A Collection of Thoughts

Soda Stream - Yay or nay?

I've been considering getting a soda stream. They seem to have come back into fashion again. Obviously I'm not into it for the syrups but I have seen some great recipes. I was teetering and then I read this article.

Sources 1, Watermelon And Lime,  Peach Syrup 

We don't drink soft drink very much but we do drink a lot of juices. Do you have one ? Do you love it or does it just take up room on your bench?? Please tell!

On my screen

What ya been watching?

I have been totally sucked into the bachelor! I know I should be embarrassed to admit it but seriously have you seen it? What on earth were the girls thinking? If I wasn't already glued I then came across Rosie Waterford's recounts on mama mia. Hilarious. I think I look forward to them as much as the actual show.

I read last week that he is still single and it doesn't work out but I wonder how much of that is publicity. With just three girls to go you really should tune in if only for one night. I'd love Allie to win she is deadset crazy but my money is probably on Anna though Ithink he was a bit scared by her family! I was happy to see Dani sent home. It's on tonight!




In more serious viewing I am loving Suits which was recommended to me by a friend from work. I've just finished the first series but I haven't been able to find season two at the DVD store.

Straight from wikipedia because I'm hopeless at writing a show synopsis LOL
Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) is a brilliant college dropout. With his natural intelligence and eidetic memory, he makes a living taking the LSAT for others. Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) is one of New York City's top corporate lawyers and is promoted to senior partner at Pearson Hardman - a law firm that hires only Harvard Law School graduates. He is forced by company policy to hire an associate attorney. Mike discovers that the drug delivery is a sting operation and escapes the police by accidentally sitting for an interview with Harvey. Harvey is impressed with Mike's quick wit, encyclopedic knowledge of law, and genuine desire to be an attorney; he hires Mike and pretends that Mike is a Harvard graduate. Totally worth the watch.

Another friend suggested I might like House of Cards but I couldn't get past the first episode. Any other recommendations??

Crafty Christmas

I'm not even going to pretend that I'm going to get much crafting done this Christmas but that doesn't stop me from wishing that I'd win lotto and be able to stay home and craft to my hearts content.

I saw these gorgeous ornaments over at Wild Olive and I'm thinking I might just have time to squish them in ... Don't you think??

$5.95 for the pattern....

We are off to Japan

About two months ago jet star released cheap flights to Japan. I have been wanting to take the girls forever. It's the perfect mix of culture and diversity that would suit my two's personalities to a T.

So we are going! I didn't hesitate to book despite not having leave eeek!

December the 1st we fly out for 8 days. To say we are excited is an understatement. I haven't been for many years and can't wait to go back and show the girls all the things I love.

We are just staying in Tokyo - Ikebukuro and will trip around the main parts of Tokyo. While I would love to take the girls further afield, I know that there is plenty to see and do just in Tokyo itself.

When we can spend 3 hours in kinokuniya in Sydney just imagine how long we can spend in bookstores three times the size in Japan.

It's going to be amazing.

SOURCES   Shibuya Alice in Wonderland Tokyu Hands Disneyland Japanese Food Harajuku  Temples The Loft 

I've started a bit of a list of things we'd like to do. I'd love some tips though if anyone has been recently and more importantly been with children. It's just the girls and I Richard has to work :(

21 days to go!

Back Ups and Break downs

I have been unlucky with technology this year. To be honest I've probably been very lucky in the past. I've had no back up system and have lost very little.

That has all changed though and after some big hits and misses I have it sorted. It was nowhere near as complicated as I had always thought.

Mid year I lost my school hard drive in my laptop ( nope not backed up to the network) and a USB which was my only ( I know !!!) copy of files and student work. ( totally irresponsible). I found it so hard to be working PC at school saving to network not accessible from home copying files to the laptop to the USB. Working on my iMac at home was far more comfortable than hunched over my laptop but I was using pages which would open word but word wouldn't open pages so I'd have to safe twice. You can see this was a recipe for disaster. So when it all went haywire I had to find a solution.

Firstly I signed up for Office 365. $119 a year which can be used across 5 devices mac or/and PC. I actually got the uni edition because it's offered for educators so was way cheaper than that. This allows me to at least work totally in office.

Then I started a Dropbox. I started on the free plan but have since upgraded to the $100 a year plan. Now I have a folder for school which I save directly to bad can access from anywhere. (Office 365 has a sky drive allowance gar works the same way). So now my files are always safe bad I'm not flicking through folders to find things. It syncs to all my devices ( including my phone).

