Last day of tennis

Today was the last day of tennis for Brendan, so I took the camera and took some shots. 93 pics later I have some good ones to sort thru (gotta love that digital). But this is one of my favourites. My boy loves it when he scores a point.

It has been one long week and today I was a very tired gal. DH made me stay at home this afternoon, so while I was resting I downloaded and started to learn how to drive GIMP. http://www.gimp.com
It is a cool program where you can have some parts of the pic with colour and others black and white. I was playing with it this afternoon. I didn't save my results 'cause it wasn't perfect, but I will try and do something worthy of sharing tomorrow.

Chow for now.

After the crop...

So last night was my Christmas Crop. Man am I tired today. It went really well. Everyone seemed to have a good time which was great. The food was nice, even if DH did make the salad, it was a man salad, lol. He didn't even break the lettuce up into small peices, just giant leaves which hid all the other goodies. It was quite funny, but the ladies didn't seem to mind since they saw him making it. Here are some pics... the first is of the display boards with all the ideas...More display board ideas...
I totally forgot to take a pic of the product table which was quite stylish.


The little Christmas Puddings I made for dessert.

The Climb a brick Chimney game...

























Everyone cropping...

It was a good night.

Today we went for family portraits, 8:36am (which was a bit early after 3 hours of sleep). Then off to Gosford Leagues for dance rehersal for TJ. I even dozed off whilst waiting. Although I think I needed that extra bit of rest to make it back up the freeway home. I need to prepare for tomorrow, and I have some towels to hang on the line, but otherwise, this chickadee is off for a rest!

Chow for now!

todays efforts

I have worked my butt off today and still am not ready for tomorrow. Heaps is done, but still more to do.

This is todays things


I








Tired. Must sleep.

progress

The Christmas cutouts are progressing nicely. I hope they will be done for Friday since I have so many people coming. I'm not sure whats got more paint, them or me. lol. I'll post a pic when they're finished

All is asleep except for me!

I waited for the kids to go to bed tonight and then after watching some tv, I went and painted some Christmas decorations. I think I'm now a little starry eyed with the fumes of the gloss paint, but the elves, santa and reindeer are looking a bit alright. Must go sleep now.

Comments

For my avid readers out there I've changed the commenting format. I miss knowing that you're there so leave me a comment or two.

For all the loonies out there that have just surfed in, just surf on out again.

Cheers

Its been busy

So I've been real busy over the past few days. I've line up for tickets for 2 concerts, dance concerts that is. One hour in the que for ballet, that wasn't too bad. It sold out in an hour and a half. Three hours in line for the second concert. I'm so glad I binned going to the craft fair and got the tickets instead.

We did swim club on Friday night. Brendan went to a birthday party Saturday. They had a jumping castle. All was good until I let him go back in for one last jump. One little brat and Brendan told me who, decided to pinch him on the face under the nose. He ripped skin off. I was so not impressed. Now we will have a scab under the nose for the family photo next week. Not impressed. And what surprised me the most was that Brendan went back to this kid, after we wiped up the tears and blood and told him that he hurt him. It was then that we left, I could see it getting ugly.

Then today we went to nippers. All was good until we were leaving. Nath bent down to pat the caretakers dog, and just as I yelled 'no' the dog bit him on the arm. It broke the skin in two places from upper and lower teeth. I am so unimpressed. We took him to the car and got ice out of the esky and put in on his arm with him screaming. I went back to tell the caretaker and she was very complacent, he's getting old and really doesn't like little kids she said. I'm trying to calm down about it but I will be writing a letter to the management committee. Its just not on.

Poor Nath was in shock the whole way home in the car. Its so lucky that Greg was with us and I could sit in the back with little Nath.

On a good note I had a class/workshop last night and had my first $1000 anything. So I'm pretty happy about that.

Til next time

Today I was utterly disturbed by a post on SS Friends. Normally I don't let it get to me, but this one seeped into my soul. While I scrapped all I could hear was her words over and over. I have no idea why it got to me so much. But it did.

Want to know what it was over? Swaps. Stupid and childish. The mines better than hers mentality, or should I correct that and say, the hers isn't good enough as mine mentality. I am so sick of seeing posts about whats good enough and whats not. I work hours (and hours) on mine and think they are pretty ok.

