School funding is a double-edged sword.

In Spawn's first year of school, we applied for funding, due to his 'severe behaviour'. I know that in different states and countries, the process is different, but I'm sure there is one consistent aspect across the board: it's hard. Emotionally, having to constantly discuss and read about how terribly behaved your child can be, among other flaws, is heartbreaking. It has been two years since I discovered Spawn's application for funding was granted, after six months of hell.

The process for funding took twice as long as Spawn's ASD diagnosis, which was conducted immediately prior to the funding application began. I commend the school for being on the ball and getting things rolling as soon as they could, but as a parent, this double whammy broke me in ways that I don't think I will ever recover from. I ended 2015 with symptoms much like those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Legit. I was treated as if I had PTSD, and there was only one small aspect of my sanity that gave my psych pause to officially diagnose. Two years on, I am doing better, but the scars are still there. They will always be there. 2015 can kiss my arse, even now, in 2018.

Now that a little back story has been established, let me get to the heart of this rant/word vomit/expelling of bad juju. I am grateful for the school working tirelessly to get Spawn funding. I am grateful to the department of education for seeing Spawn's need for funding and actually approving the application: this is not something the DoE does lightly, after all. For this reason, I know that many families miss out on this funding, which impacts on the education of so many students. It's hard. There are so many cracks. For example, Spawn has ASD, but we did not apply on the grounds of his ASD diagnosis, for we would have been rejected. The criterion are so stringent, it's actually ridiculous! We applied under severe behaviour, as Spawn's behaviour was so severe during that first year of school that he only attended school for a couple of full days a week, with the remaining being half days. He had drawn blood from his teacher, caused his class to be evacuated, and literally been dragged from school over the shoulder of the vice-principal. OMG, I'm getting a little emotional just THINKING about that year. Even now, whenever the school calls me, my first thought is, "oh no, what has he done now?!" Fortunately, the school is quick to let me know if it isn't bad news, having known how bad things once were. I was on a first name basis with the school admin a lot quicker than most.

Due to the hard work, absolute terror and horrific reports I had to read, I get a little funny about Spawn's school funding. As a pre-service teacher, I understand how having a student with funding in the class can benefit many, but as a parent, I don't want my child to miss out because of others. Having other unfunded students piggybacking off of Spawn's funding is all well and good, but where do you draw the line?! At what point do you, as a parent, step in and be like, "ENOUGH. How many complex students do you want to piggyback off of my child's funding?! Don't you think this might be detrimental to MY son's education?!" As I have mentioned, I worked hard for that. I endured things no parent/carer should have to endure, all in the hopes it would provide my child with better opportunities moving forward. It has, by the way. Education support staff are amazing. Spawn had this one lady supporting him for nearly two years and she was amazing. She saw him that first year, and was with him as he changed for the better. Spawn has come so far that it's mindblowing, but does that mean that the support worker working with him this year will be asked to spend more time with other students? Sure these students need help, otherwise they wouldn't be getting it. But will this have a negative impact on Spawn? His behaviour last year went downhill and part of me wonders if that is because so many students with additional needs were lugged into his class in order to piggyback off of Spawn's funding. Just because Spawn has learned to mimic more appropriate classroom behaviours, does not mean he does not need the funding. For Spawn, working to behave appropriately is a task that requires constant focus, as his brain is always working so fast, the result of both his ADHD and giftedness. I feel that if Spawn is neglected, for even a little while, it will take twice as long to rebuild those appropriate mindsets for the classroom. Perhaps Spawn will think it normal that he adapt for awhile, then lapse back into his old way of behaving as soon as the teacher isn't looking (so to speak). This actually terrifies me, on a level I am not sure I'm ready to comprehend. I considered changing schools last year; seriously considered it. I thought it might be better to send Spawn to a school more understanding of funding and special needs children. However, Spawn loves his school, so we are giving it this year to see how things go. I have spoken to a few schools and know our options, but hopefully I don't need to go down this path. For the most part, I do like our school's community. It's a great little school most of the time. :)

So this is the vicious cycle of school funding. The department of education really needs to get their act together and figure out a way to adequately fund all students who need assistance. In doing so, students who DO get funding will not be forced to miss out due to teachers and schools trying to service the needs of many with funding meant to service one.
Do not even get me started on the fact that parents have no say in how a school spends funding they receive for students. I don't know if this isn't a common thing, but where I live, it's how it works and I think it sucks; as both a parent AND a pre-service teacher.

