Would you employ me?

Unless you haven't been listening, you are probably well aware that this year has been a big one for getting back out there. With my Choochie starting school, it was time for me to awaken my adult brain and re-establish life for myself, outside of mothering.

Continuing education: check

Attending herby derb seminars: check

Finding gainful employment: erm, no cigar.

Whilst I am loving my current volunteer role at the Cancer Council (oh, haven't told you about that one? I will... later), it is not 'gainful employment'. It doesn't help pay the mortgage. In fact it doesn't even cover the student bus fare in to the city (see the word 'volunteer'). For the first time ever, when someone asks me for spare change at Kings Cross station I don't feel guilty if I say No. I'm unemployed too, dude! I'm forking out cash to get here and borrowing fancy clothes so I can try to get work by working for nothin'!

Perhaps I'm approaching job hunting from the wrong angle. I don't know. I'm feeling too old to bullshit about what I can and can't or am willing to do. 

One of my recent job applications was to a local, rather flashy looking Tea Shoppe. Now, you know that I know tea. Oh yeah, baby. Me and tea, we go waaaay back. So here's how my letter went...

Dear Tea Shoppe,

Recently I was soaking in the smells of your shop in [an unnamed mall], NSW and thought to myself: Really, this is the place for me.

More than a Tea Shoppe, I love tea. Life is to be lived, in all of its raw and honest glory, and living is truly enhanced by tea.

Tea is medicine – medicine of both body and soul. The following aspects of tea consumption are especially important to me:

·     the active constituents of the herbal tea

·     the act of drinking tea, especially warm/hot (rather than iced)

·     the honouring of thyself in the ceremony that is tea preparation

·     the communal gift of tea, shared.

My two favourite, well-known proponents of tea are Michael Leunig and Richard Glover. Michael Leunig, cartoonist, created the 1998 stamp series for Australia Post, entitled “The Teapot of Truth” series. You may be familiar with Leunig’s character, who gets about with a teapot on his head. Richard Glover, 702 ABC Sydney radio host, writer and author, often publicly discusses the bane of the teabag and gives due respect to the pot of loose-leaf tea.

I am very experienced in dealing with the public. Previously this experience has come through working in the field of alternative and natural medicine, amongst many other pursuits. You will notice on my curriculum vitae that I have a varied employment history, in several areas. What these roles have all had in common is the imperative contact with people. I love to be part of a team and don’t particularly enjoy working alone.

Enthusiastic communication is one of my strong points, as is my solid work-ethic and reliability. My glowing references are available on request.

Please consider my application for any suitable positions that may arise in one of your stores. I am seeking part-time employment and I would cherish the opportunity to work for you. 

Thank you for your time.


Kind regards,

Lea  (rhymes with tea)

Naturopath, Medical Herbalist, tea-drinker

**********

What do you think? Did you like it? 

They didn't respond. They are not really called the Tea Shoppe. I'm just loathe to give them any positive  mumbles on my free-to-air rambling space when they didn't respond. Not that Apple have ever been grateful for the attention I've given them. I'm not that fond of them at the moment either, but that's another story. I'm not going to be able to keep including "enthusiastic, cheerful disposition" on my job applications if I do nothing but grumble on free-to-air (I suppose).

Claimer: this blogger receives no payment or compensation of any kind for any favorable, or otherwise, content on this here blog. Apart from the odd cup o' tea and slice of cake at a friend's house if I write something that brightens their day.

Don't think I forgot the second one

I wish I had a photo of the moment I'll attempt to describe.

A background picture: the boykaloiks had been very naughty. They were in BIG trouble and had been sent to bed. All was bleak and glum in the house. We were mortified at what they had done. One week later, it really wasn't that bad and I'm over it but still... we're painting a picture so to be true to that day... we were mortified. We thought we may have to disown them or, at the very least, send them to boarding school - expel them from the Island.

And then the little one lost his first tooth. He'd knocked it on his favourite 18 year old's shoulder whilst wrestling, the evening before. He'd then proceeded to wiggle it and wriggle it instead of dwelling solemnly on what he'd done (!!) and... before he knew it, there it was in his little fingers! 

The tooth fairy had to put the overdue essay and her mortified bleakness aside, find her wings and sprinkle fairy dust around his sleepy head. She found a note at the back of her wardrobe, which had been written 3 years ago, when the oldest had lost his first tooth. This note detailed just what the tooth fairy would do with this precious first tooth, how special it (and he) was and that for this tooth he would receive one angel coin. From now on, she said, he would receive one angel coin for every 4 teeth (those angel coins are pretty special). She placed the note and the angel coin where he would find them in the morning, amidst sprinkles of sparkly fairy dust.

It's no small thing that his tooth came out on that particular day. She could have cried with exhaustion and frustration and disappointment. Instead she cried at the reminder that life with them is a privilege, that they are both still small boys, and these times are precious... even when school holidays don't quite go to plan.

PS. I have heard that you can find angel coins here: at A Toy Garden. Just sayin'.

Lost... in space

Well that essay took much longer to write than expected. Not longer than it should have, just longer than I had allowed.

It is safe to say that the Spring school holidays have been semi-disastrous... for me. I say "semi" to acknowledge that I am faced with the insanity of first world problems. The term "disaster" is relative. My mental state has been messy. I've had uni work looming over me, with the uni semester recess only slightly overlapping with school holidays. So most of the time, as I've been trying to read academic journals on human geography and natural (real) disasters, I've had kids fighting/playing at my feet, making mess, requiring food, requiring taxi services etc etc etc. There's one buzzing right behind me right now. We've had friends come to stay, rugby presentations to attend, sailing days, and on and on and on and ridiculously on and on. All very full lovely living. All of which keeps me from focusing on academic work, which is becoming increasingly important to ME! For ME! 

