Well cheers to a uncertain future

Well this week more uncertainty has crept into my life.

I have been made redundant. 

While I'm not overly happy about the prospect of leaving the job I have held for the last 4 1/2yrs, I can honestly say I just don't have the fight left in me to try again to keep it.

So now with the uncertainty I have a world of possibility in front of me of what I can do next. While in theory this all sounds wonderful I'm not overly happy about this either as there is no structure, control, planning in place on what I am to do next.

Also with the possibility comes "new", I'm thinking about the concept of this now and while it is pushing me out of my comfort zone I'm actually kind of looking forward to it.

So I guess I plan the best way I can. So I'm to start with the job websites and ringing round trying to update my references etc.

So far I have applied for 3 jobs and I have 2 more I am still contemplating. The next "right job" will be just around the corner I'm sure. So for the time being it's a matter of holding on to the handlebars and let the roller coaster take me where it may.

Well wish me luck people and lets see where I end up next :). 

Oh and if you hear of anything in the admin department that you think I might be interested in please feel free to send it my way. The more people helping me look the better.

(Small side note. I started writing this post on Tuesday while waiting for the confirmation. I strategically left it until now to post so I get over all my angry "doom & gloom" and start looking on the bright side. I know this is situation is not forever and I found a awesome quote this week that I think sums it up.)
 

Secret Squirrel Business

Well by the time I actually post this onto the blog the cat should be out of the bag.
Thought I would use this page to document whats happening before the cat gets out though.

Today is 26/10/12.
I am currently 2 weeks away from getting a new last name and a new husband.
For those of you who don't now. We have been together for 8yrs now. Engaged for around 4ish (it's been that long with a couple of hiccups in between that I can't give exact times lol).

First of all I want to say I was overwhelmed when we got engaged (again) by all the congratulations we received. To be honest as it was really a re-engagement we didn't see it as a big deal so it was lovely that all of you thought it was :).
Thank you.

Well it's been 24hrs since the plan was proposed and nobody has changed their mind yet which is brilliant lol. I've been and got the papers so we'll see how we go from there :).

27/10/12
We had a bit of a giggle with the papers last night. In my best most serious voice I had to check with Mr E to make sure our marriage wasn't in the forbidden category.
Did you know you a woman may not marry her —

• (1) grandfather:
• (2) grandmother's husband:
• (3) husband's grandfather:
• 4) father's brother:
• (5) mother's brother:
• (6) father:
• (7) stepfather
• (8) husband's father:
• (9) son:
• (10) husband's son:
• (11) daughter's husband:
• (12) brother:
• (13) son's son:
• (14) daughter's son:
• (15) son's daughter's husband:
• (16) daughter's daughter's husband:
• (17) husband's son's son:
• (18) husband's daughter's son:
• (19) brother's son:
• (20) sister's son.

This also counts Civil Union partners :).

Pretty sure Mr E is not any of the above so I think we're safe :).

So the fun part so far has been inviting people. Trying to come up with a random reason as to why we're having a party is a bit hard. Just as well our friends have come to expect the random drink or 2 at our house where it isn't drawing to much attention :).

03/11/12
Well it's 6 days until the big event. I quite like the fact we are doing it this way as I'm not a very patient person and it's nice not having to worry about the bigger stuff that comes with a wedding. We have the rings already sussed as we sorted them out a few years ago so we're not having to run round and sort those out. We have a couple of witnesses sorted and I have my wonderful childcare lady in the know so she can help sort Miss Midget out before the event :).

Yesterday I went to the court house and paid for it.
It's quite funny seeing it on a printed receipt :).

05/11/12
So I get married this week. That is a rather funny thought. I want it to hurry up and be Friday already and be a happy memory. I know that sounds funny but I'm really not a center of attention kind of person. So the sooner it's all over we can get on with the celebrating I'll be happier. The questions are coming through thick and fast since we've been asking people for Saturday. Have dodged a few of them. Not sure how successful but oh well. I'm not to worried about people thinking that they are in the know. I just don't want hordes of people turning up at the court house expecting to watch.
So I guess we're on the countdown. 5 days.

Tonight and tomorrow night are going to be relatively quiet which will be nice. Mr E is at work today and tomorrow night  and night after so the plan is quiet night for us both tonight. Tomorrow is a chill out night for Me, Wednesday I have a girly night with a good friend of ours. Do our nails and that sort of stuff lol. Thursday Mr E is off with a mate doing boy stuff for his last day of freedom and well Friday is the day so I'm finishing at 1pm on Friday to go get ready and make sure Miss Midget is good to go. Exciting times.

