Just a few thoughts

The kids had a free dress day at school yesterday. Which is really annoying because it only causes early morning fights with Miss D (aged 9) about what she is going to wear (fashion parade anyone?).

And I have to pay a free dress day fee of $1.00 for each child just to have the honour of fighting them about their choice of clothing, so really I am just $3.00 poorer and stressed out so much earlier in the day. Mr C wore his football boots, and his football shirt and shorts, which was good because he was then fully dressed for training in the afternoon.

I'm sure the teachers who think up these days are the same cretins who exclaim that 'next Tuesday is our Easter Hat Parade/fancy dress disco/at home science project or book week dress up character". Which usually sends us mothers into a frenzy because a)we aren't all that crafty or b)we really just couldn't be bothered.

Right, now to The House. Which we like to refer to as The Money Pit. Back in December, our house looked like this:-

And now, nearly 3 months later, it looks like this:


I know you are thinking:- Farmers Wife, surely you jest!!! You've posted the same pic twice! Where's the updated one? Well folks, there is no updated one. Since December we have oiled the deck, and it looks amazing. The Hubbster has starting some exterior painting, namely the side laundry door and the timber around the house at the bottom.

All the exterior painting has to be done, including the walls, the soffits (when we build these) and the verandah posts. Then we can do the handrails and the outside stairs. Then I will be about 50, greying and cranky and we can start on the inside. Joke, kind of.

I'm trying to be patient, but it just seems to be taking so long. Now that I am working part time, that will help with the financial side of things, so if I can just accept that it takes time I know I will appreciate our lovely home when it is completed.

I'm really loving my new job. I work two days a week, I get to dress up and put some make up on and forget for a while that I am frazzled mother. I even have adult conversations that don't include the best ways to get the kids to go to bed without resorting to blackmail, or how many chocolate frogs are bad before dinner time. On my days off, I am trying to study, which is difficult because I just want to blog about the swear words that my kids say.

Miss T has started her Saturday morning jazz/tap/ballet class. She loves it. We bought her new tap shoes and she is the right little perfomer! Miss D is getting ready for her first ballet and jazz solos coming up at the dance festival. I am getting ready by pancaking a tutu. I'm a bit scared about this, but apparently that's how you do it. I'll post instructions if I'm successful!

Writers Workshop

2.) Brea from Tomika’s Treasure Trove wants your advice: Quick question. I am new to the blogging world, having clocked up less than 2 weeks worth of posts, and I have just had an ‘Anonymous’ commenter slam me for blogging about my daughter, mentioning her by name, posting photos and up-to-date stories about her. I have not mentioned anywhere in my blog where we live, Country OR State, or what school she goes to. I have also seen, on several other blogs, that other parents do the same thing as me. Some even mention where they live. I was wondering, as a fellow blogger who posts about your family, what are your thoughts on the subject?

I've been thinking alot about this subject for a while now. How to find the right balance in what I post to my blog.

Do I share everything, pictures, anecdotes, family news and other information, or do I keep some things under my hat? I originally started my blog to document our journey from suburbia to farmlife, and I thought I would be posting lots of building pics and information along those lines.

My blog has become much more than that. It is an outlet for me to vent my frustrations, to dream, to relive my day and most of all to document my life. But. I struggle with HOW MUCH information to share.

I don't feel comfortable posting photos of my kids and The Hubbster doesn't want to be in my blog either (he doesn't, however, know about the pic on the RHS - sshhhhh!). I do write about my family, but the pics are scarce.

I adore seeing my bloggy friends and their families, and I wish I could also be like that. I know my blog is in the public forum, so I do feel that I should share more....but I just don't feel it is right for me. And that brings me to a very important point.

Do what is best for you. Everyone is different, and I respect what other people do regarding their blogs and how much they share. I respect that, and I hope that other people appreciate what I do with my blog and how I style it.

It all comes down to what you think is right for you. Only you can decide.

An Award

I am pleased to accept an award from a wonderful lady over at Mom of the Perpetually Grounded. This really means alot that she has thought of me and passed on this award.Yes, the great name goes with the awesome blog, so you should check it out.

For this one you list 5 things you like to do and then pass on to 5 other bloggers.
My list is:-

1. I love brushing and plaiting my girls' hair. They both have long hair but different textures and it's beautiful. I love how different styles can make them look different too.

2. I love playing basketball with my son. We get kinda rough and laugh and tease each other with the ball..and usually end up cuddling afterwards.

3. I love to scrapbook. I don't have enough time to keep up with it, and I am always saying I will get organised but I never do. But I will. Of course! I love being creative, matching colours, textures and ideas on a page to come up with something beautiful.

