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.  

Wordless Wednesday 28 May

When DD's class at school is running a stall then it seems that it is Mum to the rescue with the produce.  Hmmm.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

I Just Love it When......

Don't you just love it when your 13 year old daughter homework involves planing, budgeting and shopping for a whole school weeks morning tea and lunch. 

Packed the night before the lunchbox includes

• rice crackers
• homemade cookies
• homemade lemon muffin
• yoghurt
• fresh carrots
• dried cranberries
• cheese sandwich
• museli bar
• banana

 It all came in on budget.

I am happily enjoyed not making her lunch for the week.  I am pleased too that she has an increased appreciation of how much it costs to shop for school lunches.

Mondays Menu 26 May

Winter finally feels like it is here.  I will need to hunt out my soup recipes I am thinking.

Monday  baked chicken with potato and green salad.

Tuesday   Moo Shu Pork

Wednesday  pizza meatballs and green salad

Thursday  Crock pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Friday  Pumpkin and Lentil Soup with homemade bread

Saturday  Lemongrass and chilli beef stir-fry

Sunday  Left overs. 

I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie

Fridays Fabulous 5 # 55

We belatedly here is my links for this week.

• Here is a post from Pure Actions Photography about pinning to facebook.
• Here is a great hat pattern to knit and if you don't yet knit the same site has great lessons.
• Just a great tutorial on how to make a watercolour sketch for scrapbooking.
• I am a teacher and I love this tetrabox maths.
• A recipe to finish satay beef noodles

Have a great weekend.

Another project done.

I have set a goal this year to get finished all my unfinished digital projects.   This project was one for my daughter.  It is a photo book covering her representative hockey year last year.  This was a book celebrating the things a great team culture can do for young girls.  The positive sporting experience both on and off the field I hope will provide my daughter fabulous insight into how hard work, friendship and respect all can contribute to an unforgettably positive experience.

Best of all I see her taking a look at the book.  I see her smile every time she picks up the book.  I am so glad that I had plenty of photos to make this book the special project it is.