Hoyts - What A Rip OFF!!!

This afternoon, after Himself came home from work, we decided to take the kids to the movies. We thought we'd catch an early session & then have a lovely burger for dinner, then home by 7pm. Good early night.

Got to the movie theatre and went to buy the tickets. The lovely gentleman behind the counter smiled and asked how many I would like? 2 adults, 3 children please. No problem, that will be $75.

Excuse me? I thought I heard you say $75?

Yes - that is how much it costs.

But we've never, ever paid that much to see a movie - ESPECIALLY a kids movie. We were only here 2 weeks ago and we paid $50, and that was too much then.

Well, that's how much it costs. No Family Ticket offer, no "pay by Visa and get a discount" offer.

So we went to the DVD shop on the way home and rented the latest Scooby-Doo movie. For $6.50.

We use this particular cinema often. It has really convenient parking and isn't too far from home. But we won't use it again. And we will recommend our friends never use it again either.

$75...

Well, I guess we know how the movie companies make their money now don't we?

God Bless The Nintendo dsi

We have finally succombed.

The kids have won their long fought battle over hand held game consoles. Miss 8 & 5 have been saving their pocket money all year to be able to buy one of these contraptions (much to our bemusement). We didn't really want them to be bought - but it's not our money anymore. We happily paid for very cheap labour over the past 7 months so we've lost all our rights to what the money is to be used for.

So off to the shops we trotted. In the pouring rain. In the freezing cold. Off to spend our hard earned money. The man at the gaming shop was so happy to see us. I think he made his quota for the day in the first 1/2 hour of opening up this morning! As we walked out of the shop (with me clutching the bags very securely) I could have sworn I heard the salesman mumble something about closing up and going home for the day.

But it ended up being a lovely day at the Dixon house. The silence was deafening. I had to turn the radio up very loudly to make up for the lack of arguing & discussing what movie will be on next.

This DS thing is fantastic. It was almost like not having kids at all. Almost. Except for the toys on the floor, the half eaten sandwich under my foot, the apple juice leaking all over my couch & the poor dog wearing a headband. AND it was the best bargaining tool for eating dinner we have ever had.

Long Live Nintendo...

Miss 8 & her cast!

Miss 8 went to her physio appointment yesterday morning. It's a long standing thing & usually involves a heap of very strenuous exercises to help strengthen & stretch her muscles after her Botox injections last month. After a few minutes, her physio came out and suggested it was time for some serial casting. Now, you would think that after 8 years of seeing therapists we would have tried just about everything there is, but this was a new one. I'd heard of it but we'd never tried it.

Basically she's now in a cast - just for a week - and she looks like she's broken her leg! But she's moving around at almost the same speed she was before it went on. It is not bothering her in the slightest which is fantastic.

It says so much about the person she is. If it had been Miss 5 we would be hearing ALL about how sore she is, how it hurts her foot etc. But Miss 8 is the bravest person I know. We keep throwing all these challenges at her (like she doesn't have enough already), and force her to be very uncomfortable and she just accepts it and gets on with life. She NEVER EVER complains.

If only I had half of her fortitude.

A Naughty Master 3 (Nearly 4)

Well, it had to happen.

Master 3 has always been very much like Miss 8 in his mannerisms & personalities. They also swim the same, write the same - and yell the same. But, in the last week he has turned into Miss 5 (which isn't altogether a bad thing). He has aquired her ability to reduce me to tears at the dinner table.

This is YUCK

I won't eat this

This will make me SICK

YUCK YUCK YUCK.

We went through this exact same thing EXACTLY 2 years ago with Miss 5 (then 3) who, every single night said those exact words but followed it up with:

"I want Bakes Beans (sic)"

So, in the end that is what she had for dinner. Every night. For 8 weeks.

Her teacher commented on the green haze that hung over her during nap time so I explained that she was getting her daily dose of legumes. After 8 weeks she begged us to give her something else - and so the cycle was broken.

This is NOT the case with Master 3 (nearly 4).

He doesn't want anything. Won't eat baked beans, doesn't want spaghetti, sandwiches are yuck.

So, yesterday morning (after another night of critiquing my culinary skills - and getting sent to bed without dinner) I served him up his dinner for brekkie. The girls were astounded! That had NEVER happened before. EVER!!!! Master 3 gave me the same review he had given me the night before.

So no breakfast.

Lunchtime came - "I'm hungry mum". Out came dinner again. This time he ate 5 corn kernels from the corn cob, and then offered up a variation of his review.

So no lunch.

By this time I'm starting to freak out. Never have any of my children gone 24 hours without eating anything (unless they've been really really really sick). Stubborn little bugger. The girls came home from school and had their snacks with him drooling over them.

He ate his dinner last night.

