eight things

I was tagged by the lovely Kate to share eight things about me- you can read her eight things (and see some gorgeous socks-in-progress) here. Because I've done a couple of these memes already, (here is the last time) I thought I'd make it 'eight things about my week' instead. Feel free to join if, if you'd like...

1. Yesterday Keira and I sat on the grass by the river and watched a bunch of seagulls hanging about, and I swear a small group of them were playing 'soccer' with a chestnut. They were passing it with their beaks to each other. Later on we witnessed them having a 'meeting' - one gull was standing on a tree stump and twenty other standing in rows facing it. They really seemed to be discussing something, and then the Head Seagull gave a loud squawk and they all flew away.

2. This morning Keira spent half an hour intensely dancing to the The White Stripes. They're her current favourite band to dance to, and I can't say I blame her.

3. Lately I've been spending too much time online, and eating too much chocolate. They're both so hard to cut down on.

4. I stole this twig of wintersweet yesterday from a neighbour's tree which leans onto the street. I think it's nicest thing about winter. One day, if/when we have our own house, I hope to plant lots of it.

5. My parents are currently travelling in Europe for 6 weeks, and I am the only grandchild left in town to look after my grandmother, who is in a rest home. A and K aren't great about spending more than half an hour or so in her overheated room there, and i know she would like to talk to me for longer when we visit. I am feeling quite a lot of guilt about that at the moment.

6. I hope to watch this film sometime this week. I hope I don't return it in 8 days, unwatched. That's been happening a lot lately.

 

7. I don't like cooking. I used to, but now I hate thinking about what to make, do I have all the ingredients, will the kids eat it... blah....

Tonight we're going to have vegetable soup.

8. Arlo has been helping me write the shopping lists lately. I tell him what we need to buy and he draws the items. Later, when he's not watching, I quickly label the drawings. Just in case.

Comments

[esther]

I love wintersweet too, it is so intoxicating and instantly makes your house smell wonderful. I stole some from the local park last weekend!

[VictoriaE]

I enjoyed reading all of these, esp about the bird meeting! I understand being responsible for the grandparent - on occasions my parents have been away, and other siblings away too, so I am supposed to visit my nana for a certain amount of times, and visiting my nana with a multitude of children is only stressful, so.... yes, I know that guilt.

[Pauline]

I love winter sweet too but I haven't found a local supply of it yet LOL. I love the shopping lists.

[Vanessa]

Another lovely blog. Even the simplest things like a shopping list you manage to turn into a creative activity! On the subject of your grandmother, perhaps you could visit her once a week without the children, then that way she would get to talk at length and A & K wouldn't get too bored....although whatever you do, I think guilt is something you give birth to along with your first child!

[heidi]

i simply adore the small glimpes into your life! and i am not a huge fan of cooking these days either. go figure.

[Quatrefoil]

I know how you feel about thinking about what to cook. I like cooking, but I find the 'what am I going to eat' when I get home from work quite overwhelming sometimes. I've mostly solved it though - I do all my planning and shopping and most of the cooking on the weekend, and I've found a great way to take the angst out of it, while slowly cutting down on my 'stuff'. I pick one cookery book, and flag all the recipes I think I might like to make, then I just go to the next set of recipes each weekend and select two or three more for the week and that's what I shop for and what I cook. No more thinking required! Obviously I modify to avoid things out of season, and select the cookery book for the purpose - no gourmet dinner parties and celebrity chefs for midweek cooking! Then if I like the recipe I keep the tag in and if I don't I remove it. When I've come to the end of each book, I count the number of tags. If there are 10 or more I keep the book, if there are fewer than 10, I photocopy or copy out the ones I liked and give away the book.

[Quatrefoil]

I know how you feel about thinking about what to cook. I like cooking, but I find the 'what am I going to eat' when I get home from work quite overwhelming sometimes. I've mostly solved it though - I do all my planning and shopping and most of the cooking on the weekend, and I've found a great way to take the angst out of it, while slowly cutting down on my 'stuff'. I pick one cookery book, and flag all the recipes I think I might like to make, then I just go to the next set of recipes each weekend and select two or three more for the week and that's what I shop for and what I cook. No more thinking required! Obviously I modify to avoid things out of season, and select the cookery book for the purpose - no gourmet dinner parties and celebrity chefs for midweek cooking! Then if I like the recipe I keep the tag in and if I don't I remove it. When I've come to the end of each book, I count the number of tags. If there are 10 or more I keep the book, if there are fewer than 10, I photocopy or copy out the ones I liked and give away the book.

