The End to a Busy Weekend

Well I finally have my feet up with a cup of tea and my treasured Macbook.  I have surfed around my usual sites that I check up on daily.  I am looking forward to the MTV Awards tomorrow night so that I can get a glimpse of the new trailer for New Moon.  I have just noticed that my New Moon widget does not seem to be counting down any more.

We have had a really busy weekend which is not the usual for us.  Certainly we are not often busy going out, just busy at home with the usual ritual.

We had the sleep over on Friday night which was a huge success.  I was so pleased as to how well behaved all the kids were.

I can feel that I have missed out on my dose of Daisys though.  Its my own personal therapy.

Saturday morning Geoff took the boys to rugby, and E because she loves going out.

T stayed home with me and we had a cruisy morning.  He watched a bit of tv and stayed in his pjs and I tidied and did some washing.

I went and got my hair cut and coloured.  I am trying a new style because it was so long I could get it cut with less layers.  I have had a similar style many years ago and I really just wanted a change.

Thank god all those greys are now hidden.  I was starting to look quite hideous.

I had briefly thought about giving up on the colouring, but after seeing myself in recent weeks I am certainly not ready to go grey just yet.

The boys then went to a friend's house to have a play.

Geoff and I just had our 2 y/o daughter for a couple of hours, but not really enough time to do anything.

We picked the boys up and then dropped them at my Mum's because she said she would have them for a sleep over.  Geoff and I went to the movies to see "Angels and Demons" which we both enjoyed.  Geoff really enjoyed the book.

With Ron Howard, Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor teaming up it really couldn't fail.

It always re-ignites my interest in learning about religious history.

Just need more hours in the day to fit in more reading.

Geoff and I came home and watched a bit of tv and just enjoyed the peace and quiet.  We would have gone out for dinner, but as friends were taking us to lunch today, we decided not to.

Heather and Merv took us out to the Boat Shed for a lovely Sunday lunch today.  They wanted to thank Geoff for some legal assistance he gave them, which was really nice of them.

Merv's sister Barbara is visiting from Victoria so she came with us, and very kindy offered to drive us all home.

The food was amazing.  I would give it five stars.  For entree I had crumbed whiting with a lime aoili with a strawberry salad.  Main I had eye fillet with potato rosti, fried onion rings, broccolini and a bernaise sauce.  It was perfect.

I then had an orange meringue dessert with pineapple.

There was plenty of wine consumed but I didn't feel too tipsy.  Just very very full.

Mum brought all the kids home and our peace was shattered.  

The kids are all tired from their big weekend, so they were in bed out to it quite early.

Geoff is off to Brisbane in the morning, so he will leave early and I am sure it will be a busy start to the day.

Once again my week is full of all sorts of things.  I crave a week with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Another First

A friend once told me that as your children are no longer babies and get older you start to miss their "firsts" and start to have more "lasts" like the last time they sleep in the cot, or the last time they wear a nappy etc.  

But then sometimes you will come across another first.

My 8 year old son tonight had another first, the first time he had a friend to sleep over.  Not just any friend, his best friend.

He didn't know anything about it this morning when he went off to school.  I had offered the sleep over to his mother yesterday afternoon when she had quite a lot on her plate and not quite sure how she was going to manage everything she had to do.  I told her to think about it.  She is just like me when it comes to sleep overs and things like that and her son had not been for a sleep over with friends before either.

She rang me this morning and said that if it really was okay, then that would really help her out.

I met the boys at the pool this afternoon and my son was there with his friend, who had his bag all packed.  My son tried very hard to convince me that he didn't need to do his swimming lesson and we could just go straight home.

He was very keen to get his sleep over started.

It's is wonderful when you get to see your kids just jumping out of their skin with excitement.

Not only was my eldest son excited, but all of the kids were thrilled to be having an overnight guest.

They played wii, had pizza for dinner and watched the football.

They went to bed with very little fuss.

I am hoping they all sleep well tonight and don't wake TOO early in the morning, anything after 5am would be good.

So I'd better get myself off to bed so I am ready for the noisy start to the morning.

