Still here...

Good god.. a week without a post.. sorry.. but it has been busy!

The weekend away with Jack was brilliant! The ute behaved and didn't miss a beat, the accommodation was great.. in fact.. I wish I could live there! The little gym on the second floor was also cool! I went out on Saturday night with firm muscles from my workout in the morning! That was nice! One thing that I couldn't believe was the shower head in the motel!!! I know that we are extreme with our water situation, but I swear the amount of water that poured through that beautiful shower head would have been enough water to keep our sheep going for a week! Amazing!!! even through we aren't greenies (as far from it as you could nearly imagine..) but man.. surely if there was a little more water conservation it would all help with the big picture!

Anyway.. this week has been flat out... but things have all been done and up to date! Gym and food have been great. A little ashamed to admit this, but there is a lady at gym in her 50's and she was on the rower forever... and I just asked how long she spends on there and she said 30 minutes.. farrk... I do about 15 (that is how long it takes me to do 2500m) so, not to have a 50 odd year old beat me, I sat of that fuckin' rower for 30 minutes also (after a previous 40 minutes of cardio...) well.. I had to roll off the seat and my arse still hasn't quite recovered!

The sun was shining yesterday, so I again bundled the kids up in the car with their bikes and we did the creek track in town! It must look funny.. three kids taking off too fast and their mother running behind trying to catch up and yelling.. "stop at the corner..." either way with was yet another hour of good cardio!

Did ya all read Kenz recent post about choices??? I love that concept! Everything we do is a choice! If you don't read her posts, please do!!! She is a brilliant writer and puts things in prospective with no fuss!!!

So.. i think I might follow suit as share come of my choices as well during my weeks.

Choices..

I chose to have a Coke Zero instead of the ice cream yesterday afternoon in the sunshine...

I chose to cook a beautiful roasted vegetable pasta instead of the normal take-away...

Have fun girls...

Take 3...

of this post!! Having trouble posting!!

• BEAUTIFUL weather!!! My god bring on summer!!!! I love the hot month. I get so much more excited about summer and summer clothes!
• Kids are packed and ready to be shipped off tomorrow!! Jack and I leave at lunch time to head to his Pembroke school reunion in Adelaide, so bags are packed, WB Ute is clean (and going again after a new engine was put in..) Won't be much conversation over jack's 80's music and the roar of the v8!! Lucky I brought the new Madison mag (at a free Napoleon mascara as well!!)
• I was sore last night from Gym.. legs!! much better today!
• Food has been awesome! Looking forward to a few meals out in Adelaide.
• Have a 2 year old birthday party tonight so I don't even have to mess up my kitchen again before we leave!!!
• Emilie is enrolled into primary school.. forms are handed in!!
• Had lunch with the girls yesterday.. NO ONE had cake (that is a first..) maybe I am rubbing off of people...
• Went to the playschool concert on Tuesday on a bus with playgroup. Kids loved it!!! So many people I went to school with have had kids!! Great to catch up with so many!
• Looking forward to using the gym at the motel that we are staying at in Adelaide... just different. Must also remember to pack the bathers!
• Will be back on Monday with photos of the weekend (note to self.. pack the camera!)

till then take care and get some sunshine!

Tall and strong...

If someone asked me how I felt at the moment... that is how I would describe it! I have been doing core body exercises every other day now for a few months and I feel great.. flatter, taller and stronger!!


I have about 20 minutes before I have to head into town again to collect the kids before our fitness for life program begins, but better type fast!





getting very excited about our weekend away this coming weekend. We have Jack's boarding school reunion in Adelaide, so kids have been farmed out and we are off! got a rate deal on wotif on a 5 star motel room (one of those mystery bookings..) so will be great!


Course is great as well!! Surprised how well I am absorbing the information! Been a while since the brain has been in gear.

I brought the kids christmas present the other day.. a Honda 50 motorbike!! I am excited, just hope that they are! They will LOVE it on the farm... just looking for all of the protection gear now.

Our neighbour just brought a new KTM motorcross bike, it kids had a ride last night... look at them posing in front of it! (excuse the feral clothes.. farm day at home)

Heading to the playschool concert tomorrow morning in a bus with 21 other kids... Hope George puts on the dress again..

Weekend was great.... Ok.. better go!

