Seriously?

I pay a fair bit for my son's education. It's not one of those schmancy private schools or anything - just the local catholic school - but I have certain standards I expect to be met. I guess you could call it value for money.

But as time goes on, this school baffles me more and more.

I read the school newsletter online yesterday, and came across this little gem....

Iced coffee flavoured milk?  For primary school kids? Call me a fuddy duddy, but that's just absurd.

Then Master 8 gives me a note from the Year 3 teachers. It outlines what they'll be learning this term blah blah blah.  All was well until I got to the end and saw this:

And these are supposed to be the people educating my child??? And don't even get me started on the so-called punctuation of that list.

I never thought I'd be one of those people who whinges about everything, but this school really grinds my gears sometimes.

Do you have any "issues" with your child's school?

"Thank Fuck For....." Friday

Well it's Friday again, and while that in itself is enough for me to say "thank FUCK for that", here's what I'm thanking fuck for this week.

Thank fuck for ETax.  Nothing bores me more than seeing an accountant.  So I was eternally grateful when I managed to avoid it this year by having a simple tax return (for once) and was able to do it all by myself.

Saved me hours of boredom and I avoided hearing the lame accounting jokes that inevitably comes my way.

So thank fuck for ETax.  Now hurry up and give me my money!

Slight birthday excitement

It's my birthday on Saturday.

I will be 34.

I don't like birthdays.

Actually, that's a lie. I LOVE other people's birthdays, I just don't like my own.  I don't like getting older. Sucks monkey balls - big time.

But I am a smidgen excited this time.

Mostly because Mum and Dad have told me they're buying me a Kindle.

Oooh, I can feel my nerd juices flowing already.  I'm a massive reader and space is now becoming an issue because of all the books I read - so this solves that issue immediately!

Reading is my way to escape the drudgery of my life.  Also great for pretending not to hear the kids whining they're hungry or the husband begging for a bit of special cuddles.  Anyone who interrupts my reading better look the hell out.  I do not do "disturbed" well at all.

The Husband has also told me he's gotten me something that I'm going to looooove.

Funnily, I doubt it.  Sometimes he has some strange ideas about what I love (although, thankfully, he does try).

What do I call strange?

How about the vibrator and lube I got for Mother's Day?

Awkward much?

What are the strangest gifts you've ever received?

That black cloud that follows you around.....

I was reading a post from a fellow blogger, who I also consider a dear friend, where she explained her experiences with depression.

The Merry Times | Oh Happy Days

There are times when you think you know someone and then you find out something about them and it just about blows you out of the water.  That's how I felt when I read Merry's blog post.

I've always adored her bubbly personality, can-do attitude and awesome mummy-skills.

But it turns out she's junked up on pills.

And Thank Christ for that - because I know I'd much prefer Merry to be happy and enjoying her life than a sad and angry Merry.

It's takes a lot of balls to 'fess up and admit we need help. Sometimes the answer is pills, sometimes it's counselling, sometimes it's both.  And you know what?  It doesn't matter. It's nothing to be ashamed of.  There's way more people getting help than you'd think.

So if you think you're having more dark days than bright ones, seek out some help. Speak to your family. Speak to your GP.  Give Lifeline or Beyond Blue a call .  You're not alone.

I can haz the Tweety Tweet

I don't get it, I don't think I'll ever understand it, but I'm doing it anyway.

I'm on Twitter.

I must be mad.

Follow me at: www.twitter.com/BrassIMPocket

Don't leave me feeling lonely!!

Bedroom mishaps

I logged on this morning and scanned the news sites as I usually do.  It's the only opportunity I get to find out what's happening in the world as I have diddly squat chance of actually WATCHING the news on any given evening.

So when I saw this article Woman sues government after light falls and injures her in hotel room while having sex on work trip my first thought was "only in America" until I realised that it happened here (I could go on and on about how Australia is following America's example in becoming a litigious society, but I don't want to bore you).

In a nutshell, this woman was on a work trip and staying the night in a hotel.  She was getting some rumpy pumpy on with an "acquaintance" - not connected to her work in any way - and in the throes of passion, the light fell off the wall and hit her in the face, leaving her a bit cut up and cruising for compensation.

Now we don't have to go on about whether it's RIGHT or WRONG, but it did take me back to some amusing times with The Husband when things haven't ended in a blaze of passion and fireworks but rather screams of pain with a slipped disc, a trip to the emergency room with a head that's been split open or a flushed face of embarrassment when trying to explain what the scald marks are on your legs to your Mum.

I need 500cc's of morphine for the horrific carpet burns to the knees - STAT!

Have you ever been injured in the bedroom, dear reader? And I don't mean stubbing your toe on the end of the bed - even though that does hurt like a motherfucker.

