All sick!!

Hi
Today the kidlets all stayed home, we are all pretty much sick with something, Tim has had stomach upset most of the night, Rainee is not the best in the tummy, Zay is still fighting his cold and keeps hitting his head, would hate to see a skull X-ray. Trin is just tired after fighting with a cold for weeks and Keelan and I are getting the cold and I have the dizzy head and hot and cold flushes, Zay slept till 8.45am this morning, unheard of for my 6am rising Son. The rest of us just vegged in bed till then as once he is up action usually starts. We have had another big weekend and late night last night having tea and celebrating with MIL for her 70th Birthday so I would rather the kids rest and go fresh for the rest of the week.

The humidity is so stiffling, we had a storm and rain today but it just stayed humid, I love the storms that bring the cool changes but not so today, the weather is just horrid ATM. I think I need to go and live where it is winter most of the time. Love Spring but not into anything over 30 degrees at all.

Nothing else much exciting happening, count down to Scrapboxx retreat sooo needing that weekend away, hope my happy positive self will return and also my mojo. My visitor for this week is still coming and that will be fun, but more about her later. Will go now and get some sleep, hope tomorrow will be better.
Take care
Trace.

Update on Trin and Ex husbands grrrrrr!!!!

Hi
First up had my meeting with Trin's teacher on Thursday and found out a lot of interesting stuff, turns out my Trin has been getting jumped on a lot by teacher to pull her into line straight away but also Trin does not talk to the teacher or Aide, they said she has not even spoken to them much since the start of school. Wow she is a real chatterbox normally. Only when she is jacked off about stuff is she quiet. Anyway she really does not know how to handle Trin who she says is displaying very anti social behaviour, quite strange she says she is, drrr hello any child being picked on by other children all the time will display strange behaviour. So I filled her in on our home life and what number child she is and how distressed I am over all this as Trin is complex but she is certainly not what she is displaying ATM. But I have to give her credit for taking notes and trying to find solutions to this problem and she now feels I have given her a big insight into Trin and that she can see she is seeking attention from the attention seekers and reacting badly like them. She is going to subtly try and steer her to the" nicer children" in class and see if she can break this cycle with her. She said she is really switched on with her work and can do that without a problem, I also told her Trin is bored which can mark bad behaviour, she missed out by 16 days being in Year 1 and I think she is so over this kindy, Pre primary sort of structure, she really wants desks and work and to be challenged. So we will keep an eye on this and I am spending lots of time with her which of course throws Rainee off track as she sees her Sister getting more of my attention than usual but all this is just sent to challenge me on a daily basis.

So today I have an issue with the EX seems he will never be able to talk to me in a nice manner anymore only F##K you and this and that. Tomorrow Keelan has Go karts here so tonight I have had to drive him 1hour and 15mins away just for him to get in a car and get driven all that again to come back for Karts in the morning then go back late tomorrow night 1 hour 15mins and then come back when I pick him up Sunday 1 hour 15mins again. So I ring and plead to his nicer nature of which he doesnt have one to just come here early tomorrow morning and let him have a good sleep in his own bed, not on the floor of his cousins house in the lounge on a mattress and then pick him up in the morning and take him somewhere nice for breaky bright and early and spend time with him before karts but hey what do women know, according to him I was doing this to save me driving so then he turned it all into a personal attack threatening me, I just kept my cool as he really aint worth raising the blood pressure over I can assure you. So So glad I have such an amazing Husband now, funny enough he talks to the ex more than me. So I have driven 2 and half hours tonight to do THE RIGHT THING as I always do but I do know Keelan is starting to see how his father operates and he is getting closer to an age he can start telling him what he does and doesnt want so I will just wait till that day.
I just really dont know why life has to be so hard, like you just seem to rise above one problem and the next is knocking on the door ready to take you down. I just think some days how lovely those free and easy years of 17 to 21 years of age were. Thank God I had some amazing times then, gives me hope that 1 day I will stop being haunted by all the bad decisions I have made in my life since then.

So in a nutshell Trin will stay where she is and we are keeping a close eye on things. Zaylan is still sick and not his happy self but I think he is on the up. Tim is Tim, he never really changes, just deals with what gets thrown his way. I am on the up, I was actually able to get cleaning done today without walking around in circles not knowing where to start as the mind has been stirring around some really murky water just late with worry and stuff. The boys are karting so Mum and Dad and Brother are coming for the weekend so that will be good, Mum is having the young ones tomorrow arvo for me while I go to an ATC workshop so I hope I will be inspired to create this week. So next time I am back expect bright post as it has been pretty heavy and dark these last few posts. Time to let go of it, get over it and get on with it!!! So I promise that is what I am going to do. You know what it is like but we bleed when our little ones bleed, we hurt when our little ones hurt and we dont rest until we find the answers to their problems. All in the day of a loving Mother.
Have a great weekend, take time to smell the roses and make sure your kidlets do too right next to you holding your hand!!
Take care
Trace.

Update on saga!!

Hi
Things are still going up and down here, I picked Trin up today and she handed me a note about making an appointment to see the teacher but most parents got them just to review how they are progressing and settling in, I wanted to ask her about things anyway, so I asked her if I could chat to her for a minute about Trin and was she having any major problems and she said "yes and I need to see you so make an appointment to see me after school as early as possible" I said I would have to come with the other kids and she said "fine can you make it tomorrow" Okay it is not looking good and judging by her attitude towards me I was reaching for a cardigan in 30 odd degree heat so it is pretty icy what is coming off her. So I will know exactly what is going on tomorrow but a friend rang today and she had a chat about it all with me and said I should move schools as this has been brewing with Trin from last year and the school her kids are at is just wonderful and Trin adores Cassie so she would get to see her everyday if not in the same class they will at least have play together. So tomorrow I will make my decision, Tim of course thinks the move is great as the fees are cheaper but the other school seems to be teaching the kids to respect each other from Kindy on which is more than I can say for this school, they seem to have a very shallow plan in place with lots of holes in it.

Other news, Zay is still miserable with a cold, the rest of the Family is going fine and I lost another 1.5kg woo hoo, so 3.6kg in 2 weeks, very happy with that one at this rate I will be back into my nice clothes by the retreat and then just keep chipping away at it until I am back to mini me!!! Feeling happier now I am having good results and enjoying the plan no end. Tonight we had chicken curry and cous cous. The kids really didnt want eat too much but it was yummy, a tad bit too much curry powder in theirs. My mojo is still missing ATM I dont really even know when I want to begin to do something, I will just have to keep the brain box ticking over till the light bulb turns back on!!
Best news ever I am getting a special visit from a wonderful inspirational girlfriend next week, will reveal more next week. Can't wait!!! Going to an ATC workshop on Saturday so that will be good just to hopefully learn some new stuff. Well wish me luck tomorrow, I so feel like I am at school again dealing with these issues, oh for a lovely bright young teacher with some enthusiasm to teach kids, Trin would do so much better.
Take care
Trace.

Pics to share

Hi

Some photos of our outing yesterday, everyone chowing down on the yummy ice creams, they are sooooo big that the kids have plenty of drips and Tim ends up eating a lot more than just his. I had a wilderberry yoghurt one and it was divine. Simmos is the best ice cream, lucky we dont live in Dunsborough or I would be the size of a house!!!

I took the kids to school this morning and we spent time in Trin's room doing puzzles and they enjoyed that, left Trin a lot happier however when I picked her up she said she had been naughty and doesnt want to go to school tomorrow because she has to go to the vice Principal's office, oh boy we get 1 thing sorted and another begins, I was a bit pithed (to be nice) the teacher could not tell me about this as I was waiting for Trin so I was available for her to talk to. Apparently she drew a circle around her picture and she was not meant to do that is about the best explanation I can get from her, but she has scratch marks on her arm from this other girl and according to Trin she has been given a 2 week holiday, sent home through the day, so I will have to find out more.

As for Rainee, I picked her up and she has skin off her chin and knee, she took a tumble today but she doesnt really complain, I saw it 1st otherwise she probably would not have mentioned it. If only Trin could lighten up a bit like Rainee. Zay has a cold ATM so he is feeling flat and miserable, oh joy the snots starting already!!! But to brighten up my Day I got a lovely pressie from my Adorable Elaine today, Thankyou darl you made my Day!!!xxooxx. I will show you what I create for sure!! I have tried to make it a better day and be positive I just wont count slipping on water in thongs this arvo and bruising my knee and diving my big toe through the tiles lucky no one witnessed my graceful splits. The girls were quick to point out Zay spilt the water, funny how they cant bend down and clean it up but leave it for poor old Mother to break her knee on. lol. I am up early to cook pancakes in the morn for shrine Tuesday, that will be a challenge. Wish me luck. lol. Take it easy.

