Ahhh...the joys of boys...

Sort of anyway.


On Friday night, young lad asked if he could have his friend "T" sleep over on Saturday night.
Well, I immediately kicked right into "mama mode" and said that I needed to talk to - and to meet - "T's" mother first before I would give them any decision.
I ended up meeting her that evening... and came to find out that I already knew her, (she cares for special needs kids as well) so I ended up saying "yes" to the sleepover.


And then kicked myself all night long because I knew what I was getting myself into.
I knew it because I've "been there, done that" before. With 3 teenagers, how could I not have?
There would be copious amounts of food and drink... the smell of dueling farts... and raucous and sleep-depriving noise all night long.


By Saturday night, I was still sort of undecided as to what I was going to do...
Do I stay up all night and keep an eye on things while pretending that I wasn't... (the least favorite of my choices) or do I just make sure there's plenty of food in the fridge, make sure the insurance is up-to-date, have the fire extinguisher handy, and then leave it all in the hands of God - while I got some shut-eye?


Okay... I went for the "hands of God" option.
You knew that I would, didn't you?


They also asked if we could drop them off at the Sunday market this morning, so that they could have a bit of a wander around, and when I asked what time, they said... "hmmm... about 12 o'clock?"

Nah... that won't work, boys. Since the market shuts down at 1 o'clock you won't have enough time to see everything - so how about we make it 9:30 or 10 instead?
With a small amount of eye-rolling (it's a teenagers job, after all) they agreed.


Now somewhere in the back of their empty little male teenager minds, they knew that a late, late night would keep 'em from sleeping in this morning, so low and behold, when I got up at 12:50 to go to the toilet, all the lights, tv's, xboxes, PS 2's radio's and all were shut off... and the only sound I could hear was two boys snoring in tandem.

I won't even begin describe my kitchen though.
And you'll probably be grateful that I didn't.


How 2 teenage boys could go through half a Costco sized jar of peanut butter and 2 loaves of bread is beyond me, not to mention the chips and salami and assorted cookies not to mention having used a different plate for each snack...
But I guess it was a small price to pay for not having to call the insurance company.

Or having to use the fire extinguisher.



But while they're off to the market this morning, I'm goin' back to bed.
Just because I can.


And when they get home, they can clean the kitchen, and the room...

This is NOT the room.

You know how I can tell? Young lads backpack is a totally different color.

Settling in...

Well, my "family options" lad arrived last Monday and we've spent the week 'settling in' and getting used to one another, but I have to tell you.... this is nothing like what I had expected.
He is nothing like what I had expected.

I was told that he had a 'mild intellectual disability' and some physical problems as well... and although the physical issues are pretty noticable, (and easily dealt with) when it comes to the
"intellectual disabilities" side of things, I'm at a complete and utter loss as to what they're talking about.
I'm just baffled.

Okay, he may not be real good at some subjects in school (hey, we all have strengths and weaknesses, don't we?) but as far as I can see, this is a pretty typical 16 year old boy that I'm dealing with.
He's personable, likeable, engaged - and engaging.

Of course, I know that he'll have his moments... but at this point in time, I'm thinking that those moments will be mostly along the lines of a "sometimes surly, sometimes lovable" typical everyday teenager.

I've raised teenagers.
They can be a joy... and then again, there are times when you just want to tear your hair out and scream... and you can understand fully why some species eat their young.
But they're going through a difficult period - the very same period that we all went through on the journey to adulthood ... and let's face it, it ain't always easy - or pretty.

I'm under no delusions here, and I know that the shit poop will more likely than not, eventually hit the fan...
But so far, so good...
You know what I mean?

And the "Feelin' Groovy" continues... mostly

I am simply amazed... AMAZED, I tell you, that I feel so damn good after sleeping on nothing more than a water pillow for a couple of nights!
I didn't realize just how bad I actually felt, until I started in feeling so good again!

Even yesterday's antics of moving heavy a** furniture for 5 hours didn't do a thing to me, and to tell you the truth, I was a bit worried that I might have undone all the good that Dr Dreamy did for me, whilst hoisting and setting up an antique solid wood bed for the boy.

I'm full of vim and vigor this morning... and wonder of wonders, I'm even in the mood to go shopping for bedding for the bed!
Now this probably doesn't mean much to you, but I'll tell you a secret.

