Father's Day Came Early This Year.

We could not wait for tomorrow to give daddy his Fathers Day gifts so we gave him some today.( He will be sleeping a lot of the day away as he is working night shift again tonight.)

We couldn't wait for Fathers Day so we gave My Beloved 1 present each. The girls often write letters and cards and then wrap a toy or a rock that has been painted with fabric or scrapbooking papers as an added 'surprise'. Daddy got those presents today the 'good ones' made in school were saved for tomorrow. I gave him his 'good' present today, I couldn't wait and luckily either could he.

'Ok everyone.' I called out 'I am giving daddy his present!!!' Everyone came out from every room in the house and two kids emerged from the play area covered in sand. We make a pretty bunch. 

'Open it!' Shrieked Mr Cheeky who thought he was getting a present too.

'I wonder what it is?' My Beloved said. 'It is in a box..'

'Read the message.' I suggested

'To daddy, because you don't burn things when YOU do it!'

He opened the wrapping paper to see a recipe book 'Three and Four Ingredients'

'Oh excellent!' he said and laughed. 

The last few weeks I have been making fry pan pizzas and I have been getting distracted after the second one has been cooked and pizzas three and four are usually burnt on the bottom. It has become a joke now when ever I go in the kitchen, no matter what I am doing someone says something about not wanting 'it' burnt. 

'This is great!' My Beloved said as he gave everyone except the Man Child a hug, because that is not cool I guess. The kids stood around watching dad read the book and soon decided that the 'party' was over and watching him read was actually quite boring.

'Wow, lemon with spaghetti, I would never have thought of that!'

Here you can see the first meal My Beloved will be cooking... spaghetti with lemon because it sounds so strange he just HAS to try it out!

After a few minuets I realised that it was rather boring watching him read his cook book and left him on the veranda to continue. An HOUR later he came inside and smiled 

'Thanks love that is great I love it.'

'I'm glad, don't forget you get another present tomorrow.' I said and smiled..

Spring Has Most Definitely Sprung!

Not being one to let something stop me when I make up my mind to do it. I have been relentless in my culling. The winter clothes are down to a third. The girls summer clothes are down a third also. I even eliminated a whole box of craft stuff and the kids school paintings and things ( I nearly broke down and cried as I threw the Man Child's hand prints from prep away. Not to mention everyone else's). I took a massive bag of clothes to my mums place and 8 large garbage bags to a friends place.

 'You can not say no to them!' I told her a little desperately as she opened her door to find me standing there holding a black garbage bag. 'If you do not take them I will take them home and put them in the cupboards again!'

She laughed and then, because she understands said. 'If you even think about taking them home I will fight you for them.' Ahhhhh a good friend is hard to find so keep them when you do find them. 

I found this picture here and enjoyed the post as well. 

After a cuppa and a chat I had to leave and get back to the cull. I was home five minuets and had already filled a garbage bag with the last of the winter clothes. I am getting the hang of it now and when ever a bit of doubt creeps over me I just remind myself that Yes, I will need one or two of the items that I have given away but I also know it will not be long (usually a day or two after I have completed the big yearly cull) and a friend or two will arrive on my doorstep with bags and bags of 'stuff' begging me to take it. And I will. Because I am a good friend! ;)


***UPDATE***

3 days after I wrote this I got some more clothes for my Wardrobe as well as a phone call from a friend who has a 'couple' of bags for me to pick up next week. 

The Pale Face

( This picture came from here )

Yesterday whilst exchanging shoes for Big Miss I decided I would 'pop' into the chemist and get her some foundation. She had bought her own last time and it was too pale. She looked like she was on her deathbed. 'Are you sure you tested it on the back of your hand like I told you?' I asked. 'Yes mum, it will be fine.' 'I think you should get a new foundation.' I said to her.

'Don't worry mum.' she said 'I have those samples from Avon and I will mix it.If I have too.'

Ok, I thought, sounds fair, if she wants to do that then good. Everyday for a week her face was either too pale or too orange or just plain weird looking. I said something nicely each morning but as I do not know what I am talking about because when I was her age it was sooooooooooooo long ago. I was ignored.

I had to take over by buying her the right colour foundation and a 'primer'. I hope she appreciates all this money being spent on her I thought as I handed over a ridiculous amount of money. 

I realise most women do not consider make up anything other than a 'must have' but I am not one of those women. I consider a Ice Coffee and a chocolate biscuit a 'MUST have'. But I must say I DO consider your face being the same colour as the rest of your body to be more than a 'must have', I consider it to be very important, not quite as important as breathing but up there with food and water being readily available. Call me crazy!

