Duck-a-cise

That is what I have been doing this morning!!

Here is a photo....

I spent my morning shovelling duck shit away from the walls of this shed... Three hours of solid work saw half of the shed done.... I had to pick up my kids at lunch time, so I had to leave my friend to it!

Really hard to explain a duck shed unless you have seen one... This one is over 100 metres long and they have up to 16,000 ducks in there at one time. They come in as day one ucklings and leave after 6 weeks.. full-sized ducks that you would eat!

It was my friends birthday today, usually we go out for morning tea or something, but the batch of ducks left last night, so the shed has to be cleaned ready for the next batch coming in Tuesday. They totally cleaned the shed to avoid dieases etc... very strict!

Good old fashioned hard labour!!!! Have spent quite a few hours in the duck shed over the past few years. I was pregnant with Hugh when they first built the shed and my friend was also pregnant. So the two of us would waddle with the ducks... spreading saw-dust, weighing the little buggers each week... then when they are 6 weeks old, they have to be herded into crates counted, stacked... good fun!! Her husband took over the duties for a while, but the seasons the way they have been, he has gone back to work part-time so the duck-shed duties had to resume...

Here are some more photos...

This is Hugh watching what is going on in the shed when he was a tiny bubba... we where weighing the ducks and spreading saw-dust! The kids love the shed when the ducks are little, once they are pick they are really loud and they aren't that keen on it!

About three day old ducks... cute hey!!

So, anyone else done any sort of 'duck-a-cise'????

Gardening...

If you can call it that!!! Yet another 'issue' from the lack of rain, water etc. is the slow demise of my garden....

I mowed what is left of the lawn today and each lap I get more and more pissed off. There are now large patches of just dirt, others of dead grass and the odd tuff of green grass that has been kept alive from our grey water. By the time I was finished tonight, I was filthy and couldn't see the house for dust that I had created... which creates more work... the consistent dusting inside. We have had some of the most wicked dust storms!!!

It really hit home this week when Laura stopped at each and every flower pot in the main street to smell the 'flowers' - pots of half dead geraniums... she was excited about them!! I brought two punnets of flowers today and put them in pots for the girls to water sparingly... bless their little drought parched hearts!!

I sweep down the outside of the house about every month, but it really needs to be washed. Frustrating!!!!! And it isn't like for town cousins with the water restrictions stopping them from doing it.. we simply haven't the water! We have one tank of carted in water left. We could get another load, but the forecast is for rain over the weekend. Fingers crossed we get some!

I am also sniffing... I NEVER usually get colds, but have had a dripping nose all day... that sucks too...

Hugh is going through his toilet training... he is such a clever boy. Taking to it so well! No accidents at all today!! After nearly 5 years with up to 3 in nappies at a time... that light is getting stronger at the end of the tunnel!

Tomorrow, my usual gym visit is going to be put aside for another sort of exercise. I will take photos and put them up here, but I can assure you that NO ONE else (in their right mind..) would have done it before... just for exercise!

Food has been great... I am in the swing of things with Emilie at Kinder... a big bake up on Sunday afternoon, shop and working really well! Feeling so much in control... well for today anyway.

ok.. I had something else to write about, but it has gone!! Will come to me in the middle of the night! Will be back with photos of my 'exercise'........

8 years......

Today.... 8 years ago... Jack and I got married!!!!!!!

Just sharing some photos.....

8 years.... doesn't seem that long ago!!! Happy anniversary darling x x x

New bathers....

Had a bather issue yesterday.. big one!!!

I only have one pair of biniki's... well I had more but that where all HUGE!!!... saggy biniki arse... not a nice picture... My last spring clean saw me throwing them all out... no spares at all!!

This heat wave has seen us at the pool almost every other day. Had the kids dressed and ready to go when I pulled my bathers from the laundry basket, fresh from the line and they where ripped... almost in half!!! Couldn't believe it!

I think they must have got caught in a wire on the line.. totally buggered!

With no spare I drag the kids into our little country Target (used to be Fossey's for those old enough to remember Fossey's) and found about 8 pairs of adult bathers left after the summer rush!! My Biniki top was fine, I really like it, so I was just looking for bottoms. Anyway... Size 18, Size 22, Size 16 a couple of 14, a 12 and one lonely 10 sitting on the special rack.

I didn't even try it on, but purchased this lovely black and orange print tankini set.. for only $16!! Reduced from $60!! Bargain.. and the bottom is black, so if I wanted to wear my old top I could!!

The funny thing.. I quickly dragged the kids into the change rooms at our pool to put it on so the kids could swim... tore the price tag off and quickly pulled it on.

