Food Glorious Food!!

I think since Facebook, I've lost the art of cooking, reading recipe  books and all round good eating!
I think I got caught up in the soap opera of face book!
But since I've been looking at my happy moments ....who is doing what is less important and other things are more important ....Still love Facebook though !
So this week I've enjoyed some yummy food!
Vietnamese out with my family on Sunday!
Being given a recipe for a beautiful orange cake.
Discussing recipe's with a friend, and food shopping!
A few weeks ago I even made a pizza from scratch!
I love food ....My Dad is a chef, so I should be good at food!

So here is to rediscovering a passion .....and finding happiness!

Happy for Family

On Sunday night, my Husband, Mr 12 and Miss 8 went out on a family night!
We went for dinner at Southbank at a beautiful Vietnamese restaurant followed by a trip to the theatre to see Mary Poppins!

What struck me was there delight I get from these three special people in my life!
Honestly I could have just sat and watched with Mr 12 or Miss 8's face all night enjoying the musical!

I think in the busyness of life we forget how much beauty there is in those we love are.

Sometimes I think I've been missing my Mum too much to stop and see exactly what was right in front of me......pure love and pure enjoyment!

I'm not for one moment describing my kids as perfect ......far from it! But they are mine, and I love them! They are funny, kind and best of all I enjoy hanging out with them ....and Hubby too!

It was lovely to see how Mary Poppins changed the outlook for the 'Bank's' family .....I think she may have made a few changes in my outlook too .....So thanks Mary!

Sometimes we need to reflect on what we have rather than what is lost!

Love you my family and I look forward to many more family dates filled with fun and laughter xxoo

The Art of Romance!

Finding Happiness in Love!

Roughly 20 years ago my eighteen year old self went out with a friend to a nightclub! It was the fourth of July and we were out to get free drinks from American sailors who were in town! She also invited her male friend, who turned up with a long  blonde fringe and wearing a rather nice coat (It was the early nineties ....she chambray shirt was pretty hot too) and a dashing English accent (my weakness), I was smitten and we started going out!
But my friend kept telling me he was creepy and so I used my best Cosmo dump line .....your not the sort of man I want to go out with, you are the type I wan to Marry!
Lucky for me, he took his dumping well and after many drunken pashes (with one another) we finally got it together ....our families thought we had been together for years anyway!

Fast forward twenty years, a time living overseas, two kids, a marriage, two houses later ....the boy with the blonde locks has now gone darker and a bit old and his accent has faded a bit ...but now no one can tell me he is creepy cause I know they are wrong!

So on this week ....the most romantic of them all because of Valentine's my husband surprises me with a big bunch of flowers delivered to my work

The flowers mean a lot but really it's the little things that make our relationship so wonderful

The coffee in the morning

The way he loves our children

The way he hugs me

When he cleans the kitchen

The way he sticks by me, he supports me, he encourages me!

He is my Soul Mate.....My everything and I love him!

So thanks for the flowers ....I loved them!

But next year I won't expect them, because for me Romance is everywhere

xxxooo

Little bit's of happiness ...going with the flow!

Sometimes it's so easy to point my phone and take a picture and other day are much harder ....but her are the last ten days or so!

Drinkies with my fantastic neighbours .....in their beautiful house!

A quick dip on a summer's afternoon

Pizza made from scratch!

Actually making the time to be organised!!!

Reading the Sunday Paper in Bed!!

Another fantastic 'Poppy' meal

Friends over for a swim

The list goes on!

I suppose the man who orchestrates many of the happy moments in my life is my wonderful caring and loving husband! I count myself as blessed in life! Just one example of his love is almost every day since we moved in together, my wonderful caring man has made me a hot drink in bed every morning ......He makes me happy every day xxoo

Here he is with the other woman .....good thing I'm happy to share him with her!

