Simply Living
Without Prejudice
Yvette commented yesterday there was a show on Back To Basic Living on TV.
"Hey Mum, that's what we're doing"
And we both smiled at each other.
When you are a single mother and single Grand mother of 7 boys, with two ex "Idiots" you tend to live a simple life anyway. The boys welfare usually comes first in everything, mainly because being kids they make sure they do. Being male personages it's even worse. Add to that the sense of guilt that their Fathers aren't around and you do get boys that feel like they own the Earth.
Up until we decided to go back to basics, there was quite a power play going on but no more. We've drawn a line and said, back to home cooking, mainly as we are sick to death of getting rid of the empty fast food containers they used to pile in their rooms. And no boys, empty soft drink bottles do not "dress up" a room.
My daughter, Mother extraordinaire, can handle the noise confusion and empty promises, the "in a sec" that never seems to eventuate. So now she's decided that they can help, the older ones, buy and make their own food, now, after we explained how much food you can buy for the cost of a takeaway meal.
And we show them. I took two 17 year olds with me to show them. They bought staples, eggs, potatoes, mince meat, sauces, juice, soft drink, (for their Mother ) rolls. They had enough food to last them the week instead of a few takeaway meals. They did add 10 packets of Grain Waves but at .99 a bag, it was a bargain. I bought one myself.
We used to pay a man to mow our lawns, but he was fat and lazy and berated us, stupid man, for leaving the grass too long. So we dumped him and bought a mower instead. Now the boys mow the lawns and I do the weeds with Roundup and a spray bottle.
We get the boys to do basic service on the cars and yesterday I taught one of them how to infalte tyres on a bike he wanted to ride and had him check all my tyres at the same time. He 's nearly 18 and never inflated a tyre before. He's doing a Handbrake Turn course for 7 weeks and when I saw him with the upturned bike I was quite excited. Well that and the fact that he was actually out in the open air for once.
Yvette kept buying expensive games of COD and the days that a new one was coming out was waited for with baited breath by the 14 year old. He would get it and play it till his eyes were red and he was going to school after having an hours sleep. He would be determined to do it though as otherwise he was banned from the game. He could get by for a few days on a few hours sleep but would end up coming home and crashing in bed.
Last week he was at Army Cadets Camp for six days, didn't shower, did all this "stuff" boys love to do and was able to handle a rifle, a real one. All the War Games in the world could not make up for his week in camp. He used to be an ADD child but he's grown out of most of it now and we don't have to medicate him any more for the sake of the School. Don't worry the school knew what he was like and so did we.
He's grown older and more husky, is not picked on anymore and is known as a bit of a "Sheldon", as it's like he swallowed the highest maths books and an encyclopedia at the same time. Kyle who is the oldest and the Alpha Male tells him to shut up or he'll brain him and that's normal for the boys with each other. I have yet to see a fight break out amongst them. It's never happened.
Three of the boys work full time, Kyle takes them all with him in the morning . They are always ready and never refuse to go as it's M.O.N.E.Y. We nag them to save their money but we think that pretty much falls on deaf ears but they are getting better. None of them are "handy" like us females and they are more scared of spiders than we are.
We scrimp and save and simplify as much as we can. When their's starving boys around we make Lemon Meringue Pie and Spanish meatballs, scones and porridge for breakfast and they make thir own lunches as it's cheaper. The two little ones will eat most anything which is great. And all of them thrive on less. They are all lean and tall, only the baby at two a chibby little morsel of delight, who can outsmile, out bubble, out hug and laugh any kid on the block and them some. Cruz is Cruzy.
The only fat object in this whole household is Kayko, the slothy Husky. She's fat. But we love her and try not to treat her too differently, lol
We can buy the house now after 7 years and then it passes to the boys and the great grandchildren and so on. It's a good house, worth the money, and they take off the purchase price any improvements you have done. It's time to start doing it up with paint and some improvements.
We want a water tank and solar panels, a vegie garden for the little boys to help with. Although unless we have it above head height they'll pull everything out.
Yvette;s had 13 weeks of child care given to her Gratis so she's finally taking advantage of that. She will never take a break from them, now she's been forced to. Yaay!
I love them, adore them, but I write every day for at least 6 hours and they love knocking on my door and I love having them run in but I still have to work and they get bored quickly.
And when they get bored OMG. Last week Acer managed to turn the Hot Water pilot light off twice and in the end I said to the plumber, screw the cover on which he did.
We tie the hose in place, replace the dog water several times a day even when we tie it to the tap Cruz will empty it mysteriously and quickly. My girlfriends hubby who usd to work in our buisness is coming around and tending to the gate situation. I want my own entry at the other side of the house where no one can see me go in and out.
It's only taken me 2 years to strip the yard, shed and back garden of clutter which Yvette loves. I have to wait till she goes out and then get rid of it. The first hard rubbish I did was 30 in length and piled five feet in the air. The first one she kept trying to drag things back in. She's better at it now, but it's hard persistent goimg all the time. I am nearly there at last.
I'm extremely anal, beyond anal. I have been known to scrub the grout in the tiles at 11pm and still be going at housework until 2am. I figure it's a good stress release and besides I like cleaning. I have done days and days of cleaning at all my daughters houses. I just get on a roll and then I keep going until it's done. Suppose it's nothing compared to the rooms I was cleaning at The Sheraton when Kyle was the only child.
I must have cleaned hundreds of rooms, in the heat of the Gold Coast when air conditioning stops working at 36 degrees. And there was so many rooms you had to do, that you you just learned to run from room to room, tugging a big cart, making beds, picking up other peoples detritus, flushing their loos, cleaning up vomit, blood, faeces, urine, semen, (Stuck to the TV once and in the Furry hand mitt you are supposed to be polishing your shoes with) Aaaargh !
So we are now down to simple life, a good life. This summer the little boys will be having a sprikler on the back lawm, the old NEETA fittings from the 50's that cascade like waves, or shoot straight in to the air. We'll hang the one like shower rose from the Hills Hoist and hook up the Slip and Slide and squirt some Morning Fresh on it.
We have already dragged out the old outdoor setting and atarted cleaning it, and scrubbing the canvas Brella Umbrella, which needs doing up this year with painted stripes. The lily Pilly's we planted now need trimmed back so big they have grown, and we trim them so we can see into the "guys' next door
Yvette commented yesterday there was a show on Back To Basic Living on TV.
"Hey Mum, that's what we're doing"
And we both smiled at each other.
When you are a single mother and single Grand mother of 7 boys, with two ex "Idiots" you tend to live a simple life anyway. The boys welfare usually comes first in everything, mainly because being kids they make sure they do. Being male personages it's even worse. Add to that the sense of guilt that their Fathers aren't around and you do get boys that feel like they own the Earth.
Up until we decided to go back to basics, there was quite a power play going on but no more. We've drawn a line and said, back to home cooking, mainly as we are sick to death of getting rid of the empty fast food containers they used to pile in their rooms. And no boys, empty soft drink bottles do not "dress up" a room.
My daughter, Mother extraordinaire, can handle the noise confusion and empty promises, the "in a sec" that never seems to eventuate. So now she's decided that they can help, the older ones, buy and make their own food, now, after we explained how much food you can buy for the cost of a takeaway meal.
And we show them. I took two 17 year olds with me to show them. They bought staples, eggs, potatoes, mince meat, sauces, juice, soft drink, (for their Mother ) rolls. They had enough food to last them the week instead of a few takeaway meals. They did add 10 packets of Grain Waves but at .99 a bag, it was a bargain. I bought one myself.
We used to pay a man to mow our lawns, but he was fat and lazy and berated us, stupid man, for leaving the grass too long. So we dumped him and bought a mower instead. Now the boys mow the lawns and I do the weeds with Roundup and a spray bottle.
We get the boys to do basic service on the cars and yesterday I taught one of them how to infalte tyres on a bike he wanted to ride and had him check all my tyres at the same time. He 's nearly 18 and never inflated a tyre before. He's doing a Handbrake Turn course for 7 weeks and when I saw him with the upturned bike I was quite excited. Well that and the fact that he was actually out in the open air for once.
Yvette kept buying expensive games of COD and the days that a new one was coming out was waited for with baited breath by the 14 year old. He would get it and play it till his eyes were red and he was going to school after having an hours sleep. He would be determined to do it though as otherwise he was banned from the game. He could get by for a few days on a few hours sleep but would end up coming home and crashing in bed.
