I just found out tonight that a friend of mine has died. She died several months ago but I'm feeling awful that I didn't know and didn't have the opportunity to support her and those who loved her so much at the end of her life.
I've had so many wonderful people come in and out of my life. I've lived in several towns and made friends with many, almost family with some.
But the reality of my life is that I've lost contact with people who have been incredibly dear to me. And even though we have have Facebook and e-mail and Skype and relatively cheap phone calls, I have lost some of these connections.
The pragmatic part of me points out that it would be impossible to maintain the intensity of friendships that I have had. I literally don't have enough time.
But I guess I just wanted to take this moment to say to those of you that read this post;
"Thank you for being my friend. The times that we had are as rich and dear to me now as they were then. I miss you and I am so grateful to have known you."
Monday, 22 April 2013
Saturday, 20 April 2013
This is how I roll(ed)
I had such a busy day on Wednesday! Up bright and early to get the Little Big Fella to kindy, then off to a CWA meeting, then home to pack the car and collect the Little Big Fella from kindy, then driving 7 or so hours to visit my family in our old town, and my parents who had ridden their motorbikes up from Victoria for a big over 50's motorbike event.
Well, that was the plan, anyway.
Everything was going to plan - I was even ready early to go collect the Little Big Fella from kindy! Then we were on our way.
There were lots of roadworks happening - repairs from the flooding earlier in the year - and I was relieved when we finally turned off the highway to the inland route. We stopped in the next major town for fuel and food, including a blueberry muffin for the Little Big Fella.
The trip had been pretty pleasant so far. The scenery was lovely and we were getting along just fine. I'd noticed that there were some sections along the road where the grass was really long! I'd been thinking that it would be a major fire hazard once the land starts to dry out.
About two hours down the road from there the Little Big Fella decided that he wanted his muffin. I'd unwrapped it and passed it back to him. Then, after a few minutes he decided that he didn't really like it.
As he was passing it back to me he dropped it, and the wrappers, on the floor. I reached back and picked up the muffin. Then I reached back to get the wrappers. I couldn't find the wrappers just by feel so, given that the road was straight and there weren't any cars, I turned my head around to look.
And that's where it all went wrong.
I must have brought the steering wheel with my eyes because when I flicked my vision back to the road I only have a memory of seeing tall grass. At that stage I'm pretty certain we were still on the road, but possibly on the shoulder.
I sat up properly and tried to correct our path on the road, but must have overdone it. I think at that stage I pulled the car back to the left, again over-correcting, then to the right, definitely over-correcting.
I remember thinking, "steer into the spin" followed by, "which way is that????". I touched my foot on the brake and then realised that was the wrong thing to do and took my foot off and just held on.
The car spun around 180 degrees until we were on the other side of the road, facing the way we had come. We just about stopped. Everything was nearly alright. And then I thought, "oh shit! We're going over".
The car rolled over onto the roof.
I was either very disoriented or passed out momentarily because I suddenly realised the Little Big Fella was crying. I recognised it as a scared cry, not a hurt cry and started talking calmly to him, telling him that we were okay.
Then he said to me, "Mummy, we're upside-down".
"Yes, we are honey but I'm going to undo my seatbelt, then come and undo yours and we'll get out of the car."
And I did. Initially I couldn't open the door, then realised that the driver's door was up against all that long grass. I tried the passenger door and it wouldn't open either.
"Oh bugger! We're going to have to wait in here until the rescue guys arrive with their big car-opening tools", I thought!
But then I tried again, with a little more oomph and it opened pretty easily.
We climbed out and I saw 4 or 5 people already walking towards us, seeing if we were okay or if they could help. And I was overwhelmed by their kindness. How could so many people already have stopped? And have that much concern? I could see it in their faces - they were honestly concerned! And I was just so grateful that we weren't alone.
I told them we were okay, it was just the two of us and we were okay, but I had no idea what to do next. I was pretty shaky and still mildly dizzy.
I turned around and looked at the car:
I needed to call the Big Fella and let him know.
I needed to call my grandparents and let them know we wouldn't be staying there that night and that we were okay.
I needed to call Roadside Assist and find out how we could continue our journey, or get home.
Who to call first? And was there even any phone reception?
A lovely man gave me his phone to try calling people but, as I'd guessed, there was no phone reception just there.
By the time we'd realised this, the local policeman turned up. He'd just finished work and was on his way home, amazingly along that particular road at that particular time. This was within a minute, maybe two of us getting out of the car.
The policeman radioed for a tow truck and the ambulance ("just to check us out" he said, "he's pretty bored right now anyway").
While he was on the radio I discovered that I was bleeding on my legs. Turns out I had a couple of really small scratches, but because I hadn't realised I was even bleeding, they looked terrible.
I also saw the Little Big Fella's bike in the tray at the back and hoped that it was okay (he'd have been so devastated if it was busted!). I looked closer and realised that it was suspended by the rope the Big Fella had tied it in with. I undid the rope and wheeled it out from under the car. It wasn't even scratched!
The next 4 hours are a bit of a blur of questions and physical checks. The policeman checked for alcohol (0.0 of course! I don't drink and drive.), the ambulance guy checked our blood pressure and my sugar levels, the policeman took pictures and asked questions, the tow truck guy turned up.
Hang on! I have to brag about all of these people for a minute! The tow truck guy was so wonderful to us! He climbed back into the car and pulled all of our things out. Nothing was broken except for a couple of boiled eggs in the esky! Including the Little Big Fella's DVD player! Later that evening he even went back to the car to collect something important from the glovebox for me.
The ambulance guy was completely laid back and made the whole experience a bit of an adventure for the Little Big Fella. He was very calming and helped me not feel like a complete idiot.
The policeman obviously had his job to do in terms of finding out what happened, but he was so lovely about it and ended up being particularly helpful. And that's beside the fact that he'd already finished work for the day and suddenly had to do at least an extra four hours work! And he never made me feel like a stupid, female driver or anything along those lines.
After about an hour at the scene (I think), the ambo was ready to take us to hospital. We'd already determined that we were okay, but with this kind of incident they always want to make sure there's no internal injuries or bleeding. So he got the Little Big Fella into the back of the ambulance while I took the photo of the car and grabbed my handbag. The rest of our things went into the back of the divvy van.
The ride to the hospital (about 10 or 15 minutes) was kind of exhausting for me. The Little Big Fella asked a million questions about all of the things in the back of the ambulance - some things several times.
Actually, it was my first ride in an ambulance too! And my first car accident. And my first traffic ticket.
