A Study in Contradictions

School Yard Politics

2012-02-22T23:08:00.001+11:00

Urgh! So over it!

I nicked this pic from the news.com.au front page

I won't be the first to say this and I won't be the last... I am so over the dickheads in politics in this country.

It's such a joke.

I was never the biggest fan of KRudd but didn't think he was bad enough to be rolled the way he was.

I've never liked Gillard, before June 2010 it was for purely shallow reasons, mostly her annoying voice! But after June 2010 I wasn't impressed with everything that happened and how KRudd was ousted and thought that it was a pretty big blow for the advancement of women. Many (most?) would disagree with me on that, but considering that most women usually have to work harder and better to have the same respect that men get, being handed the PM's job the way she was just was not a good look.

Tony Abbott? I'd probably class myself as a swing voter, with a Liberal lean, but I really don't like Abbott. I would vote for Turnball in a heartbeat. He comes across as a man who stands up for what he believes in and doesn't just bend to popular opinion.

Back in December 2009 I wrote an open letter to the NSW Labor party and I could just about re-publish it today but change the references to federal Labor. I feel the same way.

A Fav Photo of You - 21.02.12

2012-02-21T22:09:00.001+11:00

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Vintage Dress

2012-02-21T10:22:00.000+11:00

I posted yesterday about Mia's baptism and I today I thought I would tell you about the gown she wore.

The gown she wore was first worn by my father at his baptism back in 1953. So it's almost 60 years old!

Myself, my sisters and my brothers also wore it at our baptisms.

It still looks as good as it did on the day my Dad wore it and hopefully one day my own grandchild will wear it.

There's a lot of history in that gown!

My Baby Gets Baptised

2012-02-20T21:48:00.000+11:00

Yesterday my baby girl was baptised.

It was a beautiful service, a beautiful day and I am so happy to see her become an 'official' child of God.

My Mum did a fantastic job organising everything, it was amazing, She even made the cake herself!

Mia was so sweet and happy most of the day and she didn't cry once during the service!

Handwriting - 20.02.12

2012-02-20T21:30:00.003+11:00

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Something You Hate To Do - 19.02.12

2012-02-19T21:29:00.000+11:00

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Drink - 18.02.12

2012-02-18T21:28:00.000+11:00

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Time - 17.02.12

2012-02-17T21:27:00.000+11:00

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Something New - 16.02.12

2012-02-16T21:25:00.000+11:00

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Phone - 15.02.12

2012-02-15T22:17:00.001+11:00

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Heart - 14.02.12

2012-02-14T22:16:00.000+11:00

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Blue - 13.02.12

2012-02-13T21:00:00.001+11:00

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First of the First's I Missed

2012-02-12T22:21:00.000+11:00

So last Thursday I went and got a pedicure with my good friend K. My sisters E & K came over and baby-sat Mia for me so that I could finally, after 11 weeks, do something nice for myself and be out of the house for more than an hour without having to worry about breastfeeding and changing nappies.

It was glorious.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a Mum, but it was really good to do something for myself, and I know I was a lot happier for the experience. It was nice to know that there was someone I could trust watching Mia and that I didn't have to worry (too much) about how she was.

Mia was the perfect little girl for my sisters and they were stoked to get the opportunity to spend so much time with their little niece.

My little cheeky chopper on her tummy

Anyway, after I got back from my pedicure (and getting my licence renewed, figured I may as well get it out of the way while I had some baby-sitters on hand!) we headed over to Mum's for dinner.

While we were sitting around waiting for our step-dad to finish cooking the BBQ the girls were telling Mum about baby-sitting Mia. And then E said something that I just couldn't believe!

Mia had rolled over. From her front to her back. Twice. While I was out.

She'd never done that before!

I can not believe that she rolled over for the first time while neither Dave nor I were there to see it! And to make it worse, she hasn't done it again since. We've had a lot of tummy time with her and she has only come sort-of close to doing it again.

E and K both said it seemed more like an accident when she did it while they were baby-sitting, but I'm sure they are just trying to make me feel better about it! They both felt really bad when they told me and I had the reaction I did, shocked and a bit disappointed, as they both thought that she had done it before, and they didn't make a big deal about it. Apparently when they work in childcare, they aren't allowed to tell parents when a child does something for the first time while at care, so the parent doesn't think they have missed something important. I can understand why!

I'm sure she will do it again soon enough, but it does suck that we missed the first time she did it. Twice!
I so knew the minute I left her for more than an hour she would go and do something like this. Cheeky little bugger!

Inside Your Closet - 12.02.12

2012-02-12T20:58:00.000+11:00

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Makes You Happy - 11.02.12

2012-02-11T21:33:00.000+11:00

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Self Portrait - 10.02.12

2012-02-10T16:39:00.000+11:00

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Front Door - 09.02.12

2012-02-09T15:28:00.000+11:00

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Stroller Shenanigans

2012-02-09T09:09:00.000+11:00

A few weekends ago I went wedding dress shopping for my sister K with my Mum and the girls.

