I have been having so much trouble with my silly I-pad to the point I nearly gave it to one of the children! I hate the thing and think they are so over rated ! I want a good old-fashioned desk top. My cellphone died too and nearly 2
weeks in I do not know what to buy! Have been using the nearly 14 year old's old one.
Good camera died too, so using one if the kid's one as well. I would like a really good camera- might wait till my birthday!
Husband has been home for a couple of weeks. We have done lots - he has built our new garden shed from scratch - done a great job! Vege garden is blooming! I've been studiously working away on my professional registration for my library qualification which has to be
Done every 3 years - from where I stand it is bloody harder than what a school teacher has to prove! I have my next lot of assignments due in in 2 weeks for my other course - the motivation has not been grand for that!
I have been watching a bit if the Olympics - I never watch tv but with the knitting needles flying , it is good, yay for our men's equestrian team and their bronze medal!
Husband taking me out to dinner tonight - out of the blue! He even organized a baby sitter - what a guy! In 2 weeks time we will have a 14 year old and legally won't need a babysitter ... Hmmm - one or two if the kids might try and kill each other ????
I must make this blogging a daily habit!
Creative Chaos
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Saturday, 7 July 2012
motivation in school holidays
I am a BIG home person - my kids on the whole are too! We can always potter around the house and find things to do! Obviously for me this involves knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, writing, reading, studying, baking, preserving, jam making etc. Oh and the never ending housework and laundry.
We have had some stunning days these hols and I have been motivated to go out a bit more than usual.. other day to the museum and today on the train into the city, a walk around the newish Wynyard Quarter - Auckland has opened up a whole new part of the waterfront and it is gorgeous. Today we splurged at a water front cafe - probably something my husband would not do with the boys, but he is away, so off we went! :) Great fun! And another fantastic visit to the National Maritime Museum - free to Aucklanders ( just like the Auckland Museum.). The boys always love looking at museums - we struggle with Auckland being such a small city (to us!) and having so few museums. The Art Gallery had a big spruce up last year too, so we must go and visit that as well.
A little bit of more wool buying today too - crikey that is the 3rd visit in a week! But I can now finish the middle child's jersey, which was started over a year ago. I have learnt that when you buy wool you buy a lot, especially if you are going to stash it! The problem with the wool which I started knitting with , was that it was so old I could no longer buy it OR match it. So it had to be undone and then re-knitted in stripes, only to run out of the 2nd colour... sigh!!!! It really is only for camping and tramping with the scouts, but still has to look half decent.
Tomorrow will be a day at home I think! I do love this city - it is so beautiful - I do think we need to go out and explore more of it!
We have had some stunning days these hols and I have been motivated to go out a bit more than usual.. other day to the museum and today on the train into the city, a walk around the newish Wynyard Quarter - Auckland has opened up a whole new part of the waterfront and it is gorgeous. Today we splurged at a water front cafe - probably something my husband would not do with the boys, but he is away, so off we went! :) Great fun! And another fantastic visit to the National Maritime Museum - free to Aucklanders ( just like the Auckland Museum.). The boys always love looking at museums - we struggle with Auckland being such a small city (to us!) and having so few museums. The Art Gallery had a big spruce up last year too, so we must go and visit that as well.
A little bit of more wool buying today too - crikey that is the 3rd visit in a week! But I can now finish the middle child's jersey, which was started over a year ago. I have learnt that when you buy wool you buy a lot, especially if you are going to stash it! The problem with the wool which I started knitting with , was that it was so old I could no longer buy it OR match it. So it had to be undone and then re-knitted in stripes, only to run out of the 2nd colour... sigh!!!! It really is only for camping and tramping with the scouts, but still has to look half decent.
Friday, 6 July 2012
knitting frenzy
to keep warm and my hands busy these school holidays, I have been frantically knitting! Just finished my vest knitted in 4 ply Misti Alpaca. Gorgeous to knit with, it used less wool than the pattern said - I am a loose knitter though and do tend to go down needle sizes with all patterns now. Enough wool left over to knit some socks - i have a horde of sock wool! very pleased with the vest and found some vintage buttons from my aunt's collection - she gave me all her patterns/ cotton (wooden reels!)/ notions/rickrack etc last year!
