Merry Christmas

(This post has been backdated!)

Merry Christmas everyone! We had an ok day considering the evening before! Although there was lots of discussion about the incident. My little Brother slowly came out of his shell once we went to the farm for lunch - allowing us to see the bruises on his face.

The morning started with Coffee and sleepy eyes. It was a reasonable time, but we were all bleary from being awake quite late. We migrated into the lounge with our cups and our slippers and introduced Tara to her Santa Sack and Stocking.

"ooooh. wow." she kept saying. She slowly pulled everything out piece by piece. Here is a quick rundown of the Loot.

*Big Girl Knickers
*Little Mermaid Helmet
*Streamers for the bike
*A princess/ballet party dress
*Clothes... lots of clothes
*A dolly seat for her bike

I can't recall the rest ha!

She also was given a My Little Pony and some hair clips from her Uncle David, a tambourine from her Auntie Alice, Maraccas and a Sax/Trumpet from Nanna, A teddy bear from Granddad and Nanna Yvonne, A bike from us, some sneakers and that'll do I think!!

Ally scored quite well with a fishing chair and a tent, and some other stuff. Oh, and we were given a sandwich press as well. I got a couple of Photo Boxes.

We had a seafood breakfast (At 11.30am) where we ate cray and prawns. Then we moved to the farm where we ate more seafood, salads and roast meats. It was lovely. Dessert was had at around 6pm. One huge afternoon of eating. Finished with a hit of backyard christmas.

Fantastic.

So there is the wrap up!

A Christmas Eve to remember...

I have heard some people mention that ever fateful christmas that people would never forget. I knew that many people suffered tragedies, triumphs, highs and lows. I don't think our family had experienced one quite like that. Until Chrismas Eve.

We had a lovely dinner at my mum's place, then we all headed down to the local pub for celebratory drinks. It is bit of a tradition to bring in the festivities at the pub. We have been doing it for years. Lots of people were there, many who I knew, but did not recognise. It is funny how a mind can get stuck in a time warp. I remember what they looked like 15 years ago, but many had morphed into adults who I could not pick even if I tried.

A few beverages flowed. Most try not to drink too much, afterall, they'll be up at dawn with Santa's Been induced squeals. Though it probably would pay for someone to remind the local lads that too.

At 9.30 or so mum, my sister, Tara and I all went home. Tara was fast asleep - totally buggered. Alice's boyfriend was coming home a bit later. My brother would be home when he stumped there.

Santa propped some pressies into some stockings and everyone went to bed. I remember laying in bed thinking "Please let Tara sleep through - then it will be chrismas when I wake".

The next thing I hear is slamming doors. My mother screaming. My brother swearing and screaming.

"Look what they've done to me" "They all jumped me" "These are my so-called mates!" "Look at me! Would you F**king look at me!"

It was intertwined with my mother's cries.. "Who did this to you?" "Sit down!" "Let me look!" "Who was it?"

I flew out of bed like you would not believe. My sister followed, then her boyfriend and then Ally.

My little brother had been beated up at the pub. By is apparent friends. This is not the first time these people had done it. The main culprits had broken his nose less than a month ago. His mouth was bleeding. He had blood all over him. His jaw was red and already swelling. Teeth had gone through his lip a couple of times and he had scratches down his chest.

For ages he screamed "Look at what they have done to my face". The pain of his face was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. These were the people who were supposed to be his friends. They had once again taken to him.

We tried desperately to calm him down, but he was fuelled by anger and alcohol. Not a great mix. The next thing we knew was he took off back to the pub to try and get back at them. Mum and Ally tried to stop him in the driveway but he was gone before they could get him. Alices boyfriend went after him and dragged him back to the house and once again we started to try and calm him down.

At one point I grabbed him by the hands and started yelling at him to forget them. Forget these so called friends. Friends, real friends, would not do this to their mate. I told him he needed to shift his focus and realise he is with people who really do love him and care for him. Screw those at the pub, who cares. He did he kept saying. Over and over "Look at me though! Look at what they did to me! At Christmas! I'm going to look all beated up for Christmas!"

