I THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS VIDEO

I took this video yesterday while the pups were outside, it is so cute:



To all my friends in the USA  I hope you are well and safe from Sandy.  It is a terrifyingly huge storm!

Lacy has a meeting with her lawyer again today (a new one), so I am caring for Miss Amazing Temper until she gets back.

Here's hoping Keera plays nice... she has been good for her Mummy the past few days... so all going well she will be good for me too.

I'm going to have a lovely day ... I just know it! I had an amazingly lovely text last night that made me so happy. That is all I will say on that though.

Steve took this photo for me last night:

ABOVE:  can you see Coco under all those pups?  lol  It's no wonder she is weaning them!  They monster her.

Right, I have to move... get the kids to school, pick up baby and drop Lacy off at the train station.... bla bla bla.

ONWARD...

Well...the above is done.  Keera is asleep in her bassinet and Lacy is on her way to see her Lawyer.  After that she's off to a friend's house for Halloween.  

Meanwhile I am now going to change the pup's bedding....

Once my camera battery was recharged I took some cute photos of the pups last night.

 ABOVE:  I rolled up the rug so they wouldn't piddle on it... how dumb could I get?  They only wanted to play on it!

ABOVE:  they LOVED playing on/with/in the rug!  Some even ran through the tunnels we made with NO prompting at all!

ABOVE:  Stew actually got down and played with them too!  He has not spent a lot of time with them at all... he can't even tell who is who!  I gave him a hard time about that.

Keera:  Screams a lot.  Does not sleep a lot.  Screams a lot.  

I think Lacy has/is pandering to her too much.  Seriously... that little baby screams at the top of her lungs and when she sees me...STOPS - JUST LIKE THAT!  If I don't pick her up ... she screams and screams.

So.. she got put on my bed at the other end of the house to scream all she liked...

ABOVE: rather typically, after screaming for a few minutes... she went to sleep.  Little madam.

KIDS!  OMG save me before I burst a blood vessel! 

Fist Kid arrives home bawling it's eyes out.

Says the second kid got a stick and whacked first kid on the hand with it.

There is a big red mark on first kid's hand.

Meanwhile, the second kid is protesting it's innocence, saying NO way did they have a stick.. no way at all!  It's all a lie second kid screams... WE DID NOT HAVE ANY STICK!!!

So this mother of 8 with 34 years experience asks VERY SOFTLY AND WITH NO ANNOYANCE IN HER VOICE:  "So where was this stick anyway?" to second kid....

And second kid says.... "it was in the alleyway, and I picked it up and first kid wanted it, so I gave it to first kid".

NOW would someone like to tell me why I now believe the first kid... and know that the second kid was lying?

It's not rocket science eh?

AND can anyone guess which kid was which?  

So... Christy you don't know my kids that well do ya?  lol
Chris... spot on!

Brylee was Second Kid, Griffin was First Kid.  Brylee did the hitting... Griffin did the bawling.  It doesn't matter that you are just a small, skinny girl.. you can have masses of attitude.. and OMG does she ever.

Lying... REALLY, REALLY ANNOYS ME.    I can put up with a lot from my kids, but lying is the one thing that really gets me mad as hell.

Well.. the late afternoon has been great!  Keera woke up at 4, took her full bottle then had another good sleep.  After she woke up she just chilled out in front of the telly watching the news!  She was as happy as can be for a good  hour!  She's been a bit fussy now, but that is perfectly normal for a baby her age.  They always kick up a fuss when you least want them too.. dinnertime.  

End of Day: well Keera is being a bit of a madam again... I'm going to give her a bottle and put her to bed... and hopefully she will settle and sleep till at least 5 am.  OMG 5 am.... I sure couldn't do this on a long term basis any more!  I'm getting past it!
nite nite.

TODAY IS DEDICATED TO...

BLOG READING/COMMENTING.

That is all.

I hate how behind I get... so many of you are so LOVELY to leave me a comment so often... yet I hardly ever do now.  Life is so... busy.

Last week was a write off thanks to a particularly nasty tummy bug.  Never want to go through a week like that again.

I took some photos of pups yesterday, hopefully for the Trade Me advert I need to get sorted and online soon:

So far I've only managed to get Jazz and Chilli's photos taken:

ABOVE: Little Jazz, she has ratbag written all over her!

ABOVE:  Jazz, only a little girl... but full of mischief.

ABOVE:  Chilli, a really darling little boy...

ABOVE:  Chilli is a more placid, laid back boy.

Today... as I said, blogs... and later on maybe try getting a couple more pups photos done.

ONWARD...

