W.I.P. Wednesday - Triangles

Something I am yet to have made is a triangle quilt.  Until now.  I started on it yesterday, cutting out triangles upon triangles, but still a gazillion triangles to cut out!

I used a template provided by the tutorial I am roughly following, and really was hoping it would be ok!

Last night, I took all of said triangles, and laid them out to get an idea of placement.  Then saved them before Bella the cat mistook them for something for her amusement, and popped them in piles of rows.

And today - well, I sewed together two whole rows of them!  And then stared at them for ages, knowing that they weren't right.  My instincts were correct, and when I trialled sewing the rows together, I stopped after about 3 triangles, and scratched my head.....

The remainder of my afternoon was spent searching the interwebs for help.  And my un-picker was put to good use, painfully.   I found THIS fab bit of advice over at Stiched In Color, and in the end, I figured that the whole "blunt edge" on the triangle did not work for me, so I have now also spent some time shearing the edges off about 60 triangles, getting rid of the blunt edge and making them pointy.  

And what do you know?  I'm now getting perfect rows of triangles with 1/4" overhang to allow for the sewing of rows together.  The fact that it's taken me a couple of hours of frustration and a sore wrist from un-picking really doesn't matter......hmpfffff.

I currently have a few W.I.P.'S on the go - strange times for me!  I will be sharing another of them on Friday........so watch this space!

I'm linking up with W.I.P. Wednesday - which just happens to be hosted by my friend Kristy today! - You can too!

P.S. - To all of you lovely peeps who left me wonderful comments on my Refractatorium Quilt - I THANK YOU!!!!  I've had trouble replying to everyone due to the fact I've had my kids + some here for school holidays!  Please know I LOVE reading your comments and thank you dearly for your encouragement xxx

Sunday Stash #15 - I have Issues

My sewing room - aka The Shoe Box - has issues.  I have issues.  It's just one big issue.

Lack of space.  Lack of will to sort it out.

Here is a little virtual tour of my 2m x 3m (approximate size) room....

Looks relatively organised, until you head down to the bottom shelves.... This photo is taken from the doorway of the shoebox, to the right of my sewing desk.

Shelves disappearing under the disorganisation of fat quarters, layer cakes and charm squares.....

That clear box used to hold all my fat quarters.  Until I became addicted.  Now they're everywhere.  Taking over.

These shelves are to the right of the door of the shoe box.  Such a state of disarray.

My scrap box.  Well, the box they go in to before I get off my ass and move them to a bag.....

Like these.  Even my poor overlocker has been put in the shadows of my desk.

I'm sharing this because I'm hoping it will make me do something about it.  But I really don't know where to start?  How does everyone else store their fat quarters and pre-cuts?  How do you sort your scraps?  How, how, how?

Help!!!

I'm linking up with Sunday Stash being hosted by Sew Happily Ever After!  You can too!

Another Freakin Cat Post.....

About five weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that our sweet kitten - Bella - had been visiting one of our neighbours and using their ridiculously huge sandpit as a litter box.  Said neighbour came a door knocking to ask if I had a little black cat with a blue tag (council tag)?  Ummm, yes, I said.  He proceeded to tell me that he had trapped her in his back yard and I should come and get her.

WTF?

I walked with this imbecile to his home, about five houses away, all the time asking him incredulously that when he said "trapped her" did he actually trap her?  Yep.  I was greeted at his home by his ever so delightful cranky and mouthy wife, telling me how disgusting it was that my cat was shitting in her kid's sandpit.  I agreed, with a pleasant but confused smile on my face.  As I rounded the corner in to their back yard I was horrified to see our little Bella in a metal trap, freakin out.  My Chelsea (Bella's human mummy) was equally if not more horrified and quickly ran to get her out.  It was a very warm day - we're talking 27 degrees - and Bella had been in this trap for who knows how long, without any water or food.  Cranky pants wifey was talking and I wasn't really listening, as I watched Chelsea take Bella home.  I kept asking cranky and her dickhead husband what exactly it was that they expected me to do?  She's a cat.......

They suggested I needed to keep Bella from entering their property.  Ahuh....right.  I repeated that she was a cat, and perhaps they could look at getting a cover for their sandpit - LIKE MOST PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE WOULD DO.  Nope.  Nope, not something they would consider.  So after a few more minutes of banter, and me telling them I would do my best, and perhaps they could think of some natural deterrents to keep cat/s away from their sandpit, I wandered off - bewildered.

