The last day of holidays

It doesn't seem four weeks since school broke up for the mid semester break. Apparently it is. Tomorrow the chaos of the school term returns. 

There is no sigh deep enough to help me pass the relcutance with which I face tomorrow. There are no words to descibe the dread with which the dawning of tomorrow brings.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am struggle with the other reality of returning from time away. We may only been gone for a few days but it felt like much longer. Much, much, much longer in fact. The remotness and tranquility of where we were made it easy to forget about the reality of normal life. It felt like we were totally removed from civilasation and all of it's woes. 

Needless to say the return to suburbia has been brutal. Amplified only by the fact that tomorrow school returns.

There is a part of me that is deeply concerned about my desire to be removed from the normal way of life. But then I think who wouldn't want to run away from bills and housework and all the drudgery that fills a lonely housewife day? 

What would you rather, being confined to the monotony of day to day life where Mount Washmore and Mount Foldme compete with the leaning tower of dishes to see who can climb to the highest height or the vastness of the bush where dishes, clothes and commercialisation of life almost cease to exisit?

For me it is easy pickings.

I want to be surrounded by nothingness and empty spaces.

I want to be free from clutter and the unnecessary.

I want to breathe in gum leaves and fresh air.

I want my alarm clock to be choirs of birds greeting the morning sun.

I want to be free from commitments and responsibilities.

I want to blow about in the wind and land where ever that may take me.

I want not to be sad about school holidays ending because life is one big holiday full of life long learning

Putting one foot in front of the other

Life of late has been what some might call a little full on. Some of course may still consider it a walk in the park. My own feelings involve struggles and battles, not necessarily won. Though it is also not nearly as terrible as it all sounds or as recent posts may lead you to believe.

To all those who have left such kind comments of late I am super thankful, it really does mean a lot to know you care. Please do not fret for me too much though. Some times I think my words make it all seem much worse than it really is. Which is not really quite what I want, but I am not sure what I can do.

My mantra at the moment is just keep going. The wheels are in motion, albeit slowly, they just need to keep on turning. And turn they will.

Towards the end of the holidays I bumped into a friend from school. And when I say friend I actually mean most awesome person ever who made my dream true last year. Naturally when she asked if I could help her out by looking after her four year old son I said yes. After all it is only a few hours each morning and more importantly I was honoured she trusted me with her offspring.

Having an extra little person around had been lovely. Miss Two, who I should probably start calling Miss NearlyThree, though I think Teapot would also be a bit cute but it doesn't really indicate age which I think at times is appropriate, now where was I...oh that's right. The youngest of my creations has really enjoyed having a play mate these last few weeks. Watching them play has made my heart swell on more than one occasion.

While the girls all play with each other on some level, their age gaps of four and five years are always evident. There is only a little over a year in age difference between our little guest and Teapot. They way they play together is beyond gorgeous. As is the thoughtfulness and care they show each other, especially their desire to share. She sure is going to miss him next week.

Part of  the fun of our new friend has been the preschool drop off. Miss NearlyThree would happily stay there with him if she were to be given the chance. The preschool teacher has mentioned on more than one occasion how ready she already seems. My heart breaks to think that this time next year we could be doing it all for real.

Here in the Territory children can start preschool, a part time play based familiarisation with the school environment, at the tender age of three and a half. This means that twelve months later, at the still tender age of four and half, children may start transition. Which is the first of year full time formal education.

Which I am now starting to wonder if it really is the best way to go about things. With Miss NotYetTwelve just starting her first year of Middle School (year seven) I can't help but wonder if she is really ready. Something I am sure most mothers have thought many a times. 

How has the first week or two back at school treated you? 

Have you wondered whether it was the right thing to do?

Joining in with Jess and the #IBOT crew

Tips to save money on your electricity bill.

With a recent thirty percent increase in my local electricity rates I have been looking at ways to save money on my power bill. Being the sharer that I am here are a few tips on how you can save money on your electricity charges.

Of course if I lived any where else in this fine country I would be able to go to a comparison website to compare electricity rates and see if there was another local electricity company that could offer me a better deal, but alas that luxury is not available when there is but one electricity company in town. 

