BUSY DAY AHEAD..... SPELD/VISITORS

Taking Griffin to his Speld lesson today... might go into Pukekohe and have a look see.

Then once I'm home again Amanda and Emily should be here for a couple of days.
I want Amanda to have a good rest while she's here, so I am hoping she will feed Emily then go to bed and leave Steve and I to care for Emily.

I've brought our old pram up from storage and am going to put Emily in it and walk her around to settle her after her feeds.... anything to give Amanda a break for a while.

Amanda says Emily is getting more settled again, so baby must be getting used to the Brace.  Thank goodness, cos she was fair ROPEABLE the other night!  (edit:  ropeable means really, really cross, mad, upset, angry)

ABOVE: my trusty Phil & Ted's Buggy... all ready for Emily to sleep in... nice and cosy.  I love my buggy... I bought it when Brylee was on her way.. so I'd have a good one to use when she came to visit.  LOL... I certainly ended up needing it a whole lot more... for Brylee and Griffin.   Nowdays I will get to use it for Emily. 

ABOVE:  Yet another reason she is not allowed in the lounge... lol. 

Got a foggy brain this morning... phone ringing at 3am does nothing for my mood.  Parenthood is not all it's cracked up to be sometimes.
***PEPSI UPDATED***PEPSI UPDATED***PEPSI UPDATED***

For the first time ever I came home after dropping Griffin at his Speld Lesson, I didn't want to miss a whole hour of being with Emily really!
It took me 20 minutes to get home ... so that's not too bad.  Just have to remember to go pick Griffin up again in an hour!

ABOVE:  Amanda arrived with a parcel from Blondie in Taupo for me... and she couldn't wait for me to open it!

ABOVE: As she unwrapped things.. I saw her place something in her baby bag behind her!  Ahhhh NOPE... tis MINE!   lol
She is always nicking me stuff that Tart!

Emily is crying, better go check out what's the haps...

ABOVE:  5 weeks old and so alert! 

Yes... I remembered Griffin, he's back at school and I'm home getting lunch.

Had a lovely afternoon... walked up to the school to pick up the kids with Emily in the buggy... then  she went to sleep on my chest so we just sat quietly for two hours and rested.
Now... got to get dinner I suppose...

End of Day:  a bit early... but as my MOTHER is on her way back here tonight I thought it prudent to get me blog finished for the day before she gets here.  Blogging in the loo is so SAD...!
Diet:  good
nite nite

TO WENDY...

I dedicate the next kilo I gain to WENDY.... because she reminded me of my Gingerbread Cake.. and how much I loved it.

I baked one last night.  *bugger, damn and blast*... and it was/is delicious... just as I remembered it to be.

Off to work at the Hospice Shop today, then when I get home I'm hoping Steve and I will go for a swim at the pool.

AND after that I plan on finishing the windows, I've only got three bedrooms to go now!  (oh and the bathrooms and front door I suppose) *sigh*

ABOVE:  went out to get the washing in... and  found 'Madam Muck'  happily sunning herself.  On that!  Silly dog.

ABOVE: the boys well 90% Steve turning over the area where the splash pool was all summer.  I'm hoping we can get grass to grow there this year... last year none grew so it was a horrid muddy patch for 9 months.

ONWARD...

ABOVE:   no restraint today... I bought ME two tops and..

ABOVE:  This gorgeous blue glass platter and a wooden rolling pin.  OK.. I've already got a wooden rolling pin, but it's handles don't spin like this one!  It's really neat and I JUST HAD TO BUY IT. 

My right heel is hurting like buggery... any idea what caused your heel to hurt when you walk on it  AND even when you are sitting/lying down?  It's been sore for over a year, I mentioned it to my Doctor months ago but he kinda ignored me.  *sniff*

No swim.  No washing windows.  Just sat down and had a rest this afternoon.  Was tired.  And me heel is so sore today.  Must be what a few of you have said... and if so there is bugger all I can do about it... orthotics or lose weight.  Hmmmm... yet another thing I've done to myself cos I'm fat.  Lovely.


HIJACKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Steve, just sneakily took this photo of mum doing ironing hehe. Mum dislikes ironing you see, so im putting this photo on here as proof that she can do it :) That is all, have a lovely day.

