ANTS CLIMBING TREES.........this my friends is a recipe not about the little black guys lol

OK now that I have established that I'm not talking literally about the little 6 legged critters that inhabit our yards around the world, I would like to share with you a recipe that my kids thought would be fun to try.  I found this recipe quite some time ago on the internet somewhere and stashed it away, never quite game to actually try it lol because the name kinda freaked everyone out.  Well in my new found determination to try out all these recipes I have been storing away for the last few years, we  have given it a go.......and the results, weren't too bad at all.  The kids all really liked it.  While it isn't a recipe that I would make on a regular basis, it is something that is quick and easy to whip up, especially when you have a lot of kids to feed!

Please note that the photo was taken of a double batch as I wanted leftovers. I also didn't add the chillis, nor did I garnish with coriander, simply because I didn't have any coriander and my kids don't like things too hot so I thought the chilli sauce would suffice on its own.

This is a dish which is of Chinese origin.  It is apparently so named because the mince is meant to look like ants climbing up a tree (the noodles).  I didn't quite see it like that but lol I guess sometimes you need your imagination turned on.  Overall though it was quite a nice dish.  Next time I will serve it with stirfried veggies as well, or maybe even mix the stirfried veggies through it to make it less noodly.

ANTS CLIMBING TREES

200 grams rice noodles

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (low salt)

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon cornflour (non wheaten)

350 grams lean pork mince

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon ginger

1-2 red chillies, chopped (I left these out)

2 teaspoons hot chilli sauce

2 shallots, sliced

coriander sprigs for garnish (optional)

extra chilli for garnish (optional)

Place the noodles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 15 minutes and drain.

Combine soy, sugar, sesame oil, Chinese rice wine and cornflour in a bowl.  Add mince and mix to combine.  Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat peanut oil in wok.  Add garlic, ginger and chilli.  Cook for 30 seconds.  Add chilli sauce and mince and cook for 5 minutes until browned.

Toss through noodles until combined.

Serve sprinkled with shallots, chilli and coriander.

CHOCOLATE ?CHIP? COOKIES - 10 YEAR OLD STYLE

Well this is a great example of what can happen when you leave a 10 year old in charge of baking!!

Said 10 year old does a great job gathering everything he needs and is feeling super confident that he can do this.  So mum leaves him to it.  From afar Mum watches, in between ironing.  Everything is going well so Mum just concentrates on her Mount Vesuvius of  ironing piles.  After a little while it goes very quiet in the kitchen.  Then I hear StepDad walk past and an "oh I see, no that doesn't look quite right".  For about 10 minutes the two of them umm and ahh and try to work out the problem.  When it finally gets to the better of them Mum gets called in to diagnose the Case of the Runny Mixture.  Mum simply walks over there, looks and says "how much flour did you put in the bowl", to which son responds..."3/4 of a cup, just like it says".  Mum then laughs and says "hmm, you might want to take another look at the recipe"....yep sure enough it actually said 3 3/4 cups!!!

The adjustment was then made and voila, we had biscuit mix!!!  The only problem was that the chocolate chips had melted due to the hot butter being poured over them without sufficient flour to protect them from the heat lol.  So due to not having any more chocolate chips to add, we have ended up with chocolate biscuits intead of chocolate chip ones.  Oh well, they are pretty yummy anyway!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

250 grams butter

1 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

3 3/4 Cups Self Raising Flour

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Melt the butter.  

Mix the melted butter with the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well.  

Add flour and chocolate chips.

Drop teaspoonfulls onto greased trays and cook for 10-15 minutes.  

Makes approximately 40 biscuits.

ALMOND CHICKEN BREASTS

ALMOND CHICKEN BREASTS

6 Chicken Breasts

1 cup Milk

½ teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt, pepper

½ teaspoon dry English Mustard

pinch of dried mixed herbs

1 egg

2 teaspoon oil

8 tablespoons finely chopped almonds

Plain flour, seasoned

Breadcrumbs

2 extra tablespoons oil

30 grams butter

METHOD

Soak the chicken breasts in the milk mixed with curry powder, nutmeg, salt, pepper, mustard and mixed herbs, in fridge for 24 hours.  The next day drain.  Beat the egg and 2 teaspoons of oil together.  Mix breadcrumbs and almonds.  Dip the breasts in flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs and almond mixture.  Heat together the oil and butter in a large pan and fry the chicken breasts until golden brown and tender.  Serve immediately.