I know I shouldn't simmer on this but I have. I got a pm which cooled me down a little which sorta said, if they can't say it to you directly don't worry about it; and its part of Gods creation, God doesn't create crap so mine should be just fine. lol. Thanks for that.

The even sillier part is that I don't even think this poster was talking about mine, although I was in the same swap, but it offended me just the same.

Note to self: finish what I said I would do and don't sign up for anymore. Learn to say no.

A day is, a day was,

Went shopping with DH today. It took almost 6 hours to buy food. We did have a snack and get me a new mobile phone YAH. It looked a bit stormy when we left so though we should get the washing in when we got home. As you do.

Well when we got home, the wind was blowing a gale. Dirt from where they are building in the farm was blowing down then street and across our house like a sand storm (or dirt storm in this case). It was wild and horrible. And we had windows open in the house.

We got the washing in and then it started to rain. I thought it was going to hail it was that heavy and wild. Now there's accidents everywhere. A house has blown across the main road blocking the bridge, and the other connecting road is blocked by a 4 car accident. So lukcy we didn't have swimming today or we would be there in the middle of it. It would take 2 hours to drive the other way around the lake.

TJ has gone to dancing, I so wish we had kept her home but its too close to concert time.

I'm just glad we don't have any gum trees around us now like we used to at our old house. Its awfully worrying about them falling down on you.

Oh and some of the building supplies blew from the farm into our place, we are 4 houses down. DH said he'd take it back tomorrow. Oh boy.

Working on a Sunday

I did a class today. And one during the week. Both super keen. Loved it. Both no sales. Yuk. I hate this part of the job.

Otherwise we had fun at the beach this morning. Would've had more fun if we could've stayed longer instead of having to leave so I could go do silly class. Silly because no sales - see paragraph above.

Now I know what signals Christmas

Tonight I spied my first Christmas Beetle of the season. There was a post on S&S Friends the other day about what made Christmas special for you, and what traditions you had. Christmas Beetles make it special for me. And we have a long tradition of saving them out of the pool so they don't drown. I would've tried to take a pic of it, but Oscar tried to eat it so sitting still wasn't on its list tonight. I will try for one out in the sun, yes I'll do the no flash thing with the macro. Maybe I'll even find the tripod.

Bad Fair Day

I had a stall at our local spring fair today. Some LOSER stole one of my new paperpacks. NOT HAPPY JAN! How rude. How totally rude. I didn't cover costs and I'm also missing a brand new shades of paperpack. AND they had to pick the one colour that a). I need, and b). I only have one of. GRRRR

Grrrr

We took oscar to get a clip today.
This is before...

Grrr blogger still doesn't want to play photo. Thats annoying.

So I won't bother about the after shot but he does look like a completely different dog.

So why am I sharing this? We go to pick him up tonight and the groomer comes out, bends down to talk to me. Not a good sign.

She tells me that she nicked him and he's got 3 stitches. THATS NOT A NICK! Well she reckons it is. So I've been sent home with one of those plastic collars for him in case he keeps licking at it. And I have to watch him. I never knew how much this dog licked his bottom. Ugh. And I'm trying to organise 3 kids and pack for a craft fair tomorrow.

Whats annoying as well is that I had already paid before they brought him out. I guess we'll be talking about that when he has to get his stitches out in 10 days.

Pool Fun

Yesterday was such a stinking hot day that we went for a swim in the pool after dinner. The kids were 'supposed' to sit on the steps and not swim around becuase we had literally just finished dinner. We put the spa jets on the help keep them on the step, and when they got out I discovered quite by accident that if you block the spa outlet, water shoots up the air intake pipe.

The kids thought it was so funny, surprising and scary that I had to do it over and over again. We're planning on surprising Grandma with it on the weekend. If I have that video camera out I reckon we could score some good money on funniest home videos!

Oh and the kids had absolutely no idea how I was doing it.

I took a challenge tonight

Yes nothing tough and hard to do, just a quiz to see what disney character you are most like. This is mine
I am a curious sole that is always asking why and how to many life's questions. My curiosity can sometimes get me into trouble, but I mean well. I am a creative person that loves to dream up my own world.

