A New School Year

Well we survived the first day of school.....JUST

The day started perfect. I had set the alarm to go off at 7am so we would have all the time to get ready ect...
Both school bags were packed, uniforms on and Matthew ready.
Took the kids out side and proceeded to take lots of first day of school photos....Eloise started prep and Talia year 3, but at a new school and I had 2 very excited girls ready to get into the car and go....

So in we get, seatbelts on, smiles on faces and I turned the key......

Nothing, not a noise ....OMG what was I to do????

Why couldn't this happen any time in the last 5 weeks....Why the first day of school????

So I got the kids out of the car and called my sister....She lives 50kms away but luckily for us she was more than happy to rescue us.
So the girls finally got to school at 9.45am....better late than never!

Once the kids were at school we tried to jump the car....No luck....I was pretty miffed as the battery is only about 2 months old. So I took it back and as It was dead they replaced it for me.....

We put it in the car, crossed the fingers but only a tic tic tic...You know that sound when the battery is flat....

So it seems that the starter motor may have died....What to do now???

The girls are getting a lift to school with a friend which is fantastic, so I don't need to worry about them....

I hope everyone else had the first day of school run smoother than I.

Some Relief from the Heat

It is a beautiful 31 degrees today....I am in heaven. The last few days have been disgusting. The bags under the kids eyes have gone due to a good night sleep. The end of the week is not looking good however. The forecast for Thursday is 42!!!
We went off and got the girls hair trimmed today all ready for school, 6 days and counting. Eloise is very excited and Talia is just sick of the school holidays.
Things are going to be very quiet here on Tuesday....hmmm what to do????

Planning for the big move is going OK...I have a removal quote that I am quite happy with and I am still planning on driving over with all 3 kids. I will be doing this alone as my niece is not leaving until August now.

Am I mad????

3 kids and the Nullabour....

It will be once in a life time experience but the thought of 3 bored kids stuck in the car for 4 days .....Any suggestions????

I haven't lost any weight this week....Not too concerned though

The lost Mojo

I stayed at my sister Jenni last night so that we could do a bit of scrapping, and to see if I could get my mojo back...And I did
I ended up doing about 10 LO's done. I wont post them all but the above one is my favorite.
I ate too much, Miss made a unreal lasagna for dinner and we finished off with some chocolate cake and m&m's for dessert.
Weigh in tomorrow morning...Will the choc cake tip me over????

I did it!!!!!!

I am so excited!!!
I popped on the scales this morning and I had to double take when I looked at what it said

72.8 kg

I have now officially lost 10.2 kg

I have my mojo back. Now to find my scrapping mojo.

Oh and I also got a quote back from the removalist $1700
so I am pretty happy about that too.

I have been tagged

OK Sue has tagged me so here it is......

A is for age: 32
B is for booze of choice: Vodka, lemon, Lime and soda
C is for career: SAHM
D is for your dad's name: Gerald
E is for essential items to bring to a party: Good Music
F is for favoritee song at the moment: HMMMMM too many to choose????
G is for favoritee game: dunno
H is for hometown: Perth
I is for instruments you play: I'm not that talented
J is for jam or jelly you like:orange marmalade
K is for kids: Talia (7), Eloise (5) and Matthew (18 months)
L is for living arrangements: With the above 2 and cats Molly and Oscar, oh and the goldfish Sarah, Patch and Pirate
M is for mum's name: Mary
N is for name of your crush: Ohhh toss up between Brad and Keanu
O is for overnight hospital stays: have my 3 kids and intensive care with collapsed lung
P is for phobias: Spiders EEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Q is for quotes you like: cant think atm
R is for relationship that lasted the longest: I am hopeless with relationships
S is for sexual preference: Men
U is for underwear: getting smaller all the time
V is for vegetable you love: broccoli
W is for weekend plans: scrapping at Jenni's
Y is for yummy food you make: potato salad
Z is for zodiac sign: Sagittarius

Wednesday

I took these photos of Matthew and Talia yesterday. The kids were hot (we had 41 degrees) so I filled up the little toddler pool and the kids had a splash. Thankfully today was sooo much cooler and I was able to get some house work done.
Miss and Jenni came and stole Eloise away for a few days, so the house was so quiet this afternoon. I will go and pick her up on Sat and she will swap with Talia. I plan to totally clean out their room while each of them is away. It is amazing how quickly kids accumulate junk!

Matthew took a few more steps today, I think we are up to 5. He still does most of his movement in crawling. It seems funny watching him, I forget that he is 18 months old.....Where has the time gone???

I went and hired out Mr & Mrs Smith on DVD today and watched it tonight, it was really good and I must say that Mr Pitt was looking mighty fine indeed.

