Sunday, October 29, 2006

BOOKCLUB: My review ~ Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly

Well I have just put down the book and I liked it. It was a nice book and not a heavy on the mind either, when I first read the description I was a bit worried that it would be a bit of a girly book, but although it was about the 4 lives of 4 different woman, they all had something in common and that was that they had secrets in their pasts.
No Desparate Housewife secrets, like dead bodies buried under the pool sort of secrets, but secrets that had held them back from living their lives or having the lives that they dreamed about. Once the secrets were shared, they needed to be confronted and each charactor grew from it so it had a very positive ending. I like the way that Cathy Kelly writes, it is in the same ways and expressions that Monica McInerney writes, maybe it is an Irish thing as both autors are Irish, but what ever it is i think I would be happy to read another one of her books. Past Secrets gets a happy face from me.

My dear sister has suggested a few books to me, so I will be off to the library tomorrow to return my book and seek out my next book. Am still waiting on my reserved book but was told that it will be a long wait for it.

BookClub: My review - Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly

Well I have just put down the book and I liked it. It was a nice book and not a heavy on the mind either, when I first read the description I was a bit worried that it would be a bit of a girly book, but although it was about the 4 lives of 4 different woman, they all had something in common and that was that they had secrets in their pasts.
No Desparate Housewife secrets, like dead bodies buried under the pool sort of secrets, but secrets that had held them back from living their lives or having the lives that they dreamed about. Once the secrets were shared, they needed to be confronted and each charactor grew from it so it had a very positive ending. I like the way that Cathy Kelly writes, it is in the same ways and expressions that Monica McInerney writes, maybe it is an Irish thing as both autors are Irish, but what ever it is i think I would be happy to read another one of her books. Past Secrets gets a happy face from me.

My dear sister has suggested a few books to me, so I will be off to the library tomorrow to return my book and seek out my next book. Am still waiting on my reserved book but was told that it will be a long wait for it.

Body for life

The man has decided it is time to get fit and lose a bit of his bulk, he isn't a big man but there is muscle under there so some toning would benifit him. He has decided to do it via the Body for Life program. A friend of his is doing this and has turn very buff and obviously inspired my man.

I don't mind him following programs, but these programs seem to cost a small fortune, the protein powder cost $85 for a tiny 18 serves! The book cost $50 and I'm sure he is going to want to by weights as the program is very targeted to weight training. I wouldn't mind some weights myself but this time of year is just the wrong time of year. Christmas is always a killer in this house with money, then in January both car's have rego and fees due. It literally takes us till March to get back on track with our cash and next year big little man is off to school, so there is more cost!

Found out today that my niece (on the mans side) is pregnant. She is 17 and it was sort of expected that she would fall pregnant at a young age, that sounds really terrible, but her life choices were leading to becoming a doctor if you get my drift. I'm not shocked and feel that she may excel at being a mother, I hope the father-to-be is there to support her. MIL says that her granddaughter is same as her daughter, well the apple certainly didn't fall far from that tree did it as she did have her first child at 16yr too.

Oh well cest la vie as long as it's not mine!

Friday, October 27, 2006

Big Little Man :(

I know I whine about my boys a lot, but big little man has really huge emotional issues I just don't know how to deal with, he is sulky or angry, loses the plot (like throws things) and today the pre-school teacher (more like the headmaster) told me when it was time to pack up some toys, he lost it and started hitting his head on the floor, very hard and refusing to stop. He has never done the head hitting at home, but has hit himself in the head when things don't go his way, she is going to give me a list of child physiologist for him which I think he does need, it's like he needs kiddy anger management classes.

She thinks he has esteem issues also, that if I don't look into them now then they can develop into other emotional issues. He is a pain but i don't want that for him.

The thing that is getting to me is, is this my fault? I'm not the best mum, I never know how to deal with him, I scream a lot, ignore twice as much. I do praise him for good things, but they are far and few in between. When DS2 was born I was so tired and angry all the time I just couldn't tolerate him so during this time there was a bit of spanking, not anymore, I don't like hitting the kids unless they are doing something dangerous, like running out on the road when I've told them 2 sec before they have to hold my hand.

I don't want my kids telling me when they are adults I did it all wrong if I can fix it now. I just want to cry, I've always admitted I've had hard kids but maybe they are hard cause I'm hard and have such negative feeling about them.

What do I do?

Bike riding is enough

Okay I guess I was in one of my states last Saturday where I felt trapped in the house and the clouds of sanity surfaced and made me realise that the bike trailer would not have been a good idea.