Take care

Trace.

Huge head overload!!!

Hi
Had our appointment with Trin today, I have got a huge head full of stuff and now I need some panadol but I keep forgetting to take it. lol. Trin made good headway with it and we have come away loaded with stuff to do to try and make this problem better. No.1 is to get Trin and me Happy again, so lots to work on there. She is picking up a lot of my crap and it is making her really unhappy. We are both on bush flower essences and I have a lot of reading to comb through and I have to make time to have a lot more fun with the kids after school. She is already a lot happier tonight and has actually sat next to me and hugged me for ages so some of that brick wall is coming down. I on the other hand have a massive amount of stress building up, I can feel the stiff neck coming on again if I dont release some of it. I so hold onto my shit!!! Naughty naughty girl!!lol.

After the appointment we went to Simmos yummo, goodbye diet today and then we went for a lovely drive and then all fell asleep on the way home and left poor Tim talking to himself. Oh well these things happen it has been a pretty exhausting day all round.
Time to go and watch some T.V. and veg out. Got some lovely ice cream face pics to post, will do that tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Perfect camera moment

Hi

Last Saturday at Go karts I got these shots just as we were about to go and round up the kids I turned around to see them sitting perfectly still talking on the log looking out to the paddock, I busted myself getting to the boot of the car and just got my camera out to take the first shot and then the second they turned around to catch me. I tell you I shake taking these shots as you have to be so quick and then so still to get the shot in a second, as you can see Mikayla was just about to make a move so I just missed the really perfect shot but never mind I am still really happy with these, they are just so cute having their own CWA meeting at 1 with nature. I just would have loved to have heard what they were talking about, hmmm needed to be the old fly on the pole!!!!

Things with Trin have come to light a little more, I did her hair on Friday up in a bun and put pretty clips in and sprayed some inpulse on her as she left the house just to see how the purple circle reacted to her and yes sadly enough they were her best buddy on Friday, I had to laugh though as she got in the car and said " well Mum it worked, they played with me today and kept saying Please Trinity can we have some of your perfume" how tragic is it we are breeding a generation of vain children. I pretty much thought we would face this at some stage having Daughters but like some Mums I spoke to yesterday said it is scary they are facing this at 5, they have older Daughters and at 11-12years old they are starting to go through it but they have not heard of it so young. So once we sort out tomorrows session with Trin and I know what is really happening with her then I will take it further with the school. I just dont want to go and cause upheaval until I am absolutely certain of where it is all coming from.

Keelan has a friend staying over for the weekend, last night has been extended to another night but that is fine, he is a great kid and they are so alike, it is good for Keelan to have someone to have some fun with and Shaun is the only child left at home with 2 older Sisters so he is welcoming the company. I am just so happy he has such a great mate.

I actually got out the house for coffee with some lovely Ladies yesterday, I just dont do it enough, I was the only 1 with Kids with me as the other Ladies kids were at school, but Rainee and Zay behaved so well that it was fine, I needed a lift yesterday and feel better for it.

Diet is going well, I am on a mission to get back into my nice clothes and out of the problem of taking 45 mins to get ready to go out as nothing much fits. Last Monday I lost 2.1kgs so I will see what happens this week, I am finding it easy to manage the points system and it is amazing how if you want a chocolate you will settle for a low point substitute rather than a big 1 that blows your points for the day. I have not had a big increase in energy yet but I think having such a low emotional week has not helped with that. I am proud of myself but for not blowing my diet while I have had this crap to deal with. Hope to scrap again this week and get back to some normality, hope I am not the only one struggling with routine and sorting myself out since the kids have gone back. I find I achieve more the days I have 2 home than Zay on his own. And I can see weekends are going to be a challenge to keep the house clean as the girls have had nearly everything out to play with today. Well off to have a rest for a while.

Take care

Trace.

meltdown

Hi
Things have been very hectic here over the weekend and since. We had a good weekend although disappointing in some areas, wont go there!! We all felt pretty tired after the weekend, men racing Go karts, all doing very well, Keelan is going great guns and loving it which is great, he is certainly growing up fast now. Mum, Kim and I managed the kids and tried to get some creating happening in between, I managed to do MIL 70th Birthday card and a few others but no way I could think about scrapping.

Sunday I did not feel the happiest by arvo time and then Monday was very tired but Tuesday arvo had an incident that was not great and Wednesday just topped it off and had major meltdown so feeling better tonight but this morning was pretty washed out. Trin is just not having a very good run of things ATM and it is breaking my heart watching her going through a really tough time, as I mentioned before she is in a "bitchy" group of little girls and unfortunately the problem is getting worse to the point she is acting very out of character and it is changing the essence of her. We had the best holidays and she was no trouble at all and now 2 and half weeks into the term she is in major turmoil and who does she choose to vent it all out on but ME and with my own crap happening this week it has not been good.

I have called on my angels to help as this problem is bigger than I can gain clarity on ATM and today have had the most amazing door of opportunity open for me and HER so on Sunday I am taking her to see Maggie Dent who is the most amazing Lady with her talent to help Children and hopefully we can get something sorted. If from that I have to then start addressing this issue at the school or move her to another school then that is what I will do. I can not see my little girl suffer cruelty at the hands of these kids anymore or be victimised by them, she is having nightmares tonight, I just found her curled up in bed in the fetal position moaning No, please No, so enough is enough. She is playing with the Boys as she says they are not mean and cruel to herlike the girls who tell her she has yucky hair and is not pretty . Please these are 5 year olds and its a catholic school, certainly no christianity being handed around there!!!! The boys make her be their pets so she has to chase them being a tiger or dog, please can the teachers not see what is happening??? Or are they too busy telling us parents not to send the wrong sized pillow into school or dont give them things in the lunch box that God forbid they might have to help the child open. I have tried not to be reactive or be the over protective parent but honestly I dont think I could let it get any worse. I hope we get some clarity Sunday by her speaking to someone on neutral ground and then I can make my plan of attack.

So it is not all roses here ATM hence no scrapping happening until we get our ray of sunshine back over our heads again and then I may be able to get into it again. I spent time with them all this arvo doing a self esteem lifting project but she is really finding it hard to come out of her depths of misery to enjoy much at all. It has made the other kidlets be more supportive of her though and we are making a big effort to listen to each other and respect each others talk time more.

Well better get some sleep, not sure what tomorrow will bring, so glad my angels are helping me with this one, I so needed it. Will keep you posted on outcomes.

Take care
Trace.

Darn computer servicemen!!!

Hi
The computer repair man was actually a computer killer, he spent 3.5 hrs here and left when he crashed my computer, I had to then re extend the warranty as the bloody thing was less than 2 weeks out of warranty and then deal with hewlett packard to fix it up and have another guy come today from a different company and sort something out. The guy I talked about the other day fell in my office again, could not even walk down the other end of the house to my Sons room to sort his computer out and spent time on mine doing his office paperwork and printing out his future jobs on my printer and my paper. Then crashed it while he was friggin around supposedly sorting it out and then left me to get myself out of this mess stating it was probably the memory chip and the tower would have to go and be fixed but about an hour with hewlett packard giving me instructions and it is back to working order, how normal it will be I dont know till time tells. I tell you I always get ripped off by shonky computer people. Okay vent over.

Getting ready for Family and Go karts again on the weekend, the Boys and Man of the household are getting excited and the Lady folk will be creating!!! I have made a little box and valentines card for the men folk so Mum and Kim and maybe Gail will be playing with them. I have spent today getting cleaned up but the kidlets arrive home and go into demolish mode and it looks like I did nothing. I hate being a grumpy Mum and stressing at them but they just dont seem to get the message, I really dont know what to do anymore about getting them to be tidy, I wouldnt mind if they didnt trash it so bad it looked like I have done nothing all day, I virtually have to clean morning and afternoon to make it look respectable for Tim otherwise he like me goes insane with all the crap lying about. They get so caught up playing and going silly that they just dont care what they create in the meantime. I think I will have to start finding some after school activities like park and beach and let them run the sillies out elsewhere as I really want to get off this rollercoaster of bashing my head against the brick wall when they come home and have some fun with them.

I will hopefully be back next time with some nice pics of creations and not have the whinges.
Have a great weekend.
Take care
Trace.

