Lightening Online

5 whole days of city driving and I didn’t have a single accident!!!

Not even a tiny little scrape!!!!

Go me!!!!

I am SUCH a good driver that Farmboy even offered for me to drive home.

I declined.

Politely of course!!!!

After all, I didn’t fly him over for NOTHING!!!!

Actually, driving around Adelaide was quite liberating!

I felt all “grown up” every time I got behind the wheel.

Like I’d just gotten my license or something.  ROFLOL.

We had a lovely time while we were in Adelaide.

Lleyton really hit his straps on the last day of tennis and ended up taking one of the city boys to a tie-breaker.  He lost the tie-breaker but he was stoked with his game.  And the opponent had only lost 2 games through the week so he was a reasonably tough opponent.

Up until then I think the nerves of the whole thing must have been unsettling him.  Even I could tell he wasn’t playing his best.

He’s the kind of kid that can quite comfortably accept being beaten, as long as he feels he has played well.  And he really wasn’t so he was getting quite frustrated with himself.

So it was a great game to finish on, particularly considering he was also injured which made running a little painful.

The whole week was a great experience for him.  I was a little disappointed their coach wasn’t more positive and supportive of her team.  She was more interested in the state players.

But the whole team did themselves proud.  They really were good sports and lovely natured kids and I think they really showed up the “top players” (not so much with their skill as with their attitude).

Our team ended up 5th overall, top of the country teams playing in that location.  The “not so great” thing about that is we’re highly likely to end up in that location again next year.  It has a lot of the stronger city teams in it (lots of private schools in the area apparently) and so they try to put the stronger country teams there.

Unless someone comes out of the woodwork between now and next year (and I’m kind of hoping they do), Lleyton will have to play some of the states top players (in this age group).  This year he had to play kids a year or 2 older than him but only the 1 state team player (and not the top player).

Mind you, as tough as it is, it is good experience for him and certainly good for his game.  You can’t play 14 games of tennis against tough opponents and NOT improve.  It’ll be interesting to see if we notice a difference in his game tomorrow.

…. To be a “tennis mum”.

This week has been somewhat of an eye-opener so far.

It’s one thing to be told of the kids who cart around massive tennis bags with multiple raquets and tennis mum’s who push their kids to achieve.

It’s another to see it first hand.

Some people just live, eat and breathe tennis.

And the money that must go into it!!!!

It’s unreal.

And some of these kids are just AWFUL!!!!  Arrogant and nasty.

Not all of course but enough that I really wouldn’t want Lleyton to be spending too much time around them. 

We’re very much the “poor country cousins” down here.

I’m kind of hoping that we do badly enough to be placed in the other group of teams next year.  Not sure what it will take for that to happen though.

I was told that they have “divisions” but it’s not quite like that.  It just so happens that the Adelaide teams that play here have pretty much all the states top players.  The country teams get divided up and sent to different “sections” of Adelaide.  I think we kind of drew the “short straw” having to play where we are.

HOWEVER…

It has been an amazingly challenging experience for Lleyton.

I think his tennis has really improved having to play against such well trained and experienced players.

Here he is with his doubles partner after they have just had to play a couple of the state team.  They were ecstatic because they actually managed to get a game from them (they lost 6-1).  A pretty awesome effort from a couple of “country kids”.

It’s really cute watching them play together.  They’re both tiny compared to most of the other kids and out on the court, they’re not that easy to tell apart.

I’m just so proud of Lleyton’s sportsmanship.  He hasn’t been playing at his best and has struggled not to get down on himself but he keeps pulling himself out of it and playing on.  I really think his tennis game will benefit from this experience.  And he keeps encouraging other team members and even his opponents when they play good shots.

I’m proud of me too because I managed to drive over here and drive in Adelaide.  Something I haven’t done for very MANY years.  I always avoid it.  I’m still kind of avoiding it as we’re staying close to the courts but it’s a start.

I think I might collapse in a heap when we get home though.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Lleyton does too!!!

Remember this:

Ha!  I thought it was going to take forever to dig him out of my library and then I discovered a search funtion!  Easier than I expected!  Yah!!! 

I haven’t seen him for a while - forgot how much he makes me smile just looking at him (or is it a her?).

I feel like I’ve been a lazy blogger of late.  No photo’s or images.  Mostly just ‘brain dumps” (oh yeah, guess that’s what blogging is kind of about anyway isn’t it - being able to do a brain dump?).  Anyway, I’m struggling with really bad fatigue and brain fog which is making decent blogging kind of challenge.

STILL….

There are plenty of things to smile about so without further ado….a Smiley Saturday post!!!!

Things that made me smile this week:

1.  Having a day out with Farmboy with some retail therapy.

2.  My new “toy” (another “retail therapy” only Farmboys this time not mine - even though we’ve bought it for me to use).

I sent Trailer Boy to take some pictures for the blog for me.  ROFLOL.

Can anyone guess what it is?

3.  This post by Cathy from Cathy’s Capers (thanks for brightening my day Cathy).

4.  Looking forward to heading to Adelaide with Lleyton for Sapsasa tennis.

And that just about wraps up my smiles for the week.  What has made you smile this week?  Feel free to join us with your own post or add your smiley moments to the comments section.