As soon as we pulled up at the hospital, the Little Big Fella undid his "seatbelt" and was eager to get out. The ambo came around and opened the door and was completely surprised to find my Little Big Fella at the door waiting for him!
"I guess you want to walk yourselves inside then!" he said.
So we followed him inside to their emergency room where the next hour or so was completely taken up with answering questions and being poked and prodded. Being such a small hospital, they didn't have x-ray or blood testing facilities so they had to do things the old fashioned way - touch, response and time.
I can't remember how many times they took our blood pressure, checked our eyes and asked us to move this way or that way.
After a little while the Little Big Fella realised that we weren't going to get to Gran and Poppy's or home to our place that night. He started crying and saying he wanted his Daddy. I hugged him and told him we'd be okay because we were going to sleep in a room with beds next to each other (at this stage I had no idea if we'd be in hospital overnight, or if we'd end up in a motel somewhere). He calmed down but obviously wasn't very happy.
The nurses then decided to move us into a room (it was about three hours after the crash by now) and I set the Little Big Fella up with his DVD player (thankfully it had plenty of battery power left in it) and some of the food from our box and esky (the kitchen staff had gone home a while ago), and he was happy and comfortable.
Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I'd been given a phone and a few minutes to call the Big Fella. He'd gone to bed and was just about asleep in preparation for an early morning shift at work. I felt so horrible, effectively waking him up with such a shocking conversation.
And I guess I was nervous - not because I thought he'd be upset about the car really, but he'd be worried about us, even though we were okay. And I knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Which made me worry about him going to work.
The Big Fella took it really well and once we got off the phone he started calling Roadside Assist and our insurance company (turns out you have to get a claim going with your insurance company for the Roadside Assist to be able to do much for you). Throughout the evening the nurses were wonderful Personal Assistants, answering phone calls between us and taking messages!
Beside that, the nurses were absolutely wonderful and did a great job of standing in for my mum, as well as providing the necessary medical care. I felt comforted and as comfortable as possible, and I knew that my little boy was okay in their care.
I also got to call my grandparents. Again, I felt awful making that call because I knew that even though I told them we were okay, they'd be awfully worried. And disappointed too. We were all very much looking forward to catching up!
The policeman eventually got a chance to take a recorded statement. I was kind of glad that it had taken that long to get to it, because I'd had a chance to remember more details than I could at the side of the road. It also gave me a chance to thank him for all of his help, and for being so willing to do it out of hours. He'd been exceptionally kind about it all and was part of the reason I was able to keep it all together.
Eventually it worked out that Roadside Assist arranged for the tow truck guy to drive us to the next town an hour closer to home (there was no accommodation available in the little town we'd crashed outside of) after we were released from hospital (and after I finally got cleaned up and had a tetanus injection - which caused me more pain than anything else over the next two days!). We stayed in a motel room for the night and the Little Big Fella slept like a log!
Unfortunately, I didn't.
My brain kept running through everything that had happened, and how much worse it could have been, and what was going to happen next. And then my body started to get a bit sore - not in any of the ways the doctor had said to look out for, just in a sore back and a stiff neck.
The next morning I woke feeling only slightly refreshed and unsure about what the day held for us, but so grateful for all the little miracles as well as the big one of being unhurt!
We had a slow start then went down to breakfast in the restaurant. They'd even cooked the Little Big Fella's eggs without the yolk, just how he likes it, which helped start the day well.
I spent most of the next four hours on the phone to various people, attempting to work out what was happening and if we could continue our journey, or how we'd make it home.
After lots of to-ing and fro-ing, trying this option and that option, we decided that it was going to work out best if we made our way home. That required a taxi to the next town, another hour closer to home, to collect a hire vehicle. Then I'd drive us the two hours plus home.
Because of how small the town was, the taxi driver was painting under his house when I called. He picked us up (we'd gone out for a bike ride so the Little Big Fella could get some energy out), took us to the corner shop that the taxi owner ran, went home to shower and change while we had a little bite to eat and relaxed, then took us back to the motel to collect our things.
We got to the town and eventually found the hire vehicle place (it was part of a tyre repair workshop with basically no signage). As I headed to the vehicle I felt sick with nerves. So I decided to stop at KFC for lunch before we drove the rest of the way home.
As we were coming out of the parking lot after lunch, I realised that I was driving like a nervous Nelly and needed to calm down so that I didn't cause another accident. I had to suck it up and get back on that horse!
On the way home a car was overtaking from the opposite direction and I didn't think they'd get back onto their side of the road in time. I braked (carefully) and they made it back with plenty of room, but it shook me up again.
I didn't turn around to the back seat for anything as we drove this time. Every time the Little Big Fella needed something I found a safe place to pull over then dealt with whatever it was. I don't think I'll ever take my eyes off the road for him again! That extra couple of minutes on the trip, even if it adds up to an extra half hour over the whole trip, is not worth the fear and anxiety of having put my son's life in danger - even though it thankfully turned out okay.
My grandparents called me when we were nearly home. I was SO tempted to answer the phone because I knew they were anxious about us. But there was nowhere to pull over and I wasn't going to risk it. I got to speak to them the next day (they were out that evening) and I think we're going to have to plan another trip down soon (maybe by train???). I get the feeling they won't be satisfied that we're okay until they hold us in their arms.
We got home and the dogs barked up a storm, not recognising the vehicle. We got upstairs and there was my husband! Yes, that was a big hug moment!
By this stage I was completely exhausted. My back was sore, my neck was stiff, (amazingly no seatbelt bruises though!), my tetanus injection site was sore, I was emotionally wrung out. The Big Fella cooked us steak and veges for dinner and I was in bed just after 8.
I slept, only waking briefly once, for about 11 hours! When I woke I had a long, hot shower and finally had a chance to cry out all of the tension that had built up over the past 40 hours. I felt amazingly good after that sleep, shower and cry!
The Big Fella went to work fairly early, and the Little Big Fella and I went and visited his best friend. It was exactly what we needed - the Little Big Fella got to play and I got to have a chat with a friend who didn't push me and let the whole thing drop when I needed to. She also recognised the miracles in the whole situation, which helped me immensely.
I got to take a brain break from thinking or talking about the accident for most of that day and I definitely needed that. It's the main reason this post is only just done now. Then last night I got to catch up with a couple of other friends, briefly tell the story and then move on to other, much more fun things - craft and painting nails :-D
The car has been written off. Amazingly, we'd actually signed a lease on a vehicle last month and asked them not to deliver it until early May. We'd decided to keep the Rodeo as the Big Fella's car, because a man needs a ute. He's been in contact with the lease company and they're trying to get it to us by the end of the month. Add another little miracle; we can have the hire car until the 29th of the month! I guess the Big Fella will have to do with a trailer instead of a ute, but he's happy enough with that because he still has his family.