After a while longer we got him into bed - still swearing (which, despite my blogging, was scattered through ever second (or less!) word and could be heard down the main street. Ally and I guarded the hall way so that we could stop him if he got up again, and make sure he did not take off.

By this stage my Mum and Sister had taken off down to the pub to find out what had gone on. Alice's boyfriend was with them simply for protection in case they needed it.

They found out more of the story. David did not know why they did it but we found out it was him and one of the Culprits brothers who were messing around with bubblewrap on their hands. The guy hit David softly on the face and David did it back to him. However one of the Guys saw this and thought David was really hitting him. Came up and confronted David and David told him to go away and mind his own business. The Culprit guy kept asking to be friends and to shake on it. David told him to go away (in more colourful terms!). The Culprit Guy turned away then swung back with an elbow to my brother's face. Culprit Guy's Big brother saw this and jumped in. Their mother tried to break it up and another friend tried to hold David back to protect him. They all lost balance and the friend holding David and my brother went through the pub's glass door. The Culprit's mother caught the table on the way down. When David was on the ground they got stuck into him until he could get away. That's when he came home ranting and raving.

We are hoping that the pub has it all on camera, but the guys are new in the bar and probably forgot.

It would hopefully prove David was not in the wrong, but he is probably going to be banned from the pub, he'll be blamed by the other "Mates" and they'll all stop talking to him. And he'll once again get depressed and upset and abandoned by everyone.

The next morning his face was swollen and red. The bruising is coming out now.

Anyway. There was christmas eve. I'll do another post on Christmas Day later.

For now... hug your family, tell them you love them.

My Birthday

It was my birthday the other day. I turned 28 (not afraid to share it! :D)

We went out for breakfast to a place in Darlington which was lovely. I had french toast with caramelised banana and bacon. Was scrummy.

I vegged at home all day until we were going out. I got dressed up and Ally took Tara and I too my dinner. When we got there I found Ally had secretly invited some very special friends who were all sitting at the table waiting for me. How lovely!!

It was at a japanese restaurant and was beautiful. A set meal of 6 courses. The stand outs for the night was the crab taco and the sake creme caramel. mwah. Beautiful.

This morning I am supposed to be packing because we leave in 4 hours and 20 mins. ARGH.

Really need to wash the dog.

Baby, you're dreaming.

I had a baby dream last night. Baby dreams are always so vivid to me. This one though. This one was REAL. I could feel it Real. Wishful thinking I guess.

I was in a public space. Not sure where. I was wearing soft flowing clothes. I was pregnant. And I was in labour. There were people around who did not believe I was in labour though and I just went along doing my thing. I had a few painless contractions and I felt my baby drop. My baby was coming soon. A few more contractions and I felt down between my legs and could feel the head. I started breathing through my contractions. I breathed my baby down and just let my body do the work. The head came through and I remember taking time to just sit and relax. Then a contraction came and WHOOSH...... the body came down and I lifted the baby onto my chest. It was a girl. And she was Big. I don't know the size but she was big in my arms, and had a very moon-like face. She just looked at me. Her name was hers before she was born, and it was very much her after she was born. I held her, and she snuggled in under my chin.

The birth was exceptionally BORING. Just plain and simple and "nothing to write home about" (am sure that phrase was said in my dream...)

I can't remember the rest of the details. I know there was lots more. But they are the bits that stood out.

Bah humbug...

No so much as an evap line.

Wishful thinking, I know. But I was hoping for an extra happy week.

Family Fun Day

We attended a family fun day on Friday. It was a lovely day out - and they had an animal farm with a pony ride. Here are some photos.

Maybe (not) Baby.

Sometimes my body really confuses me. After my post the other day about Ovulating, charting and getting things wrong prior, It seems I may have just gotten it all wrong and may have ovulated earlier on in the month.

Feeling a little crampy and nauseous. Period crampy nauseous. I swear, if I get my period tomorrow I'll cry. I wanted a BFP (Big Fat Positive for those who don't understand) for my birthday. And a sewing machine. But more importantly I want that BFP. Really wanted to give Mum and Dad a card for Christmas announcing a new grandchild.

