FFS Friday/ Things I Know- 36 days until Bon Jovi

Another week another round of the eye rolling and smiling.

THE BAD 

No sooner had I pressed publish on last weeks post my planned quiet weekend came to an end.

A 2 year old with scabby eye and a phone call saying we were having visitors on Saturday.

Off to the chemist we went as I very cleverly remembered you don't need a prescription to get scabby eye drops.  After giving the chemist my diagnosis of what it was (yes I am highly qualified thanks to years of tv medical show watching) we walked out of there with the eye drops and a bottle of clarentine.

Trying to get eye drops into a 2 year old successfully deserves a medal.

Spent Saturday getting ready for our visitors, the 4 year old took himself to bed at 930am and me totally being moty thought he was just being lazy and not wanting to help tidy up.  Fast forward to just after bedtime when he got up with a very high temperature.  Turns out he had not been feeling well all day.

Sunday afternoon and all of Monday I felt like shite with some weird aching joints like when you get the flu but without the flu.

Tuesday afternoon the 4 year old had some weird rash, took him to the chemist before preschool on Wednesday morning to see what it was.  The chemist said it looked like a reaction to something and suggested I give him clarentine which I then had to buy another bottle of or walk home and give him the stuff we already had.

Wednesday and Thursday high temps for the 2 year old.

Hopefully that has ended the week of illness.

After being sick on Monday I wrote a killer #ibot post on Tuesday in my "quiet time" (the time before the kids get up in the morning) all that was left to do was publish and link it up.  In the time it took me to put the clothes in the washing machine and turn it on my post was half deleted and the other half all ass about face.  Thanks kids.

Thursday in "quiet time" I was working on something which I came up with and then could not get to work.  No post then either.

THE GOOD

It was nice to have visitors on Saturday and I got to show off my culinary skills!!  Mashed potato bake and Mini frozen lemon cheesecakes were a big hit.  I really love summer nights where you can hang out relaxing outside, despite the mossies!!

After the great quality street eating debate on facebook and instagram I very sensibly stashed the tins I had brought and did not crack them open.  For now anyway!!

We have s very busy Sunday lined up, our local markets, a car show an 18th and mums group chrissy party.  Not sure how we will fit it all in and also it is supposed to pour with rain all weekend but looking forward to all of it!!

I also can't wait to catch up on Homeland tonight and then get my Jax/SOA fix on Saturday night although I do wish we had foxtel then I would be up to date and not watching dvds of old seasons.

Also happy ciderday!!  Well earned this week!!

Linking up for Things I Know with  Miss C who is back from her blogging break and Dear Baby G for FFS Friday.

Wordless Wednesday- life lately

Cider, smilea, my new dress, a lovely card, 2 babies, a bird and trouble x3!!

Sleeping cookie monster 3/11/13, fire truck fun, eating of the hands, sleeping on the lounge, 3 little chickens, my gorgeous new blanket, dinner, cat and boy, sleeping angel.

Biggest brother and littlest brother 5/11/13

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

Things I Know/ FFS Friday- Wrecking Ball

What has made me roll my eyes and say FFS this week-

The kids let Shiraz the cat out by accident on Tuesday night while I was in the shower forcing me to spend a fair bit of the night outside in my pjs calling for Shiraz.  Luckily it was windy and raining a little so not too many people saw and heard me sound like a desperate wino.  The cat rocked home the next morning as if nothing had happened.

Not only did channel 9 get rid of Days Of Our Lives but they got rid of The View too and have replaced it with a movie.  Some movies have been awesome but seriously the amount of swearing in them is ridiculous.  Yes I am chained to the lounge for 95% of the day feeding a baby so I am an authority on daytime tv at the moment.

Also why are there so many home shopping channels on??

We had our local fair last weekend.  It was awesome except when we got there my thong broke.  I had to hobble around looking for a stall that sold shoes when there wasn't one I had to hobble to the surf shop and buy a new pair of thongs.  I have no idea how people walk around with no shoes on I got about a thousand bindis stuck in my foot.  Ouch.

The fair has given me a new addiction which is gozleme.

The 4 year old walked around the fair like some kind of rock star with people yelling out to him and saying hello.

I have been replying to blog comments via email this week only to discover heaps of them are no reply addresses.  Also while sitting on the lounge feeding the baby.

There are 2 building sites on our street at the moment with heaps of activity and always something to look at when we walk past.  There is also a heap of workers cars/utes around too.  We like to walk and spell and count on our walks.  Yesterday there was a ute with a sticker on the back and me being mother of the year was not paying any attention to what was on it until I hear F.U.*.K H.I.P.S.T.E.R.S what does that spell Mum out of the 2 year olds mouth.  I out right lied and said I didn't know!!  What the hell is a hipster anyway??!!

Lastly on Saturday I was watching some music video show when Miley Cyrus came on licking a hammer as she does, sat Speedy up to burp him and watched him sit transfixed at the film clip.  Yep apparently he likes it and just to make sure it wasn't a fluke I you tubed it and he sat there again.



What made me smile this week

Thanks to the fair I nailed a tonne of "C" shopping and thanks to the pre school fundraiser toy catalogues I have nearly finished everything including the nearly 3 year olds birthday presents too.  Patting myself on the back for that one!!

The fair also meant catching up with some very special friends!!  I can't wait for next year when we have a carport up and we can sit and watch the street parade which basically starts at my front door in comfort!!  Although boo to the fact the paraders can't throw lollies at the crowd anymore.

