#1 Lifes a beach #2 Original art work by tall pipi #3 School assembly #4 Miss joy giving her dadda a run for his money during the Kids verses Parents race
I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Here? Well let me tell you...
We did something grown up and switched banks this month, chasing a better interest rate. Which is great..but I decided to switch all our accounts over but new banks online page is really bugging me. Its so...ugly! Seriously...I've seen better blog sites, like all you good peoples out there. So I sent them some constructive "feed back" expressing there need to pretty up the banking page! May be Simoney and her talent for creative web page design could be used.
Can you believe this summer! We have a promotion in Whangarei called the "Endless Summer" and every other year...I think...Yeah not really....but this year, it really is! We aren't at the point of water restrictions here yet, because the city dams are okay, but the people on tanks are feeling it. And the local meat works are working overtime. More steak...but less milk.
The older kids finished their athletics season. It has been a fun after school activity. The funniest thing I like to do is people watch...or in this case "parent watch". Most of the kids are there for a bit of fun, but it cracks me up watching Dad or Mum (who am I kidding..its usually the dad) take little Johnny aside and show him how it is really done. My kids really enjoyed the running the most. I love watching my kids improve on things from the beginning of the season. The simplest thing like mastering high jump ( in our case...landing on the mat correctly) fills my love tank. Miss Joy especially takes a wee longer than her little brother to do some things...but I love how she listens intently to the instructor and keeps practicing in line until its her turn again.
I won something!! An Original Art work by Tall Pipi and few months ago I won a Margaret Mahy book from Miriam at Create Hope Inspire. Thank you ladies! There is nothing a blogger loves more than giveaways...am I right?!
Which leads me to my next point. Look out for my next post which will be my 200th....and you know what that means!!! G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y. time. I have been collecting some cool stuff for ya'll. So stay tuned.
Sometimes I get a little bored with this season in my life. I work part-time,and would like to work more, but don't want to upset the balance of needing child care etc. I currently work 0.3 which is three shifts a fortnight. Mostly weekends and after hours. When I'm at work and I have to explain to my colleagues why I don't work as much as they do, I feel a little embarrassed but I make a bit of a joke about it and we have a laugh...my way of dealing with most awkward conversations. But then in my group of church friends and other mum friends, many don't work at all and have made the decision to stay at home full time. I like what I do. At the end of a shift people actually thank me for the work I did and as a bonus I get paid for it. Parenting...not so much. I beg my kids to go to bed on time and they're in such a grump by then... I'm thankful my working day is over with them...and no one thanks me much at all.
BUT then I realized NOT working full time has its ups with the kids too. Yesterday...I helped out with my daughters summer sports day. It was an inter school competition...and I was there to see it. The last few Monday mornings I have made it to their school assemblies, video camera and still camera snapping away like a proud mumma. My kids get a home cooked meal most nights....because I can do it. I can be available for taxi service for after school activities.
Sometimes a nice cold reality check gives you a slap in the face...and a wave of thankfulness replaces the resentment of the sacrifices that comes with being a mumma. I. Will. Enjoy. This. Season.!!
And on a side note...my kids actually still want me to help out with school transport, I better make the most of it before..."could you please drop me off a block away" kicks in!
Holy Smokes! Not long now until the Christchurch Bloggers conference. I am apprehensive and and excited at the same time. I can't wait for my girls weekend with Paisley Jade. A great way to celebrate my Birthday!
I had a hankering for Chocolate eclairs last week. Mine turned out blardy awful! Only the second thing in my cooking history I have had to throw out. I didn't take a picture because I didn't want to ruin my cooking rep!
Any hoo...the kids need a taxi ride home from school. And I am going to it...because I can :)
xx
I think I have mentioned this before...but at my place Friday after school is called Friday Fun-day. Instead of going straight home after school we head to local park and have a play for a while. You cannot believe how excited the kids get over this, they repeatedly say..."this is the the best day of the week." And it isn't even a big deal. I usually have a nice afternoon snack ready...or we grab an ice cream, and they LOVE it. It is consistency at its best. A couple of weeks a go we went on a bike ride all the way into town to the DVD store, just me and the older two. And it was great. I'm not usually the parent of choice when it comes to doing fun stuff. Except on Friday afternoon!
That kid in the red is my two year old. I couldn't believe he could get up that far. I have a hands off policy with this particular apparatus. I figure if he can figure out how to get up on his own...he'll know how to get himself down. And he did. He may take a few years to get to the top, but at least he will get there him self.
I worked Friday night shift, that's 11 pm to 7 am. Yep shift work is not for the faint of heart. On the plus side I made it to the local Farmers Market at a good time. I have a favourite grower who supplies a delicious mescalin salad blend. As well as a delicious bottle of basil pesto. I have been enjoying the stuff on Vogel bread lately for breakfast and the kids LOVE it too.
Saturday I slept the day away...well tried to anyway. It was a crappy sleep. In the afternoon the kids needed some fresh air so we went over to the park across the road. We found a flattened card board box and the kids spent ages going up and down the hill. Old school fun!
Sunday I worked again this time a morning shift and came home to hubby getting dinner started (a rarity) and a Guinness chilled all ready to celebrate St Paddys day!
We cranked up some U2 and then decided we should so an irish jig dance off. I showed the kids a you tube clip of the famous River Dance....Anyone remember Micheal Flatley? They were keen!
As tired as I felt I HAD to make some St Paddys day baking. I had an idea to try a Baileys and coffee Chocolate brownie. Of course I googled a recipe and none jumped out me, so based on Paisley Jades Fudge Brownine recipe...I omited an egg and replaced the liquid with about 100ml of Baileys and a teaspoon of instant coffee powder. The result was a delicious moist brownie. SO yum!
Yep...today I am pooped. The shift work may take a few days to get over...I think I may have afternoon nap . Can't beat a great weekend of fun.
