Category Archives: family

Frustrated much?

Posted in DIY home, family by

Z (whose chore is to keep their bathroom tidy) has a few issues. Mostly with the Screaming Teen and his casual attitude to the bathroom.
This appeared:

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Ironically Z hasn’t clicked that B has the same issue when it comes to dinner plates being left on the bench…

Oh, I wish it was still NaBloPoMo!

Posted in family, Journal, me, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

the subtitle could be: Hard evidence that I haven’t planned any blogging!

Blog. Posting has slowed down a bit. I’m looking forward to Myfanwy’s prompts for January, but I wish she would publish them now so I can write them down and feel like I’ve planned a bit! Hint hint! I think however I will plan a third theme day into every week; I’m sure you would love to know what I’m reading/watching. Right?

I’m under more than a little pressure. Christmas dinner won’t be at mine this year, which means I have to transport numerous cooked and chilled items plus kids plus presents. Presents are actually no excuse; let’s face it, I can take them up to the SIL’s as soon as they are wrapped. Kids? I have to take them with me anyway, it’s the law. Food? This is where I need to sit down and plan carefully with the others. Let’s hope for good weather so we can eat outdoors!

Work is messy – I am putting off about 30 minutes of ick by writing this post. However I’ve told myself that once done, I can go to Kings Plant Barn & get my secret Santa present. Carrots again. Points if I don’t come home without something for me! Only 66 store emails when I peeped at that inbox earlier today. Ugh.

Craft. In the light of day 100 stitches seems nothing! But over the course of the year this is one area where I have done better than planned (in some areas – I didn’t complete 12 TW smalls, just three, although Stretch was one of them) and I didn’t touch Tapestry Cat (which I do want to see finished and I’m glad I didn’t pass onto a FB “friend” to do, as she turned out to be a complete liar) but my TUSAL jar is nearly chockablock (photo on the 31st!) and will stuff an ornament easily. Stitchers reading this will know about TUSAL and smile. FYI I set myself up with the large Moconna jar so was quite ambitious. I also didn’t keep up with all the surface embroidery techniques but I am happy I went to the class & want to do some more next year. Maybe start a little simply and chain/satin over an existing print to personalise cushion covers?

Pintrest. I’m itching to do a few things but these will have to wait for my leave in late January. Me and the sewing machine have a date, and by the end of the week I’ll have an amazing outdoor table plus covered seat. I love Pintrest; it’s a huge time waster but oh so gorgeous. Lots of funny things too. Amazing recipes, beautiful things. House envy sometimes!

I suppose I can share that there is a reason why I have the blahs. The Screaming Teen (who can be known as The Only Teen for another 15 months) did something incredibly stupid. And illegal. And has shocked the sh*t out of me, to say the least. I find it really, really hard to even hold a conversation with him, I’m that angry at his blasé /victim attitude. I’ll get over it, I have to; but he really took the shine out of his school award and behaviour. At home he now has all the chores that Z would do on top of his own and is grounded for the summer, with no access to anything electronic, including FB and his phone. Yes, I know it’s now the end of the world as he knows it, but he doesn’t seem to care! And to think everyone told me girls were awful as teenagers…they lied. Praying that Tough Love works as I don’t know what else. Boarding School?

Still got the blahs

Posted in Christmas, family by

Altho Si took us walking today. We started to explore the Manukau Coastal walkway, doing a bit from Mangere village to Wakaraka Cemetery.

The weather held off and it was a good way to blow out some cobwebs.

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Love that the Pohutukawa is finally flowering. It’s also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree and grows around most of the shoreline.

Si is busy ignoring his first present 😦 I might just spend gift #2 on myself escaping!

L at Twenty

Posted in family, grateful by

louise

(mine’s the one on the right)

Well I warned you it would be a few days before you read about her birth…

And actually, you’re not going to get a birth story. Ewuu. Suffice to say she arrived FINALLY but safely. All was well. Freaking odd, but well. I guess most first-time mums feel the same!

So at twenty…she is utterly beautiful (when not wearing those awful purple shorts). She has a distinctive & mostly appropriate dress sense (when not wearing the aforementioned purple shorts). She is working full time, has already gained a significant role promotion, and has a range of loyal, true friends. She has a creative streak and with one friend, has started up a part-time bakery business. It will be a while before this will translate into true profit and a full-time role for either, but they have very high standards which is fantastic. She is a big sister to three and has a solid relationship with all three, unique to each relationship. Our relationship has evolved too and I love spending time with her. She is so very different from me – especially her height! – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Love you, sweetheart.

It’s the Little Things – NaBloPoMo twenty nine

Posted in family, house - gardens, me, NaBloPoMo by

Wow less than a week till I go on holiday! I can’t wait. This week has been hard at home and work. The Screaming Teen is out tonight with a mate; they’ve gone to XFactor auditions (to watch) & I’m planning on being a nana and going to bed early.

Because we’re having to move the boys around (one of the concussion recommendations is to move B further away from the centre of the living space) is very noisy. Very noisy. Complaint central.  So I got outside and started one of B’s chores, the lawn.

Actually that was the highlight. Listening to QI podcasts (I find the facts and comments hilarious) and seeing the difference from wild to even.

Also had the reward of seeing the new fruit, both on the Thumbelina Apple and the Boysenberry Brulee. Which I have netted off now. I want those berries for me!

