It is starting to overwhelm me now, how much I still have to do, and how little time I have to do it. Sometimes I feel like I’m going backwards, given that it is not uncommon for me to pack a box up, then go to another room to find something to fill that last space. Then return, to find almost the entire contents of the box, outside of it as Mr4 had spotted some toy I had packed away he wasn’t yet ready to part with.

Shed a few tiny tears today and tonight. I wish I had some help, it feels like a lot to do on my own and still work full time. And still do all the Mummy-things in the evenings with Mr4. Add to that, that my work is EXTREMELY busy this week, so there’s no room for slack there.

I’ve moved around a lot growing up and in my ‘adult years’ but this is the first time I’ve attempted to do it on my own. It’s also surprising how many extra costs they land on you here in Australia. In New Zealand, there’s usually no ‘moving fee’s, here, everyone seems to lump a $100-200 fee. Gah. And my back is mega-sore.

1. Pollen. Hideous stuff that results in weeks of sneezing, sniffling and itchy eyes. If that wasn’t enough, it also spurrs on regular nightly asthma attacks that come so infrequently that when they do, I’m flailing around looking for an inhaler.

2. Heat. It’s hot. I know, I know. Hot is good. Everyone likes it hot. Or, ‘You’ll get used to it’. But for me, not as easy as all that, you see, I have ectodermal dysplasia. A special kind of ED that leaves my body unable to cool itself properly. So, I get hotter and hotter, and it can take a very long time to cool down. In the extreme, it can be a killer. Literally.. my doctor in the UK didn’t think I took it seriously enough, and told me a story about how a boy with ED Was taken to Egypt on holiday, and he overheated and died. Last summer I overheated and passed out. This Summer, in the new place, I’ll have air con. Hoping that will help.

3. Itchy. As a part of the ED, my skin can be a little dry, and that coupled with the pollen means I get incredibly itchy and sensitive skin to everything. My usual hyper-allergenic laundry detergent is no longer available and I tried the regular sort and yeah, it’s not working out and as a result, I’m reacting to the sheets on my bed. Grrr!

4. Clothing. I enjoy being able to layer tights and dresses and knee-high boots (yay I finally have a pair!). With my curvy shape, I feel a little uncomfortable in the knee-length skirts and dresses I find I tend to wear due to the heat.

5. Burnable skin. Well that and having had a brush with cancer, for me, tanning is out of the question. And yet, I feel incredibly out of place amongst the sea of brown in Sydney with my pale limbs. I tried out a spray tan last week, and I’m not sure it agrees with me. I liked the colour, but it didn’t last long, and the girl put it on a bit unevenly. I’ve since had advise about them, and been given the name of a place to go to that’s better. So.. that might hopefully solve that.

6. Buses or trains without air conditioning. This ties into number 2. It seems to be random, and impossible to predict which buses or trains that come along will be saunas… and I had a few close calls on public transport last summer. I know, I need to learn to drive and I was going to sit my learners this week, but the house move kind of stalled that.

I got it. Second time around lucky and I’ve paid the holding fee and by this time next week I’ll be knee deep in boxes and packing and in the process of moving. By the 12th of November we should be all settled into our awesome 3 bedroom place with air conditioning, dishwasher and ensuite!

Can’t wait.

Real Estate advert:

“A Rare Opportunity!
Be the first to secure this near new 3 bedroom apartment in a boutique block of 8. Located in a quiet, leafy residential street, this unique block features:

* Full security building with security intercom,
* Ground floor location with private courtyard/balcony,
* Large tiled living/dining area,
* Large bright kitchen with cesar stone bench tops, gas cook top & Dishwasher,
* Split system air conditioning (reverse cycle),
* 3 large bedrooms with built in wardrobes, main bedroom with ensuite,
* Internal laundry,
* Modern bathroom with separate bath & shower,
* On street parking only.

All of this within close proximity to local schools, shops, and buses.”

TEDxOrangeCoast – Shelene Bryan – Become Uncomfortable to Innovate…

Shelene Bryan explores the borders of Status Quo. How becoming uncomfortable can be a start to new innovations. Her message: Don’t worry that you might fail. Worry that you might succeed at something that doesn’t matter.

The lens through which Shelene Bryan sees the world changed dramatically after she decided to travel to Africa to see if the children she and her family were sponsoring were for real. After that trip to Africa, Shelene gave up her Hollywood career and started Skip1.org. . Shelene believes Skip1.org is not about one person making a big donation. It’s about lots of people making small ones, something they can easily skip, and help change the world instead.

About TEDx.
TEDx was created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading.” The program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level.

TEDx

…For a new house. After the disappointment of last week’s ‘Yes, you’ve got the house’, followed by a dancing a jig with Mr4 in celebration, and then a call 30 minutes later with ‘Sorry, Strata said no’…. Strata being an Australian invention which controls who can, and can’t live in a block of units/townhouses/etc. As well controlling whether pets can be had, Foxtel installed etc.

I looked at another one last night, and asides from two areas, it is actually better than the one I was in love with last week.. It’s bigger. It’s all one level. Dishwasher. Air con. Good location. Just… not really a courtyard, more of a really, really big balcony. But we can greenify it I think. So, application submitted. *crosses fingers* This time, I will not get my hopes up until AFTER the contract is signed.

Meow-meow, the affectionate nickname Mr4 has given his kitten, opposes vehemently getting treated for fleas. I have the evidence by way of a rather nasty scratch running down my neck. Grrr!

Not only that, but she has a habit of licking all the flea treatment off, we tried Frontline (which is apparently about the best) and each time we applied it progressively moving it further up her neck till it was being applied between her ears, but still she licked it all off. This time, we’re using Advantage which apparently tastes even more awful so hopefully she’ll not want to lick it off. If that doesn’t work, we’re going to have to put on a sock around her neck or a collar or something.

Friday saw me $160 poorer after taking my son to a speech therapist. The trip itself was a bit of fun, we arrived early but thankfully there was a really nice park with a colourful children’s playground full of kids nearby. Mr4 was shy at first, but soon got into the swing of things. Literally, as there was a swing there. We hung out there for half an hour before heading to the clinic. The lady was nice enough and soon got Mr4 out of his shell and answering question after question whilst pointing to various flip cards. Mr4 managed it well but nearing the end he got a bit bored.

At the end, she sent Mr4 to the play area at the front and we had a bit of a chat and she confirmed what I had suspected and others around me had noticed: That Mr4′s speech is significantly behind other kids his age and he needs to catch up before starting to attend school. Part of it, indirectly, is my own fault. We’ve lead probably too solitary an existance before coming to Australia, and with the way I talk as a result of my dental implants, he’s learned a lot about the wrong way to speak from me. But it isn’t the slight lisp that is the real cause for concern, but he has a low range of words that he understands. As well, he doesn’t really get him/her/his/plurals/professions/etc.

So, fortnightly visits and lessons and bit of work after creche every other night and we should be able to make an improvement. I just hope I can get the time off work.

Yes, I do feel a little guilty. And yes, I know I probably shouldn’t.