So this morning when I was woken at 6 and asked if her face looked orange, I thought to myself, 'If she has used that other foundation I am going to have to be blunt.' I turned to see her looking beautiful and the same colour as the rest of her body.

'You look lovely darling.' I smiled

'Yes, but do I look orange?'

'No. You look fine, very natural.'

'The girls said I look orange.' she said to me.

'Darling, you do not look orange, what would they know about make up? Besides they are just not used to seeing your face looking a natural colour, you have looked like death warmed up all week.'

'Gee, THANKS  mum! You could have told me!'

'I DID! Nicely all week. But I didn't understand... remember?'

'Well next time just say Aliesha you look like crap. Take that off your face NOW!'

I laughed so hard when she said that, because we ALL  know how that would pan out don't we?

But all's well that ends well isn't it? Big Miss went to school looking beautiful, feeling good and looking like her head was actually meant to be attached to her body and you really can not ask for more than that can you! Money well spent.

You Never Miss Your Water Till You're Dry.

If only doing the washing was as awesome as this picture makes it look. I particularly love that really helpful and sweet boy... Mr Cheeky and I do not make such an awesome team... maybe it is because I don't wear an apron... despite owning several.

In between 'shooting' into town to pick up my parcel and walking down my rather long driveway twice to see if any more parcels arrived I washed clothes and sorted through the boxes in the hall cupboards. I also sorted through the many boxes of clothes in storage for the kids to grow into. I decided to pull the summer stuff out and cull the winter items before they went back into storage. I washed a LOT of clothes today and I was quite happy with the progress I had made too.

 Happy that is, until I turned the tap on to wash the surprisingly small sink of dishes that had accumulated during the day. I turned it on but nothing came out. OK I thought to myself, maybe the pump has switched off. I checked. It was fine. I walked over to our tank to check the water level. It has not rained here for quite a while and since my front loading washing machine had broken and I was talked into a top loader ( though it does work better for us, we were NEVER out of water when we used a front loader) so the chances of an empty tank were high.

I tapped the tank at shoulder height, yep a hollow sound echoed back. I tapped it again at knee height, more of that hollow echo could be heard. I tapped it again down as low as I could and yes we are definitely out of water! As is always the case My Beloved is never EVER home when the S.H.T.F around here. So he missed my little 'tanty dance' . I still have not rung him to let him know yet either as aside from stress there is nothing he can do!  I called the water delivery man. Turns out he is busy for TWO DAYS!!! ARGHHHHH. Looks like we shall visit with family tonight and tomorrow night for hygiene sake. Lucky mummy lives just down the road isn't it?

The Stuffed Toy Dilemma

'OK guys!' I said to the kids when they got off the school bus. 'Girls grab a box each and put ONLY the toys you love in them.'

'I love them all.' Miss Independent told me. She knew what was coming.

'ONLY the ones you love. The rest are going to poor kids who have no toys.'

'Stupid poor people.' Miss Thinker said 'Why can't they buy their kids toys instead of making kids give their toys away!'

'Alexis! You have to do it anyway, would you rather they go to the dump or to poor kids?' Little Miss said. 'Now come on don't be horrible.' 

'Fine.'

Five minuets later I stuck my head into the toy room door to see three small boxes overflowing with toys. Too many toys.

'They are not getting the point of this,' I said to My Beloved who was still laying the moulded pavers. He looked up at me and rolled his eyes, I think at how silly the kids were... I think.

'OK. STOP!' I said 'lets go through the box you already have.' I put the stuffed toys in three spare boxes and brought them out to the pavers that were already completed. 

'OK Alannah, I said putting her five MUST keep stuffed toys in front of her. Pick 2.' 

'WHAT!' she said and grabbed Blue Bear.

'Right, Amelia, pick three I said as I put her 8 stuffed toys in front of her.'

'Okay.'

'Right, Lex...' I said and looked at Miss Thinker to see her cuddling her box and tears streaming down her face.

'If you guys picked up your toys you would not have to give them away.' My Beloved told them looking at me as if to say "why did you pick here to rip their little hearts out? Why in front of me?'

'Alright Lexie' I said to Miss Thinker as she was still lying immobile over her box of toys. 'Why keep this one?' I asked.

'Nanna Paula gave it to me. she whispered

'Ok so you have to keep that one. What about this one?'

'Nanna Paula.'

'Ok and this one?'