I mean, is it me, or is going to the trouble of hiring a trap from the council to willingly trap a beautiful little kitten - who just happens to be registered with the council and is not some random stray - just bizarre?

For the following week, I kept Bella inside the house because I was basically too scared to let her out, for fear they would either trap her again, or do something worse.....

Fast forward to last week.  I was sitting upstairs and saw a council van pull in to the driveway.  Didn't take me long to figure out why they were here.......  Ever so lovely ranger tells me that he has my cat in his van.  It had been trapped by someone in the neighbourhood.  I asked him by who, and when he said he couldn't tell me - I told him.  With some very choice words.  I was not a lady.....

I asked HIM what the f*ck I was expected to do?  Well, his suggestions were nothing short of amusing.  Apparently "people" cut slits in pvc pipes, and put them over their fences so cats can't jump over them. Mmmmmmm, that's fabulous!  Cos I want my home to look like some kind of DYI disaster?  I'm thinking razor wire would be equally as effective?  Give it that "detention centre" shine?

Orrrr, we could build/buy a cat run?  Oh yeh, cos that's why you have a pet cat.  So it can be trapped in a f*cking wire enclosed building.  Sure.

Orrrrrr, we could just keep the cat inside - like - forever.

I very politely sarcastically, with a touch of f*ck you, told the ranger that the use of common sense was lacking in some people's brains, and that the council's  willingness to go along with those lacking common sense made me very cranky.  Collected Bella from the TRAP in his van and gave him a generous wave and smile and sent him on his way.

A few days later, he returned with the official letter of complaint and warning, that if Bella steps paw on their property again, we will incur a fine and Bella would be impounded.  Nice.

Now - the husband and I have had a few interesting conversations about the predicament we have found ourselves in.  He suggested we could go and shovel some of our dog shit on to their front yard, but hey, that wouldn't be very neighbourly would it?  I had a friend on Facebook offer us some chicken shit to share with them, but I thought that was too kind, because at least you can use chicken poop to fertilise your garden?  All I've managed to do is give the a*sehole a good case of staring as I drove past their home this afternoon.  Time will tell.......

In the meantime, I am trying not to lose my proverbial mind over the fact that I now have a kitty-cat trying not to lose HER mind at the fact that she can no longer go out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Long gone are her days of climbing the trees in our front yard, or wrestling with our two puppy dogs in the backyard.  Now her days are spent staring longingly out the windows, meowing incessantly and clawing any or all the furniture she can possibly manage without copping an earful from me.

Not to mention the fact that every time I hear the front or back door open everyone yells "DON'T LET BELLA OUT'!!!!!!!  Followed by the sound of running as the closest person to the door chases after her if she's managed to escape.

Soooooo, friends.  I ask you this - what would you do?  I understand, I really do, that there are cat haters out there.  In fact, I used to be one myself.  Before I was a cat owner, I had to go and buy sandpit covers begrudgingly to keep the neighbourhood cats from deficating in said sandpit.  It's common sense yes?  And even now, as a cat lover liker I have had to throw things at random cats who've come a knocking at our door to pester our own cats.  Once again, common sense?

I'm seriously at a loss.  Help.

***  Cat haters and non-constructive comments will not be appreciated.  Although if they're highly amusing comments I may laugh.

****  We are responsible cat owners who bring their cat inside at night and register her too.

Find Me A Soapbox!!!

I've just been aimlessly wandering around Facebook, you know, checking out what everyone's up to, reading inspirational quotes and looking at cute photos.  And then I see it.  Again. 

The word "retard".

Seriously, what year do we live in?  I could almost understand if we were still in 1485....

But we're not.  It's 2013, and this word has been well and truly outed as a derogatory term used to call people who have disabilities.  The fact that it is still used so widely to put people down, make fun of others AND give shit to people with disabilities makes me really cross.  Yes, I'm cross!

Now, I'm not perfect.  I think we've established that over the years.  However, I am a grown up.  I have grown up to realise that such derogatory terms should not be used.  That with growing up, you learn to use your vocabulary.  Broaden your knowledge and all that.  Apparently this does not happen to everyone?