Staying on track

Hi,

Today has been busy, getting things into shape around here and staying on track with my new program. I am so proud of my Family, they are eating what I am having for tea and I really did not think they would come at the fish for tea and was stressing about what I could give them if they all had it and hated it, but suprise they all enjoyed it and apart from Trin who would have nothing to do with her fish they all did really well, we had Dhuie baked in the oven in alfoil with lemon juice, ginger, onion, soy sauce and some corriander with rice and steamed broccoli and carrots. They all looked a bit horrified at me dishing it up but Tim was pleasantly suprised it tasted so good, so I just thank and Love them so much for supporting me and helping make life easy for me that I dont have to cook them separate meals. I have not put 1 wrong thing in my mouth today and I am feeling really happy with myself woo hoo. Okay sorry for all that back patting but believe me I need it, I have to break out of this fat cyclone once and for all. My poor scrap blog is turning into a diet journal but I just need to find my feet with this and then it will hopefully flow, boy I have had more energy already today achieving so much more than usual. I think taking the first step and making yourself do it often lightens the burden 100%, suddenly you burst from a cloud of guilt and unhappiness and start to blossom again. So my Family in the City are also jumping on board according to my Mum today and that is so great. We will do it together.

Well I better get this office cleaned up, the computer man is coming tomorrow and he is a rather large chap and on a walking stick so I dont want him coming to any grief in here!! Best clean all the crap out the way and make his life easier and take the worry off me also, last time he tripped on the kiddie gate getting in here and I nearly laid an egg big time, you know when you feel everything drop inside and go hot and flushed, it was that scary, I would need the fire brigade boys to help get him back up. pheeww really nice man though but he is just not in the best of health. Okay better end that story I could go on about more funny stuff from his visit but I better leave it there. lol. I am off on that note to have my cup of tea and yoghurt for sweeties. all good!!!
Take care
Trace.

Taken the plunge!

Hi,
Today I bit the bullet and went and joined Weight Watchers, its official now I have put it out there. I AM ON A DIET or should I say a lifestyle change. I will be the dreaded 40 in August and I made a promise to myself that I would not be this size however over the holidays I have managed to end up a bigger size lol. So off Zay and I went to the meeting this morning, I am pleased to say the scales do go up pretty high and that my little support man was just great for the meeting and waiting 25 mins for me to get through the sign up drama!! I also only have 5 weeks till Scrapboxx Retreat yahoo, I love retreats and I am so looking forward to getting away and spending time doing my great love of creating. So I will see how much I can loose in 5 weeks and hopefully some of my really nice clothes will fit me again to take away. So lots of incentive to get rid of the lard and on top of that my health, my poor joints and back and neck have had enough of supporting this lard, I was never this size even in my 4 pregnancies so Mum and I discussed last week supporting each other and joining even though we are doing it a long way from each other and I am sure Kim will jump on board too. So here is to us 3 getting some normal sized bodies!!!

I made tea from my plan tonight and it was yummy, the great thing is the family can pretty much eat and enjoy the meals as well, not like the last plan I tried, I had to cook 2 lots of bloody meals each night and that just gets too hard in the end.

I have had a meeting tonight for Kindy which is all stuff I know from last year with Trin but I did the right thing and heard about it all again. So funny to listen to the Parents and the questions they ask, I think some think they are sending them to the einstein school. Others seem to have issues about starving children and send masses of food in for them. lol. Other than that not much else happening. Busy creating ATC's for scrapbook designs swap and enjoying that and off to watch desperate housewives, back on yahoo, but cant wait for Mcleods and Greys anatomy. yummo. Catch you next time.
Take care
Trace.

Rainee pics.

Hi
A few pics, this one of Zay was Christmas Day when he was sneaking treats hence the "I know nothing" look, too cute sneaky little devil. And the others are Rainee on her 1st kindy Day in her uniform. She looks so grown up.
Mum went home today so I will miss her company and having someone to have a morning and arvo cuppa with. I wish we lived closer, I realise how much I miss her and the kidlets miss and love her dearly. She is tired but and needs to go home and catch up on some quiet time, must be hard living with the 2 of you and then the Grandkids and Family all enter the equation, I know how quiet the house was for the week Mum had the girls and then they came back and suddenly mayhem errupted and we had gotten used to the quiet.
Mum dropped Keelan off to his Dad so we have a weekend of 5 of us. Dont know what is on the agenda just yet with the temps being high.

I have hurt my neck and shoulders and find it too hard to sit and scrap ATM how terrible is that. I hope it will be better tomorrow.
Have a great weekend all and stay cool if possible will go and rest this neck.

Take care
Trace.

Quick post

Hi,
Just a quick drop in to say the start of School is going well, Trin has had a few hiccups with the girls, she has a very catty group and she tends to become a loner sometimes as she gets upset when they are horrible to her, so I will keep an eye out for what is happening. They split the kindy groups and mixed them from last year but she still ended up in the same class as the very catty ones so I hope things will improve for her.

Keelan didnt get the teacher he hoped but he did end up with the quieter year 6's so you cant have them all and he seems okay with it all so far. Rainee wants to get every day and is sad when she finds out she isnt. The home front is a lot quieter with just 2 home. But when they come home from school oh boy Trin is like a freight train of action, she just goes hard till bed getting rid of a heap of steam and Rainee is a free and willing partner to help her as they have been apart all day, cute though that Trin went and found Rainee Wednesday arvo at Kindy to say hello. That is sisterly love for you.

Well off to rest a sore back and neck now and watch not much on the idiot box bring on next week when all the good shows are back on. Post latter with more photos as keep promising.
Take care
Trace.

Wow the holidays are over so fasssstttt

Hi,
I can not believe the holidays have finished seems so surreal that tomorrow the old school routine kicks back into action and it is all hands on deck to get out the door by that set time!! The kids have mixed feelings about it, Keelan is not looking forward to it, whether it is an age thing or the thought of his teachers he may have I dont know. Trinity seems non perplexed by it all really not having a comment or show of emotion 1 way or the other and Rainee well she has to wait till noon for her first stint of kindy tomorrow and she is breaking her neck full steam ahead she was ready a few weeks ago. I just hope they have great teachers and are with their friends.

Today we baked, banana cake and banana muffins and cherry and almond slice. Mum is staying with us ATM so she was my kitchen hand as well as the kids so it all was all good!! D.H. is so happy his favourite goodies have been made for his lunch box and the kids are excited to have some fresh home baked goodies for their lunches as well. Keelan and I went to see Happy feet this arvo while Nana was around to look after the others, the girls saw it with her last week and as I have had Zay I have not had the chance to take Keelan to the movies so today was it. It was enjoyable but boy we had a big popcorn to share, I swear it is like a never ending pack of tim tams, we just couldnt find the bottom and I could hardly get out the cinema seat I ate that much, mind you I had to keep eating it as a nana nap was threatening once I got into relax mode!! lol.

The weather has been kinder to us today and the rest of the day has been spent getting the last minute bits and pieces ready for tomorrow. So I hope we all get the kids off to school safe and sound tomorrow and good luck getting back into the routine, cant believe Feb is knocking on the door already.
Take care
Trace.

When hot create!!

Hi
Today has been another hot day and after a hot night as well, we did not venture outside too much so I did what I had to and then after lunch I started to create woo hoo. The l.o.'s above are done with Fancy pants products and paper. I am in love with this stuff, it is so nice to have enough of 1 brand of product to produce a l.o. with it all, makes life so easy, I did these similar as I want to put them up on my wall. The top photo of Trin is more true to colour than the second. I just love how colourful and matching these products are. Can you guess I am super impressed with fancy pants stuff, will be buying much much more of their products in the future.
1 more sleep till girls come home woo hoo, cant wait, life will be back in the house, I have missed them so much they certainly brighten up my days that is for sure, Trini is so home sick she cant wait to be home. So what does a Mother do who is fretting for her Daughters??? Scraps pics of them just to rub salt into the wounds lol. but it did give me lots of time to reflect on how much I love the qualities they have and how much they mean to me!! That can't be a bad thing I guess!! Other than that Tim has done major bonding with Zay today fixing up the girls furniture and Zay was the tradesman, what a laugh DADDY says "go get me the hammer Zay please from the shed" those short stubby legs burnt holes in the tiles getting out to the shed to please Daddy, back in he comes so proud with hammer in hand. Then back out the door he goes taking it all back out for Dad, gee how does a Mum get the same response for some help with housework, we get bursts of help I suppose but the novelty of helping Mum sure does wear off in a second. Although as I say that I must remember Darling Zay is only too happy to give the Vac a whip around the house for me yet the girls are scared of the vac, hmmm maybe they are smarter then I think.

