Wow, it has been a while since I have blogged. We have had so much sickness in this house it has been a downer that is for sure. I went down with the flu (the real thing) for 9 days. It was suggested to me by the pharmacist at work last week that I should really have the flu injections every year seeing as I have had it 3 times in my adult life. So, from here on in I will. I felt like death on more than one day. And I was stressing about going to Camp Mojo, I did think for a few days there that I wouldn't be able to go. Then I finally started feeling better, went back to work for 4 days and then took off to Camp. I thought I had lost all of my photos of my trip with Tatum and Lauren and Lou, which made me sad but I got them retrieved today by the local camera centre. So happy, there are some funny photos. So now I have to sort through the 1000 photos retrieved from my card and find the ones from the trip. 

So, for now, some photos of our family life lately... Boring but I like this part of my blog!!

 Lexi Loo so so sick toward the end of June... It took me 24 hours to realise that she probably had tonsellitis and not a vomiting bug as first thought. I think the vomits being 24 hours apart rang a bell somewhere with me... Poor little chook..... 

 A few days later I made a big batch of blue playdo and the girls kept coming back to it over the whole of the Sunday when I made it. Hours and hours of good ol fun!

 Mia with her creation. Mother of the year that I am forget what it was.... Oops. but Mia was so proud!! x

 Blurry crazy photo of this crazy little Miss.... She is pretty good, but has a throwing streak in her, and certainly knows what she wants.... NOW!!!!

 Last Wed and Thurs nights + Thurs day sleep Lexi slept in her big girls bed. Friday night she had a return to her cot where she still is... I wasn't home so I don't really know what happened but I think she was over tired and Daddy put her in there, and in there she stays... And who cares, she is our baby and I don't want her to grow up too quickly.. She is anyway, but if she wants to stay in her cot a little longer, I won't be pushing her out!! 

 The makings of my new favourite and crazy quick curry. Garlic, Ginger, Chilli, and Tumeric, gently cooked down with lots of onion and a couple of tomatoes or however many you want... Cook it slowly til the onion is transparent and soft, add a can or two (depends how many you are feeding) each of chopped tomatoes and coconut milk... Simmer. Add meat of choice and cook til meat is done. We has prawns in it on Sat night, but chicken is just as good..... Serve with pappadums and rice. We had Naan bread from Woolies but I didn't love them. Blech!! But a really quick and easy meal, especially when having friends over as it really is so easy and yummy!

 Ingredients for my new favourite favourite cocktail.. SO glad we went to Hard Rock Cafe in Sydney... THANKS LOU for wanting to go, I was a bit dubious to start with, but loved the little experience and got a serious bad taste for the Raspberry Lemonade... I will make them for anyone that will have them!! Hubby included!! Look out at Scrapathon Meredith and Amanda, will be making sure you have a taste!! 

 How cool is this clown lamp?? I love him in a bit of a weird way I think... On the Monday night flying back from Sydney to Ads, I sat next to Lauren, reading Donna Hays latest kids mag care of Tatum who had it stashed somewhere... And right on the inside of the back page was a lamp like this but instead it was of The Little Old Woman Who Lived In The Shoe... I remarked to Lauren that I loved it so much, and she promised to be on the lookout for me for one in Adelaide.. (Lauren, any type will do, I'm collecting them now!! LOL!!) 

So on Sunday I went Garage Sale-ing with Mum and Dad and the kids.... We ended up at Community House in Lincoln South... They have a little Op Shop there too, so thought I'd look in there.... And I saw this little clown..... Uuuum, he cost $2 but ended up paying $1... Mr Clown Light Man, I love you!! 

 Playground and Del Giorno coffee with my SIL and MIL after garage sale-ing....the girls love playgrounds, especially with their cousins.. Lexi found one of Mia's school friends there with her or her Dad's little Ipod, so she was lucky to listen to some tunes too thanks to Mia's friendly school mate! Had to giggle at that one.

 Happy little playground girl....

So now to sort through these photos... Have some good memories of the Mojo weekend... My new nickname is Ali 'Merkin' McDonald... A bit of a funny story. Good for lots of laughs though! It was lovely to meet some of my original online friends from Scrapbooking Memories forum. And I love the snaps too. I had a mini photo session by Lynette Van Barrelo, which was great and can't wait to see those. I was under the impression that we would be able to take a cd home of our photos but I think Lynette might have underestimated the talking and socialising element at Mojo!! LOL! I will be patient!!  

Mum and I are taking Lexi to Adelaide for her 1st checkup in a year. She has an issue or two that I want to ask about, but don't think it is major, but a few things we have noticed when she is running around. But we feel that she is going great guns.. I can't believe it has been a year since we saw her Dr... A bloody good year without a stress about her at all. So we will see, hoping that her coughing/loss of breath (a little) while running around like a mad toddler is just a part of who she is and not a real worry. We'll see. 

Back soon. Thanks for popping in. It has been a while.

