Death By Teenager...

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Okay, okay I'm being dramatic.

But it could have happened

It might have happened

So

Master T had a pie one night and left the whole packet out overnight. On the bench. 3 chicken pies just sitting there. Overnight.

Get the picture? See where this is going?

So, naturally I am up early, see said pies and go to chuck them away. "But wait" I think to myself. "Hmm, let's see if said teenager confesses to his crime". I envisage him coming downstairs, thinking "oh oh" and throwing them in the bin. + or - a confession.

Wrong

Wrong, wrong, wrong

Said teenager returns pies to freezer. I know because I looked for them when I got home.

No confession

"Do you have something to tell me?" I said

"No"

"What did you do with the pies"

"Oh, I put them in the freezer"


"You do know if we ate those after being left out all night we would die?"

"I thought maybe I shouldn't have done it. I was going to throw them out"

Okay so he had a bit of a lecture about the evils of bacteria, of meat, of "Death By Chicken".

But

What if I hadn't seen them on the bench? What if my Mummy Eagle Eye had failed me?

I feel a bit sick just thinking about it. Got to love teenagers

ciao for now

just Martha xx

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Pay Me...

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Okay so we were going about our day, chores, bins out, clothes down the chute. Miss T worked last night but finished early and Master T and I watched a movie (Red 2- that Helen Mirrin was sooooooo funny). Exams over so just chilling.



I made ham and salad wraps with cheese plus fruit and snacks and I gave them $3 for tuckshop as a treat.



We have jobs to do. Miss T empties the dishwasher, Master T takes out the rubbish and on bin day puts the bins out. The usual. No free rides here. Much anyway.



So this morning saw me nagging for clothes down the chute so I can wash today instead of Saturday and Sunday so I can relax on the weekend. No dishwasher emptied. Miss T had asked Master T to do it since she has been bringing in the mail as Master T lost the key and his hand doesn't fit in the opening to the letterbox where as hers does. He agreed but decided not to do it.



So



I took back the money from both of them for tuckshop as payment for doing their chores. Yep $6 should cover emptying and filling the dishwasher and pain and suffering. I did it calmly and quietly. I like to keep them on edge sometimes and not be predictable.



They slowly handed over the money over, put their clothes down the chute and Master T even put extras in the bin on his way to the school bus.



Me? I'm $6 richer, am waiting for the washing to finish and have tidied the kitchen. Off to take Mamma to the hairdresser then to lunch. Dog walked and fed. Cycling class completed.



Off to enjoy this wonderful day





ciao for now





just Martha xx

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Mail Dilemma...

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I h-a-t-e those little magazines left in the letterbox to purchase from, that also have a date to leave the magazine out to be picked up.

Hate them I tell you.

Why?

Not because of the products themselves but because the magazine always gets brought back in side. By family, by visitors... All doing me a lovely favour.

"Brought your mail in".....

I seem to ask each member of my family to take it out again but inevitably the next day it is on the kitchen bench again

I have taken the latest one out 5 times at least and have now chucked it in the bin as we long ago missed the deadline.

Sorry Magazine person. I did try to follow the directions but, you know how helpful every one is...


ciao for now


just Martha xx



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Sushi Celebration...

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I have taken the Teenies out tonight for dinner to sushi to celebrate finishing exams. I am just relieved as they are to be honest. I have been supporting, cajoling, reinforcing. Miss T is quite self directed but does need reminded to putt he phone away,set the timer and study, study, study.

Master T also needs support but can argue for a good 20 minutes as to why he doesn't need to study for an hour. I have employed my education skills and take him outside, get him to ride his skateboard and ask him questions. I find by keeping his body busy he can organize his thoughts more. I ask him questions to check his knowledge of the subjects and get him to use his lateral thinking skills.

"Why does iron rust?"
"What is an alloy and give me two examples including use and hardness..."
"What does DESIGNED and SAFE stand for?"
"Give me an example of a SAFE design used in the past and still in use today and explain why certain products don't work today"

I have learned a lot too. Very interesting this Year 7 business. It even looks like fun.

So, now we wait for the results.

ciao for now


just Martha xx
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just a Little Phobia...

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We have discovered Master T has quite a deep fear of bugs.

I mean run away screaming sort of fear.

Any sort of bugs. Even an ant. An ant for goodness sakes.

I personally am not fond of big grasshoppers but will happily dispatch spiders, cockroaches... I've even been known to chuff out the occasional live crab or two ( that was a bit weird though)

He tells me he is entitled to a fear or two. When he was on year 5 camp his little girlfriend at the time wanted him together a leech off her. He wouldn't. I didn't think too much of it as he wouldn't share his sushi with her either. Just though he was being a boy.

