GOMA & The State Library Re-opened today!

I was very excited to hear that GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) re-opened today after the devastating Queensland floods. I find each time I visit the Gallery that I'm refreshed and inspired by the wonderful works of art that are on display. I visited the Andy Warhol exhibition twice, I loved it so much. The current exhibition is "21st Century: Art in the First Decade". So get along to GOMA and the state library and support a great Brisbane Art icon. There are celebration activities on this weekend - a great place to take the kids!

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/reopening

Link to GOMA to checkout some of the works on display

http://qag.qld.gov.au/

Nervous Breakdown? #@$t Happens! So does Karma!

I got up early to start the day with some exercise and decide I should probably iron hubbies shirt. In the meantime a friend calls to see if I can take her daughter to school, "no probs" I say and then my mum phone's; and as we've arranged I'm going to pick her up from the garage while her car is serviced. So I get the kids in the big car (I'm doing the ballet drop off this afternoon) (no exercise has taken place yet) move hubbies stuff into the small car. Pick my mum up and drop her home. Washing machine has stopped on the rinse part of the cycle and won't start no matter how much re-arranging I do! Oh damn it, when my dryer fell down the other day (yes you heard me right- it fell off the wall!) it must have hit the washer (such a miracle no one was in the laundry and got pummeled and there were no dents or dings to be seen on anything???) and has broken the lid lock clip for the rinse cycle so now I'm on the phone to the service guys. Kids are asking me to cut paper for craft, they are still in their PJ's and manage to have a few tiffs too. Finally I get them dressed fed and my three plus one down to the car. We are about ten minutes late at this stage for school. But then the ultimate disaster strikes. My friends daughter walks right through the stinkiest fly ridden dog poop ever, right near the car and right near my front gate! I'd really like to know who let's their dog poop on peoples footpaths anymore? Don't we all carry poop bags in case? There is no way this shoe can go in hubbies car; so the kids get in I take the shoe after wiping on the grass is not successful and try and wash the poop off! This poop is not coming off, the flies are buzzing madly everywhere! I then find an old packet of wipes and get a minute amount off. I've used my super hand wash (no soap or water required) and I'm doing up the four kids seat belts when a woman comes walking past on the road around my car, walking the tiniest of dogs I'm sure her dog is the pooper - why isn't she walking on the footpath, because she knows the poo is there that's why! I bite my tongue (the Karma Chameleon will get her!) and I drive to school with the shoe sitting on the empty wipes bag. I drop the kids to their classes and explain to the teacher why my friend's daughter has to take her shoes off 'cause of the poo and she doesn't want this in her classroom on the carpet. I then have nominated to help in my daughter's reading class. This is chaos as my son climbs the verandah railings and has a melt down while I'm trying to get kids to cut out words from their story and stick them on their worksheets while the wind is blowing them all away! I am now home, I have picked up all the poop off the footpath, my two kids that are home today are now having a barney and it's only 11am and I don't know if I have the energy to exercise?? and then there's the very wet unrinsed and spun washing to deal with and the repair man might not get here till Tuesday! This day can only get better from here on!

Sing like nobody's listening, dance like nobody's watching, but clean when you've got an audience!

Why does it take so long to clean the floors in my house?? Firstly I have to pick up at least a thousand toys, shoes, bags, dirty clothes and anything else my tribe has decided to throw on the floor rather than put away. Then it just takes ages moving chairs etc. and hoping the little ones can keep out of the way. When in only a few hours I can feel the clean feeling under my feet slipping away, with only one meal time as rice or grated cheese is being strewn around the dining room table or sand and grass are walked in from outside. But I do feel if I wait for no one to be home they will not appreciate all the hard work to get the clean floors or other jobs done in the first place (and it's a dreadful waste of child-free time!). Often my hubby will walk in the door and I can see from the look on his face "what have you been doing all day this place is a mess" He never notices if the bathroom's been cleaned or the mirrors or most things for that matter. He'll happily wear the ironed shirts without noticing he hasn't had to iron any for a whole week or two. So I say iron the shirts while he's lazing on the couch watching the footy, and clean the loo while he's brushing his teeth! A mother's work is much more appreciated when you've got an audience! Maybe the next time you've got the house to yourself you can enjoy a book or magazine and watch a bit of Ellen!

Here's a joke that captures this topic perfectly!

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pyjamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.
The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.
He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pyjamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.
He looked at her bewildered and asked, ‘What happened here today?’
She again smiled and answered, ‘You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me sarcastically what in the world I do all day?’
‘Yes,’ was his incredulous reply.
She answered, ‘Well, today, I didn’t do it.’

Flood Relief

Sadly this month has been devastating not just in Qld with the Floods but also in Victoria as well as bad Bush fires in WA. I have been helping friends who've been affected and it really makes you appreciated how lucky you are. Driving through some of these flood affected areas has really taken my breath away - at how much destruction has been left for people to rebuild their homes. Here's a few ways of supporting flood relief initiatives.

http://writersonrafts.com/

or

http://www.powderfingerstore.com/music/detail.aspx?pid=97694

So get out and help any way you can!