American Idol so far

Still can't believe it!!!

Casey is gone.

Nothing I can do about it. I don't live in America. I can't vote. But it's so frustrating, year after year, watching no-talent hacks get ahead of people with real musical talent. Bottom 3 this week should have been Jacob, Lauren and Hailey.

Hailey is there because she's a hot blonde with legs. I mean really, Pia could have outsung her on any song you could name. Lauren is a sweet little southern girl but she's boring as all hell. Jacob had one really good song and since then - nothing.

If James doesn't win I shall scream...and scream...and scream!!

Weekly To-do list - May 2 to May 8

Monday
supermarket
cat vet appointments
cat registrations
Kid#1 Taekwondo - need to change uniform
Tuesday
scouts - all 3
fish bowl
budget for month
Wednesday
rugby training kids #2 and #3
baking - school lunches
Thursday
help at school on mother's day stall
tidy #2 room
Friday
help at school on mother's day stall
special Auskick night
Saturday
rugby kids #2 #3
Sunday

How did I go with last week?
Wednesday
Rugby training
Supermarket - need stuff for school lunches especially
#1 kid birthday party invitations done and in her bag for mates
Re-new both cats council registrations
Make appointments at vet for cats vaccinations - due
Thursday
vacuum top to bottom and mop floors
clean out fish bowl
catch up on washing
Friday
buy birthday pressies for kid#1
scrub kitchen down
Sort out budget for the month
Saturday
Rugby - both boys in the morning
Sunday
kid#3 - Auskick

We want a puppy

We went to the RSPCA last week and played with a couple of gorgeous border collie cross with kelpie cross with something else they didn't know. These girls were gorgeous - a bit nippy, which is normal for the breed. The kids and I all voted to bring one home, but hubby is going away for a week next week and since he's the only one who has actually trained dogs before, we figured we should wait until he's around. Plus they were already quite big at 4 months, so we think the other thing they were crossed with was maybe like a horse or something.

But I REALLY wanted one. *sigh*

But the good news is we are definitely getting a dog of some sort in the next few months - whether it be a puppy or an appropriate rescue. All the rescue dogs except one had the "no small kids" box ticked the other day, so obviously no matter how much I'd want to take them all home, I have to think of the dogs comfort and of the kids safety.

The kids did really well with the puppies. They listened to the lady taking us around and then they played really nicely. #3 even managed to keep his voice to a normal level. #2 lay on the ground and just let the puppies jump all over him. The gorgeous one in the pic that I wanted to take home let me pick her up and cuddle her, and the hubby tried a few things with her that made him think she'd be great to train. However, puppies go fast here so by the time we go back, she'll already have a good home.

So I wait...which we all know I'm crap at.

Growing Up with me as your Mum

My wonderfully gorgeous 9 year old girl will be 10 next week. Over the past 2 weeks she has suddenly become the evil hormonal monster from hell.

PMT to the extreme. Went on a picnic last week with some mates and their kids. Kid#1 acted like a complete and utter twat the entire time. She was irrational, emotional, whiny and OMG, I was so glad we'd taken the cooler because bubbly was needed.

She doesn't' have her period yet but she's sure getting the symptoms. I keep forgetting that kids are going through this younger and younger now days. We got home from the picnic and she told me she had a sore tummy. Hmmm, wonder why - NOT.

The poor hubby was sitting on the couch last night stuck between the two of us and he turned around and said to me: "Now you know what I go through every month with you."

I'm sure he's just exaggerating.

right?

Congrats William and Kate

But do we really care?

I'd pay more to see pics of Brad Pitt marry Angelina Jolie than I would for the latest royal wedding. For some reason I really just don't care.

So while I'm happy for the couple, I really don't see why we need to have it live on several different tv stations or why it needs to take up space with all my favourite celebrity gossip magazines and programs.

Enough already.

Although, I'll be back to see the first baby pics though :-)

UPDATE - Okay, I caved and watched it. The dress was gorgeous and the happy couple kept trying not to giggle through the ceremony. It actually looked as if they liked each other - bit of a change for a royal wedding.

Power Out - nothing like eating by candlelight

Dear Idiot who ran his car into a power poll,

Thank you for giving #2 kid a reason why he should always keep his room tidy. He couldn't find his torch when the power went out due to the extreme mess.

Thank you for giving the hubby and I a reason for eating a candlelit dinner. We haven't done that since...well, ever. Of course cooking it by candlelight was rather hard, but at least you didn't hit a gas main, too, so we were able to eat.

We went to bed early, knowledge firmly in hand of why people in the olden days had so many bloody kids. There was nothing else to do.

yours faithfully,
Owner of a zillion candles

PS - I've severely pissed at you because you made me miss Criminal Minds

Weekly to-do list April 27 - May1

Normally I'd post my to-do list on a Monday but because Easter and school holidays have mucked everything up, this weeks will be on a Wednesday. My memory sucks and I tend to forget things I am supposed to do from day to day, so maybe this way I'll be able to keep track of what's going on.

