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Happy Friday and welcome to one of the most popular posts of the week. It’s time to reflect on what’s happened during your week – the good, the bad and the in-between. Sharing is caring and for several years now, Mamamia readers have been gathering here on a Friday and over the weekend to trade highs and lows.
Remember that if you want a chance to host best and worst, email info@mamamia.com.au with your full name, headshot and a short bio (include any links to your blog/Twitter etc), and we’ll take it from there.
Best: This may not seem like a very big highlight, but when you get to my ‘worst’ I’m sure you’ll understand. This week I was lucky enough to interview one of the curators at the Powerhouse Museum for a university assignment. After taking me through each of the current fashion exhibitions running, we stopped briefly at The Wiggles exhibition and I was urged by the curator to check it out while I was there. So after our interview was complete, I ventured onwards into the cave of crazed children jumping on big red cars and cheering for Dorothy the Dinosaur. Now I’m only 22 [and three-quarters], which means The Wiggles were most definitely of my time and walking through the exhibition was like stepping back into my 5-year-old self. An age that I’m sure was much less complicated. A time when it wasn’t about reaching deadlines, saving money and working hard, but it was about which toy I would play with today, who my best friend would be at Kindy for the next 5 hours and the annoyance of having to rewind my Wiggles cassette tape so I could listen to that hot potato song a tenth time. A flashback to simpler times was definitely what I needed this week.
Melissa Kehagias is a journalism student and an intern at Mamamia. She spends her time blogging here, studying and selling shoes to fund her social life and hopes to one day make a living writing about fashion and wearing high heels.
What were your best and worst bits of the week?
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Comments
327 Comments so far
Hi,I would just like to say what a great Article by Kim Roach it
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When is something good ever going to happen? I do not want to feel sorry for myself but I’m worn out trying to cope with everything. I recently had to cope with losing all my belongings every single thing I owned with the exception of my computer & a bag of clothes.
A week ago I had to be taken to hospital an emergency. Whilst there my computer a 5 yr old mac with all my work ( I am self employed) & my personal stuff including the only photos I had left was stolen. I had no backup as my external hard drive was recently thrown out with everything else. I’d just got a new laptop but didn’t have the right lead to transfer over the files
But they left the brand new laptop which was next to the old desktop and they pulled out the power cord & left it so they can’t even turn the computer! Plus it’s password protected so can’t use it
My computer is worthless to everybody but me. It’s 40 kilos, old but it’s my entire livelihood. I desperately need it. All my work of 10 years is on it
Incredibly the police came to my house to check on my dogs while I was in hospital & they left the back & front doors open! That’s how the thief got in
I cant believe it. I lost my home 3 yrs ago when I was assaulted by my ex. Then I lost my beautiful soul mate. Then I lost my baby. Due to miscarriage. I tried to kill myself & was in a coma for a week then just out of hospital my partner left me. It’s taken me two years to get back on my feet then few weeks ago lost everything I owned. Now this.
I can’t work without my computer it has everything on it
My friend reckons I must have been hitler in previous life! How much can a person take? I’m struggling to cope I don’t know way to do. Sorry for the whine everyone
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Best 1: Things with the boy are amazing at the moment. Love the way he treats me and the way I feel when I speak about him.
Best 2: Reconnecting with my best friend from primary school over a dinner. Loved it.
Worst 1: Inconsistent friends. Had a friend this week stop being friends with me because apparently I called her “too horny” and said that she masterbates too much to one of our guy friends. I would never speak that way about a friend and she took his word over mine (he only hooks up with her when drunk) and sent me a text message to tell me that I had blood on my hands and that I should consider this to be her last text. Really upset to have lost a friend
Worst 2: Uni work is drowning me. I have been having panic attacks and mental blocks galore. Every time I think of Uni work, my brain just freezes and cannot do it.
OMM: How to motivate myself in these times!
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Best: last night our concert band won the Eisteddfod for the 4th consecutive year. We went to the pub to celebrate. I celebrated by drinking cosmopolitans. I went on to the after pub party and didn’t get home until after 2 am. I had such a great time.
Worst: only had 4 hours sleep. Had a rotten hangover.
Best: my mum rang up this morning. My almost 5yo answered the phone and asked her if she would take him to his favorite cafe. His first solo phone call! She agreed, and ended up keeping both kids for the day. I spent the day on the couch in the sun watching In Treatment on my iPad. It was so utterly, rarely, self-indulgent, god I loved it!
OMM: absolutely nothing. Which is another best!
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Best: I have now lost over 7kg which means I am over halfway to my goal. So excited with the new me! The changes in my body have been incredible.
Worst: Nothing comes to mind
Best wishes and virtual hugs to anyone struggling this week.
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Best: Next week is a new week!
Worst: A very hard week. Working through my separation/divorce is shit. I knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but I didn’t count on my mothers lack of support. An this makes me incredibly sad.
OMM: just so much thanks to all the lovely mamamia’s who have been following my journey at http://www.sexlovelosshate.blogspot.com.au It’s encouraging to know someone is reading and listening to me. Thank you x
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Just so you know, I am a massive plan and love your blog. Sending hugs to you! X
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Wow! Thank you so much! If you have any suggestions on what I should write, I would love to hear from you theconstantreader@live.com xxx
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Would any MMers im Canberra be interested in setting up a coffee date or something? I saw a while ago some Sydney people did this and seemed to have a good time! Would be great to meet some new ladies xo
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5 or 6 of us did this in Canberra a while ago. It was fun. I’m happy to do another one. Perhaps we could get one of the MM team to share our email addresses with each other?
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Great idea InCanberra. I went to the last MM get-together in Canberra (hi Chellebelle!), it was fun and I’d love to do it again.
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Hi Jen!
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I am organising one in Perth at the moment.
I just picked a place, date and time and post it on Open Post and Best and Worst for a few weeks.
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Best – it’s Friday evening. It’s been a long week.
Worst – I have the cough from hell. It’s a little ‘gift’ from last weeks head cold. It’s so hard to get to sleep, all I do is cough cough cough cough cough. So tired.
OMM 1 – last uni assignment for the semester
OMM 2 – do I want a Dyson heater? They look pretty groovy. Big price tag but if it actually does something more than the crappy oil heater I’ll be happy to pay it.
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best: So far for my uni assignments I’ve got 3 A’s and a B. Pretty effing happy. I wasn’t sure how I would go given that I didn’t do awesome when I was doing my undergrad.
