Smells like Green Sherbert

There should definately be a rule that states "don't freak your mother out before 8am because even though she's walking around and doing stuff, she's not really connected yet" (Can you see that on a bumper sticker?). Take this morning....please, I really mean it...take this morning and give it to someone else because I want a new Friday!!!!! NOW!!! I'm going through my emails in the hope that I've been chosen to recieve 150 million dollars by a deposed African dictator, who just wants my bank details and one of my children as surety....after this mornings episode i know which child I'd send!!!!!
So anyway, back to freaking out your mother. (DON'T try this at home).
I'm checking emails, drinking my tea, doing my morning thing, when DH appears in the doorway of my inner sanctum holding a plastic baggie containing greenish/white powder. "I found this in Kit's school bag....do you think we should ask him what it is??" (No, I think we should call drug arm, the police, the pope and Dr Phil, plus that weird lady on the biography channel who runs interventions)
"Why what do you think it is?"
"I don't know....you don't think it's drugs?"
"It's green...who takes green drugs?"
At this point, DS#1 appears, and grabs the bag.
"hey, that's the sherbert I swapped my cheese sandwich for on Monday"
Why is there never a deposed African Dictator around when you need one??

Mad Axeman and the Little Drummer Boy

As I sit here typing, my attention is caught by my coffee cup which is slowly but surely edging its way towards the edge of my desk and certain death. Why has my mug developed suicidal tendancies?? It's all about the vibes, people. The vibes from next door where the mad axeman has plugged in his long suffering electric guitar and is bringin' down the house (literally) with a god awful rendition of the "Inspector Gadget Theme Song". I can not only hear every wrong note, but I can feel it as well. But wait, there's more!! After all, what's a crappy guitar solo without woeful off beat drumming?? Enter the little drummer boy, sidekick to the mad axeman and bane of my existence. I know they have to practice. I fully understand that. What I don't get is how anyone as bad as they were to start with can possibly get worse with practice????? Some famous dead guy once said that three chords are all you need......I'll let you know if they ever learn them.

Yay Nay!!

Congratulations to RENEE who is being published in FOR KEEPS magazine in a few months time!!! Love your work xoxox

Finally Finished...

my "about me" layout. Is it just me or does everybody get the "cringe factor" about scrapping themselves?? Anyway, it's done, after several retries, and I've posted it off, so it's too late to worry about it now, lol.

Life on Ward 7

Both the boys are now on their latest medication trial....I think it's hitting Kit pretty hard ATM...he's tired, and finding it hard to get moving. That should hopefully wear off in a couple of days, and then we start to look for signs of improvement. Sebi has been trialling longer than Kit, and seems to have got on top of any side effects....he's actually doing quite well. After taking the anti-medication stance for so long, it's hard to reconcile to the fact that it does seem to help. But it does, which makes it easier for the boys to deal with day to day stuff, which is all good with me. The one thing that I've totally come to believe about all this is that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I'm raising two incredibly strong young men. Love you boys!!!

Stressmas!!

I'm feeling better than I did this morning, thank God, but this whole Christmas thing is really starting to stress me out. I still haven't booked my flight to Townsville, I have no idea how long I'll be gone and I have NEVER had Christmas away from the boys. I just want to put it all into the too hard basket and let someone else deal with it!!!! (yeah, like that's gonna happen). My ideal Christmas would be me, Bruce and the boys in a 5 star hotel on another planet. Are you listening Santa???

Music from another room....

The boys had their final piano lesson from Mrs Overson today....after teaching myself, my younger brother and sister, and both my kids, she is selling up and moving on to pastures new, and places quieter, lol. She has been involved with my family's music for a staggering 36 years!!!! If that doesn't entitle you to some down time I don't know what does. The boys have both enjoyed their lessons and will miss her, and I will too....especially as I have to take over the lessons from now on!!

Christmas is coming damn it!!

And I feel like hiding under the doona. I wish we could skip straight from December 20th to New Years Eve. I didn't sleep last night and I probably won't tonight. So much for peace and goodwill. Apparantly I'm not entitled to any. BAH HUMBUG!!

November Scrapjack

Here is my take on Celeste Vermeend's layout on Aussie Scrapjacked. It's certainly not a style that I would normally try, but I am rapt with the result, especially since I wrote on the layout instead of using stamps or computer fonts...a real rarity for me (shame out!!). I used Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket Christmas papers, plus my clear stamps, and it's turned out fairly festive if I do say so myself, which I do!!

