Bit and Bobs

Yes, I'm still here and no, you haven't been abandoned. Gee, working three days last week just about did me in. And before you all have a go at me... yes I fully accept that I'm a total wimp. In my defense I did have twelve or so weeks of holidays where I didn't do very much so a week of working, getting kids to school and from school and after school activities, and everywhere else they needed to be, attending parent info sessions for each kid at the school, entertaining, arranging play-dates and whatever else needed to be done left me completely and utterly stuffed!

But I did a bit of cooking and made some tasty new dinners, a seriously fab baked cheesecake and some yummy cookies. Those recipes will be coming along shortly. Or on Thursday, when I'm not working.

I also oversaw the delivery of 16 tons of crushed limestone and now hubby is working very hard making his own limestone block retaining wall and work on the house has begun. There's lots of work to do and it's going to take a long time to get done. A seriously long time. Like pretty much forever. Probably the kids will grow up, move out, get married, have their own kids and we'll finally have an extra bedroom for the grandkids to sleep over. But don't tell hubby I said that. Photos will be forthcoming at each and every exciting moment. You'll be well sick of the reno pictures before I'm sick of the reno's. Although I'm already sick of the dust - it's a little bit like living back in Red Dirt Central with a fine coating of dust over every single surface of the house!

At night when I was too tired to go near the computer for very long (though I did try to do twitter updates so you'd know I was around) I ploughed through some of the books on my bedside table. I went a bit crazy with my requests from the local library and then they all came in pretty much at once. Our library allows you to borrow up to 10 books at a time for three weeks on each card. I used up all of my card and most of Offspring #1's. I was almost pleased when I couldn't get into a couple of the books I'd borrowed simply because it meant I was finished with them quickly and could get onto the next one. I know, I'm an idiot. But I did find a couple that I enjoyed and one that I loved. Loved. LOVED. I'll do a post on that tomorrow.

And when I was having a quiet play on the computer I found a couple of new blogs that I'm loving to bits. I'm going to add them into my sidebar and do proper introductions just as soon as I can (hello Bush Babe!).

I also got my hair done and it's blonder than last time and getting really quite long. The blonde is to hide the white. An intersting side-note - redheads don't tend to go grey, we go pure, sparkling white. Like Tweety-bird's Granny. I figure it'll all blend in together until the white eventually takes over. The long is just because I feel like it. It's kinda my last hurrah before I turn 40. And have white hair.

And I've spent the past week chasing a mouse who has taken up residence in my house. He is driving me insane! He successfully evades traps, seems immune to lavender and bay leaves (mice don't generally like them and they can be a good natural deterrent) and has become quite brave about sticking his head out of little hidey-holes when he thinks we're not watching. I've now stuffed every hole I could find with steel wool and ordered hubby to kill the little bastard. Enough Mrs Nice Mummy, fair means or foul that mouse is going.

Now I'm going to sort school bags, lay out uniforms and generally get things organised for the morning.