Maybe I'm a little bit precious about this?  Maybe because I've spent the past 16 years of my life working with people who just happen to be living with intellectual disabilities, I'm a little bit touchy on the subject of derogatory labels?  Maybe.  Or maybe it is just because I'm a human being with empathy.  And common sense.

For God's sake people - start using your brain before you post something on a social media site that could potentially upset or offend your friends.  Think about the fact that you may very well have friends or family who actually have family members living with some type of disability.  And think about how you would feel if you child, sibling or someone you love was being called a "retard".

And yes, I am writing this very hasty and annoyance fuelled blog post because if I didn't, I would be blurting this all out on Facebook, possibly offending others who actually like to call people retards.  How is that right?

Ok.  Stepping down off my soap box.  For now.

Do you have any words or labels that really offend your sensibilities?  Share.

** Disclaimer - I am not saying I don't use labels for people - I use the words Dickhead, Idiot, F*ckwit etc quite often..... But it's generally very warranted!

T.G.I.F.F. #13 - Paper Pieced

It's that time of the week again - Finished Friday!  I did manage on almighty finish this week, against some odds that left me cursing and almost crying.  I only tried paper piecing (or foundation piecing depending where you come from I guess?) for the first time last month, and it has sort of got me just a little bit hooked.  You can see my other attempts HERE and HERE.  

Last week I had to get my act together and make something for a "no children allowed" showcase over at The Handmade Library.  After umming and ahhing, I decided to go with yet another cushion cover - my "thing" at present it seems!  Who doesn't love a nice cushion cover?  And with Mother's Day coming up, I thought someone may just fall in love with it and grab it for their Mummy.

Anyway, I spotted THIS tutorial by Pitter Putter Stitch on Pinterest, and ran with it.  It was quite interesting to work out that you could in fact just draw up a little square with lines on it, and that it could potentially end up something pretty!

I pulled out my trusty bag of Terrain "scraps", and some white homespun, and off I went!

After a failed first block - not leaving enough seam allowance - the nine blocks came together relatively easily.  "Only" took me about three hours!

And then THIS happened!  I'd sewn all the blocks together and was ready to give it some steam therapy - and my iron had a hissy fit - promptly spitting rust spots on it.  I followed with my own hissy fit......

Thank God for Google!  Dr Google told me to treat the spots with lemon juice and salt, then lay in sunshine.  Well, Melbourne was lacking in sunshine this particular day, so it didn't get much before a wash.  The spots are still there but very much faded!  I believe another treatment will get rid of them fully - but I was on a deadline - so soldiered on!

And this is the finished result!  If you looked at the tutorial, you may notice that I switched the layout around?  So I have white stars instead of coloured.  Well, I wish I could say that was intentional!  Still getting the hang of this paper piecing gig!  But I do like how the white stars Pop!

I did a zippered back, which I am going to try and write a tutorial for sometime soon.  They are really quite easy and look much nicer than your regular envelope finish!

When it came to quilting, I went through my thread collection and found some bright "Signature" brand variegated thread that I was given a while ago.  It's almost rainbow like.  I think it worked beautifully with these Kate Spain prints.  I did the straight line quilting inside the stars and then some loopy free motion quilting around the green border.

Isn't she pretty?

Sooooo, this little beauty is up for sale over at The Handmade Library!  I have popped it up with a little discount for the fact that those little faded spots are still there.  I'm hoping that someone falls in love with it and snaps it up - otherwise someone I know will be getting it as a present!

And that's it - I'm linking up with T.G.I.F.F. over at Quokka Quilts!

Where I'm At - A Little Old Mental Health Check In

As I sat down this afternoon, to finish off some Ms Midge orders, I felt really bad.  I felt bad because usually I have a reasonably quick turn around on orders.  Most of the time I let customers know that it will be around two weeks from order to delivery, and I can generally get orders sorted within a week - just to surprise everyone!  But lately, things have been very slow, and for that I feel like I need to give a little bit of an explanation.

Sure, the heatwave here in Melbourne set me back a bit.  Our new house does not have air conditioning downstairs, which in turn means sewing in my little room starts resembling an episode of a fitness program - with sweat in places I don't like to sweat!  

But I have also been dealing with some other time and mind consuming issues.

I've mentioned briefly in past posts that my gorgeous sister has a mental illness, and although I don't tend to bang on about it (because hey, let's face it, it's her story to tell, not mine), there are times I would like to shout from the roof tops.  Scream to anyone who will listen.  Instead, I tend to internalise things.