The stroller

We went over to Wetherill Park so we could look in a few different shops in the one place without heaps of driving. We parked at one shop and then after looking in there I grabbed the stroller from the car, popped Mia in it and off we walked to have a look in the other shops.

Eventually K found the perfect dress. She looked so beautiful, I can't wait to see her on the big day all dolled up in December.

So anyway, after we'd finished dress shopping we decided to head over to Liverpool to have lunch at Rashays. I popped Mia in the car and then followed my sister over to the cafe. Once we arrived at the cafe I went to the boot to grab the stroller and that's when my heart sank.

The stroller wasn't there.

I'd left it on the road behind the car after putting Mia in and driven off. I was mortified! I could not believe I had done that! In my defense, I hadn't had a huge amount of sleep, but still, it was a pretty embarrassing thing to do! Dave and my good friend K think it's hilarious!

Thankfully my sister jumped straight on the phone and called the wedding dress shop I'd been parked out the front of and they had it. They'd seen it sitting out on the road and taken it in out of the rain. So aside from the bruise to my ego there was no real harm done.

Two weeks later however is another story!

Dave and I were leaving Bunnings when Dave put the brake on the stroller to get Mia out. He said to me after we'd gotten in the car "Is the brake supposed to go all the way to the ground like that?". I wasn't quite sure what he meant so he said he would show me when we got to Coles.

We get to Coles, I get the pram out and sure enough, no, the brake is not supposed to go all the way to the ground. And not only is it not supposed to go all the way to the ground, but in the process of going all the way to the ground the wheel has snapped clean off!

So we didn't get to do the sopping that day.

The annoying thing is, we would have been better off if I hadn't got the stroller back the day I left it on the road, as I have looked everywhere and I can't find the receipt for it! I'm sure if I could find the receipt we'd be able to get it replaced, as I'm pretty sure the wheel isn't supposed to snap off after only 8 weeks of use, but I can't find the damn thing. I have receipts for every other baby-related product we have bought, stuck on the noticeboard, but due to the fact that the stroller was delivered 2 days before Mia was born, I think my stupid pregnant-brain has put it somewhere I'll never find it! Either that or I threw it out!

So in the end I wouldn't have felt as bad spending the money to replace the stroller if I'd just plain lost it, but because it could potentially be replaced for free, the thought of spending money to replace it really hurts!

Needless to say, I've been taking extra care when going out with the big pram, there is no way I want to lose that or break it!

Happy Birthday Noni!

2012-02-08T20:41:00.000+11:00

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday. She's currently living in Canada and hasn't had a chance to meet Mia in real life yet (only via photos posted on facebook and Skype video calls) so I thought Mia should send her a special birthday message.

Sun - 08.02.12

2012-02-08T20:37:00.001+11:00

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My Top 10 Fav Books of All-Time!!!!!

2012-02-08T10:43:00.000+11:00

So I originally posted about my Top 10 Fav Books of All-Time back in June 2009, not long after I first started this blog (doesn't seem like almost three years ago I started blogging!).

Since then I have read some absolutely amazing books and it's now time to revise my Top 10.

The original Top 10 were as follows -
10. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
9. Blink by Macolm Gladwell
8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
6. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein
5. The Tomorrow, When the War Began series
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger

My new Top 10 is as follows -

10. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Everybody thinks I'm such a nerd when I say that I liked this book, seeing as most people had to read it for school and therefore hated it. I, on the other hand, read this when I was in Year 12 for pleasure and loved it. It probably had a bit to do with having read 1984 (for 3unit English) and hating that, and the fact that I was studying 20th Century Russia for Modern History and it really helped! I just like the whole metaphor Orwell uses and it's a book that makes you think.

9. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein - I first read this book when I was 14 and I was engrossed. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it much, coz it is quite depressing and a sad situation the girl finds herself in, but it's absolutely intriguing and makes you wanna keep reading till you get to the end. One of the best written books by an Australian author for young adults.

8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - This was one of three books I had to read for 3unit English in year 12, the subject being distopias. Incidentally the other books I had to read were 1984 (which I mentioned previously as hating!) and Utopia, possibly the most dry book ever written!). I really enjoyed the way the story was written and how information about the society and what has happened is revealed bit by bit. A very intriguing story and one to get you thinking about our society today.

7. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich - I absolutely LOVE Stephanie Plum. She is my favourite fictional heroine. I love her so much I named my first car after her! These books are the most hilarious stories I have ever read. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter (not by choice) working for her cousin's bail bonds company apprehending people who have failed to show up for court. The problem is that Stephanie is absolutely terrible at being a bounty hunter, she hates carrying a gun, and she always wrecks at least one car per book. These are the books that when I read them on the train people look at me funny coz I laugh out loud so often. If you like your stories funny and light-hearted, with two of the hunkiest men fiction has to offer, then this series is for you.

6. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack - I said that this book was no in my top 3 when I reviewed it, but after carefully consideration it comes in at number 6. This book, out of any on this list, certainly has the best language. It's beautiful, gorgeous. Everything about it is good, and I think the only reason why it isn't higher on the list is that it's a stand along book, not a series or anything.

5. Tomorrow, When the War Began Series by John Marsden - This is a series of books I think every teenager in Australia should read. My most favourite series of books for quite a long time, I read the first book when i was 14 and in year 8 and I finished it in 5 hours. I just could not put it down! The most fantastic story of a bunch of teenagers who go camping for a weekend only to come back and find Australia has been invaded and everyone form their small town has been taken as prisoners of war. Chronicals their struggles to stay alive and their resistance against the invaders.

4. The Passage by Justin Cronin - I loved this book and I knew it was going to be in my Top 10 before I had even finished it. It's a fat book, and it took me about 3 or 4 nights of reading to get through. It was one of those books that I thought about during the day while I was at work and couldn't wait to get home to continue reading. Set in a post-apocalyptic USA, the majority of Americans have been wiped out after a military experiment gone wrong is unleashed into the population. The first half chronicles how this happens, while the second part jumps forward 100 years to a group of survivors and that's where things get really interesting. If you haven't read The Passage I highly recommend it, even if post-apocalyptic-style books aren't really your thing. It's simply brilliant! I can't wait for the follow-up, which is due in the next few months I think.

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - I've said it before and I'll say it again - you MUST read The Hunger Games trilogy. This trilogy is right up there with the Harry Potter series for me, the only thing holding it back is the second and third books aren't as strong as the first, whereas every HP book was brilliant from start to finish. If you haven't heard of The Hunger Games before now then do yourself a favour, read my review, and then get yourself a copy. Like the HP series these books are extremely well written and will transport you to a world that is so real it's scary.

2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling - I have two things to admit about this series. One, I am just a tiny bit obsessed with these books and the movies (though nowhere near as good) that go with them. Two, I was a late comer to the craziness that's Potter-Mania. Having worked in bookshops you would think this is one series I would have read. But I only read the first book on my honeymoon last August. Now that i have read them all I can't stop! I read a different book at least once a month in between other books that I am reading. I am desperate for the next movie to come out. The story is just so classic, J. K's style of writing is gorgeous and reminds me of reading classic children's authors like Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. The final book is the most amazing and ties up absolutely every little detail from the saga

1. The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenger - My absolute favourite book of all time! I can not praise this book enough. The idea is just so amazing and fantastic, it makes the mind spin. Henry suffers from Chrono-displacement syndrome (I think that's what they call it) which means that periodically his internal body clock re-sets itself and Henry finds himself either thrown forwards or backwards in time. This causes quite a few problems, the biggest one being that his wife Clare first meets him (Henry) when she is 6 years old and Henry is 38. Henry is time-travelling back to when Clare was a little girl. However Henry meets Clare for the first time when he is 28 and working in a Chicago library. Clare knows everything about Henry, Henry knows nothing about her. That's because meeting Clare as a little girl hasn't happened yet. Confused? i was for the first few chapters with all the jumping around in time until I got my head around it and then I was completely engrossed, hooked. It's the ULTIMATE love story and if you haven't read it you absolutely must!

Honourable mentions must go to the three books that dropped off the list, Kiss the Girls, Blink and My Sister's Keeper, as well as The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (actually all of the books of hers that I have read have been excellent), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon and The Girls by Lori Lansens.

So, what do you think, have you read any of my favs? What would make it on to your list?

Button - 07.02.12

2012-02-07T21:38:00.000+11:00

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The Hunger Games Trilogy

2012-02-06T21:39:00.004+11:00

Back on Christmas Eve Eve 2009 I bought a book called The Hunger Games. I read it in one sitting, about 5 hours, it was just sooooo good. I've since read it, and the following 2 in the trilogy, Catching Fire and Mockingjay many times, they are definitely up there in my Top 10 Fav Books of All Time (a post which I am going to have to re-do to make a few changes!).

Anyway, the movie is coming out in March and I can't wait! I am so excited to see it. The trailers look great and this is definitely another movie I'll be seeing in Gold Class!

You can Click Here to see the first trailer. The second trailer is below.

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? Are you a fan?

Dinner - 06.02.12

2012-02-06T21:24:00.000+11:00

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10am - 05.02.12

2012-02-05T21:23:00.000+11:00

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