Just a tip...

If your child almost drowns three times in a single afternoon at a pool party, it is past time for swimming lessons.

Nothing more, just saying.

Where did all the Watermelon seeds go?

We had this discussion the other day about watermelon seeds.  My kids don't believe there ever was any such thing!

How do our kids recognise this as watermelon when
they have never seen black seeds in their watermelon?

It got me wondering.  Where did they go?  How do new watermelon grow without seeds?  Are we breeding watermelon into extinction by growing them seed free?

I have so many questions, but no answers.

Anyone know anything about this?

Babysitting

Today I am babysitting Miss 7.  She is home from school because she has run out of batteries after a big year of school, T ball and her dance concert on the weekend.  My boys are in heaven and to be honest it's a pretty easy job to have her here.

She and her sister Miss 5 are regulars.  I have been babysitting them since Miss 7 was 8 weeks old.  My boys love having them here and they slot into our routines without any disruption.  It's a good arrangement.

I've had lots of issues with babysitting since the Munchkin was born.  For a long time I could not get away from my kids and I was struggling with it.  I felt trapped.  The Workaholic was working even more hours than normal and the Munchkin would scream if I attempted to leave him with anyone.

Now my boys are regularly babysat by Miss S, who was a teacher at the Little Mans pre-school.  She is a gem.  My boys love her and she them.  In addition my lovely friend N who has her hands already full with her own three, steps in and helps me out, as does my cousin K.  Both are local and our kids all like each other.  It took the Munchkin a while to get used to being left with people, but he is happy with it now.  I am so grateful to have them to help out and happily reciprocate if required.

My parents are across Sydney and consider us a long way away.  It can be quite an effort to get them to drive over to us.  We don't find the drive excessive but the workaholic and I have both driven further for work than the 45minutes to my Mum and Dad's.  They think of it as a day trip.

When I had the Little Man I did not require help from my Mum or Mother in law as he was such an easy baby and went everywhere with us.  If I needed a break, the Workaholic took him to work with him.  Unfortunately this set a precedent that meant I had no offers of help from my Mum when the Munchkin arrived, in fact she used to come over and I would be running around looking after her!  My niece was born four months after the Munchkin and she spends two to three days with my Mum while my brother and sister in law work.  Now she doesn't even offer to help me with babysitting on the weekends because she needs a break and I feel like I am being unreasonable asking for help.  I can't blame her.  Looking after kids is exhausting!

As the Little Man gets older it is getting easier to find babysitters.  He recently went to swimming lessons with a mate and his Mum when it was raining and my car was of the road.  He has a few friends that we can call on in such emergencies.

That's my village.  Do you have babysitters available or are you perpetually looking for options?

I need Summer Cothes

I am finding it impossible to think about shopping for Summer clothes while this weird Sydney weather is hanging around.  I know I am going to regret my malaise the minute we get an actual Summer day, but it does not change the fact that thinking about cool t shirts and floaty Summer dresses is bloody impossible while it is pouring with rain and well under 20 degrees.

Even having a pedicure holds no interest for me and I hate my toes in the nude!!

Is Summer going to come?  I am seriously doubting it as I sit here wearing Winter weight jodpurs that I didn't even wear during Winter and a cardigan over my tunic top.

Too shy to include a photo of myself today.

All of my Summer clothes are on the way out, and I do not mean in the fashion sense, I mean in the worn out sense.  Summer is not my favourite season and I am not a great shopper in  any case, so my Summer wardrobe is about 1/10th the size of my Winter one leaving most things in very high rotation.

Polyvore was my solution I thought.  A summer Polly Dolly set would do the trick, but guess what?  As soon as I started looking into clothes, I got sucked into the Winter clothing.  Boots.  Hats.  Yummy knits.  I'm tragic.  I can't even look at catalogue clothes, without focusing on seasonally inappropriate items.  I am a total disaster.  I fear I will be embarrassing my son at school drop off time next year with holey t shirts, sarongs and faded shorts.  I will certainly standout if I can go on the clusters of Yummy Mummys I see at the school gates most mornings.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get myself motivated to buy some Summer clothes??

Online Shopping Champion of the World

Yesterday I did 95% of my Christmas Shopping.  The only reason it was not 100% was that the Lego I want is out of stock everywhere online, but is available at Target, which I can do very early tomorrow morning before anyone else gets out and I need a trip to Bunnings for my Dads gift, which I will second the task to the Workaholic who love Bunnings and last minute Christmas shopping.

