Done In

I worked the first three days of the week and just about died of exhaustion by Wednesday night. I know many of you work full-time, have kids, get meals on the table and do all the other wife and mum stuff but, Lordy, I am stuffed. My feet hurt, I have no energy left and my brain has turned to mush.

And I'm going to do it all over again next week. By the time I get finished I'll be a gibbering wreck. But I'll be a gibbering wreck who can buy another truck-load of crushed limestone.

I.

Here's a meme I found floating around ages ago. It's been sitting in my inbox waiting ever since. So for an easy Saturday read, here you go. If you decide to do it, let me know and I'll come check it out.

I am finally getting over this rotten cold.

I think that I should go hang out the washing while it’s sunny.

I want a pair of flat, knee high boots. But I can’t find any I like or can afford.

I have meringues in the oven.I dislike when people cut in line.

I miss my friends from Red Dirt Central.

I fear I will never have a career again. A job, sure. But not the career I crave.

I feel excited and nervous about turning 40. Lucky I still have some time to prepare.

I hear the kids running around outside.

I smell freshly cooked Anzac biscuits.

I crave things that are never in the house when I want them.

I usually say the wrong thing.

I search Google for something at least once every day.

I wonder if we will ever get the reno’s and extensions done on the house.

I regret not doing my Masters when I got in.

I love my family. They are my everything. Even when they annoy the crap out of me.

I care too much about what other people think of me.

I am always worrying.

I worry about pretty much everything.

I remember before I had kids.

I dance to The Wiggles.

I sing only when the music is turned up REALLY loud and no-one can hear me.

I don't always do what I should.

I argue with myself.

I write lists. Lots of lists.

I lose stuff all the time.

I wish on rainbows.

I listen to kookaburras laughing their way round my yard.
I don't understand maths.

I can usually be found at the kitchen bench. It’s where the computer is.

I am scared of the dark.I need quiet to be able to function.

I forget lots of stuff. It’s not always a bad thing.

I am happy, most of the time.

Home Again, Home Again

The engagement party was last night and it was lovely. The venue was on the beachfront, about an hour away for us, and we laughed because we hadn't seen the ocean for the longest time. Mental note to self: must ensure children occasionally see ocean! I was truly excited that we'd be there for sunset - there's nothing like watching the sun sink into the ocean - and I am pained to admit that I missed it. I was too busy talking and by the time Hubby nudged me it was gone. Oh well, I guess we'll have to head back again soon.

The party was for a younger cousin of mine who has been away travelling for a couple of years. She looked gorgeous and glowy and in love and we met her fiancee who seems very nice. Hubby and my brother gave her the third degree "what does he do? how old is he? where is his family from?" etc, etc, etc. Hilarious when you know what a terror my little brother (and hubby too, for that matter) was in his younger days. It was really nice to catch up with family I haven't seen for ages. Between us moving around the country-side and life in general we worked out that one of my cousins hasn't even seen Offspring #2.

So, how was my outfit? Pretty much perfect I'd say. Better dressed that some, not quite as jazzed up as a few of the pretty young things. Some of the teeny little frocks were gorgeous and my sis-in-law and I had fun ogling (and coveting) some seriously beautiful shoes. Now I need to find some fancy places to go so I can get dressed up again!

For Your Approval

Awww... you guys! Thanks for all your advice and words of wisdom on what to wear. I carried it all with me when I went shopping today and I present my finds for your approval.

As suggested by Trish: pretty shoes. I'm loving the peep toe and the buckle.

I was considering the 'going out' bags I already had and came to the conclusion that most of them should probably go into the dressing up box. There's nothing wrong with them except that they were fashionable about 10 years ago and were last used about 8 years ago. So... a pretty little up-to-the-minute clutch purse.

