Season Updates!

Christmas

This year, Christmas went off with only minor hitches. Everyone converged on our place...about an hour early! You can imagine what that did to me! Sheer panic set in as the food was only half prepared and all visitors were in the lounge room opening presents and Dear Husband was still cleaning the air conditioner filters! Arrrghhhh! Despite this, a good time was had by all. Lunch was a mammoth effort: ham, turkey, roast veges, honey mustard carrots, cauliflower and broccoli au gratin and an assortment of salads. Not to mention desserts of Christmas pudding and pavlova! Yummo!

Presents

Santa came again this year (am still trying to work out that naughty/nice thing!). The Superteen was delighted with a replacement for his original PS2 which died a sad death earlier in the year (Hey, cheaper to buy new than get fixed!). He also got his longed-for golf club as well as books and cds. Miss Nine found a new camera in her sack along with a cd player and High School Musical cds! Both children also received new clothes in their brands of choice (HSM and Fred Bare for Miss Nine and Canterbury for the Superteen!). As for me.....I just love the water filter and chiller that my mum and dad gave me. We have a non-stop supply of cold drinking water on the kitchen sink these days!

Dogs

Jasper continues to settle in well. He had definitely grown but is still a little ball of white fluff. We are still working on the toilet training, which I hate! It is honestly, the worst part of having puppies! These days he is hitting the pergola more than the house but still doesn't seem to get the whole 'go outside' thing! Argh!

Ruby went to the doggie day spa a few days before Christmas and looks just so cute. I think she's happier with less hair in this heat, too.

Cricket

I admit that parts of this week have been drowned out by the sounds of the second test coming from the television. As much as I love cricket, I have to sadly admit that the boys just aren't sparking any parochial enthusiasm from me atm! Apart from a century (and almost a second!) from Ponting and some pretty nice bowling and batting from MJ (hey, fave player never disappoints!) the rest has been a pretty sad indication of the state of our team at the moment! Let's pray that some gun players start demonstrating their ability soon! And by soon, I mean in the next couple of weeks cause we have tickets to the 20-20 game at the Gabba (watch this space for details after the event!)

New Year

I have no idea about resolutions! I think that my resolution these days is to just survive sometimes! However, we are planning to spend new year's at a friend's house sipping cocktails (hmmmm....maybe soda, lime and bitters for me!) and chatting the night away.

And after that.....

After that, we are going on holidays. We take off just after new year's so my blog may be quiet during that time (unless I can convince sweet, lovely family members to loan me a computer while I'm away! ;) ) For my kids, it will be their second time on an aeroplane. And for me, it will be visiting a part of our gorgeous country that I haven't been to! And fear not, house sitters are moving in to mind the dogs and all!

So.....if I don't get to post here until I return, I hope that you have a fantastic new year's! Stay safe, don't drive (if drinking) and make sure that you make resolutions that you can keep!

It's Christmas!

This is my opportunity to wish you all a very restful and love-filled Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Thank you all for visiting my blog this year and for continuing to leave comments and take time to read my words.

My Christmas this year will be once again filled with spending time with family, eating turkey, ham and prawns (yum! And did I say that I've bought a pavlova to make for non-pudding eaters! Can't wait!), watching children open presents and going to Christmas Eve mass tonight which is always a beautiful experience at our local church.

I have left the final word to one of my favourite singers, Josh Groban, on my imeem player singing what is probably my favourite Christmas song. His version of this song is brilliant and the words really do relay the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up!

Miss Nine came up to me the other day and exclaimed that "the santa at the local Westfield Shopping Centre is not real!"

"How do you know?" I asked her.

"Because he isn't the same one as last year!" she replied.

Fair enough, I thought. She is getting a little old to still be a believer.

"But the real santa was there last year!" she concluded.

"Why do you say that?" I asked again.

"Because he knew me!" she continued.

"He did? How do you know that he knew you?"

"Because everytime he saw me, he waved to me!" was her reply!

The innocence of Christmas is not lost, I say!

My Christmas Pressie!

Well, actually, I asked Dear Husband to purchase it for me and he did! Lol!

Now, I am a great believer in the theory that if you are blessed with certain assets then you make the most of them! And, if you can do so and raise money for a great cause then it's all the more perfect!

Australian cricketers, along with 3 Mobile and the McGrath Foundation have produced these very hot (someone pass me a fan, please!) calendars to raise money for breast cancer nursing support.

Interestingly, Australian cricketers have never really had a reputation for for anything other than playing cricket and wearing uniforms that almost cover them from head to toe! That is about to change however, as the current generation of players prove that they are just as appealing physically as they are in game abilities!

And FYI that is my very fave ex-Queensland and now Australian cricket player on the front cover, Mitchell Johnson, who abondoned his Bulls status to follow his heart to Western Australia. Awwwww! You gotta love a bloke like that, haven't you (see my love of romance is still satisfied!)!

*sigh* Now I just have to work out where to hang it! Suggestions anyone???

Really Rockin' Rocky Road!