OMM: my ex bf….again. I invited him to my bible study and he came willingly and enjoyed it and said he’d come again. I know I’m in the minority being a Christian in this forum but I just wanted to share.
Worst: Old midwives and nurses. When do they turn into such bitches? One of the worst things about being a student is being treated so rudely by the older staff. I hope I’m never like that.
Exams are week after next and I think I’m pretty much prepared but you never can tell.
My car got written off and they took it away earlier in the week. It was so sad. I loved that car. I’ve had it for 5 years. So much happened in that car, tears shed, songs sung, life lived.
Love to all MMers.
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We’re not all like that. Nurses/midwives are notorious for “eating their young”. I always hope I’m not mean, I see how some of my colleagues are, but also see how some students/new practitioners are and they also aren’t perfect. (why do I have to clean the bed/cot/floor/etc, it’s not really my job and I already know how to do it). All you can do is remember to not act like that yourself as you get more experience and ask senior nurses to outline exactly what they’re upset with you about.
Good luck, it can be difficult to navigate.
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Best – I had an excellent week.
Worst – I was so sad to read that Gina Rinehart’s mining company has been allowed to “import” migrant workers for her Pilbarra project. I have NOTHING against immigration and welcoming foreigners to our wonderful country to make their home, somehow I don’t think this is what Gina has in mind. I may be overreacting here but I see the backs of utes full of skinny underpaid Bangladeshies being taken to and from their extra long shifts in the mines, without proper work or health insurance, no super, and no rights – a-la Dubai.
All so that Gina doesn’t have to pay minimum wages for Australian workers (she’s obviously struggling).
Is this what we want to become?
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I strongly doubt that GIna would be able to get away with underpaying workers. There are stringent requirements on the amounts people on temporary work visas must be paid – it must be as much or more than Australian workers and there must not be Australian workers available to do the work.
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It is not a temporary work visa. It is a new “enterprise migration agreement” which allows mega resource projects to negotiate temporary migration needs up-front. Benefits the actual workers will receive remain To be seen.
Yes they have said there wil be a “jobs board” advertising the available jobs first and I agree that his actual project wil create many jobs for many Australians.
So if the existing temporary work visa Arrangement works, why then the new “agreement” for cheap labour?
I hope I’m wrong, I would love to believe that Gina Rinehart is purely getting access to employees that are not currently available in Australia. I do not believe that this is her motivation.
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Its actually not that easy to get a job in the mines. Yes, jobs are advertised, but it can take ages. My hubby is applying presently (he has an engineering/mechanical trade) and a lot of them want mine experience before they’ll even look at you. I’d be interested to see how many mines are in Bangladesh.
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I’m a recruiter in the mines and it’s really tough to find staff especially good staff. For the white collar work I tend to find people either won’t relocate to remote towns or don’t want to do the fly in, fly out work. We can’t have it both ways, you don’t want your partners away working but we don’t want foreign workers. Recruitment in Australia is tough, I know we like to think we’re hard workers, yes in our great offices for sure, but people don’t want to work in western Queensland or out west in the wines. From my view we don’t have many other options that foreign workers.
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Thanks for providing a different perspective Laura M, that was interesting.
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Best: it’s a long one so please bear with me. Some of you may remember I’ve posted a few times a while back about my nephew needing a kidney transplant. My sister is donating her kidney but needed to lose weight before she could have the op. we signed up to do 12wbt and have just finished it. My sister has lost 11 kgs and things are full steam ahead to have the surgery booked in, hopefully within the next month.
So that’s the precursor to my best, we went to the 12wbt finale party last sat night, Michelle bridges got up on stage and read out an email that our dad sent her about my nephew and sister. Oh my god, it was the best thing ever, my sister hopped up on stage and got a big hug. To see her work so hard to lose weight and to see her achievement celebrated like that was just … Awesome. Couldn’t stop smiling.
Worst: friends and family going through tough times. I have nothing to complain about when I hear their stories.
OMM: I’m at home alone while hubby is at the footy. God I love having the couch and remote to myself
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Lots of bests this week! Firstly, just finished a week of nights in ED, and actually felt like I was able to do my job properly for the first time in a while! Looked after some quite unwell, but really lovely, appreciative patients. And got them a bit better!! Worked in paediatric area last night, sooo many cute little babies, and some really lovely parents. Secondly, one of my besties asked me to be godmother to her little girl, who I just love to bits!! Made my week
And am off to have yum cha with my lovely girlfriends tomorrow! And am currently curled up in my warm apartment, watching the freezing wind and rain outside, drinking wine and watching Grey’s Anatomy. No real worsts for me this week!!
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Best: 5th day of my 2 week holiday, even though the weathers been terrible its the first proper break I’ve had in more than 10 years!.
Just really enjoying relaxing, shopping,reading a good book and spending time with my mum and then doing some ‘nothing’ which is ok to.
Worst: Going to the dentist after not being for more than 10 years!. Last week was the first apointment and after the dentist saw me he said ” he has to do his home work this week to work out a plan for me”!
I expecteted it, thats why I’ve been putting it off – thats what happens when you have been Bulimic for years ( recovered now) your teeth do really go to crap. I know it will cost me thousands.
So if you have an ED please get help and stop early or it will cost you as well as your health (or life!)
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That was one of the biggest things I was frightened about when I had my ED… I’ve been to the dentist since and, apart from a filling, I don’t seem to have damaged them too much… thank goodness. Good luck with it all, Tanzy – and good on you for working up the courage to go and see the dentist! That must have been hard for you.
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Worst: general UGH about school – 4 major works, stress and pressure around every corner and being exhausted from working so much before. also my meds are numbing me so basically every emotion somehow feels fake. not good times for me. my new refrain is “wake me up when I’m dead.”
Best: Saw FLORENCE + THE MACHINE LAST NIGHT!!!!! They’re my favourite band in the whole world and just for those two hours I wasn’t worried about sedatives or major works or depression or anything. It couldn’t last forever but I am eternally grateful for what Florence has got me through, and last night was no exception. I bought a little brooch with her face on and I’m going to wear it to school every day so she is there watching over me
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HOW GOOD WAS IT????!!!
Amazing.
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BEST #1: This time next week I’ll be with the dearest of loveliest friends by an infinity pool in a villa in Umbria which we’ve rented for a long long weekend. Hello Italy. YES.
