Macaron Madness...

Well, you see it all started with a girl going away at work and I bought a little something to mark her last day. I chose a box of these:









Well, the girl going away turned out to be sick and you see the food was going to go to waste. And it was the afternoon so we just wanted a little taste. She would understand.. Wouldn't she?

Sure she would.

So I had a packet of 10 macarons with delectable flavours like lemon and pistachio, chocolate and strawberry and more. So we tried one each

Mmmm, the lemon was to die for. My friend said strawberry was the best. So... I tried one of those. Very nice. What about the chocolate? We needed to try that too.

Before we knew it there were only 2 left.

So we ate them

After all it would be rude to give her a box with so few in it.


Wouldn't it?

We didn't want to appear cheap did we?


ciao for now


just Martha xx

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just Jennifer and a Young One...

I have bought this book this week to read and pass on to my sister. I do love Jennifer Saunders. I have had a quick flick through and was A-M-A-Z-E-D! Amazed I tell you to learn that she is married to Adrian Edmonston who played Vyvian in the Young Ones a gazillion years ago!

How did I never know that?




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Going a BIt Far?....

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Just checking

When I do the washing now I hang it out all neatly

Then when I bring it in, I fold it all neatly so as to limit the ironing

But now I sort it out when I take it off the line. I take out 4 separate washing baskets and sort everyone's washing into them straight away and keep the fourth for the towels, sheets etc

Job done and dusted

Tick, tick and tick!!!

Is this going a bit too far in the "Being organised/ time management department?"

Am I really OCD out-of-control?

Anyhoo, at the end of the day my washing is done and sorted

Is there anyone out there with similar stories?

Please say yes...



Ciao for now...




 

It Is All in the Genes...

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When my sister was young, maybe 15, she was a mad music fan. She rang Kids in the Kitchen ( an Aussie band with some fame) and told them she was from a radio station and wanted to interview them. She was to meet them before their gig at their hotel.

She came out and told Mum and Dad and asked if they would take her

Surprisingly the answer was kind of "No way go to bed silly child". Not what she wanted to hear but quite understandable looking back. For a variety of reasons including:

• It was about 11pm on a Friday night
• Cost of petrol to drive 1 1/2 hrs each way
• Age of said ambitious teenager
• "Yeah, sure, I'll let my daughter go to a rock band's room late at night"

Hello, not going to happen. EVER

So, my sister went on to work in a radio station and interviewed many a band. She was to put those superior b.s. skills to good use which paid off.

My Miss T is not too dissimilar

She went to One Direction and had a ticket to the Sound Check Extravaganza (at a mere $300 per ticket - she paid every red cent. Unlike her 2 friends who were given their tickets and went to Sydney too to see One D with airfares, hotels etc. Hello, are some parents mad!)

At the Sound Check, she got to ask the band a question. She said girls all around her were screaming while she was calm as. So her question was to ask them to play truth or dare and she dared them to give her and her friends a hug. They agreed so she was able to hug all band members and be one of 7 girls to go backstage.

Because she was so mature she also got a poster signed by all of them.

Her impression of it all? Apparently the boys were a bit short and smelled like boys, sort of sweaty. She thought they might smell of soap or aftershave. Nope, just like a typical boy.

Starstruck she ain't. No photos or videos were allowed so all she has are memories and a poster.

Her Aunty would be proud




Ciao for now...




 

Please Note...

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Miss T wanted to wear a white version of these today to school

Not her usual school sandshoes

AND

She wanted a note

"What for?" I said

"Don't call them sandshoes" she said. "I need a note so I don't get detention"

"Oh" I said. Then I said "No, I'm not writing you a note so you can wear shoes to school that are not the school uniform"

"Oh" she said. Then she said "If you loved me you would write the note". Then she said "If I was the Mother I would write a note"

"Oh " I said, thinking to myself "Didn't she pay me money so I would upgrade the sandshoes (or whatever they are known as today) to Nikes?"

"I didn't have time to put my correct sandshoes on" She said. (Please substitute the word sandshoes with the current acceptable description of sports shoes. I can't remeber. I'm sure it isn't sneakers or joggers. What else could it be? CLearly I would h-a-t-e to be uncool)

"Ok" I said, "I will write you a note, but it will say Dear Teacher, my child is choosing not to wear her usual sports shoes for some reason only known to her. Please note they are not wet, lost or been chewed by the dog. Kind regards..."

"I am too busy getting breakfast" she said. "You wouldn't want me to starve"

"Oh" I said. "Maybe you shouldn't have stayed in the shower so long or perhaps got out of bed earlier or even changed your shoes whilst we have been debating this most important of topics"

"Oh" she said. Then left for school with her white Converse on. I did point out that I wouldn't want to wear them to school where they would get all dirty...

So when she came home this afternoon I said "How did you go" and she said "yeh, I got a ground duty". So I said... "imagine that"




Ciao for now...


 

Get the Message?...

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The Teenies ring me when they get home from school to let me know they have arrived. Cotton wool parenting? Don't think so, I just like to know they are safely home.

I get this phone call from Master T:
"Yeh, hi, it's me. I'm home. Do you think you could buy some food?"

And I get this text from Miss T:
"Home. Buy some food on your way home"


Hmmm

Time to buy some food do you reckon?





Ciao for now...








 

just A Walk Down That Lane...

A selection of the portfolios

So there I was, doing the tax. Finding those elusive receipts and searching for all bank statements from July to Dec, no doubt kept safely in a safe place, as safe places are designed to do.

Sigh...

The Silver Fox is no help. He just said "haven't you done that yet?"

