The good the bad and the whatevers

Goodbye to 2 dear friends

2012-01-15T23:15:00.005+10:30

Sadly it`s been a week of loses for me....

A family friend lost her beautiful 4 year old boy to cancer and tonight I learnt that a dear blogging friend also lost her battle to cancer....Some of you will know her....Chez , her blog "Indigo Dreaming"......

Now there is no more pain and suffering, you are both free....

Thankyou for being a part of my life...You will never be forgotten as you both have a special place in my heart.....

RIP Rodney and Chez..xxx

2012-01-01T09:50:00.002+10:30

Wow another year has passed..It seems that the years are going faster each time around, i`m sure of it...

I am really hoping that the Year 2012 is going to be better than last year especially for my youngest whom is struggling with the teen years...14 going on 40 and it`s a battle of the wills at the moment...Thankfully mum still has a few tricks up her sleeve..lol...

It`s a new beginning for myself this year ...I am finally making time for me by joining up with the local gym...Firstly it`s going to be good for my fitness as i currently have zilch in the fitness category and secondly it is giving me an outlet...Let`s face facts, a girl can only do so much shopping in a week....

I started my fitness regime last week and OH MY GOD what have I done...The pain, i could hardly walk but with sheer determination I went back ..4 days of sweat and sore muscles already it`s paying off...

Who knows i might end up running a marathon...

(IN MY DREAMS)...hahaha...

Happy NEw Year evryone

The Elephant in Adelaide not a place to let your daughters socialise

2011-01-10T07:31:00.003+10:30

You think that your 18 year old daughter is going to be ok whilst out on the town...

You do the parent thing going through the do`s, don`ts and the just in cases with her because you never know what could be waiting around the corner...

But what happened this Saturday night makes my blood boil...

Night Clubs really need to start treating our kids as kids not as cattle....

My daughter was sitting with her group of friends minding her own business when a security guard grabbed her by the arm and started heading her towards the door....

She asked him what he was doing and the response to follow is ridiculous....

He needed to clear out some people so that they could get more in as the queue outside was building....

Who cares!!!!!!!!

Not you obviously....

What right do you have to throw an 18 year old girl out on the street ALONE......

These night clubs make rules up as they go along...Got to get the numbers up don`t we and not worry about the consequences in doing so...The patrons, well they`re just a number aren`t they.... Well you STINK "THE ELEPHANT" in Adelaide....

Thankfully a young lad came to my daughters rescue as she was beside herself crying and scared not knowing what to do. He walked with her to find some other friends which she was able to contact by phone....

Makes me want to go down to this club and slap the security guy fair and square in the face....All I can say is thank god someone was watching over my daughter that night and nothing serious happened to her.....

And as for you first time parents with young daughters going out to night clubs here in Adelaide, keep in mind "The Elephant" as a no go zone as they aren`t kid friendly....

My daughter will NOT be going back so you`ll have one less to worry about in your queue!!!!!!

Not what I would call a good start to the New Year

2011-01-03T09:34:00.002+10:30

Luck certainly isn`t running my way at present....Just before Xmas we were having car trouble....RAdiator wasn`t preforming properly so we do the right thing and seek the professional....A new radiator was needed or so we were told....$430 later thanks for coming....Not a week later and still we had trouble..Losing coolant but not seeing any leaks....So back we go to get it sorted out...New problem and another $70.... After a week or two I found I was having to top the radiator up again...Surely NO but alas YES, looks like we are back at square one again...Losing coolant but no leaks that we can see....So hubby will be getting on to the so called specialist when they open to let him know how UNHAPPY we are....I think this guy believes we have a money tree growing out in the backyard....Either that or we have Suckers written clearly in bold letters on our forheads.... That`s the fisrt of our break downs..... The other is our washing machine....We found a great secondhand one, right size for the family and well within our budget as we had to take into consideration the price of hiring a trailer...All was going along nicely for 2 weeks then Christmas eve it stopped dead on me....Wash cycle is all good but no rinse or drain which means only one thing , the water pump....So now I need to make a decision, do I save for a new washing machine or do I pay for someone to come out and fix this one....Either way I`ll be having to save the pennies.... One positive is that it still washes and that it`s summer so drip drying won`t be a problem.... And here we are a few days into the New YEar and things aren`t going the way I would like them to be...Hope this isn`t a sign of things to come or it could be a very long year...:)

the end of another year

2010-12-30T17:20:00.002+10:30

I know it`s been forever since i`ve ventured over ..I have shocked myself also..:)

Can you believe that we are at the end of another year already...I`m sure, no i`m positive the years are flying by faster or is it because i`m getting older???

This year we had a lovely 3 days of celebrating Christmas with family...That`s the trouble with having such a big family, trying to get everyone together at the same time so hence 3 days of cleaning preparation, cleaning and so on and so on....It all started Christmas eve and finished the day after Christmas....

Honestly speaking I was absolutely exhausted...After the final family get together I put myself to bed (early) and slept solidly for 12 hours and I NEVER do that....

Boy oh boy did I get spoilt this year by everyone, secretly it felt good...

Now we`re on the final stretch, one more family get together to see in the New Year...Something else which hubby and I for alot of years have never really worried about...Usually it`s stay at home , have a few drinks and nibblies wait till 12 then put ourselves to bed...Exciting stuff huh??..lol....

But not this year my friends....Pool party coming up at my sisters place and mind you we will be needing the pool...Just a mild 43 degrees here in Adelaide...Hottest New Years Eve in a century...

What a way to see in the New Year...

Well I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and safe new year...

Wonder what 2011 will bring????

What life can dish us

2010-09-24T22:39:00.002+09:30

It`s been a bit of a see saw week for emotions.

I ran into my half sister last week whom I haven`t seen for a couple of months now and she looked rather flustered,,,,

After the usual chit chat she hit me with her news....

She had stated that of late she has become very forgetful, and I said jokingly welcome to my world.....

My excuse is age what`s yours I said with a wry smile, as you see there is 20 years difference in our age....I`ve always seen myself more of a mother figure to her rather than a big sis....

After she had explained her symptons to her doctor she was referred to a specialist at the local hospital which is when I ran into her...

She has been diagnosed with a brain tumor...

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather....

It was like listening to the ailments of what my hubby has all over again as you see she has epilepsy also....Mind you only recently as 8 months ago she had her 3rd child and the delivery had complications where my sis had lost oxygen to the brain so hence the epilepsy....

So now she has had her CT scan and naturally the doctor has given her the worst case scenerio...

The tumor is sitting right on the brain stem which is pretty much in- opperable and with that they told her they give her 12 months.....

They have given her the option of trying radiotherapy to start with .....

Then the optimest steps in, me....

I explained to her that they said exactly the same thing to hubby, they gave him 8 months nearly 10 years ago and praise the lord he is still here with me to this day....

There is always hope and I said to her that you have alot to live for especially because of the fact you have 3 small girls who rely on you.....

She left with a postive outlook after we spoke and I hope that she feels the same way come the future....

What a storm

2010-09-06T11:39:00.002+09:30

Wow, what a weekend we had with such extreme weather conditions....

It`s been many years since I have witnessed this...

It brought back childhood memories when walking home from school getting drenched and frozen to the bone....As soon as you walked into the door it was off with the clothes and into a nice hot bath to thaw out....

My youngest has never seen so much rain which we had in the last couple of days and he definitely couldn`t fathom the fact that I had to walk home from school.....My how much has changed...

I wonder is it safe to say we actually might be on the other side of the drought???...:)

Needless to say not much happened this weekend as one wasn`t game to venture too far from home....

But as always as quick as the storm front hit it is now quite a pleasant day so it`s outside to see what damage has taken place....

Lot`s of broken staues much to my dismay...

Oh well looks like an excuse to me to go out and buy myself some new ones....

I`m on a roll

2010-08-28T21:49:00.002+09:30

My 18 year old daughter has had her L plates for nearly on a year now so she thought that she should start to get serious about learning to drive.."worst luck for me"

After much deliberation we came to a agreement to save my sanity that she go through a reputable driving school and let their drivers teach her the correct procedures, plus i`ll save money on hair dyes...:)

So far so good...5 lessons down and she is gaining confidence..

Now she wants me to start taking her out again, there goes my confidence.....

I have no doubt that she is a very good driver BUT!!!!!!...

On a different note I have been on a diet for well over 3 months now and surprisingly I am doing well...

Life in general was getting me down before we made the move to the new house and honestly I had let myself go....

I had to do something before all was lost....3 months on , two dress sizes smaller and nearly 20 kilos lighter i`m feeling pretty damn good...

Now I have more energy and a very positive attitude on life, I am starting to see more positives and when i`m happy we have a happy family....

All I need now is for the weather to warm up...

It`s been a bitterly cold and wet winter this year....

Plenty of rain for the little bit of garden I have managed to get going in between rain and hail...

Thankfully the next few days will be pleasant which means one thing for me, outside pulling weeds and visiting my favourite store Bunnings...

I really should have shares with that store...:)

A chance to blog (shock)..:)

2010-08-08T09:40:00.004+09:30

I`ve found my way back here again..Time sure does pass you by!!!!

So much has been going on with my life of late there never seems to be enough hours in a day....

Now for a quick update since my last post....

The move went very smoothly....Very little in the breakage department and I had the house how I wanted it within a week...Inside that is, outside well that is still a work in progress....The weather hasn`t been very helpful in that department as it`s been bitterly cold and wet....But overall it is slowly coming together...

And ofcourse a new house meant new furniture..NATURALLY!!!!!

You know me, any excuse to hit the shops and I had a ball....:)

............................................................................................................................................

On to other news now....

I BECAME A GRANDPARENT IN THE MIDDLE OF jULY :)

A beautiful baby girl Isobella Grace....As much as it saddened me that my son had started a family so young he has made me proud as he is such a devoted father to my little grand baby....He is a changed young man and so grown up now in his attitude to family and what it means.....

They are very blessed to have such a beautiful baby who at this stage is so placid....She is a very good baby and yes i`ve put my hand up for baby sitting duties...lol

..............................................................................................................

And last but by no means least my great grandmother celebrated her 102nd birthday just last week....

Age is finally (and I say this with tongue in cheek) caught up with her....

A few months ago it was best decided that she now live in a nursing home as she was finding things a little difficult to manage on her own.....

She is so amazing though....At 100 years of age she was still getting out and about and loved to work in her garden....

I love her so much and she is an inspiration in my life....

I`m out of here

2010-02-17T15:56:00.005+10:30

Over the past 12 months I have watched the area we have been living in slowly disappear...

We live in a Government housing area and here in SA alot has been happening with these old houses...It`s out with the old and replacing them with brand new houses....

What was 2 homes on a block is now four..

Much smaller yards which i`m liking and more living space on the inside which I like more....

Well our turn has come..We received a phone call early last week saying that they have a new home for us...Woo hoo....

Am I happy or what....Hubby and I went and inspected the new property and we liked what we saw....Only disappointing thing is that our swimming pool won`t fit into the new backyard so looks like we`ll be selling that and "maybe" come next summer invest in a smaller one as we do love to swim ...I`m not a huge fan of the sea, too many kreepy things in that water..lol

The kids are so excited about the move whereas a different story with mum and dad... STRESS CITY here we come...:)

Moving date is in 3 weeks time, just waiting for the removalists to drop off the packing cartons and then I can begin with the inside...

That part i`m not at all excited about, so many things to pack, where do I start....

I`ve forgotten what it`s like to move as it`s been so long....Not to mention the amount of stuff one accumulates over the years.

So i`ll probably see you all on the other side of the move everyone....

What a month

2010-01-31T13:02:00.002+10:30

Yes it`s me, i`m back....

Sorry for the absence but as you can well imagine my life has been all over the place since my last blog....

Where the heck do I start....

Firstly the most important news is hubby and I have sorted out our differences...We are destined to be in each others lives..For better, for worse so they say.....:)

ummm what else???

Well school holidays are over with and Daniel actually went to school with no hic-cups...He loves his new teacher, even made a new friend and is eager for the weekend to be over so he can go back...

It all looks positive , so far, touch wood....

Krystal did ok in her HSC results but still had to complete one more subject to get into uni so after much deliberation with her we came to the conclusion that she do Year 13 and improve on some of the subjects that she already did last year....

This means she is doing another 4 subjects this year and yes another year of torture for her and me which unfortunately comes with the territory of high school life.....

At least she will be better prepared as she now knows what lies ahead for her....

As for the teenage son Joshua well looks like he won`t be going back to school...

I`m sure you all recall a while back that his g/f was pregnant....Well that was another false alarm but just before Christmas it happened again and this time much to my dismay it`s the real deal...Third time lucky for some....So 16 years of age and he will become a father in mid July....

He has a summer job at the moment but desperately looking for a fulltime one so that they can move out from home..

I don`t see him or hear much from him these days but i`m ok with it...

I`m just letting him go and he can work life journeys out for himself....

I do hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and that the New Year has started out on a positive note like mine has....♥♥♥

It`s looking a lot like Christmas

2009-12-03T12:58:00.002+10:30

It`s come around way too quick for me this year and I am in no way ready for it...

I have no enthusiasm what so ever...

Thankfully I did my Christmas shopping throughout the year otherwise things would be grim for the kids...

I`ve had some pretty stressful days, actually, honestly since hubby has left stress arrived...

Rotten mongrel of a thing...(stress that is)

I`ve had more than my fair share of dealing with our government departments and I hope i`ve seen the last of them...

I feel like i`ve been thrown to the wolves and mentally i`m not coping...

One good thing to come from all of this is I have shed the excess weight I had gained...

Having no appetite tends to do that to you..

In less than two weeks I have lost a whole dress size....

The bad thing is now I need a new wardrobe of clothes...lol

On the job hunting side I have put my name down at just about every shop in our local area..