And I love the material lining. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

I vetoed the suggestions on dresses and skirts. I'm just not comfortable in them and, while I will be a little outside my comfort zone simply by dressing up I don't want to be so far out of it that I feel like a freak. Even if I looked okay I'd feel weird and that would just put a downer on the whole night. I found a pair of black pants that are just gorgeous - they're just regular black pants, pretty much the same as every other pair I already own except that they fit beautifully - skimming my butt and thighs rather than sticking to the lumpy bits - and just sit really nicely. I tried really hard to buy something sparkly. Really hard. But nothing fitted / sat nicely / stayed where it was supposed it / covered the bits that really should be covered / cost less than my fortnightly mortgage payment. Then I found a plain black T with a lovely ruffle. Not too ruffly that it messed with my head but big enough to add some interest to the top. The t sat well and looked good too. And to go over it a 3/4 sleeve, long-line cardy with ruffly bits too. The photos don't do it justice - it looks better on a body than it does on a hanger. Promise.

I'm going to wear my big gold hoop earrings and check out what I have bead/necklace wise, and make a raid on a girl-friends jewellery box if I need to, and that's what I'm wearing! It should be dressy enough to look the part yet still close enough to my comfort zone that I can enjoy the evening.

Any positve feedback would be most welcome, criticism not so much - the credit card is smoking and I don't have time to exchange anything anyway. But again, thank you. Your advice really helped me out while I was looking for ideas and trying stuff on. You guys are the best.

What To Wear?

Arrggghhh. I've got an engagement party to attend on the weekend and the dress code is cocktail attire. Help! I'm a not very dressy, not very girly, nearly 40 year old Mum. I do jeans, t-shirt, 3/4 casual pants... all very casual and all very suited to my casual lifestyle. I'm going to be surrounded by 20-somethings who, from the pics I've seen on facebook, are gorgeous, slim and used to dressing up.

Any suggestions for what I should be looking for? I'm not comfortable in dresses so I'm thinking more along the lines of black pants and a sparkly-type top. At least then I can pretend it's jeans and a shirt, so long as I don't look at myself in a mirror.

Pinching Someone Else's Lazyblogging

Trish had this up at her place and I decided I'd pinch it. That's some serious lazyblogging!

1. What time did you get up this morning?- 6.02am. The alarm went off at 6 but I really needed that extra two minutes.

2. How do you like your steak?- Cooked till it's dead without a hint of pink.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?- Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. The reviews haven't been that good but I thought it was great. No, not a ring-in for the book but gets through the story and sets it up nicely for the next one (two!).

4. What is your favorite TV show?- Right now I'm loving Torchwood.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you?- Here in the hills. That's why we keep coming back.

6. What did you have for breakfast?- Cup of tea and half a piece of raisin toast. I don't really do breakfast but I try on work days.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?- Is dessert a cuisine?
8. What foods do you dislike?- Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, pork, hot/spicy, animal organs.
9. Favorite Place to Eat?- Standing at the kitchen bench?

10. Favorite dressing?- We've got a really nice Avocado and Garlic Dressing from Wild Appetite on the go at the moment and it's really good. Apart from that, whatever.
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?- Lancer wagon, it's red and about 4 years old. I don't like it much.

12. What are your favorite clothes?- My jeans.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?- I've never left Australia so pretty much anywhere that was on offer. I've always wanted to go to Greece. And Santiago.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?- Hmmm..... I spent a long time as a 1/2 empty kind a girl but have spent the last few years working hard to become more of a 1/2 full girl. It's a work in progress but I'm really making an effort and getting better at it.

15. Where would you want to retire?- Ummm... way too far away to consider but I guess here in the hills.
16. Favorite time of day?- Around 8pm - kids are asleep and I have a bit of time to breathe.

17. Where were you born?- Perth, Western Australia.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?- None really, I'll watch the odd bit of footy or cricket if it's on but that's about it.
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?- I'm not going to tag anyone. No pressure.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?- See above.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?- See above, again.

22. Bird watcher?- Nope. I like listening to the kookaburras but could gladly murder the black cockatoos who steal the fruit from my trees.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?- How about a midday person? I'm not great early or late but do okay smack in the middle.

24. Do you have any pets?- A dog, a few goldfish and a couple of pink and grey galahs. We still need to fix the chook pen then we can have chooks again.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?- None that I can think of.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?- A doctor.

27. What is your best childhood memory?- Oh too many. Playing "Monkey Magic' with my best friend, watching the Sunday night Disney movie with my family, going to really crazy places on family holidays, having cliche competitions with my Dad, going 'to town' for lunch and shopping with my mum, nan and little-nan... Sorry, can't narrow that one down.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?- Probably a cat person. I like how they're loners and don't really want anything to do with you when you want to pat them but won't leave you alone when you're trying to do something else. Dogs irritate me with their neediness.

