Jackie Cogdell

by Jackie Cogdell
(Cobram Victoria, Australia)

I think my lack of organisation is brilliant and inspired and can leave me both calm and incredibly frustrated within moments of any given day. Life is great when you can smile at the spilt cereal and say 'oops, you get the dustpan and brush and let's get down and pick it up together (and this doesn't bother me because the home looks like a storm blew through 10 minutes ago)but almost insane when two kids can't find their socks one wants to tell you about their best friend's neighbours dog who had puppies and dad wants a piece of paper that came in the mail last week while the baby is crying and the bus is coming down the road... but most things in life are what happen after you make plans and with seven kids, one still a baby, I like to think that I can roll with the punches - one of the best stories I have is when my homeschooled kindergarten daughter spent an entire morning creating the masterpiece that was to be her Grandmother's birthday card. I pulled out all the stops for this one and let her and her younger brother go to town in creating a card free of my guidance or 'help'. They spent all morning making an incredible mess but having an absolutely wonderful time doing it, when they were finished we put them up to dry and set about packing everything up and putting things away, it was then that the Jehovah's Witness lady came to the door and while talking to her my daughter came up, card in hand all very excited about her beautiful creation that she immediately handed it to the lady with the words "This is for you":) What could I do but smile and insist she take her gift? Little people are so giving of their time, talent and affection - needless to say Grandma got the card that little brother had made!