On the mend

Well after dropping Kyle off at a friends place and doing some cleaning up (and 3 baskets of ironing yuck!) I took Tasha in to the doctor for her check up.

Her ears look fine and she has been given the okay to fly (phew). Her tonsils are still enlarged but not too badly - temp is still up at 37.7 but she is doing much better. You can tell this just from looking at her 1) she doesn't have that shiny feverish look and 2) she has a smile on her face!

All christmas presents have now been opened and she is having lots of fun playing!

Had a wonderful surprise this morning when Haylee dropped in with a few little things for us cause we didn't really have a christmas celebration. Not only were there all the photos from christmas day so in a way we could see everyone open their presents (you take a good pic Haylee - you have a great eye for a photo - much better than I would have done) but there were some little treats for all of us and a wonderful card with the most amazing message in it.

Thank you Haylee for this wonderful card and especially the message inside it was lovely. Sorry we couldn't talk for long this morning we were running so late.

A time for friends

Well they say Christmas is a time for friends and today I must say I have been blessed with two great people in my life as friends.

I got home from work yesterday to find a tired, lethargic girl (Tasha) who had spent the day outside playing and in her cousins pool. Her temperature went up to 38.5 and she was so apathetic and lethargic. She went to bed and I rang Casualty who told me it could be sunstroke and to keep an eye on her - make sure she took continual fluids and if she convulsed or went unconscious to take her straight in.

Well how do you tell if a kid is unconsicous or just sleeping at midnight?

So to cut a long story short, she was up every 20 mins or so to either run to the toilet with diarrhoea, with stomach cramps or needing a drink so I spent the night lying on the concrete floor near her bed ( I am getting waaaayyyyyy to old for that) and praying for God to watch over her.

When we got up this morning sho started vomiting and when we sat down in front of the christmas stocking she opened a couple of presents and then decided she didn't want any more! Now I KNEW she was SICK!!!!

So after scoffing down some berries (We had a special breakky of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and custard as well as croissants planned but it just didn't happen!) Tasha and I headed off to Casualty.

When we got there her temp was up to 39.4! We were seen pretty quickly which was good (We also ran into my brother in law Steve in Cas who had hurt his back!) And after a couple of hours of pushing fluid through her (note for future - Gastrolyte Ice Blocks make her throw up - she can't stand the taste!) and tests she was sent home with a diagnosis of "Minor meningeal infection. NOT meningitis but watch her for stiff neck and sensitivity to light either of these symptoms and we had to get her back to casualty ASAP. She also had enlarged and swollen tonsils and adenoids."

Anyway through all this - when I was feeling terrible due to lack of sleep and concern over my little girl (boy does your heart drop when the doctor mentions meningococcal) I got messages through the day from Jane and SJ. It was so lovely to know they were thinking of us and to know I wasn't alone. To these girls I can not express my thanks enough. I do not know what I have done to have these girls in my life. Especially SJ who has provided me with so much support and unconditional friendship (and one or two crazy times ~L~) This year has been a much better for me because of having you in it - thank you.

Will update the chrissy thing later. My brain really does not work on 1/2 an hours sleep!

Christmas Lunch

We started our christmas celebrations early this year! We went up to Mum and John's property Georgia for a Christmas lunch. It was good to see Jo, Ashleigh, Paul and Samantha again - it has been a long time since we were all together! (Something like 18 months!) So it really was great to catch up and see the kids.


The kids had a ball playing together and running around like mad.

We had planned to talk to Mark, Mel and Declan via webcam in Dubai but due to technical problems on our side and water problems on theirs it just didn't happen :( So we have re-scheduled for the afternoon of Christmas Day. Hopefully this will work this time.

Here's some pics of the kids together!






Did you notice the same thing I did? I was so excited when I noticed (with no prior planning at all) the girls were colour co-ordinated and so were the boys! How much easier is that going to make it for me to scrap the photos!!!!! lol

The scary thing is how much Ashleigh looks like Jo did at that age! I will have to find a pic and compare them! (I guess i notice it now because Jo didn't come to us until she was 12 or 13 so I don't know what she looked like any younger!)

Woo hoo-oo Woo hoo-oo

Woo hoo-ooo Woo hoo-ooo

Doing the happy dance here!

Have FINISHED my christmas shopping! YIIIPPPPEEEEE

Just got 2 pressies to finish making and the wrapping to do but apart from that I am done!