Our insurance company has informed us that we are eligible for emergency cost refunds, so our breakfast at the motel, the cost of the taxi, and possibly the cost of returning the hire vehicle to a closer town will be reimbursed.
I can't walk away from this without believing that we have been incredibly looked after! From the tiny things like the DVD player working, to the major thing of coming out alive and uninjured, to the financial stress being practically nil, to the amazing people who helped us along the way... all miracles that make me so grateful for my life and my family and my friends and the way my life is.
So people, don't take your eyes off the road! And hug your loved ones whenever you can - no matter what's annoying you about them, there are more important things in life.
Well, that was the plan, anyway.
Everything was going to plan - I was even ready early to go collect the Little Big Fella from kindy! Then we were on our way.
There were lots of roadworks happening - repairs from the flooding earlier in the year - and I was relieved when we finally turned off the highway to the inland route. We stopped in the next major town for fuel and food, including a blueberry muffin for the Little Big Fella.
The trip had been pretty pleasant so far. The scenery was lovely and we were getting along just fine. I'd noticed that there were some sections along the road where the grass was really long! I'd been thinking that it would be a major fire hazard once the land starts to dry out.
About two hours down the road from there the Little Big Fella decided that he wanted his muffin. I'd unwrapped it and passed it back to him. Then, after a few minutes he decided that he didn't really like it.
As he was passing it back to me he dropped it, and the wrappers, on the floor. I reached back and picked up the muffin. Then I reached back to get the wrappers. I couldn't find the wrappers just by feel so, given that the road was straight and there weren't any cars, I turned my head around to look.
And that's where it all went wrong.
I must have brought the steering wheel with my eyes because when I flicked my vision back to the road I only have a memory of seeing tall grass. At that stage I'm pretty certain we were still on the road, but possibly on the shoulder.
I sat up properly and tried to correct our path on the road, but must have overdone it. I think at that stage I pulled the car back to the left, again over-correcting, then to the right, definitely over-correcting.
I remember thinking, "steer into the spin" followed by, "which way is that????". I touched my foot on the brake and then realised that was the wrong thing to do and took my foot off and just held on.
The car spun around 180 degrees until we were on the other side of the road, facing the way we had come. We just about stopped. Everything was nearly alright. And then I thought, "oh shit! We're going over".
The car rolled over onto the roof.
I was either very disoriented or passed out momentarily because I suddenly realised the Little Big Fella was crying. I recognised it as a scared cry, not a hurt cry and started talking calmly to him, telling him that we were okay.
Then he said to me, "Mummy, we're upside-down".
"Yes, we are honey but I'm going to undo my seatbelt, then come and undo yours and we'll get out of the car."
And I did. Initially I couldn't open the door, then realised that the driver's door was up against all that long grass. I tried the passenger door and it wouldn't open either.
"Oh bugger! We're going to have to wait in here until the rescue guys arrive with their big car-opening tools", I thought!
But then I tried again, with a little more oomph and it opened pretty easily.
We climbed out and I saw 4 or 5 people already walking towards us, seeing if we were okay or if they could help. And I was overwhelmed by their kindness. How could so many people already have stopped? And have that much concern? I could see it in their faces - they were honestly concerned! And I was just so grateful that we weren't alone.
I told them we were okay, it was just the two of us and we were okay, but I had no idea what to do next. I was pretty shaky and still mildly dizzy.
I turned around and looked at the car:
I needed to call the Big Fella and let him know.
I needed to call my grandparents and let them know we wouldn't be staying there that night and that we were okay.
I needed to call Roadside Assist and find out how we could continue our journey, or get home.
Who to call first? And was there even any phone reception?
A lovely man gave me his phone to try calling people but, as I'd guessed, there was no phone reception just there.
By the time we'd realised this, the local policeman turned up. He'd just finished work and was on his way home, amazingly along that particular road at that particular time. This was within a minute, maybe two of us getting out of the car.
The policeman radioed for a tow truck and the ambulance ("just to check us out" he said, "he's pretty bored right now anyway").
While he was on the radio I discovered that I was bleeding on my legs. Turns out I had a couple of really small scratches, but because I hadn't realised I was even bleeding, they looked terrible.
 |
| You can hardly even see these ones, half way down to my ankle. |
 |
| These two stung a little in the shower that night and the following day and were the ones that produced the most blood. But they're so small it's not even worth counting them! |
The next 4 hours are a bit of a blur of questions and physical checks. The policeman checked for alcohol (0.0 of course! I don't drink and drive.), the ambulance guy checked our blood pressure and my sugar levels, the policeman took pictures and asked questions, the tow truck guy turned up.
Hang on! I have to brag about all of these people for a minute! The tow truck guy was so wonderful to us! He climbed back into the car and pulled all of our things out. Nothing was broken except for a couple of boiled eggs in the esky! Including the Little Big Fella's DVD player! Later that evening he even went back to the car to collect something important from the glovebox for me.
The ambulance guy was completely laid back and made the whole experience a bit of an adventure for the Little Big Fella. He was very calming and helped me not feel like a complete idiot.
The policeman obviously had his job to do in terms of finding out what happened, but he was so lovely about it and ended up being particularly helpful. And that's beside the fact that he'd already finished work for the day and suddenly had to do at least an extra four hours work! And he never made me feel like a stupid, female driver or anything along those lines.
After about an hour at the scene (I think), the ambo was ready to take us to hospital. We'd already determined that we were okay, but with this kind of incident they always want to make sure there's no internal injuries or bleeding. So he got the Little Big Fella into the back of the ambulance while I took the photo of the car and grabbed my handbag. The rest of our things went into the back of the divvy van.
 |
| The Little Big Fella in the back of the ambulance, with the lovely ambo himself. |
Actually, it was my first ride in an ambulance too! And my first car accident. And my first traffic ticket.
As soon as we pulled up at the hospital, the Little Big Fella undid his "seatbelt" and was eager to get out. The ambo came around and opened the door and was completely surprised to find my Little Big Fella at the door waiting for him!
"I guess you want to walk yourselves inside then!" he said.
So we followed him inside to their emergency room where the next hour or so was completely taken up with answering questions and being poked and prodded. Being such a small hospital, they didn't have x-ray or blood testing facilities so they had to do things the old fashioned way - touch, response and time.
I can't remember how many times they took our blood pressure, checked our eyes and asked us to move this way or that way.