BEST #2: My horrid assistant that has made my life nothing but sheer hell for the last two years has finally quit. FINALLY! WOO!
WORST: I’m a bit homesick.
OMM: Where too next? Do we go for British passports? Do we try NY? Or Singapore? We’ll know by Christmas but it’s never far from my mind.
Big love to all xx
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Best: I got Coldplay tickets for November! It is a bucket list item for me to see them live.
Worst: Nothing unmanageable!
Thoughts go out to anyone having a bad week.
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Worst: Being woken up in the middle of the night by my fiance coughing up blood. So scary. And gross, but mainly scary. Thankfully they’re almost certain it was just a burst blood vessel and nothing worse.
Best: Scored myself some beautiful clothes this week for less than half price, I love sales (:
Have a great weekend everybody x
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I haven’t commented in a while. as shit hit the fan for a while there..
Worst: My boss basically tried to pass off blame for an incident that happened at work on to me. Without going into detail, it went as far as Fair Work and even though I got to keep my job, it was stressful and deeply embarrassing.
I’ve been desperately looking for other work, and coming up short. Media and the Central Coast do not mix. Unfortunately I am not in a financial position to move back to Sydney without moving in with my parents and that isn’t an option.
Speaking to a counsellor at the moment and trying to find my way. I hope this dark cloud passes soon..
Best: My partner has been there through the darkest moments and I treasure him. Honestly would be lost if he weren’t around.
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Best: My partner and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary this weekend. I can’t believe it’s been 7 years already.
2nd Best: I took my laptop into the Apple store to get fixed, it was meant to cost $350 to fix but they did it for free despite my laptop being out of warranty.
Worst: I really don’t have any worsts this week, if anything I feel a little tired today.
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Best: My cousin and her bf are coming to visit from Melbourne for the weekend and I’m so excited.
Worst: The weather in Melbourne is TERRIBLE today and I’m worried their flight will be cancelled. Crossing my fingers….
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Worst: hubby had a car accident in our sons uninsured car last night on the way home. He was ok, just had grazes from the airbag, but he’s pretty much f*^%#d the front end of the car. The other driver, whom I spoke to today, is also okay and doesn’t have much damage to her car. So we have to fix our son’s car (I’d say it will cost too much) or replace it (it’s only a cheapie).
Best:hubby’s ok and I had a hair cut and colour today.
OMM: finances again (sigh). At least it’s raining here.
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Oh no Faybian, that is terrible. Glad to hear he is ok though.
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His right arm’s pretty banged up ATM. He also had gum surgery today, as well as waking up early to go for a job interview. Poor bugger.
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Best: I think I wrote last week about starting my health kick… has definitely had some ups ( been hitting the gym!) and downs (pigging out when hungover) but I guess I just have to be happy even with some unhealthy decisions that I’m still doing better than I have been the last few months
Best 2: going out tonight with some friends I haven’t seen in a while… will probably spend too much money and drink too much but have all saturday to recover because I have absolutely NOTHING planned
Also need to hunt around for a cute winter coat- any Melbournians seen nice ones?
Worst: uni exams. I still don’t care and haven’t done any study… I need motivation! I just want to skip the next year and graduate and going travelling then finally get a ‘proper’ job and a ‘proper’ pay!!
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I remember those uni feelings all too well (and husband has chosen to go back there!!) The only way I got through it was to have something I liked (e.g. a magazine, some craft, etc) that I would use as a reward for doing a certain amount of study (e.g. two hours got me a half hour of free time, etc). Without incentive, I’m not sure I would have been able to get much done!
Good luck, I’m sure you will do fine!
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Best-my amazing brother in law has won a free trip with xxxx beer to pumpkin isle. He absolutely deserves a treat and I’m so happy for him. My sister is so sick and he is an angel to herand I totally love him for it.
Worst-fat fa
Omm booze- booze
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Oh, I don’t normally do this but anyway,
Best: About to head out in the weather (I love wet and windy…
) AND catching up with a relative visiting from interstate. Managed to pay quite a few bills.
Worst: Yet again, way to much month left at the end of my money. The heater is only heating the five inches of room directly in front of it. DH is being a princess about doing some study to get qualified for the job he already does.
OMM: I like winter, even if it’s not the greatest house for it. Hoping that I can get a job soon!
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Best: my gorgeous 8 week old bub is smiling and I think I can detect a dimple. He’s also sleeping 11 hours at night with only a dream feed at 10pm. Thank you “Babywise” book (similar philosophies to ‘Gift of Sleep’ but is used from birth, not 6 months old)
Worst: my travelling nomad parents went on a 6 week trip to Victoria when bub was 2 weeks old. They returned this week. We have a good relationship but they are not gushy, over involved parents. In saying that, they only rang me twice while they were away. I rang them a few times in the first few weeks they were away. Then I thought I would wait for their call. It never came. I spoke to Mum briefly on Mothers Day, but was feeling pretty annoyed by then. Finally I rang them on the last day of their trip, had a lovely chat, but did mention I was surprised I hadn’t heard from hem more, considering I have a newborn. Dad went ballistic, getting so angry, saying I had no right to ruin their last day of holidays etc etc. The last few days have been awful. They are so angry with me for suggesting they did something wrong. They thought that because this is my 3rd baby (have 3 and 1 year old ) I would be coping fine, and that my sisters were still in town to support me. I am very hurt, both by their reaction and the fact they didn’t contact me for so long.
I have never felt like this when they have gone away on other trips, but I think having a newborn warrants some special consideration. I didn’t need a daily checkup, but a weekly call to see how bub and I were going would have been nice.
I’m feeling really sad. Just when I need the support, it’s missing more than ever. They haven’t been to visit since they got home, and are only coming over next Wednesday because we have a special family gathering. What do you think? Did I expect too much? How often did you get a call from your parents when you have a newborn? Should I have been more respectful of their right to go on holidays and have some down time?
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My super gushy in-laws live only 4km away and have managed only 2 visits in 13 months – I wish they’d go to Victoria, then it’d all make sense!
Sillyness aside, I totally understand what you mean. It sucks when family can’t or won’t support you
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Congratulations on your precious little one! I know this sounds easier said than done, but I’ve found the easiest way to deal with this is to let go of your expectations. Just enjoy your parents for what they are (a bit free-spirited and self-involved?) and try not to expect too much from them, unless you clearly let them know upfront (“Hey while you’re away, make sure you check in once a week, I’d love to know how your trip’s going and fill you in on the latest with bub.”)