On the topic of pre-service teaching, I'm doing my next placement in February; two weeks after school starts back. At a school with only 100 students. This will be interesting! ;)

If you got this far, thanks for reading. Feel free to share advice and tips for dealing with this: I welcome all advice! :)

- L. x

Countdown until school starts is ON.

Oh, my gosh! Spawn goes back to school this week!

Yes, that was worthy of bold AND italic! These holidays have been long, they have been fun, and they have been strenuous on my mental health. That's not to say I don't love spending time with Spawn, because I do. I really do! It's just that when you are with your children day in, day out, for over a month, things get intense. Especially once they have developed the attitude that comes with being a know-it-all school kid! Like Spawn. He loves to correct me, even when he's wrong. ESPECIALLY when he's wrong!

The weather forecast for today was supposed to be hot, so I told Spawn we could stay home, write up schedules for school days, and then eventually go play outside with the hose and chalk bombs. But then I woke up, the skies were grey, the bureau of meteorology showed massive rain on the horizon and at lunch time, we are yet to surpass 25°. So there goes that. If I had known the weather would be like this, I would have gone to the beach!

Considering there are only two days until Spawn goes back to school, I now have this sudden urge to do all the things we didn't get to do. Figures. We have done the beach a few times, but I want to go explore the rock pools further down. All the tourists have fled home as holidays have technically ended for most, so it will no doubt be super quiet down the coast. It would be an ideal day for rock pools! But no, it's too late and I have now lost motivation to get dressed. I'm also starting to dread another year of packing lunchboxes, washing uniforms and rushing to sports and appointments. Ughhh.

On that note, I have just put bolognese on the stove for dinner tonight (recipe can be found on the previous post). Naturally, it's making me hungry as it smells AMAZING. So I'm off to make lunch. Something lacklustre, to ensure Spawn thoroughly enjoys dinner tonight, lol.

Peace out!

- L. x

School holidays.

Am I a bad parent?
Why does spending so much quality time with my child frustrate me?
Why are we both looking forward to the beginning of the school year?!!

These are but a few questions that run rampant in my mind during school holidays. I feel so inadequate as a parent. Some days I just want to lock Spawn in his room for a few hours, so I can have time to breathe on my own. Other days I get excited about the possibilities of the fun things we can do together! But then push comes to shove and we end up doing nothing, as I dread the possibility of a meltdown, tantrum, poor attitude, shitty people, or wanting something I cannot afford.
Why?!! Why can't I just enjoy time with Spawn, while I have it?! Lord knows he is growing up faster than I could ever imagine. It is only a matter of time before he is packing his things and moving out to start his own life. This, by the way, is a fucking terrifying prospect! When this happens, I will be entirely on my own. And that is nobody's fault but my own.

Why do school holidays often bring out the contemplative, depressing thoughts?
I often wonder this. Why? I mean, happy times! I'm a Christmas lover, so the month or two before Christmas is always a fun time. However, with the dismantling of the tree comes the disappearance of my cherry disposition. I become grouchy. Like a post-Christmas Grinch. How depressing. At least Spawn is having a great time. I signed him up for the Scholastic summer reading challenge and he has already racked up over 3,000 minutes reading! My little bookworm. <3

I'm currently making plans and hoping to stick to them. We have a (hopefully) good week of weather ahead of us, and I am determined to make some fun memories!!! Please, whoever is watching, let this happen!! Let me be the cool, fun mum again!!! Let me be the fun-spirited L again. Let me just ....I don't know? Live again.

Hope you're all enjoying summer! I'm loving this warm spell!

Peace out.

- L. x

Yeah! School's Back!

I AM SO EXCITED SCHOOL IS BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR!
And I am so glad that Spawn is also excited to go back to school - in Grade 1!!! ..crikey.