Firstly, I went for a huge 1 hr bike ride today just with little man in the baby seat that is at the bake of my bike. I decided that I was so fit and healthy that I could tackle a new bike track that I knew was 90% up hill on the way back, I forgot that after 40 minutes of standard riding that I would be tired and that I had a 15 kilo child weighing me down. So needless to say I never made it up the hill on the bike, my heart was beating right off the ricketier scale on my HRM and I was starting to believe that I couldn't get enough oxygen in me quickly enough.

I could hardly even keep the bike steady as I walked it up the hill, I was walking like someone who had been trapped out in the desert with no water, dragging my legs in odd steps, but I did make it to the top and I got back on that bike and I headed home. But this did make me realise, how in the world could I tow a trailer with 2 boys in it, 2 boys with a total weight of 35 kilo's plus the weight of the trailer! I can't and doubt that I ever will!

So what at the plans now? Big little man is off to school next year and little man is off to pre-school for 2 days, so that means I can just continue to take little man or go on my own, I'm sure you can guess the option I am veering too! When little man is a bit older and stronger I shall consider a tag along, then at least he can pedal too, whether he can keep up is a whole other story.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

I want one of these...YESTERDAY!


Sometimes I wish I were more compulsive with my buying. Years ago I
wanted to get a bike trailer but I could never justify the cost, but
today I want it again.

The Man has been in bed till 1 pm (bloody lazy sloth!) and I feel like
a bike ride, I can't go because I would have to take the kids, I can
only carry the little man in the seat carrier, but if I had a bike
trailer all my problems would have been solved.

Now these things retail for $400-600AUS, on ebay they want $300, even
second hand are very expensive. So I am thinking I should get one as
the resale value will still be high and I can use it during the school
holidays and until big little man can ride a proper bike on his own
and then get a tag-a-long for little man.

Yes, now I just need to find $300. Would it be so wrong to use the
money we have saved in the kids accounts? After all it is for them...

I could use it to shop with to, and as a pram, when we go up to QLD I
can ride to the beach, I see nothing but advantages, but then again
when i want something, I won't stop till I think I must have it, and
I'm so bloody bored today and if I had one of those trailer I could at
least go out. Do I need one? Who gives a bat's bum, I want one and I
wanted it yesterday!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Tolerance

I would like to think that I am a very tolerant person, which is defined as: "Inclined to tolerate the beliefs, practices, or traits of others", BUT there is this one girl on my diet forum that if i saw her for real i would have to walk away if fear of uncontrolled violence.

I don't know specifically what it is about her that gets under my skin, but firstly she seems to know everything and has opinion of everything also, she seems to have all the facets of dieting but has never gotten close to her goal weight and it's not like she has 40 kilo's to lose or have issues in her life that should stop her. She basically sounds sounds like a selfish cow.

Someone is trying to organise a Christmas get together, we are talking about meeting people from an online forum, people you don't know, where the only thing we have in common is losing weight, so I would expect meeting people of all ages, colours creeds, and situations. I doubt I get along with all of them, but then again I am so laided back that I most likely would, but even before she meets these people she doesn't want to place HERSELF in a situation she doesn't like, which is kids. She doesn't want to have to go to a meet up where kids may spoil her the experience for her!

OK OK I may be a bit bias as I am a mother of kids, but never ever in my day did I believe that kids shouldn't be involved in things because it may limit my enjoyment, even the upcoming wedding is going to have kids. The man thinks that kids shouldn't go to weddings as it is an adult function, but if kids don't see these things how do they learn, I went to so many weddings when I grew up, I wanted to be married. I mean what is the percentage of married people who go on to have kids? They should see what they are getting into, no?

I do agree some situations to cause for children to omitted, fancy restaurants, fine theatre such as ballet and opera, but I feel the reason is because you need to be mature to enjoy what these things bring, like drinking red wine, the taste does really get better with age. But come on a picnic? The girl just shit me! Simple as that, she shits me and yet again she has shitted me off.

So will we go to this Christmas thing... she has turned me off, so nup, they have all managed life without meeting me and they can continue to do so!

I would love to meet a few of the people I have become close with, but these people are real not living in a facade of their own shit!

Oh Oh, she just posted again But at an evening event hopefully their partners could babysit A, she doesn't have a partner, I'm sure her ideals are to high and mighty and B, if she ever did have one not all partner like to miss out too!

I really hate this person don't I? Wow I now have 3 people in the world I can't stand!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

BOOKCLUB: Update...

