It’s my 1st Blogoversary and I’m excited!

So let’s celebrate.

http://weheartit.com/entry/3541971

With Fireworks,

http://weheartit.com/entry/3553040 

Balloons

 

http://weheartit.com/entry/4529824

and with this great looking rainbow cake.

To all my readers and followers, thanks for sticking with me. I have managed 195 posts in 365 days. Thank you for visiting, reading and commenting.

To those 100 or so bloggers I read, thanks for inspiring me, for making me think outside the box and especially sharing your joys and sadness, struggles and triumphs.

I really want you all to know how much I appreciate you.

My favourite Superhero

This is the task for Day 6 of this Self Actualisation project - I need to say who my favourite superhero is and why.

My favourite Super hero is Hugh Jackman Wolverine. It’s his arms, shoulders, abs, the way he fills out the jeans and ummmm… I think I’ll stop there and let the picture show you.

Image from http://www.movieplayer.it/gallery/116737

 

While Wolverine as played by Hugh Jackman is very appealing to me, I have actually liked Wolverine since watching the cartoons.  Yes, I like Wolverine even when he was dressed in yellow lycra. Yuk! Now my knowledge comes only from the cartoons and the movies not the comics so if you are a diehard X-Men comic reader and want to tell me I have completely painted him wrong feel free to comment.

The things that appeal to me (not the the physical I got that out of my system further up) about Wolverine aka Logan are:

• He speaks his mind
• By nature and circumstance he is a loner but is willing to become part of a group and build relationships
• He protects his friends and those who can’t defend themselves
• He stands up for what he believes in
• While he has done things that he is not proud of he has moved on and turned his life around

I think these are all good characteristics to have especially the learning from your mistakes and moving on. He has overcome so many difficult things and yet retained his humanity. I admire him.

So, my favourite Superhero is Wolverine. Who is your favourite superhero and why?

I’m a Winner!

I have been a little remiss by not posting this earlier and I am sorry for that.

The lovely Melissa from Suger Coat It recently ran a competition. There was a really great prize on offer.  You could win a blog makeover provided by Carly of Carly Lloyd Designs.  And I won!  Yay go, me!

Actually I didn't do much, just entered and I won on a toss of a coin due to the votes being tied. But it is so terrific that Melissa and Carly got together to offer this opportunity to us. And I am very grateful.

So in the near future you will be seeing a new look Whining, all thanks to Carly (go check out her blog and design gallery) and Melissa.

So this is for you both:

 

A huge thanks to you both for giving me the opportunity to get Whining made over. I’m excited to see what Carly comes up with.

Somewhere I have been

It’s Day 5 of this self actualisation project (I never said they would be consecutive days, now did I?) and I’m supposed to share a picture of a place I have been.

Now, I haven’t actually travelled that extensively. I have been to Singapore with a side trip to Malaysia, I’ve been to some islands in the South Pacific. But I have been to every state in Australia (except the Northern Territory - which isn’t a state anyway).

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Image from Wikipedia

I’ve probably spent the most time in Sydney.  After all that’s the place where I was born and I still have family there.  So going to Sydney generally involves staying with family and almost always a trip to the beach.  No, not Bondi (I can’t actually remember the last time I was even at Bondi) but Boy Child loves the ocean so it’s somewhere we often go, even in winter but he rarely swims there then.

So this is a place I have been, a place where family is, the place I was born.  It’s the same city that Mr E. was born in too.  I left Sydney aged 8 and have never lived there again.  But it is a place we visit.

Bad habits…

This is Day 4 of the Self Actualisation challenge. The topic is write about a habit you wish you didn't have.

Ah, I thought this one will be a cinch.  While I really don’t drink, have never actually smoked more than a few puffs and don’t gamble, I have lots of other bad habits.  Problem is which one to choose?  Which ONE out of the many do I wish I didn't have?

Should I write that I like to keep things?  I kept all of Boy Child clothes from Size 0000 and up and even after Girl Child wore them I still kept them? The only reason they are no longer in my house is because of the devastating Victorian Bushfires in 2009, commonly referred to as Black Saturday.  I donated 6 huge garbage bags worth of outgrown children's clothing.  It would have been more be my cousins have girls younger than my Girl Child and they get hand me downs of Girl Child’s clothes.

