Monday Menu 7 June

Here is my menu for the week. Not sure how much I can like as these all come from my books.

Monday  meatloaf, backed potato and salad

Tuesday  Curried lentil and pumpkin soup

Wednesday Ham cheese and corn pasta pie with salad

Thursday  steak and kidney stew (my version)

Friday  Takeaways for brithday celebration

Saturday  pumpkin, spinach and feta pies with salad

Sunday  curried chickpea and potato patties with salad.

Sorry abou the lack of links.  I f you want to know more let me know and I will tell you the source of the recipes.

What is it about little girls and their need for space?  In fact that question could be asked of older girls too.  This was McKenzies solution to needing a little time for herself on a fine winters weekend.  I hope it is always like this.

The credits can be found here.

Wordless Wednesday 2 June

Wordless Wednesday is here again.

This time it is a very fun and candid shot.

No words required.

Homework

Homework is an inevitable part of a child's school life.  Whether it is listening to the readers that are sent home, supporting the learning of spelling and basic facts...and all  the rest.   It is all there waiting to be done.  Lets not forget the extra curricular activities that require a little practice too.

So it is lucky that children are flexible because today DS2 has to do his violin practice in the car and on the footpath while we waited for DD Speech and Drama to finish.

You just have to love how much you can do in the car and then .....well you can see it still can be fun.

DS2 kept looking down the street to check if anyone was coming.  Maybe this was because it is after a couple of months of learning, he has finally how to bow on the violin....the 'e' string.  Yes he can make one note.  He is not allowed to let the bow touch any other string.  Now it is a pity that he played with the tuning knobs as the 'e' sting is out of tune and his bowing is in need of some practice.  I think that some ear plugs are needed in my house now.

Monday Menu 31 May

I am getting tired and my menus are holding my sanity in place.  Fingers crossed that this weeks does the same.

Monday  Steak, potatos and vege

Tuesday  Chicken wraps (my version)

Wednesday  Salmon patties with salad rice.

Thursday  Crockpot pot roast.

Friday  Frozen meal (last weeks crock pot)

Saturday  curried lentil and pumpkin soup with homemade bread.

Sunday  Leftovers

Open Home

I have been trying to see our house privately for a little while now.  It is somewhat of a burden because the house needs to be as spotless as I can make it each weekend.  That is cleaner than I might have done had it not been an open home.  It takes heaps of effort now that winter is nearly here.  The leaves and things come inside on feet and with the wind when the door opens.  The lawns now need mowing weekly and the leaf blower needs to be used weekly too.  Of course now we have the fire on the dusting is more intense and the vacuum cleaning is needing attention daily (well it needed that anyway but did not always get it).

I am still cooking outside althought in the dark it is getting quite hard.  I might just have to take up this challenge and use my crockpot everyday. 

The only part of the house that needs more attention than the rest is my computer space.  My gosh it gets out of control so easily and I have trouble prioritising it to remain contained as an organised space.

As for help.  Usually DH is away when the weekends are around.  So I have had time to train my little helpers.  They don't do too bad a job either.  I can say their bedrooms definitely look much tidier in general and they the under beds are looking much improved too.  Oh how I wish my lovely amah, Rose, (from Brunei) was here to help me.

Any way back to the mess.  It is all filing stuff.  You know, the mail that somes in, the acounts that need paying, childrens newsletters etc etc.

Here it is

The credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi

Notice the alarm clock on the corner of the table.  This is because this space is a nook in the master bedroom.  I need this alarm to get up at 0130hrs each night.  It has to be placed far away from my bed so I have to get up to turn it off.  8 meters to be exact.

Wordless Wednesday 26 May

Autumn is over.  This is the last of the colour in our garden.

The big 45

I thought that with my 45th birthday looming closer, in August, it was time to take control, embrace life a little more and decide on some goals that I might just be able to have and go and have fun along the way.

So here goes
* take a photography course even if it is on line
* try and trek more in the Hunuia Rangers
* Get to the snow and have fun
* read a book a month
* listen to more music and enjoy it
* get out and exercise more
* got out for dinner with DH once a month at a minimum
* do a 10km walk in the summer (start planning now)

* find a funny movie to watch a share with the family

* make a photo book for this year

* get together with an old friend I have just caught up with on facebook

* take the children to the museum

* start a vege garden

* entertain at home

* have a picnic at Wenderholm in the summer

* have a date night with DH at home in the fire light
* sort out all the photos we have
* create a wall display of our photos

So a created a permanent reminder of what I am going to try and embrace

The credits for this page can be found here at Polkadotplum

Now I sit here with a new novel to read I can start on one of the goal before my birthday even arrives.  Nothing like a few new challenges in life.

Monday Menu 24 May

Winter is finally here sadly.  So my menu is beginning to reflect this.

Monday  Creamy Red Chicken Curry

Tuesday  Creamy Tuna Pasta Bakes

Wednesday  Frozen meal waiting to be eaten

Thursday  Devilled Sausages in the crockpot

Friday  Hamburgers homemade with meat paddies and salad veges

Saturday  Steak, potatoes and vege

Sunday    Left overs

All Tied Up

Learning to tie shoe laces is an difficult challenge children face. It takes persistence and patience to get past the firt step, the knot.

This day Andre took a look at his laces and to his surprise, he saw two tied shoes. Tight enough to keep his shoes on while he walked. Well for a little while anyway. It has taken about three weeks to get to this stage. He has to have a go first and then I tighten the laces good enough for a day at school.

Andre   Look Mum I have done it

Me    Done what?

Andre   Mum look. I have done my shoe laces

 Me   (A squeal of excitement) Fantastic Andre. Let me look.

Andre   Will you take a photo?

I guess that is the sign of a child in a scrapbooking home.

 

 

And so when in a scrabooking home you also get the page.

The credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi