So its been ages since Ive been here, and I  log in to check my minti moolah, and because its been so long since Ive been here, I lost all the money that I had earnt. How unfair!!! Surely theres a way to get it back?

Hi Minti,

It's been a long time since I've been here, things in my profile are looking a little dusty.

I've been a very busy bee in the time that Ive been gone, and boy have I learnt some things along the way.

Im looking forward to getting in touch with my old friends, (I hope they're still here) and I'm itching to get cracking on some new advice. But where do I start??! Its been so long I feel all rusty lol. Do you have any suggestions for me?

In the mean time, I'll just be pottering around updating things on my profile, (so much has changed!) feel free to stop in and say hi!

Love,

Mony xox

Well its been a while since I have been in, Ive been very busy with my family doing lots of fun things.

The kids and I are in a number of groups now in the 'real world'. Ive been trying to limit the amount of time I spend online because ultimately my internet addiction has started to get in the way of my family.

Ive had a real wakeup call lately, and am in the process of prioritising lots of different things in my life.

The groups that we are in now are amazing. It's changed us so much as people and we have really grown.

Nathen's confidence has picked up heaps, and so has his reading.

Jaryd and Xavier go to a singing and dancing group now which we love, and go to playgroup and many other social activities. My god have they grown up in the last 6mths since I started changing everything.

Anyway, that's all for me for now, Im about to leave for singing.

But before I go, I wanted to share something with you all that really made me think. I saw it on Doctor Phil just now.

He said, we do not raise children, we raise adults. Everything you do today will ultimately affect and influence your children and the adults they become. Make your decisions wisely, and always have your children in the back of your mind when making decisions in your day to day life.

I hope you've all been well,

Love Mony.

Havent been in in a while. Whats with the billions of members with 2 gold stripes now?

Well as some of you know Jaryd went in for his adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy yesterday.

He was absolutely a star patient and all the nurses loved him. He has been so brave the whole way through and hasnt cried once from the pain. Im so so so so soooo proud of him. :)

Well.... it seems I am in posession of a racist dog. You see, my kelpie x ridgeback, (Anuke, her name is) has taken a liking to scaring the living shit out of some of the locals around here. Secretly, I know it's mean, but afterwards I cant help but laugh. Anyone that knows her would also know that she would never hurt a fly unless she is provoked, or if someone enters our property without permission or tries to hurt me or one of the boys, THEN she will attack. If she were a vicious dog she would bite and even growl at the boys when they are rock 'n roll wrestling with her, but instead most of the time she either sleeps through it if shes not in the mood for playing, or she will join in. In other words, yeah, I guess you could call her a guard dog, however Ive never had her trained as one, she is just protective of me and my family. So you can imagine the shock of his life this asian man got one time when he tried walking his ugly little white ball of fluff past my house, Anuke ran up to the fence and barked her warning. THEN Jaryd goes and opens the front gate and lets her out. OH MY GOD!!!! Off she runs after this little chinese man and his ball of fluff (oh yeah, she doesnt like yap yap dogs, she likes REAL dogs lol) and I had to run after her and get her and apologise profusely. I could have gotten into so much trouble for that in my posh stuck up neighbourhood. THEN as if that wasnt enough, I saw Nathen's best friends' mum walking his best friend to school as I was on my way home from walking to school (they live just down the road from us) I never knew that was his mum until yesterday, Nathen goes, "mum look thats Ahmed," Anyway Im getting off track again. So I was walking Anuke home from the school, and because I was almost home I took her off the leash as I quite often do as she likes to just walk beside me and she never runs off, but today she sees a woman wearing a Berka (sp??) and my guess is she's never seen one before and oh my god she tried to go her. It was just a threatening bark but holy shit it scared her (and me!!) as Anuke just isnt the type to attack someone. Not that she really did it was just a bark, but you know.... wow. how scary. I gave her a smack on the nose and apologised to Ahmeds mum but yeesh... Hope that never happens again, it only ever seems to be towards people of other races. She barked through the gate at an African guy that lives down the street too. Have any of you ever known a dog to be racist? And how the bloody hell do you fix it?

I was deeply disturbed to read today's headlines on Yahoo News. Heres why. I cant believe this still goes on. When will it end?

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of people have been arrested and 21 children rescued in what the FBI is calling a five-day roundup of networks of pimps who force children into prostitution.