Mind you even when there is a choice of provider there is nothing wrong with cutting back where you can. Here are a few simple tips I am planning to take up to save money on my future electricity bills.

Source

Unplug all appliances at the wall when not in use. 

You know that little red light you see at the bottom of your TV when it is not in use? You would be surprised at how much power all those little lights around your home can use. Sure not having the clock set on the DVD player might be an inconvenience at times but if it saves money throughout the year then it is well worth the inconvenience I say.

Appliances don't need lights. Neither do empty rooms

There is no need to have lights on if there is no one in the room. Even if you have the lowest wattage lights and all that jazz. If it's not in use, turn it off. Which I know is really just common sense but when you have kids common sense isn't always around. Children are our future and the sooner we drum these simple ways of life into them the better.

Fans cool people not rooms. 

Source

As a tropical living girl, all our rooms have fans. Only that doesn't mean that they need to be on if we are not in the room. I imagine that for those in cooler climates the same can be said about the heater. While on the topic of heaters, it is best if they are not placed in front of windows and all doors, windows and curtains are closed when the heater is in use. It makes it easier to trap the heat within and keep the cold out. Air conditioners also work best when rooms are closed up and draught stoppers should be on every door.

While we are blessed with air conditioners in the bedrooms we have decided that they are now just there for decoration. It won't be too long till the weather changes and things cool down any way, but till then we are just going to tough it out. At least that is the plan. If however that plan crumbles we will only turn it half hour before bed and have a timer turn it off after a few hours. Rather than have it set at arctic temperatures the thermostat will be locked in at 24 degrees. This means that the system will not have to work as hard and thereby not use as much power.

Wash full loads. In cold water.

Be it the dishwasher or the washing machine it doesn't matter. Using cold water saves electricity. Most dishwashers internal heating systems for heating the water, which is much more effective than getting it from the hot tap. And really it is just common sense to wait for full loads before putting either machine on.

As much as I love my great big top loader there is a part of me that is waiting for it to pass away. It is nearly seven years old so I am sure there are much more electricity friendly models out there as front loaders use less power I want to update. 

Harness the power of the sun.

Thankfully we already have solar hot water. And I love it. So much so that I am now looking into getting more solar panels to subsidise the electricity. My friend cleverly had almost their whole roof covered with solar panels which have cut her electricity bill by a third. A third I tell you. Amazing and definitely worth looking into.

Saving electricity is easier than you may think and is really all about making a few simple lifestyle changes. Ones that in the long run will not only save you some cash but also go towards helping the environment. For more tips on how to save on your power bill check out here and here

Joining in with the IBOT gang

Turtles - Wordless Wednesday

The other day we were fortunate enough to watch some baby turtles make their way down the sand to the sea for the very first time. To find out more about it read here. For some interesting turtle info go here

These are few of the photos I took.

 I wanted to be this man. He had so many, ok maybe only three or four, lens attached to his belt. I went to ask him if he was perhaps interested in having me feature a few of his photos on my blog. Only when he said he was doing a feature in National Geographic I didn't bother

 This is the shell from a Green Turtle. It was to show the size of the turtles that had laid the eggs that had hatched. Though we were releasing Flat Back Turtles the size of an adult is about the same

 This is a small Flat Back, sitting inside the shell.

Everyone gathering round waiting for the turtles to be released

And they're off!

We were even able to have a little hold of one

 Perfect way to end the day

Joining in with the lovely Trish and friends for 

Aussie Wordless Wednesday at

Hurtle Turtle Outta Here (Turtle Facts)

Recently I was fortunate enough to be at the beach as a bunch of baby turtles headed out to the big wide ocean for their first swim.

It was all kinds of awesome.

Part of watching it meant that I also got to listen to a rather interesting talk about turtles, which brings me to today's post.

Did you know...

Darwin is the only capital city in the world that has flat back turtles that nest on it's beaches

Turtles return to the beach that they were born on to procreate. Only 1 in 2000 turtles live to actually do this though.

When they reach maturity, somewhere between the ages of 20-40 years depending on the species, they may travel up to 3000 km to reach said beach.

