Thursday 28 February 2013

Just a typical morning.....

The morning began in the usual fashion......when the dog jumped on the bed and poked me in the head with his paw.

I had places to be this morning.....well one place....an appointment at the hairdresser...which I had been very much looking forward to.  I was beginning to have more than a passing resemblance to Cousin It


and it was high time to remedy the situation.

I farewelled the kids at 8.00am, and decided I had a few minutes to spare before getting myself ready for my appointment at 9.00am.

That's when I made the monumental error of sitting down on the lounge with the iPad.  Somewhere there is a black hole that times falls into whenever I pick up the iPad and press the Angry Birds icon.

Suffice to say it was a little bit of a shock when next I glanced at the clock to find the big hand pointing to the 5, the little hand half way between the 8 and the 9....me still in my pyjamas and the hairdresser a 20 minute drive away.

I was a blur I tell you...a panicking, cursing blur!

I still managed to find the time to change my outfit three times and do my hair....because like cleaning up for the cleaner (not that I have one).....you have to do your hair before seeing the hairdresser.  The last minute drama of realising you've left your phone inside (which you are bound to need just because you don't have it).....after you've locked up and started the car.....a final last ditch escape attempt by the dog who has picked up on your crazy rushing around and has decided to join in the fun...and I was off.

I prayed for no traffic, no red lights, no police and no learner drivers.....and as I pulled up outside the hairdresser I finally took a breath and a quick second to snap this shot.....



HALLELUJAH!!!

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Open wide.....

Yesterday I took the boys to the dentist.

They were WAY overdue for a checkup....I don't even want to try and work out just how overdue...someone may feel the need to report me to DOCS.

Dentists are just one of those places that I find very easy to put off, defer, avoid, ignore, desist, shun and evade....maybe because I hate them and their whiny, whirry horrid noises so much myself.  But also because they charge like a wounded bull and there never, ever seems to be a week where I say "Oh look here's a spare $500 lying around with absolutely nothing I need or want to spend it on...let's book the boys in for a dental checkup...there's nothing I'd rather spend this $500 on than that."  Pfftt....yeah right!

But there comes a time when you simply can't put it off any longer.  It could have something to do with the cold feeling of guilt I got every time I looked at them....or perhaps it was the nightmares I was having where they tap me on the shoulder and smile a wide smile at me as their teeth drop out that propelled me into action....freaky.  Whatever the incentive...I finally did the right thing and booked them in for a checkup.




I was clearly more nervous than they were...after all I remember back in the day...probably before fluoride was added to the water....where a trip to the dentist almost certainly meant a nasty filling or two.

So in we went...they took turns to be poked and scraped with the dentist's nasty pointy, scrapy thing...to be squirted with that nasty whooshy spraying thing....to be brushed with that whiny, scary brushy thing and sucked with that horrid screechy suction thing.

I waited with my own teeth clenched throughout each cringe inducing noise for the diagnosis...the confirmation that I am a terrible, neglectful mother...and then it came....no cavities for either one of them....WOO HOO.....lets celebrate with a bottle of soft drink and a bag of lollies.

I left the surgery with a spring in my step.....a bill for $390 in my pocket.....and a referral to an orthodontist for both of them.....yep, Master 15 soon to be known as Master Brace Face and Master 12 to be renamed as Master Metal Mouth...oh and don't forget a second mortgage on the house to pay for it.




Tuesday 26 February 2013

I heart my new coffee table......

I got myself a new coffee table the other day....HOORAY!

A change is as good as a holiday.....so they say.....whoever "they" are.....and in lieu of a holiday I got a brand new table.  I brought it home, plonked it in the family room...and stood back to admire it.  Mmmm....nice but it needs a little something....a little extra bit of love.....


 So I got digging into the deep, dark bowels of my fabric scrap box....and came up with this little bit...a bit too little if the truth be known, but beggars can't be choosers...


Then I found an old bit of ribbon and some pink thread...and off I went.....


The end result was this master creation extraordinaire.....with a hint of romance thrown in......


Doesn't that look better?


P.S.  Please excuse the dog towel hanging off the door handle....we've had a LOT of rain and muddy paw prints are not a part of my home decorating vision.

Linking up with Scandi Coast Home :0)

Monday 25 February 2013

Mystery of life # 36418.......

I'll keep it brief today....just one little mystery of life that I would like to ponder.

My boys have their own bathroom....and being the good mother preparing them for life that I am....and nothing at all to do with the possibility that I just don't want to do it......I get them to clean it.....as they should.

So this morning, I wandered by....and something caught my eye....it's something that I have seen many, many times before....something that I always....without fail....have to rectify myself....or it would never, ever be done.