I wonder how this happened? Oh wait, maybe it was when there was a huntsman spider in the car when he was 6 and his sister was 8. I pulled over to get it out but couldn't find it. I might have told them that I did find it and when they were nicely buckled in again it might have run across their legs again.mi seem to remember there was lots of screaming.

Yeh, that might have given him a phobia

Probably. Bad Mother.

What are you afraid of?



ciao for now


just Martha xx
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Exam Time...

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I now have two high schoolers who are busy studying for exams. An hour here, a break, an hour there

Master T seems to be getting the hang of all of this at last thank goodness. He has come a long way this year from "what assignment that was due last week?" to dare I say striving and achieving. He still needs to focus a little more " hey I got 15 out of thirty for a practice test today (!), oh wait, I think it was 25. I got 3 wrong..." So, I'm not really sure how he will go but he has requested a study book, palm cards and quiet time so fingers crossed.

Miss T is generally quite self directed and does pretty well but I still check in with her to make sure. Her part time work was getting way out if hand as she was usually working 5 nights per week for about 5 hours per night. I had to put a stop to that as she was only working 2 hours less than me a week. I think her boss was a bit cross as she only has one shift this week but hey, I'm more than happy for her to concentrate on studying.

I have made nutritious meals, added vitamins and iron, made yummy lunches and made sure bedtime is at a reasonable hour. I also add a bit of exercise in there for stress management and like to talk to them about their subjects so they can explain certain aspects to me. Not sure if they have cottoned on to my ploy to help them consolidate their knowledge but I think talking about it helps to sort it in their mind.

I think it is important to establish good study habits now so I insist on the same. Master T usually takes a while to settle into studying but I have finally worked out if he is snitchy, I should feed him.

So, we are in for a quiet week, no friends, no tv, just hard work.

ciao for now


just Martha xx
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Liberation....

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I feel free!

Light

Unburdened

Liberated

Yay!

Why?

I have CULLED 2891 emails between home and work

AND

I have unsubscribed from a zillion junk mail sites

A zillion I tell you

Bit sad to cull 1800ish home emails when only about 200 were NOT junk mail

AND

I have made heaps of folders and filed accordingly

AND

I even emptied the trash that is how confident I am

Go me

Job done



ciao for now


just Martha xx

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Fashionable Opinion...

I was wearing my new shoes today, with a pair of black pants and and black and white shirt. I think they look cute, sort of edgy and modern.

Master T looked at them this morning and said "what do you call those?"

Not a fan I guess. He notices things does Master T.


ciao for now


just Martha xx
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just A Moroccan Zhush...

I am hyperventilating! I have been stalking outdoor rugs on the Internet for my little outdoor area. There are some heavenly styles out there but not being able to feel them or see them I was unsure of how they would actually look AND the rug will need to stand up to lots of wear and tear, dirt, dog, rain... My family think I am mad but I think a little zhush is required.

So, imagine my surprise when I walked past a shop at my local shopping centre and found a plethora or said rugs for sale. I mean the exact brand and all. Hello? My local shopping centre is really stepping it up. So, I am off to get a rug today with my birthday money. I really wanted a black and cream rug but alas, they do not make the size I want so I decided on....... ORANGE! And the rug is reversible.
I know. SO risqué for me. I'm usually a very conservative girl. AND I bought a cube too. It is made from plastic and to care for it just wash with water. Sounds alright to me.

So, I will post a little updated pic when I have sourced new cushions and maybe a plant or two. The area is subject to rain so the Silver Fox is looking for potential solutions including shutters, roll down blind or stacking doors.

Bit excited!

ciao for now


just Martha xx
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just Hair...

We are at the hairdresser Miss T and I. She had a bit of a disaster with a "rinse" that turned out to be permanent. She started off blonde, went orange and now has a lovely regrowth t-h-a-n-g a happening.

So, she has saved her money and here we are to get "sorted". She wanted to wash her hair this morning but I said the hairdresser would do that. She was surprised. I guess her beauty experience had been limited to a $15 special with Trev the hairdresser at the local. Not today. Today she is going the whole hog. I must remember to tell her not to swim this afternoon and ruin the whole thing.

She has been in deep discussion with the hairdresser about streaks, regrowth two colours. Apparently it is very fashionable to have dark roots and it would seem people actually pay to look like that! I must be getting old because to me that is a home job gone wrong and you can't afford to go to the hairdresser. Fashion! It knows no limits.

So, here we sit. Her in the chair with foils and colours, me catching up on my blogging. Miss T will then see a different hairdresser for a cut which hasn't been done for 18 months.

We have negotiated. She is paying for half and I am paying for the other. The joys of having a working child! Here is the before and after photo.










ciao for now


just Martha xx


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