Today is going to plan!  I'm reading/commenting on blogs.. it's lovely to catch up with my favourites!

I read a few, then jump up and do ONE JOB around the house.. I just heard the washing machine finish, so that's me next job.

It may be a lovely sunny day today, but I'm cold!  I've got warm socks on and a cardigan!
I'm just thankful really... I get so many hot flushes,  being cold is FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC.

LYNISE:  I sent you a private e-mail re Dill. Let me know if you got it?

Done... 3 and a half HOURS blog reading is enough for me. I've got one last load of washing to hang out and me housework is done too.
I've got a crockpot of bacon and green pea soup simmering away for dinner... I'm ON TO IT today!  It's a good feeling.

ABOVE:  full lines.  IT BETTER NOT RAIN NOW!

ABOVE:  25 year old sons are NO BETTER at keeping their room tidy than a teenager.  *sigh*   Now I just close the door so I can't see it!

ABOVE: this soup is starting to smell divine!

LUNCHTIME!  Off to find something semi healthy... 

Realised half way through lunch I was not hungry!  So the dogs got lucky.

Got some really lovely photos of Dill :

 ABOVE:  Darling Dill.

 ABOVE:  Adorable girl.

ABOVE:  Dill has good taste, she's teething on me diamonds... lol !

ABOVE:  Dill trying to pose!  lol

I also got some of Pepper:

ABOVE: our littlest girl Pepper... she's a real honey.

 ABOVE:   posing Pepper...

ABOVE:  She has just the sweetest little face.

ABOVE:  she makes me just melt... she is a very quiet, gentle little girl.

Both these puppies got their first hair cut too.. around their eyes... so I could get better photos..... Chilli and Jazz's photos are going to be taken again ... after I trim around their eyes too.

My camera battery went flat.  I feel... like someone just chopped off me right arm!

KAREN:  my puppies are Bichon / Shih Tzu cross... or a 'designer' dog!  lol.  They are just adorable... don't shed hair, don't smell  ... well unless they are very wet!  and they are very very loyal and loving, and don't need to be taken on long walks for exercise either! Running around the house is enough for them.  I love them to bits.

End of Day: really tired tonight.. been a bit of a... stressful afternoon.  But happily resolved now.
nite nite.

BLISSFUL DAY AHEAD

Yaaaa.... the kids go back to school today, and of course the guys are at work, Bex is still in Hamilton this week... so it's just me and Teddy, Coco and the pups till 3pm.   I'm going to love it!

Steve took some photos of Brylee and Griffin yesterday in the Mitre 10 Ute:

 ABOVE:  it's a racing Ute, hence the heavy duty inner bars and harnesses.  

ABOVE: Darling wee Bodhi just started solids... isn't he just so damn gorgeous!  I can't believe in about 38 days or so I am going to finally be able to hold him and his toddler sister.    

Lacy has the Plunket Nurse coming around this morning, so she is going to see if the nurse thinks Keera can go on some solids too.  She is still way too fussy with her bottle and not taking much at all... so having solids added to her diet might be a good idea.

Steve and Mike started solids at 3 months too... I just couldn't satisfy them with breast milk by then!  BIG HUNGRY boys!

There's lots to get done today, quite a bit of washing, cleaning floors... and hopefully even some sewing.

Or..... I might just lie down in the sun (if we have any!) and bask in the silence!  

ABOVE:  how funny is this?  It made me smile. 

ONWARD...

Well... if ya live in Auckland you will already know this.  I won't be lying in the sun today, that's for sure.  It's WET.  Has been all night long.  But I don't care.
It's gunna be an awesome day anyway!  I am having a go at sorting out Xmas presents while no one is around.

I'm knackered.  I decided to go to the mall and get a few things for Xmas... I have NO INTENTION of wrapping a single thing this year!  I LOATHE wrapping presents.... it's the one thing I hate the most about Xmas.. well that and the expense of it all!

And in this house it never stops at Xmas cos our kids birthdays are in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, June, Oct, and 2 in November!  And then there's the Grandkids too... and we have more and more getting born each year!  

So... I bought Xmas bags instead of wrapping paper.  It was well worth the cost, though I don't think it's worked out any dearer getting bags.

Right, time to feed the dogs and puppies...

3pm.  The kids can be heard coming up the driveway... so what does Teddy do?  He starts barking and howling like he was being killed!  That set Coco off too... and the pups all panicked and started whimpering... OMG Teddy is driving me mental.
He HAS an anti-bark collar on... but because his neck is so fluffy it didn't stop him at all.  So out came the grooming kit and I shaved his neck back to almost skin.  God help him now if he barks!