So Keelan is ready for school next week with almost everything marked and books covered. Just the marking of the clothes to do and Trins stuff has to be marked. I have to say that I am starting to look forward to the "routine" back in action and to see what my days will be like this year with 2 home most of the time rather that 3. I just hope my Babies love it at preschool and Kindy and that Keelan gets to be in the same class as his best buds so we all can settle in for a good year!! Better go and organise something for tea.
Have a great week getting the kiddies ready for school and hope all goes well.
Take care
Trace.

Hot hot hot

Hi

Wow havent we just had 2 day of scorchers!!! We had an amazingly quiet Australia Day, must be getting too old, could think of nothing worse than being outside the house yesterday once it heated up, too hot. Thank goodness for air con, we had a movie afternoon, we have watched a couple of movies lately branded Family viewing and we have found them the best, funny bit for Tim and I at our level and yet entertaining and still funny for the kids all ages and really good story lines. I will look out for more of them next time. Little manhattan was 1 and the other was Dreamer, great movies.

Had a down day Friday missing my girls but have been on top of it since then, so glad I have both sex Children as together they just bring a lovely balance, I have been home with the boys for a week and my little chatterboxes and funny little spirited girls have been greatly missed, I have even had the boys missing them big time. So I am not the only sookie around here.

Yesterday the boys gave me a hard time about my sleeping in which I dont think 7.30-8am is too bad so I bet them this morn I could be up and out the house for a swim at the beach by 8am and I was, no breaky but that was fine and I spent the most time in the water, it was quite rough but it was refreshing then home for a shower and start the day getting ready for Tim's folks to visit. Not a bad day all round must go now and eat our BBQ Tim had cooked, will get some more pics up later.

Take care
Trace.

Cleaning up

Hi
Hope you are all enjoying the last days of holidays, not long now for the routine to be back in full swing. Today Keelan and I did some cleaning out of toys and rubbish, cant believe that amongst all my Girls toys and little bags stuffed with goodies they had 2 big bags of rubbish!! I wont even go there and describe some of it but I am so pleased to be sorted once again, it is just amazing what gets thrown into toy boxes and old handbags not to mention some of the clothing items that get caught up in it all, they have some socks back clean now. Truly sounds like my house was a pig pen but it wasnt on the outside, just some of the things hidden in boxes, mainly old bits of paper with scribble on it. So they have a lovely clean bedroom and toy room now. Tomorrow after getting the book list sorted at school I will be into their clothes!!

So I have managed to do a bit of creating, a friend asked me to do a swap ATC with her about friends so I have created the above. The other 2 l.o.s are from the VIP magical mystery tour I went on in Albany gosh well over a year and half ago but it was great so I am finally scrapping them, not completely happy with the l.o. but I dont do too much scenery scrapping but I have more to do, so that is my project to do ATM.

I have ordered your Stampin up stuff today Kim and Mum so that should be back next week. I will create a couple of cards for us to do when you come down next Kim. Thankyou Kim and Elaine for leaving me comments, sounds silly but I got teary when I had some comments this week, it means so much to hear from you. I keep trying to get Tim to take a break to Albany but he is onto my intensions Elaine so he gets evassive on me now when I bring up the subject but I live in hope!!!

Missing my girls, they are having so much fun with Nana, she wears them out going here and there but they love it. I will have to do something fun with the boys before they come home poor Keelan has not been anywhere with me over the holidays this year we didnt even do swimming lessons so it has been a real quiet holiday.

Well I am off to do a bit more creating before Men in trees comes on, love that show.
Take care
Trace.
P.S. Sorry the photos above are not the best, my battery was flashing low so I had to get them done quick.

Great weekend

Hi, we have had the best weekend, exhausting but the best I have had in ages. Friday the kidlets and I set off early and shopped for groceries, they behaved so so well I was very proud and so happy with them, the secret is definitely get it over and done with first up in the a.m. then we came home unpacked that and I did some cleaning up and then put Zay down for a rest and then had lunch and a rest with the girls myself, we were watching a DVD in between me dozing off on the score board and thinking I really should get the house spick n span before Sat morning when my Mum and Dad and Bro and SIL and kidlets were arriving but procrastinated about it when I had a lurking feeling I could get an early visit when the girls spang off their chairs and said Nana and Grandad are here, oh boy, I had been sprung, not that they were worried but I just love a clean house when people visit anyway I managed to get some sort of respectible in between catching up with them.

Saturday was Go karts and Brad and Kim and girls arrived at morning tea time and then the Men went out to the track and we organised a picnic lunch and Mum and Kim and I caught up on news and drooled over the stampin up catalogue and I did demos for them, all fun. So about 4pm we went out to the track and watched the racing, Keelan is doing great in his new class and Tim and Brad were on fire after having a big break from racing, Tim had the best day, getting a couple of 1st and Brad was out front most the other times. The kids loved it although Zay is obsessed with his Dad and Grandad and spent most of the time trying to get to them, we ended up having tea and staying in the pits so he would stop wondering off. My God daughter and Niece Dakota is just amazing, the best baby girl, I was slack on the camera, just absorbed the atmosphere but in a few weeks I will have to get snap happy when they come down again. We left the track late and came home and bathed babes and put them to bed then had a shower ourselves and cuppa and then Kim and I did some more stampin up dreaming. We got to bed a 1.15am. Today has been relaxing, the kids have been so great playing, my girls are real little Mummies doting over their cousins, they love them so much giving Dakota a bottle and entertaining her and Mikayla. Zay has just loved having someone his size around it is rare for him to have little folk his size and he gets on better with Mikayla all the time.

The girls have gone home with Mum and Dad for a week, Keelan has returned home and is going for a sleepover with a friend tomorrow and to the beach and I have some serious sorting out and cleaning up to do while the girls are away some toys are going bush, too much clutter again, but after christmas with new arrivals some old toys are going to have to go.

Thankyou Mum, Dad, Brad, Kim and Girls for a great weekend, we all pitched in and it made it so great and enjoyable and thanks Kim for all the giggles and laughs, I can always count on you for some laughter!!! Heres to the Pages race team getting a great year in and us having a great time with it. Off to bed now for some much needed sleep. Have a great week, not much left of school holidays, enjoy it while it lasts.
Take Care
Trace.

Back to normality.

Hi, things here today have gone back to reality with Tim starting his new job. hmm it has been enjoyable having him home for a break but now it is all back to normal again with me home with the kidlets and fighting a loosing battle to keep the home front clean!! I realise how much he picks stuff up off the floor and fossics around tidying up when he is home and possibly more to the point how much when the kidlets follow him around and stay outside they dont destroy the house inside. Never mind all good things come to an end.

The kidlets and I cooked cakes today and now I cant keep them out of them, we made cupcakes with blue icing and chocolate cake mega size, ( small baking dish) so that should give D.H. something for his lunches and the sweet kids kept saying we are making this for Daddy arent we Mum for his new job.

So that has been our day nothing exciting unfortunately, I have put a new layout up, of Keelan I just love that blue it is my favourite colour, I am so a blue person. I used my new cricut machine for the heading and it is wonderful, I think they are an easy way to simplify l.o.'s. I love the font too. Tonight I hope I can steal myself away from tennis and create but will see how it goes. Well D.H. home must go and catch up on his day.
See ya
Take care
Trace.

more creating!!

Hi
Hope everyone is loving these holidays as much as I am, although D.H. is getting serious job hunting so I have a feeling my load will soon get heavier, it has been lovely having him around and sharing the load with the kidlets. We have been achieving so much, I just can't believe how much cleaning up and out it takes with a family of 6, I seem to be forever starting again at the the other end and D.H. has a job here as full time yardie, having half an acre with a lot of garden means lots of clean up. But Keelan always helps Tim outside and Zay does his best to potter around behind them trying to help hmmm. But we do literally take a trailer load of stuff away every 2nd weekend, the peppy trees are lovely and cooling but they sure shed leaves. So with that inside I have been changing things around also, when we unpacked this time I just found a home for things, not really the right place for some so now I am slowly getting to find the right place, which brings me to today, I brought on Friday a new Paper stacker which has a dust cover and it is great, Today my D.H. let me sleep in big time and even did all my morning housework so I had breaky and went from room to room finding all the work done, Bacon and eggs payback for him in the morning for sure. But because I slept so long and heavy I thought I would not get too much done today but it has been the opposite thank goodness. So back to the paper stacker, sorry getting so sidetracked here. I went through all my patterned paper and put it all in there, where I can see it and get to it all in order of the brands and then sorted out my bazzill and generally found things I wondered where I had put it and got totally organised. I am so impressed with it now it looks wonderful.