This recipe was a brand new one that I have never made before. It appealed to me at the moment because we were following "The Flat Belly Diet" back in January and as this has almonds coating it, it is a great source of MUFAs, as recommended by the diet.

I was a little unsure as to whether the kids would like it, as I have never marinaded chicken breasts in milk before and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.  As you can see by the plate though, I made sure there was a generous helping of mashed potato on th ekids plates as that is something that will get eaten no matter what.  The motto for our house is that any new recipe should be served with either mashed potato or some type of pasta so at least the younger kids will be guaranteed to eat at least part of their meal lol.

In this case I shouldn't have worried.  This schnitzel was divine.  Marinading it in the milk made it so moist and juicy, it was just beautiful.  The kids all loved it.  Next time I make it I will probably add a few more almonds as naturally cutting the breasts in half gave me 12 schnitzels  rather than the six and due to a lack of time I wasn't able to slice up more almonds. 

This meal fed 8 of us for dinner and then the next day we all had a chicken schnitzel sandwich with salad for lunch......I love meals that leave enough for left overs!!

HUBBY'S SPECIALTY - MEATLOAF

My husband makes the best meatloaf, although I may be a little biased.  Before I met my Hubby, I was never a fan of Meatloaf at all.  Well he converted me and now it is a much asked for thing even by the kids.  We alwways make sure to make a double batch so that we have enough for weekend lunches.  The kids all love a warm meatloaf and sauce sandwich on the weekend.  If we don't have the meatloaf on the Friday night, we just wrap it in alfoil and freeze it and then just bring it out and reheat on the weekend as required.

The following recipe will make two large meatloaves.  We find one will easily feed 6-8 of us.  That allows two generous slices each.  And before anyone asks lol, no I didn't just plonk the meatloaf onto the kitchen bench, it is on a clear glass cutting board which is just a bit difficult to see in this piccie lol.

 MEATLOAF

2kg Beef Mince

1kg Sausage Mince

2 onions chopped

1t Oregano

1T Garlic Powder

Sprinkle of Bush Spices

Sprinkle of BBQ Sprinkle

1T Worcestershire Sauce

½ C BBQ Sauce

½ C American Mustard

1C Tomato Sauce

1 egg

½ C Breadcrumbs

Put all items into a mixing bowl and using your hands, mix in well.  The mixtures shouldn’t be too wet, but should hold form.  Form into 2 large logs and place into two baking trays which have been sprayed with oil.  Drizzle with more Mustard, BBQ sauce and Tomato Sauce.

Bake in moderate oven for approximately 1 hour.

Crumbed Sausages and Child Challenges

Following on from my last post where I shared my recipe for my famous (well in my home at least lol) chicken stirfry, the following night we had crumbed sausages.  My kids love crumbed sausages.  We find it a great meal to whip up when you are feeling a little brain dead in the "meal idea" area!!  As you can see, the kids can't resist having just a little more of the chicken stirfy that was left over either lol.  Normally we would just serve it with veggies and mash.

CRUMBED SAUSAGES

1kg sausage mince

Breadcrumbs

Garlic Powder

Bush Spices

Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, place sausage mince and sprinkle on garlic powder, bush spices and salt and pepper.  There are no real measurements, just go by sight and smell, adding more if necessary as you mix.

Using your hands, mix all thoroughly together.

Shape into small sausage shapes and roll in breadcrumbs, coating them well.

Deep fry until golden brown and then place into a 150 degree oven to keep warm and to continue cooking.

Serve with Mashed Potato and Vegetables.

You can use whatever herbs/spices you have on hand or like in your snags.  These are our favourites at the moment.

