Saturday, January 30, 2016

FEELING BETTER

I just wanted to pop in and let you all know I am starting to feel SO MUCH BETTER!

My sickness from the new medication is subsiding and I'm not feeling so wretched all day now.

My head space is calming down too... learning to accept the new 'now'.  Learning to be calm about things I cannot change right now.

It helps knowing I'm loved and missed, thank you.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

1ST WEDNESDAY POST

SATURDAY:  Well I ended up going to Tauranga in the evening to pick up Lacy and Keera and bring them back here.  Steve came with me to share the driving as it's a 5 hour round trip.
All good... won't be needing to do that again as Lacy will be visiting Keera here from now on.

SUNDAY: I started a new medication on Friday night, and OMG am I suffering the side effects!
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea!  Feeling sick as a dog all day.  Which sure didn't help when we had to get the house ready for the Open Home.  Luckily Stew picked up the slack and I didn't have to do much.
We had 4 groups through.   Not heard any feedback yet.
After the Open Home, Steve, Bex, Lacy and the boys came over, and Stew and Steve went and picked up the weights we won on Trademe.


ABOVE:  See Keera's face?  She's not happy her Mummy is playing with someone else! 


ABOVE:  She eventually came right.  Archer quite liked Lacy.


ABOVE: See where wee Archer gets his ginger tinge from?  Steve's got a real read beard, just like Stew used to have.  So has our youngest son Mike.




ABOVE:  Archer having his first ever spa.  He LOVED it... he's a real water baby.

Once Steve and Co. left after dinner, we settled down to enjoy some TV before bed.
And then .... we got a knock on the front door at 9.30 pm!  Who the hell visits at that time of night? ....


ABOVE:  My niece Christina from Australia!  She's over for a 3 week holiday.

We sat up and yakked until 2 am!  We had a lot of catching up to do!

MONDAY:  Steve, Bex, Lacy and the boys came over to see Christina.  Christina had not met Bex or Dante and Archer, so that was lovely for her to meet them.
She also got to meet Keera in the morning, once she woke up.  At first Keera totally ignored her, but then she decided she really liked her...


ABOVE:  She was copying everything Christina did!  So freakin' cute!  





ABOVE:  Puppies and kids outside having fun.


ABOVE: Just a nice photo of these kids.


ABOVE:  Two thrilled to bits kids, got to push a real baby in Keera's pram!  Dante wants a pram of his own, a BLUE one.  

His parents asked him who was going to get him a pram, and without a second's pause he turned and pointed at ME!  And he said I was going to buy him a BLUE doll too!  Hmmmm.  


ONCE our visitors left, Christina and I (and the kids) had a very quiet afternoon.  It was wonderful to just sit and chat.


Quiet evening ... lots more chatting.


TUESDAY:  KEERA'S FIRST DAY AT KINDERGARTEN!

Up early, fed the pups, made Keera's lunch, then we piled into the car and took Stew to the train station.  He had a conference to attend in Auckland City, so took the train.


Then I took Keera to Kindy.  We  had a good look around, found out where everything was, and then I kinda slowly left.  I half expected Keera to cry... but NO.  She's a very self assured kid.


After leaving her there I went home and picked up Christina and Brylee and we went to Sylvia Park.


Brylee and Griffin got haircuts, I had my nails redone, and we meet up with Steve, Bex, Lacy and the boys for lunch.


Christina and I also bought 3 more pairs of shoes for Keera... so she's got a few more choices.  Her jandals died yesterday, so we needed more of them too.


On our way home we dropped Lacy at the bus station so she could go back to Tauranga and try to sort out her life.


 ABOVE:  After we picked Keera up from Kindy she got to try on her new shoes.  
And I got to take more photos!  *smiles*


 ABOVE:  This face means "ENOUGH PHOTOS GRANDMA!"  

After that it was play time for the puppies, so we took them outside.  I decided it was far too hot for them, so I dunked them all in a bucket of water.
They didn't mind being wet at all.


ABOVE:  They all looked like drowned rats! And yes, that is one of Keera's new jandals!

 ABOVE:  Spot the puppy.  They love being in the garden.
And because they were wet, they got filthy.  I will have to bath them tomorrow!


