53 and Grateful...

I am fifty-three years old today. Yep, it's my birthday and I am content.

To my faithful readers, sorry I haven't written on my blog for nearly a whole year, even though there are many deep stories I want to share. Some are not quite finished baking yet. But in the meantime, before I go a whole 365 days without writing, I want to share a situation status update.

Today on my 53rd birthday I feel rich, even though there's only $5.43 in my bank account (Monday is payday, we'll make it stretch.)

I am so grateful for where I am at right now...

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Taking Stock (cos that's what i do when i've got writers block)

I really thought that when I got the giant boulder-sized "elephant in the room" blog post out of the way, my writer's wellspring would unblock and the stories would flow once more. I guess I was wrong about that.

Sometimes there's just so much going on that the thought of finding a way to write it all down in a manner which is honest, heartfelt, but lighthearted - yet also manages to avoid upsetting half the people in my life - well, it's just too exhausting. Consequently, I still seem to have a rather insidious case of writers block.

But I can't go wrong with a list, right? A summary of recent happenings and photos from the past few weeks? It's either that or I blurt out my angst about the upcoming Silly Season and how much I'm dreading it with a capital D. That could be awkward.

So here goes with some taking stock instead. The last few weeks I've been...

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Taking Stock (cos I'm all outta blog love)

I need to get the words flowing again, so I'm using that old favourite formula, Taking Stock. I've been really finding it hard to blog - or to want to post online at all, really - since returning from overseas. But I love this blog, and I have no intention of neglecting it for too long, and I have story ideas rattling through my brain and I just need to get started somehow. So this is it. A beginning of sorts...

TAKING STOCK:

Making :  the most of days to myself before school holidays start. Oh lovely lovely days where I choose what I do. (But school holidays will be lovely too).
Cooking :  mostly uninspired dinners on repeat -  apart from Honey Roasted Pear Salad, which I have invented and will share with you soon.
Drinking : Six Barrel Soda - from my new favourite supplier of all things lovely, Good Thing. Just a dash of syrup and then chilled soda water. Would be even better if I remembered to freeze some ice cubes.

[ CONTINUE READING.......]

Taking Stock and The-Season-Which-Shall-Remain-Nameless

This time of the year is the best-of-times-worst-of-times.
It's the season when we scrape down the BBQ and fire it up for the first time. We get our sons to mow the lawns and pick up hedge clippings. The air is scented with burning sausies and cut grass. The trees break into blossom, the neighbours join us for a barbie, we sit round the fire sipping wine ...and our calendars start to fill up.

It's the countdown to the-season-which-shall-remain-nameless (57 days til that nameless D-Day by my reckoning). It's panic stations, everybody. Sound the alarm.

Every year I feel that creeping anxiety start to knot my stomach as the diary begins to fill. This year there are the usual birthdays (mine, Dash's) and anniversaries, but also some extra biggies (my mum's 70th), school events, church events, house guests and a full retinue of rellies coming for Chris the Day I won't mention yet.

No wonder I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach.

No wonder I've gone from having an epic outdoor movie party for my birthday, to having a low key dinner with a few friends to being on the verge of cancelling the whole thing. And forget our 14th wedding anniversary too. Hubby is flying off to the Philippines to build an orphanage next week, so I'll be parenting solo for a couple of weeks in the middle of everything else.

Ahhh yes, it's the season I hate to love. With Light Parties, the trick-or-treat dilemma and a backyard Hunger Games just for starters. Why do I do this to myself? It's not even November yet.

Wondering: How I will do it all without bursting a gasket
Loving: That we splashed out* on a swimming pool from TWH for our backyard    *(pun intended sorry)
Hoping: It won't be too hard to put up. Or take too long to fill. Ha!
Marvelling: At how much garden work you can get done when your boys pitch in
Needing: one of those green bins to put all the clippings in

Smelling: The cut grass. And the sizzling Sausages.
Enjoying: Having a long weekend at home instead of rushing out of town
Noticing: How awesomely quiet Auckland is when everyone else rushes out of town for the long weekend
Making : The most of not having to rush anywhere, while we can

Cooking : Lots of Petite Kitchen recipes (including my own version of her amazing Raisin  Tea Loaf)

Drinking : Lewis Road Creamery chocolate milk WITHOUT QUEUING FOR HOURS (I went to Petite Kitchen's cafe "Mondays" (in Kingsland) and lo and behold there it was in the fridge. Yummy? Yes, for sure. Worth queuing for hours or paying $1000 for? NO!!! Why people, why???!

Enjoying: Waking up on my day off to my Eldest Son bringing me in a cup of tea. Amazed, I was.

Reading: Way too many disappointing books, way too fast. The last good one I read was SPARK by Kiwi author, Rachael Craw. It was Good. My faith is restored in YA. Thanks Stella for the recommendation.
Wanting: More recommendations like that. And some books to borrow. Anyone????