'My birthday and that one Ashlee got me from the show and this one and this one are my Barbie's friends and this one is cool and this one is purple!'

'Alright what about the other three?'

'Um, um, Nanna Paula?'

'I know,' said the Man Child 'I get to pick two and Lexie still picks her three, the Nanna Paula ones stay so thats pretty much all of them.'

'I will pick two of Alannah's,' Big Miss said and we all turned to see her sitting there staring at her lined up toys holding Blue Bear (who was given to her by, you guessed it, Nanna Paula)  crying. 

'What about me??' Little Miss asked rather desperately 'I can't choose between these two!'

'OK that is it!' I said grabbing all the stuffed toys and putting them in the laundry. I will decide tomorrow FOR you!' 

The rest of the toys went in the give away box very easily and I snuck in a couple of teddies that I saw hidden behind the lounge, or were they just dumped there?

Soon everyone was off doing their thing completely over the whole debacle, except   My Beloved who said to me as he finished the last mould for the day.

'You are a cold hearted thing, throwing little kids teddies in the bin.'

'I am giving them to Vinnies!' I said. 'Not my fault you don't have the stomach for it.'

'Remind me to make sure you are not in charge of decisions if I am sick! You'll probably have me put down!'

'No 'probablies' about it!' I said 'So? Do you want a cuppa now or what?'

Our House Kinda IS In The Middle Of Our Street.

I decided to 'draw' a floor plan of our house to give you an idea of how 9 people could live comfortably in a 3 bedroom house, though it must be said our house is probably more the size of a five bedroom house. Hopefully it is confusing enough to stop any would be thieves from breaking in when we are on holiday.Though to be honest they really would be wasting their time and efforts! 

Floor plan... FOR NOW at least. The Blue 'things' are windows.

I am not a drafts man so I used the paint program and my limited knowledge of it to give you a rough idea. Nothing is to scale I must say. But I am sure you get the idea. OOOOOOh I forgot to put in the fireplace... oh well. 

My Beloved complains that too much space has been taken up with bedrooms but I think with the outdoor spaces, especially the backyard and the 'big deck', when they are completed will more than make up for most of the house being bedrooms. We spend, well the kids spend, more time outside than in and I think having your own space is very important especially when you have a large family. Everyone does. Even though I have them sharing there is still a space for each kid to call their own. It may not be the best use of the space available but it is roomy enough with out being small and boxy and not too big. OK Don't make me regret sharing this floor plan folks. Oh I have a big mean dog... and I am not afraid to use him! Consider yourself warned. :)

Changing Rooms

Last month I spent a weekend rearranging rooms. I also decided The elder two girls would share the biggest room. They have plenty of space but as Big Miss is 15 and has had her own room for many years she asked me if she could have the toy room as her own.The fact that it is separate from the house and no one can get into it have nothing to do with it I am sure!

I decided last night after culling my wardrobe that I really needed to do toys next and figured IF I got rid of two thirds of the toys then what was left would fit nicely and neatly in a single toy box for each of the younger five. With that in mind I realised Miss Independent and Miss Thinker (who have the smallest room) would have to swap with Mr Cheeky(3) and Littlest Miss (8 months).

So this afternoon I got the Man Child to take the bunk beds apart and set them up in the new room. He did but not until he shared with me his disgust at actually having to do it. ( It would seem the weekend at his Nan's house, being spoilt no doubt, had taken too much of a toll on him ;)

Now the cot side will have to stay up at all times!

The girls played outside and Littlest Miss kept me company in her cot. I turned around to find she had pulled herself up to a standing position! I naturally took a picture! I took a few actually. 

The wall behind Littlest Miss' cot needs a 'mural' just like Mr Cheeky's.
I just don't know what or what colours I will use.....

That is the wall. Half painted in a classic 'Emma' decorating style.

The boats, cars and planes 'mural' I painted using a stencil.

Everything is sorted in the room they share and after dinner I will start the on the bigger two girls room. Then I think shall go to sleep dreaming of the 'Big Toy Cull'. Spring must be just around the corner! 

I have done very little in the grand scheme of things so far this weekend. But I did get enough energy and care factor to go through my wardrobe or more to the point wardrobes. OMG the amount of clothes I had is unbelievable! But I can cross off #5 on my 15 Things To Do list.

I had run out of garbage bags yesterday so had to find something to fit the unwanted clothes in. I found a plastic bag that Littlest Miss' cot mattress came in. I filled it! I did not realise how many clothes I had folded in the cupboard.

