Goodness me.  What a long term this has been.  So much has happened! It is definately time for a break!  So a break we will have!  We’ve got lots of adventures planned, so be sure to keep checking back to read all about our holiday adventures.

Challenge 1306:  In 13 minutes & 6 seconds today I managed 1.95km, and In 20 minutes & 26 seconds I managed to do 3km.  Only 7 minutes & 20 seconds off my PB (Personal Best) 

And today I made some split pea soup!  I’ve never attempted to make it before but I rather think I did a good job for my first effort.  And Brooke & Kynan loved it!  This was my lunch!

 SPLIT PEA SOUP

• 500g Green Split Peas
• 2tsp Curry Powder
• 60g margarine
• 2 tsp chopped mint
• 4 chicken stock cubes
• 2 cups water

1. Put peas into saucepan and cover with 6 cups of water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 35 minutes
2. Add margarine and stir in curry powder & mint
3. Cook gently for 2 minutes and add stock cubes.
4. Add water until desired consistency is obtained

Also, is it bad parenting to let my 2 and a 1/2 year old watch TV and fall asleep instead of putting him to bed for a nap? (’cos that’s what I’ve just done!)

Since I discovered Momento and made a photo album for our Adelaide holiday and since getting out all my old photo albums for my birthday and acquiring a 4 in one scanner, colour copier, printer & fax for my birthday I’ve found a new hobby!  I’m working on converting all my ‘hard copy’ photos into photobook albums! 

I’m having so much fun taking a trip down memory lane.  Check out this photo of Ian & I in the ‘early years’ at our my Mentone Girls Secondary College Year 11 ball!  We were all of 16 & 18 years old!

Ahhhhhhhhh!  Isn’t that sweet!

So, after Boot Camp on Monday I am newly inspired.  I WILL have a trim, slim & terrific body one day!!!!!!!

While I’m still aiming for 3km in 1306 maybe there is alternative ways to get to that goal.  So, my personal trainer has recommended interval training!  My body actually likes interval training so I’m going for it!

Today I warmed up for 5 minutes then alternated between running at 12km/hr for 2 minutes, the 6km/hr for 2 minutes.  I slackened off a little after approx 15 minutes but still managed to do 4.14km in 30 minutes!

Is anyone game enough to join me in my 1306 challenge?

In the meantime I am going to make the most of the next 4 hours!  No children or husband in the house!!!! 

Growing old is mandatory, Growing up is optional  (This just about sums up my attitude to life and was a card that was given to me by 2 of my girlfriends.)

At 34 I just had a slumber party with my friends!  For one night we left our families and celebrated my birthday and fitted as much into one night as possible.  We reminisced over childhood photos, danced to all kinds of music, from 70s, 80s & 90s classics to modern day tunes.  Some of the favourites included Cotton Eye Joe, Nutbush City Limits, Accidently Kelly Street, Uptown Girl, What About Me, This is it - the unpopular songs that ‘appeared’ out of my ipod included Puff the Magic Dragon & Hot Potato (I don’t know yet how to separate my songs from the kids songs when syncing the ipods).  Luckily my all-forgiving friends understood!

 Amongst dancing my friends were subjected to watching the final minutes of the final minutes of the last episodes from each of The Henderson Kids series in full.   Both tear-jerking moments - the first when Tam & Steve make the decision to leave Haven Bay and live with their father, and the second when Tam & Steve perform in the Westport Fundraising Concert with their father turning up just in time to hear Tamara sing! - Well! At the time I was rather emotional!!!! 

Other activities for the evening included the traditional Pinata - thank you Janelle for bringing the horse & lollies along, a game of statues, and the chance to perform our ‘old’ skills!  I can’t believe I could still manage to do a ‘backbend’ I first learnt to conquer way back in 1984!  Here is the proof!

And then, there was the ’sleepover’ - we didn’t go to the extreme of staying up all night!  2,15am was the latest body in bed.  Some things do change!  - there is no way we would cope with the day if we didn’t get some beauty sleep!  The advantage to our household having so many children is that most of the guests could sleep in ‘real’ beds.  So there are some comforts we couldn’t do without.  We didn’t do too badly for mid-30 year olds!

 Thank you to my wonderful friends for a fantastic night and an extra special thank you to all the hubbies who coped without their wives for one night! We had fun!  Thank you also to my husband and children for giving up your beds and helping with the preparations!

Today is the day of my Slumber Party!  Yep!  At 34 I have organised a Slumber Party with the girls……………… and we are going to have a reminisce.  Remember The Henderson Kids?  Amongst dancing, socializing & reminiscing over old photos we are going to have a Henderson Kids Movie Marathon!  I’ll be bold and admit that I loved The Henderson Kids, and remarkably I know the final episodes of both series almost word for word……………….  Oops!  Did I really admit that?  I have purchased both seasons from DVD Land.

The children have had lots of fun assisting me in preparations for the big night including parking signs and advising me that my guests are more than welcome to sleep in their beds, and even read their books!  I am very proud of my children’s generosity and adaption to an unusual situation!  Thank you children!

 I have some friends who are happy to humour me on my birthday………………. expecting my guests from 6pm onwards…….must go and get into my party frock! 

Where are the children & Ian off to?  They are going to a friends house with 3 other blokes (their wives will be with me!) and the 4 blokes will be caring for 15 children and a BBQ!

