1. I have an amazing husband. He misses Scotland as much as I do and kindly overloads me with Scottish things he can find online to centre my gravity again. I adore this man.
2. You know, sometimes ads on T.V. creep me out no end. One in particular is for the WowWee pet toys creepazoids. They make my skin crawl! You may have overheard the jingle, “so alive to meeee….” Yeah, that’s the one. I’d link to them, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
3. I was hoping to say, “all three of my laundry hampers are empty for the first time in, well, about two years. I can’t. I am, however, a lot further forward and almost at the end. You will remember I wash things in spurts. I wash nothing for two weeks because I’m sick of it and then clean everything in sight. Let’s hope I don’t get sick of it again before I finish these last four loads.
4. I chopped my hair yesterday. Not in a self-mutilating kind of way, but in a I-paid-someone-else-to-do-it fashion. There’s a good 2 inches gone from the length — that’s 6 inches in old money. I really like it, but if I happen to drift past a mirror, I get twinges of scissor remorse.
5. I’ve decided having boys is like owning a dog. They are one in the same. They jump on furniture, steal food, mess up my carpet, shred toilet paper, refuse to nap and bring home random insects. Bugs of choice? Grasshoppers and Ladybirdsbugs.
6. Next time I buy a 12 oz bag of M&Ms to make cookies, I should probably make cookies with them. You should note a single serving bag is a mere 1.69 oz.
7. What chance do I have when my own children can’t understand me? We decided a few weeks ago to make Ian a job chart — just small things to ease him into the world of work and manipulation — and when he completes his jobs, he gets tokens. The other day I said, “Ian, what’s your Tuesday job?” “But I didn’t choose anything!” he responded sounding miffed and indignant. Insert heaving sigh here.
8. Cameron has always been great at going down for the night. You utter the immortal words, “it’s time for bed sweetheart”, he rubs his eyes, you place him in bed, he rolls over and goes to sleep. Four nights ago, he decided to mix it up a little. Now, he’d already perfected getting out of bed, that’s not new…but, he hadn’t implemented the skill at night. Three nights ago he got out of bed twenty-one times. A little specific? Yes, it was. I COUNTED.
9. I’ve been experiencing anxiety lately, and it won’t shift. I feel on-edge all the time, but not too much that I can’t handle it. I don’t feel myself though. Deep sighing does eliminate it, but it comes back. I have no idea what’s causing it, but it makes me fluctuate between being laid-back and carefree to high stressed and flying off the handle. I feel like a teenage monster even I don’t recognise.
10. I would love to add another baby to the family, but I worry about depression and losing more hair. Depression is a scary thing and I know to expect it now.
11. Ever since having Cameron, my hair has been perpetually falling out. I have a receding hairline and it bothers me. I used to have a thick head of hair and it’s slowly diminishing. I have started eating more avocados, fish and nuts to strengthen it. I’m thinking it might be a reaction to #9.
12. Thanks to binge stress eating (read: #6), and not actively exercising, I need to get back on the treadmill. Before we left for Scotland, I was only 6 pounds away from my ideal weight, I am now 11 pounds away. Doesn’t seem like much, but when you’re 5’5″ my caloric intake is enough to maintain the figure I despise.
13. In addition to climbing out of bed, the next day, Cameron suddenly uttered the words “yes” and “no”. I’ve noticed “no” is utilised a lot more. For all that is sweet and holy, he is not two for another 2.5 months. Save me … or send a packet of M&Ms.
a Brit different 
Comment luv coming at ya! Those Burger King commercials with the freaky costumed character totally creeps me out! The whole losing hair thing, I can relate to that. There for a while every time I washed my hair, I would come away with hand fulls of hair. I got my thyroid checked, it was totally whacked out. Went on meds to level out the hormones and that virtually stopped. It also had a profound affect on what I had thought was my own depression.
No brilliant suggestions like Tara has, but I can tell you we’ve been hearing lots of “NO” since August and Eleanor is not quite 18 months old. Wait ’til he starts saying “mine”.
Send me your addy and the m&ms are yours. Your kids really can’t understand your accent? Oh, honey…that’s rotten. And, you know I’m totally with you on the depression, anxiety & kid part.
I love M&M’s. But, I adore Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream too. And, yeah, I can eat at least half a pint in one sitting…
Hey, at least my dogs lay down and stay there – one advantage 😉 (You started it)
Laundry: What do you expect? I only have one big boy here (my husband) and laundry is a never ending story. I can only imagine what it is in a household of 4. Chill, then you’ll maybe be able to do it without the 2 week fits?!
Anxiety – do you use the Anti-Baby Pill? Those Hormones threw me off balance for the longest time. I’m off now since 5 years and I am finally sort of myself.
Thyroid is another idea, good one from Tara, influences weight too if it’s off balance.
