Sick kids. Advertising. And Ninjago...what else?

I'm at home with a sick child today, E has been suffering recurring tummy pains for years that have been investigated up the wazoo, with the only theory being that he suffers from 'stomach migraines'. I'd never even heard of such a thing, but after suffering alongside E when they attack, I can assure you it is real and awful with his pain being about a '9' on the scale and has him hugging a wheat pack and hanging over a bucket for the duration. The only small mercies are that he doesn't usually vomit, just feels extreme nausea, and doctors have assured me they generally grow out of these in their teens, something to do with their systems being immature when they're younger and sending pain messages the wrong way. Here's hoping.

So he's been in pain since Sunday and also complaining of a sore throat. As I have been headachy and sore throat-y myself, I'm wondering if we've picked up the same bug and his has just manifested in his stomach instead of his head, like mine.

Anyway so I've been catching up on work emails and doing bits and pieces whilst waiting for our doctors appointment just after lunch. I hate having time off so close to my finish date but when you have a sick child, what do you do? I think this is a lament famous among pretty much every working mother in the world, yeah?

The guilt can really eat you up, you feel guilty if you stay home, you feel guilty if you go to work and send your unwell child to school, it's an awful feeling. You always want to put your kids first but we've been on this tummy merry-go-round for a while now and it does become draining.

Hopefully the doctor will be able to figure things out and I can have my gorgeous, ridiculously energetic guy back soon.

Moving on...

So anyway, in the last week or two you may have noticed an ad or two popping up on my blog.

I write this blog because I enjoy writing and hope that occasionally something I say or something dumb I do that I relate to you resonates, makes you laugh or think or makes you want to slap me. I don't mind, unless you actually do slap me, in which case I probably WOULD mind. Or cry. Or something.

You could say I write for the love of it. Most days.

However, I am human, and a broke human at that, so I thought if I could actually get something tangible (read: cold hard cash or at least a free sample or two) out of something I love, then is that a bad thing? Don't they say that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life?

Well I won't be giving up the day job in any great hurry but I have made the decision to put a few ads on my site.

Never fear, there won't suddenly be some carnival-esque flashing banner across the top with a 'brought to you by' flash video popping up on your screens, but I have made contact with a few businesses that I regularly use myself and that perhaps might be of interest to you as well.

If like me you're into reading and makeup and playing more with your kids toys than they do, then maybe you'll find something that piques your interest. And if not, you can scroll on by, that's all good too.

You can be sure that I would never advertise anything that I don't use myself, and I'm proud to say that I am a loyal customer of all of the businesses I have chosen to advertise and would recommend them highly. In fact, I've just spent the morning on the Lego website picking out presents for E's birthday in July. Love the fact that I can access products that I can't find in stores! And the website is so damned cool. At E's age he is really into creating his own pieces, so I am absolutely loving the bricks section where you can choose windows, doors, ladders, fences, pretty much whatever you like. I remember these from when I was a kid, but these days you can't just buy the pieces in the stores. And of course, there's Ninjago...a whole section just for this. I don't think I'll show it to E just yet as there's still a few months to his birthday and I'd prefer to contain the pestering and heavy hint dropping until a later date.

xx

Happiness. Date Night. The Hunger Games and more Ninjago...Day 16

So day 16 of my challenge is upon me and I am happy that it's crazy!

I just got home from date night with my son after what has been the most excellent of days and a brilliant beginning to a long weekend.

So let the gratitudes begin!

Gratitudes:

• I am so grateful to be finally making some headway on my Toowoomba Project. We visited the police station today to lock up my son submit my police certificate request so that is now out of the way. I've been also making lots of lists of things that I still need to do so whilst there's heaps there I'm feeling much better organised and like I have some direction. Small blessings. I get my boxes from dad on Monday so packing and sorting will begin in earnest then.
• I say this a lot but Elijah is quite simply the light of my life. He has the craziest sense of humour and is forever running into me to tell me this nutty story or that...he has me in stitches daily and is turning into a right little character. Me being me completely encourage him to embrace his nuttiness individuality and made him go and change out of his boring blue shirt into his fangs one. His enthusiasm for our move is making me even more excited. I think if he was really against moving I would seriously reconsider as he's quite a wise little soul underneath that crazy persona.
• Lastly I am grateful just simply for the most perfect day. We woke up reasonably early and went and had breakfast, haircuts, did a bit of shopping and then came home for a lovely relaxing afternoon followed by date night. Everything was just perfect.

Journal:
So I surprised E tonight with tickets to see The Hunger Games. We saw it a few weeks ago and loved it, but I was so focused on matching the movie to the book and trying to remember what came next, and REALLY REALLY hoping it wouldn't suck to watch it in detail. I felt kind of like a third party observer rather than getting absorbed in it. So I really wanted to see it again to just really sink into it and WATCH.

And it was even better the second time around. Going in knowing it was going to be good allowed me to really get into it and appreciate the nuances of which the movie is full of. I know all the critics have said this, but Jennifer Lawrence is quite simply brilliant. She has captured the spirit of Katniss and played her with depth and feeling, I really don't think any other actress could have topped her performance. She WAS Katniss. I'm a big fan of a fabulous strong female character (see previous Scarlett O'Hara admiration post), and no-one who's read the books can doubt this woman is one. However, I was really afraid whoever won the role would just play her as a straight out badass without really capturing the emotional backstory that brought her there in the first place. Watching her quite literally shaking in her boots just as she was entering the games was worth the price of admission.

I cannot recommend this movie or the book highly enough. If you haven't read or seen it yet, then what are you waiting for? I've asked E to write his own review on the movie and I will post this as a comparison to mine (I'm sure his will contain an overuse of the word 'RAD' - just saying).

Check out the link to Amazon at the bottom of the page if you want to get your hands on a copy - I promise you'll be just as hooked as I am. Just a hint, the second book is even better than the first and you CANNOT imagine how much I'm anticipating that movie!

Random act of kindness:
There's been a few today and all centre around E. I just love to surprise and delight him because he gets so excited and it's just infectious. We went browsing through Toyworld and of course Ninjago was the hot topic of the day (for the uninitiated, see my post I don't speak boy). Some of the spinners, whatever they are, were on sale for half price so I let E get one. We had to toss a coin as he couldn't decide between two, and don't ask me what they were due to the language difficulties experienced when speaking Ninjago (all I hear is blah blah blah). Crazy how a $9 item can make you feel like the best mum in the world. I followed this up with his favourite breakfast and then The Hunger Games tonight, so all in all, my son has gone to sleep with the biggest smile on his face and his parting words of 'this was the best day ever'. Job done.

Meditation:
I am either getting better or worse at this, I always fall asleep during the process but am sleeping so well lately that I'm clearly very relaxed. And despite the millions of things running through my head of all the things I have to do (two weeks...eek!) and the copious quantities of caffeine I consume right before bed, it doesn't seem to stop me from dozing off really quickly. So despite the niggling feeling that I'm doing it all wrong, I'm pretty cool with it all.

Please let me know what you thought of The Hunger Games! I am pretty damn obsessed with this series and despite having read the trilogy three times now am already itching for a fourth go-around. I can't decide if I'm on Team Peeta or Team Gale. Obviously Gale is Thor's bro, and seriously hot, but then again he's dating Miley Cyrus so there's your downside right there. Peeta on the other hand is kinda dorky but so sweet without being sickly that he's kinda winning me over too. Torn.

Twilight who?

Would love to hear your thoughts on the books, how they compare to the movie, did you love, hate or meh?

xx

Date Night - The Hunger Games