Got a little lazy after finishing Marley and Me, have been seriously
thinking of getting a dog but am going to look into all aspects first
and also choose a dog that i will love and enjoy, not something my
husband wants and leaves for me to take care of. I have so far fallen
in love with the breed "Shetland Sheepdog". They look like a Collie
(Lassie) but is not a Collie at all, they are a medium sized dog with
what sounds like the most beautiful temperament...just like me!

We have contacted a breeder and it looks like the next batch of
puppies is due in April, but it is very much dependant of the litter,
so we sit and wait, but April is perfect timing as the kids will be
older, both will be at school/pre-school and they cost a small fortune
where we will need all that time to save for one, so stay tuned for my
dog new in the future!

Now onto the update of my current book:
I have just started reading the book and I seem to like what I have
read so far, a woman who can "see" things and the start of teenager
finding first love, can't say anymore as I haven't read enough, but I
have pass the first 10 pages with our cringing, so I shall continue

till next time.......

Sunday, October 15, 2006



Okay, today I have decided to get back on track with my health. Since getting to goal, which was such a huge achievement to me, I have going a bit lax and am starting to feel it.

I still have a lean body, but after eating rubbish for the last few weeks, I feel so sluggish, going to the loo isn't any fun, IYKWIM, I'm not the sort of person who wants to read a novel in the toilet to pass a bowel movement! I also have this strange chest cold that has been around far to long and just won't budge. Every morning now I end up in a coughing fit where my entire chest area aches like I have been winded, not nice.

So I have updated my exercise spreadsheet that I used when I first started losing weight, set it up with some new challenges and will see how I go from there. I'm not out to lose weight and need to keep reminding myself of this, just to continue to get lean and feel fit. The man is on the band wagon too, going through my recipe books with gusto, telling me what he wants to cook and what we should try. It is so much easier when you have your partner interested in the same goals.

I love my diet site that I visit, I think I love it more then some of it's members and this gets me down because I am so motivated some days, I get these crazy ideas and when no one show the same interest I think that I must be just annoying them all. I'm feeling like that cousin-in-law I can't stand, where everything is about her and her crazy idea's. I hope I'm not to pushy with my web site and ideas, I don't want to ostracise myself from them, they are my only friends most days as I never see any real people much these days. Oh well I'll just plod along as it keeps me going and I'm the one that counts in the end!

The only good thing my man taught me - I am #1!

Friday, October 13, 2006

Long hot slow day ahead

I just want lie down all day today, it's meant to be a scorcher and the sun was already blazing it's mighty rays at 7am when the damn neighbour decided it was the right time to mow his lawn!

The kids have been on my nerves again since they have woken, wanting this and that and I am so over everything I'm eating mint slices for breakfast, screw it! I love mint slices, they would have to be the best biscuit ever created. Is it the dark chocolate coating with the soft mint patty and crispy biscuit - YES! The sweet taste - YES! What ever it is I love them, morning, noon or night!

The man took the night off last night, he has had enough of work and just didn't want to go in. I completely understand because I think that we are both in the same place, he has been at this job for 6 years and I have been stuck at home for 6 years and we are both had it up to our eyeballs in our jobs. He thinks staying at home with the kids is nothing but fun, but I thinking going to work and socialising is nothing but fun, yes you still have jobs to do but the side benefits of working is what I need now.

Now having the man at home could be a good thing, but he can be quite lazy and I generally don't cook on the nights he works so he is just going to have to lump the left overs if he intends to stay home another night. Left overs aren't so bad actually, there is yummy lasagne so there shouldn't be to many complaints.

I think I'll spend most of my day in front of the PC chatting on my favourite forum and then go for a swim later in the day... yeah, that a plan.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Jillian Micheals


Got up when the man left for work this morning, 5.40am. It is so bright now and with a perfect day expected no clouds and just the big hot sun, it was even brighter in the room. You couldn't blame yourself if you thought you had slept in.

Anyway, I generally just crawl back into bed when the man is off to work and just lay there in the warmth of the quilt till the kids get up, but I though I would snatch this "time" for myself and workout. I haven't done a morning workout in so long, I don't even remember the last time, 10am would be considered early!

So I donned on my exercise gear, grabbed my hand weights and aerobic step, turn on the TV and let Jillian Michael's tell me off. That woman is so fit, she looks fit, doesn't break a sweat and hardly even seems to tire. She inspires me with the enthusiasm that she has towards exercising and her routine is unique and gruelling but I love IT! I feel it all later, right now I'm still letting my heart rate come done to normal and feel all lovely and warm, but tomorrow all the muscles in my thighs and shoulders will ache and I will wonder why I tortured myself yesterday.