I have also discovered that I really dont need to purchase bazzill or p.p. for at least a decade. Time for me to create big time and get this stash shrinking. I had a bit of a buying frenzy happening last year but it is all stopping now, I have to resist the shops for a while and use what I have!!!

Now the l.o.s above are the wrong way around, it is a double l.o. which reads My girls r fun. The other is a family layout with about the best photo I have of us all so far. Living in hope of being able to get some weight off and go for family shoot through the year. Living in hope being the key word here. If anyone finds my willpower be sure to post it back please. lol.

Other than that we are not up to too much, might have to venture somewhere with the kids this week although Keelan is going with his Dad on Monday for a week so that will be some fun for him and the Boys are racing Go karts next weekend so they are looking forward to racing again this year after having a break last year. Hope it is not too hot for them, Keelan had to get a new helmet as the other was too small, not a cheap venture but hey his head is certainly worth protecting big time. Love that Boy to pieces, he is just so wonderful. Love them all to pieces actually, even the girls who decided this a.m. to go for a ride on there bikes around the big block and not tell anyone, Tim went in pursuit on his bike and met them at the round a bout, they have had their bikes taken off them for 2 weeks Dad has said, and tonight at tea I gave them the big lecture about going off and the kidnappers around etc. I dont think they will consider doing that again, thank goodness we have really quiet streets in our neighbourhood!!!

So I will leave this huge post, thankyou if you got to the end of it and be back later.
Take care
Trace.

Some layouts to share

Hi,
These 3 l.o.'s are my most recent, the 1st is Zay and Tim, love these new p.p with the family type themes. The other is Family and it is all of us, the 1st l.o. I have done of us as a Family, don't get photos of Tim and I too often and the last l.o. is of me and that was so hard to do, I hate hate hate having my photo taken with so much weight on but I think I need to start getting over that and giving my kids something about me, my jounalling is about me and who I am and some of my loves!! I have some more but that will have to be tomorrow, I also have photos of Trin having her hair cut yesterday but that can also wait, blogger has had enough of my time today waiting for these to upload.

A busy day here today doing all the cleaning and catching up with the mopping and washing and vaccuming, oh I do loooove a clean house and it feels like such a sense of achievement but not for too long when the 4 kidlets are in and out and hungry, it soon gradually starts to decline. Tim and I had drinks last night outside with the kids, I got a bit merry and then we walked around the block, dont really know how I did it being so under the weather, I think I floated around the block, probably why Rainee and I beat the rest of them home by miles, anyway it was lovely to get some exercise and all to music as southbound a big band weekend show was only up the road so we enjoyed the music from the front door and walking around the block, eskimo joe, John Butler trio and Wolfmother just to name some. It was better than fighting with 20,000 people up the oval to listen to it. So today as the day is going on I am starting to feel ordinary but you get that when you indulge. It was good to let my hair down though.
So enjoy whats left of the weekend and catch you later.
Take care
Trace.

Clean up

Hi
Today was a bit spur of the moment that turned into a mountain of cleaning. I decided this morning to get 4 boxes unpacked that had been on our patio waiting to be unpacked but I kept putting it off as I did not know where to put the stuff in them, anyway I bit the bullet today and cleaned them out but also got D.H. in the shed searching for the china boxes to finish off my china cabinet, well we have ended up finding everything but what I started off wanting to unpack and I am wondering where they have gone. But I am very pleased with the amount of cleaning up and clearing out we managed to do. The kidlets were perfect seeing as I was otherwise occupied and all went really well until everyones stomach started grumbling and then some saddies and words that should have been left unsaid got spoken, however it was all good after lunch and I managed to have it all cleared up and away bar 1 box in this office hmmm .

Funny how sometimes the spur of the moment decisions give the best results and hubby had no time to get grumpy about the thought of it and just fell in sink and got his shed looking a lot more organised in the process!! So I was pretty tired this arvo after all but also after lunch we had a scare with Zay. Rainee had peanut paste on her toast this a.m. and that was cool as Zay was outside at this time and not anywhere near her (he is allergic to peanuts) anyways she wanted 2 pieces of toast and then wouldn't eat 1 so I wrapped it up and told her it was her lunch, normally I would have binned it but I had a bug bear about waste this a.m. so at lunchtime I gave it to her and told her that was her lunch just mucking anyway she ate it I thought but she only ate the middle and left the crusts on a toy, so after our real lunch, Zay ventured over and I looked to him in the lounge just dropping the crusts and spitting out some and saying yuck and trying to make himself sick, we grabbed him and grabbed a container while he tryed to be sick but couldnt, then Tim said "Dont make a deal of it and he might be alright" so I gave him a drink and tryed to change the subject and put dummy in and went to change his nappy and that is when he started getting really upset and sticking his tongue out and gagging and then the rash appeared around his mouth so I flew him back out the kitchen and got the container and up came all his lunch and I tryed to find the phenergan in the pantry and when I couldnt I just threw everything out and got all the medicine down, got that into him and then Tim watched him while I decided to go through all the pantry and sort it all out. So something else I achieved out of rage. I had cereal and everything flying out the pantry when I was hunting for the bloody medicine. So now the peanut paste is in the bin and this is a definite peanut free household, I will not risk him having any more accidental exposure. I am going to take him to the Dr. and get an allergy test done on him as I really need to know how bad he is and if he will need to have an epi pen next time. He is so amazing but, he knows as soon as he has accidently had it that he needs to be sick and that he has to show me his tongue is swelling. He can't talk to tell me so it he does really well to let me know how he feels. I just wont jeopardise his life for the sake of a few in the house liking peanuts as I said to Rainee, "we may like peanuts but we love our bubba more". So that was our day. Eventful, organisation happening big time and lots of cleansing. All good!!! Tomorrow little bubba is getting some curls cut off and I am guessing it will make him look like a little boy boo hoo. Lucky we cant have anymore or I might be chasing hubby around the house again!!! On that note I am departing, layouts to share tomorrow.

Take care
Trace.

Happy new Year

Hi

We had a quiet New Years Eve, just the kids and D.H and I, had nibblies and BBQ and all was good till Tim took Zays nappy off and whilst riding around the kids suddenly stopped horrified as a glorious nugget dropped out the side of Zay's shorts. lol. How to kill a good party get D.H. to take toddlers nappy off!!!!! So it was off to baths and showers with the kids, (after I had cleaned up the droppings) and time to tidy up and get kidlets to bed. We then watched the 9pm fireworks on T.V. with Keelan before he went to bed and then watched a DVD and then I played on computer till Tim came and kissed me at midnight. Then I departed for bed!!! I kept thinking how boring we have become and how years ago I would have been slamming a few drinks back in good company but then been crook as a dog the next morning, like a good friend of mine is today, I rang to wish her happy new year and her hubby said she had not surfaced yet and that was 12.30pm, he said she had indulged far too much last night uggggh glad it was her and not me, I am so not one for hangovers!!!!

The thing I like to do these days is have a great New Years Day without wishing it away with a sore head and tum. I love to soak up the New Year on the Day, we did roast pork and turkey breast roll in the barbecue and I made Cauli cheese and beans and gravy inside and the other vegies went in the BBQ also and we a lovely bottle of wine with lunch and choccies after and just soaked up the atmosphere with the kids, I dressed the table up like Christmas as we had not really had Christmas with Keelan yet and had his favourite crackling of the pork and he just loved it and enjoyed every mouthful and for us it was like our Christmas Day, so we have had an amazing day with the kids, then Zay had a rest and we all vegged out for a while and then at 4pm we got the slippery slide out and sat out the back and watched the kids going on that. A true family day just bliss and I didn't take 1 photo, never mind I just loved being in the moment!!!! So I hope that is a sign of how our year is going to be, pretty much about family and good times.

On that note I will be off and go and vege some more. Having the best holiday even if we are at home, the kids have been angels apart from some tiffs they are really being so good, it feels like we have shifted into another stage with the kids. I know that would make sense to parents of little ones as you do really notice when they shift a little more towards their independence and free you up from one little thing, it is sad they are growing so quick but it is lovely getting to know them at this new stage, they just seem to be so different.

Take care
Trace.

Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Hi

Not keeping my blog very updated ATM, I am in lazy holiday mode well and truly, even having a little nana nap in the arvo on some days, which is not usually me, as of next week I would like some of my energy to return if possible or I may be forced to stay this way. lol. how terrible that would be!!! Above are some photos of D.H. and myself at the Bootleg brewery in Margaret River on Thursday, we decided to get the kids out of the house and spend some time out and about but really they just dont want to be away from home ATM, santa gave them a huge round trampoline and they spend most days in and out jumping on that and riding their new bikes so they just complain when we try to go out, so we will save a tha money and stay home!! We had lunch at the brewery which was packed and then went to the Chocolate factory which was also packed and then to Yahava coffee for some fresh beans and a takeaway coffee as it was not worth the whinge to get the kids out of the car again. It as a warm day though and I don't really blame them. I was glad to get home. The other photo is Zay having a cheers and Rainee.