Oh I know. Don't worry, I've been told. A family member, who shall remain nameless, pointed out to me that my sole purpose in life is to mother. Let's just call him "He of the older generation".

"Bad luck girl, you had 'em, you look after 'em." 

But I still do, I said. 

"It's not enough", he said. 

But I focused solely on them - in the home - for nearly 9 years, I said. 

"Well it wasn't long enough!" he exclaimed. And on, and on, and on.

Well, sisters and brothers. Fuck it. If this is selfish, then selfish I am. I want it! I need it! I'm going to have it! And my children will learn from it. Who knows what they will learn? That's for them to figure out as they process the world for the rest of their eternity. What do you think they will learn from me staying solely focused on them for the next ten years? Well... we're not going to find out.

Finally, after many days of headache and vomity sensations and incredible tetchiness and tension, my essay was submitted, 3 days late. It felt quite liberating really.... letting go like that and accepting my circumstances. During this school holiday period my mind has run like a mouse on a wheel. I'm not willing to let go of any of it... of my studies or of my family. In one week I'll be adding a day of work, with a 3-4 hour commute, into the mix as well. And that too shall be ok. Because it's only one day. And it will be a day of something different, something with new people, new purpose with old knowledge and re-fired up passion. A day of something different.

So, with the illumination of all that rambling... here are two stories of happy family moments. Perhaps the only happy family moments to have occurred in the last two weeks but still... they happened.

The first was my Noah-Noo's 9th birthday party. Nine! I'll save my nostalgic Oh my God, nine? Where did all those years go moment for another day. This year we opted for a party with all the boys and 3 girls from Noah's class, and all of their families, at our favourite family picnic place... a clearing surrounded by water and bush, about 10 minutes upstream from us. It feels wild and free and special. The perfect place for a celebration of 9 years of life.

I love Whole Family birthday parties. They highlight the rich community that we have around us as all of our children grow together - indeed, as we all grow (if we're lucky). Rather than being a chore, just another event to ferry our children to, the Whole Family birthday party can be a beautiful day for everyone.

Soon to come... a visit from a fairy.

please hold...

Soon to come: images from the latest birthday party.

In the meantime,  I'll leave you with this, while an essay will be written.

Spring has sprung

Spring commences for us, every year, with our school Spring Festival. Each class proudly displays their year's work for all to enjoy, before we gather on the meadow, with the sound of kookaburras, cockatoos and crows above us, for singing, dancing and music performances. Colourful, celebratory, open and warm... I love these Spring days. Even more than the picnic and festival, those classrooms really make my heart sing. 

Kindergarten

Class 1

Class 5

Class 6 

You big meanie

Sun number one, with the glued-up head, took step 2 in his life as a sailor last weekend. Step 1 was taken last summer, when he had a couple of sailing lessons in an opti (a little boat that a child can quite easily sail by themselves). He appeared to be loving it, and quite a natural at ticking and tacking (you'll notice holes in my sailing lingo. Just warning you). So the Zimbo and I were very pleased when we were asked if Noah would like to crew for a nearby 12 yo friend in his Manly Junior this season. 

Now we know our sun (and yes I do know that I'm spelling that incorrectly... is it annoying?) so we chose not to tell him, until the final second, that he would be sailing on this occasion. There was uncharacteristic clinging. There were gradual steps moving backwards, away from the boat. There was spluttering, and tears, and much grumpiness and anxiety. But we forced him into it and were then consoled by friends that we really were doing Noah a favour. My favourite convincing moment was likening sailing lessons to Sunday school. "We could be sending you to Sunday school, but we're not. We're forcing you to go to sunday sailing school." [with friends, in the most beautiful location, followed by treats and family time and a little kayak around our island!!!] Our Japanese friends send their children to Japanese school on Saturday mornings. We will be sending our island children to sailing school.

And so, the Zimbo and I are resolute. The child will learn to sail, just as he had to learn to swim. When he had sometimes cried and performed at swimming lessons many years ago, we didn't let him off the hook. We were clear that swimming lessons were mandatory, not voluntary. Now, living where we do, we really believe that if we allowed him to proceed to adulthood without sailing as a lifeskill, we would be negligent parents.

So, hopefully, if you don't live near water, you will believe me that life is not all plain sailing, so to speak, just because one lives on a lovely island, surrounded by beautiful national park and shimmering waters. Children are still children, with whatever lessons they bring with them. 

We're quietly confident that Noah will be loving sailing - and all that goes with it! ... hanging out with older boys, the sun on his face and wind in his sails, access to the sailing club canteen, going away with friends etc etc. - by the end of this, his first, season. Surely he'll thank us for it, in twenty years time (along with my singing on Mama road trips).

"something glorious is about to happen"

Supervise 3rd class house building project
make dinner
revise anthropology lecture notes
anthropology mid semester quiz
job applications
do school run - multiple times
set up kindergarten spring festival
prepare picnic
attend said festival
attend 3rd class festival, class display and picnic
meet friend for dinner
write 2000 word essay on Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Yasi
attend rugby presentation
prepare birthday celebrations
bake brownies
Celebrate the geburtstags kind!

Does that look like your 'to do' list for the next 3 days? If you are a parent, it probably does. In fact, yours might be worse. Please ignore that list if it will stress you out. I wish I could.

I'm feeling overwhelmed. I'm starting to twitch. I need a drink but I only drink tea, water and chlorophyll... but they're not cutting it. What else is there to do but... find Bloc Party on the iPod, turn it up and DANCE, dance for your life girlfriend! The kids have found the disco ball, turned the lights low, the music up even louder, and put on their "cool boy" party clothes.

"This modern love... breaks me!"

But I'm not broken. I'm dancing. Dancing and flying. Flying by the seat of my pants!

Now, where did I leave my cape?