Hello Kitty hell!!!!

I finally finished the little Hello Kitty I was making for MsR.  It took longer than expected as other things came up and also she kept screaming "Finish my Hello Kitty NOW!!!" at me so if I was doing it I would ask her to not scream at me and she would do it again so I would put it down.  Anyways it turned out rather well and I am doing a variation on it. 
I learnt a new technique for joining the legs to the body and how to work the body up rather than the head down and do the legs seperately and sew them on.  

As you can see I am not crash hot on doing faces :)
Pattern is here

Steak snails

Yep thats what we had for dinner tonight.  When MrM asked what was for dinner and I said steak snails he looked at me and said "Mumma?!?"  but everyone cleared their plates, poor chickens no scraps tonight.  It was a kids only meal as DH and I are having dinner later-chilli bean burritos- but I did manage to put up a plate for him for lunch for work tomorrow.

Steak Snails
Take your steak and bash it or you could buy it already beaten but I like to beat and smash it :).  Cut into long strips. 
Dust in seasoned flour and roll up.  Place in a baking tin all orderly. 
In a jug mix 1tab of the seasoned flour with 2cups of stock (I didn't have any on hand so used 3tab golden syrup, salt, 1/4tsp citric acid, 2cloves of crushed garlic mixed into 2cups of warm water) and pour over the steak. 
Cover and bake 180C for about 40min or so. 
I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. 
Deeeelish

Camping

Camping, camping, camping...can be so much fun.....but not this time.  We got rained out.  We got there, unloaded and realised that we forgot to pack the saucepans so DH we back to the town to buy some.  We now have dedicated billy, stockpot and frypan.  While he was gone the kids and I put up the tent and blew up the beds.  In fact just as he pulled in next to the tent we were just setting down to afternoon tea after setting every thing up.  Gosh I am a wonderwoman!!!
We had an ok night.  We realised that we need a few more things to make camping more comfy like a table (you try doing dishes kneeling on the floor?) and more camping chairs. Perhaps a shower bucket with solar hot water heater as I have learned that none of us like cold showers.
The next morning we went off to visit the museum and steam display.  As we were driving home it started to rain and things looked pretty wet back at camp.  Turns out there was a storm and our tent was saturated along with everything in it :( :(  So at 3.30pm we made the decission to pack up and go home.  We got home about 9.30pm.  Yesterday was spent drying everything out and I have tripple the mountain of washing I normally have.  Ahhhh well we will try again next time.

Modeling clay

We did this a few holidays ago and the kids had SO much fun that I decided to do it again. 
2 packets of that oven bake plastic modleing clay-kinda like fimo + 6 children = 2hrs of fun and some very beautiful and creative artwork.

 and because I like to show off a teeny tiny teacup and saucer. 
MrJ and MrS made pokemons-what else??? and MrS also made a tooth that is now a necklace.  MsH made beads, rings and things to stick on hairclips.  MrB made heaps of twirly, twisty things that his has now strung around his neck.  MrM made a very cute little pokemon like his big brothers and I made him a braclet and rings.  MsR didn't really do much as it was a little hard to mold and she is only 3 so I got her out the playdough instead which she had a wonderful time creating.

We are getting ready and packing for our camping w/end.  I have learnt a few tricks and now it is much easier to pack and go-not much but anything helps!!!  The place we are going to has cold showers and no drinking water, but does have toilets.  YEAH!!! 

A trip to the movies and a dinner out

Yesterday we had a rare treat...we went to the movies and had dinner out.  We saw How to Train Your Dragon and it was good.  We didn't tell the children about it and just told them to get dressed in their 'good' clothes.  After a few times of my saying "nope try and get a shirt thats clean"  or "I really think that shirt needs to been given to your younger brother" (It is amazing how quickly they grow)  We were ready to load up the car and get going.   MsR got a bit restless but it was a movie for older children and 2hrs is a long time to sit in the dark for a 3yr old.   We took up nearly the whole row :) :) :)  We decided to forgo the popcorn and drinks as I didn't want to spend the whole movie up and down to the toilets and we didn't want to spoil their appetites for later.....
After the movie we went to Sizzlers.  We got there early and it was empty but was packed by the time we left.  I am constantly surprised when out on the children's manners, we had a lovely time and we all came home feeling very full, well except for MrJ who even after 3 deserts still wanted more!!!  DH and I ordered seafood platters that we shared with the 4 younger non allergic seafood loving children and MrJ and MrS had the children's steak meal.  It is amusing to watch them go to the salad bar and what they choose: fruit and pickles were popular.  They have a new coffee machine and now do esspresso so I was happy too :) 
Today is a day at home with modeling clay and tomorow is vacation care for the big ones (shh they are going to the movies again) and kindy for the yonger 2.  Dh is off and we are going shopping to get ready for going camping next weekend!!!!  I love camping :)

