I’m still alive…

just in case anyone noticed I haven’t blogged in ages again.  So we moved and all is well. Some good and some bad news – the house sold a couple of days after the Auction (pending finance but am told shouldn’t be a concern), the bad news is that the price was very dissapointing.  In the end though I/we decided that it wasn’t worth holding out for the hope of a better price because it was simply too stressful.  He has til the 30th to organise the finance then it will all official and settlement is to be the 21st December ‘or earlier by mutual agreement’ …..I agree to earlier lol!  Will see how it goes, but at least we know where we are headed.  We are still going to be able to upgrade to a Kia Carnival (with enough proper seats for all instead of the dicky seats in the back of the wagon which are only good til Corey gets too big – and in the summer he cooks back there).  My mate let me drive her Kia Carnival yesterday. I had decided that based on our needs and our budget that it was the ideal car for us but wow after I drove it I can’t wait! It was awesome to drive, up high you can see everything – so comfortable I am going to love it!  We should also still be able to afford to get the jayco hawk campervan that we decided on.  We’ll be looking at 2nd hand for both the kia and the camper so might take a while to find the best deal we can get seeing as we will have less money than hoped for.  Looking forward to being debt free (except my hecs debt) by xmas. No repayments for credit cards, for loans etc means I will actually be able to save!

Had a mate come help me clear out my scraproom yesterday. She took 3 big boxes of stuff home with her and there is more yet that has to go so back again next week.  Lee is gunna clear out a cupboard for me here (like linen cupboard sized) and everything pretty much will have to fit in there so massive downsizing happening, but I think that once that’s done I’ll be more inclined to scrap as I won’t have as much stuff – a good clear out is probably healthy.

So still alive and happy

Jude

I should be writing my essay….

but I am procrastinating….suprised? nah didn’t think so! lol

Well after a discussion with the mortgage bloke who wasn’t to confident in our plans to buy a 5 bedroom house together, and also some issues with the new school in Tarniet not having funding approved for the next stage of development which had me doubting my decision to move the boys their….we have had a rethink of our plans.  We are going to sell my place still but then we will move into his.  He has 4 bedrooms and 2 big living areas (and potentially a 5th bedroom in a one room only bungalo out back when the kids are older).  Two boys will still need to share a room but they have to do that here.  The other option would be to wait a few years til I am working and we can improve our chances of getting a loan and frankly the idea was unappealing.  We may decide to look and buy together down the track. For now we just want to be together in one house.  So now I’ve started on a list of what to keep and what to get rid of.  We’ve discussed and are organising additional storage in the kitchen (because I will insist on having such things as flour and baking pans and my food processor) and we’ve talked to the boys about paint colours (cause one of the bedrooms is currently bright pink)!

The upshot then is that I won’t have a big asset anymore (I also won’t have a big debt – or in fact any debt) and I won’t be ‘trapped’ in this house without any options to move.  I will also have a lump sum of money to deal with. Current thought is to invest it and sit on it for 3 months while I think about it.  Leaning toward buying something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember – a caravan!  Kids would love that too and would give us the opportunity to take off for short breaks or even just in school holidays.  Yes it’s a risk but life is a risk…..and if a man is willing to clear out his cupboard of computer bits so that you can have somewhere to store your (downsized) scrapbooking collection…..well sounds like love to me!

 

best get back to the bloody essay – its only 800 words at present and needs to be 2000 by midnight Sunday

Just a note about the book depository

I have been happily shopping at the book depository for a while now. Being in the UK books do take 10-14days to arrive but the prices are good and the postage is free so when they sent me an email about signing up as an affiliate I did. The link over there —> in the side bar will take you straight to the book depository and anything you buy I will make a small commission on (doesn’t cost you anything extra). So please feel free to click and shop.  I think it is safe from Brett to mention here that I just put in a birthday order for him (his bday is August) for a lego ideas book, a harry potter time turner, a harry potter  ‘fantastic beasts and where to find them’ book and a novel for me.  The whole lot came to under $50.  Have some stuff in my ‘wishlist’ for xmas presents too.

sorry about the advertising but thought I best explain the little ad in the side bar!

So it’s payday and I’m almost broke again now but all the bills have been paid  – have got Brett’s bday presents sorted and have money put aside for Owens and Coreys – taking advantage of the toy sales at kmart and bigW.  Corey is at the zoo with school today – hopefully the sunny weather stays and he has a ball despite the cold – at least they are going this time  – last time it was postponed due to heavy rain.  Brett and Owen are going rock climbing with cubs on Wednesday….can’t believe that term 2 is almost over and we are about to start holidays again!

Well I think its time for lunch now (bought myself a little handful of marina mix as a treat today so having that with some pasta – yum).