 ABOVE:  I love their cute, squashed little profiles!   I don't love what they are doing to my garden plants!  If they aren't eating them, they are squashing them.  *sigh*


ABOVE:  Keera wasn't happy.  We made her get off the outdoor squab box that she was standing on.  Tough tits.  Better to be safe than sorry is my motto.

After dinner it was a 'normal' evening.  I went out and got a few groceries, and Christina bathed Keera and got her to bed for me.  Stew got a lift home from the city with a work mate, so I didn't have to pick him up from the train station. He has another day tomorrow in the city, then he's back to Hamilton for work.

WEDNESDAY:  First thing this morning is a repeat of yesterday.  Take Stew to the train station, then drop Keera off at Kindy.

Christina is heading off to Palmerston North today, so it will be sad to see her go.  It's been WONDERFUL seeing her again and spending time with her.  

Griffin has a friend coming over for the day... they will probably hang out in his room playing Play Station and who knows what else.

The rest of the day is up in the air... though if it's not raining I will probably get some washing done... and do all the usual household chores.  I've kinda neglected them while Christina's been visiting.

My new medication is still throwing me for a loop... I feel like throwing up, or I DO throw up... all day long.  And the shits. OMG let's not talk about how my butt feels after having the screaming heebie jeebies for 5 days already!!!

The ONLY bonus is I've dropped a little weight!  Hopefully I don't find it again.

I will update during the day today... like I used to, then my next update will be NEXT Wednesday.  

UNLESS I have anything worth sharing earlier.

ONWARD...

10.30 am:  My niece just left for Palmerston North... sad to see her go.  She's hopefully coming back next year for our 30th Wedding Anniversary.

Griffin and his friend are happily playing in the bedroom, and Brylee has gone for a walk with another of Griffin's mates.  "NO MUM!  Hes not my boyfriend!  We are just FRIENDS".  Yep, that sort of walk.  *snigger*

I'm now going to get going on all the housework, and there is HEAPS to be done!  Good, it will keep me busy.  Thankfully, the dreadful sickness is subsiding and I can function semi-normally today.

3.01 pm:  I've accomplished HEAPS today!  House is spic n span again, washing is getting done, kids are happy, fed 4 teenagers lunch, just picked up Keera from Kindy in TORRENTIAL RAIN.... and it was DELICIOUSLY COOL.  It's only water after all.  *smiles*  Now I can hear thunder.  Cool!

  
I've got the aircon on in the family room, windows and doors closed and it's BEARABLE in the lounge/kitchen and family room now.  BLISS.

Well... it's the end of my first weekly post.  I will be back next Wednesday... and if all goes well we will be puppy-less by then!

Two leave home on Friday, three on Saturday and one on Monday.   
That's the only big event to happen I hope.  *smiles*
Thank you for your lovely comments.  I have enjoyed the break from daily blogging so far... sorry!

End of Day:  it's been a friggin hot, sticky, wet day.  But happy to say I'm feeling quite a bit better, nowhere near as much nausea today!  Thank god for that.

nite nite

Saturday, January 23, 2016

RAINBOWS END AND A BIG CHANGE

Because the kids have been so good about their crap summer holidays, and the fact we have had to stay home because of puppies, we are sending them to Rainbow's End today.

For the entire day.  On their own.  Well not quite.  They have organised to meet up with a few of their school friends for the day too.

So.  That means Stew and I have to day to ourselves.  

So Stew's going to mow the lawns and I shall do the washing!  lol
How romantic.  

In just over a week we shall not be tied to the house with puppies.  That will be nice.  I won't have to worry about feedings, exercise, poop clean up etc.

But of course I will miss the little fluffy buggers!  But not the poop, oh no, never the poop! lol

So it's going to be a normal sort of day really.  Just without kids.

That's all for now.  Catch ya later.

ONWARD...

I had just typed out a huge spiel on my plans to stop blogging permanently, from today on.

But then I decided to change that.

From today on... I am only going to blog ONCE A WEEK.

I am finding the stress of blogging (and it is an added stress) is not worth it right now.
I need a break from as much stress as possible.  So starting today ... I will only blog on a WEDNESDAY.

It is going to be a huge change for me, but one I need.  And it is better than just stopping forever... agreed?

So.  I will be back next Wednesday with all the week's news/happenings/photos and so on.

