Lucky Ashleigh!!

Even though Port lost today, Ashleigh had a win at the football. Nikki didn't want to go because we had a late night and she had heaps of homework to finish so Ashleigh came with me instead. We were hanging around the kids area before the game and there was someone with a microphone interviewing one of the injured players. Then he said they were going to give out some footballs. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time because Ashleigh was given a brand new leather Sherrin football signed by Nathan Krakour.

Steve reckons it's worth around $100, but I wouldn't pay that much for it!!!
She is very excited though and wants to take it to school tomorrow to make all the boys jealous - hahaha!!! Unfortunately the boys let us down again and got beaten by Fremantle.



I caught Jarryd playing with his sister's little pet shop toys the other night. He was funny because he didn't want his photo taken with girly toys. He is such a boy!!!




I've been a slack blogger again the last couple of weeks. Probably because I have nothing interesting to say. It's usually all about the kids and what they are doing so I feel like I'm kinda boring.

We went to a fantastic Christmas in July dinner last night with a friend I know through Nikki playing netball. We didn't know many people there but it was the kind of crowd that made you feel very welcome and interested in getting to know you. And the host and hostess, Karen and Gary thought of everything. There was so much food, it certainly felt like the feeling you get after lunch on Christmas day. Everyone took something and the table was all done up with lots of christmas decorations and the room was decorated with christmas lights. So a very impressive night.

I can't believe it's only 5 weeks until Steve and I go to Melbourne. I booked earlier this year when Jetstar were having a bring a friend sale. I only paid $80 for both airfares. We are dropping the kids off at Steve's parents so they will have a couple of days out of school. I have booked the first 2 weeks off in September and I am so hanging out for a holiday. I wish I could go back to working 4 days a week but I know we would go backwards again.

We did get a good amount back from our tax which paid off the credit card, paid school fees, 6 months worth of council rates and a little bit for Steve and I. He has bought some accessories for his bike and I am going to spend mine on a treadmill. Hopefully I will get a good second hand one for around $500. Surely there are heaps of treadmills out there that are hardly used!!

I have been extra good with my eating the last couple of weeks. I have been weighing every Monday and recording my weight but I'm not going to reveal anything except to say it is going down!! I'll post a monthy result at the end of each month.

Have a great week bloggers.

I Love Weekends - Why do they go sooooo quick??

This is what we have been doing all weekend!!!


Hanging out in our pyjamas and trackies. It has been so cold and if it wasn't for having to go and see my useless football team play last night and then having to pick Nikki up from a party today, I doubt I would have got dressed at all.

It was freezing cold last night. I had that many layers on I would have hated to have jumped on the scales. I thought about staying home in front of the heater watching Port play North Melbourne, but I am too loyal to my team. I mean they might just make us rugged up against the bitter cold fans, have something to cheer about for a change. But NO!! Of course not!! It would be different if you could see them putting in 100% because that's why they get paid the big dollars but no. Again we leave disappointed.

Sorry for the huge whinge but I have paid good money to see an AFL team perform this year!!!

I'm convinced they are playing for draft picks.

I have been doing a bit more gardening this weekend. Just planted a couple of plants from pots. I have a beautiful pink frangapani that was in a pot by the pool, so I transferred it into the ground by the spa. I need Steve to dig out a couple of dead tree ferns I have in 2 wine barrels and I am going to fill them up with strawberry plants.

I need to go to the nursery but I know I will spend too much money.

Nikki went to a sleepover party last night with very little sleep. When I picked her up the father of the girl who had the party said he threatened them for the last time at 3am. I am so not having any sleepover parties again.

Steve played golf today. Actually it was a perfect, sunny winters day today, just very cold. We've had a lot of rain this week which was very much needed. I think I suffer from winter depression. I have very little inclination to go anywhere!! I like pottering around the house and yard. I guess because we always have lots of people here in summer because of the pool, I find it so nice to hibernate in winter. I must be part bear!!!

Second week of school holidays coming up. Steve has a couple of days off again so he will take them to the pictures. I think Speed Racer or Get Smart this time. They saw Indiana Jones last week. I have a week off in early September. Steve and I are going to Melbourne for 4 days and the kids will be going to Stansbury with Steve's parents. It's not really that far away considering we are in the middle of July.

I am still waiting for Steve's group certificate so I can do our tax online. It will be interesting to see how much extra we get from Kevin Rudd like he promised us struggling working families. I just hope we have some over after we pay the school fees and credit card.

I am still waiting to get the decluttering bug like a few bloggers. I feel very sad that it hasn't hit yet!!!!

Have a great week.

Port Power Kids Day

I know this could be very boring to some people but to my Port Power mad daughter and myself it was very exciting!!

This afternoon the Port Power Club had a event for the junior members. Unfortunately because of the rain a few things had to be cancelled on the oval but the highlight of the day was getting to meet all the players and getting their autographs.



The players were great with the kids and Nikki got every autograph on her guernsey.
Some of the players were unreal with the kids and had a good chat to them. Nikki was too embarrased to have her photo taken with the players so this is the closest I got with her head in some of the photos - LOL. All the kids got pies and pasties and doughnuts (All very healthy) and flavoured milk to drink.

There would have been a footy clinic on the oval with the players but because of the rain that was cancelled. But overall it was a great afternoon.

A Very Relaxing Sunday

After a crazy day yesterday, I was looking forward to a much more relaxing day today and I got my wish. I organized to meet a friend at the kiosk at our local beach for coffee. It wasn't until I went outside this morning to put some washing on the line that I realized how cold and windy it was.

It was freezing!!!

Anyway I rugged the kids up and we went and met Karen and her daughter Krysten, one of Nikki's netball friends. So what is a kid to do on a cold, windy day when it's too cold to go on the beach or the playground....................

