Well we have been quite busy.......

Wow cannot believe that I haven't posted here for a few days.... have you missed us? LOL!! We have been quite busy as a family as you will see and to be honest none of us have really been near the computer at all.

Saturday we babysat Taila and Mitchell, our friend's children. They were moving house, Noel helped with the actual move but I thought it would be really helpful to have the kids overnight to give them a little more freedom to sort out the boxes etc. I love moving house but it such a stressful time really. Anyway several DVD's later we had Homemade Pies with Wedges for dinner..... all the kids excited by this idea, especially when I told them they could make up their own pie!

Sunday, started with Lemonade Pancakes being requested by our kids, which was great as budding chef Alex taught Taila how to make them - yes they really are that easy. These went down a treat, infact neither Noel or myself got one and ended up having poached eggs on toast instead! The kids were picked up early afternoon so for the rest of the day we just enjoyed ourselves as a family of four, which was really nice. We did have Chinese Roast Pork for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year... served with a salad and rice paper we made our own rice paper rolls. YUM! A nice easy dish to prepare and the kids love making their dinner up themselves.

Monday was a day at the Picnic Races in Balnarring and also Australia Day. Needless to say, as usual, it was a food fest even though only six of us went this meeting. We took a bbq chicken, salad and some bread rolls. Noel's mam brought party pies and sausage rolls. I also made a huge platter of fruit so that was nice and refreshing.

Tuesday (Noel and I both had a RDO) was meant to be relaxing but overall turned out to be not only a busy day but a warm one. In fact it was the start of our heatwave that we are having here in Victoria. I cannot believe that it was 43 deg C yesterday, 43 deg C today and forecast much the same for tomorrow. We picked up the kids school books which I must say cost us almost $600, did a little bit of grocery shopping and then got the dent in my car bumper assessed by the panel beaters. My car is now booked in to be repaired on March 2nd and will be in the panel beaters for two days.... two days without my car all because some idiot decided to hit my stationery vehicle (with my hazard lights on I must add) while driving with her dog jumping around in her car!! Not happy at all!!

I have spoken to Mam a few times since she left - I miss her like crazy and I am really glad (and grateful) that she is planning to come to Melbourne in April for Noel's 40th birthday. I am planning a party which will probably be at home and more than likely a spit roast. Hopefully I will be able to round up a few of his older friends that he hasn't seen for awhile to surprise him with but we will see. I do however know that I need to pull my finger out and start organising it!

The house is quiet again at the moment as the kids have both gone to Noel's parents for the last few days of the school holidays. School goes back on Monday and I must say I am so looking forward to getting back into our normal routine. Plus I hate having to farm the kids out left, right and centre due to both of us working. But what can we do? It's the government's fault.. I mean we are entitled to 4 week's paid holiday leave per year but the kids get 12 weeks off school?? Go figure!!

Enough rabbiting on ...... more adventures to go and have!

A Dash of Flavour.... what the heck is that?

Okay confession time!! (Don't panic some of you already know where this is going!)

So here it is.... I have another blog to my name - A Dash of Flavour. I was a little worried about everyone knowing at first as I hadn't completely finished setting it up although I had started posting to it and considered it "still under construction" BUT then again I suppose a blog is always a work in progress, right?

Don't get me wrong it was always my intention to eventually share my new blog address and I actually have had it listed for awhile now with all of the other House of Murray blogs for those who were intrigued but I had never officially told anyone or published the link outside of the blogging community. I have once or twice on my other blogs which may have been overlooked!

Thankfully someone curious enough to investigate my other blogs gave me some great feedback. The feedback was within another forum's walls, which gave me enough confidence in my little project to prompt me that it was time to share it properly and with everyone.

Besides my obvious love of blogging my other passion is cooking. In fact the whole family love cooking. So that's what A Dash of Flavour is all about - our adventures in the kitchen, food, cooking, helpful hints, etc. I have decided that there will be nothing else besides culinary posts - no weight loss stories, or family happenings unless it relates to the meal - let's face it I have blogs for those already. Honestly I hope you enjoy it, I must say I have been excited about this blog since I decided to make it (I have always wanted to write a cookbook so I guess this is a start). Please feel free to give me any feedback, comments and/or advice if you wish to... I would appreciate that.

