Hello December and getting close to the end of 2016

Wow, December is here already.  I have said it before and will say it again - doesn't time just fly!

As usual, I have been super duper busy with life.  At this time of the year it is busier than usual due to all the end of year "stuff" going on.

Lots of photos this post because it has been just so full on.

Boys first ever Santa photo!  Love it.

The garden is going crazy.  My raspberry plants are fruiting and I get a few each day.  The blueberry bush is also fruiting and I get some each day too.  YUM!

Raspberries and Blueberries from the garden!

Rhys wearing his school uniform to preschool

Ben in his school uniform

Michael, Rhys and Ben have finished their school commitments.

Gifts from Santa from Tita's school - we love you Tita xxx

We have finished Lifestart and speech therapy.

Swimming has finished.

Finally we get to have a little rest!

Swimming at Brooklyn

This year, it is the "other sides" turn for Christmas - we do year about.

Christmas is at our place this year with Greg's family.

I have arranged for people to bring a plate and I am cooking lots of food too.  I will post photos!

Spiderman!

First time EVER getting his face painted :-)

My sister and her family are coming down from Queensland (to have Christmas with her husband's family) but we will all get together on the 23rd December at Mum and Dad's place.  Can't wait!

I've nearly finished all my Christmas shopping.  I just need to get a few gift vouchers and a few small things.  

Over the next few weeks I am going to reflect on how the year went and start my goal planning for 2017.  I will also have to revisit my 2016 goals to see how I went with it all.

Right at this moment, it is cold and raining outside.  I have a terrible head cold that one of the kids gave me and I'm feeling a bit sick.

It has been nearly 40 deg over the past week.  Silly weather - know wonder I have a cold.

Day out at Dangar Island

Daycare graduation ceremony!

Spanish song!

Michael got First Prize in the Art Show at his school!

Swimming in the lake at Mum and Dads place

Better get going now, lots still to be done.

It was a little bit of a tough month

This month for me.  

I'm just having a little break so I can come back to my blog happy and refreshed.

Sometimes life really is a bit mean and nasty.

It will be okay.  I will be okay.

Be back soon 

:-)

Feeling better, a new job and back into it all..........

There has been a lot happening in my world at the moment.

Trying on our new sports uniform!

Unfortunately, my blood pressure has gone up again and I have had to go back on medication.  

In a way it is a really good thing, because I was feeling a bit yukky and really struggling to keep up with everything I have to do.  

I've been on the medication for a week now and am feeling wonderful.  It obviously was affecting me in a bad way.

The school holidays have come and gone.  We didn't do anything really (I now realise because I was feeling so awful) but slept in a few times.

I was gifted this fabbo cat scratching thing!  

Of course, nothing is really very restful for me :-)  and over that time I had a job interview and a NDIS interview.

I'm still waiting to hear from the NDIS but I got the job I went for!  YAY.

It is within the same area but a completely different role.  The best thing is no weekend work anymore - well for 10 months or so as it is a maternity leave replacement.

Sadly it means a pay cut as I will be working less hours and no overtime gained from weekend work.

It's worth it to not have to work every weekend!!!  Especially with summer coming.

Boo loves it!

The garden is going crazy.  My raspberries have sprouted everywhere.  I hope I get a lot this year - fingers crossed.

The twins had their first big school trial this week.  It went REALLY well (I may have been a tad stressed!).

All ready for big school next year.

More to report soon.  I haven't take a lot of photos recently as I wasn't feeling very well and very tired.

On the road to recovery now and look forward to feeling a lot better.

Have a great week all xxx

Really easy muffin recipe

Here is my family's absolute favourite muffin recipe.

And it's REALLY quick and easy!

Banana choc chip - nom nom nom!

It makes 12 large muffins.

Apple and cinnamon muffins

I usually double the recipe and make 24 muffins.  They freeze really well and defrost by morning tea/lunch time.  You can heat them up in the microwave too.

Our favourite flavour is apple and cinnamon.  Other variations are banana and coconut, jam, pear, banana and choc chip - the list goes on and on.  Basically you put whatever you want in there!

I also buy muffin cases and use them as it saves on washing up!  

Basic recipe - 12 muffins (double if you like)

Preheat oven to 180 degC

2 cups SR flour

1 cup sugar (I use less - about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup oil or melted butter (I use sunflower or canola)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

Any flavouring you like (see above)

In a bowl mix flour and sugar and any other dry ingredients (I would mix in a tablespoon of ground cinnamon at this stage)

In another bowl mix wet ingredients (oil, milk egg)

Put wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix.