Jude

Life is a funny adventure

wow I have been so very slack about this blog so here is a quick catch up on my life right now…

Firstly, I’ve now been off my antidepressants for 3 weeks – I clean forgot to take them for a week and a half and then suddenly realised that I was still feeling good…great even…so I’m off them and its all good.

Which leads me to the next bit…I’m happy. Yes I have days when the kids drive me nuts, when I get overwhealmed by housework and knee high grass, when I’m stressed about money or broken down cars or life in general…..but overall I am happier than I can remember being in a very long time.

The boys are going along nicely although Brett seems to think the world has it in for him at the moment – I do hope that improves soon.  He had a horror week last week but I have decided the best thing is to start fresh this week and hope we can improve things.

Lee and his son Ryan came on holidays with us up to Loxton and Adelaide for a couple of weeks.  Was great to be able to introduce my man to my family – was even better to see that they all got on well (never really doubted that they would)!

I have finished another unit at unit (intro Indigenous studies unit) – still awaiting marks of course for the last two assignments but the first do I did well so should be all ok.  I’ve also just (yesterday) started my new unit – Psychology of Wellbeing (positive psychology) which sounds really interesting and I am looking forward to getting stuck in (who knows maybe I can find something to help with Brett’s attitude to life in the learning materials).   It’s my first level 2 psych unit so will be interesting to see if I can maintain my good grades.

This next couple of months I will be on a mission to get the house tidied and some repairs/maintence done too as we are looking at some massive changes to our lives….a new home and two additions to our family (Lee and Ryan).   So hoping to see a big FOR SALE sign going up in a few months time – ideal time for the move would be at the end of the year as there is a good chance that the kids will have to change schools.

So there you have it life is good (mostly) and I am oh so blessed and happy!

 

What happened to the holidays?

School is back tomorrow!  What happened to the holidays? They flew right past so quickly!  So just so you all know that I’m still in the land of the living here is a quick summary of what we got up to….

Ditched the playroom and gave Owen his own bedroom – still getting them all cleared out of crap and sorted….new curtains/blinds will hopefully be up in a week or two.  I still need to replace Bretts broken tallboy (Corey opened the drawers and used it for a ladder and broke it).  Owen having his own room also led to another plus – he has his own dirty wash basket and has now (for a month) been responsible for doing his own washing, so far he hasn’t run out of clean clothes….am proud of my boy.

Discovered that I actually CAN start a lawnmower….bought one – it’s orange and it is pretty easy to start and doing a good job…am gradually taming the overgrown grass and reclaiming my yard.

Saw lots of Lee and his son Ryan over the holidays – mostly at his place. Not having enough seats in the car means we can’t just hop in the car and hit the road…

And the exciting news – yesterday I found an ad on gumtree selling a dickie seat for $200 – a good one with 2 seats and retractable seatbelts. Am going to pick it up on Friday morning and then it will be fitted into the back of the wagon and we will have wheels and be able to go places all 6 of us!

Uni is plodding along – 4 weeks left til the exam (assignment due on Monday week) not enjoying this unit at all (info systems) looking forward to the new one (aboriginal culture).

 

Time flies when you’re having fun

Life is insanely hectic…

I have 3 kids going to scout group camp on the weekend (Corey will be invested as a Joey on Saturday at camp) and I’ve agreed to go and help in the kitchen…yes clearly I’m insane (especially as it was meant to be my kid free weekend).

So before camp I have to organise 3 costumes with the theme ‘wildlife’ for the dress up evening.  Owen wants to be a penguin – not too hard will sew a white front onto his old harry potter robes, pull the bottom in a bit and add flippers.  Corey wants to be  a bat – have sewn black fabric onto a black (ok navy really) windcheater along the side seam and up the arms, in the morning I’ll trim them into batlike shaped wings (or so they will look when he holds his arms out).  And Brett – not to be difficult or anything wants to be a turtle – but insists that the shell has to be big enough for him to fit in!  Well I cut up an old laundry basket (the big tall kind) and covered it in some old white curtain lining I found in the sewing box and added a tail….cut out some arm holes. Tomorrow I need to add some shoulder straps to hold it on and paint it (while I’m waiting for chrisco to be delivered)…… at least I’ve managed it (or will by the time I’m done) without spending any money!

