i want...............

THIS

the new WeR Crop-A-Dile corner chomper................

back tomorrow to update about our Easter break

quote of week.............

When you look at your life,

the greatest happinesses

are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

camping - rain, hail OR shine

we are so loving our camper right now.
it's all about when we can next take her away and use her. the kids love it, Anthony loves it and i LURVE it.

we had booked in to go back up to Soldiers Point on the weekend just past. we looked at the weather reports all week and we thought stuff it, we're still going.
we took the kids out of school early again and headed up with Anthony's mum and dad. we got no rain at all on Friday
we set up, the kids ran around like mad kids and enjoyed the place because there was only one other tent there where it was almost packed the last time we went up - i think the prospect of rain kept people away.
Saturday morning mum, Mandy and hunter arrived and the weather still head out. we put up the tent and the kids moved all there toys into there to play, which was a great idea. Mandy and i went into town to get a few things then raced back cause we could see the rain fast approaching.
we managed to quickly get the Easter Egg hunt set out just before the rain started right in the middle of the hunt.
Hunter thought it was hilarious as i was holding him, hopping like a rabbit in the rain. he was laughing at the bouncing but couldn't quite work out the rain!
well it bucketed. we found out the camper had 2 roof leaks - not huge ones and they are fixable and the side canvas need re-waterproofing.so it was a good exercise taking it out in the rain.
the kids got slightly stir crazy being cooped up and when there was a break in the weather the scooters and wave boards came out and we all raced them. it made for a super funny afternoon.

i dont think anything beats going away with family!

scooter racing - grandpa, Anthony & shanice

mum scootering


well...... how do i explain this one....... Hunter wanted to race too!!! I think the rain must have got to Mandy as she pram raced, lol

my gorgeous boy

i cant stop taking Hunter pictures - he is just TOO gorgeous

the 2 boys - look at those bright blue eyes

tea cups & high tea

I love, love, love High Tea
Any chance i get to go i jump at it!

I had to pop up to mums this morning to sign some legal papers for mum as her solicitor was coming over, so what a get excuse to go out for lunch afterwards - OR High Tea

We went to T2 at hornsby and it is the most gorgeous little place. there is even a shop next door to buy all the yummy teas - which i couldn't resist.
The cakes, scones and mini sandwiches were just to die for. and i chose the scrummiest tea - "Strawberry and Cream" - YUM!!!!!!!

the other week i was watching some doco on Jackie Chan - of all things, some architectural thing it was. And anyway he collects tea cups (cups and saucers). And i thought what a lovely thing to collect, i just might do that myself. i thought about all the old antique shops i could drag Anthony and the kids into, lol.
Well, i just couldn't walk past this gorgeous little bamboo number today. This is the first of my new collection! It is so sweet and dainty and i love it and cant wait to have my first cup of tea in it tomorrow.
i also couldn't resist the cupcake tea infuser! just me!!!! And my first lot of yummy tea. I got the catalogue and have already started to mark the ones i want to try next.

zac power and other random stuff.......

lets start on friday........
i always have coffee with the mums from school every friday morning. there is about 6-12 of us that get to together. so on friday for something a little bit different i organised for us to have an Enjo party. It was great......... we bought some great cleaning goodies, cleaned part of my house and chatted till it was almost time to pick up the kids. Next we are going to a tupperware party!

so to get ready for our party morning i spent all of Thursday baking up a storm. I cooked Hot cross bun cookies, banana bread muffins and choc cherry bliss bomb cookies. the best thing about making all those yummies was that i really enjoyed doing it! Plus they tasted really great.

saturday turned out to be a super busy day. i met mum and mandy for coffee at stanhope gardens because i was having withdrawls and desperately needed aunty love from Hunter. while we where out i got some great ideas for Easter presents too.

next we headed across to Parklea markets so i could pick up 3 frames that were on order. Anthony got his Italian job painting framed that Deanne painted him fro Christmas done and it looks fabulous. And i got a 3 photos of the kids and hunter framed.

by lunch time me and kids were on our way down the farm, but i had to stop in to tracy's on the way. my half an hour stop turned into almost 2 hours - sorry trac.

we did make it down the farm before the pub run.............

Anthony thought it would be good fun to mix my drinks and after 6 drinks he reckons i was getting really funny! well it wasn't funny this morning when i woke with a killer headache - but no hangover thank god!

i took Pat into Golburn to do a bit of shopping for Easter. Shanice came with us and got totally spoilt rotten, Connor had decided to stay back at the farm to play golf.

getting on to the Zac Power part of my post..................... i bought connor 2 of the new zac power books he hadn't got yesterday. on the way down the farm he read one whole book and started the second. i picked up the third book today that he was missing and on the way home he started that one and finished it and then went onto almost finish the second book he started yesterday. That boy certainly loves his Zac Power. And he reads just like his dad!

