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Showing posts from September, 2013

Peace..

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It is my Saturday afternoon off - we're meant to take it week-about, although it hardly ever ends up like that... but hey, once a month or thereabouts I get four hours of luxurious peace in which I can do whatever I want! Generally though, I am either out or holed up in the bedroom reading a book, or on my computer...
But today is different - today I get the WHOLE house to myself! Hubby decided it was going to be easier to take the kids out for the afternoon, thus giving him some help and some company, and giving me peace!
I think he got quite the shock at how tiring it was with both kids alone ALL day when I spent the day at 'Blog Camp the Second'! During the first one he had organised himself enough to have arranged the chance to go out and see people in the afternoon; but he wasn't as organised with the second one and had left it too late - plus the kids were still getting over colds. So he stayed home with them instead, other than a couple of hours at the shops, and …
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Two Things...

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1) 'lil M had his first ever haircut today... by me; first AND last might I add! I don't mind at this age doing it, as they have no idea what is going on and don't care if it's 'a little' crooked; but when they get old enough to understand - then it goes professional!
I got Mum to trim Button's hair the first time, and she moved at precisely the wrong moment (I'll have to dig up some photos to show you at some stage), was not a pretty first trim! So - I think I have done pretty good for 'lil M, considering I have NEVER done this before, and neither has he!

The two middle photos are to show you just how long it had grown, and how desperately he needed the trim... this afternoon he had such red eyes, I didn't know if it was because he was tired, or because his fringe was in his eyes; poor lad!
No more little baby left...
2) I have taken my very first step in my journey to living simply! I have not really discussed it here before, as the plan is to sta…
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Where Two OR Three Are Gathered...

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That is the question we have been asking ourselves recently...
Two, or three?
It has never been something we have really mulled over before, never been something I have questioned. At the start hubby wanted a whole rugby team of kids, but after some discussions we agreed on three - and that was that!
End of discussions... or so I thought!
But Button and 'lil M are now almost 3.5 and 1.5 respectively, and I can see light at the end of the 'little people' years; and I am just not sure I want to go through it all again...

Don't get me wrong - they are delightful; but at 38 do I really want to be heaving my old body through another pregnancy, getting up at night for months on end, dealing with another 2-3 years worth of nappies and vomit? Just doesn't sound appealing right now...
We are both really enjoying the kids at the moment, they are fun and full-on, but it's good... and this summer will be different! No little babies, 'lil M should be down to one afternoon sle…
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9 Years and 2 Children Later...

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And I think I can safely say that
You are still my best friend!
Thank you for being there beside me through it all... for loving me despite myself, for encouraging me to try harder and do my best in everything, for believing in me. Thank you for putting up with all my inadequacies and my little idiosyncrasies; no other person would! 
But I also want to thank you for not putting up with the mediocre in me, for kicking my butt when I have needed it, for knowing when to come home when I have called you at work - but also knowing the difference and saying 'no' when necessary.  
Thank you for laughing with me and laughing at me, for loving the children together with me, for trusting me, for dreaming with me... Thank you for being my best friend, giving me the leg up as required, walking beside me as needed and walking in front of me - leading the way when I feel vulnerable. 
Thank you for protecting me, for sheltering me, for pushing me out of my comfort zone, for making me see there is…
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Let's Get Real...

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Things have changed around here, and I don't like it...
I have been contemplating for a while now, why I just don't seem to pick up the followers; there are many who have been blogging less time than me and yet seem to have a horde more followers. I have been secretly wondering if maybe because I can be negative - my 'honesty posts' scare people off, I had a few of the 'bigger' (kiwi) bloggers following me when I first started, but a bunch of them have dropped off. I was thinking 'I have always written like this; so why should I change'?!?
But I went back a-ways, started rereading some of my earlier posts... and realised - I HAVE changed! I haven't always been this negative; not even my 'honesty posts' had the negative edge to them that my general writing has had these past few months / year or so. I can't tell you when it did change, I can't pin-point a time, a post, a moment when life suddenly seemed bleak and dark, and my writing st…
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Spring Is In The Air...