Sadly this picture does not convey just how
MASSIVE this bag of clothes actually is!

To give an idea of size the bag is waist high.

 I only threw 5 items in the bin the rest was average to near new, so my sister and sister in-law M will get a nice little surprise tomorrow... if you consider some ones cleared out wardrobe a nice surprise... but I don't care either way as at least it will be gone from here! 

Now My Beloved has more clothes than me, I still have plenty left. I may need to cull again and as a reward I might go shopping for a new swimsuit ( I threw my bikinis out... to old and too many kids for bikinis) one pieces are in fashion this season and it would make a nice change if I was actually fashionable for once. ;)

Going Slooooooooooooooooooow -back yard update

It has been 2 days and all I have managed
is to finish planting the mondo grass and mix
up a small block of terracotta tinted cement
and add a mosaic 'circle thing'.

Patience is a virtue I have always told myself, when things get in the way of my plans. That and 'Is anyone going to die because you cant do it?' Thankfully the former is considered a virtue and the answer to the latter is always no!


Some 'stuff' happened yesterday morning that meant we got no further in the backyard except for a small 230ml x250(ish)ml bit of terracotta coloured cement. I managed to squeeze that in late yesterday afternoon. I planted the rest of the mondo grass this morning, we were meant to get a storm so I decided not to waste my time doing more, just in case. It is now dark and there is no sign of a storm. >:/

So much for my starting to colour the laid pavers today! There is a problem with the colour too but that is of no consequence now and wont be a problem when I actually get to the colouring stage. I have a small 270(ish) ml x 890(ish) ml section completed. But I did get some parcels in the post today, the contents of one is going to be cemented into the backyard.  So it ain't all bad news! ;)

A Sneak Peek

The very beginning of the back yard.

We have had a BIG day. My Beloved spent most of it mixing up cement and laying the concrete paver mould. I drove to three different stores to get supplies. The oxide we brought the day before was not going to do the job.

 The plan was to lay the mould then sprinkle the 2 different oxide colours and the finished result would be awe inspiring... It was nothing short of cringe worthy.

YUCK.

 I gave it three attempts and decided we'd have to do some thing different. The store we usually go to for our concrete supplies has recently changed hands and the products we know and I personally love are not available. So what normally would have cost me 20 dollars will now cost 150. I was not all that pleased to say the least. But then that is the first rule of D.I.Y 'Just when you think you have everything sorted and you know what you are going to use/do... something major will happen and you'll have to rethink.'

By the time I had returned home with cement, oxides, adhesives and a beef & Gravy roll for My Beloved. I noticed that he had deviated from the 'plan', something that really should not surprise me as he often does. It was however good to see him regretting his decision and it was even better to hear him admit that I was right! 

The 'plan' was simple. Use the paver mould. Use the same pattern. Keep the 'gaps' between the moulds as small as possible. Use concrete blend for strength. The concrete blend and the pattern were used. My beloved decided to off set the moulds and as a result there are 'spaces'.

Not part of the plan...

At first I was peeved. But then I realised it was to my advantage. The 'spaces' could be an outlet for my 'creative' streak ( I had originally planned to do a lot of mosaic squares with pebbles, a LOT of work and I decided it was do-able but too much for me to do and My Beloved flat out refused.) Now we get the 'best' of both worlds and it will take a little longer to finish but when we have it will be something completely our own.

The very first 'space' has been 'boxed up' and some concrete put in. I decided a simple hand  coated in terracotta oxide and an old bit of a cuff bracelet would suffice... along with the year.

I found some blue foam to use as a 'box' and filled it with cement then used my terracotta oxide covered hand to 'decorate' it. I planted some mondo grass along it. Those spaces will now be the 'heart' of the backyard. Some spaces are long enough for me to get each kids hand or foot print side by side, the smaller areas can be for each child to draw or mosaic something in the cement. 

There is a lot more to do and it will take longer than we thought, but then it ALWAYS does ( rule number 2 of D.I.Y) but it will be worth it!

Tomorrow My Beloved and I will start the day out the back and then with the excuse of needing to go 'food' shopping I will be off to see what I can find in the way of pebbles and some more oxide ( I am thinking a green blue.. it will be fine, trust me). Hopefully I can spend the day getting as many spaces done as Littlest Miss and Mr Cheeky will let me. On Friday the fun really begins as I get to play with colours and oxides so those ugly 'higgledy piggledy' bits of concrete look awesome!