Who know's you may even try one or two of the recipes....

Saying goodbyes....

I hate the fact that Mam lives in Queensland only because I hate saying goodbye. There is never a brave or strong way to say it.... even trying as hard as I can there is still always a tear or two or at least 5 minutes blubbering in the car.

This morning was no different!! After stalling to leave for work as long as I could I had to leave. By this time I had said to myself so many times to keep happy, but that last cuddle and expressing my thanks once again reduced me to tears, Mam to tears and even Alex who had got up to wave me goodbye.

Mam is returning to Claire's today and she will be there now until she leaves on Wednesday. Unfortunately due to the situation with Claire it means that I won't see Mam again before she leaves (incidently I spoke to Claire yesterday and told her I want this fued thingy to stop - she said she would call me soon!)

So the house will once again be quiet tonight.... the kids are back with Mam and Dad for another week of school holidays and they will return on Friday night at this stage. Bring back school I say (the kids wouldn't agree) and bring back our normality!!

Time to get myself more organised!

Now that we have all settled into the New Year well and truly it's time to get me and my household more organised especially on the home maintenance front. Currently with working full time I tend to spend my time off Saturday afternoons and Sundays CLEANING! Honestly there is no-one in the house for a minimum of 8 hours each weekday and yet it looks like a cyclone has gone through the place!!

Considering the fact that a cyclone cannot be present only inside one person house in the street there must be another explanation... I know! The house is infested with "messy fairies". Geez that's about as believable as the cyclone. LOL!!

Seriously, please don't misjudge completely. We don't live in a pigsty or what could resemble a landfill site infact we do keep the place quite respectable. On the surface everything looks normal BUT with my eyes and knowing what goes on behind closed doors I honestly believe that we as a family just need to get into more of a routine and be more responsible to the mess surrounding us and yes that means ALL of us, me, hubby and you two kids as well!!

As I said we aren't slobs or lazy just time deficient considering we are out the door by 7 in the morning and often not home before 5pm. Then its cooking and eating dinner, ensuring homework is done, readers are read, children are bathed, put to bed, then theres the dishes, a load of washing here and there before collapsing into bed ourselves. There has to be an easier way!! And that's without considering hiring a cleaner! Get that idea right out of your head Joanne.

I must say I didn't just come up with this brain wave all by myself. Infact I will be totally honest and say that I have been reading another blog which is dedicated to just this topic. The hyper homemaker is just as the name suggests and very detailed. It intrigued me when I started reading it and must say has actually started to make me think differently about the way I do things (which while we are being honest it is normally the easiest and the quickest way that's for sure).

I want my weekends to be about family, not disinfectant, mops and vacuuming. I want to know that my kids had a great weekend instead of watching tv or planning their DS' because I am busy doing chores.

That's it - it's time for a change! AND NOW!!

Quietness in the house can sometimes be sooo wrong!

I am missing my kids.. I am missing the noise, the laughter, the squabbling, the questions especially from Alex, the mess, the yelling but most of all I am just missing not having them near me. The house has been too quiet this week without having them at home. They will be with their grandparents until Friday afternoon when Noel will pick them up on the way home from work.

Not hearing from them at all this week lets me know that they are having fun especially being taken to Halls Gap for a few days. And I am guessing that they have been well behaved as we haven't heard from Mam and Dad either!!

They idolise their grandparents and I am really glad that they have a strong bond with them. Mam and dad also cherish them, as do Sean, Vicky and Clare. In fact they have a closeness with all members of Noel's family which I am really proud of because they don't have a lot of it from my side of the family, none of us do!

Don't get me wrong, they adore Grandma as well when she visits and this year I need to help them to cement that bond a little stonger. I don't know what steps I will take at the moment but I do want to ensure that their relationship blooms more each each. But while we are speaking of relationships -a relationship that is destined to be distant is that with their aunty Claire and her boys, their cousins. As upsetting as it is, she and her family are the ones that miss out.

