Disastrous number 2's.......

We are in renovation chaos....again. 3 years ago we had a fully renovated house that was perfect. 3 toilets to boot! How spoilt we were, 3 toilets, and at the time only 3 people needing those toilets.And then a surprise package came along which meant we moved out of our perfect house and into something bigger....equalling renovation chaos.

 Now we have one. And 5 people needing it. The bathroom that will service the children is in ruins, pulled out and in bits. Why you ask? Good question, we had every intention of putting the bathroom back together quickly. After all who in their right mind would pull something apart and not fix it?

Well........... other pressing projects surfaced...namely drainage issues that could put any plumber into a Merc faster than saying Xlotto. Dutifully over summer my husband dug, paved, spent copious amounts at Bunnings, all to make sure the water that fell from the heavens would be directed away from the house and disappear into the drains that head out to the blue we call the ocean! I admit he did a great job, perfect in fact. But the fact remains, we are still one toot down and now that Buddha  is trained, we have 5 people sharing that one toot.

Cue Buddha....he has done so well, training has been great...finally no more bottoms to wipe, Hooray!
But with this independence surfaces a naughty little boy who deems it necessary to stall in the bathroom and independently stuff as much toilet paper down the toilet as humanely possible....im not talking dainty sheets floating in one by one. Picture a solid mass ie a whole toilet roll full of paper wedged into the S bend!

oh god panic.....we only have one toilet, how long before one of us needs to go?......namely me as I cant water the lemon tree as innocently as the boys can....

I suggest tongs to Hubby.... he is worried about having to throw them out, I'm more worried about having to water the lemon tree  ..but nothing else is budging the mass that has been methodically pushed into the darkness of that bend. Tongs it is.....and fortunately they take hold and pull that mass out, freeing up the water that was threatening to spill over the bowl.

Crisis averted and the discussion of when the bathroom will be completed is had!

Brutal honesty....can we take it?

KIDS! and their honesty....

So I am trying out a new recipe...nothing terribly adventurous,but none the less a new one. I decided today to dust off the slow cooker. Its one of 'those' appliances....the sort that gather dust and take up precious cupboard space. I remember when I bought it I thought to myself how organised I would be....dinner ready by the time my husband gets home,and really with not much effort involved. Win win scenario....

Chicken, a whole one plonked in....couple of onions and some sweet potato, which by some feat hadn't walked themselves out of the pantry despite growing legs of their own. I had read somewhere once that slow cookers were great for using up any old veg you have in the house... I think I might be taking it to the extreme,but hey what doesn't kill you only you makes you stronger right?

It is cooking away nicely, doing what it should. It's not hard, you switch to auto and walk away! Thats right, walk away...I hardly know its there, sitting quietly in the corner of the kitchen doing what it should on auto.

My children have been happily playing outside for most of the day.....bless the autumn sunshine and all its glory!
Until......... their hunger pains hit and demands for snacks come left right and centre. My youngest have a 12 month age gap, and with it competition. So if one wants a snack,bet your bottom dollar the other does as well.

I prepare a snack, popping into a bowl their likes....simple....No! I want what he has.....I doooooo like them now.....

I tell my 4 year old he can follow me back into the house to grab the extra's he wants.....only to be hit between the eyes with a statement that has me doubting dusting off the slow cooker.....

WHO FARTED? he yells at me
I try and stifle my giggle. No one did sweetheart, its dinner cooking!

No mum, someone REALLY did fart,and its disgusting.... with that he turned on his heels and walked outside, leaving me wondering if my new recipe is going to be worth the auto switch this morning....

We are but human..........

It is amazing how different people can read into different things on the same subject. Im pretty easy going, not alot offends me, so when I see others offended by a seemingly un interesting topic it makes me think.

Do we take the soft approach and hide personality from people we dont know, or is it better to show bits and pieces occasionally, even if it might not be the 'correct' approach.....

hang about, where are the rules? 

I'd like to think there is a happy medium in there somewhere :)

let me know what you think? do you like knowing the person behind the name? or are flowers and rainbows all the time more your thing?

Tights and undies on the outside...........

Do you have some one you'd happily pull out all stops to help? Go to the ends of the earth for? Ok maybe not travel quite that far,but you get my drift. I'm not talking about a partner or family,that's a no brainer in most instances. I'm talking about a friend, a bestie, a BFF!

I consider myself lucky, I have more than one who I would have no hesitation in helping if they called upon me. I wouldn't care how big or small the problem, they only need call and I would be there in a flash, in fact I could give a superhero a run for their money in speediness stakes.

Having a friend who is not happy is not on my list off things to just watch and let go. So capes and tights go on! Okk maybe not tights with the undies on the outside look, but I'd happily don a cape and a glittery mask!

Listening with out judgement, crying with them, laughing with them, having copious amounts of tissues on hand.

Life long friendships are not always flowery and fun. The hard yards crop up every now and then and its in those moments you realise who you would save in an instant if given the chance.....

