I woke up this morning with not much room courtesy of my two little monkeys in bed with me!!!!! Normally I hate waking up with half my body hanging off the side, I usually end up with 10 mm to call my own when they sleep with me.<P>Anyway, I woke up and thought how lucky I am. We've all had the flu all week, there's been ear infections, chest infections, high temps., nose nasties coming out the 'kazoo', vomiting etc etc etc.<P>My wonderful mum came and helped out. Where would I be without her?<P>And through it all, I just kept thinking how lucky I am.

I know what you mean.. I look at my kids(especially my 5 year old when he sleeps) and think how lucky I am to get the opportunity to raise them. My son hurt his big toe today and has practically ripped the nail completely off. It wouldn't stop bleeding but after he slept off the pain, he was right back to riding his scooter and helping me spread the 5th load of mulch this week.<P>If only I could forget my pain so quickly and start doing something fun. I am amazed at his bounce-back ability. I hope he inherited it from me because I could really use it right now. I jus have to discover where I've been hiding it.<P>have a great night and thanks for the reminder of how precious our kids really are. L

hey, your old email address doesn't work, or is it me?<P>if you have a new one, please forward to <P>whenifindthetime@yahoo.com<P>thanks.<P>sWIFTTy

Hi pp,<P>are they God's gifts - our children.<P>No matther how much they drive me mad sometimes I'm so grateful I have them. Although I did say in the midst of last week "I love my kids but I hate this parenting bit!!"<P>You'll find your bounce-back ability. I'd suggest it's not too far away - it hasn't left town you know!!!<P>You're stronger than what you think, but this will only be made aware to you when you are just about through this process. When you look back and just plain wonder how you got through it, BUT YOU DID. I still don't know......<P>Your whole garden must be mulch by now. If I had 5 bags of mulch laid I wouldn't have any lawn. I only have a little back garden as we live in a townhouse. Big enough for girls, don't know about boys tho!!!!!!!<P>Have a lovely night and we'll talk more<P>love and hugs<P>Jo<P><BR>WIFTT<P>no, it's not you. My ISP went bankrupt so I have another. E coming now.<P>love and hugs to you<P>

Hey,<P>Thanks for the support. Yes, I am growing tired of mulch but I will probably need at least 3 or 4 more pickups full before I'm done. Looking back 7 years, I thought all these flower beds and borders and rose gardens would be fun.. We have almost 4 acres and the lady who lived here before did not work so she spent all her time in the flowers. I had great dreams of a beautiful farmhouse with horses in the pasture and cut flowers on the table yearround. I never have been the Martha Stewart type but a gal could dream, couldn't she???<P>That was before the "boy" came along. I also have had my gallbladder out, tonsils out, an internal bleed after my tubal, and knee surgery twice since we moved in. The yards have suffered big time. My H's idea of yardwork was buying the fastest riding mower around and riding it wide open as fast as possible until the grass appeared to be knocked down. Never any detail work got done. Not until he left did I have the desire to do something about it. I suppose I started out trying to prove to him I could handle things without him and that I was not lazy or too out of shape to do these things. Somewhere along the way, I actually began to like how things were looking, now I'm totally committed to getting this place back into shape. Sure it feels good for him to tell me he is proud of what I have done and that he thinks I need to take a break and rest a little. I think I'm just making him feel incrediably lazy and irresponsible. It is not my goal. My addiction to the yard is NOT for him. It is for me. This is my house now and like it or not, the yard goes with it. <P>I'm sure I will not be able to stay here if things don't work out. the 1 yr mark will be next March 25th so everything should be in full bloom by then and maybe the house will do better on the market.<P>Son's toenail is just about off completely. Hanging on by one corner. He went to baseball practice tonight and rang the bases like he never even hurt it. He is really amazing.<BR>He thinks band-aids are little plastic miracles so as long as it is covered by one, he is like superman with the "suit" on.<P>To steal an old phrase from the Oakridge Boys, "Thank God for kids" L<BR>

Hey PP,<P>your garden sounds glorious. I've started developing an interest in my little garden, but as it's winter here now there's not much going on. My next goal for my little patch is to have some turf laid. You know, the green stuff you can actually walk on, not the other brown hard stuff that puts bindi's in your delicate little tootsies.........<P>Your son's nail - ouch. Poor little thing. My eldest d lost her toenail last year due to dropping a brick on it!!! She's a little trouper, cried and cried and cried, and then got over it!!! Was very proud that she had no toenail. I think it gave her some street cred amongst the other pre-schoolers - all of whom where in the 4 -5 age bracket!!!<BR>Precious.<P>You're right about one thing tho, the garden is for YOU and not for him. It will be thearapeutic for you - as well as keep you fit. Cripes, 4 acres - I don't think I have 4 metres and it wears me out!! It will give you so much satisfaction knowing you made it look so beautiful. Roll on your summer and then you can have those cut flowers in the vase..... Put them in every room if you want.....<P>I love fresh flowers. I try to buy some every week, even just a little bunch of something. It cheers the house up and it cheers me up. The girls (6 & 3) even like them now, and ask where they are if we don't have them. I bought my eldest d a bouquet a white roses the day she started school. I wanted to be the first one to buy her a bouquet of flowers - sort of symbolic to me in some strange way. No matter who comes into her life, Mummy will always be there.<P>anwyay, enough of my ramblings<P>have a good night's sleep and take care of you<P>hugs<P>Jo<BR>