FROGS... FROGS... FROGS, AND A BABY

Because I know it is upseting you Jackie, I will say this:


- Our two frogs (so far) are teeny, tiny little things.
- Our tank is set up PROPERLY for frogs and tadpoles
- Once our frogs get bigger we have every intention of transferring them to the ponds at the Botanic Gardens and we will get some more teeny tiny frogs again.
- If we feel there are too many frogs in our terrarium we will release some.
- Yes, we know all about flyspray being deadly to frogs.
- We think keeping frogs is fine, as we know they will be safe and well fed in our terrarium and not likely to be eaten by anything bigger than them.


We are all welcome to our own opinions.
And that is all I will say about that.  *smiles*

ABOVE:  it is NOT easy to photograph frogs... they are very mobile! 


DEBBIE:  Stew and I have been together 27 years and married 25 years this coming June.  Stew met me when I was on my own with 4 small children...(having left my first husband 7  months prior to meeting him). 


Today: last day before kids go back to school.  I need to make sure their uniforms are ready, bags, hats, PE gear... bla bla bla.  


ONWARD...


***SQUEALS***... Meet Number 9 ! :

ABOVE:  totally crap photo, I know!  But there he/she is... our 9th Grandbaby, due in early July!
That means we will have TWO new grandbabies this year.  Lacy is due in June and Tess (Russell's partner) is due in July.   I always knew I'd have lots of grandbabies.  *smiles*


I bought a bit more fruit yesterday to make more jam.  This time we planned on making Rhubarb and Passionfruit jam... but instead I made my own CONCOCTION:  Rhubarb/Apple/Pineapple and Passionfruit... let's call it RAPP Jam!   I just did weight for weight, fruit to sugar.  And it worked!  And it's OMG the most delicious jam!  Drool worthy I tell ya... *smiles*


I won't bore you with a photo... jam kinda looks all the same  after a while!  lol


I bought something today... well I put it on Layby... picking it up in about 4 months.  Shall tell you WHAT it is tomorrow.


End of Day:  have quite a nasty little headache going on right now.  Been a hot afternoon... standing over a hot stove an' all!  Barefoot in the kitchen... *sigh*.  lol
ON TRACK:  and loving it.  So happy I'm doing good today.  
nite nite.

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THE MADLY EXPENSIVE DRESS

This is the dress Bec's bought yesterday for her brother's wedding:

ABOVE:  totally gorgeous, the dress... and the girl.


I think we are going back to Sylvia Park today to look for a shawl or pashima to wear with it.  Invercargill is much cooler than up here!  Maybe we will find 'the' necklace too?


My darling man had to go back to work today.  I already miss him.  *sniff*


AND in two more sleeps the kids go back to school too!  
These holidays have gone fairly fast... made easier by the fact that the kids are so well behaved!  Seriously, they have not got on me wick much at all.  Not bad for 7 weeks on holiday eh?


Last night the guys finally go around to applying the fern decals to our little car:

 ABOVE:  The Viva before the decals...

 ABOVE:  working out where to put them...

ABOVE: it wasn't that easy ... apparently....

ABOVE:  surgical precision...

 ABOVE:  Steve and Becs popping little bubbles..

ABOVE:  done.  And it looks quite cool, don't 'cha think so ?

ABOVE: Steve being a dick...  


ONWARD...


Bex, the kids and I went back to Sylvia Park, where Bex found the perfect black shawl for wearing with her dress, and a necklace and bracelet to wear too.  So she's very happy now.


AND... we bought two teeny tiny frogs... OMG they are so cute.  Also got a butterfly net to catch flies with... we have already caught several!  
Lunch.... then a quiet afternoon.


WEIGH IN RESULTS:  Stew LOST 600 grams, I GAINED 200 grams.  Not enough to really upset me... I will do better next week.


End of Day:  Bex and I had a lovely day shopping and just yakking.  We enjoyed watching the frogs too... *smiles*
ON TRACK:  and will do much better this coming week.... no more tipple for a start!
nite nite.

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CURLY FRIES! ZOO VISIT TOO

Who would have thought watching the veges getting prepared could be so much fun?...

 ABOVE:  Bec suggested we try using the new Apple peeler/corer on potatoes... so we did.  And  it worked!  So last night we had curly fries baked in the oven.  Griffin was wrapt watching them being peeled and cut.

