Blobbing

I'm lazy. I've done little today apart from 6 loads of laundry which took forever and then read this from front cover to back..

If you have a teenager from 11-12 years who hates reading, I highly recommend it! (particularly boys)*I did pull this series out of the school library a few years back as felt the content was too much for my cohort of students. I might start reading aloud and see how we go*

I'm tag team reading them at the moment with my youngest - he is not a reader, but has been totally engrossed in this series. (and got into trouble for reading at the past weekend's scout camp, when he should have been helping with stuff - a secretly pleased mother here when I heard that!)

So far

clear out boys' clothing
buy mattress for a kid
write 5 letters
essay (started and made huge progress)
clear out kitchen
clear out bathrooms
garden path swept (ha - well I did, but pile still there to put in compost!!)
plant more winter veges
clear out my wardrobe  (including many pairs of shoes!)
visit aunt/cousin for a few days
ironing pile to zero (ha - who am I kidding!)
sort books out for school
visit bookshops for school
catch up with 3 friends (2 down)
read 2 books (1 done)
knit (oh YES and mastered 2-at-once socks once again after having done no work on them for weeks!)

And it has been simple things like book buying ($ 1.00 books for many friends and school!) and piles more since!

 visits to the American shop buying Kool-Aid to dye wool and silly stationery which makes me smile!

 tiny square knitting (should really join together as I knit!

 essay writing ( I s-p-r-e-a-d out!)

 glorious days (so much laundry done and I am STILL in shorts and tees most days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 the winter veges have gone vrompf! (and marigolds etc)

 a Chelsea bun (although I could only manage half due to sweetness!)

Five more days to blitz that essay!!!

holiday to do list

I've a long list of what I want to do these hols -


clear out boys' clothing
buy mattress for a kid
write 5 letters
essay
clear out kitchen
clear out bathrooms
garden path swept
plant more winter veges
clear out my wardrobe
visit aunt/cousin for a few days
ironing pile to zero (ha - who am I kidding!)
sort books out for school
visit bookshops for school
catch up with 3 friends
read 2 books
knit


I think that may do. The boys all seem to do their own thing with mates. They sleep a lot too. The house can be quiet until mid-day. One is working 34 hours this week alone. So it kinda does feel like I get a holiday too! I have done zero on the essay today, but the house is looking clean....
Roses are from my garden.

The Enchanted Rose Mug Swap

Quite a while ago, I signed up for Enchanting Rose's Mug Swap.

It was a really delightful swap. I received this amazing package from Elizabeth in Tennessee. It is neat to see how different Twinings tea is packaged in other countries - we buy this tea in a box of either 30 or 100 teabags here with no individual foil bags around each teabag. the mug is perfect for a huge cup of tea all day long. I loved the sweet bookmark Elizabeth made and the pen and notebook will be well used. The hand towel was divine. Tea bag dishes are all over the house here - depending on where I drink my cup of tea!

Thank you Elizabeth for a beautiful package! (I adored the tissue paper too - have only ever seen plain tissue paper in NZ!)

And I sent my package to Cheryl. I love her travel blogging especially.  This is what I sent her -

Thank you Stephanie for hosting a fabulous swap.

crafty makes lately

There has been a tiny bit of crafting going on. The new wool and cross stitch supplies arrived very quickly from England and Dunedin too. I have been strong and not joined up for a surprise Mother's Day (The Cat Club) package from Vintage Purls.

I've been sewing an autumn pair (cute elephants) and a winter pair (watermelons) of pj pants for me (I so do not actually need any more pairs...!).

I've actually done very little knitting in weeks and if I do pick up my knitting, it has been a row or two here and there from the Retiary pattern. My knitting is not perfect (and it is impossible to un-do virtually!), but it does look pretty impressive for me I think. I've learnt how to add beads, which is no easy-peasy. It was not at the start!

I'm going to teach myself how to dye the plain sock wool. First I need to buy some Kool-Aid from the American grocery store.

I've been essay working yesterday - yay for me. Now raining, which I love. I'm still in bed at 10.35 am.

Hello school holidays!

school holidays

This was the situation at 2pm this afternoon. I had 4 amazing students who sorted 90% of it before the bell rang at 2.45pm.

The returns bin is still chocka...

I can wait till next term.

I'm exhausted.

Hooray for 2 weeks holidays.

(except I've a 4000 word essay to write.......)

In a funk

I don't know what it is. I've been a grumpy old cow and I'm sure the kids at school know too (the 4th student to turn the lights off and on in a row last week got a bit of a grumpy voice from me! I very rarely yell at anyone anywhere as it does not do a thing!). In a bit of a funk I guess. Easter break with 5 days hols was fab. Daylight savings over the weekend not so, and I'm already sleeping in late and waking up with 30 mins to be out of the house!
Things like NCEA parent night (stupid NZ qualification system in high school which is meaningless to me), 3 hours of parent teacher interviews in one night, a kid not eating any breakfast (hasn't since he was 5!) and then not taking lunches either (sigh!), kid not doing homework and then forgetting his detention, kid forgetting he had a major maths test and getting a pretty spectacular low mark (sigh) (but it is my fault as I forgot to wake him up early to study!!), the messy house, me not being bothered cooking dinners (I did go to supermarket tonight and threw a bunch of stuff in trolley with no thought!).... I'm tired. I'm behind with university work again. I can't be bothered with anything much....


So I went on-line and ordered this and then a few balls of this and then a ball of this and woah Mrs A. you'd better stop there! I've never mail ordered a cross stitch pattern before nor wool from England, so am quite excited. Besides, it is the school hols in 8 more working days and I do need some entertainment around my 3500 word essay I need to write...


I've been planting a few veges/herbs and flowers and am amazed at how fast they have taken off (but it is STILL warm at 21 degrees!)

I've been stitching this...

Autumn is kinda coming...

I got more flowers (not in peak form now...)

I've ordered around $1000 of new books (more books!) at school - whoop!!

And I'm basically struggling to stay awake - not good when one falls asleep before the youngest who then goes to sleep at who knows what time!!!!

on well. Life goes on, grumpy or not. At least I baked muffins and banana loaf for the school lunch boxes!

Easter Swap

This year I hosted an Easter swap. I think it might become part of my annual swap repertoire :)

Ryan picked the partners and I was partnered with the lovely Tracy from Mad About Bags. Tracy timed her package to absolute perfect with it arriving on Easter Saturday (I didn't actually think we'd even get any mail on this day, so it was fab to see a package in the letterbox!)

It twas a lovely package too. My pesky tastebuds have not performed on the chocolate front since I had my tonsils out 3 years ago. I actually struggle with this, as how could one not like chocolate? I tried again on Easter Sunday - two tiny little eggs, but nope - icky stuff! So Tracy knowing this, sent a chocolate free package and instead I got divine local tea which I love (first thing I always buy overseas!), a very sweet bunny which she made (great stitching - a lot of work gone into that!), a cute tea towel (possibly too good to use ;) ) and some Easter ribbons. I loved the little tags on each gift and will re-use these on my Easter scrapbooking pages. Thanks Tracy for a fab sweet swap!

I sent these items to Tracy - I got very addicted to knitting these dishcloths and an Easter basket one !

The Whitakers kiwi "eggs" were new to the market this year and I've sent quite a few off to friends/family overseas. They are a big hit!