Life at Scrubby Tops

06/05/2024

BEEF WEEK 2024

It’s that time again, 3 years have passed and another Beef week has rolled around. Much like my last couple of Beef weeks, I got all excited about going along, checking out some cows, looking at some equipment, and maybe having a catch up, and a beer with mates.

Apparently my brain keeps forgetting that Beef week these days tends to mean complaining kids, lost partners, sore feet, and a lot of frustration. In between quick chats with friends who are also tired and frustrated, and trying to get everything done before getting the kids home.

This year was no different, we hadn’t even left home before our first meltdown. Miss E has been on a growth spurt for the last, oh about 3 years. She’s looking like she’ll take after me, almost 6ft tall and “shoulders like a bullock” (thanks Mum, that remark’s only stuck with me for 26 years now 😅). Anyway the poor possum struggles a bit with her body shape when the time comes to throw on something other than just shorts and a tee shirt (even though I said she could wear a shirt and shorts, she still wanted the jeans).

Finally got to Beef, and my 3 wanted a pic with the pretty floral cow (not together of course, we had to have individual ones before I managed to get a snap of all 3). Meanwhile my partner, his 2, and his Dad have kept walking unaware that we stopped. We won’t catch up with them for another couple of hours 🤦‍♀️.

About 15 minutes in, after checking out some bulls, my girls discover some freebie pens and notebooks. Miss A (who is in grade 1), promptly demands to write “that smooth, red one at the back is my favourite beast”. I can remember this because we went through 3 notebook pages and one hell of a tantrum with her trying to get it just right. During this process I found affordable coffee (for me) and over priced sandwiches (for the other 2) because no one had wanted breakfast 🙄. Miss A refused all offerings of food and water, then promptly got in a fist fight with her sister 2 minutes later because she was hungry and “I hadn’t gotten her anything” 🤨🫣… we’ve been at Beef for about 45 mins, and I’m considering packing up and going home 🤪.

I eventually fed and watered the hangry beastie, and she returned to her more normal, happy self. I’m happy to say the rest of the day only had normal amounts of whinging, and whacking each other with bits of poly pipe 👌.

Now we get to spend the next 3 years telling ourselves that Beef week was fun, and we can’t wait to do it all again 😬.

01/05/2024

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01/05/2024

Some days I just think I really should get a conventional job. Most mornings I have the kids to school by 8:30am, and then they’re there until 3pm. That gives me 6 hours I could be earning a wage.

Then I get mornings like this one, and I remind myself that’s why you don’t have a job.

Today started like most do, my partner and I were up around 5:30am. Only one child in our bed this morning, and it was my youngest, bonus (she doesn’t take up much space)!!
Normally my 10 yr old son is in our bed, and he was, until Annabelle came in and I kicked him out… and he actually went, extra bonus!

Anyway, one by one the kids all rolled out or got poked awake and started their morning routines. My partner headed off to be at work by 7, I ran my step son up to the high school bus stop at 7:15. So far the day was going well.

Got home, and I’ve got an hour to get the 3 girls ready. My stepdaughter is 10 this year and she’s normally great once she gets moving. Elizabeth, my 8 yr old is most definitely not a morning person, but this morning looked like it might be an ok one.

And Annabelle who’s 6, is normally very happy, and pretty good at getting ready. Today apparently was not one of those days. She’d had yesterday off as we’ve all been a bit unwell, so I went easy on her for a bit, tried to make a game of it, tried to be calm and motivate her… she was having none of it. It was around the time that she tried to wallop her sister (who was still naked and on the loo, because getting dressed is hard some days) with a piece of rope that I lost my s**t. Unfortunately she was in one of those moods when any reaction is a good reaction, so that just made her run away, gleeful that Mum had been pushed to the edge.

I decided to shift focus to the still naked 8 yr old, who was very upset… not with her sister, no she was upset with me, because I’d been mean for getting up Annabelle for trying to hit her with a rope 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I decided I’d go and make lunches instead, passed Annabelle enroute, inquired if she was ready to get dressed yet, got “no, I hate school, I’m not going”. She went to make some cereal, so I let her be thinking maybe she’d be less cranky after some food. It was 8am by this point. On a good day everyone would be in the final stages of prep, and getting ready to leave… this was not a good day.

Made Elizabeth’s lunch, figuring she could do with some help this morning, then went on the hunt for some sock pairs, actually found some. Elizabeth had managed to put clothes on but had stalled at that point, tossed some socks at her and moved on to Annabelle. Approached her quietly, like you would a stray dog whose temperament you were uncertain of. Asked what she’d like in her lunch, got a muttered “don’t want to go to school, but I’d like biscuits and cheese”.

Yes!! It’s 8:20 and we’ve got something positive to build on! Optimistically told Lachlan to turn off the tv, nagged Elizabeth to find a hair brush and put her bloody socks on! Approached Annabelle again, with clothes in hand and asked her to get dressed please. Look over to find Elizabeth with unbrushed hair, no socks in sight, sorting bloody cards. It’s 8:40, we have 5 minutes until second bell. We are definitely late slip late, I lose my s**t snap at both of them, Annabelle snaps back, she ends up crying, but finally puts on her clothes. Elizabeth let’s me know I’m a horrible mum and she wants a nice family (doesn’t do conflict that one and is great at making me feel like an awful Mum), but at least let’s me do her hair. It’s like 8:55. Shove everyone in the car, 3 of them aren’t wearing shoes yet 😅

Get to school at 9:10am, the two older kids head straight in. Elizabeth still doesn’t have shoes on and won’t go in without me, Annabelle refuses to leave the car. We proceed to play the fun (it’s definitely not fun) game of me opening the door nearest to her to try and catch her before she leaps to another seat. (It’s kinda like trying to catch a deranged squirrel that someone has turned lose in your car). I’m losing miserably and have resorted to empty threats and bribery. Finally coax Elizabeth to go in and at least get her late slip, she comes out with the deputy principal. I alternate between relief and mortification, but decide to settle on relief (last year I had to ask teachers to help me with my son in a similar manner, it never worked for him though) so I’m familiar with the process. Mrs S has a chat, and within 5 minutes has Annabelle out of the car, both girls firmly in hand, wishes me a nice day and heads inside, it’s now 9:20am. Everyone is finally at school, and I’m emotionally and mentally exhausted, as well as in desperate need of more coffee and a cry.

And that is why I’m exploring the opportunity to have an online business!

Picture of rabid squirrel in cage… please note she put herself in there. I have actually fed her lunch in there before at her request 😂

26/04/2024

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