Should I write about the pile of clean washing on a lounge? It seems to grow exponentially every few days and even when it’s folded it never seems to go anywhere.

Should I write (once again) about the fact that I love chocolate and seem to have redeveloped my coffee habit?  I had cut back on both but it seems that they have insidiously crept back in to my life.

Image from Dreamstime

 

I will spare you all of those and talk about the thing that is the root of all evil many issues in my life.  My ability to procrastinate.  That is what has helped cause the mountain of clean washing and the re-emergence of the coffee and chocolate into my life. That is what caused Op Anniversary to fail dismally the first time around. And explains how I had somehow kept years worth of outgrown children’s clothes in my house.

So, I procrastinate.  A lot.  So that is the bad habit that I wish I didn't have.  Because if I didn't procrastinate so much the mountain of washing would be put away, OP Anniversary would have been a complete success and I would be wearing my wedding ring for the first time in 7 years and perhaps I would feel comfortable enough invite people over.

I just did an online quiz and apparently I am….

A Perfectionist.

You are the perfectionist procrastinator. Perfectionists fear failure or not doing a good enough job. They suffer from too high standards. Lest it be less than perfect, perfectionists have trouble starting or finishing a project. However, if the procrastinator does not get an "A," the fact that he or she did not give him or herself enough time to properly do the project excuses the procrastinator from not having done a perfect job. "If I had started earlier..." is a common lament from the perfectionist trying to excuse him or herself.

Yes, I can see that.  If I don’t try, I can’t fail (or can’t screw it up) is exactly how my brain works. I really  need to to do something about this because both Boy and Girl seem to have the same trait.

So what are your tips to beat procrastination?  Are you like me and don’t start something in case it’s not right or not perfect? How have you beaten the procrastination bug? I need help!

I was tagged

CardiffScot from Confessions of a Somewhat Confused Scot has tagged me in this 8 meme.  She has given me 8 questions to answer after which I get to tag 8 other people and ask them 8 questions as well.

The questions I have to answer are:

1) Have you ever had any part of your body surgically removed? Yes.  My gallbladder.

2) What is your favourite quote? I don’t have a favourite one most of the time but today I really like Pooh Bear’s You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.

3) Where in the world would you most like to visit? Wales, Cornwall etc. Places from the Arthurian Legends.

4) Where in the world would you most like to live? I really don’t mind the city where I currently live.  I can’t really see myself living elsewhere.

5) What's the best book you've ever read? I guess it depends how you define best. I really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I read it at least once a year for about 10 years.

6) What's your favourite tipple? As this post shows I don't drink much alcohol.  But when I do indulge I would choose Strongbow Sweet. It’s cider.

7) What's your pet peeve? Judgemental people.  Especially people who seem to think that they need to share their views with the world when it’s not relevant or necessary.

8) Where were you born? Sydney, Australia.

I am going to tag some of my newer blog finds.

Kimberly from All Work And No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something

Diane from Be Still a Minute

Heidi from Heaven is a Bookstore

Debby from Just Breathe

Allison from Life in A Pink Fibro

Jammie from The Neat Things in Life

The Bag Lady from Confessions from a Paper Bag

Deb from Diminishing Deb

Here are the questions I want you to answer:

1. How do you / will you know when you are all grown up?
2. As a child what did you wnat to be when your grew up and are you doing it?
3. You could have an entire day 24 hours to do whatever you wanted (no expense spared).  So what would you do?
4. Someone invents a new cocktail and they want to name it after you.  What are the main ingredients?
5. How many blogs are you currently following or subscribed to?
6. Why did you start blogging and is the reason you started still relevant?
7. What is your favourite item of clothing?
8. If you had to give up blogging or chocolate what would you chose? Is it a hard choice?

Enjoy!

Day 3 – a what? A picture post?