29. Are you married?- Yes. 11 years.
30. Always wear your seat belt?- Yes. Always.

31. Been in a car accident?- No, touch wood.

32. Any pet peeves?- Can I say people? Or is that a little harsh?

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?- Basil pesto, char-grilled capsicum, lamb, feta, - not necessarily together.

34. Favorite Flower?- In the garden - camellias. In a vase - tulips

35. Favorite ice cream?- Vanilla
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?- Hungry Jacks

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?- None. Passed first time thank you!
38. From whom did you get your last email?- Offspring #1's footy coach.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?- The Kitchen Store.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?- Went on a picnic with friends on Sunday. I have a hard time with spontaneous so just ended up really flustered and a bit crazy. Not that I didn't enjoy it but probably not worth the crazy.

41. Like your job?-Generally.

42. Broccoli?- Yes. But please don't cook it till it's grey and squishy.
43. What was your favorite vacation?- Exmouth a couple of years ago with Hubby and the kids. Loved it!

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?- Hubby. Date night last weekend.

45. What are you listening to right now?- Spicks and Specks on the tv.
46. What is your favorite color?- Pink
47. How many tattoos do you have?- None.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?- Nobody, but do it if you want to.
49. What time did you finish this quiz?- 9.08pm

50. Coffee Drinker?- Blech. No. Tea all the way with me. Lots and lots of tea.

End Of Year Meme

Here's a little wrap up of 2008. Trish over at Light. Sweet. Crude posted this meme a week or so ago and I thought it was a nice way to bring the year to a close. The links didn't quite work out but if you click on the words in bold it'll take you to the relevant post.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?

Moved house twice in one year
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next this year?
I don't usually make them so it's probably fair to say I didn't keep any. I am considering making a few for 2009 - yell less, cook more, enjoy the kids more, get more organised.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No one especially close but a few friends did welcome babies into their lives, most notably Luka George just a few days before my birthday.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My Grandma died but we weren't actually very close.

5. What countries did you visit?
Ha, good joke that one!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Maybe job security? But nothing really.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

April - we left Red Dirt Central and came back to Perth. And July, when we finally got our house back.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping my sh!t together. Okay, I don't actually feel like I achieved very much at all this year. Pretty much from when we found out we were moving back to Perth I have been treading water and barely, just barely, keeping my head above the water line. I spent most of the year feeling like it was a constant one step forward, two steps backwards kind of dance. To be honest it was exhausting and I'm looking forward to the new year in a 'wipe the slate clean and start again' kind of way.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Setting myself goals that were just about unachievable. Like with my last job - I set myself a massive goal and truly believed I could achieve it working three days a week in just 16 or so weeks. No one else expected as much from me as I did. Those who I reported to told me repeatedly that I was doing/did a great job, turned things around, got it all back on track, etc but I feel like I didn't achieve everything I set out to which means I failed. Bah, Capricorn perfectionism sucks big-time.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope - just the regular coughs and colds. Coping with Offspring #1's asthma just about wore me out though.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The shelving units for the kids bedrooms. Best. Thing. Ever.

12. Where did most of your money go?

My money or 'our' money?

My money - family holiday to Exmouth, stuff for the house, school uniforms for #1, asthma meds for #2, and books that I should have borrowed from the library but couldn't resist buying.

'Our' money - mortgage, car payments, groceries, bills. All the really exciting stuff.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Moving back to Perth.

14. What song will always remind you of 2008?
The Proclaimers 'Misery to Happiness'. When we moved back to Perth the kids and I, obviously, spent more time in the car getting from place to place. I have heaps of 80's CD's and played this song for #1 because he used to love it when he was about three. #2 promptly fell in love with it and whenever we hopped into the car she requested the 'uh huh, uh huh song' (sing it to yourself, you'll work out why both kids call it that)

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?
Happier all round - We're back in Perth, I'm back in my house and hubby's doing a job he's loving.

b) thinner or fatter?
Hmmm... fatter. I was thinking that I'd just accept it and embrace my 'inner Nigella'. But I can't. So I'm going to cut down on the sugary treats and up the energy output a little and see if I can't burn off just a couple of kilo's. I'm not proclaiming a full-on diet and exercise regime - I think we all know that wouldn't work for me but I'll be making a couple of small tweaks to my lifestyle.

c) richer or poorer?