I could go on, but I wont. I will just go to bed! Stay tuned. :)

Back Yard In A Box

I woke up with a bit of spring in my step this morning, not because I slept particularly well but because I had a parcel to pick up. As soon as it opened I was at the window of the post office sorting building. I gave the man behind the window a smile and a ripped parcel pick-up slip. He looked at it and then me and smiled.

'A three yr old.' I said to him.

He disappeared and returned with a box. 

'Awesome, that is my back yard right there.' I said. ( Those who know me, know I say random and weird things often, It's how I 'roll'. )

'Your backyard?'

'Yes, it is a concrete paver mould.'

'Oh really? How does it work?'

The rest of the conversation is pretty obvious so I will not go on. But suffice to say the eBay store owner will have two more customers checking out their store. Because they are in the local area the postage was very quick and very little considering it is made from steel. 

By the time I was home I had a million ideas for every detail of the backyard, the pathways I was planning and even contemplating 'resurfacing' our 300? metre driveway too. Naturally My Beloved was excited to see something useful from my 'ebaying' and started to tell me about how the backyard would be laid out with mondo grass or gravel or 'something'.

'Errr yeah. Sounds good, just one problem.' I said

'What?'

' We are not doing it like that.'

If you have read any other posts I am sure you know what I am going to say next... Thats right, we argued disagreed about every idea either one of us had. And yet somehow managed to agree on the oxides we would use to colour the wet cement when we start on the backyard... TOMORROW!!! 

YES! Expect the next few posts to be full of pictures of befores, durings and afters with My Beloved and myself looking particularly dusty and dirty. My Beloved will be covered in sand and cement and I shall be donning particularly delightful shades of burgundy and terracotta. THIS IS GONNA BE FUN!! I can't wait! :D

Memory Makers

I was thinking today about My Beloved's car and how sad I got when I saw the state of it. Sad enough for me to tear up. It is after all JUST a car. But it has so many memories connected to it.The biggest one of all is of course is when I saw him drive past and I became aware of his existence... there are many others.

• The way he looked in his Surf Club gear.
• Driving into town for movies and Chinese food.
•  Our first date. I had tonsillitis and after a few days on penicillin we learnt that I was allergic to it... the huge case of hives covering every part of my body except my face and hands was the 'tip off' .My father had to drive into town because it was the morning of our date and he had to buy me a dress with long sleeves because as I mentioned, I was covered in huge hives. The sleeves were lace and oh how they itched! The stockings I wore hid the blotches on my legs and I spent a great deal of the night scratching.
• His sister and I driving him into the hospital when he had a hernia and a double twisted 'man' bit. How he hummed the Bonanza tune to take his mind off the pain of each bump in the road. How in the waiting room his sister and I heard the girl like shriek and laughed so hard because we knew it was him, just did not realise what the shriek meant. He was in Nambour Hospital getting bits removed the next day. Poor baby ;p (yes before we had kids)
• Then there was the time my friend and I went into town with My Beloved and came out in my friend's then boyfriend's car. How the 'boys' decided to 'race' and the car I was in took off and I swear the speedo was at 200. (something to do with it being an ex cop car). We were yelling at him to slow down but he did not. We drove a fifteen minuet drive in about 7 minuets and it was the scariest 7 minuets of my life.
• My little brother in laws christening and the lunch we had after came to mind.
•  A friends funeral. 
• The time My Beloved found ladies panties under the front seat ( not mine!) after some Q&A he was in the clear and now we laugh so hard when ever we talk about it.
• The trips to the Drive in down the Gold Coast.
• Days spent at the beach and playing pool after a meal.
• Driving to Brisbane to meet My Beloved's mother and her family.
•  The many trips back from Brisbane and the Gold Coast to visit families and the hot slow Christmas traffic.
• The baby seat we put in the back after Mr Cheeky was born and when we drove him home for the first time. 
• The first day of the Man Child's education. 

There are so many memories attached to the car. Every one has something that they are attached to, that has so many years of memories that make it special. What is yours?

A Quickie - 'She'... Is Well and Truly Dead

*update*, I found this pic here.

Back in her day My Beloved's car looked like this... when he was 4 it was new... brand new. When he was 17 he bought one at auction. He loved it and had MANY a fun time with it. He was known for taking people out to his car, drink in hand showing all who cared. Quite often I am told the smash of glass on the pavement was a sure sign he was stumbling around his car showing other party goers 'Her'. 

