Weekly Meal Plan 2/9/13 - 8/9/13

Monday - Chicken Carbonara Pasta

Tuesday - Sausage Casserole with Mash potato and vegies

Wednesday - Chicken Soy Stir-Fry with rice

Thursday - Lasagne and salad

Friday - Mexican night - Tacos, burritos and Nachos ( a little bit of everything because as if all 6 of us would like the same thing!)

Saturday - Fend for yourself night!

Sunday - Cottage Pie

Baking:

 Cookies

            Banana and Oat bread (recipe to come soon)

            Some sort of muffins (thinking blueberry?)

What do you have planned for dinner? Feel free to add your meal plan in the comments.

:)

"I'm on top of the world"

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Have you seen the movie The Incredible Burt Wonderstone?

I love that movie. I'm a huge fan of Jim Carey though. Oh and Steve Carrell. Laughter is fantastic for the soul. Right now, the song from the movie 'On top of the world' is summing me up so completely. It is amazing!

Anyway, as you all know, my hubby has been rather unwell with his mental health. He is making a fantastic recovery after being told he does not have Bi-Polar and just has depression. The medications were conflicting with each other, and dragging him down. But he is on the mend, and we have all noticed a massive turn around already.

However, the last month has been draining for me as well. Don't get me wrong. I know for a fact it has been much harder on him, and I am by no means trying to get sympathy for 'everything I have had to do'. Because, at the end of the day, I am his partner, and it is what partners do for each other.

Last Saturday, we got a new mattress delivered for our bed. Honestly, our old one, wow, it was rubbish. It had holes with springs poking through. No wonder we didn't get a very good sleep. Since sleeping on our new mattress, I have noticed a HUUUUUGE turn around in myself. Clearly, I was lacking some serious good sleep.

I was able to jump out of bed this morning. Yes, I literally mean jump! I swung my feet over the bed around 20 seconds after opening my eyes and bounced off the bed. I can't believe it! I haven't been this perky in... well, I don't remember! I am happy. Truly honestly happy. I can see the sunshine, I can hear the birds, and I can feel the sparkle in my eyes when I have an honest smile. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. I feel like 'I'm on top of the world".  I feel like I can take on anything. I am finally feeling like myself again.

I hope everyone has a truly magical day!

I'm not Superwoman (Although it would be nice)

So, the last few days have been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster.

Monday the 15th was the 1 year anniversary of the passing of my dear mother. I spent the day sitting and thinking about her, the good times, but it was very hard to not think of the vivid images of watching her pass away, and having to go through all by myself. It was horrible. But I know she is no longer in pain, I got through the day, and will again every year. I know that. It's the way she raised me after all!!

Then Tuesday, things fell apart. Hubby came to me very early in the morning with a massive low. The deepest depression I have seen him with. He was terrified, and frankly, so was I. I was on the phone most of the day with a Crisis Assessment Team, and helping him just get through the day. I had made a Dr appointment for him but couldn't get in until this morning. So, it was a matter of just surviving yesterday.

Today, we had a routine house inspection, just so happened to be at the same time we had to be at the Dr's. So I had to make sure the house was ready before we left for school. So a lot of the night I was cleaning. Then this morning getting the final details done, like beds made etc.

He did the Dr thing, Hubby had his medications upped. So we went to the Pharmacy to get more, then to the bank to deposit a check. By time we got home I had enough time to put on some dinner and sit for 5 minutes before I was back out for school pick up.
I bumped into my friend who made me an appointment with a psychologist for tomorrow morning. She was concerned about me, which I found overwhelmingly beautiful, but I rang and changed the appointment for Hubby instead of myself. He needs to talk to someone ASAP. So, tomorrow we are off there.

However, I am done tonight, I don't know what to do right now. I have been a shoulder for Hubby, I have mourned my mother again, and I have scrubbed the crap out of my house. All within a span of a few days. I'm spent .... Exhausted .... Falling asleep typing.

