A photo a day - Swimming...sorta

37 degrees in Melbourne
$15 blow up pool from a $2ish type shop
3 happy kids
PRICELESS

NKOTB - 24 days and counting

I thought that it was probably about time for another house update (although I suspect if you know me in real life you would have heard enough bitching and moaning to last a lifetime).

So the build flow goes like this:

1. Start building with #1 site supervisor
2. House seems to be moving VERY quickly - everybody is telling us that we'll be in by Christmas
3. Some weird things start happening - scaffolding comes down before bricking is finished, house is painted before some plastering is finished, house is half tiled and left for ages
4. #1 site supervisor gets sacked, apparently due to the half assed job on our house (structurally we're fine but everything has been done ass about face (you think???)
5. #2 site supervisor starts. It's just before Christmas and the house is at a standstill with no work being done what-so-ever.
6. #3 site supervisor starts. He tells us that it will take at least to Christmas to get the house to where it should be.
7. We find out that no work is being done as the site was shut down by WorkSafe or something similar. There is two weeks where no work is done.
8. We are given dates for tradies and are told that we still should be in by contract date (21.03.12)
9. Tradies never turn up on arranged dates or if they do they only work for 30ish minutes.
10. Carpenters get sacked for not turning up for job.
11. #4 site supervisor starts. He seems to be more senior than anyone we're seen and his sole job is to get our house completed.

So this is where we are at now. There are 24 days to the end of contract date. I don't think the house will be ready.

Most current pic of the front of the house. Looks so far away still.

A photo a day - Ouch

Big mofo splinter under my nail. Have no idea how that's going to come out.

A photo a day - Nice spot for a rest

 Excuse the blurry pic but I needed to zoom in to be able to share and we all know how *cough* great *cough* iPhones and the zoom camera function is.

The whole time we where there, this Pelican sat on top of the street light just watching all the goings on at the beach.

A photo a day - Say cheese....I mean sauce

Cute and sauce covered do not belong in the same pic

A photo a day - What's wrong with this picture

You'd be a bit freaked out if you weren't paying attention

A photo a day - Vice

Vice: a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. Hmmm, do you think my coke zero falls into this category?

A photo a day - And today we have another stellar paint job

It's awesome eh? Even Imogen thinks so.
Can't you tell by that look of rapture?

A photo a day - Be alert, not alarmed

Ahhh no, screw that.    

Be alarmed.

A photo a day - Ahh the serenity

God I love Williamstown. How gorgeous is this tree lined street? 

That's what I miss with living in a new estate.

A photo a day - Life is like a box of chocolates

Sleepy lips that even Bubba (from Forrest Gump) would be proud of.

A photo a day - Face in a hole

The princess wasn't too happy about not being tall enough to be the girl but managed a smile. Liam however was a tad over excited.

A photo a day - Damn I needed that

It did have a pretty pattern on the top but I got too excited and drank some before I took the pic.

A photo a day - All you need is love

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy.

Love you Mr BBQ Nerd x ♥ x

A photo a day - Assholes

And that is me being polite

A photo a day - OMG, won't someone think of the children

What is this world coming to when you ask to take a photo of a cute chocolate face and your 3 year old does duckface

A photo a day - Can we build it.

Yes we can.
Every single piece of Duplo that Nannie owns piled that high that Liam had to stand on a chair.

New Kids on the block - Locked out :(

On one hand it's really friggin annoying that we can no longer get into the house, but on the other at least the place is finally locked up properly. If we can't get in, neither can anyone else then.

A photo a day - Quick, grab a bargain

Yes, I will openly admit to being juvenile at times but come on, surely someone needs some skills in marketing.

A photo a day - What to eat on pasta night when you're low carbing?

Why vegetables with bolognaise sauce of course.

08.02.12

A photo a day - Nawwww, I love my husband

As soon as I saw this in the window next door to work I knew it was perfect for the husband. Especially since he's such a smart as and says shit like this all the time. I'm thinking that they must have some cards in there just perfect for him.

A photo a day - The reluctant rockstar

Despite the sad, puppy dog face when I pulled the camera out, Jack had been running around like a rockstar. Stage fright anyone?

A photo a day - Assface husband

I have created a monster. Brian is now obsessed with Words with Friends. He thinks he's top shit because he just got a 50 point word. I'm so getting my ass kicked.

A photo a day - FML

After suffering through tightass Kirks drinks for almost a week now, my withdrawals have kicked into overdrive and I HAD to go and buy some Coke Zero today.
This is what I found at the supermarket:

FML

A photo a day - And school goes back

The big cheesy grin on Liam's face is comical since just two seconds before he was refusing to get in the photo and cracking it about me walking him into school.

A photo a day - Nothing like your heart melting over a sop

You know it's a great night to snuggle into the sofa when Notting Hill is on. Luff Hugh Grant.

A photo a day - How to settle a debate Brodrick style.

What do you do when you're arguing over furniture placement?

Why you draw to scale and make little scale furniture cut outs to trial and error positioning.

Well if you're anal like me, that's what you do.

A photo a day - Blur

Well it's this pic or nothing today as this was the only one I took. Scuse the blur with moving child - that's what happens when said child has a party blower.

A photo a day - Ferris Wheel

Taken at Eastern Beach, Geelong.

A photo a day - The strawberry-aholic

A trip to the Bacchus Marsh strawberry farm is always a highlight. Especially for this little strawberry-aholic.