Wednesday
Rugby training
Supermarket - need stuff for school lunches especially
#1 kid birthday party invitations done and in her bag for mates
Buy pressie for #2's friend whose bday party we missed
Re-new both cats council registrations
Make appointments at vet for cats vaccinations - due

Thursday
vacuum top to bottom and mop floors
clean out fish bowl
catch up on washing

Friday
buy birthday pressies for kid#1
scrub kitchen down
Sort out budget for the month

Saturday
Rugby - both boys in the morning

Sunday
kid#3 - Auskick

Anthony Bourdain

In an attempt to be grown ups, every now and then the hubby and I switch over to a channel that has documentaries. That's right, shows that don't involve actors or reality tv. One of our favourites is anything featuring Anthony Bourdain - travel and food - two of my favourite things. He makes both sound interesting.

Not only that, but he's hilarious and he loves to get on the piss. Yeah, I know so we're not that good at being grown ups, but really, this guy is good. You forget that he's a somewhat famous chef and writer, and just sit back and listen to the story of where he is at any given moment. You want to go and eat the food there, drink the drink and generally be THERE.

I've never been one for books on tapes, but if I ever did start to get in to them, and Morgan Freeman wasn't available, I'd want Anthony Bourdain to narrate. His voice just draws you in completely.

He drinks. He swears. He smokes. Did I mention he's funny? And not even remotely politically correct, which is such a refreshing change from most of these types of shows. I can honestly say that watching Anthony Bourdain makes being a grown up fun.

The Shoe Experience

While trying to motivate me back on to my diet today, the hubby pointed out that I was missing out on the shoe experience.

You see I'm a shoe freak. I love shoes. I love heels. I love sandles and ankle boots and pretty much everything shoe.

BUT - as he so generously pointed out, 80% of my legs have missed out on the shoe experience. Why? Because i don't buy boots? Why don't I buy boots? Well because really they're a skinny person's shoe. They look silly on fat legs.

So this is to be my latest motivation once I start back on the diet on Wednesday. I want to experience the full shoe experience by getting a pair of knee high boots over my calves and done up.

School Holidays

I really, REALLY don't like school holidays. People are always saying, "think of all the things you can do". Being a glass half-empty sort of person, I'm more in the "think of all things you can't do" camp.

Exercise
I can't go for a run because I can't leave the kids by themselves yet
I can't do my exercise dvd because the kids take over the play room and floor space becomes non-existent

Cleaning
Do you see that bit about lack of floor space?
How is it that they make so much mess in such a short time. And if the place isn't tidy then it's really hard to clean. I'll do the floors and then the next minute dirty feet or food is once again from one corner to the other.

Diet
Okay, I admit Easter doesn't help...but
What kid wants to snack on carrots and have steamed fish and broccoli for lunch?

So you see I really hate school holidays, but at the same time I love school holidays because, wow, look at all the excuses I have not to get off my ass and make some changes.

Roll on Wednesday.

The Easter Bunny Cometh

Have just spent the last hour writing clues and setting out Easter eggs so the kids can go on a hunt for them tomorrow. Everything is perfectly planned out and placed, including the very first clue that is sitting on the kitchen breakfast bar with 3 huge chocolate bunnies on top of it.

So what happens?

Kid #2 comes out and says he has a headache.

I thought they were all asleep. Hubby reckons he didn't see it, but really, how could he have missed it? I'm guessing tomorrow there will be explanations of why Easter Bunny sometimes has to come early since he has a lot of houses to drop eggs at.

One would think that at ages 7, 8 and almost 10, the ferals would know there is no Easter Bunny anyway, but admitting it might mean the chocolate train doesn't stop.

And that would be unthinkable.

When one of them decides not to eat meat

About 3 weeks ago, kid #3's guinea pig died. Pretty sure the poor thing keeled over with shock when it saw a possum walk past; either that or it got sick of the cat sitting on it's cage.

#3 was most upset. He loves animals and he'd only had the thing for 3 months - a present from Santa, no less. That night after a long day of consoling and tear-drying, I decided to splurge and bought some fish for dinner. The following conversation ensued:

#3 - "Is this real fish?"
Me - "Yeah. I don't think there is such thing as fake fish except maybe in a McDonalds burger."
#3 - "Real fish, just like my Fishy?" (yes, his fish is called Fishy. The guinea pig was called Guinea)
Me - "Well no, not quite. Fishy is a bit small to eat. This is a really big fish from the ocean."
#3 - "But it's real?"
Me - "Yes"
#3 - "Did you kill it?"
Me - "Not personally, no. The fisherman who sold it to the supermarket did that."
#3 - "I'm not eating it."
Me - "Put some tomato sauce on it." (for #3, tomato sauce normally solves everything)
#3 - "I'm not eating it because it's real fish and it's dead and someone killed it. I'm never eating real animals ever again."
Me - "So, you want to be a vegetarian?"
#3 - "I'm still not going to eat vegetables either, but I'm not eating animals"

...and that was that. At age 7.

I seriously thought it would last a day or two, but no. He's determined. So I found fake nuggets, fake sausages and a few other fake things, all of which he eats.

I tested him at Bunnings when the kids had a sausage from the sausage sizzle. He asked for a soda instead.
I tested him at McDonalds, he had a cheese burger without the meat (yes, they'll do that for ya)

And that's how 2 big meat eaters ended up with a vegetarian kid.