I`m praying that I hear something from someone soon...

I just need someone to give me a go but not having worked in 12 years doesn`t look good on a resume....

As for hubby well we are talking at least...

We`ve decided it best that we live seperately for a while but still be together..

Make sense????....lol

Formal night

2009-11-28T01:28:00.002+10:30

Today was utter chaos LITERALLY....

If you have a teenage daughter you`ll know exactly where i`m coming from...

You see it was formal night..

The events of all events..

And everything had to be perfect from the hair down to the shoes...

OMG i`m so glad i`ll have to only go through this ONCE.....

But all jokes aside I am so terribly proud of my daughter and what she has achieved...

And I was extremely happy that my son has finally come around also....

Below is the finished result of my daughter Krystal after 5 hours of getting ready...

Yes 5 hours folks...

And she had a cheek to tell me it was my fault for making her be a girl....lol

As for the son well men can relate to this..

10 minutes....

Yep the male gender certainly have it easy in more ways than one...

A reality check

2009-11-24T12:07:00.002+10:30

Isn`t it interesting life in general?...

You make plans for your future only for them to fall apart before your very eyes...

Twice now this has happened to me and i`m pretty sure I won`t be going back for thirds...

One could say that my life has been completely turned around as now I find myself as a single mum once again...

Yes my husband whom I have cared for over the past 14 years didn`t like the conversation we had over the weekend about how I would like him to do more for me and our children...

This was part of a long overdue conversation that needed to be had...

It was easier for him to walk out on us apparently rather than try to work something out...

So now I find myself feeling rather lost, confused and overwhelmed with the situation that has suddenly been thrusted upon me.....

I`ve had to be strong and have my witts about myself these past 48 hours...

Not much in the sleep department and plenty of phone calls to the relevant government departments have certainly kept me busy....

I am starting to feel anxious as reality is sinking in that I am about to be thrusted in to the big wide world again seeking a job....

In actual fact when you have been surrounded by the same 4 walls for the past 14 years doing what you know best and to have it pulled from under your feet it`s pretty damn scary...

For me anyway....

BUT i`m sure with time and the right sort of people around me I as a person will, yes I will be a better person for the experience...

For now I am making sure that my kids don`t suffer in any way, shape or form....

As a mother I will always be there for them and I know that they will always be there for me too.....

My GENUINE reasons

2009-11-17T16:16:00.002+10:30

Good grief "I have been slack" where blogging is concerned....

I have genuine reasons though..

:Do you believe me"?

No I wouldn`t either...lol

Life has been rather topsy turvey though...

Krystal with her HSC and troubles with the boy at school...

Then health issues with the hubby...

Oh did I mention sibling issues as well.....

Ah yes just another day in "Days of our Life"...lol

That`s what you get for being head honcho of the family...You wear everyone elses problems and basically there is no time for yourself...

The things you love to do such as

BLOGGING....

So people i`m on a tight schedule...

Tonight`s entertainment will be Krystals Valourdictory or in easy to understand language "her graduation"...

And won`t it be fun spending time with the ex outlaws....

Things haven`t been exactly rosey there since the exit of my teenage son..

Who mind you still hasn`t spoken to me since June, his departure date....

So i`m about to put on a brave face, grit my teeth and be on my best behaviour for my daughters sake....

Even though all I want to do is maybe throw something at them like tomatoes...

Wish me luck...

I`ll be needing it plus more...lol

Who needs duck hunting when they come to you

2009-10-17T15:56:00.002+10:30

With daylight saving it gives me the opportunity to do some extra chores outside so last night I thought I would go potter around in the garden...

I walked out into the backyard and was very surprised at what I saw swimming around in the pool......

I couldn`t quite believe my eyes so I quickly but quietly ran back inside to get the trusty camera and take a few snaps.....

Daniel my youngest thought it might be a good idea to feed him whilst he was here swimming around in the pool as if he had taken ownership....

Cheeky if you ask me...lol

Hubby reckons not to be surprised if the whole family turns up soon...

Now won`t that be fun....

Personally I was thinking Christmas dinner....

sebaceous nevas operation

2009-10-13T11:53:00.003+10:30

I have had an incredible amount of feedback with people having or knowing someone who have a sebaceous nevas....

A while ago I told you of my son booked in to hospital to have it removed as it was giving him lots of grief especially now that he is going through the teeange years....

The operation went well with only one slight hic cup and that was trying to get the anesethtic to work.....

55 staples later and a bit of a sore head he is minus that annoying growth on his head....

Now he has self esteem back and not worrying about trying to cover it up....

I`m glad for his sake that we did go ahead with the operation and that there were no hidden complications.....

He has since had the staples removed and had a final check over and has been given the all clear...

No more follow ups and it`s goodbye sebaceous nevas....

Swine flu still kicking around

2009-10-11T22:10:00.002+10:30

Of late home life has been wearing me down...

Probably due to the fact that hubby now being on this new medication has been terribly moody...He`s not sleeping well which rubs off on to me as he is keeping me awake also....

Then there was school holidays....Overall the kids weren`t too bad..

Krystal was hardly home ,staying at friends but when she was home I was at her beck and call...You know "mum`s taxi service".....

Daniel well he was easily entertained with the Wii....Actually he was hooked

Up all hours of the morning playing the games....Maybe that had something to do with me not sleeping??..lol...

And boy did I suffer also from playing...Muscles ached for days but i`m a champion at the bowling...I scored a gold medal....Whose the champ???...lol

Now we have another dilemma..

Looks like Krystal has swine flu....

A friend of hers was at a party sharing drinks , then decides to tell everyone after the fact that she has swine flu....

I took her down to the hospital this morning as she looked dreadful only to be told they don`t test for it anymore...All we can do is lock her in her room for a week....

Honestly though some people have no brains....They don`t seem to get the fact that this flu can kill people especially high risk people such as my hubby and youngest son...

So they are being shipped off to stay at hubby`s brothers place for at least a week while I ride it out with Krystal....

And this means no starting back at school tomorrow...

That`s my luck....lol...

On a much happier note I have finally made contact with some former work colleagues on Facebook...It`s been 12 years since having any contact with them..We have so much catching up to do...Alot has happened in 12 years.....

For the crackpots in my life

2009-10-05T11:15:00.002+10:30

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends ofa pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect andalways delivered a full portion of water.At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the crackedpot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing homeonly one and a half pots of water..

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, andmiserable that it could only do ha lf of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke tothe woman one day by the stream.'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water toleak out all the way back to your house.

'The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on yourside of the path, but not on the other pot's side?''That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I plantedflower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walkback, you water them.

'For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers todecorate the table.Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beautyto grace the house.'Each of us has our own unique flaw.

But it's the cracks and flaws weeach have that make our lives together so very interesting andrewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for thegood in them.SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember tosmell the flowers on your side of the path!

A family reunites after 42 years

2009-10-03T18:04:00.002+09:30

After 42 years and a lot of ground work by my youngest sister , my mother , her partner and my sister were on a plane to Queensland to finally reunite with a long lost relative...My mothers father, our grandfather....

Unfortunately dimentia has taken it`s toll and my grandfather had very little memory of my mother and as for my sister he had never met her...Infact he never knew she existed ....

The reunion went well though and the nursng staff were delighted to know after 6 years of being in their care that our grandfather had family out there....

This photo and the one below is of the grounds of the nursing facility where our grandfather has been residing....

My sister, mother and grandfather.....Apparently he didn`t have very much in possessions, especially the basics like PJ`s clothes ect...So mum went out and restocked his supplies which he was very greatful for....

They also took him out for lunch at the local RSL...He was a little out of his comfort zone as he didn`t get out often but has a good time all the same.... My sister and grandfather.....

My sister is planning on a return trip back to Queensland at the end of the year to visit him again....

I have a new man

2009-09-22T10:22:00.002+09:30

All went well with hubby....

1 week in hospital and he came out a new man...

No more staying in bed for days on end ( so far) that is....

It`s all looking positive and the new medication seems to be working in his pain department....

And boy did he put some weight on within that week....

What I have lost he has easily gained which naturally has caused some jealously...lol...

So now he is on a diet...

No more of the good stuff for him which will be interesting to say the least because of his sweet tooth addiction....hahaha

As for home life with the kids Krystal is a single woman these days...

The boyfriend did the dirty on her..I was somewhat worried there for a while as she wasn`t eating but now she has picked herself up mentally and all is well...

I picked up her dress for her up and coming formal...My gosh i`m not biased much but she is going to look like a little princess.....

As for Daniel well that`s a different ball game altogether...

For 2 days now he has flatly refused to attend school...His behaviour is totally irratic and i`m at a loss on which way to turn...

I had to ring the school today and tell them what has been going on and they are going to try and get me some help....

I`m waiting to hear back from them....

Meanwhile I have placed him in his room and having to listen to the abuse that he kindly hurls in my direction....

Hubby is recommending that I take time out for myself now...

He seems to think he will be able to cope for a week from my absence and i`m seriously thinking about taking him up on the offer before I burn out completely....

We`ll see what happens....

Oxycontin Life rulers

2009-09-14T12:10:00.002+09:30

Ahhhh stress don`t you just love it....

Life is on the go non stop lately..

If it`s not the kids with school or extra activities it`s hubby with health issues...

I tell you people I feel like a bloody taxi service, head cook and that little fairy that miraculously comes in to clean the inside and outside of the house...lol

I often ask myself the question "Would I have it any other way"???

Hmmmm let`s see..

Some things I would definitely like to change but seems certain elements in my life are out of my control....

One thing that is changing is the medication my husband is taking...

For way too many years now he has been on those dreaded tablets Oxy Contin..

Life rulers I call them...You are so limited as to where you can go and what you can do...

So today is the beginning of a new start...

He is in hospital to have his medication changed...

Naturally he is feeling apprehensive about it all as these tablets are highly addictive so in a way he is loosing his security blanket but is prepared and willing to change....

For the past 10 years or so our life as a family has been put on hold because of these rotten tablets and what makes it worse is that they no longer work for him...

So his doctor and of course hubby have come up with a plan to get rid of this life holding problem starting today...

How did he get to this point you may ask???..

Well a certain doctor had no hope for hubby`s future...He had written him off giving him, tops 8 months to live...

This was when they found the brain tumor, so to make him feel more comfortable he prescribed heavy drugs....

Oh and then there was the small matter of forgetting to tell us that they are highly addictive....

So here we are today 10 years on and going strong in the living department and my husband has to resort to this to try and gain his life back....

He will win as he is strong and he is doing this , one for himself and secondly for his family....

Kids having kids

2009-08-23T20:31:00.003+09:30

I honestly thought I had put my 15 year old on the right path in thinking about his future and how far he could go in life....

WRONG...

What the hell is wrong with kids of today???

He has buggered up what chances he had by going out and getting his girlfriend pregnant...

Yes, it`s the real deal this time..

Both of them 15 years old and bringing a poor innocent little baby into the world...Neither of them have a source of income, no accomodation, nothing.....

And they are going ahead with the pregnancy..

Mind you I wasn`t told directly by either of them...

I actually found out through friends of his as he hasn`t bothered to contact me STILL....

Rang his father of the news and that was a total waste of time...

Idon`t knowwhy I bother...

The response I got was "he is getting his family out of the way early"....

Any wonder I divorced the idiot...

I have accepted the fact that this has happened mind you I am none too happy about it...

Deep down I knew that this would eventuate....

I am just worried for this new little life that is coming into the world especially as my son has an anger problem.....

He has to get himself right before taking on a huge responsibilty such as this....

Just something else for me to worry about...

Day`s or should that be weeks of our lives...

2009-08-20T06:33:00.002+09:30

My life is getting busier and busier these days, not finding much time for the little things in life which I like to do such as blogging.... So much has been going on so where to start... Firstly Daniel had an enjoyable birthday...We went out as a family to tea and he thoroughly enjoyed that....Matt`s eldest daughter took him out for the afternoon, just the two of them....Movies and lunch so yes he had the royal treatment.... School life I thought was on the improve for him...He seemed to have settled down, getting work done and the teacher was writing positive feedback in his diary but then we had a set back....Someone at school riled him up and he retaliated by throwing something at them...5 days suspension from school...Next week I am meeting with the school psyhcologist so hopefully she will be able to help him.... Krystal is now feeling the pressure of year 12.....Everything is due , assignments ect....She was up until 2.30am trying to get assignments finished....Let`s just say she didn`t look her best the next morning...lol I`m sure she will do well though... Matt finally had his operation this week...Poor love he was so nervous, always is when it comes to ops.....They found 3 growths in the bowel and removed them..Good news was they weren`t cancerous YET....Apparently if they had of been left much longer then it could of turned....He is feeling rather sore at the moment but he like myself are relieved.....I try to be the positive one for both of us , so when I heard the good news it was like a tonne of weight had been lifted off my shoulders.....Some good fortune finally...He has also been trying new anti convulsant medication for his epilepsy....So far it`s been all good...No seizures in the past two weeks....Maybe these new tablets are doing the job.... And now we come to my run away son....It`s been 10 weeks since he has been out of home....In those 10 weeks I have seen him on numerous occassions , shopping or school...It looks like he wants nothing to do with me...He`ll speak with Daniel and Krystal but when it comes to me he`ll run the other way when he sees me...One time I went to speak to him he turned and ran...I must have been on really bad mother to him if he feels the need to do this...Naturally I was very upset but more upset because he has been telling lies to his grandparents that I have been the one ignoring him.....Krystal god love her has gone in defending me to her nana but the nana can`t see past the things Joshua has been telling her...Krystal got very angry and upset so now she doesn`t visit her grandparents very often....I wrote him a letter the other day as this seems the only way of communicating with him...He won`t answer calls .....I`m now waiting to see if I get a response back....Then to top everything off I found out last night that he is ENGAGED to his girlfriend (yes the one who gave him and us so much grief)....Oh and let`s not forget the fact that he is still only 15 years old..... Sorry long post I know...These are just a few of the things that`s been going on in my life...Hopefully I`ll find the time to be a little more regular...I`m actually writing this post at 7am where it`s lovely and quiet.....

