Rasita My Family, My Animals, My Food

Well, what a week it has been. I am glad it is a long weekend. I think I need to recover a little.

So, let’s start this week in review.

Sunday

Sunday was church, followed by a partnership meeting about a property they wanted to purchase for office space and a community counselling service. The topic was discussed at great length and hubby asked a few key questions about money. In the end it was approved by the majority of partnership members. I can’t say what happened for the rest of the afternoon but I think it involved catching up on chores around here.

Monday

It was a typical Monday, busy and trying to get the working week started properly, plus organising the upcoming art show. That afternoon was PT with hubby. Hubby is the unofficial PT. I had a friend and her two kids join in for the afternoon. It was a great motivator for me, and our lot as well. PT started and finished early as I had to rush off and pick up some art on the way to my mail/bread run. I don’t think I stopped until I sat down to dinner organised by M12. It was yummy!

Tuesday

The kids finished off their art work for the art show, I finished off all of the paperwork, printed out certificates, framed pictures with cardboard, received more entries for the art show and mowed the front yard because I had some time spare. On top of all of these extra things, all week, has been the general running of the house, doing a few bits of data entry and dealing with animals.

Wednesday

The submissions for the art show were brought in. I spent 3 hours at the library, once again with a great friend who has helped me throughout the art show, and listened, thrown ideas around with, etc. We had about 8 families enter their children’s art work. It was great. After this the kids and I rushed straight home, picked up hubby and drove him to the police station so he could hand in his statement, and get a fax sent to the car yard so he could retrieve items from the car at the wreckers. By the time we got home, it was mid afternoon, lunch was to be had, chores done and the filling out of certificates, making up a banner for the art work also. (Wish I had saved it as a jpg also, so I could put it up in here). We had a few games of uno, donkey and cheat with the kids. This was followed by sorting our prizes and scrounging around to find unused art supplies to make up possibly necessary prizes (just in case). I was exhausted come bed time and excited about the next day to come.

Thursday

Show awards day! It is amazing how quickly 4 kids can scrub up and actually look nice so they can then go to the library to partake in the art show’s awards ceremony. I must say I was impressed with all of the art work, the parent’s attitudes and the children's attitudes, especially when I mucked up who got the special encouragement award from our business. Oops! Sorry! All in all, the kids were happy, most coming away with prizes and those who didn’t came away with a chocolate freddo. Morning tea was a success and the library once again proved to be generous and welcoming. I think I now have a favourite library (and librarians). That afternoon, was another busy one. I am not sure what happened to the time there. It all sort of merged into one as I drove hubby from one spot to the next, only to realise afterwards that he could have driven himself. I didn’t actually need to use the car. Oh well. I ended up having to pick him up about 10pm that night from a train station 20 minutes drive away. We still got home before the normal train would have gotten in, if he had taken that one.

Friday

We took it off. We caught up on laundry (can you ever catch up on that), hung out at playgroup (that was nice), and then took the kids to a birthday party which lasted till 8.30pm, though we left their place at 9.20pm.

Saturday

It was back to the party, dropping the kids off for breakfast and then picking them up later at 11am. After which hubby took the kids mother’s day shopping and I discovered poppets! I would love to make a few for the girls, or just for myself. They are gorgeous. That night we had a business dinner and I served a concoction of mine (pureed pumpkin with coconut cream and red curry powder mix, mixed with mince and baby spinach leaves, served over potato gnocchi and mozzarella). It was yum though the mozzarella didn’t really work with it. Dessert was store bought but still a treat. It was a late night but still fun as I totally flunked at Balderdash and almost won at Settlers of Catan. I think I want a rematch, with a different tile set out.

Sunday the next week, and today!

We went on a mini holiday. Yay! The first proper holiday we have had in ages. The almost teen got bored, the bouncy ten year old made friends and the younger two splashed in creeks while one got her shoes wet through only half way through the trek. We went to Morans Falls, Lamington National Park. The road there was not a road for those who do not like heights, as it was very narrow and winding, but the walk was nice, especially when we met up with the “Happy Hikers” group. The kids found friends (as it was a kids included hike), explored waterfalls, found secret hollows in trees and not so secret hollows, played in creeks and hiked without complaints about the distance. It was only a short 4.4km round. After this, and a nice lunch with the group, we headed to visit some friends who are building their house. They have done an amazing job with the budget they have given themselves. It isn’t finished yet but it will be very comfortable when it is. After this, the day was rapidly drawing to a close so we stopped off at Helensvale for dinner at Nandos and dessert at Cold Rock Ice Creamery. I realised tonight that there is only so much bubblegum ice cream, laced with whizz fizz that one person can tolerate, especially when it is followed up with mango sorbet mixed with whizz fizz! I think I have had my fair share of whizz fizz tonight! After all of this and the long drive home we put the kids to bed and I pulled the staples out of hubby’s head. It has healed nicely and I felt sick, though that could have been because of dessert!

For more pictures of today’s hike.