Shanice got a new book too "Tweenie Genie". she's so gorgeous, because she is severely dyslexic she really struggles but tries so hard. Half way thru the drive home today Ant wanted to sleep so i took over driving and Shanice asked if she could read to me which i just love. Every time she got stuck on a work she's lean across to Connor and he'd tell her what it was. Just too cute!

well, i've come home and gone grocery shopping, unpacked everyone's stuff, ironed, cooked dinner and then i made a cake for Shanice's best friends sisters 3rd birthday tomorrow. I volunteered to try out my giant cupcake cake tin i got for Christmas. I cant wait to finish it tomorrow and take photos - god i hope it turns out as well as i hope!

FUN with a capital "F"

I had THE most fabulous time last weekend at the retreat.
It was so much fun and just hilarious!
All the ladies were lovely and it was so great to meet some new scrappers and see old friends again. You could say it was a tad bit wild and did get up to some really funny shenanigans, lol
Having that extra day away makes the whole weekend so much more relaxing and i dont feel as rushed.
From the feedback i received i'm pretty sure absolutely everyone had just as good a time as me :)
Can i just make mention that BELLE is the most wonderful cook! all the meals were so yummy i want her to move into my house and cook for me full time.
Thanks to Miss Trac - cause she's just great and i love her to bits
And thanks to Miss Nic and Miss Cath for doing an awesome job of bringing such a massive shop with them and tempting me too much.

here are just a few of the 200 odd picture i took last weekend.

the group shot
all dressed in our best for the "Pink Pyjama Party"


our weekend challenge winners


trailer trash, lol


coming out of the bushes

cheeky girls

stacks on!

pondering

who's got sexy legs? lol

Now over the 4days and 3 nights i managed to scrap a whole 3 layouts, lol. i was extremely chuffed with my effort.

Earlier this week i went to scan my layouts, but my scanner has completely shit itself and now wont turn on at all, so piccies of the creations will have to wait for another time

growing up.........

so much has gone on in the past week that i just dont know where to start, so i'm just not going to do the whole blow by blow account of our week :)
instead i'm going to post about my beautiful bebe

Miss Shanice turned 10 last thursday. turning double digits was a BIG deal and needed a special celebration. She opted for a laptop as her present which meant she couldn't have a big party just a few friends to sleep over and lunch out with family and close family friends.
She had the best time

opening presents

the sleepover kaos

shanice, adelaide and brittney

the birthday cupcake and balloon topiary

blowing out the candles

just being shanice

my gorgeous little stunner

i've come to realise in the passing week that i no longer have my little girl anymore, she has grown up and become a tween. where has the time gone?

this week we have had a few significant growing up moments............

* Shanice turned 10

* she slept at her friends house and came home with a tattoo (it's a henna tattoo, but i reckon the day will come that she will try and sneak in with a real one - and who are we to judge as parents with many tattoos!)

* she got her hair cut. not huge but she told Rose the hairdresser exactly how she wanted it and i didn't interfere

* she got her eyebrows waxed - i know............... but both Anthony and i have a problem with the mono brow thing and both the kids inherited it, and shanice was being teased at school for it. Now they didn't shape them just waxed between them :)

* shanice has gone on her first school camp today for 3 days and 2 nights

now you can understand why i'm feeling a little lost.

Here are some pics that i took of her this morning.

looking not so impressed that i'm harassing for photos, but here is the new hair and new "2" eyebrows

being buggers

waving to me from inside the bus

bye my big girl. have an awesome time

under the weather

i think i might have picked up the bug the kids had over the weekend. i woke this morning feeling like i'd been hit by a bus.
my ears are ringing, my head is thumping, my throat is sore, my sinus is sore and i just feel like crap! i've taken tablets as soon as i got up and about but they haven't helped and of course today is my crazy day. i just want to curl up and sleep, but time waits for no man, so they say.
i have to:
* bind 42 booklets ready for next weekend
* write up 2 lots of class instructions
* send out another newsletter because i forgot half of the info yesterday
* do my father in laws accounts for the past 3 months
* do my own accounts
* make 40 huney jumbles for shanice's birthday tomorrow to take to school
* cook dinner before school get out
* take shanice to her after school lesson
* take shanice swimming
* get connor ready for karate

I'm exhausted thinking about it all and i dont think half of it is going to get done!

today is shanice's last day being in single digits - tomorrow my baby turns 10!
I'm so excited for her, it's going to be the best day. better make sure the camera's battery is fully charged

a movie and a proud mummy moment

Anthony haven't been to the movies together in ages. So last night we arranged to have the kids looked after by Grandma and Grandpa and we went and saw this.................



OMG!!!!! there is 3 hours of my life i will never get back!
After it finished i turned to Ant and said the best part of that was the soundtrack and the posters outside. It was awful, and even Anthony agreed.
So if you are thinking of spending your $15.50 to go and see Watchmen - DONT....... it's utter CRAP

here is the best part from the film................ The MCR song that plays during the credits



not being biased, but MCR are my favourite band in the entire world, lol

I have a rather proud mummy moment of friday. not one but both of my gorgeous children got awards at the school weekly assembly. i'm so proud of them

quote of the week...................

Words have the power to both destroy and heal.

When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

- Buddhist Proverb