Monday Menu 28 March

Mondays Menu is up.  I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie.


Monday  Spaghetti Bolognese

Tuesday  meatloaf and salad

Wednesday  Beef Casserole with Tomato dumplings

Thursday   soup french onion.

Friday  Tomato herb and goats cheese spaghetti

Saturday  pizza

Sunday.  leftovers

now I am off to the supermarket.

New 52 Week 11 Food

Food is an ongoing issue for me.  It is an all or nothing effort when it comes to eating enough, too much or even not enough.  Not a good state of being really,  but enough of my food issues.

I have recently been working very hard to get fit and healthy.  I wrote about this here.  I have been eating well and exercising.  I know to be life long I need to add treats back into my plan so to benefit my sweet tooth I have discovered a new and not too costly treat.  A Mallowpuff.

A marshmellow filled treat.  I love them and they love me just for the right amount.  True luxury.  Now I am set for those sweet needing moments.

They are back

Kutus are back in our house.  I blogged about these pesky little critters that invade hair in September 2010.  For the last three weeks we have been fighting a repeat invasion. 

Now fortunately I am somewhat wiser about what works to erradicate these critters and what will leave my wallet considerably fuller. 

So very unscientifically this is how we got rid of the kutus in two weeks and seem to have kept them out.

1.  Persistence is the first best step.

2.  Mix one cup of olive oil with abut 20 drops of tea tree oil.

3.  Dip a nit comb in the oil and comb the hair twice a day.  Leave the oil mixture in the hair.  The hair might look bad but what is a couple of weeks of looking greasy when up against kutus.

4.  When all kutus are gone then spray regularly with this product (I am not a sales rep for the company nor do I have any affiliation to the company).  It seems to help keep the critters at bay.  Do apply this at night as it is a leave in contioner with a bad smell which is much less noticeable in the morning.

MIA

I have a head cold.  Nothing serious enough to put me in bed but I need plenty of

and my head feels like it is full of cottonwool. 

Now back to feeling sorry for myself.

Wordless Wednesday 23 March

This week leaves us just 3 more sessions at orienteering for the summer.  So I thought it was fitting to put this photo up.  Here is McKenzie trying to orientate the map.

We go to locations in and around our urban area.  In weekends we have a go at contour map reading. It has taken all summer for map orientation skills to be developed.  Next summer hopefully McKenzie will be able to develop on from here and Andre will get his chance to learn some skills.

I am linking this up to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 21 March

Another week is underway and an other menu.  Autumn is in full swing and I am not looking forward to woes of winter cooking.  Anyway here are this weeks meals.  I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie

Monday   Devilled Sausages with rice.

Tuesday  Cold meat with baked potato and mixed vege

Wednesday  Porto bello pasta bowls

Thursday  Homemade Hamburgers with salad vegetables

Friday  Pumpkin soup homemade

Saturday  ham and feta quiche



Sunday  Leftovers

I thought that I might make these  Raspberry Oatmeal Bars too

I have Thick Skin

Thick skin you ask.  What do you mean?

My name is Tamara and I have thick skin. 

This has truely been bought home to me in recent months. With my son Hayden being disabled as one of the major reasons I need to have this approach to life.  You know the sort that says I don't care what you say about my child.

In my experience adults can be very cutting with their comments.  They easily judge without knowing anything especially when it comes to Hayden.  I know at first glance he does not look disabled and he certainly does not look his age.  In fact he looks much younger.  I too know that Haydens behaviour in the evenings, is very antisocial.  When I have to take Hayden to the extra curricular activities of my others, I mostly can not get out of the car with him.  He has worked out how to get out of the buggy, he curses, spits, bites etc and runs away thinking he is funny.  Actually he is totally uncompliant.  Parents of other children who do not know us are rude enough to pass comment about Hayden and his behaviour within ears reach of me.  Somedays I feel really offended by their comments but ignore it.  Other days I just appoligise for Haydens behaviour, tell them he is disabled and move him away.  Most of the time we both just sit in the car, Hayden watching his favourite Barney DVD that I must have seen a couple of hundred times, while I try and chill out.

Children on the other hand just stare.  I can deal with that.  Sometimes they come and ask questions.  I am happy to answer them too.  I answer them because I hope that just maybe I might be able to make a difference in an able bodied/ mind child so they won't judge so quickly others and empathise a little more with those who different.

These kind of moments have prompted me to come up with a couple of little must haves when it comes to having thick skin.

• my ipod..this is for a little escapisim if required.
• a large smile on call at all times.  That is a smile from the eyes as well as the whole face.  Esential if you are in my shoes. 
• A Joke book or two to help provide a little light relief.  I love this site as another source of jokes.  It even has a how to tell jokes part for children.  Also give this a try.
• Minties because in the words of the ad....It is moment like these you need Minties.

