Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Kids can have such poor timing.....

I can play Facebook & read blogs for half an hour whilst Miss Megan is watching a DVD. I don't hear a peep from her.

Why is it that as soon as I start peeling the potatoes (picture dirty & wet hands), she does a big stinky poo, comes & asks me to make her a drink and demands a change of DVD to watch?! If I don't tend to her straight away, she tries to fix it all herself. I don't fancy having a naked pooey girl trying to pour herself a drink whilst attempting to shove a disc into the DVD player.......

You can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as I start mashing the spuds she will be asking for something else!

One of the joys of an almost 3 year old!

Do your kids do stuff like this too? Please tell me I am not alone!

Monday, June 14, 2010

No perfection here either....

After reading http://www.imaynotbeperfect.com/ (Erin's) and http://tinagray.me/ (Tina's) blogs on people portraying themselves as having a perfect life (when we all know that is not the reality), I thought I would jump on the bandwagon too and share some of the imperfections in my own life.

I have been accused in the past of being "Little Miss Perfect" (by my own sister who of all people should know better) because I look for the positive in everything and because I am one of these eternally cheerful people.

So, after a big breath, here we go:

1. I yell. Sometimes a lot. Our 2 year old says "Mum stop yelling to me". How bad does that make me feel?

2. I am too trusting - I trust everyone until they give me reason not to (regardless of reasons they may have given others not to trust them). I need to learn to be more wary and maybe a bit more reserved.

3. I don't often have an opinion on things, nor am I good at decision making. When I was growing up all my decisions were made for me by my strict mother & we weren't allowed to have opinions, we just had to do as we were told. So I was never taught the self confidence to be able to do this.

4. I am lazy when it comes to housework. That's why I get so excited when I read ideas on how to make running a household easier (call it decrapifying or decluttering or whatever). 

5. I have 20 kg to lose and have struggled with my weight all my life. Sound familiar? I have lost it 3 times already but I keep allowing it to come back. Maybe it's that whole self confidence thing again.

6. I rarely allow myself to have a day when I feel low, telling myself to snap out of it coz there is always someone out there worse off than I am.. Maybe I need to let myself feel sad sometimes because I know that one day it will all catch up with me otherwise & I will be a basket case. A couple of times in my life I have had what I call mini meltdowns and not always realised until afterwards. Maybe it's time to put myself first a bit more often.

7. I don't have the perfect husband,, nor does he have the perfect wife. But we love each other. We have been married since 1992 & almost split up in 1996 when our first child was 6 months old.

8. We overspend. Continually. Sure we have a big house but we also have a big mortgage.

9. I also struggle to keep up the washing & folding. I do not iron as such. I get the board out every day & iron the school uniforms. My mother, mother in law & babysitter all fold washing when they visit - they probably feel sorry for me!

10. I sometimes wish for time away from my family even though they are my life.

That's what I have come up with for now, but I'm sure I will think of more.....

Cheers,
Karen xx

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Weekly Whiteboard

Here is a pic of my week that starts today.




It's my whiteboard that is on the fridge door. Every Sunday afternoon I grab the calendar off the wall & my diary & write up our whiteboard for the week. It's the only way I can keep track of who needs to be where. The calendar squares are too small & my eyes are getting too old to be able to read what is written on it from a distance. I used to live my life from my diary but since giving up the party plan business (the one that was taking over my life) I no longer carry my diary everywhere.

This way we all know what is happening, hubby Ray knows when I am going to work & where the kids need to be & when. He also has an idea of what happens in my life whilst he is at work. This is a pretty quiet week, which means lots of time for me to be at home and relax, oops, I mean do lots of housework!

I have even included a Dinner Winners section now, after being inspired by Tina Gray at http://tinagray.me/ with her Monday Meal Plan blogs.

Now everyone knows what is for dinner & it saves me having to spend time every day wondering what to cook. We should also see savings at the supermarket checkout! I will keep my fingers crossed anyway!!

What do you do in your home to keep track of everything?

Cheers,
Karen xx

Do Your Kids Look Like You?

I have always been told that our 3 kids look like my husband Ray. I am no good at picking who kids resemble in relation to their parents (unless it's bleedin' obvious like my friend Kim's kids http://mammadiosa.blogspot.com/). I do think our eldest looks a touch like my brother and I do agree that Liam looks like the photos of Ray I have seen from when he was the same age. And Megan is definitely a female version of Liam so she must be just like Ray too.....I didn't get much of a look in at all!

With that in mind, I thought I would share with you some pictures.....



In descending order we have  Megan, Dad, Liam, Mum & Zac. Artist : Megan (except the pic of her which was drawn by Zac).....

Compare these to our actual pics!


Zac & Megan in the first pic & Liam with his singlet on his head in the second pic.
Much resemblance?!

Ray wants to remain anonymous so I have not included a photo of him, but I kept threatening I would! "I don't wanna be a blog!"

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Today I got Frightened.....

Today I got frightened. Frightened for a woman and frightened for her child. Frightened for what kind of life I imagine they must have. Everything happened in a few seconds & I will never know what was really going on.

I was driving to a shopping centre (I am not going to say which one because this could happen anywhere, not just in this particular suburb) and I saw a woman and child walking along the footpath. The child must have been about 4. As I was nearing them a car with a male driver pulled up, she stopped, startled, yelled someting & started running from him. He jumped out of the car & started chasing her, yelling. The child hadn't even had time to react before I had driven past.

What do you do in a situation like this?

I don't know what happened to the woman. I was so shaken. My instinct was that he was going to catch her & thump her. I kept checking in my rearview mirror but they were out of sight, having run off the footpath & towards houses (which is the only way you can run when a car pulls up & someone jumps out at you).

