A new definition of what's fun!

Well I've spent most of this week (when I have been at home) huddled on the couch under a blanket because I'm not handling the cold very well. I have a heater that does squat so I've been using Doug as my personal heating source. He's one of those people who's always warm and doesn't seem to feel the cold at all. Must be a genetic bonus from coming from Scotland! My two little ones don't feel the cold either, happily stripping off to just singlets while I shiver on the couch in trackies, a singlet, a tshirt and jumper!!!

I did go and buy some winter provisions yesterday. I really WANTED to buy a new pair of cross trainers so I can go back to the gym. Blayd borrowed mine a few weeks ago as he has worn holes through FOUR PAIRS of sneakers in the last few months. Apparently handball is hard on the shoes!!! lol So I gave him my cross trainers (which sadly fitted him perfectly!) and he's been wearing them ever since. I was hoping they'd last him but it turns out he's busily wearing holes in the soles of them too - grrrrrrr!!! SO I was going to go get myself some new sneakers to wear to the gym cos it's reopened now and the lovely Liam is still there thank goodness. He reminds me of Shannon from The Biggest Loser - he's so sweet yet he's very motivational and pushes you to do more than you think you can. So I went to Amart cos they're having a sale but didn't find anything I liked so I thought I'd go into Target and look for a zip up hoodie for me, something that I can wear with jeans and stuff. Didn't find anything for me that I wanted but of course the good mummy in me did see kids fleecy pjamas for 40% off so all four kids got new jammies. I'm sure they'll be even warmer than their flannie ones. I eventually found a pair of 3/4 gym shorts at 40% off and the best buy of the whole Target trip was a pair of uggies for me - my feet are never warm in winter so I was planning on buying some anyway but at 30% off (and they were a bargin price normally at only $20) they were a must have so I have them on my feet right now and guess what? My feet are actually warm!!!! I may just take to wearing them everywhere - is that sad????? I ended up getting the hoodie from Autograph. It's mean to be a larger sizes shop so I bought it in a 16 but I'm sure they do their sizing differently and it must honestly be closer to an 18 or even a 20 at a normal size. Another bargain at $20 reduced from $50!!! Isn't it funny that sometimes, and only rarely sometimes, you go shopping and the stuff you actually want to get is on special? Doesn't happen as much as any of us would like I suspect!!!! lol

So to the new definition of fun bit - I've been watching Torchwood again and the further into that we get the more I need to know about Doctor Who so I understand the background so it's been another few days of watching Doctor Who most evenings after the littlies have gone to bed. It has actually been lots of fun and I'm really getting into it. I never used to be as a kid but different now I guess.

Yesterday as a treat, another definition of fun, Doug took me to a cool place in Brisbane called High Octane. It is a racing simulator place next to the kart track at Archerfield. They have racing cockpits that you sit in with the steering wheel in front of you and a computer monitor. There are pedals at the bottom and you play race games with things like Formula 1 cars or in our case we raced V8s around the Barbagello track. I have only placed a racing sim at home once before but Doug has been into these for years and he goes to High Octane once a month for a racing league (yep kinda like a bowling league!) and he usually goes once a week to practice and then practices more at home too. It's his stress relief and his way of having fun. I didn't think I'd enjoy it but I went because he seemed so excited to have me come with him and spend time doing what he loves so I was completely enthusiastic from that point of view. Both the littlies went to Gran's place as she usually takes Caeligh on Fridays anyway and Jamie is on school hols. The boys are still with their dad so they won't be home until Monday so it was, another rare occurrance, just Doug and I for the whole day. Well I had the BEST TIME!!!!! I can also inform you that I totally suck at the whole racing thing but I was only 6 seconds behind Doug on my best lap and apparently Barbagello is a difficult track cos it's very slippery (in real life and they've made the game the same). It was a fun couple of hours although by the time we were finished my eyes were so tired from concentrating and looking at the screen for two hours straight! I'll definitely go back again and I asked Dale, the lovely bloke who runs the place, if he'd consider having a "gumby league" and then I'd definitely come back!!! lol So that was, for me, a new way to have fun that I previously wouldn't have thought was interesting at all until I actually tried it. So there ya go - don't be afraid to try something - it may be more fun than you think!!!

We went out and had dinner last night - at the best Thai restaurant around - The Red Chilli up at Forest Lake. It was even the "get dressed up and put on make up" kind of dinner out, just Doug and I, as the little ones decided to have a sleep over at Gran's last night. We had mixed entry of deep fried naughties, a devine satay entree, for mains we had Chicken Cashew Nut Stir Fry and Clay Pot with mixed seafood. It was all just heavenly and we had a great bottle of Devil's Lair Fifth Leg white to go with it. I don't normally drink white wine as it gives me a screaming headache (something about the sulphites in it apparently) but I only thought about that after my second glass but this morning I'm fine so there's a safe one for me to have again next time we go out. We came home, listened to daggy 80's music on VH1 on Foxtel, finished the wine, had some cheesse and an early night. At $50 it was still more than we normally spend on a night out but because we do go out for dinner ALONE we decided it was worth it. The joys of having the whole one income, lots of kids family!!!

Yesterday the kids were mucking around and very quiet and it turned out that Caeligh decided to put on some of my lipstick. As you can see, the results are quite shocking but I also got a couple of nice shots of James and Caeligh together - not killing each other - which is lovely!

Doug is at High Octane again this morning. He got an email saying that anyone who had purchased their specials earlier in the month got an hour free today so he was outta here like a shot this morning to go racing for an hour. When he gets back the plan is to go over to Garden City for a look around the shops. Caeligh needs MORE winter clothes and I need to pick up another Fudge colour for my hair - wonder what colour I'll go this time??? Purple maybe? Or a different shade of red? It's only hair, I'll decide on the spur of the moment when I get there on what colour I'll get and I'll post a picture when I get around to actually putting the colour in.

I'm off to get the little ones dressed (they're dressed already but it's not what I'd call "seasonally appropriate" - they're in swim shirts - does that give you a hint as to what "seasonally appropriate" means??? lol). I'm hoping to get my Masters double finished but if for some reason the mojo just isn't there to tackle it then I'll try to do something else instead. Thanks for stopping by and I'll chat again soon. Love, Lu