Post Christmas Wrap up

Hey peeps! How are you all?  Did you miss me? Well, I have missing visiting you all now have 168 posts to read. Prolific bunch aren’t you?

I hope those of you who celebrated Christmas had a nice time and enjoyed time with your friends and family.  I hope those of you who lost loved ones during the year managed to have great memories of those you lost and that your loss didn't; overshadow the enjoyment of the day.  The first year is the hardest and the sadness does lessen over time.  But I know that it’s very tough. So hugs to those of you, struggling with your grief.

So what have we been doing in my blogging absence? Well, the kids and I went to Sydney to have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my extended family.  It’s the fourth year in a row for us there.  The first was the one just before my mother died and that seems to have started a tradition.  Now my traditions are things like eating shortbread while putting up the Christmas tree and watching both lots of televised Carols (the Domain in Sydney ones and the Vision Australia ones from Melbourne). It seems the extended family Christmas is now one as well.  Mr E. didn’t come with us this year as he is unwell and it was touch and go whether he ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics.  Basically he decided that he’d prefer to be at home alone rather than end up in hospital in Sydney. So for the first time in 17 years Mr E and I were not together for most (if not all of Christmas Day). I’m still feeling a little unsettled about that but Mr E. is slowly getting better and will probably avoid a trip to hospital which is what we really want.

The kids and I went to the beach on Christmas morning, then to a morning tea, present opening and lunch with my family.  We had a lovely day.  The food was great and Boy Child ate PORK and HAM! Apparently ham tastes like cabanossi (huh?).  He even ate steak in public when we took out my Grandmother out on Christmas Eve.  How proud are we?  Very! He was also extremely helpful at the Christmas Lunch with carrying things, playing with the little kids and impressed many people by trying new foods.  Lots of people commented on how mature he is and how helpful.  We are so extraordinarily proud of him.

Girl child had fun playing with the cousins particularly the two littlest. She shared beautifully and was lovely.  She is very nurturing. We are very proud of her too.  Except maybe of the 5.45am wake up we had.  Not a great start when you have a full on day and a 3.5 hour drive in the evening.  But she was happy to find her stocking had a present in it. 

We made it home safely. Tired but happy that Mr E. was doing well and grateful that we had family to spend the day with.  I hope you all enjoyed your celebration, not matter what or where they were.

It’s been a Momentous week!

This week has been a very busy but exciting week.  As you know, Girl Child finally got over the chicken pox and managed to return to school for the last 3 days of Year 1. She was so excited to go back to school she was completely ready to leave at 6.30 am on Wednesday.  She got to hand out Christmas cards and say goodbye to her friends and her teachers. I had 3 days of freedom and even managed to do most of the Christmas shopping. Plus I got a haircut and even had some foils put in.

Boy Child finished Year 6.  It’s the end of his Primary School Life, next year he starts High School. He is growing up so fast! The graduation was on Thursday morning and Boy Child received an Academic Excellence Award.  We are very proud.

Thursday evening there was and Year 6 graduation Dinner and Disco.   Boy Child went.  He had fun with his friends, danced and ate roast beef!  Yes that’s right the boy, who has basically subsisted on nutella sandwiches and chicken nuggets and chips since he was 3, ate roast beef.  Scary, huh?

Even better than that it was the third day in a row that he had eaten foods out of his comfort zone.  Now he tried sausages back in October at a Birthday party (so he wouldn't upset the hosts by not eating) and he ate hot dogs at home here. This week he ate two sausages for dinner on Tuesday, tried steak on Wednesday, apparently ate 3 sausages at a school sausage sizzle on Thursday and then ate roast beef at his graduation dinner.  OMG!!!  I am so very proud of him.  This year he has tried a huge (for him) number of new foods – pizza, carrots, blueberries, watermelon, strawberries,  sausages, frankfurts and steak. Now some of those he doesn't like but the majority he has actually liked the taste of and is willing to try or again and for some even eat on a regular basis. Go Boy Child!  We love you very much and are so impressed that you have tried new things.  Oh yes,  and for finishing Primary school and getting an Academic Excellence Achievement Award.

Fat to Fit 16 Dec 2010

The last time I did this I was a little confused and apparently trying to get from Fit to Fat.  Well that's what my title was anyway.  I plead sickness and sheer stupidity lack of proof reading!

Last time my goals were:

1. To finish tidying the family room, yes again! Fail!
2. Try to walk to school or use the treadmill for 20 plus minutes 4 days of the week, if well enough. Fail although not completely. I did walk at least twice.
3. Go to bed before 10.30 pm at least 3 nights of the week. Success!  Okay illness may have had a lot to with that.
4. Try to eat less processed food. Have salad stuff to eat for lunch and will aim for at least 3 days for that. Success!  I had salad sandwiches and wraps a few times.
5. If I still feel like crud, seek medical advice.  I was told by 3 different people this morning to go to the Dr as I have now been sick for about 3 weeks and apparently sound just as bad as I did last Friday. Success again.  Okay, I actually went to the Dr twice and the second time got different antibiotics and a repeat as the first lot didn’t help much. 

Wow, not as bad as I thought.  I have now also lost a total of 800g!  WOOT! Which according to MyDr .com.au means I only need to lose 9kgs exactly to get to a BMI of 25. Now that BMI calculator lets you put in decimals which I like.  Also they say 25 is normal and overweight starts at a BMI of 26.

My aims for this week are:

1. To finish tidying the family room.  Do I sound like a broken record yet?  If this does not occur there will be no Christmas Tree!
2. Use the treadmill for 20 plus minutes or walk the dogs 4 days of the week .
3. Go to bed before 10.30 pm at least 3 nights of the week.
4. Try to eat less processed food. Have salad stuff to eat for lunch and will aim for at least 3 days for that.
5. Play with / spend some quality time with the children.

What are you going to do for yourself?

Join in with Lucy's Fat to Fit Blog hop.

Post It Note Tuesday #15

 

 

 

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Rich People’s Problems Dec 2010

I have done this previously but after my whining last post/s I thought I should do it again. After all, I occasionally often need a kick up the bum wake up call.    Cooper, Pepper and their Mum and Dad visited Cambodia recently so check out Big Brother, Little Sister particularly this post for a kick up the bum if you need one too.  As before the idea is to list problems that only rich (or first world, or affluent or comfortably well off) people have.

This week my rich people’s problems were:

• Not having  hot water for most of Friday… because I could make a phone call and a good looking  nice plumber came and fixed it within a few hours.
• Being in quarantine with Girl Child due to her Chicken Pox…because Chicken Pox is not small pox, polio or other nasty / very rare (where I live) disease.
• Being at home with Girl child (yes again)…because I work from home and don’t have to take leave to look after her. I also can’t be fired for not being at work for the last week and a half and I don't get pressured to send her back before she is well.
• Suddenly realising that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and I haven't gotten presents for lots of people…but I have access to money and shops which many people do not.
• Our garage flooded with the rain…however, the water catchment areas are full plus the family and rest of our home is safe and dry.
• My frustration with our school (I seem to be a broken record on this at the moment)…but my children have a safe place to go to,  where they learn and play with friends etc.
• My difficulty accepting that my boy baby growing up and going to High School…we live in a country where children don’t have to work to support themselves or their families.

Have you had any rich people’s problems lately?  Or am I the only one?