I went to the shops this morning and it is insane, I think I will just stay home till the kids go back to school, honestly I dont think I could handle big City life as the influx of holiday makers into our town is more than enough for me to cope with. The girl at the checkout said it is busier now than Christmas, she said the checkouts had them waiting 8 deep yesterday, shesh!!

Anyway we are having a quiet New Years tonight, just a barbie with us and the kids. Tim is busy doing more work on his bar, hopefully this week he will get the mini orb on. I am going on a major diet after New Year and before the kids go back to school. I think my energy might return then. I have completed 4 layouts in the last couple of days will share later.

Hope you all have a great New Year's celebration and all the best for 2007.
Take care
Trace.

A quiet Christmas

Hi,
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and santa delivered everything you had on your list. lol. We had a lovely morning with the Kids opening their santa sacks and going ape over their goodies, we really spoilt them this year as they only had our gifts and Tim's folks gift on Christmas Day as my Family had given them Christmas for the 2 weeks prior to Christmas. Anyway we took our time letting them have time with their pressies and then had a bit of toast and cuppa and got ready to go to in laws. Arrived at about 11.40am to huh thought you weren't coming. Hmm maybe we will go!! So on with the Day, the kids were starving by 1.30pm when we had lunch and they had 1 present to open, just small items and no nibblies as FIL said it would spoil their lunch and so we had lunch and MIL was nearly ripping the pork out of Tim's hand as he carved, "That will be enough!" she said and whisked it away. So we had a hot lunch light on if ever I have had a Christmas lunch and then some pudding, poor Trin got fed by FIL and he gave her Cauliflower which she dry reached on and spat out to be called a PIG by FIL, poor chick it was my fault for not telling them to leave it off her plate. So then the kids wouldnt eat the bland lumpy custard and plum pudding so that went down a storm. I got the goodie platter out and the kids came running only to be told by MIL they had to wait and that they couldn't have too much, I have photos to share later of Zay being really cheeky and stealing handfuls of choccies.
So for tea we had cold meat and salad which I could bearly get some meat on my plate as it was so light on again. I found it really depressing to be so controlled on Christmas day and my kids behaved so well, played all day inside quietly until after tea and then they got rowdy I think they just had to let off steam so that will be my last Christmas with Tim's family, I will find every excuse under the sun to never have to go to another one.
I have decided to make New Years Day our Christmas feast for my little family and we can enjoy the day together. Must say but it would have to be the first Christmas day I have felt hungry!!!!

Onto brighter things Keelan came home today and had his presents to open, he has had a lovely Christmas thank goodness and is happy to be home and even Tim is happy he is home, we are off tomorrow for a drive to a brewery for lunch and to the Yahava coffee place to get some beans and just have a bit of scenic therapy. Have created a l.o. tonight will share later.
Must go and get some sleep, hope to get some great photos tomorrow of us all out and about.
Take care
Trace.

Merry Christmas

Hi
Today has been very very busy with my little beavers in this household!! Firstly above left is Keelan sporting his new do!! He got tipped yesterday for summer holidays, blond bombshell with a little sticker from his sis on his forehead. Rainee is so happy that she finally has someone in the family with hair like her, all she keeps doing is showing us how Keelan is like her now, she has a complex poor child about being so blond, when we are all different. So she is rockin in happiness now, bless her cotton socks. lol. Now on with Today's mammoth exercise: "Roll up and wash your hands kidlets its cooking for Christmas time" off they all run with excitement, "now let me smell them, okay back you go Trini and step right up Rainee, Keelan and Zaylan" and so began the day long adventure of Christmas cooking with Mum, girls cutting marshmallows and snakes, trying to keep Zay from eating the red ones as I had managed to score a large packet of snakes with wait for it 6 lousy red ones hmmm. Anyway we got there, Keelan was smashing milk arrowroots with disgruntled moans and sighs till I told him to vent his anger into the smashing and then holy cow my new bench nearly cracked up with the force, all good though he let off some steam we had a laugh and it was back to getting the rocky road sorted. So we got the rocky road done, then Keelan and Rainee rolled choc balls and Trin did the coconut and Zay well he was eating any ingredient not tied down at this point!! So that finished we moved onto a sleep break for Zay and Rainee and I bolted for the shops for more supplies, came home had lunch and back into the cooking next up was chocolate chip cookies which I burnt so all in the car and off to get more plain flour, you just run out at the darnest times dont you, so back home it was double mix of cookies and I didnt take my eyes off them and then white christmas. Just cleaned up kitchen and kids off outside to let off steam and hubby home and time to cook tea. Shoot want that like a hole in the head. Never mind I managed to keep my cool till late afternoon, kidlets had a hoot, I loved it too and we have some lovely homemade wares to give for gifts and for chrissy day, gotta love that and tomorrow well they are in daycare and I aint steppin foot in the kitchen lol. So the pics above are of the plates we made up tonight, 1 for a girlfriends family, 2 for daycare girls tomorrow, Zays carers and the Girls carers and the other for Keelan to give his Dad for Christmas, poor kid coped it from his Dad last Saturday for forgetting his Birthday, no consideration taken for Tae kwon Do grading or heat etc. had him in tears so now he is really worried his present wont be good enought, I told him what matters is Today you made all this with me with Love and that if it was my present from him I would think it was the best present I ever received!! Plus he made the card at craft for him!!!

Will leave it at this mammoth post and would just like to say Merry Christmas and my darling friends who are still waiting for cards, I am onto it but so sorry they will be after Christmas but hey they should make it before New Year. lol. Take care and stay safe and love those little ones with all your heart and soul, and note to all, don't try and eat lunch with Dr Phil, oh boy I proved today you can eat and cry at the same time, dont recommend it though, gets too hard trying to work out if the lump in your throat is food or choking up, rofl, he had Christmas for the kids and families from hurricane Katrina, boy it was so wonderful to see the kids faces with all the suprises they got!!! On that note I'm away.
Take care
Trace.

Back again

Hi
It has been a while, my computer has not been able to connect to the internet since Thursday last week so I have been in the real world for a while. Lots going on as with most of us this time of year. We had another weekend in Perth and Keelan did his Tae kwon do grading on Saturday, it was stinking hot and it was in a big shed with only ceiling fans on low, poor things not only did they have stress and nerves of grading the stinking heat had them dropping like flies. No matter how much water they had they still fainted and 1 boy was so sick he had to go to hospital by ambulance! He has a heart condition but has worked so hard with Tim's group to get his black belt but he was sick with tonsilitis and then the heat and his heart all got too much, the pain on his face as he tried to grade was just awful to watch. Brave young man with a huge desire to not let his heart hold him back but unfortunately his heart had the last say. Hope he is going along alright. Keelan passed and is now an orange belt, he is doing well and was so pleasing to watch him remember and do his pattern with confidence. They are on a break now, much needed so the new Year will see him hopefully replenished and ready to get back into it. He made it through to the end and then he nearly fainted, we got him to the car and stripped his shirt off and got the air con on him and stopped at the nearest deli and I got him a powerade and icy pole and some lunch and within 15 mins he was back talking and bright so I really think they finished just in time before he also went downhill. The car temp said it was 41 degrees outside and it sure felt like it. OMG!! We had our little Christmas with Mum, Dad, Brad, Kim and Girls on Sat night and then we were well and truly ready for home by Sunday morn. 2 weekends in a row in the City is more than enough for me, getting old I think as the comforts of home call me every time!! So the house is back to noisy noisy with my DD's home and we are all trying to settle back in with each other again. I took them all shopping early this morn and my Baby decided to be a toddler and do some tantrums at the shopping centre, I dont know but this time of year poor Mums have so much stress, trying to do the shopping with a budget and look after the Kidlets with them as well as rude people that seem to want to push past you with hands full and your wings stretched to max to keep your brood tucked in under them and tell me what is so interesting about staring at a child doing a tantrum on the floor of the shopping centre, it seems heaps, I should put the hat around next time and charge for the entertainment honestly gobbsmacked that they find it so interesting to watch!! And I love how they just wait in anticipation to see how you are going to react to the situation. Truly they should get a life. Right subject change feel the old rant starting to kick in.
Anyways the old puter guy is trying to get more money out of me by trying to get this set up better, will see what he comes up with.
I have been flat out today with 6 Kidlets here for half a day and the computer man calling me for diff things and the phone ringing red hot with Friends wanting to catch up before Christmas, it just makes me wonder why we have to do it all in the last week, I have got Keelan having a sleepover tonight and back tomorrow and he wants his hair cut and blonded tomorrow arvo and then Thursday to do some cooking and Friday to get Keelan off to his Dad's so I wont see him for Christmas boo hooo, hate that!!! Then Tim's Mum ringing to make sure I have it sorted on what to bring bless her if she only knew what I have to do before I can think of that!! Shopping today cost way too much and I still dont have it all for the Christmas period. Oh I would love to be going to a Restaurant I think in the long run it would be cheaper!! Anyway it will work out destress destress destress, ahhhhhh ahhhh. Better go and get some sleep. Hope to create, have got some l.o.'s to do for The scrapbook getaway so I have to get onto that, Tracey gave me 3 packs on Friday so I would like to get some time to do them, had a clean up in scrap room yesterday so looks ready for some creations to happen. Well enjoy your Christmas preparations, dont stress, I'm doing enough for us all, lol, and stay well and healthy.
Take care
Trace.