What I will say is that being the only child of three who doesn't have a mental illness, is not as easy as you would think.  For me, it has been heart breaking, frustrating, infuriating, sad, confusing and mind boggling.  There were times when I couldn't be around my sister.  I had to separate myself, as a way of protecting myself.  Because I would get so overwhelmed by what she was going through, that it would inadvertently bring me to my knees, which would then affect my own family.  I have explained this to her, and thankfully, she gets it.

I try to understand.  I try to put myself in her shoes.  But I can't.  A few weeks ago, I went and saw "Silver Linings Playbook" at the cinema.  I had no idea what it was about, until after I had bought the tickets.  I cried on and off throughout the film, and then sobbed the whole drive home. And afterwards I dropped past to see my sister, to let her know that I'm trying my hardest to understand and to learn more about her mental illness - but regardless of my lack of understanding (because I don't think anyone can truly understand unless they themselves have a mental illness) I would ALWAYS HAVE HER BACK......

Which brings me to the here and now.  I'm currently advocating for my sister.  I'm making calls, sending emails and sitting in meetings with her.  I'm speaking for her, when she can't speak for herself.  And I'm crying with her.  Crying for her.  Crying all the time.  If I had collected all the tears I have shed these past few years, I could break droughts.

What I want most right now is for others to see what I see.  To see the amazing person who has been flattened by her demons.  To see that although on the outside, she portrays to the world a wild, whacky and weird woman - on the inside, she is fragile, determined, a little bit broken and a little bit weird, but most of all she is WONDERFUL.  And to see that she needs help, support, love and understanding - not judgement.

What I want you to know is that people with mental illnesses have families, they have people who care for them, advocate for them and are frightened for them.

I'm struggling a bit to keep my head above water.  I have diagnosed myself with "sad-sack-itis" - something I find myself dealing with when I'm dealing with too much other "stuff".  So the Ms Midge sewing has taken a bit of a back seat these past few weeks, and will probably unfortunately remain there for a little bit longer.  I haven't forgotten about my lovely customers!  I HAVE ordered some beautiful Autumn/Winter fabrics with the hopes of making lots of yummy warm outfits for your littlies!  And I will be listing them for custom orders in small quantities.  There will be no mass production lines or mini collections like I used to churn out!  I'm hoping you will stick around and see what I can produce!

A special BIG thank you to those of you who have ordered this past month and have been very patient and understanding.  I really do appreciate it!

Soooooo..........onwards and upwards!  I'm hoping that by sharing this little piece of me, it will help lift a bit of the burden I'm carrying, and lift the old sad-sack-itis far far away!

xxx

Sign Of The Times?

Do you remember when you were growing up and you'd hear your grandparents say "Back in my day...." or your parents say "when I was a girl....."?  Do you remember rolling your eyes and thinking "yeh, yeh" and wondering what all the fuss was about?  Thinking that all of them were just old fogies who had no idea about what you were going through, about the type of world you were growing up in?  And thinking "when I'm a parent, I'm NEVER going to be like that!"?  Well, I feel like I'm in a never-ending version of that complete paragraph at present!

One word - Teenagers.

I want to know what on earth has happened in the 20 years since I finished being a teenager?  Since when did it become OK to do everything that it wasn't OK to do when I was a teenager?  Have I really been living under a rock BOULDER???  I don't think I'm naive, I don't think I'm a fuddy duddy, in fact I think I'm a pretty COOL MUM.  But if the teenage years get more eventful and more testing the older they get - I could lose my cool.....

At 14 years of age, I had only just relinquished my Barbie dolls, started filling out a bra and was not remotely interested in sex.  Don't get me wrong - I had a pulse, and hormones, so I knew the opposite sex existed - I just wasn't interested nor prepared to get involved in anything more than a kiss.

Fast forward to 2013........where 13 year olds think it's OK to drop the F bomb in front of their friends' Mum.  Where parents think it's ok for the same age girls to roam the streets after 5pm, hang out with boys unsupervised and wear the most ridiculously skimpy clothes known to man.  Morals are thrown out the window (or maybe they're just not taught?), restrictions on phone calls don't exist (can you imagine calling someone at 11pm back in 1988?) and writing on FB that you're on the phone to your "sexy boyfriend".  13.  THIRTEEN.