New 52 Week 10 We have an emergency plan

In our house we have had an emergency plan.  I think we might call it a Hayden emergency plan.The sort of plan when the children know when and why we need to call 111 for an ambulance and even how to respond to the operator.  They too know what that means with regard to panic levels and following instructions etc.  We all know this plan because we have had to practise it quite a few times.

Recent world wide events including the Earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand (I live in Auckland New Zealand) the horrific tsunami in Japan, have prompted me to make so more robust plans for a natural emergency.

So I have ordered this kit from St John New Zealand and will add to this a special kit for Hayden and top up with a few extra bits and bobs we have at home.  In fact I have no idea how we would cater for him as he required 2 litres of water a day and electricity to run everything.  Hmmmm I am yet to solve that issue.

I have printed out this form and am creating a plan with the children and DH when he gets home from working in Vancouver and am working through this planning sheet to help should we need it.

I am not paranoid to the extent that I can't do or go anywhere but I guess it just gives peace of mind.  Also Andre is learning about 111 and emergencies at school so it is good timing for our 7 year old.

I will post a photo when I have the two little packs all organised and packed.  As for the planning three days in advance.  That will take a little time to assemble but the intention is there.  Oh our barbeque bottle is full so we will be cooking.

So even though it is unlikely that Auckland will suffer from and earthquake you never know just what kind of emergency we might be ready for.

So keep an eye out for when all things are gathered and photos taken and I will post what I have done to get us ready for an emergency.

Monthly round up February (late)

What books or magazines did I read.

 

It is sad to say that I am still reading a book I started some weeks ago.  I have simply run out of time to fit it into my schedule but fingers crossed that March will see things like this improve.

 

I did glance through a magazine called Carers.  Upon flicking through it was only for the aged and disabled not for people like my husband and I  Of course sitting at the hairdressers I managed to brouse a few girly magazines at the hairdressers though.

 

My favourite TV show or movie. 

 

I am not usually a great fan of reality shows but I really enjoy watching the Amazing Race.   Ok I have just discovered that we are a season behind so I havent looked at the web site but we are on Season 17.  I dont get to watch movies much but perhaps I should be making a wish list of movies I would like to see.

 

What are the fun things that I have done with my family

 

We do fun things around the house mainly.  Hayden makes it difficult to do outings but I know that the little things around the need to be recorded.  Not sure what it was we did but will be careful to record them in future.

 

Health Issues and Things

 

this is always something in our house that could be really dramatic and the need to call 111.  Luckily we have all been really healthy and well.  I am pleased the say that Hayden is now really comfortable having his port a cath accessed and now sits up to help.  He does not need three people to hold him down.  I am so please with this progress.

 

My Accomplishments in February

 

I have lost a heap of weight since 1 December 2010.  Well it is heap of weight for me.  I am so pleased that February was the month when I felt really fit, happy and healthy.  I am planning to maintain this so watch this space.  I too have been busy working.  This is a major juggling act for me as Hayden requires a lot of organising for me to get to my relief teaching work.  Now I am consistently getting 3 days of work a week which I am really pleased with.  I too have completed two school applications for 2012 for McKenzie with more to come.  This task is like cutting down a tree...one for all the paper work I needed to fill in and post out and one for the cheque (I know an antiquated form of payment) I need to fill out so her application can be processed.

 

 

 

Being Literal

Literal
Collins: English Dictionary Definition (Meaning)


adj
1. in exact accordance with the explicit meaning of a word or text,
2. word for word, a literal translation,
3. dull or unimaginative, she’s very, very literal and flat in how she interprets what she sees,
4. true, actual,


 Life is full of literal meanings and yesterday the word literal hit me right in the face, figuratively that is.

I am still chuckling.  I sent DH a txt message from work as I had forgotten to turn the crockpot on before I went to work on Monday.  My txt said.  please put steak n kidney in crockpot and turn on.  (Notice how we dont use txt language )  I get a reply.....  Done.

So I go through the rest of the day happily thinking that dinner is cooking and anticipating a meat and veg stew....the sort we usually have on the plate when a a busy after school is on us.

I get home and smell the crockpot.  Hmmm just as I thought I am thinking.  Dinner is just waiting to be served.

So I just about fell over laughing when I went to serve dinner to find only the meat well cooked in my crockpot. 

Just as well I could think on my feet added the vege and saucing ingredients, heated them in the microwave, mixed them with the meat and dinner was ready.   Next time I will txt the recipe I think.