well here I am, this is the first day I have been coordinated enough to type or use the computer. Sleep has been terrible, I think most of it is just the hang over from the anaesthetic. I've been pretty pain free until last night when I had to get up and take a tramadol, all my incisions were aching.

You see on Monday December 1st I had gastric banding surgery.

I put a lot of thought into this over a good 12 months, then when I got my appointment with the surgeon it seemed to take forever, then suddenly all my appointments were done and I had started the 2 week diet before the operation, I had a type of optifast shake meal replacement thing, it was quiet yummy I just got mine from the chemist because everyone (even the surgeon) said optifast was revolting.

So from a start weight of 130kg between the shakes and the operation I am now 118kg, 12 kilos lighter with 48 to go!

The whole hospital visit was uncomfortable, for a private hospital they were pretty average, I was put in a rock solid winding bed, thankfully I had a great night nurse, she got me a new bed at midnight, then come morning she pinched me a big lounge chair from maternity. I made good use of my buzzer, you see they had to take the leg pumps off and disconnect the drip every time I needed the loo, which was about every two hours. 9:30am a cowboy of an orderly pushed me through the main lobby of the hospital in a gaping gown for a swallow test, I hadn't even been allowed a sip of water. The barium was bitter and revolting but I wanted that test done so I could go home. A glass of water kept down for an hour and I was free to go. Unfortunately all the dehydration had given me a migraine so it was home to bed for me.

Each day I have improved, I might be able to read a book today, yesterday I did a little laundry and cleaned the boys room using the picker uppers. Today we are making Florentines for teacher gifts and even though sleep still is a little strange I feel a lot better.

I am on liquids for another week then I start on soft food. This is a second chance for me, I owed it to myself and my children to be here, each day I am feeling better about this decision.

Labels: everyday, stuff

I love school holidays! Ours were so busy this time around. We had Grandma the first week and we all went off to the Perth Royal Show and then we dived straight into preparation for Riley's 5th birthday party, I can't believe he is 5, both of my boys are getting so tall.

One thing I really wanted to do was keep taking Alec swimming, so we set off for Arena and both boys had a ball I am going to make it one of those weekend rituals and the fact that the pool is heated means we can do it all year. I'm also enrolling them in swimming lessons after Christmas, swimming was something I can always remember being able to do as we had a pool in the back yard

We went nice and early which was just as well because the crowd was really filling out as we left.

Pinata mayhem.. 5 year olds seem to be old hands at birthday parties and all knew what to do, I bought the pulling one and a few little boys were disappointed there would be no bashing.

And here are some Buzz and Bloom layouts I have done recently, I'm loving lots of bits right now, I have to go shopping for some more but every time I think.. yes scrap shop time something else breaks down, my scrap budget now resides in out laundry but you get that don't you.

I had a big title worked out for this but in the end Lego was the only thing that looked right so that is what I went with.

These photos are from January 2004 and I had never scrapped them probably because they are on my wall
I can remember the day he was born so well still and all the other years seem to have gone by so quickly
And I love this, Riley picked out these boots at Harbour Town (outlet mall type thing but on a very small scale)

Labels: everyday, kids, layouts, Riley, scrapbooking, stuff, the boys

I am going to make a quilt, because you know it is almost summer and we all need a quilt in summer and what else would you want to do when you have sewn 3 things and one layout, a quilt for your bed seems like a natural progression to me.

But seriously, our new bed is too big for store bought packaged quilt covers, the cover needs to be 270cm (108inches) but all the packaged ones end at 245cm (98inches) see a huge difference. So me a novice at everything material or sewing have done this.. (click on it see how clever I am, I'm sure it is right)

So taking into consideration that material is 44inches wide from 2 yards I could cut 6x22in squares, to make my quilt, I want 25 squares, that would be the diagram on the right, all the different symbols denote different patterns, see I am pretty smart sometimes (remember I have not in any way taken into account the bits you actually sew up, I'm assuming I will be putting a border around it) and why on earth am I working in inches you ask??? well I have been browsing etsy stores and they are all in that foreign language of imperial while I am a metric gal.. but have calculator (and google) can convert.

Oh and I love these.. I want this first pile but wait for a gag moment, my room is a rich shade of grape.. the second would be more apropriate. But can't you just see how revitalising a quilt in this material would be.
So if you are still with me, here are my questions

• after I back it with the wadding stuff (got to love that wadding stuff) do I back it with anything else or do I sew just the material together first then do the wadding stuff and the back........
• this is where you can tell me I need to buy a quilt making book but until then you can help
  
• do I sew over each square.. I know you are thinking has this woman even ever see a quilt.. I'm still thinking about the answer to that one.
• final question are you laughing at me yet?
  