Guess that's not going to happen now.

Bah Humbug.

New Year Resolution....

I am only making one. And I doubt I can do it anyways. But my resolution is this.

I want to get a blogger's choice award. Maybe I could aim for "Best Designed Blog"

I'll think of a design (yes, I realise I just made a new design!) and aim on actually blogging interesting stuff (maybe I could go for best blog about stuff too!). Maybe this is what I needed to convince me I HAVE to get a domain for myself now.

I know I have a couple of domains.. but maybe I need one for my blog. mmm. ponderings.

It's my birthday tomorrow. Anyone want to buy me a domain and hosting for a year?

That might mean I need to learn Wordpress. And learn how to move my blog to wordpress. And redesign everything. And learn how to blog Cool Stuff That People Will Actually Read.

So.... would you vote for me? *insert big cheesy grin here*

I admire Karen Cheung and Philsproof - have done for a while. have just seen they are both nomiated... Karen numerous times. Way to go.

When I grow up I want to win somefink too.....

More from the Bottom End

Tara's only wee'd in a nappy once today, but complained as soon as she did it and we took the nappy off.

Since then she has wee'd 5 times on the potty, and done two poos.

Wow.

Now, how do we take this from the home environment to outside of the loungeroom?

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!

I've been baking.

Here is my shortbread recipe for those willing to try it. I have a fondness for rice flour in shortbread and think it adds that special something!

Kristie's Festivus Shortbread.

1 part castor sugar
1 part rice flour
1 and a bit parts butter
2 parts plain flour

Chop room temp butter into cubes and add castor sugar. Beat until creamed well. Really well. It needs to be "white"
Add the rice flour and continue the creaming procedure.
Add the plain flour in two parts, beating really really well in between.
Press into a baking tray either greased or lined with baking paper.
Use your fork and some castor sugar to decorate
Cook very very slowly (150c for 45-60 min) until slightly golden (if it is turning brown it is too high or cooked too long).

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

Resist the urge to eat immediately.


Kristie's Brandy Butter.

Cream equal parts of butter (pref unsalted but does not matter TOO much) and Pure Icing Sugar (MUST be Pure!). Sifting the icing is VERY important.
Cream it until it is white and fluffy.
Add in Brandy to taste - slowly - checking at each extra added amount. I add LOTS. For 300gms of butter I add about 50 - 150 mls of Brandy).

Put into decorative cups. Wrap with Cellophane and put into the freezer. Great as gifts.


If only I had time to do my gingerbread house this year!

Blogging for dummies - er, the dummy.

That's what I need. I can make my blog pretty, but if I want to make it better, then I need to learn more. Trying to understand RSS feeds is still doing my head in. I want it to do one thing, but maybe I am just being too fussy.

I want to make my blog fun for people to read, and maybe stick around. Then again, not sure why they would want to read about my crap - Cervical Mucus and New Blog are not really linked nor that entertaining!!

It's not like I have a common theme, nor am I great at writing. I used to be once upon a time, but it seems like a lifetime ago.

I did make a step forward though. I have added a stat counter thingo. It is very interesting seeing where people are coming from.

And see. there I go again, with a rather boring blog post. Sorry guests, you can pick your brains up at as you exit this blog... they weren't needed within.

Oh my Gosh!

I just won!

How cool is that going to be for Mamaluna?!


*breathe*

I feel so blessed. Thanks AFW!

Charting. It really is gross.

TMI post. You have been warned!

There is something so weird about actively TRYING to have a baby. I mean, Tara was a beautiful surprise blessing. She just arrived. I did not have to think about it. But now that the wedding is gone and we are (shhhh!) trying for another it's really odd to be following the whole charting side of things.

Since my cyles are all over the place (av 37 days, though 32 - 76 has been recorded) it does not make it as simple as saying "Oh, 10 days in, let's boink for 48 hours and wham bam, baby jam!"... Predicting (or even working out) the time to just go for it is really hard.

And don't get me started on the whole Cervical Mucus thing! Makes me cringe having to describe and understand the goop. I mean, I *like* knowing what is going on with my body, but having to do the midnight tango because of the consistency kind of makes me a little erkie.