What?  No Linky?  I still have to work out the new Linky site.  Feel free to leave a link in the comments section to your smiley saturday post.

Happy Smiley Saturday everyone!!!!

I’ve noticed something when it comes to spending money.

The more you spend, the easier it becomes to spend.

When I’m in “frugal mode” I tend to find it easier to stay in “frugal mode”.

When I’m in “non frugal mode”, it’s not so frugal.

LOL.  Funny that!!!!

Anyway, while we were away, I was very much in “non frugal” mode.  Not “stupid spending” mode but certainly “relaxed mode”.

I seem to be having trouble pulling myself out of “relaxed mode”.

And you know what?

I’m not sure I care!  LOL.  I guess that’s why it’s a “relaxed mode”. 

I’ll probably “care” later when I finally get our personal finances sorted out.

In the meantime, I really enjoyed our day out yesterday.  Sometimes a bit of “retail therapy” is just what the doctor ordered.

For me anyway.  I know not everyone enjoys shopping and that’s cool.

Mind you, it’s probably the WHAT that I bought that’s making me feel good more than just a random buying of “stuff”.

1.  Bought the major Christmas present for the kids.

I can’t say what it is on here in case Lleyton happens to read this at school.  It’s a load off my mind to have that done and it wasn’t as expensive as I thought (bonus!).

2.  Had a picture (photographs with matting) that I bought at the Airlie Beach markets in the Whitsunday framed.

I am SO pleased that it didn’t take us months to get framed.  The place even did it in the same day as we are from out of town.  How nice is that?  AND DH has already hung it on the wall in the lounge (an absolute MIRACLE!!!!)  It is SO making me smile every time I see it there! 

3.  Our “impulse” buy of the day - a new TV for the lounge.

We decided a while ago that we would just go out and buy one.  Our main TV is in the family room and I’ve never been a big one for having a TV in the lounge.  BUT, now that the kids are using the Playstation more, it is handy to have a second TV.

At the time, we went to go and buy one and just couldn’t do it.  Generally we like to shop around, pick up a bargain etc.  Anyway, I spotted a 56cm flat screen in the Target catalogue that has a DVD player.  Seemed like a reasonable price and Farmboy has been watching a lot more TV in the lounge of late as the chairs are more comfortable for his back and the 34cm we had in there isn’t all that great with his eye sight!  And I would love to have access to a DVD player in the lounge so I can do my pilates on carpet.

They had 1 left so we just bought it.  Didn’t really think about it much at all.  Very unusual for us.  :)  DH set it up last night and we’re really enjoying it.  I think even more so because it was an impulse buy.

The Good News Is….

We don’t live around shops so we don’t do this kind of thing very often.

Last night as we were putting up our picture and setting up the TV, we discussed our plans for the lounge.  They include a new lounge suite (our current one is almost 10 years old and while it still looks reasonable, it was a cheap one and there is hardly any padding left in the seats).  It was also bought for our old house (back then there were no plans to move) and doesn’t really fit in the new lounge (which is much smaller).

Anyway, our plans for the house are a topic for another post.

I need some help.

Trailer Boy turns 6 in just over a month.

And I haven’t bought a single thing for his birthday!!!!

Which is totally unusual for me.

However, what is even MORE unusual is that I don’t have a CLUE what to get him.

I’m not sure I have EVER had this dilemma before.

He doesn’t need a new bike (he has Lleyton’s old one and we’ll probably buy him a new one next year).

He would like a Nintendo DS but I still feel that he is a bit young.  Lleyton was given a Gameboy when he was almost 7 (and then saved and bought his own DS later) and Singstar Princess only got her DS last year for her 8th birthday.

He does want more matchbox cars.  He ALWAYS wants more matchy cars.  We have like a gazillion but it’s always what he goes for when he has money to spend.

But it would be nice to get him 1 major thing.  The type of thing he doesn’t get to buy with his own money.  Unless it’s something special (like the DS) we usually look to spend around $100.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement after my last post.  Things are going better now that they’re not quite so busy.  And I’m making some decisions about what I am and am not going out to.  Not always easy but obviously necessary.

I’ve had a horribly sore throat on and off for about 6 weeks now and I imagine that’s not helping (my body trying to fight something).  I feel kind of silly that I haven’t gone to the doctor but it’s one of those that seems to get better and then all of a sudden flares up again.

In my energetic moments, I am finding the decluttering bug has stayed with me (yah!).  Normally I’m a bit of a “hoarder” but when we got back after living in the caravan for 3 months, I found myself a little overwhelmed with how much “stuff” we have.  I will admit that I’m getting used to it but I’m relieved to find that the desire to get rid of stuff hasn’t waned completely.

Farmboy has gotten the “bug” too and finally decluttered a heap of clothes he is NEVER going to use.  Stuff he has kept for “farm clothes” that sits in his drawers while his other clothes get worn until they fall to pieces.

