We had a bit of a drama getting Monkey 4's birth certificate organised (paperwork is not the forte of our homebirth midwife...), but one of the complications involved my occupation.

For the last 8 years I have pretty much full time parented our kids (with the love of my life). I haven't had much paid employment since we started breeding. So when the ACT office of Births Deaths and Marriages asked about mother's occupation for Monkey 4's birth cert, I put Parent.

Turns out that Parent is not a valid occupation. I could be Homemaker, or Housewife, but not Parent.

WHAT IS WITH THAT??? Admittedly Parenting does not have very good (or any) superannuation, or health insurance, or workplace benefits. I do not get an hour paid lunchbreak on the days I work. I don't have to wear special clothes, apart from ones that don't show the puke or the snot stains. And I don't do housework (any more than is necessary). So I can't be a Homemaker. Geez.

So in the end I relied on the qualification that I will likely never earn enough to have to pay for, and put Teacher. I could have done a Smarty Pants effort and put in all of the occupations that are listed in that email that goes around every now and again that say how a mother is really about a thousand things at once, but really, I wanted to be a Parent.

I love being a Parent. It is the hardest and the bestest thing I have ever done in my life. It is intense, and all incompassing, and boring and exhilerating and difficult and heart wrenching and wonderful, all at once. It is a fecking hard job, and possibly the most important job on the planet. And I am proud to do it.

Just pissed off that the goverment won't let me be Only a Parent.

Something strange is going on. Maybe it has to do with the Large Hadron Collider being turned on, but probably not.

Something strange is happening to time. At least at my house. It used to take me approximately 24 hours to get the sleep that I can survive on, care for myself, care for three monkeys, maintain a happy marriage and social life, and even get a few extra things done. You will notice that housework didn't fit into the above list. With the addition of Monkey 4 into our lives, I have found that the 24 hours have stretched somewhat. Now I seem to be able to get the sleep I can survive on (survive, not crave, but there you go), care for myself (and who really needs a daily shower, it is winter!), care for FOUR monkeys, maintain a happy marriage and social life. Still no housework. No point changing everyone's life dramatically at this point in time.

This weird time stretch has been gradual, and hasn't finished yet. I can actually feel the stretch happen. A few weeks ago the time it took to care for Monkey 4 butted into the time available in 24 hours, and other things had to go by the by. But gradually the 24 hours are stretching to fit more in. Daily, I seem to be able to cram more in.

weird, huh?