After a little while the Little Big Fella realised that we weren't going to get to Gran and Poppy's or home to our place that night. He started crying and saying he wanted his Daddy. I hugged him and told him we'd be okay because we were going to sleep in a room with beds next to each other (at this stage I had no idea if we'd be in hospital overnight, or if we'd end up in a motel somewhere). He calmed down but obviously wasn't very happy.
The nurses then decided to move us into a room (it was about three hours after the crash by now) and I set the Little Big Fella up with his DVD player (thankfully it had plenty of battery power left in it) and some of the food from our box and esky (the kitchen staff had gone home a while ago), and he was happy and comfortable.
Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I'd been given a phone and a few minutes to call the Big Fella. He'd gone to bed and was just about asleep in preparation for an early morning shift at work. I felt so horrible, effectively waking him up with such a shocking conversation.
And I guess I was nervous - not because I thought he'd be upset about the car really, but he'd be worried about us, even though we were okay. And I knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Which made me worry about him going to work.
The Big Fella took it really well and once we got off the phone he started calling Roadside Assist and our insurance company (turns out you have to get a claim going with your insurance company for the Roadside Assist to be able to do much for you). Throughout the evening the nurses were wonderful Personal Assistants, answering phone calls between us and taking messages!
Beside that, the nurses were absolutely wonderful and did a great job of standing in for my mum, as well as providing the necessary medical care. I felt comforted and as comfortable as possible, and I knew that my little boy was okay in their care.
I also got to call my grandparents. Again, I felt awful making that call because I knew that even though I told them we were okay, they'd be awfully worried. And disappointed too. We were all very much looking forward to catching up!
The policeman eventually got a chance to take a recorded statement. I was kind of glad that it had taken that long to get to it, because I'd had a chance to remember more details than I could at the side of the road. It also gave me a chance to thank him for all of his help, and for being so willing to do it out of hours. He'd been exceptionally kind about it all and was part of the reason I was able to keep it all together.
Eventually it worked out that Roadside Assist arranged for the tow truck guy to drive us to the next town an hour closer to home (there was no accommodation available in the little town we'd crashed outside of) after we were released from hospital (and after I finally got cleaned up and had a tetanus injection - which caused me more pain than anything else over the next two days!). We stayed in a motel room for the night and the Little Big Fella slept like a log!
Unfortunately, I didn't.
My brain kept running through everything that had happened, and how much worse it could have been, and what was going to happen next. And then my body started to get a bit sore - not in any of the ways the doctor had said to look out for, just in a sore back and a stiff neck.
The next morning I woke feeling only slightly refreshed and unsure about what the day held for us, but so grateful for all the little miracles as well as the big one of being unhurt!
We had a slow start then went down to breakfast in the restaurant. They'd even cooked the Little Big Fella's eggs without the yolk, just how he likes it, which helped start the day well.
I spent most of the next four hours on the phone to various people, attempting to work out what was happening and if we could continue our journey, or how we'd make it home.
After lots of to-ing and fro-ing, trying this option and that option, we decided that it was going to work out best if we made our way home. That required a taxi to the next town, another hour closer to home, to collect a hire vehicle. Then I'd drive us the two hours plus home.
Because of how small the town was, the taxi driver was painting under his house when I called. He picked us up (we'd gone out for a bike ride so the Little Big Fella could get some energy out), took us to the corner shop that the taxi owner ran, went home to shower and change while we had a little bite to eat and relaxed, then took us back to the motel to collect our things.
We got to the town and eventually found the hire vehicle place (it was part of a tyre repair workshop with basically no signage). As I headed to the vehicle I felt sick with nerves. So I decided to stop at KFC for lunch before we drove the rest of the way home.
As we were coming out of the parking lot after lunch, I realised that I was driving like a nervous Nelly and needed to calm down so that I didn't cause another accident. I had to suck it up and get back on that horse!
On the way home a car was overtaking from the opposite direction and I didn't think they'd get back onto their side of the road in time. I braked (carefully) and they made it back with plenty of room, but it shook me up again.
I didn't turn around to the back seat for anything as we drove this time. Every time the Little Big Fella needed something I found a safe place to pull over then dealt with whatever it was. I don't think I'll ever take my eyes off the road for him again! That extra couple of minutes on the trip, even if it adds up to an extra half hour over the whole trip, is not worth the fear and anxiety of having put my son's life in danger - even though it thankfully turned out okay.
My grandparents called me when we were nearly home. I was SO tempted to answer the phone because I knew they were anxious about us. But there was nowhere to pull over and I wasn't going to risk it. I got to speak to them the next day (they were out that evening) and I think we're going to have to plan another trip down soon (maybe by train???). I get the feeling they won't be satisfied that we're okay until they hold us in their arms.
We got home and the dogs barked up a storm, not recognising the vehicle. We got upstairs and there was my husband! Yes, that was a big hug moment!
By this stage I was completely exhausted. My back was sore, my neck was stiff, (amazingly no seatbelt bruises though!), my tetanus injection site was sore, I was emotionally wrung out. The Big Fella cooked us steak and veges for dinner and I was in bed just after 8.
I slept, only waking briefly once, for about 11 hours! When I woke I had a long, hot shower and finally had a chance to cry out all of the tension that had built up over the past 40 hours. I felt amazingly good after that sleep, shower and cry!
The Big Fella went to work fairly early, and the Little Big Fella and I went and visited his best friend. It was exactly what we needed - the Little Big Fella got to play and I got to have a chat with a friend who didn't push me and let the whole thing drop when I needed to. She also recognised the miracles in the whole situation, which helped me immensely.
I got to take a brain break from thinking or talking about the accident for most of that day and I definitely needed that. It's the main reason this post is only just done now. Then last night I got to catch up with a couple of other friends, briefly tell the story and then move on to other, much more fun things - craft and painting nails :-D
The car has been written off. Amazingly, we'd actually signed a lease on a vehicle last month and asked them not to deliver it until early May. We'd decided to keep the Rodeo as the Big Fella's car, because a man needs a ute. He's been in contact with the lease company and they're trying to get it to us by the end of the month. Add another little miracle; we can have the hire car until the 29th of the month! I guess the Big Fella will have to do with a trailer instead of a ute, but he's happy enough with that because he still has his family.
Our insurance company has informed us that we are eligible for emergency cost refunds, so our breakfast at the motel, the cost of the taxi, and possibly the cost of returning the hire vehicle to a closer town will be reimbursed.
I can't walk away from this without believing that we have been incredibly looked after! From the tiny things like the DVD player working, to the major thing of coming out alive and uninjured, to the financial stress being practically nil, to the amazing people who helped us along the way... all miracles that make me so grateful for my life and my family and my friends and the way my life is.
