Wordless Wednesday 31 August

Here is my photo taken just last week after our very cold Antartic blast of weather.  Thankfully this weather has made way for much warmer mornings.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 29 August

Who can believe that it is the end of August already.  For us summer is almost here.

Here is my menu for the week.

Monday  Meatloaf with baked potato and salad

Tuesday  Cold meat and salad  (ok it is a very busy night and an easy meal is called for)

Wednesday  Crockpot chicken and potato soup

Thursday  Stirfry chicken and vege

Friday  Ham Feta tomato and asparagus quiche with salad

Saturday  meatballs on spaghetti

Sunday easy peasy meal

I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie

A Smile is just priceless

Smiles are just priceless.  Infact I think we all should try and find more reasons to smile...try even to smile at ourselves. 

So without any further words from me go out and smile

Wordless Wednesday 24 August

Here is this weeks photo.  Two book characters....Tintin (and Snowy) and the witch from Room on the Broom

I am linking this up to My Little Drummer Boys

A Perfect Day

Today started just perfectly, there was no frost to be seen, it was feeling like spring was in the air, the children all had a well organised and peaceful start to the day, the purchase of our house is going very smoothly.  Of course the day ends just as it began.

What more could I want.  Maybe there is a common thread to this morning that I should record.  You know things like smiles on childrens faces, Hayden is calm even before his behaviour management medication, Andres violin goes off without a hitch, it is not too cold and the sun is up before we are.

Now all I need to do is bottle this so it can be repeated on demand.

(source:  my photo taken a Pukekohe Golf Course at 5pm today)

Monday Menu 22 August

Here is this weeks menu.  I am again emptying the freezer so I am trying to be creative with the food that is in there.

Monday   Corn (and chicken) fritters on noodles with steamed veges

Tuesday  Bacon, tomato and zucchini quiche with salad

Wednesday  Beef Tacos

Thursday  steak and kidney with vege in the crockpot

Friday  Pumpkin Soup

Saturday  Steak, baked potato and salad

Sunday   Leftovers

I thought I might have a go at making these for the lunch boxes this week.No cook Chocolate Oatmeal cookies.

Chocolate Chippie Biscuits

My children love helping me bake.  McKenzie has shown a real interest in baking by herself so I thought I would share the best kiddie friendly biscuit for home baking.  It can be beaten forever and even be stored in the freezer for one of those time short moments.

Chocolate Chippie Biscuits

(source a well tested and tried recipe my Mum has passed on so that is why the measurements are imperial rather than metric)

Ingredients

8oz butter
8oz soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
12 oz self raising flour
chocolate bits to  your taste

Method

Heat the oven to 180 celsius

1.  Cream butter and sugar.

2.  Beat in the vanilla and egg.

3.  Stir in the self raising flour and finally add in the chocolate

4.  Using a teaspoon spoon the mixture onto a cookie tray lined with baking paper.  Flatten the mixture with a moistened fork.

5.  Bake for 10 minute or until brown.

6.  Cool on  a rack.

(Made by McKenzie just last week)

To Medicate or Not

To be honest as a young primary school teacher I used question the use of medication to modify childrens behaviours. 

On one side of the debate there seems to be those parents who are searching to find a cause for the their childs behaviour and their first choice is to medicate.  Then there seems to be families who luckily have discovered that their child has an allergy or such like that can be managed and helps to improve the undesirable behaviours their child is showing.  Of course there is also the group of people who are very judgemental and think that they know best when it comes to these situations.  Quite simply this vocal group are very keen to condem the choices of others without knowing the full details.

I guess the beauty of the internet is that a wide range of opinions can be found.  Some quiet vigorously expressed and often with little thought to taking the tactful approach.  This gives people who are facing such decisions a wide range of thoughts to consider before making the choice to medicate or not in conjuction with their medical advise.

In our case Hayden is on a wide range of medication for many things.  ADHD medication in one of those things. We tried may different behavioural modification strategies and none worked, not even a little bit.  So Hayden continued to do what seemed like 20 activities a minute and was constantly angry with the world.  We knew that food was not the issue as he takes very little orally (that is where the mickey button comes in handy).  We also have an MRI scan that shows acute brain atrophy.

In all honesty for us it seemed ultimately in Haydens best interest that he be given the best opportunity to learn and be happier.  It really was a no brainer.  Even though it took me 12 months to accept this pathway I know that there has been nothing but positive outcomes for Hayden and naturally with a calmer, more complient and happier child less stress for us.

So here is my little whirlwind immitating ironing with his ever faithful Barney who Hayden tells me loves him.

Wordless Wednesday 17 August

On Monday, a freezing cold day here in Auckland it offically snowed for the first time since 1939.  While the snow at our place did not last here is the best photo showing what we got.  I know that this is not very plentiful but since it was somewhat of a momentous moment here I thought it was worth a show.

I am linking to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 15 August

Here is this weeks menu.  I am trying a few new things so we will see how the children like them considering it is mid winter and seasonal food is limiting my access to cheaper vegetables.

Monday  Salmon Rissoles with spinach, advocado and grapefruit salad

Tuesday  Lamb curry on noodles

Wednesday  Chicken and vegetable casserole

Thursday  Beef crockpot meal

Friday  Beef skewers on jasmine rice

Saturdays  Thai curry Pumpkin Soup  (try looking down the posts in this thread to find the recipe)

Sunday  Leftovers

I am linking this too I'm an Organising Junkie