Wordless Wednesday 30 March

Here is my photo for this week.  It is Hayden showing off the fact that he is finally able to recognise colours.  His green lollypop is the subject of this discussion.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 28 March

Mondays Menu is up.  I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie.


Monday  Spaghetti Bolognese

Tuesday  meatloaf and salad

Wednesday  Beef Casserole with Tomato dumplings

Thursday   soup french onion.

Friday  Tomato herb and goats cheese spaghetti

Saturday  pizza

Sunday.  leftovers

now I am off to the supermarket.

New 52 Week 11 Food

Food is an ongoing issue for me.  It is an all or nothing effort when it comes to eating enough, too much or even not enough.  Not a good state of being really,  but enough of my food issues.

I have recently been working very hard to get fit and healthy.  I wrote about this here.  I have been eating well and exercising.  I know to be life long I need to add treats back into my plan so to benefit my sweet tooth I have discovered a new and not too costly treat.  A Mallowpuff.

A marshmellow filled treat.  I love them and they love me just for the right amount.  True luxury.  Now I am set for those sweet needing moments.

They are back

Kutus are back in our house.  I blogged about these pesky little critters that invade hair in September 2010.  For the last three weeks we have been fighting a repeat invasion. 

Now fortunately I am somewhat wiser about what works to erradicate these critters and what will leave my wallet considerably fuller. 

So very unscientifically this is how we got rid of the kutus in two weeks and seem to have kept them out.

1.  Persistence is the first best step.

2.  Mix one cup of olive oil with abut 20 drops of tea tree oil.

3.  Dip a nit comb in the oil and comb the hair twice a day.  Leave the oil mixture in the hair.  The hair might look bad but what is a couple of weeks of looking greasy when up against kutus.

4.  When all kutus are gone then spray regularly with this product (I am not a sales rep for the company nor do I have any affiliation to the company).  It seems to help keep the critters at bay.  Do apply this at night as it is a leave in contioner with a bad smell which is much less noticeable in the morning.

MIA

I have a head cold.  Nothing serious enough to put me in bed but I need plenty of

and my head feels like it is full of cottonwool. 

Now back to feeling sorry for myself.

Wordless Wednesday 23 March

This week leaves us just 3 more sessions at orienteering for the summer.  So I thought it was fitting to put this photo up.  Here is McKenzie trying to orientate the map.

We go to locations in and around our urban area.  In weekends we have a go at contour map reading. It has taken all summer for map orientation skills to be developed.  Next summer hopefully McKenzie will be able to develop on from here and Andre will get his chance to learn some skills.

I am linking this up to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 21 March

Another week is underway and an other menu.  Autumn is in full swing and I am not looking forward to woes of winter cooking.  Anyway here are this weeks meals.  I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie

Monday   Devilled Sausages with rice.

Tuesday  Cold meat with baked potato and mixed vege

Wednesday  Porto bello pasta bowls

Thursday  Homemade Hamburgers with salad vegetables

Friday  Pumpkin soup homemade

Saturday  ham and feta quiche



Sunday  Leftovers

I thought that I might make these  Raspberry Oatmeal Bars too

I have Thick Skin

Thick skin you ask.  What do you mean?

My name is Tamara and I have thick skin. 

This has truely been bought home to me in recent months. With my son Hayden being disabled as one of the major reasons I need to have this approach to life.  You know the sort that says I don't care what you say about my child.

In my experience adults can be very cutting with their comments.  They easily judge without knowing anything especially when it comes to Hayden.  I know at first glance he does not look disabled and he certainly does not look his age.  In fact he looks much younger.  I too know that Haydens behaviour in the evenings, is very antisocial.  When I have to take Hayden to the extra curricular activities of my others, I mostly can not get out of the car with him.  He has worked out how to get out of the buggy, he curses, spits, bites etc and runs away thinking he is funny.  Actually he is totally uncompliant.  Parents of other children who do not know us are rude enough to pass comment about Hayden and his behaviour within ears reach of me.  Somedays I feel really offended by their comments but ignore it.  Other days I just appoligise for Haydens behaviour, tell them he is disabled and move him away.  Most of the time we both just sit in the car, Hayden watching his favourite Barney DVD that I must have seen a couple of hundred times, while I try and chill out.

