Not much happening 'round here today.

Had a really early start to the day. Ashleigh had a doctor's appointment at 8.15am at Norwest so we left home at ten to eight. It was a bit of a shock to the system given we are normally just eating breakfast at this time of the day.

To top things off - it was F.F.FREEZING!

We applied for a rental property on the weekend. There was about 30 other people looking through the house at the same time as us. They received over 20 applications for this property so I'm not holding my breath. We'll be VERY lucky if we get it. It was a great house though!

Here is a photo of Lauren and me.


I haven't taken many photos lately. Been so busy living life.

We've got a quiet night tonight. Aaron's working until late so the girls will most likely be in bed by the time he gets home. I think we'll just have something simple for dinner tonight.

Bye for now!

I feel as though I accomplished a lot today. I've been a bit stressed lately but I'm slowly getting things under control again.

Looking forward to the weekend.

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning. I lost 1.1kg this week!! That's a total of 2.6kgs in 3 weeks! Not bad. Still got another 6kgs to go. I have to say I had a bad day today - I ate a lot of junk food and chocolate (because in my book - chocolate ain't junk food!). I'll be good tomorrow - promise!

"Sugar" died this morning (Lauren's goldfish). I think it had a disease when we bought it. Half of it's tail fell off the day after we bought it and it has progressively gotten worse. Towards the end his entire tail had fallen off and it looked horrible! I think he's going to have to have one last swim down the toilet bowl tonight while the girls are in bed.

I woke up this morning absolutely wrecked. I can't remember the last time I was this tired! I don't know why I'm so tired but last night I fell asleep in the middle of Medium and that's one of my all time favourite shows!! I hope I'm not coming down with something!

I got a whole bunch of photos developed last week with the 15cent deal at Harvey Norman so I've got heaps of photos to sort through. That's a job for next week I think. Too much to think about right now.

Anyway I'm going to get ready for bed. Take care all!!

Big Mistake ....

Yep, I made a big mistake yesterday.

About 2 weeks ago Aaron heated something up in the microwave and it exploded all through the microwave so I thought I'd sit and wait to see how long it would take him to clean it. Days went past - he heated up his porridge every morning and still it didn't get cleaned so I said to him:

"You know, fairies aren't going to come along and clean the microwave for you - you made the mess - you clean it".

I got the usual response, "Yeah, yeah".

So, finally it got too much for me to bear (after 2 weeks mind you) so I cleaned it. Yesterday I said to Aaron:

"Did you see that the fairies cleaned the microwave for you?"

Well, you should have seen Ashleigh. Her eyes opened wide she said "DID THEY??"

She ran over to the microwave and looked inside "Wow, that's amazing". "I saw them you know Mum". She looked in the microwave about 3 more times - totally amazed!

Then I asked her to make her bed - you can guess the response I got:

"The fairies will make it for me Mum".

What have I done???

So our house sold last week and now we have to look for somewhere else to live. Two years ago I would have been devastated to leave this house/street but now I think I'm ready for something new.

A lot of people have moved out of our street over the past year. Brian and Denise, Gloria and her family (Jim's still here but not for long), Andrew and Ursula and the people down the end of the street (not sure what their names were). It's funny. We were the 2nd people to move in to this street so we've seen people come and go and now it's our turn! I wonder what the future holds for us?

A cop and his fiancee bought the house so that now makes 4 police on our one little street! At least it will be safe!!

It's going to be hard trying to find something to rent that is reasonable in price and close to Ashleigh's school. Hopefully we will find something by October!

One of my favourite shows is on television as I'm typing this - Shawshank Redemption! I love that movie!

Aaron's at a mate's house - he has just recently gone through a messy break-up with his wife and he really wanted someone to talk to so Aaron's gone to do some male bonding - not sure how that will go (for those of you who know Aaron you'll know that he isn't all that good at listening to people's sob stories - he really needs to be in the mood).

We're having a Christmas in July next week with the family. Never been to one before let alone hosted one so anybody who has any ideas out there I'd love to hear them!

Anyway, I'm going to get cosy in bed - it's quite cold tonight. Nighty night!!

Random Thoughts ...

Random thoughts I've had today .....

1. I wish I had've intented Google.
2. When turkey feels slimey it has gone bad.
3. I should have bought a house 5 years ago.
4. Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
5. Nobody's perfect. We can try, but don't try too hard, it's impossible.

Hope you all have a great day!

Guess Who ...

I have to say I absolutely love old photos. What is it about them? They seem to have been able to capture so many more emotions than the photos of today. Is it the black and white or sepia that make them so much more appealing? Who knows?