Online Shopping Champion of the World.  That's me.

Target and Bunnings will be done by Saturday evening at the latest and I am DONE.

If I forgot you, then tough titties because I am not doing ANYMORE.  I refuse.

My groceries are already booked in to be delivered on Christmas Eve as usual.  I am ready.

Did you guess? I hate shopping and Christmas Shopping in particular.

I don't understand the madness that prevails out in Shopping Centres across the world.  You can see it in their eyes.  If they ever had manners they are gone in the search for the perfect gift.  Argey Bargey reigns supreme.

Don't get me started on the carpark.  Those people who sit, blocking the way waiting for someone who may or may not be leaving. The ones who get nasty when someone drives out in front of you as you are innocently cruising around, thereby giving you a poll position spot (not my fault the parking angels tend to answer my kids requests).  Damaging cars on purpose because of some perceived injustice.  Please, people, GET A LIFE!

 

I fully expect at least one report of this... image from here

What's your position on Christmas Shopping?  Are you all about the experience or like me an online devotee?

Joining in with Jess at Diary of  Stay at Home Mum for her Tuesday Bloggers link up.

Pre-School Graduation...

was definitely the highlight of my busy week.  They go so over the top for pre-school these days!  It was at the Town Hall!!!

This photo just cracks me up!

Man I've been busy over the last week.

Sorry Internet I have not been paying you any attention.  Did you miss me?

It's all been happening.  Here's what I managed to write about;

We got our Santa Photo which I posted on Wednesday.  I was quite pleased.  They are so hit and miss aren't they?

I applied for my new Masters course at University, which I had a little whine about here.

Polly Dolly and I had an imaginary outing in a blue and white stripe bikini, that would not cover any of my bits in reality...

And here's what I didn't get too;

On Thursday my Mum and my niece came up to my place for a play date with the boys.  They had a ball and as always I sat back and thought how nice it is that my kids have at least one cousin that they see out of the total of 19 they have.  Later in the afternoon, my friend N dropped by with her three and mayhem ensued (the good kind).  It was a great day for the kids and they slept so well on Thursday night.

Friday was my Mum's birthday and we rang her and sang Happy Birthday.  It was gorgeous because it is the first birthday that I have both kids who can sing along.  Very cute.  It was also pre-school orientation for the Munchkin and he surprised us all by taking to it like a duck to water.  We also had the opthamologist appointment for the Little Man.  They pushed us through in under two hours.  I was so appreciative.  The Little Man was great and actually tested better than in his StEPS session.  He is still not in the normal range, but the Doctor is giving him a few more months for them to get there, before he is prescribed glasses.  We have our fingers and toes crossed!  He had the drops to dilate his eyes, so he left the office wearing aviator sunnies, looking and feeling very cool!

Mates after graduation, the Little Man in his aviators

The big day was Saturday.  His pre-school graduation and Christmas Party.  It was fab and there were many teary Mummies in the audience.  He posed for pictures in the Sun in his aviators as his eyes were still dilated.  It made for some interesting photos.  After the party my Mum and Dad stayed for a BBQ and my Dad hacked back the vines that had overrun the pergola and pool area.  What a guy!  It is great to be able to actually see the pool again.  My Mum helped the Little Man put up and decorate the Christmas tree.  I'm so glad someone did, because I hate the task...

Dad refusing to be defeated by the pool
cleaner...

Some of the vines Dad cut back

The tree, decorated by the Little Man -
he's still tweaking it and it looks quite
different to this now but the lounge is too
far away this evening for me to get
a new picture...

My arm was not quite long enough
to get me in the picture... ;)

Birthday Cake for Mum

Today I managed to get some scrapbooking done.  I did an 8x8 album to send to my Aunt as an annual review of my boys.  She is going to love it.  I'm really pleased with how it came out.  I can't wait to pop it in the post.

So I have been busy doing everyday things with a couple of milestone events thrown in.   It's a crazy time of year.  What have you been up to this week?

Polly Dolly - Navy Stripe

Polly Dolly - Navy Stripe by sam-o

Again this week I was inspired by the Polly Dolly Navy Stripes, Polyvore challenge, so I am linking up.

Visit Danimezza to see this weeks collections.