Here it is if you want to try it for yourself
http://quizilla.com/users/Kereokacola/quizzes/Which%20DISNEY%20character%20are%20you%20most%20like%3F/

Oh so true.

Oh so yum...

I finished the cake- no I haven't eaten all of it. But I've had a slice. Oh so yum! I love my cadbury's chocolate but that Betty Crocker Whipped Chocolate Frosting with the Hershey's chocolate is just divine.

Thanks so much Gloria for sharing your American cake with me. It is just delicous. The pics don't want to play, so I'll try later.

cake update

It turned out perfect. Nothing stuck. Looks delicous. I've covered it with a tea towel so it can cool. Afternoon tea is going to be delicous today!

I'm baking!

I have made a batch of cupcakes this morning and now I am baking my first American cake. When it was ready to go in the oven, just minutes ago, the kids were all upstairs getting ready for school, so I got to lick the beaters. YUM!! I can't wait for it to be cooked. But I am going to be a good girl and let it cool and then do the frosting thing. I'll post a pic later 4 u. Bye for now.

I got some news today

Today my brother rings up. He has some news. He got engaged over the weekend. He took a 4 day cruise with his girl and proposed. They haven't set a date. Her name is Sarah. Apparently I've met her (to which I told him he has brought that many girls to my house I have given up keeping track). He has moved into his new house. They are having a baby together and she is 4 months pregnant. And they are flying out tonight to Bankok and Puket for a holiday for 2 weeks.

Hows that for a lot of news all at once? I guess I should be happy for him, but it would be nice to actually know who she is.

A day at the beach

TJ had her first nipper carnival today. She didn't do very well, but also didn't embaress herself. There was 92 U8's. Thats a lot of girls. I had to help official this afternoon. You never know how hard to choose second place actually is.

Just a short one tonight. I'm tired and sunburnt. Goodnite!

I'm out of the loop

I took TJ out to dinner tonight. It was just the local chinese. DH and the boys had gone to grandmas to sleep over. Man, am I out of the loop. The prices in the chinese just about killed me. I can't beleive how much they have gone up. We're talking ridiculous. Looks like I'll be staying out of the loop for a loonngg while yet.

Swim club

We went to swim club for the very first time tonight. The kids did 3 races each. BMW is in splashers and TJ in satelites. Brendan got a first and 2 seconds, and TJ 3 seconds, though I was told its not based on placings but rather their times. I guess we will have to get used to that as the kids are really keen to go back. And I mean REALLY keen, especially TJ.

Swim vs Frog

I had my first proper swim of the season today. The kids have been in since the end of September, but I've only just stood in the water up until today. So I do the big dive, have a swim around and think oh something smells bad. Must be something dead in the garden and think nothing of it. Keep swimming, then TJ says, Mum whats that?

Now I know what smelt bad. We have a floater. Dead. Frog. Floater. YUK!

So the bloated frog is now on the boogie board, on top of the filter box. If a bird eats it, good luck to it, otherwise DH will have to deal with it tomorrow when he wakes up. YUK YUK YUK!

And yeah, I made everyone get out of the pool quick smart. Tomorrow creepy will be on and it'll be a trip to the pool shop for extra chlorine. YUK

Why do I do it to myself?

We had pizza tonight. I was tired from driving and had a headache. So I thought why not? I'm beginning to think I must be the Pavlov failure. I need to remeber pizza makes me feel yuk. Pizza does not equal weight loss. Why do I not remember this before I order? Yukky way to finish off a great day. Note to self: no more pizza!

Melbourne Cup

For the first time I had a fun Melbourne cup. I created my own fun with a sweep on SSS. I'm sure DH thought I was crazy but he helped with the draw of the names for the horses. First time ever I got a place. That was pretty cool. I guess it was the first time I ever betted on a horse race too. Lucky it was only sizzix die cuts!

Halloween

Our Jack-o-lantern 'Jack' looked great at our front door. The kids had heaps of fun trick or treating and got heaps of lollies. We went with some girls from school. It was funny the kids going to the door and the mums hanging on the footpath waiting and watching.

For dessert I made the kids eyeball jelly. It was supposed to be a spooky treat but no one really liked the taste of the eyeballs. I think I grossed them out just a bit!