Saturday, 18 May 2013

Bali Baby - who thought taking the kids on a holiday was a good idea?

If a picture says 1000 words this may be my longest post yet! Rather than bore you all with too many details I'll bore you all with the pics.
 
We left Harvey at 2am and noone slept in the car, or on the plane as planned. The kids were really good on the plane though thankfully. 


 
Waiting for our car to hotel - it was hot! Ems was feral - what were we thinking?

 
Finally we arrived at the hotel and the view from our room was amazing. Time to hit the pool - hang on, Ems was still being feral. Maybe some room service first - thankfully she fell asleep and we all had a little rest before we hit the pool.

 
Arghhh - this is what we came for!
 

 
 
Breakfast fast became our favourite part of the day - the kids ate 10 bowls of coco pops each while we stuffed ourselves with rice and eggs, pancakes, french toast, bacon, danishes, fruit! Hmm, well Kris did, I stuck to the rice and eggs. Then the kids would feed the fish until we could drag them away.
 
 
We spent the first day exploring the hotel, a quick trip up the street to change some money and buy some sunnies and of course a Basketball shirt for the boys. And then had dinner at the best Italian Restaurant - right at our hotel!
 
 
 
 
 
Monday was WaterBom park - kids had a ball but I didn't take the camera so I didn't have to lug it around all day. Will definitely take them back there if we go again, so many staff on duty you almost didn't have to watch the kids! And we got there early enough to hire a gazebo for the day so lounged around in that heaps!
 
Tuesday the kids went to Kids Club! We hired a babysitter for Em so she could go too and hit the streets for a little shop in the morning. I swear it was the hottest day we had there and we sweat soooo much. I couldn't wait to get back and have a kid free swim. Went a bit overboard on the mango dacquiri's and forgot to eat  - not a good sign. We had booked a massage together while the kids were in the Kids Club so we wobbled over to that before picking the kids up, then spent a few more hours in the pool with the dacquiris! Time to fess up - I broke my sober record! Memory loss and a spew and we had to cancel our dinner out with the Summers family who we had met at the hotel! Nice one Miranda! The only positive - the kids thought I was sick from drinking the Bali water so they stayed right away from the taps.
 
Needless to say Wednesday was a bit of a right off for me! Kris and the kids went for a bit of a wander after breaky while I slept it off. The boys got hair cuts in preparation for our photos that night. To be honest I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stand up for them! At 1pm I finally dragged myself out of bed and at 2pm went off to the hairdressers to get my hair washed. Will came with me and when we made it back to the hotel Kris had ordered some food which I was able to eat - phew! Recovered just in the nick of time! The photographers met us at 4pm and we spent 2 hours getting pics. The kids were hard work  - all they wanted to do was swim! Eventually we all got in the pool and had nuggets and chips pool side for dinner.
 
 
Thursday was another day by the pool - the kids went back to Kids Club for the morning while Kris and I went to the shops, had another massage, and went out for lunch! Then we spent the arvo in the pool. I went easy on the Bintang and stuck to coke - tummy still wasn't quite right after Tuesdays efforts. Then we organised to go out for dinner with the Summers family and I got my drinking shoes back just in time to enjoy some lovely Fruit Tingles for happy hour! This time Kel went overboard on the drinks! Ha ha - I think I may have met my match in this girl :-) The kids loved playing with their little boy Jayden and the food was delicious! All in all - good night.
 
 
Friday we hit Safari Park! Was a long trip out there and an even LONGER trip home in traffic with two kids needing wee stops at different times and lots of tears while they were trying to hold on! Far out - I'll remember that car trip forever. Safari Park was awesome though - worth the trip for sure  - Will and Ems crashed out on the way home which was good as we ended up out for dinner again that night!
 

 
 
 
 
 On to Saturday and the boys begged to go to Kids Club so Kris and Ems spent some quality time together! Then we spent the arvo enjoying everything the hotel had to offer before Will hit the wall and chucked the tantrum of his life in the pool! Thank god we were leaving the next day...I couldn't have faced the other guests again I don't think.
 

 
 
Our very last Bintang :(
 
.
Then it was Sunday and time to head home! The kids fed the fish for the last time and we headed off to the airport bright and early. At breakfast a strange man approached me at the table and wished me a Happy Mothers Day! Whoops - we had been so busy in holiday mode and had forgotten all about it! The kids were great on the way home, the car trip flew and all of a sudden it was 4pm and we were in Harvey and very happy to be home! It was a great holiday - the kids loved it and we got a few rare moments to ourselves! Definitely in need of a weekend away without the kids though we think! A little getaway to indulge in our new Baileys drinking habit and NOT have to order nuggets and chips!



