3 weeks ago, I dislocated my thumb.  Full dislocation, which frightened me so much, I popped it back into place all by myself.  Don't know which hurt more, the dislocation, or the relocation.

This happened at about 11pm at night, so there was no way I was heading to the hospital until the morning (can't drive, 5 kids asleep for once and taxi's virtually non existant on a Thursday night).  I went, despite Les saying he didn't think I needed to go, and did the whole xray thing only to be told that there were no breaks, and the offended appendage had popped cleanly back into place.

Despite being prepared for a lengthy wait (had a good book and all), I was out of the hospital in 90, no bandage and the recommendation to take it easy for a few weeks, no heavy lifting (what a joke-I have a boob reliant 15 month old) and to take ibuprofen for pain and swelling.

Yeah, despite the heavy swelling, I was sent home with my thumb in the same condition I had entered the hospital in- naked!

For the past 3 weeks, I have tried to use my hand as normally as possible, without doing any heavy lifting or anything that could upset the injury further.  Well, guess what?  The thumb is threatening to explode.  The last week or so, there has been evidence of a split blood vessel.  The bruising patterns coming up would suggest a minor nick.  The muscles and tendons are both tight and loose at the same time, and I never know how my thumb is going to react to being forced into duty.

I have kept up typing, doing my cross stitch, and all the rest of the things I do every day.  I even closed the car door a week ago which almost saw the thumb back out of its socket.  More swelling, more bruising and more pain.  Dammit!  Why couldn't I just listen to Les and let him use the key to lock the car door.

I have noticed a sort of numbness in the thumb too, which sometimes extends to the index finger, but that comes and goes.  Like having a local anaesthetic really.

I don't like relying on pain medications because they mask symptoms (pain is beneficial in identifying how serious and injury really is), so I haven't taken any for the hand in over 2 weeks.

The problem now is, do I make an appointment with my gp for 6 weeks time (only urgent appointment they have), or do I go back to the hospital, incurring that scowl from Les that says ' it will get better in time without the doctors help'  Oh the arguements we have had over seeking medical attention, even when I was suffering extreme morning sickness with my first pregnancy (if I hadn't put my foot down, I wouldn't be here to type).

I'm stuck between wanting to wait and see how the thumb goes and jumping in and getting it seen to right now.  I was told if there was no sign of improvement in 10-14 days to go back, but I also know that injuries of this nature just need time.  I think the statistic thrown at me isn't helping things -you know the one, '60% of thumb dislocations require surgery to manually straighten the ligatments and muscles, and to make sure they are tight enough or not too tight'.

At what point to I just GO?  At what point would you just Go.

Arrrggghhh, if it isn't the kids keeping me up all night, it is the constant joy of a recovering dislocated thumb!  Need a break from typing, might have already over done things for today

The members that are being reported have written blog posts that, while not entirely about parenting, aren't in breach of the ToS either.

These members are being reported as spammers, which normally I'd agree, except that the definition of spam is unsolicitored advertising, which means the means of delivery is on mass by email or in inappropriate areas of the internet eg:  In the advice and q&a section of minti.

I was under the impression that our blogs are for us to write about whatever we want to write about, and that as long as it isn't derogetory or explicit in nature, then it is ok to publish it.

Where is the line drawn between spam and someone wanting to share their experiences about a particular service, links included?  At the moment, I'm finding it hard to understand why my membership hasn't been reported, and yet others who only use their personal blogs are being reported.

Because of my feelings, I have cancelled my rss feeds, meaning minti will no longer receive my external blog, which is where I do most of my blogging.  I just think that my blogs are spam too, or at least some of the posts are.

I don't have time to be sitting down and writing a blog for every website I visit, so this will more than likely be my last blog.  I will keep the links to my site on my homepage but other than that, no more blogging here from me.

My first reaction to discovering it was that my site had been hacked, as it was an error code I have never seen before.  Thankfully, that isn't the case, I just didn't have permission to view my own site!  Yep, I own it and all and still didn't have permission! 

