A huge eventful weekend.....

What can I say except I enjoyed this weekend.....

It all started Friday night with the decision to have a nice relaxing evening just the four of us and watch a DVD together. That was great except for the fact that I fell asleep during the movie (which is actually quite normal for me!! LOL!!)

During the evening however Noel and I were still discussing the loungeroom and how much I hate the way it was set up and how it always a MESS. The positioning of the TV was all wrong for where the doors are... let me explain. To get to the toilet and the bedrooms you have to walk infront of the tv which can be painful when the playstation is out (leads everywhere not to mention children at all angles) or when there is a movie on or even just watching the TV in general. Secondly it always looked a MESS.... something I have very little patience for at the moment.. When I say MESS it has overtaken the comfortable lived in look and was just annoying! Brainwave happened and I explained to Noel, my beloved, that I think that the loungeroom would make a better dining room and the dining room would make a better loungeroom - let's swap it around. Well I cannot explain the facial expression but I felt I had a lot of convincing ahead of me for this to happen!

Saturday morning I went off to work, which for a change was quite busy. I spoke to Noel and the kids during the morning and they sounded as if they were having a nice relaxing time together. It wasn't until I got home that I saw that they had actually been quite busy and had started making the switch of the rooms. I nearly cried as they had really surprised me! So there was definately no rest for the wicked that afternoon as it was full steam ahead to finish the room changes, still a little cleaning to do, but I will be the first to admit that it looks fantastic. SO MUCH BETTER.......


bad blurry photo's taken on my phone but you get the idea, right?

Sunday was another great day... this is the first time this football season that I didn't need to be at the football club at 7am (but was booked to start in the canteen at 2pm). I actually slept in until 9.30am - I don't do that very often but I must say I enjoyed every moment of it! We all sat down and had a nice breakfast together in the 'new' dining room then got ready for Oliver's football match. It was good to go and watch a whole match without worrying about the canteen and I am glad that I went - the Under 11's had their FIRST WIN against Seaford - their FIRST WIN for the season!! So proud of my boy and so proud of the team!! Noel was smiling... Dean, the coach, was smiling... so were all of the other children's parents!! After the little happy dance we were all doing, not to mention the loud singing of the club song, it was off back to the clubrooms where both Noel and I did a stint in the canteen while the Under 16's game was played (and that was a brilliant game!!).







Last night I think we were all exhausted from such a huge weekend that it was off to bed early for me and the troops.....

Kids in the kitchen....

Presenting......

Masterchef Oliver

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and

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Masterchef Alexandria

I am so proud that both our kids have embraced the love of cooking and forever want to help out in the kitchen. The best thing is however is it's just not baking cakes or biscuits that they want to help with - they will give cooking anything a go!!

Keep in mind that Oliver has just turned 11 and Alexandria is only 8 but wow they can they cook.. they both follow recipes well and are very sensible whilst in the kitchen. Please note they don't do this just when they want to - we are always with them whenever they cook anything!!

Recently we made homemade pizzas. A few other things they have prepared and/or cooked can be found at A Dash Of Flavour.

In fact every now and then they actually ask if they can cook dinner!! When they do they choose the meal, they write the shopping list, we go shopping to buy everything on the list, come home and start cooking. It's so exciting for them to do the complete meal from start to finish.

And boy can these two turn out good dishes.... Olivers speciality is tacos whilst Alex likes to cook anything to do with pasta!!

Plus they both love making desserts and cakes!! Who doesn't??

We have found that letting them help us even if it's just mixing gives them an urge to try the finished product and is actually encouraging them to be adventurous when it comes to tastes, styles, international flavours, etc.

Go on...

Get your kids involved with cooking - you will be definitely thankful in the long run....

One week on......

Well I definately cannot believe it's been one week since Mam and Clare left to go home. But besides the house being quieter we are slowly getting back to normal and back into our routines.

This week has been busy to say the least but I would have to be honest and say no more than the normal.

As usual Sunday was a day filled with football and football canteen. The Under 11's lost again, which is a shame as they haven't had a win at all this season so far... cross fingers on the up coming weeks. I am slowly trying to detatch myself from the canteen. It is very hard considering I do enjoy it but there are never enough volunteers to help out with serving, cooking and cleaning. They are all happy to buy the food but don't dare ask them to give up their precious time watching the game!

I have handed out the invitations to our upcoming "How To Host A Murder" Dinner Party on July 4th. It was good to see some of the faces when they read their invitations and worked out which character they were playing and I could just see the cogs turning over regarding a costume etc. I cannot wait until that night - I love these dinner parties. The whole night is a lot of fun with dressing up and getting into character, enjoying a good dinner and working out who amongst you in the murderer!

Alright so the big focus for us this week is "diet", well not so much a diet but a lifestyle change. I have been trying to lose weight for what seems forever but as of this morning Noel, too, has decided that the time has come for him to shed quite a few kilo's and it will definately not do the kids any harm to go without lollies, crisps and takeaway for awhile. I have menu planned the next week so there are no excuses for a healthy dinner each night and will plan on making healthy lunches for us all every day. So cross fingers... day one here Noel and I come!!

New Spice Racks.....

When asked what I wanted for Mother's Day this year I actually had something in mind. (Quite proud of myself also!!)