The Justice Department says it targeted 16 cities as part of its "Operation Cross Country" that caps off five years of similar stings nationwide.

Many of the children forced into prostitution are either runaways or what authorities call "thrown-aways" — kids whose families have shunned them. Officials say they are preyed upon by organized networks of pimps who lure them in with shelter or drugs, then often beat, starve or otherwise abuse them until the children agree to work the streets.

"We together have no higher calling than to protect our children and to safeguard their innocence," FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday. "Yet the sex trafficking of children remains one of the most violent and unforgivable crimes in this country."

In all, authorities arrested 345 people — including 290 adult prostitutes — during the operation that ended this week. Since 2003, 308 pimps and hookers have been convicted in state and federal courts of forcing youngsters into prostitution, and 433 child victims have been rescued, Mueller said.

The cities targeted in this week's sting are: Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Montgomery County, Md.; Oakland, Calif.; Phoenix; Reno, Nev.; Sacramento, Calif.; Tampa; Toledo, Ohio and Washington.

The problem of child prostitution has taken on a new urgency in recent years with the growth of online networks where pimps advertise the youngsters to clients. The FBI generally investigates child prostitution cases that cross state lines.

The cases aren't easy to convict.

In April 2006, for example, charges against a Nevada man resulted in a hung jury after his 14-year-old victim refused to testify against him. Months later, however, a second jury found Juan Rico Doss of Reno, Nev., guilty of forcing two girls — ages 14 and 16 — to sell sex in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland.

A University of Pennsylvania study estimates nearly 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses — "most of them runaways or thrown-aways," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"These kids are victims. This is 21st century slavery," Allen said. "They lack the ability to walk away."

 

Well Xavier is now 26mths old, and I feel he might be ready to start toilet training.

He recognises the difference between wees and poos, and comes to me to tell me to change his nappy now after he has done a poo.

 I went shopping last night to buy him a potty, but apparently there must be some world wide potty shortage because every shop I bloody looked in was sold out.

I still have the old toilet seat with the steps and handles that I used for my elder two, when I toilet trained them, but I'd still like to have a potty to sit him on for when hes watching a movie, as Ive found this is a good way to start toilet training off in a fun way without them getting scared.

Oh well I'll just have to try again next week and get one.

Anyway, his nappy is about to come off now and he is about to wear his first pair of big boy undies. How exciting. Im expecting lots of accidents but its all in the name of learning so I dont mind so much. My boyfriend fixed my carpet cleaner for me so now if he wees on the carpet I can easily clean it up with out a fuss.

How exciting! Stay tuned to see how he goes.

Lol lately for some reason Ive turned into Sadie the Cleaning Lady and my kids have picked up on it and lifted their game too and theyve noticed lately to encourage them Ive been giving them a lolly after they are done if they have done a good job. (not good for their dental health i know but its working and i make sure they brush their teeth afterwards lol)

anyway hows this. Before I had even gotten out of bed this morning, Jaryd my 4yo was already up and out of bed and tidying up his room. Aside from some pencil shavings on the floor (Nathen decided to sharpen his pencils on the carpet grrrr) the room was absolutely spotless. I was gobsmacked. He did it without asking, and literally 5mins after he had woken up!

THEN as if that wasnt enough, Nathen saw Jaryd getting a reward for his efforts, and he goes Mum I dont want to go to school today I want to stay home and clean the whole house up. (The house was messy this morning because I went late night shopping yesterday and was out all day during the day so didnt get time to clean it because by the time Id finished shopping I was exhausted and went straight to bed.)

Anyway I told Nathen that he had to go to school and that the house would already be clean before he gets home because I have someone coming over today and I cant stand to leave the house messy a minute longer anyway so he goes ok tonight then when X messes up the house I'll clean it. I told him how about you put the dishes away for me instead when you get home from school and we'll call it quits. You should have seen the size of the smile on his face. Ive never seen my kids this eager to please! Lmao!!

Something in the back of my head is telling me to enjoy it while it lasts coz the novelty will wear off soon so Im making the most of it now lol.

Come on kids! Time to clean the loungeroom up! (Muahahahahah!)

My 6yo son is right into computer games and today I decided to make him a treat. I put some jelly in the fridge to set and Master 6 sees and asks if the jelly is loading lol.