I have been really good with my eating today, Talia and I had steak and salad for dinner.

Thursday

Tomorrow my boy is 18 months old. Where has the time gone. He had his 18 month old check up at the Maternal Health nurse today and everything is going well. He is now 83 cm long and weighs 11.36 kg. The nurse is a little concerned with his lack of speech and wants to see him a 2, just before we move to Perth and if he still is not saying many words we will be seeing a speech pathologist.
After this we went to get Matthew his 18 month immunizations which turned out to be only Chicken pox so the girls ended up having theirs too. Talia volunteered but Eloise screamed the hall down, I had to restrain her. But it is over and done with now.

aunt Jenni came for a visit also today, she seemed very down and I felt so guilty leaving her. I wish she could come with us. I know she wants to but Dave wont....She will be coming over to spend Christmas with us...Which is at my house (fist time ever!!!!) It seem funny thinking about Christmas already.
I have been doing Ok with my eating and weighed my self mid week (I know naughty) but I weigh 73.8kg....so that extra 1.5kg must have been fluid...I am really hoping for a loss this week to get me back on track...Monday will tell


Matthew

To Start Fresh

I forgot to add this to yesterdays post but I forgot.
I am like many others starting fresh this New Years Day. I weighed myself this morning 75.4kg....so that's it, it is down on paper so to speak, now to loose it. I have started to track again and will be starting to move a bit more. I wont say exercise because I hate that word...

So today my sister took me out to see the latest Happy Potter film, my niece stay home and watched the kids for me. Wow it was a long film but really good. Someone should really give those boys a decent haircut!!!!!
I thought it was really good but it amazed me how many people out there bought young children into the cinema to watch it. I personally thought that it was not suitable for younger viewers but that is me. I will let my girls watch the first 2 but not number 3....Maybe due to my own personal diversion to werewolves (a very bad scare when I was 8 and 26 years later still not over it)
So that was my day....
Thankyou my dearest sister!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone.

I don't like new years eve due to the reason that every new years eve ends up yukky, either a fight, sick or plans just go out the window but I LOVE New Years Day!

I love the feeling of a fresh start its just like the first day of school. I am not making any New Years Resolutions but this year is going to be good.

I am going to get to goal weight this year..For sure! Not only that but the girls start at their new school. Talia starts year 3 and Eloise is starting Prep....And.....

Its official we are moving to Perth. I spoke to Matthews father on the phone yesterday and I explained my reasons for moving and he understands, he is a little upset and I asked him if he would ever consider moving back to Perth but he said it would cost too much money.

So I have started to sell stuff on eBay, the things that have been sitting in my "sell" box for about 6 months. I think it will take me about 6 months to get through it all :)

Well that's all my ramblings for now, I hope you all have a wonderful day

A decision made....

After some careful consideration.....What the hell! Who am I kidding I am as compulsive as they come!!!!! Once I make my mind up I don't want to wait but thins time I am going to do things a bit different.
I sat down and wrote out all my reasons for staying where I am, then I wrote a list of why I should leave. I tried not to let my emotions get in the way. I am thinking about the kids and what is best for them long term....
I also sat down with the girls and tested the winds and asked in a round about way what they thought before I told them what I was thinking

And the results were...........WE ARE MOVING!!!!!!!!!
Well that is if Matthews father will let me.....He has seen him once in the last 5 months but he is a bit of a "poor little me....." Kind of person and he might kick up a stink.....I will deal with that later...

So now I know that I am going I feel relieved, I am going to miss My big sister like crazy who has by the way her own blog!!!!!!!! UpsAndDowns Check it out and give her lots of support. I am going to help her tweak it a bit but she is such an amazing woman.

So once I made the decision, I sat down and figured out some finances and what to take ect...I have a quote from one removalist ....$2800 for 20 cubic meters....I will see if I can find anything cheaper. I don't want to do what I did when I moved from WA to VIC.....I sold everything and came with only a dryer and 2 pallets of boxes.

I will need about $6000.....This includes removalist, trip over (I think I am mad, I plan on driving over with the 3 kids) bond and rent for the new house and $1000 for the bits and pieces that pop up...

I have also discovered that I will need to sell my fridge. It is a very large fridge and I had to take off the doors and door frames to get it in my house....It wont fit through the door frames over there as they are metal so the fridge will have to go....

So that is the plan.......The big move will prob take place July/Aug this year....
This also means that I will have to be at goal by then so I can throw away all my big clothes....

So anyway.......

I didn't want to use my blog as a unhappy outlet, I wanted to put up my achievements and happy things but I have found that as a rule when my life is smooth and everything is hunky dory I don't have time to get on and blog. It is however that when I am feeling down and low that I feel the need to express myself and write things down...