WW Slimmer of the year....

is it a curse???? I think after reading a recent post, you would nearly give the award back (once you had flown OS to meet Fergie first)..

I am presuming that most of you guys read What about your hips?? Amanda recently wrote about how her sister Anita was one of the slimmers of the year with WW and how they tried to organise a reunion of all of the last 15 years of Slimmers of the year, but they had to cancel the reunion as ALL 15 of the winners had gained the weight back on!!!

My first reaction was WTF??? That is amazing... But as I said in an email to CKK, if this was published, most people would knock the WW program.. "doesn't work.." "You just put it all back on again.." but when you really think about the amount of weight the slimmers of the year lost, they must have had huge psychological issue to firstly get to that fat. Some have lost around 70 or 80kg!

This is just my humble opinion, but these might be some of the reason they put weight back on:-

• The haven't dealt with the issue that made them put on weight in the first place. Not saying that they have huge scars that will never heal (eg. abuse, death of someone close etc.) But even low self-esteem could be a big enough issue. Not everyone thinks the same. Something as simple as a off-handed comment can be enough to make someone think that they can't keep weight off. "they will just put it all back on again..." or not being comfortable with the positive comments that could also come their way. Quoting jack "Sometimes it pays to pay for help.." I am sure that there are thousands of people out there that have overcome major issues that impacted on their weight and kept it off. But, perhaps they worked through those issues more thoroughly.
• This one is related to the first reason, but if they do have issues etc., the WW program might have been their vice.. the thing that they focused on, sunk their teeth into, instead of what ever the problem might have been. Once they had lost weight, they lost their next vice...
• I also think that some fatter people believe that their life will be perfect once they are thin.... they might be happy with how they look, but other areas of their life are still falling apart. Sure, you will be healthier but it doesn't make then control their kids better or deal with anything else better for that matter...

I am sure their are other reason, like Anita, Amanda's sister, she is pregnant with her third child.

Can you imagine the pressure on these people once they have been announced as a slimmer of the year... all of that publicly, firstly how much weight they weighed, the embarrassment of that being announced nationally.. then the pressure to keep that image going. That in itself could be enough to succumb to a deep fried donut eat day...

People.. deal with your head first... the rest will then fall into place!

I believe that the WW tools are great!! But they are just that tools.. You still need to do it and anything you change in your life to become healthier, must be done for life,! Not just until you fit into your honeymoon jeans..

What do you think???

Giddy-up!!!

Opened up my in-box this morning and this greeted me!!!

Mail from Craig Harper...

Hi Kirsty.

A little birdie told me that you have lost a whole bunch of weight, have turned your life around, you’re now inspiring others and you’re undertaking some study to become a Trainer…
Giddyup Girl!
Good for you.
I also heard that you have been steering people in the direction of Fattitude… thanks.
If you need any help, advice etc. with your study or your PT/fitness career let me know and maybe I can be of some help (or not).
I started doing PT when no-one knew what it was… I think that makes me old.

Anyway Kirsty, take care and let me know if I can help.You can email me or call me on (xx) xxxxxxx after 2pm most days

Peace and hugs,

Craig


Chuffed...
totally chuffed...
Made. my. day.. (at it is only 9am!)

So thank you little birdies!!! (i think I have a fair idea what chick/s they are!)

Sore hips....

Bit stiff and sore... and not sure what has caused it.... Had a great workout at the gym yesterday. I don't normally do a heap of carido at gym, as I have limited time there.. but machines where busy and the trainers where riding my back a little.. so I took the challenge and sore today... a nice soreness...

I should have taken my camera to the kids gym last night.. we have a Tai Chi for kids instructor for a few weeks! You should have seen the little ones! Will take the camera next week. I have never down Tai Chi before.. perhaps that is the reason for my soreness???

Neearly finished my first assessment for the fitnation course!! Surprising how I am fitting in little bits of study here and there!

My sister and her partner are in sunny Tasmania today buying a house. My little sister is moving there next year!!! So looks like a few holidays in Tas coming up. I have NEVER been there.. so will be great!

I have just made a pot of pea and ham soup (new WW cook book).. very yummo! Both Laura and Hugh love soup.. so it won't last long.