If there is one thing I really can't stand about Teddy it's his barking at the drop of a hat.  He's lucky to still be alive cos right now I feel like killing him.

After silencing Teddy, I set about making dinner:  Australian Beef Schnitzel... gorgeous meat... messy... long job getting them ready for the frying pan.
Made so much there is enough left over for the men's lunches for the next few days!

I've been trying to get photos of the pups.  I took 323 photos of Jazz this afternoon... and I got 4 really good ones for the Trade Me advert.  Now I've just finished taking photos of Chilli.  What a little bugger he is.  He spent most of the time shoving his face into the blanket. Grrrrrr.  

Now I'm going to try getting photos of Minty!
No luck with Minty, he was too tired after dinner.  So I will have another go at his photos tomorrow afternoon.

End of Day:  Stew is thrilled to bits with the weather forecast!  Sunshine all week, and on Saturday?  Rain.  That was sarcasm BTW.
It always seems to be the way of it... he's stuck inside an office all week and the weather is so nice, then when he's at home... it rains.
Oh well... summer is coming!
nite nite.

FORGIVE ME BODY FOR I HAVE SINNED

WHY... WHY... WHY do I never learn that if I eat crap before bedtime I am going to suffer acid reflux and feel sick as a dog?

I. AM. A. FOOL.  I wish I could slap myself, but in this stupid, OVERLY Politically Correct country I would probably end up being arrested for assault!  

Rant over.

Kelly sent me a couple of photos of Rena, which I will share... cos I can:

 ABOVE:  Not so sure about this look, she looks washed out...but we think she looks gorgeous anyway!  And I'm sure she thought she looked awesome.  *smiles*

ABOVE: this is way better, ready for bed and looking adorable.  She's got my eyes... lucky girl.

ABOVE:  Kelly's latest piercing.  Who's with me in thinking it is horrendous?  It looks so... UNCOMFORTABLE.  It makes me cringe.

ABOVE:  I saw this on Facebook the other day... how awesome does that look?  I dislike Kiwifruit and I don't think I could imagine eating Feta Cheese with fruit... so I'd change it to Watermelon/Orange/and Marshmallows!  Might not be quite as visually pleasing, but I'm sure it would taste yummy!
*sigh*... look at me, already planning something else to eat!  Shoot me now.

Before I go... I saw a little picture (also on Facebook) and it made me laugh.  Little Poppy's new Dad was wearing BRIGHT ORANGE Croc's when they visited last Monday....

ABOVE:  I do hope wee Poppy does not do that to his LOVELY croc's!  But ... something tells me Mr Owen's family would not mind!  *snort*

TODAY:  hmmmm... could do some housework.  Could.  But don't really want to.  It can wait until tomorrow when the kids are finally back at school.  They ended up having three weeks holidays due to being sick.  
At least they didn't drive me nuts ... sick kids are quiet kids if nothing else!

I'm hoping it's a nice fine day, cos I really want to get the puppies outside for a lovely play on the grass.  We didn't get around to it yesterday.

ONWARD...

So, the morning has gone something like this:

GROCERY SHOPPING.

And that is all so far!

We are going to put the groceries away, have lunch, put the puppies outside for a play, then go and check out the new Mitre 10 MEGA that has opened up right next door to Manukau Bunnings!  OOOh I'm gunna love the competition between the two super stores! 

Groceries away - Check
Lunch consumed - Check
Puppies outside - Check....

ABOVE:  I asked Steve to tidy up the fridges while we were grocery shopping... we got back and he was still doing it!  He had taken everything out, scrubbed and washed everything!  All the trays, bins, bottles... what an awesome job done.  So grateful... cos it's a shit job at the best of times.

ABOVE:  the pups are all teething... they have teething toys to chew on...

ABOVE:  and apparently your sibling's tails are good too... that is Poppy chewing on Jazz's tail.

ABOVE: the pups having a play outside after lunch.

 ABOVE:  it's a really lovely day today...

ABOVE:  so funny, Dill got 'stuck' against the fence where there is a little dip.  The pups couldn't stay outside for long... it was too hot for them.  They all started panting, so inside they had to come.  Next time I will take them out late afternoon when it's not so hot.

We visited the new Mitre 10 MEGA store...

ABOVE:  I don't know what I expected... it is a lovely store, has heaps of shit I love buying (tools, wood, paint etc), but it didn't really feel like a massive 'OPENING EVENT'.  Just so-so.  I'm not really into bouncy castles, lollies and cheap and nasty blow up plastic beach balls.  Even our two kids were unimpressed.  They did get to sit inside the Mitre 10 Holden V8 racing Ute... which they did enjoy.  
Some guy took photos and apparently we can upload them in a few days off their Facebook page.  I 'posed' with the engine.... lol.