Once in the pool, I was thinking, "God they are uncomfortable in the crouch.." I bloody hadn't removed the "Protective film" from the crouch... blonde.. I know!!

Another busy weekend planned here for this house. Jack has not long left for stock take at work, I kids have swimming lessons in Horsham and my sister is home from Melbourne for the weekend, so will spend the day catching up with her as well.

Tomorrow we have drag racing here at the Warracknabeal Airport. Jack is on the gate all day. I usually take the kids for a look.. they love the noise and cars. It is a fundraising event for WACK... Wimmera Against Cancer in Kids... who wouldn't want to support it! Then i think we will be back at the pool tomorrow afternoon for a cool down!

Just quickly.. Happy Birthday to our own Blonde amazon LINDA... the BIG 4 ... 0......

and just a plug for a local store that has just gone online !! Two sisters in Horsham opened one of the funkiest high fashion kids clothing store... please check out TOFI (pronounced Toffee) They have the summer stock on special now.... go on... get a bargain !!

Curse that caffeine....

I love coffee.... no questions about that at all.. but I drink way too much and it kept me up for HOURS last night...

I would like to only drink two or three cups a day, but I really enjoy it! I read recently that 'caffeine will be the new cigarette's'.... meaning in 10 or so years there will be all of these cam pains about the 'drug' caffeine and that it harms you, become addicted etc... made me think twice as I was stirring my third cup at 9am...

How do you wean yourself from it??? Cold turkey and try and survive the tremors?? And what do you drink when you go out for coffee??? I hate hot chocolate and a cup of tea has just as much caffeine... diet coke?? Nah.. caffeine.... I know.. a glass of chilled water!!! Now... where is the fun in that!!

Like now.. I am sitting here with a cloudy head from a combination of lack of sleep and that I haven't had a enough coffee to get going yet... when do I break that god dam cycle???

Anyway.... we had the busiest weekend. Most of you would know that Jack works full time and we farm on the weekends. The rain we had was a god sent but it means summer weeds are growing in the paddocks, which is not good!! So Jack was up at a sparrows fart both Sat and Sun to spray before it got to windy!!! And, we had shearers here on Saturday arvo, a 50th and 60th on Saturday night, I took photos for the paper on Saturday as well... very tired by Sunday night!

My food has been a little sucky... not in what I am eating, but not eating enough! Which is just as bad! Will pull my head into gear and plan a little better!

OK.. better go and have another cup of coffee... I WILL cut down... tomorrow....

Man... it hurts....

Slept well....
Little Laura jumped into bed just before 7 this morning...
I rolled over to cuddle her and that's when it hit... the pain... the hurt.. those muscles that got a nice little workout yesterday and letting me know that they are there...

But it is still all good... must be... a nice pain???

45 minutes of weights and 45 minutes of cardio...

Just cardio today.... give my little muscles a break!

Home Day today. Emilie has Kinder on Mon, Wed & Fri so Tuesday and Thursday are home days...

WW weigh in tonight and then we have Playgroups AGM.... hopefully will get some new members on the committee...

Have a great day...

Bloody blogger...

Just did this huge (well.. it was at least 3 minutes of reading) post and blogger plays up and loses it!! Here it is again...

I went to the gym today... first time in over 10 years!!! Why now, you might ask, do I decide to go to the gym after losing my weight??? I need tone baby... I could still feel better, I could still have more tone.....and it will help my metabolism... it is all going to help!!

For the past 12 months or so I have been toying with the idea.. had every excuse under the sun for not going... after reading Craig Harper's Fattiude.. and his motivational "Just do it" approach.. I went!! And it didn't kill me!!! It is amazing how good I feel for just going. I feel like I have already achieved something just for stepping foot into the door. Mind you.. I don't want to become one of the 10's of thousands that go once or twice and Never step foot into there again... This is going to be part of my new rountine... I am going to MAKE time... no more excuses!!

My upper arm strength is dismal... pathetic... nerdy.. weak.... I REALLY need to build this up. Surprised how much lower body strength I do have....

Here, in my little country town we don't have a flash Fernwood, YMCA or alike... We have a little room at our basketball stadium that has the basic equipment in it. It does the trick! I took my camera to take a photo to show you all how basic... but forgot to pull it out! Anyway... 45 minutes then a power walk around our dried up creek saw the morning in! I went with a friend.. so nice training with someone!

Ok.. afternoon tea time here.. must go and cut up the watermelon!

Big Bus girl....

Bless her heart... so excited and eager.. little is she to yet realise that each morning and night for the next 13 or 14 years will be spent at the bus stop... or waiting for the bus... or on the bus!! It is only 10 km to town, but they drop the kids at the High school, then the primary school, then the private school.. then last bus stop is the Kindergarten... so she is on there for nearly 30 minutes.