My life on Mars

I'm having one of those days where I think I'm speaking a different language to the rest of the world. So far I've managed to mortally insult my husband, fight with DS#1 and have a major disagreement with the powers that be at the school. Not bad when you consider it's not even ten O'clock yet!! I think I've probably contracted a 24 hour case of 'Adidas Mouth' (as in open mouth, insert foot), so I've decided that the best option is for me to use my gums for something useful. If anybody wants me, I'll be stocktaking in the fridge.

All I want for Christmas/Volvo Driving Soccer Mum

Santa, if you're reading this, I would like a big silver 1978 Volvo station wagon in my stocking please....or in the driveway if the logistics are too much for you.
Once again it's time for me to put on my cape and mask and assume my secret identity... RAVING MADCOW (ta dah!!). With the ability to lose her marbles with absolutley no warning in any given situation, Raving Madcow's alter ego is a mild mannered lollipop lady who wishes to remain employed, so we're not going into any more detail....it's a superhero thing, ok?? So the reason for the Silver Volvo??
Raving Madcow's latest crusade is to rid the world of stupid parkers!!!! I swear that there's a secret army of genetically predispositioned "stupid parkers" who spend their lives lurking in the David Jones carpark to make life harder for the rest of us. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!! The ones who park in the middle of two spaces...the ones who think that having a baby seat in your car, regardless if you actually have a baby to put IN said seat gives you the right to park in the stroller parks.....and my personal favourites....the 4x4 drivers who park anywhere they like....footpaths, trolley bays, garden beds....we're all aware that you're frustrated off roaders, but is running over a garden bed full of defenceless flowers REALLY going to release your inner warrior??? Anyway, I digress....the silver Volvo....designed by Swedes to withstand earthquakes, blizzards, IKEA sales and ABBA compilations. I want one, so that I can dedicate one day a week (start small, aim high) to dinging the taillights of every 'stupidparker' I come across.
I figure that if I apply to Centrelink for a Small Business Grant to pay for the petrol and the printing costs for the bumper stickers..."Your tail lights are toast courtesy of RAVING MADCOW and the SILVER VOLVO" I should be up and running in time for the boxing day sales. What can I say....public service is my life.

Be careful what you wish for....

After nagging all the men in my life about how bad the lighting is in my scraproom, and how I'm going to go blind or chop my fingers off or BOTH, if someone doesn't do something about it, I am now the proud possessor of a VERY bright double tube flourescent (spelling???) light. Which is great except that now I can see all my layouts in a whole new light, literally, which is SO not a good thing when you're trying to put entries together, lol. The end result of all this is that my DT entry which I was pretty happy with when it was viewed in the semi darkness of a 75watt globe has now gathered some serious YUK factor when seen under the all illuminating twin tubes hanging from the ceiling. BUGGA!! So, it's back to the drawing board for me....this time with the lights ON!!

A long held GOAL

WOOHOO!! After coming close several times, Sebi has finally scored a goal at Futsal. He was really firing last night...and it all seemed to come together. Zac and he have made huge strides in their soccer, and are starting to develop some serious attitude on the field, which is showing in the way they play. Brag on proud mama!! The end result was a loss by two, but nothing took the shine off Sebi's night. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

It's all about me

Well i have more or less completed my "self" layout for DT submission. I HATE scrapping myself...I hate the way I look in photos...not that I'm all that in real life, lol, but photos always seem to pick up your least favourite bits and MAGNIFY them till all you can see is the your "worst" side. And my worst side is plenty bad without being immortalised on film let me tell you!!! The worst side of me has been quite active lately...I've been snappy with the kids, and moody with Bruce, for no reason that I'm aware of except that I'm maybe stressing a bit about not being here at Christmas :( So naturally, sniping at everyone is absolutley the best way of dealing with it, NOT!! Also, I think I've pretty much had all the public education I can deal with for one year....I think it's ridiculous that Kit is still coming home with a stack of homework every night...if he hasn't learnt it by now, the odds aren't good, IYKWIM. Plus, I'm gonna have to go out and break the water restictions, cos the money tree in the back yard is looking sick, and I still have to cough up for Kit's end of term activities and his French Restaurant visit.
The joys of free education!!