So people, don't take your eyes off the road! And hug your loved ones whenever you can - no matter what's annoying you about them, there are more important things in life.
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Look out!!!
My Little Big Fella is amazing. He's clever and interesting and has some pretty good skills for a 4 year old.
But sometimes I just wonder what on earth is going on in his head!
This afternoon we went for a ride and had a bit of a play at the park. On the way home we were riding next to each other, when the Little Big Fella diverged to the other side of the road. I think he wanted to ride through a puddle.
I realised what was about to happen just before it did.
He was looking at the ground, not at where he was going.
I slammed on my brakes and jumped off the bike as he... ran straight into a parked car! Head on!
If he wasn't crying and upset I seriously would have laughed out loud because it looked SO funny!!!
As it was, he wasn't hurt - the ground was soft from the rain we've had the past day or so - and the car had a nice big bullbar so it wasn't scratched or anything either.
I wonder what he was thinking about, as he failed to see where he was going and what was about to happen? And I wonder if he'll remember to watch where he's going next time?
But sometimes I just wonder what on earth is going on in his head!
This afternoon we went for a ride and had a bit of a play at the park. On the way home we were riding next to each other, when the Little Big Fella diverged to the other side of the road. I think he wanted to ride through a puddle.
I realised what was about to happen just before it did.
He was looking at the ground, not at where he was going.
I slammed on my brakes and jumped off the bike as he... ran straight into a parked car! Head on!
If he wasn't crying and upset I seriously would have laughed out loud because it looked SO funny!!!
As it was, he wasn't hurt - the ground was soft from the rain we've had the past day or so - and the car had a nice big bullbar so it wasn't scratched or anything either.
I wonder what he was thinking about, as he failed to see where he was going and what was about to happen? And I wonder if he'll remember to watch where he's going next time?
Friday, 12 April 2013
4 year old vaccinations
Here in Australia, when a child turns 4 they get to have their last vaccinations (until year 8 - about 15 years old) and a developmental check. What a way to celebrate, huh?
Yesterday was the Little Big Fella's day for it.
As I was thinking about it last night, I realised we'd kind of been preparing him mentally for this for about six months. When our little dogs had to get their vaccinations in December we talked about what a it is and why we have them. The Little Big Fella also learned the word at that stage, which blows me away as well!
Also in December, January and February I received some vitamin B12 injections, and then had a blood test, and the Little Big Fella came along with me once or twice. He got to see that it's no big deal (yes, that was a bit of an act on my part, given that I'm not great with needles), and he even got a chocolate with the blood test for being "such a brave boy watching Mummy".
Last week we went to the doctor's surgery to make the appointment so we got a chance to talk a little bit about what would be happening today. No big deal, and he promptly forgot about it.
Yesterday morning I thought it would be a good idea to let him know that it was vaccination day. We talked about it just a little, then he went off and played. After lunch we jumped in the car and I noticed that he was a little quiet on the way to the next town.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
No real answer.
"Are you a little bit nervous?"
"Yeah."
I told him it's okay to be a bit nervous and we also talked about the other things the nurse would do - check his eyes and ears, maybe watch him play and ask him about stuff.
When we got there he was weighed (22kg) and his height was measured (118cm), then the nurse sent us into the next room while she prepared the needles. The Little Big Fella was really relaxed while we were waiting.
When she came in, the nurse asked me to take his top off (we couldn't push the sleeves up high enough) and sit him on my lap, with his hands in his lap, and mine over his. The other nurse came in and recognised him, making a big fuss over how big he was etc.
Then 1, 2, 3 and the needles were in (one in each arm)!
The Little Big Fella was a bit surprised that it hurt, I think. He watched one of the needles all the way, and kind of squirmed very slightly. Then he just said, "that hurt a little bit".
The nurses made a big fuss of how brave my boy was, then second nurse left and the Little Big Fella was given 2 chocolate frogs! He ate one and we put the other in my bag for later :-)
Then the nurse asked a bunch of questions to both me and the Little Big Fella and we were done. I'm happy to let you know that there are no indicators of developmental issues.
We had some food shopping to do before coming home. In the supermarket, the Little Big Fella was really well behaved, but just kept getting louder and louder! He was saying "hi" to everyone we came across, and telling them that he was 4 and he'd just had his "vaccinations". I was starting to think we'd have to go for a bike ride or something when we got home because he had way too much energy and volume!
But, wouldn't you know it? He fell asleep on the way home and had a half hour nap! (I used to kind of love vaccinations and chiropractor appointments when he was a baby because he'd always have a big sleep that afternoon!)
So it turns out that my big boy, who cries when his friends bump into him, is brave when it comes to vaccinations.
Yesterday was the Little Big Fella's day for it.
As I was thinking about it last night, I realised we'd kind of been preparing him mentally for this for about six months. When our little dogs had to get their vaccinations in December we talked about what a it is and why we have them. The Little Big Fella also learned the word at that stage, which blows me away as well!
Also in December, January and February I received some vitamin B12 injections, and then had a blood test, and the Little Big Fella came along with me once or twice. He got to see that it's no big deal (yes, that was a bit of an act on my part, given that I'm not great with needles), and he even got a chocolate with the blood test for being "such a brave boy watching Mummy".
Last week we went to the doctor's surgery to make the appointment so we got a chance to talk a little bit about what would be happening today. No big deal, and he promptly forgot about it.
Yesterday morning I thought it would be a good idea to let him know that it was vaccination day. We talked about it just a little, then he went off and played. After lunch we jumped in the car and I noticed that he was a little quiet on the way to the next town.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
No real answer.
"Are you a little bit nervous?"
"Yeah."
I told him it's okay to be a bit nervous and we also talked about the other things the nurse would do - check his eyes and ears, maybe watch him play and ask him about stuff.
When we got there he was weighed (22kg) and his height was measured (118cm), then the nurse sent us into the next room while she prepared the needles. The Little Big Fella was really relaxed while we were waiting.
When she came in, the nurse asked me to take his top off (we couldn't push the sleeves up high enough) and sit him on my lap, with his hands in his lap, and mine over his. The other nurse came in and recognised him, making a big fuss over how big he was etc.
Then 1, 2, 3 and the needles were in (one in each arm)!
The Little Big Fella was a bit surprised that it hurt, I think. He watched one of the needles all the way, and kind of squirmed very slightly. Then he just said, "that hurt a little bit".