Other than cooking crumbed sausages life in our house hasn't been all that eventful.  It has been a tough couple of weeks emotionally for me with Mr10 deciding that going to school is not what he wants to do each morning.  I can get him there but getting him to go to his classroom is a massive struggle.  The last few days he has gone off to help Bob the handyman/gardener in the school to take his mind off the morning routine.  This seems to work, well it did until this morning when Bob's job he was doing with Rhiley finished a bit quicker than it should have and Rhiley came walking back to get his bag from the office and saw me.  That was it he refused to go to school.  I had to drag him into the office and leave him crying with Bob who said he could help him pack his gear up before heading to class.  I just don't understand my boy at all at the moment.  After school he is fine, says he had a good day etc etc.  He even gets up in the morning ok and goes to school ok it is just that separation time in the morning.  The school is suggesting that maybe I should get him in  to see a counsellor or something as they are just pulling different strategies out of thin air.  I tell you, my older two boys never had these problems and this is truly doing my head in.

Oh well, I guess life wasn't meant to be easy right???????

Stir Fried Chicken and Hokkien Noodles Recipe

This would have to be one of the kids favourite meals and I love it too because I always make enough to ensure leftovers for a couple of days worth of lunches too lol.

This recipe is simple and straight forward and although I don't use a recipe as such I thought I would share my "approximations" with you.  Everyone should cook this as even my "I hate vegetables" kids chow down on this without so much as a "eww" or "I don't like..." coming from their mouths!!

STIR FRIED CHICKEN AND HOKKIEN NOODLES

1.5kg of chicken breast, cut into cubes

1kg hokkien noodles (remove these from the bag and pour over boiling water to remove the excess oil and to break them up a little so they are easier to work with)

1/4 cabbage sliced thinly

1 onion, sliced

1 capsicum, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup green beans

2 carrots, sliced julienne style

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup bean shoots

Other veggies as you wish (mine vary every time I make it)

Kepac Manis Sauce

Dark Soy Sauce

To make, simply add a little oil to your wok and cook the chicken until cooked through.  Place in a baking pan in the oven to keep warm.

Cook onion until transparent and then add the other vegetables (except the bean shoots).  Cook for a couple of minutes until veggies are just cooked.

Add in the hokkien noodles and stir through to combine.

Add in some Kepac Manis and Dark Soy Sauce until you get the desired colour/taste suitable for your family.  (The Kepac Manis sauce adds a lovely flavour and the dark soy sauce gives it its wonderful colour).

Toss in the bean shoots.

Serve and eat while hot.

I quite easily feed 2 adults and 6 children with this and still have plenty left over for lunches.  The above photo was taken AFTER we had all had a bowl, this was just the leftovers lol.  This recipe fills my wok to the brim!

New Zealand Earthquake

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch and their families.


My Hubby is a Kiwi and his parents and one of his sisters live in Auckland.  We are grateful they are safe but our hearts go out to the people of beautiful Christchurch, lets hope there isn't too much more loss of life and damage.


There are just way too many tragedies taking place lately, it is so hard to comprehend.

Should I,,,,,Shouldn't I,,,,,,this my friends is today's million dollar question!!!!!

 I have been humming and hahhing over my blog for a while now.  This blog started out as a way to document our lives in a way,,,I was never much of a diary or journalling kind of girl.  Once I got into blogs I found a world of treasures just begging me to read them....and read I did.  I have spent many, many hours taking in glimpses of other people's lives and gaining more knowledge and ideas for my life and my home in the process.  I love the blog world and all it contains......However, in that process I also decided that I am boring lol. 

I am a bit of a procrastinator, the kind of girl that hesitates, knowing what she wants to do, but the little "Perfection fairy" hangs around my head saying that unless I make it perfect it ain't worth starting.  So needless to say many of my ideas never get off the ground.  I have this huge want list that I have mentioned several times on this blog.  I have so many craft ideas that I want to do, but often feel that I won't make them good enough to look any good so I don't try (yes I know practice makes perfect lol).  I like to cook, and have hundreds, actually more like thousands of recipes, sitting here both on my computer and in folders waiting to be tried out but due to a strict budget and fussy kids, I don't try too many because I always think if the kids don't like it it will just sit there until it goes off or hubby and I will eat it which makes losing our excess weight we are both carrying very very difficult.