Labels: everyday, for a laugh, stuff

I did a bit of scrapping, a lot of relaxing (including a nap on the lounge Sunday afternoon that Michael kindly captured on video for me) and Alec's soccer carnival on Saturday afternoon.

We loved going to soccer but I was glad of a sleep in on Sunday morning. It was a 20 week season and thankfully we only really got soaking wet about 3 times. On Saturday they played 5 games of 10 minutes each and then the coach, Jude gave out the trophies.


As a thank you to Jude for the fantastic job he did with the kids we had a book made at blurb.com from all the photos taken over the season, it turned out to be such a hit with the parents that I am putting an order in for 14 books! I know what some grandparents are getting for chrissy this year. I made it and it really is a cute book, I chose the 7x7 size and did imagewrap, which is the picture directly onto the hardback cover. We have had 2 books done by blurb now and are really happy with them.

And here is one of those photos I found. I couldn't think of anything to say about it though. I know how old I am because of the house I am living in but it could be 1985 or 86 but I have gone with 85. I got a few other pages done but they are for Buzz and Bloom and will be going up on Wednesday.

Labels: school, show and tell, stuff

We had a state election here in Western Australia on Saturday and I worked as a declarations issuing officer at a polling station for the day. It was an amazingly long day, 13 1/2 hours for me. Our first voter was grumpy and mean and we had no idea how to deal with him, but we got him sorted and he was the only hiccup in a very smooth day. Thankfully our polling place never had long lines and everyone was in and out within a few minutes. It only really struck me at about 7:30pm when we were counting the votes, WE WERE COUNTING THEM! that I realised the job I was doing. It made me glad to be part of the process.

While I was working Michael took care of the boys, they were taken to the beach and a park all before 8am when Michael bought them to the polling place to see me while he voted.

He also took them to our neighbours 1st birthday party, Alec amazed everyone by holding the animals, hugging a calf, going on a pony ride and eating party food, crackers, cabanossi!!!! I mean cabanossi how amazing, a cocktail frankfurt with the skin on and loads of fairy bread. You can find all the photos HERE but here are a few of my favourite. I so wish I could have been there, I really felt it 1/2 way through the day like I was just not where I was supposed to be but the 250+ photos Michael took helped a bit.

Labels: autism, kids, stuff

if I knew then what I know now, I would have run inside and put a bra on because 23 years and 2 babies leaves its mark.

I was truly amazed yesterday when I found a plastic bag of photos I thought were lost forever, and among them several photos of me as a youngling, 19 seems young now but I am surprised when I look in the mirror and don't see this girl, I still feel like her. The most amazing thing I found was a 28 year old polaroid photo of my first boyfriend, I laughed so much, I am going to scan the polaroids I can't believe they have kept so well.


And here I am at 2, I have mourned this photo thinking it lost forever, you see when I left my previous life I didn't think much about things like photos and mementos, I left a lot behind, but I am thrilled to have found these gems from the past. (these two are printed and ready to scrap, thought it was about time I added to my book of me)


Ta daaaaaaaaaaa my bed arrived this morning, I almost did myself an injury putting it together, actually just trying to get the plastic off was hard. I need a bigger bed spread, this one wont tuck in at the sides, this is a seriously big bed, I need a cover that measures atleast 165cm (66 inches). Would you believe I have had a lay down on it yet, I am saving that for after I have picked up Alec, I'm going to kick my shoes off grab my book and read for an hour!

Labels: scrapbooking, stuff

forms for swimming, excursions, cake stalls, fathers day stalls, all these are littering my bench. All this with only three weeks of school left until holidays, the first week of the holidays we have the Perth Royal Show and Riley's 5th birthday, how did that creep up on me.

I just finished making 70 of these little gems, cookie dough with white chocolate the idea courtesy of the pioneer woman, I didn't have candy, so I used chocolate buttons, they got the thumbs up from the boys.


And here is our rescued blue tongue lizard, he was playing chicken with a truck on the road so we closed in our back yard and he has been with us for about 3 months, we haven't seen much of him but there was a little sunshine today, this being the first day of spring and all. While I took this the cats sat and stared at him, but he has a big hiss and they are big scardy cats so they wont bother him.

Labels: kids, school, stuff

Which is the recommended resolution but boy it is big! web sites look awfully empty on this 24" monitor I have 17" just didn't do it for me any more. So I went and picked up my early birthday present today, I smiled all the way home. It looks pretty awesome and photoshop is huge!!! I love that bit and it looks good on my table, I relegated the scanner to a small table so it wasn't too squashed because once this table collects rubbish, dust and toys there isn't much room, today is the exception as I cleaned it for the new monitor.