I`ve aged 10 years withing an hour

2009-08-05T21:24:00.003+09:30

I`m really not sure as to whether my nerves can with stand these driving lessons for much longer.....

I decided my daughter needed to master the art of steering and turning corners before we ventured out onto the roads so it was a carpark for now.....

Her confidence has increased with the handling of the car so I asked her to park the car.....

We pulled into the park no probs until it came to stop....

She forgot to brake

Only one of the most important parts of driving...lol

We ended up going cross country....

Over the curb , into the dirt and just happened to miss a tree.....

OMG my life flashed before me.....

Driving lesson number two was definitely over with for that day....hahaha

My poor car won`t be able to take much more of this kind of cruelty....

Never mind my nerves....

The grey hair is suddenly turning white...lol

Was down and out for a while

2009-08-02T10:26:00.002+09:30

It turns out what I thought was a cold actually was the flu...

Boy oh boy was I sick hence the no blogging...

I wouldn`t wish this on my worst enemy..

I think it`s been at least 10 years since my last bout of the flu...

Kids are just wonderful in sharing...lol'

I`m only just starting to feel normal again, even managing to do a wee bit of housework and didn`t it need doing...

Sadly this week we had another passing of a family member....The past two years we have lost 7 wonderful people....

Lately it feels like our social life is beginning to revolve around funerals....

But as I said to hubby we are getting in that age bracket now where we will lose some close people in our lives....

Getting older sucks sometimes....

We had a birthday party amongst the sickness and sadness which broke the monotony of it all....

It was held at a bowling ally....

The kids, Krystal and Daniel had a ball as it was their first experience at bowling...

Frankly Krystal sucked at it but Daniel was quite impressive even managing to get a strike....

He is hooked now and wants to go again....

His birthday is this Friday so I might take him for a treat....

Finding lost family

2009-07-16T23:21:00.003+09:30

Some week it`s been..

I really don`t know where it`s gone...

Already Friday tomorrow and not one lousy day have I been able to sleep in...

I must be getting old..

Don`t they say the older you get the less sleep you need???..

I`m starting to fit that bill I believe..lol

Recently my youngest sister has been doing a family tree with some remarkable results...

She has gone back as far as the 16th century on my mothers side of the family....

She also found pictures of our late great great great grandfather and grandmother....

The clothes back then were certainly alot to be desired...

Glad I wasn`t born back then..

Not sure whether I would have fitted in...lol....

Having done all this my sister thought that she would try and find our grandfather and after many months she has finally found his whereabouts...

Apparently after he left my grandmother he chose to also lose contact with the entire family...

Why , i`m not sure...

Another one of those skeletons in the cupboard that isn`t to be let out....

I have one photo of him back when I was four years old where he was nursing me...

My only reminder of my grandfather...

Sadly I do not remember him....

As for my youngest brother and sister he has never met them...

He is now residing in Queensland in a nursing home....

My sister has made up a family album of all us kids and now our kids and in a months time she and my mother are going to fly over there to visit him....

All this time we thought that he may have passed on so you can imagine the surprise when we were all told he is still alive....

The nursing home staff have been wonderful as my sister has been corresponding through them and they were kind enough to send a photo of what he looks like today..

Our day out on the town

2009-07-13T18:06:00.002+09:30

My goodness already one week of school holidays has gone.....

It was certainly a quiet week at that with the youngest son having stayed at his big sisters home for a few days...

He thoroughly enjoyed himself as they took him ice skating....

He came home with some bruises from the experience..lol....

So this week it`s my turn to find some form of entertainment for the kids....

The weather looked bleak but eventually the sun came out so it was a trip to town and visit the museum......

But first a pit stop as I needed a caffeine fix.....

Nothing like a good vienna coffee with lots of whipped cream....

Daniel chose a hot chocolate with marshmallows and Krystal had a white hot chocolate....

I tell you if you have never tried one you don`t know what you`re missing...Absolutely delicious....Krystal reckons it`s a cup of heaven...lol...

Then it was off to the museum....

So much to see and Daniel was full of questions which was good to see....

He showed a lot of interest and wanted to know the why`s, how`s and when`s of just about everything......

Actually I was quite exhausted in the end from all of his questions....

He was mostly fascinated with the animals..

What kid wouldn`t be....

After the museum it was off to have some lunch then a tram trip back to the car....

To finish a jam packed day we visited the local aquarium shop where I bought myself some tropical fish and then he spotted it....

A YABBY...A must have in the eyes of an 11 year old boy.....

So now we have nipper....

Yes the yabby has a name...lol.....

An excited boy and me who is ready to take on the world...

2009-07-04T21:36:00.003+09:30

Our two pooches certainly know how to hog the heater on these cold winter nights.....

If they were any closer they would be on fire themselves....

This is my new pride and joy....

Hubby and youngest son bought me a treasure chest for Mothers day...

I`m still yet to work out what I will put in my treasure chest....

I was thinking along the lines of something like a time capsule...

Things that are or have been important to me over the years...

I`ll have to ponder on that one....

And this is puss laying on the end of our bed looking quite comfortable I might add....

She does make the most of it as I don`t like any of the pets in on our bed....And she knows it too...lol Father and son on our day out at the movies..... It was good to be able to have all of us out for the day as it`s a rare occassion due to hubby`s ill health.....

They are posers aren`t they...lol....

Lifes been good this week except for Daniel being unwell...

You know it`s ashame but when he is unwell it makes him like what I call "a normal kid"....Cruel I know but with him being so hyperactive , whenever he is struck down with an illness it brings him back to a normal level....

He is rather excited at the moment as he will be staying with his eldest sister, "matt`s daughter from his first marriage"....

Today he packed his bags ready for Monday morning....

This will be a big deal for him as he never stays away from home let alone for a few days....

My baby is growing up...

BOO HOO....

And then there is me, what will I do with myself?????

OMG have I got a list ready....

Watch out world as i`ll be free for a couple of days....lol

A busy week so far

2009-06-30T18:33:00.003+09:30

What an extraordinary week that was with so many unexpected deaths especially that of Michael Jackson....

Such a sad ending to an intriguing man....

What worries me now is the fate of the innocent children...

It`s certainly going to be an interesting story that is yet to unfold....

This week has already been a busy one for me and it`s only Tuesday...

Firstly hubby had his MRI scan done last night...

Next test to come is an EEG which is booked in for the middle of next month...

Hopefully we will be able to get some results from that...

Saturday we had a family day at the movies..

Well all except for Krystal as she had to work...

We went and saw Transformers and we all loved it..

I was a bit worried at the length of the movie as Daniel does have a tendency to get bored quite quickly but with this movie there was opportunity to bored as it was action packed all the way through.....

Sunday I had to make an emergency visit to the doctors for Daniel...He woke with the hugest gland swelling I have ever seen..He could hardly speak...A 3 hour wait in the surgery...

Eventually we saw the doctor and he revealed a very severe case of infected tonsils...

He is now on a course of antibiotics for 2 weeks....

He seems to be a bit better today but the glands are still swollen....

Looks like there will be no school this week for him....

It usually happens this time of year for him...

Oh well school holidays next week.....

And finally today it`s hubby`s birthday....

I made his favourite for tea..Pumpkin soup and then had a delicious mud cake with whipped cream for dessert....

The kids made a fuss of him and especially went out of their way to buy numbered candles just in case he forgot how old he was turning...lol

Ladtthing...

Good luck to those who have entered the OZ lotto draw for tonight...

A cool 90 million...WOW...

Wouldn`t it be a life changing event...

I`ve got my ticket but aint holding my breath...

The Bad ass is rising to the surface

2009-06-25T07:21:00.003+09:30

Sadly my hubby is still going through some grief with family members from his side regarding his mothers estate..Not that she had much...

I know it`s not just us that this is happening too as i have heard some real horror stories about what lengths family members will go too...

What makes me so sad is that these people are supposed to be "devout Christians"

They are DEFINITELY not showing any signs of this...

The accussations and horrible things that have been said by them are simply dreadful...

Then there are the threats about coming to our home...

Not alone mind you ....

OMG wrong thing to do especially when it comes to my hubby...

I am very protective of him more so because he is not well....

In the end I have said to hubby you need to wipe your hands of it all...

We have a lawyer, leave it in their hands....

Concentrate on getting yourself right...

Now I am monitoring all calls coming into the house...

He doesn`t need any more undue stress caused by money hungry parasites...

And to be honest if I saw them (not that there is much chance of that) there certainly WOULD NOT be much in the way of pleasantries coming their way....

After all I did a survey on Facebook which says I am 96% BAD ASS...lmao

A chill in the air

2009-06-18T09:30:00.002+09:30

These past few mornings have been soooo cold but the days have turned out lovely with blue skies...

Actually it feels more like spring when the weather is like this....

So the kids are over their sickness and not before time as my girl has her year 12 exams this week....

She seems to be coping ok and not stressing....

The last one is today....

Had my stitches out without too much drama...The wound had knitted underneath but there was still a bit of an opening at the top so I have to keep a bandage on for anther couple of weeks.....This means no dishes still....lol

We finally had some good news within the family....

Matt`s youngest daughter is expecting again....This will be his 8th grandchild....

She just had a baby in December so they will grow up close in age.....

My teen son seems to be settling in at his grandparents...

I keep in touch with them regularly....

Seems though my son still has a grudge when it comes to me as I saw him the other day and he turned away from me without a word being spoken....

Maybe it`s his guilt on the way he last spoke to me....

MAYBE....

Well best get my bum away from this computer for a while....

Housework beckons and then a little retail therapy.....

And we all know how I do love that retail therapy....

Have a great day everyone......

Home life is starting to settle

2009-06-14T19:42:00.003+09:30

It`

It`s always the way...

Whenever you havee an injury 9 times out of 10 you`ll knock it and i`ve certainly been doing that especially when i`m one for not sitting still....

Tuesday I finally get the stitches out and I can`t wait.....

Doing chores left handed is wearing thin and its tiring.....lol

On a more positive note if you can call it that, my teen son is residing with his grandparents....

I must admit, since his move out of the family home so much stress has gone..

Daniel and Krystal are back to laughing and doing things together ....

My husband and I have noticed the difference especially with Daniel, he is a happier kid again...

One day my son may get in contact with me again...

All I can do is wait.....

I finally got to have a meeting with his school teacher and she has put in place special arrangements which will cater for Daniels needs..

Now it`s up to Daniel to try his best....

It`s been freezing here today.....

It didn`t even make 12 degrees......

I`ve been in front of the eater for most of the day while the two kids went out to town...

Ahhh I remember those days well...Young and carefree and the weather didn`t dictate as to what you can and can`t do.....lmao....

Letting go

2009-06-08T11:27:00.003+09:30

Lifes been just dandy this week she says sarcastically....

Teenage son decided to waltz in home a week after his disappearance like nothing had happened....

I asked him what he thinks he is doing and naturally he came back with a smart remark....

The chip on his shoulder at the moment is more like a boulder and I can`t have someone who chooses to ignore house rules and have total disrespect for me live under the same roof...

So I gave him a choice of either going to his fathers or his grandparnts...

Presently he is at his grandparents until we can get hold of his father not that I expect any of us will get much help from him....

I rang him when our son went missing and the response I got was "what do you want me to do about it" and then hung up on me.....

My son hates me with a passion at the moment and he now wants to divorce me....lol

What it boils down too is he wants to give up school but the law states you can`t leave school before the age of 17 unless you have a job.....

He says he wants to work but is too lazy to get out there and look for a job...

Every job he has applied for has either been myself or my daughters doing ...

So now he is on his own....He doesn`t want to live with me anymore which has been obvious for some time....

Then yesterday after all of this went on I thought I would get stuck into clening up the kitchen which entailed dishes...

Big mistake...

A broken mug took revenge on me , damn thing...

3 stitches between the webbing of the thumb and first finger....

Topped my day off perfectly..

Thre is talk I may have to see a micro surgeon as I have tingling running down the side of my thumb which means I could have damaged the nerve....

Well I don`t half do things....lol

I`m hoping that it will be ok and come good....

One good thing to come out of this is NO DISHES for a week....

Isn`t that a shame????...lol

It`s a dark place here at the bottom of this rock pit..

2009-06-02T08:42:00.002+09:30

I`m pretty sure I`ve hit rock bottom in the emotion department....

Usually I am the most patient person especially when it comes to my kids BUT this weekend I really lost it...

One of my sons pushed me too far and something in me snapped....

Don`t worry I didn`t take it out on him but I did take it out on the furniture and on anything that was in my path....

A major melt down....The trouble is I know i`m still not out of the woods yet....

I can`t sleep and i`m not eating properly...Caffeine and cigarettes seems to be on the menu....

In doing this my bronchitis has really flared up and what is frustrating me is i`m crying at the drop of a hat....

It`s not me at all...

The stresses of my life have caught up with me and dragged me down big time...

I feel absolutely useless as i`m struggling to deal with everyday life which in normal circumstances I find easy to deal with....

I can`t think straight and can`t make what used to be simple decisions....

My teenage son is taking advantage of me when i`m at my weakest....

I grounded him for something he did wrong...

He chose to ignore me and went out anyway....

Im at the point where I can`t manage him any longer so feel my only option is he really needs to go back to live with his father....

His behaviour isn`t doing this family any favours especially when my youngest looks up to his big brother...

Hubby wants to take us all away this long weekend and break the monotony of everything....

This might be just what we all need....