God I feel so low lately. 

It's almost as if I'm ready to go home now. 

But wait, I'm here.

I am home. 

 I have these waves where I'm up and down, and now I'm just waiting to catch the wave back up. Two weeks ago I was ultra inspired, and now it's all a chore. Everything. I can't pinpoint it, but I know myself well enough to know just to ride it out. Even though I don't like it. Just ride it out. 

And then there are my little chicks, who, when they aren't sick, coughing and spluttering around the place, make me laugh, and we do have so much fun. Mum will be even funner soon. I promise. I wanted to take them for a drive to Coffins on Sunday, have some fried food from one of the shops on the beach and play on the playground. But Mia is so flat atm, when I went to collect her on Friday, she was in the sickroom, and has basically been unwell ever since. It's almost like she has the flu. No energy, is hungry but is hardly eating, bored but can't be bothered to do anything. Poor little moppet... She is sleeping in with me as always when her Dad is away and I do kind of like it really, especially when she is unwell. So no Sunday drive, she even didn't want to go to a party that she was invited to on Sunday and no school today or tommorow.... 

How is this little face??

 Love how her little bottom teeth are just that tiny bit crooked. Hope the big teeth aren't!! 

It's a bit hard to get shots of Mia lately. I got this one when we went to Tumby last weekend. But just about every other photo I have tried to take lately she sabotages to the max. Ratbag... I try my old line about not being able to scrapbook her if I can't take her photo, but she knows how much scrapping I've been doing (jack) and isn't too worried. 

 

 

Anyway, sorry for the downer, but it's just me at the moment. Same as my other post, I don't want to whinge anywhere else, but this is my space just for me (and yours too, whoever that may be) and I think I can let it all hang out here... I reckon anyway.... 

Onwards and upwards. 

Or in my case, nighty nights with a good book in my snuggly bed!! xxx

 

On a lighter note... 

I made a canvas for a friend for her birthday, utterly inspired by Nicole Pomeroy. I made it yes, but ideas and whatnot came from her... So I will give credit where it is due and point you in her direction, she is rocking out the art at the moment and I am obviously lucky to have one of hers hanging on my wall. Made just for me. Special. Although looking at Nicole's and mine, they are different I just need to make it clear that I was inspired by her. And that it took me weeks and weeks to complete this so won't be making too many. Just for the odd gift maybe. 

Yes, there are no heads. I just couldn't do them. And I haven't had the spare $$ to pay for the course that Nic pointed me in the direction of to learn how... But Kylie loves it. The tree is to represent the desert and so is the blazing sun... I had fun doing it and Kylie is happy, so there you go.. Mia wants me to do one of our family, and I will. One day.

x

Since we have moved back to Lincoln I have re-connected with a group of girls who I babygrouped with when Mia was a baby. It is lovely to get to know these girls again, who I did try and see whenever I came down from Roxby. I have gelled with one chick in particular which is awesome, someone who I can talk with about anything, who is open like me and gives me advice... Kinda like Kylie and Tatum in Roxby.... I have enjoyed camping with these girls down here, and catching up for drinks and so on... But other than this one person, I feel as though I still have to work on these friendships, which is hard for me as I am not a 'put myself out there' kind of person to begin with... I am a weirdo... I think I think too much about things and stress over unimportant crap.

Anyway, one of these girls who I didn't actually know very well before I have started to get to know, it's her husbands 30th birthday party tommorow night. And I am the only one of our group of friends not invited... I talked to Kylie about it and she did say that it is the husbands party and he probably wrote a list of who he wanted to ask to the party... So I keep thinking that, as Kylie is a wise one when it comes to alot of things... BUT I just can't help feeling a bit miffed.... I know I shouldn't. I know it's hard when you are throwing a party. I am hoping it isn't a deliberate thing as in we don't want to ask her, I hope it's just because they didn't think about it, rather than deliberate...

I hate it that I over think things... 

I know we all tend to do it.

I am liking Lincoln, seeing alot of my family, but my friends were my family in Roxby and I am really missing that feeling too. 

So, tell me, am I being silly?? I asked a couple of workmates what they would feel, and they did agree that it isn't a nice feeling to be excluded, deliberate or not... 

I just needed to get it out there without Facebooking it, or whatnot....

x

Malabar!!!

When it was my birthday Brenton and I went out to dinner at the local Indian restaurant.. He had the Prawn Malabar, which we both loved (he HAD to share with me, it was my birthday after all) We have some prawns in the freezer from my brother who sometimes gets them given to him but he doesn't like them!! Lucky us!! 

I had a go at recreating this dish last night!! 

I did find a recipe on the net but I changed it of course!! 