P.S. Im sure ill cop it for this

OMG!  The little bugger... I must change my password!!!!!   He could have taken a better photo is all I can say.
Pfffft.
Would ya look at that though!  I CAN SIT ON ME BUM and work too!
Take that Mother.

End of Day:  had a nice evening... watched tv and IRONED.... major event I might add....
DIET: not so good
nite nite.

PAVLIK BRACE ON EMILY

Our baby granddaughter Emily has Hip Dysplasia:

ABOVE:  She wasn't screaming in these two photos, but let me assure you... she was A VERY, VERY UPSET BABY last night!  She HATES being restricted by the Brace... poor wee darling.

Today:  not sure yet.... plenty of things to do around here...

ONWARD...
I was looking around the house this morning, and I felt GUILTY.  I am home all the time (well mostly) and my home is not spotless.  I should do more housework!  So I'm washing windows today... all of them. 

ABOVE: almost finished this lot.... then it's on to the lounge... At least once they are all done I will feel like I've done something today, instead of sitting on me BUM ALL DAY DOING NOTHING!   (yes, my MOTHER'S rude comment is still annoying the hell out of me).

GOOEY GINGERBREAD CAKE RECIPE:


Preperation time: 20 mins


Cooking time: 1hr 10 mins


185 g (6 oz) butter, chopped


1 cup (350g/11 oz) golden syrup


3/4 cup...(140g/4 1/2oz) lightly packed soft brown sugar


1 egg, lightly beaten


1 1/2 cups (185g, 6 oz) plain flour


3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


1 Tblsp ground ginger


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1 teaspoon mixed spice


2 Tblspn finely chopped glace ginger


Ginger Icing:


1 1/2 cups icing sugar


1 Tblsp milk


2 Tblsp golden syrup


30 g (1 oz) butter, softened


1 1/2 Tblsp finely chopped glace ginger


Preheat oven to 160C or 315F, Gas 2-3... Line a lightly greased 9 inch square shallow baking tin with non-stick baking paper, over-hanging two opposite sides.


Combine butter, golden syrup, sugar and 3/4 cup of water in a pan and stir over gentle heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves.


Remove from heat and let cool a bit, then add the beaten egg, mix well.


Sift the flour, soda and spices, add to mixture and beat well to remove any lumps. Stir in the glaze ginger, pour into the tin. Bake for about an hour .. or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.


Cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack.


Icing: beat icing sugar, milk, golden syrup and butter together. spread over the cold gingerbread cake and sprinkle with glace ginger.


When cutting a sticky cake like this use a hot, wet knife for best results.


This cake will add 10 pounds OVERNIGHT. But it's delicious!.. and freakin easy to make. If you love ginger.. you will love this cake!

Recipe posted again for Wendy.  Now I want to make it again!  Grrrrrr.

***Emily will be in the brace for a minimum of 8 weeks, there will be ultrascans done regularly to see how her hips are doing.  One step at a time... we will know if more treatment is necessary after the 8 weeks are up.

End of Day:  roast chicken and veges for dinner... oh it was so yum!  I love roast chicken with gravy! 
DIET: going to blow it tonight!
nite nite.

VISITORS AGAIN....

Today Amanda and Emily are visiting again... and bringing Steve back home again too.

So that will be nice eh?  I can sit on me BUM all day long if I want... but I won't really.   I mean, who the hell does all the housework around here most days?

Sure isn't the Housework Fairly.

ABOVE:  the CUTE bag I made for my neighbour using fabric from her existing bag.  I hope she likes it. 

ONWARD...  CAN YOU SEE MY PHOTOS?  Having trouble with blogger eating me photos!

Coco is a very clever dog.  She can jump over the dog pen.. so therefore can get out of the garage at night into the house and wreck HAVOC.   I am racking my brains for a way to confine the little shit.   Still working on it....

Well.. I'm happy to say I am cleverer than our little escape artist Coco:

ABOVE:  Teddy in his 'bedroom'...

 ABOVE:  Coco in her's....

ABOVE:  Coco trying to eat her way out of her 'bedroom'!  There is no way in hell she's getting out of there on her own.  YAAA... I win!