I know from personal experience, it’s really disappointing when your parents reveal themselves to be normal people – not the strong, supportive, compassionate, superhuman pillars of advice and comfort we though they were when we were kids, but just normal people with normal, occasionally shitty, annoying personalities. My mum does things, says things and makes decisions that boggle my mind to this day, but I realised a few years ago that I was banging my head against a brick wall. So now I try to enjoy the good side without resenting the bad, and when she lets a corker fly, I smile and pretend I didn’t hear her
Hope this helps! xx
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For my 4th my parents put in sweet FA effort too and they weren’t even away. They actually expected me to visit them at first.
I don’t think you were unreasonable. I’m not gushy or over emotional myself, but I’d be excited by a grandchild, no matter how many I had. Just quietly, I’m kind of looking forward to when my 25 year old eventually has kids, I just don’t say anything because I don’t want to pressure her.
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I got one call and one visit from my parents after each of my children were born. They called a couple of days after the birth and visited about 10 days after, brought a couple of bottles of champagne and stayed for a couple of hours. They live 2 hours away so they couldn’t visit all the time. If they lived nearby I would expect the same though. I don’t think it is their job to look after me. I know some families are very close but I don’t think it should be a given that every parent owes their adult children something.
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I dont know whats worse, my MIL sat in my hospital room from the minute I left recovery after the c-section birth at 6am until late that night and repeated the same thing every day I was in hospital. And then turned up daily unannounced when I was at home and criticised everything I did.
Parents are all wacky in their own way and mean well in their own wacky ways. Just focus on your own little family and try not to let your parents get you down.
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Oh I feel your pain. My Dad and I don’t speak, haven’t for almost 2.5 years so there was nothing from him when I had my daughter but that was to be expected. The last time my Mum contacted me to do something was when my daughter was 6 weeks old. She’ll be 1 in a few days. I don’t think it’s wrong to expect the grandparents to make an effort when it comes to seeing their grandchild.
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Ohhh Lolly, I used Babywise when I had my son. LOVE IT!!! Had him sleeping through at around 14 weeks. All the hard work (3 hourly feeds etc) really paid off. Will be using it when son #2 arrives in September.
I hope things calm down with your parents.
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Best: Late May Sunshine! And beautiful, quality time with my Grandma. And inheriting a magnificent old radiogram that still works and is so beautiful. Need to go trawling for more 45s…
Worst: Having to go under anaesthetic for what should’ve been a straightforward embryo transfer. And finding out our first embryo didn’t survive the thawing process – and that maybe the others might be the same
Hopefully not…
OMM: Finding out whether the transfer was successful on Sunday…so far, NO symptoms at all, guess that could mean anything. Trying to toe the line between realistic expectations and positive thinking.
Also, writing. Feels so good when I get on a roll, but so hard to get started, much like exercise. And how do you get through the ‘cringe’ that feels like reading an old diary and you just want to tear the pages up? (or, more literally, press ‘delete’)
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Wishing you good luck
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Worst: My auntie (young, beautiful, vibrant) has just been told that the breast cancer she thought she beat years ago has metastasised to her bones. She is still waiting for a definitive prognosis, but I feel for her and her children who are all going through hell right now. I wish there was more I could do for them all.
Best: I’m 34 weeks pregnant with my second baby after two miscarriages in the past 18 months. I’m feeling tired but so happy to be getting closer to meeting my little miracle!
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Best: I hit one of my savings goals this week, and worked out I’ve managed to squirrel away $2,000 over the past month alone. It’s nice to know that after stressing over juggling work and uni (and a teeny tiny social life), it’s actually paying off!
Worst: Motivation – I’m just feeling totally stuck in a rut at the moment. I just feel like I’m spinning my wheels and going nowhere with life and it’s really bugging me.
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Ohh congrats! What are you saving for?
I’ve been somewhat of a hermit for the past two weeks with a mixture of being sick & assignments and am pretty happy that I managed to ‘save’ over $400
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Aiming for a new car, mine was destroyed in the insane hailstorm we had a couple of years ago and sharing is getting too trick with work and stuff.
Have to admit being stuck at home with uni assingments is doing wonders for my saving – 21sts, however are not haha
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Best: I work at a daycare and got to work with the babies today..lots of cuddles, very sweet.
Worst: my house is a mess, a few days of not constantly keeping on top of the housework and it seems to all explode overnight.
OMM: Slightly worried about the sick children at daycare as I’m pregnant. Anyone know if there are any illnesses dangerous to pregnant women, apart from Rubella (which I’m immune to)?
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Chicken pox!!!
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hi lis- I can understand your anxiety. I am a teacher too so know where you are coming from with illness/pregnancies etc. The one that jumps out to me is chicken pox- if any kids come down with that, just chat to your ob/dr about it. good luck!
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Slap cheek is as well. I remember taking my kids to the GP and they had slap cheek. I felt really bad because my GP announced her pregnancy not long after, but I’m sure her baby was fine.
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My daughter has really bad teeth from me getting that virus while pregnant. My G.P. told me it somehow damages the enamel before they are even born. No idea how that works but it’s cost us thousands in dental bills, she has a mouth full of stainless steel crowns.
I’d assume though that your G.P. would have been careful to not catch whatever her patients brought in. Can’t really feel guilty for taking your sick kids to the doctor!
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Thanks for the info everyone
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Best: Have an Aussie friend staying with us this week, has been good to catch up, hear the accent around again (it’s amazing how soon it becomes almost foreign sounding!) and explore new places around where we live. Tomorrow we are going canoeing! It’s going to be 32°C tomorrow, it has been beautiful!
Worst: Husband is getting on my nerves something cruel! He is doing this German course, as I complained about last week, but he gets so frustrated, and talks to me probably more abruptly than he should, then I get annoyed at him. Then when study time has finished, it seems all forgotten and he starts in on something else that I should be doing or doing better or whatever – sex, food, you know, men’s prerogatives. Just feeling a bit ‘convenient’ at the moment.
OMM: Husband trying to set up visits with professors at other unis to discuss the possibility of him doing his doctorate. I’m letting him have his chance to explore the options, knowing he has probably a 5% chance of securing even close to enough money to do it, but all along thinking, “After the crap you’ve put me through to do one year, there is no WAY you are doing four more!”
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Rach just saw your post now….have fun canoeing and don’t worry about everything else, it will all fall into place, I’m hoping you get the best outcome for the both of you.