Turtles are all about family and helping out. They form a ladder in the nest and help each other climb out. They then wait for everyone to get out before heading to the sea. It can take 2-3 days between hatching and actually climbing out of the nest.

The preferred time to head to towards the sea is a night on a high tide. There are less predators at night and the high tide means less to walk.

When the female is ready to lay her eggs she also prefers night and high tide. For much the same reasons as her offspring choose to leave at that time.

Essentially mating season is just one big turtle sex party with all parties trying to get it on as much as possible. The males hang around for about a month and get as much action as they can. The females stay for up around three months and in that time they will lay up to five clutches of eggs in that time. The sperm gained from the sex party seems to just hang around inside the female and fertilizes the eggs for each clutch. 

It is possible to know the species of turtle purely by looking at the mother's tracks and the eggs laid. Flat back turtles have larger eggs and lay between 30-70. Green turtles have smaller eggs and lay up to 100 eggs at a time. While other species have even smaller eggs again and may lay between 150-200 in a season.

The temperature of the sand can determine the sex of the eggs. The hotter the sand the more females are likely, however the sex can only be determined by dissection.

Before leaving the nest the turtles eat the last of the embryo from the egg they were just in. This will sustain them for the next 3-4 days while they swim out to find the oceanic current that will drift them to there new home.

Turtles can drift in oceanic currents for 10 years till they find a place to call home.

Death by plastic bags are not uncommon for turtles. DO NOT leave plastics laying around or near water ways.

How to say goodbye to training wheels

For at least the last year, possibly longer, every school holiday break has seen me say to daughter number two, let's get rid of those training wheels.  The first few times I mentioned it she was hesitant to say the least.  She was quite content with the rickety old training wheels and could see no reason to get rid of them.

When she discovered scootering, bike riding became so last year that the poor old bike was relegated to the back of the shed and never looked like being ridden again.  My suggestions to try riding without training wheels were totally ignored and I was slowly resigning myself to having a child that would never ride a two wheeled bike.

This holidays all that changed though.

We were out and about, strolling through the park when we came across a mother teaching her young daughter to ride a two wheel bike.  When I say young I mean a good two years, possibly two and a half, younger than Miss Six.  This tiny little girl had just about got the hang of it.  Mum was still helping her get started but once going was able to let go and the little girl went for a while all by herself.

Miss Six was suitably impressed.

As soon as we were out of earshot of the mother and child, she informed me that she would like try riding without training wheels as soon as we got home.  Which naturally did not happen because there was dinner to cook, washing to fold and a whole heap of other things to be done that had already been put on hold in order for us to even be at the park in the first place.

Instead it took a few days till we could find some time to squeeze in a try.  Within minutes I had a two wheel rider on my hand.  Seriously, I am amazed that it was something that was put off for such a long time yet accomplished so quickly.

So with that in mind here are many handy tips on how to say goodbye to training wheels.

• Remember this can be a long slow process.  Each child will be ready at a different stage and each child will take a different length of time to get the hang of it.  It is one of those it won't happen over night but it will happen things.
  
• Patience is vital.  As is praise and encouragement.
  
• Start by adjusting the training wheels so they are slightly off the ground.  This will help the child to discover their sense of balance.  Some parents even take one wheel off altogether in the early stages.
  
• Once both training wheels are off spend some time holding the bike while the child rides.  Don't just let go straight away, give them a chance to get a feel for the bike and creating their own balance.
  
• Choose a large area away from obstacles and traffic to learn in.  If on the grass make sure that the grass is very short, otherwise it can make pedaling difficult.
  
• Always ensure helmets and covered shoes are worn.  Long sleeves and pants are optional but recommended if a fear of falling on gravel is present.
  
• When choosing a bike look for something your child will be strong enough to hold and control.  Smaller is sometimes better.  Have the seat a little lower as well to ensure child can place both feet flat on the floor.
  
• Have fun and enjoy this special time with your child.  You are not just teaching them a life long skill but also creating memories.

Flogging my thanks for the Show

It might be Friday but boy am I thankful.

Oh. So. Thankful.

So thankful I am not even sure where to begin or what words to use.
Thankfully there are these to share while I gather my thoughts.

