Weekend woes and wins

It's been hot and humid all weekend. I've got a lurgi that comes with a sore throat, headache, shakiness and mild nausea - every time I try and do anything other than sit on the lounge I end up a gasping, sweaty, can't stand unsupported mess. We've gone nowhere and done nothing except housework and I had to argue with David to convince him to watch Blade Runner with me. It's doing my head in I tell you! And my sore throat is putting paid to any serious singing practice.

On the other hand, my dog is cuddly and cute, the air-con works, my kids and husband bring me hot and cold drinks when I ask them to. I had lots of dvds to watch and all the clean clothes got folded as I sat on the lounge watching the end of season 6 of Lost. Don't ask, it was a can't look away from the train wreck thing, Adam kept having to leave the room in order to protect the TV.

The reason I was forcing David to watch Blade Runner is that he has to pick a sci-fi movie to prepare a presentation on for English. Of course all he's thinking of is "PRESENTATION  - ARRGH! Run for the hills!" I, meanwhile, am thinking "Cool! English assignments are so much better than when I was at school. Let's watch ALL THE MOVIES!" So, 10 Mum points for enthusiasm, not so many for practicalities. I think we'll watch Serenity next. What? Isn't that what kids are for, to project one's own obsessions on and live vicariously through?

I had planned to cook shepherd's pie tonight. I was lacking enthusiasm for the idea until I pulled up my recipe post from a couple of years ago, now I reckon I might be sufficiently motivated by the prospect of evoking another burst of praise from Tom:

"Smashed potato! Ooo, I LOVE smashed potato! Mum, that's just the way I remember you making shepherds pie. I LOVE your shepherds pie, it's the BEST!"

"You do know it tastes different every time I make it 'cause I don't use a recipe, don't you?"

"Yes, that's what I like best about it, you never know what you're going to get!"

I'll report back if there's a good response tonight!

Mini wildlife

As I was walking back to my car after work on Tuesday afternoon I spotted this little fellow sunning itself on the edge of the driveway. I was carrying a backpack and a guitar case and didn't much like my chances of getting my camera out without disturbing him but much to my surprise I did manage it.

Baby Eastern Water Dragon

It was about the length of my hand from wrist to finger-tip and those tiny delicate toes were just beautiful.

Right after I captured a one-last-shot it decided it'd had enough of the big creature leaning over it and did an astonishingly high speed scurry off into the garden. And I continued on to my car with a smile on my face, gorgeous reptiles in my everyday spaces never fail to uplift me.

More pics on Flickr

We don't do Valentine's Day

But if you do I hope it's a nice one with lots of hugs and indulgence. Here's a *HUG* from me to add to your collection!

I'm at home with 2 kids fast asleep in bed (I hope - Tom was still awake at 11:30pm last night!) while Adam is out at sword training with David, so I've made myself a pot of tea, got myself an Anzac biscuit, and I'm going to put a dvd on and enjoy the peace for a little while.

Tea for one

Happy Valentine's Day!

Saturday Fragments

I was going to post this yesterday but, as I completely forgot about it until just after midnight and hadn't actually written any of it yet, it has become a Saturday Fragments instead of a Friday Fragments post. 

This is a sort of "what I did last week" as recorded on Facebook with some elaborations.

Saturday

• Plan for the day: drink tea, wash the dog, spend the rest of the day courting the dog's forgiveness, go to @shonias' place for dinner - I washed the dog, she was not amused. While we were out for dinner Tom delivered the amusing quote of the week:
• Context free Tom: "Dad, it's not the size that matters, it's how hard it is." - it was actually in reference to choosing a rock with which to crack macadamia nuts.

Sunday

• Dog just whacked herself on her own nose with her madly wagging tail. There was an audible THWACK! - she surprised herself into almost biting it too, we laughed.
• We're in the car on the way to the beach. It has just started raining. Why are we doing this? - we were doing it because the week leading up to this point had been the hottest week Sydney had experienced in 150 years, over 40°C most days. When we'd arrived home at 1:00am on Sunday morning the outside temperature was 30°C (86F), turns out it was the warmest night ever recorded for Sydney.
• We went to the beach. Didn't stay for long though! - the southerly change arrived bring winds and rain and the temperature had dropped to around 20°C by the time we got back home.

