Let me introduce myself. My name is Bianca Wordley.
I’m a blogger. It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged on my beloved Bigwords site and I thought I better reintroduce myself to you. It’s been so long in fact, that a spammer started writing bullshit blog posts on my behalf and uploading them onto my site without my knowledge or consent. I deleted them quick smart, apologies if you had the misfortune of reading them. Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again.
When I’m not blogging, I’m working as a media coordinator for Oxfam Australia. I launched their first blogging program earlier this year. I’m really proud of it. And I’m really proud of the bloggers who have partnered with us. It’s a big world out there and it’s so heartening to work in a field that helps drive change for the better.
Oh yeah, and I’m a mum to three super rad girls. They surprise me every day with their intellect, empathy, insight, ability to piss me off, thigh slapping sense of humours and their unconditional love. Man, being a mother brings out the best and worst in me. It’s a such a ride. I’m also married to a kick-arse dude called Twiggy, who without fail makes me laugh out loud every single day, except when he’s not and I want to burn him with my fire shooting eyeballs. We should be having more sex, but I’m always so freaking tired. And that, my friends, is marriage. It’s awesome. I’m also a daughter, raised in a single parent home with no brothers and sisters. I have a great mum. I’m lucky. Sometimes I could do with some brothers and sisters though. That would be good.
I suppose you could say I’m a friend to many, but at present that seems like a bit of an untruth. I feel very disconnected and it’s my own fault. I didn’t even organise birthday drinks as I didn’t want to put anyone out. Lame really. Same goes for being an active member of my kids’ school community, bit of dud there too.
When I’m not working, mothering and susbstandard-ly wife-ing, I half heartedly clean, shop and carry out other mind numbing home duties and only with one ear open show interest in the detailed descriptions of the house renovations my husband is consumed with at present. He is seriously amazing, building us more house to live in so we don’t feel so crowded anymore. Far out it’s crowded.
Basically, at the moment I’m a Jill of all trades and a Queen of none.
I am doing the work/family/life juggle and all my balls have flown off in different directions. I don’t even know where some of them are.
I’ve taken to watching Made In Chelsea marathons on my iPad in bed to try and clear my head of all the noise. Quiet times are long forgotten, so too is personal space. At times, I struggle to find my joy. I’m too busy concentrating on what tasks need to be done next and after that and after that and after that and after that. I forget to stop planning and just relish the life I’ve been lucky to build. I don’t have time to stop. And when I do, I don’t have the energy to do anything.
I am finding it hard to keep my head above water, despite my legs moving super fast.
I stress eat.
I hide away under my covers at night in an attempt to get some quiet moments, instead of getting outside and moving my wobbly body. I’ve put on all the weight I lost during last year and then a whole lot more. I wear a lot of jeggins and free flowing tops in an attempt to hide it. It doesn’t work.
I feel like I’m letting people down by not being there. I’m letting myself down by not being there. I simply can’t. I am running, but getting nowhere.
On the flip side, I am gaining confidence at work every day and have some really exciting things coming up. Really exciting. I’ll tell you more about them next week. I promise.
I have vowed to get my blogging going again. I need it. My head will explode without my precious outlet to share my thoughts and bottled up emotions. I write them down and almost instantly they are not so bad anymore. So yes, I will write more and this makes me feel lighter already.
My girls are really happy and I have been making them my priorities. Sometimes this is at the expense of my own much-needed quiet times. They need a mum who is present. I’ve found this super important now I work a nine-day fortnight and travel a lot. When I’m in their space I need to be there 100 per cent. And for that reason, and the amazingness of Twiggy who does everything, they are happy. We have special adventures together and there’s lots of cuddles. Many conversations about their strengths. Lots of confidence building. Confidence that they know I am here, even when I am not in the room. It’s important they know they can be strong in the knowledge I have their backs.
Our house renovation is steadily moving along and I can see a time soon where we won’t all be cramped into a small two bedroom house. I feel confined and surrounded by our stuff. A fine dust has settled on everything, a little like me. It’s shiny underneath, but at the moment it’s being hidden.
The sun has finally come out, after what has been a very wet winter and grief is not such a stranglehold anymore. More challenges await those I love. These will be overcome. I know it. Life throws curveballs and when you’re only just managing yourself, it’s hard to give you’re all to others. I must be more present.
But I can see some light, I can feel the warm glow that comes when you’ve been wrapped too tightly and the bandages start to unravel. Things are getting easier.