Had a interesting chat before with Mr E's friends wife. The one he is running away with on Thursday to do boy stuff with. Apparently I'm not to expect him home on Thursday night. This scares me a little. The warning has been put in place that everything Mr E should be returned to me on Friday in the same condition I left in. This means all eye brows are where I left them in the same condition I left them in. There is to be no visible bruises or added extras like a ball and chain and or graffiti drawn on Mr E's face with marker of any description (Permanent or other wise). I have informed him (via his wife lol) that he will be a dead man walking if these conditions are not adhered to. So effectly he is going to be Mr E's body guard lol.

Have also been doing a bit of thinking with regards to last names. I'm quite excited. I'm going to have the same last name as my little family. No more will I have to explain that I am Donna ........ , Miss Midgets Mother. This is a wonderful thought after all the times I have had to explain to doctors and such.

The fun part will be coming up with a new signature :S

06/11/12
So at this point I'm praying Miss Midget isn't sick on Friday or the weekend. Had to come home early from work due to Missy having a temperature. It's been lots of fun this afternoon.

Oh I'd also like to apologise for all the fibs I've told lately about what Saturday is for.
You know I love you and well I hope it was a happy surprise or a happy confirmation that it is/was what you thought it was.

Right time to see if I can get some sleep. Don't want to be a Zombie tomorrow if Missy is well enough for me to work.

07/11/12
Right a bit of quiet time before my friend comes over for my "hens" night. It's a raging party here tonight I tell ya. It consists of Me, 1 Sleeping Miss Midget and my good friend lol.
We're going to have a few drinks, watch some of our favourite TV Programs and chill out which will be nice.

So this afternoon was a bit interesting. I tried on a wedding dress to see if the style suited me and there was all sorts of talk about how I'm going to have my hair done etc.
I've also been informed that I am going shopping tomorrow afternoon to get a dress. so watch this space. Apparently while trying the dress on I was shaking and looked like I was about to cry. I just got a bit over whelmed i think. I sort of almost feel guilty doing it this way as neither Mr E or I have told our parents whats going on. We were planning on doing that Friday night after the event. I am wondering if I'm robbing my mum of something though.

The 2 wonderful ladies helping sort me out this afternoon have become fairy godmothers intent on getting this Cinderella to the ball in a pretty frock thats not already in her wardrobe lol. I thank you both sincerely for thinking enough of me to help me with all of this.

I had a coversation with Miss Midget about how Mummy's going to match her and Daddy and have the same last name. She thought that was ok (after me explaining it a bit further). She now seems to think we're going to a Ball on Friday now. I guess the pretty dress I was wearing this afternoon didn't help with convincing her other wise but thats ok :).

Have decided any photos relating to today I'll post on my tumblr account as Tumblr tends to display photos nicer :)

08/11/12
Wow this post is turning into a novel. Sorry. Thanks for sticking with me if you made it this far down.
It's currently 11pm the night before the big day. Mr E has gone off with friends for his version of the stag do. I'm currently semi prepared for tomorrow. Stuff is in a bag to take to one of my lovely Fairy Godmother house. I am 99% certain I have everything. Dunno how I'll feel in the morning but right now I have everything I can remember :).
Miss Midget is currently tucked up in bed.

Speaking of Miss Midget, She had a wee accident at childcare today. Poor Poppet slipped, know her she was going way to fast and well yeah. As you can see from the photo below we have a wee mark on her nose.

That is ok though. I am not worried about it. My poor childcare lady thought I was going to murder her. Oh well it's not the end of the world and nothing is broken that can not be fixed.

Last night with my friend was rather amusing. We had fun. Had my one of my favourite meals for dinner, drank 3 bourbon and cola's and watched my favourite TV shows while Miss Midget slept. We also managed to talk a whole lot hence the reason it was after 1am by the time I went to bed. Was rather funny at one point though at about 10 we're both sitting there with tears streaming down our face and tissues in hand - Good old hay fever struck and we both ended up resorting to meds. As you can tell we know how to party lol.
Seriously though it was a lot of fun and I think I'll be convincing the husbands that it should be a regular thing :).

We found my dress today (I can hear the gasps from here - only just finding my wedding dress the day before the wedding). It's beautiful. So thank you to my fairy godmother's whom I will find someway of paying back. It's awesome.
I have my shoes all sorted. I guarantee I'll be a barefoot bride not long after the wedding but I'm happy with that to.

Well I should go get some sleep so I don't have huge bags under my eyes.
 

11/12/12Right so the last few days have been brilliant. Exactly what we wanted which has been awesome.

So Friday 9th of November at 3pm we got married at the Whangarei Court House with a couple of good friends as witnesses and my darling Little Miss Midget as our Fairy Dust Sprinkler.

Last night we had our surprise reception. Thank you to those who came. Those who were invited and didn't come. Sorry you couldn't make it and surprise :).