I have kinder duty tomorrow, but my Mum is coming up to do it for me. It does my head in.. I don't to craft well.. mum loves it!!

I just got an email from CKK... **waves** better go

cupcakes anyone...

what a job to give me...

they look nice through....

My friend that had her baby at 26 weeks is home and we we having her belated baby shower tomorrow after lunch... my jobs.. games and cupcakes... they are going piss themselves laughing at my games... will let you all know how it goes!

I have sunk my teeth into the first module of the fitnation course... LOVE IT... I have had a friend ask me to help her with getting her head around food etc. and she commented to me what passion I speak about the issue with.. so that was nice that others can also see that I get very excited about helping someone else and begin to talk really fast!!!

Little Hugh has been a little off colour the past few days. We headed to Horsham yesterday to do a few jobs and by the time we got home, Hughie was hot (38.7) and I took him into the Dr's... all ok.. just keep the drugs up to the boy!!

I had a great workout at gym on Wednesday.. VERY sore yesterday. I didn't intend on running for as long as I did, but there was a bit of drama going on there and who would leave without seeing it to the end hey... Even if it does mean I stuggle to get out of bed!

Yet another busy weekend for us... will post again soon!!

It has arrived!!!

Did anyone else read Craig Harper's recent post about being excited???? Well that is how I am feeling!! This has just arrived!!!

"You have nothing to worry about...."

or

"It won't hurt you"

or

"Are you still watching what you eat?"

with me here....

can you get my drift....

Isn't it funny how people comment on what you eat... do you think they would tell me not to eat something if I was 150kg??? I think not...

I have been guilty of those comment above myself.. in my other life... now I know better!!

I believe that anyone who has been over weight and has fought the battle to lose it and keep it off NEVER stop watching what they eat.

Sounds depressing doesn't it.. but that is the reality. I can remember when that light bulb went off (I may have blogged about it..) and I was in a little bit of a depressed state for a couple of days when I realised that I will never be able to just eat anything my heart desires IF i wanted to remain slim. But then.. the second light bulb was turned on and it means more to me to he healthy, fit and slim then choosing to eat cheesecake, KFC and god dammed fuckin' Hungry Jack's Whoppers (31 friggins WW points in one of those suckers..)

It is my choice to eat what I do. I never make a song and dance about my food choices. I don't read a menu and get the "Food Police" pen out and work out which choices will keep me running for a week to burn off.

So why do people comment??? (they are usually ones with a weight problem themselves..)

My opinion... they would secretly love nothing more then to watch me blow out to 80 + kg again. I am sure that they (well most) aren't conscious what what they are saying and thinking at their back of their head.."see.. I told you she would just put it all back on again.."

Well my little saboteurs... my life.. my choice.. and I choose to be slim and fit!

Wheels keep on rolling....

and pedometer keep on click over!!! My goal for the week is to keep my pedometer over 12,000 steps a day... each day!! I love having the kids ride beside me while I either walk or run. For something different we take the bikes into town and ride around the creek! The girls love it as there are a heap of 'jumps' around the track.

I love my hair.. will take a photo and share once it is dry.. having just hopped out of the shower, it is currently dripping wet!

Today is going to be a home day. The kids are buggered. They have a full on Monday! With kinder, childcare then they go to my fitness program we run for little kids. They eat well on Monday!!!

I have a bit of housework to catch up on and I took several lots of photos over the weekend, so need to sort and post them!

Have a great day!

Introducing....

My beautiful nephew Cooper William John...

Isn't he beautiful...

he really did melt my heart!!!

Dan and his family came up to Hopetoun for my Grandfathers 90th Birthday party, so FINALLY got to meet him!

Ok.. more tomorrow. I have booked in to have my hair cut and coloured tomorrow. I am the only woman on earth that dreads having her hair done??? I hate sitting down for three hours!! Lucky for me i only do it twice a year!

Tummy shrinking...

True or False??????????

I was just on the telephone with a friend that is on a new 'diet' program. (Tony Ferguson i think)

Anyway.. she has quite a bit of weight to loose and is going to do the program to loose the bulk then she believes that her tummy would have shrunk and she will be right then..

W.T.F....

I have said it before and will repeat again here...education...education.... education....

moving on.....

My new computer is cool....

very cool....

