Comments

• 03/08/2008 @ 12:05 Jomo said

  

  My dear chum - the only thing for it is to do the housework in your sleep. I feel that this is such a good suggestion that I am quite noble passing it on to you.

  And some people I know used to sleep a lot at work - looked awake, but definately asleep. So - you could try that a bit.

  You know what? Maybe - just maybe - take all those hours out, and start with what you would like -

  You time - first block of time is marked out for you - and be generous, give yourself the same amount you would give someone you really love and care about
  Wife/mother time - big amount
  Friends time - gotta have that
  Work - ony what you have to do to keep comfortably afloat
  Housework time - 1/2 day max.

  Luv
  Jo

• 03/08/2008 @ 18:02 Sehquethel said

  

  I don't know what "Wife-ing" consists of.. And I really don't know what "Parenting" consists of either.. But perhaps you can combine the Wife-ing, parenting, and housework. I find that letting the children I babysit help make their lunch and help clean up afterwards, and the house too, makes things much easier and more balanced. I said letting, because if I make it seem important.. seem like something big they're doing, or promise a movie together afterwards, they always seemed eager to help. Of course... they were excellent kids, too so... Your 'me time' doesn't have to be every day. Once or twice a week can be just as refreshing. You should definitely find time for that.

• 03/08/2008 @ 19:17 sar said

  

  Hi Um

  How do you fit in 4 hrs of housework a day?

  What about 4 hrs twice a week, max? I do about 2 hrs a week and I live alone so I'm thinking 2 hrs per person per week. It would free up a day and an hour each week for you if you could do less housework.

  xsar

• 03/08/2008 @ 22:18 UMxx said

  

  hello all, Yes Jomo I know people who can sleep at work - not people I am attracted to I must admit - not me.

  Ha Seh, Wife -ing is a new technical term - I think it could be adopted - all I mean is having time with my husband who I am sure is one of the most wonderful humans on the planet - just time to sit down maybe once a day and talk about anything other than being parents, mortgages, or who needs to do what. The kind of conversations we used to have - to listen to a bit of loud music or to play a song together - or to dance to some old Patti Smith or just cuddle.

  How do I fit in 4 hours of housework - I think by the time that I shop, cook, wash, hang out, vacuum (oh I am asthmatic so I vacuum and mop a Lot!!!) do school lunches and so on - that's what it takes. And I don't do dishes, ironing, lawn mowing, or all the other stuff my husband does. I am not a tidy freak either.

  And Seh, you are right I don't need me time everyday - but right now I am exceptionally cuddly around the middle and need to exercise - oh the joys of middle aged life and metabolism. UM xx love to you all :)

• 04/08/2008 @ 01:26 cate said

  

  Hi UM I agree with Jomo that at the top of the list should be you. How much Me Time will vary but a daily dose is vital if you are to cope with the rest of the tasks me thinks. Neglect Me Time and most of us tend to spiral down a not nice rabbit hole .
  Take care of UM - sending love , Cate xx
  p.s. yes the weight creeps on as we age - I found by just having a good breakfast and halving my bread intake I'm slowly shedding the kgs .. rocket science ?

• 04/08/2008 @ 07:46 UMxx said

  

  Hey Cate, funny a couple of years back I discovered that there was a direct link between what I put in my mouth and what went onto my body! Shock! :) UM xx

• 04/08/2008 @ 09:40 Jomo said

  

  If that were true, wouldn't I be a Black Jelly Bean by now?

  Or are you referring to the large amounts of chocolate that plumps out my thighs? Or the Fried Rice that rounds out my ample buttocks? Perhaps the Butter Chicken and Paratha bread that causes all those wonderful stomach contours?

  Best I go and get some tea - talking about all that made me hungry...

• 05/08/2008 @ 22:09 UMxx said

  

  It could be true that the jelly of the beans and the chocolate flows in your veins - but butter chicken and Paratha wouldn't cause that! umxxxx

• 05/08/2008 @ 22:28 Jomo said

  

  Instead of blood, I have black jelly beans and chocolate? How amazement! I feel like I am Willy Wonka. I wonder if my GP will believe me if I tell him that? He may insist on a blood test to sort it all out. Ulp. Ugh.

  Jo xx

• 07/08/2008 @ 13:27 UMxx said

  

  Gosh you aren't meant to tell anyone! But the thought of butter chicken - well it felt a bit chunky and the bread a bit lumpy.

  I think that tonight I probably have mashed banana and peanut butter in my veins.

• 07/08/2008 @ 23:03 Jomo said

  

  Hmm. You still eating those peanut butter and banana sarnies... Well. I just want you to promise that you won't put bacon in these sarnies.

  Remember Elvis. No, really, please remember Elvis...

  
  Luv ya - Jo XXXX

• 08/08/2008 @ 06:12 cate said

  

  Oh slow old me.
  And i thought I had an original thought for once UM
  Well there you go . The theory however deserved testing so I decided to add fried potato - left overs - that's my excuse- to my breakfast omelette and an extra egg.
  The news is not good I'm sad to say - :(
  But then again who is looking after the interests of our potato farmers and what about the poultry industry??

• 08/08/2008 @ 10:27 UMxx said

  

  And let's remember this is the International Year of the Potato!

