Maturity is Overrated.

They say age is just a number, but 

maturity is a choice.

There is a new game in our house at the moment - no, not like table soccer, although the kids are loving that right now too.

It's "Scare people with the toy spider".

We have this little plastic spider which looks surprisingly real, especially if partly hidden or placed on a dark background. A few days ago I came across it in the hallway and yes, there was a moment when I wondered whether it was the toy one or not. I very casually leaned down and picked it up by one leg with an outward appearance of supreme nonchalance, but if it had wriggled I'm sure I would have screamed like a little girl and jumped a metre into the air!

The only reason I knew it was probably not real is that I've been seeing my kids trying to trick each other with the same spider for days now ... every now and then our Cavegirl will stomp out of her room waving the spider angrily at her brothers while she lectures them about not leaving it on her pillow/in her wardrobe/under her bed for her to find. 

Of course, the culprit is always easily identified - the boy in question is usually so proud of their handiwork, he can't help but grin broadly and claim responsibility (which is inevitably followed by laughter and  a congratulatory high five from his brother).

Even the Caveman got in on the act, leaving the spider in the dish rack next to the sink yesterday in the hope that it would frighten me when I went to wash the dishes. Luckily, again, I realised immediately that it was a fake. 

Which brings us back to maturity - a choice my man is not a fan of. We seem to go through the "fake spider" phase every couple of years and he enjoys it even more than the kids do. I've seen him scare a number of people by leaving the toy on a chair for them to find. He doesn't discriminate either - he's done it to family, friends and even people we barely know! 

It's at those times I shake my head and wonder how I came to be married to such a juvenile man . Then I find myself wondering just how he'd react if I happened to slip the spider into his side of the bed tonight? 

Hmm ....  after all, I can't let him have all the fun ;-)

It's Showtime!!

Our town has just had its yearly "Show" ... you know, the event where livestock are paraded around, cakes are awarded ribbons and everyone spends too much money in Sideshow Alley and on showbags. Oh, and nearly everyone goes home with the added bonus of having caught every nasty virus that happens to be doing the rounds right now.

We don't normally go to the show. The rides are expensive and so is the food. With two adults and three kids, it's harder every year to justify the cost.

We decided to go this time though, just because our younger two kids were so keen - and our littlest Caveman hadn't been since he was a baby.

Unfortunately, he was a little under the weather (even before he ran into the collection of viruses already floating around at the show), so we knew it wouldn't be a long visit. We got there mid-afternoon and stayed about four hours. There were a couple of rides each and I even splashed out on a very expensive ice cream cone for my little guy.  His favourite part was riding the Dodgems (or "Dodging Cars", as he called them). I wished we'd got home sooner, before the cool night air had set in, but there really is nothing like the atmosphere of the show at night.

For the older kids, at this age the show is a real social event. Everywhere we turned we saw their friends and classmates. Our Cavegirl, aged 11, was thrilled to be allowed to separate from us and walk around the show with a friend for the first time ever. I'm sure her being away from us was much easier on her than it was on me - I kept my eyes peeled for her at every opportunity! As hard as it is to let them become more independent though, it's also great to see them having a good time with their own friends.

We left the show and bought dinner on the way home - yes, sadly, even takeaway is cheaper than show food.  We were home before the fireworks, which pleased the dog immensely since she really doesn't like them! We can see them from our street though, so that was a great way to end the night ... accompanied by the sound of our poor old girl barking away frantically in the back yard.

Expensive it might be, but no doubt we'll do it again in the future. It adds to the memories for the kids (and, despite our whining, we "big kids" really do enjoy it too!).

Happy to share

Tomorrow is Mother's Day here in Australia. I usually receive lovely little gifts from my gorgeous children and the Caveman makes an effort to get out of bed a bit earlier and help them get my breakfast as well. We don't go overboard, since it's too easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the day, but I always get to feel a bit more special (at least until the kids start arguing!).

This year though, I don't get to have the day all to myself.  Our littlest Caveman was born the day before Mother's Day, 6 years ago.  Thanks to the passage of time (and a couple of leap years), this is the first year his birthday has landed right on Mother's Day. Lucky for him, I don't mind sharing.

We decided to have his birthday party this afternoon, the day before his actual birthday (I figured asking all the other parents to give up THEIR Mother's Day for a 6 year old's party might have been pushing the friendships a little). Plus, I really could do without the extra stress tomorrow, when I'm supposed to be relaxing. Doing it today made much more sense. It has come on top of a very busy week though so, with the party guests gone, I'm now anticipating a foot rub and maybe even a glass of something strong before bed tonight.

I had a funny conversation with my little man the other day.  We were in the car and he had just eaten one of those chocolate eggs with the little toy inside.  He wanted to put the toy together, so he pulled out the instructions to look at.  I asked, "Are you sure you're right with that?  I can help you when we get to where we're going."  He assured me he would manage but then, after a few seconds consulting the instructions in silence, he threw them across the back seat of the car with a frustrated sigh and said, in his best grown up voice, "Well, that was a waste of time."  I asked what had gone wrong and he answered, "Well, first of all ... I can't read!"