Anyway, I had a thought over the weekend that I might start up a new blog, keeping this one as my "diary" of sorts and my crafty show off one (when I get to craft that is!!) and a new blog which will become a cooking one.  One purely for sharing my recipes with the world lol.  At the moment I am trying to come up with a catchy name for it.  My son, Mr16, is doing cooking for his Community Studies task.  He will be cooking at home and has to come up with menu plans and then he actually has to cook a couple of meals each week.  I said to him he can try out a few new recipes each week and in the process give me the push I need to maybe get this new blog up and running.  I want to do something that will inspire others with some new cooking ideas and also help other families to provide healthy and nutritious meals at a reasonable cost.

This was dinner on Saturday night,,,,,,,my Impossible Quiche.  This is a recipe that never, I repeat NEVER fails!!  It is cheap and easy to prepare and tastes divine.  We served it with chips (at the kids request of course) and fresh garden salad,,,,,YUMMY!

Anyway, I will let you know how I go!!  I'm not sure if there are already way to many cooking type blogs out there or if the world can handle one more lol.

FLOTILLA FOR KIDS Raising money for Paediatric Cancer

The weather was kind for this year's Flotilla For Kids, held at Port Adelaide yesterday.  The weather was cool, a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of last week and was as beautiful day to spend watching boats go by.  The Flotilla is held every year and raises money for kids with Cancer, a great cause.  We took the boys down for a look.

 My youngest two little munchkins, Mr10 and Mr8

 The older "boys" lol,,,,as you can see, in this family anyone over the age of 10 doesn't like having their picture taken,,,,,they all look like they have been tortured in this pic!!

 Even Pooh Bear got to come along for the ride!

 These guys were awesome dancing along to Beach Boys music

 The Pink "ladies"

 AHOY THERE YE LAND LUBBERS!

The Birkenhead Bridge in the background, opened up for the 2 hours to allow the Flotilla to pass through.

Gorge Wildlife Park - what a beautiful day!! WARNING PICTURE HEAVY!

On the Monday of the last week of school holiday (Jan 24) we took the boys up to the Gorge Wildlife Park which is about 40 minutes away from our house.  It is a beautiful drive up there winding through the foot hills and around the reservoir.  It was certainly nice to see at this time of the year a healthy water level, so very different from this time last year, that is for sure!!

The Gorge Wildlife Park has been operating for many years, I remember going there many times when I was a kid and I have always loved it.  It is a privately run park and one that hasn't really changed much over the years.  We all adored the monkeys.  If you are brave you can actually hand them peanuts or a biscuit to eat.  One of them was so funny, Mr8 was dancing around and the monkey was copying his swaying movement, going the same way as Mr8.  When Mr8 stopped dancing the monkey got stroppy and through a "monkey tantrum" as Mr8 called it lol.  He ran screeched and ran down to the bottom of the cage to grab an apple out of the dish.  Then he ran back up and tried to throw it through the bars, when it wouldn't fit he grabbed it with both hands and started banging it on the bars so that apple flew everywhere, straight for Mr8.  I said to Mr8 that he had best start dancing again, so he did and the monkey was happy and started swaying again.  I so wish I had taken the video camera (silly me forgot about the video function on the camera duhhhhh).  Needless to say we spent quite a while at the monkeys and the monkey through a tantrum each time Mr8 stopped dancing lol.

Here are a few photos of our day.....

  meerkat

Mr10 

 Mr 8

 Mr 16

 Mr14

 Hubby (looks really thrilled doesn't he,,,,,,he is a kiwi and this was the first time he has held a koala and thats the best smile he could give me lol geeeeeeeeez!!)

 Me....I love koalas, I so wanted to take this one home (excuse the bad hair day lol)

 A little duckie friend

 THE monkey!!