Anyway, here some photos of my family - grandfather Eric Bailey (my Mum's Dad), my Mum and her brother Paul and Mum when she was a little girl - very cute!






Got a very busy day on tomorrow. Lots to do so I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight - I hope!

New Photos

I noticed I haven't posted any photos of the girls for a while so here's one for you!




They are growing up so fast. Ashleigh started back at school today. What a day to start back at school - it was f, f, f, freezing!!! And tomorrow's supposed to be colder! Brrrrrr - winter is definitely here!

I've started scanning some old photos from Mum's childhood photo album. I'll post photos once I'm done.

Not much else going on at the moment. Hope everyone is well!!

Happy Birthday Georgia

Today is Georgia's Birthday - Happy Birthday Georgie. Hope you have a great day!

Had a pretty good weekend. On Saturday we went for a drive into the city to see the big US aircraft carrier that is docked at Wolloomooloo (did I spell it right?). It was an awesome sight. It's a bloody big boat! There was about 50 aircraft on it - more than I expected and the place was packed!! I'm sure Kings Cross was well visited over the weekend!!!

We also decided we'd walk across the Harbour Bridge while we were there. We haven't done it before and thought we would do it. I stood as far away from the edge as was physically possible - I absolutely HATE heights!! It was really freaky but fun! Sorry guys, I forgot to take my camera so I didn't get any photos.

We had lunch with Belinda, Flynn and Jake today at McDonalds. It's always great going to Maccas for lunch - the kids can play while the parents sit and chat! Ideal!!

Nothing else going on right now. We're taking Ash to the optometrist tomorrow. This will be the last time she has a lens change in a while - I hope!

I'll leave you with an email my friend sent to me:

1. What time did you get up this morning? 9 am (I'm loving school holidays - sleep in)

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Knocked Up (too much of the "f" word)

4. What is your favorite TV show? Lost

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal

6. What is your middle name? Louise

7. What food do you dislike? Olives

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Savage Garden (an oldie but a goody)

9. Favorite sandwich? Turkey, cream cheese, cranberry sauce, avocado - YUMM!

10. What characteristics do you despise? Selfishness

11. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you
go? Asia - cos I've never been

12. Where would you retire? Dunno - too far away

13. What was your most memorable birthday? 21st

14. Favorite saying? "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse and chase the rider"

15. When is your birthday? 16th May 1975

16. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night

17. What did you want to be when you were little? A school teacher

18. What is you favorite candy? Toblerone - yummy!

19. What is your favorite flower? Lily

20. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? 27th January 2008 - Amanda's wedding

21. What church do you attend?  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

22. What are you listening to right now?  TV and the girls playing Mum's and Dad's in "Nana's room" (which is our spare room)

23. What was the last thing you ate? Minestrone Soup and Crusty Bread

24. Do you wish on stars? No

25. Do you believe in Angels? Yes

26. What is your pet peeve? Bad Drivers

27. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Belinda (sis-in-law)

28. Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke (I know how bad it is Amanda - sorry, I love it)

29. Favorite restaurant? Pent Thai

30. Hair Color? Dark Brown with blonde foils

31. Siblings? 1 sister, 2 brothers

32. Favorite day of the year? Christmas Day by far - even now!!!

33. What was your favorite toy as a child? Charmkins or CPK (Cabbage Patch Kids)

34. Summer or Winter? Winter

35. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

36. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate - silly question

37. When was the last time you cried? A couple of days ago watching an episode of Oprah - separating conjoined twins

38. What is under your bed? Probably lots of dust!

39. Who is the friend you've had longest? Deborah Stewart (nee Deb Saikaly)

40. What did you do last night? Stayed home and made pizza

41. Favorite smell?  My clothes after they've been washed with Radiant.

42. What are you afraid of? Heights

43. How many keys on your key ring? About 6

44. How many years at your current job? Too long

45. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

Random Thoughts .....

Lauren is starting to put some words together now and making an attempt to make a sentence. She has started saying things like "Good, Mummy" when I ask her if something is good. This morning she said "open door" - I was so happy! It's better than just "good" and "door".

I started up Weight Watchers again yesterday. Went to my first meeting in over a year. I hope to lose 10kgs this time around. Wish me luck!

Got some great news, Amanda (Aaron's sister) has announced her wedding date - 27th January 2008! Yipee - finally an excuse to go to New Zealand!! I love weddings so I'm really looking forward to it! Can't wait Amanda and Richard!!!

Anyway, not much else going on at the moment. Aaron's playing with matches at the moment - simple things! The house absolutely stinks! Lucky the fire alarm hasn't gone off! I think he missed out on the opportunity to play with matches as a boy and has decided to make up for it now!

