Bits and Pieces

Kindy –    Kindy is over 🙁 for the year.  Last Tuesday was officially Ben’s last day.  During the last few weeks Ben received lots of candy canes, Christmas cards and little trinkets from his classmates.    It was so lovely to watch his excitement when receiving these little gifts.  Ben gave his classmates each a novelty pencil.   We wrapped each one…… well I did!  I do love wrapping presents but after twenty-two … maybe not so much.

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It is lovely to have Ben home with me……. but would it make me a bad Mum to say I miss Kindy a little already?

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Car Airconditioning –   Our car’s airconditioning stopped working over two and a half weeks ago!  Oh I know it is not the end of the world but I love my aircon!  No seriously I love it!!!   Between the heat, hot flushes and Ben holding his ears (from the noise of the windows being open) it has not been a pleasant experience.  Tomorrow it will finally be fixed….. YAY!  I have learnt one very important lesson from this – Don’t take your car to the nice friendly old guy at the local Auto Electrical Shop…….. take it directly to the Dealer.  They can probably do the job in a couple of hours not two and a half weeks!!!  My patience has been tested!!

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Water Play –   Ben has been spending his days doing this.

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We made our own boats……

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I can’t seem to keep any clothes on him when there is water around.  He doesn’t even keep his togs on while playing with this.  I’ve given up….. his four…….let him be a rudie nudie!

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I HEART These Kids!

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I seriously do love these kids.  Charlotte, Finlay and Ryan (not in photo) are so lovely.  Ben has grown up with them and he is always SUPER excited to see them.  They spent Friday afternoon and evening with us.  They raced each other up and down the driveway, played  Hide and Seek forever, watched Cars 2 and shared pizza.  Ben refers to them as his cousins but they are our wonderful old neighbours that have become wonderful friends.  Their Mum and Dad are pretty fabulous too! They are true friends – the ones that can knock on the door and find you in your pj’s but you don’t rush to get dressed you put the kettle on!

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Cracking the Whip –    Andrew and Ben were up to old tricks again last night.  After Ben had had dinner and a bath I find them doing this.  The whip was out, the horse dusted off and there was some serious cracking going on.  I tell you they crack me up!!!  Ride like the wind Bulls Eye!!…….. seriously hilarious!  I wonder if Andrew’s arm is hurting again?

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I love these two xo

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The Christmas Kindy Concert

Ben looked a bit handsome ready for the concert tonight.  He didn’t look very ‘Christmassy’ as he didn’t want to put on the Santa hat I had for him.

17554498683.jpgWell that was until we arrived at Kindy and he saw all the kids with them on and then he couldn’t get it on fast enough.

I was so excited about the concert but was trying to calm my excited so I didn’t freak everyone out. I have been the teacher at many Christmas concerts but this was my very first as a Mum.  My heart felt so full xo.

Because Ben is a little shy at times Ben’s teacher suggested that we should sit somewhere around the middle/ back of the room.  There was concern if Ben saw us he wouldn’t want to participate in the concert. I was pretty sure this would be the case.   Well….. we should have given him more credit. He sat and sang along (well mostly as well as  playing with a couple of lego men he had in his pocket).   He did well.  I am such a proud Mummy!  The children and teachers did a lovely job!  The children sang beautifully.  My favorites and Ben’s – Six White Boomers and Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer.

This was my view from the middle/back of the room…….. I was fretting I couldn’t see!

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This was Ben when he spotted us…… LOVE IT!

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And I just couldn’t stand it and had to get a better picture.  I went out the back door, around the side, nudged my way in to snap this.  I had a giggle at this one.  So many little personalities – So lovely!!

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Ben has grown so much this year. His Teachers Mrs Symonds and Mrs Thorne are fabulous.

Love you to bits gorgeous boy!!

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Tis the Season

Those that know me know that I love Christmas carols, Christmas stories and pretty much all things Christmas.  I don’t just love to listen to Christmas carols.  I love to sing them (nice and loud)!  Andrew and Ben don’t normally appreciate my singing abilities or my love of Christmas music.  Ben normally asks me to stop singing….. uggh!  But today Ben gave me have one of those happy Mummy moments.  More about that in a minute.

  At Kindy Ben’s class has been visiting the Prep rooms.  The Prep teachers have been reading them stories.  He came home yesterday and said the teacher read a story about ‘different reindeer’.  He asked me if I had that book.  I have a huge collection of children’s stories (another passion of mine).  But I couldn’t help him as I wasn’t sure what book he was talking about.  It was a couple of days latter while Ben was on the loo he  screams out to me “Mum the book was called Six White Boomers“.  My heart skipped a beat…… my favorite  Christmas story and song.

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Tonight before bed we found my book on the shelf.  Ben informed me I had to find the CD that goes with it.  My response was I can sing it for you if you like.  His answer made my legs turn to jelly and my heart melt.  He said “Oh thanks Mummy.  I love you!”.  At bed time, all tucked up I sang ‘Six White Boomers’ and we followed the song in the book.  Not once did he ask me to stop singing ….. yay!