This is basically our last free weekend until the end of December.

Its Friday again which means ciderday or wineday I haven't decided yet!!

Thanks Mother Nature for the cooler weather and rain this week.

Oh and thanks for all the comments this week, I ended up emailing ANZ Stadium and got a reply and will be speaking to someone from there today, will keep you posted!!

Linking up with Dear Baby G for the weekly whinge and A Parenting Life for the small amount of Things I Know.

Totally Thankful Thursday- Walt

First picnic in the park for Speedy who was 10 days old.

Walt caught a lift in Speedy's pram!!

Walt and Rara enjoying the picnic

We had the pleasure of having Walt come to our house a few weeks ago.  He turned up when Speedy was 4 days old and we had him for a few weeks then sent him on his way (thanks Australia post for the lengthy trip to his next destination.)

He had a great time with us (so much so he laughed his head off again) and I will give a full run down when I get the photos off the ipad!!

I am so thankful for this opportunity.  We all enjoyed taking Walt places and showing him the sights.  The kids were a little sad when it was time to bundle him up and send him on his way.  After he left we thought of so many more things he could have done with us.  Maybe he can travel again next year??!!  He might like a trip to Fiji??!!

I am also thankful for blogging which has led me to find so many great, inspirational people who have shown nothing but kindness and encouragement.  People who have the ability to make me smile and laugh are very important in my life both in the real world and connected by the world wide web.

Linking up for Totally Thursday with Jacana who had the great idea of sending Walt around the countryside and A Parenting Life for Thankful Thursday where Rhianna is the new host.

Wordless Wednesday- Monster Jam 2013

Some pictures of our awesome time at  Monster Jam.  It was loud, over the top and so much fun!!  Bring on next year!!  We cannot wait to see it on tv, hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

Dear ANZ Stadium

Today I am writing a letter of complaint.

On Saturday we went to Monster Jam (monster trucks) at ANZ Stadium.  The show its self was beyond awesome, we walked out of there pretty much booking tickets for next year.  It deserves a post all to its self!!

My complaint is with what happened before hand.

We brought "pit party" passes for an extra $10 which meant we could go into the fenced off area outside the stadium and see all the trucks and hopefully meet some of the drivers and get photos etc.  12000 passes were sold and they were sold out.  Apparently they were being sold on gumtree and ebay for insane amounts of money.  The pits were open from 2-6pm and we got there about 330pm hanging to have a look.

First stop for me was to find a seat and feed a screaming baby.  We went with friends and we were going to set up somewhere and take it in turns minding bags etc or kids so we could all get a good look around.  There was not one seat in the area we were.  Not one, not like they were all taken but nothing no seating at all.  I ended up sitting in the shade on the floor along with a lot of other people.  Had we been able to get pass outs I could have at least sat on a bench.  It was a gorgeous Sydney afternoon but it was fairly warm.  I did not take a bottle of water or food figuring we would be able to buy something there.  The lines were ridiculous.  Just after 5pm I got the "I need to do a wee mum" so we high tailed it to where the toilets were only to find them closed off to the public.  Our only option was to leave the pit area and go in search of toilets elsewhere.  This sucked as the pit area was thinning out and we were getting to look at the trucks without a million people around, however when you have to go you have to go!!

Another issue was the merchandise stands.  We had promised the boys they could buy something with money they had been given and they just wanted a monster truck each.  People stood in line for quite literally hours to buy things.  I lined up for about 40 minutes to get the kids their little trucks and I only did that as they were getting upset and didn't understand that there were massive lines and there was a big wait.

So ANZ Stadium-

• This was well and truly a family event, from babies to elderly people.  You need facilities to cater for everyone.  It would not kill you to hire some chairs or at least allow pass outs from the pit party.  I get that the majority of events at the stadium are not aimed at the family market but you really need to take this into account for next year which I guarantee will sell out.
• Could you at least have some extra stands just selling drinks and the basic merchandise?
• There is no excuse for not having adequate services, as 12000 passes had been sold there is no surprise to how many people were going to be there.  Not to mention the 50000 tickets for the actual event.
• Lastly I have to commend you on parking.  We did not book parking so we had to park in a parking station away from the stadium.  The shuttle buses came pretty much one after another on our way in which was awesome as it reduced walking for little legs plus they got a bonus bus ride.  Leaving the parking station took less time than it took me to leave a shopping centre last week.  We were waiting for the chaos to get out and there was none.

All in all it was fantastic and as I said we will be going next year for sure.  I will have my pictures up tomorrow!!  Linking up with Essentially Giraffe/Jess for IBOT.

This was right at the end, the Yanks are insane!!

Soda Pop Cupcakes

Makes 12

* 340g (12oz) Vanilla cake mix
* 1 Cup (250ml) Raspberry Soft Drink (soda).

Method: Preheat Oven to 180C/360F. Into a large bowl, pour the cake mix, then add the soda (soft drink). Stir together with a wooden spoon the mixture evenly among each. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and cooked thru. 

I stole these from the 4 ingredients website.  

These popped up a couple of times on my facebook feed a couple of weeks ago so I tried it as a cake which was a disaster never to be spoken of again (think undercooked cake and shockingly made icing) but the idea was right.  I will try orange drink with chocolate icing next time and make them into cupcakes not a whole cake!!  

Something easy and simple for Open Slather with One Mother Hen