I have never been a Rocky Road fan. I have always disliked glace cherries (those horrible little coloured things that taste like sticky rubber IMO!). But I love this recipe and I have solved the 'Blerrr, glace cherries!' problem by substituting them for lollies. Yum!

Now, everyone who tries this loves it, so I hope that you do, too!

Ingredients:

180g arrowroot biscuits, crushed
120g butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkt marshmallows (I use those mini cooking marshmallows)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup coconut
60g copha
1 pkt slivered almonds
1 pkt red and green jube type lollies (I chop snake lollies....and I also add the orange and yellow ones!)
1 pkt dark cooking chocolate (I used a large pkt....sorry, can't remember the quantity)

Method:

1. Place the butter, sugar and cocoa in a saucepan.
2. Cook gently until dissolved.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, biscuits and coconut.
5. Press firmly into a slab tin.
6. Chill in the refrigerator. (I only did this for a short time but it really depends on how busy you are, as to how long you leave in the fridge!)
7. Place marshmallows, toasted almonds and lollies on top.
8. Melt chocolate and copha in a bowl sitting over boiling water.
9. Pour chocolate mix over rest of ingredients in tray.
10. Chill and cut!

Oh and I often serve this on a dessert chocolate platter which includes rum balls, biscotti, nuts and fresh fruit!

Yummmmy!! Who says that Christmas isn't for kilojoules!

Question.....The Renamed Dog!

Question: What do you do when Superteen and Miss Nine fight for 2 days straight over dog names!

Answer: Throw your hands up in the air and say 'Well stoof it! I will name him then!'

And that, Dear Readers, is exactly what happened!

Hence, Archie/Max is no longer and I introduce you to Jasper!

Ok, it does have a little Twilight ring to it (encouraged by a couple of visiting friends of mine!) but as puppy was asleep all day, awake all night and was very pale, I figured that it fit.

It is a worry though that I know a Jasper in real life, but I'm trying to not make comparisons!

And I am pleased to report that Jasper is settling in well. And Ruby is playing the perfect host. Tonight, Ruby decided to drink out of Jasper's water bowl (we still have them in separate rooms at night) and Jasper took one look and decided to share with her.....the two of them sipping out one bowl....oh so cute!

As for Jasper, he loves to play tumble and roll with Ruby. He growls and jumps and nips at Ruby and Ruby just rolls around and chases him! Oh my God....I'm in love with a couple of dogs!

So life in our house will never be the same again! Now we are a proud two-dog family and loving it!

Twighlight Movie!

I couldn't wait to write this post cause I've just come home from seeing the movie and things are all so fresh in my head! Finally, after months of waiting, I have been able to see Twilight at the cinemas for myself. And to top it off, it was in Gold Class.....a special treat for this long-awaited movie!

When the movie first began, I was a little worried. There was so much storyline and it seemed to be rushed. I have read the first book of the Twilight series so many times and one of the joys of the book is that the romance between the two main characters takes a quite a while to evolve. Ok, it took up a good part of the movie, too but in that first quarter it just seemed like things were rushed through to fit the whole story into the allotted movie duration.

By the time the second half of the movie came though, I had started to believe in the characters and the honesty of this story to the book. Sure, there was an extra scene (interesting!) and there were bits left out, but on the whole, there wasn't a lot of departure from the story.

One of my on-going concerns has been that the two lead actors would not have chemistry between them. This is vital, I think, if the movie is to capture the essence of the novel. Once again, in the beginning, I had concerns that this was not the case....I just didn't feel the connection. But as the movie progressed, I did start to feel it.....that indefinable quality that gives a story 'ooomph' and has us viewers on the edge of our seats....feeling the love sparkle (not just on Edward's skin but) between the two characters.

As for the characters, there were some predictable ones, some disappointments and some surprises! I totally bought Jackson Rathbone's Jasper although never in a million years pictured him to be like that while reading the book. And the same could be said for Elizabeth Reaser's casting as Esme. The Alice, Charlie and Emmett characters were all pretty much the way I imagined them to be, give or take a bottle of hair dye. My jury is still out on the Carlisle and Jacob portrayals and I'm sorry but Rosalie just wasn't as I'd pictured her! As for Bella, I can see why she was cast but she is still growing on me. And Edward, naturally, was a perfect fit (although his faux accent threw me a few times and I have no idea why cause it was probably pretty good but it just didn't seem to fit the timbre of his voice!).

And I also have to say here that I just loved the dark feel that Catherine Hardwicke gave to the movie and the way that Bella narrated throughout the story. The vampire running and leaping scenes were not as enjoyable as I thought they would be however. And that cameo of Stephenie Meyer's (did you spot her? I did!) was a treat!

At the end, I walked out of the cinema feeling satisfied that the movie was a hit. And I really want to see it again. I'm sure that there are bits that I missed and bits that I just want to revisit.

The nineteen year old daughter of my friend came with us to the cinema tonight. Before the movie, she told me that she read on the internet about all the different
'categories' of people who loved Twilight. According to her, I fit into the category of 'Twilight mum' which apparently, is also the 'oldies' category! Just great! So perhaps my interpretation is from an old-ish perspective. But I will repeat what I've said all along....Twilight is not just a teen story. It is a story for multiple ages and the movie is no different!