All set up with thanks to a file transfer cable and cooking with gas. I even shared with the girls!

I have been clocking up between 13 to 15,000 steps a day recently and really feeling quite firm. I also shoveled duck crap yesterday morning for a couple of hours... all helps!!

My food has been great also... moons are aligned!!!

did I tell you how cool my new computer is????

It arrived!!!!!

I am nearly wetting myself I am that excited!!! I got home from the morning kinder run and a message was left by a courier that my new computer at arrived and was in Warracknabeal!!!

So I am sitting at my new 22 inch screen typing this!!! Very quick, but vista is very different!!!

Can't beleive how quickly it arrived, i only ordered it on Friday!!

Ok.. programs to install!!!

Gym...

hurts when you try and keep up with one of the fittest people in town...

ok.. lesson learnt!! But I slept well!!

i need to de-clutter again!!! I find (like out Beck) that i tend to flounder a little and not sure where to start if things aren't organised. Neat home, neat mind. That "neat" home needs to start in my cupboards. I am sure I would be able to throw out something that no longer is worn. When girlfriends clean out their warerobes, they ask me around. I have then reputation of being the 'warerobe nazi' and throw out anything they hesitate over!! And, I drive a ute, so I remove all offending clothes before they have a chance to think twice! Time to do mine!

So.. that is job one today. My girls are growing like mushrooms and have outgrown so many items in their warerobe, so I need to go through theirs as well. The girls, being only 12 months apart, tend to share a lot of clothes, but Laura is very narrow, so some of Emilie's clothes just get handed on to friends!

I finally get to meet my new nephew on the weekend. My grandfather is turning 90 years old and they are coming down for that. Cooper is the only one carrying on the family name so far.. very important to my grandfather! Can't wait!

Ok... I am going to make a pact.. starting from now! I have become a little lazy with comments, but reading with Goodgle reader.. but from now on.. I promise to comment if I have read!!

Ok... time to make a walk date with my neighbour who is recovering from a little op!

Frosty...

Burrrrrr... how friggin' cold has this week been. I have cleaned out the fire box of my wood heater for the second time this week, usually a once a week job. Imagine how big our carbon footprint is!!

Jack's dad flew home this morning, but was delayed by about 90 minutes as we had to wait for the plane to defrost. I know that it isn't an excuses NOT to exercise, but man, it is so much harder to get outside during this weather. At Gym, they heat the room that you do floor exercises in, I did a few more this week, just so keep warmer for longer!!

I brought a new computer today. Online.. Will be delivered in 10 days.. can hardly contain my excitement!! 22 inch screen (i currently have 14 inch!!) 500 Gig hard drive, 2 Mg RAM.. and windows Vista premium. I am excited, even if some of you aren't!

Emilie and Laura will have then their own computer for their Dora the explorer CD-roms... no Internet access, but hey.. they are 5 and 4!!

BTW.. my weight is almost back to my lowest. I am fronting up to the WW meeting in Horsham before swimming in the morning, so fingers crossed for me that my scales at home haven't been lying to me!

Tomorrow night I have the Apex changeover dinner.. just not sure what to wear. have a couple of choices, depending on how many degrees below freezing it is!

Okay.. gotta keep on ! Have a great weekend!

Fitness for life....

That is what we are calling our new program that started last night for little kids!! I was VERY pleased how it all went. There was between 25 to 30 little people rock up at our gym for an hour of physical activity and fun. The basis is basic game

Not sure how many little ones would be attending, we sort of set up a program for pre-school aged and school aged based around soccer skills.

The kids loved it! It was amazing how quickly 1 hour went and how they soon cottoned on to what we where up to.. sure we had the odd little dummy spit with kids, but we worked through it!! Very happy!! Might even be a few more rock up next week!!!

We have just swapped Internet providers. We have been with Bigpond since they first started dial-up... we moved areas several times and where able to keep the same email address, but out here we have a two-way satellite. We where paying $70 a month plus excess usage (satellite expensive Internet service, but when you live in rural areas it is the only option other then dial up and 9kps download) but with our new providing it is only $9.95 a month... HUGE difference and worth the mucking around with changing email addresses etc!