Looking: On in amazement when my hubby manages to get the kids doing the dishes.
Wishing: It happened like that every night. Oh boy I hate dishes. There's a pile on my bench right now...

Waiting: For the reality to kick in as The-Season-Which-shall-Remain-Nameless gets closer. And Closer.
Liking: That so far I am succeeding in not mentioning it by name, in this post.
Knowing: That it's only a matter of time before I'll have to start making proper plans. And mentioning names.
Thinking: "There must be a way to get through this Season with my sanity intact..."
Feeling: Like staying in denial for as long as possible is the only way to go. For now at least.

Feeling: Slightly better now I've got all that off my chest.

Anyone for a slice of Denial Cake with me?

A Bit of Taking Stock

With the return to school of the masses, normal blog-transmission can now resume. You were probably all far too busy with your own hordes of younglings to notice that it's been "Blog-LITE" round here. Just two posts in two weeks (and even those two required a superhuman effort while the natives cried "I'm bored! get off the computer!")

So now it's the downhill run to the end of the year, the slide into summer, with a sprint to the finish. Part of me loves this time of the year, part of me dreads it. Anyone else with me on that?

I love the longer days, lighter nights, the smell of cut grass, the blossoms on the trees, the warmth in the sunshine. I love that we here in the Southern Hemisphere get to finish the year in Summer, with holidays, camping and beaches. But boy oh boy does it get busy.

Meanwhile in other news, I'm....

[My new lounge suite - I love it. The colour is grey BTW. The photo looks a little purplish]

Enjoying: The feeling of accomplishment after saving up my pay for a new lounge suite.
Looking: At my new couches every time I pass the lounge door and getting a little thrill.
Loving: The clean square retro style, and the way it makes our living room look so awesome.
Giggling: At the way Dash chases everyone off the new couches with their food or drinks (he's relieved to finally have "modern" couches" and wants to keep them looking fab, bless him.)

Feeling: Happy with this pretty little corner of my bedroom, after I swapped some rugs between rooms.
Playing: Way too much PacChomp on my Phone
Wasting: Way too much time playing when I could be... sewing?
Sewing: Nah, who am I kidding. I don't sew.
Wishing: I could sew quilts like Deb, but since I can't I'm glad I have this one she made me, on my chair.

Liking: Watching this kid get "a massage" with the electric sports massager. His facials crack me.
Wondering: When is it my turn?
Wishing: It was still school holidays. I'm ready for summer now.
Hoping: I can juggle all the things, make all the parties, do all the stuff before I run out of days in the year.
Marvelling: At how time races by faster and faster. I'm ALWAYS marvelling at that.
Needing: More energy and a burst of creativity for the big list of things I need to pull off before year's end.

Smelling: The divine scent of my new Needle and Nail bread board. Ahhhhhh, Nature.
Wearing: Swimming togs on Saturday to the hot pools without a qualm. Losing over 12kg will do that.
Noticing: That once you feel lighter, everything is easier and you never want to go back.

Knowing: That if I stick to the (mostly) sugar-free plan, I WON'T go back.

[My take on Petite Kitchen's simple almond cake; recipe coming soon]

Cooking: Lots of sugar free recipes. Who knew healthy could be so delicious?
Drinking: Lots of green tea fruit punch with soda water. 

Inventing: Recipes for green tea fruit punch. Fairy Berry Fizz. Yoda Soda. Sugar free fizzy yumminess.

[Sugar-free "Yoda Soda" at another party "just because"; Star Wars party post coming soon]

Reading: YA dystopian fiction on my Kindle app. Some books are definitely better than others.
Thinking: Some authors need a good slap, when they start off series' so well and end them so poorly.
Feeling: Ripped off by the Maze Runner Trilogy. I feel a Mrs Readalot rant coming on...
Bookmarking: "The Giver" - and hoping it ends better than the Maze Runner series did (and Divergent, for that matter, which had me till right at the end).

Wanting: To finish this post so I can go and get some lunch and read my (hopefully well-concluded) book!

..................

That'll do it for me today; I've done a bit of a catchup, shared a few photos, and made a promise of things to come. Just nobody say *Christmas*. It's way too soon. Eek.

Anyone else thinking the year has gone way too fast?

[Taking Stock List found on Meet me at Mikes blog]

Taking Stock After Six Years Blogging

Six years is a long time in a child's life. Sheesh, it's a long time, full stop, really.

Six years ago today I logged in to Blogger and and wrote my first-ever blog post. A lifetime has happened in those six years. Our family has gotten older and taller. My then-newborn is now older than my oldest-child was then (and taller than he was as well).

It's simply not possible to summarise six years in a blog post, so I'm not going to try.