Jr1 has just woken and has spoiled my entire day already, I shouldn't have been a mother, kids just frustrate my nerves to the very core, I just want to beat the crap out of him daily. Thankfully, well for his own sake, I have some patience and I don't hit him, but he is damn close.

I think I have been stuck at home to long, I really need to do something that occupies my time other then the kids. For a time it was reading and still is a nice release but you need peace to enjoy a book and what is that in this house of screaming? Then it was exercise, the adrenaline or endorphins that it gives off, or just that time I felt like I'm doing something for myself, but since getting to goal and no more need to lose weight, exercise doesn't do it for me anymore. So I'm stuck in this house, with kids who drain my spirit and it makes me mad.

Do I want to work? absolutely! But the man's shifts are crap and to hard to work around and maybe only when the boys are off to school can I consider a life away from this house, but then the man and I have all these plans to do the things we never had the chance too when the kids were at home - this sounds great too. I'm horrible as either way it's the kids that get in the way.

Said enough, they are calling for breakfast...when can they start doing these things without me? It doesn't help the fact they don't eat cereal...pains in the arses

Enough. Put on the ipod. Drown their sounds out.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

X-box & Playstation

Have I told you all how much I hate these things? No?

Well I hate them so much I'm ready to get out a sledge hammer and smash them into a million pieces and even though the kids will throw wobbles like no other wobbles they have ever had.... I don't bloody care!

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Useless Crud

My husband is useless when it come to having to deal with people. Today he wants to get something for a project that he is working on, but who has to go the hardware store and get the items, talk to the sales staff...ME! useless Crud!

Okay re-cap, I think I got a bit annoyed at him because he completely dismissed a suggestion I made, but I will still happily agree that he is pretty much useless when it come to dealing with people. he can do it but he just doesn't because he thinks he will say the wrong thing or something stupid like that. He say's that because I worked in a customer service position I just have better people skills, which I do, but that doesn't mean that he can't have a go at improving his people skills. Kind of reminds me of someone... see blog below, hmm apple doesn't fall to far from the tree does it?

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Little Athletics


This morning I took Jr1 to his 4th Little Athletics and I hate to say
it he is completely crap and I just get a headache urging him on to
even finish!

I never participated in anything like this as a child and I know I
would have loved the challenge, but not Jr1, his life and existence is
only to play the stupid X-box, anything that involves a challenge or
that he has to push himself more then he thinks is necessary, he will
slump himself on the grass and souk. yes i have a soukie child, the worlds worst i imagine. I imagine all the other mums and dad's with the soukie kids at home just given up for trying.

How long to I have to keep trying? Will he just put in half an effort
NO! i'm the only parent that has to run with him in ever race, i
practically push him over the finishing line, actually i do push him
over the finishing line. His embarrassing and i'm disappointed that I
have such a low achieving child. There has to be something wrong with
me to talk of him this way, I do support him and I don't call him a
loser, but COME ON! Yes i too am not the best but I do give things a
go, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable but I do try. I will keep
going with the hopes that one day he will just surprise me and want to
actually really participate.All fingers crossed!

I guess another reason I sent him there was so he could make friends that would attend his Kindergarten next year, and that has been
achieved. I have met a mother there who seems friendly, she even
bought me 2 "milko" lollies.

Well, I'm meant to be off to K-mart today to buy some rubber mats so I can skip in the backyard, why do I bother? I guess I like this new
body I have but need to keep working to keep it. Trust me i can
certainly eat my way back to being heavy again in no time.



I have decided that any photo's that I put up will be distorted to protect the innocent, they haven't asked to be outed by this bitch.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Why not?


I guess many Bloggers start with this question, why not Blog? is it stupid, who will read it, does it matter...

Well I've created a blog as I just want the freedom to talk or blog about whatever I want, I keep a diary but I never really say all I want in it as my husband likes to read it, I don't get the chance to complain as i often want to about the things that annoy me and just generally bitch and vent and get things off my chest. I hope this will be the place, so then I can move forward from the to many negative feeling that I have in my life that i generally shouldn't.

There is not much to me, that is why my blog is titled Boring SAHM, for those not in the know, that stands for "Stay at home mum". That's all I do, stay at home with the annoying, screaming kids and wonder why I wanted this sort of life. that's me in a nutshell, all boring me!