There were some workmen up ahead so I pulled up & called them over to ask them to drive down & make sure the woman was okay. I had visions of this man beating this woman up. And the child having to watch it happen. I didn't see much as I was driving at 60k's but I could see that she was frightened.

One of the workmen offered to call the police because he thought I was being chased, but then he figured out what I was saying (I was almost in tears & my voice was doing the shaking thing by now). He could see the car I was talking about (we were a bit further along the road now) & could see the guy getting back into it & taking off pretty quickly. So the workman took a good look at him & noted the rego as he passed us.

The whole thing was over in only 3 or 4 minutes so we figured there wouldn't have been time for the guy to have "done much" (terrible phrase but I am lost on how to describe it) to the woman. I hope the truth is that she got away in time & into a house & got the child inside too.

It makes me wonder how people get into, and stay in these kinds of relationships. I have never been in a volatile relationship so am not pretending I know anything about it. I realise some women don't have the confidence to leave, or they love him, or he promises it won't happen again, or whatever. And what does it do to the children? Do they grow up thinking that this behaviour is normal? I'm not judging, I'm not preaching, I'm just saying. This is my personal observation, that's all. It just makes me appreciate even more what a wonderful man I married and that the life I have is truly blessed.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

Karen xx

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

In the Cuteness Category

Today Missy Megan, aged 2, found one of my hairs on her jacket. She came running from the other side of the room to put it on my head, saying "Here Mummy, I give it back to you"......

All together now, everybody say "naw" NAAAAAAWWWWWWWW.......

On second thoughts, maybe she thinks I am thinning?!

Cheers!
Karen xx

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Benefits of Laziness

Boy, am I glad I have been too lazy to finish clearing out the kitchen cupboards! You know how it's one of those jobs when you say to yourself "I must do that one day". One does get fed up with things falling out when one opens the door, and having to take things out to get to what you want to use. Please tell me I am not alone in this!

We rarely use saucepans in our house - sounds strange at first, but we do most of the traditional stovetop cooking in the microwave. We really only use a saucepan to cook pasta and spag bol (in which case it's the massive pot that we use to make soups & the like). Rice, noodles, vegies, scrambled eggs, dim sims, are all cooked in the microwave. Makes for a (safe - no suacepans to pull down) child friendly kitchen, quick meals (considering we don't often plan them in advance) and a generally happy "chef".

So the saucepans are something I have been considering clearing out & donating to chrity so they can be passed on someone who could use them (keeping the bare minimum here instead of doubles like we have now). Luckily I am lazy.

On Friday - something happened. RIP MICROWAVE OVEN!

Oh No! How will we cope without one for a few days until we get another? Well, thank goodness for all those saucepans I must say! Tinned spaghetti, two minute noodles, steamed dim sims - all the things we usually put in the microwave without a second thought now need extra time to plan & cook. I have meat defrosting in the fridge for tomorrow night's dinner (OMG - I have had to plan tomorrow's dinner already!). Luckily we have some crumbed chicken in the fridge already defrosting & some leftover cottage pie (which will be reheated tonight in the regular oven instead of the microwave). If I pulled something out of the freezer now, it wouldn't defrsot in time for tonight's dinner!

Wow - all these things that I don't usually need to consider! I admit I sometimes do try & plan some meals for the week but the meat sits in the freezer until I defrost it in the microwave just before cooking it. I can't have you thinking I am completely lazy!

But sometimes, especially with saucepans, it pays off!

How do you cope when something like this happens to you?

Cheers,
Karen xx

Friday, June 4, 2010

A Beautiful Night Away

Gorgeous Hubby & I were gifted a dinner, accommodation & breakfast package at Jamberoo Valley Lodge by 3 couples for our combined 40th birthdays earlier this year. We finally had the opportunity to use it last night!

Oma (Ray's mum) came to our place for a sleepover with the kids (our friends did offer to billet them between them but mother in law was available & wanting to mind them) so off we went.

We were the only guests at the lodge so instead of seating us in the big restaurant & having us feel uncomfortable, the thoughtful staff pushed lounges aside & set up a dining table in front of the log fire. It was a beautiful way to have our delicious 3 course dinner. Of course, with a couple of bottles of wine! And the drizzly weather added to the atmosphere.

Breakfast was the same set up except the fire wasn't lit(and coffee instead of wine). Nice & peaceful, freshly cooked bacon & eggs after toast & fruit, with no worries about kids spilling drinks or not eating up!

A delightful and rare night away. After recently clicking over 18 years of marriage, I think it was well earned too!

So a big big THANK YOU to Lisa & Zvonko, Bek & John, and Lisa & Dave for this wonderful opportunity for some time to ourselves!
xoxo

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Swimming Breakthrough?

I don't want to get my hopes up prematurely but today was the first swimming lesson in which Missy Megan ALMOST cracked a smile! Almost, but not quite! It was also only the second lesson in which she didn't cry - I think she was close at one stage but was brave enough to keep it at bay.

She is learning to trust her teacher - the fabulous Louise at Shellharbour Swim Academy......today she was happy to be led around on a noodle & is VERY SLOWLY working her way up to jumping in. Louise has a lot of patience & doesn't get frustrated at all, instead she is thanking me for perservering with Megan! My take on it is that Megan needs to learn to swim. Get over it kiddo! (She has been in lessons with Louise since Feb).

Missy Megan is so funny to watch - all the other kids do the jumping in & the running on the floating mat followed by a jump in but not Missy Megan. Oh no way! She will sit on her bottom so she has to be dragged off the edge of the pool onto the mat & then slides across it, usually crying all the way. With lots of encouragement we got her to a crouch on the side of the pool today - a step towards standing to jump in!

Today saw a different Megan. Let's hope this one is here to stay......

What were your kids like when they were learning to swim?

Cheers,
Karen xx