Pleased I taught myself the lacey bottom pattern - quite easy!
When I was sick with strep throat a couple of weeks back, I attempted to learn cable stitch - found it easy BUT am so cack handed I did a beautiful cable of the wrong side of the work! It was a cowl and I still do like it and will wear it both sides - hee hee. Will attempt another one again another day!
i have spent $100 on wool this week - yikes! Finished and started a slouchy hat for the youngest - thrilled with it too - 2nd only hat i have ever knitted and I am hooked! Will make them for gifts mostly - as my middle child says, we have enough knitted hats to give to a class of kids! He is off on a big scout camp next weekend, so we have woollen socks, hats and jerseys stockpiled. He is only allowed wool and polyprop items. I still have not finished his jersey - need to get to another shop to get particular wool!
I am now starting a simple jersey for a soon to be one year old in Sweden.
I was up in the attic before and discovered hot water bottle covers I had knitted a few years ago - I love them! Don't think I found them for last winter! Wish I knew where the pattern was. Also found my dog door stopper- he still needs eyes! This was knitted years ago too!
what craft has everyone been doing lately?
Husband has gone overseas for 2 weeks for work - I am not a fan of solo parenting and find dinners the worst as he does a lot of cooking - I bake lots, but he cooks more! Have worked out a menu for several days with the kids, so that is a start! Also need to keep myself motivated to take them places! I can get a bit slack over holidays as need a total break myself! We are all home body's too.....
We are booked to go away for a few days, so that will be a break out of the city!
hope everyone is coping with the hols - at least we have had gorgeous weather for once!
Pleased I taught myself the lacey bottom pattern - quite easy!
When I was sick with strep throat a couple of weeks back, I attempted to learn cable stitch - found it easy BUT am so cack handed I did a beautiful cable of the wrong side of the work! It was a cowl and I still do like it and will wear it both sides - hee hee. Will attempt another one again another day!
i have spent $100 on wool this week - yikes! Finished and started a slouchy hat for the youngest - thrilled with it too - 2nd only hat i have ever knitted and I am hooked! Will make them for gifts mostly - as my middle child says, we have enough knitted hats to give to a class of kids! He is off on a big scout camp next weekend, so we have woollen socks, hats and jerseys stockpiled. He is only allowed wool and polyprop items. I still have not finished his jersey - need to get to another shop to get particular wool!
I am now starting a simple jersey for a soon to be one year old in Sweden.
I was up in the attic before and discovered hot water bottle covers I had knitted a few years ago - I love them! Don't think I found them for last winter! Wish I knew where the pattern was. Also found my dog door stopper- he still needs eyes! This was knitted years ago too!
what craft has everyone been doing lately?
Husband has gone overseas for 2 weeks for work - I am not a fan of solo parenting and find dinners the worst as he does a lot of cooking - I bake lots, but he cooks more! Have worked out a menu for several days with the kids, so that is a start! Also need to keep myself motivated to take them places! I can get a bit slack over holidays as need a total break myself! We are all home body's too.....
We are booked to go away for a few days, so that will be a break out of the city!
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Holidays!
It is the holidays! Hooray! Let me see - I have already yelled. Hmmmm. Did you hear it?
Booted them all off electronic devices, so they all go and run around with their nerdy guns and then track mud all through my new bedroom!! Grrrhhhh. I even got an apology note!
So all devices banned for 24 hours - one kid is now vacuuming; another found a Lego box un-opened and the other is playing with his beloved Match Attack cards! After protests that their was nothing to do...
No plans so far for the hols. Husband will be in Malaysia for 2 weeks - I'm not impressed and neither is he quite frankly. I always get on planes for fun travel - he says traveling for work is not fun! I'd love it!!!!
Possibly will knit up a storm - current projects include a hat, socks, vest for me and a jersey for a child. Want to start a jersey for a one year old too.
The last week has seen me haul out my scrapbooking gear and get right into it again! I find I only do this 3-4 times year now and do huge amounts! Have spent lots of hours sorting out photos and am getting quite picky with volumes not to scrapbook!
