What's for Dinner Mum?

Good question! One I wondered about myself, as I was getting up. I have my parents coming to stay for a few days to do some babysitting for us. When they come I like to make meals that are a little bit on the nice side of normal. Dad adores Shepherd's Pie and it's the only way I can come and 'mince and mashed potatoes'. His idea for that gives me the heebie jeebies! Otherwise, I like to spoil them....Mum always gushes over a meal she hasn't prepared that has a tad more flavour than Dad will appreciate. Although he's always got bright shiny eyes that say the meal was pretty exciting, too.

Monday: Roast Pork (carry over from last week)
Tuesday: Meatball Stroganoff, wholemeal pasta
Wednesday: Pork Chops with apple & celery
Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Honey Soy Chicken, stir fried vegies, brown rice
Saturday: Bacon wrapped chicken, roast spuds, vegies
Sunday: Homemade Pizza a la Miss Sunshine

And then Mum gets cranky if I get to the dishes before she does. I love my dish fairy!

Now, off to get some lunches happening for the kids, and pumpkin soup for mine. I think I'll stay on at school after lunch and get some Year 6 Graduation jobs done.

Not With Ink

"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry,

written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,
not on tablets of stone but on the tablets of human hearts."

2 Corinthians 3:3

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I have seven children in my house as I type. My own three are very very tired.....and they treat the four 'visitors' like family, literally. Technically, the four are related in a very distant way, so the fullness of their relationship is valid, I suppose. The children make it seem much closer LOL I had decided that no one should experience my children today, rejecting the whiney "can we go to Uncle W's place????". Too little sleep makes for very nasty little people. I had a nap to escape them this afternoon. Didn't work for them, but it worked perfectly for me! Time will tell as to whether they need space from one another!

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Earlier in the week I joined the Prep-Two's for an excursion to Healesville Sanctuary. It's a wildlife park for Aussie native animals. We had a fabulous and tiring day. The only disappointment is that the Tassie Devils were asleep...."but they're awake in the day time in Tasmania". Well kids, I think they're noctural unless someone is poking them. They wouldn't believe me, and the Devils slept on. Eight years olds know far more than a Mum after all ~ proof before them or not.

The highlight for me required nerves of steel, but so worthwhile. The Birds of Prey display is spectacular. Showcasing four native raptors in live flight, the attendants had them flying right over our heads. It takes quite a bit of resolve to have a wedge-tailed eagle fly inches above your head without ducking...but I managed it! The lower you duck the lower they fly, apparently. By far the most thrilling though, was watching one of the birds crack open a fake emu egg with a stone. Very clever bird, that one!

It's been about eight or nine years since I last went to the Sanctuary. It was far more interesting to me, not being 30 something weeks pregnant. I didn't spend the day desperately looking for somewhere to sit down this time! If you're ever looking for something to do not so far out of Melbourne, go and spend some time there. It is up close and personal and there are times scheduled throughout the park with different animals to meet the keepers and touch some of the animals....like a lace monitor! There is also an animal hospital where you can watch any operations being performed. My little group of kids wasn't interested in that so we raced on! Oh, and watch the ibis's...they're an opportunistic thieving bunch of birds who will snatch your lunch out of your hand if you're not careful.

The Tough Mum-Moments

What to do when your daughter wants to go to a particular event at a specific friend's home and both Mum & Dad are having a conniption at the very thought? You have Daddy tell her the answer. No. That way, I still get to be the good guy just sometimes! Do you think I could send him to school to answer the 'but why?' from the friend next week?

This is one of those times when I think I really like that I'm the kind of parent whose answer is "because I'm the grown up and I said so", and that is enough. Lucky for me, all those little friends know I'm not inclined to explain myself, so expectations are pretty low.

The way we parent might look a lot like self preservation and making our parenting life easier, but I have discovered along the way that we're doing a good job! Apparently it's called being the parent, not your child's friend. Who knew my stubborn nature would be the best thing my kids will ever have going for them, in a parent. I'd always thought I just didn't like being told what to do by kids (read: equivalent of waving a red rag at a bull) but it turns out the experts think its a good thing that grown ups are the boss.

They never tell you when you have a baby that all this other stuff is waiting for you just down the road a tiny little way.

At the Courthouse

Not literally of course, for me at least. No, my Block of the Month Class last night has given me a new use for photocopy paper :) Courthouse Steps.

The picture above is the block I started last night. On the back are lines that you stitch on, and when you flip it over, this is the result. Like magic! All you need is a sewing machine, lots of 1.5 inch strips and a really good light to hold it up and see if the fabric is in the right spot!

The 'girls' tell me you can use the same pattern to do Log Cabin blocks as well. You just go round in circles instead of opposite sides. I'm off to cut some 'light' strips. All the strips I cut last night seem to be 'dark'. And a trip to the photocopier might do me well....to copy more 'patterns' so I can just keep on going.

Tidbits

I have a full on day ahead, but just had to take a moment to say that the review is up at Christian Fiction Online Magazine here on their 'reviewers corner' page. I find it incredibly amusing that the link address says 'best reviewer'. But oh my how I loved 'The Moon in the Mango Tree'. It was such a touching tale and has stayed with me.

The other tidbit, thanks to Rel....Camembert cheese with a little dried apricot on top. Not the cheap Turkish whole dried apricots, but the halves, with the more intense flavour. Mmmmmmm YUM. Oh yes, I think that one's a keeper!

This Week's Menu

We've enjoyed a wonderful weekend of fun and relaxation, thanks to a four-day weekend. Well...our school takes the Monday before Melbourne Cup Day. Very generous of them, isn't it. Mr Busy has already had a little cry because he misses all the fun we've had.

This week, when our wonderful weekend is but a distant memory, this is what we'll be having for dinner.

Monday: Sweet & Sour Pork, brown rice
Tuesday: Tuna & Pasta Casserole
Wednesday: Apricot Chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli
Thursday: Herbed Ricotta Fritters, vegies
Friday: Pasta with Creamy Bacon & Mushroom Sauce
Saturday: Quiche, vegies
Sunday: Roast, vegies (whatever meat is economical)

My next food related project is to look into getting a new bread machine. Mine is sounding very unwell and the seal in the bottom around the paddle has deteriorated. I just can't do a three week holiday over summer with bread prices being what they are.