Bye for now guys!!

Week One!

Well, we are halfway through week one of school holidays and so far so good. We have been keeping busy.

Ashleigh came out with a couple of 'funnies' the other day. First one:

She was sitting on Dad's lap with Lauren and Dad said: "Straight hair (pointing at Ashleigh) and curly hair (pointing at Lauren)". Without skipping a beat Ashleigh then pointed to Dad and said "No hair". LOL!! (Mum, this means Laugh Out Loud)!! Very funny!!

The second one:

We were shopping for some boots for Ashleigh and she said to me "Mum, I want some pointy boots - not pointy like a toothpick but pointy". I had to laugh - very specific instructions she gave me!

I ran into an old friend from school today at Kellyville Pets. It was great to see her again! I'm sorry I ever lost contact with her but that happens sometimes. Why does it happen? I guess we just get so busy living our life that we forget to pick up the phone and call people. That's something I need to work on!

Anyway, that's it for now I'll leave you with a couple of photos of the girls. The first one is a photo of Lauren's crazy, curly, LONG hair!! The next one is a photo Ashleigh took of herself, holding the camera from a distance. It's a bit out of focus but we get the idea! And the last one is of the girls colouring in their colouring in competition to get a free goldfish from Kellyville Pets. They have called them "Sugar" and "Spice".

Well, I can honestly say that my day sucked!! I haven't been out of the house all week and it's starting to really bug me. Ashleigh was sick the first half of the week and last night Lauren came down with a vomitting bug! She vomitted all night last night and she has been vomitting all day today! She has been absolutely miserable. I have NEVER seen her this miserable. Everytime I got up to go to the toilet or do some washing (I had about 10 towels worth of vomit to clean) she would burst out crying and follow me. I have just put her to bed because I couldn't take anymore of her crying ..... oops I spoke too soon, she just started crying!! I'll leave her a while and see if she stops. Fingers crossed!!

I just hope we both get a half decent night's sleep because I'm so exhausted.

Aaron's in Melbourne too so I've had no reprieve.

Aaron and I are going out for dinner tomorrow night at China Town and I CAN'T WAIT!!

Anyway, I'd better go get her it sounds like she's going to vomit again.

Bye.

Rain, Rain and More Rain!

That just about says it all!! Like the saying goes "When it rains, it pours". Well that's certainly the case these days. I must admit I do like the rain and the cold weather. It makes me feel alive!!

Didn't do much today. Ash was home sick again today. Really not well. She had a temperature of 39 degrees again and stayed on the lounge most of the day. Hopefully she'll get better soon!

The cat decided to vomit on the carpet today! We have tiles as far as the eye can see and he decided to throw up on the carpet!! Stupid, ruddy animal! Just what I needed when I had a sick kid and a throbbing headache!!

Funny thing happened tonight. I got a phone call from this guy who had rung the wrong number. Guess what his name was? John Bailey!! I laughed and told him that I had an Uncle John Bailey - he didn't see the irony. I think he thought I was a bit crazy when I explained that I had an uncle by the same name! I don't think he really cared to be honest. Oh well.

Tried to take some photos of the girls today. Lauren was OK with it but poor Ash really wasn't in the mood but she still managed a smile. The poor thing!

Thanks for the t-shirts Grandma Stanley!!

And thanks for the present Aunty Mandy and Jared (I mean Richard). Ash loves the MLP and the photo album etc. Thanks so much.

I can hear the rain pouring down - I hope Aaron drives home safely tonight!

Better run! Night ya'll.

Just an Observation ....

Today when we got home from Ikea I sat down in front of TV to relax. I had only just sat down when Lauren comes up to me repeating "Mum ...... Mum ...... Mum ....." I tried ignoring it thinking she'd give up and go away but that only made things worse and made me more frustrated. Then Ash comes up and starts playing with her toys right at my feet talking incessantly.

So then I tried moving to the kitchen to start cooking dinner then they BOTH followed me into the kitchen and just followed me around .... not doing anything in particular, just getting under my feet. As if I wasn't sick of them by my side enough!

Then Aaron took over dinner so I tiptoed to the spare bedroom to do some ironing. Not 2 minutes later Ashleigh had sniffed me out and decided to call Lauren in to play on the bed while I ironed. They screamed and carried on. THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!!

Then I got to thinking, I wonder if there is EVER going to be a time when I actually miss having them around?? It's a little hard to imagine right now because I'd give anything to have a weekend alone with Aaron without the kids hanging around.

Does that sound selfish??? I just really miss the peace and quiet and just being able to do whatever I want - BY MYSELF!!! No shadows following me to the toilet. No faces at the shower door waiting for me to get out!!