Eye Eye Captain

True to form, a week has yet to go by without an injury at the Hartwell house. I'm seriously considering starting a "bruise of the week" segment. This week it's Sebi's turn. He's managed to do something manky and infectious to his right eye, which is why he's sporting the "Dread Pirate Roberts" look in the picture. The patch isn't too bad, it's the two hourly eye drops that are KILLING me. If you've never wrestled a screaming seven year old into a half nelson whilst administering eye drops, argueing with his older brother and talking on the phone to some half wit in Bombay who wants to know the intimate details of your mobile phone's social life, then you've got the life I want....fancy trading???

Use the Force/Tales of the Elven Warrior

Yesterday was the year 2 boat display. All the kids have been working really hard on their boats and yesterday they all got to race them in the school pool. Sebi and Bruce spent ages working on their entry and Bruce was NOT impressed that he had to work and was going to miss the whole thing. Sometimes I wonder who's the biggest kid. Then I look at Bruce and realise there's no contest. Anyway, Sebi's "Elven Warrior" (I know, too much Lord of the Rings) won the sailboat section in fine style. There was talk of launching a protest when it was realised that the ship was captained by Yoda, as it was thought that using the Force gives an unfair advantage.
All protests were dismissed by Mrs Wallen (sensible woman) and the Elven Warrior went on to win the day.

Monday Monday

No, you're not seeing double...I'm sure my week has two Mondays in it.....either that or the one I get has 72 hours as opposed to the standard 24. Have been working on my DT entry (read as "stuffing about/eating ice cream/changing ring tone on phone") and I am slowly making some progress. Probably make more if I shelved the ice cream. Although on the up side, my phone now plays a really cool version of "who let the dogs out". Ok, no more excuses. Back to work!!

Big Ideas....

in my head and I want to work on them now, but I'm SO tired that I'm worried I'll cut my fingers off, lol. LSBS are having a design team call, due in by the 25th November. I'm going to apply, even if it doesn't pan out, at least it'll give me something to work on this week, although as usual I'm going to be hugely rushed - of course I wasn't looking for DT spots, so I guess you gottta run with what you find, lol. Nay has promised to check out my submission stuff, I know I can count on her for a completely honest opinion. So as soon as the kids are safely ensnared in public education, i.e. 9am tomorrow, I will get my rear into gear and try and pin this idea down in some sort of workable format!! Luck hugs!! as Sebi would say.

Twin Waters

We are back after a SENSATIONAL two days at Twin Waters...after reading some of the reviews before we left, i wasn't sure what to expect, but it was fantastic. The boys spent all day in the water...either in the pool or on the lagoon. We sailed catamarans, canoed and just generally stuffed about for two days. It was exactly what I needed after a crappy couple of days. The metroll party was nice..a chance for me to put on a dress and glam up a bit;, we left the boys in the hotel room, and checked on them a few times, the last time we checked they were sound asleep, so a very low stress evening for us :) I am glad to be home though, cos much as I would like to, i can't just leave things to sort themselves out,(if it were only that easy!!). So tomorrow, I'm back into it. This is the boys on the cat...the terror of the lagoon!!

Flip a coin....

Well, for every crappy thing that happens, there's an upside....I was up to my neck in washing and packing this morning, when mum called to ask if I wanted to go to the club for lunch. Hmmmm.....do the washing.....go out for lunch....NO CONTEST!!!!
So we ended up going to the Southside Club, where I splurged and put $10 in the pokies and walked away 20 minutes later with $160 which will just about pay for our weekend up the coast :) Have decided to put the last couple of days in cold storage, while I move on with stuff and see what my next "big thing" turns out to be. Also on a brighter note, Kit is playing the piano at the year 7 Graduation, which is the last week of school. Totally looking forward to seeing him strut his stuff, he's a born performer, and his talent is just blossoming at the moment.
Both boys have now recieved their "Silver Awards" for behaviour, I am SO proud, because this has taken some perseverance on their part, and it's good to see them being rewarded for their efforts.