An afternoon in the garden

Yesterday we spent a wonderful day celebrating my niece's birthday at a water park.  We left with 6 very tired and water logged children :) :)
Today the plan was for DH to get up early and go fishing, come home and we would set off for the Lifeline  Bookfest and then spend the afternoon in the garden.  Well we were woken up with heavy rain so DH didn't go fishing, poor him the world is against him going fishing for some reason.  We did go to the bookfest-GREAT!!!.  I love bookfest and we came away with a nanna trolley full of books: MrJ and MrS scored big with heaps of pokemon books.  We got home and I made a cheesey pull apart and we all sat dpwn to check out our finds.
I got a good 2hrs in the garden and now it is half weeded.  I kept finding tiny little frogs so I rescued them and put them in a safer part of the garden that I had already done, poor little things were exhausted hopping away from my whirling dervish weeding action.

Aren't they the most beautiful little creatures?  All the while I was weeding a group of rosellas were in the tree overhead chattering at me.  Not too sure what they were saying but they sure made themselves heard!!!   

Well I had best get MsR to bed, the kids are watching 'Snow Dogs' and she is tired and wanting to have a cuddle.

KINDY!!!!!!

Yesterday was MsR first day of kindy.  I wasn't sure how she would go  Would she run off and enjoy the interaction, pianting, crafts, singing, storytime?   Would she cling to me screaming so they would peel her off me and tell me to go and I would sit in the carpark crying as I heard her sobbing?  Would she be ok but later miss me and cry and wonder if I was coming back?  
She ran off and was very happy to play and said goodbye to me with a wave :)  :(   When I called later in the day they said she was having a goood time and no tears.  When I went to pick her and MrM up he came running over to me as per usual "mummymummymummy I missed you!"  kiss kiss hug hug.  She notchalantly strolled up
Me  "Had a good day?"
Her "Yep.  Did painting.  Thank you for the crackers mumma" 
Me  "Do you like kindy?  Want to come back tomorrow?"
Her  "Yep"
Hopefully it will continue and she will keep enjoying it.  We have had mixed reactions with the others in regards to kindy.  MrJ loved it at first, would run away when I went to pick him up and then decided he didn't like it and spent the next 6m crying and being very sad.  I was on the point of taking him out, much to everybody's disgust 'he needs to know who's boss'  'what about when he starts school'  'you can't let him rule you'  'he's fine he's just malipulating you'  so on and so forth.  About this time he decided he liked it again so problem solved.  MrS and MsH were OK, MrB for the most part liked it but some of the activities he didn't like (inside play on rainy days "too noisey mumma, hurts my ears")   and on those day he would be very sad and poor MrM never settled.  He got to the point where eveyday even before he got out of bed he would ask "is it daycare today?"  normally at 5am.  He was just so upset that we pulled him out.  And again peoples comments!!!   Yes because taking my 2 1/2yr old child out of daycare where he is desperately unhappy so it affects him when he is not at daycare, his stutter gets worse and he becomes extra clingy is your concern how????  Oh thats right by taking him out now at 2 1/2yrs old  he will never learn that he has to go to school/university/work and become a dole bludger????  
A new center opened up and we thought we'd give it a go.  Its a daycare but only for children 3-5yrs and after the initial settling in he is very happy there.  It helps the staff are so nice and it is a very small place, only 2 groups a day of about 20 children each.    MrM is a grasshopper and MsR is now a dragonfly. 
So here is a photo how the lunches look 6.30am on Thursday and Fridays.