When questioned why by the children, I used to say she is busy or maybe next week but I have stopped hiding things from my kids and stopped making excuses, I have explained that I have tried to make the situation better and they know that it's NOT their fault either. Even my Mam cannot understand what the problem is or where it all went wrong. I think the main thing my children need to know is that they are loved by me, Noel, their grandparents, and the other important people who are currently in their lives.

I actually realised a while ago that I have wasted way too much time on wishing my sister would actually be my sister. And with all that's happening around me it's just another thing that I really don't have time to worry about anymore.

Let's face it - the world is still going to spin around, I am still going to get old and die but it's what I do with my time left that is important!!

D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final........

Unlike Dusty Springfield's song Clare's divorce doesn't become final today but after an hour and a half at the law courts all the formal paperwork has been lodged and in 28 days her marriage to Rob will be annulled FINALLY!!

Their marriage has been over for several years now due various reasons but mainly due to his constant abuse of illegal drugs and basically "his care for nothing" attitude while they were together. He had us all fooled in the beginning, very charming, casual, family orientated and appearing to be so in love with Clare, having a good job with a financial institution, a good head on his shoulders only to prove over time and even more so recently that he really was a smooth talking drug addict, bottom line a real "no hoper!"

I am really proud of Clare for taking the necessary steps to finally get this monkey off her back and sever ties connecting her with him and the arsehole he has become. The next 28 days wil drag on but Clare has a lifetime ahead of her and deserves to find that someone special.


AND YES CLARE - YOU DO!!

Mongolian Hot Pot and 10 pin bowling.... a busy but good weekend!

Okay so I find myself once more sitting here in disbelief that is Monday AGAIN and that another weekend is over. Overall it was a good weekend, not overly flat out but enough to say that I am feeling tired this morning.

Friday night the kids tried out the pie maker and after eating 2 pies each I believe they have deemed it a success and a very welcome appliance in our house! Noel, Mam and myself had a chinese dish, we have named "nice chicken" which has a sauce of hoisin and cayenne pepper. A unique taste and the hotter the better according to most who try it.

Saturday Mam came to work with me, I was thankful of that as it was dead and good to have someone to talk to - saying that we managed to watch 2 movies also! Next stop was the Dandenong Market where we met Noel and the kids. Nothing to adventurous there except a lot of people, some with not much deoderant on especially with it being warm...yuk! We bought some fish, prawns and beef for the Mongolian Hot Pot dinner we had planned.

Dinner was ACE! As usual we all enjoyed the Mongolian Hot Pot (or Steamboat as it's often called also). Mam was in her element as she hasn't had one quite some time. We don't have the Hot Pot that often as it does take quite some preparation and there is always enough food to feed an army. Needless to say we had it for dinner last night also (and there is still more left over!!)

I will post some photo's tonight when I get home.

Sunday morning Mam and I popped down to Lars and Pips house. It was beautiful and huge. It's the first time either of us had been there. It was good to see them again even though it was only a short visit. However I do feel guilty for not making more of an effort each year to keep in contact with them. I only make the effort when Mam is in Melbourne and seriously that isn't good enough. We emigrated on the same ship as them in 1973 so they have known me all my life. They are from Finland whereas we are from Wales but they are like family, in fact they have been better to us than our real family has over the years!

In the afternoon we went 10 pin bowling at Cranbourne. We played two games, which was fun and great to be actually doing something with the kids. Grandma enjoyed it too and really got into it. I have decided that we don't do enough "fun" things with the kids. Don't get me wrong, we do a lot of things together but I don't thing we do enough kid fun things, if you can understand that? Must get back to focussing on them while they are still young enough to have fun with their Mam and Dad!

Back at work today for another week. The kids are off to Halls Gap with Nana and Grandad, we will get them back on Friday night and Mam is off to Claire's for the week and I will pick her up on Friday.

Needless to say the house will be very quiet tonight, that's for sure!!

There IS more to life!

Selfishly I have been focusing on what I now consider to be petty problems.