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Friday Finish – NaBloPoMo twenty eight

Posted in family, friends, me, NaBloPoMo by

Normally today would be a stitchy Friday Finish. However, today’s topic isn’t my general crafty theme. It’s about the end of a life.

Six years ago today, I was sitting at my desk when I got a call from my partner. He was at AirNZ in Christchurch and had just been pulled aside & told that he needed to attend a briefing. The gossip was that a plane had gone down overseas. I then rang our friend E, whose partner had been scheduled to sit in on a test flight in France. E confirmed our worst fears. The plane had gone down and no survivors were likely.

I met Muz years before the accident. He was part of the Metalshop at AirNZ, and Si joined there in May 1996. They instantly became as thick as thieves, and could generally be counted on to be at the centre of any mischief or mayhem. They spent all day together then gossiped for hours on the phone (teenage girl syndrome!). We socialised together with Muz and his then partner, were pregnant together (B is only 14 days older than his son H), grew up together. The “grow up” bit could at times, be arguable. That’s all part of the fun!

I’d talked by phone to Muz only a few days before the accident. He had been in Germany at that time, loving the opportunity but missing home and his son. We’d been out East Auckland to view their new house, a house which was handed over while Muz was in Europe and he never loved in. He was so excited about his new life, new love and everything in general.

My December Daily of this year is unfinished. The entries are either our basic Christmas things or related to the awful weeks after the crash. I guess that in itself is a story. Media speculation was rife and hurtful; a gossip magazine had camped out on both Muz’ parents door and E’s door before the names were even confirmed and gave no sympathy. To this day I don’t touch any “weekly” but most especially New Idea. The article they eventually ran indicated that E had given an interview; instead they clipped portions of a news conference and twisted what was said. Asshats.

In all the mess the staff at AirNZ were wonderful. They supported the families, sheltered them as much as possible, made it easy to go to Perpignon and tried to find the answers we all needed. Rob Fyfe in particular was amazing. Upfront and honest. It was a different world for these families and the sympathy and empathy was exactly as needed.

So six years later where are we? I didn’t know until nearly a month after his death, but I was pregnant. Muz would have found this hysterically funny. E delivered my M, a nice circle.

Z is now wearing one of Muz’ Ts – Muz was a bit height challenged. He made up for this with his personality. Z barely remembers him; he was only 5, the same age as M is now. I still think “I should tell Muz that” and then have to hold myself back.

We have lost contact with a lot of people but I’m sure that today they will be raising a Steinlager Pure to Muz just as we will (that stuff’s awful, we only drink it twice a year!!). Sadly E is one of the people who has slid away. She has a new partner now and her family has extended too. I guess we are a reminder of loss to her as much as she could be to us.

But long story short, I miss Muz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XL_Airways_Germany_Flight_888T

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/9785004/Final-moments-of-Air-NZ-test-flight

A Personal 12 Days of Christmas – NaBloPoMo twenty five

Posted in Christmas, family, NaBloPoMo by

I feel quite safe posting this – not sure Si actually remembers that I blog, let alone the address! So this should still be a surprise.

I read a while ago about the 12 Days Project. It’s been around for a while, but I am clearly a bit slow <grin> This year I will attempt to complete this for Si. The trick will be convincing him that I don’t want anything in return. And getting little Mr M to keep a secret! I’m starting on the 13th, which I KNOW is not the right way around, but I just want to start 🙂

On the x day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

  1. A Batman tree ornament (press the button, it even makes the sounds!)
  2. Two movie tickets (for him and his bestie, as I don’t actually like going to the movies)
  3. Letters from the boys
  4. 4 in 1 photo frame with the boys each holding a word & L in the last space
  5. $5 lotto scratchie
  6. I’m thinking a 6 pack of Coke?
  7. Picnic with 7 food items
  8. NO FREAKING IDEA
  9. Packs of his fav chewing gum
  10. Might be lame but a $10 scratchie?
  11. Playlist with 11 of our favourite songs
  12. 12 memories – a calendar

The idea isn’t to spend up large, but to make the other person feel loved. What do you think of this? Commercial or cheesy or choice?

Hurry up and wait – NaBloPoMo twenty four

Posted in family, NaBloPoMo by

Today I had to take the Screaming Teen in to see the people at the Laura Ferguson Trust. Our clinician ran forty minutes late, a long time when you have NO PATIENCE AT ALL.  B read a DC comics compedium and attempted to teach me the difference between DC and Marvel dudes.

To be honest, I don’t care. Cue gasps of horror.

Long story short there are a few things that B can’t perform. Some are things I find hard too but some things were alarmingly easy, like connect the dots.

Again, concussion sucks.

Time Out or Bribery? -NaBloPoMo twenty three

Posted in family, NaBloPoMo by

When you’re sick, and dad is sick, the best remedy is rest. Our kids clearly think this is bs, so I took the Nigel Latta track this weekend. Say what you mean, & have something as a good behavior carrot. 

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Track. Geddit?

Any raised voices, off they go to time out. Took all day Saturday but I think they get it now. The quieter I am,  the scarier I am. And if they’re quiet, they get to use the remote control. M insists on the yellow car (the blur above). So far he is smoking the other two. And me.

http://www.goldfishwisdom.co.nz