As you probably know, I spent a chunk of time making snacks to fill Spawn's lunchbox, and I love that I was even more prepared this year than I was last year! There is so much variety in the freezer that I have no problem asking Spawn what he wants for lunch tomorrow, then pulling something that meets his requirements out of the freezer, ready to go the next day! Sooooo good. (Last year I only really made treats, so still had to make savoury things for lunch time.)

Anyway, who cares about food?! School is back! I have freedom! I can do grocery shopping without Spawn! Probably one of my favourite things, as supermarkets are one of the few places that still send him super troppo - I think it's a combination of the light, noise, and whatever else over-stimulates him.

His new teacher is getting all the praises, too. (Let's call him "Mr M" to maintain my "anonymity" lol.) "Mummy! Mr M loves animals too!" "Mummy, Mr M tells me I have to do this *puts hands behind back and sits quietly* when he rings his bell." ...I think I need to ask Mr M where he got his bell, LOL. 
This is obviously a good thing - not going to lie when I say I was a tad scared that Spawn wouldn't take to his new teacher. He loved his old teacher - maybe more than me, some days! Then again, Mrs F was amazing. I loved her, too. Sad that she isn't at the school this year, yet excited for what she is spending the year doing.

Did I mention Spawn was approved for school funding?! I cannot remember if I mentioned it in a previous blog or not??!
Anyway, he was. I'm not sure how many hours he will have with the aide (what the funding covers), but I'm so excited that he's going to have SOME time with an aide, that I'm not particularly fussed over how long it is!!! Hopefully it's enough to really help Spawn though. Lord knows he needs the help at school, so he can learn to manage his behaviour.

I applied to go back to university..........again. I think I might spend my life studying. Every time I think I have my career sorted out, a spanner is thrown into the works that rules it out! It's beyond frustrating!!! Law is definitely out though, so I know I need to do something to help me with a new career path. I think what I have chosen will work. It has its perks, and works with my personality, most days. We'll see though. Depends on whether or not the university accepts me! No pressure, lol.

Eh. I think I have rambled enough, and I need to make a start on dinner. Until next time......

Peace out.

- L. x

The End is Nigh.

Oh, my gosh.

These holidays have been a blast! However, I am more than ready for Spawn to return to school! His need to defy everything I ask him to do has my hair turning greyer than ever before.... So tragic. I am officially at the stage where I will be dying my hair for the rest of my life. :(

Recap of the holiday activities we have partaken:
- zoo. This was fun, until Spawn decided to meltdown and run around making himself trip - what is with that??? I need to bring this up with the paed at our next appointment. It does my head in to no end!
- craft activities. These have been my saviour, without a doubt! I stocked up on a bunch of Naplan style math workbooks, and bribe Spawn to behave in order to get one. *snickers* Bribery is an amazing tool.
- baking. Didn't do as much of this as I thought we would, but Spawn did enjoy making a strawberry cake, then making a strawberry puree to put on top. Neighbours were very appreciative of our efforts!
- Sovereign Hill. This was our last day out for the holidays (apart from the trip to the shopping centre the following day, which resulted in disaster [details to come!]) and a lot of fun! I hadn't been to Sovereign Hill in a REALLY long time and it was amazing how little it had changed, yet how different it looks from an adult's perspective. Spawn had fun doing the mine tours and panning for gold, and now has a new obsession with all things gold related. Love the obsessive mentality of his mind. He truly is incapable of doing anything by halves! He also met a little girl and his impulsive nature meant he had no problem straight up asking her for her number! (she would have been around 4) This little girl then came up and casually put her arm around him. It was so adorable! I love the innocence of kids. So pure and untainted. :)

During the holidays, I have tried implementing new techniques to prevent angry outbursts from the little devil spawn, however few methods seem to work. I know that you have to give things time to sink in, but when you're trying to calm an aggressive child down and he gets significantly worse - well, this does not call for a fun time. I feel like all we're doing in going in circles, with no sane way out. The calm bottle however, is an AMAZING thing. It actually works, if I get Spawn to play with it before his temper fully kicks in. Loving it immensely!

