Lest We Forget ~ANZAC Day 2013~

This is Andrew!

He is my pride and joy.

We put him into St John just before Easter.

Every week he would come home and we asked him "what did you do tonight?" 

and he would reply, "we did marching".

He just started when they were practicing for ANZAC Day Parade.

Today, he put on his uniform and we took him to do his Parade with his Division.

I was SUPER proud of him!

Andrew is right there ^ in the middle standing at ease :)

And this is Andrew in the pretty black bubble haha

Happy ANZAC Day!

#12wbt week 10...what do we eat as 12wbters?

I get asked this a lot from friends who are looking at signing up or by people who are in pre season for round two because they signed up.
Every round as far as I know is different.
Different recipes
Different nutrition plans
Different exercise plans

The one thing I am pretty sure of is that the basics are the same for each round.
I wish someone had written something like this for me to find, so I am doing my best to pass on this to you.

If you have signed up or are thinking about it, you will need to stock up on some basic pantry items. I will start with herbs and spices.

Just a reminder that these are all optional. You don't have to follow the nutrition plan. I do. I wait every Thursday for the new plan to be posted and then I shop. I already had most of this in my pantry, but I know lots of people who don't.

• Additives And Food Ingredients

  • Ground Cinnamon 
  • Paprika 
  • Cumin 
  • Beef Stock Powder 
  • Vanilla Essence 
  • Chilli Flakes
  • Cacao Powder
  • Liquid Vegetable Stock
  • Stalk Lemongrass
  • Cajun Spice
  • Rosewater
  • Baking Powder 
  • Vanilla 
  • Curry Powder 
  • Ground Coriander Seed 
  • Allspice 
  • Ground Turmeric 
  • Eastern Spice Mix
  • Tzatziki
  • Chicken Stock
  • Dried Oregano
  • Nutmeg
  • Thyme
  • White Vinegar
  • Mustard Powder
  • Sweet Soy Sauce
  • Capers
  • Fresh Ginger 
  • Jar ginger
  • star anise

I think I am meant to remain friendless.....

I don't know what I am doing wrong TBH in making friends.

I either let people take advantage of me and then when they don't want me anymore or I am not fun to push around, they drop me to the curb OR I stick up for myself and they still take advantage of me and then drop me to the curb.

I made friends with a mum at school. Her twin is in Declans class and I want my kids to have friends and kids over to play and go to kids houses to play.

Somehow after taking advantage of my nice nature and then me saying no, she got really cold and stopped texting. It was uncomfortable going to her house and she stopped offering me a coffee so I got up and left and haven't been back unless my boys want to play with her boys.

I would drive to her place in the morning and walk the boys to school with her and her boys.
I would take her to town and window shop while she spent money lol
I would go to her house everyday and have a cuppa and she would take what she could and never return the favour.

BUT she is not the only one to do all of this. She is just the latest to do all of this.

I don't want to stop the boys from being friends so when I pick up my kids from school on Wed and Fri, I take them around (if she is in a good mood) to play.

The thing that annoys me the most is that she has the problem with me and I have no idea what I have done wrong. Yet she texted me saying "Why do you snob me and give me the cold shoulder at times and then want to come around on Wed and Fri?"
Well I am guessing I have done something wrong, because she hasn't texted back after my reply and now I am getting pissy.

People don't confront each other anymore.
It is all done via email, FaceBook, text messaging etc. As long as you don't have to talk face to face or on the phone (like we used to in dinosaur times), we can all do what we like?

I stand with my older post last year....Women are nasty! I am yet to find a genuine female who just wants to be friends and not take advantage of the other person or be a complete back stabbing mole.

This is todays thoughts.....it is very sad the way things are and have always been for some people.

I have to share my lunch with you!

Today is "tighten up Tuesday" that means.....

Eating what is on the meal plan
Drinking lots of water
Exercising
Not eating crap

I have been doing extra good considering I don't eat breakfast (but now I will eat a banana or the planned breakfast) and I don't make lunch lol.

Today, however, it is raining and cold and I WAS HUNGRY! So I got up and cooked.....

Chicken & Grape Salad with Feta & Walnuts

It is FANTASTIC! I had warm chicken in it and it warmed me up.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Handfuls Rocket (120g)
• 100g Grapes
• 80g Cooked Lean Chicken Breast
• 18g Walnuts

• 30g Low Fat Feta
• 1 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (20g)
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice (10g)

Preparation Tips

• Halve the grapes
• Thinly slice the cooked chicken
• Toast the walnuts
• Crumble the feta

Method

1. Combine the rocket, grapes, chicken, walnuts and feta in a bowl.
2. Combine the oil and lemon juice in a separate bowl. 
3. Drizzle over the salad. 
4. Season with pepper and toss to combine.

So I sliced the chicken breast into 3 pieces through the breast, cut the grapes in half, and then drizzled some dijon mustard over the top.

YUM!

Short week does NOT equal no dramas!

It has been a short week this week with Easter and the kids home.
It certainly has not been short on dramas this week.

John had a driver licence medical on Tuesday and because he hasn't seen a GP since 2010, the Dr decided to do a full medical.
This resulted in finding out he has been glucose intolerant since 2010.
It also resulted in a huge argument about his health when we got home.

The kids picked up on the stress and got into EVERYTHING they could and I ended up taking the lego off them, the sky kids channels and throwing toys in the skip bin.
I went out and got the toys out the bin after the boys went to sleep.
BUT not before Declan had a melt down because he didn't want a shower.
So he got dumped in the shower fully clothed.

I have had constant pain where I had my surgery, so I have not been a happy camper.

I had the GP yesterday (Friday) for Declan. I need a referral to a paediatrician. 
The Dr was late as usual and a friend I thought I could count on did NOT want to help me out so I had to go and pick up Declan from school and I caught him walking out the gate. Said friend plastered a smile on her face and I just looked at her and took Declan and walked to the car. I said "thanks" and left. I probably shouldn't have said thanks since it was like pulling teeth.

So, I spent 2hours in the Dr for the Dr to then try and fob me off.
I am not a happy camper from this week and I am starting to see things that I wouldn't normally see.
Like the school mums not wanting to talk to me because I am the mother of the "naughty" kid and they wont let their kids play with Declan outside of school because of this. Not to mention most of the parents in his class have found a problem with me at one stage or another or listened to gossip about me. I don't actually care, but I cry for Declan. I cry because he doesn't understand that no one wants to play with him and that he wont be invited to birthday parties. That then makes me cry because no one will come to his birthday party and I don't know how to tell him this.

I am the mother of the "naughty" kid at school and when he was at kindy, he was just a boy playing in the sandpit and he was just a boy playing with is friends.
Now he is at school, he is not just a boy anymore. He is the kid no one wants to play with and I am the mother no one wants to talk to at the school gate.

I am feeling very alone. I am also sitting here wondering if a compliment I recieved today is something I should feel bad about or something I should accept and be happy for.

Hmmm my Saturday Musings.