Meanwhile I have exams starting on the 28th November which is alarming.  I am behind by at least 2 weeks with both my stats unit and my psych unit and simply not confident that I can pull off good grades this time around….please do what you do – say a prayer – send out a vibe or something….something that keeps me motivated and clear headed so I can concentrate on the study I need to do to get through the next couple of weeks!

and then there is that man in my life….yes he is still there…my boys met his boy (who is a month older than Owen) and they all want to see each other almost as much as I want to see him and vice versa!  It feels good…it feels comfortable and yes there is that elusive fireworks…that feeling that they are never far from your thoughts…the smile when the phone beeps cause it is most likely an sms from him.  I keep thinking that I should be alarmed about the speed of things and yet I’m not because it feels good, it feels right….and yet at times I find the fact that I’m not alarmed alarming in itself if that makes sense….who knows if these things are supposed to make sense at all right? so, because I have little choice, I am just going with the flow and letting whatever will be ….be, and hoping for the best.  He makes me laugh, he makes me smile, he can cope with me being a stirrer and he can stir back just as well…so there’s hope….

like I said…life is crazy right now….fun….but crazy!

I’m informed it is time for an update….

so here it is….

ok where were we…..

on fireworks….it wasn’t happening so let it go…..then a couple of weeks ago I met someone new, we chatted easily all afternoon it was comfortable….I went for a DVD night…we spent a lot of time together on the weekend…its still new but it feels good so far.

Owen and Corey had birthdays this weekend. Corey had a hungry jacks party (with about 15 kids) and Owen had a Wii party at Dads (with his 3 mates)….we have had an explosion of toys!

Looking forward to catching up with Mum and Dad on the weekend in Bendigo but lots to do before then including an assignment due in 2 weeks on my birthday….don’t want to be up all night stressed that day so must get a wriggle on with it.

so sorry it’s a brief update…but it has been (as always) hectic – looking forward to going back down to one unit again after exams in early December.

 

a quick update…

Things are travelling along, house/yard is still a disaster but…

Uni – two new units just started (full time again for the next 13 weeks)today officially.  Intro to Psych 2 & Analysis of Variance (another stats unit).  I am actually really looking forward to them and have down the first two weeks work for psych already (they opened the units up over the weekend so I had time to get a headstart).  The first essay for psych is about online friendships so really keen to get stuck into it (the hard bit will be leaving out personal experience and only including stuff from peer reviewed papers)!  Have done my research and had a pile of articles printed and binded ready for me to start reading and highlighting and scribbling notes in the margins!

Owen – had an update with his teacher and the Austism group co-ordinator at school today. He is travelling well but we are going to look at getting him on a mental health plan. We’ve had increasing aggression at home – nothing alarming but it was suggested we get onto it a bit early as life gets harder for kids with aspergers going into the next couple of years so wouldn’t hurt to have a visit or two with a pscyhologist to help with things along the way.  His teacher is most impressed with his manners and general behaviour though so thats great.

Brett & Corey have parent teacher interviews next week.

the fireworks? well maybe there is more than first thought as an SMS brings a smile to my face….will take it slow and see how it goes but so far so good.

are you impressed…two updates in the space of a week?

Do we need fireworks?

it’s a question on my mind recently….It’s very early days but I’ve met a man recently and being with him is nice, its comfortable, relaxed and warm but then I come home and I think…but there is no fireworks does there need to be….is safe and warm and comfortable enough?  just a thought….early days…will see how it goes for now….but if there is anyone out there still reading this very occassional blog….what do you think?

A time for change

It has been no secret that I have been struggling with depression for some time. For me one of the major issues is that I have been unable to keep up the house in a respectable state. The problem then is that I can’t have anyone over and neither can the kids and home ceases to be a place of peace and refuge when the clutter takes over.  I have been making gains with the whole depression thing. Most days I am able to make decisions like what to cook for dinner, most days I’m able to get myself out of bed without a major struggle….but still the house has made little or no progress and I am putting my foot down and deciding that it is time for a change.  I have made a decision to clean up before but sadly it always falls over after an hour or a day or two…this time I want to make sure that it doesn’t fall over.

It took a while for the house to get into it’s present state so there isn’t going to be an instant solution – it will take time.  I figured that what I really needed was a PLAN of ACTION.  So I bought a ‘to do list’ notebook (bargain $2 from woolies) and I made a list of all the things that need to be done – breaking them up into small tasks rather than ‘clean the loungeroom’ type tasks. I made a list of jobs for me and a list of jobs for the kids for each room in the house.  So over the next two weeks we are going to leave the bedrooms & playroom and we are going to focus on getting the rest of the house into a fit state.  I keep putting it off because it is too hard. But at the end of my list writing I have 1-3 jobs a day for me and the same for the kids.  So really it isn’t going to be as hard as I had thought. At the end of these two weeks the main living spaces should be tidy (not spotless perhaps but tidy) and then I’ll make a plan for the bedrooms and the playroom – whilst maintaining the living spaces!

So now I just need to stick to the plan! Putting it here is a step further in my commitment. I am making a public promise to myself to get my house in order because I think I need to!  Will try to post here more often too!

wish me luck

Jude