Learner On The Loose

It's that time again.

Son number two has decided that it is time to take hold of the wheel. The steering wheel that is. He is back on track and hitting the streets as a learner driver for the second time around, after his first attempt at getting his drivers licence was interrupted by emergency surgery last year which prevented him from driving for quite a long time.
His confidence is returning, and thankfully he is now getting back to his old self lazy, cheeky helpful, strong witted and determined. All in      all, it's great to have him back :)

Yesterday was his first lesson with a qualified driving instructor. I don't know who was more nervous, him or his silly mother (me) and being the concerned mother sticky beak that I am, I hid behind the lounge room curtain watching, waiting, fingers crossed that he would do well, with camera in hand of course snapping photos through the fly screen (not obsessed much)

It's a daunting experience learning to drive, it's a big step towards total independence. A lot of teens (mine included) think that they "know it all" when it comes to some issues, and attitudes can sometimes get in the way. Especially when being taught something by parents.

Here in Queensland (I am not sure about other States) Teens are able to obtain a learner drivers licence at the age of 16. They are then required to complete at least 100 hours of driving, 10 of which are to be completed with a qualified driving instructor.
We as you know have four sons. When our eldest son who is now 19 first got his learner licence, we as "first time" teaching someone to drive parents, decided to start the lessons off first and finish off with the driver instructor to "work out" any minor issues that may have cropped up.
This time however we have changed our strategy. This time round we have opted to put son number two through the driving school first and also finish up with a few extra lessons at the end of the 100 hours, to polish off his skills and help him gain his licence with confidence.
It's a decision that both son and parents are happy with, and if all goes well, it is most likely what we will also do with sons three and four.

It's a big step in life, a lesson for me in learning to let go and stop fussing (if that is possible) I still get butterflies when our eldest drives off into the sunset and I am not sure that, that feeling will ever subside.
It's a mother thing !!

So as my boy drives off with the instructor today for his second lesson, I think that I will stay away from my hiding spot behind the curtain and let him drive off in confidence and with pride in himself.
I have complete faith in his ability and even though it is hard to watch them spread their wings and fly, I am so very proud watch him go fourth and begin this next part of his life's journey.

Nervous Excitement

My mind is racing, the butterflies have set in. There is a weird feeling of enthusiasm which is the positive, and a little bit of hysteria which is the negative. I am both thrilled and excited, yet scared and unsure at the same time.

Its only 20 days until I board the plane, 20 days until I throw caution to the wind, put my insecurities behind me and step forward wearing my big girl pants.......

Only 21 days until I attend the Digital Parents Conference for 2013 !

I purchased my "early bird" ticket back on July 31st 2012 thanks to a gentle nudge from a dear friend, and have had the printout stuck to the front of my fridge ever since. It's safe there.
Once something is secured to the fridge in our house, everyone knows it is important so there is a less chance of it being removed and lost, never to be seen again !!

It has been a long wait, an exciting wait, a sit on the edge of your seat wait. But now that it is literally just around the corner, I am starting to wonder what I have got myself in for. I am nervous. Attending something so big, something that is so new to me, something that I still don't know all that much about is daunting. I never put myself out there. I have never wondered out into the big wide world alone and unsure before. It is a little scary if I am to be honest.....

But 2013 is it !
It's time to spread my wings.                                    

I am going to head off into the unknown with a positive attitude that's what I am praying for anyway I am going to embrace this challenge with open arms, I am excited to meet the lovely people behind the wonderful blogs that I have discovered and I am determined to come away with an arm load of information to turn my own little blog into something special.

I am also beyond excited to finally meet a dear friend that has held my hand from day one, and helped me out with Craftypjmum beyond what I could ever imagine. Jules is the reason that I finally got off my backside and started Crafty, she gave me the confidence I needed to put myself out there and stop doubting myself.
I owe her so much. In her I have found a life long friend.

So now, it is just a matter of deciding what I am going to wear !
I mean I certainly don't want to look like a goose
I don't need any extra help in making a fool of myself                    


Linking up with the lovely Jess for IBOT :)             

Tortellini and Vegetable Bake

It seems that I am getting back into the "swing" of things in the kitchen. Much to the delight of my family, I have been rediscovering the oven of late :) and believe it or not I really am enjoying serving up the new recipes that I have been creating, and making me smile is the positive feed back I am receiving from everyone.

If you have a large family, you would know that pleasing everyone all of the time is no mean feat......

So this week for my Sunday Smile Post, I am sharing yet another hit recipe that put a smile on my families face this week.

If you give it a whirl.....

Enjoy :)

Tortellini and Vegetable Bake 

1 pkt of feta filled tortellini

1 sliced carrot

1 cup mushrooms

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas halved 

1 tbls butter

2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces 

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp cornflour

1 clove crushed garlic

1 cup milk

250g soften cream cheese

1 tbls lemon juice

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

grated cheese

Cook tortellini in salted boiling water according to pkt directions adding the carrot for the last five min of cooking, and the peas for the last minute. Drain and leave aside. 

Heat butter in pan and cook chicken and mushrooms till chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Mix together chicken broth, oregano, flour and garlic. Add to pan with milk and heat through while stirring until mixture thickens. Add cream cheese and continue stirring until smooth.

Stir in lemon juice.

Combine pasta mix, chicken mix and sauce mix and carefully stir through cherry tomatoes. Place mixture into a greased oven proof dish and top with grated cheese. Bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

Another dinner winner makes me smile :)

Holiday Memories

For this weeks flashback, I decided to look back on a time that I will cherish forever. A time that has given us a wonderful family memory that is still reflected on and spoken about often.

A family holiday.

We are lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of Australia. The tip of the Great Barrier Reef, only an hours drive from the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and Airlie Beach, so it's not unusual for us in the summer to pack up for a relaxing day trip. 