Recipe of the month

Each month I will feature one of my favourite recipes. It might be an old family favourite, or something new I've tried that I *must* share with you.

I've been feeling a little fragile lately, so as many do, I indulge in some emotional eating. One of my favourite indulgences is:

Jelly Cheesecake Slice

Ingredients

• 125g marie biscuits (or Nice biscuits if you like it a little sweeter), processed to fine crumbs
• 80g melted, cooled butter
• 375g softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 200ml cream
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
• 85g pack jelly crystals

1. Line base and sides of a 3.5cm deep, 16cm x 26cm slice tray with baking paper.  Combine the biscuit crumbs and butter and press into the base of the tray. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or so until it's firm.
2. Put the boiling water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over it. Stir until the gelatine dissolves. Set it aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until it's smooth. Gradually beat in the cream.  Add the gelatine liquid and mix until combined.
3. Pour the filling over the base. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until it's set.
4. While you're waiting, make the jelly as per the directions on the pack.  Set it aside to cool to room temperature.  Pour it into a shallow dish. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until the jelly starts to thicken a little (similar consistency to thickened cream).  Then pour the jelly over the cheesecake. Refrigerate for another 3 hours or until the jelly is set.
5. Cut into squares to serve.

Help a girl out....

I was very pleasantly surprised to log on this afternoon and see that I have been selected by Flog My Blog to be in the running to win their feature spot for August.

So of course I'm blatantly asking for your vote to help me win!!  This will be a huge boost to a new blog like mine so would truly appreciate it if you could throw a vote my way.

Click on the link - Flog My Blog - and on the left hand side of the screen is a Poll. Choose Brass In My Pocket and click on Vote, and voila - you're done!!

Voting ends at the end of July so get voting!!!!

Please :)

Pretend Friends

I'm sure we all have at least one. Someone on our Friends List who isn't really a friend.

I have one.

Pure circumstance threw us together. I guess we both felt obligated to be each other's "friend" on Facebook.  I don't know if they feel the same way, but you know what, I don't like them. Not one little bit.

They're one of those people that gives off that air of superiority. Always has some sort of snide comment to make on your status directed at you.  Basically saying you're an idiot without ACTUALLY saying that.  You can just picture them sitting at their computer with a look of satisfaction on their face when they post their comment. Because, you know, they're SOOOO much better than you.  Someone who makes me feel totally inadequate at least once every day.

So why don't I delete them, you ask?

We have quite a few mutual friends and I'm afraid that I will alienate myself from those mutual friends....they're people I actually like.  I don't know if I can be bothered with the backlash that might come my way.

So I suck it up and try to ignore it....but it's getting harder. I'm "this" close to telling this "friend" to fuck off.

Tell me if you have a "friend" like that, either on Facebook, Twitter or even in real life....while I go off and drink a cup of cement and harden the fuck up.

Is it bedtime yet?

This is pretty much sums up how I feel this this morning (without the naffy shoes).

I'm knackered, exhausted, sleeping with my eyes open....and I've had enough.  I don't get sleep-ins.  The husband feels he's entitled to them so gets to sleep in each weekend morning.  Saturday is the only day where I might be able to grab an extra hour or so of sleep in the morning as Sunday mornings involve me getting up at daybreak to take Master 8 to football.

But no-one else seems to think that's a good idea.  So even though Miss 4mths sleeps wonderfully late every other morning, on Saturdays - nope, up with the birds.  The downside to sharing a room with your baby. Of course the husband sleeps through it all.  I wonder if he'll sleep through me putting a pillow over his face.

Even copious amounts of coffee aren't really helping this morning.  I wonder if I hid out in the laundry and slept on the pile of clothes on the floor anyone would notice I was gone?

** Insert giggly girly laugh here **

Ok, so I'm only new to the blogging scene but I've been reading blogs for ages and one of my absolute favourites would have to be Woogsworld.  I read it, without fail, every single day.

Mrs Woog is an absolute crack up.  The tales and adventures that she shares make me wet my pants with laughter (maybe I should send her my dry cleaning bill).

I idolise her....in fact, I'd even go so far as to say, I have a bit of a V-crush on her.

So you can imagine how much I almost creamed my pants when I logged in the other day and saw that not only had she read my blog, but she COMMENTED on one of my posts.

OMFG!!!

She noticed little ol' me!!

So Mrs Woog, thank you soooo much for making me feel noticed. You're a celebrity in my eyes and you have totally made my day, no - my week....ah fuck it, you have made my life.

In the words of emo teenagers everywhere:

I HEART YOU


Ok, sickening dribble over. Make sure you check out her blog - it will be so worth it :).

"Thank Fuck For....." Friday

I'm starting a new initiative where I will share with you something I'm thankful for each week.

I'm calling it

"Thank Fuck For......." Friday

or TFFF

So to start things off. Today is Friday and I say Thank Fuck For Aldi.