End of Day:  have a lovely weekend!
nite nite


Friday, January 22, 2016

SUMMER FUN

Steve sent me some lovely photos of the kids playing in the water yesterday, so I'll share... cos well.... I ain't got any other photos for the day yet!  *smiles*


 ABOVE: See the smile on Dante's face?  I bet you $100 Steve told him to smile for Grandma!  I know that smile!  It's the "I have to smile" face.... I wonder if Steve had to give him a lolly after he smiled?  lol


ABOVE:  lol... look at Bex's face!   Something tells me she just got a face full of water from Archer's splashing.
I love getting photos from them.  At least they bother to send me photos.  Some hardly ever do.  

It goes both ways.  It shouldn't be all up to us to see our grandkids.  Just saying.

Do you ever get sick of defending yourself?  I know I do.

Right, enough about THAT.
I have an appointment at the Kindergarten this morning to formally enroll Keera, she will be starting there next Tuesday. 
I am sure she will love it, she's a really sociable kid is our Keera.
Hopefully Lacy gets her back here by Monday so she can go on Tuesday.

After that I have a Doctor's appointment.  I'm going to get my prescriptions tweaked so I'm not feeling quite so DEPRESSED, and I've also got a bloody sore back ... so hopefully some painkillers too.
I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle a couple of days ago because it's really hard to move without pain right now.  

Once all that is done I will come home and do some odd jobs around the house, and play with puppies I think.  They are just so cute now!
Oh and I must remember to take more photos, they are growing and changing so much!

ONWARD...

2.36 pm:  and the Doctor's visit went well.  I'm trying a new medication to try and even out me moods.  And I'm booked in to see a psychologist in just under 2 weeks.  Hopefully I can re-learn some coping strategies?

Steve, Bex and the boys popped in this morning too.   Dante was wanting to play with the puppies, so that's what he did.

Puppies.  Totally loving being outside, though it is very hot today. Luckily they have plenty of shade where they are.

I went out to check on them when I got home from the Doctors and had a heart attack ON THE SPOT... because I couldn't see ANY of them anywhere!  None in the bed...  On the lawn... Behind the bed box.  Nowhere!

I screamed!  And the next thing I know the agaves started moving and out came 6 little puppies from under them!!!  OMG what a relief!

I'm shopping right now.  From my lounge chair.  At a shop in Coffs Harbour, Australia.  lol

There's a fabric shop closing down over there and my Mum has offered to get me some fabric.

So I rang the shop to find out what she had.
Only, her number was disconnected.... so I did a Google Earth Search, found the fabric shop, then I found the shop next door to it, and rang THEM to see if they could get me their neighbouring shop's number?  And I had luck, and she gave me the other shop's mobile number.  Yaaa. 

Isn't the internet wonderful?  *smiles*

I'm now waiting for some photos to come through so I can choose some fabric!  How cool is that!  I'm really smiling now.


 ABOVE: Dante outside with the puppies this morning.


 ABOVE:  What I saw (or didn't see, this morning!)


ABOVE:  I yelled, and they all came running out from under the agaves!  Little cuties.

End of Day:  totally quiet evening... loved Coronation Street as per usual.  Off to bed... it's been a friggin long, hot day today.
nite nite

Thursday, January 21, 2016

LAST ONE OF THE GIRLS

Just in case you didn't see enough of Lacy and Keera yesterday:


ABOVE:  Lacy and Keera ... gorgeous girls.

Today I will be getting up, feeding the puppies/dogs and then... GOING BACK TO BED for a sleep in!

OMG It will be wonderful I'm sure.

Remember I made a new roof for the little outhouse a week or so ago?  Well... I dropped it when I moved the damn thing!  So I have to make ANOTHER one.  It will be the 3rd roof for that particular pottery outhouse!  So, I want to get that done today at some point.

Other than that... no plans.

TOTALLY RANDOM SHIT NOW:  

I'm struggling to keep my fat mouth shut about SO MANY things right now.  I am still seething over what happened last week, I didn't discuss specifics here because it would have just made the matter worse.  But I was lead to believe one thing, told over and over again 'they' would do something, then when the chips were down.... NAH.  Total backtrack.   

Never ever rely on anyone because at the end of the day... you can be shat on.  Clearly I'm not 'over it' and clearly I'm not gunna forget in a hurry. 

Oh and then there's another matter that is gnawing away at me too.  It involves an email I received 11 months ago.  Swept under the carpet by the sender obviously, but OMG, not by me.  That's another huge white elephant in the room that is going to be addressed at some point.  Probably cause a huge blow out, but hey... It was sent with the clear intention of hurting us.  