I have taken a break from weight watchers for a month now and I really feel it, I lost my mojo. I popped on the scales this morning and I have put on a few kilos. I now weigh 75.6kg....not good. But as of 1st Jan I am back on....

So anyway, I am having problems getting to sleep. This is not like me. I know I am getting itchy feet and deep down I feel the need to move. I really do admire the people who can stay in one place longer than a year. I have moved 29 times in 32 years.
My mind is racing at night and I really want to get out of this house. Rentals in this town are non existent and there is a waiting list. I am considering moving to the town the girls new school is in as I have worked out that I will be driving to and from for the next 12 years!!!!

But this is not the only consideration. Victoria is not my home state. I am from W.A and that is where most of my family and friends from school are. I miss it but.....
The girls are happy here, They like the school next year, they have friends here and Talia has her Karate here. If I moved it would be for total selfish reasons. I miss the familirarity of Perth, but I swore I would never move the kids interstate again plus we would be looking at thousands of $$ in removal costs (which I don't have) and would I be any happier than I am here?????



THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER!!!!

I am so lost at the moment. Do you ever feel like that???
I don't know where I am going and I am one of those people who like to plan, it makes me feel secure (well that doesn't make sense with the moving bit???)
I really need to sit down and put a few goals down and get some structure, maybe that would help....

Thanks for listen to me dribble....I feel better

Go figure !!!!!

First of all I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who have made me feel better with your comments.
I am feeling heaps better today and I popped on the scales this morning and it showed 73.2 kg....So I haven't put on any weight at all...Must of been just fluid...
So things have been brighter since my last post.

the girls have their orientation day tomorrow at their new school so it is an early night for all

Time is a ticking

It is so easy to get back into bad habits. My weight has creeped up to 75kg my clothes still fit but it is amazing how much an extra 1.2 kg can make you feel. Now wonder I was feeling so rotten when I was carrying the extra 8.
Christmas is coming fast and this year I am sooooo not ready for it. I have no idea what to buy the kids. I try and limit what I spend on each child to about $50 all up, that includes what they give each other as I want them to enjoy the giving much more than the getting IYKWIM. But I am not sure if the finances will even stretch that far this year.
I hate being a single mum sometimes. Why should the kids miss out while Ex-husband drives around in a Club Sport.....I am anti men at the moment.
A girlfriend of mine is going through a nasty divorce, her delightful husband decided after her miscarriage that he didn't want to do this anymore....It has bought all the bad memories of my divorce back and it has been 5 years....
I wonder will it ever end....Do you ever forget about it

I am going to try and get on here a bit more. I miss writing down my thoughts and my achievement which have been few and far between lately.

Who the hell was I kidding?????

I have put on some weight.....I still fit into my clothes. In fact I have pulled out all my size 12's from hiding and most of them fit, a few are a bit tight around the tummy but hey....Its the first time in 3 years.
Back to the weight gain.
After the getaway I was lulled into a false sense of security and I have found it really difficult to get back in to the swing of things. I popped on the scales Monday morning and 74.2kg was staring back at me ...Almost 1 kg gain. I have tried a number of times to start tracking but I am weak and end up eating something bad thinking to my self that I will start again tomorrow- seriously this time.....YEAH RIGHT!!!!!
I need help...
any suggestions on how to get motivated again would be greatly appreciated

Well that's enough whining from me...Thinking of you all

Ok, things weren't as bad as they seemed

So I got on the scales this morning and to my utter surprise I weighed 73.8kg....which I am over the moon at. So as of today I am back tracking.
I remember a while back one of you lovely ladies commented in your blogs about plateaus and how that once you get to a certain weight you stop, it is not your goal weight but because you feel so much better and your clothes feel good. That you sub consciously stop thinking weight loss mode. Well I have been there for the last few weeks. I am down to a size 14 and could easily stop but I would love to get to goal so I need to reassess a few things and get my not so big butt into gear.

I wont be blogging as much either, my eldest daughter has commented about the time I spend on the puter and has asked to kindly cut back and spend some more time with her (point taken) so just to let you know that I do read your blogs but may not have the time to comment but my thoughts are with you.

Hello everyone

Wow I cant believe that it has been almost 3 weeks since I last posted. I have been feeling quiet blah for a while but I have just spent a lovely 4 days in the Dandenong ranges at a scrapbooking getaway. The group of women who I go away with are an amazing bunch. I always come away with my soul refreshed and this time 2 kg heavier.
Before the getaway I was eating crap and while I was there I ate and ate and ate...chocolate, coke and basically anything I could get my teeth into....

But lots of people noticed my weight loss and it was a great feeling..
so I have to get my head back into weight loss mode, I'm not quiet ready for it yet but I am going to do it.