Money's a bit tight this week but as fate usually has it, I needed to do a big grocery shop as I am massively unorganised lately and my pantry was bare (picture tumbleweeds blowing around).

Feeding a family of six each week can be a costly exercise at times.  Factor in baby formula and that 3 of my kids are in nappies (one only at night, but still) and a weekly shop can blow out significantly.

Of course, my NEED for quality coffee has nothing to do with it.

So I've been trying Aldi out recently for my shopping.  I've gone there a few times in the past, but have never attempted to do it regularly.  But the past few weeks I've put the effort in and last night proved to me that it's worthwhile.

Grand total: $152.64

That's a massive achievement for me considering our normal grocery shop can get close to (or sometimes exceed) $300 when shopping at a regular supermarket.

So again I say Thank Fuck For Aldi.  You've saved my skin this week.

Tell me what you thank fuck for this week.  And join me next Friday for the next instalment :).

Hope it was worth it

If you've been here before you might have noticed that things look a little bit different.

If you haven't been here before, then never mind, nothing to see here :)

But for those that have, you will see that I have given my blog a bit of a lick of lippy and some eyeliner.  Blogger templates can be a bit blah so I have spent my ENTIRE day so far trying to figure how to make my blog look a bit different and somewhat more exciting.

It better work. I didn't do all this hard work for nothing.

So APPRECIATE IT, DAMMIT!!

As you were.

A compliment sandwich

Ever heard of it?  No?

A compliment sandwich is a PC, hippy, do-gooder way to tell someone that they suck at something.

The following pic best describes it.....

So basically, you want to tell someone they've fucked up, but you know, that might hurt their feelings a little so you pack it with some love and hey, they feel all warm and gooey inside and you don't feel like a total douche for totally ruining someone's day, week, entire life.

The compliment sandwich can be used in many applications which makes it such a handy tool to have at your disposal.

It's commonly used in the workforce. Example:

Compliment: "Wow John, you don't waste any time getting stuck into your work. You only just got here!"

Criticism: "It is 9.30 though. You've been late a lot recently. Maybe you need to leave home earlier?"

Compliment: "But your car looks fantastic!"


See how it works?


Now you could try this on your kids at home:

Compliment: "That's great Susie. I love that beautiful drawing you've done of me"


Criticism: "Although, you shouldn't have drawn it on the wall.  That's very naughty and you should know better"


Compliment:  "But I love the colour of the snakes you've drawn coming out of my head"


It also works on husbands:

Compliment: "Wow, you've cooked a special dinner for me?  That's great!"


Criticism: "Although, it looks like shit, and is that one of your pubic hairs in the soup?"


Compliment:  "You smell nice"


I love how this is a win/win situation for both parties.  Everyone walks away feeling good, (except, maybe, when you have that moment 5 minutes later when the criticism part sinks in and you feel like crap, but hey, at least you smell nice) so I suggest you give it a try.


Who do you think could use a compliment sandwich and what would you say to them?

I've submitted this post for the August 2011 Digital Parents Blog Carnival!

My purpose in LIFE

So it has become apparent to me recently what my purpose in life is.


Some people spend their whole lives trying to figure out why they were put on this earth, what the point is.  I've been blessed to find out early in my life.


My purpose in life is to teach my daughter as many unsavoury words or phrases as I can.


Or at least, this is how it appears to me.  Every time I drop a naughty word into conversation I can 100% guarantee that Miss 3 will repeat it. She never lets me down.  Shame her ears don't work as well when I ask her to clean up her toys.


It's a regular thing in our house to hear Miss 3 muttering "fuck fuck fuck" under her breath. 


She calls Master 8 an asshole (in a nice way though, she thinks it's funny and a term of endearment).


When the ball hits her and she misses the catch she clutches her groin and exclaims "OH MY NUTS!!"


Today's new phrase is...........DOG'S BALLS


And it's entirely my fault.


My husband finished work early today (yay...not) and he kindly said he'd pick up Master 8 from school.  I watched him walk out the door in his trackie pants, complete with socks and thongs.  Yes, you heard right, SOCKS and THONGS.  Black socks with bright red toes.


I said: "I hope you don't plan to get out of the car like that. Your socks stand out like dog's balls"


"BAHAHAHA.....DOG'S BALLS!!!"




Shit.


I didn't know she was there.  Now all I've heard ever since is the constant repeating...."DOG'S BALLS, DOG'S BALLS!!!"


I try so hard not to drop too many swears in front of my kids, but sometimes it's near impossible.  It's a big part of who I am.


Do your kids repeat the words you wish they didn't?

Do you have a blog that you'd like to share?

If the answer is yes!


Then head on over to 

Kidspot's Blog Brag!

and add your page to their list!!  


