I don't like Porridge - Fact!

Just another useless piece of information about me.  It's true, I'd make a terrible Goldilocks......

I feel so lucky to be a part of a wonderful paper piecing bee, and this month's Queen is Gina over at Party of Eight.  Gina requested Fairytale themed blocks, and the lovely Kristy made up this divine pattern for The Three Bears.

I hadn't had much time since receiving the pattern days ago, due to a number of reasons including school holidays and having my two nieces as well as my four!  Busy busy!  But this afternoon I had a spare couple of hours and got cracking.  I am SUPER happy with the outcome, although I should have probably chosen something without stripes for the wallpaper!  I also had trouble finding a suitable "porridge" fabric.  I utilised some felt instead.  But my favourite part of all?  The lovely view out the windows.  Another good reason why you should NEVER throw away scraps!  It took me lots of brain power to work out how to get the clouds, trees and kite the right way up, but it worked.  Phew.

I'm linking up with Kristy's Paper Piecing Party, over at Quiet Play - You can too!

The Fun Police Free Weekend

I've come to the conclusion just recently that I am, in fact, the Fun Police.  Thou shalt not have silly, crazy fun - for thou may just annoy me and not allow me to do what I want.  Well, the fun police left this house Saturday morning - at precisely the same time my darling husband departed for two days away, and I was left holding the babies.  I wanted to prove to my kidlets that I CAN in fact be lots of fun, and not the uptight, stressed out, do-your-own-thing-without-annoying-me kind of Mum.

This is how I did it......

I worded the kids up - got them intrigued as to how Mum was going to keep them amused all weekend.  I asked them Friday night what they wanted for dinner Saturday?  Nachos was the vote.  Also asked what the breakfast request was for Sunday - pancakes and raisin toast.  Not a problem.  Successful trip to the supermarket that evening.

Saturday morning began bright and early with our first game of basketball at 9.15am.  Successfully got out the door with no issues.  Check.  I then bribed them with hot chips before the second game - WHICH I WAS COACHING!  Please note: I have NEVER coached a game of anything in my life - so was rather nervous.  Andrew is coach extraordinaire, so I had a bit to live up to.  Lucky for me we were playing the bottom team.  Lucky for me the five girls I was coaching knew what they were doing and all actually listened to what I did actually have to say to them.  WIN WIN!!!  19-4 Victors!

From that little victory we moved forward to more.  Hot dogs for lunch!  Can you see a little theme developing??  Thank the Lord above for sunshine!!  It meant they went outside for a while.  Well, half an hour.  I didn't complain.  Whilst I set to finishing a few sewing orders, they all found something quiet to do - in between asking for snacks - which I said yes to.  Every. single. time.  We searched iTunes for a movie to rent, but then realised we had one iq'd on foxtel.  Movie promised for after dinner.  Next thing I knew - NACHOS!  Discussion had over nachos that the football wouldn't be finished until 7.30pm, which meant it would be too late for a movie.  They all agreed!!!  WTF???

Nom nom nom

 Chloe retired to her kids channels, whilst Cadyn, Chelsea and I sat and watched the second half of the footy.  It was a super game and we were all cheering, screaming and holding our breath as we watched the Hawks beat the Swans!  It was a really nice hour.

Bedtime.  Phew.

I sat up until midnight.  Sewing.  As you do.  Clearly.

7.15am.  Sunlight.  Wide awake.  WTF???

Chloe joined me not long after and after a few quiet games of wordsearch on my phone, the other two were hassling me for pancakes.  Let me be clear on something - I am a cereal girl.  In fact, I would be what is commonly known as a "creature of habit".  That is, I eat the same cereal every.single.day.  And I eat it as soon as my feet hit the kitchen floor.  So cooking pancakes before I have eaten anything is not my idea of waking up wonderfully.  But I sucked it up.  We shook the shit out of that pancake mix (yes, I took the lazy way out) and smoked up the kitchen as we cooked up a storm.  A bench covered in lemon juice and sugar, mixed with happy children IS in fact rather wonderful.  I even skipped the cereal.

Nom nom nom - again.

And the rest of the day?  Well, I spent my time washing and cutting my little dog's hair (no more rasta poodle), dry wretching whilst emptying the cat litter (Andrew will not be forgiven for leaving that SHIT to me), listening to Cadyn and Chloe playing like maniacs and pulling all the blankets and pillows off the beds to make some sort of play equipment.  There was more time spent out in the sunshine and trawling the internet with Chelsea to find what on earth she would be wearing to Book Week dress up day on TUESDAY.  

The cause of my heaving.....Just when you think it's all gone - you're left with this foulness.

Her choice?  The pixie from The Magic Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton.  Of course.  This was at 2pm.  By 3.00pm I had received some ideas and links from my little FB sewing group and found myself driving to Lincraft.  Home by 3.30pm with a bunch of green fabrics and tights.  Impressed to say that by 5pm we had that bitch of a costume done and dusted.  Yeh.  Oh, and thanks to that same Lord above (or whoever it is) for my non-costume-loving son, who has decided he will go as Specky Magee!  Easy.

Leftover spag bog was all that was left of our bribery-through-food weekend.  Oh, and Alvin & The Chipmunks, just to top it all off!

I asked the kids at the dinner table if they'd had a good weekend?

They said Yes.

Which makes me a very happy Mummy.  I'd like to say that the Fun Police have been banished, but I would be fooling myself (and everyone else).  I'm trying to come to grips with the kind of Mum I am.  Although I may not be what I would consider a fun-lovin, easy-going kind of Mum.  I still think I'm a good one.  And it seems my kids do too.  Amen.

Did you all have a good weekend?  Do the Fun Police have a place in your home??  Two hours until Andrew gets home!!!

Cereal-sly?

I have been meaning to write this post for many months now, but something else always comes up when I think about it.  And yes, I think about this issue - every.....single.....morning!

Even my cereal container looks sad and unfulfilled....

Dear Kellogg's,

Please let the records show that you have a very upset customer.  You see, I have been purchasing your delicious Sustain cereal for possibly ten years now.  And up until last year, it was most satisfying, and suited me perfectly, as the size of the box lasted me exactly one week.  That's right - seven perfectly sized bowls of Sustain to keep me going until the following week's grocery shop.

Fast forward to 2011 when I was most outraged to find you had shrunk the size of your box, and accordingly, had messed up my grocery shop and breakfast routine.  I will note that you also brought the price down of the product in line with the reduction of size - however - it does not make up for putting me out.

Every week now, without fail, I run out of cereal.  This in turn means that I have to have toast for one or two mornings.  And this my friend, does not "sustain" my hunger.  Which leads to a very grumpy Mummy.  I do not like having to snack mid-morning.  This does not suit my OCD* routine.

Yours Truly

Hungry Mumma

I know, there's bigger issues in the world today, but this seriously irks me!

* I do not in fact have OCD, although the girl I work with would beg to differ!  I just happen to eat the same breakfast and lunch every day.  Strange?

* Kellogg's have not paid me for this post either....although I've given them enough of a plug!