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Best: My heater, that has been broken since Tuesday was fixed today! Yay! It’s bucketting down and I’m sooooo pleased it wasn’t the whole heater broken.
Worst: I guess the heater being broken…? Can’t think of much else bad, not it’s fixed!
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Best: Today, despite the freezing cold weather and the mountains of work I have to get through before I go on holidays in a week, I am thinking positivity. I have an AMAZING family who are incredibly kind, supportive, sweet and fun. They are just amazing and I am so thankful I was born into such a loving environment.
I am also thankful for my friends – over the years I have learnt that not everyone will like me. And as hard as that was to deal with I have learnt who to befriend and when it’s time to let a friendship go. Now I have wonderful people in my life who I can count on.
I am also glad each and every day I picked the right guy for me. He may not be perfect, but he is perfect for me. The best thing is – he makes me happy. Unbelievable happy. Outrageously happy. So happy it’s almost embarrassing
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Also my mum posted chocolate chip cookies to my work for me to share with everyone because she knew we were having a tough week! How cool is that
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Things are falling into place after a bit of upheaval. Uni semester is coming to an end so the rush is on but looking forward to a break.
Moved house start of May – as im sure some MMers know its a tough rental market so that took quite a search.
Plus my maternity contract job ended May 16 so I’ve been stressed about finding another job. So lucky – started a temp job on the 17th and they asked me yesterday to go permanent after just 1 week!
Even with this dreary Melb weather I’m feeling good.
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Best: This time in two weeks I will be sitting at the airport waiting to board my flight to AMERICA…woohoo!!! Can’t wait for four weeks of adventures and hanging out with my brother.
Worst: I am six months into my graduate job and made my first big mistake at work yesterday. My two managers came down on me like a tonne of bricks and I am still so mad at myself for it even happening in the first place. Confidence has been majorly dented. Want to crawl into a hole.
But to look on the bright side- I can only learn from it and get better. I have to keep reminding myself that I am only six months out of uni and am still learning.
OMM: So.much.to.do before I leave the country. Between finalising work projects and my ever growing to-do list at home I don’t think I will be sleeping until I get on that plane.
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Whatever it was Gracie, I bet you’ll never do it again
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I feel your pain Gracie.
I had a boss come down unreasonably hard on me (I was formally written up for being ‘unproductive’ because I ate an apple at my desk…while working…) and after a lot of thought, I gave myself a matra, which I also used as a response to his ass-holery the next day – “I dont want you to think that what happened is representative of what I bring to this company, and I will do whatever necessary to ensure that it is never the case”.
I personally just didnt want to leave in a huff when it happened, but sure enough I left less than 6 months later, and that incident has not blemished my reputation at that company.
Sorry for the long winded story, but sometimes managers (even the douche-y ones) just want to hear that you are not the sum of your mistakes, and that its a drop in the ocean compared to what you could achieve.
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You got in trouble for eating an apple at your desk!?!
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Best: 6.5 weeks pregnant, and other that slight queasiness in the mornings and sore boobs, I’m feeling pretty good. I was terrified of gettng bad morning sickness (I am a massive wuss when it comes to nausea), but so far it’s been ok. I hope I don’t jinx myself!
Worst: keeping it a secret is pricing impossible. I’ve had to turn down 4 after work drinks this week, because there was no way I could go and not drink without being noticed. Two people were really shitty with me for saying no. I go to meetings which are catered almost every day, and can’t eat half the food. I really don’t want everyone at work to know, but there is no way I am going to get through the next 6 weeks without people figuring it out.
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A little trick that worked for me this week as I’m trying to stay off the booze:
Pouring wine for everybody else, and having a very small amount of water in my own wine glass (can almost look like a pale SemSavBlanc). My VERY booze-inclined companions never noticed, and if asked, I could pretend I was alternating wine with water due to driving.
Or getting soda water in a low-ball glass with fresh lime – pretending it’s got vodka in it…
Congrats!
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A friend of mine used to get vodka lime soda’s, without the vodka when she was hiding her news. Worked a treat
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Ok let’s start with a positive….
I told husband I still want to go get a pic outside of it lol
We are headed to Chicago this weekend (long weekend over here) which I am SUPER excited about! Husband & I went there for the first time last July just a few months after having moved here and immediately fell in love so can’t wait to get back there again even if it’s only a couple of days. This time we are going with husband’s friend who is over here from back home and his friend….I’ll be the only girl lol. Luckily though with 3 guys taking care of the driving (takes about 4hrs to drive there) I can relax and nap haha. I was eager to go to Giuliana and Bill Rancic’s new restaurant there but they are all booked out
Another best- the weather is getting warmer and warmer! Reached 34 here today and of course I went shopping to buy a few new tops for summer
hoping to do some shopping in Chicago.
Worst – I’ve written here a couple of times about how I think the pill might be affecting my mood and putting on weight etc. I’ve decided to go off it for 3 months to see if any changes will occur, I just felt and still sometimes feel like I’m going into some kind of depression and that really scares me. My mum suffered with it for a long time and I don’t want to go there. A lot of it is stemming from not feeling happy about myself re my weight. I eat well I’m super careful about what I put in my mouth and I do excercise (not as much as I should but I do) but I feel like my weight just keeps going up and well it’s really pissing me off! So I’m off the pill and going to up my exercise routine and see if I’ll notice any changes in mood/weight.
Other worst – husband is unhappy with his job, everyday he comes home and complains that people at work don’t do anything and that he has to fix other people’s work that they were meant to do. So atm he is looking for other work, only problem is he has to be sponsored by a company due to the nature of our visas and some companies aren’t willing to do that. He has had someone contact him recently with possible positions in Texas or Arizona but nothing official yet, so who knows maybe we will be relocating again! Not even going to mention babies being on my mind!
Another worst is being unlucky in finding a new place to rent, we tried our hand in buying a place here but realised it might be too soon for that and well if we end up moving then not worth it! So renting is the way to go atm BUT it’s almost impossible to find something, and so it seems like we might have to just stay where we are even though our rent is going to go up by heaps!
Oh just remembered another best even though it’s kind of silly but have discovered making tea lattes with my vitamix and about to go make one now
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Ohhhh, sorry to hear all of the above! It’s awful when it all seems to crash at once, and only compounded by the fact that you have either a lesser or a non-existent support team.
