Fridays Fabulous Five # 59

It is heading for the end of the school term here and we are all tired.  I have to say being a Mum taxi driver is exhausting.

Here are my links for this week.

• For Minecraft fanatics here are some free printables.
• The batteries in my kitchen scales stopped working so this link really helped when making cookies in my house last weekend.
• I am a teacher so I think this paint is just what every teacher of new to school 5 year old could find handy.
• Looking for new fonts.  How about this list of great title fonts from eighteen25
• Asthma awareness is coming up in New Zealand and a video competition is being run.  The school where I teach has entered so enjoy.

Enjoy your weekend

I am going there again.....

Next time it is freezing cold, wet and plain old miserable I think that I want to go to  watch my children play hockey here.

 

Now look closely, those red looking lights are not lights but heating.  Yes you read it here.  On the seating......stand for spectators there is over heat heating.  I think of all those very early frosty Saturday mornings and  no heating.  Now DD is playing secondary school hockey we get heating.   

Now to have a word in the ear of the person who writes the draw so they can make this location happen for us every Thursday evening.

Wordless Wednesday 25 June

My daughter attends the second oldest school in New Zealand.

This is their newly restored chapel.  It is beautiful inside (that was before the it was restored) so I can't wait to see its inside when it is opened for use again.

These photos were taken just as the sun was about to set.

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys.

Can you believe it.

The primary school teacher in me is astounded that in my country the children's book award was won by a book with this word right through the middle of it.

Maybe I am a prudish person who values respectful language and that is why I could not read this book to the class of 5 year old who sit in front of me.  Who knows but now I think I will need to check all books that I pick up to check what the quality of language is like.

Mondays Menu 23 June

The beginning of another week and the nearly the end of the term.

Here is my menu

Monday  spaghetti bolognaise

Tuesday  curry chicken pasta

Wednesday  falafels with rice green salad and yoghurt dressing.

Thursday  french onion soup with home made bread.

Friday  pumpkin and bacon soup with baked flat bread.

Saturday honey ginger and soy stirfry with my selection of vege and meat.

Sunday  leftovers.

I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie.

Fridays Fabulous Five # 58

Another Friday has passed and here are my links for the week.

• we don't do smores here but I saw this link and worked out what a Graham cracker is when you live in New Zealand and pow.....I think I can make them.  So here is link for smores in a jar.
• What about 100 inspirational quotes
• I was looking for a new hat to knit to wear to work and came across these on Pinterest.  I think I will give this one a try.

 (Image from pattern source at Very Shannon)

• I love Shannons site and this tote bag is fabulous.
• 10 ways to overcome the winter blues.

Do you have any links to share?  It would be great to see.

Wordless Wednesday 18 June

I am out of hospital after Hayden's toes is fixed.  See my blog post here

So here is what it all looks like on the other side of surgery.

Tape on the toes to stop him touching his big toe.

The plastic on this afternoon so he could go outside and play.






































I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

The Toe

Hayden has a bent toe.  It has gradually been bending.  We know for sure it is not rickets, something that people with cystinosis can sometimes get.  In fact we have no idea why this has happened as it is something that the elderly usually need medical intervention for.

So with his toe so bent  and pressing into the toes beside it surgery is necessary so it can be pinned.

Fingers crossed Hayden adjusts to the cast on his foot quickly.

Monday Menu 16 June

This is a rather hectic week in our house so our meals are really easy.

Monday   meat pie with baked potato and green vege.

Tuesday   crockpot on rice.

Wednesday  Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup

Thursday   easy fried rice

Friday   Homemade hamburgers

Saturday  french onion soup.

Sunday  Leftovers

I am linking this page to I'm an organising Junkie.

In 35 years

Friday was a full moon and Friday 13.  This is a rare moment in time.  In fact it will happen again in 35 years when I will sure be old and grey.

So using this tutorial from Capture Your 365 by Katrina Kennedy I took out my SLR camera and its book and had a go at capturing the moon. 

One moment in time recorded on a crisp June evening.

Fridays Fabulous 5 #57

 

The year is passing by fast and believe it or not the weather still reaches moment when I think that my winter layers are just too much and I should have my sun dress on.  I sure wont be holding my breath as winter in full is yet to arrive.

Anyway enough of the small chat.  Here are my finds for this friday.

• These fabulous jars from The Painted Hive.
• Have you see this ad.  by VW all about driving a car with cellphone is your hand.  Well worth watching.
• Are you ever looking for subway art.  eighteen25 is the blog to visit.
• Then what about a selection of burgers to have on hand.  Just for Friday night when we are rushing about for Friday night sport.
• Finally just a little plug for a charity that tries to look after families who care for disabled/ medically fragile children   SmileDial this is for you.

Don't forget to link me up to any of your favourites.

Have a great weekend.

 

Wordless Wednesday 11 June

Here is our new world...well sitting on the table in Andres bedroom.

 

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Our Fabulous Neighbour.

The lovely Faye live just 5 minutes down the road.  She is the very young age of 70 and lives alone with her many animals including Lucky...her rescue dog.

