with my day - well apart from making a lovely lasagne and pineapple, banana & orange smoothie. But surely I should've got tons done. I really think I need more hours in the day. But then even if I did I would probably manage to get through them without finishing many tasks. Don't get me wrong, this is not a 'down in the dumps' post, I am, on the most part, very happy. I just simply don't seem to have the time for anything these days.

To sum up my days and weeks, I can just about manage to keep up with cleaning the kitchen and doing the laundry (not including ironing as there is an ever growing mountain beside me as we speak) but anything beyond that is such a mammoth task, that when I actually do more than that it feels like a gigantic achievement. Harrison is still very temperamental with his feeding at night so its hard to do much, either that or I am too knackered to do anything other than watch House (which is just fantastic!), Lost or Peep Show (if you haven't seen this you really should as it never fails to make me laugh out loud!).

I was all set to go back to college in the evening from September to start a Early Years Education & Development course, with the aim that eventually, when I have the time (ha!) I can do a PGCE and head towards teaching. But boo hoo, you have to do 10 hours placement in the daytime to do the course, which rules me out straight away as I wouldn't put Harrison into daycare,even for a short amount of time. But on a positive note I am taking over running one of my local moms & tots groups from September, which I am really looking forward to. There is not too much to do but just having that small amount of focus and extra responsibility is just what I need. I just feel like I need something more than just day to day parenting and housework to focus on. I think it will stand me in good stead for the PGCE too I think, as it is very hard to get on here and you need this kind of experience.

So I have decided, as I can't do the college course, that I am going to get back to printmaking and join the Belfast Print Workshop. I have been toying with the idea of becoming a member for some time so at least its a no pressure way of being creative and its been years since I have done anything - I loved it so much before Emily was born and it will do me good to start again. Also my friend Susan is a member so we can spur each other on and have an incentive to go.

Blimey, I really am rambling, the kids are spoiling me letting me get away for so long (hmmm maybe 15 minutes now). I feel liberated. Ok just delirious and very tired. Sorry for the big ramble for I sure do feel better now.

Maybe see you all again soon sometime!

Posted by Maxine at 06:38 PM | Comments (6)

May 01, 2007

Sugarcraft Bee

Last Friday night I met up with my friend Susan and her sister Cathy, to try our hand at making and decorating cupcakes. Cathy is getting married in August and and wants to have a tower of cupcakes for her wedding cake, so we thought we would make a start and get some practice in to see what they might turn out like.

I think we didn't do too badly and even though there were some wonky ones, you don't notice them when they are all bundled together. The idea is probably to intersperse them with some kind of flowers. The night ended up in total hysterics and dilerium as were we making and decorating cakes until well after midnight! Then we got to eat them - YUM!