But I know once I've talked to the sender of that email and sorted it out once and for all I can put it behind me.  And I need to do that for my peace of mind.  Some things just can't be forgotten.  'Fresh Starts' cannot happen when you haven't sorted out the past first.

I'm tired of being weighed down by so many ill feelings, hurts, betrayals and frustrations.  I'm miserable.

And I don't want to be this sort of person.  I want to shake all this unhappiness off and be happy again.  Accept what I can't change and decide to be happy.  My cousin Dulcie told me that's what I needed to do to move on from this.  So, that's what I am going to try and do.

Starting today.

ONWARD...

12.34 pm:  AND... I slept in till 9.30 am!!!
It was wonderful.
I would have stayed in bed longer, but my mind kept running through all the things I needed to do.

So I got up and got the washing on, cleaned up the puppy pen, and tidied up the house.

Then I put the puppies outside and decided they could stay out there all day... so I made the little lawn puppy proof, set up their bed and made some shade for them:


ABOVE:  I'm really happy with the new 'day' set up. They get heaps of room to run and play, and can come in at bedtime.
It means the garage does not smell like a kennel all day, which is a huge bonus.

Getting all that sorted out was a really big job, thankfully the kids helped me.  They are such good kids.

Well... I just did some 'tweaking' to the puppy's outside area.  I took away the chairs and so on and used the big outdoor blanket box as a 'kennel'.  It gives them heaps of sheltered room and a snug place to curl up and sleep too. I'm really happy with it now.

When I'm not that happy with something, it annoys me until I get it right.  It's just how I am.  Ask Stew... poor bugger has to put up with me all the time!

End of Day:  It's been a funny old day. Got lots done, then had a bit of a lazy afternoon.  Played with puppies after dinner, it was so nice outside in the early evening!  Cool and still, but not muggy.  Loved it.
nite nite

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

HEE HEE, FANCY PANTS

Tallulah looks hilarious in her 'puppy proof' clothes...


ABOVE:  the puppies tried their hardest, but they could not feed from her, so then they just enjoyed being with her.

 ABOVE:  tidying up the garden for me.  


ABOVE:  "Hi Mum!"

 ABOVE:  Leaves are fun!


ABOVE:  Her 'shorts' are so funny! 

Today, because Keera isn't going to Daycare, Lacy is going to come over and pick her up and have her to stay for the next few days. 

So, it will be a quiet few days around here. 

Dante is coming over this morning to play  while Steve, Bex and Archer go to the doctor's.  Keera will love that, her and Dante get on so well. 
ONWARD... 

I just heard from the Kindergarten. Awesome news.  They can take Keera 4 days a week, starting next week!
So, 8.45 am until 2.45 pm at a cost of ... GET THIS... $18.80 a week!!!  That is AMAZING, and OMG so much cheaper than daycare, which was $200 a week.  I am so happy.  Win win for her and me.

11.45 am:  and we've just had a lovely morning with Steve, Bex and the boys.  Took a few photos:


 ABOVE:  the boys hung some washing out for me... Dante watched... and then hung it out too.  He did as good a job as Griffin!  Which isn't saying they did an exceptional job, but hey!  The washing is hung out!  
*smiles*
ABOVE: NO sexism in this house!  Boys can do housework too.


ABOVE: Archer has just woken up from a quick nap... Dante giving him loves.


ABOVE: Keera really isn't feeling the best today, poor kid has a heavy cold now.
Bex thinks her hairstyle sucks.  I know it's not amazing, but it's off her face and neck.  She hates hair on her face like me... and it's too hot to have it on her neck, so I do this:


ABOVE: It's too short to be in two pigtails or one, so I have to do three.  It's not THAT bad is it???  It's not like she cares!

ABOVE: Teething.  Archer style.

They have gone home now, and I'm awaiting the arrival of Lacy.  Lunch time for me.

I made the kids custard and fruit... that went down well!






ABOVE: Clearly, Lacy arrived.  I've taken dozens of photos of her and Keera!
I will try not to post too many... lol

End of Day: well once Lacy and Keera left I literally slumped and did nothing.  Had a nap. Played with puppies.  Cooked dinner.  Watched TV.  Now...off to bed.
nite nite