I Must Be Mad, Mad, Mad!!!

I am blaming the Christmas-slash-silly-season! That is the only explanation I can think of!

When Dear Husband rang me at work to tell me that he was offered the most adorable, gorgeous, cutest, lovable dog that he'd ever seen, I naturally told him to forget it....we already have a dog.

Then something happened.....over-work, stress, moment of weakness, rush of blood to the head....that's what I'm blaming! And next thing I know, we have this!

This is one hellova cute Maltese-cross-Shitzu-cross-Silky and it's a boy!


Obviously, we were very concerned as to how Ruby would accept a new four-legged addition to our house. I did all of the right things...bought puppy all new stuff, introduced them gradually, gave Ruby all of the attention....and you know what, it seems to have paid off. Ruby didn't even raise a growl. She sniffed, she circled, she looked searchingly and then she licked him and laid down at my feet for a nap! Go figure! All of that sleep that I've lost over the last few nights has been for nothing!

This afternoon, pup has been taken to the vet's for needles, a good check over and probably a microchip (wouldn't have a dog without one!).

And despite all of the misgivings of a few nearest and dearest, I am pleased to report that pup is fitting in.

Now, there is the small problem of a name. You see, the Superteen has demanded that as Ruby was named by his sister, that he should have the right to name this dog. You can imagine what he's come up with....if it's the name of a basketballer, cricketer, soccer player or Rugby League footballer then it is in. I told him to write a list and I'd pick from his choices. So at the moment, puppy is Archie. No, not my fave choice either. The rest of us like Miss Nine's choice of Max but the Superteen is blocking that at every turn. Great!

So now, our animal family is complete....and I've told Dear Husband that he is not allowed to bring anymore stray home! *sigh* If only they came toilet-trained though!

It Must Be Hot!!

You know that it must be hot when you walk past the toilet door and see this!

In case you are wondering, this is the cord to the pedestal fan which the Superteen connected to an extension cord so that it would reach into the toilet while he was in there! Nothing like doing your business in comfort now, is there!!!

I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time until I saw that!

It's That Time Of Year Again!

The weather is getting hotter.
Work is getting demanding cause the end of year is coming.
The kids are finishing school and then on holidays.
Christmas parties are everywhere.
The tree is up.
The lights are flashing.
I'm busy buying presents.
I'm busy organising Christmas plans.
I'm busy organising holidays.
Every night there is something on, someone to see, somewhere to go!
Life is hectic!!!!!

So, to fill in my blog space at this hectic time, enjoy this year's Australian Idol winner, Wes Carr and his first single, You, which is currently number 3 on the Australian Aria Singles Chart (with a bullet!)!!! See, I told you he would win!!!! The man has talent!

The HSM Phenomenon

For over a year now, my nine year old has been espousing the words 'High School Musical' like a constant whisper in the echoes of our lives.

Today, thanks to a kind gift from a family member who had an unwanted prize, I was able to take Miss Nine and a couple of friends to see a sneak preview (in Australia anyway...I know it's already out in other countries) of High School Musical 3.

In the past, the raptures of the sound of the words and music from the over-used dvds were enough to send me running into another room for cover. Today, however as I sat through the screening I was actually kind of surprised.

What I realised, when looking over at the face of the friend's daughter next to me, who was constantly grinning throughout the movie, and when looking at my own daughter whose eyes were glued to the screen, is that this movie has something. In fact, it reminded me of a young girl (not that many years ago) who sat in a similar position watching John Travolta and Olivia Newton John rocking in black leather pants at a fair ground and then flying off into the clouds. It reminded me of that same young girl who then had to go out and buy the black vinyl record and play it over and over again much to my parent's horror! And that same little girl inside of me was dancing around and swaying to the music of the next generation's Grease!

The movie itself was everything you would expect of a sweet and innocent musical-slash-love-story for teens and preteens. It had the boppy songs and wonderfully choreographed dance scenes. It had the handsome, clean-faced lead and his gorgeous love interest. It had a not-so-nice nemesis type character and it had a few simple problems that needed to be resolved throughout the storyline. And it even had one not-so-long, but obviously longed for if you believe the hoots of the teenage girls in the cinema with us, kiss scene!

What High School Musical does prove however is exactly what I've been saying about the Twilight popularity. That movie makers do not need to put in gore, violence or too graphic scenes to gain popularity. A good love story with interesting characters who have some level of chemistry are a certain winner everytime! And as a mother, I'm happy to know that my daughter prefers this type of flick!

So, what began as an anticipated couple of torturous hours to keep the kids happy actually turned out to be pleasantly enjoyable! Even for an old (ish!!!) mother like me!!!

Packed To The Rafters

I am up early because the Superteen has cricket this morning and demanded that we all get out of bed at 6am so that he could get to his 8am game!!! Arrrrghhhhh!

