Tree or not to tree?

That's what I've been asking my self for almost a month. 


I read Goddess's post about parents making an effort at Christmas time and creating their kids Christmas memories.  I was inspired more a case of the guilts I think hahaha and swore that as soon as the kids were home from school, the tree would go UP.

But they came home, and the tree never went up. maybe I was side tracked by the usual chaos that happens in this house like clockwork between 4-8pm or maybe I was just super lazy?

Since school has been out, the middle two (9 and 10yrs) have been at the inlaws place so I haven't had to think to much about it.

I picked them up yesterday and as soon as we got home, I got the decorations down from the cupboard, and the tree (fake cos I can't be bothered with the cleanup that comes with having a real one - and the decorations never seem to stay on 'just right' out from storage.  I rounded up the kids and told miss 16 to help the younger two put the tree up.  I didn't want to have any part of it after reading Lani's post about Christmas decorating when she was growing up...because I am that controlling mother...who would have told them where to put each ball, each bead, each tinsel hahaha!!!  SO I BACKED OFF :)


Mr 9 took off down the road to his mates house, mr 13 was too busy doing his own thing, so it was just left to miss 16 and miss 10 and my 12yr old sister, who is here from Samoa on Holiday and staying with us :)


They did a fabulous job!! The tree is up and looking lovely :)  Our house is way too small but we found a spot for it but there is no room to put the gifts underneath it lol. 


I'm pleased.  The little buggers can't complain now 10 yrs from now and say "Man, my mum didn't even bother putting a tree up!!" lol.


BTW - mr 9 came home...I'm sitting at the computer in the dining room.  I hear the vacuum turn on.  Then I hear it make a strange sound, as though it was being turned on and off quickly...turn around and can't see anyone but I see the Christmas tree shaking...next minute mr 9 peers out from behind the couch and I ask him what the hell he's doing...with the cheekiest look ever on his face and cracks up and says "Look how many Christmas balls I can get off the tree with the vacuum!"  I snap.  "OMG!  Turn the vacuum off!  If you even break one of those balls I'm gonna break your ball!"  He thinks that hilarious but takes the warning seriously and turns off the vacuum and places each ball back on the tree ever so gently lol.


MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone...and happy living :)

Grrr @ hubby!

We have finally bit the bullet and bought a van to cart the tribe around in, after spending my younger days swearing black and blue there was no way in hell I'd even buy a van!!  So we bought one.  And I. LOVE. IT.  It's my new big baby - miss 16 and mr 13 are NOT impressed and are saying they will not be caught dead in it - fine WALK YOU BUGGERS!!! *evil laugh*  Mr 9 thinks it's AWESOME and is very excited hahaha....miss 10 couldn't careless.

So anyway, we bought it off Trademe - awesome price.and now we are well and truly BROKE!!  But it means we'll be able to go out together in ONE car as a family *yay*.  Doesn't take much to excite me anymore obvisouly hehehe.

Anyway...the 'grrr hubby' part comes in here...because we bought it off TM secondhand, off a young guy, the interior was disgusting!!  GROTTY and GRUBBY!  So much so that I did not want any of the kids to touch the seats until it was cleaned.

I weighed up the cost of cleaning it myself by hiring a Rug Doctor...but it would have worked out only slightly cheaper than getting it done professionally..and so I did.  BEST money I have ever spent - the seats look practically NEW again - I am not exaggerating. And now hubby tells me that he will be using the van on Friday to take who ever can fit in it, to their works' fishing trip!!  Are you farking kidding me??  I just paid good money to clean the damn interior just to have grown men, all stinking and fish smelling sit in it with their fishing gear??!!  I am sooo pissed off!

I am sooo annoyed.  What a bloody 'save the world' kinda guy!  I have told him that if I get my van back and I can smell even one single fish ball I will NOT BE HAPPY and he will NOT have a Merry Christmas.

Overly dramatic - maybe - do I care?  No.  

Who knew I would be so protective of a bloody Van hahahaha - I must be getting O L D!

Got the camping bug!!

Since mr 13 went on his school camp a month or so ago, I have been super keen to take my family camping!

I have been meaning to blog about this, but just have not had the time.  It's been so hectic around here.

Bascially when we got back from visiting Mr 13 at his school camp, I jumped on Trademe and started looking for a tent.  Since then I have scored some wonderful bargains!! 


hubby was in OZ when mr 13 went to his camp, so by the time he had returned, I had already bought a tent and various other camping items AND booked us a spot at the same place Mr 13 had his camp :)


So last Sunday (11th Dec), we were packed and off we went :)  We were there for 3 nights.  Arrived back on Wednesday.


Although the experience was awesome - I mean, hey, the kids and hubby were out fishing each day ALL day!!  I on the other hand, was stuck in the tent with lil miss 7 months cos the weather was CRAP!  Absolute crap *sigh*  The first day we were there, it was windy and drizzling...thank goodness it wasn't raining the moment we arrived, we managed to put the tent up and set everything up in dry weather...but of course as soon as we had everything set up - it. rained. hard.


We were planning on spending wednesday lunch there after packing up, but due to the horrible weather, we woke up, had breakfast, packed up and came straight home!


What a mission!


EVERYTHING was WET.  Clothes, blankets, sheets, gear *sigh*  Wet from the rain, wet from the sea!!  Sand everywhere!  Of course, just cos you get home doesn't mean the camping experience is over - no siree!!  You have to UNPACK!!  And when everything is bloody soaked - it's a friggan hassle!


First off...the tents had to be set up again and allowed to dry!  Well...of course it didn't stop raining until this morning!! nearly a whole week since returning, we finally got the tents dried and packed away!!


I gave in to trying to do all the laundry at home...and took the last of it to the laundr-o-mat this afternoon to wash and bring home to dry.


Here are some pics from our first family camping trip :)

The first day we were there, it was WINDY and didn't rain too often.

Day 2 onwards, the weather went down hill...

Of course this lil girl didn't mind :)

Neither did mr 9 who spent and LOVED every moment he could out fishing.

And when the tide came in and they couldn't stand on the rocks...they just fished off the beach!!