The good news is, they responded to my complaint asap, fixed it and explained they were moving me to the bigger server, where I shouldn't experience as much down time.  We will see on that score though, because they promised that last time, and I was down for 3 days!!!  Oh the joys of trying to run your own site! 

That isn't where my computer woes end either.  Oh no, I have a barage of problems going on here at the moment, and it is all because of the latest version of Firefox!  Yep, webpages load quicker, minti now being the quickest of the lot, but what good is it being quick if Firefox crashes without warning and for no reason?  Hhhhmmm, wish I could remove it and have the old one back, but that isn't possible either!

The problem with Firefox has also affected other areas of my computer.  I can no longer use msn, because apparently it doesn't exist on my computer, which is odd considering I was chatting away early this morning!  Not now though, I have once again been locked out!

None of my games will run properly and self terminate without warning, very frustrating seeing as some don't have auto save (like the Sims).  What else?  My desktop keeps changing around so I can never find anything!

Apart from not being able to do much on my computer, I'm having a ball!  I'm constantly sending error reports to Microsoft so they might be able to work on a patch to fix Firefox, which can be fun!  I doubt very much they will understand anything I have said though, because I've written it all in Arnaish! lmao!

What do you know!  I have managed to write this without being kicked out!  Yippeeee!  Now it better publish!

Over the last few months, I have noticed an alarming trend in the behaviour or Willow.  Nothing that can’t be managed and nothing too serious, just something that is tiring to deal with and takes up way too much of our time.

The first time I noticed this happening, was not long after she started school.  Naturally, I just put it down to her being tired from a big day of playing and learning, but apparently that isn’t it at all – this problem is even worse on the weekends.

What am I talking about?  Not entirely sure to tell you, but I’m starting to think Oppositional Defiance Disorder, which if you turn it into an acronym spells ODD and we all know Willow is just that! (but in the loveable way of course).

I have done some reading, spoken to other parents with children who have similar behaviours and even spoken to Les about getting Willow seen to by a child behaviourist (though he’d rather play ostrich).

The constant backchat and arguing is very draining, as are the deliberate destruction sprees Willow goes on, that are going to cost a small fortune to put right.  When Willow doesn’t get her own way, she will scream and argue like a politician and the rest of us are left with splitting headaches.

Then there is the vindictive streak.  Willow will wait until everything is all calm again, and start chewing on the house (I believe we had a dog like that didn’t we Mum?).  I’d get photos, but to tell you the truth, it isn’t pretty and I’d need a whole photo library!

She has already stripped the rubber stoppers off her wardrobe doors, which isn’t a biggy.  To save further drama, I’ve decided to hide the strips for now and put them back when we move out.  She has chewed away part of the wall in the loungeroom (Mum, I will show you when you come up!!!), but can only chew so far because of the metal behind it (a builder with hindsight!!!!!????), but it won’t stop her – there are the window sills yet to be tasted.

I know that I was terrible as a child, but surely I wasn’t this bad!  Surely I didn’t go around behind my Mum’s back and deliberately destroy the house just because I was told ‘No’.  Oh my, it isn’t ‘Woe is Willow’, it is ‘Woe is Arna’

On a funnier side, Willow managed to break knob on her bedroom the other day, looking herself in her bedroom!  Yeah, not happy about the knob, but it was funny just the same.  We’ve been waiting for it to happen because she won’t stop swinging on the door!!!

Ok, as I am writing this, a classic example of Willowness is playing in the background:

Les is trying to get her to take her jumper off because it is a very warm day.  Willow is saying she isn’t hot, even though her cheeks are flushed and her hair is wet from sweat.  This is a mild example of her behaviour!

Willow was named as the Student of the Month for her class this month, an honour which she has been working towards since starting school at the start of the year.

For her, it was a big surprise to be receiving the award.  For Les and I, it wasn’t.  The school had called us last week to let us know that during parade today, Willow would be receiving her award.  They told us that Willow had no idea she had been chosen, and they would like it to stay that way if possible.

Do you know how hard it is to not share how proud you are of your 5 year old?  It is darn near impossible I can tell you!

Any way, we all headed to the school for parade, something that doesn’t happen very often, and saw Willow get her award.

