Totally Fab.....

Thanks Bri (private) for my award!!!! She has given me my first award as a blogger!!! The deal is that I now pass the award on to five other totally Fabulous bloggers!

This is so hard... but the one blogger that I get excited each time I see that she has posted is Beck! I think at times that woman has been to the moon and back in her short lifetime, but she is an amazing woman and a terrific mother!!!

Then we have the fit and fabulous Lia!!! CHECK OUT THIS BLOG!!!! Her determination and organisial skill are truly fab!

And our running bunny Kathryn.. man .. this woman can write! Not often i read one of her posts and not get a laugh!

God this is hard to only pick five... I love reading about all of you guys... but moving on...

I would have to mention Kate (Private).. see was one of the first blogs that I started to read. A beautiful person and mother... truly a Fab blogger

and finally.. Kerry... she is also a country gal, stricken by the drought! Quite often I can read her posts and totally understand the stresses of her life!

Now.. if CKK still blogged she would be up there!!! and there are so many more... but these are my five!

So Girls, if you haven't already done this, award five blogging awards yourself with a link to the blogs!


In other news, i think that I am finally getting over this frickin' cold! totally sucks blowing your nose for a fortnight.. but i think that it is slowing down. I haven't missed any training sessions, but man.. yesterday it was so hard. I laid down on a mat for 'mummy tummy time' and put my towel over my head and just laid quietly for 10 minutes.. with my eyes closed!!!! I had only had about 5 hours sleep and just needed a little me time!

The night prior I went to horsham for a fundraiser for breast cancer and saw "No reservation" with Catherine Zeta-Jones in it.. not a bad chick flick at all... tonight I have a dinner for jack's work and tomorrow night we are going to a production in Horsham of "Bye Bye Birdie". So, another two late nights and then first thing Saturday morning we are heading to Melbourne for my sister-in-laws 40th birthday party. Jack might be making hay over the weekend, so it may be just me and the kids.

The ball has started to roll with kinder enrolements for next year, with my little Laura. It looks like she will have 16 hours a week of kinder next year. Due to the low numbers of kids, they might going to offer 'user pay' session for an extra day a week. This will bring her kinder fee up over $900 a year.. taking me a little bit to get my head around that. If you have a health care card, the government gives the kinder a grant of over $700 to cover the fees.. huge difference!!! anyway... moving on.. nothing I can do about it!

Scales... finally seeing some movement of my holiday binge fat moving on! Back to almost normal weight again ! I am also being addicted to facebook again.. just worked out how to search for people!

Ok.. this isn't getting the housework done and I need to finish off an assignment today sometime, so must be off like a Jewish foreskin...

These are a few of my favorite things....

Do others here read "Slimming & health"... and flick to the back page where they look into the shopping basket of some 'famous' person... well I am not famous, but here are some of my favorite shopping items...

Bakers Delight Cape seed Bread - my god girls, if you haven't been converted, do yourself a favour and try this bread... very nutty and a low GI! Nothing else compares when it comes to bread!

Fantastic chicken favoured Rice crackers - I know they are boring, but all the same a real staple for me! Sometimes I put a little of that extra light philly cheese with a gherkin (yummo!)

PUMPKIN - LOVE IT!!! Would eat an entire pumpkin a week - roasted with chili and penne pasta is my favorite at the moment... but I use it all the time!

Walnuts - I only started eating these recently! I don't eat fish.. (HATE IT!) so these little babies have a heap of Omega - 3 - just what my brain needs. I usually have a small handful with my muesli in the morning (no milk on my cereal.. don't really like plain old milk either..)

Earth Cleaning Products - No.. I am not a tree -hugging hippy greenie (nothing wrong with being a Greenie btw..) but we pump all of our household waste water (not the toilet) back onto our garden.. these products are friendly to my lawn!

Fresh Pineapple - I am not sure if it is a load of shit, but I only buy pineapples that I can pull the leaves from the top with ease??? Any one confirm this ripeness test?? But love them!

WW Sour cream - Always have it in the fridge! I use a mix of half this and half fat free mayo for a dressing for potato salad (just potato and spring onions and dressing) and I also make a pizza where you put pizza sauce, a layer of thinly sliced potato, ham, onion and cheese - cook then put sour cream and sweet chilli sauce on the pizza once cooked!