On the topic of sanity; I officially lost mine yesterday. We went to the shopping centre to buy groceries and a new board game to play over the quiet weekend to come, and Spawn went ballistic, trying to destroy things in the centre!!! Not so much embarrassing, as I find myself being able to ignore most of the stares, but definitely depressing. Am so grateful that my mum was in the area and able to take him for the day - it worries me what could have happened if he had stayed with me. :/
Chocolate swirled brioche and red wine definitely helped me a little though. I found my sanity at the bottom of the bottle - yay. :)

I find myself a little scared at the prospect of Spawn returning to school. I'm getting to the point where I want to drop him off, then turn my phone off and not worry about anything until I pick him up at 3:30. All the phone calls and face-to-face conversations are so taxing! I am so grateful that Spawn's teachers are understanding and try to keep him in line, but him being sent home really doesn't help our situation. He comes home so ANGRY - at me mostly - that I dread it. 100%, no doubt about it. Don't want it to happen!!

Ah well. If I were a believer of God, I would be SO upset at the idea of him believing I am worthy of such a child. Just once, I'd love for something to happen in my life that wasn't so... demanding? Painful? Intense? Hard?
Just give me easy, please? Just ONE thing. I don't ask for much, do i?

Peace out.

- L. x

School Holidays.

'school holiday' - adjective. a phenomenon that occurs four times a year once a person has children of school age. Known for sending many a parent to the crazy house, or to consume excessive amounts of alcohol. **BEWARE**

I may or may not be entering this winter holiday period with a little trepidation. Originally, I planned to drive to the Alpine region for a few days, and make day trips to the smaller mountains. But then my mother called and mentioned sale flights, so I ended up purchasing things to go with our Christmas holiday and now need to budget like a pro in order to have enough cash to have a little fun at Christmas time. YAY! At least the flights are paid for - thanks parentals! ;)

I've been raiding the Big W 'drop zone' frequently over the past month, hunting down cheap bargains to use as a kind of lucky dip for these holidays. Every couple of days, Spawn will pull something out of the bag before bed, and that will determine what we do the next day. There are craft activities, baking recipes, workbooks, toys, and then bigger 'outing' type things such as zoo membership cards, museum passes, train rides, and Sovereign Hill. We're going to have a fun time, lol.

Still, I'm scared. Perks of having a rambunctious child of Satan, I suppose. Love his guts, but he can be a little intense at times. Much like those Snickers ads - he gets a little ragey when he doesn't get his way, lol.

As an aside, have you seen Fowl Language Comics on Facebook?? Best ever. 

I feel this particular image is appropriate for today, considering the U.S. has legalised gay marriage across the nation! Now, if only we could convince Barack Obama to come to Australia once he has finished his term as President of the United States, then we could have someone guiding Parliament to make great choices for Australia that DO NOT screw over the people!
Hooray Obama! Here's hoping the next US President is on the same scale of awesome as you, and that Australia's next Prime Minister is learning a thing or two from what you've achieved!

Peace out.

- L. xx
(the Tony Abbott despiser.)

Pizza Scrolls

This is without a doubt, one of my favourite recipes! There are so many ways to mix it up, and they're the perfect size to fit in Spawn's Yumbox! They're the thing I always make for play dates, or during lunch prep (like today!) as they freeze really well.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups self-raising flour
90g butter, (room temp) cut into small cubes
pinch of salt
1/2 tspn lemon myrtle (optional - I use it with certain topping combinations to spice up the dough)
2/3 cup milk
plain flour, for dusting
Pizza sauce (or tomato paste/chutney/whatever you like - think of it as a pizza base, which it is!)
Grated cheese - I use pizza blend, as it melts really well.
**the following is a base recipe: alternate as desired! I occasionally make them vegetarian by using sliced roast vegetables, etc)
150gm (approx) smoked ham, chopped
Small tin pineapple pieces, drained
You can also add mushrooms, salami, bacon, etc. I did today's batch super simple, as I forgot to buy a bunch of stuff at the supermarket yesterday. Grrr.