I HATE shopping.
I hate it with with a passion.

I think I would rather poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick, than venture into some store with rude sales clerks and ignorant pushy customers.
Yet this morning, I'm chompin'' at the bit, to get out there and spend some money!

I won't be spending too much though...

My sweet little (little? Ha!) cat "Bear Bottom" had some sort of seizure last night. He fell right off the table, and never made any attempt to right himself on the way down, so either he was so out of it that he didn't know what to do, or he was passed out or something.
After the fall, he tried to get up and his back legs went all wonky - which sort of freaked him out a bit, so he just kind of laid there flopping while making hissy/huffy noises.
I was keeping an eye on him, but when he just sat there and peed himself, I figured it was time for an emergency vet visit.

Unfortunately, the vet couldn't find anything wrong with him, but they did take xrays and blood work - and they wanted to keep him in for observastion - but I decided to bring him home and let him sleep with me for the night.

He seems fine this morning, but since is the second seizure I've seen, I want him throughly checked out... and that's gonna involve plenty of $$'s I think.

So, I'm off to Big W in a bit to buy some sheets and pillow cases...
And if he's good, I might even buy Bear a new mouse to perk him up...
A small, cheap one of course.

Feelin' Groovy...

For the last nine weeks ( trust me, I've checked my diary) I've been sleeping horribly.

Really horribly... as in little or no sleep, and I've been in constant pain - which is only alleviated when I get up out of bed and pace around for most of the night.

I go to bed absolutely dead on my feet, drift off to sleep as normal, but then wake about an hour or two later feeling like someone is sticking a hot knife in my sinus cavities and the pain radiates all down my neck and throat.

So of course, I just figured it was sinus related... you know?

So I went to the doctor.

Not once or twice, but three times, and he did absolutely nothing for the pain, telling me that I had "facial neuralgia" and I would just have to learn to live with it.

Yeah... as if I could survive getting by on 2 or 3 hours sleep a night?

Get out!

I tried everything I could think of... from sinus tablets, pain killers, to using a Neti Pot, hot compresses, an infrared massager...

And NOTHING worked.

In desperation, I made an appointment with the chiropractor (he's so cute that I don't know why I didn't think of him sooner - if only for the eye candy factor ) and he took x rays... and then told me that my neck was severely pinched, causing a bundle of nerves in my neck to affect my face.

I was a bit leery since I've heard it all for the last nine weeks, but I figured I had nothing to lose - and I went ahead and had the "adjustment".

Well, the pain stopped almost instantly, and I slept through the night for the first time in months.

I was due to go back the next day, but had to cancel the appointment - and I went right back to being in agony again.

So I made another appointment for the day before yesterday, and within minutes he again alleviated all the pain.

But he also recommended that I use a water pillow - which he just happened to sell right there in his office.

And I thought "yeah sure... and just how much is this "special water pillow" gonna cost me?"

That's when the Old Guy stepped in, and said that if it would help me, he would buy it for me.

(I think that he did it because it comes with a full 90 day guarantee, and if it didn't work, he would get his money back, but at least he offered, eh?)

So we bought the pillow... even though I was still a little bit unsure about it working the miracles that the chiroprator said it would.

By the time we got home, I was starting to get a little bit excited about it, and I couldn't wait to fill it and try and maybe - just maybe - get a good nights sleep for a change.

So I filled that sucker with the 5 litres (about 5 quarts) of water like the chiro recommended, (5 quarts because I have broad shoulders, which means a higher shoulder to neck ratio) did all the squishing and pummeling to distribute the water that he said to do, and I gave it a try.

Well, it felt okay, but I was still hesitant... and I decided to give it the true test.

I would go to bed without using hot compresses, infrared massage, tablets or any of the other things that I've been using for nine weeks... and just see what it could actually do.

And it worked!

But since I had already had one good nights sleep last week after the adjustment, I felt that maybe it was just the adjustment and not the pillow that had done the trick.

So last night was the ultimate test...

No adjustment, no pills or potions or trying to get to sleep tricks - and I used just the pillow.

And this morning?

I have to honestly say that I haven't felt this good in years !!!

No lie.

No pain waking me up in the night, no neck or shoulder stiffness or hungover feeling at all - and I feel like a new woman!

