today

I worked until 2am this morning. Then listened to the husband snore for a while before I finally went to sleep. Then the alarm went off at 7am. And I went back to sleep. Woke again at 7.45am, and then it's panic all round to get the kids dressed, fed and off to school with all the appropriate stuff. Always a good start to the day.

Sit down at the computer to read and breathe for a few minutes while the husband takes the kids to school. Receive an email with final instructions for a (freebie) job for the school fete committee, and a request to bring the files on a CD to the parent helper morning tea this morning. Aaargh! Am still unwashed and unfed, and it's 9.30, and I need to finish the job and check it thoroughly and burn the CD and get to the morning tea. Aaaargh! Breathe. Shower. Breakfast. Coffee. Breathe. Finish job. Check. Burn CD. Write out printing instructions (never assume!). Print laser copy of booklet so the people printing it know how to assemble it. Decide to burn a second CD to go in the fete files, just in case I'm not here next year. Darn hole in jeans (only have one pair at the moment, and don't want to buy any more fat clothes because I'm going to get this sleep issue sorted out and lose weight - any time now. Really.). Finish getting dressed, paint face, bolt out the door to the morning tea. Person I was meeting is late anyway. Last 5 minutes at the morning tea, then can't take the inane happy chat any more, and sneak off to wait in the foyer. Hand over the CD and the bad news about friend & fellow school mum. Head home.

Proof read several articles and return them to client. Work on a newsletter that should have been finished yesterday. Read messages of support for friend on Facebook. More on the late newsletter, which is taking longer than it should because the client hasn't taken any notice of my suggestions from previous issues.

Lunch - leftover Chinese from last night. Back to the computer and the newsletter. Send off the draft (incomplete, but need client input before I can do any more). Husband heads off to collect kids from school. Check Facebook/forums/emails.

Kids home with school reports. Have done well, but some room for improvement in specific areas.

Get ready to head out to swimming lessons, via petrol station (because it's on empty and if we don't we won't get home again!). Last week of swimming lessons for this year, so the kids get to go on the waterslide at the end. Hang around while they have a play. Miss Tizz turns on the tears because we won't buy her food from the cafe (it's 5.30pm, and dinner isn't too far off). Home. Pop next door to let them know about friend's husband's death. Miss Tizz whines and stomps and carries on about having to a) shower and b) wash her hair. You've just been in a heavily chlorinated public pool missy, you are GOING TO WASH IT ALL OFF. NOW GET IN THAT SHOWER RIGHT NOW! X-man showers & changes into pjs. Threaten Miss Tizz with physical violence if she doesn't get in there right now. Hand her over to husband while I prepare dinner (salt & pepper squid and veges - yum!).

Miss Tizz - now washed - gets out of shower and walks to kitchen dripping water all over the floor. No, I will not wipe you. Sulks. Again. The kids have been hyped up with Grandma and Grandad in town for a few days, and this is the crash. She's too much like me in that way, and I worry about her.

Dinner. Everybody happy :)

Comb & plait her hair (not as traumatic as it could be), and then both kids into bed to read for a few minutes before lights out. Put on a load of washing.

Lights out. Head for computer to work. Stuff it. Read blogs/forums/Facebook and chat with friend on Messenger instead.

It's now 10.42pm, and I think I will make it an early night. But first I need to load the dishwasher and start it, finish cleaning up the kitchen, take dry clothes out of the drier (from two days ago) and put the just-washed load in (and feel guilty because it was a nice warm day and if I'd been more organised I could have line-dried it), work out what I can do with the leftover chicken in the fridge for tomorrow night's dinner, and write my to-do list for tomorrow.

Good night!