I love Packed To The Rafters! It is one of my fave Aussie shows. But watch this excerpt from the show from about 8.30 onwards (just at the end) and tell me what is wrong with this family image!!!! (And yes, I've picked a youtube vid so that all of you overseas people can join in, too!)

Like A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Do you ever have days when you are feeling like this???? I do! In fact, today is one of those days!

I am stressed and feeling blue! I have troubles with:

**the children (too much hormone-filled Superteen, too much lazy behaviour, too much arguing, fighting, crankiness....should I continue??)

**the house (mess, mess, mess!)

**my health (*cough, cough, cough*)

**work (busy, busy, busy)

**Dear Husband (don't get me started!!)

**me (too old, too frumpy, too tired!)

**the car......I had to buy four of these:
So, to make me feel better and not so blue, I invested in one of these:

Using these.....my favourite!!!
Then I bought a soft-shelled crab one of these (you so have not lived until you try a soft-shell crab one! Trust me!).

And my all-time favourite feel-good drink.....a skinny hot chocolate one of these:

And then I picked up my Gold Class tickets to see this:
See, I feel better already! Do I feel guilty? Nooooooooooooo!!!!!! Do I feel poor....ummmm....maybe! Tee hee!

Super Summer Salad! Yum!

To celebrate the beginning of summer and the wonderful foods that come with it, I present the salad that I tossed together (ummmm...literally!) about a week ago. Dear Husband has been buying delicious pieces of salmon from a store near his work so when we have left-overs, we love to throw them into a 'day after' salad!

In this one, we combined:

left-over fresh salmon, cut into chunks
shredded lettuce
rocket leaves
chopped Lebanese cucumber
sliced onion
cubed feta cheese
slices of avocado
cut pieces of mango

I guess that you could season with coriander of something similar but we just loved the avocado and mango tastes permeating through the dish.

And for the best ever advice on how to cook salmon correctly, I turn to my favourite Brisbane-based chef, Alistair McLeod who says that you cook the first side until it just turns pink, turn and cook the other side until it sizzles (might not be his exact words, but you get my drift)! I also sprinkle lemon juice on when cooking and I can vouch that this is a no-fail method!

It looks delicious and let me tell you, it is!!!

And After The Storm Passed!

.....the clean up began!

The massive storm that hit Brisbane a little over a week ago turned out to be one of the worst storms that we've had in the past 25 or so years. Devastating and unbelievable are words that are now commonly heard and if you are a northside dweller, then the past week's conversations with people immediately start with, 'How did you go in the storm?'

I have to admit that in all of my years of living in and around this city, I have never seen anything like it. To watch suburbs that I grew up in desecrated by winds and floods following these temper tantrums of nature is something more than unexpected. And even in my own and neighbouring suburbs, it has become commonplace to see piles of broken branches piled on every second footpath.

What has been so incredible is the selectiveness of this storm. I sat at the local swimming pool last week, looking at the surrounding gum trees and wondered how they survived whilst others beside them toppled. How is it that the day after the storm, you could drive along a main road and see only partial evidence of the storm's path and then turn into a side-street that was completely attacked?

To get a first hand impression of the impact of this storm, I suggest you jump over to Mooselet's blog. She has a great youtube link there that someone took during the first and most devastating storm (there were actually 3 in that week!). It gives you an idea of the force of the winds and let me assure you that that is exactly what it was like!

And if you want to see it all in pictures, check out the Courier Mail reader's pictures here and here!

Finally, our own back yard fallen tree has been chopped and tossed! :( Nothing like a pile of debris to make you feel like you've been hit by a storm.

Thankfully, as I've said in previous posts, our storm damage was minimal. Nearby suburbs like The Gap, Keperra and Arana Hills have now spent over a week trying to come to terms with the loss of houses, possessions and lifestyle. The devastation is so bad that my dear friend, who works in one of these suburbs said that even now her brain could not quite process all that her eyes saw.

If you do feel like making a donation to help these people, can I suggest following this link to St Vincent De Paul who are organising collections.

And finally, in case you were wondering why I haven't posted this last week, I am not actually 100% myself....currently suffering from some type of bronchial infection and asthma! Ventolin has become my best friend and let me assure you, it is not really possible to sleep well on four pillows!

Have a great week!

More Storm News!

I knew it was a bad storm. I knew that there were power black outs, high winds and lots of rain. But I didn't realise exactly how wide-spread it was until I went to drop the 9 year old off at school this morning on my way to work.

My first clue that it was worse than usual was news that my friends who live only a couple of minutes down the road still had no power. Then, driving out of my street, it looked like a war zone had hit. Trees were downed like dominoes. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper. And when I turned into the street that my daughter's school is on, I found the road completely barricaded and SES workers directing people to turn around due to downed power lines and a tree across the road. So the school was closed and my daughter spent the day at grandma's.

There have been so many stories from all around the northside:

* My friend works at one of the worst-hit suburbs and said that it looked like a cyclone had hit.

* A woman at work had a tree smash across her roof.