Probably about the same really.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Stopped cleaning, or tidying or whatever and played with the kids.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Yelled.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

I already told you.

19. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Was already there. I told you about that too.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

Heroes. Or Top Gear (the real one not the Australian rip-off version). And Home and Away - shocking and shameful, I know.

21. What was the best book you read?

You know, I read heaps of books this year but I really don't have one stand out for the year. There were lots that I looked forward to because I liked the author, or the subject material, and they didn't meet my expectations. There were several that I really enjoyed because they were unexpected finds, or sweet, or funny. But there were none that made an amazing impression and left me thinking about them for days like in previous years.

22. What was your favorite film of this year?

I don't really watch that many films. Hubby borrows lots of DVD's from the video shop but I tend to blog or read or do housework rather than watch them (he's watching one now while I'm doing this). I guess my favourite was Alvin and The Chipmunks just because we all sat down for a family movie and #1 giggled himself silly the whole way through, which obviously made us giggle too. Sorry, ti was more the experience than the movie.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Had friends around for a bbq the night before and then dinner at Mum's followed by Carols by Candlelight. I am now 37 and not terribly happy about it.

24. What kept you sane?

Blogging. Three very good friends in Red Dirt Central. Hubby

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Still George. Always George. (Clooney obviously!)

Hubby knows that if George lands in our backyard and begs me to share his life I'm outta here. In fact he's given me his blessing - I'm not sure if I should be grateful or insulted!

26. Who did you miss?

The girls from Red Dirt Central, specially Felicity.

27. Who was the best new person you met?

Sarah- I met her through work and she's young, sweet and so funny. She cracks me up and just makes my day a little brighter whenever I see or talk to her.

Because we moved home I didn't necessarily meet a lot of new people but I did get re-aquainted with lots who I didn't know all that well. I have enjoyed getting to know a group of fellow school mums - with kids a variety of ages - and hope that I'll get to know them better next year.

Happy Birthday To...

ME!!!!

We had a few friends around for a bbq last night, a kind of combined Christmas catch-up/birthday dinner. Everyone bought a dish to the table and I have a delicious salad to share, thanks to one of the friends, in a later post. They also gave me some wonderful gifts, among them champagne and a new cook book.

This morning I woke up to birthday kisses and cuddles and opening presents with the kids. Then we waved Hubby off to work, did a few chores, played some play-doh, ate left-overs for lunch and we all took a nice three hour nap. Aaaahhh... gotta love being on holidays (okay, technically unemployed!) for your birthday. When Hubby arrived home we headed to my parents' house for dinner and birthday cake then we all went to the local Carols by Candlelight. The Carols were lovely (more on that tomorrow) and we were finally out late enough to do a quick drive around the neighbourhood and look at some of the spectacular Christmas light displays. It was a low-key kind of birthday but it was lovely.

Here's my present from Hubby. I LOVE IT!!

Tagged

I was tagged by Claire over at Cooking is Medicine to join in a meme where I tell you seven weird things about myself. I'm pretty sure I've done this one before but I guess there are people who would call me weird so I'm also pretty sure I can come up with some new stuff to share.

Here are the rules:1. Link the person that tagged you and post the rules.2. Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself.3. Tag 7 people at the end and link to their sites.4. Let each person know about the tag in the comment section of their site.

1. When I was younger I hated having red hair and dyed it every colour I could, though mostly brown. Now I'm older it's turning brown and I'm madly dying it red. Weird!

2. I didn't eat meat for a few years in my early twenties. One night I was out for dinner and couldn't find anything I liked on the menu. At that exact minute the chef started cooking a steak and it smelt divine (it was a really tiny restaurant) so I ordered steak. When it arrived at the table it was the biggest steak I'd ever seen and I ate the whole thing. And never looked back. Weird!

3. When Offspring #2 was tiny I sat on the couch one night crying because I was so happy that we had given our children the MOST perfect names. Weird and hormonal!