So, having said all of that, I thought that I was having a really odd cycle and that when I thought I was ovulating was strange, but I plotted and charted and did what baby-making couples do (that's sex people), I was wondering if I was in the Two Week Wait (TWW).

Then I started bloating the other day. Feeling horrible in my belly and generally just meh. Oh yay, thought I. The Aunt is back. But I think I am wrong. Following the CM today, and the left hand pain I have had today, it seems I am actually Ovulating Late (day 30 by my chart). So unless I am pregnant now (ha!) the earliest I could find out about being PG is on Cycle Day 40 (and that is at a push!). That would be christmas morning.

We'll have to see.

Before that happens, I've gotta go upstairs.

It's even worthy of a dance!

Poo that is. Tara did one on the potty today with an audience. WOW. She danced and whooped and hollered and boogied in the lounge. A poo on the potty! That's no poo in nappies I have had to deal with all week. Not sure if she did one at TinySteps, but none at home.

I feel blessed. Finally the laundry fairies are working in my favour.

yeehaw.

It's not working!

OK, so I thought I would jump on the Blogrolling Bandwagon. It always looked great on other blogs, so I figured it was a pretty good idea - I mean, keeping track of blogs because they have actually updated, rather than just clicking every blog I know seemed like good sense.

Well I just discovered that it's not working! over half of the blogs in my blogroll have updated and BR did not tell me! How rude!

So, what I want to know, is there a special "thing" I was supposed to do and have not done? Did I forget to click a box, or are these blogs different some how? does it not work with LiveJournal or Private/invite only blogs? What about all the others that updated and I have not been notified?

I really need to update my web knowledge!

The world of a Start Up Business

It's so hard trying to break into the Small Business Market when you have no finances to do so, but really don't want to take out a loan either.

I know I have a good business model. I just need to finalise my business plan and really ham that up a bit. I've looked at some government scheme, but for them, I have to work full time 35 hours a week. So min 7 hours per day, while being a full time parent - I just could not do that. I don't qualify, and I refuse to put Tara in full time day care to do that. It's not fair on her.

If I wanted to set up a shop, and such things, in some respects it would be easier because we would be out of the house, and I could look after her and have her with a play room - and work a full 35 hours a week. But the costs involved with a physical location just would not work. Too much money.

I need to win lotto. Or a grant. Though I would need to apply for them. Argh. Need to finish the business plan.

At least I have come across a few online locations (as well as physical addresses) where I can get some information. Hopefully speak to an advisor (and I have some contacts for that anyway).

It's just a bit of a nightmare.

Does anyone who reads my blog, have information on setting up business and services and any tips that I could use? I would be grateful for any pearls of wisdom!

How cute would this be?!

Tara could have a matching fairy costume for "Baby" (her new doll)

eep!

Random Stuff.

As you call all see, the new design is up and functioning. There is still stuff I want to do, but I will get to that slowly.

But, in the meantime - I lost all of my blog links when I changed formats, and now I don't have the old ones at all! I am going via my memory, which is shocking! If your blog is not on the side and it was previously, or if you would like to be added, or if you would like to be removed could you let me know?

Also, can someone please explain - in real laymans terms, all about RSS feeds. Please? :)

The bottom end.

It's amazing that everyday normal folk are changed into weird creatures once offspring come along. I never really understood the whole Parents Are a Different Species thing.

Until I found myself sharing with Ally our daughters Other End.

Yes, we are attempting Potty Awareness. I loathe to call it Potty Training or Toilet Training because she is not a dog, and I don't want to traumatise her over the Porcelain Throne. Instead, Tara is now nappy free most of the time at home and I just encourage her to use the toilet. I thought I would give you an insight of our days.

Tara runs around naked (or at least bottom naked) and runs up to me holding her crotch screaming at me "Oh no! Oh no!" (it is really humourous actually!) and I look at her and say "Quick! Potty!". Off she scurries with all the determination of an elite athlete running the final 10 metres! She backs herself down slowly on the big blue potty and finally sits down.

For all of two seconds.