  But Cate - I think that cutting bread rations is a good idea - it has so much more in it than in days of old. S9o I think that potato is much better than rice and then that is better than bread. UMxx

• 09/08/2008 @ 05:06 Jomo said

  

  But aren't potato plants related to tobacco plants? I'm sure that there is some evil in potatoes - we just have to keep searching - whatever I like, turns out to have something BAD about it.

  
  Next thing you'll be trying to kid me that chocolate is fattening!

  
  Huh. Have to catch me first - I wasn't born yesterday. [Obviously...]

• 10/08/2008 @ 03:36 UMxx said

  

  potatoes are indeed related to tobacco plants. But Hitler was a human and so am I - we have a closer relationship that potatoes and tobacco - what does this make me?? And yes chocolate is not fattening it is just all the other stuff we eat with it makes it appear so. Did ya hear about the guy on the tinny of beer diet??

  UMxxx

• 10/08/2008 @ 05:55 cate said

  

  I have a deep love relationship with potatoes-this is the single best food product on the planet almost - just remembered strawbs and raspberries and chocolate . What with llamas and hundreds of varieties of potatoes and my doona I could just might move to Peru. xx I like your logical thinking UM - more potato less bread that's
  the message hey?
  Jomo - chocolate is definitely not fattening - it's what you put on it :)

• 10/08/2008 @ 09:02 Jomo said

  

  What does that make you, Maid? Well, prolly Maid Potato Head, something like that? What sort of tinny, a boat full?

  So. I now have two excellent folk telling me that chocolate is not fattening. How kind.

  Just what I put on it - then I have to stop spreading my chocolate with peanut butter, bananas, and bacon? Is that it?

  Never! I shall stand firm at the gates of Chocolate Spreading-with-stuff, and hold the bridge, etc.

  Anyway I have it on very good authority [mine] that chocolate is only fattening if you eat it when it is snowing. So. Sad for all those folk in colder climes, but for me here in sunny Queensland, a no brainer.

  Cheers - Dr Who is on tonight - yes!

  I am not so a sad peep...

  Jo X

• 10/08/2008 @ 22:24 UMxx said

  

  Oh we were all so sad about the death of Jenny :( but now we are excited to find out when they encounter each other again - but I have a secret fear that Jenny may replace the Master !! Poor Doc -

  I like the idea of being a Potato Head - I can change my expressions to fit the day.

  Now back to chocolate - I really love a milky chocolate - one of the ones they market to children - with really crisp bacon - slices of water melon, and haloumi cheese, green almonds and Old Stoney Ginger Beer! And I think you are right about chocolate and cold weather. Oh and I do like the hazelnut/chocolate spread with peanut butter and mashed banana - shame about the bread that's all- I haven't quite worked out what else to put it on.. I did try celery - works with peanut butter but not with the chocolate eugghhh! We have ben having a few chocolate fondues of late using berries - definitely a health food. xxUM

• 11/08/2008 @ 01:10 Jomo said

  

  Ohhhh - you have reminded me that I have frozen raspberries - ohhhh - my secret vice... never had chocolate fondue - any sort of fondue - though it were my generation, it were, wot had fondue sets coming out its ears! Every bugger and his brother had one - wedding prezzies, whatever - fondue sets!

  I woz so shocked to see 'em back on the market - I bet the Salvos have a huge, HUGE, warehouse full of old fondue sets, I do.

  But I forget - you actually USE your gadgets - somewhat of an anomoly, ya?

  Wish there was a spell checker on this - I do get so lazy - have the dictionary at my elbow, too lazy to check the spelling of anomoly. Ahhhhh. Perhaps I just need to eat a few frozen raspberries...

• 11/08/2008 @ 02:27 UMxx said

  

  Is a fondue set a gadget? No I would have said it was a utensil actually.

  See you sensible people had your children when you were young and I did not. I will be spending my 60th year organising 21st's for my kids. I expect that will keep me young :) and fat! Is that an anomaly?

  love you jo - UM xx

• 11/08/2008 @ 03:37 Jomo said

  

  You looked! You checked! Anomaly. Okay. I stand corrected.

  Utensil/gadget - splitting hairs, mon ami? I didn't have all my kids young - I spread them out over a long period of time - eldest when I was 18 [and I was just such a child, too] and youngest when I was 34. And I don't organise parties for 'em - you gotta be kidding~! They organise their own, for sure. That way, everyone is happy.

  I am not really fat, just short for my weight. Though - my eldest daughter measured me yesterday - on the maternal cupboard with the measuring chart - and I have lost - LOST! - 2.3 centimetres height in the last eight years - which makes me the same height as her - she was just so chuffed - reckoned that she has waited nearly thirty-eight years to pass me in height - I am so shocked! And no matter how I stretched and wriggled, could not get it higher - bloody good thing it was not in the evening, when I would have been even shorter, eh...

  Love you too -

  Jo XXXX

• 11/08/2008 @ 05:33 UMxx said

  

  I have an inversion table and if I hang upside down for 20 minutes I actually stretch out again - my theory is that my head is so big it is squashing the rest of me and I will look like a letter S when I am 90. I a not measuring myself until I am sure I have finished growing! xx UM

• 11/08/2008 @ 06:15 Jomo said

  

  Ah HA! It is my enormous brain that is making me shorter! Well, that ezplainz everting, eh.