4. I love chocolate but I don't like dark chocolate. You know, the good quality stuff? Bleuch. Weird!

5. You already know I love to cook - in Red Dirt Central I had the tiniest most horrible kitchen and I made great stuff. Now we're home in the kitchen I love, with terrific shops where I can get great ingredients and I have hardly made anything exciting. Weird!

6. I have the same surname as my first every boyfriend. Weird!

7. I used to have the fastest metabolism and could eat ANYTHING and not gain weight. In fact I had to eat every two hours or so or I felt quite unwell and turned into a big grump. It became a joke that when Hubby and I were shopping we had to be outside somewhere that sold food every two hours. Then I had two kids and got closer to being 40. It slowed down in the biggest way, I'd almost say it stopped completely, about 6 months ago and I'm completely shocked at what I CAN'T eat and drink. Crazily, unaccepting-ly shocked. Weird!

Hmmm... now who to link to? I'll tag this lot but feel free to ignore it if you're not into memes or just have better stuff to blog about!

1. Melody at biglittlesister

2. Trish at light.sweet.crude

3. Iris at Double-Half

4. Belongum at Belongum's Weblog

5. Sam at Colour by Numbers

6. Mountain Mama at Careful What You Wish For

7. Kazari at I Think I Have A Recipe For That

Grrrr

I tend not to post when things aren't going quite right. My blog is supposed about sharing nice stuff, fun things and yummy recipes not whinges and whines. So... I haven't posted this week. Sorry.

Everything is fine really - kids and hubby are all good - but work is annoying me very much, the new job I was supposed to be getting doesn't look like happening, and because of these things I'm rather more tired and stressed than I should be. Even for this time of the year.

But... we have friends from Red Dirt Central arriving for a couple days over the weekend, I only have three more days at work and Christmas is shaping up to be lots of fun. I'll be back next week and I promise I'll be in a better mood!

Attack Of The Blahs

As you might be able to tell from the sporadic posts, I'm having trouble with the blogging side of things. I've got to admit, it's not a new problem. I've been feeling this way pretty much since we headed back to Perth. Blogging filled a pretty big void in my life while we were 'up North' - it let family and friends who were far away in on what was happening in our world, I got to indulge in my hobbies and share the results with friends and strangers and, in some cases, those strangers left lots of lovely comments and we started a conversaton and became friends too.

For the most part, while we were in Red Dirt Central I was at home with at least one very small child. I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to playgroup, joined in at story-time at the library, joined the scrapbooking group, took up lots of coffee and play-date invitations and really enjoyed life up there. I also really enjoyed blogging about it all - maybe because it was all so new and different to my 'normal' life.

Since we've been back I feel a bit like a fraud. This is my normal, ordinary life. It's nothing special to me and maybe that's where I'm having trouble finding something interesting to write about. Maybe it really is interesting and I just take if for granted. When I'm feeling generous I remind myself that we have moved house twice in the last few months. After working from home when we first moved - with a few flying trips back up to the Dirt - I changed jobs and Hubby changed jobs when we moved and then changed jobs again. The kids have had to start at a new school and day-care each, make new friends and find new sports/activities to join in. That's a lot of stuff to do in a fairly short amount of time. I realise that it's only natural to be kind of bummed when it all comes to an end and there's nothing more that 'has to be done'. It's all a bit of an anti-climax and has left me at a loose end while waiting for something to happen.

Maybe I need to reassess things? I really do love my blog and I'd be sad to give up on it completely but I don't feel like I'm doing it justice at the moment. I know that I love reading blogs that are updated regularly and I get a bit fed up with the one's that aren't (not pointing any fingers, truly, just saying!). I love posting the recipes we try, though they don't seem to attract many comments, and I don't post for comments but gee they're nice. I like posting stuff about the kids - funny things they say and do, their achievements (and otherwise!) - and while I realise that this is a Mummy blog I don't want it to be all Mummy-ness.

To be honest, blogging feels like a chore at the moment and I hate that. I'm thinking that I'm going to take a couple of weeks off and then come back fresh and with a new lease on life. Or at least blogging. So for now, I'm going to say... see you in November.