We are looking to the future

2009-05-26T10:53:00.003+09:30

Starting to feel a little drained now...

I think everything has finally caught up with me and the family...

The two boys are home sick with a cold which is somewhat a bit of a worry...

We have confirmed reports of swine flu here and Adelaide and what mkes me so angry is some kids who are supposed to be home for a week are out and about hitting public shopping centres.....

This is no joke people and your kids should be behind closed doors....

I`m having to keep a close eye on the boys as they both suffer from asthma....

Hubby and I are now starting to talk about future plans...

Where we want to be in 5 years time....

A couple of Christmas`s ago we went to Victor Harbour for a holiday and we both loved the place so much we could see us living there permanately....

As long as things go to plan our dream could come true.....

A nice quiet life in a beautiful seaside town.....

And the best part is I will be well catered for as there are PLENTY of shops....lol

Farewell to two beautiful ladies

2009-05-20T07:09:00.003+09:30

Hello everyone...Sorry for the absence but unfortunately the family had a lot to deal with these past few weeks...

Firstly we had the sad news that my nan passed away...

Last Friday we said our goodbyes to her at a lovely ceremony with many family and friends....

All of her grandchildren were there and to have all of us together remembering the good days spent with our nan was a remarkable feeling....

It`s been many many years where we have been altogether at the one time as most now live interstate....

On the Friday morning of my nan`s funeral Matt and I received a phone call from the nursing home abut Matt`s mum...

Unfortunately she also passed away that morning....

As one would imagine we were distraught at this sad news....

We knew that this day was coming but not quite so soon.....

Today we said our final goodbyes to the most beautiful natured woman I have ever known....

She always managed to see the good in everyone and not once have I ever heard this lady have a bad word to say about anyone...

Matt and myself are ever so greatful that we were able to take her on her last trip away to Kangaroo Island this Christmas just gone....

We heard today from the minister that she thoroughly enjoyed herself and she was glad that she had the opportunity to go "over seas"...lol

Matt has taken the loss very hard...

He was extremely close to his mother and i`m havng to keep a close eye on him....

He had to make a trip to the doctors because he wasn`t coping emotionally....

I am hoping now that after today he has gained some closure....

Ofcourse it`s going to take time to get over with such a loss and as each day passes it will get easier.....

In the meantime Matt`s operation was put on hold but come Monday he is booked in to have the procedure done.....

He tried to tell me he wasn`t going ahead with it but it`s just his emotions getting in the way....

Thankfully he has come to his senses and it`s his time to now start looking after himself....

So now we are left with the wonderful memories of two beautiful ladies....

Both have been inspirational to me and I thank them both for their wisdom....

Happy mum`s day

2009-05-09T21:47:00.002+09:30

I feel dreadful that I haven`t visited anyone on their blogs but life has been terribly busy this past week....

My nan isn`t doing too well and is in critical care...The doctors aren`t giving her or us much hope.....

Then there is Matt`s mum who is in pretty much the same boat....She is very incoherent these days and sad to say but it`s only a matter of time now.....

It`s all come at a rather bad time as hubby is going in for his operation this Friay and he is stressed to the max worrying about his mother of course...It`s understandable.....

In the middle of all this we did have celebrations for my daughters Birthday....

Spoilt rotten (by me ) as always...lol

It`s certainly a month for Birthdays as my youngest sister celebrates hers tomorrow along with it being Mothers Day....A big celebratory party up at my mothers restaurant I well imagine...She does like to party...lol..

This will make Joshua happy as he is heading up there tomorrow for his week of work experience....

I`ll have to lay down the ground rules but i`m sure my mother will keep a close eye on him as she knows what her own children (there were five of us) were like at his age....lmao

Still a few more birthdays to come with other family members celebrating within the month of May....

I do hope all those beautiful mums out there have a wonderful Mothers day and they are spoilt like all mum`s should ....

I know I will be as i`m getting a lamb roast cooked for me...

Can`t wait....

Enjoy the day .....

A new beginning in South Australia..No more plastic bags

2009-05-03T21:59:00.003+09:30

As of tomorrow here in south Australia a new era of no more plastic shopping bags

Yep a total ban which means we have to use recyclable bags...

I`m not sure how i`m going to cope as I am always forgetting to take my bags out from the boot of the car...

In fact so many people do....

The shops will cater for those forgetful ones such as myself with biodegradable bags for a cost of 10 cents per bag or 20 cents for the upgraded paper bag version with handles....

And naturally purchase another, and I say another reusable bag at the going price of $1 because I am always buying them....

I have more than enough to cope with my weekly shopping chore....

So come tomorrow I will presume there will be some irate customers who will kick themselves because no doubtfully they will go do some shopping and where will their bags be...

In the boot of their car of course...lol

Hospital visits are GO

2009-04-28T13:58:00.002+09:30

Actually anything sweet would be good right about now....

I need an energy boost as my days have been quite hectic with the kids and hubby....

Not to mention the fact that MIL has been in hospital...

With MIL we have been in constant contact with the doctors the last few days as she was needing a blood transfusion which she has flatly refused...

Matt tried his best to convince her that it will make her feel better but all to no avail...

She was very adamant in her decision and both Matt and his brother had to accept it...

They now have her as medically stable as they can get her and she will be moving into a new nursing home today....

This one looks much better than the previous with more residents around her age so with all bodily limbs that can be crossed we are hoping desperately that this will be the right one for her....

..........................................................

On the home front it was up very early for us all as both Matt and Joshua had hospital appointments today...It worked out very well time wise for us as Matts was 9:30am..We arrived early and he was seen too straight away...We actually got out from the appointment at 9:30 and believe me that NEVER happens especially at the hospital....

He will be booked in for a test within the next few weeks...

We are just glad that at last there is some action being taken...

As for Joshua well he had a biopsy done on his sebacious nevas....

There is a previous post on this condition....

He was nervous about having the needle to deaden the area...

Naturally I offered my support in letting the nurse know the more pain inflicted the happier it will make me...LMAO.....

The procedure went fine and we head back into the hospital next week for the results and to speak about whether it`s viable to have the whole thing removed....

Rain after such a long summer

2009-04-23T10:37:00.002+09:30

Firstly I would like to start by saying a big thank you to Diane for sending a signed picture of Bernie (hugo) from Home and Away..

My kids love you...They want it framed and hung up on the wall...

Oh and my daughter wants to know if you have Bernie`s number as she reckons he is a bit of a hottie...lol

This week has been a bit of a challenge for us all as hubby`s mum has been in and out of hospital...It`s at the stage now where she is bed ridden as her legs have given up on her...

We have a social worker speaking with her as it is getting to the point where at home care unfortunately isn`t an option any longer...

I think she knows this herself but it doesn`t make it any easier trying to make decisions on her behalf...

We just want her to be happy and comfortable...

And then there is always "one" trouble maker within a family...

Stress which everyone can do without at a time like this...

Kids are on the mend..Still lots of coughing going on but thankfully over the worst...

Today and for the next few days we are in for one big rain storm, something we here in South Australia haven`t seen for a long time....

I`ve had to put away all the outdoor furniture as the weather bureau is saying we could get up too 50 mls....

My garden is really going to enjoy this....

Actually I thinks most South Aussies will....

Looking forward to some quiet time

2009-04-18T11:32:00.002+09:30

Instead of forking out $50 + dollars to take the kids to the movies I bought MAdagascar 2 on DVD which we didn`t get to see when it came out...

What can I say other than I loved it....I loved the first one and this movie was just as good....

It kept the boys quiet for a while at least....I don`t know what it is with these two but they carry on something shocking....It`s getting to the point where I need to keep them separated from each other just so I can get some peace....

At least i`ll have a couple of days rest as Joshua has gone to stay with his father for a few days to work (hopefully) on this caravan of his....It`s getting desperate now that he and Daniel have to have their own space...

There is so much to do around the house but i`m not feeling very motivated today....Still not 100% and it gets quite depressing when I am the only one who seems to do everything inside and out...

I know when i`m run down as I have started to get a damn cold sore..Happens EVERYTIME without fail...

Only one week left of school holidays then back to some sort of routine....

I love my kids dearly but I love my quiet times too...lol

Killing off the old ones first

2009-04-16T11:59:00.003+09:30

Isn`t this flower so delicate...

A bit like me in the way i`ve been feeling of late..

I bought it (fushia) to cheer me up as these school holidays have certainly worn me down...

And omg we are only into the first week of it....

The whole house is sick thanks to one child bringing home a cold...

You see we don`t just get the common old cold, we get everything else as well...

Tonsilitis and bronchitis....

So of course everyone is feeling rather moody especially me as being mum there is no way you`re allowed to rest and put your feet up so you can recouperate...

I mangaged to make a big pot of chicken and sweetcorn soup yesterday and the whole pot was eaten by the kids...

Hubby and I managed to get a bowl in before it was devoured....

We did receive some good news earlier this week...

Firstly no more trips back to the doctor for me in regards to my arm...All better now which i`m happy about...

I have a lovely shade of bright pink on my arm and i`m told I must stay out of the sun for quite some time as it will be very tender...

Lots of moisturiser too into the burnt area....

Thankfully we are heading into the cooler months so wearing long sleeves won`t be such a burden...

And finally after what feels like a year (which i`m sure it is close too) hubby has an appointment with the surgeon to find out what`s going on in the bowel region...

Naturally he is concerned and worried as it has taken so long to actually get the appointment...He feels that it may be too late to fix any underlying problems...

But once again i`m staying positive for him...

No use worrying about something until you have the facts is my motto....

That`s the news for now...

Do hope everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable Easter....

Me I ate way too much chocolate....

But it tasted bloody brilliant...lol

Learning the trade

2009-04-13T09:26:00.002+09:30

I thought I would show you where my mother for the past 22 years has resided..

This is her livlihood...

A pub and restaurant in the heart of the Adelaide Hills....

They also own the caravan park...

They have had many ups but also some down times...

In 1993 they had a terrifying ordeal where the creek that runs at the back of the hotel and caravan Park over flowed and caused a horrific flood where some campers had lost their lives...

But like true aussie battlers they rebuilt and as you can see the pub still stands...

This here is the restaurant where they can seat up to 110 patrons...

Two of my sisters and also my brother have held their weddings and reception at mums place as she has a beautiful outside garden with magnigicent back views of the countryside that we have here in the Adelaide Hills..

When they first moved in it was nothing but a run down local pub but with sheer determination and lots of hard work it has paid off.....

This bit of the garden mum has done by herself...Like me she is an avid gardener and simply loves her plants...

This is part of the front bar or what they like to call the Tavern....

In the winter as it can get awfully cold up there, they have this huge pot belly stove that knows how to throw out some serious heat....

And finally part of the caravan park where they have on site cabins and lots of camping sites...Easter time is their busiest time where the caravan park is fully booked out for the weekend....

Now as most of you know Joshua my teen son wants to become a chef....It sort of runs in the family...

My mother cooks for the restaurant, always has...Pretty much self taught...

Well Joshua has work experience coming up for school and he has chosen to go work for his nana for the week....LEarn all the trade secrets ect....It will give him a good indication as to whether this is what he really wants to do for a career...

Things didn`t go the way I wanted them too

2009-04-10T15:21:00.002+09:30

I thought I would get to the doctors first thing this morning so I took off not waking hubby or the boy...

How I wish I had taken hubby with me....

It was decided a dressing change was needed...I got myself a free arm wax removing a shit load of hair...

Feels lovely and smooth now..lol

That I could handle but when it came to removing the bandage where the burn was well let`s say that was a different ball game altogether...

The blister broke and there was now dead skin everywhere....

That meant cutting away the skin and whilst all this was happening I was putting on a brave face thinking to myself "hurry the you know what up"....

I`m usually pretty good in hiding my pain...Not one to make a fuss but what came next was un bloody believable....

The nurse was about to put some lotion on the burn to clean it and I was thinking wonderful, something to cool down this burning feeling....

The worst is finally over....

Geez was I kidding myself or what !!!

I nearly jumped out of the chair...

My god it was like the whole of my arm had been doused in kerosene and lit with a match...

Tears rolled down my face uncontrollably all the while, here I am still trying to hide the fact that this was sheer hell....

The poor nurse could see my reaction and she kept telling me how brave I was...

Her words were not consoling me one little bit...

I just wanted to get the hell out of there and go home..

Driving home was a nightmare as the burnt arm is the one I use to change the gears with...

Finally home and taking some pain relief i`m starting to feel human again..

I really feel for these burn victims and what they must be going through...

I know mine is nothing compared to some of them but I can now relate to just some of the pain that they feel...

Now I don`t have to go back until Tuesday and if I have any say in the matter i`ll be leaving the dressing put until It`s absolutely necessary for it to come off...

Yes the chicken in me has emerged..lol

Pulling their weight

2009-04-09T19:54:00.002+09:30

These past few days I have felt like a right invalid and i`m not liking it one little bit...

With having an arm out of action and limited in what I can do I am relying on the kids to pitch in and help...

And I can tell you they are reluctant with much moaning and groaning...But after they get it off ther chests the jobs get done...

I came home from doing the food shopping to a clean laundry, bathroom and toilet..Dishes done and beds made....

Gives me more time to do the things I love....My computer...hahaha

The boys even came to Bunnings with me so that I could get more potting mix to build up the garden so I could plant more of my bulbs....

Working in the garden always makes me feel better

I noticed in the shops the other day that a bunch of 5 tulips sells for $15...

Hubby reckons I should have a stall out the front when they are ready to make some money...lol

It`s quiet here tonight as I only have Daniel home..Krystal is working and then staying out the night...She was thinking of me when she decided to stay out because she could see how tired I was....She organised this so I wouldn`t have to pick her up from work tonight...