I know most people easily ask for things that they want or would like but I actually find it quite hard to be that forward... just ask anyone that knows me!! My normal response is "nothing - just a happy family!!"


This year was different - I had been eyeing off some new shelves on which to put our herb and spice jars. The existing shelving was about to give way which would have caused an awful mess and it was really looking bad (sorry forgot to take a photo of how it was).


So here are my shelves after I put them together.. which I was proud of doing I must say (Noel check them to make sure I did them okay!)



All our herb and spice jars...... and yes there are a lot and we use them all!

There we have it - all finished... fully loaded and looking 200% better......

Maybe next year I can ask for new jars that are all the same... lol!!

Thank you Noel, Oliver and Alex for making my mother's day special and treating me!!

Mother's Day.....

Well now that's what I call another busy weekend, with Mam still visiting and Clare, Noel's sister, flying in on Friday night to surprise her mam yesterday and I must say she was successful - it was a surprise.

Friday night mam and I went to the shops to quickly do the grocery shopping and buy her mother's day present. She wanted some salt and pepper shakers, of course we couldn't find the ones I have anywhere so it was a mission to find something that she liked instead, finally though we bought some and yes I did wrap them for her.

Saturday I went to work while mam got a visit from her other four grandkids. I am sure that this was the highlight of her visit... having all six of her grandchildren playing together. Trust me this is a rare event in itself but it was very special for her on Saturday morning. Unfortunately they had gone by the time I got home from work so I missed out on seeing them.

Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day. Noel, Alex and myself went up the football club to help Tanya set up and to get the laptop organised while mam and Clare slept in....we left the house around 7ish and returned just after 9am so that wasn't too bad. When we got back Noel and Clare took Oliver off to play his game of football at which Clare was the goal umpire. I think Oliver was impressed that his Aunty was not only there but that she was wearing a white jacket (and not that sort of white jacket!!)

Sunday afternoon brought the mother's day luncheon with my mam, Noel's mam and dad, Sean, Vicky and Christian, Clare and us so needless to say it was a busy and eventful afternoon. All the more eventfull considering Ann hadn't seen Clare until then and both her and dad had no idea that Clare was even in Melbourne let alone our house. Food as usual was abundant (lot's of leftovers so we are right for dinner tonight!)

Mam and Clare left this morning. I took them to Frankston to catch the airport bus this morning at 5.50am (which I was paniking us missing as we were all quite slow this morning after another late night). But all was good and after waving them off I went to work early.

Overall it was a great weekend!

Actually I lie.

Most of it was good - some parts I would love to be able to turn back time and change.. especially some things I did. Looking back I realise that I haven't been a nice person. I have definately over-reacted to some situations and was just outright childish in others. Infact I have been a cow... but I don't think it's me more than it is certain situations/happening around me that are affecting me. I won't lie that this situation with Claire is not only upsetting me but it's affecting the way I am coping with other happenings in my life. Noel has noticed, friends have noticed and now my mam has definately noticed!

I have said I am sorry to my mam, all I can do now is hope that she forgives me and still loves me for who I am and not what I have been!

I love you Mam xxxx

Another weekend over.....

Yes that's right another weekend has come and gone....

Friday night we went out for dinner. We went to Noel's parent's house which was a nice change although I was (and still am) tired from the week before. It was a nice meal, a roast lamb dinner. It had been quite a while since we have had a roast lamb dinner - 24 hours in fact. Yes that's right. We cooked roast lamb for dinner on Thursday night as Vera came over. We didn't have the heart to tell mam and dad so we all just ate up with Oliver and Alex giggling at the table with the thought that we were being sneaky by not saying anything!!

Saturday I went to work whilst Noel went and had another doctor's appointment about his foot. He does have a heel spur and recieved a quarterzone injection to help ease the pain as well as some treatment options.... I think this is going to be a long road. Mam went with Noel's parents to the Red Hill Market. She had never been before. It's only on the first Saturday of the month I think and to be honest I have never been there either. Plus I think it was good for mam to spend some time with others... she has been stuck with us so far this whole visit and unfortunately I haven't been able to give her my car like I normally do. In the afternoon Mam, Oliver and I went shopping for a printer for the Football Club, new runners for Oliver and of course the groceries.

Sunday morning brought Round 3 of the football season. Oliver played at home again (that's 3 weeks in a row now) and they lost. Infact as a team, they just seemed to be misfiring... there definately wasn't a spark there and they were beaten drastically!! Dean, the coach, was suitably unimpressed and told them all so after the game! I believe they are in for one hell of a training session on Tuesday night!!

Off the field showing great form!!

Hopefully my days of being fully involved with the canteen are coming to an end... I am a little saddened by the fact that it's physically impossible for me to be fully involved as I really enjoy the time I spend in the canteen and love the whole catering/hospitality side of things. On the other hand spending the full day up at the club as well as working full time it's once again starting to take it's toll on not only my health (I have been tired for about 3 weeks now) but also on my emotions. I know I have been quite irritable and snappy this last week but that probably stems from the tiredness not to mention all the emotional stress from all what's going on with my sister amongst other things!! Cross fingers it is effective as of next week as I am looking forward to spending Sunday's with Noel and the kids!! It's something that I need to do.

So I do apologize to you all.... hopefully I will be back to normal soon!!