I can’t say I am enjoying my support/expat wife role much either…it wouldn’t surprise me if some of your emotions are stemming back to that, coz I know what it is like! I found a counsellor when I got here, and that helped a bit, but now I am falling back to my old tricks and just pushing everything away. Much easier not to deal with the emotions, for the present time.
I wish I could catch you in Chicago, but we have a (Aussie!) friend here…if she hadn’t already organised her train, we probably could have driven her up on Sunday, but now she is here until late Sun night. We should organise to catch up though!
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Best- I have a long weekend this weekend! Slept in, took the puppy for a (windy) walk on the beach, and off to spend the afternoon with two girlfriends and their gorgeous bubs. Then movies tomorrow afternoon and a trip to the country on Sunday
Worst- no real worsts, week has gone quite well!!
OMM- finances… have been very lucky to never have to really worry about money, but things are a little tight atm
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BEST: FINISHED MY JOURNALISM ASSIGNMENT! YES!!! so much stress. It’s a TV news story, and it’s finally cut, edited, voice over recorded and submitted. off to reward myself with a bar of dark chocolate, yummy
BEST #2 – chose canada as my exchange uni! Yay! Thanks for the advice MM
Worst: Uni has been so insane I haven’t been to the gym for 3 days – my legs feel funny, I need to get back there asap
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Worst: being told on Monday that my very mild heart condition has been ramped up to dangerous- tests, hospitals booked. Facing horrible realities about leaving my kids, not watching them grow etc.
Best: being told on Thursday that the cardiac ultrasound technician read the information incorrectly. It is still very mild. I haven’t stopped kissing & hugging my babies & man xoxoxo xox
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Best- I’m working this week in a beautiful remote location in Tasmana and enjoying the challenge , and enjoying earning real money
Worst – missing my husband who chose to go away for the weekend before I went away working for 7 days,
OMM – I have been doing photoadaymay and loving the change of space in my head !
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Worst: another nanny has decided to up and quit on my family. No reason given, just that it wasn’t working out. Very disappointing and now we need to go back to the drawing board.
Best: One week left of university classes. Only one semester until I finish my Masters and I cannot wait.
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TMI – that is why I am anon for this. This week I had the first 1 hr massage I’ve had in 12 months after a truly awful week as a gift to myself. Half way through I had the most incredible need to run to the loo for #2. I had to lie there in pain sweating and praying for the massage to finish. Needless to say the relaxation effect of said massage was never achieved. The best thing that has happened to me this week is making though the hour without having an accident.
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One of many possible scenarios that means a massage is not relaxing for me!
Thanks for sharing tough, it made me giggle, sorry!
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I’m a massage therapist and my advice is to speak up next time. It wouldn’t be the most embarrassing thing I’d hear all week and, because it happened because you were so relaxed, I’d take it as a weird sort of compliment. (People farting during a massage is common for the same reason.)
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Heya MMers!
My best this week is I’m heading back into my happy place and out of my ‘recently dated a douchecanoe’ funk. Taking the cherubs to a guesthouse in the Mountains tonight for a change of scenery and some spoiling by way of a buffet brekkie. Yay! Had a good band rehearsal and sang at kareoke last night and was even requested to do a song again.
My worst? Don’t really have a worst. I’m happy about this.
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Yay for you!
P.S. What song? I was dragged off the stage last time I did karaoke…
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Hey Neola
It was ‘Black Velvet’ by Alannah Miles.
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Best no.1 – Still excited about getting awesome seats to Coldplay. SO SO Excited!!
Best no.2 – got my work to sponser my husband and my brother on their Ride to Conquer Cancer – they need to raise $5000 by October, so it’s a massive help, reason they are doing it is because my brother had a brush with cancer last year, now both boys want to give something back to the medical industry by riding to raise money for the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA. If anybody wants to help them out, if it’s ok with MM I’d like to post the link (if not, just delete it…)
https://secure2.convio.net/cfrau/site/Donation2?idb=558583985&df_id=1460&FR_ID=1070&PROXY_ID=1070092&PROXY_TYPE=20&1460.donation=form1
Worst – My dad had a pretty bad health scare last week. We thought he was having a heart attack but he didn’t (which is a good thing). Unfortuantely, the stress has taken a toll on my body so I’ve just been feeling awful with stomach cramps and migraines! But again, it all turned out ok – and the Best definitely outweigh the worst.
Happy weekend, MMers!! I’m only really recent to the site (like this week) and I’m loving it to bits!!
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Worst…..The husband of one of my “Golden Oldies” passed away during the week after a long battle with cancer. I’m so worried for her wellbeing now, as she and her husband were so devoted to each other.
Worst….Went to a concert last Saturday and before interval I took ill. Honestly thought that I was having a heart attack. Spent the rest of the day and most of the night in hospital.
Best…..Event staff moved into emergency mode the moment that they were allerted, taking extremely good care of me and my wife. Queensland Ambo’s….the best the trip to the hospital.
Best….Read an amazing sign in a gift shop. “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll realise they were the big things. Love what you have”. The most inspirational thing that I’ve read in many a day.
OMM…getting a giggle knowing how many of you are surprised that I have a heart !
To you all, have a wonderful weekend and do a lot of laughing with the people who you love.
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System wont allow me to edit.
Thanks to the Qld Ambo’s….they best in the country. Thanks for keeping me assured and comfortable during the trip to the hospital and for the care that you gave.
Also…a big shout out to the nursing staff up at St Andrews Hospital ! In fact, a bloody big shout out to anyone involving in caring, either professionally or as a volunteer. Without you….we’d all be buggered ! So thank you all !
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glad to hear you’re ok Bradley!!
and you’re right, that is a beautiful quote!
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Best: met a guy who I think is brilliant and who thinks I’m amazing. It’s very very early days yet, but I haven’t felt these sort of butterflies about anyone in quite awhile so I am allowing myself to be excited and hopeful for once!
Worst: My pop is back in hospital again with what looks like bowel cancer. He’s been in and out of hospital for awhile but this time it looks pretty damn bad.
OMM: the expense of living in Sydney. I have a reasonably decent salary, but rent/petrol/health insurance/food etc costs are killing me. If everything keeps increasing in price the way it has been, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to live in Sydney.
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The early days of infatuation are delicious. Enjoy ! Hold the memories of this time in your heart….always !
May these memories always be precious.
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Thanks Bradley!
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Best: my daughter is sitting by herself (she’s 4 months old). This has further confirmed my belief that she is some kind of child genius. A biased mother, perhaps, but she is just so amazing!! Haha.