 Essentially, I guess I am most thankful that earlier today my mum and I thought,

To hell with the expense, let's take the kids to the show!  

Because let's face it taking three kids (and two adults) to the local show grounds when the show is in town, is never going to be a cheap experience.  


Oh me, oh my, was it worth it.

The fun that we had and the memories we created were just priceless.

Before I went off frivolously spending funds that were technically ear marked for such an activity but possibly could have been better utilized in the saving to have fun at my sister's wedding catergory, I am thankful that I took the time to get pretty much all of the housework out the way.

Yep that's right I am still singing the praises of my new vacuum cleaner.  I am seriously excited about using it, it makes me feel all Martha Stewarty.  And as such I am inspired to use it fairly regularly.  Well more regularly than what I ever have before.

I never really imagined myself as a domestic goddess, however I am starting to feel that it is perhaps possible.  Perhaps there is a domestic goddess within me after all.  I know this would certainly please my mother no end.

Back to this post.

I am thankful that the man at the gate said that Miss Six (by only six weeks mind you) looked like she was only five as he handed me back change from my expected ticket cost.  From there the day just continued to improve.  It really was a wonderful day.

We saw horses being ridden, cattle we could touch, baby chickens in varies ages, colours and sizes.  Then there were ducks and geese, turkeys, both big and very small.  Their gobbling gain laughs from one and all.  Miss Eleven was very disappointed we could not purchase one of the $10 babies for sale.
As tempting as home grown turkey for Christmas lunch may be, our yard is not so very practical for something like that.

The mouse circus

was beyond awesome.    I could have watched them for hours.

In fact we all could of.  The girls were just totally mesmerized by it all.  I have no idea how many there were, as they were too entertaining to stop and count.  I do know that I have been asked numerous times since then if we can please get our own mouse circus.  

Being able to take the girls to see all these wonderful things really was fantastic.  The brilliant behaviour and excellent manners all day showed they were loving every minute of it as well.  The heart warming, I am so glad we did this, moments were almost never ending.  I really am so thankful to be in a position to have taken the kids this year.  It is by no means something we do every year, making it that bit extra special when we do.

In other news I am thankful for friends that dropped by recently.  Especially after last week's post.  After I published it I worried that all the wonderful friends I do have would start to think I didn't appreciate what I had.  I am thankful that my friends are so awesome such thoughts would never cross their mind.

The return of school saw me go for a much needed solo run.  Many thanks for both events.  So pleased that everyone settled in like it was only yesterday they were last there.  Which was great.  Made only greater by the fact that because of the show, it is only a three day week.  Monday was a pupil free day so teachers could gather themselves and Friday a public holiday.  Yay!

Didn't I tell you I has so much to be thankful for.  I am sure there is even more but it is now stupid o'clock in the morning and I should try sleeping.  Public holiday or not children will still wake with the sun.  Apparently it is just what they do.

Finally I am thankful that awesome bloggers like Kate and Grace host such awesome memes for me to join in with and more so that awesome readers like you stop by and say hi.

The School Routine

For my Me & YOU Monday, making IT matter this week, I have decided to concentrate on The School Routine.

This is Miss L's last year at primary school.  Next year she moves on to middle school and I want to make sure that she is adequately prepared in terms of study skills and habits.  There will be enough distractions as it is without having to find time to learn how to study and learn.

Miss Z is in year one this year and I am thinking that in order to avoid this last minute panic study thing I have with her sister I am going to start instilling the art of learning in her now.  Plus past experience has shown that if I want the big one to do things that she thinks are jobs or work or not fun then it is best to include the younger ones as much as possible.  She hates to think of the little ones missing out.

The School Routine is pretty straightforward really and based pretty much on common sense.  At the moment it is a case of some of these things happening some of the time.  I am making it matter so that all of these things occur all of the time (or at least close to it)

Be dressed and ready to leave the house by 8am.  This includes breakfast to have been eaten by all, including myself.  Lunches will also need to be sorted before this point and ideally beds should all me made and teeth brushed with the same to be said of hair.

After school homework, or at least reading, though preferably both, should take place.  Not wanting to be too pushy, this can occur after snacks and a bit of relaxation time.

