random

It's been a pretty hectic week around here and I am so glad it's the weekend. Here are a few random tidbits and thoughts that have been crossing my mind lately:

1. we've reached 30 weeks with the pregnancy which means we had planning visit with out obstetrician the other day. He is the same doctor who delivered my other two babies so he's well aware of my history, which is a relief to say the least. The Doctor and I need to decide if we are going to try for a natural birth this time or go for another elective ceasarian. Thankfully our doctor didn't push us either way but calmly laid out the facts (including a very timely reminder of why we actually chose to have the last ceasarian) and said why not wait and see how she's doing at 36 weeks. Seeing as I had no idea what I wanted to do, this idea sounded good to me!!
For those of you who are also grappling with this decision or have done so in the past, I feel your pain! It's not an easy choice to make! Especially if you know there are risks to your baby, beyond the usual ones that go with a VBAC.

2. only four more weeks of work left for me. Hooray!! Don't get me wrong I really enjoy my job and am very grateful to have a teaching job that fits so easily into my life, but I sure am getting tired. And walking up and down that corridor all day long for another cup of tea or a loo break...well let's just say I'm going much slower now!

3. speaking of work, this week has been particularly hard. I may have mentioned before that my teaching job is working with kids who, for a range of different reasons, cannot/could not complete their year 10 at a mainstream high school. So basically we offer an alternative program of study of only two hours a day, in which students (many of whom have missed years of schooling) can have a chance at succeeding. Anyway, as you can imagine these kids come with no small amount of emotional baggage and this week it seems like that baggage was dumped unceremoniously right on my office doorstep. Problem is, I have no training in counselling and have absolutely no idea how to help these kids outside of the classroom. Aggghhhhhh!!!! Very frustrating to say the least. And tiring. And emotionally exhausting. And upsetting. Makes me so grateful that my kids are growing up in a house where they know they are loved and cherished; where education, learning and knowledge are all respected; where they have a range of people caring for them so that they can learn different things from different people (my daughter's Spanish which she learns from her grandmother is coming along in leaps and bounds!); and that they know, that no matter what, The Captain and I will always be there for them. My kids at school, have perhaps one of these things...if they're lucky. And some days that's painfully obvious and naturally heartbreaking.

4. as for my son, he is doing well this week at preschool. They had an excursion to see  the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and my son was absolutely blown away with the double bass!! I was impressed that he could recall all the other instruments that he saw: trumpet, tuba, violin, flute, cymbal and drum!! The Captain is a trained piano teacher so when our kids are a bit older they will definitely be getting some piano training, however if it is double bass that interests them, then why not!!??

5. i have deluded myself that spring has arrived early here in Canberra. This is because this morning when we woke up it was 5 degrees! As in, positive 5! That's a far cry from the minus 6 it was two days ago! And I for one am incredibly glad of it!! This winter has dragged on (perhaps because I've had to find decent, warm clothes to cover my expanding belly) and I'm really looking forward to at least 16 or 17 degree days :) At least it looks like we have a beautiful weekend of us to get out into the garden and do some clearning in preparation for our spring planting. It seems that my intense nesting instincts is moving to the garden rather than in the house. Why not??

6. after having nothing to read for a couple of weeks (and frankly feeling a bit lost because of it!) two books have fallen into my lap: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (book one of the Wheel of TIme series) and Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Both are fantasy and both are offering the possibility of being very good reads



7. and finally a big shout out to my older sis who had her first television appearance this week. Congrats Mich, we're so proud of you!!

So that's me in a nutshell this week. What's going on with you??