So, with a burst of vim and vigour Saturday night became productive and I located all wayward flotsam and jetsam.

Done and dusted. Off to the accountant. Yay!

But, now that the Teenie girl is working, I find myself waiting up later than my usual bedtime to pick her up. AND, I find myself being (gasp) productive.

During the primary years, the school did up portfolios to show off class work for that year.
In my searching frenzy for wayward scraps of paper, I came across said portfolios, found the school photos and also put in the school report cards and Naplan tests. Tick, tick, tick.

Then

I started to flick through them,walking down that gorgeous memory lane and wondering where I can keep all this paperwork until the kiddies are old enough to appreciate the love, the effort and the outstanding organisational hoarding skills (what do you reckon? when they are 30 should be old enough?).

Children have a habit of growing before your very eyes and it was kind of amazing to see exactly how much.

Enjoy...

The gorgeous Miss T

Miss T aged 5 1/2 to 15

Master T aged 6 to 13. Awww

Are you the keeper in the family? I also have sort of one of these each for the Silver Fox and I with report cards and awards. Good fun to look back on.



Ciao for now...

just Making a Point...

Laundry

This weekend I am pressing a point. To Miss T's disadvantage.

To make a point

Look, I'm a busy girl. I s-q-u-e-e-z-e things in. I like to be organised. I do an exercise class at 5 am so I can still be at work on time. I wash, cook, clean, work, shop (cue violins...)

I am not unusual I know but like to get things done. Tick that box. For example on Friday by 7.15am I had already done a bike class, a personal training session and walked the dog and was settling down to a cup of coffee. Tick, tick, tick.

So, I have a rule. All washing needs to be in the laundry by Friday night. Not on top of the laundry chute, not strewn all over bedroom floors but physically put down the chute to be washed. I have the first load done by 6am (pre-programmed the machine) and can have 2 loads out by 7am then I saunter off to my bootcamp session at the gym that goes for 90 minutes. By the time I get back I can hang out my third load, put on the fourth... you get the picture.

Tick, tick, tick.

Reading back I sound like a martyr. And that I have a bit of OCD. My point is I like to be organised then I can relax too. I like to bring it all in, fold, fold, fold, sort, sort, sort, iron later and relax over the rest of the day. I don't want to spend all my time doing chores. I like a tidy house. It keeps me sane. And I only wash on a Saturday. (Yep, a lot of OCD apparently)

So, which teenager decided to put l-o-a-d-s of washing down the chute on Saturday evening? School clothes included.

So Sunday saw her:

• Sorting
• Putting on the washing
• Hanging them out
• Bringing them in 
• Folding
• Ironing
• and putting away

Bit of a drag really. In the middle of all this we dropped the Silver Fox at the train. And she couldn't catch up with her friend until it was all done. Awww, poor thing.

My point? Would she rather just drop the clothes down the laundry chute on a Friday night?







Ciao for now...


 

just Out and About....

The Silver Fox has been home for a flying visit of a whole 30 hours but we have squeezed a lot in. Yesterday saw us all having a big walk as a family, pooch included. Here are some shots.






This is a look out at the end of our walk. It has bbqs and tables and the view is terrific.

Today sees us hanging out until dropping the SF at the 1030 train.





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just Hanging...

Was lucky enough to get taken to lunch with these handsome boys. Master T is now taller than me much to his delight. I wonder where he will stop? I always envisaged looking up to my son when he was an adult.

My Dad has moved into a retirement village still quite close to us so all is sweet.

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ciao for now


just Martha.  xxxx

just a Chevron Frock....

I've bought myself a little something for Summer. It supports my love for the divine chevron print AND it is orange which is my Sister's favourite colour. It is from a little online shop called Paper Scissors Frock. Clever huh? Go and have a peek and get yourself sorted for Summer. See here.








Ciao for now...

Dog Gone It...

Was chatting with a girl this morning who was telling me that there were 2 attempted dog nappings in her street during the week. One at 2 am in the morning where the dog was being stolen from the backyard but created such a ruckus that the owners woke up. That was an American Bulldog. The other was a Labrador who ended up getting a big slash across her back and was found on the street bleeding and shaking.

Goodness me.

But, it turns out the girl I was talking to is the new tenant in a house down the street. MY STREET! So all this action was happening 2 doors from my home. The neighbours had noticed marks on their fences which they now realize was a sort of code to say their was a suitable dog living there.

Dog fights, crime, gangs......

What the? We live in a sleepy little town with one traffic light.

What about my puppy? We keep her inside at night but is that enough?

She is part of our family!



Ciao for now...

Going, Going, Gone...

Well, that time with the Silver Fox went so quickly! He is away now of the the next 20 weeks although should be back for the weekend every 3 weeks. We will see. Have heard that before.

We had a lovely time. We managed a few dates together and did loads of chores like:
*Hedging the garden
*Putting bark on the garden
*Having the house painted
*Doing odd jobs with a drill
*Clearing a blocked sink
*Changing my rear brakes
*Sorting out the TV
*Realigning a blind
*Helping my Dad to move
*Many trips to the tip

As well as the usual cooking, cleaning, shopping and playing. We managed to only swim at the beach once but took the pooch for a few walks.

Our dates deteriorated in the end due to time and chores and ended up with a trip to the tip and Subway. He is a classy guy.

He left today at the ungodly hour of 3am. He got a lift to the airport which is over an hour away. He has not long rung to say the accommodation is rather dodgy. Pity for him.

So, it is just the kids and I and the dog. My Dad is standing a few days until his new unit is ready. He cooked dinner tonight. Good old fashioned shepherd's pie. Yum! Thanks Dad

ciao for now



just Martha xx



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