Okay the layouts were an after thought, I had to fight my way back onto the computer because Alec thought Command and Conquer might look totally awesome on the new monitor.

So here are some Buzz and Bloom layouts I can share here now, I love both of these, I am really happy with what I am doing right now.

Labels: stuff

My neighbour had a baby Sunday night, after several days in labour she agreed to an epidural, unfortunately bubs heart rate plummeted and they had to have an emergency c-section, then I just read I have an eight year old peanut over at creative junkie (I so love her stories). So anyway even hearing the word c-section can send me reeling, I have Riley's birth story written down and locked in some lead lined double locked box somewhere, ok actually it is tucked behind a photo in his scrapbook album because isn't that something you should share with your children, the pain, the fear, the gallons (ok maybe a 1/2 litre or so) of blood that wasn't meant to flow when they took your c-section stitch out, I mean in my naievety I never once thought about what would happen if your wound opened, 5 days after welcoming mr 10lbs 6oz and 57cm i learnt. Riley wasn't only a c-section delivery they threw some forceps in for good measure because he liked it there and he wasn't coming out, I remember the dialogue between my ob and the nurse so well..

dr - forceps please..

nurse - what??

dr - FORCEPS NOW

it was a holy crap moment then the drugs kicked in and the rest was a bit of a blur. Even though my new bundle of joy was in the neo natal ward for a week I actually enjoyed hospital, that was until stitch taking out day. The nurse came in we chatted I flashed her and she started taking out my stitch, just one, a big long single stitch, it sort of stuck in the middle, gave a little ping and then my nether regions became very warm and wet, unfortunately I hadn't pee'd myself, oh how I wish I had, now it was blood. I was frozen and she had panic on her face then the emergency call button was sounding and OMFG it was for me, next thing I knew there were 8 people in my room and loads of blood.

Once it was cleaned up the full extent on the situation became clear, I called Michael and sobbed, you have to come now.. and he did.

I was upset. This is an understatement. In the end after a short trip home an infection and more visits to the doctor than most people have in a lifetime they booked be back in, scrubbed me clean and sewed me up. Looking back it wasn't that painful just terribly traumatic in the post traumatic stress kind of traumatic, my umbilical hernia op the following year was a real eye opener and introduced me to the meaning of pain.

So now every now and then something happens and I find myself in the shower replaying the two weeks before Riley's birth and all the things I could have done to avoid what happened, you see I went in to labour at 38 weeks, a few days before I thought I had a rather weak bladder but it seemed to stop, when the nurse asked me before I went home when the contractions had stopped if I had had any leaking I said no, having no experience of labour it didn't even cross my mind, I have to give myself a good shake and give myself the get over it talk because you can't go back, we survived it was hard for all of us but we came out the other side and now 4 years 10 months and 18 days later I have the funniest child in the world , who is funny and smart and vowed at the age of 4 and 1/2 that he would look after his big bruffer forever, I cried, he worships Alec but he also knows that Alec is different, he couldn't tell you what autism is but he knows it well.

In the end it doesn't matter how they got here, they are here and I love them both, I was just betrayed by my pelvis, for a long time I felt cheated and for a long time (ok I still do) blamed myself, now I just have to keep the shower for shopping lists instead of birth revision, it is time I eased up on myself.

Oh and what is wrong with me (don't answer that) it is my birthday in a month, I want a 24" monitor, but you know we need a new computer in 18 months, you shouldn't really waste the money now just on a monitor, I can wait... this is me to Michael, I don't want anything else, but I also don't want him to spend all that money on me, what type of deranged woman am I?????????? I want it but I don't, I can't figure me out, if I say yes I will feel guilty but damn it I want a big monitor so I can have a huge work area in photoshop, I might even be totally ridiculous and run both monitors so I can have tools on the little one..

Labels: stuff

So I was driving home from the supermarket yesterday, once again stunned at how much prices have gone up in the last year and how when I see something special I buy lots, like the 4 punnets (250gram) of strawberries for $1.89 a punnet because Riley loves them. So maybe you would like to join me in scan your shopping docket so we can see what a) you are buying (because we are nosey) b) what it costs.

So here we bought 41 items and spent $174, this after spending $50 earlier in the day and this is for 2 weeks and I will usually spend another $100 during those 2 weeks on groceries.

So if you can be bothered scan your shopping docket and leave me a comment so I can come and compare.

Labels: stuff

I so wish I did more these days but I am enjoying what I am getting done. This took the better part of the day, I made myself wait for things like glue to dry. I can be terrible at trying to rush because I want to see the finished page, now I am trying to enjoy the process a little more too.