4. I love weekend dvd nights. I put the kids and hubby to bed (!) settle down with the lights out, a yummy snack, and usually a vampire/zombie/thriller/horror/ or action flick. This is TOTALLY relaxing and I enjoy my own time.

5. I love reading about America. I am fascinated with this country and travelled across many states several years ago. By myself! I booked my trip 12 months in advance, worked 2 jobs to pay for it and had the time of my life. I loved how each state was so different, the people, the food and the sights. I do plan to revisit one day, with my kids in tow.

I would love to pass this award onto some friends that are awesome. Their blogs are so good, they comment often and I really appreciate them for just being.....well them!

Foursons
Green Eyed Momster
I'm Here
Crystal Jigsaw
My Little Miracles

Now, I really need to say that this award really is meant for everyone, because I appreciate every comment, every story you guys post, and you make blogging so much fun for me. So thank you xxxxxxxxxx


And for some reason I can't get rid of this huge space at the bottom of this post and it's irritating me greatly... but I'm just too tired tonight to do html.

Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows

I just had the most amazing experience. On Thursday, my mum in law and I travelled to Brisbane to see this show... You may remember I wrote about it here.Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows were truly amazing. I remember listening to The Shadows when I was little, as they were my dads favourite band. I can still remember Hank Marvins glasses and the fact that they didn't sing. Much.

Thursday nights concert was overwhelmingly good. They did play Wonderful Land and Atlantis, the two songs that we played at dads funeral and I can tell you, the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes took me back to when I was a child listening to these songs with dad.

The funny thing is, I didn't really know alot about Sir Cliff Richard, only that he was a singer of ballads and I didn't really equate him with The Shadows. BUT now I realise what a rocker he was. He was wonderful. He came on first in a pink jacket, and four more costume changes led him to a gorgeous white suit. He really surprised me.

The Entertainment Centre was sold out, and The Hubbster made several jokes that I would be the youngest person there....he wasn't far off the mark. Remember, these guys are in their late 60's...

The thing I loved about the concert was that they enjoyed themselves, and it showed. After each song, Hank Marvin would throw his head back and laugh, and they smiled and smiled and had a blast. They talked to the audience, joked about their age and their hair colour and interacted with the crowd which made us love them even more.

They have nothing to prove. They are here for a good time. They have done the hard yards, and now they reap the awards. They are here to entertain. And they have taken me back to my childhood and to my father and to the memories that are etched in my heart.

Little Aussie Animals

Just some little "things" we deal with on a daily basis here on the farm....in Australia. You still want to come visit??

Some "pretty faced wallabies" we found near the shed the other evening....




Two little green frogs we found one night....but we have soooo many frogs and toads out here, but I liked these guys....


And then we came across this little fella
in our pool filter basket. Although he is called a common bandy bandy, we were very honoured to see him as this type of snake as it is very rare and not alot of people get to see them (words from the mouth of a snake handler). We took him down the paddock and let him go.


And if you are not freaked out yet, here's a little green tree snake that we found in the office the other day....we think it hitched a ride on some timber brought in....

And yes that's me holding him....

Here I am pretending to be scared..

See him curled up around my arm.....

Flowers....for me??

Happy Valentines Day LOVERS.....

Sleep Talkin Man

I came across this news story the other day and wanted to share the story of the Sleep Talkin' Man.

The hubby does alot of wacky talking in his sleep and his wife has started a blog about what he says. Some people say it's a fake, but who cares, it's as funny as hell......Here's a few snippets of the things he says.....

- "The stain, the stain. How am I going to explain that fucking stain?... Oh bollocks."

- "Hey, don't... don't say anything. Why don't you put it in an email, then I can ignore it at my pleasure."

- "Potato bags. I can't find my potato bags. I need them! [desperately] Who's got my potato bags? Oh, fuck it! I'll have to use something else".

- "Your mum's at the door again. Bury me. Bury me deep."

- "Vampire penguins? Zombie guinea pigs? We're done for.... done for."

- "Well that's just great. Peanut butter in my crack. Goddamnit."

- "Don't leave the duck there. It's totally irresponsible. Put it on the swing, it'll have much more fun."

- "Since when did my underwear look good on you? Take it off. Take it off your face."

- [in response to wife typing] "clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop... Who brought a horse in the bedroom? Oh well. Looks like I'm sleeping in the barn."

- "I've got two things to say to you: fuck and off. Capish?"

- "It's definitely time to get up. Yes. My dog needs a new tutu."

Another cinema experience

My friends (especially Miss L - who has been waiting patiently for this post) will tell you that I have strange and quite ridiculous habits when it comes to the cinema. I love going to the movies, it's one of lifes greatest pleasures for me. If you click over to the movies category there on the right hand side of my blog, you can read all about my obsessive, slightly neurotic tendencies.