* My brother and another friend of ours both had water come into their houses. Nothing serious but enough to be scary.

* Many schools were closed and roads were blocked.

* Our local shopping centre was shut as was the petrol station due to lack of power.

* Many people have been without power and telephone all day today.

Thanks to all of those who posted news and wishes on my previous post. Thankfully, we are all safe and naturally, now have plenty of stories to tell. I hope you are all feeling dry tonight!

Storm Season!

I don't know what the temperature was today, but it was hot....darn hot! And as I sit here writing this at almost 9.30pm, according to reports, it is still 22 degrees Celsius (an on-line converter tells me that is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit for all of you overseas peeps and I'm guessing that today would have been up around 95-100....how did I do with that conversion??).

So in great Queensland tradition, a hot day usually means a thunderstorm in the evening. and true to form that is exactly what we got!

So severe was the storm that it cast an eerie glow around just before it hit. And when it hit, it was wild. Winds were lashing at trees, rain was drifting in sheets, thunder roared and lightning flashed across the sky. There was no hail here although a short way away there was. We must have just missed out! When you get a lot of summer storms, you kinda get used to them and learn to enjoy them but tonight's was rather scary.

Despite all of the menacing performance, we thought that we'd missed most of the damage....until we went up the back yard and saw this.........
Ooooops! Our beloved Grevillea Honey Gem that attracts all of the native birds decided to do a back flip into the neighbour's yard, with the help of massive winds!
We weren't the only ones. Many people lost trees and my bestie had one land across her street, effectively trapping everyone in. There was also a mass loss of power and we had a few family and friends here for dinner (somehow we managed to keep power, thank goodness!). Storm refugees, they called themselves!

So tomorrow, Dear Husband is taking the morning off work to chain saw our tree into bits and take to the dump. :( Goodbye sweet native bird visitors!

If you are reading this and live nearby, I hope that you managed to stay safe and dry! I love storms, but not that kind!

Why Not!

I have a skirt. It isn't an expensive skirt nor is it particularly flashy. It's simple and brown and I bought it for a very small sum. But I really like it. I like the way that it fits. I like the way that it swirls. And I like the way that it has pretty little sequins sewn around the lacy hem. I have always kept this skirt for night wear. Not that it doesn't 'work' in the day time but rather because it works even better at night when the light catches the sequins and when I can wear spiffy tops with it and feel a bit special.

But today, I had an epiphany! I looked at my massive pile of ironing and I looked at my empty shelves of 'day wear' clothes. Then I spotted my favourite brown skirt and decided....why not! Today, why keep it 'for good'? Why not wear it just because I darn well feel like it!

I've heard it so many times before, but for some reason today it rang true. How many times have we held back and not used something or not worn something or not consumed something....all for the sake of 'keeping it for good'?

Now, as a collector of 'old stuff' I appreciate that without the philosophy of preserving items, I wouldn't have my gorgeous cupboard of china nor my shelf of old tins. I wouldn't have a lot of furniture in my house, including that fantastic silky oak desk that you catch a glimpse of in the above photo.

But today I just didn't care! I decided to treat myself by wearing my fancy schmancy, swirly, whirly skirt around all day! And I did! And you know what???? It felt darn good, too!

So I am claiming this weekend as 'treat yourself' days. Do you have something that you haven't touched or put away in a special place and hardly ever use it? Do you have a dinner set that you only look at or jewelry that is too flashy to wear in the day time? Perhaps it is a special bottle of fragrance that you only wear occasionally or food that you only buy once in a while. Today, go out and use it/wear it/try it! You'll be so glad that you did!

Busy Busy Busy

That kinda describes my life at the moment!

Work is snowballing....getting ready for Christmas break!
Kids are busy with school and sport. The Superteen is up to his neck in assignments and exams and is just not a happy person to be around atm.
I am busy finalising ebay sales (yep, I actually sold stuff!).
We have weekends full with everything you can think of.
Christmas dinners and break up parties are being organised.
Christmas presents are being considered (what on earth am I going to get my father???)
And in the midst of all this we are making holiday preparations and I'm trying to organise a work movie night out to see Twilight!

Phew!

So in the meantime, I was scrolling through some photos on our old computer the other night and found this one of my gorgeous baby.....the same baby that the teacher today told me was 'an absolute pleasure to teach'. You've just gotta be happy with comments like that, haven't you??!

Contemplating Why!

Why.....

***Is there just never enough time in the day?

***Do I have a whopping big mouth ulcer in my mouth that just won't stop hurting?

***Does the Superteen think that he knows more than me and erupts into a tirade of aggression whenever he doesn't get his own way?

***Is work taking over my life atm?

***Do I want a $200 antique teapot that I can't afford and cannot justify?

***Am I sweltering under the air conditioner one day and wearing a jacket the next?

***Are ebay sales so pathetic atm? (Now I know why I rarely sell on there these days)

***Can housewives across America manage to post parcels to Australia but corporations cannot??? Hello, Leap pad makers!!!!!

***Do car rental companies have all of their discounts finishing in December when we are booked to go to Tassie after that?