Children on the other hand just stare.  I can deal with that.  Sometimes they come and ask questions.  I am happy to answer them too.  I answer them because I hope that just maybe I might be able to make a difference in an able bodied/ mind child so they won't judge so quickly others and empathise a little more with those who different.

These kind of moments have prompted me to come up with a couple of little must haves when it comes to having thick skin.

• my ipod..this is for a little escapisim if required.
• a large smile on call at all times.  That is a smile from the eyes as well as the whole face.  Esential if you are in my shoes. 
• A Joke book or two to help provide a little light relief.  I love this site as another source of jokes.  It even has a how to tell jokes part for children.  Also give this a try.
• Minties because in the words of the ad....It is moment like these you need Minties.

New 52 Week 10 We have an emergency plan

In our house we have had an emergency plan.  I think we might call it a Hayden emergency plan.The sort of plan when the children know when and why we need to call 111 for an ambulance and even how to respond to the operator.  They too know what that means with regard to panic levels and following instructions etc.  We all know this plan because we have had to practise it quite a few times.

Recent world wide events including the Earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand (I live in Auckland New Zealand) the horrific tsunami in Japan, have prompted me to make so more robust plans for a natural emergency.

So I have ordered this kit from St John New Zealand and will add to this a special kit for Hayden and top up with a few extra bits and bobs we have at home.  In fact I have no idea how we would cater for him as he required 2 litres of water a day and electricity to run everything.  Hmmmm I am yet to solve that issue.

I have printed out this form and am creating a plan with the children and DH when he gets home from working in Vancouver and am working through this planning sheet to help should we need it.

I am not paranoid to the extent that I can't do or go anywhere but I guess it just gives peace of mind.  Also Andre is learning about 111 and emergencies at school so it is good timing for our 7 year old.

I will post a photo when I have the two little packs all organised and packed.  As for the planning three days in advance.  That will take a little time to assemble but the intention is there.  Oh our barbeque bottle is full so we will be cooking.

So even though it is unlikely that Auckland will suffer from and earthquake you never know just what kind of emergency we might be ready for.

So keep an eye out for when all things are gathered and photos taken and I will post what I have done to get us ready for an emergency.

Monthly round up February (late)

What books or magazines did I read.

 

It is sad to say that I am still reading a book I started some weeks ago.  I have simply run out of time to fit it into my schedule but fingers crossed that March will see things like this improve.

 

I did glance through a magazine called Carers.  Upon flicking through it was only for the aged and disabled not for people like my husband and I  Of course sitting at the hairdressers I managed to brouse a few girly magazines at the hairdressers though.

 

My favourite TV show or movie. 

 

I am not usually a great fan of reality shows but I really enjoy watching the Amazing Race.   Ok I have just discovered that we are a season behind so I havent looked at the web site but we are on Season 17.  I dont get to watch movies much but perhaps I should be making a wish list of movies I would like to see.

 

What are the fun things that I have done with my family

 

We do fun things around the house mainly.  Hayden makes it difficult to do outings but I know that the little things around the need to be recorded.  Not sure what it was we did but will be careful to record them in future.

 

Health Issues and Things

 

this is always something in our house that could be really dramatic and the need to call 111.  Luckily we have all been really healthy and well.  I am pleased the say that Hayden is now really comfortable having his port a cath accessed and now sits up to help.  He does not need three people to hold him down.  I am so please with this progress.

 

My Accomplishments in February

 

I have lost a heap of weight since 1 December 2010.  Well it is heap of weight for me.  I am so pleased that February was the month when I felt really fit, happy and healthy.  I am planning to maintain this so watch this space.  I too have been busy working.  This is a major juggling act for me as Hayden requires a lot of organising for me to get to my relief teaching work.  Now I am consistently getting 3 days of work a week which I am really pleased with.  I too have completed two school applications for 2012 for McKenzie with more to come.  This task is like cutting down a tree...one for all the paper work I needed to fill in and post out and one for the cheque (I know an antiquated form of payment) I need to fill out so her application can be processed.

