What's going on?

Where does the time go to? Where have all the years gone? My life is flashing past so very quickly. I'm still in denial that I'm having baby number 4, even though she is now almost 5 months old! Where has that time gone? Am I going to wake up tomorrow and realise I am 70 years old? Am I going to live to be 70 years old? Everything is so uncertain, so unpredictable. It's all a bit scary when you start to think about it. I've been changing dirty nappies, cleaning grazed knees, reading bedtime stories and tidying up kids toys for 14 years now. In some respects I can't believe it's been so long. Whereas at other times it seems like an absolute lifetime.

Time is a strange thing. I don't understand it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm living in my own little world and that no one else even exists outside of my imagination - like something from The Matrix. Perhaps this whole life is what I make it to be. Or perhaps its all one big long dream that I shall wake up from one day!

I'm feeling irritated today, although it has been a good week, all in all. I'm just feeling a bit house bound I guess. Really feel like going out but have no money and no babysitter - a common problem for parents I fear!

Rosie is really developing this week. She is starting to become attached to toys, and soon I feel she will attach to people too. I hope she doesn't become as clingy as her big sister did. I think she may be starting to teeth soon too. She's dribbling a lot and lets out little painful screams every now and then.

I started back at bellydance this week, which was good. I looked a sight, but was glad I managed to keep up with the routine. I really thought I'd be too unfit to keep up, so I was pleasantly surprised, although I've certainly lost some poise and grace in the year that I've had off! I've also signed up for a local yoga class, so hopefully will be feeling a bit fitter soon. Theres is a baby yoga class in the library on a Saturday which I am thinking of taking Rosie along to. I think she might enjoy the company of other babies. I just need to remember to phone up and book a place on it.

I'm getting a bit frustrated at having no money. Not that I've ever really had any money. But us both being unemployed is very hard. Things keep breaking. We had to replace the cooker. The car is falling apart. Moan, groan, whinge.

Easter Holidays

The Easter holidays are over and the kids started back to school today. I had hoped to be up bright and early to make a new start, but instead I woke up feeling as if I'd spent the night swallowing razor blades. I seem to have caught the sore throat and cough that Badger had. Ho hum.

It was nice to have the kids at home for a week or so (2 weeks for Barney!) Little Rosie enjoyed all the extra company and attention. They all ate a criminal amount of chocolate at Easter (even Rosie had a lick of a Double Decker!)

The best day of the holidays, for me, has to be the day we all went to Tollymore Forest Park to enjoy a family day out in the sunshine. None of the kids wanted to go. Barney thought it was going to be boring, and the big kids would rather spend hours slobbing around in their bedrooms than spending time with us old folk. But we dragged them all along and ended up having a fab day. It was like being back in America again. A wholesome, happy, fresh air filled day out with each other for company.

Barney said he didn't realise it was going to be so much fun, and the big kids had a great time. Rosie enjoyed the outdoors and loved staring at the trees from her buggy. We started the day with a picnic in the car park. Barney ate a full punnet of raspberries all by himself, whilst Badger and Marty played football. Tarja enjoyed playing Mummy to Rosie. And I just sat watching my lovely family.

After our picnic we did the shorter walk first as we weren't sure how long it would take and whether it was buggy friendly. Badger and Tarja climbed every tree that was climbable, whilst Barney led the way, stopping every 30 seconds to examine a new plant, tree or flower. Then we did part of the longer walk. Not much of it, as Rosie needed a feed. So I sat and fed her in the sunshine whilst the others found their way to the other side of the river to wave at us.

I really enjoyed getting out as a family. It's the first time we have really been out all together since our trip, as I was so ill and pregnant when we got home from America, and then I was run down after the C section. We will certainly have to get out a lot more now that the weather is nicer. Taking days out walking is one of the few things all four of our kids can enjoy together.

Here are some photos...

Lego Times

Happy memories...

Barney, Tarja and I spent a good fun hour yesterday playing lego on my bed. Barney wanted some Mummy time and I suggested a few things that we could do together. But Lego won. So we made lego starwars spaceships together. Tarja made a lego jacuzzi! (see photo).

It was nice to spend an hour with Barney just chatting and creating. We had a competition to see who could make the best space ship, and Daddy was the final judge. Of course, Barney won the competition as I'm pretty useless at lego (growing up in a household of 4 girls didn't give me much experience in boys arts!)

So, I thought I'd post the photos of our creations, and a happy memory of every day life in out little household.

Girlie nights

Oh I am way behind with my blog writing. I just wanted to write a few lines about last weekends girlie night round at Jool's house. What a blast. Jools and Anna are a right pair, and we had such a laugh. Actually I think that Anna and I laughed so much that we forgot what we were laughing about and Jool's probably just thought we were nuts!

Jools got out a box of old photos which we had fun looking through, we watched girls of the playboy mansion and had a giggle at that, ate chinese food and lots of nibbles, and talked to Aleksandra for hours on Skype. It was so nice to see her again. I know Jools and Anna really miss her heaps.

Dublin, midweek break

It's taken me ages to get around to writing this blog post, and even now I don't have much enthusiasm for writing it. I'm just doing it to get it out of the way! That said, the trip to Dublin was great. It's just that I've been so occupied since then that it's been hard to find the time or motivation to blog. I've got three books that I'm reading at once on the go, so any spare moments are taken up with that mostly. And I've been getting out of the house more, and trying to walk everywhere.

We had a great two nights in Dublin. My Mum very kindly offered to have all four of my little monsters for a few days, so we jumped at the chance and took the bus down to the Irish Republic's capital city. The north star hotel is very central and near to the bus depot. We have stayed there before but this time we had an upgraded room with a massive bed! As parents of 4 children (including a newborn) the first thing we did when we got there was to desperately rip off all our clothes, leap into bed and fall asleep!!

We did the usual Dublin city walk, saw the pointy spike thing in the centre (see photo), walked along the river, wandered into a few shops, and ended up in an Irish pub where we met up with a friend and drank & talked the day away.

All in all it was a good rest, and great to get away from the responsibility of being parents, temporarily. So, thanks Mum!

Off we go

We are off to Dublin for 2 nights. Just me and the hubbie. My Mum has bravely OFFERED (Yes, she offered with no blackmail or cajoling necessary!) to have my four kids for 2 nights. I guess she remembers what it was like to bring up 4 kids. So we are off to spend 2 romantic nights down in Dublin. We are planning nothing but some good hard reading, drinking of lots of tea, lots of drinking anyway, lol, and some rest. I do hope I don't miss baby Rosie too much. We haven't been apart since she was born and I'm not sure I can totally manage without her! I'm sure she will be fine without me though!