Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Holiday bliss

 We had a lovely holiday a few weeks ago. We spent two weeks at Valla beach, about 5 minutes outside of Nambucca Heads. We thought the weather was going to be cold and rainy (according to weather reports), but it was absolutely lovely. Hot during the day, nice and cool at night.
We rented a little house with three bedrooms upstairs, and one bedroom downstairs where Mum and Dad stayed for about 5 nights. We spent every morning at one beach or another, investigating quite a few beaches in the area. The closest ones, at Valla, were almost entirely deserted every time we were there, so it was like having our own private beach.
 The kids had an absolute blast, both of them love playing in the sand and jumping the waves. Also, the beaches nearby had lots of rock pools, and what L liked to call 'pirate caves', so she was pretty thrilled with the whole thing, in fact by the end she told me she'd decided to move there.

Our afternoons were spent with E and L going fishing or riding or hiking, while G napped and I either napped and/or read books. I managed to read 5 books: Tara Road, The curious incident of the dog in the night, The boy in the striped pyjamas, The secret life of bees, and an Agatha Christie. All very good - and to me a sign of a good holiday.

We also got a chance to visit relatives in Coffs Harbour, and relatives visited us from Port Macquarie, so all in all it was a lovely time. Mum and Dad babysat a couple of nights, and E and I got to go on a couple of dates, which was very out of the ordinary for us, and in fact quite difficult to stay out past our bedtime. Haha!

The best part of all, after two weeks away we were actually quite relaxed when we got back home. The kids travelled amazingly well - thanks to DVD players and various DVDs, and a never-ending stash of snacks.

We got back on the Saturday, and I started back at work on the Monday after 14 months on maternity leave. Needless to say, it was quite a shock to the system, and I'm still recovering. I'm working 3 days per week, with a commute on the bus of 1 hour each way, and trying to juggle the kids, housework, and work - it's quite a challenge.

I started back to work with 1500 emails in my inbox! Yikes! Things are going ok now - I'm trying to ease back into the swing of things. We have a lovely nanny two days per week, and super-Dad takes the kids on Fridays. It's all working quite well, and the kids (although a bit needy and cuddly) seem to be adjusting fine... not sure that I can say the same for myself. I loved every minute of my time at home, and wish it didn't have to end, but whaddya do?

One thing's for sure... I'm tired. Off to bed now. xo.

Friday, November 18, 2011

What's with women's shoes???

I was feeling quite proud of my new red wedges today as I slipped them on to march into the office. Only I didn't march, it was more like skating... ice-skating to be exact. Funny how I didn't notice at the shoe shop but these shoes are slippery! Now I'm pushing and gliding through the office, afraid to take my feet too far off the ground in case I slip and give myself a concussion, legs in the air.

Why is it that the manufacturer's of women's shoes can't seem to get it right? It can't be that hard, surely - it's certainly not rocket science. All we ask for are shoes that are:

  • cute
  • comfortable and supportive
  • don't carry a high risk of producing concussions with our underwear on display for all to see!
I don't think I'm asking too much am I? My experience has been that shoes are either cute or comfortable and stable. As I get older, the cute shoes in my closet move further towards the back and begin to gather dust.

Why can't we be cute and comfortable. I have heard that beauty is pain, but I'm greedy and want the beauty without the pain. I want my cake and I don't just want to look at it, I want to eat it too. Is that so wrong?