Today is Day 3 of this self actualisation project and I’m supposed to share a picture of me with my friends.  I’m finding this very difficult to do as one: I don’t often get my picture taken, two: I don't generally post pictures as I am quite a private person (yes I know blogging is not a private thing) and thirdly I’m not good at this whole friends thing as my post here shows. Search Friends if you dare I’m sure there are a few others too.

I do have one friend who I have actually vaguely known since Year 2 or 3 at school (age 7 or 8 in my case). J.  We actually became friends in Year 7 (our first year at High School) when I was 12.  She was my bridesmaid, visited me in hospital after Boy Child and Girl Child were born.  She was at both of my parents funerals and I was at her wedding.  We have shared a lot.  We live in suburbs next to each other yet hardly eve se each other.  We are both busy having lives but when we do catch up it’s like nothing has changed.  And that is great. J is also Baby E’s mother.  Now in case I forgot to do an update on him, Baby E. was released from hospital at 1 month old and now at 7 and a half months of age he is meeting all his milestones.

I have a few people (3) who I confided in when Mum was diagnosed with MND, who listened to me while I ranted etc. Some of those people are still around in my life.  And I still catch up with W. from here generally every week.  So maybe I am better at this friend thing than I think.

So no photo of my friends and I but here are some friends.

Image from IMDb

 

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

My Facebook status is…

Today is Day 2 of my Self Actualisation Project. Today I need write about the meaning behind my Facebook status. It currently is:

School is back! Yay, hip, hip, hurray. I think I'm a tad too excited.

As you may have read, this latest school holidays drove me to drink.  Well, drove me to having two alcoholic beverages in about 5 days.  If you have read this post, you’d know that alcohol and I are not well acquainted.

Anyway on Monday the children went back to school.  So I posted the above as my Facebook status.  I was pleasantly surprised that a number of people liked my comment and some people also commented that they felt similarly.  I am concerned that these holidays were only 2 weeks long.  The next set are about 6 weeks.  I’m wondering how I’ll cope when those happen.  Of course it will be the end of the year, so we will have Christmas and new things to keep us entertained.  There will also be High school to get ready for.

But I’m actually wondering how people in the USA survive Summer holidays?  Isn't that all summer without school? Is it really 3 whole months?  If so, I can understand why it seems lots of children go to summer camp.

So not much self actualising here today.  I’m sorry about that.  Let’s see what Day 3 brings, shall we?

Post It Note Tuesday #11

 

 

 

 

     

 

This weeks PINT is brought to you by:

Head on over and join on in!

15 facts about me - Self Actualisation Project 2010

Joanie has begun a Self Actualisation Project that a friend of hers posted on Facebook. Given I’m almost up to my first anniversary of Blogging I thought I would join in.  Maybe some navel gazing introspection will be good for me.  Now because I’m not into putting up recent photo’s of myself or my family I will have to work something out for those tasks.

So for Day 1, the challenge is to post a recent picture of me and 15 facts about myself.

For this one the recent picture is easy.  Here is me at the chocolate party I went to in August.

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The 15 facts about myself (nobody said that had to be new facts did they?) are:

1. I love chocolate.
2. I really love my family but sometimes they come second to chocolate.
3. I wanted to call this blog For the Love of Chocolate but apparently someone else on blogger had the same idea. :(
4. I was excited that school went back today.  Very excited and also relieved.
5. Number 4 makes me feel bad.  I feel as though I should enjoy the time I have with my children (which I do) but sometimes I struggle.  I worry that I am a bad mother because of this.
6. In fact I often worry that I am a bad mother.  Hell, I worry about a lot of things: do I have friends?, will Boy ever eat like NT people?, but most of all Am I a bad mother? which goes hand in hand with Am I screwing my kids up?. Mr E. calls my worrying (or maybe it’s me expecting the worst) paranoia.  I call it realism.
7. Yes, I am a glass half empty kind of girl. That may have been obvious from Number 6 but I thought I should mention it just in case you missed it.
8. I thought perhaps if this Self Actualisation thing was going to work I should actually REALISE stuff about myself and not just put down smart arse remarks.
9. I failed Operation Anniversary dismally.  And I feel ashamed.  But as MR E. decided that our overseas holiday I wanted for our 15th Anniversary should coincide with the RWC 2011 (and incidentally our 16th Anniversary) I thought I could extend Op Anniversary until then. But I need to kick start (aka restart) it.  I do think Number 1 is part of the reason that Op Anniversary didn’t progress very far.
10. Rugby Union is pretty much the only sport I will watch of my own volition.  I have not watched any Commonwealth Games and generally ignore the majority of the Olympics when they are on too.  I may be considered un-Australian for this.  I may also get banished from my extended family if they knew. They are very sporty people, some of whom have played in sport for Australia.
11. Our house is a mess.  It has been this way for quite a while and I am too embarrassed to have friends (or anyone) over.  I think part of the reason it is so messy is because I don’t like people invading my space and that’s how I feel when people are in my house.  Invaded, over run, etc. So I allow it to stay messy and therefore, free of visitors which, in my (also messy) head, apparently means safer.
12. I did however start cleaning up today.  It’s a step in the right direction. Baby steps, right?
13. I actually want to just put down smartarse responses now.  There only 2 to go now and it’s been much harder than I thought.
14. While I am very private person, I actually enjoy blogging. I am envious of people who make lots of friends blogging.
15. Finally, although I’d love to have lots of followers I really appreciate having followers who comment and who I ‘know’ through their comments and their blogs.

Yay, I made it!

Sweet Sunday Blog Hop #5

Once again I’m joining Miss Jaded Vixen in her Sweet Sunday Blog hop. It was her birthday this week so the questions all relate to birthdays. Click on the image to check out her blog and to join in.

1. What was the best birthday present/gift you ever received? Ooh that is tricky.  I like presents but when people ask what I would like I go blank and can’t think of anything. I think it would have to be the handmade gifts and cards from the children.  I know they are made and given with love.
2. The best birthday celebration you've ever had? I quite enjoyed my 30th birthday. My family, friends and I went out for Mexican. Mr E. organised our favourite restaurant to make their GF double chocolate mud cake and bought the whole cake for me.  It was great.
3. A birthday memory you hold true to your heart... My dad’s birthday was the day before mine so while he was alive we generally had a shared birthday dinner and sometimes cake as well.  I resented it sometimes but thinking back I am glad our birthdays were close.  My birthday always makes me think of Dad and I hold his memory close to my heart.
4. Someone famous you share a birthday with? No one I know of.
5. Have you ever spent a birthday away from home? I’m sure I have but I don’t think it would have been many.
6. Something you want to achieve before your next birthday... Attempt to work out what I want to do with my life.

Alcohol…what’s your take on it?

In my last past I wrote about waiting to take up drinking.  I don't actually like the taste of alcohol so that is part of the reason I don't drink much.  Another reason might be the fact that one of my parents drank.  A lot.  Well it seemed a lot to me.  It did result in that parent going rehab for a while (a few weeks maybe?) when I was in Year 10.  The thing was my parent wasn't a violent drunk. More of a I’ll just a drink until I fall asleep or pass out kind of drunk.

So whenever I think about taking up drinking I always freak myself out a little.  That’s not to say I don’t drink at all.  I’ve had my share of drunken nights out.  Generally few and far between.  I’m happy to be the designated driver.  I can’t understand the whole I need a drink or two to relax every night.  I have no issue if that’s what you do.  Although I would prefer that your relaxation doesn't negatively affect you or those around you.

But there is something about the school holidays that makes me think about taking up drinking.  And that worries me.  Because I grew up in a house where alcohol was used to relax (or more likely escape from reality) am I more likely to succumb? And what is it about school holidays that causes this in me?  Is it wanting to escape from the children? Being frustrated by trying to work with the children around and interrupting? Or is it just a symptom that I’m heading towards a low point, possibly a mid life crisis?

Ummm… I’m thinking it’s a good idea to join Joanie and do some self actualisation posts shortly.

What was the alcohol consumption like in your house growing up?  And has it effected how much you drink now?  Some people I know are participating in Ocsober this year – Melissa from Suger Coat It is one, (and someone I know did Dry July as well) so I thought this would be a timely post.  Is Australia the only place that has these? Plus the children go back to school on Monday and I’ll probably be wondering why I was even thinking about alcohol.