After school, I made sure I got some photos of her with her certificate and her badge.  A bigger smile you won’t find any where.

Willow might be a difficult child at home, but it is days like today that remind me that there is a little bit of an angel in her somewhere.

Our new appliances are very vocal too.  The dishwasher plays a groovy little tune to let you know it is finished and the dryer, well, that’s the problem.

The dryer plays a little tune every few minutes when it is finished, until you go and switch it off!  Too bad if I set it to dry the clothes over night!

Actually, it does have a buzzer cancel button, I just keep forgetting to use it.

Can you imagine when we have the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher all telling us they are finished?  We managed to get that happening the other night, and I can tell you now, Les and I didn’t know which way to look!  It was pretty funny.

We wouldn’t be without our appliances.  The washing mountain is well wrangled now and we remember what the kitchen bench looks like.  Usually, there is a colourful pile of clothing in the laundry, and an ever growing pile of dishes on the kitchen bench.

Life has become easier.  I just have to clone myself now so that I can keep up with the washing that has been dried.  The mountain has moved from the laundry to the folding corner.  And we need more coat hangers too, or drawers, as keeping up with the washing means overflowing drawers now.

I suppose there has to be some negatives that come with the positives.

HER FIRST TOOTH!!!!

Yes, I noticed it was all the way through today.  Yesterday, it wasn’t, but today, it was right there, clearly visible and definitely able to be felt.

It won’t take long, and the others will soon be there too.  The first is always the hardest after all!

Puggle has a tooth!!!!  Now the fun and games really begin!!!  Anyone know the number for  a ceiling plasterer?

Thanks DA for posting about my difficulties! LOL.

Acacia, who is 2, has just spent the first night out of her cot and in a proper bed.  No dramas at all, she slept through the night.

She was so excited when she saw that Les had put her new bed together, and even more so when she saw the quilt she has!  Lots of pretty colours!

Yes, my 4th baby is definitely a big girl now.  But she looks tiny in her new bed.

I wish potty training was as easy.  Oh well, can’t have it all I suppose.

What’s that?  Doesn’t fit my persona?  Ha!  There’s more to me than you will ever know!  I’m kind of a super open minded person who likes both the cutesy and the outrageous!

Dragons are just fascinating.  Don’t know why, but they are.  I use them alot in my writing too, and that is going to be my signature for my books – dragons!

Ok, so not all books will be about dragons, but dragons will feature somewhere!

The abilities that Dragon’s have are amazing!  I’d love to have one as a pet!  No more car needed, don’t have to worry about heating costs and the fertilizer!  Oh, the roses would be the best in the world!!!

Yes, there you have it, straight and steady me isn’t so ‘normal’ now! Have I frightened you away yet?

As the end of the financial year has just passed, and our tax refunds have been paid, it was down to some serious considerations into getting a dryer for me and a dishwasher for Les.

Why?  Because our clothes line only gets sun for about 2 hours in the morning and none for the rest of the day and we are sick and tired of the girls being able to push dishes of the bench.

We went hunting at Redford’s Betta Electrical, where we have previously bought appliances from (our washing machine and fridge).  The service there is just well, betta!  They are a family owned and opperated business, and they really take the time to listen to your needs and come up with the product that will best suit you, and there is never any pressure to by any particular product.

This expedition, we were in store for almost an hour, inspecting and talking about products.  Floor stock was limited (the store is small being in a rural town), but there were more from a catalogue that we could choose from, and we did.

That was Monday, and the goods were going to take a couple of days to get to us, so we payed half upfront as a faith payment, and walked away happy, even if we did go slightly over budget.

Thursday, being my payday, Les went in and paid the rest off and arranged delivery.  He did this on his way home from picking up the girls, and by the time he got home, the goods were being loaded onto the truck ready for delivery!  Talk about service!!!!

So, we have our new appliances, and they are already proving their worth!  No more waiting for good weather to dry the clothes.  No more scratchy towels and no more slaving away in the kitchen!

Yay!  I’m so HAPPY!!!!  Next, it is a steam mop and next year, a vacuum that will also shampoo the carpets (we soooo need it with our grubs!!)