Seriously, I really wonder if there will ever be a time that I long to have these times back - to have them under my feet? Hmmmmm......

Busy, Busy, Busy ...

Today is the first day in AGES that I have spent the whole day at home. I can't remember the last time I was at home all day!! It's actually quite nice. I've caught up on housework (well nearly, there's always the ironing that gets left until last) and I've already planned dinner!!

We found out a couple of days ago that the owner wants to sell the house so we may need to move. The good thing is we've got until November before we move. Bit of a bummer though - just when I start to get settled we have to move!

Aaron's been working really long hours lately so he has just fallen asleep - at 6.30pm!! It'll be interesting to see if he sleeps right through!

I walked into our bedroom the other day - the girls were watching tv and I found them having a tender moment.

Lucky the camera was nearby!

Lauren discovered she can pull funny faces.

Now she does it all the time!

Not much planned for the weekend. It's supposed to be raining so we may just have a quiet one at home!

Growing Up Too Fast!

Six years ago today a little girl was born and it changed our lives forever - for the better. She came into the world quietly (she makes up for it now) and without too much fuss. She was born 6 days early at 6am and today she's 6!! How time flies!

Ashleigh celebrated with some friends from school. It was a really lovely party.

We made fairy wands:

Ate some lunch:

and played some games:

We said a little prayer last night that the rain would stop for her party and we were blessed with no rain and even sunshine!!

Now we're just waiting for the family to come over for dinner and to have another little party! Two parties in one day - she's going to sleep well tonight!

Happy Birthday Ashleigh - we hope you have a great day and we love you very much!

Aquarium

Ashleigh had a school excursion to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour yesterday. She was so excited to tell me about all the animals she saw. She told me about the sharks, the penguins, the seals, the fish, the seahorses and then there was this:

"I also saw the ummmmm..... what do you call them Mum? They are green and they look at each other."

Now, I ask you, could you answer that question? I certainly couldn't. And when I couldn't answer her she got frustrated with me - like it was my fault she couldn't remember!! After a few minutes she remembered and here is what it was:

LIZARDS!

Go figure - an Aquarium and they've got lizards! I can't imagine why I couldn't guess that!!

Then there was this one about half an hour later:

"I really liked the ummmm.... what do you call them Mum? They go up and down and they're big and round."

I'm not kidding you, these were her exact descriptions. After a while she remembered:

It was JELLYFISH!

I cracked up laughing. I just loved the descriptions she gave!!

Anyway, that's it for now. Sorry, no photos today.

Take care everyone!!

Just thought I'd post a photo I got from my cousin recently (thanks Hannah!). It's a photo of Ashleigh H (my cousin's daughter), Ashleigh B, Casey (Ashleigh H's sister) and Olivia my niece. This photo was taken at the family reunion in April - the girls are all pressed up against the side of the enclosed trampoline!

Aaron's at work today and won't be getting home until about 4am! Poor guy - I don't know how he does it!

Bye for now!

Control Freak!

Why do I find it so hard to let my kids make their own decisions sometimes? Another one of my flaws I guess.

Ashleigh went to a Build a Bear birthday party today and I really wanted to stay with her to make sure she chose a good bear - not a daggy one! How shocking is that? Yet despite my strong desire to stay I thought "No, you have to let her decide for herself - she will chose what she likes."



You should see the bear she chose! Absolutely hideous!! Maybe I should have stayed after all. But the main thing is she LOVES it!



I do this a lot and I have to pull myself back and remember that I need to let her do things her own way. She makes her bed in the morning and I go in there and well let's just say it's not the way I would do it. Despite wanting to go and do it all over I leave it and praise her for the good job she's done. I don't want her growing up thinking that what she does in life isn't good enough for me - I don't want to be one of those mothers.


Anyway, it's the weekend and Aaron's not working today - YIPEE!! Have a great weekend!!

Canvas Complete!

Done! I finished my canvas today. I love the end result. I just need to wait until it completely dries before I can seal it. What do you think??!!

It was hard getting a good photo because the flash kept reflecting off the gloss on the middle canvas but you get the idea.

Lately, I've been really concerned about Ashleigh lagging behind at school but I was talking to a friend the other day about Ash and she told me something I really needed to hear ....

She told me that it's important to remember that school isn't for everyone. She knew of a boy who was REALLY bad at school and often failed subjects but when he got out of school he became a mechanic and now he can pull apart a car (or anything electrical) and put it all back together again and know exactly where each part goes.