Daisy Retreat

I thought I had better post about my weekend, before I head off and tuck myself into bed.  I am sitting on the lounge with my feet up enjoying a lovely hot cuppa.  My husband managed to get his Airport Express up and running so that I can sit down this end of the house with my Macbook, true luxury  now.

I have had a wonderful weekend.  I managed to get to the Daisy Chain retreat at a reasonable hour this time, rather than my usual 8 or 9 o'clock night.  Geoff came home at lunch time so that I could load my stuff in his car, and then once the boys had finished their swimming lessons after school I drove to his office and swapped the kids with his car full of goodies.

Sue taught a class on Friday night, which I thought was so much better than having them on the Saturday.  I felt good because I had a completed layout on the first night.

I felt this retreat was the most relaxing one I had been to.  There were a few less ladies than normal so whether that was the difference or whether it was just the combination of ladies that were just really comfortable which each other.

I really treasure my two weekends a year where I have this time to myself with my best of friends.

Barbi truly is a gem for putting on these retreats, it takes up so much of her time and her energy to have them running so smoothly.

I wish that I had had internet connection because there are so many things I need advice from Jenny about.  Hopefully I will have that up and running for next Friday night.

I didn't sleep too well at this retreat, still being awake at 3am.  Lots of noises I felt at the hotel and  just wasn't as comfortable as I normally am.  I didn't get to have my 'nanna nap' on the Saturday afternoon and I felt that made a difference for me on the Sunday.

Getting the opportunity to sit and chat is as valuable to me as the layouts that I complete.

I have folded the washing, Geoff had even managed to do a load for me.  I have ironed the uniforms and made the lunches so I am not feeling as stressed as I normally would be on a Sunday night.  Geoff did keep the house quite tidy so that was a bonus too.

I may even try and go for my walk in the morning.  I really should go and get some fruit and vege, but after the amount of food I have eaten over the weekend I probably should make my walk a priority.

Well I am going to take my weary body and have a nice hot shower and tuck myself in for an early night, even though that still sometimes means reading for an hour or two.....or three or four.  Might start a Sookie book tonight.

Back on the road to recovery

Thankfully today I have felt like I was finally over the dreaded stomach bug that we all had.  the kids seem much better now too, although S had a bit of an incident today from the other end, but hopefully that was a one off.

Last night I cooked a really nice dinner, lamb cutlets and roast veges.  Everyone ate a good meal so that is a good sign too.

Tonight I made a curry that I have made loads of times and the kids all seem to like it.

Its always really hard to make something that they all like.

We have really not done much at all this weekend.  I had washing to get up to date with, and a house that really needed some attention.  Saturday I had no motivation at all and was really still quite tired.

Geoff took S to his rugby game and E went with them.  She always wants to go with her daddy.  So it was myself and the other two boys at home and we stayed in bed until 10 and T was in his pj's until lunch time.

J was still feeling really unwell and happy to just laze around.

I was still feeling quite nauseous.  I should have gone to the chemist really and gotten something to ease that, I don't know why I always suffer through it.

I have a really busy week coming up, lots of tests and things on the go, something almost every day.

I will only really have Friday to get organised for next weekend's retreat at Daisys.  And I really need to be organised so that I am good and not spend too much on supplies.  Spending nothing is really going to be the best plan, but I am sure that won't be the case.

I always get anxious and stressed when I know that I have a lot on.  I have to learn to take things one day at a time.

Geoff will have a busy week this week, he always does but the fact that he was out of action for two days will mean next week is a nightmare for him.

I have ordered a series of books from Fishpond and I am hoping they will arrive early next week.  I have re-read Twilight and am currently re-reading New Moon.  I read New Moon particularly quickly because I was so keen for Edward to return.  So it will be good to read it again and pick up what I may have breezed over.

Although I am getting the same feeling, really wanting to get passed Bella's time with Jacob and back to Edward.

I need to pace myself.

It is good to be enthusiastic about reading.  I always read on recommendation.  I have just tonight received a title of a book I think is right up my alley, set in Scotland which is always a drawcard for me.

Might have to investigate the local bookstore to see if they have it.

Goodnight for now.

Sick Kids

If it's one thing I find very difficult to deal with ... its vomiting children.  It makes me feel just as sick in the stomach as probably they do.