The nurses made a big fuss of how brave my boy was, then second nurse left and the Little Big Fella was given 2 chocolate frogs! He ate one and we put the other in my bag for later :-)
Then the nurse asked a bunch of questions to both me and the Little Big Fella and we were done. I'm happy to let you know that there are no indicators of developmental issues.
We had some food shopping to do before coming home. In the supermarket, the Little Big Fella was really well behaved, but just kept getting louder and louder! He was saying "hi" to everyone we came across, and telling them that he was 4 and he'd just had his "vaccinations". I was starting to think we'd have to go for a bike ride or something when we got home because he had way too much energy and volume!
But, wouldn't you know it? He fell asleep on the way home and had a half hour nap! (I used to kind of love vaccinations and chiropractor appointments when he was a baby because he'd always have a big sleep that afternoon!)
So it turns out that my big boy, who cries when his friends bump into him, is brave when it comes to vaccinations.
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Living area reveal!
I know, I know! The furniture arrived on Tuesday and it's taken me this long to show it to you!!! So instead of wasting more time writing about it, I'll just show you the pictures :-D
Here's when we first moved in. Bit of a mess and hard to see the actual furniture, but it gives you half an idea :)
And here's where we'd moved pretty much everything out:
I think everything is gone in this pic:
And here's the new stuff :)
The plan is that we'll sand back the coffee table and stain it to match the rest of the furniture. The TV is loving being on a proper stand, rather than on top of a box (albeit a lovely box) with the stereo stacked on the side looking very untidy!
And yes! That is a wine rack over there :-) Looks like I'll be stopping in at Dan Murphy's next week (darn!).
You can't see it very well, but there's a rather large buffet in the corner behind the dining table. Somehow it fits SO much more in it than the last one (probably partly because of the huge drawers!!!), to the point that I still have room in it. Between the new kitchen and the new furniture, I feel like I actually have space for all of our "stuff", especially now that we've purged a lot of it anyway.
So there it all is! We have a plan to replace the lounge suite some time in the next 12 months, and I'd like to get some new table cloths and runners, an up-light (we only have flouros and sometimes you just want a bit of mood lighting), and some art for the walls.
Last night we were watching a little TV and the Big Fella says to me, "you know, it feels like a real house now". I guess that means we've chosen the right stuff for us :-D
Here's when we first moved in. Bit of a mess and hard to see the actual furniture, but it gives you half an idea :)
And here's where we'd moved pretty much everything out:
I think everything is gone in this pic:
And here's the new stuff :)
The plan is that we'll sand back the coffee table and stain it to match the rest of the furniture. The TV is loving being on a proper stand, rather than on top of a box (albeit a lovely box) with the stereo stacked on the side looking very untidy!
And yes! That is a wine rack over there :-) Looks like I'll be stopping in at Dan Murphy's next week (darn!).
You can't see it very well, but there's a rather large buffet in the corner behind the dining table. Somehow it fits SO much more in it than the last one (probably partly because of the huge drawers!!!), to the point that I still have room in it. Between the new kitchen and the new furniture, I feel like I actually have space for all of our "stuff", especially now that we've purged a lot of it anyway.
So there it all is! We have a plan to replace the lounge suite some time in the next 12 months, and I'd like to get some new table cloths and runners, an up-light (we only have flouros and sometimes you just want a bit of mood lighting), and some art for the walls.
Last night we were watching a little TV and the Big Fella says to me, "you know, it feels like a real house now". I guess that means we've chosen the right stuff for us :-D
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Re-assessing my style
I am not a fashionista.
It's not that I don't like fashion (well, sometimes I don't like some fashions because I think they're completely ridiculous), it's just that fashion isn't all that important to me, especially as a stay-at-home-mum living essentially in the middle of nowhere, where trackies (track suit pants) and moccies (moccasins or slippers) are just as acceptable as a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
But I've been thinking lately that the style of clothing that I keep going for is either too old for me, or 10 (maybe even 20) years ago. And even though I don't have the opportunity to get dressed up very often, I'd like to shake up my daily wardrobe anyway.
So I spent some time looking at pages responding to the Google search "how to change your style". One that really caught my attention talked about having a 10-piece wardrobe! Now that is my idea of a wardrobe :-D I've ordered her book and will let you know if I find it interesting and easily applicable ;-) And she has a website if you want to check it out.
I worked out that in summer the styles I love are Bohemian and Surfy/Sporty, but in winter I like Classic or Preppy styles. In summer I like to wear floaty, lightweight, light coloured, relaxed clothes. But in winter I like to go for the crisp lines of well-fitting pants, or a gorgeous pencil skirt, shirts and jackets.
Then I wasted a LOT of time looking at websites like Gap, Kathmandu and Birdsnest, pinning the outfits that got my attention.
As I looked through, I realised that some of the items of clothing in my wardrobe are still the style that I want to wear - I just need to wear them differently or pair them up with other things that what I normally wear.
And accessorize. I'm really bad at that these days. I think when I had the Little Big Fella I started to ignore all of my jewellery in particular, because having it pulled is a big fat pain in the butt! But it's time to get back to accessories!
So now with my new styles in mind, along with the current pieces I own, next time I go shopping I'm thinking I'll be coming home with something a little bit different. (Excited little squeal!)
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Takin' a break
Last night I mentioned in my post that I'd taken some time out and painted my nails. And tonight I thought I'd share my obviously awesome talent with you!!!
Are you ready?
Wait for it....
I know right??? I should totally be a nail technician/artist!!! Tee hee hee :-D
Hope you got a little giggle out of that... because I did!
Are you ready?
Wait for it....
I know right??? I should totally be a nail technician/artist!!! Tee hee hee :-D
Hope you got a little giggle out of that... because I did!
Monday, 8 April 2013
The Balancing Act Called Motherhood
As well as re-creating our whole house (well, that's almost how it feels), I've been pondering the dilemma of modern motherhood lately. Or perhaps I should say modern parenting because Dads get their fair share of this one too.
You know what I'm talking about; the balancing act between work and home, hands-on and hands-off, nurturing and discipline, child's needs and parent's needs... and on and on it goes.
When we moved here I expected to be able to find a great Family Day Carer (although, I didn't expect anyone to live up to SuperCarer's standards really), then get a job and complain about how hard it is to balance work and motherhood.
But it hasn't quite worked out that way.
So for me, right now, the balancing act is particularly between my needs and the Little Big Fella's needs. And I don't think the balance is great just now.
I'm an introvert. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm shy - it means that when I'm exhausted or overwhelmed or basically need to recharge, I need to be alone. And at the moment, that's just not happening.