Well, most of it

A Conversation About Love with Miss 5

"I love you Mummy - do you love me?"

"Yes sweetie"

"Even when you get grumpy with me?"

"Yes Sweetie - of course I love you when I'm grumpy. Just because I'm grumpy doesn't mean I don't love you"

"Even when you're grumpy with Daddy?"

"Yes honey - if you're grumpy with someone and you don't love them then you shouldn't be with them anymore"

This is all happening as I'm trying to say goodnight as she's in bed. You know THAT conversation!

"Do you mean that you can find someone else to love if you don't love that person anymore?"

"Well" (I'm now thinking - how do I get out of this conversation)

"Yes - I could find someone else to love if I didn't love Daddy, but it took SO LONG to find him that I really couldn't be bothered looking again. And I still love him so it's not really a problem"

Phew - got out of that one!

"But Mum, can you really really love another person? Really?"

"Yes honey".

"How did you meet Daddy?"

"At a pub, after I came home from a long holiday"

"Oh goody - when do we go on holiday?"

And that, folks, is how you change the conversation from love & divorce to holidays

All The Single Ladies - Beyonce. Miss 5's Interpretation

"All the singlets, all the singlets - put your hands up"!!!!

As sung by Miss 5 in the car yesterday. She was tryng to teach Master 3 how to sing it.

Don't Live Near A Volcano

Driving Miss 8 to therapy this afternoon and Master 3 says:

 "If your house has too much fire in it, it will burn all down & we can get a new house."

Better nip this one in the bud (thinks I cleverly): "That's right, but you will loose all of your toys & DVD's and we won't have any money to buy any new ones".

That sorted that one.

Master 3: "This is why you should NEVER EVER build your house on top of a volcano!"

Well he's right of course

During the same journey this song was sung - by Master 3:

"Mrs Brown went to town with her vagina hanging out"

I'm not really sure what songs they are teaching him at Kindy/Daycare but I've suggested he use the more well-known version of the song and sing "knickers" instead of "vagina".

 

25 Random Things About Me!

1. I am an Aquarian so I have very grand ideas - that almost never have follow through. I would like to change that one day. Not too sure if that means the ideas should be a lot smaller or much fewer!

2. I miss my mum more now, as my children get older, than I did when I was becoming an adult. Although I do hear her giving me advice ALL THE TIME, usually followed by a great big belly laugh. I guess she's with me more than not...

3. I really really really don't like Tom Cruise - or his very silly religion.

4. I didn't believe in God for a very long time - but, something is changing. Every now and then I feel the urge to have a chat with Him. It makes me feel a little calmer. Is that weird?

5. I love my friends. Very much. The ones I've known for 30 years, who knew me with ponytails and knobbly knees. The ones I've met in the last few years - who have known me with old & new boobs. The ones I'm going to meet who will know me as a very calm, happy, content Amanda.

6. I love wine. I think I might love it just a little too much. I am trying to find a happy medium but this last week of school holidays has tested me. I promise to do better - and perhaps keep the sipping to the weekends.

7. I wish my father had fallen in love with a woman that loved his family, or even liked his family. My children are now missing out on half of their grandparents because of this woman. Thank God for In-Laws.

8. I can't say Bureau.

9. I can't roll my tongue - but Himself and the kids can. So can Dad & little sis. Mum could too. Wasn't there something from Yr 10 Science about the tongue rolling genetics? I must've been standing in the boob line when they gave that gene out!!!

10. Sometimes, not very often because I am actually ok with it, just sometimes I wish Miss 8 didn't have Cerebral Palsy. But that is mainly for my benefit. I just know how hard it's going to be for her and would love for her life to not be too hard.

11. I wish I didn't cry so bloody easily. WUSS!!!

12. I want to take Himself to Turkey. He would love it, although he doesn't think he will.

13. I will never, ever forgive my mum & dad for not letting me go and see ABBA at the Entertainment Centre when I was 8. I have never gotten over that, although dad did try to make it up to me when he took me to see the WWF (with Junkyard Dog & Tito) around 1984. Still, not quite the same.

14. Wow - this is harder than I thought. I sometimes think I'm just cruising through life. I think I need a challenge, but I'm just a little bit busy at the mo. Could I order one in about 4 years time?

15. I am really really looking forward to turning 40. I think (here comes that bloody number 11 again) it's because Mum didn't get that far and I think it will be a huge thing. I really need to practice my rollerskating tho.

16. I love reading. I love bookclub. I love selling books on Ebay. I always wanted to write a book. Perhaps this is where number 14 comes in?

17. I love that my kids love camping. We would be in an awful lot of trouble if they were all tent-haters.

18. I love having acrylic nails. They have fixed my dermatitis up too. I love that I can change them whenever I want to. I love that it's a really girly thing to do (I don't get much of a chance to do girly things at the mo). I love that they look so great. Jen does rock!!!

