So it is nearly 10:00am.

Sweet baby James woke his trade mark half a dozen or so times last night, and because he was so thirsty he filled his diaper, it soaked through, and co-sleeping mamma bear me groggily placed an extra sheet down and slept in the wet patch. Don’t judge me. Most parents have done this, and trust me, you’ll do the most amazing things in order to steal a precious few extra minutes of sleep. And it is easier to change the bed now that he is asleep in his hammock and I don’t have a beautiful Hobbity husband snoring soundly beside me.

So, I should be getting ready to go to the personal trainer with Grumpy because, well, I am a chubster and something must be done. I am also exceptionally fond of both the ladies who train us and seeing them is a genuine treat.

This is Jody holding James. She is more than a personal trainer, she is a close family friend. Her and her daughter also take care of James when Grumpy and I go out on Date night, I am so lucky to know them, let alone have them as trainers! Contact me if you’re keen to get training with her, she may have a couple of spaces left…

Linda is AMAZING and will be competing in the world bodybuilding comps in the Gold Coast in a few short weeks! She’s very nice, smart, kind and funny too. Although I haven’t known her for the more than a decade I have known Jody, she is a firm friend and it is an honour and pleasure to spend time with her, in or out of the gym 🙂

I’d also intended completing a guest list, several work documents, an event budget, chasing up a large debt and nailing down a meeting with the elusive debtor, following up on completing my post-grad study, and setting up a Facebook event for the Halloween party we’ll host here this year completed by this time this morning. Oh, also need to hire a skip for garden waste, check up on our rental baches, read and sign off several quotes for various maintenance and start hunting down someone to build a fence, planter boxes, and a chicken run, and then another person or company to wash the houses and clean the gutters. Jeepers. It looks like a lot when your write it all down. Eep.

Somewhere among all of this there are after school activities, reading, snuggles, walks, cooking, yelling, swearing, shopping for groceries and all the other components of child rearing, or, in our case, herding a rather large tribe of children through the days and weeks together.

Today, for the first time this week, I did not wake the children and chase them around the house to pack their lunch and get ready for school. I did not make Grumpy his coffee, I did not sit in bed trying to work while the kids brushed their teeth and I did not take the tribe to school and daycare. Today: I. Just. Slept. In.

Sleeping in… Hubby kindly took a snap to share with you 🙂 Gosh I Love bed…

I’m up now and I just had to share the thoughts and gratitude with you as the week draws to a close and New Zealanders go off on a much needed holiday weekend. I urge you all to relish the time, drive safely, breath deeply and rest and rejuvenate, because gosh darn it, we grown ups deserve it!

I know there are single parents, amazing caregivers, hard working couples, and people who are struggling through hectic schedules every day, not because they choose to as I do, but because they have to in order to keep a roof over head and shoes on their feet. And with that thought, I am re-energised. As soon as I have posted this I’ll be calling my business partner and bounding up to give ‘er heck through another day.

I complain about Grumpy an awful lot, but only because he can be a pretty big jerk. The flip side of that is that he is honest, loyal, fair, supportive, funny, kind, passionate about many of the same things as I am, and once in a while he steps up and takes over so I can have a morning like this. We’ve got a fair whack of stuff to do this weekend, so spending the entire time at the bach unplugged is not on the cards, but we will be there for as long as we can manage and come back rejuvenated and recharged.

My baby girl is heading up with her bestie and their family to Pahia for the duration. It is the first time I’ve left any of my babies in the care of anyone other than my mother for more than an overnighter. I am certain she will have a ball, and I can honestly say I had the click with the mother, who shares a great deal of good and bad characteristics with me. I know she’s in good hands, and it means we are down to three Hobbits from four this weekend.

So, whatever you are doing, wherever you are going, travel safely, take it easy, and enjoy removing yourself from your own brand of chaos and/or routine if you are able to do so.

I wish you well on your journey today and every day.

Off to get some work done now. Feeling way better after writing this all down. Thanks for reading!