It's reassuring to know that your kids don't have to excel at school. It's so easy to get caught up with wanting them to be the best in everything they do but at the end of the day as long as they're happy that's all that matters!

Who knows what Ashleigh will be good at - but one thing's for sure, whatever it is, I know she'll do it well.

Lauren's hair is starting to get real long again. Her curls are starting to take over. There's one curl in particular that is so adorable - it hangs down the front of her face and it springs up and down whenever she runs. It's so cute.

I'd better run - we're having beef stir fry tonight and I've got to get some more vegies!!

Silly Things!

Isn't it silly some of the things we do for our children.

For example, in the cooler weather I stick the baby wipes under my underarms to warm them up before I wipe the girls bottoms when I change their nappies. Can you imagine how uncomfortable it would be to have a freezing cold wipe touch your private parts?! No thanks!!

I vowed I would NEVER spit on a handkerchief and wipe my kids faces - now I do it often!

I tell my kids to never talk to strangers but I do it all the time!

We let our kids feed themselves when clearly they shouldn't .....

Anyway, we try to do what's best for them!

I went shopping a couple of days ago with my birthday money and I desperately needed a new pair of shoes. The woman in the shop assured me that ballet style shoes were the "in thing" so I bought these shoes.

They are insanely comfortable but I'm still not convinced they are "trendy". What do you think?

Ashleigh had her school dance on Wednesday night and she had an absolutely blast! She loved dressing up as Minnie Mouse! Very cute!

Anyway, I'm off to the Fantasia opening tonight with Jodie and I'm REALLY looking forward to having a night out!

Bye for now!

Fairy Tea Party!

Aaron gets home tonight so I'm busy trying to make sure everything's neat and tidy. We have all missed him and can't wait until he gets home.

Started part 2 of my canvas yesterday. I hope to have it finished by the weekend. I know I wasn't going to post a picture of it until it was finished but here is part 1:

I'm going to make two long skinny ones to go either side of this to make it longer. It should look good when it's done.

We decided to throw Ashleigh a party this year for her birthday because she has been trying so hard with her schoolwork all year. She is having a Fairy Tea Party. The only problem is it's going to be the middle of June so so we've decided NOT to make it a dress up party because the poor kids would freeze to death!

We've had lots of fun organising it and Ash can't wait!! We are going to play pin the wings on the fairy and pass the parcel. We're going to make fairy wands with lots of glitter and gems. We're going to have fairy cakes and sandwiches cut out with a heart shaped cookie cutter and lots of pink lemonade!! It should be a good day. I've only made it one hour long so it doesn't go all afternoon because we are having a family party the same day for dinner.

Ashleigh has her school dance tonight. She has to go dressed in something starting with 'M' so she's going to wear a Minnie Mouse outfit that our next-door-neighbour gave her last year. It's from America so of course it looks great. I'll post photos tomorrow.

Not much going on today. I'm going to pick up some shoes I ordered a week ago with my birthday money. I need to pick up some supplies for my canvas also and that's about it.

I had a great birthday this week.

I can't believe I've had my birthday already this year. Where has the year gone?

I got lots of nice gifts - thanks to everyone for your gifts, I loved them all!

As Aaron has been working a lot lately (long days and lots of travelling interstate) he gave me money so I can go and buy something nice. I know some people might think this is a bit impersonal but I am so grateful for it cos if he had've bought me something it would have been rushed and this way I can get something I REALLY want, which is:

Shoes
Clothes and
Canvases to paint

Ashleigh gave me some magazines for my birthday and Lauren gave me some flowers (tulips - very nice).

Aaron's off to the Gold Coast again tomorrow and doesn't get back until Wednesday so I have another 3 nights to endure sleeping with Ashleigh - legs and arms fly everywhere!!

We're planning a trip to Wollongong on Thursday when Aaron gets home but it's not all fun - Aaron has some stands to build while he's down there but only for a couple of hours each day so it's not so bad. The rest of the time we can go to the beach and visit friends and go shopping.

I can't post any photos this time as I'm downloading some stuff and the computer's really slow at the moment. Promise I'll post some photos next time!

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. Been busy getting over my virus and just catching up after a week of not doing much.

I finally got a photo from the Family Reunion. This is just my family. I haven't got a photo of the extended family just yet.

It was such a great day. Can't wait to do it again!

Ashleigh found herself a new friend last week - a gecko that she rescued from the clutches of Thomas! She didn't want to let it go. Please excuse her in her undies!

I'm loving the mandarins at the moment - so juicy and sweet!! I buy heaps and then this is what I'm left with after only one day!!

How many of you out there remember the movie The Labrynth? Both the girls are hooked on it at the moment! They watch it over and over again. They're watching as I speak (type). It's such a classic film!