Fabric Softener - I have a front loading washing machine - if I don't use fabric softener, my clothes are as hard as cardboard!

Avocado - On a premium fat free crackers with cracked pepper... yummo...

REV Milk - We only drink REV! If we go somewhere for a coffee and they use other milk.. we can tell!

Coffee - We drink Moccona or sometimes I get necafe "Nuvo" (half caf) coffee.. if you are going to drink it.. it might as well be worth drinking

Coke Zero - this is more for Jack, then me! But we go through A LOT of coke zero! the kids have some over the weekend, but most of the time it is Jack!

So, girls.. I am looking for new items to include in my shopping trolley... Share with me some of your favorite things!

Golf anyone!!

I have just returned from cooking a BBQ at a "golf day' for some of Jack's clients. I smell like burnt sausages and my skin is sticky from the fat that was splattering on me while I cooked a huge amount of cow...

I am not sure if this is just a country thing, but a 'golf day' is you invite all of your good clients to a 'free' golf day where they play golf (like derrr), eat and drink - all paid for my a company (in this case my who my Husband works for...) They have eskys with beer at each tee off... I really don't think that golf is the main reason for the day!!

Usually they come home in a bad state, as too many ales have been drunk, but a great day all the same! the Local golf club must love these days!! They will have to keep the bar well stocked! But... can anyone tell me why people tend to eat and drink more if it is free??? You wouldn't be any more hungry or thirsty, just because it is free??

The two little kids and i did I lap of the creek (bed... no water in it..) this morning instead of playgroup. They are all resting now, but swimming in the morning, I am working in the afternoon taking photos for the paper and I think that is about it!

Next weekend we are heading to Melbourne for my sister-in-laws 40th! It was going to be in Bendigo, but last minute change of plans, it was changed to Melbourne (where they live) But i will get to see my little nephew again!!!!!

Okey dokey.. better go!

Choices: I had a steak sanda for lunch.. left the sausages and hamburgers for the 'golfers'
ciao..

feeling better.... much better...

One of the guys that we went away with sent over a CD with some photos on it from our Morgan holiday.. here are some!

This is the group!!! Ben and his son had gone home by this stage... but almost all of us! This was taken at Monash Adventure park..
Little Laura.. isn't she beautiful!
Hugh & Sam... observing the skiing operations! You should have heard the encouragement that they where yelling out.. so funny!!
Little Hughie... "talk to my agent"..is what his t shirt says... and yes.. he has had a trim since this photo was taken!!!

My post was just gobbled up, post! Hope I can remember what I had written!





I am feeling better, just a runny nose and cough left! I think i am lucky just to have had a cold, another round of gastro is going around again!





Anyway, I am very happy with my food choices and exercise this week, so far. I have clocked up over 15,000 steps each day, apart from Tuesday (the day i went back to bed..)





I am in love with oranges at the moment... I have always liked them, but I think I always thought that they where messy to eat!! But, I have been cutting them up in a bowl and eating them like a lady with a fork.. and I am in love with them again! I am 'almost' eating all of my food groups each day, but I seem to struggle with dairy! I am not a great fan of yogurt and I don't each cheese each day.. something that I will work on! Drinking at least 2 litres of water a day as well... nice when things become easy and not a struggle!

I also looks like we are going to be getting a Dam fill... Our domestic water is supplied by a channel filled dam, but since the stores have been so low, it looked like we weren't going to get a dam fill again. We didn't get one last year and we had to tanker in water for the house and stock! Will believe it when the channel has water in it, but it should be on it's way. It will be the last time that the channel system will run! The famous pipeline should be operational by next year.

okay, I better go and get tea organised. Chat soon...

Thanks girls....

Thank you all for your comments!!!! I was totlaly shocked by the comment made to me!!! Not quite over it yet, but sure I will soon forget!!!

I have had a couple of really great days of exercise... a little sore even today after gym yesterday, but today I have hit the wall with a head cold! I really just want crawl back into bed and sleep, but three little people think otherwise!

Will post more soon... bout to go backto bed... just for a few minutes!

Thanks again ladies...

Are you expecting????

What the fuck???

At one of the parties I went to yesterday, a 'friend' asked if I was expecting another child!!!!!

Get fucked!!!

Fat days...