This is the longest commitment (other than my family), I have ever made, including employement wise! LOL>

I may not be around as much these days, but I am around, still sticking my bit in and still having fun!

Won't be too long, and I'll be mentioning how it has been 3 years!!!

Enjoy this gorgeous white koala, because he is very rare indeed!

This cat is friendly enough, a bit skittish, but happy to come and say hello to us, and tease the girls out the front window.  Alas, the cat is also very friendly with our birds, which is going to be huge problem.

Currently, our birds are in cages on a table outside, as they wouldn’t be safe from the girls inside.  They have been out there since we moved here several months ago, safe and sound from the girls, and with no prowling cats until now.

This cat is beautiful, I’ll admit that being a cat person.  It is one of the tailless varieties, most likely a manx, which I love.  It does seem to be well fed and well looked after, though lacks a collar, which all cats in Queensland must have.  I doubt it is micro-chipped either, which is a shame.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy for my neighbours to have a cat, but they aren’t keeping it in at night and Pusca (that’s what I call it), is going to cause us big problems.  Our neighbours are barely there during the day, and at night, it is all hands to the work stations getting the girls off to bed.

The way things are, our options are to get rid of the birds altogether, drag them in at night and when we go out, or leave them out there with Pusca where they run the risk of ending up on the floor (some of the cages are such a cat can easily push them over).

Calling the RSPCA is an option, but they will only take the cat if we don’t know who it belongs to, and it is pretty clear where the cat lives.  Pusca only started to come around after they moved in, and there have been no other cats on the prowl up until then.

The laws in Queensland now are that a cat has to be registered with the local council, it must be desexed (unless they are registered for breeding), the cat must be micro-chipped and wearing a collar with a bell on it, the cat must be taken indoors at sunset and stay indoors all night and the cat owner is responsible for any deaths to local wildlife that their cat has caused.

Decisions, decisions.  Might just be easier to get rid of the birds after all.

Obesity in young children seems to be a new trend.  Now, we are talking about parents who are deliberately keeping their kids in this state for whatever reason.

The following video clip shows a 7 year old girl, who can’t walk because of her size!!!  And what are her parents feeding her all the time?  Why, all the things that are bad for their child of course, and this girl is never without food in hand for long!

Sorry, it is in German, but you get the point!

You can’t tell me this isn’t a form of child abuse!  It is a parents responsibility to ensure no harm comes to their child, and allowing your child to get into this state is harming to their health!

I understand where there is a medical condition involved, but for most, there isn’t.  I myself have been witness to women who shove unhealthy foods at their kids as soon as they make a noise (the child that is) and the kids are spoilt little brats to say the least!  They get what they want, when they want, and if they don’t, they throw their weight around (literally!!!!).

One such event was a woman who was staying at the same motel as us.  She breastfed her baby, both sides, and then offered a full bottle of formula!!!  Not long after, she gave another bottle, and then another etc, until the baby was asleep!  I was horrified to say the least, as this baby was only about 7 months old, and was the size of a fully grown wombat!

Sorry to get upset as this, but it is a concern, and a growing one at that (no pun intended).  I’ve been recently accused of neglecting my own babies nutrition because she is about 600gms below average for her weight.  she is also a little short (my genes) and super active!  Oh, and she is breastfed to boot, so she isn’t getting all the bulking agents of formula!

I don’t want to sound unsympathetic to those who battle weight problems, I know it is hard, but you don’t really choose to be that way do you?  And you are taking steps to improve your quality of life, which I back 100% and am here to give a cheer as you loose those kilos and inches.  The only downside must be the knowledge of having to get a new wardrobe at the end…hang on, can you really call that a downside?

Ok, that all ended up being a rant.  Oops!

With the little critter safely up off the floor, I put him in our study, thinking it would be a great place for it to grow and hide.  Yeah, the perfect place, as the girls can’t get in here at all, thanks to the old play pen that has been transformed into a fence of some sort.

The next morning, I got up (being school holidays, I got the sleep in) to be told that Les had some bad news for me.  Uh oh, the look on his face was rather perplexing to say the least.