De-cluttering

I was listening to the radio on the way to work the other morning and Peter Walsh was being interviewed. He's a Professional Organiser (yep, with capitals!) and had some interesting things to say about de-cluttering and keeping your 'stuff' managed. A couple of days later I was at the library and his book It's All Too Much was on the new books shelf so I thought it was worth a look.

As you know we've moved a couple of times in the recent past so, theoretically, we shouldn't have too much clutter. We actually did a pretty good job of cleaning out when we moved back from Red Dirt Central but I'm always surprised by the amount of 'stuff' we have. There were many boxes that were never unpacked while we were in Red Dirt Central - the house was too little, the yard was too small and there just wasn't anywhere to put it. It was all stuff we wanted to keep so it was left boxed up and bundled away in the shed and store-room. When we moved back to Perth and were renting for three or so months we only unpacked half our belongings - the kids stuff, the kitchen and just what Hubby and I needed to get through. Then when we moved into our 'real house' we did, in my opinion, a fairly good job of unpacking. The vast majority was done inside the first week and lots of bits that had been packed away for the whole time were discarded in the process. Two trailer-loads went to the tip and various bits and pieces were given away. I was quietly pleased with how it had all gone and figured we were done.

Until... I tripped over a box the other day and realised that there were actually three boxes that still needed to be unpacked. I pegged today to do it and, after a leisurely breakfast and some procrastinating, I got on with it. I was a little bit ruthless, but still held onto some things I wasn't quite ready to let go of. I sorted through pictures from daycare and pasted them into a scrapbook that had been purchased for exactly that purpose,culled the 973 scribbles to a more manageable number, burnt countless pieces of paper with personal details on them and drastically reduced the amount to be kept. While I was sorting it all the information from Walsh's book echoed round my head and kept coming back to one thing. There were things that I'd been carting from house to house for the past umpteen years that had only been used once, would never be used again and were really only taking up space. One thing in particular kept flashing through my head. So...

I threw out my wedding dress.

I have zillions of photos from our wedding day. The dress is lovely and very un-wedding-y, just exactly as I wanted. It makes me look skinny and gorgeous, again exactly as I wanted. The photos bring back lots of wonderful memories but the dress is just a dress. A dress that doesn't fit, and hasn't fitted for a long time. A dress that is stained, despite dry-cleaning, and slowly yellowing as it gets carted from one house to the next. A dress that is not likely to inspire oohs and aahs from my daughter when she marries many years from now. So, it's gone.

Considering I'm about the most sentimental person I know, I'm terribly proud of myself!

Yet another reason to be pleased about moving back to Perth. You can't find these in Red Dirt Central for love nor money!

Actually, they're not always easy to find around here either but I was browsing through some of my favourite little shops and came across one of my very favourite treats. I don't have them often but I love 'em, and at $3.20 for this little pack you can be sure they'll stay in the category of 'treat'.

Back In The Land Of The Living

... almost.

I've spent the last few days feeling less than stellar. A visit to the doctor, a dose of antibiotics, some rest, decongestants, asthma meds and lots of fluids and I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Still coughing, and a voice that comes and goes at will, but getting there. I have to be at work tomorrow but I'm planning to do as little talking as possible (yes, I can hear you all laughing from here!) and get as much cleared off my desk as I can after two days at home.

Hubby has started his new job and, of course, this is his first week away. He's about as far away as you can get and still be WA. Not a great time for me to be getting sick but that's the way it goes :)

Uuuuggghhhh

Cough, sneeze, splutter.

Offspring #2 has lovingly shared her (latest) cold with me. Hers began with yet another asthma attack - we think we've finally worked out her 'trigger', thank goodness. Now we just wait for the next attack to see if we have it right. Not altogether a fun ride.

I'm off to sip a burning-ly good cup of tea before heading for bed. The extra heat in the tea helps my throat to stop hurting. Unfortunately because of the citrus allergy/issues hot lemon and honey drinks are out - there are lots of times I miss citrus and this is just one of them. It's not helped by the fact that I unknowingly ate something with just a drop of citrus (probably lemon but not too sure) at the end of last week and my face has a lovely rash that, rather embarrassingly, looks like the acne on the faces of the kids I'm dealing with each day. Here's hoping I feel better in the morning and that my face looks a little less unpleasant. Work is flat out and I need every bit of good energy I can get.