It's raining/Off to work

It's raining again, just as I have to head out to work. My patience is on the thin side this morning, after the last 24 hours, so stupid wet weather drivers LOOK OUT!! 'cos I'm NOT in the mood to deal with you today. We leave for the coast as soon as Bruce gets home, so I have to chuck some stuff in a bag and pack the kids gear sometime today, as well as shop, clean house and finish the washing. I love getting away with my boys, no one else to deal with, they can run up and down the beach doing their "thing" and no one bothers us. The only hassle is that we have to come home again, lol. Still, I guess everything has a down side if you choose to look at it that way, which I don't (most of the time). Like this DT thing....yeah, I'm not real happy about the way things have worked out, but on the upside, I know that I have what people are looking for in a designer, so that's a plus. And hopefully the next position I get will be a better long term proposition. Plus, I know what I want from a shop now in terms of design team, and I'm not going to settle for less. I'm worth top dollar, lol!! It's time for me to push off and the rain has just started AGAIN.....good job I threw out the Global Conspiracy T shirt.

Basically this is it.

Well, I have just recieved an email informing me that Basically Scrapbooking are closing their doors, so my time on the Design Team is done and dusted. I feel for Annie and Lesley as it is no easy task to try and run a business and a family, but at the moment I am kinda busy feeling sorry for myself :( I don't know why I feel like I've let myself down, because I know I put my absolute best effort in to both my design work and the shop forum, but there it is.....The WHY ME factor rears its ugly head again and I'm wearing my "Global Conspiracy" t shirt. Dammit, why can't I just have ONE thing turn out halfway decently?? And more to the point, WHY did I have to read the damn email the day before I go away for the weekend?? NOT the best way to start a much needed break. OK, enough sooking. Onwards and upwards. Monday I start applying for DT positions, and we'll see where I end up this time.
As Howard Jones is always singing, "things can only get better". Unless they don't.
Damn, the Global Conspiracy t shirt has GOT TO GO!!!!!!!

Breakin' Out

WOOHOO!! We're going away!!! Metroll have their Social Club getaway this weekend and I have managed to book us an extra night AND we can take the boys!!! We're going to Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast to see how the other half lives lol. TOO COOL!! We haven't been away as a family since Easter, and since I won't be here at Christmas :( we are really overdue for some FAMILY TIME!! Rock on Friday!!!

Catching Up/Birthday Boy

Ok, so here's where things stand at the moment. Sebi has started his new medication, we are waiting to see how it goes, he starts on 10mg then goes to 18 then to 25 then we review. Kit has his appointment on the 26th when he will start the same medication. Hoping for some good results!! I am slowly but surely working my way through the mountain of scrapbooking in front of me....My goal this week is to have finished this weeks 52 challenge BEFORE i have to post it on Friday.
I have a brad swap to complete and the Secret Santa Swap that I need to organise for Basically Scrapbooking. I also have to resubmit ALL my gallery work as I managed to delete EVERYTHING during one of my technophobic moments yesterday....fortunately Annie came to the rescue AGAIN, and has reformatted my folders. So all I have to do is dig through all my disks to find my work. Can't Wait. Today is also Chris's birthday....it's kinda scary to have a little brother turning 37....MORTALITY CHECK!!!!! here's a pic of us as kids....makes you wonder what my mother fed us!!!! Can you say "fatty boom boom". Heehee, gotta love that sharpei dog look. Anyway Happy Birthday Baby Buddha. Love you.

Christmas Layouts

This is Christmas, Boy Style. I used the new Cosmo Cricket Papers which I LOVE, and some of the Queen and Co felt. I also FINALLY got to play with my new 7 Gypsies Calendar Stamp which you can see on the "Don't Santa" layout. My other new fave rave is the "sugar coating" glitter from doodlebug, which Renee showed me...I used it on the A in "Angel", and I'm really pleased with the results. This years pix have been a struggle,(it's a boy thing) but I'm really pleased with the result. I'm getting right into the whole Christmas thing now, especially since there are only 24 days of school left, (not that I'm counting or anything). MUCH!!

You Better Watch Out

Once again it's Christmas Photo time and once again my boys suddenly become rabidly camera-phobic. It's enough to drive a scrapbooking mother to distraction. Kit flat out refused to wear anything remotely Christmassy, we compromised on the outfit in the picture. Sebi refused to wear anything that wasn't exactly the same as Kit's, so instead of Merry Christmas, I got "Men In Black". Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

TGIF

and I totally mean it....just have to get through the afternoon shift on the crossing and then i can chill out...Bruce home early today, we have a bye at futsal tonite, so we can actually spend an evening together...until 8.30 at least, cos it's cybercrop nite and I'm totally looking forward to getting some challenges done.
Kit had his Karaoke assignment test yesterday (I know, I don't really understand it either) and came home with an A-.....not bad considering that he didn't choose a song until 7am yesterday morning!!! I think he got most of the marks for attitude..he just LOVES a captive audience. Sebi is due to start his new medication this weekend....we'll just have to wait and see how it goes...apparantly it's supposed to help with organisation skills (wonder if they do a family pack??)
Kit had a day at Mt Gravatt High and totally loved it, he's so keen to start high school he's counting the days, lol. Hoping to get my Christmas Pix done this weekend...watch this space for previews.