Finally I bought two external drives. One which I have dumped a copy of all my photos on - and I'll do that each couple of months. The other is a back up that I attached to my iMac and clicked time machine and set it to create a back up each day at 2.00am. It's a set and forget type thing. Lucky I did because my hard drive on my iMac failed this week. A quick trip to Apple confirmed that.  Fortunately? The fault was a known one and my hard drive was replaced for free! Thank you apple.  We have now reinstalled from the back up and I am up and running again.

That's my solutions for now and fingers crossed seems to be working well. I'll keep you up to date if anything else goes hay wire but I'd love to know any other clever and easy solutions you have to keeping everything ticking over. I'd really love a password solution - that totally does my head in and when I forget one and reset and Im told I can't have a password that I have had in the past thats when I totally lose it - cause then I have to create yet another one!

Right Now

Ali Edwards often writes a ten things write now style blog post about her children. I thought that might be a nice way to document where they are at right now. I've been a little lapsed in taking notes.

I  snapped this shot tonight just before we headed out to our neighbours - who have just sold and are leaving us ( sob!) for dinner.

I have had this mirror hung here for a while and only just realised how perfect it is for getting a photo of us together - Next time I will make Richard join us! Mostly I didn't think the girls look like me - but in this shot you can tell they are my daughters :)

Talia

• You are all about eating right at the moment. Your favourite meal is lettuce cups filled with chicken and salad and you ask if we can have them every other night
• You are desperate for a pair of doc martens. I have said no way. You think I am the meanest mumma in the world.
• You are trying really hard at touch football. A few weeks back you were captain for the day and I was so proud of how seriously you took your role.
• You have finally worked out how to do a french braid - which impresses me no end because I can't do one on you let alone one on myself. You are yet however to volunteer to do your sisters hair.

Sofia

• You have been unwell with tonsillitis this last week. You are a little trooper though and you don't let it get to you. You find it hard to swallow pills but have talked your Daddy into squishing them up and mixing them into yoghurt for you.
• You are obsessed with you tube and love to watch cupcake wars and all manner of cookie and cake decorating diys.
• You were quite disappointed to learn that your friends birthday party was on the same day as the last day of guide camp. I was so proud of how you accepted the responsibility of being a patrol leader and said you would miss the party. Lucky you don't have to and we can pick you up a little early and get you there in time.
• We are heading into your favourite time of year and it's all about the organsing and creating for you. I keep finding lists of ideas around the house of things you want to make and recipes you want to try. This week it's all about homemade chocolates.

Together 

• You have been very focused on completing 30 points for you matrix tasks for assessment. Every weekend it's all about getting your work done. I love that you both use your creative talents in your academic pursuits. There has been plenty of glitter and paint flowing lately.
• You have received a crazy number of awards the last few weeks with colours in Maths Science English Strings and Choir. I love watching you walk across the stage. Lucky the awards ceremonies have been on Wednesdays when I don't work.
• You both have such caring hearts. Despite both of you being sick you have tried so hard to look after me to save Daddy from having to do everything. Sofia you always run to get me water and my medicine and you make sure that I don't need anything - that I'm not too hot or too cold. Talia you took it upon yourself to make dinner two nights this week. We are so lucky to have been blessed with you both.

These ordinary days and moments are the things that matter. I can't believe how quickly time passes and that in a few weeks the girls turn 11.

These Days

source

The last few months have passed like sand dropping through an hourglass. When you watch it seems infinitely slow.  But when you look away and are drawn back time has marched on.

I wondered how to come back to this space where I share my story and connect with people. I wondered if I even should. But truth be known I missed it. In the last few weeks I keep finding myself thinking oh I should blog that. I should email someone that. Oh so and so would like that. So I figure it is time.

It is hard to put into words where I have been. What's been happening.

I think I'll just start from now. Where we are these days and leave where we have been behind. I hope you don't mind.

The not so grand - I'm recovering from surgery. A very unwanted hysterectomy that I eventually came to terms with because as my oncologist so succinctly put it. I've told you twice already that you have to. I won't tell you the third time you know why? Cause you'll be dead.  He's never had a great bedside manner. I start on aromotose inhibitors December the 12th. I've been fighting them too. I even took my battle weary well research friends Paul and Rhonda with me for multiple consults to argue but we have given up and I'm doing as I'm told.

No more googling researching thinking for me it's too exhausting. It's been more than two years since diagnosis and I have a fresh slew of wounds and I'm well and truly over the "journey". For those who know cancer speak you may wonder why we are now heading into an oestrogen positive treatment regime after being on a triple negative. I know I did. The short answer is to be sure. The only thing I'm sure of you can never be sure.

So we trudge on. Some days are far better than others but  I'm no pioneer that's the case for everyone.

I do have lots of grand stories to tell too :)

I'll be back soon with some I promise :)