I can't be that shoulder, that mourner, that cleaning lady/slave right now. I need a rest. So, tonight, I quit. I am going to leave everything, throw the kids in bed, and sit. I'm going to switch off and be completely and totally selfish. And you know what .... I don't care.

A realisation

Last Friday, Hubby had to go away for work. We didn't find out until 8 pm the night before, and had to be up at 5 am, with the kids, to go to the airport to drop him off. He had been away for a few days before this, and had just gotten home about an hour earlier from that trip, before finding out he was off again. 

The kids were gutted he was off again. But, it is life, you have to work to earn a living and pay for the roof over your head, the food in your belly, and all the other bills associated with living in general, right? Right. 

I explained that to the kids and they understood as much as they could for their little ages. They didn't like it, but understood he absolutely HAD to go. 

So we took him to the airport, dropped him off, and then drove home.

It began before I even left the car park. The screaming, the bullying each other, the hitting! Ugh! Come on, it's too early for this guys! Seriously!

We got home, and started our day, only to have more screaming, hitting, taunting and nagging.

---- Insert sigh here ----

This continued ALL day! By lunchtime, they broke me. I cracked, and I became submissive to their wants. I just didn't care anymore. Anything to keep them quiet and to give my poor ears a break!

Pancakes for lunch covered in chocolate? OK!

Tim tams for afternoon tea? OK!

Me: What do you want for dinner kids? 

Them: ----Maccas!

Me: OK! Lets go get in the car and get it then

Them: ---- I don't want to get in the car....

Me: Well how do i go get it then?

Them: ---- I don't know, can't we stay here?

Me: No, it's not safe for young children to be home alone

Them: ---- Crying, and screaming.....

Me: OK, how about if you come, I'll get you an ice cream too??

Them: ---- YAAAAY!

Hold on.... what the heck happened there?!?!?!

Situations like this have been popping up more and more frequently lately. It has been driving me nuts, then at night I stay up thinking about how much of a horrible mother I am for giving in like that, and what horrible junk they are putting into their mouths. Which, is only fuel for the fire with additives etc. 

Hubby came home Saturday night. Poor Mr 5 was very ill, but we still had to head out at 7.30 pm, to be at the airport by 9 pm to pick him up. He was burning up despite the panadol, and was very tired and cranky, understandably. So I was cuddling him on my lap while waiting for hubby to get to the car. The others however, jumping around, kicking the inside of the car, screaming, and wouldn't settle down for anything. As soon as I saw hubby walking over, they were quiet, and sat patiently for him to arrive...... Frustration overload.

Later that night when we got home, put the kids in bed, and were in bed ourselves. I started crying. I spilled my guts to hubby, and he made me realise that I was being bullied by my own children. 

WOW! That realisation sucked!

I don't know how this happened. I understand that they really miss having Daddy around. I understand they hate being couped up all day because it has been raining a lot. I have tried ALL the rainy day activities I can think off. I have googled, I have pintrest-ed, I have done everything I can think of. But there is nothing quite as good as running off steam in the yard. 

I am not sharing this story as a pity party for myself. I know I dropped the ball this time. I just wanted to share with you all, in case anyone else has, or is, in a similar situation.

I don't know how to fix it. I don't claim to have answers. But sometimes just putting it out there, can lift it off your shoulders. Even if only for a little while. 

I am sure in time, they will settle, the rain will stop, and I will get my sanity back. In the meantime .... is it wine 'o' clock yet? 

 

Music for the soul

Music has a profound influence on me. It does on hubby too. It is amazing how music can change your mood. Make you happy, make you sad, make you think, make you energized, maybe even make you flirty! I have a playlist on my iPod that I use when I am doing the housework to keep me motivated. So I thought I would put my top 10 housework songs here.

Do you have a playlist for housework or anything else? Exercise playlist maybe? What songs do you have?

TOP 10 HOUSEWORK SONGS

10 - ZZ Top - La Grange

9 - Kaiser Cheiefs - Ruby

8 - Bon Jovi - You give love a bad name (one of my mums favourites too!)