 Albino wallaby and baby

 Kangaroo

 These camels were so cheeky (the one closest to the front even reached out and licked Mr16 right up the side of his face lol)

 I love eagles!!

 Isn't this dingo beautiful - he was a real poser........on the last Sunday of each month they get some animals out and walk around the park with them, the dingos are one of them......will have to go back again!!

Mr 8 also made good friends with a few of the kangaroos in the park lol  This one kept following him and was letting him hug him.....I haven't seen a kangaroo that was quite so affectionate before.

Back to School and Unbearable Heat

Why does the beginning of the school year always start off so darn hot!!!!  I have to admit that here in Adelaide we have had a pretty mild start to summer but geez why did it have to hit us all in one hit this weekend and today when the kids are having their first day back at school!!!!

The kids went off without too many dramas this morning, I have to say compared to previous years this one was bliss, although I am a little scared of what the afterschool pickup may bring.  The eldest two Mr16 and Mr14 went off no problems (I just can't believe they are in Year 11 and Year 9 this year!!!,,,,,my babies are growing up wayyyyyyy too fast, I'm so not ready for this!!).  The younger two Mr10 and Mr8 are in Years 5 and 3 this year.  These are the two I am worried about.  Mr10 wasn't concerned until he got to school and then said he was pretty nervous, but he went in with just a kiss and a hug so I will see what happens (he is my main concern though).  His teacher is a real no nonsense type of woman who doesn't smile much.  The older two both had her in year 5 as well so I know how hard she can be......I'm nervous too on this one!!!  Mr8 should be fine, he is in the same room, with the same teacher who he adores and half the kids he had last year so very little change.  He was the one who had me concerned last night though as he cried for 2 hours when he went to bed.  He kept saying he didn't know why he was crying and my patience was running out.  Finally he told us that the kids at school keep calling him fat.  Why do kids have to be so cruel?????  He was always a tiny little thing but then over the last 18 months he has put on quite a bit of weight and yes he is on the chubby side but then his older two brothers both went through a chubby stage too and then got to about the age of 12 and thinned right down.  But he is insisting that he start walking/running on the treadmill to lose weight anyway.  I will keep an eye on how this goes and talk to the teacher if he comes home upset again tonight.


OK off I go to the shops,,,,,have put it off long enough lol and it is only getting hotter out there!!!

CORIANDER, PARSLEY AND LEMON COUS COUS SALAD

All I seem to post about in the recipe section is sweets it seems (lol probably the reason why I am currently dieting!!!).

So today I decided to share a recipe I discovered at christmas time last year.  This salad is just divine and so simple to make.  I got this recipe from the Coles Christmas Magazine of 2010.  That free little magazine has so many recipes that I want to try!!

Coriander Parsley and Lemon Cous Cous Salad

COUS COUS

3 cups Chicken Stock

3 cups uncooked Cous Cous

zest of 1 lemon

2 lebanese cucumbers peeled seeded and diced finely (I used a continental cucumber and left the peel on)

1 cup sultanas

1 bunch of shallots

1 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

4 spring onions, cut into 4mm pieces on an angle

VINAIGRETTE

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Italian Red Wine Vinegar

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a large saucepan, heat stock over medium heat and bring to simmer

Add cous cous and lemon zest, and stir.

Turn off heat, cover pan and let sit for 5 minutes.

Remove cous cous from the pot and fluff with a fork, then put on a baking tray to cool.

To make the vinaigrette:  Place lemon juice and vinegar in a mixing bowl and slowly add the oil while whisking.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a separate large mixing bowl combine cooled cous cous, cucumber, sultanas, shallots, herbs and half the spring onions and mix well.

Add enough vinaigrette to lightly coat salad, toss once more and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon salad into large bowl and garnish with remaining spring onions and serve.

This salad really is simple to make and sooooo yummy.  The best thing is it keeps for days in the fridge without losing its taste or look, unlike so many salads.  You can easily make this a day before a party knowing it will keep well.

CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR A CROWD!

