Good afternoon world, it is a lovely Monday afternoon here in Newie, for a change Natasha will be picking Blain up from school also I don’t have to pick Leo up either as he isn’t at school today. Tim has taken the car in to have the electric brake fitted to the car for when we tow the caravan, he also got the cheque made up to pay for the van as well.

Also yesterday daylight savings ended here and as such yesterday felt like that the day was dragging on, also today seems like it is a long ass day as well. I am so glad that daylight savings is over I like it but have to say to say we don’t need like 6 months of it, it starts too early and ends too late. When I was a child it was shorter and that was better, also as many people will say as children they like daylight savings as parents not so much, I was not one of them but have to say it is annoying when it goes on and on and on and never seems like it is going to end but end it has now and for that I am glad.

Last Friday was Dawson’s birthday he turned 17, this year he started a new school as I had mentioned back in January but he also a couple of girls who quiet like him and who he often talks to at night, this is a new thing but also a bit like his father who always has good relationships with females. Nan and pop are really pleased with the young man he has grown into, I mostly agree with them he still has his moments and at times I don’t like the way he talks to my mum (his nan) but he has grown and matured a fair bit but like all 17 year olds still has a ways to go.

I have decided that both Blain and Leo will have a set routine of a morning when they are here of the morning, they will have to have breakfast also each day before going to school. I also will continue to prepare proper meals each night for the boys and hell if it is only me and Blain here at night I will make him a decent meal more times then not.

Well that is all for this post, I will be back tomorrow.

Hello all, it is now Sunday just after lunch and I am at last getting around to writing a post, just had lunch Natasha did tacos haven’t had tacos in a long time, it was nice not having to do the cooking for a change.

Anyway guess what Tim and I did yesterday we bought this, it was a spur of the moment thing kinda, Tim saw it on his run yesterday but run I mean while driving the bus that type of run not the type that involves moving legs fast so moving faster then a walk. Trust me Tim couldn’t run like that if his life depended on it.

It is a two berth van so just the right size for me and Tim, although Leo has already said he could come away with us in it.

We have been looking for a van for a few months so it was a spur of the moment decision to buy a van it was kind of spur of the moment in that he saw it went to check it out on his way home from work, rang me and had me go out and meet him to look at it and when I said yes I liked it he bought it there and then.

Hello everyone, it is now Thursday afternoon and I have just had a bath and thought I would quickly write a post for the day, there is family news but can’t tell you been told by my daughters yes more then one of them have told me I cannot share their news on my blog of Facebook so since I can’t tell you that news I will have to think of something else to tell.

I went back to the specialist about my tremor in my right arm and leg, he has changed my medication as the Artane isn’t working so I will start something else tomorrow and go back and see him in 4 months time. What has annoyed me is that the appointment is at 4pm and I do not like afternoon appointments but what can I do, if that is when it has to be then so be it, although I think it clashes with our trip to Tassie I will have to check that and if it clashes I will have to ring and change it.

He said it is still too difficult to say what is causing it there are a few different types of tremors and it is still to early to tell what it is, we will see how the new medication goes. One thing he said it could be caused by stress alone as it does get worse when I am feeling upset and stressed but we will see what happens with the new medication.

Natasha has not been getting as much work this week, she isn’t sure why, she has not been working with the same woman also this annoys her because less hours been less money and she said she is going to talk to the boss because if she is going to loss her job she needs to know so she can start looking for something else.

Natasha has been feeling really stressed the last week or so she is so fed up with how the boys act when they are together and when they are apart too, she is so over Blain’s attitude all the time and Leo’s getting upset and lying and carrying on over nothing. On Easter Sunday she lost it with both boys they had been fighting a lot on the drive home from Cessnock (a 45 minute drive) and when she got home she did her block with both of them. Then on Easter Monday she went off again at Blain who was giving her a lot of attitude and not listening to her.

Ok that is all I have for today’s post.

PEPPA PIG

As a parent of 2 young children I tend to hear a lot of other parents opinions on TV shows and which ones are allowed. I also hear about the shows they hate or can’t stand. I’ve had a few people tell me they can’t stand Dora the Explorer, Go Diego, Go, In the Night Garden and one I’m sure was written by drunk people…….Teletubbies. But the one that springs to mind the most is Peppa Pig.

Peppa Pig lives in a small community where everyone knows everyone. She has a mum, a dad and a little brother and her best friend is a rabbit. There’s a grown rabbit doing a different job in each episode, her sister rabbit popping out baby rabbits, a rhino working with heavy machinery, a clumsy daddy pig; the list goes on. There’s always the joke of telling children that the bacon they’re eating came from a pig, most likely a relative of Peppa Pig. I mean honestly, does Peppa Pig have any educational value or is it just one of those mindless shows that someone thought up to give children a bit of mindless enjoyment?