If you are looking to be inspired.. I think it best that you quietly move on and come back tomorrow!! A sook about to happen...

I am having a fat day!!! I don't often have them, but today I FEEL FAT!!!

i started with hardly any sleep due to a cold that has appeared from no where.. sore throat, running nose and could sleep.. tossed and turned most of the night.

But I still got up and went to Horsham for the kids swimming. But Before swimming, I thought I better pop into WW for a monthly weighin (i am 2 months off WW Lifetime GOLD membership) and i have friggin' put on 1.7kg in a month!!!! (i know that I have been on holidays.. but come on!!!!! I have been a saint since I got home!!)

I haven't been this heavy in 2 friggin years!!!!!!! Pissed with myself.. very pissed~! But I ate the food so I am going to have to work it off!

Then I went swimming... I am still self-conscious in swimming gear.. just not the day for it!

Anyway... whinge over and nothing to do but move my arse again to lose it again.

I have to follow Emilie to two birthday parties tomorrow, so in the morning the first one is at Brim, so I will walk for 90 minutes while the party is on and a quick costume change at a friends in town so she is right to go to the zombie party in the afternoon!

Feeding 13 for tea tonight.. must move on and get washing off line before they arrive!

I survived....

the Warracknabeal Local show.. but only!!!

I really believe that you can't beat a good old country show! The ladies that bake for a week, grow flowers, vegetables and knit, just for the glory of winning at the show. Sheaf tossing, shearing.. all good old country stuff! All of the poultry lined up, and ribbons hanging from cages. The work that the school kids do, just for the show as well!!! they must do it for the glory, because the $2.00 prize money isn't enough to suck me in!

And the carnies... they are special... really special...

Kids had fun, but Hugh had enough and cried all of the way to the car.. asleep even before we left the carpark!

The funniest thing I saw all day was the "Little Miss and Master tiny Tot" - the stage mothers where priceless!!!!!!! Totally!! And the mutterings from the crowd! "She had a nicer dress on in Murtoa..." "She cried her lungs out last year.." and the mothers trying to get the kids to do bows from the sidelines... I hereby announce that my children will NEVER step foot on that stage!!! couldn't do it to them! And we all know that they would win.. and that wouldn't be fair to the other kids :)

Choices: I had morning tea (fruit) at home before we went and then I just ate a steak sandwich there.... no dagwood dog for me!!! No Donuts, no fairy floss... just one steak sandwich and a coffee... I also did 20 minutes quick exercise before I left.. just cos I had the time!

Yeah, he is cute.....

But really.. it is just as well....

My son has just broken a window in the lounge room. He isn't quite three yet!! He threw a book and cracked it! He just looked at me a smiled! Thinking, that will melt mum's heart.. didn't work!

This is after, only this morning, we brought new plants for the vegie patch at kindergarden to replace the ones that he destroyed before term break..

and after we had new footings poured (small concrete slabs) for our new shed to be bolted to and out of the 12, 10 now two Hugh sized foot prints in them. I have kept his little socks that he had on at the time (found them outside) they set hard from the concrete.. will present them to him on his 21st.

That is the most recent incidents.. so it is just as well as he is cute.. and that we do love the little shit!

I had a great session at Gym today, but I didn't cool down as I had to wizz home again to get some paperwork for our hay contract, so VERY sore! Getting quicker for longer on treadmill and finding weights that I am lifting easier.. so might be time to step it up again.

Warracknabeal Show tomorrow.. I usually HATE it because it is a feral day, kids and weather wise, but this year is going to be different. This is the first time that I don't have to drag a pram through sand to get around... and in the past I have been either :-

a. - Pregnant
b. Baby in Pram and Pregnant
c. two babies in twin pram and VERY pregnant
d. Three babies pouring out of twin pram
c. Two girls running away from mother trying to push pram through sand
d. 43 degree temp followed by dust strom..

So, this year will be different. Jack is on the spinning wheel for APEX, so it is the one time that Jack can't help. Will report in tomorrow with photos.. but fingers crossed, it will be better!

Choices: I chose to take in an apple for morning tea in town, instead of my usual herb scone. I watched them make these scones last week and I was SHOCKED with the amount of cream that went into them... fine if it is a once in a while.. but I have, at times, had three or so a week!!! They don't offer much else. On Monday I asked them to make a small chicken salad for me. (We only have one cafe in town.. other then two bakeries that aren't that food friendly..)

