Napoleon. Spirited children. Insomnia

I'm feeling a bit defeated by P and her 3-year-oldness at the moment. It's like living under a totalitarian regime run by a sociopathic midget.

Napoleon - renowned military leader, nude trampolinist (not really) and romantic novelist (really!).  I'm seeing definite synergies here folks.

As a result, this is my next reading project.

Click to purchase!

I also had galloping insomnia last night, which didn't help. I finally got to sleep at 2.30am, only to be woken again for the day at 4.30am by the baby.  I'm so tired that it was only after I stood up from the loo that I realized the end of my belt was hanging down inside the bowl, and that I had accidentally weed on it. The shame.

I'll leave you with these childrearing tips from a simpler time in the Old Country.

Weather. Anarchy. Politics. Emotion.

Crazy weather we are having, wouldn't you agree? Scorching hot today so I was motivated to get the doonas off the beds and replace them with ye olde summer blankets.
Sometimes a well made bed is all that lies between civilisation and total anarchy in our house. I like to stand and gaze at it when the going gets tough.

Not very glam.  Note the rogue coathanger and tube of aloe vera cream in the background.

Anarchy is never far away in any household I am resident in, although I like to think my housekeeping skills have improved since the good old uni sharehouse days. My friend S likened my digs to the house in The Young Ones that Rick, the People's Poet, was so desperate to save...

 House, house, house
     Oh, you are made of stone
     But you are not alone-

     -ly house!

    
I remember being told the story of one acquaintance who had to drop something off to the house when we were all on summer holidays. He headed inside, only to come running out in a panic.
"They've been robbed!!" he cried, in a state. Luckily his companions were more au fait with our collective domestic abilities and were able to reassure him that, no, there was no burglary. That was just how we left things.

Disgraceful, really.

This afternoon a cold wind whipped up, but I've already shoved the doonas into my new el cheapo Aldi vacuum bag hoojahs so I'm buggered if I'm digging them out again.  I couldn't be bothered washing them or anything. I just wanted them the hell out of the way. I may regret this come Winter Twenty-Thirteen, but, you know, Slapdash by name, Slapdash by nature.

On another note, I feel I should clarify one of the points I made in my "Things I Like" post. I asserted that I no longer harboured an interest in watching The News or Current Affairs Programmes on the telly.  Well, look. I guess what I meant was there's only so many children being blown up in the Middle East that I can cope with, cowardly Western middle class suburban horror that I am.  I am, actually,  passionate about current affairs and particularly Australian politics. There's almost nothing I like better than a throwdown political debate.
But, the fact of the matter is that my current employment situation precludes me from speaking out about the ins and outs of the Australian political climate. I am in a tenuous situation, so I'd better keep me thoughts to meself. This doesn't, however, prevent me from posting the odd article of interest.  Here's one you might be keen to cast your eyes over, if you haven't already.

I've been indulging in my usual Sunday night business of watching Call the Midwife. Sob sob.... Triplets.... Sister Monica Joan... Nurse Jenny Lee.... Chummy... Sob sob.
I've also been thinking today about the Bali bombings. Such grief for some. I don't know how they cope.

I'm in a glass case of emoootion...
God bless you dear readers.

Kindy mums. Comfort.

So I felt a bit out of place at the ole kindy mum's night.  Lucky I went with fellow mum J or I'd have been a total nigel no friends.

You were supposed to wander about and purchase things from the lady related stalls but they weren't really my thing.

So I ended up keeping it predictable and food related and purchased a nice jar of homemade marmalade.

I guess I was thinking it would all be a bit more Country Women's Associations-esque, which shows that I am both delusional and living in the wrong century.

It all made me want to go and hide behind the bike sheds and smoke a few durries.

Still, all in a good cause and they had free cheap sparkling wine so who am I to complain?

Also, in other food related news, M supported me in my new resolve to eat healthily and lose weight by baking an enormous boiled fruitcake today.

Note that a large portion has already been scoffed.

Any ideas on what I can replace my comfort eating habit with?  And none of that "oh just go for a walk", or "go for a manicure" stuff.  It needs to be something I can do in five seconds flat, either hunched over the sink while the kid is watching TV, or secreted in the pantry while she's nude trampolining.

Thanks, and goodnight.