So this is just a quick catch up t say that I am here and I hope everyone else is well

Me at 73.6kg

I had a neighbour take these this afternoon as I have hit half way
I have only got 10 kg to go to goal so I thought half way photos would be a good motivator.
I lost another 100gms this week, not a big loss but every bit counts
Eloise had her orientation morning today for prep next year and she loved it so much that she didn't want to come home...Roll on next year.
I stayed with her so that I could get a feel for the teacher and how the kids interact with her. Well all looks good and I will be happy to leave her next time.

Hope everyone is having a great day

You guys rock!

When I first discovered blogging on the WW site I started reading them for inspiration. It is so much easier doing this when you know that there are other everyday people out there that are facing the same hurdles as me. Never in my wildest dreams that I thought by having my own blog I would have the support that I have found here in blog world. I really believe that I would have given up if it wasn't for the little comments and support you guys give me.

I would love to say a huge thankyou.

I sat at my computer this morning feeling really good about my self and wrote out my questions to the little list that inspired me from Slim Suzy. It is mainly weight loss but I am considering doing a general one and scrapping it...

So here it is

Getting Started Journaling (from Discovery Health. Com)
Complete the following phrases:

I am eager to ... get to my goal weight and stay there

I doubt myself when ....I have a bad day of eating, I beat myself up and thinI'mIm not strong enough to do this

I feel powerful when... I have another loss on the scales and I think "yes I CAN do this"

I'm proud of myself because ... I am doing this and I have lost 9.3kg so far

My 10 favourite things are...my kids, sunny days, good music, roast lamb, good movies, good friends, my electric blanket on a cold night, a good book, dark chocolate and a good coffee

I am most grateful for... My friends and family that are supporting me through this

I can simplify my life by living without .. being so hard on my self

I feel my mission in life is to... Haven't figured that one out yet! But I think to raise my 3 kids to be responsible happy adults

In my wildest dreams, I ... would love to find a nice person to grow old with

I believe in myself because ... I am strong and I am stubborn.


Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling. - Margaret B. Runbeck

I'm back

I was a bit lost there on the weight loss front for a while but I'm back.
I was reading someone's blog (I cant remember who's) and they were saying about not using kids illness or "I will start fresh nest Monday" as a excuse to not watch what you eat, or something like that because life will get in the way and what we are doing is a life change not just a diet.
So I have snapped out of my little slump of binge eating and not counting.

I'm back....Oh and reading the new WW mag also helped with the inspiration

I was also inspired by Slim Suzy ( how do you make the link here???) and her little list of questions and answers...I might go think on it a bit and answer tomorrow

Hope everyone is having a great night

Oh and thanks to everyone with regards to the bus thing....I am taking it all the way to the top!
The bus driver was at fault with his lack of duty of care and I never want another child to go through what Talia had to...Next time the out come might not be so happy

A huge scare

My dd Talia (7) was supposed to take the bus home this afternoon from school, it drops her off on the street next to ours and it is a 2 min walk home...at 3.35 I saw the bus go past and I waited for Talia to walk down the road....I waited...

I waited 15 min and sent Eloise up to the bus stop on her bike to see if Talia was there talking to a friend....but she wasn't there!

At 4 pm she still wasnt home, I wasn't going to panic but I woke Matthew up and put him in the car....I then drove to the bus stop and went across the road to one of Talia's friends house thinking she may be playing there....I was ready to give her a serve for not telling me where she was. Her friend which was also on the bus said that she was sitting next to her but Talia didn't get off the bus.....
Ok I am not going to panic but what do i do now...the bus does a loop of the town then heads back to school.

So I drove to the school and went and saw the principal explained what had happened and that Talia was on the bus but didn't get off at her stop.

They tried to ring the bus driver but no answer...by this stage I was feeling quiet ill. They then rang some of the families further on the bus route...no one remembered seeing Talia...

Then the bus driver rang back saying that he saw her crossing the bridge on the other side of town...when I heard this i was almost sick...that is a few Kms away from our house and she was walking alone.

So I headed off to the bridge then home to see if i could see her walking and the principal would drive around looking for her via the bus route and would meet me back home.

When I got home she was there......I have never been so relived in all my life

She missed her stop and then at the end of the route the bus driver told her to get out....even though he knew her stop was way back at the begining...so the poor little kid had to walk 2-3km home...crying and scared that she would get lost...

The principal eventually turned up and I explained what had happened and she said she will be following this up

So i am not happy but relieved that my girl is OK.....I don't even want to think what might have happened
I cant believe the bus driver would leave a 7 year old girl on the side of a busy road to walk all the way home on the other side of town

I decided last week to change schools and this has confirmed that I made the right decision