Open post of the week + pyjama jeans

Are you sick? Are people in your house sick? I’m sick of sick. There aren’t many office tales or photos in this week’s post where I share a bit about what’s been going on behind the scenes at Mamamia and what else has been on my mind. Monday was my first day back in the office after a week of sickness at home – the two little ones have had that boomerang virus.

Started with fevers, then chesty coughs and every time I thought they were getting better…boom. Fever is back. Cough is worse. Then my daughter got croup on Friday night and we made yet another pilgrimage to the doctor on Saturday morning, the waiting room was packed with parents and little sick kids.

This winter is a nasty one. When our eldest got the flu a couple of weeks ago, Jason and I bolted to the doctor for flu jabs. Please God, let them hold……..

I’ve missed the office. Been trying to work from home but it’s not easy. At one point I tweeted: “Every time I try to work, someone vomits”. I usually have a nanny four days during the week but she was sick too. At times, our house has felt like something out of ER. Except without George Clooney dammit.

I have of course been grateful that nobody has been seriously ill. My thoughts are with everyone who is doing it far tougher. I’m also going to admit that my Florence Nightingale tendencies are seriously limited. At a certain point (OK, several certain points), I have just wanted to scream “I KNOW YOU DON’T FEEL WELL BUT WILL EVERYONE JUST HARDEN THE FUCK UP ALREADY”.

At another point, I may have possibly said to my daughter “I know, how about you just tell me which parts of your body DON’T hurt. How’s your hair? Does your HAIR HURT?”

Ahem.

Anyway – during all of that – I had the surreal experience of escaping going to Melbourne. I was a bit excited to put clothes on and wipe off vomit and leave tissues and thermometers behind me.

And also? WHY DON’T MEDICINE COMPANIES PUT MEDICINE IN CHOCOLATE? LIKE THEY DO WITH WORM MEDICINE? I am SO OVER trying to shove medicine in unwilling little mouths. Oh the bribery I have resorted to.
At one point, my daughter had a Chupa Chup in her mouth WHILE I squirted antibiotics into her mouth .01ml at a time. But that wasn’t enough to mask “the disgusting revolting awful taste” so I had to up the bribery factor with choc bits.

No doubt all that sugar totally eliminated any possible benefits of the medicine.

Anyway – here are some other bits and pieces from this week at Mamamia:

The bag

At the Range Rover Evoque launch I attended last week in Melbourne (I’m a ‘City Shaper’ which is kind of like an ambassador), it wasn’t just the unveiling of the new car but also a new Shaper – Jennifer Hawkins.

A couple of my girlfriends, Amanda and Wendy came with me to the launch party and as we sat at a table watching the crowd, I picked up Jennifer’s handbag to have a closer look. Hey, it was sitting on the table! She’d told me it was borrowed (from Myer presumably) and it was Alexander McQueen. It was impractically small but quite magnificent. It had these rings on the top that you put your fingers through to hold it. Very very cool.

I couldn’t resist taking a few photos of it and ‘trying it on’ my hand.

A few minutes later, Jen turned around and grabbed her bag to head to the loo. My friend leaned over and whispered “I don’t want to cause a scene or anything but Jennifer Hawkins just walked off with your bag.”

Hilarious.

Thinking of Dr Victor Chang…..

Random thoughts of the week:

Another wedding – Kate Moss’s. There was once a time I’d have cared about this very much – in a superficial way of course. You know, what the bride was wearing. That’s about it. But now? I’m just not feeling Kate Moss anymore which is quite a surprise to me and of absolutely no consequence to her. I found the whole wedding (visually) uninspiring. As my friend Louise remarked, “It was typical Kate Moss. She looked like she’d just woken up, gone “oh, I’m getting married today” and picked up whatever was on the floor.” Hilarious.

The compensation for cattle farmers affected by the live export ban is obviously very necessary and I would never begrudge anyone a life raft. But what about the official industry body – the Meat and Livestock Association? The body that has taken $5 per every head of cattle sold as a levy to ensure animal welfare? They have admitted they knew about the conditions in the Indonesian abbattoirs where cattle were being brutally tortured every day. They knew about it for years. So why are they not in any way financially accountable for this mess?

My new guilty reality show pleasure

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on Lifestyle You.

This is my new favourite program to IQ on Lifestyle You. You have never seen anything more bemusing than a bride – or little girl going to her confirmation – wearing a dress that’s so big she cannot walk in it. Literally cannot walk.

Confused about Angelina wearing ‘no make-up’

Why did did the Louis Vuitton people feel the need to claim Angelina Jolie had been photographed with no make-up on in Cambodia for their latest campaign? Check this out:

The Pajama Jeans

I’ve been hearing quite a lot about pajama jeans – apparently they’re the new star of morning TV advertorials. So imagine my delight when a pair arrived in the office. Until I tried them on. Comfortable, well yes. I guess. Flattering? Undoubtedly. Wait..

Book of the week

You can finally buy this book in Australia (probably not for actual kids but great for parents)

The website

I’m a bit obsessed by this ‘koi-assisted-birth’ website. It’s a joke, right? Or are there people who truly want their home waterbirths assisted by FISH?

The ugly dog contest

Here is a gallery of the past 10 winners (losers?) of the Ugliest Dog In The World Contest. Faces only an owner could love……

So what’s on your mind this week? Anything you want to vent about? Share? Ask the group? Ask me? Get off your chest? A happy moment or something you don’t undertstand? Speak up………..