I have achieved things I'm sure, I've recently (took 6 hard long months) to lose 25 kilo's and I look great, not buff enough to be sexy, but all the same worked hard and I deserve this trimmer fitter body.

I have issues making a capital i when i type so i apologise in advance for all the little i's you see. Well need to check this out more then head off to my SAHM duties and put Jr2 to bed.

And no I am not Halle Berry, I wish I was, if not for her life then for her body, yep that would be enough.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

BOOKCLUB: Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly



http://www.amazon.com/Past-Secrets-Cathy-Kelly/dp/0007154089/sr=8-1/qid=1159172363/ref=sr_1_1/104-5896689-6426364?ie=UTF8&s=books

I saw this book in "The Great Read Guide 2006" it raised my attention because it said the story line was similar to that of the TV show Desperate Housewives which I enjoy watching, here is a short synopsis:

The women of Summer Street have their fair share of secrets and soon learn that if you keep a secret too long it will creep out when you least expect it! This is a warm and moving new novel from the no.1 bestselling author of "Always and Forever". Keep a secret too long and it will creep out when you least expect it! Behind the shining windows and rose-bedecked gardens of Summer Street, there are lots of secrets. There's the one that hard-working single mother, Faye, hides from her teenage daughter, Amber. And there's the one that thirty-year-old Maggie hides from herself. When fiery Amber decides to throw away her future for love, and when Maggie ends up back home looking after her sick mother, their secrets begin to bubble over. The only person on Summer Street who appears to know all the answers is their friend Christie. Wise and kind, she can see into other people's hearts to solve their problems. Except that this time, the secrets she's hidden from her beloved husband and grown up sons suddenly reappear. When the past comes alive for Maggie, Faye and Christie, they finally have to face it.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

BOOKCLUB: A review~Marley & Me by John Grogan

Today I finished reading Marley and Me, it was a lovely biography of
one dogs life and his role in his family. You knew where the book
would lead to with his death and I must say I had a knot in my throat
reading about it, you came to love this crazy dog just as his owners
had.

This quote is the best way to describe this dog and the whole mood of
the book..."Marley was a funny, bigger-than-life pain in the ass who
never quite got the hang of the whole chain-of-command thing.
Honestly, he might well have been the world's worst-behaved dog. Yet
he intuitively grasped from the start what it meant to be man's best
friend."

The book made me remember the dogs that I grew up with, "Muchie" the
first dog I remember, a short and stocky corgie. Then "Lillie" the
gracious x-Collie named after my grandmother, who had the same
beautiful temperament and sensitive look in her eyes. "Sambo" was our
crazy Marley like dog, full of spirit and no matter how many times we
tried to walk him would surge ahead choking his way on the lead. There
was little "Pee-wee" who little life just ended to quickly and our
stray miniature Doberman pincher "Hank".

These were the dogs my family had, I must say myself I have not had
much luck with dogs as pets, our first dog whilst were were still
going out was "Nelson", big beautifully shiny coated Border Collie, we
didn't think when we bought him and when we decided to travel OS he
was left behind and in his curious nature bitten by a funnel web
spider and no longer here on our return. Then when we moved into our
first rental, M decided to get a pre-loved Staffie called "Bronte" we
quickly realised why she was pre-loved and soon she also was a
post-love and handed onto a friend (story tell us that she bite their
child and was sent off to become a guard dog, most likely a good job
for her!)

Our last dog and the reason I am likely not to get another dog in the
near future was "Molly" our cute Jack Russell terrier. Molly was our
first little baby, before we had the boys, she was a house dog and
watch TV with us on the couch, then when I fell pregnant and forced to
stay in hospital as I was ill she fretted and ran away. Using her
ancestral skills she dug her way to freedom. Thankfully her microchip
scanned at the local vet and she was returned to us only to escape
again. I was still in hospital, M was working late nights and no time
to secure the yard to ensure she didn't run away again, so off to
Pop's she went and there she stayed. She returned to us in 2005 due to
an incident with another dog at Pop's house. We thought she was happy
with us, we were happy with her, but she missed her other dog friend
(even though they had a little disagreement where she ended up at the
vets) and one day whilst i was out taking the kids to swimming lesson,
she once again dug her way to freedom and out of out lives. Come home
Molly the boys miss you!

So anyway, "Marley & Me" was a great book, not to light not to heavy,
if you a lover of dogs I think you'll enjoy it.

My latest book on reserve has arrived and now I move onto "Past
Secrets" by Cathy Kelly, will find a synopsis and put it up soon.