First I browned a large onion in a little oil along with 1-1/2 tablespoons each of garlic, ginger and chilli. I also added tumeric but not as much as the first three... I added chopped tomato, only had 1 and a half in the fridge but could have added twice that.. I gently fried it all, added a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of coconut milk. I started cooking my rice in the rice cooker and then popped the prawns in to poach in the sauce. (Use however many prawns you think each person will have) Pappadams in the microwave were easy and you just have to have them with a dish like this!! We ate the leftovers for dinner tonight and the chilli had really come out overnight so maybe watch that if you don't love chilli. I have developed a taste for it over the last year or two and really liked it with the chilli! 

I think this would be just as nice with chicken or beef if slowly cooked so the beef is nice and tender... 

We went for a Sunday drive to Tumby this afternoon. Brenton's Grandparents are buried in the Cemetary there so we put some flowers on the gravesite. We went to the Ritz for burgers and very yummy hot chips. Then to the playground, but it was a bit wet so the girls couldn't really get onto too many of the equiptment. Was all good fun though and lovely to get the kids out of the house. A good afternoon while Brenton is home! He is gone again way too quickly but I must say he is being so much more helpful around the house.. It is amazing really. Just doing housework and dealing with the kids like he has never done before. And he is more than happy to. A big change, and an unexpected bonus of him working away! 

I finished my canvas for my friend Kylie in Roxby tonight so that it can go back up there with Brenton. I am quite happy with it. I have been inspired by Nicole Pomeroy in a big way so it probably looks alot like what she does but am not going to get into them too much, just for gifts here and there, and it took me over 7 weeks to finish as I kept adding little bits here and there over time. I am not a quick worker. Photos to come later on. I am happy with it, as I have put elements of her and her family on it, and she saw the half finished canvas when she came down for the long lunch and she got all teary then so hope she likes the finished product just as much...

Ok then, hope everyone has had a good weekend. Too many wines for me Friday night meant I felt tired and unmotivated yesterday. Why oh why do I continue to even drink it?? Crazy is what that is.... lol!! 

xx

Ooooh Oooh Ooooh and more Ooooh!!! 

On Friday I arrived home to a little package tucked behind my screen door!! It was a birthday present for me from Lucy made by Nic... I was so surprise, literally overwhelmed.. I have now banged a hole in my wall above my scrap desk and there is hangs.. And here is me with it on Friday.... 

Here I am with it!! My friend Triona was over today dropping her daughter off for a sleepover and she just could. not. believe. that I had never met Lucy or Nic in real life. But that's the scrapping world for you isn't it.. Sometimes there is bitchiness but I have never personally encountered it, I have had nothing but kindness shown to me!! And I am so lucky to have 'met' the people I have!!

Bring on Camp Mojo I say!! xxx

Excuse me while I indulge in a bit of poor bugga me..... 

 

Tonight I'm really missing some people and my old way of life.... I'm sitting here on my own, Mia has a little friend over for a sleepover so there is certainly life in this house!! It's nice to hear them giggle.

First up on the list, I'm missing this person...

 

 

 

 

 

And this mob, I would love to be with all of them right now.... I love them all so much and am missing them with all of my heart!! 

 

And I absolutely can't wait for a fix of this girl, I miss her so much... More than she would know!!  

 

And this girl was in the mob photo above but she is my bestest friend and I struggle at times even still that we live so far from each other even though it's been almost 5 years since we have lived close to each other... I love her like a sister, infact she is my sistergirl!!!

 

A glass of red or a Johnnies would be nice with this chick.... she too is my besty and I love her so so much!! And she rang me tonight from an engagement party she was at, I love how we ring each other to profess our love of each other whilst we are indulging in alcohol!! That's probably because we have been so social together over the years!! 

 

 

I'm lucky to have all of these girls surrounding me....

(except for Kylie who is in Roxby) 

But it's all my friends from far away that I would love to be near right now... 

I am missing Roxby and the easy way of life.. I miss my husband who is back there working. I miss our house up there, our rooms, our spaces... I am really just having a 'poor bugga me' moment. 

On the upside, I cleaned out my inbox last night and found another invoice from Scrapbooking Memories except that it was from the 15th of last month.. I have subsequently unsubscribed from lots of places that I get emails and notifications from.. I am sick of having my inbox filled with crap, and missing something so important to me... AND it was a LO for a gallery that has already been published so I am so so surprised... Very pleasantly.. Can anyone let me know if this has happened to them and it was still published..

I am also having the hugest purge of my life in my house... I'm reading a book called It's all too much by Peter Walsh, which is really useful for identifying why we keep all this crap and how it's preventing us from achieving the life we want. It's not just about the crap but about us too.. Very good for me. Between that and the Organised Housewife I'm feeling very inspired to get towards living the life I want.. Sounds good to me!!

 It's all really super simple stuff, it's just that I don't think about things those ways!! 

 

 

 

And then there is these two.. What would I do before them?? Wasted alot of time I am thinking!! 

Both of them sleeping in my room while Daddy is away.. Lexi just would not settle one night so I popped her in her portacot in my room and off she went to sleep.. Love having them close by anyway!! Ratbags!!!

 

Ok well, until next time when I'm more positive!! xxx