"No reading at the breakfast table"

I feel I should write something down because I have a blog. But I haven't got anything to write! Is it because I've been away on holidays for two weeks and my brain has stopped firing?! Or am I lacking fuel to perpetuate my rants? One of the aspects I enjoy about holidays is lots of time to just stop and chill and let my brain process 'life'. But no great pearls came through as a consequence. I did come home with my usual list of resolutions - I'm going to be more organised, achieve more each day, have more people over. But then one day back at home and I remembered. My goal each day is to SURVIVE! Anything else is a bonus. I did really enjoy hanging out with my family. It's so lovely to (finally) get to a stage where holidays are not entirely about hanging out for the kids to go to bed. We even played some board games together.

When my babies were born I always felt a little distressed that no instruction manual came with them. Trouble-shooting tips like - "they need to be held upright for hours on end to go to sleep" or "give them the dummy - don't bother trying other strategies" would have been helpful! I think this is why we are all looking for a parenting strategy that will give us all the answers to our sleep/discipline/toileting/routine questions. Despite my great love of parenting books I'm reluctant to say one system has all the answers. Or "you should do this - it will definitely work". I also really dislike being told that a particular parenting strategy is a "Christian" way of doing it - arrgh. (implying that if you DON'T follow it then you are acting in a less than Christian way). Parenting to me is a wonderful puzzle. And it is a puzzle that might be solved by reading a book, or talking to a wise friend or hearing a talk. Bits of the puz...

After spending the last three weeks at home with sick children who have each had 4 days off school, I'm now putting to bed (along with the multitude of sick children), the idea of going back to work in the near future. It has been fun toying with the idea but the reality has truly kicked in. Last week Rowan was away all week and my mother-in-law got the flu too. So no husband, no family help. I'm it! So I'm writing this down for my own reality check. When summer comes and it is all warm and sunny I have to remember the dark days of winter! Now I have to work towards being content with my place in the world.