You may have guessed what I'm dealing with?  I thought the fact I had to go and borrow the "Where do I come from" book last week, for the younger members of the family, was enough sex talk for at least a month, but apparently not.  It seems my world has now become one of repetitive conversations about what is appropriate and/or inappropriate behaviour.  

Remember this little gem of a book?

The expectations I have as a parent are pretty simple - I thought?  But I'm slowly realising that perhaps my expectations are completely out of whack with the time I'm living in?  A certain someone said to me today that he was "glad he doesn't have daughters".  And I replied that I was glad I did, because I will teach my daughters (and my sons!) morals, self-esteem and love.  That my daughters will have a slew of restrictions of what/how they can and cannot wear, do, say and behave.  And that there will be consequences for the choices they make in their lives.  Am I really being THAT unrealistic to think that I can have so much input in to how my children are going to turn out?  Do I have to just give in to the fact that times have changed and expectations appear to be somewhat lowered?

I'm doing my best.  I'm having VERY open and honest conversations on a very regular basis.  I'm ensuring the teenager is informed and protected.  But I feel like I'm going "against the tide" so to speak.

Do you have teenagers?  Do you have expectations?  Discuss!

Not Much of a Muchness

I have been a little quiet here of late.  Not on purpose.  I just really had nothing of interest to add to the blogosphere, nothing that I felt was blog-worthy.  I still really don't, so I'm having one of those random "open up blogger and blurt out whatever is in your head" kind of moments.  Here I am!

Last night our delightful little puppy dog - Hamish - decided he would channel his inner Houdini and escape.  Out in to the darkness, in a neighbourhood he has absolutely no knowledge of whatsoever.  We realised his little trick at approximately 9pm when Lochie went out to feed him. So the following hour was spent driving around the neighbourhood and printing out lame ass posters and sticking them on light posts in our immediate area.  I say lame ass because I literally could not find one single bloody photo of him, so it was a MISSING poster without an actual photo of him!

I went to bed exhausted, because between worrying about the frigging dog, and worrying that Jason would win X-Factor - I had fried my brain and could not function any longer!  Slumber arrived rapidly.  And disappeared approximately three hours later.

The delightful Chloe - aka "Go The F*ck To Sleep" - decided 2am would be an appropriate time to wake up, and continue being awake, until she had not only woken both Andrew and I up, but also her brother.  This fun torture ensued until I was confident she was back in bed, and Cadyn had ceased complaining about having something "killing his eye".  Slumber returned.

6.15am arrived with the sound of three over-enthusiastic and LOUD children downstairs.  I soon ruined their party by stumbling down the stairs with one eye open and questioning why the hell they were all so chipper at such a ridiculous time of the day?

"We've been awake since three o'clock Mum"

*********crickets********

WTF?!???!?!

Yep - it seems when slumber attacked my sleep-deprived body, dear little Chloe returned downstairs and got both Chelsea and Cadyn up, and they eventually gave up trying to get her back to bed - and decided on a few good early hours of television........

After shouting a few expletives, Chelsea crawled back to bed and I left the other two turkeys to continue watching Sponge-Bob.  And got another half hour of shut eye in before my alarm went off.

Upon waking - again - I wondered how the hell I was going to manage three over-tired children, a missing dog, un-washed hair and a 9.5 hour shift at work??  I went in to auto-pilot and sorted children out, left for work on time, watched Chloe in the rear vision mirror as she nodded off to sleep on the way to creche.  Wished the creche staff well upon my departure (yehhhh - good luck!!) and got to work right on 8am!  The following hour was made up of phone calls to all our local vets, RSPCA and the micro-chipping place - because as luck would have it, I of course had not gotten around to updating our details since moving...

As I then pondered my next move, I thought about the multitude of ridiculous fines I would be receiving if the council managed to find Hamish before someone else.  Because really, it would just be common sense to have him neutered, registered and kept in an escape-free backyard yes?  Apparently not.

Anyway - as luck would have it - one of the local vets called me back not long after to tell me a lovely lady had brought him in!  Hoorah!!  Thank f*cking God!!  Bank account exhales.....

It's hard work being exhausted after a night out on the town!

Butter.  Wouldn't.  Melt.