Unlike a work colleague of mine. His wife, a wonderful lady, has been diagnosed with primary breast cancer and also secondary cancers in various parts of her body. Yesterday I was informed the diagnosis is 6 - 12 months and that's with treatment.

My heart and thoughts go out to Fred, Wendy and their family.

Needless to say I have spent the last 24 hours really reassessing the way I look at life. The way I focus too much on negative aspects and too much on things I have no control over.

Okay so my sister doesn't want to have anything to do with me, that's her problem - right? Why should it stop me getting on with my life? Why should I spend hours wondering why when she probably doesn't even give it a second thought?

Okay so I am fat! Actually I am overweight. Maybe I need to focus on changing my lifestyle, my food patterns and my outlook rather than dwelling in self pity.

Enough is enough!!

I have to get back to my little part of this world. My special position in my family, The Murray family. I need to enjoy every minute I can with Oliver, Alex, Noel and my Mam, my wonderful Mam and Dad (in-laws), brother in-law Sean, his family and my sister Clare (we dropped the in-law tag a long time ago).

Life is definitely too short and unfortunately if can be over in an instance - you only have to watch the news for proof of that!!

Frankly I rather that I hadn't.....

As much as I shouldn't say this but frankly I rather that I hadn't recieved her phonecall yesterday. My sister rang me to wish me happy birthday around 6pm last night. Honestly it was like pulling teeth talking to her and from the minute she said hello I knew that she had rang out of doing the right thing and not particularly because she really wanted to give me her birthday wishes. Her voice had no expression, no enthusiasm, nothing!! Even claiming that she didn't know where I was working yesterday or what I was doing so that's why she waited until 6pm.... HELLO I do own a mobile!!

Other than that my birthday was good (even including working which was quiet and boring). The kids made me some beautiful cards - its the best feeling being told "you are the best Mam in the world". Even though I strictly told Noel that a nice card is all I wanted, he and the kids spoiled me. In he walked with a pretty bunch of flowers, then the kids gave me two bottles of chardonnay (don't know how they bought them lol!!), a Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker and a powerball ticket with some scratchies also. Nothing on the scratchies and I am guessing as Noel hasn't rung me yet there will be nothing on the powerball ticket either... oh well I suppose we will just have to keep living on love!!

Then it was out for dinner at the RSL... and I was determined to order wisely and not give into my tummy! And it work. I chose the Veal Rib Eye with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables of the menu but ordered the Veal Rib Eye with normal potatoes and steamed vegetables.... GO GIRL!! And it was yummy even though I did not eat all the potatoes anyway. Everyone else enjoyed their meals also. Noel tried the veal and to his surprise actually enjoyed it and will possibly let me buy/cook some now. Apparently I cooked a dish with veal once before that he didn't enjoy and that's why he has never liked veal..... hhhhmmm he tells me now?

More pressies for which I must say I was truly spoiled by Mam and Dad. Blown away infact! Now to be totally honest Noel had told me that he mentioned to Mam that I wanted a new Pyrex Jug (yes a really personal pressie I know but that's what I wanted!!) so that's what I expected. To my disbelief not only did I they give me 1 Pyrex jug BUT I got 4!! ACE all different sizes from a small 1 cup jug to a huge 8 cup jug!! OMG I was in Pyrex jug heaven!!

Oh well it's back to normal today and all the celebrations are over as afterall today I am 38 years and 1 day old!

Happy birthday to.....

Cannot believe that it's my birthday already, meaning that 8 days have already flown passed this year!! Being at work on your birthday sucks especially when it's dead quiet but it's paying those damn bills, right?

So far we haven't done a great deal as far as school holidays etc go but both Noel and I came back to work on Monday.

My Mam is babysitting the kids for us this week and so far they all seem to be having a ball. Tuesday they all went to the beach and saw the sand sculptures and "The Blessing of the Waters" by the Greek Community. Didn't know that was on but it added an extra element to the day for mam and the kids. They all got sunburnt!! BIG TIME!! I think they will be spending today at home, just like yesterday in recovery mode!!