A photo a day - That was a close call

Kyoto Facade

When Brian and I where deciding on house plans, we where having trouble picking the facade. One that we quite liked on paper was the Kyoto.

It had the attraction of a large balcony, but we where a bit iffy on the overall finish. The main problem was that there where no double story houses on display with that facade. Some single stories that looked okayish, but without the balcony we couldn't really get the idea so we dropped that facade.

Mossman Facade

We realised just recently that in the William's Landing estate that there are a few Oxfords with the Kyoto facade. So we did a bit of sneaky cam action (as you do), and here is the result. While this one looks okay, I don't love it and am so glad we went with the the Mossman.

A photo a day - Speaking of cousins

 ...look at the other cheeky monkey of the family, my niece Shylah. Miss Shylah is just as cheeky as Imogen and even more of a monkey (you should see this kid climb).

A photo a day - Cousins

I love that the girls are old enough to play properly together now. I saw an awesome quote today that I thought summed up the girls perfectly.

Cousins - because parents couldn't handle us as sisters 

Love them to death but ain't that the truth LOL

A photo a day - One with me in it for a change

A family trip to Queenscliff beach. Weird ass angle photo courtesy of Miss Three.

A photo a day - Brownie Anyone

 

Day One of new staff member at work. I'm thinking he's going to fit in if he keeps lavishing these scrumptious gifts on us.

Something to talk about 3

Courtesy of Melissa from The Things I'd Tell You, here is this weeks Something to talk about:  

“List things you are curious about. What do you want to learn? If you could go back and study anything you want (can be more than one thing), what would you choose? Are there any skills you wish you had that you don't? Dream big. Tell me all of the things you wish you could do, all of the things you wish you could learn about. ”

 

I want to learn how to sew. I mean really sew so that I can go and make all the pretties myself. Think of all those gorgeous little skirts and dresses I could make.

  *image source

Forensics. Not so much the crime scenes or crimes themselves, but more the mechanics of it...how the scene is worked, how the evidence is collected, how the evidence is read. And then the psychology of it.

Visual Merchandising. You know how some people just have the knack of putting things together, like clothing, jewellery, interior decorating, shop merchandising.  Yeah well I don't have that knack. I just wish I did.

And last but not least, photography. I would so love to get right into photography. Get a good camera. Do some courses. I drive my family nuts with my endless photo taking. I think they'd kill me if I actually did a photography course.

A photo a day - A bit of fun in the sun

Jack enjoying a quiet moment at Werribee South beach

Kylee gets her bitch on

I really don't understand what the hell is wrong with people.

This morning I was driving to work and came across a little girl who was no more than four, at a guess, walking alone along a main road in her pyjamas. I watched her in my rear view mirror to see if her parents appeared, but no. Because it was a divided road, I had to drive away to a roundabout and turn around, drive past her on the other side of the road and come back around another roundabout to get to her. Once I stopped my car, she ran back in the direction she came from and into a park. So again, I had to do another circuit and drove around the park to follow her to make sure sure was okay.  

She ran into a court, and slowed to a walk. She didn't seem scared anymore just happily walking along. I stopped my car, got out and asked her where her Mummy and Daddy where. She turned and pointed to a house. At the same time a woman came out the front and called to her. The woman looked relieved, like she'd been looking for her but not realising she was outside. I asked if it was her little girl and told her that she was out walking down the main road. The woman was upset and thanked me for looking out for her. She said she thought she'd been playing inside and couldn't find her.

So I suppose this is where you all think I get my bitch on? Damn parents right? Some people don't deserve kids right? *Bzzzzzt* No.  This could happen to anyone in the blink of an eye. I know people it has happened to. What makes me angry is the blatant disregard for this little girl. This was a very busy road. I would guess that in the time it took me to do two laps of the street and catch up to this girl in the park that at least forty cars would have passed her. I didn't see even one slow down, let alone stop to see if she was okay. Granted people may have called the police, I don't know. But not one person other than me stopped. This just completely blows me away.

Every single day I see on my Facebook wall such and such just read this news story, such and such has posted a link to a news story about a murder/disappearance/amber alert and a billion people comment on how horrific and tragic it is. But how many people are really willing to put their money where there mouth is? How many of you would have even noticed her on the street? How many of you would have been just too busy to stop? Hell I was busy, I was on my way to work. As it was I only just managed to open the store on time but had she not been able to show me her parents house I would have sat with her waiting for the police. Some things take precedence over our busy lives. It makes me feel ill to think that she could have been the next child that someone was posting on Facebook about. Anything could have happened to her.

Shame on all those drivers who turned a blind eye. I only hope that it's not their child that ends up in this situation.

A photo a day - My little Masterchef is back

The boys are back from their holiday and aside from the multitude of hugs and  kisses that I was covered in when I got home from work, the other awesome thing was having Mr Masterchef back. Liam saw a cooking show while he was away and they made home made nuggets. He remembered how to make it and all the ingredients and did it all himself with Daddy only supervising.

A photo a day - I have the most awesome staff

I found these two notes from my staff today. They are just awesome. Love the people I work with.

New Kids on the block - And we're moving along quickly now we're nearing the end

In the space of two days we've had all the tap wear and sinks and toilets go in and the majority of the electrical finishings have been done. I was surprised to see some sort of light shades upstairs. I was expecting naked bulbs as we're putting in our own lighting upstairs.

A photo a day - Dinner time @ Insanity Mansion

Busy day with not much to photograph, so dinner it was - Warm Chicken Salad