 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Project Life 365 - April

Did I really just type April? Man this year is FLYING and with so much cool stuff still to look forward to I doubt it is going to slow down anytime soon!
Here are my fave pics from April
Day 1: A fool - Tones smiling through the nerves


Day 2: You today: I got a rare day alone with Lachy


Day 3: Skyline: Really wanted to find a Nissan but was all out of luck :(


Day 4: Silhouette: Magic sunset that night


Day 8: Surrounding: The house as it stood where I stood


Day 9: Retrospect: Should have gone the lamb!


Day 11: Home: Our house


Day 12: Connection: Love the connection between Cruz and Em


Day 15: Redemption: Redeeming myself one day at a time in 2013


Day 17: Symmetry: Butterflies from Wilby


Day 18: Hello: The best hello I can remember - boys meet Ems for the first time


Day 19: Dedicated: Doing what it takes!


Day 22: Eyes: I'm the one with the close together eyes


Day 24: Heart: I heart these three


Day 26: Eco: The veggie garden


Day 29: Type: My type of study food


And on to May we go!

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Bali Baby - here's one I prepared earlier

Yes that's right - no blog this week....but just so you know....I am here...



And probably haven't been here...



And having just arrived yesterday I doubt I'll have Bali Belly yet? The kids should all be getting along still, life is good!!!!!!!!!

See you all when we get home and I can blog all about Bali Baby!!!

Note: Pics all taken from my mate Google - when I find out who took them I'll happily pass on credit :(

Friday, 26 April 2013

Pie Off - May the best man win

It's not every day you get to have a pie off. In fact I'm pretty sure I cracked my pie-off cherry a few weeks ago when a series of texts turned into a dare, double dare and ultimately...physical challenge.

For those of you who have never been in a pie off, let me explain...The rules were....hang on there weren't any rules! And that's where I let myself down. So the aim for the day was to create a pie for dinner - simple. I had the added advantage of using Theo the thermomix while my opponent had the luxury of being able to stand at the stove all day. Add that to the fact that she can take a good photo and I was questioning my pie off challenge. I DO NOT LIKE LOSING!

I took a commanding lead early in the day as Theo turned my leftovers in the vege drawer into mince, and then minced some chicken for me. Then while he worked his magic I sat on the couch and texted pics of my flying start to Anna (my opponent).



She was still chopping up lamb and onions at the time but if I'm honest I was feeling uneasy already. Lamb is hands down my favourite and I just wasn't sure my chicken dinner was going to hold up? Time would tell...and speaking of time, I had literally none to spare. It was all very Masterchef like, watching the clock, watching the Theo timer tick down and then the horror of realising I needed a few extra minutes that I just didn't have. Arghhh - time to get in the car and hope I'd get back in time to whip up the pastry.

En route to Bunbury things took a turn for the worse when I received this picture...

And just to rub salt (well OK butter) in my wounds she followed up with this.


I still had to get back from Bunbury, take Lachy back  to school, get home and make pastry, then back to pick up three kids, then roll pastry and get the pie in the oven. I resisted the urge to call past Woolies for some Mrs Macs and ploughed on. It was on the way home that I decided to think outside the box (Masterchef style) and make a shepherds pie. Ooooh - I hear you say, chicken shepherds pie...Anna may have the hero lamb but I'm thinking my twist may just get me over the line, especially with the awesome mash Theo prepares. Things were turning in my favour until I got these texts....



Fuck my life - I want to lick the screen and SHE MADE RELISH!! Arghhh - my mash on top of chicken stuff just isn't going to cut it. How can I turn this around again? Even if I get Instragram happening her pics beat mine....I need something more! That's it - we have no judge....I WILL BE JUDGE! (Insert evil laugh)

Finally the pie hit the oven, and it was time to begin clean up. Of course she had already done hers! I was starting to feel like I'd dropped my head, given up before the final siren... I decided to have a beer with the judge and see if I could sway her opinion while the pie baked. Then Anna's self appraisal  came through...


Then I sent her mine....


A few other factors that went into the final decision...

Anna -  250g of butter in pastry and one vegetable plus onion.
Miranda - 100g of butter in pastry and five vegetables plus onion.
Anna - fighting fit and healthy
Miranda - bruised and battered after a fall in the bath the previous night
Anna - photographer
Miranda - not a photographer



And the winner was: Anna!!!

Hold the applause please, I said Anna, not MIRANDA...I HATE LOSING, not to mention I didn't get to use the phrase winner winner chicken dinner! Oh wait...I just used it. Sweet.

Righto - that's the end of the pie off blog post! Phew I hear you say - that's a few minutes you'll never get back but damn it was fun for us! What will we think of next....