You have no idea what a great feeling that is. This year in particular has been really hard - trying to plan the holiday for just after christmas - all the kids end of year things, I have been responsible for ALL the presents this year, and with Tony's hours I have basically been a single mum with this man who turns up for 1/2 an hour here and there ~ and usually in a bad mood because he hasn't slept! Thanks so much to Gail and Davina for coming to Tasha's Girls Brigade night - your support was so appreciated.
All this and the doctor wonders why my blood pressure is funny. Doh!

I am getting a bit tired of people asking me where Tony is because I have been going everywhere by myself.

Oh well I guess in a few weeks time we will have to get to know this man all over again. It will be weird seeing him for three solid weeks - with him being awake during the day and willing to talk and socialise with us!

Almost a week till christmas

Well someone asked what I had planned for this week leading up to chrissy and up until now I hadn't felt it was too bad - then I sat down to think about it and AAARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!

Today I worked all day then tonight we are wrapping presents. (With the kids help takes twice as long)

Tomorrow I have to go to post office to send some parcels (no matter how much making out I do with the postman still have to post my own parcels *sigh*) I have a doctors appointmentin the morning then going to school assembly for kids from 11.30 - 1.15. Picking Gail up and driving to Wollongong to see Cass and her new baby girl Annabelle. Oh BTW CONGRATS CASS then coming home for a BBQ dinner.

Wednesday: Cleaning out the laundry cupboards (getting the house ready for house sitters!) then HAVE to get some scrapping done to finish the christmas presents that have been put off till the last minute. Call into old work at some stage to do the Merry Christmas thing!

Thursday: Meeting with Kyle's teacher. Tasha in talent show so have to drop in and clap at appropriate times! Have to call into work to pick up bits for hamper then come home and put it all together. Meet mum for lunch. Get hair cut. Also have to go into my new job to sort out starting details, fill out forms etc. Buy last minute pressies (yeah I know I say every year I'll be done waaayyyy before now).

Friday: Working at one job in the morning - last day before hols so will be a busy one! Then go to other job to do the chrissy present thing.

Saturday: Doing christmas lunch with my family (hopefully my sister will turn up) and then christmas light hunting with kids at night.



All I can say is.......thanks SJ for making me think about it! Seemed much more manageable before I sat down and listed it all!

What Fun!

We have had a fun (and slightly messy morning!) Kyle is over at a friends today so Tasha and I decied we would do a "girls thing" - that usually means something Tasha would think was fun!

So we decided to make a gingerbread house! We did cheat slightly in that we went to Target and bought a kit for 20 bucks! How cool - the gingerbread is all pre-baked and cut so we just had to make icing and decorate.

We did tend to spread the icing a long way! But for our first attempt at piping I think we did well. Okay so it's not up to the standards of some in shops but hey it's ours and we did it!

I was so blown away with how well Tasha actually did with the icing but the finished product is pretty cool.

Hmmmmmm what do you think my chances are of it lasting until Christmas?????

Spoilt!

My birthday started early with my Mum and Step-dad taking me out to lunch yesterday cause I was working today. we went to Posties Tavern and had a beautiful lunch (and even splurged on dessert!)

Then today!

My day started with a gorgeous message from a dear friend - both on her blog and my phone! MWAH love ya girl ~ you always put a smile on my dial!

Got big hugs from the kids and then Tony called in quickly from work (on a quick break) to give me a birthday hug and I got spoilt by my family. Got some money from Mum and John, a webcam (not quite sure why I got this for my birthday) and an Ipod from the kids and Tony with some money to go scrap shopping!!

Then had to work today - yuck - should be a law against it. I find it most unfair because my two closest friends are born on christmas day and New Years Day - So they get a public holiday for their birthdays - EVERY YEAR!!! Soooo not fair

Anyway firstly I get a lovely box of choccies from Gail at work then the girls all put in and bought we a beautiful bunch of flowers. Gerberas, Carnations, Birds of Paradise - all nice and bright and happy flowers. Then mid morning in come the lforist with ANOTHER bunch of flowers - this time from my Boss and his wife - so sweet of them!

Anyway had to work at my second job this afternoon and they had a scrumptious cake (chocolate and strawberries & Cream how can you go wrong).

Had messages from Jane and Kaycee to brighten up my day as well!

We are going out to dinner tonight to the Sports Club for dinner so will catch you later!

Pippi Longstocking!

"Pippi longstocking is coming into your world,
a freckle faced red haired girl
you oughta know -
she'll throw your life into a whirl!"