School holiday hits and misses

So the holidays are almost over.  This school holidays have been quite challenging and I’m not sure why.  Only that I’ve been very frustrated with the children a fair bit and have considered taking up drinking a number of times.  In fact, I have actually had 2 alcoholic drinks this week which is very unusual for me. Aside from me not enjoying the holidays what exciting things have we been doing?

Well Girl Child has had swimming lessons every week day at 10am.  Boy Child spent 2 days last week learning how to make a 3D castle.  We have had some play dates and tried to go and see Diary of a Wimpy Kid (with the same family) twice.  Both occasions were a miserable failure.

Firstly the internet movie listing was incorrect and the movie was only at on Thursday at that particular time not Tuesday and Thursday as it had said.  So we meet up to go today and the movie theatre is packed.  Seriously there was probably 3 times the amount of people there today than there were on Tuesday.  Given Tuesday is the cheap day it seemed very odd.  Anyway, we had planned to meet up at 1pm allowing us 45 minutes to get tickets and those movie essentials popcorn and frozen coke.

The movie was actually on at 1.50 and I received a message to meet up at 1.20 instead.  Sure not a problem, after all the place was quiet on Tuesday.  We have just pulled into the car park and my phone rings.  The movie is sold out.  What?  How can a movie be sold out?  Apparently by 1.10 the movie only had 4 tickets left and so they deemed it to be full.  Unfortunately for us we needed 6 tickets. So once again we missed it.

Now it was also showing about 4 pm today and Sorcerers Apprentice was showing at 2 but no, it wasn’t possible to see those.  Why?  Because the other family had already seen the Sorcerers Apprentice and couldn’t stay for the 4 pm screening so it would be boring without them.  This pearler was delivered courtesy of Boy Child.  Seriously watching a movie is boring without another family?  You are sitting in the dark not talking to each other. How can doing that with just your family be boring?  Especially when you want to see that movie.  I figure it was really the change that he wasn’t coping well with (an ASD thing), but still it did my head in. 

Girl Child grazed her face on Tuesday.  It looks worse in real life.

I’m surprised she didn't end up with a black eye.  The bruising on her forehead has gone though.  Anyway, the holidays are almost over.  One more swimming lesson for Girl Child, Boy is taking a friend to the pool tomorrow and then in the afternoon we have a BBQ birthday party to go to at a park. I have yet to actually take up drinking and hopefully Girl Child will have healed enough to not get the “Oh, Girl Child what happened to you?” by the time she goes back to school. Mr E. thinks I should reply with “She just doesn't listen.” Ummm, no.  I’m so not going to be saying that. In reality, she fell over on a path.

I’m really hoping that once school goes back Girl Child and I will have our act together and manage to be early.  I wonder how that will work out?  It’s one of my 101 in 1001 things.

Busy day tomorrow and then the weekend.  Maybe we could try to see a movie?  Third time lucky, perhaps?  What are you up to tomorrow and on the weekend?  Have you enjoyed your school holidays?

Dear Friend …and Dear Gutless Me

Dear Friend,

Why when I tell you about Boy child’s negative attitude to the high school he will be going to next year and his issues about it, your comment is suck it up princess.  Yet when you are talking about your friend and her Aspie child his issues are put down to ‘Aspie Anxiety’?

Boy child has ‘Aspie Anxiety’ too.  Maybe it’s expressed differently to your other friends child (I’ve never met him so I don’t know) but it’s still anxiety.

Dear Gutless E.,

Why can’t you ask your friend about this?  Why are you stewing on this conversation?  Why can’t you say hey I was just venting about Boy Child because he is doing my head in?  Why can’t you ask how is that other child different to Boy Child and why his issues are anxiety and Boy Child’s aren’t?

I can answer some of this.  Because my friends son is possibly the only child Boy will have in his year at this High school that he will know. Because my friend has been through at lot with me, the diagnosis, my mum dying and the stalker we ended up with after that, etc.  At this point I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt but I’m struggling with how my child is a princess and someone else’s child is not.