And we have a little thing going on at Plurk – we motivate each other to go running or stuff like that 🙂
Wishing you strong nerves! And hey, I hope you take time for yourself often enough without guilt?
Take care, hugs!
Nicole
I just ate all the M&M’s. But I thought of you while scarfing them down. That counts right?
Smootches babe. Tomorrow will be a better day. Just think about all the things that make you awesome. We see them, you need to now.
don’t be so hard on yourself, sweetie. like kelley said, think about all the things that make you awesome.
you DO need to see them as we do.
and virtual m&m’s are on the way. fewer calories in those 😉
In order…
#3) My laundry never totally gets done. There may be no dirty clothes but the clean clothes just seem to sit in baskets for ages. By the time they are put away the dirty laundry is now clean and waiting to be out away, Neverending vicious cycle.
4) I chopped my hair a while back and still have issues with it. Oddly enough, I looked at your profile pic on facebook and though “That’s what I should have done!”
5) I say the same about my girls. And they are constantly dirty! William insists this is because of their Australian blood. I insist it is because he lets them go to bed without washing their faces.
6) I prefer smarties over M&Ms.
7)Well, Tuesday sounds like “choosey” no matter what accent you use.
8) At least he sleeps in his own bed?
9) I suffer from anxiety too, so I totally feel for you.
12) I could tell you how far away I am from my ideal weight if it would make you feel better about yourself.
13) Sophie (26 months) has been regularly saying no for what seems like ever. And it isn’t just no, it is “NOOOOOOO!!!” screamed at the top of her voice followed by indecipherable babble about, I am sure, what a horrid god awful mother I am. I don’t do M&Ms but there is a British shop 5 minutes away from me if you ever feel the need for a Walnut Whip or a Yorkie.
My apologies for the longest comment ever.
Hmm…who knew I could make one of those happy face thingies.
Your two little boys sound like my ONE little girl! lol!
I miss Scotland too…but I’ve never been there.
I think now that you know about the depression you can probably do more preventative things to help it not be so bad! But I worry about the same thing…that and taking care of an infant totally dependent upon you 24/7!
The only time I get that anxious feeling is when I want to change something drastic in my life…it’s irritating!
My SIL also had her hair fall out or was thinning…she was stressed…but she if fine now…you’ll be okay… 🙂
The next time you have blood drawn, make sure they look at TSH, T4 and T12 levels. Tara is right. it could very well be thyroid. You live in an area where there is not a lot of natural iodine in the environment – so foods you ingest are lacking in this vital chemical. If you’re doing low salt – you’re restricting the one dependable source of iodine in the American diet. That’s how J. Sterling Morton made all his money – he added iodine to salt – and the ‘Goiter Belt’ disappeared. Goiter is one effect of no iodine – the thyroid just explodes and gets huge.
I’m sorry but I refuse to read blogs from mums who have EMPTY laundry baskets – so I am glad I can still be here.
Also reassuring this little American kids also have accent issues with you too. (I am so sick of kids in pre-K asking their parents if Mac’s mum is speaking Spanish – especially when I have done my best American twang).
And from personal experience- my depression has been different after each child….but I am still losing my hair 2 + yrs after the last babe….
Wow, Siobhan. I love the brain dump. It’s like my Random Thoughts Tuesday (but more interesting). I miss Scotland terribly and I am determined to do something about it in Novemeber.
I recently had about 3-4 inches cut off my hair and loads of layers. And one person noticed!! Anyway, well done you for sticking him back in bed 21 times. It’s soul-destroying at the time, but it’ll teach him what’s expected.
I lost my hair and had all kinds of weird hormonal things happen after baby#2. My hubby thinks having the third one straightened me out although I’m still packing a stone of baby weight and he’s going to be 2 next week!
PS I miss the U.K. terribly as well. I sometimes wonder if I would be better if I just avoided all things British?
You know you must post a picture now. Do it! I want to see the cute haircut!
I’m pretty uppity these days too. I am soooo moody. Maybe there is something in the air. ???
Re: #9 – I’ve been feeling the exact same way, lately. Disrupted my sleep rhythms, too. And I don’t have your good reasons – no kids, hubs does the laundry (although he sucks at putting it away). And my hair’s been falling out since I hit puberty, but I’m not bald yet! 🙂
I also prefer Smarties to M&Ms. Fat-free, dontcha know. But more addictive.
I think everyone needs an hour (at the beginning, middle, or end of the day) to themselves – take a walk, take a bath, read a book, write a blog. Hubby can watch the kids that long, no?
Whatever you do, then, don’t post to PhotoHunt this week! 🙂
It was a wonderful time while going through your article and I’ve got what I was looking for. Best Wishes and have a good day ahead.
Best wishes from:
Babysitter Edinburgh