Of course, that was stating the obvious - he is still learning to read. This is exactly what I find so amusing though; it's not what he says, but how he says it. He has always been our little entertainer.

His reading is coming along better than he thinks too ... he read every card given to him by his party guests today, with no problems at all.

Mother's Day is fantastic, it's great to feel appreciated by my family. We will have the Caveman's mum here as well, and my own mum knows she will be in my heart even though she lives too far away to visit for the day. This year though, it will be extra nice to celebrate a special birthday as well.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere and a very happy birthday to my little Caveman xx

What's in the Box?

Our littlest Caveman came out from his bedroom last night, proudly carrying something that looked a little like a breathing mask in his hand. He put it over his mouth and nose, saying, "Look, Mum and Dad, it's one of those things that people use when they're having trouble breathing!"

Nice try, son. At this point, the only person having trouble breathing was his older brother, who had followed him down the hallway and was laughing so hard he couldn't catch his breath.

You see, our older boy plays cricket. I'm sure anyone who knows anything about cricket can already see where this is going.

For anyone unfamiliar with the game, one of the most important pieces of personal player equipment is a protector, or "box". Basically it's a triangular shaped article (and yes, moulded a little like a breathing mask) which is designed to be slipped down inside the front of the pants for the purpose of protecting a player's ... er ... even more important "personal equipment".

This was what our younger boy had picked up in his bedroom (which he shares with his brother) and had decided was a vital piece of first-aid equipment. Once the rest of us realised what he was actually holding, we all experienced trouble with our breathing - laughter can have that affect.

I explained to our little man that the article he was holding in his hand had nothing to do with breathing and suggested to his brother that he should explain to him what it actually was. In the privacy of their own bedroom, to save further embarrassment for either of them.

The two boys disappeared back down the hallway and I could hear the murmur of their voices as big brother talked to little brother about what he'd found. The next sound we heard from their room was a very loud "Eeeww!" from little brother. Cue more laughter from the rest of the house. Yes, now he knows what it's used for.

It was perfectly clean but, when he has a chance to think about it, I'll bet he wishes he hadn't put it anywhere near his face.

"Me" Time?

I'm feeling slightly ripped-off today.

I was looking forward to having the house completely to myself. I love those rare days when every other member of the family is away for the day. It's my idea of Heaven. I turn up the music and dance my way through the housework (and usually get a lot more done than on any other day). More importantly, when I'm done with cleaning I can relax and read a book - or spend an hour or three on the computer - knowing I won't be disturbed by anyone else.

Last week was a step in the right direction ... it was the first week of the new term at school, so the kids were out of the house all day, for 5 days in a row! The only person at home with me was the Caveman - which is a case of "situation normal", but I do get more done if he's gone as well. He doesn't interfere too much with my routine, but he gets in my way. It's surprising how much harder it can be to clean the house with even one extra person at home. Plus, he complains about the music I play (hey, we don't all want to rock out to "Bad to the Bone", while we're mopping).  Also, with him at home, there is more coffee and chat time - which means less housework done at the end of the day.

I got my hopes up when the Caveman was called up for two weeks of Jury Duty. He went along to the courthouse nearly every day last week, but didn't end up being selected so he was home by 10 am each day. This week, however, he has been selected for a jury - he was gone all day yesterday and all of today so far as well!

As it turns out though, there wasn't a lot of joy in this new development for me ... just as the Caveman made it onto a jury, two of the kids have come down with illnesses. My dreams of peace and quiet (and writing a blog about the joys of being home alone) have been crushed.  Instead, I'm looking after a teenager and pre-teen with nausea, headaches and the sniffles, as well as tripping over blankets and pillows in the lounge room (that's where the telly is so, naturally, that's where the kids have to be too).

The only advantage to all this is that, because I'm convinced they can't possibly do without their mum (whether they agree with that or not), I have the perfect excuse to abandon the housework for today and watch movies with them.

I think I can live with that.

Family Time

Our two week Easter school holiday break is nearly over. This is the stage of the holidays where some
parents can't wait for school to go back, while others wish the holidays didn't have to end. Lots of families have spent their holidays driving long distances to go camping or visiting relatives.

If we had done any of that, then I'm sure that is what this blog would have been about.

As it is, we have had what most people would consider a very boring school holiday break here in the Crazy Cave ... mostly spent with each other, in our own home.
 
We always look forward to the holidays - let's face it, it's great to let go of routines for a while. No need to get out of bed early in the morning and get everyone dressed, breakfasted and ready for the school run. No lunches to pack, uniforms to wash, homework to supervise. It's great!

