Merry Christmas 2008

Was up at 5.30am to "deal" with the dogs. So was Caitlin... not to deal with the dogs but to snoop around the Christmas tree! Mim didn't wake until almost 9am, despite her Auntie Lelly being on the phone at 8am wanting Mim to wake up and open her presents.

The girls did well with presents. Aunty Lelly had sent Mim a variety of kitchen items, so Mim can "help" in the kitchen. She now has her own wooden spoons (to smack Daddy with), a rolling pin (to smack Daddy with), biscuit shapes and moulds, mini muffin tray, a princess tiara, a farm set, a pink wig and hair band (like Stephanie on LazyTown, hairband made especially by Caitlin), a pretty dress, a coin purse, a hairdresser set, DVDs and a computer game.



Caitlin got DVDs, a handbag (which I plan to borrow occassionally), a coin purse (from Dr/Mrs Led), a shirt (in black) and a few more things... and a keyboard.



Michael gave me a book on Lygon St, its history and some recipes ... with this card. Love the way Mim has horns!



After presents had been opened, we got dressed and then Stewie arrived. Did I mention previously that Mim had invited people from the pub around... without our knowledge. Michael only twigged after Mim had told him that he had to have beer in the fridge for Stewie, and then Stewie asked what time he should turn up!! It was lovely to see him though, he's a funny chap.



After Stewie had left, we had a lovely lunch of cold meat and salads (and hot crackling, yum) Before we could get to dessert, I had to have my nana nap. Jenny's pudding would have to wait another day.

The remaining chooks presented us with four eggs, they must have taken it in turn to lay.


About 4.30pm, Tim and Alice (and dog Chloe), Dani and son John came over for drinkies and nibblies. At about 6pm, Dr J, Charu, Dhruv and 'Noni' arrived to join the party. It was a very pleasant time, chatting and drinking and snacking and drinking and making jokes and drinking..... It was great to see Dr J's family and Dani's family again - it'd been a long time between meets. The guests had left by about 9ish, Mim had calmed down slightly after following John and Dhruv around and we all crashed into bed.

Boxing Day

The next day dawned the same as Christmas morning - except I was the only one up at 5.30am to deal with dogs.

We took Margaret over to her sister's in Casterton and meet some of the extended family. Mim loves to go to Gertie's and always plays on the swing or the rocking horse.


Caitlin and Mim had a wonderful time with Morgan and Keeley, Margaret's sister's great granddaughters. Morgan is Caitlin's age and a talented basketballer (unlike Caitlin) and Keeley gives wonderful massages. The four of them had fun playing on Morgan and Keeley's Wii.



It was difficult to get the girls to go home, they would have Wii'ed all night if they could have.

Dangerous Grass Seeds

Christmas Eve. The Christmas shopping had been completed and I had planned to spend a fair amount of time vacuuming, mopping floors and cleaning outside. I'd run the lawnmower over the dust the day before so it was looking nice and, well, dusty. Good thing there was dust, if it hadn't covered me in a thick layer, I might have gotten sunburnt.

I allowed myself a slow start in the morning .... and that was a big mistake. After having lunch and patting Jess, I noticed a large lump on her neck. A very large lump that had not been there in the morning! So, rang the vet and arranged to take her straight in. Half an hour's trip later, we dropped Jess off at the vet's and they promised to find some time to look at her. Went to the butchers to grab a leg of pork and then got out of Hamilton. Made it half way home before the vet rang to say Jess was ready to be collected.

She'd had a grass seed go into her mouth and through into the epidermis on her neck. So they'd put her under, cut it out, inserted a drain and sutured her back up. And she was not happy!! $109 later and we were on the road again. Michael dropped me and Jess home and took Caitlin to the pool whilst he had his hair cut. I was stuck in the laundry with her, not allowed to move two feet away or she'd have a spack attack and try to scratch the stitches out. It was not a productive two hours!!

So I was still vacuuming and mopping at 10.30pm on Christmas Eve. But Michael kept me company whilst he cooked two chooks (bought from the butcher, not gleaned from our chook house) and a leg of pork (Michelle, the crackling was DIVINE!!!!).

Michael fashioned a bucket for Jess's head which prevents her from dislocating the drain and scratching open the wound - it's a very good bucket!!

Down to Four

Previously I'd blogged about how the puppies had 'played' with one of the chooks. Well, they hadn't learnt their lesson, they decided to mega-pluck a chook a few days ago. I found the yard strewn with feathers, but couldn't find a body. Nevertheless, Sarah and Jess were beaten with Michael's sandal. The chook came home that night with a bald spot near her tail.

The next morning, we discovered maggots crawling around her skin in the bald spot. Margaret scrubbed the flesh out with warm soapy water, hopefully killing the maggots.... but they were still there the next day. So I held Chicken Licken over the laundry tub while Michael syringed hydrogen peroxide over the wounds and scraped off dead flesh and maggots with his scalpel. And then I threw up. Not ashamed to admit that I did not like the smell of rotting flesh!!! Chicken Licken stayed in the laundry for two days - boy it stank!! By the second day, she was smelling less and had eaten some corn kernels, so we thought she might make it. But day three, she didn't eat at all and spent most of her time sleeping and shitting. So, that night I put her back with the chooks in the chook house. She seemed pleased to be back with them.

Yesterday morning, I opened up the chook house to find four chooks clammering to get out, and Chicken Licken extremely stiff and very definitely dead! And the valiant little thing had tried laying an egg before departing but cracked the shell.

So an elaborate funeral was held for her (she got dumped into a cardboard box and disposed of). We were going to belt the dogs around the head with the dead carcass but........ more of that on the next posting.

PS. that freakishly large egg the chicken licken laid a few weeks ago..... it was a triple yolker!!

Good manners please, Mr Poitier

Mim and I watched 'To Sir With Love'. During one of the last scenes, Sidney's character is presented with a gift from his students, is overcome with emotion and then leaves the stadium declaring that he must put it somewhere safe. Mim turned to me, puzzled. "Why didn't he say Thank You?" Good point there, Mim.

Dancing with the Blahs

After dinner some weekends, the girls like to put on music and dance. Mostly this consists of Caitlin picking up Mim and swinging her around.

Last Saturday night, Michael decided to show her how it was done. Mim LOVED it.



Don't worry, no Mims were harmed in the making of this film!

Cheeky!

A few days ago, I was trying to have my "nanna nap" when Jemima wandered in, munching on one of Michael's Violet Crumbles.
"This is my farver's chocolate, but it's okay, I told him I had it..... and he said we would talk about it after he got out of the toilet."

Little scamp had helped herself, started eating it, and then decided to tell Michael she had it, when it was too late to put it back (and he was busy with other things and couldn't stop her).

Her cheekiness knows no bounds at times!!

Amusing Conversation in the past week

Michael: I ironed Mumma's Harry Potter pjs and put lots of starch in the crotch area!
Margaret: Oh, that should tickle my fancy.
Michael: I didn't think it was fancy, just old fashioned.
Michael: And I shouldn't pay lip service to it.
Me: Can't you stop talking, I'm a visual person!!!

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Jemima (laughing maniacally in McDonalds): Ooohhh, I think I've had too much toffee (coffee)!!

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Jemima and I sitting on the couch watching a movie
Jemima: I'm hungry mummy
Jemima (moving my lips): Ok darling, you can have some lunch now
Jemima: Good, and I want lemonade as well
Jemima (moving my lips): That's okay, you can have that too

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Michael, teasing Jemima by trying to take two lollipops off her : I'm going to eat both of these, yum.
Mim: If that's the way you act, you're not going to get any!!