She is what got my attention. It was big and red and fast and a gorgeous guy was driving it... you know what they say about girls... they don't like boys. They like cars and money... I don't agree, I think the cars help the boys get noticed and by the same logic I guess money does too.

After The Man Child came along we did not use the Matador and drove a wagon. :( Saddest day of My Beloved's life he says. We pulled her out occasionally and then back into the shed she'd go. The last time she was out My Beloved was mowing and a stone threw up smashing the drivers window. 

'Cant you just replace it?' I asked as he came in swearing.

'No, you don't just find them lying around. I'd have to order one from America.'

'Oh'

A few weeks later she was parked in the yard ( ON THE FRIGGING DIRT!!!!) and a tarp placed over her. We both knew that it would be years before she saw the light of day and ignored it. Yesterday My Beloved was telling the Man Child if he could just drive it one more time he'd be happy, she'd never be road worthy again, he'd be happy with just driving up the driveway and back.

Today the Man Child decided he would mow the shoulder high grass that has grown around it over the past 6 years since she was parked. He would get a job, fix it up and then dad could drive it again, after which it would naturally become his.

The rust you can see is NOTHING compared to what there is... I cried. Literally!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Even THAT is NOTHING.

Still not that depressing, nothing a dust couldn't fix...

This is the depressing part.... no not the seats ;) THE Floor! I cried harder when I saw this.

The good news however is the lining on the roof is as good as new. 

'Ash,' I said to the Man Child  'you cant fix this... it would cost far more than the car is worth.' 

'I don't care, I'm going too.'

'It would be cheaper to buy another one.'

'I don't care, I am going too.'

My Beloved really was not joking when he said he never wanted to look at her again because he was scared he'd cry... He will. I did.

Warning Signs - Milk Teeth

Littlest Miss has 4 teeth now... it will not be long and she will be moving out!

Littlest Miss is 8 months old and she has her second lot of teeth come through. Her bottom two front teeth have been up for a couple of months and as of Wednesday her top two have come down. Oh how wonderful, you might be thinking isn't it exciting as they pass through each stage of development! It wont be long now she will be crawling/walking/trashing the place/leaving home. 

She is already showing signs of wanting to be out and about.

And it is wonderful,with the first couple of kids then as you have more it is not quite as magical  (oh no she didn't just say that... did she?) It becomes a warning sign. That reads boldly - 'WATCH OUT! - It will not be long and that gorgeous innocent cherub will be a crying, sulking, whining and throwing tantrums. (Yes, I am referring to the terrible twos, and threes and on through to the teenage years.)

Her teeth are just the beginning of what is in store for us yet... crawling & walking.

Already Littlest Miss can 'work the crowd'. She smiles this big sweet infectious smile and who ever it is aimed at stops what they are doing to enjoy it. Then she really turns on the charm and talks to you. Lets say at this point in her vocal development we most certainly do not have a future X Factor winner on our hands. 

She knows how to win you over...

She is already a BIG KID trapped in a babies body. She squeals and squawks as loudly as her brothers and sisters (but then, she has too if she has any chance of being heard over the singing, giggling and fighting). She wants to run around with everyone else,trashing the place... with everyone else. But just does not have the motor skills yet. 

Ready to go go go

Apart from the fact that she has yet to actually co ordinate her crawling moves and she seems to fall on her face regularly whilst trying, she wants to go go go. She pulls her self up and promptly falls over. It is now that I appreciate the 'walker that does not walk' (the kind that just revolves around a 'play centre') if she was in a traditional walker, I swear she would be zooming around the house.

No longer a baby, not quite a toddler.

She is most definitely NOT a baby and not quite a toddler she is something in between and that is the most beautiful age a child can be. An age when the whining and drooling and fussing still invoke the protective urge in you, not the irritated 'Oh for-crying-out-loud!' urge. When you foolishly actually encourage the attempts at walking and talking and laugh at the things in the back of your mind you KNOW will be irritating as they grow (like squealing till red in the face because the toy they want to play with dropped or someone else has it.)

She may be eating shoes now... but it wont be long and she'll be buying them!

Yep, it wont be long and our baby will be moving out and living her own life. I know what I am talking about... it really was not that long ago the The Man Child was this age... he is 17 now. Enjoy your kids while they are young, because even your hardest day with a young child is nothing compared to the worries you start to get with each passing year. Oh dear... I sound old don't I? ;)

The Dining Area S.O.S

 The long benches are against the walls and can fit twelve kids on them both with a bit of elbow room as well! Notice how I never got around to finishing the gold 'things' I did to the 'holes' on the living area side of the walls ...  )

What our dining area looks like now... well before the kids ate dinner... the table cloth is not so cream now (the washing pile really never ends!)