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 210° and line baking trays with baking paper.
Sieve flour into bowl and then add salt and butter. Rub until the butter is combined with the flour - vaguely resembles breadcrumbs.
Add milk and use a round-bladed knife to 'cut' the milk into the mix, until just combined.
Flour surface and rolling pin, then tip dough onto bench (this is where I add myrtle/other herbs to bread), and knead until combined.
Roll dough until it's as thin as you can get it, without it falling apart. Length will vary, but you should aim to have it approximately 20cm wide - too much wider and they start getting a bit fat to fit into bento compartments, and get too big to be 'bite size'.
Spread sauce onto dough, then thinly sprinkle meat (or alternative) onto dough, followed by a sprinkle of cheese (don't use too much or the cheese goes everywhere - I speak from experience, during a cheesymite attempt, LOL!), and then pineapple, if using. Do not place toppings too close to top/bottom edges, as it all shifts during the rolling process.
Roll lengthwise, carefully and tightly, then if needed, brush a little milk to seal the edge. Then, cut into bite-sizes scrolls (I do mine about an inch thick) and place cut-side up on the tray. You need to leave enough space between the scrolls for them to expand, but I find that leaving too much space between causes them to dry out a little. Find that middle ground.... I think it's about 1cm apart. I'm not much of a measurer - always do things by sight!
Then put in oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden and yummy. If you're a scentsy* lover like me, feel free to turn them off during the baking process, so you can enjoy the heavenly aroma. :)

Peace out.

- L. x

Make sure you watch them towards the end, they go from done to DONE really quickly if you get distracted! 

*scentsy link directs to a consultant friend of mine - she's lovely. :)
**This recipe was originally found on Taste, however I have changed it a fair bit to suit my own tastes.

Nobody's Perfect.

I make no claim to be perfect. Apparently I give off some uppity vibe that leaves people thinking I'm either up myself, b*tchy, a know-it-all, or all of the above.
I'm not.

I've faked confidence and happiness for so long that people misconstrue it for something it isn't.
I'm not being cocky when I make factual statements; I'm smart, therefore I know stuff. If you don't want to know something, don't ask the question. I'm of the impression that questions are to be answered, unless they're obviously rhetorical.
I'm not being a bitch when you walk up to me unannounced and I'm deep in concentration/in my own world; I have resting bitch face and selective hearing, due to a five year old who never. shuts. up.
When I have my fake smile on that looks more like a grimace, it's not because I can't stand to be around you; it's because on the inside, I'm dying a little every day, and every day it gets a little harder to pretend.
If I tell a stupid little lie that is obviously untrue, it's not because I'm a liar: it's because I'm afraid to tell the truth. Afraid to be judged. Afraid I'm going to be found wanting. Afraid someone will look at me a little too closely and see this facade that I wish were true, if only for a minute. Because Lord forbid I let it be known that I'm in the pits of depression, green with envy as all my friends fulfill their dreams, while I'm stuck in this pit. This hell. This pathetic thing known as my life.
And when I'm quick to lose my temper at you, it's not because I'm a cow. It's because I've been burnt far too many times and am now forever afraid to let new people in.

So the next time you come across someone who seems like a snobby bitch, don't be quick to give them the flick. You never know when being the first to say "hello" will make a person's day.

Peace out.

- L. x

Hello, Sanity?

Dear Blog World

It has been eight days since I last blogged, and three days since Spawn started his first school holidays. 

Three whole days. Well, technically one, seeing as weekends apparently do not count.
ONE WHOLE DAY. And already I may be slightly crazy. He's been great. TOO great. You know when there's a big storm coming, and right before that storm, there's this eery sense of calmness about the world?? I feel like my life is in that stage, and it's FREAKING ME OUT.

It's been fun though. We went to Healesville Sanctuary yesterday. Was a great day for it, and a ridiculously long drive, throughout which I was able to reminisce about the days when I would drive out that way at least once a week..... How on earth did I afford the petrol back then?!! Crazy.