7 - Beyonce - Sweet Dreams

6 - Boy & Bear - Cover of Fall at your feet (originally by Crowded House)

5 - The Kinks - You really got me 

4 - Oasis - Some might say

3 - Peal Jam - Even flow

2 - Rolling Stones - Paint it black 

1 - Fleetwood Mac - Go your own way (this is my favourite song of all time)

Some of my other songs are ....

- Modest Mouse - Float On

- Jimi Hendrix - Foxy Lady

- Iggy Pop - Never met a girl like you before

- Social Distortion - Story of my life

- Anything by Bruno Mars

- Patti Smith - Land of a thousand horses

- Seal - Kiss from a rose

- Cranberries - Linger

- White Stripes - Cover of 'Joleen'

- Anything by The Sex Pistols

- Living Colour - Cult of Personality

- Anything by Adele

- Divinyls - pleasure and Pain

- David Bowie - Fame

- R.E.M - Man on the moon

- The White Stripes - Blue Orchid

- Elton John - Benny and the jets

The kids favourite song on y playlist is an unusual one. They love it because it is so crazy!

- Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour moi!

As you can see I have a wide range of musical likes. I like everything from the corny Cher, all the way to the hardcore Rammstien. 

So, I could go on forever with music I love. But I think I will leave it at that. What is you favourite song?

Are you PC??

Image Credit

Image Credit

 So, we have the federal election coming up. 

Who will you vote for? The same party you have been voting for since you were legally old enough, to be forced to vote? Or are you going switch up and vote for someone else? Or, do you simply do a donkey vote?

I take my voting pretty seriously. I like to know who I am voting for, party platforms, other options, pro's Vs Con's. All that kind of Jazz....

I am curious though....

Do you look into these things??

I have spoken to many people in the past and when asked the question "Who are going to vote for?" (Of course I tell them they are by no means under an obligation to tell me). Their response was "Ugh, I don't know, probably XXXX party".

Oh .... right.... that's going to help.

My theory is, we the people, choose who we want to run our country. They get to have a major say in a lot of our goings on in our own personal lives. From how much we pay tax, how much 'assistance' via Centrelink we are allowed to get. They even get to choose what our country will do in the situation of a crisis, or, god forbid, a war. 

Now, that is a ginormous responsibility.

People, I have found CAN be very apathetic towards voting, they don't see that their vote makes a difference, and they don't care who runs their country. But you see, it is us 'little people' who, when combined, have a very loud voice. 

I think many people forget there are more then 2 parties out there. More then Labour Vs Liberal.

There are smaller parties too. Ones you probably overlook. But have you actually stopped and look at parties platforms lately? There might be something new out there that tickles your fancy, and you agree with.

There are 99 days (as of today, 6/6/13) to get yourself enrolled to vote, make sure your address is up to date, and for you to scout the party platforms. I am no expert when it comes to politics, and quite frankly, the irritate me to no end. Watching politicians together is like watching a class full of students bullying each other and yelling at the teacher that "Billy' pushed my chair".  

Here is a link to the Australian Electoral Commission website, for just in case  ..... AEC

****Disclaimer: I am not encouraging you to vote for anyone, this is just a 'make your vote count' post, with my own opinions, and thoughts. You get to choose the outcome, and you are allowed to have your own voice. ****

Blog Every Day In May - Day 6: 'What do I do?'

If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?
It is a good question.

I have many jobs....

- Doctor/Nurse
- Referee
- Chef
- Accountant
- Taxi driver
- Laundromat operator
- A 'Mrs Fix-It' (it usually involves tape)
- Personal shopper
- Personal Assistant
- Cleaner
- Teacher
- Landscaper
- Hair stylist
- Nutritionist
- Personal trainer
- Negotiator
- List maker!


Soooooo, if I couldn't use any of those, then I would have to say, I do nothing...... but then again, I think I deserve that! As we all do!