19. I worry (more than I should) about Himself & I not being here for the kids. I guess that's a parent thing but, still, I worry. Alot. (number 11 again)

20. I'm actually finding this really theraputic. Perhaps I needed to vent some stuff?

21. I love love love David Duchovny, Christian Slater, Hyde (from That 70's Show), Cold Chisel, John Sheppard (Stargate Atlantis) & now Timothy Hutton.

22. I watch too much TV.

23. My dream car has always been a Porsche. Still is. Still a dream...

24. I wish I had the guts to get my ears pierced again. I can still remember how much it hurt when I was 10 tho...

25. I am so glad I don't smoke anymore - but I love being downwind from someone who's just lit one up. When does that stop? It's been 12 years

Happy Fathers Day!

It's Fathers Day today. YIPPEE!!!!!

A day for Himself to be showered with a whole heap of fantastic stuff. Stuff he actually wants (because his wife pays attention to what he likes - very unlike Mothers Day when I get what he 'thinks' I want). And then he gets heaps of lovely things that have been made at school, kindy & daycare.

He was spoilt rotten with lots of choccy things made for him, and Miss 8 made him about 10 different cards. After giving him his 6th card she was asked (very nicely) why there were so many.

"They are for when you die so you can remember me".

I'm thinking that his one wish for today is that today isn't the day he will need them.

"Kids say the darndest things".

Off to my sisters for a Fathers Day dinner of lots & lots of pizza. Then we can say Happy Fathers Day to our dad. We rang him this morning and Miss 5 got on to wish him a happy day & then gave phone to Master 3 who said hello, then put the phone down on the couch so he could continue watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (as you do). After about 5 minutes I asked him if he'd finished talking to Pop & could I have the phone back please? Surprise surprise - Pop is still waiting on the phone. Silly buggers.....

A fine start to the day :)

Sports Carnival

Yesterday was our brand new schools first sports carnival. The kids have been practising madly for weeks. Miss 5 managed to overcome her hatred for running and has been embracing sports practice with great enthusiasm (most unlike her!). Until she woke up yesterday morning. There were tears & a lot of moaning and groaning about how she DID NOT want to go to school, DID NOT want to do the sports carnival, DID NOT want Nana to come & watch her. This was kept up for a good 2 hours, until we actually got to school and then the smiles came out. I mean seriously, it's not like she's Usain Bolt for crying out loud. They aren't running 100 metres in under 10 seconds. In fact - she ran about 25 metres in around 10 seconds, but there was probably just as much paparrazi at the end of her race as Mr Bolt has when he runs his races :)

Miss 8 did really well. She came third in her race which was one better than last year. She's already aiming for first for next year so should be interesting. She also helped her faction come first in the flag races - although they very nicely gave her a 3 flag headstart as her legs don't quite work the same way the other kids do. AND she won the Inaugural Striving For Success Medal - which was a teachers choice award for the children that make a difference & are hugely determined (well, that is Miss 8's middle name THANK GOD!!!)

So, all in all, a great day. Weather was beeeoootiful (for the first time in our Sports Carnival going years, the rest have all been sub-zero temps) and everyone got sunburnt & totally full of cake stall goodies.

Husband had a great day too. Not only was it the first proper day without rain in about 2 months, he got to go fishing with his fishing buddy for the first time in probably 2 months as well. They caught nothing, but that is certainly NOT unusual. Drank some beer, got thoroughly drenched when the rain did finally start and was home in bed snoring by around 9.30 last night.

Good day in the Dixon House

Miss 5 on The Chicken Or The Egg philosophy

The question has finally been asked - "Dad, if the chicken is inside the egg & it's the very very first egg ever, who laid it?" Followed very quickly by "And when the very first baby was born - who was it's mummy if there was nobody else around?"

Answer - "Go see your mother!"

Thanks ever so much for that one :(

I told her there were 2 answers to this one. Both had very very long & very very short answers (hoping fervantly that she would ask for the short answers). Being about 5 minutes away from bedtime - she, of course, wanted the long answers. She got the short ones.

I basically said that most people believed that God made the first 2 people, gave her the names and some basic info ("Told you mum that apples were yuck"), and said if she needed to know anything else she would be better of asking Pa (who has an awful lot more knowledge on this subject than I have). Then I said there are also many people who don't think God made people, that they came from very very very tiny little organisms that, over millions of years, became us.

I have a sneaking suspicion Miss 5 is going to become an Evolutionist. She seemed very happy with that answer.

Then I suggested she speak to her teacher tomorrow to get the complete low down.

Fob Fob Fob :)