It's taken a good couple of weeks to get here but I'm glad we have done it. Thank you for all your kind words and we are so very happy.
I'm sure I'll think of more to write about in another blog post but I feel this one is long enough lol.

Link to the more photos will be posted later on after I wake properly :)

The Parent Test - For those who have not seen it yet :)

For those of you who haven't seen the email or didn't manage to catch it on stuff.co.nz here is the Parent Test.
 

I love this cause it's 99% true :)

Test 1: Preparation 

 

Women: To prepare for pregnancy

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children 

1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.

 

Test 2: Knowledge 

 

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild.

Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.

 

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3: Nights

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

 

Test 4: Dressing Small Children 

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hangout.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

 

Test 5: Cars

1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Test 6: Going for a walk 

 

a. Wait.

b. Go out the front door.

c. Come back in again.

d. Go out.

e. Come back in again.

f. Go out again.

g. Walk down the front path.

h. Walk back up it.

i. Walk down it again.

j. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.

k. Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.

l. Retrace your steps.

m. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.

n. Give up and go back into the house.

You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Test 7: Conversations with children 

 

Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.

 

Test 8: Grocery Shopping 

1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
4. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Test 9: Feeding a 1 year-old

1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.

Test 10:TV

1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.

Test 11: Mess 

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor and proceed with step 5.
5. Drag randomly items from one room to another room and leave them there.

Test 12: Long Trips with Toddlers

1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Test 13:Conversations

1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Test 14: Getting ready for work

1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work

You are now ready to have children. ENJOY!!

Have a good Sunday people :)

 

This week has just gone

Well this week certainly has flown by.
Monday = Starship and being stuck there from 11am till 3pm for Doc Appointment and Ultrasound).

Tuesday = Work and Tayla had a well earned day with her Daddy chilling at home.
Wednesday = More work.

Thursday = Work and some dealings with drama . did learn a few things though. Mainly life is not worth spending worrying about someone who doesn't give a rats about you. Surrounding yourself with people who actually think your worth something is the way to go :). So just so they don't get a big head and think I'm gonna start having a "tantrum" about them I'll leave it at that :).
Friend cull on facebook to. Took me a awhile but I'm happy with the results :).

Friday = Work (I was pretty busy all things considered this last week, Pretty sure I managed to accomplish a fair bit though)  and then running round with Miss Midget ( I run around with Miss Midget quite regularly but yesterday she was knackered when she went to bed. She'd had lots of fun at Nanny Pam's and then some more with me)
Today = Having Miss Abi to come play was very cool. Tayla really enjoyed having Abi here and they played so well. I now see why Pam always considered herself lucky to look after these 2 during the week. They were having pure fun :).

So as a reward to myself and considering Miss Midgets Dad is on night shift I'm going to eat pasta for dinner and chill out in front of my favourite programs, Might even consider having a bourbon for all my hard work this week :).

Have a good one everyone :)

Consider the rent raised :)

Rare opportunity

Well talk about strange. I'm currently sitting at home all by MYSELF. Yup thats right no one is hear.
I don't have a little person saying "I'm hungry" and yeah.
I've had a wonderful long shower, hung out some washing and even sorted out my boards on Pinterest (Yeah I created a new board for toys so I needed to sort it out - I'm a bit of a computer file freak. I like my boards to be organised. Yeah I know I'm strange lol.)
So I even have a opportunity to write a blog post.
For those of you who arent friends of mine on facebook here is the progress of the Dollys and the house.

I have 24 days to complete it. So fingers crossed.

I have started in the house now, Have one window done and will hopefully finish the other and window and door tonight. That will just leave attaching the roof to both side of the house and then attaching the lining to the house and sewing it together.

Hopefully the sewing machine that I have borrowed started being nice to me and lets me sew the other side of the velcro on the lining for the beds and for keeping the house together.

Alrighty wish me luck :)

Children in public

Having worked back in the CBD again for what must be coming up a year I have seen and heard my fair share of children throwing epic tantrums. I have also seen peoples reactions to these tantrums.
You can always tell the person who doesn't have a child as they get this look on their face while they are pretending they don't see. The look speaks louder than anything though "Would you shut your little monster up!!!".
You can see others as well. Like the pity look - "Oh you poor thing". I assume these people have been in a similar situation and can definitely relate to what the poor Mum or Dad is going through. I'm pretty sure thats the look I get. Well at least I hope it's the look I get and not this one, the "I'm glad it's you not me" look. These people try  for the pity look but theres a smugness about them that you know exactly what they are thinking.