Joshua is also at a mates place for the night and Matt, he is tucked up in bed as he hasn`t been feeling too good..More worries about his mother as she has been taken off to hospital again today...He will go down there tomorrow and stay a few days with his brother to work out what`s going to be next in the care department for their mother...

Never a dull moment..Always something happening...

So looks like the house here will be quiet for at least a few days...

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter and enjoys the break....

And to all those mums with kids onschool holidayshope you`ve stacked up on the vino...lol

Something different for your garden.

2009-04-09T08:43:00.002+09:30

No these are not real...

What they are is statues made from cement...

It`s a place that makes whatever you want to order...

I was so facinated by the collection that they displayed out the front that I couldn`t resist taking a photo...

One of the pieces that I didn`t get in the photo is a T Rex...

Now who wouldn`t want one of those out in their front garden...lol

One of those days where nothing went right

2009-04-07T17:21:00.002+09:30

Finally i`m able to find some time to blog....

The afternoon visit went extremely well with my two sisters...

We caught up on some lost time and are going to get back to visiting each other regularly....

Yesterday was an absolute nightmare...

The type of day where I should have stayed in bed because whatever could go wrong did...

The kids were late for school which made me late for doctors appointments for Matt....

I ran over a bird and I always feel dreadful when I do something like that...I try to avoid at all times but no not yesterday....

Then I receive a phone call from the school...

Daniel has receieved a formal warning about his behaviour in the school yard....

To top it off he earnt himself a dentention (which I am not happy about)...

I thought "What else could go wrong"????

Then by the time I was ready to sit down for the evening and enjoy a nice cuppa whilst watching tv all pandemonium hit...

The coffee ended up all over me...

Mainly my arm....

The poor kids wondered what had happened as this mad woman ran through the house to the bathroom screaming....

I couldn`t get my top off quick enough and place my arm under the cold water...

I perservered with it for an hour and the pain wasn`t subsiding so I asked Matt to take me to the doctors....

We got there just in time as the duty nurse was about to leave....

I was seen too straight away and was told I did the right thing..

I must have looked a sight walking into the doctors as I had my arm fully submerged in an icecream container full of water....

So now I have a clear bandage on it and after visiting the doctors this morning again he says it`s looking quite good...

I have to go back Thursday for a dressing change....

Matt gave me a sleeping tablet last night and I say it was the best damn sleep i`ve had in ages....Felt nothing and don`t even remember hitting the pillow....

This is what it looked like lastnight..Very red and extremely painful Today...Still sore but not as much as last night.... So now i`m very careful as to where I drink my coffee.... Much better to drink it than wear it...

How biding your time can be your friend

2009-04-04T10:09:00.002+10:30

NOPE !!!!!!

I just can`t get into the swing of Easter this year....

The kids still want chockies actually so do I , but I haven`t bought one single piece as yet...

I must get my act together , there isn`t much time left...

For those of you who have been following my blogs over the years you may remember that I don`t have much to do with my siblings other than my youngest sister...(4 siblings all up)

Well I have made the first step in contacting one of my sisters whom I was very close with...

It`s been 3 years where we have not had any sort of relationship but what has hurt the most is it was caused by an OUT LAW....

Unfortunately my sister has been listening to this woman for way too long and in recent events that had taken place the tables had turned...

The Outlaw did something that no family member should ever do without finding out the details...

To cut a long story short my sister and this outlaws daughter are at the same workplace...

Sister was in charge that day and had to reprimand the neice...

Neice didn`t take to it too well so went home and told mummy that she was being harrassed at work by my sister..

The Outlaw decided to take action and went to the work place , spoke to director of company and made a formal complaint....Work place bullying !!!!!!

Now you could understand if this niece was a child but for goodness sake she is 21 years of age....Supposedly an adult..

She didn`t do her job that was asked of her so in my opinion whether she is a relative or not this is your job and this is what you get paid for...

Thankfully because my sister has been there for a good amount of years , they know her extremely well and nothing will come from it...

As for the neice I can`t say the same....Her mother has no work ethics and knows how to rort the system especially workers compensation......

So now my sister has seen what this outlaw`s capabilities are...

It`s dreadful to think that this woman can single handly rip the heart out of one family (or so she thinks)...

They say blood is thicker than water and big sister (which is me) will now be back on the scene....

My light which was turned off by this woman has suddenly been flicked back on again so this is why I made first contact with my sister....

I have briefly spoken with her by phone and come Sunday I will be going to see her...

The past is past so now we can move forward and hopefully repair what damage was done and begin a new future without the interference of an outlaw....

I am a true believer in karma.....I am also a very patient woman....My family have now seen what this woman is all about and the Out law has become her own victim....

A lapse in common sense

2009-04-02T07:57:00.002+10:30

It`s tiring enough having one child home from school through sickness but when you have 3 of them home at once there are just NO words to describe how one feels....

Then when one decides to take your bed for the night and he is way too heavy these days to lift, the only option left is to sleep on the floor...

OMG what was I thinking...

I wasn`t thinking that`s the problem....

The next morning was a joke...Literally..

I laughed at myself for being so stupid as the conseqences were obvious...I couldn`t move...Every muscle and bone in my body ached....

Promise to myself...

Never again will I be so stupid as to give up my bed ...

The pain just aint worth it...

Looks like the kids are catching everything that`s going around....

I can see it`s going to be a long week...

On a sad note there was a very unexpected death in the family (Josh and Krystals side)

An Uncle passed away in his sleep....

What was so sad about it was that he and his wife had just gone out and bought a new car and caravan to travel around Australia together...

They were both very excited at the prospect ....

His death is now in the hands of the coroner??????

Gastro is on the rise here

2009-03-31T07:53:00.002+10:30

These days it`s hard to tell when my youngest is telling me the truth or not....

Yesterday he and his older brother decided they didn`t want to go to school because they weren`t feeling well, so after much arguing they got their own way...

Then last night I thought he was up to his usual bag of tricks where he was working his way up to having another day off school for today....The moaning and groaning of I don`t feel well...My tummy hurts..'

As parents you have probably heard it once or twice before....

Well suddenly from nowhere he gets up and threw up every where...

Hmmm maybe he was telling me the truth....

Don`t you just hate that feeling of doubting someone only to be proved wrong...lol

He was quite bad last night....

So much so that I had to get a doctor out for him because the vomiting wouldn`t stop...

I have been up most of the night with him as the terrible pains in the stomach that come with Gastro are excruciating....

The doctor gave him something to stop the vomiting (which mind you didn`t work)..

I`ve changed bed sheets and clothes twice throughout the night..

I`ve seen enough spew to last me the rest of the year...

And apparently Gastro is running wild here in Adelaide so becareful and be vigilant everyone...

It`s a bad one, never seen Daniel quite this bad before....

Something Light hearted to start the week off

2009-03-30T11:40:00.002+10:30

Things I Hate About Everyone

1 People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?

2 People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V.. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually.

3 When people say 'Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too'. Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it?

4 When people say 'it's always the last place you look'. Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses!

5 When people say while watching a film 'did you see that?'. No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor.

6 People who ask 'Can I ask you a question?'.... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?

7 When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new.

8 When people say 'life is short'. What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that' s longer? 9 When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks 'Has the bus come yet?'. If the bus came would I be standing here, dumbass?

Not a good enough reason in my view

2009-03-28T09:33:00.002+10:30

Boy am I glad it`s the weekend.. The weeks are just flying by and already two weeks away from the first lot of school holidays... Actually looking forward to the holidays, I need a rest from the same ol routine... Still have my doubts about the new school... Poor Daniel is the one who is struggling big time... He has learning difficulties and this school doesn`t or is it won`t provide extra help unless he has been assessed... Daniel has pretty much spat the dummy a couple of times at school because he is feeling isolated and frustrated, he can`t cope with the work and especially his teachers attitude... His way of dealing with it, walk out the class and "P" off from school.... I was so worried the other night I actually had to get the police out lookinbg for him....As you can guess he was found... So a note to the school stating that they need to get something in place for him... A phone call regarding my letter from an obnoxious woman saying that the classes are large and Daniel naturally won`t get the attention he needs... Well I came back with a smart ass answer which went something like they are teachers aren`t they... This is why we send our kids to school, to be taught isn`t it???? I think I took her by surprise..... Now they are going to get him assessed.... I don`t want my son to be some statistic where he just slips through the system... He is there to learn and if they can`t cope because of class sizes that`s not my fault nor my childs fault.... What gets me is they`re quick to take your school fees ..... Just a note....I`m not bagging all teachers here either...It just seems to be this particular school ....Daniel`s last school also had very large quantities of children in the one class...They didn`t give me the excuse that because of the amount of children in the one class he won`t get the attention he needs.... They instead did something about it and gave him the extra tutoring he needed.... This new school has a very funny way of dealing with kids and parents who need extra support.... So I will give it a little longer to see whether or not they actually do something about it.... If I get no response in what I call a reasonable length of time then I will go above their heads....Too many kids are left behind because of this very attitude by "some" teachers and I as a mother won`t let this happen....

There could be a change on the horizon

2009-03-26T21:33:00.003+10:30

OK so it`s been another crazy week...

Kids have tested and tried me like there is no tomorrow but what has worried me the most is I haven`t been able to turn the other cheek like I usually do...

Sleep or lack of is playing a huge part in the way I have been handling things....

Lately I have been so moody i`m actually scaring myself...

So I am making a point of seeing a doctor next week and we all know how much I dislike doctors.....

I really do think I am going through the change....

And for those "packed to the rafter" fans NO i`m not pregnant....

For a while now the sleep pattern has gone haywire, then there is the night sweats...

I`m so bad that I actually have to sleep with a fan on of a night....

Then there is the hot flushes that I get throughout the day...

Don`t even get me started on the angry outbursts, they are ferocious....

Tonight I think I shocked everyone...Hmmm come to think of it I shocked myself...

A certain daughter told me to shutup...

Big mistake on her part...

I grabbed my bag , stormed out of the house, jumped into the car and went down to the beach to calm myself down....

As I said it`s very unlike me...

Thankfully hubby has said he will go with me to the doctors as he knows I will probably chicken out....

So if it is the change omg how am I going to cope or is that, how is the family going to cope???....

Life might be about to get a whole lot more interesting....lol

In a mood

2009-03-24T19:48:00.002+10:30

Unfortunately !!!!!!

My kids have tested my patience starting this morning with their carry on`s and it`s now spread into this evening...

I have been unwell for the past few days and you would think that they would be considerate of this but oh no let`s make mum`s life hell....

Teens and bickering , honestly they are acting like two year olds...

So I have repaid the favour and sent the whole lot of them to their rooms for the night....

If this is the way they wish to behave then I will treat them like babies...

Then to top the day off teen son Joshua earnt himself a suspension from school because of his smoking habit....

When will their nonsense cease????

A nice afternoon out

2009-03-22T20:02:00.002+10:30

After being stood up by my son on Saturaday , he had a better offer (friends) we did manage to get out this afternoon ....

A lovely stroll down Jetty Rd Glenelg and then a short stop off at the beach....

I bought him a skimmer board as he nagged me constantly until I gave in....

It was worth the $10 as he gave me some great laughs watching him trying to work out how to work the thing...

In the end he gave up and went for a dip in the water....

Too cold for my liking so I was just happy to take a few snaps for the album...

On our walk towards the beach they had the local band playing....They drew quite a crowd in the end and I must say they were very good...

Daniel was in aw with the drummer....He has been wanting to play the drums for a while now and this has stirred him up again....

I need a sound proof shed before I will contemplate going down that path...

The life guards were on duty this afternoon not that too many lives needed saving today....The beach wasn`t terribly busy and there were less in the water......Just the way I like it...Any other time you`re fighting for a space on the beach....

It still disappoints me to see this eye sore on the front of the beach .....It used to be so green with lots of trees but now a days all we see is cement....

TGIF

2009-03-20T22:20:00.002+10:30

At last we have made it to the end of the week with minimal damage done..

What a week it has been too...

Packed to the hilt, what with the house inspection, hospital visits, new school and children faking sickness and finally wagging...

Now that the kids have had a week of settling in i`m praying that from here on in things will finally get into a routine...

In between this I managed some great bargain shopping...My haven for some sanity....lol

Plans for this weekend are to relax, maybe take the youngest for a drive in the country and enjoy the scenery...

That`s the plan anyway...

You all have a wonderful weekend...

Stay safe ...

Sebaceous Nevus

2009-03-19T21:04:00.003+10:30

15 years ago I gave birth to a healthy baby boy who had what is known today as sebaceous nevus....

To put it in English it looks like a scar of sorts and this was on the side of his head...

Most frequently, a solitary, hairless patch is noted on the scalp at birth or in early childhood.

A velvety tan or orange-yellow plaque may also occur on other areas of the head and the neck. Hormonal influences from the mother may briefly increase the prominence in an infant, whereas pubertal hormones enhance the verrucoid appearance in an adolescent.

Doctors were baffled by the sight of it as it is very rare indeed....

Well my boy had a specialist appointment with the dermatologist today as it has changed in size and colour....

It`s something he and I , yes I passed it on to him , have to live with and be vigilant of any changes that occurs with this condition....

The specialist has only ever seen one other case like Joshua`s so they were excited that they were given permission to take pictures of the lesion....

We now have to return to the hospital next month for a biopsy...

In very rare cases it can turn cancerous and seeing as Joshua's has now changed colour they are not taking any risks....

As for me mine has never changed colour...

Still a lovely shade of pink but it has grown over the years....

It`s getting to the stage where my hair is having difficulty in covering it so it might be time to see whether they can actually surgically remove it...

Not quite the day I had planned

2009-03-17T19:51:00.003+10:30

I`m sure this is what my two sons planned last night as today was an absolute nightmare...

What made matters worse is that I woke with a sore throat and runny nose...