I was expecting him to say the birds were dead or had flown the coop, but not so.  Maybe it was the fish? Nup.

The bad news my darling Les had for me was that he had found Aralia sitting on the floor, with something in her mouth, which isn’t any thing new, she is better than a vacuum cleaner after all!  He then informed me that she was EATING MY BABY GECKO!!!!!  Gross!

Seems that, while the fence is great for keeping the girls out, it doesn’t guarantee that baby geckos are going to stay in!

Oh, and Les had the nerve to reserve the half eaten creature, just so I could see for myself what my youngest was using as chewing gum!  Yeah, isn’t my husband just the greatest?  He’s lucky I’m the curious type!

The problem is I now have a 5 year old who is obsessed with ‘Stranger Danger’ awareness, to the point she is having nightmares about strangers coming into our house at night and trying to kill us all.  This is now a nightly occurrence, and very frightening to witness.

Willow wakes up screaming, convinced there is someone in the house and they are trying to kill her.  Naturally, it is me who gets up to her (Les sleeps through the fire alarms which can be heard a block away), and I calm her down and get her off to sleep again, explaining that there is no one in the house and that she is safe.  This peace lasts for only a few more hours before I have to get up again.

A conversation with Willow when she was more awake has revealed something rather disturbing – her teacher has told them (a class of 5 and 6 year olds) of people she has known who were killed in their beds as they slept, by strangers.  I’m not sure what to make of it, as she does have a very vivid imagination, but she has to have gotten the notion from some where.

Many of the conversations Willow starts with me now are about strangers, and what they are all going to do with us.  She asks where we would all hide if a stranger came into our house to harm us.  She says she would kick them in the leg and tell them to go away (and she would too!), and hit them in the head until they are dead.

What do I do?  Tell her that people do get hurt when they sleep by people they don’t know, but are more likely to be hurt by someone they do know?  Do I tell her to stop being silly and that she is safe in this house and to not worry about strangers?

Our over protective society has caused all this, and I for one, am sick and tired of people, particularly teachers, instilling in my children that they are going to be killed when they sleep by strangers!!  Why can’t we just give the warnings and leave it at that?  Because it is believed a child has to have all the gory details to get the message across!

Girls safely at school, after I dropped them to their classrooms, the rest of the family went shopping.  got my bras in things lay by out, meaning even more Pooh and Friends pj’s, but hey, I need them (like a hole in the head!).  A quick drink break and over to Goldfields to get the girl’s clothes that were on lay by.  And of course, school supplies for Ayla.

Home again, some washing done, some computer time and then a bright idea from me to go out again.  Pick the girls up from school and off to the pet shop.  No budgies, but a new cage for the finches (a mini population explosion is going on you know).  Round to the garden nursery.  Rose potting mix found and 2 gravillea’s as a ground cover and…another rose!  This one is called Chameleon because the flowers change colours!  magic and Les and I were only talking about this rose the other day!!!

Home again, usual night time routine, and to tell you the truth, I am ready to just crash on the couch, but probably won’t, now I am plonked in front of the computer.

So, for someone who rarely leaves the house, I did very well…It helped that the girls were well behaved and their weren’t the idiots at the shops that are usually there.

Might finish up on the net, and head to the couch for some R&R and maybe some more cross stitch.

Just a heads up, I am working on some articles that might be a bit controversial in nature and could cause upset, so if you see them and don’t like them, READ THEM FROM START TO FINISH, OUT LOUD, SO YOU GET THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE ARTICLE CAME FROM!!!

Lo and behold!  I found the one I bought on a trip to Bundaberg!  It is 3 dolphins jumping through the waves, that have rainbows through them.

It is HUGE!  Not kidding, it is about 50cm wide and 30cm tall, and that’s just the stitching area, not the part you will see once it is finished though.  A long project for sure, but well worth the effort when it is finished.

I spent some of last night working on it, and got a bit done, but not as much as I would have hoped.  I probably should be working on it right now, but I know I’ve been slack around here, so thought I would share what I’m stitching now.

I will add pictures soon, but not until I have a bit more done.  Don’t worry, I won’t wait until it is finished, because that is a long way off yet!