ABOVE:  we cut the 'core' bits in half and baked them too... no point wasting them.


Here's a few photos from yesterday's zoo visit:

 ABOVE:  such an improvement Steve... ya looking good!  

ABOVE:  yep, you too Brylee!

 ABOVE: our one and only elephant at Auckland Zoo...

ABOVE: so glad I'm not a girl tortoise, cos there's not much chance of running away from those pesky boys is there!

 ABOVE: can ya tell Steve took the photo?  Bit blurry... and just look at that 'girl pose' Brylee is perfecting!

ABOVE: two cute critters...

ABOVE:  and one not so cute critter.

 ABOVE: yep, another one Steve took....

ABOVE: cute little otter.


FUNNY STORY:


Steve and Griffin ... in the men's bathroom at the  zoo... both standing at a urinal, side by side doing the business:


Steve:  "Are you having fun?"  (meaning at the zoo)


Griffin looks over at him and replied: "That's a bit gay" ... followed with a withering look.


Too funny.   I suppose you had to be there!


Today:  making the most of Stew's last day on holiday.  If it's a nice day I hope we go to a beach....


ONWARD...


STEVE has asked me to POINT OUT that he took the zoo photos... he wants credit for all of them.... which is fine as I wasn't even there!  lol
Clearly I wasn't there, I would never take blurry photos!  na na nah nah!


I was reading a magazine the other day which showed how to make your hair 'kinky' using a hair straightener... so I gave it a go on Brylee's hair just now:

ABOVE: how cool is that!  She loves it... and it was so easy to do.  Just make plaits then flat 
iron them, I used me GHD's and it was really fast.


We are off now to introduce Bec's to Sylvia Park, she's never been there....


Good fun at Sylvia Park.  Bec's was looking for a dress to her brother's wedding down in Invercargill... and found the most gorgeous, stylish dress in a super EXPENSIVE dress shop ...  but luckily for her the shop is moving to Newmarket, so everything was half price.  Even at half price is was a freaking expensive dress!


But, she's wrapt with it.  And that is the main thing.  Next she needs to find some accessories for it... so we spent some time happily looking in jewellery shops... and funnily enough we ended up looking at rings!  lol


She has modest tastes. Compared to me anyway!  


I just finished making meatballs for dinner, we are having them with sweet 'n' sour sauce over pasta.  YUM.


End of Day:  and my meatballs were really good!  Not dry and like cardboard at all... so many do end up like that... but not these ones.  Proud of that.
ON TRACK:  yes and no... been eating a bit more than I should in the past two days.
nite nite.

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STARVING!

SPEED HUMPS looming.


I'm starving ... (well, sorta).  I am eating all my points.  But for some reason the past two days, I've been really hungry all the time.


Not sure why?


I'm craving almost everything.  Bread.  Sweets.  Pigging out - so want to!


But, I will try and hang in there.  The end result is going to be worth it.  Right?


Today:  no firm plans yet.... we have to hang around the house I think... Joshua is getting picked up 'sometime' after lunch.  Which sucks, cos when it's an open ended time frame, you really can't go anywhere.  


FRUSTRATING.


I'm feeling crabby.  Been doing a bit too much 'domestic' shit lately.   Need to get OUT.  


OR PISSED.


Stew bought some more of me 'Tipple' last night, I've not had any in weeks!  It was so nice to have a few last night, even though I got massively itchy feet! ... might just have a repeat tonight.  OMG, what if I'm allergic to grog???  I know I hardly ever DO drink, but what if I can't anymore without getting all itchy?  Now that would just suck.

ABOVE:  they are rather cute.... but then, I am biased... *smiles*


I'll be back later...
ONWARD...


Would you believe... Steve and Becs have taken Brylee and Griffin to the Zoo!  
Poor Joshua had to stay here with us boring old farts, as he is being picked up soon and heading home to Whitianga.


Stew and I are going out...  OMG, just the two of us for afternoon tea somewhere nice.   Hmmmm... got me thinking cap on .... where to go?


I decided we would go to Sylvia Park and pick up some tadpoles and have afternoon tea at The Coffee Club... so we did!