But, when the guy was here yesterday (he cam all the way from Bendigo up to install one satellite) I got him to move the point. We have a large family room off the lounge here and we are going to split the room in two. It was once a carport and was filled in only a year after they built it, so you can't tell that it was a carport, but it is too big. So, half will be a bedroom/office and the other half will be storage until we get serious about moving my kitchen. Jack's Dad is flying in on Thursday, so that it the deadline for me sorting out the family room..

Have you all been out bargain shopping??? Love this time of the year. Check out my favorite kids clothing store. TOFI... Have brought a few things to get my kids through winter.

Okay... better go and deal with the kids. Home day today.. just as well, bit wet!!

Bones...

Like our Beck and her recent visit to Hospital with Bradman, I have been feeling like a bad mother...

Bad mothering #846
Precious 2 and half year old son was jumping off the couch (like he often does... Helloooo.... he is 2 and a half!!!) anyway, i was cooking tea and I didn't see the actual incident, but a scream like no other was soon heard and my little man was hurt. He tried to get up to walk to me but he couldn't put any weight on one foot.
He was screaming, sweating - Must have REALLY hurt. His little foot was swelling and starting to go a little blue. Finally got him to settle down and rang the hospital (we are 55 km from after hours A & E)... They advised to keep him home as xray wasn't there and reassess in the morning.
The poor little man woke during the night crying "my foot.. my foot" a few doses of Nurofen seemed to calm him down.

Anyway in the morning he was able to put a little bit of weight on it, so I didn't take him in to Horsham. But as the day got longer he started using walls to support him and sitting a lot. So yesterday morning I headed over and it turns out he has broken a little bone in his right foot, but there isn't much they can do!!!

So my little man has been VERY grumpy with lack of sleep and I feel like a bad mother for
A: letting it happen
B: not taking him to Dr's earlier...

hmmm
hmmm

More VERY EXCITING NEWS!!!
I am a AUNT again.. first time on my side of the family!! My brother Danny and his partner Lamie had a little boy COOPER WILLIAM JOHN... so chuffed!!!

The ONLY one so far to carry on my maiden name. (Lots of girl cousins...) Can't wait to meet him!

We collected the girls on Sunday from Mildura and they had a ball!!! I think they saw a different side of their grandies..

I took a car load of kids to Horsham on Tuesday and took them to the YMCA for a swim, great physical activity for them!!

Ok.. so much more happens, should post more. Will try too!!
Ciao for now!

Boy for sale...

My little 'angel' of a boy is driving me mad!!! I think he misses his sisters and his only way of showing is driving me up the wall. He has been SO naughty!!! Example...

Yesterday we went to Ballarat to see my grandmother for her birthday. Popped into Myers to shop quickly and I was in the change rooms trying on something, Mum pops her head in (Mum went with...) and says.. "Hugh with you??" No he wasn't, so she starts just a casual look around level 1... come back.. "Back yet??".. No sign of him. That is when the panic hits!! Mum and I are running around looking for him... (I knew I should have worn sneakers not knee high high heeled boots..) even into the Plaza that is attached to Myers and out onto the street.. no sign of the little shit. They put an announcement over the PA system and he was finally found (over 10 minutes !!) in the fuckin' basement with all of the toys!!!!!!!!!

Naughty boy...

I have made an appointment for his hair to be trimmed today.. he has the funkiest hair, but even I have to agree it is getting a little long. So that will be yet another adventure!

The girls are having a ball in the Riverland with their grandparents. Ten minutes before we where about to leave on Friday, Laura went for one more quick ride before the bike was packed and she came off and put her tooth through her lip.. blood everywhere. But, a little sad and sorry for herself on Friday and much happier on Saturday.. Still a little bit of a mess.. This is a photo Emilie took of me on the way to Paringa.. We stopped at Mildura for tea at McDonalds.. (Drove past Zest Jodie... Looks very nice!!!) Laura couldn't eat much, her lip was too big and sore... then headed on through to Paringa. We had to take two cars to bring home Tanks and benches and other stuff, so the kids rotated through all of the cars.

Saturday morning we had to buy two of the kids new helmets, Check out Hugh.. walking though the streets of Renmark with his helmet on (The plastic at the front should have been removed.. but NO... couldn't happen... woody boy)

Emilie and me at the fountain in Renmark... look at that sun!!