Play their nintendos of course!!





Not sure where blogger will put these photos but there is a photo of Ashleigh ice skating last week. She was so good. I couldn't believe it. She has never ice skated before but she roller bladed quite a lot so she has very good balance.

As soon as she got on the ice she was off. Doing laps while the other kids and even the big kids that were there, were falling down around her. Gosh some of those teenagers came down with a thud. The bigger they were, the harder they fell. By the end Ashleigh was doing twirls which I sort of caught on video. I might try and upload some video of her but because there were so many people there, it was hard to get a clear shot of her. Too many bodies in the way.

By the time she finished and took her skates off after 1-1/2 hours of skating without a break, she was in agony. Her feet were so sore and she was limping out. Lesson learnt, next time have a break and give feet a rest!!!




On the way home from our coffee date, we dropped into West Lakes, our local shopping centre because Nikki wanted to buy this book of dresses that you make. She had saved her pocket money and luckily Dymocks were having a 20% sale off of kids books. It's hard to see from the photo but you make little dresses from different sorts of patterned paper and decorate them and hang them on tiny hangers. Really cute and something to get the girls away from nintendos, computers and TV during the holidays.

I can't promise I will update much during the week. Back to work for me while these lazy children get to have holidays.

Have a great week bloggers.

A Busy Saturday

I did the soccer juggle this morning. Jarryd and Nikki both had matches around the same time at different venues so mum to the rescue. It was an early start to the day getting the kids ready and down to mums this morning. Nikki's team played a team that hasn't been beaten this year.
This team was full of african kids and man, can they run!! Anyway our team did a great job and scored 1 goal to their 5. But considering they had averaged 10 goals to nothing most games, I thought our kids did well.

This afternoon I decided to make a start on tackling our back yard. We are having a hard rubbish pick up on Wednesday and there is so much crap out the back, I've had enough. I filled a green bin with cuttings, weeds and leaves and made a pile of things that are going out with the rubbish. I have taken before photos so I will show you the after photos in a few weeks.

Then I went to K-Mart to put some toys on layby from the toy sales that are happening at the moment. They have layby until Xmas Eve and I have up until then to pay it off. I got everything I wanted for Jarryd and Ashleigh but I really struggled with Nikki this year. She will be 12 in October and has very much outgrown all the girly toys. Mind you she has never really been a girly girl.

So I think I will wait until just before Xmas and take her clothes shopping as our present to her this year. She is really into fashion so that should be fun.

So I'm pretty tired now. It's been a busy day.

End of Term 2

Jarryd put a bit too much bubble bath in the water and this is what I saw after I asked him to get in the bath!!


It's traditional with our family to have a Wendy's icecream cake for our family birthdays. As you can see I took the photo after Ashleigh blew out the candles. Derrrrrr!!!



Wow it's hard to believe that the kids have just finished term 2 at school. As at 2.15pm they were officially on school holidays. Yahoo!!!





I love the holidays. Even though I have to work, it is so good not to have the school routine for 2 whole weeks. I am so lucky that my mum has the kids most of the time during the holidays and because she only lives 15 minutes away, most mornings she comes down and picks the kids up. Steve has managed to get 2 days off in both weeks so it will be bliss on those days when I can get up for work and leave my family sleeping and just get myself ready, instead of getting 4 people ready to leave the house.



There are quite a few pictures on at the moment that the kids want to see so Steve can do that with them. I think Kung Fu Panda is at the top of the list, followed by Get Smart, Speed Racer and Indianna Jones. They will have to pick 2 because the finances won't stretch that far. We are lucky though, there is a cinema in our area that does all movies and all sessions for $7 a ticket.

Nothing much planed for this weekend. Nikki and Jarryd both have 11am soccer games tomorrow in different venues and because Steve is working, it's going to be a juggle of dropping off and picking up. Then nothing planned for the rest of the weekend.

My kids were given fishing rods each from by Melbourne friend Lee when she was over a few weeks ago and we haven't had the chance to get out and try them much yet so I think we will do that on Sunday.

I'll have to make sure I take the camera with me.

You may have noticed that I put a location feeder on my blog just out of interest to see if anyone is reading my blog. I have been very surprised to see that there are quite a few overseas people that click on my blog for whatever reason. Now if you are one of these people, overseas or Australian, please, please leave a comment. I love reading new blogs. I now know that people are reading but rarely commenting. Please just drop by and say hi and I will do the same on your blog. I have made so many fantastic blog friends both here and overseas. It really is a great community.


Have a great weekend bloggers.

Winter Sux!!

I hate Winter!!!

There is nothing good about winter. My kids are sick. I am miserable and I need a holiday!!!!

Sorry but that's how I feel.

I have decided to try and lift my mood by getting into the blog habbit. I love reading and commenting on blogs but as I have said before, I don't enjoy updating my blog. So am going to do little posts more often and make it more of a journal.

My weight has crept back up a bit in the last couple of months so I'm going to blog more about that too. And how I'm going to get it back under control.

Anyway, I'm off to the end of term night for Girl Guides with Ashleigh. They are going skating.

I've made some unreal blogger friends and it's amazing when an event happens, how excited I get. I've not met many bloggers but I feel like I know some of you like an old friend.

So I really want to send a huge congratulations to 2 bloggers who have just had babies.

Beckie and Lisa. May your new baby boys bring a lifetime of happiness to you both. Welcome to the real world and blogger world - Morrison and William.

Also to Chris H in NZ who is in hospital. You sure gave your family and us bloggers a scare. I hope you are feeling so much better now and I can't wait till you get home and can get back to blogging. I miss reading your stories every day but Stew has done an unreal job updating us.

I'll be back later to upload some photos.