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Late afternoon found the kids a bit grumpy and on edge after a busy few days with their grandparents... hubby decided we needed some family time, so off to The Gardens we went!
I love spring, I love flowers and I love sunny days (especially after the worst storm I can remember over the past few years)... Button also loves flowers, and both kids love being outdoors. 
It was worth it; despite the tired children and the melt-down from the three year old just before bed - they had a lot of fun, they settled down and stopped scrapping, and we had some much needed family time.

And this is how I caught them in the car coming home...
A lovely end to a busy weekend!
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Family Affair...

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This weekend with my parents... Watching the racing!







And my favourite:

I haven't quite decided if this is a 'Go Team New Zealand' or a 'What the heck do you think you're doing?' when it went all wrong...
Have you and/or your family been watching the racing these past few days?
It has caused more than it's share of drama in our house... 
One more race boys, just one more race!

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Wordless Wednesday

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What I found last night when checking on Button...
Does not look comfortable, or warm!!!!!

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Gluten-Free Living - Post Five

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I know I said I wouldn't be doing one of these tonight - but hubby is watching a movie, and I am so EXCITED and just had to share a few things with you.
Tonight I made, first time EVER (as in even pre-gluten-free days... is that such a word?!?) some mini meat pies... and not just any mini meat pies, but GLUTEN-FREE mini meat pies! First time I have ever attempted to make pastry from scratch, fill it, cook and then serve it!
SO proud of myself... but there will definitely be some things I will do differently next time; however, for a first ever attempt I am pretty stoked:

Don't let anyone tell you that eating gluten-free means you have to miss out on all the good things; it is simply not true!
Now - let me share with you two new websites I have found with gluten-free recipes as well... places I would never have dreamt of finding recipes, least of all gluten-free ones! I am always amazed where I find recipes popping up:
Recipe Finder on MSN- there are almost 700 recipes here; and it …
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Committee With A Cause

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I would like to introduce to you  The TNT Trust
And Tony  The reason behind the Trust

A photo I took of Tony only 10 days before his tragic death...
15th April 2008 is a date that will be burned into many memories here in New Zealand... it is the day that 6 students and a teacher (Tony) from Elim Christian College in Howick, died in a tragic canyoning accident in the Mangatepopo Gorge (central North Island).
I remember the day after well - the news only came filtering through the evening of the 15th over the radio... we'd been out for dinner, and heard the first indication something was wrong on the 10pm news; at this stage they were only saying that there were students missing. Of course by then all seven had passed away - but families needed to be notified, and all the bodies found and formally identified, before anything could be released to the Press.
It wasn't until I was at work the next morning that I got two phonecalls to let me know that it was Tony, a friend of ours, who ha…
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Sunday Planning Went AWOL This Week!

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We had a rough afternoon/evening with the little one yesterday, as mentioned in my previous post he is changing his routine; but I am also wondering if he is a bit off-colour. So last night I didn't get him down until 8:15pm, and we still had to eat dinner and clean up (kids had already eaten obviously *grin*); which meant by the time we got through all that, it was time for a shower and bed... I have vague memories of last Sunday night being rough also, although not as bad as this. Will be watching him, and maybe booking in a Doctor app tomorrow to check his throat.
So no planning as such (other than tonight's dinner), however I figure I could give you a run-down on how last week went and then do some planning tonight (hopefully), and then update this post once I have done that!
Here is last weeks original plan, then in red I'll let you know what actually happened in 'real life'!
Menu Plan Week One:
Sunday: Honey, ginger and soy chicken, with rice and veggies (being b…
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There Were 3 In The Bed...

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And the little one said... I need to go to sleep!!!!
Button and her gorgeous cousins; we were joined by family on Thursday... 5 little cherubs under 5 years of age! It was noisy, but it was fun - here the three girls (also being the three eldest) were having fun together with their Aunt, whom you can't actually see in this photo!
I have got SO many idea's for posts, that I have started writing a list so I don't forget! But I want to keep my Friday Posts light and family-focused, the other days can be for the deeper or factual things...
My boy turned 17 months yesterday, how time has flown - he is running, laughing, chattering non-stop and always has a smile (even when he only has one 40 minute sleep that day). He is in the process of changing his routine - while he has been a one-sleep-a-day-kid for a little while now, it has always been morning; which has allowed me some down-time on those Preschool mornings (but he has always been willing to go to bed for a 'rest' in…
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