Monday Menu 6 February

Here is the menu just in time for the full swing of the school year to hit my house.  Yes that means that I will feel like a full time taxi driver.

So here we go with DH away and me doing things solo at the moment

Monday  Cold meat and salad especially for a public holiday here in New Zealand

Tuesday  Beef Nacho

Wednesday  fried rice (easy the recipe says...I guess I will find out this week)

Thursday  falafel pita pockets

Friday  Noodly Dinner

Saturday  pesto and spaghetti

Sunday   leftovers.

I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie

Beginning of the school Year.

With a rush back into reality the school year has begun.  There will be no looking back, new adventures to be had, new teachers to get used to and of course and a whole new world of knowledge to explore.  Each of my children were excited about starting school.  Even Hayden who is difficult to understand or even know what he remembers or even understands at times seemed excited.  Sadly we don't know what he is doing at school and he is unable to have that discussion with us.  McKenzie happily went off to College, Andre stayed at the same school but for the first time he is at school without McKenzie there.

So here they are with the obligatory first day photo.  It was fun.  We had to take it at the end of the day because McKenzie left for school just a little early for the boys.

January's Summary In Numbers

I have thought about how I summarise each month and how to keep it easy and quick to assemble.  So I have discovered Making Notes on Paper and decided to participate in My Month in Numbers.

Here is my inaugural version of this endeavour.  Watch out because I love numbers and how they work so I am sure I will get a more interesting array of numbers to share.

1  is the number of birthdays in our family this month

Andre celebrated his eight birthday and enjoyed every moment of it with his choice of food which included dinner out.



10 is the number of people who went camping. and 6 was the number of children present.

Our really good friends and us went camping at Ohiwa Beach.  We had such a good time with them and can't wait for next year to arrive so we can do this again.

8 is the number of trailer loads of dry wood we moved ready for winter and keeping us warm.

I know we are early but summer is the right time to collect the wood so it doesn't smoke us out when we really need it.





4 is the number of days fishing that were had while we were on holiday.  Apparently the locals favourite spot.  9 was the most successful day fishing.....catch, look, release.

Wordless Wednesday 1 February

My children got to experience cockle collecting for the first time during the holidays.  This is where I discovered that Andre is a catch, look and release type of child and McKenzie was real keen to see what they tasted like when quickly cooked on the barbeque.

You can see that there are even a few barnacles attached to these shellfish that are nothing more than 3 - 4 cm wide.  The rules state that you are not allowed to collect more than 150 in one go.  Incase you are interested there is a whole lot of effort for something that tastes sandy.  Yuck.

I am linking my post to My Little Drummer Boys

The Holidays are Over

I am not sure if I am happy or sad because the long school holidays are over.  The new school year is about to begin. 

If course I am sad that all those little moments of leisure time we get to enjoy as a family will be put to the back burner a little as the business of the school year takes over.  I am sad that we will miss the time  to enjoy each others company without having to rush around (yes thats me the taxi driver).

Of course I am happy that again with the school year beginning, all my children will once more be embracing new knowledge, facing new challenges and growing a little more mature (I hope).  I am excited to see what will inspire them, how they will overcome challenges and of course how much they will enjoy life.

(My children eeling with their cousins...ok so only half of the eelers are in the photo but trust me I think that they will all remember eeling over this summer.  They all had such good fun.)

Monday Menu 30 January

This is the week when the summer holidays draw to an end and school starts up.  Of course I become a taxi driver again along with all the other things that start up again.  So I am really needing my menu planning. 

Monday  Steak, baked potato and lettuce salad

Tuesday  curry chicken pasta salad

Wednesday  beef stirfry on egg noodles

Thursday  five spice roasted chicken leg with rice and vege

Friday  vietnamese shaking beef on a vege salad

Saturday  nachos

Sunday  leftovers

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

Cute Conversation 3

Need-to-read-a-lytis

I had never heard of this condition but my delightful 11 year old daughter thought that it was an appropriate reason why she was not outside helping me garden.

My response to her condition was a treatment of sit-and-read-alotic.

So she promptly got to curing her condition.

Big Boys Toys

Just sometimes girls need what is commonly referred to as Big Boys Toys.  Since I seem to be in charge of the lawn mowing at my place I thought that I might just as well enjoy sitting while mowing instead of hand mowing for 3 1/2 hours ( Ok the first time I mowed all of that space it took closer to 4 1/2 hours).  Now I can happily hand mow the bits that need a catcher and around the trees and sit down and ride my way around the rest.  I should add just here that I flooded the mower right about the moment the photo was taken and was more than a little upset that THAT machine had let me down.

It is hard to believe just 4 months ago most of the part I call backyard was paddock.  The children love all the space there is to play in and I can't wait for it all to be easier to mow.

Wordless Wednesday

I am back from holiday and here is my favourite photo.  Our first night with our friends at Ohiwa Beach.  Just a perfect moment as the sun was setting, lighting a fire so we could all roast marshmellows.  A perfect evening

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys

Holiday is good for....

I love summer holidays.  We always plan to go camping to the beach and then simply relax and forget that my everyday life is always taken at full spead.

These holidays for me alway give me a chance to sleep more, read more and notice the little things in life.  But most of all they really give me time to appreciate my family and how wonderful each and everyone of them are.

We go camping on a no electricity tent site.  Now don't be fooled into thinking I can do without any luxuries in life....mine just happen to be a clean flushing toilet and a clean hot shower (with hot water for not less than five minutes long).  I need my phone just incase Haydens respite care facility needs to get in touch with me.

My favourite things to do  involve not wearing a watch, playing board games with my family and relaxing.  Ofcourse listening to the gentle waves washing up on the sand helps keep me at peace.

So if I was to bottle it I think you would find

• the sound of waves gently washing up on sand
• time, plenty of it with nothing to fill it.
• happy and contented family.
• clean facilities for my benefit
• and sunshine.

I sure do not like and would not include

• rain....tenting and rain to not go nicely together
• too much to do.