Not a good way to start a busy day...

Then teen son acted up because he didn`t get much in the way of sleep so he wanted to take the day off school....

I wasn`t having any of that especially as he has already had a month off school.

So he was in what I would say the foulest of moods when I dropped them all off at school...

Not an hour later I received a text message stating youngest, Daniel showed on their records that he was absent from school...

OMG where was he????...

Then five minutes later I get a call from the school saying Joshua was having some sort of asthma attack....

Deep down I knew this wasn`t the case as he hasn`t suffered from asthma for well over four years...

I thought to myself could my day get any worse...Especially today of all days...

It was supposed to be a day where I could sit back and reminisce about the good times I had with my dad....It`s been 3 years since his passing and I still struggle with having him gone....

I digress...Sorry...

Back to the subject of the two trouble makers ...lol

Joshua was hyperventilating when I walked into the sick room....I was angry with him that he actually worked himself into such a state....

I had no choice but to take him home and miraculously halfway home he was breathing quite normally....

Do you know how pissed off I was????....

VERY....

Then I had the worry of Daniel...

Where was he and why would he want to wag school only being his second day in????....

I just could not believe this was all going on ....

Eventually Daniel rang home....

He was at a local McDonalds...

Convenient hey !!!!!

So I picked him up, had a good talking to him and the solution I came up with was I will have to walk him to class every morning until I can trust him again....

Life was supposed to be easier having them all in the same school...

So far it`s been far from that....

I NEED A HOLIDAY.....lol

In some short spurts throughout the day I was able to think of some fond memories of Dad...

Obviously not enough time has passed for the grieving I still go through...

I know it will get easier EVENTUALLY....

I think the hardest part is that he was all that I had.....

New school, a different sort of pet and the Queen of the house

2009-03-16T14:07:00.002+10:30

Don`t they look sweet in their new uniforms.....lol... How long it lasts is yet to be seen...hahaha

It was up bright and early this morning as it was the start of the kids first day at the new school plus house inspection day....

It just about killed the little darlings as they had to make their own beds and clean up after themselves...

You should have heard the moaning and groaning, anyone would have thought they were being tortured...lol....

I think they were excited though....Very nervous chatter in the car heading towards school....

Infact I couldn`t shut them up....

Usually it`s just Daniel and me and Daniel like me is not a morning person...We like peace and quiet in the mornings but the other two omg they could talk under water if need be....

...........................................................

A change of subject...

Last week when we were waiting for our bus Daniel who is not one for sitting still went for a wander ...Not far from the bus stop...

Next minute he yells out at the top of his voice "mum there`s a pig here"...

Well Daniel is good at spinning a tale or two so I didn`t take him seriously....

"Mum come look i`m not joking" he screams again....

So we wander down to the house where supposedly there is a pig....

Well I nearly fell over..

Sure enough there was a pig penned in on someone front yard here in suburbia....

Naturally now the kids want their own pet pig which mother is having no part of...lol

We have far too many animals as it is and they are all so domineering....

I mean the cat we have thinks she is Queen of Sheeba....

I don`t know how many times I have trodden on her as she follows me everywhere even to the toilet....

I literally have to kick her out so I can have some peace doing what a girl has to do ....lol

Was this fate??

2009-03-15T10:26:00.002+10:30

Anyone would think that i`m the one going back to school tomorrow as i`m excited....

But my excitement is due to the fact that I will finally have the me time I have been missing these past few weeks....

Don`t get me wrong I love my kids but when they are under your feet all day everyday it can be quite wearing....

The youngest has only been the one going to school on a regular basis, the older two well with all the trouble that`s been going on in their lives should hopefully now ease....

Speaking of trouble the ex g/f is still to this day giving Joshua a hard time ....

Funny thing is I happened to run into her at our shopping centre yesterday.....

Was it fate that this happened?????

Whatever the reason I took the opportunity to have a little heart to heart with the trouble maker....

I had her in tears, Not my objective, but she has been spreading malicous rumours about my son and now some not very nice people are after my boy due to her lies....

I know he is far from an angel, i`ll be the first to admit that but I will not tollerate lies....

So I kindly gave the ex a week to fix the mess she has created otherwise there will be a bigger mess waiting for her and she knows not to mess with mama.....

How`s them for fighting words....lmao

The things you do for your kids honestly....

I suppose I was pretty much the same with my siblings...They would come to me for help when they were younger and it`s now in me to help my own kids.....

So now a new start, new friends, new environment and a new attitude.....

And if they don`t god knows what I will do to them....lol

The wheels on the bus go round and round all day long

2009-03-13T20:56:00.002+10:30

My friends what can I say,

It has been a c r a z y couple of days...

Firstly yesterday...

We arranged for the car to be towed to the mechanics first thing in the morning...

Hubby went with the car...

Meanwhile I organised the kids and our bus journey started...

Arrived in time for the interview with the new school...

It started off a bit bumpy as they were unsure as to whether the two older kids would actually get in because of subjects and personally I did wonder whether Joshua`s looks had something to do with it...lol...

But thankfully it all worked out and the kids start their new school come Monday morning....

Then another bus trip home and I was thinkng to myself I do hope that the car won`t be far from ready...

Well that thought was soon put to rest....

A phone call from the mechanic to say they had found another problem.....

"Why am I not surprised" I said to myself.....

Anyway the car wouldn`t be ready for at least another 3 hours....

I had so much to do that day and without a car it was going to be a long day....

So another bus trip to go get a few basics done....This time I just took the daughter with me...

Did what we had too and back to the bus stop where the bus was waiting for us and as I parked my bum on the seat my phone went off...

It was the mechanics saying that the car was ready to be picked up....

Hooray......

There was yet to be another bus ride to where the mechanics shop was and it was a joyous occassion for owner and car to finally be reunited....Even daughter was over the amount of bus trips we did that day...lol

By the time I finished what was needed to be done that day it was 7pm before I could park my behind down for the evening....

Then we come to today`s events...

Firstly there was the hospital appointment at 9am for Krystal...

So our day began at 6;30am as we were busing it again....

Yes people`s another bus...

Actually two buses to the hospital...

We arrived early and amazingly we weren`t kept waiting long....

By 9:30 am we were out of the hospital and waiting for another bus for the journey home...

Then it was into town as we had to go and purchase new uniforms for the kids ready for their big day come Monday...

Boys were easy...Polo tops and bottoms....

Krystal on the other hand opted for the pinafore...

Naturally it was too long, "too nerdy" were her words...lol....

Quick phone call to her nana asking could she take up the dress for her ....

No mum can`t do these things.....I`m just no good at hemming...lol

Nana is a lifesaver as she did it there and then....

Then pitt stops off to the schools to drop off books and say goodbyes....

Another long, l o n g, l o n g day....

I am exhausted from these past couple of days...

The amount of buses (9 all up in case you lost count) and walking I have done has really taken it`s toll on this old out of shape body of mine....

I am ready for bed and somehow I think I will sleep tonight....lol

It can only happen to me

2009-03-11T15:53:00.002+10:30

Just when I think things are starting to turn good for me SOMETHING pops it`s little head up to upset the apple cart....

I don`t know WHY I get it into my head that things are looking up....lol

The day started out well...

Doctors appointments for Matt and Joshua came home from his fathers after a bit of a break from home....

Coming home from the doctors I noticed the temperature gage in the car creeping towards a very dangerous level....

RED LINE infact....

Well being a female naturally I panicked thinking i`m going to blow the motor.....

I found the first available parking spot and pulled over...

Thankfully hubby was in the car with me otherwise I would have been a mental case...lol

'Seems the water pump in the car has ceased...

Wonderful....

We waited for a while for the car to cool down .....We were only 5 minutes of car driving away from home...

So hubby carefully drove the car home....

Made a few calls to get the car in to be repaired for tomorrow and a nice price to fix it....

Meanwhile it will be buses for me and the kids tomorrow as I am enrolling them into a new school.....

I`m cursed I tell you.....

People know just how much I detest public transport and it`s now been forced upon me....

Damn cars....

Can`t live with them and definitely can`t live without them...

A good outcome for all in the end

2009-03-10T09:00:00.002+10:30

It was a very emotional day at the nursing home yesterday...

From reports we had heard about Matts mother being settled and happy in her new environment we were eager to see her....

When we arrived it wasn`t what we expected....

Yes she did look well but both Matt and I could tell by the way she was speaking and her lack of motivation and enthusiasm to get out of bed that she was far from happy...

It was heart breaking to sit back and watch what was a vibrant woman just give up on everything that she valued most,,,,

Her will to live....

She is far from happy....She didn`t say anything but then she didn`t need too, we could tell....

We stayed for an hour or so and then went back to Matt`s brothers house...

This was where the mother lived, with her youngest son for twenty plus years....

I burst into tears saying I can`t stand by and watch her go through life like this....

He was bewildered by what we had said to him as he was only in there yesterday and she was fine according to him...

He rang her whilst we were there, she finally told him the truth, she wasn`t happy there but she didn`t want to say anything to upset everyone...

He told her he was coming to pick her up today and bring her back home...

Well you should have heard the glee in her voice...

She instantly picked up knowing that she was finally going to come back home....

She asked the son how did you know that I wasn`t happy....

He told her what we had seen on our visit....

She laughed for the first time in ages and said that she has never been able to hide anything from Matt and myself...

So now what we will be doing is rather than leaving it all up to Matt`s brother to care for her is we will organise in home care....

A carer will come out twice daily to tend to her needs while she is in her "own " surroundings where she feels safe , comfortable and most of all HAPPY.....

And finally I told her off , jestfully of course never to try and hide her true feelings....

Not that she can hide them from Matt and myself....lol

The great outdoors

2009-03-06T20:38:00.002+10:30

Yep still trying to snap myself out of this gloomy mood of mine....

Today instead of being locked up in the house I was able to get out into the garden which has been so neglected over the summer months...

It felt great to finally get outdoors and listen to the birds chirping....

The big bonus was there were no European wasps to contend with...

This year has been shocking for them....

It certainly put a dampner on our social activities outdoors this summer...

Barbecues were very limited as every time we tried to have one we would have so many of these wasps to contend with it just wasn`t worth the hassle....

Since the cooler weather has arrived , plus the added bonus of rain for the past two days everything seems to have come alive again....

For 3 hours I got stuck into pulling weeds, yes weeds, they still grow don`t they ???

Not even the heat can kill them...lol....

My poor vegie patch has taken a beating this summer...

Unbelievably we still have tomatoes growing even though I have neglected it.....

I will have to pull the plants soon though as I want to get the garden ready for the winter crop......

I am pleased with the results I got this summer from the vegetables I grew...

It gives you great satisfaction and much cheaper on the hip pocket too....

I must say I much prefer this cooler weather we are experiencing at the moment....

Give me this sort of weather any day....

Keep the coffee rolling

2009-03-05T20:37:00.003+10:30

I`m feeling much the same as you Fran...

Tired and worn out....

Lately there never seems to be enough time for anything and the next few weeks aren`t slowing down for me either...

I have two specialist appointments for the kids at the hospital...

Doctors appointment for hubby and in between that a house inspection....

And how I detest house inspections...

I worry that they`ll find something that`s not up to their standards....

Then in between all this I am going to try and get the kids all into the one school....

We have a school close by that goes from reception to year 12...

The daughter isn`t happy at all where she is currently now and the teen son, well he is having all sorts of problems still with his ex.....As for the youngest he is not fussed where he goes but thinks it will be pretty cool to go to the same school as his brother and sister...

I`m not sure how it will go but I will give it my best....

Thankfully it`s a long weekend here in Adelaide being Adelaide Cup weekend so an extra sleepin day will be greatly appreciated on my part.....

We still have a lot of paperwork to fill out regarding hubby`s mum so this will be done Saturday.....

I can see lots and lots of caffeine will be consumed to keep me going...lol

Here`s to a busy week ahead...

We have rain

2009-03-03T09:54:00.002+10:30

After 3 long months we have rain....Yes nearly fell over myself...I almost forgot what it feels like....

Only problem now it`s turned very humid and I have terrible trouble trying to breath in this sort of weather....

I`ve woken this morning with a rotten chest cough...Sounds like a dog barking...lol

Son came home for a visit from his fathers and good news , he has broken up with the g/f for good this time....And I am making sure it`s for good if he is to return here....

I can`t have one person upsetting the household any longer and with this young upstart off the scene life should return to some sort of nomality....Note to oneself "must stick by what i say"...lol

Im off to take Krystal to see the specialist today.....Some sort of diagnosis on her problem would be good.....

Only downfall on the trip to the hospital is it will be by public transport....We all know how much I hate this part but the way things are with public hospitals and their car parking system public transport is the easiest option....

An interesting trip to the nursing home

2009-03-01T20:48:00.002+10:30

On our way down to see Matts mother in the nursing home there was plenty to see....First stop was Hindley St all blocked off with police tape everywhere, cop cars everywhere and tv camera crews galore.....

We had no idea what took place until we watched the news that night...Another fatal stabbing....

That`s beginning to be one place that no one wants to venture too....It`s just not safe anymore....

Then about halfway to the nursing home we saw this fantastic piece of machinary....One sort of car I wouldn`t mind having parked up my driveway...

A Lotus....Wouldn`t the neighbours be envious??..lol

Finally arrived at the nursing home an hour and a half later....Just my luck we caught nearly every red light possible....And hubby kindly reminded me of the fact....A real darl he is...lol...

The place looked lovely from the outside...We had plenty of time to take in the view as we were locked out for about 10 minutes....Doors wouldn`t open up for us...At least they have good security on the premises...lol

The inside was remarkable....

You walked in to like a little plaza on the ground floor...