Mid afternoon, time to just relax for two hours before I have to prepare dinner.  (Lemon Chicken tonight)

Oh MY:  dinner was so yum tonight!  I put Cripsy Noodles on top of the Lemon Chicken and it just made such a difference.  

End of Day:  it's been a lovely day really... so glad it's Sunday night now.  Kids have just gone to bed and they go to school tomorrow !  Excellent.
nite nite.

FLOWERS... AND DOG SHAMPOO?

I mentioned yesterday at some point that I had got some lovely new flowers for our front door area eh?

Well... let me show you WHY I got them:

ABOVE: THAT was once an alive and vibrant begonia plant, it died whispering "Water.... waterrrr...."   I'm not very good with live pot plants.

So I got these:

ABOVE:  And YES... I do have a green soft toy frog by my front door.  There is nothing wrong with that is there?  

No, I didn't think so.

Stew came home last night with a teething ring for Keera, and I hadn't even asked him to! :

ABOVE:  she seemed to like it a little bit.

After our dinner I asked Steve to bath Keera for me... save my back!

So, he got the water ready and I handed her over.  

He wasn't THAT informed on what to start with.. so I talked him through it... after her face wash I said he was to get the baby shampoo and give her hair a wash.... so he grabbed the shampoo...

 ABOVE: The shampoo he grabbed... OMG! I yelled 'NOoooo ! ! ! ! "  

ABOVE:  see what he grabbed???   He laughed at me... the shit.  He was winding me up of course!  He knew damn well that was the dog's shampoo!

ABOVE:  after that he did really well making his baby niece nice and clean.  Griffin enjoyed 'supervising' too...I'm sure he would have been only too happy to bath baby too!

Today I don't want to make any plans as such... a lot will depend on Keera.  I want her to have a quiet, settled day.  A day to just get back into enjoying her bottle hopefully.

ONWARD...

Keera has an amazing TEMPER... this morning at 10 I tried giving her a bottle... she'd not had anything since 5am.  Well... did she scream holy blue murder!  There was NO WAY she was going to have it... but... everytime I put her dummy (binky) in her gob she shut up and sucked it happily.  So. not to be outdone by a 3 month old, I took the dummy away, wrapped her up and put her in her bassinet.  She screamed like someone was throttling her... I'd pick her up, offer her the bottle... screaming ensued, back into the bassinet she went.  

We did this for about 45 minutes! In and out... no to the bottle, yes to the dummy... so of course I did not give in and give her the dummy!  After almost an hour of protracted and more and more ANGRY SCREAMING from her she finally gave in and had her bottle.

Little madam.  I have told Lacy she must not let baby have the dummy until AFTER she has her bottle.  It's as simple as that.

There is NOTHING wrong with Keera, she is just a bloody minded little spitfire.  And used to getting away with it as Lacy can't bear to hear her scream!

LACY... grow some balls.

After baby had her bottle I parked her on the floor in front of the telly:

 ABOVE:  we put a music channel on, and the little bugger lay there and sang along ... well in baby babble of course...

ABOVE:  The next thing I knew Miss Amazing Temper had gone to sleep!

After her bottle we picked Lacy up and went over to Botany for KIWIYO for lunch.  Lacy did a bit of shopping too... I would have but I'm getting the most wicked heartburn at the moment, it doesn't matter what I eat.  Me tummy is not happy.

Once home again, I fed the dogs and pups and after this update I am going to take a bloody nap.  This bug has knocked me around too... still lacking in energy.

AND before anyone asks... here's some puppy photos from today:

ABOVE: Yes, we do put them in a fish bin when we need to change their newspaper and bedding....  notice they do have a lovely warm sheepskin to sit on.  *smiles*    Spoilt?  Yep.

ABOVE: today was the first time they had puppy food with GUSTO!  The gobbled it down.  I think Coco is slowly weaning them, she is certainly not feeding them as often as she was even a week ago.  Maybe this time she will wean them completely ON HER OWN!  Last time I had to put her in a baby's stretch 'n' grow to stop her feeding them during their last week at home.


End of Day:  well I think today has been not too bad... most of us are 100% better from the bug from hell ... OR Hamilton... depending on how you look at it! 
Sick of having heartburn.  I get it no matter what I eat.  That sucks.  MUST REMEMBER TO GET A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOSEC ASAP.
nite nite.