But it’s bugging me.  How do I approach my friend?

I really just want to ask. Hey, why are Boy Child’s issues not worthy of being Aspie Anxiety when your other friends child's issues are?  Maybe that’s how to do it?  Or maybe not?  Should I just leave it alone?  I feel like I have left a lot of issues alone recently and I actually think this friend probably wasn't thinking.  But it still hurts.  What would you do / say?

Note: this is a different family to the one here.  This family is actually understanding most of the time.

Post It Note Tuesday #10

 

   

 

This Post It Note Tuesday was brought to you by:

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Sweet Sunday Blog Hop #4

 

 

Leave your answer in the comments Below; Join The Linky Hop!

1. If you could have acted in any movie roll which would you choose? Why?  I think I would want to play Arwen (Liv Tyler’s character) from Lord of the Rings.  She is Strong and an Elf and gets the hero at the end.
2. Who would you cast as your leading man/woman? I’m very happy for Viggo Mortensen to stay as my leading man.
3. Which comic book character would you play? Maybe Storm from X-Men.
4. Which movie can you watch over and over? When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Bridget Jones’ Diary or some of the other Chick Flicks / Rom Coms of that calibre.
5. If you could have grown up in a movie family which would you choose? I think I’d would like to have been a member of teh Weasley family from the Harry Potter movies.
6. Worst movie you ever had to sit through? LA Confidential…and I walked out about half way through and had to wait for Mr E. and the person we were with to leave.

Play nicely...Please follow the rules!

1. Sweet Sunday is all about meeting exciting new bloggers, not flogging your wares so please no Spam.
2. Answer the Six Sunday Sweets in the comments below.
3. Grab the button and put it somewhere on your blog!
4. Add a link to your blog
5. Visit the blog of the three bloggers before you on the list.
6. Don’t just click follow...read their post and leave a comment they will appreciate
7. Avoid asking people to simple “Follow Back” it’s kinda rude...they will if they enjoy reading your post!
8. Visit as many blogs as you can and leave comments telling them you are visiting from Sweet Sunday @ Confessions Of A Jaded Vixen.

A Belated Happy 15th Wedding Anniversary to Us

It’s always busy here in September.  Actually, it starts in August.  We have our four birthdays, Father’s Day and our Wedding Anniversary in 33 days.Very busy with lots of cake!

This year we reached a milestone… 15 years of marriage. I‘m not going to say wedded bliss because there have been some tough times but we have made it, together.

Here’s a quick overview:

Wedding - September 1995

Boy Child - September 1998

Boy Child’s arrival was wonderful. However, it also ushered in a new set of challenges.  PND, reflux, hospital, reflux medications, asthma medications, possibility of a hysterectomy (thankfully never happened), more hospital, etc.  Then in March 1999 my Dad died.  Mum called Mr E. and he spent the afternoon with her and my Dad’s body before coming to see me and tell me Dad had died.  And a few days later he stood with me while I spoke at Dad’s funeral.

Life went on. We got into the swing of parenting, Boy Child’s asthma finally controlled and then there was Girl Child.

Girl Child – August 2003

Thankfully,  this time around I was well.  And she was too.  Well mostly.  No asthma and any reflux was mild. She had a heart murmur which was diagnosed as being a minor value issue at 11 months old.  Then Boy Child was started down the diagnosis path for ASD, 6 months later we had our answer - Aspergers.

During this time my Mother remarried and things seemed okay.

Mum – 2006 to Feb 2007

Mum was diagnosed with MND. She died just 13 months later.  Mr E., Boy Child and Girl Child were all with me when I spoke at her funeral. Mum was a very complex person and relationships with her were not easy.  Her marriage had broken down while she was ill and once she died her estranged husbands anger was turned on us.  We dealt with months of harassment before taking legal steps, and thankfully things have been calm for quite a long time.

Anniversary - September 2010

So in celebration of 15 years of marriage, the ups, the downs and everything in between here’s a toast to us.

I love you! I hope the next 15 years have many more ups than downs.