Then she screams at me ("ughugh!") and gets help getting out of the chair. We do this 20 times or more a day. And every single time the potty is dry. Bone dry. But we celebrate her sitting on the chair (because she used to be terrified!) and we start the process again.

That was until last night.

Tara did wees on the potty! And we did a VERY big happy dance. Whooo hoo! She came and told me she needed to go. I knew she did because she'd been farting and going through the above potty dance for at least 20 minutes. Finally she sat there for a bit longer. She watched a bit of TV and then I heard a noise. At first I thought she'd just farted again, but she jumped out of the Big Blue Potty herself and started squealing in delight! She was pointing and dancing and laughing. And to be honest, so was I. A wee in the potty - that she instigated sitting on in the first place. Whoooooo hooooo!

So imagine my delight when she did the Potty Dance this morning while I was cleaning and she ran and sat on the potty and all of a sudden I hear behind me "Oh, WOW!" I turn around to see the biggest poo ever in the potty! Golly Gosh! Was I ever so happy that she caught THAT one in the potty! Much dancing, squealing and singing occured. She was very very happy. And so was I.

Maybe this summer we WILL manage to do the Toilet Awareness!

The end is near - and so is a new beginning

So the end of the year is coming very quickly. I cannot believe how close it is.

There is so much to be done in the lead up to christmas. I wish there was more time (and money!) but it's just speeding along so quickly! I have worked out what I am doing for pressies for most people, but I still need to finalise it - and buy them all!

Today we had a lovely party at the park with our playgroup friends. It was a lovely day, switching between slightly overcast and hot. The afternoon ended with a pretty fierce storm complete with thunder and lightning. We had lots of fun with all of our friends and it was so lovely to sit and just relax. I did nothing much at all (other than eat and talk) but was utterly exhausted when I got home. I even managed to keep Tara away from the playground most of the day without much trouble (no hat, no shade, very hot and it was too far away from the conversation!). I loved catching up with S, M, P and baby A. So much time flies in 6 months.

I need to do some hefty work on Mamaluna in the next week. I need to sew and send out my tester nappies. This is a lot more possible now that I have official branding cloth tags! whoo hoo. very exciting. Mental note: need to call the printers about my business cards! The website is almost done - kind of. I need to get some photos and start making some of the other merchandise. Oh, and I need to get my tins, fleece and PUL. Soooo busy. I would love to get a lot more done however 'cause I am really feeling the need to bring in some extra money. Hopefully it is not too unrealistic to want to sew and make around 150 nappies over a 4 week break. Scrap the week of christmas, so that is 50 nappies a week... I might be pushing it, but hopefully it can be done!!!

Tara is doing wonderfully. For her birthday she received some money from Granddad and Nanna-Yvonne and some money from some friends. We got her a new doll and a necklace from Nanna and Granddad, and from our friends we used the money to get a book. Well, the book is by far the favourite pressie out of everything. It is called "My Little Word Book" and is wonderful!! She carries it around and reads it over and over again. She can point out about 60% of the photos in the book. She can say "s-ooooos" and "bay-bee" and "mummy" and "tar" very easily. We just need to get her to start pronouncing some other words. She talks non-stop, and most of the time we know what she is talking about. The fact she uses her hand signals so much is a big help too!

All in all, everything is going pretty great.

Now to just remember to update this blog some more!

Upgrading the blog

Please be patient while I upgrade my blog

I think I might have stuffed it, but I'll continue to work on it! :D

Now... to find out how to put an horizontal rule under each day...

Christmas Gifts.

This is what I want Tara to get for christmas. or at least. This is what I want *someone* to get Tara for christmas. LOL

It is Le Van Toy, Fairy Tea Set. you can buy online

My Bouquet

Is ruined.

Yeah - bit silly to mention it now - I hear you saying. The wedding was two months ago.

The thing is, I tried to preserve it using some information I had online. if i Had just hung it up outside it would have dried and I would still have my beautiful bouquet.

Instead, I have a tub with mouldy calla lilies. I have so very upset.

Ally's buttonhole is perfect.
My bouquet is rubbish.

Not even remotely salvageable I do not think. I could not bear to really look at it.

I just want to cry.