Photos

I have been trying to get a decent photo of myself for a while. Being a scrapbooker and a Mummy I'm usually behind the camera, and I rarely like photos of myself anyway so I try to avoid having them taken. I had Hubby take a few last week but they were all particularly unattractive, I took a few in the mirror but they just looked kind of stupid, and then I hit upon a great idea. Let the kids take some photos of me and see what they could come up with.

The results? Well.... I'll let you judge for yourself.

We let Offspring #2 have first go. She had a grand time yelling, "Cheese? Snap!" and madly pressing buttons so the enthusiam was definitely there. Now we just have to work on pointing at the object she's trying to photograph.

Finally Offspring #1 took over. He took his role very seriously and took a number of shots where I was almost centred in the frame. Blurry, but centred. He actually did a great job but they are just a little too 'honest' for me to be happy with them. I've been putting off learning how to use Photoshop for ages - I guess I'm going to have to now if I want a nice pic of myself!

So... It's Been A While

Yeah, yeah. I know, I haven't posted in a while. Sorry.

Life has been hectic and somewhat mundane all at the same time. I was too busy to blog and didn't have anything interesting to blog about anyway. Add in dial-up, which has become my new bitch-fest topic, and it was just too frustrating. I did in fact try to blog a couple of times but got fed up with waiting for stuff to load so, again, sorry.

So, what has been happening?

My cooking ability appears to have withered and died since my arrival back in the big smoke. I even stuffed up scones the other day. Who does that??? I had some success over the weekend but am not convinced that any of the items I made (see further down the list for details) were as good as when I made them last time.

The batteries in my camera died and it took me 4 days to find the battery charger! I finally charged them today and will be aiming to take lots of photos to keep you all satisfied ASAP. (that said, I just tried to post some and stupid Blogger wouldn't let me move them around the post. Anyone know what's going on?)

Offspring #1 joined the local Auskick team. Auskick, for the uninitiated, is the pre-pre-pre version of AFL which is otherwise known as Aussie Rules or the Australian National Sport. It aims to teach the kids basic game skills in a friendly, fun atmosphere and if his grin on Saturday morning was anything to go by it well and truly succeeds! As most of you know he played soccer last year and loved it and I was keen to have him continue with it but most of the kids in his new class play footy so it seemed a no-brainer to let him join in.

The 'boys' took the boat out fishing on the river on Sunday and had a wonderful time. They did attempt a little fishing but it was mostly just an excuse to hang out together and be in the boat. #1 was thrilled to go under a bridge that had a train on it, see dolphins in the river and see his cousins who came down to the river to have a quick play.

I got a lovely surprise for Mother's Day: a new computer! Hubby says it wasn't a surprise because I got it the day before but I say it was because I didn't know about it until I got it. Either way I'm thrilled, especially with the 19 inch screen!

We had our across-the-road neighbours from our real house (who will henceforth be known as the-across-the-roads) to dinner on the weekend and it was so nice to be with them again. With my culinary skills on the decidedly dodgy side I made the decision to go with dishes I'd tried before. I made the pull-apart bread but this time did a basil pesto and feta filling - it was okay but not as tasty as the red onion and parmesan - chicken, leek and mushroom pot pies with a salad and fig and mascarpone sponge for dessert. Like I said at the beginning of this apparently-never-ending-list they turned out okay but not as well as I remember them being the other time(s) I made them.

Hmmm... what else?

I had my hair done today and love it! It had got quite long (for me) and was just brushing my shoulders. Now it's in a Posh Spice kind of concave bob and I had a bit more dark colour put through than I usually do so it's a nice change. I'll try for some photos soon.

Oh, the trip to Red Dirt went well. Work-wise it was fine, got everything done that needed to be, did a bit of team-building carey/sharey stuff and had a terrific dinner with my friends. Okay, dinner was the best bit but I had to work either side to get there for dinner ;-) Besides the fabulous company, the meal was delicious and the wine was pretty darn good too! It helped a great deal to know that Mrs-across-the-road was helping Hubby with transporting the oldest offspring to and from school and that the youngest offspring was loving her new daycare.