A cafe, hairdressers, gift shops.....You wouldn`t believe this was a nursing home...Even the internet....I nearly fell over when I saw that....lol

As for the upstairs where the residents are it was immaculate....The nursing staff were very friendly and made us feel right at home....

Matts mother said she feels very safe there...Not surprised as it`s bloody hard to get through the doors....lol

It will take her a while to settle as she has always had the freedom of her own home and now everything she does is a set routine within the nursing home...Then there is the adjustment of having to make new friends...She seems to be hiding in her shell at the moment but i`m sure as time wears on she`ll make some lovely friends and feel right at home...

The hidden meaning behind a nursery rhyme

2009-02-26T11:39:00.002+10:30

Ring a ring a rosie

A pocket full of posies

A tissue a tissue

We all fall down....

I think as kids most of us girls would have sung this nursery rhyme a thousand times but did you know the meaning behind the rhyme....

It`s quite barbaric actually....

The rhyme dates back to the 1600`s

It was when the bubonic plague struck....

Ring a ring a rosie was the plague caused red sores which were in rings..

A pocket full of posies was because the sores would fester and have an awful smell so people would put flowers into the pockets people infected...

A tissue a tissue was naturally because of the plague it caused people to sneeze....

And finally we all fall down, well we know with the plague people died....

Not as sweet and innocent as the nursery rhyme is made out to be...

That`s my trivia for the day....

The blog name says it all..The good the bad and the whatevers

2009-02-25T16:28:00.004+10:30

Good afternoon everyone....

It`s certainly been a busy day..Firstly it started off that darling son wasn`t feeling so good this morning....

After a couple of hours of being home there was this major recovery....

He got himself dressed and said "i`m ready to go to school now"...

My gosh I was shocked....I nearly ran to the car because I must admit having him home does drive me nuts, he gets bored so quickly...

Then we had some good news and bad news about Matt's mum...

Good news first as I much prefer the good....

The authorities that have been helping us find a placement in a nursing home for his mum have come up with the goods...

Just over three weeks waiting time is a miracle in itself....

It`s not the place where she wanted but reports from Matt`s brother who has inspected the place himself says it`s very nice and mum should be happy there....

It`s only 14 months old and the facilities are very modern....Tomorrow is move in day for her and she sounds quite excited about the prospect...Mush better there than in hospital she says...lol

We will go down on the weekend to take a look for ourselves and visit mum...Personally I can`t wait to see the facilities myself...

Now for the bad news....

One of those relatives who has been giving us all grief has flown out to Adelaide today to quote "sort things out" unquote.....

We had no choice unfortunately to let Mat ts mum know today of this persons intentions....We also forewarned the nursing staff to keep a close eye on Matt's mother just in case she does get too upset...

Some people are just born trouble makers and never know when enough is enough....

By the way Matt's mother was talking this morning I don`t think she`ll be taking much in the way of nonsense....

I`ll give her her due...

She can be one fiesty old bugger when she wants to be....lol

Amazing how friends know what is needed in a time of feeling blue

2009-02-24T10:34:00.003+10:30

This is AWESOME....something we should all remember.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window

I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait..''That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.

Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture isarranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in..

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bankaccount of memories!Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.I am still depositing.

'Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1 Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

As of last night I did this myself.....

I have had a dark cloud looming over me for many weeks now and the cause of my problem was in laws....

Well I deleted the problem from my Facebook account as it was draining my spirit....

This has now free`d me...

Thank you friend who sent me this email ...

A day of rememberance

2009-02-23T08:26:00.002+10:30

A day of emotions was had for most Australians yesterday as we remembered those fallen in Black Saturday....

The memorial service led by our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declaring that on the 7th February from this day forward we fly our flags at half mast to remember those who were lost in the fires ....

A thank you sign written to many of the fire fighters by those saved ....

Just one of the many firefighting teams who helped ...

A sign to let people know how determined those left behind will rebuild putting their lives back together....

Today Victorians are on high alert again due to 4 fires still burning out of control...Weather conditions are not favouring the firefighters today as strong winds are forecasted....

Some of those country towns who have already had the fire come through their town are still under threat...

Everyone has been warned to activate their fire plans.....

Money and possessions is it really worth it???

2009-02-21T13:16:00.002+10:30

It saddens me to see what some people are truly like when suddenly money becomes the issue......

The worst part is that families, brothers and sisters whom are supposed to love each other can become so vindictive and nasty and not focus on the problem at hand, the persons health...

Instead bitching and carrying on about something that hasn`t even eventuated yet...

Picking the bones of a loved one before they have even passed on....

It`s a sickening thing to watch AGAIN as I witnessed something very similar within my own family when my father fell ill....

Just goes to show what some people are really all about....

It`s right when they say money is the root of all evil.....

It really makes you stop and think, is it worth having anything to leave behind to loved ones !!!!

A blast from the past

2009-02-19T17:40:00.002+10:30

Facebook has been marvellous to be able to catch up and find lost family....

Just of late I have found Matt`s eldest sister and she has been posting photo`s of Matt and the family on her site...

Photo`s that I have never seen ...

You see when Matt seperated from his first wife she has all relevant photo`s of him in his younger days but thankfully his big sister has come to the rescue and provided the missing gaps of his childhood years....

Now I can show our son what his dad looked like back in the primitive days...lol

Matt with his younger brother...Just have a look at that pram!!!!!

Looking at him in this picture our son resembles him so much...

A family portrait of Matt and his brothers....

Certainly a catch even back then...lol

This is Matt in his 20`s with two of his children from the previous marriage....

Thankfully these days no facial hair, something I don`t like....

Give me a clean shaven man anyday....

This is the family all together on a family reunion we had 11 years ago...It was my first meeting of all the family members...

It`s a confusing family made up of the daughter to a father who was killed in the first world war..

Two boys to a second marriage and then the 3 boys to a third marriage....

Missing my boys

2009-02-17T19:57:00.003+10:30

These past few days i`ve actually been feeling a little lost, not knowing what to do with myself....

Hubby has been at his brothers place organising nursing homes and finalising all releveant paper work regarding his mothers welfare..

I miss not having him here...

And I don`t think I can handle any more nights having Daniel in my bed....

The kicks to the head of a night can be more than over brearing...lol

He should be home tomorrow, fingers crossed....

Then of course there is Joshua....

I miss him also....

Even though he was off the rails i`m still his mother and I worry about him...He is never far from my thoughts....

Funnily enough I have spoken to him more since he has been away than when he was living under our roof...

I have thrown myself into the house...

Getting ready for new furniture to be brought in....

It`s been roughly 10 years since upgrading Daniels room and now that he is 11 it`s time to make it more of a "big boys "room.....

So new everything is in order....

It`s quite amazing what you find cleaning out cupboards ....

Keepsakes from when he was a baby....

Brought back many fond memories...

Why do they have to grow up so quickly????

Alledged arsonist faces court today

2009-02-16T10:19:00.003+10:30

Victorians have been urged not to threaten the safety of an accused arsonist scheduled to appear in court today over the lighting of a fire that killed 21 people. The man accused of starting the Churchill-Jeerelang bushfire in Gippsland, in Victoria's east, has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in court today.

The man, who cannot be named, has been charged with one count of arson causing death and one count of intentionally lighting a bushfire. He was arrested in Churchill last week over the fire that also destroyed scores of homes. The arson charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, with the bushfire charge carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years.

Eight bushfires are still burning out of control around Victoria today, but no towns are under direct threat.

The Kilmore East-Murrindindi fire is still causing concern, but the Beechworth fire in the state's northeast is now considered close to contained.

These pictures show the enormity of what confronted these people

Sunday will be marked as a National Day of mourning for the Bushfire victims..

A mother has to do what a mother has to do

2009-02-14T11:14:00.002+10:30

Over the past few months I have watched my teen son spiral out of control...As most of you are aware I have had a constant battle with him trying desperately to direct him on which path he should be taking....

It seems i`ve been the one doing all the hard work and him telling me what I want to hear but doing quite the opposite when i`m not around...

We have had the pregnancy scare, the running away from home ect...

Then there was the using of illicit drugs, getting friends which are older than him to buy alcohol and the list just seems to go on and on....

With all of this going on it hasn`t been doing my youngest any favours either...

He sees his big brother doing these things and starts to copy...Hanging around with older people...Smoking, trying alcohol and not coming home when he was supposed too....

It was all getting way out of control....

I never knew parenting could become so difficult and heart breaking...

I had run out of ways to try and make him see reason....He has a loving family who cares what happens to him but with this road to destruction that he is so hell bent on taking I was left with no more choices....

This wasn`t looked at lightly and I did it with a heavy heart....

I rang his father...

Explained what has been going on with him and asked him to take over the reigns for a while to see whether he can put him on the straight and narrow....

At this stage we are looking at a month , could be longer, could be shorter...

I do know if I hadn`t done this I would have burnt out and then there would be no one to look out for my other two kids....

My son hates me right about now...He didn`t want to go only because he had made plans for Valentines Day with his girl friend....Picnic on the beach with a bottle of alcohol so I found out....

This week alone I have lost 3 and a half kilos just through the stress of his behaviour.....Not that i`m complaining about that...lol

I just want my loving and caring boy back, I know he is in there somewhere....

With him being under his fathers roof, just the two of them having one on one, man to man and no pressure from his girlfriend I honestly believe he will come out the other side of this....

Now with his father doing his bit I can concentrate on getting my youngest back on track....Making friends with kids his own age...Today it`s been a good start..He has a friend over from school and they are swimming in the pool...Kids being kids and that`s the way it should be....

I just hope that I have made the right decision when it comes to my teen....

I was tricked and now i`m a broken woman

2009-02-13T14:11:00.003+10:30

It`s that time of year again where cupid comes out to play...

Personally I thought my luck had changed....

I was sent a Valentines message and wondered who had sent it to my phone...

Hmph, short lived when I saw who it was from...

Telstra...

Guess cupid was having a bit of fun ...

At my expense.....

It`ll take me years to overcome the heartache and disappointment.....

lol....

.................................................

Still no relief for the Victorians and the bushfires......

I do hope that the weather favours them as it`s getting quite dangerous again coming awfully close to built up townships.....'What is good is that the authorities seem to be closing in on those suspected of lighting the fires....

If they do get caught they want to hope that the police get to them first....

Today we here in Adelaide are looking through the haze of the smoke coming down from Victoria.....

You can smell it in the air ...

At first I thought it was a bushfire of our own ......

I may have to keep the youngest child indoors for a while until it blows over...I can see it could quite possibly flare up his asthma.....

And what a fantastic job with all this money raised to help the victims out....

It`s certainly touched a lot of hearts not only in our country but across the world....

Death toll rises in Victoria`s darkest weekend

2009-02-10T07:45:00.003+10:30

Well we were warned to brace ourselves for more devastation to come and they were right...

The death toll rose over night to a total of 173 and they are expecting more bodies to be found over the course of the coming week...

All states have sent extra firefighters to help those already trying to contain fires still out of control.....There are still communities that are under threat.....

These photo`s are from people who survived the firey inferno....

Listening to some of the survival stories lastnight on the news coverage brought tears to my eyes....

And then there were the stories of those who didn`t make it.....

One that sticks in my mind constantly is of a family who had their car packed with the dog in the back seat, keys in the ignition of the car and yet their bodies were found in the front room of their home.....

Many can`t go back to see what`s left of their homes or their community as they are now declared crime scenes....

Reading the news this morning police are preparing sketches of whom they want to talk to about the lighting of the fires.....

Begs the question as to the fire plans.....

Do you stay and fight or do you go.......

Death Toll risen to 108

2009-02-09T09:40:00.003+10:30

What can one say....

It`s been a sickening sight to watch and even more so to know that someone could have possibly lit these fires diliberately....

The horror stories that are coming out of these townships have made me so sad I cried ....

People trying to flee only to get caught up in fire front....

No hope of escaping.....

The innocent lives that have been lost, homes that have been destroyed is the worst in Australias history....

Just devastating...

Haircuts seemed to be the order of the day

2009-02-07T13:33:00.002+10:30

Seeing as the weather has been so hot I thought I would tackle the task of giving the dogs a haircut....Angel the white one carried on a treat, whinging and fidigty the whole way through it...

Hobbles my boy on the other hand was marvellous....Laid there,turned when I wanted him too and did exactly what he was told....He did get a bit nervous though when I got too close to his stumpie leg...He protects it at all costs so I was extra careful.....

The kids are calling them the lost sheep and the cow.....You can guess who is meant to be what....lol

Then out of the blue my teenage son Joshua comes in and says "Mum I want you to shave my head".....I nearly fell off my chair....This child you practically have to drag to the hairdressers to get a trim, never mind about all hair to be removed...

Twice I asked him are you sure????.....Yes came the answer so I quickly set everything up before he had time to change his mind....

Now if only he would get rid of that facial hair.....

The wildlife is struggling with this heat

2009-02-05T21:17:00.004+10:30

There are some photo`s getting around about our furry little wildlife friends trying to cope with this dreadful heatwave we have been enduring over the past week and a half.....

The time has come

2009-02-01T08:04:00.002+10:30

Hi everyone...Sorry it`s been a while but this weather we are having here in Adelaide is wearing me down...A girl can only take so much of 40+ degree heat day after day.....I have CANKLES.....

For those of you who are unsure what CANKLES are it`s when your calf muscles decide to meet up with your ankles......Very sore and most difficult to walk.....

It has been a most interesting week gone by.....Some of you who visit my other blog you already know but for those of you who don`t here it goes....

Joshua`s g/f.....

NOT I repeat NOT pregnant.....(good news hey)?????

I believe she had some motives..... a girl just knows these things irrelevant of how old you are....

The other good news is that I applied for a job online for the son and he heard back from them....An apprenticeship with Bakers delight....His application is being processed to a local franchise and hopefully next week we will hear something.....