I feel great!!!!

Is it the pillow?

Or is it just that the adjustments have kicked in?

I dunno... but I'm honestly "Feelin' Groovy" this morning!!!

If you're in pain and want a good nights sleep, I highly recommend trying the Chiroflow pillow - especially since it comes with a money-back guarantee. Which I won't be taking advantage of now... Believe me!!

And the chiropractor?

This is what he looks like.

Pity I don't need him anymore...

(This is actually the singer Shannon Noll... but he could pass for Dr Davids' identical twin!)

Hey wait! On second thought... the pillow probably won't work with the occasional pain in my feet and ankles... so I guess I'll just have to go back and see him again anyway...

Lucky me, eh? : )

Planned parenthood

On Monday the 18th at 2:30pm, I'm having a baby!

Well, not exactly a baby, but a 16 year old boy... A boy who needs a family and security and a whole lotta lovin' - so it's basically the same thing, isn't it?

I'm already envisioning constant feeds, being kept awake at night, and a perpetual stinkin' mess around here.
Although I'm just grateful that there won't be any burping going on.
Oh wait... this is a 16 year old boy... so I guess that there will probably be plenty of burping and bottom burping going on.

Yay me.

Anyway, with him coming in just 5 days, I'm down to the wire here as far as preparations go.
He'll need a bed, clothing, and food and all the stuff that a 16 year old thinks is necessary for his well-being.
Like an X-Box and access to a computer because he considers himself to be a face book addict.
And especially, a never ending supply of food.

It just kind of breaks my heart to think of a young man getting to the age of 16 and basically having nothing that he can call his own... you know what I mean?
No stuff of his own, other than what basically fits in a backpack...
And although life isn't about - or shouldn't be about - what we have or don't have as far as things go, I still think that what we own in life - our stuff - sort of defines us as being "us".

I had the caseworker out here last week, and he shared some of Mr.B's history... as well as a form that Mr. B had filled out all by himself, listing his needs and wants and likes and dislikes... And I swear, after reading that list, I was on the verge of tears.

Now, this is a boy "classified" as having an intellectual disability, but if that list and the things he had written on that list are anything to go by, he's well ahead of the average 16 year old when it comes to explaining things, and having insights into his own personality.

This boy knows his limitations... but he also knows how to communicate the reasons that he sometimes acts the way he does... and from what little I've read, he has amazing insight into the issues that he faces.

I have high hopes for this placement working out, and I think that we just might be damned good for one another.

And the best part of having an almost fully grown boy?
No diapers.
Unless they're saving that one as a surprise...

I think I'm in love...

See, I've always looked for a man who was strong and manly...
A man who's willing to jump right on in and kick some arse, when the proverbial arse's need kicking...
Someone tall, dark and handsome, who can along with his other manly talents, make me roll on the floor laughing.

And I think I've found him...

May I present my latest heart-throb.

“You got your judy chop, your karate chop and your ninjy chop.”... DIEMON DAVE!




Thanks to Gizzards & Calf Fries...
I've never laughed so hard in ages!!!

Cup of Joe for a Joe

A few weeks back, I joined an amazing and inspiring facebook page:

Cup of Joe for a Joe.

"Say THANKS by buying a Cup of Joe.

Send it with your own personal message of encouragement to a deployed Soldier."

For the last several weeks, I've been buying a deployed "Joe" or "Jane" a Cup of Joe whenever I can... and this morning, I got to send another 5 cups off - thanks to several $2 donations from friends.

It's such a little thing to do for our brave men and women, in light of what they do for us - by putting their very lives on the line on a daily basis.

So please check out their facebook page - and buy a cup of coffee or tea for a deployed soldier... (or you can go directly to: ► ►

Green Beans Coffee

Let Our Troops Know You Care!

Buy a Cup of Joe for a Soldier Serving Far From Home And Have It Delivered With Your Own Personal Note of Encouragement...

In our travels to see the Troops, many share with us their sense of loneliness, isolation and feelings of being forgotten. Their commanders tell us that some Soldiers never receive mail from home. In response, Green Beans Coffee has launched Cup of Joe For A Joe to let anyone, anywhere in the world, say thanks to our troops through the simple act of buying a cup of coffee and having it delivered along with their own personal note of encouragement into the hands of a deployed Soldier.