Instead, I'm getting constant touch (mostly licks actually - from the Little Big Fella ??? and the dogs), constant interruption (normally with requests for food or to call a friend to play with), and no chance to recharge.
And it's making me an absolute cranky pants!!!
Obviously, for all our sakes, I need some time out. Because our balance is out!
So what do I do?
Well, for starters, tonight the Big Fella and I made sure the dishes were done as soon as dinner was finished. That takes the evening load off, just that little bit.
Also, luckily, the Little Big Fella was pretty tired tonight and crashed in bed as soon as he'd had his shower.
Then the Big Fella and I watched a TV show together before he went off to work. I painted my nails at the same time (it's weird that a bit of care and attention to your nails can re-set your head).
And now I'm taking some time to read a bit of parenting stuff online (like this one about guilt, and this one about the core of parenting) and blog about my failures :-)
The house is quiet and nothing is demanding my attention. It's not late so I don't feel guilty or concerned about how tired I'll be tomorrow.
I feel relaxed and re-set and ready to take on the challenge again tomorrow.
And you know there'll be a new balancing act to conquer tomorrow, because that's what happens in this life they call "parenting" - there's always a challenge!
You know what I'm talking about; the balancing act between work and home, hands-on and hands-off, nurturing and discipline, child's needs and parent's needs... and on and on it goes.
When we moved here I expected to be able to find a great Family Day Carer (although, I didn't expect anyone to live up to SuperCarer's standards really), then get a job and complain about how hard it is to balance work and motherhood.
But it hasn't quite worked out that way.
So for me, right now, the balancing act is particularly between my needs and the Little Big Fella's needs. And I don't think the balance is great just now.
I'm an introvert. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm shy - it means that when I'm exhausted or overwhelmed or basically need to recharge, I need to be alone. And at the moment, that's just not happening.
Instead, I'm getting constant touch (mostly licks actually - from the Little Big Fella ??? and the dogs), constant interruption (normally with requests for food or to call a friend to play with), and no chance to recharge.
And it's making me an absolute cranky pants!!!
Obviously, for all our sakes, I need some time out. Because our balance is out!
So what do I do?
Well, for starters, tonight the Big Fella and I made sure the dishes were done as soon as dinner was finished. That takes the evening load off, just that little bit.
Also, luckily, the Little Big Fella was pretty tired tonight and crashed in bed as soon as he'd had his shower.
Then the Big Fella and I watched a TV show together before he went off to work. I painted my nails at the same time (it's weird that a bit of care and attention to your nails can re-set your head).
And now I'm taking some time to read a bit of parenting stuff online (like this one about guilt, and this one about the core of parenting) and blog about my failures :-)
The house is quiet and nothing is demanding my attention. It's not late so I don't feel guilty or concerned about how tired I'll be tomorrow.
I feel relaxed and re-set and ready to take on the challenge again tomorrow.
And you know there'll be a new balancing act to conquer tomorrow, because that's what happens in this life they call "parenting" - there's always a challenge!
Sunday, 7 April 2013
MORE Changes!
If you've been following along, we've obviously been making some changes to furniture and use of space in our little house. This has been partially inspired by the new paint and kitchen provided by the company the Big Fella works for, who own the house.
That big, empty space over there? That's where the table and chairs were until lunchtime today. And the window closest to the door? That's where our buffet was.
Obviously the space at the front is where the dining table was. The chair thingy with the bags on it and shoes on the little shelf (on the left) will be going tomorrow. That big space on the wall behind the couch is where the big bookshelf was and where the new TV unit is planning to go.
Well, this coming week our new dining table and chairs, buffet, TV stand and wine rack should be arriving! Yay!
Obviously, that means getting rid of the stuff we already have, right?
Well, I took photos of the furniture we wanted to sell and put them up on our local Buy/Swap/Sell page on Facebook. And it's nearly all gone! We are dining table-less for the next day and a half, which could be interesting :-D
Added to the furniture that's now gone, we've moved our massive bookshelf from the lounge room to the office.
My living area looks so bare! Wanna see? It's a bit messy and desperately needs to be vacuumed, but I'm thinking you won't care about that :-D
That big, empty space over there? That's where the table and chairs were until lunchtime today. And the window closest to the door? That's where our buffet was.
Obviously the space at the front is where the dining table was. The chair thingy with the bags on it and shoes on the little shelf (on the left) will be going tomorrow. That big space on the wall behind the couch is where the big bookshelf was and where the new TV unit is planning to go.
And here's the little disaster my lovely new office has temporarily turned into. The bookshelf on the right is the one from the lounge room, storing not only books but items that will go in the new buffet, and the bookshelf on the left is the one that matches our new desk etc. It has a couple of filing drawers in the bottom and is rather useful! All that crafty stuff all over it needs... re-packaging ;-)
So there you go, more things changing in our house! I think we're nearly done though. Which is kind of good, because having everything so messy and all over the place really does my head in!!!
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Go to bed!!!
I'm an idiot.
No really!
I'm sitting here, writing this post, when I really want and need to be in bed.
So why am I here?
Well there's a massive philosophical question for you!!! And it's too deep for this time of night so I'll take it on the literal level and respond that when I'm tired I make bad decisions. And often those decisions involve delaying bedtime.
I mean, I was tired at 7:30 for goodness sake!
Why am I still here, typing?
Why did I watch NCIS when I really don't care whether I see it or not?
Why did I re-paint my nails, especially when they'll need re-doing within 24 to 36 hours anyway and there's no special event coming up?
And while I'm in the questioning mood, why did I forget to workout today? And what's up with the Little Big Fella wearing winter pyjamas then sweating it out in bed?
Obviously I'm mildly delirious so instead of continuing this rant and wasting more of your precious life, and instead of wasting more of my precious sleeping time, I think I'll go to bed.
Goodnight all! Hope you're having beautiful dreams :-)
No really!
I'm sitting here, writing this post, when I really want and need to be in bed.
So why am I here?
Well there's a massive philosophical question for you!!! And it's too deep for this time of night so I'll take it on the literal level and respond that when I'm tired I make bad decisions. And often those decisions involve delaying bedtime.
I mean, I was tired at 7:30 for goodness sake!
Why am I still here, typing?
Why did I watch NCIS when I really don't care whether I see it or not?
Why did I re-paint my nails, especially when they'll need re-doing within 24 to 36 hours anyway and there's no special event coming up?
And while I'm in the questioning mood, why did I forget to workout today? And what's up with the Little Big Fella wearing winter pyjamas then sweating it out in bed?
Obviously I'm mildly delirious so instead of continuing this rant and wasting more of your precious life, and instead of wasting more of my precious sleeping time, I think I'll go to bed.