Anyway, I hope all you mothers our there had a great Mother's Day. I was very lucky - I got my early Mother's Day present a Dyson vacuum cleaner and I got some pjs, chocolate and flowers (pansies - my favourite - they look great in a teracotta pot outside!).

Have a great week everyone! Happy Birthday to me tomorrow!! The big 32!!

I've been horribly sick since Sunday. I started to get a bad headache late Sunday afternoon and it didn't go away. I woke up with it on Monday morning and had it all day Monday and all day Tuesday. No matter what I took I couldn't get rid of it. I was starting to panic - I thought I might have a brain tumour or something but then I saw someone at Ashleigh's school who said that there is a bad virus going around. All the kids have been getting bad headaches and sore throats. I didn't think that was my problem as I didn't have a sore throat but this morning I woke up and it felt like I'd swallowed a golf ball!! My throat is so sore and I am sooooo tired. I just want to sleep all day!

To make matters worse, Aaron's off to the Gold Coast tonight and doesn't get home until midnight Saturday night!! I'm really not looking forward to the next couple of days. At least Lauren's in Day Care tomorrow and Ashleigh's in after school care so I'll have a nice rest tomorrow.

When it rains, it pours!!

Lauren did her first wee in a potty yesterday. She had to as I had to get a urine test from her cos she hasn't been feeling great lately. She hasn't done one since but at least she did it once!

Anyway, just thought I'd catch you all up! Hope you have a better week than I have so far!!

Garage Clean - Mission Complete!

Well, we finally tackled the garage on the weekend and it looks a heck of a lot better. I'm not going to take photos just yet as we still have a bit of junk in there that needs to be thrown out and sold so until then I'm living with it. With any luck I'll get my car back in there by the end of next week. Fingers crossed!

Who would have thought you could accumulate so much junk in such a short amount of time?

I had a list as long as my arm of things to do today but I woke up with a shocking headache and haven't been able to do half of them! Oh well, tomorrow's another day, right?!?!!?

I've been busy selling Salt City Candles again. People can't get enough of them - don't blame them really - they are sooooo good.

Anyway, I'm going to have a lie down after my headache this morning and I'll get stuck into my jobs this afternoon - I hope.

Is it really May already?!?

Sorry for the lack of entries this week. Been busy doing "stuff".

Can you believe it's May already? Where has the year gone? Only 13 more sleeps until my birthday!!

Aaron's on the Gold Coast today - seems a long way to go just for the day! He's on the 9 o'clock flight home tonight.

I got a lot done the last couple of days. Got lots of housework done and closets cleaned out!

I hope to tackle cleaning the garage this weekend. Aaron has cleaned it about 4 or 5 times since we've been in this house and it's NEVER been properly organised. When you want a job done properly you have to do it yourself! I appreciate him trying though!

Lauren had her second day at kindy today. Again I only sent her for half a day as she woke up at 5am this morning and I knew she'd be tired.

This is what we got up to this afternoon - talk about bored!!

Lauren thought she'd try to wear Ashleigh's undies on her head - it's a worry!

I wrote out a budget a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to stick to it. It's the first time I've ever SERIOUSLY written out a budget and stuck to it! I'm rather proud of myself!!

I've been writing out a lot of lists lately - so much to organise, so little time.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm tired and need to chill out in front of tv for a while.

Lauren's 1st Day at Pre-School

I forgot to blog about Lauren's first day at pre-school last Thursday. She had a pretty good day. She cried a bit but I was expecting that.

She didn't hate it which was good. When I went to pick her up she burst into tears when she saw me but she settled down quickly.

I only sent her for half a day to start with but this week I'll leave it a bit longer. The problem was she was EXTREMELY tired that day as she didn't get much sleep the night before.

Here is a photo we took all dressed up ready for her first day at pre-school. She was clowning around so it was hard to get a half decent picture but I guess this shows her personality!

Bits n Pieces

Brrrrr .... it's really starting to cool down now. I love the cold weather!

I had a really bad sleep last night. Aaron's in Queensland and I had to share the bed with Ashleigh which is always fun. But the biggest problem was Lauren. I don't know what's up with her at the moment but she's gotten into the habit of waking up through the night and going to sleep on the tiles. I am constantly waking up to go and check to see if she is lying on the tiles. For some reason I could not sleep!

So this morning I'm very tired.

The Family Reunion went really well. We all had a lot of fun. Ashleigh got to meet her "new cousin, Ashleigh". Actually, they are second cousins so it's not so bad that they have the same name! I will post photos later. I forgot to take my camera - dah! So I have to wait to get some emailed to me.