Once hubs arrives home from work we are to set off for our evening exercise.  Followed by returning home for dinner, bath and bed all by 8pm.  (Sounds rather dreamy really)

There is no room here for morning television, and even afternoon viewings are to be strictly limited.

In some ways it all sounds rather easy, does it not?

In others though it is hard for this not to overwhelm me.

Especially when I think of all the other things that I secretly want to make matter as well.

Things that I am too scared to write or say aloud.  The ones between the lines.

Like all the mentions of food also come with an unspoken expectation of being super healthy this and best for you that.  

You know, all those extra pressures that mothers are so good at creating for themselves.  Some justified and based on past experience and some nothing more than a figment of their imagination.

The world will not end if these unrealistic and unachievable goals are not attained, but continual failure eventually gets hard to take.  However the joy of success is a wonderful thing.  It builds pride and strength and all number of things.  It is what drives one to try.

I need to make sure I keep my success rate high, so motivation is never lost.  So that I keep on keeping on.  Moving forward towards the brighter.  The place where this is all second nature and we are free to accomplish more.  Live more.

Getting a good school routine established early on in the term will set the precedent for the rest of the year.  Ensuring that the kidlets are rested and well fed will establish optimum learning potential during times of stimulation.

Have you got something that you want to make matter?  

Head here to join in

So Easily Sidetracked!

That is me! Always up for a distraction. Doesn't matter what I am doing I can always find something else that will find my attention.

You know how people say that women, particularly mothers, are some of the worlds best at multitasking? Well I take multitasking to a whole new level. In fact I think it is fair to say that there is never a point in time when I have just one job on at a time.

Take right now for instance. In my bid to conquer the world with my writing this is supposed to be my "Writing Time". Where as the name suggest I spend time writing, and while I am getting a few words down here and there it is not much more than a line or two at a time.

I will no sooner get a good sentence out and I will think 'ooohh I wonder if the flower pot is in the London Market yet?' and then promptly go and find out. You see folks I have an infliction known to some as the Rat Packer's Addiction.

Once again the forces of FaceBook have struck! This time in the form of a card collecting and trade game called Rat Pack. A truly addictive and time consuming game. It has mastered the art of desensitizing the brain to the perfect level of monotony yet still be interesting.

Anyway all this talk of has sent my withdrawal through the roof so I must be off.

I have included a full list of my blogs labels so please have a browse around. I have recently developed the desire to meet lots of new people so please drop me a line and say hi.

Feel free also to sign up for a RSS Feed, I assure you that the current updates will not want to be missed. After being relatively idol now for nearly 6 months I have decided to kick myself into over drive!

A Real Ramble!

I believe that it is fair to say that I have let life get a little to far out of control. As another long day draws to an end I am sorry to report that the cyclonic state of my house which I have earlier discussed remains the same.

Granted certain piles have grown and others reduced, the fact still remains that there are piles of mess all through the place. Like the dishes. They have all been nicely rearranged a few times now. A few have actually made it into the cupboard (hard to believe I know) However wherever you look the kitchen is still full of dishes that need doing! Oh well I guess there is always tomorrow.

Do you know tomorrow? I seem to be forever saying I will do it tomorrow. Only recently I have realised that tomorrow never seem to comes. We(or rather I) seem to spend excessive amounts of time thinking about tomorrow, rather than living for today.

When I first sat down to write this post I titled it "Gaining Control" now however I am thinking it needs to be changed! I seemed to have gotten a little sidetracked along the way......
...... Anyway in a bid to make this site slightly more interesting, I have decided to introduce some new posting rules for myself.

1. Each post must have an article link
2. Pictures are mandatory
3. Posting must occur daily
4. Post must be entertaining, readable and if possible thought provoking
   

So in line with rule number one here is a link to my Child Development Lens at Squidoo

The photo, which unfortunately is at the top, actually started it's life as a rainbow above my house. After much experimentation with paint.net that is what I ended up with. Made me feel very creative really!

Fantastic Site for Children

One of my fellow writer friends has just launched a great new blog full of original children's nursery rhymes. They are hilariously funny and provide a refreshing change from the standard rhymes that currently fill the minds of out little ones.

Have a look and check it out Funny Rhymes