She was fine!! She knows a few of the bigger kids on the bus and Jack did the first run with her. No issues at all. Tomorrow will see her on the bus on her own!


The lovely Linda reminded me recently in my comments that I am yet to reveal my 30th Birthday present from my husband... something that I will wear for the rest of my life!!! Two new tattoo's... While in Adelaide we made an appointment with Pete from Tattoo You in Klemzig... The place was so clean and very professional.... that really put my mind at ease!!! One on my foot and one of my lower back. I forget about them already... What do you think???

Do you know how hard it is to take a photo of your own back????

I just got an email from my little sister who is living in Melbourne doing her grad. year with a large accounting firm and she has just found out that she has to work good Friday.. WFT??? She is coming home next weekend and she thinks it will be the last time for a while.. so looking forward to catching up with her!!

My food as been great! I have stopped tracking and find I hardly eat anything I shouldn't!!! I think when I track I make room for shit... does that sound stupid?? Anyway.. trial and error... just seeing how it goes with no tracking! I love where my head is with food. I have great food habits most of the time. I find sometimes, with certain friends, I eat more. I think that is because they are the ones that always comment about "WW food" and "You can't eat that"... like I have a mouth.. and I can eat what I want!! Anyway.. I think my brain goes into auto mode and I eat more.. "I will show you.. I can eat this shit and still wear my size 10 jeans"... stupid!! Anyway.. working on that!!

Ok.. better go and make Phil famous meatloaf for tea!!! Yummo and ALL the kids eat it!!

7pm Edit: The foot is a butterfly thing or maybe even a Dragon fly.. It has wings!!!! and Yep.. it fuckin' killed!! NO MORE!!!! I had to almost get him to stop!! I went pale, my palms where sweating... awful.. but worth it!!

And you use Cracked Wheat for tabouli (A salad with parsley, mint tomato sometimes feta..)

Anyone out there???

Let me share this recent experience with you!!!

Picture a HOT Saturday morning in a busy supermarket... three kids.. all tired, one sick and one mother pulling her hair out!! I was constantly telling them to stay with me, a request only taken seriously by my eldest! I walked down every aisle looking for frigin' cracked wheat... that is all I needed! Cracked wheat and a box of nappies..

Do you think I could find it?? I even asked one of the shelve fillers where I might locate it, and I was answered with a shrug??? "I don't know"...

I thought "Fuck it".. change of menu and went to get the box of nappies I was also after...

Picked up my box of Huggies and sitting beside it was ONE bag of cracked wheat!!!!! Obviously in the wrong spot, but I honestly thought... "My Lord.. someone is watching over me!"

Laugh as you might!! Go one.. have a laugh! Do you believe or have had situations that has made you think "What the"????

Other news... We had a hot weekend, swimming lessons on Sat, Dinner party here on Sat night and even if I do say so myself... I out did myself with the food!! (Thank you Donna Hay.. Easy Entertaining!!)

I have also been touched by a blog celebrity.... Steph...anymore else read her blog?? VERY funny, not a weight loss or fitness blog, but one of the funniest things I read! Anyway.. she popped by and left a comment.. NOW i am worried!! Occasionally she reviews blogs on her site and she is honest... What is she bags the crap out of my blog???

It is very early on Monday morning.. couldn't sleep.. started thinking about my next post.. writing it in my head, so I just got up and typed it! Emilie takes the bus to kinder this morning, Jack will go with her and I will pick Jack up. Nearly 25 years since Jack has taken the school bus... that will be funny!!

So excited I couldn't sleep!!!

Today is a HUGE day in the Daniel Household...

It is our little baby's first day of Kindergarten....

I am so excited for her... I got up at 6 to pack her lunch....

She is still in bed with her little uniform on the bookcase beside her, shoes under her bed and hew new pink Roxy backpack at the end of her bed!!

The Whole family is going in to drop her off.. Jack's mum is also here... excitment...

Will post a photo later....

Better go and have breakfast!!!

OKay.... Back about a few hours later and I left my baby at kinder.... I was so brave until I drove out the drive... I asked Em if she was excited... then I started to well up with tears...

Composed myself and thought " Great.. I have it out of my system now.. I will be brave at kinder.." but no...

I said goodbye and she just went off.... no tears, no clinging to my leg... just gone...

and I started to cry... my little baby was just so excited and we where just so proud of her.... Jack was so much braver then me!!!

Monday will be another hurdle... the school bus!!!

Some photos.. hot off the press!