It’s scary how much stuff has left our house in the past 2 weeks and yet you cannot see where it has come from.

I think I’ve done a lot of the “easier” stuff now.  Hopefully I can continue with the “bug” and do some of the “hard” stuff.  The stuff we “might” actually use but could we do without it.  I still think we have too much stuff and would like to cut back a little.

My particular focus between now and Christmas will be toys.  Something I LOVE and so find incredibly hard to give away.  But the amount of toys we have is a little ridiculous and there are only so many that the kids can really play with.  I’m hoping there’ll be a charity toy drive in the lead up to Christmas.  I think it would help to think they might be going someplace where they might still get played with.

What about you?  Are you a declutterer or a hoarder?  Anyone else trying to “pare back” at the moment?

I had a rough day yesterday.

My depression was back in the worstest way! (worstest is SO a word!!!)

I was in so much pain.

And panic.

Pain because my serotonin levels had dropped so low.

Panic because I didn’t EVER want to feel this way again.

EVER!

You know things are bad when the urge to hurt yourself physically is almost too strong to resist because your body knows it will produce endorphins to deal with the physical pain and for just a moment you’ll feel a little better (at least that’s the best way I can describe what happens).

I came back from our trip feeling pretty good.  I’d even been able to come off my night time tablets and sleep unassisted.

Unfortunately we came back to a rather chaotic life and I must have overdone it a little. 

Things were so bad yesterday that I was absolutely terrified.

Terrified that I was going back to that black place and wouldn’t be able to find my way out again.

I REALLY want to be over this thing.

For good.

Finished.

Finito.

Never to return.

But we don’t always get what we want. 

I guess I’m just going to have to make some hard choices.

Not go out so much (for some getting out helps, for me it makes me a whole lot worse!).

Maybe turn into a gypsie and live in our caravan, touring around?

I know some of you will cringe at the mention of the word “Christmas”.

I’m one of those “pro” Christmas, get all excited, kind of people.

Usually.

And I’m sure I will again this year….eventually.

It’s not uncommon for me to have already planned most of what the kids will be getting as early as BEFORE the Christmas before.

Of course, as they get older, it becomes harder to choose what I want to give them.  They have definite ideas of their own.  Well, some of my kids do.

Anyway, this year with the big trip, I really haven’t given Christmas too much thought yet.

You might think I have plenty of time but we have a couple of challenges out here when it comes to Christmas shopping and preparation:

1.  We don’t live near shops so if I want something specific, I need to plan early in order to give myself a chance to actually find it.

2.  Harvest is a flat out time of year and often clashes with the lead up to Christmas.  In the last few years, we’ve been busy in November and not so busy in December.  This year it looks like being a busy December.  The thing is, it’s an unknown and there are never any guarantees that once harvest starts, you’ll have time or opportunity for much Christmas shopping before Christmas.

So, yesterday I went with Farmboy to a town that isn’t our local town (not that much further away but in the opposite direction).  I was browsing around the shops while he went to an appointment and I bought a present for Singstar Princess!!!!

That means I can officially say I’ve started my Christmas shopping!!!!  LOL.

It’s so unlike me to see something and just grab it on the spot too.  Usually I like to look around, compare prices, think about it.

This time I just went, yep, she’ll love that.

And I’m kind of glad I did because the more I think about it, the more I think she’ll enjoy it.

Now to work out what we’re doing about the rest of Christmas.

It does feel strange to not really have made too many plans or purchases yet.

What about you?  Are you in the “mega organised” category or the “haven’t even started yet” category.  Or maybe somewhere in between?  Do you use a set formula or vary what you do from year to year?

Hairbrushes in this house are like pens.

They seem to wander off without the slightest provocation!

We seem to be able to go from half a dozen to none in the space of hours!!!

Then all of a sudden they’ll reappear again.  Have a feast on hair and dead skin and then return to party with the missing pens and socks!!!

Farmboy got sick of this the other day so he tied a hairbrush to Princess Singstars bed.

For a whole week now we have not heard the words “I can’t find a hairbrush”.

Brilliant!!!

Am wondering if I should tie my hairbrush to my bed…. and the car keys, my sunnies, mobile phone and everything else I manage to lose on a regular basis.

Gee, wonder where Princess Singstar gets it from????

One of our favourite memories from our trip was a visit to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.

Farmboy and the kids had fun mucking around with the resident crocodile:

My approach was more “Rex Hunt” than “Steve Irwin”:

We did see some “real” crocodiles as well:

Even tasted some:

I can’t say that I particularly liked it.  Not that there was anything wrong with the taste as such but it was a little on the chewy side for him.  Lleyton really liked it and had a second serving.

Then there were the crocodiles we actually saw in the wild:

I took this photo from the bridge we were fishing from.  As you can imagine, we were keeping a very tight leash on the kids while we were there.  Didn’t want them to fall into the water!!!

All fun aside, I don’t care what the crocodile lovers say, we were kind of relieved to leave “crocodile territory” behind when we headed south.

It was fascinating to see them (from a distance) and to learn more about them.  I can’t see myself becoming a “crocodile lover” any day soon.