The rest of the day?  Well, it was very un-newsworthy, as it should be.  I spent the drive home with the car windows wide open, handing Chloe chocolate - just to keep her awake!  And all three kids were done and dusted and out like a light by 7pm.

PHEW

Anything exciting going on in your corner of the world?

Day 5 - Otherwise known as "hitting the wall"....

Day 5 of the Kids Week Challenge, and I'm feeling very very challenged.  After a few nights of terrible  sleep tossing and turning, coughing and spluttering, I've officially hit the wall.  But of course, I went to work today because I'm a martyr an idiot.  Finally convinced myself an hour ago that I really shouldn't go to work Saturday and Sunday because A) I can't swallow and am living on eye drops every two hours AND B) I don't want to be responsible for passing this crappola lurgy on to the residents I care for - that wouldn't be very caring.  So, it's a weekend off work for me, but not in a fabulous cheer out loud kind of way....

Back to Kids Week........  I seriously cannot do much after about 6pm with my dodgy eyes, so all I've managed this evening is to cut out a whole heap of fabric shapes to applique on to the pyjama tops, to match the bottoms I made earlier in the week.  It's a terribly crappy photo, but I can't even make up a good reason why - I just grabbed my phone and took it!

I also turned around from the table to find this lovely pile of fabric staring at me waiting for the final FIVE outfits I have earmarked for Market Night on Thursday.  Hopefully my eyes will appreciate a rest over the weekend and will allow me to sew in time!

And just to brighten my mood......when I arrived home tonight with the girls after work (yep, daylight savings is here, which means it's still daylight til late) we were greeted by two gorgeous ducks!  They were snacking on something in the gutter when I pulled up, and then as we were walking to the house they decided to follow us.  Sooooo cute!  Another bonus to living so close to a beautiful park with a lake!

That's it for tonight.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend.  

What do you have planned??

Whose Bright Idea??

Was it to get another farking cat???!!!!  And who was the farking idiot that agreed to it????  Urghhhhh.......

SOMEBODY began campaigning for a kitten back in April.  This somebody had been suckered in by his then soon to be nine year old daughter and her promises of caring and loving a kitten like no other human being in history had before her.  The same somebody then convinced me that it would be a great idea to get above mentioned daughter a kitten for her birthday.  A series of events occurred that ultimately ended in us getting a kitten for free, which we then surprised said daughter with as an early birthday present.....

I will admit that the cuteness of this little black puff-ball was so huge that it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her.  In fact, I wrote quite positively about our Ms Bella's arrival HERE.  Oh, how times change.....

 Fast forward to today, when I entered good old Pets Paradise for the umpteenth time since Bella's arrival, looking to spend yet another small fortune on crappola.  Today's purchase (thankfully at half price, not so thankfully because poor Pets Paradise is in receivership - whoops) was ANOTHER scratching post (because the same birthday girl decided it would be a good idea to sit on the first $50 scratching post, causing it to snap in half - sigh) in an attempt to divert Bella's attention from the gorgeous new lounges we bought only one month ago.

I also asked the question - "Do you have anything to spray on furniture or fittings to stop cats wrecking shit?"  The young girl said "no".   Oh.  Thanks.  For.  Nothing.  

But wait!  As I was about to walk off, she said they had something called "sticky paws".....ummmmm.  I followed her to the wall display where there was ONE packet of sticky paws left.  I was also followed by another woman who had overheard my request and was interested in finding a solution for her own damaged home.  What I discovered was that cats apparently do not like sticky surfaces!  So this solution is a trumped up version of double sided tape, which you can stick to any surface you do not wish your cat or kitten to demolish!  I snapped up the last packet (and did not look the other woman in the eyes for fear of being glared at) and went and paid for my bargain scratching post and sticky paws.  Sounds so wrong....

"Don't declaw....get sticky paws" - WTF??  Who declaws a cat?  

So this afternoon's quest was to cover my brand new, but already slightly tattered lounge in double sided tape.  During said quest I discovered that not only had the little shit of a cat (hear the love in my words?) attacked the corners of the lounge, she has given the whole side of it a good crack.  Little focker.....

I also sticky paw'd the side of the step that had been nibbled and clawed at.  I'm wondering if I could just cover the whole freaking house in double sided tape so the little turd can't wreck anything else??  Maybe the poor singular pot plant I own?  Yep, she's managed to almost kill that too!

