Butter and sugar

Tuesday:

We made sure to take advantage of a lovely day today. We spent quite a bit of the morning in the garden. We did some satisfying hard sweaty work trimming the shrubs each side of the driveway, weeding, and generally tidying up the front. Then had ice cream! Then there were a couple of wooden toilet roll holders that I bought online and which unexpectedly arrived as raw pine, so I bought some wood stain and the kids sat outside and painted one each, which they seemed to enjoy a lot. They also created wands with sticks, glue and wood stain.

When tidying up I got some stain on my hands and washing with soap left a tacky residue. I remembered an old trick of my grandmother's and used butter and sugar. Worked a treat, leaving smooth clean hands. Of course you have to then wash off the greasy butter. Sugar is an excellent abrasive. Salt would probably work too, or even sand. But I like butter and sugar.

Aiden bites his fingernails and always seems to have his hands in his mouth. Today we bought some of that nasty stuff you put on your nails. Oh how he hates the taste! He has to go spit in the sink and rinse his mouth. So hopefully it will work.

We went up to the library for my book group, which was nice, the kids sat in the kids' area (surrounded by books, but playing their tablets, growl) while I chatted to the other ladies for an hour about this month's novel. They are all of my mother's generation or older, it becomes more obvious when they talk about training for nursing in the 70s, or how they need an audio reader because they can no longer read print. I guess they are the only ones who regularly have a weekday afternoon free. It doesn't matter anyway, I enjoy talking to them.

Two companies sent people out to give us quotes on removing trees in our backyard. Most of the plants are ugly (in my opinion, their parents probably think they are lovely) but I will try to keep some of the nicer ones like this which is small enough to move:

Jasmine made cookies. Nice day.

Of course I paid for the gardening later. Aching muscles and creaky joints!

Well behaved cookie makers

Friday:

Didn't do much yesterday, it was pouring rain. The kids built a blanket fort, and in the afternoon we watched "Hotel Transylvania 2" on Foxtel.

The carb flu seems to be over, no more headache or upset tummy. I hope that is because I'm through withdrawal, not because I'm eating too many carbs again. I have continued to snack every evening, and last night had about 500 unneeded calories worth. So from today that is over! My birthday chocolates are finished, I eat plenty of food during the day, I do not need to snack while watching TV at night.

We did the grocery shopping and while at the checkout the kids were chatting quietly with each other. The woman behind me commented on how I had two children, but no junk food in my trolley. She was amazed! (I do get treat food quite often, but today I told Jasmine if she wanted chocolate chip cookies she could make them at home). The woman and the check out lady both also seemed amazed by how well behaved my children are. No fighting or screaming. I often get these reactions in places like restaurants and it worries me that my normal children seem to stand out as being exceptionally well behaved! Are everyone else's kids so bad? I guess some of them are, I've seen kids having tantrums in public places. I try not to judge too quickly - anyone can have a bad day (child or parent!) - but if I see a mother on her phone while her little son trails ignored behind her with his legs squeezed together obviously needing to go to the toilet, or a kid screaming for a sugary treat and the parent says no, no, no, no, shut up, no, no, OH ALL RIGHT HAVE IT! reinforcing the bad behaviour... well then I do judge!

Anyway I am very proud of my children and I guess we did something right because whatever faults they have, they are always kind to each other and everyone else. Once I reviewed a short story in which a child died and the sibling didn't seem to care much. I pointed out to the author that this didn't seem realistic. But based on his own children, he though that is how they would react! I can hardly imagine.

Jasmine baked her cookies in the afternoon and I had a couple. A couple doesn't sound so bad... but they were practically the size of dinner plates so I think I should have stuck to one!

B: cream of chicken soup, tea.
L: rotisserie chicken, cucumber, tea.
S: choc-chip cookies, peanuts, cheese. (my meals are ok, I need to work on my snacks)
D: steak, salad, cookie.

Kitchen is closed for the night.

Double chocolate chip cookies

Tuesday:

Oh, such a coughing and a sneezing and a blowing of noses in this house this morning!

Tim had the car today so it was another at/near home day. We did some colouring-in in the morning and I sent the kids outside for a while to jump on the trampoline while I watched last night's Masterchef. Jasmine cooked us macaroni and cheese (from a packet) for lunch, then we walked/rode to the nearest park for as long as I could stand being out in the cold. Which wasn't very long.

When we got back Jasmine wanted to do more cooking so I unleashed her on the kitchen and she made double chocolate chip cookies. She has a few things she cooks but I think this was the first time she cooked something entirely by herself following a proper recipe. I just moved the trays in and out of the oven for her. She made a huge mess, and they weren't exactly like when I make them, being rather plump, but they were pretty yummy!

She cleaned up, and then while I was cleaning up her cleaning up efforts I realised I was actually feeling pretty healthy! At some point during the day I had gone from woe is me huddled under a blanket in front of the TV, to nearly normal, without noticing until then. So that is awesome. Not 100%, but getting there. Hopefully I get through tonight without the stomach cramps I've been having every night.

Report card:
Diet: Ok, good apart from the macaroni cheese and double chocolate chip cookies!
Exercise: Ok, a very short walk.
Water: Ok.
Sleep: Poor.
Mental health: Good.