As a mother to 2 young children and someone who has spent a bit of time studying early childhood education; I can honestly say Peppa Pig has to be one of the best children’s shows I have ever seen. I watch this show and I link this little pigs’ development against something called the Early Years Learning Framework and the 5 outcomes identified in this interesting document. I can also honestly admit I have a lot of spare time on my hands while I wait to begin my bachelors in education (early childhood).

I have found this show to also give me handy little ideas on how I can entertain my children on cold and wet days. Until I watched this show I had never heard of thing called the rainy day game. Can you believe that there are actually parents out there are willing to put aside their phones and computers just so they can positively interact with their children? Especially on a rainy day when all you want to do is sit and watch TV, game or sleep.

After watching the show for a few weeks I thought it was interesting to see no meats to be consumed by these characters, but a lot of fruit and vegetables are eaten. I have come to the conclusion that maybe there is some subliminal messaging in this part. Try your fruits and vegetables. They can be eaten in many different ways; soups, smoothies, baked, fried. George doesn’t like his vegetables, but grandpa pig gets creative and turns his meal into a dinosaur. This doesn’t work for my children, but it might for some. I have to grate each vegetable into practically a powder before it can be eaten.

Have you noticed that even Peppa Pig has a night time routine? They have a bath, clean their teeth, have a bed time story then go to sleep at exactly 7pm every night. Allowing your child to have a simple routine like this gives them some peace of mind. They know what’s going to happen and in most cases will work with you instead of against you. It’s flexible and allows the child to know what’s going to happen next, such as when they can get some rest.

When it comes time to say goodbye, the parents don’t dawdle. The parent will talk to the person who will be caring for the child in a positive or happy tone then let the child know they are going. There’s none of this sneaking out while the child isn’t looking and causing some form anxiety in the child. It’s a straight forward “see you later”. My eldest daughter does not like it when I leave her at school. She will cling to me for what I feel is her life and then cry as I manage to loosen her grip and attach her to her teachers. I’ve read everything I could find on how to manage this situation.

I’ve reassured my child that it’s ok to be anxious or nervous. I’ve told her who will be there at the end of each day. I spent as much time as I could with her so she had that one on one time with me. I got to know her teachers and her classroom. I even know all of her friends. But a few weeks I decided that I’d had enough. Now some may think of this as a little mean, but I took a page out of mummy and daddy pigs book. I now go into the school with her, place her bag in the right spot, talk to her teacher for like a second then say “see you at 3” and walk away. After a week I discovered this technique to bloody work. Those tears are drying up and she no longer clings.

One of the nicest things about this show is how mummy pig can be a working stay at home mum who volunteers at the fire station with the other mummies. Daddy pig also knows how to cook, clean, do laundry and care for his children without complaint. There’s not just stay at home mums these days, it’s also dads. I like how this show informs children that even dads can do certain house hold chores while caring for his child/ren while mum is at work.

The most important thing for children to see in their home when both parents are together is how much each parent cares for each other.

Hello everyone, it is Good Friday here and that means Tim cooking fish for lunch which he did, yesterday I went to the shops to get a few things. I didn’t do all my weekly shopping as I really didn’t have the time, I wanted to go to Blain’s Easter Hat Parade which I did do and then I only had time to go and check the mail and get fish for today’s lunch before going back to get him (Blain) from school.

So even though it was Thursday night and not Friday night I allow Leo to stay over as Blain was going to his father’s he will be back here on Sunday some time, I think Natasha will be going to get him.

Now yesterday afternoon when Jessica was here to drop off Leo and pick up Blain she said something about the school holidays and I said yeah they start next Friday and she goes no today is the last day of the school term and she would not believe me she had to get online and check it out and guess what I was right, there is one more week of school left.

Now this morning I didn’t feel 100% so after a couple of hours I went back to bed, I just really felt tired and I slept till 11.30am when Natasha work me for lunch. Now I don’t eat fish but I do eat chips so while everyone else had fish and chips I just had chips with tom tit sauce (tomato sauce) I do not know why I call it tom tit sauce just always have.