Then add your other ingredients (I would add 2 or 3x grated apples - don't peel them, just grate them up)

Mix and spoon into muffin cases

Bake for approx 25 minutes or until browned on top and cooked.

Banana and choc chip

Sometimes the mix can be a bit dry - I add extra milk if it is a bit dry and you are not adding extra wet ingredients (eg banana, apple, pear etc) - you want a wet (not sloppy) mix for best results.

It takes 30 minutes max to prepare 24 of these.  24 all made before 8.30am in the morning!

I will be taking one for work tomorrow :-)

Being careful with the $$ does pay off

This week was the last week of school and we are now on school holidays!

One of my favourite places to have a coffee

 I'm really looking forward to the break from our busy routine and doing so much running around.

We are a bit understaffed at work at the moment so I worked this Saturday and I will be next Saturday.  I have one off and then work the following one.

I don't mind because it is pretty good money and I can put it away for Christmas or off the mortgage.

It was also two years since the awful experience I had with a workplace where I was very unfairly forced from my job of many, many years.  I won't go into all the terrible details but I will say that it was very unfair, very corrupt and very vindictive.

However, those involved received their Karma (and continue to do so).

It really does come around.

In hindsight, I am so happy to say that they actually did me a really big favour and I have never been happier with both my life and my working life.

Lucky me.

But that brings me to the point of this writing.

At the time of the "awful experience", I had plans and goals financially.

All this went completely out the window because I no longer had that job.

AND

that was completely and utterly UNEXPECTED.

I NEVER thought I would ever lose my job.

(hmm, I have learn't my lesson)

Fun on a bushwalk

Fun on a bushwalk

Even more fun on a bushwalk (and it's FREE!)

Now, I was really lucky because I got another job virtually straight away.

L.U.C.K.Y

Don't I know it!

But even if I hadn't gotten another job straight away, we still would have been okay.

Because in the good times, we paid off a mega amount off the mortgage and we were really careful with our money.

I/we could have done better - paid more/saved more etc, but overall we were always thrifty and always paid a LOT off the mortgage.

It really is all about the little things - YUM!

I can't tell you how glad I was that I had done that.  

Really, crazily glad I had been so vigilant.

Because every now and again I would get a little wee bit envious of other people buying new cars, going on overseas holidays, eating out at dinners, buying new furniture, new clothes and so on.............

And I would think - I want that too.  But then I would look at my mortgage and know in my heart that I was better to put the $$ on that.

Blueberries growing!

Lavendar

All the raspberries going CRAZY!

My heart was so right.

So, if you're ever feeling a bit envious or sick of the slog (whilst watching everyone else on FB seemingly living the DREAM) remember:

* You NEVER know what is around the corner

* Small steps/things equal BIG THINGS in the end

We will have less than $100K on our mortgage at the end of the year, which is all due to hard work and being thrifty (taking lunch to work everyday, home cooked meals, eating leftovers, shopping for specials etc)

We have done quite a few things to the place such as playroom, new kitchen, two cars and a motorbike plus have three kids and 5 job moves in the time!  

I think we are doing okay :-)

Have a great week!

More Lavendar

Down looking at the chook pen

How I am going with my Goals from the beginning of the year!

I thought it is about time that I re-visited my goals that I put forward at the beginning of the year.

Hear they are:

Goals for 2016

• Purchase power saving LED lights for the house  - we are about half way through doing this.  Greg is paying for it from money he earns from computer jobs.
• Put $20 per week away for Christmas time. - doing this and currently have $740 in the account.
• Investigate and seriously consider purchase solar energy and hot water  - had a bit of a re-think on this one.  I decided that solar hot water was too expensive and return on investment for the system we needed would be too far away.  We still want to do electricity and we have purchased the largest tank you can buy 400L still on off peak.  We saved over $2000 with Greg's plumber mate buying it for us (and charging us what he gets charged) and the Greg and him installing it (free).  We will look into solar electricity later.
• Start walking 3x per week again (I haven't been doing this lately) - now that the weather is warming up I am starting this as of last week.
• Use my roller 5 nights out of 7 (My back muscles are very tight and this helps release them) - slackarse on this.
• Move our mortgage from ANZ to CUA (there is a story to this which I will write about another time) - all done and very happy.
• Do more "family outings" with the boys.  - now that the weather is warmer and anxiety hopefully will be a bit better, I'm looking forward to it.