Mr10 and I were feeling a little bored yesterday so we made his favourite chocolate cake.  This cake is fantastic for large families as it makes a huge, and I mean huge cake.  You can either cook it in 4 loaf tins or as I did yesterday in a baking tray.  My baking tray is a bay moree tray (that ain't the right spelling lol but right now I have a total brain malfunction and cannot for life of me remember how to spell it correctly lol,,,,I am referring to the trays they uses in the warmers at a smorgasbord/buffet lol).

I got the recipe for this one from my sister-in-law a few months ago and it has been a regular on my baking list since then.  Every time it has come out light, moist and fluffy.  In this picture we sprinkled it with caster sugar just to add a slight crispness to the top....my son was a little heavy handed lol, but once I cut it up to freeze some, the excess sugar came off.

 Here is the recipe.  Originally it was taken from a little newsletter or recipe book printed by the Renmark Marching Girls Club way back in 1985.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

4oz margarine

2 eggs

2-3 dessertspoons cocoa

1 cup milk

2 cups sugar

2 dessertspoons golden syrup

3 cups of SR Flour

Mix all ingredients together.  

Once thoroughly mixed add 1 cup of boiling water to which has been added 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda.

Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes  (my oven takes more like an hour).

Makes 4 log tins or 1 large tin

How easy is that!!!  Very little effort for such a large cake which will feed the family for quite a while.

The things you do when boredom hits..... and it ain't even the kids that are bored lol

Yesterday I was bored beyond belief.  The kids were all entranced on various computer/tv games.....not great I know but yesterday I really couldn't deal with any complaining other than that of my autistic stepson so I let them go for it on their chosen activities.  You see, my stepson has not liked me much lately.  He can't express this verbally as he cannot talk so he does it in ways that make me feel like utter crap.  I can honestly say that the way he carries on when his dad goes to work, is like a child who is terrified of being beaten.  That is how it feels to me as he only carries on like this when his dad leaves and I have to care for him myself.  If I have one of the other kids with me it isn't so bad, he is reasonable but the second they walk away he is literally screaming.  I have exhausted all avenues.  I have tried to console and be extra nice and gentle.....he just screams louder.  I have tried the firm way of talking to him, once again screaming....I have now resorted to traditional "time out" type punishment.  I turn off his beloved dvd/tv, if he continues screaming the computer which has his music on it gets turned off, if he still continues he sits on the couch and if after all that he still continues he is sitting on a chair in the middle of the kitchen.  Yesterday it was just a continual cycle.  I would allow his things back again and within 5 minutes he would start up again, crying, yelling, screaming, throwing himself on the floor, hitting things, tearing the curtains (yes he did that).  Today is no better but I am determined that this child will not beat me.  I cannot let a 10 year old rule my life and that of the other 5 kids in the house to such an extent.

So yesterday, since I was chained to the kitchen/dining area (this is everyday occurrence when said child is here because if I disappear from view he will ransack the computer desk trying to find discs, I decided to get a little creative and made this little guy....(I know the sewing sucks, my machine decided it would not longer do zigzag stitch and also refused to reverse) and I should have just hand sewn the eyes and nose because I am hopeless at sewing circles lol but oh well he got made nevertheless.  He was a pattern I made ages ago for some little "alien men" as my son called them then.

Ok here goes, I cringe at sharing this but hey I did say I would share everything I try didn't I lol.

Gone at the speed of light

Here I sit wondering how the time as flown since my last post.  We have seen Christmas and the New Year fly by so fast!!  The kids only have another couple of weeks of school holidays and I really, really don't want them to go back to school (did I say that??? lol).  Now normally school holidays seem to drag on and I have way to many "I'm Bored" whines coming from the kids.  Well these school holidays they have been different.  Maybe they are just older and more content to stay home varying between Xbox, Wii, Board games, bike riding and general mucking around I don't know.  For me these holidays have been one of guilt and frustration at not being able to afford to really do anything with them.  So far in the 4.5 weeks they have been home we have gone out for dinner for Mr14's birthday, taken a trip down to Horseshoe Bay near Victor Harbor for a day and that is about it.  The rest of the time they have been home "just filling in time".  I feel terrible about that.  To make matters worse, I have been absolutely clueless as to what to do with them.  The weather has been warm, a little too warm to do much outside (doesn't help that I hate the heat!!).