Well Tasha had her girls brigade end of year party tonight and they had to go dressed as a character out of a book and so of course Tash had to go as Pippi Longstocking (with her monkey Mr Nelson).

It's all just falling into place!

The last few days have just been amazing. From having so much on my mind and being so stressed everything has just dropped nicely into place. Lets see I have been trying to organise things for our holiday, figure out what to do about work and get myself out of the low patch I've been in and then in the last 2 days it has just all worked out so nicely.

Firstly have been trying to figure out what to do about the house when we are away and then yesterday I find out a friend of mine is looking for a house to house sit in our area on the exact dates that we are away- how amazing is that. It is great having someone we know we can trust ( I was best friends with her sister for years - we met their family at church about 15 years ago).

Then today after so much worry and prayer and talks about what to do about work but knowing that I can't do much because we will be away in January today I get offered a job totally out of the blue. The exact hours I want. They don't want me to start until the end of January. The guy that rang me to offer me the position had so many nice and complimentary things to say it was such an uplifting phone call.

So now the 2 jobs I hold at the moment have been from people just ringing me up and offering me work without me having to go and hunt for a job. How positive a feeling that gives you!

We have found a place that is having a special deal in Sydney to leave the car when we fly - the deal also lasts the exact dates we are away. I think God is looking after us well!

The holiday plans are all falling into place now too!

Just got to find time to get my chrissy presents finished (got some scrapping to do!), organise our annual bbq lunch and I should be able to relax!

What a day!

Well today has certainly been a big one!

Started off this morning - dropped the kids off at school and then headed up to Shellharbour to shop! Nice, easy drive! NOT! It teamed with rain. Apparently this monring the Wollongong area was the wettest place in the country with some amazing downpours. It was raining so hard there was hardly any visibility. I tucked myself in behind a truck and could not see further than 1/2 way along it! It pelted down! The water was rushing across the road and I couldn't pull over because there was no side of the road - just river!

Anyway finally made it Shellharbour Square and found a parking spot in the far corner of the parking lot.

Did some christmas shopping - wasn't too happy with what I got - couldn't get most things. Ran into Royce who told me when he came through Dapto the road was blocked due to water from a blocked drain and there was water on most of the roads in the area.

The high point of my day was meeting up with Cass, Callum and Cass's mum for lunch. It was great to catch up - would have loved to spend more time with them but didn't want to make Cass walk around the shops too much.

Then I went up to Warrawong to pick up some stuff at Big W and YAY got nearly all my shopping list crossed off - 2 things to go! What a great feeling!

Drove home (thankfully no rain but the road was still wet in patches) and am now feeling exhausted! Driving in that sort of weather really wears you out!

Thanks to Cass's Mum for driving Cass and Callum to meet me for lunch. And thanks Cass - it was great to catch up.

Not very productive!

What a week. Had monday off work and then nothing planned till Thursday so had planned to actually get some scrapping done. 3 whole days put aside for scrapping! YAY!

Sadly didn't work out that way :( Got one morning for scrapping - got one page done but that's all. Going to Shellharbour tomorrow and then working Friday so the rest of the week is no good.

Oh well - will try again next week! Although I'm working Mon, Fri and busy Thurs so don't like my chances!

I've been elfed!

check this out. I got it off Chelle's blog. How cute is this!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1169191747

Yep...its beginning to look a lot like christmas!

Yes our lounge room does look all pretty and glittery now! After doing the grocery shopping (hint for the future: if you want the kids to behave at shopping and not stop and look at EVERYTHING then just tell them as soon as the groceries are packed away you can put the tree up .... the shopping was sooooo easy today ~L~)

Anyway Heres some pics of our day!

First our little tree. The pics don't work the best - will have to wait for night to take a pic of the purty lights. A wish from our family to all of yours!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS
Had to add this pic. Isn't she just sooo cheeky. Love the grin! Ooops sorry it's christmas - so not cheeky , maybe impish or elvish! ~L~

The kids in front of their tree (note the collection of ornaments in a ring around the bottom! - and I lifted the tree up off the ground!)

Tash standing on her tiptoes on a chair because she had to put the angel on top - all by herself!

OOooohhhh aren't they cute!

And yes...... we did even get a hat on Tony! Wonders will never cease!

We had such a ball putting the tree up. This year has been a much better one for us and for me in particular. This Christmas is going to be a great one too. Very relaxed and low key!

Oh....... I have heaps of great pics that I took today putting up the tree. got some great pics of the kids and I that would look great scraped. Just got to find time to do them! Hhhmmm any volunteers lol