Winding Down

I feel like a hamster in a treadmill at the moment. One week left of prac, then back to uni for 3 weeks. The finish line for this year is so close, yet so far away, and doesn't appear to be moving any closer. I have so, so many things due before November 12th, which is the date of my final exam. Scarily that is a month away, and before then I have to write 2 essays, study for 4 exams and be on call for 2 women who are due to birth during that time.

I am over it.

Doing the 4 to 5 shifts a week as I have been for the past 5 weeks has made me doubly sure that I never want to work full time while the kids are still in school. Or, rather I should qualify that by saying that I don't want both Brett and myself to work full time. We need one parent to be at home at least some days during the week. Everything just seems to slide downhill. The kids are tired, I'm tired, Brett's tired. We both have slightly different views on what constitutes 'housework'... Not that I am particularly conscientous myself, but I have a system that has worked well for the past 10 years and that's hard to change. The cooking is another issue. I have had lots more practice getting meals for 5 on the table with as little fuss and mess as possible. Brett can cook of course, but he has not been the main cook for many years. And like anything, you need to get in to the groove of doing things so that it becomes automatic. I am my own worst enemy because even though Brett often offers to cook, I find it less stressful if I just do it. I know I have to stop doing that, and I have been getting better at closing my eyes to the mess and being grateful for his help.

And for some awesomely exciting news.... I now have a proper actual kitchen floor! Hooray!! It was just the concrete slab since the beginning of the year, and it took ages to get the flooring in as it had to come from Belgium, but now it's here and laid and looks great. Brett spent most of the holidays finishing the painting in the kitchen and dining room and the put all the skirting boards on after the floor was laid. It looks like a grown up person's house!