I watched a great show last night. It was slow but really inspirational - "The Pursuit of Happyness". It really makes you appreciate EVERYTHING you have - the bed you sleep in, your home and just the basic things.

I'm off to have breakfast now.

I had my very first Son of Mac burger today from McDonalds. I caved and ruined my diet but it was WELL WORTH IT!! It tasted sooooo good.

I don't think it will be the last one I have unfortunately.

Everything in moderation right?!?

Here is a photo I took of the girls with Dad a few weeks back.

I think it tells a story.

First Kiss!

This weekend has been pretty wild!

Friday night Aaron and I finally got to go out on a date - the first date since December last year! We went to the movies to see Shooter. Fantastic film - a must see! Todd and Sam babysat for us and we found out that Sam's pregnant. We're very excited!!! I had a dream last night that they had a boy. Congrats Todd and Sam - I can't wait to hold a newborn again!

Saturday we bought a new vacuum cleaner!!! YIPPEE!! Who would've thought someone would be so excited about getting a new vacuum cleaner?! I can't wait to pick it up - they didn't have any in stock but we should get it Wednesday. Ours died a couple of weeks ago and the dust has gotten to a level that is embarassing now! Especially having a cat!

Saturday night we had some friends over for dinner. It was a great night but oh my gosh - six kids running around all night - it's enough to give anybody a headache - and it did - I've had a bad head all day today!! Ashleigh had her first kiss that night too - her little friend from school Alex Conlon. Very cute! She was so embarassed, so was he for that matter. Needless to say we kept a close eye on them for the rest of the night.

Today, Greg was called to Second Counsellor in the Bishopric. It's all happening this weekend!

School starts on Tuesday and I can't wait. Ashleigh is really getting bored now and hassling me for things to do. I'm counting down the hours!

Tomorrow I'm checking out a couple of Day Care Centres for Lauren. I think she's ready for Pre-school now!!

Here are some photos I took of the girls. They are growing up so fast!

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday ....

Pottered around the house in the morning

Went to K-Mart to get some singlets for Lauren - I can't find Ashleigh's size 3 singlet hand-me-downs anywhere!!!

Did grocery shopping - with the girls - horrible job!

Came home, made some lunch

Went for a walk to the park - Ashleigh rode her bike and it broke when we got there so we had to leave it at a strangers house and went back to pick it up later.

Went to pick up a candle order from Stanhope, came home and packed the orders.

McDonalds for dinner, slack mother!


Today ...

Take books back to the library

Take top back to Target

Take the girls to visit Mum

Movies tonight with Aaron!!!! YIPEE!! Going to see Shooter - looks like a good movie!


Tomorrow ...

Love the weekends!! Nothing planned as yet.

Friends over for dinner - probably having pizza because I can't be bothered cooking for 12 people!! Lazy hey!??

Size Zero!!

I watched a really interesting program on tv last night - The Quest to Become Size Zero!

Wow - what an eye opener! I mean, the things this woman went through to become a size zero and to think there are women out there who do this for months on end!! I got hungry just watching it! There is NO WAY I could do it!

I worked it out - 7 stone is about 45kilos!! That's just ridiculous!

I really hope my girls don't grow up obssessed about their weight. I think it would be very difficult to watch a child go through anorexia as a mother. It's such a debilitating disease.

Today's going to be a pretty relaxed one. I'm supposed to be working today but I think I'll just work from home because it's too difficult to take both the girls in to work with me.

This week's weight loss - 1.5kg!! Not bad, but to be honest I was hoping for 2kg!! Oh well, I'm happy enough with this. Like I said, there's no way I could get down to a size zero - I've been freakin starving this week and that's just cutting down slightly!

I'm lost!

I've lost my mobile phone - can't find it anywhere and I'm lost without it!

It's so frustrating because not only have I lost my mobile phone but my address book too because I put everyone's phone numbers in my phone and it's driving me crazy!! I'm pretty sure it hasn't been stolen - I think Lauren has put it somewhere - hopefully she hasn't thrown it in the bin!

Anyway, Aaron's home - HOORAY!! But he's been flat out since he's been back we haven't seen much of him.

We went to a funeral last night - one of Aaron's good friends died. He was only 39. It was such a shock!! He has 4 kids. It got me thinking how short life can be and that we need to make the most of it while we're here.

It's so reassuring to know that there's life after death.

I think the thing that is even more reassuring is that we have been married for "time and all eternity" and not just "til death do ye part".

Well Aaron got delayed in Adelaide and is coming home at midday today instead of last night.

Ashleigh wasn't too upset - she got to sleep with Mum and extra night!