We have pretty much read Six White Boomers every night for a couple of weeks.  I have also learned that Ben’s class will be singing it at his Kindy Concert.  Here is Ben practicing before bed.

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New Family Favourite Dinner

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I have slowly been working my way through Jamie’s Ministry of Food Cook Book.  So much yummy goodness.   We have many family regular meals from this book.  But we had a stand out this week.  A  new family favourite .  It is finger licking good.  You really must try his Chicken Korma recipe.  I wasn’t sure if Ben would eat it…. but he loved it.

Jamie’s Chicken Korma

800g skinless and boneless chicken thighs or breasts (preferably free-range or organic)
2 medium onions
optional:1 fresh green chilli
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
a small bunch of fresh coriander
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
groundnut or vegetable oil
a knob of butter
1/2 a 290g jar of Patak`s korma curry paste (opps I put the whole jar in and it was delicious!!)
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
a small handful of flaked almonds, plus extra for serving.
2 heaped tablespoons desiccated coconut
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g natural yoghurt
1 lemon.

Cut chicken into 3cm pieces, peel, halve and finely slice your onions. Halve deseed and finely slice the chilli. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks. Drain the chickpeas.

Put a large casserole-type pan on a high heat and add a couple of lugs of oil.  Stir in the onions, chilli, ginger and coriander stalks with the butter. Keep stiring it enough so it doesn`t catch and burn but turns evenly golden. Cook for arund 10 minutes. Add the korma curry paste, coconut milk, half your flaked almonds, the drained chickpeas, desiccated coconut and sliced chicken breasts. Half fill the empty tin with water, pour it into the pan, and stir again. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on . Check the curry regularly to make sure it`s not drying out, and add extra water if necessary. When the chicken is tender and cooked, taste and season with salt and pepper – please season carefully.

Serve with rice. Add a few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt  on top, and sprinkle over the rest of the flaked almonds. Finish by scattering over the coriander leaves, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Seriously YUM!!!

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Oh Christmas Tree!

It feels like Christmas is our house.  Our tree is up.   I love Christmas decorations!!!  Ben and Gamma helped me put up the tree.  We spent the morning listening to Christmas carols and sorting decorations.   I gave Ben a selection of decorations and let him go for it. This is his masterpiece!!!

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I left it that way for three days and then did this……

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I did it while Ben was at Kindy.  He thought Santa had been and left a wonderful tree.  He loved it.   I was relieved.  I didn’t correct him and tell him it wasn’t Santa but his control freak of a mother who did it!

So is your Christmas Tree up yet?  I know tradition says that you should wait until the first of December to put up the tree.  I just couldn’t wait!!!

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Linking up with Life Made Lovely Monday

Toys, Tantrums and Pocket Money

A couple of weeks ago I witnessed the worst tantrum in the supermarket that I had ever seen.  It came from my son.  It was over a activity pack that I said he could have if he helped me with the shopping.  Unfortunately Ben did not help me with the shopping.  He began running around the shop.  I had given him two warning before I put him in the trolley and told him we had to put the activity pack back.  He held onto the activity pack with all of his might.  But when we reached the checkout I took it off him.  WOW…… I have never seen anything like it – screaming, kicking, punching, tears.  His face was so red.  He was so angry.  But I couldn’t give it back to him……. could I……NO NO NO?  We got through the checkout, packed the groceries and out to the car and he was still screaming the place down.  By the time we had got home he had calmed down.  But I was shaken!

Last week when we went to the shopping centre I took back up.  Andrew came along to and we had had a long discussion with Ben that we would not be buying any toys.  We had jobs to do.  We once again had tears on our departure because he didn’t get anything but it was nothing compared to the first incident.

I know I spoil Ben…… only child and all.   Not really the best parenting strategy!!  So as a result we are going through detox.  The detox strategy is going to the shops and I am not buying any toys.  It breaks my heart to see him so upset but his behavior is unacceptable.  I do feel guilty because I helped create that behavior.  Mothers guilt!

We now seem to have reached a happy place when visiting the shops.  I have introduced pocket money.  Ben now has pocket money that he receives for completing jobs.  He loves it and is now more interested in collecting gold coins than toys.   So now when we are at the shops he has his pocket money to spend.  If he hasn’t got enough money he is learning that he needs to do some more jobs to earn enough.  His jobs include – feeding the dog, helping to set and clear the table, picking up his toys, collecting the eggs and picking up the dogs toys.  I have been using  You Rule Chores on my iPhone.

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We have found it pretty great.  However Ben sometimes plays with it and gives himself extra coins!  I found the application here.   If you don’t already read Li’l Magoolie it is worth a look.

Fingers crossed for no more tantrums!!

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