A closer look at the 'holes'. Not everyone's cup of tea, I know so it is lucky they don't live here! (and the glass brick is sitting there until My Beloved can figure out where he is using them... he bought a few and is on the look out for a home for them. HOPEFULLY NOT THERE!!) 

I have to put a new table top on. I plan on making it myself, I have not even bothered to do more than look at clip lock flooring samples, as I am CONVINCED that they will work and look awesome as a top and the small nails I will use to keep it all in place will add the the look I am going for. I have the wood type in mind too, Tundra from Ikea is only $29.58 a pack I will need 3 packs, I imagine. I may even forget the 'painting bench seats' idea (I was thinking a bright colour or two) and just stain them mahogany and put the clip lock flooring on the tops...


My Beloved hates this table and will not lift a finger to help me in my new table top 'quest'. We have another table that he loves and at the moment it does look better than this one BUT it is square and does not leave too much room for the girls to walk to their rooms if people are sitting at the table. I am all about ease of movement and practicality whilst My Beloved is about the other dining table looks nicer. 

 Now he is not being a 'meanie' in his refusal to help. He is just delusional 'tis all', he thinks I will change my mind about which table I like. This comes from the 'There is always hope' school of thought. He also hates the wood colour I have in mind. (don't feel bad, even I wonder how we have managed to STAY married, with the amount of disagreeing that goes on around here - we must just LOOOOOOOVE each other ey? ;p) 

The mission this week is to actually decide what colour I am going the paint these walls (if at all) the brown and gold actually look much nicer and richer in reality so I don't want to paint them, unless I find a colour that really looks 'perfect'. Then I can figure out table tops and what I am going to do to the bench seats... oooooh first world problems ey?


In unrelated, but incredibly exciting news ( to me at least) the first parcel of the 27 I was/am expecting arrived to day! YAY!!! :) 
Wanna see it?

Don't ask what I have planned with this gorgeous item... I have not decided yet. But I am pretty sure Miss Independents wardrobe is in for a 'revamp'.

The Island Bench

 The kitchen bench is almost completed. I say that because the bench top is not what I wanted and not what My Beloved wanted. So it is still a work in progress BUT it is now at the right height and we are just happy about that. I also say that because we used an old bench top as a 'that'll do' until we agree decide. He wants tiles, I want wood.

Our gas stove is opposite the sink with the Fridge placed in the 'perfect design triangle' that anyone who has ever planned a kitchen knows, makes it easy to go from fridge to sink to stove or any other variation with the least amount of steps. Just in case you NEED to know what type of triangle, it is an isosceles triangle. (OK so I just wanted to use isosceles in a sentence)

My mother was visiting the day we 'marked out' where the island bench would go. Naturally she had to share her opinion ( and I don't say that with any eye rolls or anything) the problem was her opinion was the same as My Beloveds and I was really tired and did not have the energy to argue with BOTH of them about why where they thought the bench should go was too damn close to the sink. As a result they misinterpreted that as a 'go ahead'.

My mothers argument was/is a valid one... IF only one person was in the kitchen working on the meals of the day, as it is in her house. But in OUR house there is never just ONE person working in the kitchen. In the mornings there is sometimes SIX people in the kitchen, we get our kids to make their own lunches ( the bigger ones help the younger ones or My Beloved or myself do) and weekends are just plain chaos, so there is a LOT of traffic backwards and forwards.

We used to have a L shaped kitchen with HUGE bench space about 5 metres along one wall (minus the sink space of course) and another four metres with nothing but space. Now however we have a more galley kitchen with only four metres (minus the sink) and 2 in the Island bench. With only a metre and a half between the two... NOT a lot of space for two people to move around, let alone SIX. 

But, in an effort to not seem as though I am complaining, as our kitchen, dining and lounge rooms are all open plan it does not look small... so that's something I guess. ;) It looks much better than it did and the island really adds that homey feel that you can only get from kids sitting doing homework or as was the case tonight a puzzle and arguing whilst dinner is cooking. I can honestly say that is the best way to cook dinner, well that is unless someone else does it for you...