Instead I'm going to simply share some photos through the years, and do a bit of "taking stock" while I'm at it...

In 2008 I was...

MAKING: the most of baby's sleep times and blogging like a only a newbie madwoman can
COOKING: only the easiest of dinners including way too much spaghetti bolognese
DRINKING: endless cups of tea
READING: nowhere near as much as I wanted to
WANTING: an unbroken night's sleep

In 2009 I was...

LOOKING: a little less like I was still pregnant
PLAYING: Tea parties on a regular basis
WASTING: Too much time blogging, when I could have been cleaning, or playing
SEWING: Sewing? What's that? I began my love affair with my glue gun
WISHING: There were more hours in the day

In 2010 I was...

ENJOYING: Taking photos on my new (bigger, flasher) camera
WAITING: For the Terrible Twos to kick in (they never did)
LIKING: Watching home Renovation shows on TV
WONDERING: If I'd ever get to makeover my kitchen
LOVING: Having three kids. Three is the new two.

In 2011 I was...

HOPING we'd have an awesome trip to England in September (we did)
MARVELLING at how much easier it was to travel with the kids now they're older
NEEDING more books to read. Always.
SMELLING the Roses a little more than I used to
WEARING out my keyboard with my constant blog-typing

In 2012 I was...

FOLLOWING loads of blogs, commenting and trying to get more social-media savvy
NOTICING that comments were dropping off and wondering why...?
KNOWING that blogging was becoming a bit of an obsession, a place to escape to from my reality
THINKING I needed to figure out how to get a better blog/life balance, among other things
FEELING pretty much out of my depth as a parent. 2012 was a hard year.

In 2013 I was...

BOOKMARKING websites about Dyslexia. And Aspergers. (Grateful to finally have some answers).
OPENING up my thinking to include new understanding about my self and my kids.
GIGGLING at all the funny things the kids say. Always.
FEELING like we're getting there, wherever "there" is. 

SEEING the light at the end of the tunnel.

In 2014 I am...

Making : The most of what I have, as much as I can
Cooking : My tried and true favourites (including good ole spaghetti bolognese)
Drinking : Nespresso coffee every day (I am so blessed)
Reading: Anything I can get my hands on, and loving it
Wanting: To be a better parent. Always.
Looking: At my kids and wondering how they got so big, so fast.
Playing: More than I used to. But not as much as I need to.
Wasting: Less time than I used to on the computer. I'm a FIFO* blogger these days.
Sewing: Sewing? What's that? I'm still in love with my glue gun
Wishing: I could sew, just a little bit.
Enjoying: Having older kids and all the heart-to-hearts we have
Waiting: For the hormones to kick in; puberty could strike any day day now...
Liking: My kids. They are good people.
Wondering: Who they will become.
Loving: being a working mum after eleven years at home.
Hoping: I never run out of things to say and stories to tell.

Marvelling: That we're all still here. It's been six years since I started sharing my life on the interwebs. My kids have survived with me as a mum, they haven't starved even if they eat way too much spaghetti bolognese

Needing: To do more exercise, always. Some things don't change.
Smelling: Jasmine in my kitchen and freesias on my driveway. Spring is in the air (I love spring).
Wearing: Smaller clothes than I did six years ago. Some things DO change.
Following: Less blogs than I used to (where have all my blog friends gone?)
Noticing: That less of my old blog friends are still at it, and missing them.
Knowing: That I'm not giving up on blogging anytime soon. I still love it, even if I FIFO*.
Thinking: Man, time goes fast. Where have the years gone in such a hurry?
Bookmarking: Actual books. I love to read. Always.
Opening: My home to anyone who needs brunch or coffee. I'll even pick you flowers. (I do love a tea party).
Giggling: At the silly things my kids say. Still.
Feeling: Hopeful. Grateful. Sentimental.

It's been a crazy six years, and it's all here, recorded for posterity. All my stories, the good and the bad. the parties, the fun times, the holidays and celebrations, the laughter, the tears and tantrums, the struggles and the worries. It's a mixed bag, a rollercoaster ride, an adventure we like to call LIFE.

Thanks for being part of it.

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PHEW. If you made it to the end of this post, congratulations!
I want to say thankyou to my loyal readers and celebrate reaching this milestone by holding a giveaway of one of my favourite things - BOOKS.

The winner can choose the book from Book Depository (something you've been wanting to read) and I'll send it to you.

 TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY:  Leave me a comment (either here or on my Facebook page) and tell me what you love best about my blog. I'll read (and enjoy) your comments and pick a winner on Tuesday.

{OPEN TO READERS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD}

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*FIFO= Fly In, Fly Out (a style of blogging which suits me just fine right now)

"Taking Stock" list found on Meet me at Mike's Blog