 

 

 

Being Literal

Literal
Collins: English Dictionary Definition (Meaning)


adj
1. in exact accordance with the explicit meaning of a word or text,
2. word for word, a literal translation,
3. dull or unimaginative, she’s very, very literal and flat in how she interprets what she sees,
4. true, actual,


 Life is full of literal meanings and yesterday the word literal hit me right in the face, figuratively that is.

I am still chuckling.  I sent DH a txt message from work as I had forgotten to turn the crockpot on before I went to work on Monday.  My txt said.  please put steak n kidney in crockpot and turn on.  (Notice how we dont use txt language )  I get a reply.....  Done.

So I go through the rest of the day happily thinking that dinner is cooking and anticipating a meat and veg stew....the sort we usually have on the plate when a a busy after school is on us.

I get home and smell the crockpot.  Hmmm just as I thought I am thinking.  Dinner is just waiting to be served.

So I just about fell over laughing when I went to serve dinner to find only the meat well cooked in my crockpot. 

Just as well I could think on my feet added the vege and saucing ingredients, heated them in the microwave, mixed them with the meat and dinner was ready.   Next time I will txt the recipe I think.

Wordless Wednesday 16 March

It is Wordless Wednesday again and my does Wednesday seem to arrive quicker each week.

This week marked the start of the winter hockey season......yes winter I said.  McKenzie has been practising her skills and here is the shot for today.

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 14 March

Here is my menu for this week,  I am linking to the Organising Junkie

Monday   Steak n Kidney with vege crockpot

Tuesday  Chicken sausages with baked potato and mixed vege  (easy meal as we arent home to prepare anything.

Wednesday  Spaghetti Bolognaise

Thursday  Curry Crockpot

Friday  Falafels with cucumber salad

Saturday  Sweet potato, corn and bacon quiche

Sunday  Leftovers

Sometimes it is really hard.

As we all know sometimes life is really hard.  For us with Hayden life can be harder than for most people.  His life impacts on us all mostly in different ways.  For Andre it impacts on his behaviour.  As Haydens behaviour is in the severe end when it comes to ADHD .  Andre has decided that the way for him to get attention at home is to behave similarly to Hayden.  Oh my gosh you really dont want to know what that means.  I have tried many things to help Andre overcome this need to behave this way at home.  In fact it make me very sad and brings tears to my eyes everytime I think about Haydens impact on Andre.

I look into the past hoping that wonderful bubbly little boy will return and become a wonderful young man.

I created this page expressing this and hope each day that as Andre grows up he stops what he is doing and realises that there are other ways to gain attention from the people around him.

The credits can be found here at Nuts4digi

New 52 Week 9 Never to be done again.

So another week has passed and life has suddenly got really busy.  I needed to go running after work this week which just so not a me thing to do.  Why....because I often feel really tired at the end of the day and that makes it too easy to make an excuse not to hit the pavement.  So to my surprise I sprinted my little route at 6.30pm in the last of the evening summer sun.  Of course today when I went out after work today I was feeling rather sluggish and plodded rather than spritly.  Personally I am putting that down to the fact that it is friday and I worked 4 days out of the last 5 as well as the getting up in the middle of the night to tend to haydens medical needs.

So when Hayden discovered he could ride his two wheeler bike it became inevitable that that he would want to go riding the pavements.  Hmmm I am thinking Hayden riding while I run...not good.  But I gave it a try anyway.  Now I have experienced this I know that I am not fast enough to run while Hayden is riding.  He is certainly not capable of making rational decisions at 4pm thus making him really unsafe.  So all in all this is not a choice I will be making again.  So it is back to the buggy and me running while pushing 33kg. I do this every weekend that my DH is away.  I guess though I cant call it a run....it is a walk run thing that I do.

I am linking this post to Fabulous Adventrues of Listgirl

Wordless Wednesday 9 March

Wordless Wednesday today.  I am linking to My Little Drummer Boys.