This year I really want to stop procrastinating and JUST DO stuff.  There is so much we want to achieve and I have been feeling overwhelmed and swamped by it all for almost two years now.  I think I try to do everything and be everything for everyone and somewhere I have lost sight of the true meaning of life and how to just get on with the things that make life enjoyable (I know I probably don't make sense do I lol).

The kids are growing up way too fast and I feel like I'm somehow not making the most of their childhoods.  I have no I idea what I am really trying to say today so think I will just end it there and hope that someone, somewhere can make some sense of it all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Can you believe it is December 23 already!!!!

Gee this year has just flown by and with all the craziness of the festive season, I thought I had better get my Christmas wishes done before time escaped me altogether lol.

It is crazy in this house. Excited kids, frazzled parents and animal mayhem, put all this together and you can get some idea of what my house is like right now lol.

I have resigned myself to the fact that although I am still very disorganised this year time is going to pass whether I like it or not so I should just keep plodding and at the end of the day it will all come together somehow.....may be not quite the way I would have liked but I know the kids will have fun anyway!!

My eldest boy turns 16 tomorrow (yes Christmas Eve!) and I can't believe where the time has gone.  He has gone from this cute little bundle.....

to this gorgeous teenager with a heart of gold.

Time goes by too darn fast, it truly does.  In the blink of an eye they are all grown up and beginning to make decisions for their future lives.

So to everyone, from my family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful and safe Christmas and a fantastic new year!!!

Here are some wishes from our hopes for next year (we are hoping to become Greyhound Foster carers to help save and give forever homes to some very special greyhounds.  We will let you all know how that goes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Ho Ho Ho...lets find the christmas cheer shall we.......

Well school holidays are here and this year finds me in a very, shall we say, unfestive mood.  I am feeling very tense and stressed and not at all like I normally do this close to christmas.  This year just feel like everything is happening and I don't have time to stop and smell the roses.

3 weeks ago our cat had his tail amputated,,,,,,he is fine but our bank balance took a real hammering.  Yesterday our older dog needed surgery to remove grass seeds from his ear and his paw, once again the bank balance got hammered and very nearly emptied.  On top of all this school holidays have started and my eldest son turns 16 on Christmas Eve and is having a birthday party next Tuesday night.  He isn't having anything flash, just a few friends over for a pizza dinner, followed by a trip to the movies and then a sleepover back here, but sadly all the expenses add up.

We are also hosting christmas lunch for my brother this year, so it will be 12 here for lunch and then of course since we have a blended family I have my kids for the morning until about 4pm and then we have hubby's kids for the night.  I feel that I will miss out on spending quality time with my guys during the day because we have so much to get ready for lunch and we also need to fit in a visit to my mum who is in a nursing home before lunch.


Does anyone else feel intense pressure to have christmas day just perfect for everyone and you always feel like you haven't achieved that?????

Hump Day Musings........

Can you believe it.......only 2 days left of the school year!!!!!

I am SOOOOOOO NOT ORGANISED this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH

I'm not ready for the kids to be home for 7 weeks straight and I'm certainly no where near organised for Christmas day.

Seriously I have never in my life been so disorganised as this year and it is stressing me out.

I haven't even started wrapping and laybys are still at the shops.  Normally everything is wrapped and stashed away by now and I have all the food for the day and my son's birthday on christmas eve,,,,this year nothing.

I had better pull my finger out and start moving!

More scrapbooking......

 

These were a few of the older photos I have in my albums which I kept from my Mum's collection when she went into a nursing home last year.  I scanned most of her family pictures before dividing them up between my brothers and I.

I had a little trouble scanning these old black and white photos successfully but thank fully the actual printed version which I have printed up for my albums are much clearer than they appear on here.

I love digital scrapbooking but get very little time lately to get to my crafting.  Still, I guess I should be grateful for the little bits I do achieve lol.