And the biggie:

• Pay $30K off our mortgage this year (including our normal payment)!!! This is about 10K more than our current payments. - I am confident that we will be have paid off $30K by the end of the year!!!!

All in all, I am doing okay with my goals and am very happy with progress.  Bring on the end of the year and that morty down!!!

Trusting yourself

My favourite ever life quote - literally is the story of my life!

Today was Ben's re-assessment at Child Development Service but unfortunately he wouldn't comply and we couldn't do the assessment.  He wouldn't settle - anxiety through the roof! and  nothing could bring him out of it.  This is typical Fragile X anxiety - same as Michael had.

This made me realise that my plan for him regarding medication is the right decision because when I told one of his carers yesterday this was my plan, I felt her displeasure and she went on to tell me how well he did the last week in an unfamiliar environment.  She meant well, but then I started to question myself, my decision.

It is never an easy decision to put your child on medication.  You feel guilt for some reason - even when it goes really well.  The guilt still stays there a little bit.

However, with the way today went, I know that I am making the right decision.

As Chris from CDS said - You have to TRUST yourself.

Wise words from a wise lady.

Rhys' assessment was last week.  It went brilliantly - he was such a good boy and really enjoyed the process.

He has been diagnosed with Autism and mild intellectual disability.

I kind of knew that this may be coming, so it wasn't a massive shock.  He will now have further genetic testing, just in case (he has only ever been tested for Fragile X genetically).  We now will get funding YAY!  

It will be ok.

I also met with the new paed who I really liked.  She was very good with the boys and I will have a review with her in 6 weeks for Rhys.  Michael and Ben will be in 6 months with a follow up call to see how Ben is going on the meds.

Now we have to wait for another appointment with CDS - after Ben has been on his medication for a while so it starts working. I have a strategy up my sleeve that I hope will give us a better outcome.  Fingers crossed! 

This year is just full on!  But how else could my life ever be :-)

And I'm going to trust myself more too.

Yeah, yeah, yea...........

Some weeks just suck.

It has been one of those weeks

Happy Spring

Come on warmer weather - I have to start my walking again!

Parties, book week and a bush walk down the end of the street!

Oh my gosh!

It has been crazy busy around here.  Crazy!

It's only going to get worse, before it gets better.  I have many appointment for the boys in the coming four weeks and TBH, I'm not really looking forward to it all.  

Anyway, what has to be done, must be done.

We had the boys party last week.  It was great fun but exhausting.  30 kids plus parents running around is very tiring!

I saw a crocodile cake on the internet and contacted a cake decorator for a price to make it.  I was quoted $155 for 30 cupcakes decorated like a crocodile.

My Greg told me he thought I could make it - so I did!

And it turned out BETTER than I ever could have imagined.

Here it is!

I made the cupcakes during the week and froze them.  

Here they are laid out on the board.

I covered the board the night before.  Then laid out the cupcakes.

Made up my buttercream and piped them.

I used Tolblerone for the spikes, liquorice cut on the diagonal for the claws, marshmallows cut in half and then half again for the teeth and a marshmallow and a malteser for the eyes!

All up it took about 45 minutes to make it all. 

Really easy.

Every kid at the party got a cupcake!

Here are a couple of pics from the party

The twins were a bit shy for it all so didn't get up the front - it didn't matter they had a great time playing with all the kids.

This week was Book Week at school.

All the kids at school had to dress up as a book character and Michael came second in the school for his costume.

He went as the greedy King in the story Brown Bread and Honey by Pamela Allen.

Well done Michael!

Honestly, this was the most easy costume I have ever done.  I found a crown printable on the internet and printed it out.  Then I laminated it and make it into a crown.  I was in a discount store at work and saw a vest for a discounted $3 in the right colour for the king (and I am now wearing it as it fits me).  We then put a big bouncy ball under it as the King's fat tummy.  Michael wore some brown pants and his sneakers.

How easy was that - and he got second place!  WOW!

Today is Michael's 8th Birthday!!!

He got a modulus Nerf Gun that he was desperate for. 

Greg got the last one at Myer!  We couldn't find them anywhere.

Happy Boy!

Happy Birthday Michael!

Today we had a quiet day, but we went for a bush walk down the end of the street.

Here are some pics:

A burnt out tree

Scribbly Gum

Pretty flowers.

Some of the fire trail

More pretty flowers

Tadpoles!  Lots of them in the pools of water.  We could hear lots of frogs chirping too.

How lucky are we to live where we live :-)

Have a great week!