Catching my breath...

To say that we hit the ground running would be a total understatement!!! Once home last week.. only today have we had a chance to catch up a little!!

In recap... our holiday was brilliant!!! We went away with a heap of Jack's mates from Ag school, they are home all over SA and it was brilliant! All of the kids met for the first time (from 13 to 6 months old... 13 kids in total!) and we didn't get to bed before 2am for 5 nights in a row! Haven't laughed so hard in a lonnngg time! All being from farming land, they all needed it!

Watched the grand final.. well didn't really watch it after half time, one of the worse games I have watched all year. I loved that Geelong won (being a cats supporter) but it could have been a better game!

I got a heap of exercise while away. Morgan has lots of hills, so a little challenging at the same time! The first morning I took off on my own and started running down by the river.. but no paths so I ran through the caravan park and up on a dirt track. It was quite early (before 7am) and I had my mp3 player going in my ears. Next thing you know, friggin' 6 track motor bikes come belting past me. Scared the crap out of me, but i was walking on a motorbike track!!

Kids also had a ball making new friends! We are planning to catch up each year for a little holiday together!

Now.. my food choices could have been a little better while away and the only day that I did really let go was grand final day, but I still managed to exercise each day!

The scales did go up over a kilo, but this morning I am happy to see back to what they where before we left!
Some photos...

Jack sitting on the edge of the speed boat!
Hugh, pretending to drive the boat
the girls "dog paddling" in the deep deep water with life jackets
Hugh and I observing in the boat.
Laura trying to get warm after a swim!

It was great for the guys to all get together and talk about the season and just de-stress!!! I really don't think that many people, not living in rural areas fully appreciate the situation that many farmers are in. I won't get on my soap box, but I couldn't believe that they are relenting the water restriction in Adelaide (they can now water for 3 hours on day a weekend) and yet some of the fruit growers in the Riverland have to watch their crops dry because of the water restrictions.

When we got home, Jack had a shower and went to work. I loaded the washing machine (that really hasn't stopped since) and our two main water tanks where empty. We are down to our 'reserve tank' of water for the house. Our dam wasn't filled last year and we had to cart tanker loads of water in and it looks like the same situation is going to occur this year.

Jack spent the last three days cutting our wheat crop down for hay. Usually, wheat is grown for seed and harvested, but with the season turning as pear shape has it has, Jack had to make the call to cut some of our crop down, bale it up for hay. Bless Jack's little heart, he felt sick to the stomach and was shaking when he pulled into the paddock, just couldn't believe that he was cutting down such a great looking crop. Not sure if he had made the right decision, but a couple of laps in he saw more and more white tips.. heads of the wheat plant (where the grain is) had filled 3/4 of the head and the top had died.. so it was the right decision. Jack finished late last night and now we just have to let it cure, then bale and hopefully sell directly out of the paddock.

This was taken yesterday.. jack cutting his crop.

I think the reason this season is worse for a different reason than last year is because the season just looked so so promising. We spread urea and entered grain contracts. (Grain contracts is when you forward sell some of your grain from harvest, locking in good prices) But many farmers have had to "wash out" (at a cost) contracts because they aren't going to be able to supply the grain at harvest, because the season has gone to shit. I could not have imagined the season turning the way it has.

Anyway... moving on..

My Challenge.. I think I will totally forget that week and say that I am in week two still (cheeky i know.. but I make the rules...)

So.. since arriving home I have been eating well and exercising as I should. I have gone back to not eating after 7.30 at night. (hard on holidays when we don't have tea till 9pm!!)

My water has been great.. having no trouble in downing at least 2 litres a day with no challenge.

Headed into Gym yesterday and I was very pleased to see that they are going to keep on going until 30th April next year. I am also a little sore from Gym... cracked a new recorded speed for rower... yeah me!

Anyway... I have to head into playgroup this morning. We have just had a new kitchen installed. for two years I sought out funding to play for it and it is finally done!!

till later

K

Home again...

I am puffed... Didn't get to bed before 2am for 5 nights in a row but we had a ball! I will post some photos soon but we are home... Came home tanned and two suitcases full of washing!

Will be back shortly.. I need to catch up on over 200 posts (thanks to google reader..)