Mastercard

Being woken up at 6am - irritating
Being constantly shot with Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Blaster - maddening
Being bugged for food a million trillion times a day - frustrating
Having your house trashed over and over - exasperating
Having 3 exhausted kids fall asleep watching tv - PRICELESS

Getting some bang for your buck

While it's great that this government of ours gives us some great kickbacks for Childcare, sometimes it really does seem ludicrous the amount of money you outlay just to work.

Take school holiday programs for example. My kids are lucky enough to have Grandparents that can take them for a week here and there but they need their breaks too, so holiday program it is. Every fortnight, both Brian and I have one weekday off so we try to arrange that week as being the holiday program week to lessen the financial burden. Even so sending the boys for just three days still leaves me initially out of pocket $288.

So today is was nice to get some bang for my buck. Yes I admit that they usually go to the movies or bowling or have some activity group come to them (last holidays it was a reptile park place that visits with animals) but this time it was nice for the kids to bring something home that they'd made (well stuffed with some sort of foam and a star that they made a wish on) and could keep.

P.S. Yes I know they need haircuts, but they've got it set in their minds that they want to grow their hair like Justin Bieber (god help me).

And here I was wanting a refund

This is the child that just two days ago I was willing to give away not just to a good home, but to any home.
This is the child that I wanted a refund on.
This is the child that is a screaming banshee.

But this is also the child that tells me "I love you all the way to the moon, the stars AND the butterflies".
She is also the child that climbs into my bed an some ungodly hour every single night and sticks her little feet up the back my top just because she needs to feel my skin.
She is also the same child that has the hugest doe eyes and longest dark lashes and knows how to use them.

This is her. How could I ever refund that?

Keep smiling, keep shining

Thanks Jac, you always manage to make me smile no matter what. Love you xx

P.S. Just wait a sec and turn your speakers on.

And I heard you crying in the chapel

On this great big happy sunny day.

Yes that was me.
Standing out the front of the church with tears in my eyes.
All thanks to Helen and this blog post.
It's a really wonderful feeling to know that I've touched someone.
Thank you Helen. You made my day. xx

Time of your life

So today is very bittersweet.
Yes it's the start of a new life, but I'm still feeling a little heartbroken for the life we're leaving behind.

This is the first place that was OURS. Not just a house - but our home.

This was the place that we celebrated our marriage with all our family and friends.



This is the place that we brought all three babies home.


This is the place that we shared many, many birthdays, Easters and Christmases with our extended family and great friends.


Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Love you forever Barbeque Nerd

Remember this song? I do. I'll never forget.

After a ballbreaker of a day...

...there is nothing like climbing into a hot bath and lying back and watching your all time favorite movie. Damn I love this movie.




 Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around. - Prime Minister

'Tis the season

A big Merry Christmas from my family to yours xx