***Are the Australian cricket team doing so poorly (Hello guys...this just shouldn't happen! Bring back Roy!)

***Am I reloving Abba songs? (Ok, I blame Mamma Mia for that one! Take the songs out and the movie is ordinary...but the songs make the whole experience!)

***Have I washed the whole weekend and still have washing to do?

***Have I become addicted to Packed to the Rafters?

***Do all of the web sites say that Season 2 of Life On Mars has been released on dvd yet no store has it in stock?

***Do I love going to Sandgate and am cranky that Woolworths is developing a whole corner for a new shop. Is it sacrilegious to develop a quaint little bay side place that still has a simple and relaxed feel to it? Developers, stay away! (Btw, my photo was from last week when I had lunch on the foreshore there!).

***Am I counting down to holidays (5 weeks counting this one in case you are interested!)

Phew, I feel better now!

Happy Birthday To My Miss Nine!

Yes, it's that time of the year again, where one of my children adds another year onto their age....and mine! So now, instead of Miss Eight, we have......Miss Nine!!!!

And to celebrate the arrival of a ninth birthday, I give you the Top Five Facts on Miss Nine!

5. She was born by C-Section in one of the loveliest situations that you could imagine. No emergency, no tired, stressed delivery. Instead there were gorgeous doctors and nurses telling jokes, laughing and relaxed in the room. I'm sure that a natural birth is ideal but after the horror of an emergency cesarean, there was no way I was tempting fate. And it was all so easy and calm and loving. Believe it or not!!!

4. She won baby contests. Now part of me is ashamed to admit that I did enter her in a couple (Ok, three!!!) but she won five trophies from three events before I decided that it was a little bit too OTT (read 'Little Miss Sunshine' moment here!) and gave it all away!

3. Her favourite colour is gold! According to her. I still cry that it's no longer pink but go figure the mind of a nine year old!

2. She is the accident and illness prone one. As a toddler, she contracted salmonella poisoning. It was terrible and after a couple of days of gastro I took her to the emergency ward of a local hospital only to have them tell me that it was just a virus and she'd get over it. They sent us home. The next day, cause I just didn't feel good about the whole thing, I went to my GP who did tests (you just don't want to know where they got those tests from!) and it confirmed salmonella. It was the most scared I've ever been for one of my children but thankfully, she got over it.....oh and they suspected that as a toddler, she found something on the ground somewhere and digested it. Yuck!

1. She is the most loving child around. She loves animals, she loves her friends and best of all, she loves her mum! She is not perfect (good grief, don't get me started on the tantrums!) but there are days when I come home and ache to give her a cuddle or smell her hair or listen to her funny stories. And it's at those times that I thank God for the amazing gift of a daughter.

And in case you are wondering, after a weekend full of sleep-overs and play dates, she settled into opening her fave pressies including lots of High School Musical stuff, Beanie Kids and DS Lite games! See, she still likes girlie things, even if they aren't pink!!!

(Still one of my fave girlie dresses of all time!)

Go Wes!!!!!

How cool is he here!

And for all of you international people who said that the Channel 10 embedded vid was blocked, here it is on youtube! You will have to sit through the intro first though.

Who Goes Marching In??!!

Miss Eight had a school challenge....prepare a talk for show and tell about a Catholic saint.

Hmmmmmm! Do you know how many saints are out there? Hundreds, according to a quick internet search!

So after we'd narrowed down a few contenders for show-and-tell topic, we started reading up on the lives of these saints.

We found that a common element in quite a few of them was that they were nuns. Now, despite the fact that my children attend Catholic schools, Miss Eight was still confused as to what the role of a nun actually involved (goes to show how many of them are around really!). So I filled her in with the basics......devote your life to God, pray a lot, work, no marriage!

"What?' gasped Miss Eight in her serious manner upon hearing this. "No marriage? Oh no! That means that I have no chance of becoming a saint!"

She's obviously thinking ahead and yes, I did laugh my head off over that one!

'Burb Girl Meets Big Buildings!

I admit it. I am a 'burb girl! I love living on the outskirts of the city where you still get to utilize all the great aspects of city living without driving in the manic traffic to work everyday and where koalas and like still like to come for a visit.

But it always takes my breath away to see this view! There is something quite majestic about big buildings especially when they are the backdrop to a happy family game of mini golf on a sunny blue Sunday afternoon!

Enjoy the view!

Ptttt-Ptttt-Ptttt-Pttttt

Actually, that is Putt-Putt (or mini golf) as spoken by people who are frustrated that they can't get that little ball into that stoopid little hole! Ok, that was me! But Miss Eight was determined that broken finger or not, she was doing it....and she did....totally outclassing me! But we won't talk about that!

The Superteen decided to take a couple of his friends to have a belated celebration of his birthday. I admit that I win slack mother of the year award and kept putting the whole birthday celebration thing off! Today, it caught up with me and after lots of mini golf, pizza and other junk food later, we are all feeling like we've had a party!