Don't get me wrong.  I am not opposed to pets.  I  AM an animal lover.  But each and every time we get a new pet, I end up doing a lot of sighing, yelling, cursing and quite simply - regretting.

Our menagerie now consists of Bella - the now sticky paw'd kitten.  Ruby - the ten year old cat who it seems has decided will hiss at anything and anyone she pleases.  Tanza - the 11 year old corgi x bichon AND Hamish - the teeny tiny three year old toy poodle, who refused to toilet train and to this day will still cock his leg on anything he can possibly reach if let inside.  So he is now an outdoor dog and what you would call a Rasta Poodle.....just needs some reggae and a joint....

I digress.....  Tonight as I was picking up the cat food that Bella had so delightfully dragged on to the carpet to eat, I yelled out "I hate this fucking cat".......to which Andrew retorted "You hate all cats"....  Ummmm....... Look, I'm trying ok.

How on earth do people have patience to get past the kitten trials and tribulations?  Are all kittens bat-shit crazy, or just Bella?

Instant Gratification

It just dawned on me this afternoon that I am an "instant gratification girl".....this little lightbulb occurred as I was whizzing through making a quilt for one of my daughters.  God forbid I actually take my time and make a REAL QUILT.  Nope, I have taken the easy way out (well, some may not find them easy) and make a rag quilt.  I shit you not - this baby has only taken me a couple of hours to whip up, just have to finish it off now.

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I have also just finished THREE NOVELS in one week!  Noooooo, I couldn't take my time and savour the process.....I got caught up in the fabulous stories and wanted to know what happened - so quickly, that I am now twiddling my thumbs, a little lost without the books that have kept me company this past seven days.  

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A few weeks ago, we made a trip to Ikea.  Nothing too interesting in that you say?  Well - I present to you the best $4.95 I have spent in years:

Now all the apples in our house receive instant gratification also!  Cores and chops your apple in a matter of seconds!

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I feel as though I have spent the past 13 years negotiating with children - tonight I lost my shit spat the dummy!  NO MORE NEGOTIATING!  When I say I want something done - I want it done NOW!  Not after they've finished a drawing/finished a game/finished a tv show/finished picking their nose - NOW!  Why of why can't it be that simple?

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I made a visit to our new house this afternoon.  Its transformation has begun - and it's VERY exciting!  I wish with all my being that it was all finished and I did not have to hold my breath wondering if all the choices we have made are actually going to work?  I've already started doing "A Block" by changing my mind on the finish of one thing, and am wondering whether I will end up being a tradie's worst nightmare?

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Tomorrow, I have the WHOLE DAY in a first aid refresher course.  It will be the millionth tenth time I have had to spend a tedious eight hours with a bunch of numb-nuts valued employees, refreshing my brain about how to potentially save someone's life.  Yeh yeh, I know - it's part of my job.  But couldn't we just fill out a questionnaire and be done with it?  Instantly!

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I could bang on about all the other things that I wish would happen in an instant.....but I'm sure you've had enough!

What gratifies you?  Do your kids eat apples?  Do you detest cutting them up like I do - or am I just a terribly impatient Mother??

And We've Only Just Begun.....

The Brown House.  That is the best description I have for it at present.  Brown.  Really brown.  But we have a vision.  Sort of.  It's a bit of a blurred vision right now, but I'm hoping my little exercise book filling up with notes will soon make it clearer.

I have a gazillion more photos of our new home, but am too scared to look too closely, for fear of running!  This little big beauty is most definitely a work in progress.  It's going to take a whole lot of hard work and hard earned money to get it to look the way we want it to, but I'm shitting myself quietly OK with that.

You see - this big brown house is where my husband was brought home to after he left the hospital.  Back in 1979.  This is his childhood home.  Last year sometime, he suggested that when his Mum was ready to downsize (she has been living here by herself for quite a while now) it would be the perfect sized home for us and our tribe, and perhaps we should think about purchasing it?  He left the thinking up to me.  SO I thought long and hard about it.  And after about a week, I told him I agreed.  This humungous house was pretty much perfect for us.  Except of course for the carpet, painting, tiles, gates, doors, decking yadda yadda yadda......

Soooooooo............as we begin this journey into home renovation - bare with me!!  This is not my first rodeo renovation, my past life ended at the final stages of an extension.  My plan is to have THIS marriage outlast THIS house!  I will more than likely be committed at some stage, and will require you to tell me that it will all work out.  Please.  Thank you.