It's mid afternoon and Amanda and Steve have not arrived yet.  Emily had to see a doctor about possibly having  'clicky' hips.  *sigh*.. so I've been doing some routine sewing jobs.. mending, naming uniforms etc.  Such exciting stuff.

Just heard from Amanda, Emily DOES have clicky hips (hip dysplasia) and they have put her in a harness for 8 weeks initially.   Poor wee bub.  But better that than hip problems... or in a body cast for months!

End of Day:   so Amanda, Andrew, Steve and Emily arrived at dinnertime.  Fed them all... Amanda fed Emily then they went home again.  Emily was a screaming mess... very upset about not being able to move her legs at all.  Poor wee mite.
DIET:  good
nite nite.

PHOTOS AMANDA TOOK

ABOVE:  Amanda took these photos yesterday with her phone? camera I think.... and sent them to me... as I am actually smiling in some of them I thought I better show you!  See, I do smile sometimes!  Just not usually for photos....  AND Emily is certainly smiling already!

They are crap quality photos obviously... but as I said yesterday, I forgot my camera card and couldn't take decent ones myself.    EDIT:  most of the photos have disappeared!  No idea why.

TODAY:  probably just stay around home and do some housework .... dusting is screaming out to be  done and the washing will have to go in the dryer as it's still raining...

Making scones for lunch... I seem to be a whizz at them now!   Seriously, I just don't get why : if I follow a recipe to a 'T' my scones come out like bloody rocks... but if I just chuck whatever into them they turn out beautiful!  Weird.

AND another thing.. you can put jam and cream on a cheese scone and it still tastes amazingly yum!  My MOTHER taught me that the other day.

End of Day:  and I finally finished the bag for my neighbour... it had started to bother me that I hadn't got it done already.  So, I'm happy now and can go to bed and relax. 

DIET: good

nite nite.

FOUND THEM!

When we lived in Palmerston North we found a takeaway shop that sold the most AMAZING Seafood Fritters... they were locally made in Palmerston North.

Since moving to Auckland we have only seen one place that sells them (out at Maraetai)... but have not bought any ....usually cos we pass the shop at the wrong time.

Anyway... I looked them up on the 'net and found a distributor here in Auckland... and I rang them yesterday to see who sold them around here.
Well... to cut a long story short I can buy them direct from the Distributor for an INCREDIBLE  price... I'm thrilled!

I'm going there on Monday to get us some.  Best thing... in a takeaway shop they cost about  $4 each.... buying them in bulk... $1.50 each.  SCORE!

Today:  we are heading down to Hamilton for Rena and Kelly's birthday party.... probably won't be there long as the weather is utter crap... and I've got a sewing commitment to finish and I should have done it already.  OOps... had visitors so couldn't do it without appearing rude.

ONWARD....

As forecast, the weather today has been atrocious.... rain non stop.  So we travelled down to Hamilton, attended the Birthday Party for Rena, did not stay for the evening party for Kelly.... came home instead.  It will be nice to just relax tonight with nothing to do.   I will finish the sewing commitment tomorrow I think.

ABOVE: A few photos from today.  I forgot my Camera's card so could only take a few photos..Derrrr.

End of Year:  been a lovely day... watching a nice movie on the telly...
DIET: well, ooops
nite nite.

BYE BYE VISITORS... BACK TO HOUSEWORK!

Mum leaves for other places today.. and I expect Amanda, Emily (and Steve maybe) to go back to Hamilton....

So it's back to just me for the day.  Housework will feature heavily me thinks!

Until I come back, here's a couple of very cute photos:  OH, there is a story behind them too.... Emily was awake ALL DAY yesterday... she took a couple of 10 minute 'cat naps' but that was all.   Then Stew came home at about 8.30pm from work and sat down and held her... and the little bugger was sound asleep in about 2 minutes flat! 

ABOVE:  See?  Out to it.  Oh so cute .... Stew was rather proud of himself.   I just think she was exhausted! 

ONWARD...

Mum just left... will see her again in 10 days or so I suppose.  Her visit went fairly well until this morning when she got right up my nose... Mother's eh?