Happy Birthday to Me!  Today is my 34th Birthday - I can’t believe I’m that old already!  However, I am rather happy being 34.  My family spoilt me very much with breakfast in bed and some lovely gifts, including a colour printer!  I’m very pleased with my gifts!  Thank you family!  We celebrated with Chinese take-away and our traditional birthday cake and ‘happy birthday’ singing.  I got some lovely homemade cards & pictures.  My birthday seems to be lasting for quite awhile this year.  I’m going back to my childhood on Saturday night and having a sleepover party with some friends!  Stay posted for the theme………….

Perhaps I’m already having a mid-life crisis?  I’m not too old to go and see Shannon Noll!  Yep!  Last night I went out with some friends and saw Shannon Noll at Hotel Shoppingtown in Doncaster.  He didn’t start playing unitl 10.45pm but it was worth the wait.  He’s a great performer.  Before  Shannon Noll performed, a great band performed I wish I had heard earlier.  I thought they were great!  Small Mercies.  I bought one of their albums and even got it signed with Happy Birthday Rebecca!  Very special. 

Challenge 1306

What is this?  This is the Family Value attempt to get trim & terrific!  For many years I have attempted diets and exercise programs.  I know where the problem lies!  The food I eat!  Too much of it!, and perhaps sometimes not the most healthy choices! I’ve always enjoyed exercising although sometimes the motivation factor can be low.

So this time, instead of trying to follow someone elses diet & fitness program I have devised one of my own with my own motivations!

 So, here it is!

Challenge 1306 - simple really.

In secondary school I wasn’t to bad a long distance runner - not the best, but a time of 13min & 6 seconds wasn’t too bad over 3km. 

The Challenge?  The Challenge is to get back to my time of 1306.  I figure if I can do that then my fitness & weight can’t be too bad.  So, away with the scales for now, and on to challenge 1306.

Tonight I started and in 1306 I ran 1.97km, and I was feeling pretty unfit!

Anyone want to join me?

Watch out models - hear I come! I won some Dr. Lewinn’s Private Formula Line Smoothing Complex S8 Night Intensity Night Cream 30g valued at $99.95. Look out! Apparently an alternative to botox! I am generally  NOT a night cream person, ‘nor do I have a large amount of wrinkles however maybe I should just begin. If it’s anti-ageing it’s got to be worth a try! I’ve had a fetish for entering competitions of late and so far I have won a book and now some night cream! Both 25 words or less competitions. I’m on a roll. My secret? Pop on over to the Australian Competitions Club and the world of competitions is only a click away. The club is free to join and has a massive amount of competitions! This particular prize was through a Marie Claire competition. My book was won through Missy Confidential. Go on! Give it a burl - you never know, you too might win some night cream! I’d love to hear stories of what you have won!

While I am ‘catching up’ on my blog to tell you all about our holiday in Adelaide, here are some ’snaps’ I love of the kids playing in the shooting water outside ‘the dublin hotel’ in Jetty Road Glenelg.

I love these shots.  The kids had a great time just being ‘kids’ and having not a care in the world as they ran through the  shooting water.  I particularly love Brooke’s face in the ‘aftershot’ - priceless.

We have had a wonderful holiday with our family of 7 in Adelaide (which I will catch you up on tomorrow), however, I just need to share my view on Airport Security, Jetstar & Busybodies!

This is the scene today at Adelaide Airport…..

Firstly, Mum, Dad & 5 kids. Going up the escalators with 5 kids in tow, and yes! 2 prams as well! We do realise that rules are in place for a reason and we really shouldn’t have had the prams on the escalator, however, we have been doing it for 10 years now and are becoming rather skilled at it. Kynan, 2 starts to tumble down the escalator - I save him! He is okay, just a little shaken. This is NOT because of the pram situation but because of a simple misfooting on Kynan’s behalf.

So at the top of the escalator we are greeted by a ‘do-gooder/busybody’ who informs us that rules are there for a reason and we are not covered by insurance if an accident happens on the escalator if our child is in a pram. Then she walks off after her little lecture. What the!………… where did that come from? What about, is your little boy okay?

Secondly, all that aside we check in without incident - all the kids get a Jetstar 4the birthday lollipop! Last thing they really need, however, a lovely gesture by Jetstar staff. Lovely lady made sure we had spare seats next to us so we could spread out. Couldn’t fault the service of Jetstar. Oh! Except the plane was delayed by half and hour. We could live with that.

Thirdly, we set off to the dreaded Airport Security metal detectors. Now, I just have to make it clear that I DO understand that we live in a much more dangerous world than our ancestors and I DO understand that Airport Security is just doing their job to protect us, and I DO understand it is all for our own good.

However, can someone please invent a metal detecting airport security machine that can differentiate between weapons and clothing!!!! If this magic machine doesn’t get invented soon, airports are going to become a circus as we will all be stripping down to our underpants just to get on the plane!!!!

This is the scene today. 2 adults, 5 kids, 7 backpacks, 1 laptop

First, all the backpacks go through. I have to take my laptop out of its bag and into its own holder - so the laptop has now become laptop PLUS bag, then I am asked to take off my bangle, belt and shoes!!!!!!

So it is, all the kids and Ian got through safely and here I am walking through the bleeping machine half-dressed!!!! And, what’s more there was a crowd of people in front and behind me, I had to scramble to get all my things, had to get redressed and I was being shooed away as soon as I went through the machine without incident!

Is there someone out there that is working on a machine that can differentiate between the clothing and the weapon?????

And one more thing I’ve just remembered……… after checking our prams into the overbaggage section our prams were swabbed! Is that for drugs or bomb residue?????? Call me naive! Came up clear anyway!

I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with Airport Security!