Roadtrippin'

We had an amazing trip!

We left Brisbane on Sunday morning on October 31st. A few dodgy truckstop meals, a trip to one of the gorgeous beaches at Nambucca Heads and most of "The Philosopher's Stone" audiobook read by Stephen Fry later, and we decided to stop for the night in Taree. We had planned on sleeping in the car, since I'd borrowed Scott's station wagon, so we pulled over, laid the back seat down flat and snuggled up together, me and 3 wiggly kiddies.

We were pretty comfortable, and apart from 9 year old exclaiming that she had lost a tooth at around midnight, 7 year old entering the farting world championships and a FUCKING STREET CLEANING TRUCK circling us at 4.30 am with orange lights flashing and brakes screeching URRGGHHH we survived the night reasonably well..

Next day we headed to The Entrance; I thought a few relaxing hours at the beach was in order before we braved Sydney, but BLEEUURGHH it began pouring with rain as soon as we got there so we had to make do with eating lunch in the car and a quick wander around the undercover parts of town. Thought we were way ahead of schedule but of course the rain made for slow progress towards and through Sydney. When we were nearly at my sister and brother-in-law's house, I missed the Mosman turn off and had to keep driving over the Harbour bridge.

While trying in vain to find somewhere to turn around on George st (remember it's still POURING WITH RAIN!!!!) 11 year old wakes and yells "I need to go to the toilet!!!!!). As I took yet another wrong turn and found myself heading to Darling Harbour 9 year old moans "I'm gonna chuck!!!!" and promptly throws up in the toy container ewwww....

Anyway, we finally made it to Mosman, then drove down a random fancy street and gratefully pulled over to empty container of vomit and the contents of my 11 and 7 year olds bladders into a manicured hedge (the rain would have washed it away instantly DON'T JUDGE OK?!??!??!).

Ha! What a disaster! We were SOOOO relieved to finally arrive at the sis in law's house *sighs* but our worries were ALAS not over... *whimper*

Two days of dodgy truckstop food had not agreed with 9 year olds stomach - she proceeded to traumatise my childless and house proud in laws with spectacular vomiting until the following morning. Spent a sleepless night either emptying the bucket or waiting, paranoid, that the next load would land on me.

The next morning I rang all the Canberra rellies to change our sleeping arrangements for that night. Thought it best to head to my Mum and Dad's place to avoid infecting my brother's 1 year old with anything nasty. At around 10 am 9 year old leapt out of bed and joined her brothers in performing the "Happy Fly Ditty" (if you haven't seen the Umbilical Brothers perform this - youtube it IMMEDIATELY it is amazing tehe..) so we pronounced her well and packed up the car. That was when I noticed the $200 PARKING FINE URRGHHHHH...... *sob*

Apparently parking there is NOT ALLOWED for an hour each morning....

Anyway, we finally made it to Canberra and enjoyed catch ups with my parents, my brother's family and more in-laws. The kids were thrilled to spend time with their only 2 cousins and I was reminded of all the reasons I left Canberra.... (urghh why is it FREEZING BLOODY COLD in spring???!!?)

Yay week 2 was much less eventful: Drove to Berry to hang at the holiday house for a while. Unbelievably beautiful...

Mum and Dad came as well, apparently my Uncle and partner had been there all week but we missed them by a few hours as they had work commitments in Sydney. Phooey.

Anyway, we basically spent the entire week bumming around reading, hanging at the beach, or taking leisurely walks. TRUEFAX: alpacas are ADORABLE in a Dr Seuss kind of way :)

Oh shit, this is getting long... the point is.....

WE'RE BACK!!!!!

This is really not the best time in my life to start a blog. All my musings are likely to be morose, so I've not wanted to add to my first half arsed attempt.

*sighs*

Have had so many changes to adjust to over the last 6 months. I'm being stretched in so many ways. One of the biggest changes has been that we took our children out of school, and I've been homeschooling them, or, more accurately, letting them unschool. There were so many frustrations that we've had regarding what we feel is a controlling and out-dated education system, and it's been fantastic to give our children the freedom to pursue the interests relevant to the lives they wish to live. One of the thoughts of unschooling is that for every year of school attended, a child will need about a month to wind down and find their natural groove. So if those estimates are right, all my kids should be more or less right as rain now, but I have a long way to go...

I joke, but it really is easier sometimes to stay a product of the system: let someone in authority make the decisions, it used to be a matter of obeying teachers, conforming to the rest of your classmates, submitting to the inevitable comparisons. It certainly prepares us well for a submissive, trouble free life, makes us good obedient employees and ensures we defer the responsibility of righting any wrongs in the world to a "higher authority" whether the government, church ministers or an office superior. In attempting to raise children who are intelligent, respectful and capable of taking responsibility for their own lives, it raises one obvious question: how am I doing on the "personal responsibility" meter?

Being totally honest - sometimes being a grownup is scary! I'm starting up my own business at the moment, a new experience for me, and there are times when I wish someone who has a clue would come and take over - jump the trickier hurdles for me!

So that's on my mind - that in allowing my kids to unschool and learn naturally, I need to allow myself the same kindness. In many unconscious ways I'm still a "product of the system" and want someone to tell me what to do (even sometimes just so that I have something to rebel against). So that's my assignment for the year - to truly lose the fear of living my own life, fully , wonderfully and authentically.

Hang on, that wasn't particularly morose.... sorry if that's a disappointment..

Wow, I'm now following my own blog. Seems a bit desperate doesn't it? Well - one must start somewhere..

I always feel I'm too much of an open book, but now that it's time to write an actual blog I've suddenly gone all coy and the possibility of people reading my thoughts horrifies me no end! I will try to keep my blog short on opinions, firstly because I have so many that even I roll my eyes before opening my mouth, and secondly, because I don't actually know ANYTHING for sure! I mean, what if what I call blue actually looks like yellow to someone else? The way I see yellow, if you know what I mean.. I think there are some things I will never figure out.

Figuring people out - that's something I spend altogether far too much time doing. People are so fascinating! And just when you think you've cleverly sorted everyone into sanguine, melancholy, choleric or phlegmatic.. something goes and stuffs up the whole system. So then I moved onto Myers-Briggs psychology, that only got me so far... then came the enneagram system... yeah, you get the picture. Today I caught myself sorting people into Hogwart's houses! Yes, are you a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? Definitely a sign that I have issues! Even funnier, I was thinking about it during a sermon at church! Well, you know, Harry is still considered a bit of a no no in church circles - possibly because Mums were sick of their precious Enjo mops being used to play quidditch....

Well, there you have it my first ramblings. Honestly, my expectations were a lot higher and this been, quite frankly, rather disappointing.

Tune in next time 8~/