So here is poor old Riley, I thought it was a story that needed to be remembered. He looked so sad, he told me he couldn't smile anymore or eat, neither lasted long



And now for a major whine... several weeks ago we misguidedly purchased a bed from Ikea!!! well do you want to imagine how I felt when at 3am said bed gently lowered me to the floor, the slats had fallen off the frame. This happened again and again to the point where I now hate the bed. I called and let my displeasure be known and they offered a full refund, but you can't imagine what the thought of dismantling the bed and then actually being able to find a way to return it left us feeling. So Michael did some gerry rigging and while I still hated it I wasn't going to end up on the floor, until this morning at 5:30am.

It had this rather pathetic beam down the middle and while it is firmly attached at either end the middle bit is twisted and the slaps just slipped off. I talked to Ikea again and supplied photos, I waited all day for a call back but nothing yet so I called again, I want that bed gone and I would so love them to come and get it!!! There is obviously something wrong with it so they should come and get it and give me a refund... oh and to top it all off the latex mattress stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my bedroom smells like a toilet, I don't know how much longer I could have waited for it to air out anymore, 5 weeks would be enough don't you think, I'm so not looking forward to going to bed tonight, it stresses me out no end.

*NEWS FLASH*

I'm thrilled to report that Ikea are going to give us a full refund for the bed and oh so stinky mattress, I am still an Ikea lover, in fact we are going to pick up a new bookcase for the boys this week, we just aren't going to buy any more beds from them, just to be safe.

Labels: scrapbooking, stuff

So it is my mum's birthday today HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!! It is also the day Riley spends with mum and dad. On Friday Michael came home with a bag, hoping it was for them Alec and Riley asked what was in the bag, so we told them all about Mutti's birthday and what we had got her.

We all love the stuff from L'Occitane, mum like their verbena range the best so we got her some soap, a candle and some towelettes. At hearing this Alec and Riley are laughing hysterically because we got Mutti bottom wipes for her birthday. We strenuously denied this and explained (while trying not to laugh too) that no, they were not bottom wipes at all but to make Mutti's face feel nice and fresh and tingly, not her bottom. Which was greated with.. you got bottom wipes for Mutti's birthday.. hysterical laughter ensued.

Fast forward to Mutti unwrapping her present today...

before mum could get everything out of the box Riley declares that we had bought Mutti bottom wipes for her birthday.. oh and that Alec picks his nose and eats it but that I (Riley) just pick mine and put the boogers in my hair.

This from my quiet serious child, he really is very funny. yesterday I thought my head would fall off from all his questions but it is a bit quiet here today without him.

Labels: everyday, kids, Riley, stuff

then I don't know why you don't just put it back on!!

no ofcourse you don't! I know you are just tormenting me by leaving it off, or maybe you truly are unable to put the lid back on like you are unable to put the promite back in the cupboard!! I mean to say I can't put crumbs and bits of vegimite in the butter but it is ok to leave it in an open container on the bench for a week, hey atleast you can see that big scrapping of butter and vegimite, who knows what you can see, so I am thinking a lid would be nice. But that is husbands for you I suppose.

I did a fair bit of cooking over the weekend, mainly of food only I like which is a little annoying, I mean it is chicken and vegetable soup, everyone likes chicken and vegetable soup. I must admit the pumpkin soup was popular as were the zuchinni cakes I cooked, Riley even ate them, he pronounced them yummy, I mean the had cheese in them and were fried ofcourse they were yummy, I used fresh garlic in mine, they were very good. We also made homemade pizza Saturday night, Riley loves them and they are fun to make and then we have a second dinner because I cover mine with smoked oysters and they make Michael gag so we make seperate ones. Sunday after soccer we had a huge food breakthrough with Alec, Michael made french toast, Alec ate 2 slices!! that means he ate 2 eggs!! We were pretty thrilled it is something he has never seen before, Riley on the other hand pronounced it sticky and had a bit of toast.. wiff budder

So apart from cooking and washing (on wet rainy days) we had a pretty quiet weekend. And when Michael couldn't round up a kitchen boy/ house elf/ anyone but me to clean up he cleaned up after me in the kitchen.

Labels: cooking, everyday, stuff

I have been wanting to go back to a two column blog for a while now, I was beginning to feel as though the centre column was a bit cramped. I searched everywhere and the choices for fully editable html templates are few and far between. Most are xml which fits in with the blogger widgets, while the widgets are fun the thought of adding every one of the 50 or so links in one at a time left me cold.

So on my wanderings I found this site where you can make your own template, it is nice and neat, you don't need to know html but if you do and you want to change it (like I did) it is very easy to work out and css driven.
Every section has a box where you can edit all your variables and they make it really easy to add your own header image if you want.. so check it out it is called PsycHo and it is well worth looking into.

oh yes.. what do you think? the banner is growing on me but I'm still not sure.

Labels: stuff