I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the adjustment to “working mother of three”, but I look around me at some amazing role models – women who have been doing this juggle for a long time – and I know I am not alone in my struggle to keep up. We are all just doing our best. We have some wins every week and some losses. Time is a whole lot more precious when you feel like you’re being stretched in every direction, you account for every moment, you have to.
To all the people in my world who I’ve seemingly abandoned over recent months, please know you are not far from my mind. The good ones know that I am doing all I can. I am focusing on my kids, my husband, my house and my job. I am getting all my ducks lined up and settling into my new way of living. I am working out strategies to best deal with my overwhelm. I am slowly bit-by-bit getting better at balancing everything and letting go of things that once were important so I can free up my time for myself and those I love.
Once I get back on my feet, so to speak, I’ll be back out there, engaged with the world again.
I bet I’m not the only person feeling this way? How are you all going? It’s been a long time – let’s chat. Tell me what’s going in your world?
Bianca x
Welcome back x
Thanks
You’ve just articulated everything I’m feeling being a working mum of 2 with travel study and all the things all of the time! My old manager reminded me if this quote which I always try and keep in the back of my mind. “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.” -Brian Dyson
Xx
What an amazing quote. Love it. Thanks x
Yay to having you back!! I was truly hoping that this would be a brand spanking actual new blog post, and it is!! Looking forward to seeing you here again soon!
And I love seeing your name pop up in my comments. Hello!!
I think you’re so flipping awesome. And you know I am in very much the same place as you. And I am so, so, so sad because I lost one of my favourite people on the planet. And I am super happy to have scored free baked goods and to have squirrelled away an hour with you this week. xxx
How lovely was that catch up sweetheart. We need more of them xx
Thank you for such an honest post. I haven’t been reading your blog for long but I identify with so many of the things you have written about, even though you’ve gone back to work just as I’ve stopped – well, given up the full time government job of 15 years where I went to work when eldest was 7 months and youngest was 4 months (and by which stage we were overseas) and swapped to a life of starting my own business and living in the Barossa. But regardless, the challenges of juggling work, relationships, motherhood and friendships – while still having a sense of yourself remain. So thanks for sharing, take care of yourself and I’ll be here to read when you get the chance
What a lovely spot to find yourself living. One of favourite spots for weekend getaways. Good luck with your new adventures x
We have firmly entered our new world. Full time work and an intense house renovation has made way for a screaming newborn baby, adjusting to becoming a family of 5, so much housework/laundry, school runs, post renovation finessing (I am wondering if those final coats of paint will ever go on) and sleep deprivation. I feel like I am in a bubble, for now I like the bubble, but when I have to go outside of it things go a bit wobbly. Bub is almost 4 weeks old, time goes fast so I am just relishing the good moments.
THat time when you are in that newborn is glorious. Really hard at times, but wonderful. Relishing it sounds like perfection xx
I’m swamped by motherhood right now. There is no outlet & some days that’s hard. It’s hard to think I may never get back to the workforce & when I do it’ll be for some minimum wage job that infer zero satisfaction from.
I love my kids. I look at my teenagers daily & wonder when they stopped being little guys & started being giant guys? I look at my toddlers & can hardly believe they exist. I love them all, so much sometimes I can hardly breath but mothering four kids can be hard sometimes.
Life is a constant see saw. Financially we are screwed but our family life is better than its been in years. After years of having a husband gone for four weeks at a time it’s amazing to have him home each night. That’s worth more than the mega pay checks. Except when the bills roll in & then I panic. I hate the hold money had over the world.
I am more content than I’ve been in years but I also know I need more sleep & to put masked at the top of the list a bit more. A haircut would be nice. Dinner out with my husband CHILD FREE would be nice too. But I go to bed each night knowing I’m living a good life & that I am lucky & loved.
Good to see you back x
Oh honey I know that worry at bill times too well – that is why I am back working again after 8 awesome, at times relentless yet enriching years at home with the kids. I just cope with three, four is amazing! You are doing a wonderful job xx
*waves hello* I too am struggling. I have been working 5 days a week for the last few months as my casual contract is running out before the end of Sept and I wanted to “bank” as much money as possible before I am back to job hunting. I have been comfort eating to distraction and feel ill, tired, sluggish and not myself. I have been crossfitting like mad at the same time so I am a weird contradiction of aching muscles and emptiness which needs to be filled. Something has to give way. Not sure what or where but I am looking xx
Welcome home. Your honesty and candour is always a breath of fresh air Bianca. x
I loved seeing you the other day and I love coming here to read what you write. I’ll always be here for you. x