Why...and if anyone can enlighten me I would really appreciate it....why is it more acceptable...and for reasons unknown....preferable to a teenage male brain to drop your empty toilet rolls here.....


rather than take three steps and place them in the bin here......????



Just wondering.....


Sunday 24 February 2013

8/52

"A portrait of our children, once a week, every week in 2013"



Master 15:  Who is this strange moustachioed boy?

Master 12:  Hanging out...eating spaghetti....wearing the evidence!

Another fun week linking up with Jodi at Che and Fidel.

Saturday 23 February 2013

It's raining again...but life must go on.....

Wow...what a day...it's...wet...wet...wet!!!

The side path has a never before seen water feature and the backyard has a brand new swimming pool and neither of them cost us a cent.



Hubby's final day of cricket was cancelled due to the inclement weather....what a shame....snigger snigger.

So we did what everyone does on a day where roads are being closed and you can barely see your hand in front of your face for the pouring rain...we drove to Sydney.

It's so rare for us to have a Saturday with absolutely nothing planned or scheduled that despite the weather we took the opportunity to nick down the freeway and check out a few antique/collectible/old wares/someone else's junk shops....I love a good junk shop.

If anyone has been watching the latest season of The Block, they will have seen a couple of such shops featured recently.  I felt it was entirely necessary that these shops be checked out...by me...you know....as a public service.



So firstly, we have Doug up on Bourke, what a treasure trove.  Old signs, old boxes, furniture, bottles, light shades, curios...all kinds of stuff...you name it I'm betting they have it....somewhere.



It's the kind of place where you..well me anyway....could spend hours...and hours....I wouldn't recommend taking the kids...unless they're very patient kids.


We also checked out The Country Trader,  this one is an entirely different kettle of fish.  Very "up market"....a woman...whom I am assuming was the owner was wandering around constantly with a sour expression on her face....not asking to help....just watching.  Guess she wanted to make sure we didn't take off with the merchandise....you got the feeling there may well have been a dress code to get in the door.

Lots of beautiful things to be found here....but do not....I repeat do not expect to find a bargain.  There was an unusual looking....read butt ugly....wall unit...which I forgot to get a picture of....priced at $60,000.  This sweet little table.....


....a steal at over $3000.

But I like a challenge, so I went to work trying to seek out something I might actually be able to afford.  I saw this piece of fabric...which I thought would make a lovely table runner....


....$185.00....mmm....perhaps not.

How about a second hand bread board....that's got to be cheap right?  Wrong....$95.00 for that one.


This little still life caught my eye....being so pretty and all....


.....how much do you think?  It's not a Monet or a Manet or a Picasso....or anyone else I've ever heard of.....


Time to go home I think!!

But that little picture got me thinking....last night I finished off another project from my New Year's Non-Resolution List......


....it's got to be worth 3 grand....doesn't it????......taking bids......anytime now......hello????

Friday 22 February 2013

Clowns, coffee tables and cringe-worthy behaviour.....

It was the swimming carnival at school today....despite the continuing CRAZY weather.  Master 15 has recently been voted as Vice House Captain...so he had to go.....Master 12 declared he had no intention of swimming and somehow manipulated me into allowing him to stay home.

So because he was home he had to join me on today's errands....next time I think he will just decide to head off to school....far more interesting and pleasant.

First on the list was an appointment at the vet for Buster.  Buster is renowned for his horrendously bad behaviour  at the vet.  I had never laid eyes on the vet that treated him today...but he knew all about Buster.....suffice to say he is clearly one of the dogs with a red flag, a black cross and a "Proceed with caution" tagged on his file.

Over time, he has wised up to the fact that vet visits are rarely pleasant and usually involve him being  either prodded, poked or jabbed...and on a really good day....like today....all three.  Now as soon as he realises where he is going all the bad behaviour comes out....just like a kid having a temper tantrum in the shopping centre.  He growls and barks at any other poor dogs that dare to enter the surgery....he growls at the vet when he tries to examine him......he growls at the nurse when she tries to help....he performs acrobatic manoeuvres to avoid anyone prodding, poking or jabbing anything he doesn't want poked, prodded or jabbed.

As a result he has to wear the mask of shame......


....oh Buster.....we're only trying to help.

The vet gave me a nice little talk about obedience training and being the alpha dog in the relationship....sooooo embarrassing!

That over and done with....Master 12 got dragged up the freeway to Rutherford so I could visit one of my very favourite shops......


I still had some Christmas money and a $50 voucher burning a hole in my pocket.   As the voucher was due to expire shortly I decided that today was the day....unlucky for Master 12....but as it turned out very lucky for me.

I had been nagging for a coffee table in the family room for quite a while.  I spied one online and thought I'd go up and have a look.