These holidays have been particularly lazy for us ... with two weeks at our disposal, we could have organised all sorts of interesting activities. Normally we would have considered a trip to Brisbane to catch up with my family - but finances didn't allow for that this time. Another option would have been to make a couple of day trips (maybe to the cinema, the beach or a camping ground ... even a simple picnic at a local park). We haven't done that either. I could blame money again, or the fact that a couple of us began the holidays suffering from colds, or even the weather - there has been a lot of rain - but really we just haven't felt like leaving home.

For once, we have just been happy to stay in our cave and enjoy each other's company - and it really has been lovely. The kids have all been getting along well (here's hoping that continues) and they have also had a number of their friends come to visit. They have enjoyed being able to relax with their computer games, lego and books. Our family activities have included rearranging the boys' bedroom, watching some old movies together (with popcorn!) and beginning construction on a new guinea pig mansion for our five beautiful girls to move into. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Well, it got a lot more exciting when the Caveman caught his finger with the drill bit during construction of the mansion, but the doctor says it should heal nicely.

I am still optimistic that we might get to the cinema before school goes back next week. I also hope we'll be able to manage a picnic if the weather is kind to us between now and then as well. I do know the guinea pig mansion won't be finished this week - between the injured finger and the miserable weather, construction is now very slow ... but that's okay.

The important thing is that we are all relaxed. There has been no rushing around visiting other people, dealing with holiday traffic or spending money we can't justify. We have cooked together, played together, talked a lot (as all families should) and laughed a lot too.

Sometimes the best holidays are the ones you take at home.

Hoax Buster!

One of my treats, if I am up before everyone else in the house, is to sit in front of my computer, with my coffee, scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook. It's nice to catch up on the latest news from my friends and family before I start the day.

I love Facebook. It's a great way to keep in touch with far-flung loved ones who I don't get to see or can't phone often because we live in different time zones. It's also handy for keeping up with local events, current affairs, other mums from the school ... as social networking goes, it's everything I need. It has made it easier for me to be in touch with people I haven't always kept up with in "real life" - I may not have spoken with someone from my school days for years, but we can share photos and keep each other informed of happenings in our lives and it feels like the friendship is kept alive, when it would have otherwise fallen by the wayside years ago. I have also been able to re-connect with people I hadn't seen or heard from for years (even decades!).

My only gripe with Facebook is the number of hoaxes filling up my Wall. This is not Facebook's fault. The blame here lies entirely with people who follow others and share blindly without checking facts - rather unkindly referred to as "sheeple".

Anyone who has had anything to do with Facebook will know the kind of thing I'm referring to ... everything from famous people being credited with speeches they didn't actually make (Bill Gates, Bill Cosby, Robin Williams, to name a few), sick children and injured animals to those touching "memes" that ask you to "share if you are against (insert word here)" - drink driving, abuse, racism, cancer, bullying, etc. The underlying message is that if I don't share, I don't have a heart.

Of course I am against all those things ... but sharing a picture on Facebook isn't going to do anything to help the cause. No doctor is going to treat a child according to how many "likes" they get and sharing pictures of injured animals does nothing except cause distress to animal lovers who see them. Trying to push me into sharing something if I'm against bullying is a form of bullying in itself - a bit ironic really.

That's not to say I don't like all the memes I see. The difference is, if I want to share a lovely poem that has the usual "Share if..." at the bottom of it, I will type it out myself as a status update, or even google the poem - chances are it can be found on another picture, without the added line, and that's the one I'll share.

I was joking just last week that I am probably getting a reputation as a "hoax-buster" among my friends. The person I was speaking to immediately responded with "Yes, you are!". I was a bit hurt by this, to start with. I don't like to think I am annoying anyone by pointing out if something they have shared isn't true - I guess I prefer to think that I'm being helpful. My usual response is to share a link to an article as proof that something is fake, along with a friendly message and a smiley face emoticon so they know I'm not trying to upset them (because we all know a smiley face fixes everything, right?).

Then, when I thought about it more, I realised that I was being too sensitive. There are plenty of other people out there who share their opinions with others without a second thought for whether they are offending anyone. If anything, I've always been a bit mousy and shy about having my own opinions, especially if others disagree with them. So I am now happy to be a hoax-buster. I suppose it could be considered a form of research - which, if I'd discovered this enjoyment earlier, could have led to all sorts of interesting career opportunities too!

I try not to comment too often - I know that can be annoying, just like someone picking others up on their spelling all the time. That's another gripe of mine actually - incorrect spelling - but I am proud to say I've managed to turn a blind eye for the most part where Facebook is concerned.

I do prefer not to take things too seriously, including Facebook. When it comes to the Share memes, I generally just scroll past without commenting at all. I often get a giggle at seeing just how many hoaxes do the rounds over and over again. I am also aware that none of my friends would knowingly share anything false - they really think they're helping in some way, and who can blame them for that?

The Caveman used to call me "Madam Teacher" (he is a terrible speller, so he has often found himself on the receiving end of my corrections!), but now it's "Madam Google". I guess there are worse things to be called.

Oh, time to end with a smiley ... :-)