eek. A long pause between posts

For anybody left reading (I bet not a lot of you lol) I've been thinking about updating for quite a while because, quite frankly, I have lots to tell! Everything is going so well - since I've last posted - I've done LOTS. So lets start;

Work

Work has been going fantastically. I have now dropped down to 3 days a week (much more manageable in terms of balancing family life etc) and I have been asked to stay until August, working 3 days a week (ca$ual rates too). I've stopped stumbling 'Hi, I'm a stu.. social worker' and now my profession just rolls off my tongue naturally. Working until August really, really works for me - as it gives me 8 months to really ground myself - get some experience, network extensively - and then in a few months, start looking for a job that I want. There are some mighty good ones circulating atm too. I also really love who I work with - I love working within a multi-disciplinary team, especially one that works - cause apparently lots of them don't.

Home

Home I can pretty much rave about. J has been working full time doing CRT work ($$$), so for the first time in six years - our household has EXHALED fully. We have been dutifully reporting every cent of income to Centrelink and for the past 2 fortnights our payments have been ZERO. A cause for celebration in this house, let me tell you. Apparently after a number of zero payments Centrelink will send a letter saying that they have cancelled any payments/entitlements - that will be when the real celebration will begin.

Little J & N are just going great guns at school/kinder/cc respectively. Little J has grabbed onto literacy and just totally run with it, we are shocked about how fast he is learning to read. He bounces out of bed every week day, excited and happy to be going to school. We are very happy. N is attending childcare 3 days per week (my work days) and then going to kinder 1 morning. Because childcare is so locked up around here, we have had to spread N's care across 2 centres - one across the road from my work! So now one day per week, N and I battle the crowds on the trains (ha, they can't beat me I bought a new pram just for this reason - attempt to defeat me at your peril), giggling and talking the whole way along - it feels kinda nice to know that my youngest baby is so close during my work day and as an added bonus, it forces me to finish on time or close to it as I don't want him to be there until 6pm at night. So far he loves it and is actually relishing the time spent with me. We both are.

I do have something else to add which is quite important, but thought it was deserving of it's own title.

Bogan Mobile

The lovely 'ol car (read: pile-o-shit) has been retired. Yes, you heard it right. Last week, we became the proud owners of a newish car, bought entirely with our savings (partially stimulated by K.Rudd). My children practically wept with joy at the amazing wonderful car that we now own. The car comes from a friend of a friend (highly regarded - especially with regard to the servicing and upkeep of the car). This time last year we would have NEVER imagined ourselves in this type of car; in fact I've been known to heckle at cars which are similar. But, after we were told about it - we looked at each other and went "YEAH baby!!" - J was sold on the 10 CD stacker (?!), while I melted when I saw the condition it was in, tinted windows, LPG conversion.

So what is it?
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A freakin' Landrover. Yes, you read right. We live 6km away from the CBD of a large capital city and now we own a Landrover discovery (V8) - 7 seater.

And now the poor Ford/Holden/bogan car sits all forlorn in the driveway, with no number plates (removed by some cruel person in order to get a refund for remaining duration of the registration). Now it awaits a call to the wrecker, to remove and "wreck" this vehicle. As much as I have spoke badly of this car (or lawn mower - as it sounded in it's last days), it never once broke down on us in all the time we had it. Well, the breaks failed and most of the engine was held together with gaffa tape, but you know...

So now, a majestic bloody Landrover sits in our yard. Our neighbours marvelled, our friends have cooed and we cannot.stop.driving.it. And you will not believe the price that we paid for it..

So yes, life is pretty amazing right now. Next up on the list in our house is; graduation ceremony! Dinner at an amazing restaurant with some delicious friends and a huge party that we're throwing to say thank you to everybody that supported us and cheered us on through the years. A party that a number of guests are flying in for.

Off I go again, best get ready for the week. Hope everybody is going well, I might have to check up on all my fave blogs..