Worst: my maternity leave is up in 2 months and I cry just thinking about it. I’m lucky that my Mum will be looking after her while I work 3 days a week but I wish I could stay home with her for longer. Still, it could be worse.
OMM: when to have another baby? Should I wait for a couple of years or have a smaller age gap? Will I even be able to fall pregnant again?
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Hello twinnie.
She is definitely a genius. My spud head’s centre of gravity at 4.5 months is way too high to sit unassisted lol.
I’ve got 7 weeks to go of mat leave too and I was spontaneously crying a lot but I’ve stopped now. Trying to look at the upsides, like I could be going back 5 days instead of 3, I could have a job I hate, I could not have child care I’m happy with etc. Hang in there.
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Oh thanks Dee, you’re so right. We will get through it! I’m a bit of a sook after having her. Enjoy the rest of your leave!
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Best and worst are so intertwined at the moment it’s not funny.
Best – I have met the most incredible guy who I connect with in every way and am completely, overwhelmingly in love with him.
Worst – I am not single, my long term partner is the most lovely guy ever who does no wrong ever, but is more like a brother. I know what I need to do but the comfort zone & reliability of my future is hard to convince myself to part with. I’m torn between crazy elation at feelings for this new man & a completely different love & care for my partner.
Best – being offered an interview (I was approached directly) for a dream job in my dream location. Interview next week
Worst – not wanting to uproot my life … & partner doesn’t wish to relocate….. Tying back into worst #1.
Sigh. I suck.
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Excuse me for the unsolicited advice – but I think you need to end the relationship and go for the job. You won’t want to stay with this man forever if he is more like a brother to you; and the job may not be there in the future.
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What a pickle, anon. Congrats on being offered the interview though!
All the best with whatever you decide to do xx
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Best: One more exam then two weeks off before the new semester.
Second best: Exams means that I’m stressed, and being stressed means I get to do my all time favourite stress reliever. The Cristina Yang dance-it-out method. Nothing makes me feel better.
Worst: Getting out of an exam and realising I didn’t mention two key cases that definitely mean I’m not getting a great grade on it. Felt so silly, because I know that shit backwards but I just freaked out and tried to write too much and left out important stuff. Argh! At least it’s done, and in ten years I don’t think I’m going to be bothered too much by it. So there’s that.
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Haha, I love the Cristina Yang dance-it-out – there are many afternoons when I get home from a day screaming at teenagers and I just twist the anger out of my system!!
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The what yang what?
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The Christina Yang dance-it-out? That’s awesome!
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Grey’s Anatomy reference!
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Best: Moved into my new, spacious apartment on Saturday, our first week has been full of getting used to the new feel of living somewhere else. It is just my little 3yo princess and me, finally escaped the tiny two bedder we had to let my mother stay in with us as well! It is wonderful having our own room and sharing peaceful moments together, well worth the extra $50 per week for privacy and serenity from an awful situation which we were in.
Worst: I don’t even know. I dont feel like I can complain about anything. My life isn’t perfect but everyday I manage to get overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have such wonderful people and chances in my life, and a strong mind to go with it. I wish I had more friends, more money, more time, more sleep etc etc… but when it comes down to it, aren’t we all overlooking the basic bliss of being able to work/study, eat nice food, come home to our nice warm houses at night, and feel safe and secure? Life is good. I have no “worst”.
OMM: I am craving ADVICE and motivational words from anyone who is able to give it. I am a single parent, 24 years old, and very keen in studying education at uni (primary or secondary, not sure yet) either next year or in 2014 when my daughter starts school. I am currently working full time and supporting myself and Miss three on my part time wage, benefits, and studying by distance online tafe (human resources), mostly at nights. I am just wondering how I can manage to juggle university with my daughter and still earn enough money to pay for childcare/school, and living expenses. Does anyone have advice or tips? I have limited family support, and I am still also wondering if it would be easier to do distance uni or study internally. I am just not sure but I am so keen on following my dream, I would love to be ateacher and I think I would get alot out of it, and I have alot to offer to the community.
Can anyone help in anyway?
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*I am currently working part time, with a part time wage, my bad!
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I found distance education to be a life saver. I was studying full time and working two jobs and going to and from uni was a nightmare. My way of learning isn’t by having someone talk at me or by having the content retold in a slightly different way by my classmates.
Distance ed gives you the opportunity of studying how you like and with so much being invested in technology you still can take part in online discussions and have help from your tutors. If you feel like doing a 6 hour slog one day and nothing the next, then it works for you.
I think part time uni would be your best bet and depending where you live, you may even be able to do single subjects before enrolling into a full degree to give you a taste of what you can expect from work load etc.
Good luck!!
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Thanks! I am currently studying online and it is alot easier than i initially thought, I was slightly nervous that Uni online would be way too difficult to understand properly. I will look into my subject options!
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Wow Stacey you have an amazing attitude to life and your circumstances. No doubt you have a lot to teach the world so good luck to you.
I study by distance and have two small children (under 3) and I do most of my study at night when they are asleep. I find the headspace when you have small kids conducive to studying as your brain is used in other areas. Although I don’t work like you so although it will be a bit of a juggling act I am sure with your attitude you will succeed.
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Thanks Penny, I rarely get compliments like that! And I totally agree with the headspace thing, I have tried and failed to study whilst my daughter is awake and running around, I usually wait untill she is in bed or in my spare time at work to do some reading/essaying.
You must certainly have your hands full too, with two little ones and studying. I know at nights sometimes I am so exhausted from running around being a mummy all day that all I want to do is lie on the lounge and watch easy tv.. I will be doing some serious motivational thinking in the next few months haha
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Stacey, hang in there! Single mums are amazing. You will find a way. In my experience, uni is always worth it. I hope you find a village of people to support you with your daughter and hope her Dad is chipping in too.
You can do it!
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Thanks!!! I need the moral support haha! And yes, her father loves her very much and is great with child support, he lives in a different state though and at this age it is harder for us to share custody. When she is older and at school we hope she will be more confident with the travelling to grow up with both parents, who love her very much
I pray that I am setting a great example for her everyday 
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Stacey, I can definitely offer advice! I (and a friend of mine) got my degree through University of New England through their distance education program. I already had an arts degree so I did the Grad Dip Education – but their whole uni is set up around distance education – they send you the work for the units, you work through at your own speed, you submit your assessments online. You communicate with your lecturers through email or bulletin blogs (a fancier way of saying blogs). You will have to do a couple of residential schools where you visit the uni for a few days to do face to face topics (I won’t lie, it can be painful, some of the other students can be painful – but the lecturers are great). You will also (regardless of how you get your degree) need to do a number of “prac” weeks in schools.