*sigh*... but anyway, Amanda and Emily are still here so I can cluck over the baby to my heart's content.

Clucking over for today, Amanda, Steve and Emily have gone back to Hamilton.  We will see them tomorrow when we go down for Birthday Party for Rena/Kelly... and Steve will be brought back on Monday by Amanda... so I will get to see my wee Emily again ... *smiles*....WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT BABY IS ALREADY SMILING AT US?

Well, She is!  You can tell it's a real smile cos her whole face lights up and her eyes twinkle.  God it's so adorable! 

On a less happy note:  I took some sausages out of the freezer down in the garage for our dinner tonight... but forgot to bring them up... left them on Stew's workout bench.  The dogs found them...  and ate them raw.   My own fault I know, but I still yelled at the dogs... man you should have seen them run! 

End of Day:  Tired tonight.  Haven't done much at all.  Weather is crap... but lovely and cool!  So, so happy it's getting cooler.
DIET:  not too bad.
nite nite.

TODAY'S PLANS ALL STUFFED UP

Today I should be taking Griffin to his Speld Lesson.... which means I would be out of the house from 10am - 1 pm.
Not today.

Amanda and Emily are coming for the day... and taking Steve back to Hamilton with them for a few days.  Yaaaa, I get to cluck over my darling Granddaughter again.

My MOTHER turned up most unexpectedly last night from her home in Australia.  She's here for two weeks.. but not staying with us.  I think the last time I saw her was March last year? 

Whatever.  We are not close anymore.  She has a totally new life in Australia with her new partner Ron.  We don't really figure in her life at all.  Sometimes I cry about that.

So she is here for the day and will see Amanda (her granddaughter) and Emily (her Great-granddaughter)... that will be nice I suppose.

Sorry if I sound blah about it, but my Mother has deliberately distanced herself from me, both with miles and feelings (if that makes sense?)... and I just feel very so-so about seeing her.

So today will be .... interesting.

ONWARD...

This is weird.... Me Mum is being NICE!  She is chatty, smiling, acting like she even likes us!  I have not been treated like this from her in years.

 ca

ABOVE:   My Mum and Emily... got to be quick about this ... Mum does NOT 'approve' of me being on the computer AT ALL.  Pffffft.. have to hide to update!

End of Day:  went out this afternoon and picked up a rental car for Mum... then we all had dinner at the mall and came home.  Our wee grandbaby has been awake virtually ALL DAY!  Little toad.  Amanda and the baby are staying the night... so that is lovely!  Mum is leaving tomorrow morning... probably see her again at the end of her two weeks here.
DIET: so-so
nite nite.

BIT OF A WORRYING DAY...

TODAY: 

Lacy goes to hospital in Whangarei for an operation .... it's not a biggie.... but enough to mean spending the day there.  I wish I could be there for her... but as it's only a day stay and she has the support of a friend I felt it better to just stay home and carry on as 'normal'.

I've got Hospice Shop this morning... then I hope to go for a swim!  WITH me goggles and mask too.   To hell with what people think!  I want to use them, so I will.
I might even drag Steve along with me... he can pretend he's not really with me if he's embarrassed!
lol

I took some photos of Teddy..... he's grown some darker hair and it's in a HEART shape... so cute!

 ABOVE:  see?  How cute is that?

ABOVE:  he still hates having his photo taken, the little shit.

ABOVE:  Coco adores him, he's so spoilt!

ONWARD....

It's so far been an excellent day!  Worked till 12.30pm then went swimming with Steve at the local pool... YES.. I took me snorkel and goggles and NO ONE gave me a second look!  All that worry for nothing!!!   Well OK, maybe the life guard gave me a second look, BUT I choose to believe it was cos I'm so GORGEOUS.  OK?  ha ha ha   

JEANIE:  ahhh, NO, I ain't posting a photo of me in me googgles... not that flattering really!  lol

Got Lacy on my mind, I hope she rings and lets us know she's OK.  It is a sad day for her.

***PEPSI UPDATED***PEPSI UPDATED***PEPSI UPDATED*** 

End of Day:  got an unexpected visitor this evening... Me MOTHER.
DIET: ok
nite nite