Will attempt to get family to the art gallery; more than likely MOTAT and the museum too.
Some hols I do feel like a homebody. If we go away for a few days, it will be an impulse trip!
Middle child got into the next secondary school - that has been such a journey! We have decided - rather I have decided- that he will go to his brother's school which is an other school, which thankfully he was offered a place at too! Having a choice of schools makes it a nightmare. There is much to be said for living in a small town and having one choice - or really no choice! - where your child goes.
I have such strong view points on the NZ education system and currently think every NZ child is being stuffed up in a major way by this damn government!
What are your holiday plans? Any fighting already????
Saturday, 16 June 2012
It is winter!
Had a very cold week this week. The South Island must be bitterly cold.
Cold today but like most of the week ,
a gorgeous sunny day. Lots and lots and lots of laundry done and successful ly dried outside. I am not a clothes drier person - I am an outside blowing in the wind/ sun etc person. I adore hanging out laundry, folding up etc but do have to be in the mood for ironing!!
I most definently could not live somewhere where there are restrictions on what can be hung outside. We are lucky having a fully enclosed backyard, so no - one sees anything in the yard. Noise on the other hand...
I am also known to hand laundry outside in the dark and in low temperatures all ready for the sun the next day!
I am totally stuffed up with a cold. A big cold. Wondering about those lovely tonsils again. Have been to the Little Craft shop for more wool for another project - a little cowl knitted in cable! (a first for me doing cable!) My vest is coming along nicely.
Tomorrow I will cut out bunting and sew it up for a friend's daughter's bedroom. Sewing bunting is new too.
Everyone else is kicking around doing their own thing today. 2 games of soccer. Both lost. Getting a little frustrated at the 9th grade team - lots of new players who may not be the most skilled, ( including my child) , but they seem to be on the sideline more while the ring-ins 2 grades below kick around and play the game as the coach wants winners. Who cares about winning??? I really don't! I just want these kids to get a go in their team!
Off to knit and write ! Do you like laundry? inside or outside???
Cold today but like most of the week ,
a gorgeous sunny day. Lots and lots and lots of laundry done and successful ly dried outside. I am not a clothes drier person - I am an outside blowing in the wind/ sun etc person. I adore hanging out laundry, folding up etc but do have to be in the mood for ironing!!
I most definently could not live somewhere where there are restrictions on what can be hung outside. We are lucky having a fully enclosed backyard, so no - one sees anything in the yard. Noise on the other hand...
I am also known to hand laundry outside in the dark and in low temperatures all ready for the sun the next day!
I am totally stuffed up with a cold. A big cold. Wondering about those lovely tonsils again. Have been to the Little Craft shop for more wool for another project - a little cowl knitted in cable! (a first for me doing cable!) My vest is coming along nicely.
Tomorrow I will cut out bunting and sew it up for a friend's daughter's bedroom. Sewing bunting is new too.
Everyone else is kicking around doing their own thing today. 2 games of soccer. Both lost. Getting a little frustrated at the 9th grade team - lots of new players who may not be the most skilled, ( including my child) , but they seem to be on the sideline more while the ring-ins 2 grades below kick around and play the game as the coach wants winners. Who cares about winning??? I really don't! I just want these kids to get a go in their team!
Off to knit and write ! Do you like laundry? inside or outside???
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Life Chaos
I really must make more of an effort to blog! Just had a 3 day weekend for the Queen's birthday weekend.
It was also our 16th wedding anniversary - i love my husband! We had a wonderful meal out at The Kitchen in High Street in town. Gorgeous art deco decor and the food was amazing - the presentation wow! Highly recommend it - in fact it is right up there with the French Cafe and Merediths for me! We get out so rarely - I do love dressing up and having a night to really talk! With 2 of the family being real night owls this is so rare!
Other stuff that has been happening is the next school for the middle child. Biggest delimna ever for me! I want him at the best school in NZ - ACG Parnell College - he had an interview last week and was offered a place! Yippee! But it is the money! Whay, why should we have to pay a lot of money to get the progressive education that I want for my children?!