Hi,
A couple of l.o. I have done in the last couple of Days, the cricket 1 of Zay I did today, I always seem to take so many photos when we have family play time so I decided to cut these down and make them all be about what was happening and fit them all on, this l.o. does look better IRL and the colours look so nice IRL the cosmo cricket letters are fun to work with also especially for a cricket l.o. ha ha ha. The heart l.o. is Rainee and I journalled a lovely saying from a book I got from my Bro and SIL as an early Christmas pressie, it reads heading" U are my sweet spring," saying is" Rainee, Thankyou for making the bumps along my lifes path a little less rocky. You smooth over the rough edges of my day with your love, support and laughter." This is a gorgeous little saying pretty much apropriate for a lot of people in our lives but for Rainee lately this is very fitting.

I am very miserable today with busted blisters from sunburn on my back so I have been trying to scrap and do some things to take my mind off it. The worst most heartbreaking thing is I can't have hugs with my little Man, he hugged me this arvo and rubbed right over the dressing the nurses put on this morning and I nearly cried with pain. ouch, I so sympathise with burn victims the pain must be out of this world. I think our sun has certainly got dinkum now with the ozone so damaged, I will have a lot more care and respect in future and especially for the Kidlets too, hats are going to posted near the door and every morning the slip slop slap will be happening and a girlfriend just told me about optimum sunscreen from chemists, she has had melanoma and her Dr told her it has immunity protection in it also as new studies have shown that melanoma and immunity are connected. So I will be off to get some for this family!!! It is time for me to go and get tea sorted so bye for now.
Take care
Trace.

non pro photo shoot

Hi
This is one of the best photos I managed to get out of about 25, I basically sat and clicked my head off just to hopefully get 1 that they all looked half decent, this is my Mum and Dad's 9 grandchildren, 4 of them are mine but they all did well to sit and try for that amount of time and it must have been a laugh for them as the adults behind the 2 trying to take photos did everything in their power to get them to look and smile probably why some of the kidlets have puzzled looks on their faces wondering what the hell was wrong with adults acting fools. lol. anyway we have finally got them altogether and they did remarkably well, no sookie la la's.
At the moment I am nursing a very blistered shoulder area, the worst I have been burnt, I did not realise my top was so low cut at the back and therefore our lovely couple of hours at the beach was Tracey on a spit cooking away so quietly and now I have monster blisters ouch.. I think our sun has got a lot more sting these days from when I was growing up, thank goodness the kidlets were slip slop slapped. I want olive skin in my next life, bugger the fair white skin!!! I did a little more Christmas shopping today, cross another off my list, getting their but I want to be finished by Friday. Tim will be unemployed again by Christmas so he will be back to looking for work, hopefully something decent with good hours, tonight he didnt get home until 7.15pm and he left a 7am this morn. Shame we arent like birds really we could survive without the supermarket and all live in trees. lol. Better go I am starting to waffle will put another l.o. up tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Lovely weekend

Hi
It has been a lovely weekend, exhausting but lovely, my Dad's Birthday was on Saturday so we celebrated that with him and I also got some catch up with Mum in the afternoon as Zay was asleep and we kept the girls quiet doing activities. We went to Chinese with Mum and Dad and Bro, Kim and their 2 ruggies on Saturday night and the Kids were well behaved so we all had an enjoyable evening, then my other Bro dropped 2 of his kiddies off so last night we had 6 kids to look after. This morning Mum cooked Bacon and Eggs and I dressed them all in their bathers and down the beach we went for a couple of hours, they had so much fun, the tide was out so they had heaps of beach with little water, just great considering 1 was aged 10 and the other 5 are under 5 but they played amazingly well together for kidlets that dont get to see much of each other and they had so much fun. Then we walked back home to Mum and Dads and had a BBQ with the other 3 cousins so Mum and Dad had their 9 grandchildren altogether for a change and they were in heaven, we set them up for photos and I think I took about 30 just clicked the shutter non stop. So hopefully I have a few nice shots. So we are home again minus the 2 girls who are going to have a week with Mum and Dad so the house should be quiet this week but I will get plenty done and finish the chrissy shopping. Have a great week and must say it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!!!
Take Care
Trace.

Pics from Wed and Thurs.

The photo above is Trinity receiving her Kindy certificate yesterday from Sister Kathleen. Right hand bottom is Zaylan and I getting our hair blown everywhere at the park this a.m. it was rather windy but a really lovely morning and Tim had this a.m. off work so that worked out great a bit of help with Zay, he wandered around with him and I got some time to talk to some of the Mums. Top left pic is Santa with Rainee and Trinity getting their book presents and some lollies off Santa. I didn't give presents for Rainee and Zaylan to be included as I wasnt sure what they would think of Santa and then I noticed Trins teacher kept putting Trins present further down the pile and giving the others out before her and then finally she turned and asked if Rainee had 1 in there as she had sat with Trin the whole time engrossed in it all and I was feeling so bad to have not included her, it didn't worry Zay he was with us or off running around but Mrs Howell said go and ask 1 of the other Mums who had a spare and I then snuck it in to Mrs Howell so they finally got theirs, I have kicked and belted myself up since to have left Rainee out but far out with Kidlets you just dont know which is the right way, but I know when it happens next year for Rainee I will pack 1 for Zay as by next year he will know more of what it is about!!! Other than that it was a lovely morning. The top right hand photo is D.H. with Zaylan. I have finally got photos of us up here, the rest have all been the kids.

While I had a moment at the park of 5 mins to ponder I came to the conclusion that I beat myself up far too much, always jumping to conclusions about how I read situations to be or getting up myself for not doing something a different way, boy I need a chill pill, I have to be more supportive of myself and less critical and just allow things to happen and people to say things without reading my opinion into it, I have found today that I have judged a couple of people the wrong way and have withdrawn myself from being around them when today I had a light bulb moment and thought I really am the only one doing it to me as I keep reading too much into things, just let everyone have bad days and rise above it and just leave it at that. But do you know what, realising all this wisdom is the easy part, actually putting it into practice is the hard part, but I know that it is really going to get a little easier on me from now on as this year has been a monster and the girls are just starting to get to be their own little people and hold their own when we are out, all the constant supervision and teaching on my behalf in the last 5 years has finally sunk in to them and I feel I can take them places more now by myself and it will be enjoyable not hard. 3 Kids in 3 years is huge and it has taken me this long to finally realise that it is not about me being unable to cope or anything that is my fault it is just that I put a huge situation on my shoulders and I have struggled through the best way I could in the midst of all that I had to help manage and do paperwork for our farm and support my Husband with all that so I think I should finally cut myself some slack and start enjoying life not just exist for every other soul I am responsible for.

Wow I really needed to say that and I need to be able to look back at this when I start beating myself up again and take this on board again. Sorry if this doesnt make sense to anyone else but I just had to type what I felt today. I love my Family more than anything and have loved everything about raising these Kidlets but hey I am not hiding anymore that it is so bloody hard at times, because as 1 Lady said today who is my age and has 6 kids her youngest is 4 that she has spaced her kids and enjoyed everyone of them but she said doing what I did in 3 years boy was I insane, just made me realise all the above when she said that!! lol. So on that note I will away and get them all in the car and go and pick up Keelan and then get him organised to go to kids kraft at 3.45pm. Enjoy your day and keep smiling.
Take care
Trace.

Full on but nearly over YAY.