Offspring #2 is being impossibly cute, that's when she's not living up to the reputation of all two-year olds and is being just plain impossible. She has decided not to take the traditional route of asking 'why?' about everything. No, she's settled on pointing at everything and asking 'what's that?' And I do mean everything! I should add that she gets most upset if not given the correct answer so I can't even bluff my way through. When I got the camera working again this afternoon she was standing near me and began begging to have her photo taken. I got a really cute one but alas, blogger won't let me position it on this post, so you'll have to imagine a cheeky little face with an extra cheeky big grin.

A 5 Things Meme

Claire tagged me for a meme a while ago. I told her I'd get to it when we'd finished moving and things were a little more settled, so here it is:

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.- Each player answers the questions about themselves.- At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people, posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged. Here we go....

What was I doing 10 years ago (April 1998)?

Adjusting to married life and getting ready for my 10-year high school reunion. A friend and I went on a stupid 'diet' in order to be gorgeous for the reunion (**I must point out that I have never dieted in my life and this was all done very much tongue in cheek!) where we cut down to one can of soft drink a day and switched from double coat Tim Tams - a fabulous chocolate biscuit that I'm told you can only get here in Australia - to single coat ones. It was very un-scientific and we laughed ourselves silly until we each lost 5kg's and thought there might be something in that! Of course we continued to consume the same (seriously vast) amounts of alcohol and junk food while doing little or no exercise.

5 Things on my "To Do" list today/tomorrow:

Buy a new tablecloth, organise the last bits for #1's booklist at his new school, check if my membership at the local library is still valid (or rejoin if needed), look for Mother's Day presents for the mums/grandmums and grandmums/great-grandmums in the family, find something yummy to cook for dinner.

5 Things I would do if I were a Billionaire:

Pay off the house, pay for the renovations/extensions we want done to the house, set up scholarships for financially disadvantaged kids to go to uni, build a new children's hospital in Perth to replace the aging one we have, travel.

5 Bad Habits:

Sneaking the odd (rather more frequent of late) cigarette, chewing the inside of my cheek, procrastinating, not making appointments that need to be made (like hair appts) then moaning that I'm in dire need of a hair cut, worrying about things that haven't even happened.

5 Places I have lived:

Perth Hills, Red Dirt Tiny Town, Perth Hills, Red Dirt Central, Perth Hills (hmm, can we see a pattern there???)

5 Jobs I have had:

Office Junior, Waitress, Medical Receptionist, High School Teacher, University Lecturer,

Now, I'm supposed to tag people but since I don't really like doing that I'll leave it open. If you want to do the meme cut and paste away. Let me know in the comments if you do so I can come check it out.

Blah

Yeah, I should post today. I made a new dish for dinner last night - it was okay and worth posting, I just can't be bothered writing about it. Maybe later.

Work is doing my head in. Yet another mess to clean up today. A mess created by the very same person who has created the last 3 or 4 or even 5 that I have had to clean up. It's not the end of the world but that's not the point. This one came to my attention as I was collecting the kids after work and had to be dealt with there and then. Hubby was out (and not able to be contacted) so the poor kids had to be dragged around as I made phone calls, did some begging and finally got it all sorted. We eventually got home at 6.30 with a very (un)healthy dinner from McDonalds that we ate in front of tv. Three and a half weeks till I finish; I have heaps of stuff to do before then and at the moment it can't come soon enough. Tell me again why I felt the need to work till the last minute and why I have such a ridiculous need to leave it all running perfectly?

If you hear a loud noise from up Red Dirt way it's probably just my head exploding!

Riddle Me This?

What do Dorothy's red shoes, a certain John Denver song and a Hothouse Flowers album from the early 90's have in common?

Give up yet?

Dorothy's shoes took her there, John Denver asked the country roads to take him there and the album title is where it is... HOME.

We're going home! Yep, for good. Hubby was offered a job back where he used to work, they want him so bad they are working to find me a job there too. So, in six weeks time I will no longer be a Red Dirt Mummy! Wooohooooooooo!

Hmmm... I guess the last bit kind of gave away the fact that I'm pretty darn pleased and pretty darn excited.

More details to follow later.