There has been a lot of talk about education this last week due to the budget the prat government gave us. They are scewing every single child in this country. They want class sizes to increase and say that the quality of education willnot go down. The prime minister is a real hypocrite as several years ago he said he sent his kids to a private school because of the small classes and higher quality of education received from this. So John Key every non-rich person has to have huge amounts of kids shoved into a classroom then?
Working in education sometimes does my head in! i know far more what goes on in a school than msot people and also being on a school baord and effectively running a school has seen my knowledge increase hugely. I believe we are dicing with so many kids lives - especially the poorer ones, who, while some may be being neglected by their parents etc and not getting the life they deserve - I think schools are not pulling their full weight either and giving these students the education or opportunities they deserve. (not either of the schools i am involved in I might add!) DonKey is dicing with my own children with National Standards - school reports are not worth a thing in my opinion! Sigh! Sometimes I think I care too much about kids and waht is happening to them.
Other stuff - youngest kid quit drums much to my horro - what do you do? Was totally over the begging and making him do it and stress involved!
Big Kid did fantastically in school exams - he has been working! You never know sometimes what they are doing in their rooms!!!
My good camera died - using a $90 Warehouse one... hmmm...i need, need, need a new one!
Lots of knitting - LOTS of knitting still! Even 4 pj pants sewn yesterday! I really want to learn how to sew a cup coaster!!! A little quilted one perhaps!
Cleaning still - house painter is here, so dust abounds everywhere!!! And some new furniture - youngest kid happy with couch in his room!
Have to get my mojo back for study - did some last week! :)
And baking - yummy Amish biscuits of another blog - will put recipe up and credit blogger - on another computer at the moment!
have a good week everyoen. What have you all been up to?
Kimberley
It was also our 16th wedding anniversary - i love my husband! We had a wonderful meal out at The Kitchen in High Street in town. Gorgeous art deco decor and the food was amazing - the presentation wow! Highly recommend it - in fact it is right up there with the French Cafe and Merediths for me! We get out so rarely - I do love dressing up and having a night to really talk! With 2 of the family being real night owls this is so rare!
Other stuff that has been happening is the next school for the middle child. Biggest delimna ever for me! I want him at the best school in NZ - ACG Parnell College - he had an interview last week and was offered a place! Yippee! But it is the money! Whay, why should we have to pay a lot of money to get the progressive education that I want for my children?!
There has been a lot of talk about education this last week due to the budget the prat government gave us. They are scewing every single child in this country. They want class sizes to increase and say that the quality of education willnot go down. The prime minister is a real hypocrite as several years ago he said he sent his kids to a private school because of the small classes and higher quality of education received from this. So John Key every non-rich person has to have huge amounts of kids shoved into a classroom then?
Working in education sometimes does my head in! i know far more what goes on in a school than msot people and also being on a school baord and effectively running a school has seen my knowledge increase hugely. I believe we are dicing with so many kids lives - especially the poorer ones, who, while some may be being neglected by their parents etc and not getting the life they deserve - I think schools are not pulling their full weight either and giving these students the education or opportunities they deserve. (not either of the schools i am involved in I might add!) DonKey is dicing with my own children with National Standards - school reports are not worth a thing in my opinion! Sigh! Sometimes I think I care too much about kids and waht is happening to them.
Other stuff - youngest kid quit drums much to my horro - what do you do? Was totally over the begging and making him do it and stress involved!
Big Kid did fantastically in school exams - he has been working! You never know sometimes what they are doing in their rooms!!!
My good camera died - using a $90 Warehouse one... hmmm...i need, need, need a new one!
Lots of knitting - LOTS of knitting still! Even 4 pj pants sewn yesterday! I really want to learn how to sew a cup coaster!!! A little quilted one perhaps!
Cleaning still - house painter is here, so dust abounds everywhere!!! And some new furniture - youngest kid happy with couch in his room!
Have to get my mojo back for study - did some last week! :)
And baking - yummy Amish biscuits of another blog - will put recipe up and credit blogger - on another computer at the moment!
have a good week everyoen. What have you all been up to?
Kimberley
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