Goodnight all! Hope you're having beautiful dreams :-)
Monday, 1 April 2013
Re-styling the office
When the Big Fella and I were discussing what we'd like to do this year, we decided we'd like to replace a lot of our furniture. We had realised when we moved here that a lot of it was kind of cheap and wasn't surviving well in the sub-tropical humidity.
So we started with the Little Big Fella's room, replacing his $10 bed with a king single, and getting matching bedside and drawers.
So we started with the Little Big Fella's room, replacing his $10 bed with a king single, and getting matching bedside and drawers.
The Little Big Fella wanted me to put this one in for you today as well :-D
While we were back at our old town, we had the chance to look at some office furniture and decided on a very smart looking set. I was very tempted by a $2000 desk, but in the end couldn't justify it and wouldn't have been able to match any shelving with it, which is where I'll be keeping my crafty bits and pieces. We actually found a set of drawers for some of those crafty bits that's a little different to the desk set, but still works and looks great.
Hmmm, let's see if I have a pic of the way the office was.
Okay, this one is from when we first moved in. I'd moved things around a little but basically this is it. This room has no built-in storage, which has made it practically impossible to keep it tidy. I've had to keep some things in their moving boxes, and there's just not enough room to get to them all. It's been a source of constant frustration for me.
Well, this is what I see as I walk down my hallway now!
Isn't that gorgeous and cheery? One of the large drawers is where I've started putting the Little Big Fella's kindy paintings, which is SO much better than having them all around the place. And a friend suggested using them as wrapping paper for gifts to family, so they're easy to get to for that too!
The desk and drawers came in boxes and I got to put most of it together. It wasn't difficult, but it was really complicated!
Alright. Are you ready? Are you sure? Okay, here's the new desk and drawers!
I think I'm going to tweak it a little bit more, and I still need to stick my calendar up on the wall, but I'm loving having a real desk again!
When we moved from Victoria, we got rid of our big, heavy desk that we'd been using to study. We haven't had a real one since then. That's seven years ago! Seriously, put this lovely desk with my new double sink and I'm just about in heaven! :-)
Okay, and just so you know that I'm completely human, here's the rest of the office at the moment:
We still need to put together a bookshelf with filing drawers at the bottom and then see how much of this fits in it. I'm thinking I might need to buy another bookshelf, but we'll wait and see! I'll let you know how it goes, of course ;-)
Kitchen renovation
I'm pretty sure I mentioned that the company house we're in was due for a kitchen renovation. And, of course, we recently ended up camping in the backyard while the house was painted internally.
This is the old kitchen:
Out with the old!
And in with the new!
Yep. I know what you're thinking. What's the difference? It's pretty much exactly the same, right? Well, almost.
We now have a space for a dishwasher. A dishwasher that we're very unlikely to buy, so thanks for taking away that cupboard that worked beautifully for my Tupperware! And, of course, there's no flooring under where the cupboard used to be. At least we now have an out-of-the-way space for the bins!
The upper cupboards are now a bit higher, which the Big Fella loves because he can see when he's making his coffee :-D The down side though, is that some of the appliances that we'd kept above the cupboards don't fit there any longer. Poo!
The pantry is the same size as the old one, but has an extra shelf inside. We still have everything stacked on top of and in front of everything else, but it fits much better. Yay!
And the drawers have been moved next to the pantry and are bigger so our millions of utensils are easier to find. Woo hoo!
Oh, and the other difference is that the splashback now goes behind the oven properly so it's easier to clean up.
Unfortunately, the kitchen guys ripped the wall in several places and somehow broke the switchplate for the oven. No big deal, but being a perfectionist these things bother me every time I look at them.
I almost forgot the absolute BEST part about our new kitchen!!! I can't believe it, because I've been hanging out for one of these for seven years!!!
Wait for it...
We now have...
(duh, duh, duuuuhhhhhh - that would be the dramatic music!)
A double sink!!!! YAY!!!!!
I cannot tell you how much I love having a double sink. I know, it sounds like such a silly thing. But when you have washing up water in the sink then you need to tip something down the sink, a single is an absolute pain in the butt!
Now, instead of rinsing and stacking up the dishes next to the sink, then sometimes being interrupted a million times before I finally get to washing them up at 10pm, I can have the washing up water there and ready to go as I'm cooking!!! The little workspace that we have is no longer covered with dishes so it feels like we have more bench space. Happy sigh.
So there you go! New paint, new kitchen, and hopefully soon there'll be new flooring too! It'll feel like a brand new house :-D Oh wait! It already does :-D
This is the old kitchen:
Out with the old!
And in with the new!
Yep. I know what you're thinking. What's the difference? It's pretty much exactly the same, right? Well, almost.
We now have a space for a dishwasher. A dishwasher that we're very unlikely to buy, so thanks for taking away that cupboard that worked beautifully for my Tupperware! And, of course, there's no flooring under where the cupboard used to be. At least we now have an out-of-the-way space for the bins!
The upper cupboards are now a bit higher, which the Big Fella loves because he can see when he's making his coffee :-D The down side though, is that some of the appliances that we'd kept above the cupboards don't fit there any longer. Poo!
The pantry is the same size as the old one, but has an extra shelf inside. We still have everything stacked on top of and in front of everything else, but it fits much better. Yay!
And the drawers have been moved next to the pantry and are bigger so our millions of utensils are easier to find. Woo hoo!
Oh, and the other difference is that the splashback now goes behind the oven properly so it's easier to clean up.
Unfortunately, the kitchen guys ripped the wall in several places and somehow broke the switchplate for the oven. No big deal, but being a perfectionist these things bother me every time I look at them.
I almost forgot the absolute BEST part about our new kitchen!!! I can't believe it, because I've been hanging out for one of these for seven years!!!
Wait for it...
We now have...
(duh, duh, duuuuhhhhhh - that would be the dramatic music!)
A double sink!!!! YAY!!!!!
I cannot tell you how much I love having a double sink. I know, it sounds like such a silly thing. But when you have washing up water in the sink then you need to tip something down the sink, a single is an absolute pain in the butt!
Now, instead of rinsing and stacking up the dishes next to the sink, then sometimes being interrupted a million times before I finally get to washing them up at 10pm, I can have the washing up water there and ready to go as I'm cooking!!! The little workspace that we have is no longer covered with dishes so it feels like we have more bench space. Happy sigh.
So there you go! New paint, new kitchen, and hopefully soon there'll be new flooring too! It'll feel like a brand new house :-D Oh wait! It already does :-D
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