NB: you have to be a Kidspot Social member first, but don't fear. It's well worth it.  Make sure you check out all the other fantastic blogs that are already listed.  There's some awesome reads in there :)

Rockin' On!!

When I was 16, my Mum took me to see my most favourite band in the whole wide world.

I was so freaking excited!  It couldn't come quick enough.  I had all their albums and videos and salivated over them constantly (sssh, I still do sometimes).  To actually have the chance to go to something so momentous was staggering.


Mum and I stood in line for hours to get in to the Sydney Football Stadium.  It was November, stinking hot and incredibly humid.  I got sunburnt really, really badly.  But I didn't care.


When we were finally allowed in, there was a mad rush to get as close as possible to the stage.  Mum, being the sensible person that she is, didn't worry about those sorts of shenanigans and was happy to stay at the back of the solid wall of people - much to my dismay.  How was I ever going to touch Bono all the way back there???


Mum let me buy a t-shirt from the merchandise stand.  I still have it and wear it regularly.

So after the crappy Big Audio Dynamite completed their set (which seemed to go on for HOURS),  U2 finally graced the stage....and oh my LORD, they were AWESOME!!!


Now my vision was slightly limited, even with the screens they had all over the stage due to Lurch standing in front of me.  So I pulled out my trusty camera to take pictures that I could drool over later.


Be amazed by my outstanding photography skills:

Ok, so I know they're crap. But I drooled over them anyway, because it was proof that I was actually there, RIGHT THERE, in the same space as Bono *sigh*.


What the photos don't show though, is that people were fainting left, right and centre due to how goddamn hot it was in there.  The amount of people, the hot, humid night - it was oppressive!  Even though I wanted to wave my hands in the air, like I just don't care, I did it mostly because I could reach above the heat that was hanging over us and feel cool air above it - it was a relief.


It also helped that people were flicking huge amounts of water around from their water bottles....meh, guess they didn't care about dehydrating.


Afterwards, I was completely deaf for about a day.  But it was so worth it. Sadly, I haven't been able to make it to one of their concerts since.  But I will one day.


So I just have to satisfy myself with my video of the concert, youtube clips and my trusty old instamatic photos while wearing my faded t-shirt and remember the good times.




So tell me, what concerts have you been to and what were your favourites?

OMFG - It's Timmy Time!!

There's not much that stops my family in its tracks but one thing that is guaranteed to, is the theme music to Timmy Time.  The whole world stop turning.


Everything moves in slow motion.


Toys are abandoned.


The screaming subsides.


The transfixed faces take form.




It's kinda scary, actually.


Personally, I hate the show. Like I do most kids TV shows.  I just can't handle them.  The bright colours, the over-the-top cuteness, the whole "talking at you like you're 3" thing.  But this is one of those shows where they don't speak at all.....sure the characters make sounds. But they don't say actual words - just gobbledegook.  And I think that's even worse.


But dammit, my kids love it and I'll happily fire up a Timmy Time marathon session just to gain a few moments (or hours) of peace and quiet.


What shows stop your kids in their tracks?

So I'm kinda new to this

Me and my lovely family (newest member, K, was still in my belly) Photography by: Kate Price Photography Ok, so I see people blogging all over the place and I love reading blogs but I've never really taken the time to sit down and do one myself......all seems a bit too hard!! But I've bitten the bullet and started one now....why now?  Because I can, that's why!!   No really, I thought why not...I spend most of the day sitting here talking to myself anyway (the kids sure as hell don't listen to me) so why not put my ramblings down on "paper" for no-one else to read too?  So my plans for this blog is to share. I love reading other people's stories, be it about their life, their kids, funny things they see, what's going on in the news....and I hope that if I share things like that, then people might want to read about me too! So if something makes me want to talk then I'll talk about it - whether it be in the news, something silly my kids did, my husband...whatever takes my fancy.....that ok with you? :) So to quickly introduce myself....I'm a work-at-home Mum, married to a true DH (and yes sometimes that means the other "DH" too) and I have 4 fantastic (read: challenging) children.  T is my first born son who is 8.  He plays footy (AFL) in the Winter, Little Athletics in the Summer and talks about his doodle whenever he gets the chance. E is my little girl who is 3.  She's a super-diva who drives me insane but she's so darn cute too.  God help me when she's older - I just know she's going to give me the same sort of attitude I gave my mum....sorry Mum!!  R is my second son who nearly 21 months old.  He's such a lovely thing, I could go on and on about him (and I will one day) but he has the best personality. I just know we're going to be great friends.  And lastly is K, my second daughter who is 4 months old.  Of course she's wonderful. All babies are - aren't they? So I think that's it...I've waffled on long enough....not that anyone's reading right?  There's no-one REALLY out there on the Interwebs is there???? So why don't you comment and let me know a little bit about you!