Sunday we did go to the races and that was great fun. It was all the family as usual which was great and good to see to see Sean and Vicky again. Christian, being older this year, was fascinated by the horses and it was good to see face his face when the horses were near our area. (Being a member we got to set up our area right next to the race track, so brilliant view of all the races.)

Here is Mam and Sharon relaxing and from the look of it studying the form guide. Some of the races are hard to pick especially when there can be four horse and the TAB is only paying 1st and 2nd! We have even witness a two horse race... can you believe that? Only at Balnarring!! (It was a beautiful day, not too hot and thankfully not raining - somewhat hard to believe for Melbourne!!)

Relaxing inbetween races is some more of the family. Sean (white t-shirt), Mam and Dad, Christian, Oliver and Tom are keeping in the shade and having something to eat. One good thing about the races is we are never short of food or maybe that's a bad thing, everyone brings something to share so we don't have to buy food from the overpriced food vendors down there. This year we took our weber and had some lovely roast lamb with salad and bread rolls, not to mention dips and nibbles, and satay skewers. As I said lots of food!!

Of course there are no photo's of me (I think Mam might have taken one but we will leave that on her camera ... I like to hide behind the camera but who know's maybe one day I will come out from behind it!! LOL!!

But I do have this wonderful photo of my cheekyboy.... Oli!!

Off out for dinner tonight to the RSL with Noel, the kids and our parents. I didn't want a second "birthday" event but I had no say in it really!! It should be a good night and hopefully we will all get a good meal like we normally do, mind you saying that I have to make a good choice food wise! Especially now I am back on my diet - I must be good!

At this point in time nothing major has been planned for the rest of the week or the weekend. But then again, knowing us, things will change - as they always do...

A few days into 2009 and all is well.

After surviving what turned into a huge New Years Party at our house, finishing at 3am I might add, all has quietened down and we are regaining what some would imagine to be normality. HA!!

The house is starting to resemble a home not a party zone with the Christmas Decoration due to come down on the 6th of January (as I said before that's our Christmas tradition) so only a few more days before they are all locked away for another 11 and a half months. I find taking the decorations down quite sad as I just love the thought of Christmas but I make myself feel better by telling me that I have another 11 months to plan the next Christmas for the family to share.

Sean and Vicky came to pick up Clare (she has stayed since New Years Eve and that has been ace). It was sad to see her leave knowing that she was flying back to Sydney today and we wouldn't see her again for awhile. Clare is a fantastic person to be around. Bubbly, funny and so spontaneous. A good drinking buddy also.... OMG did we all drink these last few days! But more importantly she's a unreal sister... we have both dropped the "sister-in-law" tag and just refer to each other as sisters.... and yes if you haven't guessed she makes me feel like a special person.

Mam is still here - now newly nicknamed "Ever-ready" as she is just always on the go and forever pottering. I think we will have to nail or tie her down just to get her to relax but it is still wonderful to have her here (even if we have had several words due to my selfishness). I am going to miss her terribly when she eventually goes back on the 21st January. She will be with us most of the time until then as she has put her hand up to babysit Oliver and Alex while Noel and I go back to work on the 5th.

Today we are all getting ready for the Balnarring Picnic Races tomorrow. Another huge day but it will be enjoyed as it is every year. Most of the family are going and this year we are taking the weber and cooking a leg of lamb to have with salads etc. There is always a beavy of food, normally too much, but it is such a wonderful day and the kids have a ball. Christian will be old enough to understand the horses this year as he was only a baby last year and now that he is walking I am sure tomorrow will be an interesting day for us all keeping an eye on him. We get to the Races early so we can get a really good possy and set up our shelters etc. It is a great day but a huge effort getting everything organised. What do they say - no pain no gain?

Oliver and Alex are having their first sleep over for the year tonight. They are off to Tom and Sharon's. As Sharon is also coming to the Races she will bring the kids down with her. Hopefully they will be good for Sharon and not turn into prize dickheads.... Noel will be reading them the riot act before we take them up there. They get so excited going somewhere else as normally, with us being the entertainers, we have everyone come to our house and that includes the kids friends. Must make an effort to change that this year.....

Oh well better fly as there really is a lot to do.