However every now and then we take a week long trip to "get away" from the daily grind, and being not far from home it is an easy trip to make.

Our first week long trip to the Whitsundays was back in 2005, we had been living in the area for at least three years and had done many day trips, but decided to throw caution to the wind and pack up our tribe for a longer stay. 

It was magical....

Days at the beach, long lazy lunches and BBQ's by the resort pool. The boys had a blast. It was a dream that became a reality, a parents dream to give our sons the opportunity to make wonderful memories.

The day before we left, we decided that we would take the boys on an adventure of a life time. A day cruise to the Islands. 

What an amazing experience..... 

The water was perfect, the breeze was light. It was perfection.

We got the opportunity to go down in a submarine to see the sea life close up. WOW I was lost for words, gob smacked. And the boys reaction was a delight on it's own.

All aboard the submarine

But the best part of the day was stopping at the beautiful Whitehaven Beach where the boys learnt to snorkel for the very first time.
Turtles swam by, fish came right up close, close enough to reach out and touch. It was an experience that we will never forget, one that we will cherish forever.

We have been back many times since, and done many cruises. But I have to admit that the first experience of anything, is the one that sticks to mind.

Snorkel fun

Linking up with the lovely Cathy for another Flashback Friday   

A Day For Me - Part One

This week I will not be rambling, I do it quite often. It's an awful habit of mine and I'm sure that it annoys my family very much ! (whoops, see there I go again)

Being a SAHM is a full time job. It's hard, it's exhausting and the pay is not so good. However, for the majority of the time when teens are not hating on parent authority the love received is so worth much more then any $ paycheck.

It was a joint decision from the start that I would stay at home with the boys, I felt that for me it was the right thing to do, however I do admire the Mums that are able to juggle both family life and a career I tried and failed miserably

Like all women, I do crave "me" time. Time alone, time to be girlie a necessary in a house full of boys No interruptions .......

Tomorrow, or rather today when you read this post, my day has finally arrived. At long last, I have the whole day to myself. No obligations, no housework (I worked my butt off today to clear tomorrows work load) No kids between the hours of 8am and 2.30pm and no Husband from 6am to 5pm.........

Ahhhhhh Sheer bliss :)

                                                                                               
I'm kind of excited to tell you the truth !
What will I do ?

I guess you will have to wait for next week to find out, because for now....

I'm out of here

Linking up with the fabulous Grace for another round of FYBF

I Put Manu First.....One Day I Will Learn

It was my own fault. I let the family eat in the lounge room so that I didn't miss out on watching "My Kitchen Rules".
I love like Manu :)

It happened, what I knew was a possibility, but I decided to remove that niggling thought from the corner of my mind. Manu was on TV after all.
I love like Manu :)

Slow motion......
Darn it, no matter how fast anyone moved, there was no way that it was preventable.

It was a nasty mess
Spaghetti bolognaise all over cream carpet :(

Noooooooo

I lost it

There was absolutely no need to

It was after all my fault. I should know better. I am the parent. But it was time to watch Manu.
I love  like Manu
That is my only defence !

My poor boy, he was like a startled possum, he didn't know what to do, where to go or where to look. I froze and let Hubby take charge, that was a miracle a great help while I gathered my thoughts, calmed my state of mind, controlled myself, and went in search of carpet cleaner.

It wasn't my son that I was upset with. It was myself. It was completely and utterly NO fault of his, which I did explain to him when I calmed down (for the record, I never yelled or screamed at him, I just kind of froze and turned a lovely shade of purple) I was totally wild at myself for allowing my wants and needs to come above all else. I was selfish and self obsessed.

One day I will learn to think before I react, I will breathe and count to three before blowing things out of proportion. It is only carpet after all even though I am still battling with the stain and many times over, things like this will happen in life........

I made a mistake, I said sorry.
But did I learn my lesson ?
No....

We continued to eat in front of the TV.                                        

Can you blame me ?
It was after all Manu :)

If I See One More...

There is something small that is really starting to grate on my nerves. One thing that is making me see red. The reaction that this tiny item gives me, is one of complete rage ! It lurks behind the door. Waiting, smirking, making fun of me. I know it shouldn't be there, it knows it shouldn't be there and of course everyone that resides in my home knows that it shouldn't be there, yet almost everyday its there......

I am talking about a necessary household item that I am sick of finding innocently laying on the floor. One that I am tired of picking up. An item that I would love to stop purchasing to make my point, but cant.
That item, the one that is sending me round the twist......

TOILET ROLLS !                                                 


They are evil. No, it's not them. Not the rolls themselves but the people that leave them laying on the floor once they are empty.
My teens !
I have become so enraged at the sight of these poor innocent rolls lodged behind the toilet door, that this week I gave my boys an ultimatum......
Either put the empty rolls in the bin, or they will be put on a rotating roster to clean both the toilet and the bathroom !! (this is on top of the existing roster that they already have of basic chores) they were also told that I would be watching them scrub to make sure that the job they do is Mum clean not teen clean !

It may seem harsh, to some it may even seem cruel. But I am at my wits end.
Respect ! that's all I ask for, a little help now and then.
It is certainly not to much to ask or expect for someone to walk down a hallway and place an empty item in the bin.
My boys reaction, they asked me to put a bin beside the toilet (just like you have mum) my answer to that. NO ! 
Maybe that would be a great solution to my problem, if they would stop peeing on the floor and aim straight.......
The boys have until the end of the week to rectify there "bathroom behaviour" (so far, only one roll has been missed) lets hope they get there act together or a scrubbing they will be and a relaxing I will be !!!

Lets see how they go. I am watching very closely

My empty toilet rolls and I are happy to be linking up with the lovely Jess for IBOT :)