Yesterday I spent the day at work (anyone heard of an ICT Certicate??!! Don't ask! I am sick to death of doing mine!) while the Superteen went to Wet N Wild with a church youth group day! I was so wishing that I could be there after my 5th hour of looking at a computer screen!

Hope that you all had a great weekend!

Our Latest Spend Up!

When I slipped and grabbed the back of the dining chair, only to have it give way under me (they were always coming apart!) and consequently, almost impaled myself on the remaining chair back post, I rang Dear Husband at work and told him that we desperately needed a new dining setting....and fast!! Thankfully, the remaining post was not sharp so only left a nice bruise on my abdomen but it was enough to scare me!

So here is our new table. It arrived today and its usefulness is obviously two-fold as the table is larger than its predecessor, giving us all much more elbow room!

Now all I have to do is buy new big square tableclothes cause obviously, I don't have any!

A Work Visitor!!!

Lookie at who visited my work yesterday! Sorry about the fuzzy photo but I only had my mobile on hand to snap the pic! The little thing looked so cute sitting up there and sleeping all day. It did wake around 3pm (not suprisingly) to nibble on some eucalypt leaves!

Too bad, it was gone today!

Our Weekend Round-Up!

This weekend......

Dear Husband mowed the long long grass! This is the down-side of summer.....every weekend it needs to be mowed!


Miss Eight, still with bandaged and splinted finger/hand had a friend over to play and still managed to use the Wii remote and play the DS Lite. Thankfully, her pointer finger and thumb are not bandaged, giving her much more mobility than expected!

The Superteen played cricket on Saturday and was the team wicket keeper. He cracks me up when he plays cause he gets behind the stumps and cheers on the bowler and gives instructions to the fielders. Too bad he dropped a catch!
Today, he has gone to play golf with his grandad! Thank goodness for grandads who take Superteens out for the afternoon......we are happy cause there is peace and quiet, the Superteen is happy cause he's out playing sport and grandad is happy cause he has a golf partner! Share the love, I say!
And I have spent today vacuuming my house! Bler! But the floors look fabbo!
Last night, we also took the kids out to one of the worst Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. It used to be great but I think it has new owners. My Chicken and Corn soup and Seafood Chow Mein had the consistency of hair gel! Yuck! I know, I know, I should have sent it back but hey....I'm kinda shy in situations like that!

Dear Husband and I also managed to watch the first two episodes of (the UK version) of Life on Mars now that we've bought the dvd. Great show and a bit of a blast from the past with all of the 70s fashion etc.

Oh and we've ordered a new dining table and chairs but more on them when they arrive!

How was your weekend?????

And ok, I've cheated and used free photos for my blog today cause I just couldn't be bothered going off and photographing all those things! The cricket keeping gloves and wii pic are from Wikepedia.com....there, surely that satisfies the terms of use on that site!!!! Lol!

This.......

This is the hand that played on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that ran into big brother while playing on the trampoline.

This is the hand that has a finger that swelled right up after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that spent Friday night at the Royal Children's Hospital Emergency Department after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that got x-rayed at the Royal Children's Hospital Emergency Department after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that has the finger that chipped a bone and tore tendons from the growth plate after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that is now in a splint for about three weeks after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the hand that has an appointment with the orthopaedic specialists after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

This is the child (with the wild hair!) that owns the hand that chipped the bone and tore the tendon from the growth plate after playing on the trampoline with big brother.

Ouchies!!!!

A Scary Glimpse Into My Next 6 Years

Is this what I have to look forward to? I can see many aspects of my Superteen in this (minus the piercings, of course!). But if it's as accurate as people tell me then I'm in big trouble!

Saturday Mornings

Saturday mornings now mean no sleep in as the Superteen returns to club cricket.

It's not so bad when the games are held at fields that are just down the road.

It's not so good when it's pouring rain and no one is telling the boys to stop playing. Even the Australian team doesn't play in rain this heavy!

Never fear, fun was had by all. The Superteen opened the batting but sadly only got 2 runs. We have tried to convince him that he should get some batting coaching out of hours, but like all teenagers, he thinks he's super cool at everything! Lol! He'll learn! He did wicket keep though and did a great job! Even in the pouring rain!

Summer's Almost Here

You know that summer is almost here when:

* Nanna's Day Lillies come out in flower.
* The lawn needs mowing every week.
* Mangoes are for sale in the shops.
* You start wearing shorts again.
* Bbqs under the back pergola are a necessity to survive the week.
* You have to buy the kids a whole new wardrobe cause nothing fits them anymore.
* You start watching what you eat to prepare for future swim suit wearing.
* Evening thunderstorms start reappearing.
* Television starts to put the big shows on (before the summer hiatus!).
* You put the soft cotton sheets back on the bed.
* The windows stay open - just slightly - at night.
* Cricket returns to television (Yayyyyyy and congrats to Ricky Ponting for his long awaited century).
* Christmas decorations start appearing in the shops.
* You start thinking about holidays!
* You have days that are over 30 degrees!

Nine weeks till Summer holidays! Not that I'm counting!!!! ;)

Imagine It!

