Cookie stuff: January 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009

Week 2 and day 1 childcare

Following week 2 at work, I'm absolutely spent, but happy.

It's been another week of way too much laughing (I've developed giggle Tourette's) at the most ludicrous of things and, once again, I blame my colleagues. A regular preface to most statements I seem to make at work has earned me this T shirt.

And an innocent comment about someone in the office being "a bit 80's" has turned into an ongoing silliness involving side pony tails and the vision of fingerless gloves. This is by far the most erect of side pony tail I have ever spotted.

I am however managing to get my head around 'worky' things and my corporate speak has progressed in leaps and bounds. Mia is has taken note of my over indulgence in some words, current favourite "Utopia", pronounced "Utoooooooopia" (Prue and Trud-ish). We like to insert it into every conceivable sentence for eg: "Presentation Utooooopia" and "Team workshop facilitation Utoooopia". Mia's version:

Take I

Take II

So on the home front, Luke has been superb at keeping me in the know by sending text updates, photos and videos. Today he sent me a video of Poppy post-childcare, playing happily on the floor and was so kind to position behind her a large tub of my choc-brownie ice cream for my pleasure.

These are some of the other 'news reels' have received from him while I'm hard at working earning a crust.

Amazing! Lactating man! (a friend actually believed this!!!)

Followed by Stigmata on the same day! Miracle people we are.

Meanwhile,Poppy's first day at care was a success. She ate, slept and drank, played and grizzled and everyone loves her (and they better keep that up!). Mia too had a fabulous time seeing her friends again and getting rid of us for the day. I was however disappointed she didn't visit Poppy once! Typical big sister, once her friends are around, little sister is ignored.

It's amazing to think of all the changes that both girls have gone through in the last few weeks. Mia's speech has improved dramatically, and so have her impersonations of Luke and I. Her "Oh My God!" and "Lukey, did you fart? Oh Lukey, yuck!" are spot on. My favourite is when she impersonates Luke's clutsy-ness, such as kicking her leg back while drawing the curtains.

Her Hebrew is also improving with her now able to recite short excerpts from her favourite books.

Her love of boys hasn't waned over summer and at a friend's 40th Birthday bash at Balnarring beach this weekend, she unashamedly followed around a couple of older boys. We'll have to watch her on this one.

Poppy meanwhile is commando crawling mostly towards Oscar and electrical plugs (ooops!). She's also waving and does something resembling the Hakka. Luke is now scoring 'Da Da' and couple of times she's said 'Ma Ma', but most of the time I get 'Bah Bah'. She's still not sitting but isn't bothered by it. On the food front, she's eating EVERYTHING!

She could probably consume at least 1/2 of Barak Obama's cupake forehead before we could utter OBESITY!

5,600 presidential cupcake art installation, Obama/Lincoln

Yes, this picture combines two great loves of mine. Obama & Cupcakes. This is a sample of what's to come on 14/2 in Washington DC at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, when I'll be there!!!!!!!

Poppy and I are off in just over 2 weeks for my dear niece's Bat-Mitzvah extravaganza. I haven't been to the States for 13 years and I simply cannot wait to see family again and revisit some old haunts.

I'll share more about the trip soon, in the meantime, I'll leave you with these recent shots of the girls.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

We survived week 1!

So pleased to announce that we have successfully survived week 1 of my return to work.

There were so many boxes to tick, and well, the important ones are sorted

- Poppy sleeping through the night
- Poppy taking the bottle
- Poppy eating real food
- My tits adjusting (you should see my Dolly Pardon look in the afternoons in the office.....)

We still have to work on the following:
- Missing the girls... good luck to me.
- Mother guilt, see above.

Don't worry about us

I have to thank my mother and my dear (friend, these are her photos) who came to help Luke during the week, Luke himself for being such a star Dad and to my two new work mates who made sure that a good majority of the week was spent pissing my pants (well almost, I have been doing my exercises)

..we'll be fine

P.S
Have to share this.

On my return to work eve, this was my conversation with Mia:
M: You're going to work tomorrow?
I: Yes
M: All by yourself?
I: Yes
M: Would you like me to come and hold your hand?

When I got home:
M: Did you cry today, were you sad today?
I: No, I'm OK, why did you think I would be sad?
M: Because you have no friends

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Eahhhh!

My anxiety has reached epic proportions, and if my tummy was a building it would resemble something like the NYSE floor during the beginning of our recent market crash.

I'm struggling to define what exactly it is that's stressing me out. I don't believe it's about work as I actually like my job, and it's not about the girls going to childcare, as we couldn't be happier with the care & program that they provide. Is it the separation from the girls, that fear that I'll miss out on something???? Probably. Perhaps some other stuff that I haven't been able to articulate?

I'm sure the lack of sleep isn't helping me feel any better (although Poppy's sleeping is much improved). However, recalling some of the fun things we've done not only over the past few months but even in the last week has helped distract me somewhat.

Visiting friends in their holidays house on the beach (and I mean ON the beach): Great view, people, kids, food, clear skies & dolphins!!!