There are certain rules that must not be broken. These include:-

1 Do not sit next to me. I only go to the cinema alone.

2. Don't sit behind me and open your crinkly chips in my ear.

3. If there are vacant seats, don't sit in the rows directly in front, directly behind or directly across from me, because that will piss me off. Go find a seat up the back.

4. Don't friggin talk during the movie, and for all you teenagers, don't friggin text.

5. To the cinema staff - let me watch the final credits. I paid for the entire movie and I'll be damned if I have to leave before finding out who played that guy who was shot in the opening scene.

The joke, now among my friends is that I take two handbags - one for each side of me, so no one will sit next to me. This is because I like my personal space.

So I took myself off to the movies last weekend to watch the 3 hour epic Avatar. I'm not even going to link to this film, because if you are not familiar with it, you are either dead or under a rock.

I had all of my supplies - my two handbags, my food (I always take food in because I will not pay $12.00 for watered down coke and some expensive MandM's), my water, my phone turned to discreet but vibrate and I was set.

Because this is such a popular film, the cinema was very busy. I made my way to my usual seat (half way down on the right two seats in) and got settled. Two adults and their spotty teen excused their way into my row, but that was okay because there was a seat between the teen and me. God help him if he starts to text.

The movie began and away we went. Half an hour into it, a man and his mother (yes I said mother) came in looking for two seats in the dark. Where did they stop? Directly in the isle I was sitting in.

So they stood there in everyones way, looking around, exclaiming that they couldn't find two seats anywhere. I pretended I wasn't there, by covering my face with my hand, kind of like when an ostrich hides his head in the sand and he thinks he is invisible to everyone...that's what I was trying to do.

But it didn't work. He sat his mother in the seat across the isle and then he spotted me.

"Oh fucking crap" I thought to myself. He pushed his way into the seat right next to me.

He was big. He had crinkly chips. He had a mouthful of bad breath. His arm was touching mine *vomit* and he was definately invading my personal space.

So I said to him:-

"You can't sit there, I'm waiting for Antonio" (reference to my latin lover Antonio Banderas).

And he said " well, you can just move over".........

And I thought to myself WTF??

So...I said:- "listen Buddy, you come in here half an hour late with your crinkly chips and your mouthful of bad breath and you stand in everyones way making a noise, and then you invade my personal space by touching me *vomit* and then you want ME to move????"

I didn't really say that but I did say:- "there are seats down the front, move down there".

He huffed and puffed and got up and moved. Thank fucking goodness for that.

I enjoyed the rest of the movie without incident, and felt a tad guilty at the end when the guy in question helped his mother to walk out...but my guilt only lasted a minute or two. I got over it.

Writers Workshop

Here is my prompt for this weeks Writers Workshop.

3.) Write an open letter to a cartoon character.

Dear Bart Simpson

For some strange reason my 7 year old son reminds me of you. It could be because of the following reasons:-

1. He looks like you.

2. He tears around in a wired, demonic way some of the time. He's very energetic.

3. He teases the bejesus out of his sister...who is smart like Lisa.

4. He enjoys skateboarding (though he doesn't own one because I think it's too dangerous and my boy is too fragile to take to the hospital with a broken anything), and comic books.

5. He hasn't held down any part time jobs like yourself as yet, but I believe he will in due course.

6. He's been know to exclaim: eat my shorts or even ay caramba!

7. Occasionally he prefers to wear no clothes like such:-


8. Like you, he has a good heart, and he adores his family. He can be mischievious, but boy do I love that about him!

Flooded In

We are drowned rats. Literally. thanks to Cyclone Olga we are now getting her wind and rain, and what a show! It started raining on the weekend and hasn't stopped. We live on a hill so it is very windy....I would hate to actually be in a cyclone while living here, as we nearly were during Cyclone Hamish which is actually when I started my blog. You can read about it here.

Yesterday morning we managed to cross the creek crossing, it was starting to flood but it wasn't an issue at that present time. I worked all day and after we collected the kids from school, the creek was way way way up. Full flowing with water across the road. There was another parent waiting for the school bus, and he was parked on the other side. We parked our truck up high, walked a km in the rain, wind and mud and around the crossing and he gave us a lift home.

It was so good to get home, even though we live in a shed, at least we have a home not unlike some people in Haiti. We got home and literally looked like this:-

Here are the girls doing their best vulture impersonation.

We are staying home today and trying to keep dry. The creek is flowing but cars can get through. The Hubbster has gone to work and we are doing the washing and hanging it up around the shed... It's a really good look.