Here is a photo I took of Lauren in the bath last night. Nothing wrong with her!!

Anyway, not much going on today. I'll blog again when there's something noteworthy to blog!

Have a great week!!

Jail!

Ashleigh makes me laugh.

Here is a picture she drew this morning after I told her she couldn't have something she wanted.

It's a picture of Mummy in Jail with Ashleigh "on the outisde" looking at Mummy in jail. She has the most amazing imagination!

Makes me laugh!

Another Tooth Bites the Dust!

I know it's been a while since I posted some photos but I haven't been feeling well the last few days. I've had some type of virus - not sure what it was but I've generally been feeling really lethargic, wanting to sleep all day, feeling sick at night (and no I'm not pregnant!!!).

I'm feeling much better today though!! Maybe it's because I know Ashleigh's going to be spending the day with Taylor at Jodie's place?? Just kidding.

Here are some photos of Ashleigh at Ebony's birthday party last weekend with her friend Maddison.

Here's another one of Ashleigh with her two bottom teeth missing!

And here's a photo of Lauren taken by ASHLEIGH. Lauren's spent the entire morning squealing!!! Anyone want a three year old? She's going cheap!

That's all for now. Aaron's off to Adelaide today until Sunday night.

The diet's not going too well. I've been trying to walk every day but I'm averaging twice a week at the moment - not great but hey! Being sick doesn't help with the dieting process either. Add Easter on top of that and you have a recipe for disaster!

There's not much on tv at the moment so I thought I'd blog!

Why is it whenever you don't have any money that's the time you MOST want to spend, spend, spend???? Lucky my birthday is coming up!! I'll have to start writing Aaron a list! hehehehe!!

Ash and Taylor are in the spare bedroom giggling like two little school girls (which is what they are really!!) They have had a good day today. It's funny though - they are complete opposites - it amazes me that they enjoy each other's company so much. Ashleigh likes dolls and dresses and Taylor likes drawing and pants!!

We saw Monster House yesterday for the first time. It's not a bad movie!! Ashleigh LOVES anything scary!! It's actually quite disturbing really!

Well, I hope everyone is well. We're all doing really well. Lauren is talking more and more and Ashleigh is growing up so fast!! Aaron's off to Adelaide on Friday and comes back Sunday. He may be going to Alice Springs next week which will be interesting!

Have a great Thursday everyone!!

My Head Hurts!

I have had a headache all day today!!

It must be all that chocolate I've been eating!! I don't even want to look at another easter egg!!

We didn't buy each other much chocolate this year - even the Easter bunny only bought us 2 easter eggs each this year but it's enough to give me a chocolate hangover!

We had a nice quiet easter this year!

And now the holidays begin! What to do with a 5 year old who gets bored really easily?! She is already bored and it's really only the first day of holidays. It's going to be a long school holiday break!!

We've got Taylor over tomorrow for a sleepover which should be good! The terrible two!!

Happy Easter!!

We want to wish everyone who reads our blog a very Happy Easter Everyone!

Here are some photos I took of the girls goofing around in the bath the other day!

I hope you all have a great Easter break and keep safe!!

Easter Bonnett Parade!

So ... I've got one day to make a super hero easter hat for Ashleigh.

What The!?!?!

What on earth does super heroes have to do with Easter I ask you?? Doesn't make sense to me but we have to conform ......

So don't laugh when I post a photo of what I came up with because I have limited resources and limited inspiration!!! Any ideas???? Come on you Bailey girls I'm sure you've got some ideas for me!!!!

Anyway, I'd better go put the girls to bed so I can sit down and relax.

Take care everyone!

Painting Complete!

Here is my latest creation! I'm not sure if I like it or not but Aaron does so that's OK.

I need to paint another two to go either side of this one - two skinnier ones - same colours and theme. Once I've finished I'll post another photo.

I haven't painted for a while but when I do I really enjoy it!

What a weekend!

We have had a busy weekend this weekend.

Saturday:

12pm - had Todd and Sam over for lunch

3pm - had my cousin's son's birthday party (luckily it was just around the corner)

4.30pm - came home to quickly get ready to go to Ashleigh's school social with Taylor

8.30pm - got home from school social to have Taylor sleep over!

Needless to say we are all exhausted.

Here are some photos of the school social. There was games, disco and the night ended with a 15 minute fireworks spectacular!

Check out these cakes from my Zach's birthday party. They look amazing - Noah's Ark theme! Very cute!

Today, Sunday:

Had a quiet one at home - Aaron's at church but I stayed home with the girls so they could have a sleep to catch up. Ashleigh isn't feeling very well today - there are a lot of bugs going around lately.