How has it been a week since I last posted? I guess first week back at school for E and my work gearing up for the year means less time for blogging - will have to schedule some blogging time as it doesn't happen as easily when I'm not on holidays (funny that hey!).

I was planning to blog yesterday, but despite it being a nice Sunday on paper (visits to family and friends, time to relax, etc), I felt really flat and grumpy. This was 100% hormonal, which is good because I know it will pass in a day or two (I already feel a bit better today), but annoying because it feels unnecessary. Anyway as a result yesterday I did NOT do strength training as I had intended, or my Sunday planning routines. Instead I doom-scrolled Youtube about American politics which I didn't even enjoy.
But let’s focus on the positive! I will share the Top 5 happenings of last week:
E started off really well in Year 2. She has a lovely teacher, a nice class including a few friends she knew from last year, and we are enjoying having both O and her at the same schools so nothing is too new or challenging this year. (I would show a back to school photo but E wears a school uniform).
O has started 4 year old "Kindy", his last year of preschool/daycare before he starts school next year. He was a bit reluctant to go to daycare last week, but when I picked him up he declared to me proudly "Mummy, I'm a big Kindy boy now". Yes you are, buddy!
E tried Taekwondo on Saturday morning - she'd been keen to try it since we saw a demonstration at a local fair last year and the kids broke wooden boards in the demonstration. We weren't sure how it would go because... well, lets say E's biggest strength is creative flair rather than discipline. The first part of it, the warm up, they were doing roundhouse kicks, and E added a twirl to each one! Haha. But the instructors were lovely and patient, and by the end E was copying the moves pretty well, and concentrating hard. She enjoyed herself and is keen to give it a go, so we will sign her up for a few sessions and go from there. She also has Scouts another evening, and he's keen to try gymnastics/acro - but I feel like two extracurriculars is probably enough for now. Perhaps acro will be for next Term if she's still keen.
I did two strength training sessions last week - this is a big improvement on the week before when I did none. The were short sessions (5 minutes warm up, 10-15 minutes strength) as I'm just trying to build the habit, but I immediately felt good afterwards and had a spring in my step all day. I can feel how good it is for me, but also in the moment its hard to make myself do it (unlike walking which I naturally enjoy). But hoping I can build the habit so before long it feels easy (in my professional life I research the psychology of habits so you would think this would be easy for me - but somehow its not!).
Al had 5 days off last week including Saturday (which doesn't happen every week). This was kind of his break, since he didn’t get much over Christmas/New Year. So after Taekwondo on Saturday, the four of us headed straight for a drive to a new beach, market and restaurant for lunch with my parents. We got ice-cream and Iced Lattes from the market, and then had a delicious lunch at the restaurant (which had an epic adventure playground for the kids). And then headed home by about 3, and relaxed for the arvo. Didn’t get a photo of this outing, oops.
Bonus little good things:
I read a (short) book in one day! A memoir, The House of my Mother, by Shari Franke. Her family was part of a YouTube Channel, a family vlog called 8 Passengers. Her mother was abusive and is now in jail. It was a good book, a real page-turner. Shari is now outspoken about the damage caused to the children of family vloggers. I think the discussion is relevant to blogging too, and makes me aware of what I share about my kids.

The orchestra of cicadas in our garden at dusk. I love the sound!
Playing the Sleepy Sloths game with O. It’s a really cute preschool age game we inherited from a friend and he loves it so much. Orchard Toys make the best little kid games.
Ok, I feel better already! Anyone else struggle with hormonal moods? Any happy things this past week? Happy Monday and new month everyone!
I love that O was excited after his first day of Kindy. So cute. Your beach day sounds delightful. It's freezing here, so I'm jealous. We have an 8th grader who will be starting high school in the fall, and we think she will go to public school, but we have to decide. It's gonna be a tough transition for her.
I remember those mood swings and feeling blah. I don't miss that at all. If Coach game me time to do something on my own, I'd come home and feel like I'd missed out on whatever the kids were doing (when they were really small) and what on earth? I was with them ALL THE TIME. Hormones can be…
I am in the same hormonal boat. About a week before my period is due to start, I am in a weepy, sometimes rageful, "nobody loves me" phase. Then the period comes, clouds part, and I can get on with my life. I hate to be at the mercy of my hormones so much!!!
I just listened to "About Progress" podcast and Monica talked about that awful, scary situation with Ruby Frankie and her kids. So sad and scary...
The symmetry of our lives is just too funny! We just registered taco for the preschool program at Paul’s school. So he will start there in September and Paul will start grade 2. So we’ll just be seven months behind you in this transition. We can’t wait to have one drop off and we also hate that his current daycare has a sandbox they use year-round.
I definitely noticed different moods during the luteal phase of my cycle and major cravings for chocolate and sweets! I also am extra moody the 3 to 5 days before my cycle starts. It sucks!
You make me want to read that book, even though I have never heard of the person who wrote…
Oh yes, I used to have SO many hormonal fluctuations around my cycle. They have really evened out in the last year (to the point I don't always know exactly when my period is going to start), but I used to get so weepy. Oh, and ravenous for sugar.
Loved all the joys you found sprinkled throughout the week. I am jealous of your beach time! It was -16C when I got up this morning :(
Thanks for the tip on The House of My Mother. It sounds good, and I need an audiobook for a trip that I'm taking next week, and it was available for checkout on Libby so I am set.
I can relate to "it's Sunday time to write a blog post again". The weeks go by fast!
I remember hormonal downtime very well. Sure, you know what it is and that it will pass, but it's still annoying while it's happening. I know that it doesn't work the same way for everyone, but for me the cure was to stay on the pill continuously.