Why I blog

I have been tagged by the lovely Jenn to share Why I Blog. The short answer is, I don't rightly know. I've never been good at keeping a diary. The one time I did seriously maintain a diary my grandmother found it and treated herself to an afternoon of reading over a cup of tea. I was devastated - there was nothing murky in it, I was 10 after all but it was my space, and my space alone.

I did dabble at university with a "diary like" book. I hesitate to use the word diary as I guess it was more a scrapbook. I rarely wrote long entries in it but it did contain quotes, photos, poems etc that related to me at that point in my life. It was raw, emotional and crude. I set fire to it a few years ago.

I started this blog mainly as a way of recording the insignificant events in the life of my boys. I planned to include as many photos as I could, especially while they are so young. I want them to remember the afternoons we spent at the river, or at the park. I want them to remember the mornings we have coffee and a milkshake at the local cafe or the days they danced in the rain and splashed in the puddles as they are the times I cherish most about my childhood. I'm not sure that the direction this blog has taken strictly aheres my initial vision, but hey I've never been known for my consistancy so why start now. I think I'll just keep it fluid and see where it leads us.

Since that concludes this weeks thrilling episode of A Day in the Life of Shannon, I hereby tag Ellie, Cylie & Sarah. Off you go girls...

People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one...

This just makes me smile...

Monday memories - week 3

My mother recently located this photo of me doing my GI Jane impersonation. I was 20 and joined the Army Reserves. T & I lived in Rockhampton at the time and I had to travel to Townsville to my recruit course - this photo was taken minutes after my Passing Out parade. I was officially a Private.

This photo is actually really hard for me to look at. My father was thrilled beyond all belief when I told him I was joining up - we are a military family from way back and my brother had never shown any interest in enlisting. It was not long after that T & I moved back to Brisbane and I joined up with the Transport company at the Enogerra Barracks. I had just suffered some ear problems when our platoon was made to told we would be taking on what was affectionately known as "Heartbreak Hill" - a gruelling 2km run up a steep moutain. Needless to say I didn't make it and with my ego left in tatters around me I did what I do best. I quit. Dad and I have never officially spoken about this decision however I do know for a fact that he was shattered.

Appointments

The last two days have seen us catching up with three of our very best friends; Matthew's Opthalmologist, Matthew's Optometrist and Matthew's Rheumatologist. We also threw in an appointment with our local GP for good measure. I would hate for them to feel neglected.

Anyway, the results are in:

Opthalmologist
Left eye - cataract stable. Surgery avoided for at least another 8 weeks.
Right eye - inflammation & retinal swelling stable.
General sight - 6/12 Right eye, 6/6 Left eye.
No change in medication.
Follow up 8 weeks.

Optometrist
Contact Lens - fits perfectly. Many pats on his own back for being such a clever Optom. (insert eye rolling here). Dramas associated with inserting lens are fault of mother apparently. Note to self - must work on insertion technique.
Follow up 6 months.

Rheumatologist
Joints - wonderful!! No sign of swelling, warmth or inflammation in any joint. Almost full range of movement regained in knees/ankles. Naproxyn dose halved, Methotrexate dose reduced to 10mg per week.
Follow up 4 months.

Monday Memories - Week 2

Like Ellie, I am actually lying when I say this weeks photo has a memory attached to it. It seems neither myself or my dear parents can actually remember anything related to the interesting item in this photo (which IS NOT my Holly Hobby undies, just in case you are wondering). Friends and neighbours, I'd like you to focus on my footwear...

The first three or so years of my life, I wore correctional shoes. Apparently. Can anyone remember why I wore these Gump-esque appliances? No, they cannot. Did anyone think to retain them for sentimental purposes, along with the staggering collection of 1970's baby clothes that simply had to live on? No, they did not.

You will be pleased to know they did however carefully save every one of my big brother's baby teeth. Second Child Syndrome, do you think?

Somebody is 33 today...

Happy Birthday, you old dog. We love you - mwah!

Monday memories - Week 1

Starting Grade 8 - 1990

It has been suggested by the lovely Ellie we liven up the pages a bit by subjecting ourselves to some humiliation. The next few Mondays will feature a photo and blurb of a moment/object that we remember well and share some details about it. In honour of our boys recently starting school for the first time I have chosen a photo of me about to trot off to boarding school at the ripe old age of 12.

Firstly, this photo was staged by my mother. It isn't actually the day I was going off to school but one of the days leading up to it. It was taken at my Nan's house, in front of her frangipani tree. (The tree itself holds a special place in my heart but I'll talk more about another day.) I remember being enormously excited about venturing off to school - for months I had been packing and repacking my stuff in giddy anticipation of the big event. I can't rightly recall why I was so excited, after all I was moving thousands of kilometres away from my family, my home and my friends but I suspect it had a lot to do with feeling very grown up and embarking on a big adventure.

My first day/night went well. I went from having all my life only one older brother to play with suddenly having 30 other 12 year old girls with me morning and night. Playmates on tap - I was in heaven. I only remember one afternoon of tears about 3 weeks in to the term when the enormity (and probably permanence) of the situation hit me other than that, I was hooked. Boarding school rocked. Good thing too because I had another 4 years of it to get through... ;)

For Cylie

Blurred photo but trust me, it's completed. I have RSI to prove it.

A shit of an afternoon...

...literally.

So I go to pick Matthew up from school. In my haste to get from the school to the car in the pouring rain I have not paid much attention to my offspring. I bundle them in the car and set off to do some shopping. *Sniff* - wtf is that smell? Ahhh, turns out Ryan has stepped in dogshit on the way back to the car. Okay, not a big problem but the fact that he has his be-shitted shoes resting on the back of the seat in front of him is concerning me a little. Thankfully I have wipes in the car so the crisis is temporarily averted.

25 minutes later, wandering around Target I can still smell it. And what's worse, it appears that I am cause of the stench. Yes, Ryan shared the love and wiped his shoes all over my legs as I was putting him in his carseat.

Total number of shops I visited before this fact dawned on me: 4.

Vandalism

So, what do you think the chances are of him seeing his third birthday?