Here is DD and DS1 spent some fleeting summer moments playing an imaginary game.

Monday Menu 7 March

So I am still emptying the bottom of my chest freezer so the odd ball group of recipes.  Plenty of stewing steaks and corned beef hmmmmm.

Monday  Steak n Kidney stew in the crockpot

Tuesday  Lamb Chops, baked potato and salad

Wednesday  Zucchini Loaf and salad

Thursday  Hoisen pork in lettuce cups with rice. (I am only using pork for this recipe)

Friday  Vegetarian pizza  homemade

Saturday  Lemon chicken with broccoli and rice

Sunday   Leftovers

You Just have to Keep Believing

be·lief (bĭ-lēfˈ)

(Source)
noun

1.The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.


2.Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.


3.Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.



Every parent has belief that their child, right from birth, will achieve their milestones.  You know the ones, the first smile, the first word, the first moment sitting and so on.  When Hayden got ill and became disabled those beliefs of achievement disappeared.  Sadly the prognosis was such we were told he would never walk or talk again.  After that intial period of grief a stark reality set in and the goals for Hayden were ones of recovery always thinking how much.  Right from the moment he remembered how to sit up he rode a bike.  The foot propelled variety he managed before he remembered how to walk.

Fast forwarding 5 years and Hayden still loves riding bikes.  Luckily he is very small for his age and has been able to ride our tricycle for many years.  He also has riden a bicycle with stablisers but sure was not very stable but let him ride it too. 

So that brings me to last week.  He, unencouraged, unaided decided he would get the little bike with no stabilisers out of the shed and ride it.  I don't know how much trying or how many times he fell before he came riding around to me getting dinner to show me.  He was laughing and calling out to me while riding the bike.

Naturally there is never a learning to ride a bike moment without the successes.

and the odd backwards step or two
 

and disaster (luckily the plants were very forgiving)

 

So off the bike shop to get a new and more robust helmet to prevent any potential new head injuries.

 

Finally the message for us as a family is that we should remember that for Hayden this was a new skill.  It was something he was unable to do in the before times.  We should provide him with opportunities to continue to learn things and never stop believing that he can continue to discover new skills and talents.

New 52 Week 9

This is were I put my hand up and say I am vein.  I look in the mirror only as I step outside the door on the way to work but as my sunglasses broke last week I became increasingly conscious of the laughing lines(ha ha you know what I mean) on my face and the fact that is summer here and I was spending all day squinting, I became paranoid at the thought I was not helping my aging process in any way even though I was using sun screen and a hat are necessary. 

So I was very pleasantly surprised when DH said off I go to my favourite sun glass shop and get some new ones. He knows I like good quality glasses and I usually spend just a few dollars to look after my eyes a face.  Then I need them to be multi functional... protection, to exercise in, not too fashionable and then a little fashionable at the same time.  It is such a difficult task.

Thank you DH I went shopping and now have this new pair of sunglasses that hopefully will do the job I paid for them to do.  Oh yes and help slow the aging process.

You can see the older but broken glasses on the left and the new model there on the right.

Wordless Wednesday 2 March

He is the first photo of my son Hayden riding his bike by himself.  He spent the next half an hour laughing at his success.

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys

 

Just One Week

Christchruch New Zealand suffered a second, but more deadly earthquake a week ago.  This time an estimated 250 people have lost their lives, infrastructure has been destroyed and lives have been forever more changed.

(image source from twitter but unknown.  Please let me know so I can acknowledge the photographer)

This photo was taken moments after the quake hit at 12.51 pm on Tuesday 22 February.  

Today, a week later bodies are still to be recovered and essential services are still being restored. 

My thoughts go out to those people who have been effected.

Monday Menu 28 February

Here is this weeks menu.  I am linking up to I'm an Organising Junkie

Monday   Sheppards pie from the freezer.

Tuesday  Tacos  with salad on the side.

Wednesday  zucchini patties with salad

Thursday  Duck Noodle Salad  (we will use chicken instead.)

Friday  Pizza on thin bases

Saturday  Cold meat and salad

Sunday Leftovers