• At Eastern City chinese for their Chinese New Year Lion Dance banquet - Tom got to feed a red envelope to the lion:

Offering the red envelope

About to get his head munched!

Chinese New Year Lion Dance

Monday

• Mmmmm Adam is baking sourdough, house smells goooood. Monday, so far you're turning out ok!
• Brush turkey in the front garden! - the local breeding pair is still at it.

Tuesday

• Quiet summer evening, birds in the garden, cool breeze from the open doors, sun filtering through the leaves of the liquid amber #lifeisgood

Wednesday

• You know, life was so much easier during school holidays. Why do my kids (ok, and I) have to DO so much STUFF? Oh yeah, coz it's fun :-) - At drama class I was an Egyptian priest trying to perform a ceremony to Osiris in front a group of unruly kids, a role I invented for myself, we had a passage from the Hymn to Osiris to work with as an exercise - deliver it any way you want.

Thursday

• I did something to my ankle last night, it hurts. Don't know what I did or when, but ow. And I'm on my feet at canteen half the day today - the ankle behaved ok but the sauna-like environment of the high school Canteen nearly did me in, I was not a happy vegemite.
• Was feeling grumpy. Option A: Pick fight with husband. Option B: Unpack and repack dishwasher & tidy kitchen. I chose B #goodidea #notgrumpy - Thursday was a whingey, grumpy sort of day all round really.

Friday

• Blah, crap morning so far but better things ahead. Should get going or I'll end up late to my morning tea with @ChallyZatB - Friday started badly but got better.
• BTW, the day that started crap turned into lovely morning tea with @ChallyZatB, yummy Japanese lunch w/ my dad and a swim w/ kids in arvo - we went to Pymble Pool late in the afternoon, my mum and one of Tom's friends came too and Adam met us there after work.

Saturday

• Packemin Productions' Joseph is fabulous. It gets extra good marks for the wonderful plus size singers and dancers in the cast! - I love Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, it was the first musical I saw on stage as a kid, and this production did not disappoint! Caitlin and I went to the 2pm performance today.

From the Packemin website:

This pro-am production will feature a massive cast of talented musical theatre performers - and will also involve a number of schools in the local area to provide voices for the choir.

Go see it if you can, they've done a fantastic job with the kids and the professional part of the cast were great too :-)

I'm linking up very belatedly with Mrs 4444's Friday Fragments, click on through to see what everyone else has shared this week!

Hosted by Mrs4444.

January in review

As per my 11 words for the year post here's where I think I'm at:

Sleep - still in deficit but there have been less staying up till the wee small hours nights and, despite being on holidays all of January, remarkably few staying in bed till mid/late morning days.
Exercise - there was rather a lot of walking last month, and a bit of swimming too.
Organise - my calendar and schedule are all figured out and up to date. Don't ask about the house.
Budget - money? New Zealand holiday, 'nuff said. Time? Well spent :-)
Create - lots of fabulous memories and the photos and blog posts to look back on.
Cook - my culinary achievement of the month was to discover that Caitlin will eat udon in a stir-fry.
Learn - nothing like a bit of travel to teach you something new.
Teach - kids ask questions, being a teacher is part of the parent job description.
Laugh - noteworthy laugh of the month was playing Waaargh with the McFadgens :-)
Love - Tom has been particularly cuddly lately and he always tells me he loves me when he cuddles. It's good to be loved.
Review - done!

19 years

Today is my 19th wedding anniversary. If I wasn't so zonked from the 40 degree heat today (it's going to be like this all week. Halp.) I'd be writing something profound and possibly even poetic about how we've somehow got through all those years and still really quite like each other.

As it is I'll just say that Adam is my best friend, the last 19 years have been pretty awesome and I'm looking forward to many more years together.

Adam, I love you, happy anniversary :-)

That's my man!