About
Who is PlanningQueen?
My real name is Nicole and I have a beautiful husband who from here on in will be known as Mr Infrastructure. (Odd name I know, but it is based on the way we tend to organise the family tasks. For example, if we are going on a day trip, I will organise the food and the kids, he will pack the car, ensure we have enough petrol and determine the quickest route.) I have four very unique and amazing children: Thinker aged 9, Little Rascal aged 6.5, Possum aged 4 and Babaganouski aged 21 months. Their aliases are self explanatory, with the exception of Babaganouski. I know it it a popular middle eastern dish, but we really like the sound of this word and it starts with baba which is very like bubba.
About 3 years ago I moved with the family from the funky inner city of Melbourne (Australia) to its leafy and sedate eastern suburbs. We then got a Tarago (people mover) and a fourth child. It is pretty difficult to have any remaining street cred after this, but I still give it a shot.
I love my family. I love nothing more than to whip up a quick spreadsheet, to make life easier and more enjoyable for us. I passionately believe in equality and peace and try to teach my children this through life experiences.
I love music, mainly of the non main stream variety. Genres I love include pop indie, country, folk, and electronica. One of my resolutions for 2008 is to get out and see more live music. I’ll let you know how I go.
I love politics and the process of democracy. When I have the time, I volunteer with an organisation which gets me closer to the action.
What did I do before I had kids?
I went to University and completed a Bachelor of Business (Finance). For the majority of my adult life I worked for a large Australian Telecommunications Company. I held a number of different roles within the organisation, including but not limited to: Regional Performance Manager, Call Centre Manager and Project Manager. I went back to work between son number one and son number two. After number two was born, I decided the corporate gig was no longer for me and have been at home ever since.
Why do I blog about this stuff?
Planning has helped keep our life harmonious and enjoyable. This my attempt to share some of the things we do in our daily life. Hopefully these posts provide some ideas to other families or stimulus for reflection on what you are doing in your life. I am always interested to see how other families cope with the everyday, so please leave a comment or email me at the below address and share what works for you.