Now let’s go back to Leo for a minute, last night when he was here riding his bike he got all pissy he storms in side yelling and swearing and throwing things around. I tried to talk to him but he was in a right foul mood. Turns out that a couple of the neighbours told him to be careful and watch out for cars and that set him off. I ended up ringing his mum and telling her if he continued to carry on I will be getting her to come and get him. I ended up convincing him to have a bath which he did and by the time he got out he was in a better frame of mind and settled right down. I love him but I am not going to put up with him carrying on throwing things and swearing and such, I am not his mum and when he is in a really foul mood his mum can be the one to deal with him. Right or wrong that is how I feel.

Hi all, today I am going to chat a bit about what makes a good baked meal and how badly prepared/cooked food can influence how we prepare/cook food.

Last night I cooked tea for myself, Jessica, Kelli and all the boys Blain, Leo and Daemon all we had was a roast chook bought from Coles Supermarket with baked spuds and peas and corns. The suds I did in the oven now until recently like the last few years I had never cooked my baked spuds in the oven. I was taught to cook them in oil in the electric fry-pan but when Kelli was living here I was shown how to cook them in the oven.

Let’s go back to when Tim and I were first together, we went over to his father’s place one day for a meal and he did a “baked” meal, he cooked the spuds, pumpkin, and carrots in the oven and they were either hard and not cooked through or soft and not cooked to a crisp. When we left after the meal Tim said to me “that was a horrible meal” he didn’t like it, in fact he said he didn’t know what a good baked meal was till he had tasted my mother’s cooking and he still says how he misses my grandmother’s baked potatoes he says they were the best he ever tasted.

Of course Tim doesn’t remember how much he didn’t like his father’s cooking now days but he does remember how much he likes my mum and nan’s cooking and he says my cooking isn’t that bad either.

Anyway what I am getting at is that because of how terrible that meal his father made was it turned me off baking veggies in the oven, but tasting how nice the spuds were when Kelli cooked them in the oven changed my mind. That said I still prefer to do my orange veggies in the fry-pan the way my mum taught me to do.

So how do you do a baked meal?

How often do you do a baked meal?

Have you ever been turned off doing something because when you tried it, it was awful?

Last day of school for a few days school goes back on Tuesday so that is 4 days off school for the kids, I will naturally have Leo tomorrow night if his mum wants me to. Saturday I will have to go and do my Easter shopping as yet Tim hasn’t given me any money not even the $20 he said he would give me. Although I did spend $10 on some small eggs for the grandchildren but really need to get something else and not really thinking chocolate I want to get the boys some kind of gift.

Ok time to post and then put my feet up for a while, tomorrow will be a busy day washing and Tim will be cooking fish for lunch he will do the fish I will do the chips.

I haven’t been around reading blogs today, just haven’t had the time after I took Leo to school this morning I had to go and have my eyes checked at the optometrist cost for me $15, when Tim saw him last Saturday it cost him $39. Tim wanted to know why his cost so much more I asked him (Tim) if he told the guy he was my husband and Jeannie’s (sister) brother in-law to which Tim said no why would I, well that may be part of the reason it cost you more Tim.

Then I went over to Leo’s school for his Easter hat parade then home for only an hour till I had to go and get Blain then Leo from school, while on the drive home both boys were complaining that they were so hungry so when I got home I made tea (dinner) for them and they both said they were not hungry but I made them eat it anyway.

Jessica and Leo were here for tea this is going to be happening a lot more often like 3 or 4 times a week and while Jessica is here of an afternoon she will be make sure both boys are doing there homework before they go out to spend time with their friends, well they are Blain’s friends really.

Blain’s Easter parade is on Thursday but not sure what time will have to ring the school and try and find out time you would have thought the school would had sent a note home yesterday or today reminding parents about the Easter parade or at least have the information on their Facebook page.

So this is just letting you know a bit about my day.

Hi all can you guess who has been feeling sick for the last few days, yeah me, aching body, headaches and just feeling kinda blah but it is now a lovely cool and wet Monday morning and I am feeling pretty much the same yeah I would love to be still in bed asleep but can’t happen as Leo will be here soon as well as Summer and of course I have to take Leo to school and Summer will be here till her mum is able to get her.

So what has been happening in my life since I last wrote, well nothing much to be honest. I did have the girls here for lunch on Saturday and yeah I wasn’t feeling good but still managed to do a mince stew for lunch which everyone seemed to like. Natasha had two lots as did Jessica, now as some of you will know Natasha often doesn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive so going back for more is out of the norm.

I also managed to do all the washing yesterday but had to have a nap as I was so tired and felt like shit.

Last night Natasha told me that Jono (Blain’s dad) thinks that Blain should be staying with his mum while Natasha is at work as Tim and I don’t punish Blain and don’t feed him right as in don’t cook many real meals. He is right about the meals because often it is just me and Blain and he doesn’t usually want a proper meal, so I can’t see the point.