Just imagine it.....a typical Sunday night at our house.....we are all doing our usual routine....eating, dishes, chatting, etc etc. The television hums along in the background. No one is really paying too much attention to it....we seem to drown it out with our noise.

Suddenly, everyone stops. Everyone turns. Everyone watches and listens to one voice...on the television!

And so that was our evening last night when Wes Carr sang on Australian Idol.

Abba night was always going to be a bit of a worry....would it be just a karaoke mime night? It seemed that way for a while but Wes changed it around! Personally, I think that this guy has it all in the bag. In fact, he's leading by a 'country mile' right now! What a class act!

Anyone who can do this to Fernando and have our whole family stop in stunned silence deserves all of the accolades that he gets!

And if you don't believe me, click on the youtube link below (once again, don't forget to turn my imeem player off to the right of your screen first) or check out his myspace page. (Btw, I'm hoping that he does a Neil Finn song soon cause he just has the voice for it!).

So who was it who said, after the Olympics that I'd have to get heavily into Australian Idol? Gee thanks for the prophecy! Lol!

Today......

Today, my house is ringing with the sounds of the rugby league football grand final (heaven help me!) and the sounds of the males in my house hollering at the try-scoring players on the screen.

The Superteen had his cricket cap day today and is a little worried about the team he's in (or in his words, 'We are gonna get hammered this year!').

Miss Eight has been walking Ruby around in her new harness so that the poor dog can 'get used to it'!

I've been grocery shopping (Superteen says that he's going to cook ALL week! Consequently grocery bill was so large that you couldn't leap over it!)

And throughout it all, there is an underlying sadness as we all farewell another lot of holidays!

Tomorrow is the start of the new school term! That means that it's back to work for me and back to school for the kids! :( Not that I have done anything particularly exciting on these holidays, but having the opportunity to sleep in and to have no early-morning-we-are-running-late-get-out-of-the-house-fast stress has been magnificent! In fact, my days have been spent cooking, reading, watching tv, looking after kids and basically just relaxing! Do you like the jigsaw that we all did? This not-so-simple but inexpensive puzzle provided hours of family-friendly fun!

So roll on Summer! Counting down till Summer holidays now!

Cheap Chocolate Brownies! Yum!

I like to call these cheap chocolate brownies cause they are easy peasy to make and don't need any expensive ingredients. In fact, it doesn't even need chocolate (let's face it, who ever has any of that just sitting around in the cupboard??!!), only cocoa powder but is still absolutely delicious!

I scrounged this recipe from my mother who makes these superbly (too superbly - I'm thinking of hitting the salads hard this summer!). It really is made from ingredients that you find in your pantry and is just so easy to do.

Be warned though - they are definitely more-ish!!!! Yummmmmmm!

Combine 1 cup brown sugar (pressed into measuring cup), 1 cup self raising flour, 1/2 cup dessicated or shredded coconut and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir in 125 grams melted butter and 1 beaten egg. Mix well. Press into greased lamington tray. Bake at 180 degrees (that's Celsius for all of you o/s people!) for 15 minutes. Cool. Cut. Sprinkle with sifted icing sugar. Enjoy!

Who's Been Playing With Mummy's Camera?

I wonder!

I've also found pictures of dog, toys and artwork! Do you think she's trying to tell me anything??

Legs Eleven!

Well, not quite eleven.....actually eight to be precise!!!

There's nothing nicer than curling up on the couch with child and dog! That's what makes holidays and families worth it!

A Whole Lotta Love!

My friend's daughter got married yesterday. Like all weddings, it was a joyous event with a beautiful, teary bride all dressed in white, a handsome young groom, a bevy of colourful bridesmaids and groomsmen, a bit of drama (traffic hold-ups), and a whole lotta ceremony!

I found some stages throughout the ceremony rather bittersweet as I reflected waaayyyyyy back on moments of the bride's life - especially on the moment when I guessed that her mother was 'a little bit' pregnant with her. Should you feel old on occasions like this?! Whereas before, I have always been considered a 'friend of the bride/groom', suddenly I've been relegated to 'an old friend of my mother's'!!! Hmmmmm! She is the first child of a friend of mine to get married and can I just add here that her mother was incredibly young when she had her!!! Lol! There, that makes me feel better, saying that!

Anyway, alongside the bride were her sisters, including my absolutely gorgeous Goddaughter who I love to pieces and am just so proud of! To watch a tiny baby grow into a young, friendly, thoughtful and caring woman is an absolute privilege......to be her Godmother in the process is even more so!
I loved the words of the priest, throughout his sermon. He spoke of love. He told how love grows. How the love of newlyweds is exciting and energetic but that that love is just the beginning. He advised that new love should strive to grow to be the love that is shared by a couple after years of marriage. He spoke of how great it is for a couple to declare their love to the world through the vows of marriage. He was a wise, old priest!

And, like all good brides (me included!), she chose the 1 Corinthians 13 verse for one of their readings. I just love these words. They are just so true:
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

*sigh* Don't you just love love....in all its forms!!!