He really needs to work as school is doing him no favours....Firstly because the g/f is there and secondly he has no interest in learning.....3 days back into the new school year and he has already earned himself a detention.....Oh and yes a grounding from me....You see after everything he has put me through this year I am getting tough with him (plus the other kids).....I am taking back control and I don`t care whether they are teenagers or not, if they want me to start treating them like 2 year olds I will....If they can show me that they are responsible (young) adults then I will loosen the noose (so to speak)...

I`m running a strict household at present and if they choose to go AWOL then they will see my wrath....lol

Highly strained and drained

2009-01-26T21:29:00.002+10:30

These past few days have been highly emotional...Joshua has been lashing out at me verbally and it has broken my heart that he thinks so lowly of me.....

In the end I snapped , I couldn`t take his verbal abuse any longer and as a last resort I rang his father to come and take him.....Joshua didn`t think I would do it but he pushed me to the brink....

I`ve never seen such a turn around as I witnessed that night....He was sorry blah blah blah....The damage was done....His father didn`t end up taking him but did speak with him.....Gave his thoughts on the matter at hand and basically said the same thing as I have been saying....

For now I am trying to get everything out of my mind....I have been taking my frustrations out with housework....Those jobs that you put off doing....mainly washing down walls....Moving furniture around and throwing unused items out.....

Thankfully two of the kids start back at school tomorrow and Joshua returns on Wednesday....This will hopefully give me a chance to recharge and think about things a little clearer......

I`ve had so much to deal with this past week....My mother in laws health, my husbands health and now Joshua....They say things come in 3`s....Looks like it`s here....

Big decisions over the next few days

2009-01-23T21:11:00.002+10:30

After we had the police involved my son and his g/f were finally located and eventually they came home by their own free will..... The reasons for their running away was that the g/f is pregnant....Now there is the dilemma of two 15 year old kids adamant about bringing this little baby into the world..... Normally I would be ok with this BUT both of these kids are far from mature enough to be able to cope with such a major task of bringing up a baby.... After much talking with the pair of them it was decided by all parents that they be seperated for a few days so that there is no pressure from either one of them....We get the feeling that my son is the one who is putting the pressure on the g/f to keep the baby for his own benefit and not that of the childs....... You see I know for a fact that firstly my son doesn`t want to go back to school.....Then there is RULES.....He doesn`t want to live by my rules and he wants to be able to do what he wants when he wants without consequences......And finally MONEY.....He can move out of home (so he thinks) claim centrelink payments without having to lift a finger .....The writing is on the wall.....It has become ALL too clear what it`s about with him..... And who will suffer from his selfishness.....The baby, the g/f and the grandparents...... So now it has been left up to the g/f and her parents as to where they go from here.....I`ve told my son he isn`t in the picture now.....Big decisions have to be made and unfortunately he has no say in the matter..... Of course he isn`t happy about it because this wasn`t in his plans.....He is moping around now because he is out of the loop ... Now i`m on 24 hour watch to make sure that he doesn`t do another runner......I`m mentally and physically exhausted and am afraid that it`s only going to get worse before it gets better.....

i`m an absolute mess

2009-01-21T01:29:00.004+10:30

I sit here in the early hours of the morning and think to myself "where did I go wrong"????

What did I do that was so bad to be treated this way????.....

My teenage son Joshua has run away from home with his girlfriend.....They were last seen at the bus stop this afternoon and no one has heard or seen from them since....

I`m sick from worry...

And the worst part is I didn`t see it coming...There has been no indication that he wasn`t happy at home, nothing!!!!!

Now I blame myself.....I don`t know where to look, how to contact his friends, nothing....

I feel absolutely usless, powerless to fix it......

His mobile and the girlfriends mobiles are turned off and they have shut everyone out....

Then I had to deal with a drunken ex husband saying "what`s going on at home"???....What did you do to him??? Blah blah blah.....No frigging help what so ever except to make me feel 10 times worse than what I already am.....

The mother of the girlfriend and I have put out a missing persons report with the police and now we just wait....I`m climbing the walls, frantic and just praying that no harm has come to them....

I just need to know that they are ok.....

The best of friends

2009-01-19T13:53:00.003+10:30

Who would have thought that the kitten would slot into the family as easily as she has...

Hobbles adores her....They run through the house (both of them) like maniacs.....Because hobbles has only one front leg the cat has the upper paw.....He can`t get traction and skids across the floor and that`s when Puss (yes original name isn`t it) attacks....lol....Hobbles is in his glory now as he has a play mate....His mum is getting on now and doesn`t tolerate much in his playful mode but Puss, omg they are both in their element....

This is the end result after having a run around through the house....Cute aren`t they...lol...I`m sure this cat will grow up like our last cat thinking it is a dog......

Out with the old and in with the new

2009-01-17T16:24:00.004+10:30

I`ve come to the conclusion that this year will be a year of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.....

So this year i`m actually saving my pennies....I`m debt free now and got rid of those nasty credit cards....They can be such a burden once you have them..Never am I going down that path again....They are too handy!!!!!

Now that the slate is clean theoretically I should be able to save....On paper anyway..lol

For quite some time I have been wanting to upgrade in the furniture department...The kids are now old enough to appreciate their surroundings so I feel it`s a good time to start throwing out old furniture and replacing it with the more modern, up beat, today`s type of furniture....

I`ve been slowly buying bits and pieces for our lounge room like ottomans (foot rests) and a new 12 cube shelf for storage.....I must start downsizing....With all the nic nacs ect it really is getting out of hand...Plus it will cut down the dusting and I am definitely not one who likes dusting..In fact I loathe it....

I`ve chosen black and white for my colour scheme in the lounge room...Safe colours that are easily available....Plus black is so much easier to keep clean.....White on the other hand, well the kids will just have to be careful otherwise they`ll have a rampant mother...lol

One month in and touch wood everything is going along tp plan....Let`s see how it goes further down the track....

Summer has arrived in SA with a vengeance

2009-01-14T15:01:00.005+10:30

The last few days has definitely been good swimming weather...So much so , that even I had a dip in the pool so it must have been hot...lol

But alas there is always a down side to this kind of weather....Firstly it`s killing my plants....Someone forgot to move them from the suns rays and now they are burnt to a crisp.....In fact so are the kids.....It doesn`t matter how much sunscreen you put on , with 41 degree days it just melts the sun screen straight off....

Secondly it does not agree with hubby at all.....Even though today has been a good day....Out of bed for the first time in weeks....Since we have had the second air conditioner installed it has made the house a lot more comfortable for him....Money well spent I believe.....

And speaking of money, there isn`t much of it at the moment...Kids are due back at school in a weeks time which can only mean one thing....School fees are due.....OMG!!!!!

No such thing as a free education these days.....

I sowed and am now reaping the benefits

2009-01-10T13:25:00.002+10:30

I thought I would show you how my vegies and fruit tree are looking....I just made a ham and tomatoes sandwich, home grown tomato naturally and it was delicious....I have picked so many already and looks like i`ll be out there picking some more.....A great excuse for having salads...

The nectarines I would say still have a week or two of ripening time........The birds had better not beat me too them....

And this lonesome guy is celery...I`ve never tried to grow this before but after a slow start it seems to be coming along just nicely...

Sorry Fran, I know you`re having a hard time with your lot but perserverance and patience.....The funny thing is I haven`t staked any of the tomatoes...They are just running wild and still producing....

It`s been a growers paradise

2009-01-03T22:39:00.003+10:30

For the last two days I have been cutting and pitting plums....I have stewed them, I have made plum pies and this is my new creation, plum cheese cake,,,,I made 2......The first one I used uncooked plums and was quite surprised that it tasted good....

The second cheesecake I made I used the stewed fruit and omg i sneaked a taste and it`s devine....In future I will definitely be using the stewed version....

Starry was kind enough to share a plum cake recipe with me today so guess who`ll be busy baking again....lol....Tomorrow will be the last day for baking...3 days in a row now and I can honestly say i`m sick of it....Any left over fruit will be stewed and frozen for a later date....

The kids sure won`t be short on sweets for a while....

I am pleased with the amount of fruit we managed to get from two branches....Yes only two....They were packed full, so much so that the branches were getting awfully close to the ground....I covered them with netting to prevent the birds from eating them this year...Last year they had a field day and we were lucky to get a bucket full...Sorry birdies but it was our turn this year....

The vegie patch is also extremely productive....Cherry tomatoes galore and apple cucumbers growing quite well....I`ve never had much luck with the cucumbers but this year is a different story...

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T23:30:00.002+10:30

Well here I am only half hour to go before I say farewell to the year 2008.....

My family and I have made it through another year....

Yee haaa.....

What will 2009 bring????

Only time will tell but one thing i`m desperately hoping for is that my husband and children are healthy and happy....

That will be the best thing any mother and wife could hope for....

Happy New Year Everyone....

The year that was

2008-12-30T13:46:00.002+10:30

as we prepare to say goodbye to the year 2008 I thought I would look back on the year that was....

............................................. January saw my two eldest Joshua and Krystal go on a holiday of a lifetime, visiting Queensland for a week and then Darwin for a week....It was also an opportunity for Matt, Daniel and myself to take a bit of a break away from suburbia and stay in a carvan park at Victor Harbour.....We loved the place so much that we want to retire there when the kids have left the nest...

................................................ February saw my son Joshua assulted by a kids neighbour and to this day there is still a fued going on by them....Hobbles lost his manhood, poor love now he is confused as to what he is.....lol.....Also we lost our cat Suzi to a dog which should have been restrained by it`s owner....

..................................................... March was where Daniel got himself involved with SAPASA..A huge achievenment for him as sport isn`t one of his strongest assests....He made me very proud as he did his best and was very sportman like on the day....

................................................ April was when Joshua went away with his father and he came back a very angry and disturbed boy....After getting to the bottom of it all we were able to fix the problem and start a fresh....April also saw Matt become quite ill...So much so that he had to go to his mothers for a few days just to get the peace and quiet he needed to recoup....

................................................... May saw my daughter turn sweet 16.....Still more issues with Joshua and school...LAst warnings were given to pull his socks up....

......................................................... June saw the begiining of what is now an on going issue with Daniel and disappearing for hours at a time....This was the first phone call we had to make to the police to try find him..Matt also celebrated another birthday...Every birthday is a bonus....

.................................................... July was the beginning of many tests for Matt..CT scans and hospital appointments...It was a very stressful month for us all....

.................................................... August we celebrated Daniels 11th Birthday.....Now i`m starting to feel my age...lol..This also was the month that Krystal came down with this mystery illness....Another stressful month.... September there were many hospital visits for both Krystal and Matt....By this stage I didn`t know whether I was coming or going.....There was some fun to be had in this month for the kids as it was the Royal show.....But as we know with fun there is always a downside.....This was the month that we lost our little nephew Callum in a tragic accident.....Also where his sister Chelsea was severely injured.....A very difficult and devasting month,.....

......................................................... October was a blur of a month.....2 funerals in two weeks having lost Callum and also an Aunty who lost her battle with Cancer....This was also my birthday which wasn`t much for a celebration this year....

........................................................ November saw for a busy month with school excursions for the kids....Then there was the little incident of Daniel and his burns...Also lots of strikes by the teachers at school....

....................................................... And finally we arrive at December....Shopping, lots of it....A holiday for Matt, myself and Daniel to KI...Then school breakups..More doctors appointments and Christmas Day....

............................................... 2008 has certainly had some highs but so too it`s lows....As I write this blog young Chelsea is still in hosiptal with her mother having not left her little girls side....There are signs of recovery but to what extent is still anyones guess....Everyday we pray that she will pull through and be that happy, energetic vibrant little girl she once was....

................................................ 2009 I wish for good health to everyone especially for those people who are suffering from illnesses......Whatever the year will bring I know that there will be laughter and hopefully not too many tears....

.......................................................... From my family to yours I would like to wish everyone a Happy New year....

Thank you for your friendship and support over the year, it has meant a lot to me....

A few happy snaps of Christmas Day

2008-12-27T12:05:00.002+10:30

A few happy snaps of our Xmas Day....

My darling daughter and myself....

Geez I look brown compared to her...lol

My gorgeous boy who will always be the clown of the family....

He knows how to liven up a party....

The tribe all feasting away on Xmas tea....

Our family is slowly growing....

I truly treasure my family....They mean the world to me and I am ever so greatful that even though they can drive me nuts, and I probably drive them crazy, they love me unconditionally and vice versa.....

Happy Boxing Day

2008-12-26T08:51:00.002+10:30

Another Christmas comes and goes which means another year that my poor husband is disappointed with his own children....The 3 of them made no effort to get in contact with him for the day nor have they replied to him about coming here for lunch today....He is so terribly upset....Yesterday as we were only around the corner from one of his daughters place, we decided to drop all the grandkids presents there...I sent a text message to all of them and still haven`t heard a thing....

I hate seeing my hubby so upset because of his girls, it breaks my heart and then the anger sets in but I try my hardest to bite my tongue....Hard for me to do but I do it under duress for my hubbies sake....

Then my middle son Joshua drops a bombshell on me Christmas Eve saying that he will be going away with his father on Christmas night for two weeks....I wasn`t upset because he was going away, I was upset because I had organised a family get together this night....

Well you can imagine my frustration and I stormed out of the house in tears.....I`m very sentimental when it comes to Christmas Day .....

My daughter followed me out the house and she calmed me down....My son rang his father and told him he would have to make it today....So everything worked out in the end....

An overall summary of the day, it was enjoyable...Beautifully cooked lunch made by Matts brother, home to a nice tea and a few relaxing drinks...

Now to get ready for the big shopping spree which starts at 12:01am tomorrow or tonight....lol

Then and maybe then I can actually start to relax and enjoy the school holidays with my youngest son......

Happy Boxing Day everyone.....