So anyway, we went to Healesville. Great place, by the way. Definitely recommend if you're ever in the area. Or the state. Or the country, depending on where you're reading this from. They have this damper making station. Oh, my god. Do you remember making damper during school camps, back in the day? (well, for me it was back in the day. I'm such a fossil, lol!) They did it differently at Healesville. There were big chunks of lemon myrtle in the dough. Can I just say, my tastebuds are practically orgasming just thinking about it!!! Who would have thought that merely mixing flour, water and lemon myrtle together could bring such a strong reaction!!? Ughhhhhhhhh. Give me a minute...

So anyway, I left Healesville smelling like I'd spent the weekend camping. Not necessarily a bad thing: I do enjoy that smoky hair smell.... Until I walk into my clean house and discover how overpowering the smell of smoke can be, when it's in every crevice of my body/clothing!! Jeepers!

Now I want to go camping. I should go camping!!! Spawn needs to go camping!! He wants to be a bug cowboy, after all. Shame this little bug cowboy is terrified of flies and ants. LOL. And wasps too, apparently.

OH, right! A friendly warning: Melbourne Zoo has a crazy amount of pigeons. Typical Melbourne thing.
Werribee Zoo is full of flies. Well, it is open range and full of African animals who do big poos...
However, Healesville Sanctuary is full of wasps. Yes, WASPS. What even?!!! They're perfectly harmless, yet annoying as hell. If you have food in your mouth, they will TRY TO GET INTO YOUR MOUTH. Hilarious.

That's me done, for now. I will no doubt return in a few days, once the storm has hit.

Peace out.

- L. x

baby emus!!!! <3

Lunchbox Inspiration.

Every day, Spawn takes lunches to school that not only meet our needs (no additives, refined sugar, minimal gluten) but also the schools needs (no eggs, fish, kiwi, nuts). Being a single mum, I cannot afford to buy expensive pre-packaged food that meets our requirements - and finding such items is almost impossible anyway - so I make it all myself. Don't get me wrong: sometimes Spawn's lunch consists of nothing more than a carrot, a couple of mushrooms, a piece of fruit, and rice crackers with vegemite.... But most days I'm able to pull some stuff out of the freezer and give him an awesome lunch! It all comes down to how great your time management skills are, and how organised you can be.

I bet you're wondering what, exactly, does Spawn eat every day??? I'm blessed with a child who loves to eat healthy and knows that "too much sugar makes me silly, mummy!" He loves raw vegetables, which makes my life easier, so I just prep a heap of stuff once a week and pack his lunchbox the night before with delicious, healthy, homemade goodies from the freezer (or fridge, depending).

I see so many mothers complaining about being time poor, but it's really not that difficult - I dedicate an hour or two most weekends to meal prep, and then spend five minutes (max) each night packing Spawn's lunch.

Personally, I believe it to be worth it. Not cheating and giving Spawn packaged stuff (or boring sandwiches) means he is happier, calmer and more satisfied, as he loves eating his delicious lunches! Given his behavioural issues, I'm all for anything that helps keep him from having a full-blown meltdown!

So here we go. Below are some yumbox examples, and I've mentioned the things I make myself: some of these recipes can be found on my blog. We also use a 'regular' lunchbox when I'm too lazy to do the dishes, and Spawn enjoys rummaging for the good stuff on those days. ;)

Peace out. 

- L. x

Grilled chicken, anti-LCM..

Chicken Sausage rolls, homemade tzatziki..

Pizza scrolls (gluten free), muesli bar..

Rice paper rolls, dried fruit muesli bar..

Chicken pasta, hummus, banana & fig cookie..

Reminiscing.