Hi
It has been full on here and with daylight saving thr0wn into this week well it just makes it even harder!! I would like to know if any Eastern staters read this blog if they could help me with some answers pleasssse. 1st how do you get little children to bed at 7.30pm when they can sit and read with the lights off and still think its day time??? Do I have to purchase some dark curtains?? Or do they eventually get that tired they adjust?? I have just sat with the girls for 40 mins till they wound down enough to drop off and they can hear people out and around still being loud and noisy as if it was 3pm. But come morning and they are sound asleep at 7am when they have been getting up at 6am. I am finding that there is going to be a lot less time for me to do all the things I used to as they were in bed and asleep by 7.30pm and I dont even want to go there when Zaylan can work out how to open his door, because at the moment he lays in bed and plays but doesnt get out once his door is shut. So if anyone has any tips please share them with me!!

Now onto why I have been so busy. Keelan had his school concert last night and lucky Tim and the other kidlets stayed home as 3 hours later it finished and they had strict instructions out to all parents that the kids had to be quiet. I dont know but I have found the concerts at our old school a lot more family friendly and enjoyable. The poor kids from year 2 to 7 spent their time out in the next room and had to watch it from a poor quality screen for 3 hours!!! I hope things improve next year as I dont think I could stand year after year of it, Keelan got to sing 1 song with his class and then he was at the back and I could not see him so for my 3 mins of what should have been heart swelling proudness I was extremely let down. But so was Keelan which was sad also.

Now today has been on a tight schedule but we made it, so proud of myself as I am usually so late and last minute about things but today I pulled my finger out and got back to a routine day and it has been all good. I went shopping this a.m. with Rainee and Zaylan and we belted around and spent $415 on groceries in 1 and a half hours. You know how the experts say stay on the outside of the (inside) of the shop and do all fresh produce yeh well that is what I did and it is still extremely bloody expensive. I tell you it costs more to eat fresh and healthy by a long mile. I am sick of the kids being in the pantry all the time for snacks so I am making them stick to the fruit so I bought no chips, lollies or junk but seedless grapes well try $22 for the bunch I bought and 2 bags of bananas $15. How bloody outrageous does it have to get but you know what I will pay those prices as my kids health is the ultimate to me, I wish our government would stop bragging about how much profit it made and give some of it back to us with fresh produce being subsidised by them so we could by all the healthy meats, vegies, eggs and milk, bread all at moderate prices and maybe then kids would be a lot healthier and active because I am sure a lot of parents could not afford to buy super healthy trolley loads each week but hey a big bag of chips comes on special for $1.99 so that makes a cheap snack therefore the bags of bananas for $7.99 still stay in the shop. Well that is my rant over gee sometimes just having a rant makes it feel so much better. Anyway back on track for my day, after the shop ( dont get me started again) lol. I flew home unpacked it all, started stamping cards for Trins class mates and attached them to candy canes and wrapped teachers pressies and did their cards, missed having the time for Trin to sign them. Had lunch then it was time to get ready and Designer Rainee was helping me, put on blue linen shirt, "no Mummy that doesnt look good" off with blue shirt, put on pink shirt "no Mummy you can't wear that, I am wearing my pretty dress" put on aqua shirt " oh Mummy don't you have anything nice" off with that and complete change of everything, "Well Rainee what do you think", "Yes Mummy that looks very lovely you can wear that" "Great Rainee now we are not running so early so get yourself dressed and lets get going"!!! I dont know what I am going to go through when she is 15 if this is what I am going through now at 4!!! I think next time I will take her shopping or better still I think I will do a wardrobe cleanse in the holidays and she can sit on the bed and say yes or no!! lol.

Now we arrived at Trin's graduation with 15 mins to spare, woke little bloke up he didnt know where he had landed for the first 15 mins poor little tike and then stuck him in the pram and headed for Trins class and after last nights let down, I was welcomed into the class and they had the best little concert for us, just awesome so now my gorgeous girl has graduated Kindy certificate and all and a lovely portfolio and an awesome CD of pics from the year with lots of her on it. I have changed my mind about her teacher and the strictness, I think she has done an awesome job for an extremely spirited bunch of kiddies. She also greeted Rainee and seems excited to be having her next year. So all good!!! Tomorrow is off to the park with the kindy group for Santa visit. Then I have to get Keelan organised for his last day of school and he is so ill at the moment, I have never seen him so run down from a school year, his poor little body is just not letting him get through the end of the week, he just feels sick but nothing is becoming of it, he is weak and tired and I dont think he really knows himself what he actually feels other than he needs major veg and recoup yesterday. He is going for tae kwon do grading next week in Perth but he couldnt even go tonight he just feels so awful, we have a huge weekend ahead so I hope he picks up big time.

Wow I better leave it here, I was going to be humerous in this post tonight but it is another serious one and a biggy, sorry to have so much wind. lol. I better get back to some scrapping soon, I will post some pics tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Migraine Monday

Hi

Started this morning with a migraine, stumbled out of bed and found the anagraine took 2 and went back to bed but couldn't even lay as the top of my head was lifting off so I had a shower and then waited for the pills to work, by then the Kids had started to arise so I started getting breakfast and organising them as it started to subside, 4 more days of getting organised for school, thank goodness, I can't wait to get rid of this morning ritual till next year. Anyway the day has continued with all the sheets changing and so on and so forth, no rest for the wicked even the wicked who get migraines so it would seem!! lol.

I have changed my set up for comments as a few of you have had trouble posting your comments so I hope now it might be easier. Please let me know if it isn't. Other than that not much else exciting happening so will leave it at that.
Take care
Trace.

Mighty fine Sunday

Hi, above are some photos of a l.o. I did for my big boy, painting and sanding paisley chipboard.
We have had a much better day today, the dark mood was lifted from the house at midnight last night and we have all had a pretty good day lol. Keelan's friend has gone home, Trin has come home very very tired and grumpy from having breakfast by the beachfront and a swim this a.m. but the worst part is she is like a beetroot, glowing with sunburn and she is really upset with it, we are plastering the aloe gel on her and I have just given her Panadol, apparently the family she was with put it on their Children and left her without it NICE!! grrrhh I dont know but I seem to work the other way, I would put it 1st on the kids in my care and then my own!! Oh well her 1st experience away from home has made her appreciate home and she doesn't want in on any more sleepovers. See home is not so bad after all, no one does things like your Mum hey!! The kids have had fun this arvo IN THE SHADE and with cream on playing with the sprinkler, little pool and the little slide, even the 10 y.o. has been into it, well he was the ring leader and they finished off the day with a spa with their much happier Dad. I have been creating this arvo playing with a kit I got ages ago and have finally put that together. D.H. has got himself some DVD's to watch tonight so I will create some more. We watched you, me and Dupree last night and that was not a bad movie, light and funny in places but not gut roaring funny, those movies seem hard to find these days. I have looked back on posts and seen how much I start with WELL so now I am on a mission to start with anything but that!! On that note I will depart for today and be back tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Yucky Sucky Saturday

Hi,
Well today is not the best day. D.H. got out of bed the wrong side and is in the worst weirdest mood, like he would like us all to drop off the face of the earth today kind of mood. Trin had a Birthday party to go to this a.m. and they asked her to have a sleep over so we picked her up and bought her home for a rest and D.H. has just gone to drop her off, she has asked every 10 mins when it is time to go to Lily's pool and Keelan has a friend over for a sleep over so 5 kids has now become 4 again!!! I have had the rants due to D.H. niggling me till I keep exploding so now Keelan's mate keeps looking at me sideways like I am the she devil!! I would love to just curl up in a ball and go to sleep and maybe tomorrow we might wake under a different cloud!! Even Zay is a grump bum from his arvo sleep so I think this mood must be going through everyone!! Lucky Trin, Rainee and I might go and have a sleep over somewhere if the males keep this mood up!! I went in the bedroom to take 5 this arvo after grumpy male made horrid comment and Rainee came in a laid next to me and said "Dont worry Mummy, Daddy is just yucky isnt hey" and then he came in and she told him to "Get out, your yucky, Mum and I want some Peace" out of the mouth of a 4 year old. lol. But she soon had us laughing big time as she got on a role for about 15 mins, trying to push him off the bed and saying the funniest of things. She is a Darl then we sat and read books for 5 mins and then she was ready to move on. Love you Rains you are such a little honey!!! Had a bit more of a clean up in scrap room as it was a horrid mess, so it looks much better till another parcel arrives at the door and I have to find room for more!!! Anyway better go and do something else, don't know what but Father grumps will be back any minute so I better look busy!! Oh men can't live with them can't live without them, tomorrow better be better!!!!!!
Take care
Trace.