[Alison]

I'm very impressed with Arlo's shopping list. I work as the Communication Coordinator for IDEA Services and am introducing picture shopping lists to a couple of the houses. What a clever little man he is.

[Fiona]

The photos to do with the children simply made me smile. Wee dancing legs there and a smart shopping list. Love the symbol for tomato tins. :) Hope you get to enjoy the film!

[Megan]

Your and Arlo's shopping list is a work of art. You must keep one to look back on when he's older.

[leandra]

Hi Melissa,

nice to get a small glimpse of your life. I love the shopping list. You can send me to do your grocery shopping, I only needed the dictionary for capsicum and cumin. Another reason, I love your blog. Pefect language training for me...

While you are in the middle of winter, here 38°C (or 100.4°F) are expected again. Just that you know, your parents won´t be freezing in Europe.

Greeting from Vienna
Leandra

[Christina]

I so follow you on the cooking bit. I make a weekly menu and if I think of meals during the week I write them down for next week. That makes the shopping easier. Also, will the kids like it, well, with two strong-willed little ones it's an issue here too. I have decided to always challenge their tastebuds a little, but intersperse with meals I know they'll like. If they only eat a little they'll make up for it the next day. Wonderful blog - as usual!

[jen]

number 2 sounds wonderful
and number 8 is wonderful for early literacy learning good on you both

[kate5kiwis]

re #3: chick, you need to try my Very Sexy Espresso Coffee... that'll definitely be an addiction lol X

[rachael]

That is the most darling shopping list I have ever seen!

I'm with you on the chocolate, that and natural nut bars - breakfast lunch and dinner. Coffee, of course, is my other staple.

K had awesome taste in music - I love Meg and Jack's king and queen outfits with all those many buttons hand sewn on to them - perfect rock royalty.

xx

[Plumtickled]

I've never heard of wintersweet before. I'll need to look it up as it looks so sweet. And, speaking of sweet...... the grocery list is just the best! That will be something you'll need to save for later.... absolutely made me smile!

[Andrea Heinz]

This doesn't go with this post but I was looking at that bird favric purse that you posted earlier this month and I realised that I have the exact same fabric! I picked it up at a thrift store as a twin size sheet. how weird. I love the wrap cardigans to. I have been searching for a pattern!

[Ruth]

Love the shopping list! I haven't seen wintersweet before, is it an NZ native?

[Candlestring]

In the US capsicum is called bell pepper.

The shopping list is a work of art. Will you keep it or let him X things off as you pick them up? What a nice reflection of where he is at at this age, and what a good idea for letting him help you! I'll have to try it with my kids.

[Chara Michele]

I love the shopping list! :)

[rosehip71]

That shopping list is so sweet! Did you know there's a website of other people's shopping lists?! The web's a strange place!
http://www.grocerylists.org/

[Jendoop]

Melissa,
Oh how your posts lighten my spirits! Stressed today over everything I should do never getting to the things I want to do - like watching seagulls congregate. But then with my sweet 7 wk old I just expect too much.
I hate cooking lately too, my solution was to assign the task out to my kids. Being 12, 7 and 5 (not the newborn :) they are capable and I let them choose what to cook. Last week we had hamburgers, pizza, and fish sticks. This week its wheat pancakes, omlettes, and steak. It is interesting to see what they choose and how well they do.

[kate5kiwis]

OHMYGOSH
i just realised that the sticker says it's a NEW ZEALAND film???
sorry, i don't recognise any of those actors... i'm gonna google it lol.
ta 4 da email, i probably shoulda intro'd myself before leaving such a Rushed Comment Previously lol
*kate waves hi from NZ*

[kate5kiwis]

OHMYGOLLYGOSH
and now, after clicking your *ABOUT* link, i realise that *you* live in NZ too?????
ok, i'm off to make myself some of that coffee i offered you (and dye my hair back blonde. i tried covering it up, but i don't think that's worked???). and if you're ever driving thru The Sunny Bay of Plenty, please drop in for A Delish Espresso IRL
love love X

[meg]

charlie loves the white stripes, too. especially the "doorbell song".

also, i hate cooking lately and have grandma-visit guilt....