Am I crazy?  Do you have any tips for getting through a rather large renovation?

Playground Politics

When I was in PRIMARY SCHOOL, I was blessed to make some wonderful friends.  Some of them I still count as my closest confidantes.  That doesn't mean those seven years went by without little issues.  I don't ever recall being bullied.  I'm pretty sure that if I WAS bullied - I would remember?  There was the odd name calling or similar, but nothing really worth writing home about.  I do remember when I was in grade 3 and I had called another little girl a BITCH.  And I also remember going beetroot red when the teacher made a point, in front of everyone, of informing me what the correct meaning of a bitch was.  I think about this meaning every time I hear that word!  Cudos to the teacher....

I can also remember times when playground politics would arise.  There were a number of "GAMES" in which such politics could come in to play.....Here are but a few of them:

  * The Sacrificial Friend - Where one friend would cover another friend's butt, or their own, at the expense of the third friend, by lying about what had happened in the playground.  I am guilty as charged, and can remember one such incident 30 years later, because I still feel guilty about it.  If you're reading this T and S - sorry!!!

  *  The Merry-Go-Round -  Where one friend tells another who they can and can't play with.  You could be best friends with someone one day - and the next - you had no idea where you stood!  Luckily, we had a pretty awesome year level, so regardless of where you got off on that merry-go-round, you always found a friend, even just for that day.

  *  Friendship Monopoly -  When one friend will tell another that someone isn't worthy of an invitation to a party, a play date and well, just about anything really!  Another one I can remember well!  It all boils down to popularity I'm afraid.  I was the kind of girl who floated between the "popular girls", the "everyday girls" and the "unpopular girls".  This followed me right through until High School.  All the girls I went to Primary School with went their separate ways and made their own little groups.  They found their "place".  I did too, but always managed to mix between them all anyway.  But I ALWAYS had that one friend I could count on.

  *  Chinese Whispers - Self explanatory.  We ALL know how that one works.

You may be curious as to WHY I would be writing about this at age 37?  Well, simply because my daughter is getting through primary school NOW, and it seems the exact same games are still popular now!  And not only amongst the children.  If someone had of told me a few years ago that I would be faced with grown women playing these games, I would have laughed hysterically.  But two years ago, I was confronted with being what is, in this post-facebook era, now commonly known as "de-friended".  And it gutted me.  Threw me for an absolute six.  And devastated me beyond words.  I sorta kinda wrote about it way back THEN.  And I have wanted to write about it many times since.  Because it got to the stage where it CONSUMED me.  I had no idea how to cope with it all.  Being ignored, made to feel invisible and alienated was not something I was familiar with, and I ended up seeking help to deal with it.

I am pleased to say I am "over it".  But it does not mean that I do not notice the ever-changing dynamics of the school yard.  And put two and two together to realise they are not adding up to four!  It saddens me.

So this is my experience.  What I want to know is - Is this common in other school yards?

STOP....and think!

Do you ever get mid-sentence with your children and think "STOP"....but you can't.....and then once you're finished you kick yourself??  Here are some beauties I have recently let slip....

Your Dad is on his way home - so you better behave!   Ummmmm.......der.......they should be behaving for ME anyway?

If you do that one more time I'm going to lose it!  

Too late - by the time I've yelled this, I've already lost "it"!

Put that back where it belongs/Pick up your stuff/If I trip over your crap one more time, I'll throw it out!   

Well, this one has backfired many times on me, so I don't know why I still whip it out?  Only last night I asked Chloe to put her plastic kitchen back in her room or I would throw it out.  She got half way to her bedroom, put it down and said "Actually, I don't want it"........Fail.

I also (way too regularly for my liking) swear like a trooper whilst losing it......and once again, whilst in the midst of it, would like to press PAUSE, then REWIND and START again.  But I'm coming to grips with the fact that I am not perfect.  I am not the perfect Mother.  I am ME.  And my kids seem to LOVE me unequivocally...... I do always manage to tell them I love them at the end of the day.  Regardless of whether they have behaved for me OR their Dad, whether I have lost it and whether they have been left toy-less due to my losing it!

I'm sure there's a million more of these that have been used on a daily basis at some stage, by some Mother, somewhere in the world!  Feel free to share.....