A short break in transmission...

We are all sick at the moment. Pip has a middle ear infection (the dead giveaway was screaming in her sleep whilst holding her ears), Mil has a random snotty cough and cold. Two days later my throat began to burn... thanks kids. Now Mr S is falling downhill too.

It's a quiet time to the outside world here and I'm exceptionally thankful for ABCKids. I however am here to point you towards some beautiful and thought provoking writing.

Daniel is a musical friend from way back when. His band played at my album launch, and mine at theirs. We shared stages and songs for a very long time. He released a solo album this year, and whilst I'm still yet to get my hands on it (Sorry mate, I'm very slack sometimes) I've heard bits and pieces and it's beautiful.

His writing is also sublime. Short snippets that pack a punch. Make you think. Make you smile. Grab a coffee and pull up. I love to read the writings of songwriters. It's like hearing songs without the music, yet equally as haunting and beautiful.

Go and check it out here. Meanwhile, send tissues.

FFS Friday - My Co-workers Yell At Me A Lot

• It's pretty safe to say that now I'm not in the thick of newborn sleep deprivation that I'm struggling a bit with my definition of a Stay At Home Mum. FFS.
• There's been no posting here because I feel like I should be worried about valid world-changing things like world hunger or genocide. FFS.
• A fellow blogger called me out on this when I saw him at the shops last week. He suggested to get over myself and push through it. Thanks, Steve. Here you go. NO FFS.
• Instead I'm over the moon about vacuuming my house daily and how I cleaned my microwave. Is that completely self indulgent? FFS.
• And before you say 'Raising children is The Most Important Job'... well, don't. I get it, I do. FFS.
• I wouldn't change a thing about raising children except for I wish I knew how to deal with the epic tantrums that seem to have appeared. FFS.
• Like, right now Pippa (22 months) is hanging off my leg screaming 'MAAAAAKE! MAAAAKE! CUUUDDDDLLLLE!' and then running off to watch The Octonauts. FFS.
• I took the two handfuls of playdough off her that she had swiped from Playgroup and fallen asleep clutching in the car. FFS.
• It's a pretty strange feeling that I'm not just wading through motherhood on sleep deprivation and coffee fumes anymore. My kids sleep at night and so do I. Except when I can't sleep because I've drunk too much coffee because OMG tantrums. FFS.
• So, shouldn't I be going back to work for someone else because there's no immediate need (boobs) for me to be at home with my babies? FFS.
• WAIT. I don't have a job anymore. They made me redundant (NO FFS) and didn't tell anyone so I still fend questions two years on about when I'm coming back to work. Awkward. FFS.
• So, instead we craft, paint, clean, play and create. It's pretty sweet. NO FFS.
• We're getting better at leaving the house too. We go to Playgroup every Friday and the girls LOVE IT and I get to talk to grown ups. NO FFS.
• Lady Pip falls asleep in the car 10 minutes from home afterwards and it's often the Nap Of Death. FFS.
• Still, it beats staying at home listening to calls of 'Mum, can you get me some food please? I'm hungry.' NO FFS.
• The dog next door loses her mind when she sees foreign people. Yesterday she barked at me, a tree and some leaves through two fences and my sewing room window for an hour. There is also no nice way to say to your incredibly lovely neighbours 'Your dog hates me and always barks at me. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP.' FFS.
• I rang Millie's ENT receptionist this week after she sent me an email asking me to call her. It took 10 minutes of her trying to work out why she'd emailed me two days prior. She couldn't open the email attachment I'd sent of a health fund form. If she'd said that I could have resent it two days earlier and saved us both the hassle. FFS.
• I did a complete freezer inventory of my second 300L chest freezer yesterday. We have enough food for 30 meals in various forms. Thank god, because I have spent the most ungodly amount of money for my food shopping over the past month for some reason. Turns out I'd just been cooking and hoarding an inordinate amount of food. I then made a colour coded list of 'Meals Ready To Go', 'Meals with Minimal Prep' and 'To Be Cooked'. I was overjoyed. NO FFS.
• When I proudly showed Mr S, he was not as excited as I was. FFS.
• Thankfully my BFFAARBF Louise was as excited as I was. NO FFS.
• I have been sewing some cushions in preparation to sell and perhaps begin a crafty business. When I finished one on Wednesday I showed Millie. She said 'OH it's lovely Mummy! Is it for me?' 'No honey, it's to sell.' 'OH MUMMY you are so funny! No one would want to buy a cushion. Who'd buy a CUSHION?! Silly Mummy!' WTF?! FFS.
• When I relayed this to Mr S that evening, he laughed and got it straight away. Who'd buy a cushion when your Mummy could just make one for you? After all, Mummies make your clothes and can make anything you need, right? We don't buy presents because we can make them! NO FFS. (I'm doing this parenting thing right, after all.)
• Also, my microwave is SO CLEAN. NO FFS.