Busy Week

 Monday, 23 February 2009 - Oh man you guys are so busted! There is no x-box allowed during the week!! And I just told you that and to put it away not 10minutes ago!
 Tuesday, 24 February 2009 - Check out the bounty on this grapevine. Our neighbour has a wonderful vine and so much of it is growing on our side of the fence. The boys have already had a few bunches and really enjoyed them.

Wednesday, 25 February 2009 - Ali headed into the zoo for his school biology trip. He took the camera and has a whole pile of photos, but none of them have made it onto my computer yet. I am looking forward to seeing what he took pics of.

 Thursday, 26 February 2009 - Finally the textbook for my Economics course arrived and I can get stuck into some study. Yikes my first assignment is due on Sunday night. I see a lot of book work coming up for me over the next few weeks.
 Friday, 27 February 2009 - Nick hanging the laundry onto the drying rack and using a peg so he doesn't have to touch my knickers!

Dishes time

 Sunday, 22 February 2009 - Emptying the dishwasher has traditionally been Tommy's job. Lately he has got slack and more often than not, it is Andy who does it. Today it was Tommy's turn even it was really late and we had been grocery shopping by the time he did it.

...

 Friday, 20 February 2009 - mmmm, yummy, love that these Cadbury cream eggs are back in stock in the supermarket. This one sat on my desk for 2 days before I finally succumbed to it.
 Saturday, 21 February 2009 - Today Ali went and trialled for Counties Manukau Under 18 hockey team. Keeping my fingers crossed for him.

Yay for the AA

 Thursday, 19 February 2009 - Driving home on Thursday night, I felt a pop, looked in my mirror and saw a whole pile of smoke coming from the back of my car. Pull to the side of the motorway and ring Andy. No, I can't smell our dinner, but can you smell my tyre? 45 minutes later, the AA had been and changed my tyre and I was on my way. (I was way to close to the traffic half way up the Bombay Hills to want to change it myself)

20 years

 Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - At 5.30pm, 20 years ago I walked down the aisle and took this wonderful man to be my husband. I cannot believe that 20years have gone so quickly. Love you heaps babe, and looking forward to sharing the next 20 with you too.

Pies, pies and more pies

 Monday, 16 February 2009 - Wow, Andy was hugely busy today and made the yummiest dinner for us. Homemade chicken and corn pies - way too tasty and even one left for me for lunch!
 Tuesday, 17 February 2009 - Yesterday's pies were so popular that there was a request for pies again tonight - mince was the flavour requested today. Another huge hit with everyone.

Party time

 Sunday, 15 February 2009 - Technically these pics were taken on Sunday, because it was 1am when they were taken! Greg and Sandy came and stayed the night, a wonderful night with lots of games of pool, good music and waaay too much vodka. Wish I was still feeling as good as I felt last night!

Today I learned

 Saturday, 14 February 2009 - that when your jandals have run out of tread, you shouldn't wear them in the wet! Yep, I was walking to the bakery for lunch while scrapping with the girls and next thing I knew I was down! It might have looked but darn it hurt!

Cleaning up after dinner

 Friday, 13 February 2009 - Tommy made such a huge mess eating his dinner tonight and the deck was littered with rice when he was finished. We sent him under the table to clean up the mess!

Lunch time

 Thursday, 12 February 2009 - Making school lunches a hugely thankless task especially when they don't get eaten. The boys are loving these 'cheeseburgers' Andy is making them at the moment.

Got my tunes

 Wednesday, 11 February 2009 - Charging up my ipod so I can listen to some music at work tomorrow. We are in a dead area and can't get any radio. The silence is driving me nuts! And then I went and left my fully charged ipod at home!!

Finding Pics

Gosh I didn't realise how hard it would be to take one picture every day. It was easy during the holidays when we were doing lots of different things, but remembering to take a pic now is hard! With not getting home until 5.30 by the time I have chilled out a bit I am fast running out of things to take pics of, and dinner every night is pretty boring.

I did take my pic tonight but can't be bothered uploading so it can wait till tomorrow. I think I need a big list of pics that I do want to take at some stage during the year and then when I can't think of anything I can refer to one of those ideas. Yay, another thing to put on my 'to do' list!

Windscreen Dramas

 Tuesday, 10 January 2009 - I got hit by a stone this morning on my way to work and apart from telling the truck off I didn't think much of it. This huge big crack is what greeted me when I went back to my car after a day of it sitting in the sun. Darn, time for a new windscreen. Just as well Andy is at home and I can pinch his car tomorrow.

Breakfast time

 Monday, 9 February 2009 - This has been my regular breakfast for about the last 6months now. One fried egg on wholegrain toast eaten in front of my computer while check the emails and news headlines.

TV Watching

 Sunday, 8 February 2009 - Tommy spent a lot of Sunday morning sitting down under his duvet watching TV. Alien movies were his choice today. I have no idea how he coped with the heat of his duvet though.

We had a lot of fun later that afternoon when we both had a hose and washed my car. I think we both ended up a heck of a lot wetter than the car, but we cooled off and I scored a clean car!

Bulldogs for breakfast

 Saturday, 7 February 2009 - Tommy was delighted to have boiled eggs for breakfast this morning. Poor deprived child hasn't had these in forever. Lots of pre-school days memories for him.

Defrosting

 Friday, 6 February 2009 - Yay, we got to sleep in this morning! The ice box in this little fridge has been annoying me for ages now and today I decided to defrost it. Our big fridge didn't fit the hole in this house so it is downstairs and our 'bar fridge' now gets to live in the kitchen. Gee ice free freezers are such a good idea.

5 minutes

 Thursday, 5 February 2009 - You do lots in 5 minutes including cook a chocolate cake! Very yummy recipe a friend of mine shared.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE - for one
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons (or less) chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.

I cooked ours tonight in a 6cup pyrex measuring jug and it was perfect for dessert for 4 of us. Thanks Kris for sharing your recipe :-)

Am I shrinking

 Wednesday, 4 February 2009 - or are my boys just getting heaps taller? I knew they were lots taller but this was definitely confirmed this morning as Andy took this pic just before we all ran out the door. Goodness only knows what Ali was doing but in all the pics that were taken he looks like a goofball!

Open Air Kitchen

 Tuesday, 3 February 2009 - Since Andy made this table we have eaten outside every night except for the one night it was raining! Tonight Ali decided to chop up the bits for the salad outside as well.

First Days

 Monday, 2 February 2009 - Very exciting day for both Tommy and me this morning with both of us having our first days at a new school and a new job. We both came home with lot of stories of a very successful day. Looking forward to tommorrow.

Waterskiing

 Sunday, 1 February 2009 - Andy took Ali and Nick down to Piarere to watch the tournament happening down there. Tommy and I made the most of our last day of holiday and chilled out at home.