Goodnight my sweet little Grace

My little 4 y/o is tucked up in bed, no doubt dreaming about all the fun things we have planned tomorrow. 

First there will be the full dress rehearsal for their concert and then the big party in the afternoon with all her favourite people. 

Of course the absolute highlight of the day will be my baby girl turning the big 5!  An amazing age, with many new things to happen in her 5th year.  I say it every year, but where does the time go? 

Sweet dreams beautiful Grace xx

A long time between posts

It's been a long time since I've had the time or energy to sit down and write a post. 

The last month has been consumed by study, revision, more study and minor freak outs!  It's the pointy end of the University year, and although I don't normally stress about exams/assessments, these ones I felt a little more pressure.  I need to do well in these last 2 courses, otherwise my chances of getting into Midwifery next year can be pretty much kissed goodbye.  Also, I have no real back-up plan for if I don't get in.  I know that I can keep going with nursing, but all my study friends (in nursing) will be going onto other subjects and I'd hate to be stuck doing the ones I missed this year, whilst they are all off doing others.  If it happens like that though, I'll suck it up and take it as one big message that that is the path I am destined to take.  Of course, that will be after the worlds biggest tanty and lots of tears.  I know I've done my absolute best, so I don't think there is anything else that I could have done to make my chances better.  So, now just the LONG wait till January.

The last few weeks, although busy, have been a lot of fun.  A few weeks ago I got to visit the Anatomy lab at the hospital.  I wasn't sure how I'd go with it, but figured the people, (cadavars) who we would be examining, really wanted to be there.  The visit was for anyone that wanted to revise anatomy before the big exam, and only about 50 of the possible 200 students actually turned up.  We had full access to 2 wet bodies and a complete room of embalmed specimens and bodies.  I'll admit the unveiling of the first wet body was a bit daunting, but after a while it's very clinical and my science brain (cause apparently I have one!!) turned on and I was more fascinated than anything.  I even gloved up and explored everything.  It's so amazing seeing how everything connects and tracking arteries/veins around the whole body.  We got to see cancer in different organs, a heart after an attack and a knee after it was replaced.  All very interesting and definitely helped pull all the last years study together.  My study buddies and I spent the next 2 hours investigating and exploring the human body and being blown away by how amazing it really is.  Seeing the fat scattered throughout also has re-inspired my healthy eating plan.

Even though I've neglected my family for the last few weeks, I've had a great time hanging out with our study group.  It's a wonderful mix of women, and we all help and motivate each other.  For the last 2 Thursday's, we have done yoga here which is just the most beautiful location - although a bit of a trek to get to.  It was a perfect start to our long, sometimes intense study days - a beautiful balance.  If I am fortunate enough to get into Midwifery, I'm really going to miss this group.  I know I'm also going to really miss going to lectures and tutorials, in comparison to Midwifery which is mainly going to be external.  It'll be easier for flexibility but much harder to learn online and from a text book.

Duane has been fantastic during all this.  Completely picking up my slack and trying to make things as easy as he can for me.  There is a little gap in his "clean" and my "clean", but I've just had to suck it up and ignore the dust bunnies flying around the floor.  Cleaning has actually been one thing I've been looking forward to.  I've decided to go through 1 room at a time and give it a complete spring clean and de-clutter.  I'm sick of all the stuff that we manage to accumulate.  The kids and I did the toy room yesterday which was probably a bad move.  My kids are bigger hoarders than me, and trying to make them part with anything was painful - even baby toys.  I managed to smuggle a few things away, but nearly everything was met with "But that's my favourite broken toy, ripped book, old drawing etc"  So I might have to leave the ditching days for when they aren't here!

My lovely Mother in law, Wendy, has really been awesome this last year.  She's spent so much time with the kids and had a fantastic time doing it.  They have had so many adventures together and spent lots of time crafting, cooking and playing.  The kids do have Grandma wrapped around their fingers though, requesting all sorts of things that they know wouldn't fly with Mum or Dad.  I'm just so grateful that I have such a wonderful and willing Mother in law who has helped us all out so much.

Anyway, so now is the long wait to results and offers.  I'm hoping that all my hard work and a pinch of luck will be enough to get me over the line and into Midwifery!

Grandma saves the day!

I've got exams in about 3 weeks, so my levels of procrastination are once again reaching an all time high.  I've spent the last week paper shuffling, photocopying, stapling and sorting - not studying.  I figured I'd cram the weeks worth of study into yesterday when I'd just have Xav and then today when both kids are at pre-school.

There were a few things I didn't factor into my schedule though - mainly everyone getting sick and a husband that was working from 5am-6pm both days.  Wonderful.

Duane had man-flu all last week, which means he runs to any tablet he can find to get the quick fix.  Problem was, that mixing his drugs left him in all over hives and on a course of steroids.  I did try to negotiate the steroids from him, but he wasn't sharing and wanted them all to himself.  I did find him scoffing them down and then launching into a million sit-ups - not really sure what he was trying to achieve there. 

Grace was next to succumb to the cold, and in true Gracie style through in a few vomits for good measure.  That girl can not get a whiff of any sickness without resorting to spewing.  It was just a damn cold, and yet she spent the night complaining of a sore throat and heaving into a bucket.  I got it next, however being the one with the highest tested pain threshold, it didn't bother me too much.  Xav, obviously with his mothers hardiness, also caught the cold but took it in his stride and didn't let it stop him at all.  He did end up with a lovely dose of conjunctivitis in both eyes, which have cleared up now.  I was contemplating asking Trude for some breast milk, but went to the Dr instead and got some drops.

So yesterday was spent amusing small children.  They are so good at playing by them self, but it's the constant interruptions for food etc that mess with my study flow.  They spent most of the day making a mess things.  I gave them the huge plastic tub of craft things and they let loose creating lots of interesting pieces of art.  They did spend a few hours in the afternoon watching a Dvd, but that allowed me to get a bit of school stuff done in peace, so I was happy.

Today lovely Grandma came up for the morning to keep them entertained and out of my hair.  They did all sorts of wonderful crafts; making a spider and some roll people.  I locked myself in the study and immersed myself in the world of nephrons, recessive genes and reproduction.

 

Thank goodness for Grandma!