Now to pick the colour we are staining the stools with, as you may have picked up on already it is RARE indeed for My Beloved and I to actually agree on what we want to do to/ with anything. I was going to go for a bright coloured enamel paint that would really stand out against the terracotta tiles the orange and chocolate brown walls, he wanted Maple wood stain instead... Boooooooooooooooooring! ;)

 I sanded three stools (hand sanded I might add * pats self on back*) and I stained one rosewood. My Beloved hated it and surprisingly so did I, so guess what I am doing tomorrow or the next day? Yep, picking out a bright coloured enamel paint.  I am thinking Orange... oh and looking at wood for the top. 

Mwahahahahaha ;)

The Mystery...

The first week of No Facebook has been 'easy peasy', or so I thought. It struck me last night that I had been spending an awful lot of time on eBay (not that there's anything wrong with that). But it DOES kinda defeat the whole purpose of the No Facebook idea... why? Because I seem to be spending a little less time on the computer but it is costing me money!

One look at my Purchase History tells me that! Granted it is only 90 dollars and when you consider there are 27 packages currently on route to my door ( eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek how exciting!) it is not a huge amount spent. But it IS 90 dollars I would not have spent at all. I must now add eBay to my list. :(

My Beloved was very concerned when I told him about my No Facebook 'challenge'.

'I don't mind that you are on Facebook.' he said helpfully.

'Well THAT is lucky isn't it?' I said 'Because even if you did I would still be on Facebook if I wanted too.'
                   

                                     *********************

'Something has happened.' he announced last night whilst he chopped veges for dinner.

'What?' I said expecting to hear something disastrous.

'With you. I don't get why your not on Facebook, you have been picked on. Haven't you. Or hit on.'

'No' I laughed. ' I just think I spend too much time on it, though having said that I am now looking at eBay an awful lot.' (until My Beloved reads this or someone who has read this blabs, he thinks I have bought 2 items one of which he wanted and another which he will most definitely like! The other 25 items are on a need to know basis... so shhhhhhhhhhhh!)


'I don't believe you, something is going on. I was asked by three people in the taxi on the weekend where you were. One person even thought you'd blocked them and didn't want to ring you to see how you are because of it.'

'Well that is not my problem!' I said (peer group pressure anyone?)

'Maybe I am going through a mid-life crisis! I countered... I do have grey hairs now, so it could be that!' I joked. I shouldn't have.

'Oh great! It better not be.' My Beloved said 'That's ALL I need.'

'Maybe you should buy a convertible for me.' 

                           

We finished dinner and sent the kids to bed early. My Beloved kindly suggested that I go on to Facebook. I declined.

'Yep' he said. 'Something's happened.'

That time I just rolled my eyes and logged into my eBay account. Scrolled down to bids/offers and was rather relieved to find I had been out bid on the vintage silver trinket box... I didn't really like it after all. ;)

No Facebook For Thirty Days

Except to post the Blog posts on my Facebook page, of course! (From My Beloveds account- just in case I am tempted.)

There was a time when I was so anti Facebook it was actually irritating to my friends and family. But the last few years I have been enjoying Facebook so much, it has been irritating my family and friends.You know those Facebook posts/pics and jokes about THOSE people that update any random thing happening at any particular time? Yep? Well I am one of those people.

Without going into a long drawn out saga, lets just say that it gave me something to do on the days and nights My Beloved was driving Taxis or at Fraser Island doing his tours. But it did become a little addictive. No. Addictive is not the right word, habitual is. So I thought if it only takes 21 days to break a habit. I'll do it. I decided on the spare of the moment that I would deactivate my account.

 'I am no longer on Facebook.' I told my bigger kids tonight.

'Yeah, I couldn't find you. I thought you defriended me.' Biggest Miss said.

'What, so you have not been on Facebook or you deactivated your account?' The Man Child asked me.

'I deactivated it.'

'So you are no longer checking in on Facebook or posting on it or having anything to do with it?'

'YES!' I said, starting to wonder if perhaps my eldest child had been dropped on his head at some time in his childhood.

'Well,' he said turning to Biggest Miss, 'It is official. Facebook is cool again.'

With that nothing more was said and he turned his attention back to the TV. Biggest Miss smiled supportively but even she did not care she turned her attention back to the laptop and Facebook.

After a while she said to me. 'Mum?'

'Yes darl.' 

'You're not going to be like a reformed smoker are you? You know, and go on about how stupid Facebook is?'

'No, I wont. I promise!'


Already it is day 2 or 3 and I can honestly say I have not thought of Facebook even once, except the time that I took an awesome pic of Littlest Miss 'standing' up after pulling herself up on her 'rocking car'. But other than that. Not even once. If only quitting all habits was this easy. Yes I know... early days yet ;p.