So way back when (think five years ago), I used to blog. My posts were similar to the ones you read today, in that I was a crazy lady back then too. Except I was also sleep deprived and dealing with the perks of being mother to a (not-so) little baby. Nawwwwwww.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my first post from my old blog...... I've grown up a lot these past five years, haha. :)

I wasn't always this way. Once upon a time I was about as normal as normal gets. Happy, carefree, impulsive..... Not sure what happened!? ...oh, that's right. A living being decided to grow inside of me and not only steal my heart, but also my sanity.
No wait, that's a lie. I've never been normal. I've never cared what anyone thought... Always spoke my mind, and did whatever I pleased. I'm the sort of special you only read about. The infamous "window licker" variety. Rare species we are. ....Rare, yet totally awesome!
So I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here!? Well, I have all this *stuff* running through my head! All day, every day, it's there...Sending my brain into overdrive, and resulting in the CRAZY. So I decided (after severe peer pressure!) to start a blog. Never done this before.... Slightly disturbed. Like the turd my son did this morning.... I wont gross you out with details, but it was badddddddd!
So anyway, the moral of my blog? Oh, there is none. I just wanted to waste your time! :)
Up and coming blogs may include.....
Moving across the country.
Christmas chaos.
Smelly poo's.
Cleaning.
Rants.
And other hilarious bullsh*t.

You may not know this, but I moved across the country shortly after writing that post. With my lovely one year old and not much else. The similarities between then and now are a little crazy. Which is fitting, considering my crazy theme!
Then: single mum, man-hater, battling postnatal depression, stress relating to the impending move, adjusting to life with a walker...
Now: single mum, man-hater, overcoming depression, job hunting stress, trying to decide whether to move or stay where I am, adjusting to life with a (somewhat) 'diagnosed' boy....

No wonder I'm crazy!! I need to stop putting myself in situations that cause so much stress! And maybe go get my hair dyed. My greys are showing.

Peace out.

- L. x

Officially a 'School Mum'!

So Spawn (not his real name, although I have contemplated having it changed in the past) had his first full day at school today! This was interesting. Six and a half hours of FREEDOM.
He was fine, naturally. Had a blast! I on the other hand, was bored. One can only do so much cleaning before there is nothing left to clean!! I'm trying to pace myself so I don't run out of tasks, and obviously there will be things to do everyday, courtesy of the 5 year old boy spawn resident, but BIG tasks.... Well, there aren't many. My house is small. I do not have a backyard. I do not hoard, therefore there is minimal clutter.

So what does one do to kill time in such a situation???
One Google's cleaning techniques. I looked for new ways to clean things in different ways! Today I cleaned my shower, using bicarb and dish washing liquid. Not the Viva shower wipes that I generally use for their ease. Noooooope. I did it the hard way! And it was more rewarding!!!! Who needs a gym membership when you can scrub your house with bicarb, gloves and a scrubbing brush? ;)

So anyway, I have decided I may be certifiably insane a lot earlier than I first anticipated. I think I need to rediscover the meaning of 'social life', LOL.

Peace out.

- L. x

Well, hi there!

My name is Crazy. I will be your guide for the next ...however long I'm here, to assist you whilst you decline into that state of being commonly known as "OMG MUM, YOU'RE SO WEIRD!"

I swear, I wasn't always this crazy. I've always been a little quirky - this is bound to happen when you grow up being the eldest of four, with three younger brothers. But once upon a time, I could have a conversation with strangers that wouldn't conclude with a weird look being sent in my direction by at least half my audience. My audience who, by now, is desperately trying to think up some excuse to get as far away from me as possible. LOL. See that on the floor?? That suspicious white puddle?? That's superglue. You're stuck here now - FOREVERRRRRR.

Ahahahaha. But seriously. Hello!
My name is L... Yeah, L. Let's just play it cool for awhile. ;)
My son is 5 years old. He is not allowed additives of any kind. Like I said, I'm trying to stay sane for as long as possible.
I live in Geelong, which is the second largest city in Victoria, Australia. My son goes to a cutesy little school with a big sense of community. I love it. The mothers are nice. Yes, NICE. I know some of you fellow mothers out there are thinking "but most mothers are nice!" ...No. Not once your children enter school. They turn, and they turn fast. Like vampires....except they don't sparkle. They glare. Maybe like zombies. Yeah, zombies.

Speaking of zombies, The Walking Dead, anyone??? I cannot wait for the break to end. YAY!

I was going to conclude this post with a recipe, but I think I'll create a new post, so those who don't want to read my ramblings, but want my recipes, can get them without walking away from this wondering what on Earth they just read.

Peace out!

- L. x