ABOVE:  we got 5 tadpoles, two of them already have back legs.  I wanted a frog too... but they were $22 for a teeny tiny one... so I am just going to wait until my taddies grow!  
If I can wait.  Knowing me... I'll go back and buy a frog .. *sigh*.


NOW... I wonder how long it will take for the kids to notice we have tadpoles in the tank?   lol


End of Day: made chicken pies for dinner... and they were very nice if I do say so!
I tried drinking Bacardi and Diet Coke instead of me tipple, to see if I get the itchy feet.   *sigh*  and I still do.   Damn.
ON TRACK:  well if we don't count the pie?   
nite nite.

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SKYPE IS A WONDERFUL THING

But, we don't do it enough... I got to see our youngest Granddaughter the other night via Skype.
She has grown so much!

ABOVE:  Sienna and her Mum and Dad.  The Dad is our eldest son Russell.... Mum is Tess.  Sienna has a big sister named Haylea too.  The photos are utter crap quality, they were 'grabbed' off our Skype video conversation, and I can't 'tidy' them up.  Oh well... I live in hope of them sending me some really nice photos one day!

ABOVE:  found this good one on their Facebook page... Sienna looks an awful lot like my daughter Kelly as a baby!


TODAY:   Stew is taking the kids to the movies this morning... and I am staying home to enjoy the peace and quiet for a wee while!


Later on today Steve's girlfriend Bec is arriving to spend the weekend. Oooohhh,  staying at the 'in laws' place.... hope the kids we don't drive her batty....lol.


Suppose I better think about doing something nice for dinner too.... can't have her thinking I can't cook eh?  *smiles*


ONWARD...

ABOVE:  Finally, the terrarium is ready!  Now we just wait a couple more days then get us a frog and tadpoles.

I've just been out and bought the water plants, and some apricots.
Hmmmm... apricots.  Now I wonder what I'm going to do with those?  lol

ABOVE:  How the hell have I lived for 53 years and not bought one of these before?  It's awesome.  

ONWARD!...

ABOVE:  Apricot jam... DONE.  When you have to buy the fruit it is really no cheaper than buying it... but you have the 'satisfaction' of having made it.  
I'm done making jam for now.... 
Stew is taking the kids to the park, and I'm staying back to wash the floors now.
Don't envy me now will ya!  lol


End of Day:  well it's been a VERY productive day... totally becoming a DOMESTIC GODDESS... lol!
ON TRACK:  yeah, but feel like I am about to break out...
nite nite.

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LET THERE BE JAM....

 And now... there is:

ABOVE:  my first batch of plum jam.  Today I plan on making at least two more lots... using slightly smaller jars.  And I also want to make some using Artificial Sweetener, so Stew can eat it too.  (he's a Type 2 Diabetic)

I also want to make some pretty fabric covers for the tops.... I know it's not NECESSARY... but they will look so pretty eh?  lol

ABOVE:  Stew got the stable door finished... he said it was a right bitch to do too.  But it's gorgeous!  And I am so happy that he consented to chopping up a perfectly good door.  He SO did not want to do it .... so I am really lucky he did it for me.


Now I wonder if he would do any more for me?  I can think of at least one more I'd love him to chop up!


Today:  well jam making.  And perhaps an outing with the kids... I'm thinking maybe a movie.


ONWARD...


Movie will have to be tomorrow now, the movie we wanted to go see is booked out at the time we want to attend.

ABOVE:  we tasted the plum jam just now.... and OMG it is really, really tasty.  Has a little 'bite' to it, just how I like it.  ***there as one jar that was only half full of jam... but now... it's empty!


The recipe said boil for 15 minutes... but mine took 30 minutes to set.... so obviously different plums take differing times to set eh?  
I will be making more shortly...


Did I mention it's raining... AGAIN?  Well.. it is.  Such a weird summer we are having. 

ABOVE:  the first jam jar done.  HOW cute is that?   I know, it doesn't take much to make me smile.  Stew said so too.  Pfffffft.


Thanks for the tip Lynda... I found my pinking scissors, but they were so blunt I got cross trying to cut the fabric with them, so in the end I just cut them free hand:

ABOVE:  all done!  I'm going to make more jam next week with an artificial sweetener.


End of Day: well it's been all about JAM today eh?  lol
ON TRACK:  and loving it!
nite nite.

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