Here's How it Works:

Step 1 - Choose Your Gift
You provide a different Soldier a Cup of Joe gift with each $2 you spend. Use the panel at the upper right to choose the amount you want, then click the Buy a Cup of Joe button.

Step 2 - Write Your Message
You'll see a simple form to write your message of support to the lucky troops who will receive your gift.

Step 3 - Enter Your Payment Information (they accept paypal)
It's simple, safe and secure.

Step 4 - We'll Deliver Your Gift
Green Beans Coffee will deliver your gift and message. We'll also give each Soldier a chance to respond – and most of them do, so watch your email for their letters!

I had another thought this morning while enjoying my first cup of the day...

I always have coffee available for when friends drop by, and let me tell you, I can go through a lot of it.

So... I've decided that from now on, I'm going to be asking for a $2 donation for that cup of coffee - bottomless of course - to put just a few more $$'s in the kitty ...so that I can send even more COJ's to our wonderful deployed soldiers.

Busy Baby Bakers... Crustless Quiche

I can't remember if I told y'all that I no longer work for the council doing child care.
Did I?
Oh, I'm still caring for children, but I'm doing it privately now... and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Several of my clients (parents) have mentioned that I look so much happier and care-free, and I know that they're right. I almost don't know myself.
I just wish they would tell me that I look 10 years younger, but although I've kind of 'hinted" in that direction, no one's said it yet.
But I'm sure they will.
Eventually.

And... I'm even sleeping better.
See, there are no more worries about ridiculous regulations, no more stressing over someone 'popping in' to do an unannounced evaluation... (which I absolutely hated, because it threw the kids off something awful ...and they tended to "act up" for company - figuring they could get away with it)
No programming for weeks in advance, along with multitudes of lists... and best of all, no more mind numbing, soul destroying office politics.

So, the kids and I can now just get down to the important things like playing - when and where we want to - and sometimes cooking.

Yesterday, I had 3 babies in care... a 17 month old, a 10 month old and a wee little 9 month old - as well as a *big girl* who will proudly tell anyone who will listen that "I'm sour years old now - and I know everything."
And since the day was cold, drizzly and miserable... and we had no intentions of going outside, I decided we would stay inside and do some baking.

The babies sat on the floor and quite happily played with wooden spoons and mixing bowls - and stirred everything 'round and 'round...
While the *big girl* and I got down to the serious business of measuring flour and butter and tearing curly kale, beating eggs and smooshing bananas.

And we had an absolute ball doing it!

At the end of the day, we ended up with 4 loaves of banana bread, 3 curly kale quiches, and 2 small apple tarts - and we were happily covered in flour and eggs and green speckles!

Now, I love, love, LOVE quiche at the best of times... but the ones we made yesterday were bloody fantastic!

Quick, easy - and completely crust less.
Which is probably a good thing, because I've been known to break off bits of the crust and eat it while waiting to serve dinner - leaving it looking less than perfect.
Okay, well ugly - if you really need to know.
(I always blame it on the cats though... and then the Old Guy is even less willing to eat it. Which is no major feat... since he doesn't really like quiche anyway. Fool that he is.
And then I get his share.)

Impossible Quiche

I used about 2 cups torn curly kale - or you can use your own choice of fillings. (see below)
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (any kind - or mix and match)
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter
4-5 eggs, lightly beaten (depending on size)

Combine all ingredients, and mix well.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased cast iron skillet, or pie pan. ( I use a skillet)
Bake at 180C (350F) for 40-45 minutes.
Filling is *set* when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Serves 6.

I love this recipe, because it really lets you experiment and there aren't any hard or fast rules... Feel free to use ham, bacon, chorizo, shredded chicken, leftover meats...

You can try tomatoes, grated carrots, capsicums (bell peppers), cabbage, spinach, kale, corn etc ...
Actually, anything your sweet little heart desires!

Well, except maybe Skittles. "Sour year old" saw a bag of Skittles in the pantry and thought they would make a lovely and mouth-watering color combination, mixed up with the yellow eggs and green kale.
But I quickly put the kibosh on that one.

This recipe is so easy that you almost can't make a mistake.

Unless you're silly enough to use Skittles...