Now we do try to discipline Blain but he has a right attitude and has told us that we are not his parents and can’t tell him what to do, he is very cheeky and often talks back and gets this look on his face and rolls his eyes at us. Yes I know I am a softie but I do try, it is just not that easy at times. I have no problem with him spending a night or two at his other grandmothers place she has just as much right to see Blain as we do, now as I said I am a big softie but at times I think she is a bit to hard on him but then what do I know I am not there.

On Thursday night we had both Blain and Leo here but what a night at one stage Blain and Leo got into a bit of a tiff and then Tim got into a mood, he was so very angry over nothing really yes the boys where mucking up and Blain was being rude and disrespectful but Tim over-reacted and was making matters worse. I was calm and told Tim he was over-reacting and making matters worse which just made Tim angrier. The only thing all Tim’s carry on did was make the boys side with each other and get over their tiff faster.

Tim was complaining that he had to get up early Friday morning at 3.30am and needed to go to sleep, the boys were not loud they were in the bedroom playing the Xbox but when I went to bed I forgot to close the bedroom door, I like to sleep with it opened and of course Leo came into our room to ask me if he could have an ice cream, he could but that made Tim yell that he was woken up and needed to get to sleep, in fact he kept going on for a few minutes I ended up telling him to just shut up, he snapped I have to get up at 3.30am and I snapped back then shut the hell up and go to sleep.

Moving on to Friday night, Tim yet again got so angry this time because Leo was getting frustrated. Leo had received a bike for his birthday and Tim had put it together and yesterday evening he was attempting to ride it and was getting frustrated because it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. Tim ended up yelling and carrying on like a child saying his back hurt and something else can’t remember what but I snapped back that I was on the phone and I also have a bad back, I always have a lot of back pain. Yet again Tim’s anger was over the top.

Now you may think I am just bagging on Tim but I am worried about him these flare ups are a worried, yes he has always had flare ups like this when the girls were little but I do worry about it. Getting angry is one thing but he will also say things like why does he bother or he is wrong and he doesn’t matter, he throws his hands in the air when he starts on his self bashing.

This is what worries me being angry is natural but we all don’t go on and on, over-reacting and saying that the family don’t love him and he doesn’t matter in the family and if he wasn’t here no one would care or we would be happier if he wasn’t around. I would like him to go back on his medication for depression but he doesn’t think he needs it. I, however, do think he needs it, but I don’t know anything according to Tim.

Ok it is now late in the afternoon, had to stop writing for a while, first I had to take Tim down the road he had an appointment to have his eyes checked and was convinced he would not be able to drive home afterwards. Of course he was able to drive his eyes were not blurry like he thought they would be.

Then I had to cook lunch for the family, just a mince stew, everyone ate it and Natasha even went back for seconds which is a bit of a shock as she doesn’t eat much at all. Then there was washing to hang out before Tim and I went to Officeworks to get ink for my printer. I come home and went to change the ink and guess what I bought the wrong ink so had to go straight back and change it, thankfully Officeworks is only just around the corner.

Jessica helped Leo learn to ride his bike, although when I rang her at 11.25am to see when she would be here and tell her that Leo wanted his mum to help him with his bike she said I am no good at things like that, which really annoyed me and Natasha and Kathy she is the mum she should stop saying things like this are too hard.

Leo at first had a lot of trouble he couldn’t balance, and wanted the training wheels on it but they were shit and wouldn’t go on right so in the end Tim took them off and Leo learnt to ride it without the training wheels.

He was so happy he still having some trouble with his balance but he has improved a lot and we told him the more he rides it the better he will get at it.

Back to Tim for a moment the girls all had a talk to him this morning about his temper and mood swings, he said he feels like a failure and they all asked what does he think he failed at. They all think he is the best dad, they all told him that growing up he was firm but fair and yes he punished them but he was never abusive or anything.

Jessica said dad look at us, none of your children are drug addicts, none have ever been arrested, they don’t have a heap of children with no job and different fathers all your girls work and support their children. You have a wife who loves you and you have been with the same woman for over 30 years which is good. You taught us that working is part of life and after losing your temper with a child it is good to go back and have a clam talk with them and explain why you got so mad.

So all in all dad you have done a great job, you are loved and you are respected by us your daughters and yes we know our children at times do not show you the respect you deserve but we their mothers are working on getting that to change.

Now I have no idea if this all sunk in with Tim but I hope it did and that he realises how much he is loved and respected by his daughters and me.