Working Mum v's SAHM

Thank you Gwyneth  ........NOT!
Today I have read a few blogs about Gwyneth Paltrow's article which I think appeared in a UK magazine!
In the article Gwyneth stated that she believed that Woman who choose to have children should stay at home!
Hello Gwyneth in your lovely made up world of famous people I am sure you can have this rule!
In the real world there a many a day where I would love to be home for my children, cooking up a storm for Hubby's return. Actually I would enjoy it for about a week ....and then I would be bored!What would I really do ....here are only so many morning teas you can go to, tuck shop day's, reading helper I could really stand!Not to mention living in the world of Lorna Jane politic's!
But really why do we have the working Mum/ SAHM argument anyway....and what happens when the SAHM decides she needs work?
I've never really been a SAHM...Master 12 was unplanned and at the 12 month mark I had to go back to work .....so we could eat! With Miss 8 I took 12 months maternity leave and went back to work ....so as I said never really been a SAHM.
The other thing is I have a career not a job....a career that doesn't pay well but it gives back to the community. I love the feeling of giving back to the community and I think I'm OK at my job!
So why give up???? My BFF went back to work full time when her little guy was twelve months old. She had the better career and hubby now works part time and looks after their boy! And I'm amazed at how people think he is some kind of genius for doing this .....pretty sure if it was the other way around we would be questioning the wife for working part time.
So really back to my basic statement back to Gwyneth ....If you are a Mum, do what works for you! If you feel you need to work ....do and if you don't well don't!
But to us Working Mum's lets support each other, because somehow in beautiful 2012 ....some 1980's debate is still raising it's ugly head!
PS I would really like to know if Gwyneth runs a stall at the school fete, sells raffle tickets, works on tuck shop or contacts books for the school library ....cause I do!
Oh and Gwyneth hope you or Hubby haven't missed a music concert and listened to the cat crying yells of a string orchestra, and I hope you make it to every assembly and cross country or are you too busy at Yoga?
PS Gwyneth ...I have made the ultimate sacrifice for my kids ....my size eight body! I notice yours is all trimmed and toned!

Finding Happiness in the Return to school and work routine!

Happiness is often harder to find when things return to the routine .....I'm not a routine person and love adventure so I thought it would be a challenge in finding happiness in the routine ....but no, it wasn't as hard as I expected!

Back to school for Mister 12....he missed his friends so seeing him so happy to return to school made my day. He is loving it, looking forward to his first year of high school, No complaints (yet) about homework or his teachers. I'm happy that he is happy.
Me: return to work and a team building day....fantastic for me to learn about my team and how we can work together. I have a feeling work will be better this year and I'm looking forward to working with some great girls.....yeah and the horrid one on my team was transferred so that made me happy!

So happy she had a good day...loves her teacher....has some friends, she is happy, which is a welcome relief from the tears last year .....sometimes time heals and things change ....here is to a good year Miss 8!

As mundane and boring as it is ....the time to shop for and cook and good meal makes me happy. Their are times when I struggle to get a healthy meal on the table ....No we don't live on chicken nuggets, but there have been nights where I have served baked beans because I just don't have the time to cook ...this year I am trying to change that and make to time. Veggies are chopped and in the fridge, I cook and freeze when I can and most of all DH has agreed to help....it will be done!

Doesn't seeing the sun brighten your day! The weather here has been non stop rain for the last few days ...but the sun came out briefly and brightened our day! The weather does have such an impact on your mood ....glad where we live we do have fairly nice weather, most of the time!

Family Sushi night at the local Sushi train! Love spending time with my family and best of all no washing up! Happiness is family time!

Taking Miss 8 to her ice skating lesson. Ice skating has been a confidence boost for Miss 8 and she loves it. Seeing her do something the rest of us can't makes me happy ....even if it does break the bank!

Anyway more mundane next week ....but in the mundane I can find Happiness ....I know!

It's just the way we are!

I see myself as a reasonable cook .....I love good food and I love to bake!
But there is one recipe my husband and I failed on .....the art of making perfect babies.

Sure they look perfectly normal

They have ten fingers and ten toes

They are normal in every way ......except they are hearing impaired!

Both were born before neonatal screening ....which is a blessing in a way because we had years of being 'normal'.....but at three Mister 12 was diagnosed with a moderate to severe loss! He wears hearing aids and a FM. We have worked hard to ensure he communicates like his peers. He probable right now hates me for correcting his language continually but I hope when he is an adult he thanks me.

When Miss 8 was two we were told she had an unusual audio gram but as her language was so advanced for her age not to worry about and get her retested when she started school .... unfortunately when she started Prep my Mum was sick and we didn't worry, so we went on until last year when she started falling behind and we got her tested! She has a mild to moderate loss! She will wear an FM in class now.

This is all good, we live in a country where the equipment is free and we are well cared for. 

So yes we didn't have perfect kids but really who does???

So what do I ask of the universe? Apart from a miraculous cure!
Really what do I ask of my Mummy peers?
I ask that when you child asks what is wrong with my child, you do not ignore or take pity - no oh the poor thing has lost his/her hearing but rather explain that my child wears hearing aids or a FM to help him/her hear.

That you don't complain or feel your child is being held back because your child is in a class with my child and the teacher is wearing an FM - believe me this has happened! But rather accept that my child has just as much a right to be in that class as yours does! 

Don't think your child is kind or extraordinary for playing with the kid who can't hear well, be happy because your child has found a friend.

Don't not invite my child for a play, sleep over or to your child's party because it's too hard. It isn't and I will help if need be.

And when I tell you that we have just had a new diagnosis, don't feel awkward and then excuse yourself because you can't handle difference but rather give me a hug and treat me like normal!
And most of all treat us as you would treat any other family!