Hayden  has taken a liking to visiting Faye and her dog.  She has taken a liking to Hayden visiting. 

So this is what a visit to Fayes house looks like.

Hayden walking Lucky around Faye's yard.

 Showing lots of love.

Great friends.

Lucky was a very anxious dog when he was rescued.  Now he hears Hayden coming up the road and barks with excitement at his pending visit.

We are not in a position to care for a dog. You really need the time to dedicate to one.  Something we don't have much of.

So thank you to Faye.  Hayden has these photos hanging on the wall in his room.  He can't wait to show us these photos most days.

Mondays Menu 9 June

The week began with a big rain.  In fact I am posting this on Tuesday and it is still raining....and cold.

So without writing any more here is my menu.

Monday  easy vege fried rice

Tuesday  steak, baked potato and salad.

Wednesday  Barbecue Beer Braised Beef with steamed green vege and baked potato

Thursday  beef wrap with salad vege and cold meat (warmed up from yesterdays leftovers)

Friday  French onion soup (crockpot)

Saturday  Out for dinner.  

Sunday  Coconut Thai Curry chicken

  (Coconut Thai Curry Chicken)

I am linking this post with I'm an Organising Junkie.

A Perfect Winters Morning

It is no secret that I love summer.  I love the balmy temperatures, I love how the the sunshine makes me feel happy.  So it will come as no surprise that I am one who hides from the crisp cold of winter.  
Of course you can not spend all the cooler months moving around by the warmth of the warmth of the fire.

(all the credits for this page can be found over at Plain Digital Wrapper)

So when there happens to be a crisp but clear morning I just have to admire the moment and be pleased that while it might be cold it is lovely and fine with the anticipation that the sun might just warm up enough to disguise the brisk seasonal weather.

Just how tidy is tidy?

After the usual two hour morning breakfast and medciation routine Hayden has made an incredible mess.  Lego, teddies, pens/ pencils, water bottles and cups.....you know the sort of list that comes with Hayden a child like Hayden in the house.

So at the end of our routine, when the behaviour management medication has kicked in, Hayden somewhat compliantly packs up....  some mornings. The brain injury he has as manifested in behaviour, that when unmedicated is extreme.  Some mornings we can spend a good 10 minutes picking up every piece of Lego, every pen, book and anything else within reach, from around the family room.  The photo below is on a good morning and still only some of the stuff spread around the room.

So you can imagine just how happy I am when I get this result called tidy by Hayden just as he puts his shoes on to catch the taxi to his special school.

Yes everything might not be away or even away just the how I like it.  But it is sure better than having to spend the ten minutes gathering everything up the way it usually happens.

Wordless Wednesday 4 June

My DD wants to be fit for her hockey.  So hill running was it this weekend just gone.

 

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Mondays Menu 2 June

Here is my menu for this week.

Monday  Roasted chicken (in a bag) with baked potato and salad.

Tuesday  bacon and egg pie with green salad

Wednesday  beef stirfry with soy and ginger sauce on noodles

Thursday  vegetable and chickpea hot pot.

Friday  DH choice as it is his birthday

Saturday  curry chicken pasta

Sunday  leftovers

bacon and egg pie made by me.

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie

Teen girls and their Phones.

VWhat is it about teenage girls and their phones and why is it that they need to take selfies all  the time?

 

My daughter did not get her smart phone until she was a tweenager, and making the hour long bus trip to and from school each day. Even at that point all she was able to do on her phone wad text and make the emergency phone call. DD has some basic rules to start with....no phone at social functions or while doing homework. If school confiscates the phone I will not be racing in to get it. Phone is up on the bench during dinner and after 6pm. Of course the rules have adapted over time but the core is still there.

 

 Ultimately the thing that my daughter was encouraged to do was to use her phone respectfully.  Respectful of the rules, of other people and her own privacy.  Thankfully I have a wonderful now 13 year old who seems to respectfully use her phone.  The selfies she takes are on her phone and she blue tooth them to friends.  She is not on any social media sites as she says she does not have time and not on instagram. 

Of course you have to love the occasional selfie.  The one above she took just this last weekend.

I guess I still do not understand why DD takes so many selfie but from what I see she is respectful with her phone and photos so what more would I want.

Fridays Fabulous 5 # 56

 

As it is a long weekend I am delayed in getting this post up.  There is always plenty of new and interesting up on the www so here are my favourites for this week.

• How to make your grill non stick by using an onion.
• What about all these uses for Baking Soda.  Now I have used some but boy oh boy I will need a huge container of Baking Soda to try them all.
• I have a daughter with a beauty spot right in the classic spot that Marilyn Munroe had it.  She can't wait to work out how to hide it.  Maybe this article just might help her to appreciate her beauty spot.

 (Image found on the above linked site.  See image for original source)

• My DS2 is very musical.  He has been playing violin but it was not his passion.  At school they were offering ukelele lesson and off he took himself.  He is just so keen and wants to practise.  He tell me know at classical guitar will be his next instrument.  So I have found this great ukelele blog with song for him to play.  He is currently teaching himself some two chord songs. 
• For those into taking selfies here are 10 top selfies for 2013.