I'm lucky with Miss Midget, I have not had her pull a epic tantrum in town (we don't go to town very often so thats probably why) or in anywhere to public.
I dread the Supermarket though as I know one day my luck will run out and Miss will have one in there. I have managed to bypass a few that look like they may come. Distraction is the best in this situation and there are lots of things in a supermarket to do this with. If she tries the I want card and I say no and she even looks like she's going to go there I start talking about other stuff like "Can you help Mummy find.........?" or "Can you see......." or "Can you hold this for Mummy please?" this generally works. The only time I have any problem is when I'm at the counter and am trying to pay for something. Missy is insistent on having my wallet. Silly me gave it to her one day and she promptly spread the entire contents on the floor while having a look at it and deciding Mummy didn't need things. Lets just say I don't make that mistake any more. I also try not to park the trolley to close to the Eftpos machine either as little tutu fingers is just dying to "help" Mummy push the buttons.
Most of the time the Cashiers are lovely and talk to Miss and she thinks thats awesome. They also mostly understand if something doesn't quite go to plan.
There was one incident that comes to mind though where I just wished the ground had swallowed me. We were paying for our items and Miss just happened to be going through her screaming/squealing stage and no matter what I said or did she wouldn't stop it. The checkout lady made a big song and dance about it and how it hurt her ears but Miss carried on. The checkout lady was trying to be funny about it with me I guess but there was a definite "Shut your screaming monster up" undertone and look on her face. A couple of the things she said (this was a while ago so I can't remember specifically the conversation) that made me wish I'd picked a different checkout. I'd managed to ignore the screaming/squealing factor all through the supermarket and this lady made such a big deal about it with the other customers listening that I got quite embarrassed which in turn I'm sure made Miss go for it more.I think she was enjoying the attention. I don't think I could of exited that super market any faster if I'd tried.Thankfully we're out of that phase and the supermarket is safe again. Every time I go back to that supermarket though I make sure to avoid that particular checkout lady.

I could understand from her point as she'd probably put up with a few kids doing that all day but in all reality short of gagging my daughter or smacking her at the check out what was I to do? Threats do not work on a 2yr old as they don't understand and they really only have 2 volumes or at least Miss Midget does.....loud and louder.

I don't know, I guess people either understand or they don't. I think at this stage I'm lucky Missy is pretty well behaved in public. I do try not to push my luck with it though. If I can help it we use "parent common sense" and avoid places if Miss Midget is having an off sleepy/grumpy day and things like that. I realise this can't work all the time but I figure while I can there is no need to put Miss or I in that situation.

What do you guys think? Have a I missed a look that people give a Parent of a tantruming child or have you had something similar to my supermarket story. I know a few of you have strangers come up to you with odd pieces of criticism, how did it make you feel?

Quietly thinking

So have been thinking about my dear old blog here.

Am in two minds on whether "The Weeklies" should stay or not? Not sure if anyone actually reads them or not or whether its just me bleating on. In saying that this whole blog is really just me bleating on huh lol.

In all honesty the reason I have this thing is so I get thoughts out of my head and I guess pretend that I have a whole audience to talk to. Yes I can hear some of you now and I thank you family and friends that actually read this blog, It's nice to know people care enough to read it and support me :).

Again it comes back down to where to go from here though. I'm quite happy with writing down my random thoughts and opinions about things I find etc and I guess at the very least 30 of you are happy to read it (Well at least thats the average the stats are telling me. Random fact, the most read post on this blog was my one about "Dear Photograph". It has had 80 so far).

So what do you think? Any thoughts/suggestions. Likes or dislikes? Honesty is always welcome :).

Moving House - Argh

So Miss Midget and I are on the move. Don't worry we're not going far. Just back to where we started from originally (Long story. Sorry not going into it on here :)).


So now I have to sort out our stuff and get ready for moving. Still debating on which day. We can move whenever we like, its just a space issue at the moment.
So now the list making starts and the whole having to find all my boxes and things to make sure I have everything. Oh the joys of it all. I'm lucky my parents are able to collect boxes for me etc but it's the whole packing up Miss Midgets toys while she's not around (Trying to pack Miss Midgets stuff up would be a nightmare if she's watching because she'd want everything I'm trying to pack).

We also have to find someone to look after Miss Midget for the morning or whatever so I can move boxes and furniture without having to worry about where she has escaped to.


So next is to find the man power. That on it's own is fun. The other half works shift work and will be working weekends so some of the weekends are out, then there is my father who said he would help only can on weekends.


There is also the factor of I can move this weekend and be in a mess for a week until old flatmate move out or I'll have to wait till the 25th  as we're away the weekend starting the 20th in Hamilton for the V8 Super Cars.

So in all reality there is no winning here. It's going to be a huge mess regardless of what I plan. Oh the joys of it all. Don't worry I'll keep you posted on my progress. It's either going to be a long drawn out process or a quick completely unorganized mess.

Wish me luck :)

D