well, the new year resolution didnt start off too well, what with my mum being so ill.

but, i suppose i have no excuse not to get started now on mals tra......

kids are off school until tuesday, and im not working for those first couple of days they are back so i will make it my number one priority to get cracking on typing letters etc.

could have murdered the kids last night......since the renovations started on our house, lots of their toys have been boxed up and put in a big cupboard in thier bedroom. unbeknown to me, the little bleeders have been sneaking in and taking toys out....to the point where the boxes are now empyt and the toys are all over the house! If i stand on one more bit of lego/power ranger/bobthebuilder toy i will throw the toys and the kids outa the house!!

ok, so the tra stuff is now being gathered and we hope to be able to submit it by the end of february.

we never realised mal had such a complex work history - he's been working for the council since 2000, but as an agency worker his actual payrolls have changed every time a new agency has taken over the tender! ho hum....we'll get there.

im just doing the odd shift - its just so tiring, not to mention difficult to co-ordinate the logistics of getting the kids to school, home then fit work around them. how do people manage!? cos i cant!!

so, looks like its full steam ahead with this tra!

got lots of info from some lovely helpful people on here, so although its going to be a long laborious task, we should be ok.

not working again this weekend....mal has a lot of extra work on, so im doing the housewifey bit while he does the manly-bringing-home- the-bread thing!!

the tax man should owe me some money soon!

had a night out with my best mate last night....just a meal and a wander round a couple of bars.......and god did i feel old!!    felt quite relaxed when i got home though, and i havent shouted at the kids once this morning.  lordy do they bicker and fight.....i have been having palpitations through the stress...well ,no more!  I sat them down and told them that i wasnt going to shout any more (they gave me that ''yeah, right, heard that one before) and that if they were naughty or arguing or bickering, iwould just make them sit apart until i had counted 4 minutes (according to supernanny its a minute for every year of thier life...)then if they agreed to behave they could resume playing. if i had to split em up twice over the same thing, its all toys away and a 4 minute separation. they agreed this was fair......they have been separated twice now! and its only 10.50!

i have been neglecting my daughter,  she refused a cuddle this morning.....how can i be so horrible to her and not realise the damage i do?  wish i could wipe the slate clean and start again with her......

oh well, theres no point looking back...forward is the only way to go.

oh well, wont get any hours in this week as dh is working every evening and all weekend!

pondering the other night on how on earth we are going to achieve the 20 hours a week thing, when i suddenly wondered if mal would pass the TRA (he's a plasterer) and we could get in on his trade, rather than my nursing.

have perused the basic info on TRA on dimia's site, and its looking good so far.

we shall have to see.....

well, the boys are now happily ensconsed in their new school. teacher says they are very settled, confident, happy and joining in. Oliver has fallen, again, so ive asked them to keep an eye on him- i know kids fall over, but hes covered in bruises and i cant help but worry!

work wise, i may have managed to get myself some fab hours on one of the wards i have been on (they asked for me.....isnt it nice to feel wanted?) just floating, helping whoever needs it and sorting out admissions (means their nurses can nurse, rather than spend half the day on paperwork). id only be doing 10-2, mon-fri, but thats fine by me!!  Only down side is i wont get the 'me time' i crave....but i can juggle that around doing some weekend shifts - i just need to get these 20 hours a week in! might end up doing 3 days of 10-2, with a late on fridays if hes not working, and an extra shift on saturday or night shift, just to get up to 20 hours.

i also need to get my driving test passed!!!!!!!!!!!!

-our day starts at about 6.30am. i get ready, then get kids up for 7, very quick breakfast is usually ignored, as we are out the door by 7.30/7.40 to get to the tram stop for 8. we get to school at about 8.30...drop boys off, wave lucy through the door, then back on a bus home - get home for 9.30ish....at pick up time i leave home at 2, and it always about 4.15 by the time we get home.  In a car it would take me 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back.

ho hum.

...will start next week.

I have to complete 52 weeks, working 20 hours a week, to satisfy the dimia rule to be able to apply for a 136 visa to aus.  this is going to be hard work, as im the one in the household who 'does it all'......i do the school run, the cooking, the cleaning, the shopping, you name it i do it!

the boys started school today......felt a bit choked as i left them playing, but its not like i havent left them before.

Spoke to Tina, the ward manager on one of the wards who want to offer me regular work, about future off duty - if i was single i could be working a 56 hour week no problem!!!  With luck, i will be able to cram in about 20........

we shall see....