LOL

We now have our own resident comedian at Planet Hartwell....Sebi has discovered knock knock jokes. He only knows two, so when he runs out of material (20 seconds) he starts making them up...here's todays special...

KNOCK KNOCK

WHO'S THERE?

MINAS TIRITH

(?????) MINAS TIRITH WHO??

MINIS TIRITH OUT OF LORD OF THE RINGS, DON'T YOU KNOW ANYTHING????

and the crowd goes wild. Jerry Seinfeld watch out!!!

Christmas Wind Up

Well, I have come to the realisation that Chrtistmas is coming wether I'm ready or not (scream "NOT"), so in order to TRY and simplify things (and to encourage me to get off my duff and do something) I have added a "days til Christmas" counter and a list of what I hope to get done before the big day arrives. All I have achieved so far is a premature panic attack, which I guess is marginally better than last years numb acceptance of the inevitable....can you say "fibre optic christmas tree"???
I have actually started making my cards (don't faint) plus I have paid off some of my national debts worth of Christmas Laybys. So I guess that's a start. Kind of.
If I didn't have to go to the shops I'd do way better...it's something about canned Christmas carols in the first week of November that just makes me want to hide under the doona until Easter...or at least New Years. DS#1 has requested a gym membership, which would be fine except he's gonna need a car to go with it, not to mention a drivers license, (kinda out of reach for a 12 year old) otherwise I'm gonna be the one driving him down there and watching all those buff fellas working out....hmmm....maybe this one needs some more thought. DS#2 wants a drum kit, which again is fine 'cos i won't be here over Christmas when it gets its initial workout. By the time I get back it'll be gathering dust in the garage hee hee. Or should that be HO HO HO?????

Tick Attack II

Just when you thought it was safe....last night Sebi was complaining of an itchy head and a headache...after a head check we found two more ticks, embedded so deeply that we couldn't remove them. So off we went to the hospital, which was CHOCKERS (Sunday is obvously a bad night to get sick), and after an unscheduled hair cut (hee hee, 7 year old with a bald spot), the doctor managed to remove the offending aliens. Sebi now has a scalp that resembles a pineapple, but should be back to normal in a couple of days. The tick is not expected to recover.

Bush TacTICKS

Well, Sebi is back from his very first camping trip without mum or dad.
Yes, after packing all my stuff, I drove Sebi to the scout den only to be told "you can go now mum, I'm nearly eight you know". We compromised and I drove him to the campsite and stayed long enough to help with lunch. Apparantly a good time was had by all... the highlight of the camp being the removal of ticks from several Joeys and one joey leader. YUK!! Typically, Sebi ended up with TWO ticks , in line with his philosophy of "more is more". GROSS!! Still, managed to get a photo of the little sucker as it was "unscrewed", to the delight of all the kids. Sebi was mad keen to keep it "as a pet" (?????) but we didn't have room in the car. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. These pix are Sebi at Camp, plus a close up of the Tick.

Missing Kit

Number 1 son is home tomorrow and I'm glad...the house has been SO quiet without him and Sebi yelling down the hallway at each other. Sebi had Bailey over to play today but it was still too quiet for me. I know that by bedtime tomorrow I'll be telling them both to pipe down but that's tomorrow. Tonight I miss my boy. It still catches me by surprise when I look at him sometimes and realise that the chubby baby has turned into a tall skinny manchild with a mind of his own. Fortunately he still has a sweet center even if you have to look a little harder to find it. The idea of him going off to high school next year just floors me, although a large part of me is just exploding with pride at how far he's come.Now he just needs to come home and that'll be far enough for now :)

CONGRATULATIONS

to my fave nephew/godson/extra child MATT who has won himself and his double bass a music scholarship to the Cathedral School in Townsville. He is a very talented musician and a fantasic kid and we are all VERY PROUD!!!!