Last week he was at Army Cadets Camp for six days, didn't shower, did all this "stuff" boys love to do and was able to handle a rifle, a real one. All the War Games in the world could not make up for his week in camp. He used to be an ADD child but he's grown out of most of it now and we don't have to medicate him any more for the sake of the School. Don't worry the school knew what he was like and so did we.
He's grown older and more husky, is not picked on anymore and is known as a bit of a "Sheldon", as it's like he swallowed the highest maths books and an encyclopedia at the same time. Kyle who is the oldest and the Alpha Male tells him to shut up or he'll brain him and that's normal for the boys with each other. I have yet to see a fight break out amongst them. It's never happened.
Three of the boys work full time, Kyle takes them all with him in the morning . They are always ready and never refuse to go as it's M.O.N.E.Y. We nag them to save their money but we think that pretty much falls on deaf ears but they are getting better. None of them are "handy" like us females and they are more scared of spiders than we are.
We scrimp and save and simplify as much as we can. When their's starving boys around we make Lemon Meringue Pie and Spanish meatballs, scones and porridge for breakfast and they make thir own lunches as it's cheaper. The two little ones will eat most anything which is great. And all of them thrive on less. They are all lean and tall, only the baby at two a chibby little morsel of delight, who can outsmile, out bubble, out hug and laugh any kid on the block and them some. Cruz is Cruzy.
The only fat object in this whole household is Kayko, the slothy Husky. She's fat. But we love her and try not to treat her too differently, lol
We can buy the house now after 7 years and then it passes to the boys and the great grandchildren and so on. It's a good house, worth the money, and they take off the purchase price any improvements you have done. It's time to start doing it up with paint and some improvements.
We want a water tank and solar panels, a vegie garden for the little boys to help with. Although unless we have it above head height they'll pull everything out.
Yvette;s had 13 weeks of child care given to her Gratis so she's finally taking advantage of that. She will never take a break from them, now she's been forced to. Yaay!
I love them, adore them, but I write every day for at least 6 hours and they love knocking on my door and I love having them run in but I still have to work and they get bored quickly.
And when they get bored OMG. Last week Acer managed to turn the Hot Water pilot light off twice and in the end I said to the plumber, screw the cover on which he did.
We tie the hose in place, replace the dog water several times a day even when we tie it to the tap Cruz will empty it mysteriously and quickly. My girlfriends hubby who usd to work in our buisness is coming around and tending to the gate situation. I want my own entry at the other side of the house where no one can see me go in and out.
It's only taken me 2 years to strip the yard, shed and back garden of clutter which Yvette loves. I have to wait till she goes out and then get rid of it. The first hard rubbish I did was 30 in length and piled five feet in the air. The first one she kept trying to drag things back in. She's better at it now, but it's hard persistent goimg all the time. I am nearly there at last.
I'm extremely anal, beyond anal. I have been known to scrub the grout in the tiles at 11pm and still be going at housework until 2am. I figure it's a good stress release and besides I like cleaning. I have done days and days of cleaning at all my daughters houses. I just get on a roll and then I keep going until it's done. Suppose it's nothing compared to the rooms I was cleaning at The Sheraton when Kyle was the only child.
I must have cleaned hundreds of rooms, in the heat of the Gold Coast when air conditioning stops working at 36 degrees. And there was so many rooms you had to do, that you you just learned to run from room to room, tugging a big cart, making beds, picking up other peoples detritus, flushing their loos, cleaning up vomit, blood, faeces, urine, semen, (Stuck to the TV once and in the Furry hand mitt you are supposed to be polishing your shoes with) Aaaargh !
So we are now down to simple life, a good life. This summer the little boys will be having a sprikler on the back lawm, the old NEETA fittings from the 50's that cascade like waves, or shoot straight in to the air. We'll hang the one like shower rose from the Hills Hoist and hook up the Slip and Slide and squirt some Morning Fresh on it.
We have already dragged out the old outdoor setting and atarted cleaning it, and scrubbing the canvas Brella Umbrella, which needs doing up this year with painted stripes. The lily Pilly's we planted now need trimmed back so big they have grown, and we trim them so we can see into the "guys' next door