My youngest son started the ball rolling on Sunday, Mother's Day of all days.  It came very out of the blue, he was fine and happily playing when he spewed all over his bedroom floor (thank god I don't have carpet!), but of course it was all over the valances and doona covers...its amazing how far it goes.

Then he vomited in the car, then all over two lounge cushions.  Lots of washing.

Then Monday afternoon my daughter started, all through her bed covers, then after I stripped that to wash it all, all over the bare mattress, more cleaning!.

Then she had a go at two of the other lounge cushions.

See I have been meaning to clean my lounge for months because it is quite feral, now my hand was forced.

Then Wednesday night my 6 y/o started his turn.  He was so funny though, right in the middle of his dinner he hopped up and went to the toilet, but then came back and had a hissy fit when I told him he shouldn't eat the rest of his dinner because it would only come back up.  In the end I gave in and let him eat it because he was so distraught because he said he was so hungry.

I was confident when I went to bed that he would go to the toilet to be sick or use the bucket I gave him.

I should have realised that just isn't my luck this week.

My husband went to check on him before he went to bed and he had been sick all through his bed and was blissfully asleep in the middle of it.

So more washing and showering my son.

Another wake up call at 2am because he was sick in his bed again.

Lucky the washing machine going at 2am didn't wake the other kids.

Well its now Thursday morning and my husband is home, so I know that he is really sick, because it takes a lot for him to not go to work.

I suggested it would be much better if he didn't spread it through his office.  He didn't argue with me so I knew he certainly wasn't feeling up to working.

And now I am feeling the effects.

Trying very hard to keep my mind occupied, but I know its coming.

I still have 3 children home to look after....oh that's right and a husband to, which is the equivalent of having a dozen kids at home.

The clothesline is once again full of washing with rain clouds hovering above.

It is nice to sit at my gorgeous new Macbook for a few minutes and think of something else other than vomit....even though I am blogging about it.

The days can only get better.

I hope this nasty virus bypasses the rest of our family and friends.

Awesome Mother's Day

Well I was completely blown away and surprised with my Mother's Day today.

After my husband warning me in the day's leading up to Mother's Day that I wouldn't be getting a Macbook as a gift, he blew me out of the water this morning by giving me my very own Macbook.  I was overwhelmed with emotion and so excited.  I was also feeling a little guilty because I know that it is a real stretch for our current financial situation, and really a luxury for me, because it isn't like I need it for work or anything like that, it is purely for my own pleasure.

The kids had also made me some lovely cards, T had painted me a lovely canvas at kindy, it was a painting of a bouncy blue ball.  S had given me a really nice laminated fridge magnet that was a picture of himself, and had a message on the back of all the things he loved about me.

So here I am tucked under my covers in bed, tapping away...no excuse for not blogging more that's for sure.

All I wanted to do today was stay at home and play.  So did Geoff, I can tell he is just as excited by this as I am.  He is wondering if he needs to convince his work partners that he should update his laptop to a Macbook Pro.  He is very savvy on the computer, so I am sure he could make it work.

We went out around midday.  I just had to duck down to the Plaza to change a puzzle I had bought for my brother's girlfriend for her birthday.  

T wasn't fantastic today and had a couple of vomits, not really sure why.  I wasn't sure whether or not to go to Mum's for dinner, she assured me that we should and it would be alright.  Hopefully they don't all wake up with tummy aches this week, otherwise they will be cursing me.

We seem to have some nice family get togethers these days.  I often wish my father was here to join us, but am also reminded that if he was here, we probably wouldn't have them.

S had a party to go to at Aussie World, T was supposed to go too but I wouldn't let him just in case he does have some virus.  It was pretty good.  I went on the dodgems with him a couple of times.

I am going to have a busy day tomorrow, because I didn't get anything done today.  I still have a few things I need to wash that T was sick over.  I need to get some groceries because I have no bread and no fruit.  I want to fit in my walk, plus make some dinner during the day because two of the boys have swimming lessons after school.

I am trying these days to keep my stress levels at a minimum and just take one thing at a time.  I feel I get really stressed when I am worrying about all the things I need to do.

As Mother's Days go, this one tops them I think.

Better log off, because Geoff wants to have a little play with my new toy.