Settling In

This place felt like home from the start, even though we didn't bring all our old (and I mean old) familiar stuff with us.  But now I feel like we're really settling in and it all feels really good and "normal" and homey and nice.  Yes there are still  boxes of stuff up in the shed, some of it is kitchen stuff and I'm figuring if I haven't needed it for a month do I even need it at all?  I have to go and get it out and have a good look at it.  I have almost got the house the way I want it and I am itching to get the outside entertaining area done.  I really want a new table and chairs and later a better bbq.  We want to put some lights up out there and organise the pot plants, and when the weather warms up put a little tv out there on the rack that is set up for one, with an aerial point and everything. 
Josh and I walked down town yesterday, I timed it, it's about a twenty minute walk (for slow pokes like we are till we get a bit fitter).  We chose a double wool filled doona and took some time choosing his doona cover, there wasn't a lot in double size but we ended up deciding on a really nice cream, green and brown leaf patterned one.  It really suits his room and his new bed and goes with the lovely green drapes.

He got the best bedroom this time.  He has windows on two sides of the house as his room is in a corner.  Ignore that dusty fan that I need to take apart and clean, he can't sleep without white noise the little weirdo. ;)  He needs a new lamp now as he doesn't have anything blue in his room.  He said he loves his new bed and has so much more room.  Incredibly we saw a king single size lambswool underlay at Target, KS anything is hard to get which is why I got his and Em's off the net.  Never mind, I paid extra for express delivery so he should get his early in the week.

I had plans to dig in the vegie patch but couldn't find the digging fork (I didn't look very hard) and Josh and I had a pleasant afternoon watching Come Dine With Me and Friends.  It was warm enough yesterday to open up all the doors and the front sliding doors and air the house but as soon as 4pm or so hit we closed it all up again and put on the heating.  Phill got home late so we decided to order Thai takeaway, we went down and had a drink at the pub where the restaurant is and played the pokies a bit while we waited for our order and that was fun.  However I am sorry to say that I can cook Thai food better than they can these days.  I got satay chicken and fish cakes entree size and the chicken was as tough as old boots, why they would use breast meat I don't know, and the fish cakes were rubbery.  Phill got some garlic pork dish which was good, Em had honey chicken, they have Chinese dishes as well, and Josh had salt and pepper squid both were deep fried and could have been better.

We will have our bbq tonight now and I'm going to try the satay chicken recipe I found which I'm sure will turn out better than the restaurant's sad attempt.  The best part of the meal was a lovely fresh salad they included which we all shared and enjoyed.

Emily spent all day in her room and I let that go.  She came out later and looked happy and gave me a hug and said she'd been talking to the girl who roughed her up at school on FB and they had worked things out.  So it would appear that FB CAN be used for good sometimes and not just evil.  My fellow blogger, the amazing Yellow Dog Granny said in comments that Em needs to learn that life can be shit sometimes and she can't run away from it and I wholeheartedly agree and this is the line we're mainly taking with her, and it's good to see times when Emily tries to work it all out herself. 

Today we'll get everything ready for school tomorrow and I'll get her out of that room and doing something with us, I have plans to make a sticky date pudding for dessert and I think a walk would be good if we can find Maxy's lead he can come with us.  Tomorrow if all goes well I want to get into Emily's room and get it sorted before getting her new quilt and cover.

Sad news about Amy Winehouse, although I certainly wasn't a fan and know little of her but she was born in the same year as my oldest boy, who will turn 28 on Tuesday.  A mother somewhere is deep in grief, there is nothing to compare with losing a child, no matter what age they are.