I did it while I was working full time as a receptionist so I did a fairly heavy load – but you can choose how many subjects you want to do in a semester. Here is a link to some of the courses:
http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2012/courses/BATCH
http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2012/courses/BEDPRM
I’m more than happy to give you any further advice if you have any questions – I’ll check back later in the day.
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completely 110% agree UNE is the place to go for distance. Ed, my mum did her first degree there whilst my sublings and i were at school, then went on to do postgrad social work at Monash, after trying UQ, who she hated.
Good luck!
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Tried to post this before but it seemed to get lost in the interwebs, so I’ll try again.
Stacey, I did my graduate diploma in education through UNE. They design their courses so you study from home – distance education. Basically, they send you the work at the start of the semester and you work through it at your own pace. You have contact with your lecturer through email and bulletin boards (a fancy way of saying blog). You generally have two assessments per subject which you submit through email. You may end up needing to attend residential school which is where you visit the uni for a few days for face to face time with the lecturers. regardless of where you do it, you do a number of “prac” weeks through actual schools where you eventually take charge of one or two classes.
I completed this while I was working full time. It was a lot of work, but it was really rewarding, and a great way for me to be able to get the creditation without losing any money. Here is a link to the primary teacher course (high school it depends on how you would want to do it, but if you do a search in education there will be a link to all of the different courses)
http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2012/courses/BEDPRM
I’m happy to answer any questions if you need any further advice, I’ll check back later in the day. But I highly recommend it, and I’ve been teaching now for 9 years and I still love it.
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Wow, thankyou so much, this was a great deal of help. I am glad to see it can be done by distance and still be able to work whilst doing so. I will have to get my motivation hat firmly attached and have a look into all of my options.
If I have any questions I would love to get into contact with you. How long did it take you? Was it difficult to organise placement, how local were you? I am concerned that if I get placement somewhere further away that I would struggle getting my daughter to school at the right times etc.
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Hi Stacey,
It took me two years part time – but I was only doing the Graduate Diploma – I already had an undergraduate Arts degree in English and History. I think it takes four years full time to do the entire degree – so depending on how long you want to take and how many subjects you can handle. I think some of them offer courses in summer though so you’d have three semesters instead of two.
In terms of placement – I made my own, chose schools that were close to where I was living at the time. All I did was write and call – most of the time they are pretty keen to take on a prac teacher (the supervising teacher gets a per diem and some help so it’s win win I found – I’ve supervised students myself as a teacher). I was accepted by the first schools I asked each year – so it’s luck of the draw. But like I said, most schools don’t have an issue with prac students – quite often they end up calling them back as casuals – this has happened at my school – a couple of prac teachers are now our fill-ins – including one who is currently on a 3 term maternity leave replacement – so do try for your local area, once you get your foot in the door, the contacts you get will be invaluable – because it is sometimes hard to get a job first year out.
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Stacey- you have such an awesome attitude!
I currently study at uni by distance and it is so flexible, so I highly recommended it.
Chase your dreams. You certainly have the attitude to succeed at anything you put your mind to.
Good luck!
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I went to uni as a single mother. I went to the uni itself. For me the face to face along with the social aspect to uni was better than if I’d done it by distance. Also I did a lot of research at uni and accessed journals etc while at uni. It made me more motivated in short. I have done one course by distance Ed successfully but prefer face to face.
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I remember reading about your situation with your Mum and am so happy to see it has been resolved to your benefit and the benefit of your little one.
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Thanks! I am constantly overwhelmed with relief, every morning when I wake up for cuddles, every afternoon when we open the front door to our peaceful home… which is still messy and contains a few unpacked boxes, even a week later haha. It was wonderful tidying up Miss Three’s own room and folding all of her clothes and arranging her toybox/desk etc, she helped me put pretty wall decals up and arrange all of her pretty home-made bows and hair ribbons we create together. We never got to do this at our old place..
And evenings when we dance and cook together and read books, all in peace without intimidation or over-stressing about something my Mum wasn’t happy with.. I am loving being able to parent her in my own way, the best way for her, and she is so happy and settling into our lovely routine perfectly.
My whole life, I’ve craved the most for stability and security, and it feels so good to have this now, and to be in control of everything, even if it is a huge struggle financially and mentally sometimes. It is all so worth it, life is definately reflective of how you handle the tought times, and how you think about being happy in both the emotional and logical aspects.
This is a long reply, I think I got slightly carried away haha, I am definitely having a moment of positivity and letting it all pour out through my writing haha
Thanks for remembering who I am, and for sharing my hapiness, it means a lot and makes me feel a little less invisible
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Another possibility could be working in adult education. I work in L&OD and I love my job. As you’re already studying HR you’re probably partly qualified.
I have a degree in HR and a Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Stacey, I don’t have much advice but I want to tell you that my mum did exactly the same thing you’re hoping to do … Single Mum to two little girls, went back to uni when she was 32 (I was in year 4) to become a teacher. It was what she always wanted to do, and that kept her motivated. We had next to no money, but she tutored privately each afternoon to supplement her income.
It was a struggle, but it was worth it. She started teaching the same day that I started high school. I’ve never been so proud (brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it 15 years later!).
My mother, hands down, is my biggest inspiration and best role model. This is what you’ll give your little one. xxx
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Hey Stacey – I’ll just add to the pile of good advice you’ve already received.
I am a single parent and studied on campus for four years. I am now a secondary school teacher and it was certainly worth the pain.
I found on campus learning the best option for me – there were many other single parents there and we formed a great support network, seeing each other through until graduation. The direct contact with the lecturers and tutors was also really beneficial as the support is right there and you can ask a question/get clarification on an issue instantly.
There is also the issue of the campus library. I found the library essential – I don’t know how distance students cope without this facility. There is access to books and journals electronically these days, but nothing beats being in the library, having the librarians help you, and accessing all the wonderful books that are not available electronically.
If you have a university reasonably close, I would go for learning on campus. It has a great vibe, great support and resources and you’ll build a network of wonderful friendships as you’re all in the same boat. Also, many universities have child care on campus and it’s practically free for students.
All the best – you won’t regret it!
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