There it was....I had my Xmas Money....I had my voucher....they had 15% off....they had it in stock....and it fitted in the car.....and best of all, with the voucher, the 15% off and the Christmas money combined it only cost me $50......is this the perfect day or what?


Master 15 arrived home safely....after a day where he could have drowned at the swimming carnival without even getting into the pool.

He had a photo of "his group" taken on the day....


every crowd's got to have a clown....and yep....that's my clown!!

Thursday 21 February 2013

Weather, haircuts and disappearing socks.....

It's a slow news day here today.


The weather has been seriously strange...pouring down rain one minute....bright, hot and sunny the next....definitely a Thursday with a split personality.  Too wet to put the washing out...too sunny to not feel guilty about putting it in the dryer.

The "high" point of my day....was a trip to the hairdresser for the boys....sad isn't it....

Master 12 BEFORE

Master 12 AFTER

The biggest change is in the weather....do you see what I'm talking about.

Master 15 BEFORE

Master 15 AFTER

Before we could go home Master 15 insisted that we stop at the shops...he "needed" to get some new socks.  Of course he didn't need them.....he wanted them....but the two are inextricably entwined when it comes to Master 15.

It appears that boys socks are following the same progression as teenage girls shorts and my brain....in that they are getting smaller....much, much smaller.


Shame the price isn't following suit.....



Safe
http://www.blogger.com/blogger....
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g...
Feel free to open this page.
Trend Micro Page Rating

Wednesday 20 February 2013

A retraction and a teeny tiny bit of progress......

First things first....a little blog housekeeping.

I was ordered by Master 15 to issue an immediate retraction after he read yesterday's post.

He was horrified by the untruth held within and wants the record set straight.

He did not jar his knee....he hyperextended it.......phew.....glad we got that sorted out!

As we edge closer and closer to March the lack of progress in my New Years Non-Resolutions has been playing on my mind.  So yesterday, I gave myself a motivational speech...got my rear end up and off the lounge and plonked it into the sewing chair instead.

I repeated to myself over and over like a mantra...."I will achieve something today"....and I started work on the quilt that has been sitting on my sewing table for THREE years now.

I spent a whole day working on it....minus shower time, minus school drop off time, minus clean the kitchen time,  minus morning tea time, minus bathroom cleaning time, minus empty the dishwasher time, minus hanging out laundry time, minus lunchtime, minus sweep the floor time,  minus school pick up time, minus wash the dog because he has been rolling himself in something offensive time, minus encourage Master 12 to do homework time, minus bring the laundry back in time and minus watching Hot Seat because the ad suggested someone won big money even though they didn't time!!!

So having spent the whole day working on it....I finished up with......


 .....SEVEN blocks.......at this rate I'll be lucky to finish it.....like ever!!!

Still those seven blocks are seven blocks that I won't have to do another day.....and in my book that's progress!!!!

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Master 15's terrible injury.....

Master 15 tweaked his knee on the weekend.  He was going through drills for soccer grading and jarred it a little bit.

Let's get something straight.....there is no sign of swelling and not a hint of a bruise....but I have been his personal fetch and carry lackey ever since.

He has been lying around on the lounge with his knee elevated....demanding that I rub liniment on it....but only after collecting him a coke, in a glass, half full of ice...with a tasty snack to go with it....and by the way...while I'm at...can I whip up veal schnitzel for dinner and he'd like it with chips...thanks!

To be reapplied every 30 minutes
Master 15 is quite simply a drama queen...and can not be trusted to tell you the truth....the ACTUAL reality and not the truth as HE sees it....when it comes to illnesses or injuries.  He is most definitely the boy that cried wolf....and one of these days it's going to come back and bite him on the bum...big time.

Yesterday he hinted at needing the day off school....I gave that one short shrift.  So then he made do with a lift to and from.  While at home the poor boy lies around moaning and groaning....unable to move....but then runs up the hallway with the grace of a gazelle if his phone pings or if nature calls.

Master 15 looks to me for sympathy....and lots of it....which I usually run short of after the first half hour.  He manages to get a little more from Hubby...who is also constantly complaining about aches and pains....yep it's still cricket season.....and who also gets very little joy from me.  They can wallow in their joint misery together.  I like to point out that I will give them every sympathy in the world once they endure 34 hours labour, a third degree tear and corrective surgery 6 months later to repair the damage!!!

So Master 15 obviously decided this injury was really quite dire....and hot footed it over to the neighbours house (literally)....to get these.....

Knee much too sore to be able to close drawers

......which he hobbled around on....until this morning....when he forgot!

I checked in on him to make sure he was okay.....not in too much pain....able to go to school.....and found this......

Yoga anyone?

....remarkably flexible for a knee that could well be broken and most definitely has serious deep tissue damage isn't it!!!!