The girls Jack and myself walked/rode into Renmark. This is a snap of the girls crossing the Paringa Bridge over the Murray... they loved it!!!

Anyway.. loaded up and headed home on Sunday after lunch. I cried until we got to bloody Redcliffs (nearly 200kms..) then I pulled myself together, knowing the girls would be having fun!! I feel fine about it now. They are big girls, I am just a sook!

They have been fine.. just Hugh is driving me mental. I don't think I realised how much they played with him until they aren't here!!! We head to Mildura on Sunday morning to collect the girls... I am sure they will be yelling at one another again.. but I am missing them!!

Funny story... (no really.. but amusing all the same..) On the way home from Ballarat yesterday I was pulled over by the police in Rupanyup (only about 50kms from home..) I didn't slow down enough through town (was in the 80's in a 60 zone.. naughty I know)... but anyway I was driving Jack WB Holden ute (this is a ute that country blokes drive.... V8, loud, big bullbar... get the picture - I know CKK will..) anyway, late last year Jack brought another one. He always had V8 utes before kids etc, and decided that time had come again to acquire another one. It is pretty cool and I don't mind driving it... even with Jack's tragic 80's music playing on the stereo..

Anyway... the police officer's first question was "Is this your ute??" - What?? Don't I look like a v8 ute driver??? Anyway.. after telling me that I was driving too fast he starts going over the ute looking for faults... Asking me to start the engine and rev it to see if it was too loud, blinkers, brake lights etc.. this went on for twenty minutes or so and I begun to feel like a 18 year old hoon. Anyway.. goes to his car and return 5 minutes later with a defect notice for the ute (two tyres and a reverse light..) BUT no speeding fine!!!! Quite excited that I got off, travelled home and rang Jack to tell him.

Jack knew that the two things he found wrong where there.. no big deal.. but then he says.. "your not going to believe this... I am being pulled over by the police... I'll call you back..." He was in Dooen.

Anyway.. rings back 15 minutes later. The police asked him his name and address... the police officer said to him... "I just pulled over your wife In Rupanyup... you have a couple of jobs to do on the ute when you get home" how freaky is that!! Jack was also pulled over for speeding.. but he was also let off!!!

So thank your stars for being alignment right last night... could have been a very expensive little night!!!

Suitcases packed yet????

With school holidays only one sleep away, my girls are getting VERY excited. See, for the first time ever they are going for a holiday on their own to their South Australian grandparents!!! Jack's folks live at Paringa (Just over the Murray river from Renmark) and the big girls are going there for a week!! **mother quietly swallows the lump in her throat**

Little Laura has had her bag packed for three days now, to say they are excited is an understatement!! So, tomorrow night, after the last day of Kinder for the term, we are heading north to deliver the babes, then bringing the boy back home on Sunday. My in-laws live on a cliff above the Murray and the girls know where to go and where not to go.. (i hope..) for Hugh, it is just one huge adventure and you need eyes in the back of your head, so a couple more years before he gets to have a holiday on his own!

I am have a fair bit of DOMS... not sure why, but have finished weights until next monday, time for them to recover a little. I always get a fair bit of exercise in when we go to the Riverland. Early morning walks (even if it is to the cafe at 6am for a decent cup of coffee..shh they don't know, they think I am exercising for 90 minute...he he he) and with the kids and their bikes, they take a bit of chasing!

The official kinder opening went well on Tuesday. The kids picture will be in the paper again.. this is a bit of an on-going joke here in town. I work for the paper taking photos and often they are the subjects or if my boss is taking photos for something, like the opening, he often uses my kids as he knows their names and knows that I don't mind. We get a fair bit of ribbing about it.. I think it is cute!!

Ok.. better go and do housework, so my house is in order before the weekend and all washing done.

Ericia Who???

I forgot that some of the NZ and OS readerswouldn't know who I was refering to with the Ericia Baxter reference in my eariler blog.... here is a link... She just married Australia'a richest man James Packer... What would you buy for a wedding gift???

I have a little DOMS today.. gym hurt more then normal yesterday. Weigh in stayed the same as well.. no loss no gain..

We have the offical opening of our new children's centre today at 2pm, so the kids and I will soon go for a ride/run (then ride - I run) to bugger out Hugh so he will have a sleep early. Just waiting for the washing machine to finish!