Do you have a friend you'd save without hesitation?

Flying High, Rex style

My husband does a bit of travel for work...normally just overnighters. I know of some women who cringe at the thought of their husbands going away.. Not me. I like the me time, slightly selfish but who doesn't?  

I don't cook when he is away....before anyone cries "what about the children?" The children get fed, I just don't cook husband worthy meals. 

I get to watch what ever I like on tv, and even take charge of the remotes for the night. The volume button doesn't go above 14! Crazy huh!

He normally sends a text when he lands, so it was no surprise when one came through....although this time I laughed...a real LOL..

"got here safely,although it was a bit like flying high" arghhhh apart from being one of my favourite movies of all time, he didnt elaborate.... flying high is funny, but has a serious message too....planes crash..

He flies into a regional area..we are talking a 30min trip if that. That doesnt stop the service though,and it seems Rex goes all out to make sure that beverage is served. On his last trip there was a lot of turbulence. This isnt uncommon in a small plane. On this day there was more than the norm.....He told me he was sitting up the back (rebel status!) and as the stewardess was making her way down the "I can just fit down the aisle as long as I dont breathe out" aisle the bumps picked up a notch! 

Everyone that has flown knows its tricky walking in a plane at the best of times. Pretty sure that's why they have small aisles,it acts like a buffer zone to bounce off.

The bumpity bump bump got the better of the stewardess and whilst she tried to diligently do her job, even to the point of pushing the drinks cart on her knees, she had to eventually abandon post and cancel service...much to the dismay of my husband who had been patiently watching her struggle with the cart.

Today he flew off again, and messaged that the flight had been fine,no bumps...my first response "oh good, you got your beverage then?" 

He played it safe,and opted for water.....hot drinks and bumps dont fair well ;)

Thank goodness they didnt serve the fish............

Going against the trend

This picture has been floating around facebook. I am going to go against the trend and disagree to a point. Crazy,just plain silly of me? Yes and yes!
I admit I like crocs, ok so I dont own a pair at the moment, But I used to. They are THE best comfort shoe to ever be invented. My children live in them, I think between them they have about 6 pairs. My youngest especially loves his crocs, and takes wearing them to a whole new level. 95% of the time  they are on the wrong feet-Now tell me another shoe you can comfortably wear on the wrong feet??!!! You can't,because crocs are the ultimate squishy rubbery mould to your feet kinda shoe.

What other shoe can you take a morning walk by the beach type shoe to tackling the over grown jasmine in the garden without once taking them off......and if you get the annoying bits of sand or dirt in them, never fear you just hose those babies out!

Ok so they might not look great in an adult size,kind of like wearing a tyre on your foot, but as a kids shoe,super cute! I would be happy to say what a nice looking pair of crocs you have on....bucking the trend on ugliness!!

Rejoice and embrace a great invention,and if you really want praise for your selection, grab an accessory to bling those babies into NOW!

Remembering forgetful moments.....

We have all had them, days where you wake up and you know its going to be a Barry Crocker Shocker! Its the old, "got up on the wrong side of the bed moment" which for me could be any morning really. I still have one sneaky monkey who likes the midnight raid into our bed. I wouldn't mind if he didn't move once there, but he is one of these children who turns into a wriggly worm when asleep!

3 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over plays in my head when I suddenly feel his little body bunker down in the space between my husband and I. I secretly love the fact he wants us in the middle of the night. One day he is going to be turning up his nose at the mere thought of me glancing at him, so while it lasts, I put up with it.

Sleep is often interrupted though. And a lot of mornings are foggy, and that is with out the aid of a night cap!

I admit I am not a morning person, never have been, never will be.....Night owl all the way "hoot!" but this habit does not favour well after having children and some days the self inflicted sleep deprivation takes it toll.

I forget things sometimes.... im sure we all do? Seemingly simple tasks need a degree to make them happen....IE. sending of a birthday card....so pleased I remembered the date! I thought a few days later, card made-check, card sent-check, voucher included-check...all good.....Nope it wasn't all good...I had sent the card and voucher and completely forgotten to write in the said card! How embarrassment! Especially as I get a thank you phone call,and clarification that I didn't write in the card...

I've also had a positive forgetful moment. Nappies, they have been on my shopping list for years,you'd think by now it was so engrained I would be buying them long after we even needed them! My last baby was nearing toilet training and in the back of my mind all I could think of was happy times...more pee on the floor, but happy times. For a week I forgot to buy nappies, we were low and only had a pull up here and there left in the house. On a Saturday morning I went to change my son,and you guessed it, not a nappy to be found. EVERY single bag that has ever ventured out of the house was searched....nothing,nada zilch!

The positive after the panic, was simple.....my last baby was growing up,and NOW!

I can laugh about it now. But I do hope this isn't a fore warning about further forgetful moments...

PS.....forgetting nappies worked a treat, he has been in jocks ever since and going great guns! it might not work for everyone, but I suggest a foggy morning to forget what you're doing to move on and upwards!